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Page 14 SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT Wednesday March High energy efficiency ratings and timers help save on cooling costs Attack tab Biological Protects RtcYtii kiwi ami if m a Mi iml in rkh compos to hum p an produced by bog and rru frUtl and Chemical lawn and can land KBjXSSSSSfSSx- SiS Natural lawn care practices can yield beautiful results Despite the horror stones about the global environmental crisis few real so lutions have existed for fighting the battle on the But that changing Thanks to recent breakthroughs in natu ral chemical free products for the lawn and garden you now can do your part And there is a major extra benefit Re search shows the natural products ally can work better and produce lusher healthier lawns and gardens Threestep process According to Ringer Corporation the nation s leader in natural tally sound gardening systems there is a simple three step process for making the switch One begin using natural organic tilizers that outperform the chemical products you buy from stores or lawn services Two switch to natural biological pes which are highly effective yet use no toxic chemicals And three recycle your grass clip pings leaves and garden into inent rich compost rather than send the material to rapidly filling landfills Natural fertilizer First the fertilizers new natural or game fertilizers have been proven to build healthier lusher lawns in research at several universities for one simple son They enhance the natural process al ready occurring In the soil For example a product called Lawn Restore actually adds living rmcroorga to the soil They speed up the con ditiomng of the soil by breaking down organic matter such as de id grass and feeding the Irving grass esc microor also can suppress common patch diseases in lawns Also slow release nutrient sources in the fertilizers such as bone meal and wheat germ feed the grass with natural food Chemical fertilizers on the other hand simply stimulate the grass plants with chemicals and actually deplete the soil of microorganisms by failing to pro vide the necessary food And excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses a threat to groundwater lales and streams Natural pesticides For stopping pesky pests also have turned to nature and have enhanced natural processes with safe new natural products Some of the natu products use soaps to kill aphlds and mites on contact Others use a natural pest killing These provide quick knockdown results and can be used on fruits and right up to the day of harvest But probably the most significant advance is the use of natural to at tack and kill specific pests Wipe out grabs For example if your lawn is showing the tell tale brown spots of a Japanese Beetle grub infestation a product such as Grub Attack controls the grubs by ducing BP a grubkilling into the soil infecting and killing the grubs The then spread and remain fective in eliminating the grubs for the next 15 to years Not only are these approaches highly effective in eliminating pests they also pose no threat to people animals and ihc environment And that becoming a ma concern regarding he chemical pesii Advances in composting Finally there are the new solutions to disposing of grass clippings and leaves Many cities and states are banning dumping of this debris in space pressed landfills because it can account for percent of landfill material during peak periods What do you do with the stuff If the term composting conjures up night mares of a stinking heap requiring con slant turning via pitchfork you can rest easy New advances in composting sys terns make it a simple clean task Help from microorganisms For example this year Ringer has in the Recycle Kit for Grass Clip pings Simply dump grass clippings into the kit heavy duty composting bag add the packet of compost starter and some water seal the bag and turn it once every few days In about days you II have nutrient rich compost to spread over your lawn or garden beds The secret to these new products is yet another example of working with nature The compost maker contains to speed up the natural breakdown of the Many major retailers such as K Man and Target are placing special emphasis on these and other green products this spring as are most garden centers and home centers For free information on environmentally sound lawn and garden care contact Ringer Corporation Valley View Road Eden Prairie MN 55344 or call 800 1047 SH905697 It can help to be square Professionals and avid do it your sellers alike use squares to perform complicated calculations and to ensure the correct determination of various an According to the experts at Stanley Tools a carpenter square a flat piece of steel or aluminum cut into an shape with graduated markings is ideal for determining the length of any rafter for any given roof pitch for vol of a board finding the cmumfer and center of a circle calculating proportions and laying out ellipses mi and hopper joints Combination squares with an metal or plastic handle are deigned for marking right angles making longitu dinal lines on boards finding dlpih of holes making angles for leveling and plumbing surfaces Warm weather dossn have to mean excessively high electric bills for cooling your home There are two primary factors for smart consumers to consider when pur chasing a room air conditioner Cooling capacity and efficiency Cooling capacity is the amount of heat and moisture transferred from in door air to the outdoors explains Gary Thompson of Carrier Corporation the world largest manufacturer of air con ditioning equipment fa other words it the ability of the unit to cool and your room adequately Cooling capacity is measured in thermal units per hour Thompson cautions that bigger is not ways better when it comes to capacity A room air conditioner with too much cooling capacity will result in a cold unpleasantly moist feeling because the unit won t tun long enough to lower the humidity level Also the unit will on and off excessively resulting in reduced efficiency On the other hand a unit that s too small will not cool a room sufficiently Cooling pud Estimate forms ble from air conditioning dealers help consumers determine proper capacity for the size of a room earner also makes available through its dealers a room air conditioner cooling load calculator When it comes to efficiency however bigger is better the higher the Energy Efficiency Rating the more the air conditioner The E is the unit s output divided by the watts of electricity it uses When shop ping for a room air conditioner check the E E R on the yellow re quired by law on each new unit sold The units with higher EER numbers use less electricity and are more economical to operate Carner offers room air conditioners with E R s up to 12 0 the highest efficiency rating available A PROPERLY SIZED room air with a gra timer In Carriers International SerW will help cut on all day so the room is cool when you come home you can set it to come on an hour before Look for a high EER unit with the right cooling capacity for the size room you went it to cool and you II enjoy air conditioned comfort without excessive electric bills To locate your nearest earner dealer call 800 CARRIER or look in your lo cal telephone directory In addition to cooling capacity and EER some models of room air condi tioners offer energy saving features the consumer will want to consider before purchasing a unit For instance Thomp son points out that Carner offers hour programmable timers on of its In Senes room air condition ers Tins is a real energy saver says Thompson Instead of leaving the unit Antiques Still trendy after all these years While there certainly is plenty of beau highquality furniture being made today there s something about things crafted in past centuries that is larly appealing in today fast paced high stress often impersonal world For an antiques lover there nothing like the of finding a treasure at a bargain in an unexpected place And once the object has been lovingly re stored 10 its former glory there the pleasure of imagining ihe person who created It with skill and care as well as its former owners and the uses to which it may have been put Expenenced collectors and amateur enthusiasts alike will be delighted by the recently published Antiques at Home Clarkson N Potter Inc by Barbara Milo Ohrbach whose Manhat tan boutique Cherchez features antique textiles and decorative accessories for the home has assembled in her book a truly stunning collection of full color photographs from the world of collect A browser s delight Antiques Home also offers a wealth of practical advice Chapters cover ceramics wood glass paper silver and textiles What to look for terminology to know and where to find the best quality items Each chapter also includes a list of tips for handling cleaning and storing the objects once they have been acquired Even if one is not already a collector Ohrbach s enthusiasm and the beautiful treasures pictured in the volume will probably inspire an urge to rush out to the nearest antiques shop or tag sale in order to begin a collection of one own Luckily the last chapter of the book fea a list of antiques shops auctions and fairs throughout the United States Canada Great Britain and Europe as well as directories of museums gallenes and historic houses SO FREE INHOUSE ESTIMATES 71 Rd N Georgetown Ontario Unit Wed make it and instatt it right 8736017