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65 ' , 9 But the fact is we live in the Great White North and we use something called pressure treated wood for our decks and somehow that tag has fooled us into believing the treatment will turn second rate wood into top of the line lumber. The chemicals used will repel insects and the bacteria that rots wood. They will not repel water nor will they improve the grade of the lumber. Wooden decks get no respect. Like fences, they brave the worst that the weather, both winter and summer, can dish out. They have little, and mostly, no protection from rain, snow, frost, and blazing sun. As a result, our decks need a lot of tender loving care each spring to repair the ravages of winter. If we ignore that fact, we do so at our peril. Here is the scenario we have to follow. If we lived in a different climate, if we could afford redwood or weren't opposed to destroying the first growth forest, then we could enjoy beautiful decks a la California that looked good year after year with little attention. Give your deck the respect it deserves Replace damaged boards. Reset Det. biick bur bedrooms. Gr desirable area floors - pine F like a dream. _ rooms root, dem ATTRACTIVE BUNCALOW Three bedroom home renovated kitchen, be Rich wood panelled l mom. Large, well Ian yard. MARILYN WYKES' 338-2201 OR 844-9859 BUILDERS POTENTIAL SUE HODGE. 338-2201 or 845-6164 QUJEI macaw " FF NT H tome with n. bathro< )rm VIEW MEL marmo- 338-2201 pager or 849-1840 'm Kt t'iiilli_'i,i'ii ' GREAT BUY AT $134,000 Separa roon' MARILYN WYKES' '38-2201 OR 844-98 in SUE HODGE' 338-2201 or 845-6164 L1:'jlltjI. rnf5l bdm EXECUTIVE HOME GLEN ABBEY Knock it out and reverse it so the other side is up. Anytime you put in a new board. look at the end grains and lay it down so the annular rings look like an upside down "U". That's bark side up. Stairs are often the first thing to need Some boards may have split to the point of ugly, or warped to the point of dangerous. Replace them by knocking them loose from underneath. The constant soaking and drying out has swelled and shrunk those boards so often that they are utterly confused as to who they are. The Warping may have only popped a few nails up and they can be knocked back down with a nail set. But they won't hold unless you drive a special coated deck screw into the board alongside them so the head of the screw exerts pressure on the edge of the nail head. If a board was laid down incorrectly with the bark side down, you will proba- bly see its two edges sticking up above the level of the deck. popped nails. Clean the surface. Apply bit of make-up (stain) and lots of protec tion against water. Some boards may have split to th point of ugly, or warped to the point c dangerous. Replace them by knockin H "I! Splendid four bedroom home t2 a, .--.1-" 53*” MARILYN WYKES' 338-2201 OR 844-98 th upgrades SUE HODCE' 338-2201 or 845-6164 FIRST TIME BUYERS NEAT AS A PIN B EAST OAKVILLE LR ded oak floors and great room. Mature ' onto wooded 'or, The stringers should have a ftrrn foot- ing on a patio block or a pad of concrete. Make one if necessary. If there is one there, you can shim it up by adding enough fine gravel or traffic bond to bring it up to height. attention. Often it is because the ground on which the bottom of the stringer (the board that holds up the treads) sits has settled. This will cause the stringers to pull away from the top joist or for the bottom to simply swing in the air until someone puts weight on the tread. The surface of the deck should be scrubbed with a mild solution of oxalic acid and water (read directions) and rinsed well. It will remove all dirt and grime and a thin layer of the wood itself. m An alternative is to rent a power wash I/t MARILYN WYKES' 338-2201 OR 844-9859 3 bdrm., ly, baths, 1 car garage, 4 appliances, cent air and vac., walk-out to wood deck. Finished bsmt Convenient north location SUE HODGE. 338-2201 or 845-6164 SUMMER FUN! JUDY MAXTEO* WHAT A DEAL! 338220185" M m apt ily home alk car central er and get basically the same results with the strong jet of water. The bonus here is that you can use the power jet to clean off walkways, garden furniture, cellar win- dows and foundation walls - in fact, any painted surfaces on the house. It may work so well that you can post- pone painting for a year. At worst, it will prepare woodwork for painting. As I mentioned, the best protection you can give the deck is enamel and before you reject the idea, consider the possibilities of a painted deck with differ- ent colors for the railing and for the sup- port structure. One choice would be marine varnish, but remember even that will break down after a couple of years. The March 1992 issue of The Family Handyman has an excellent indepth arti- cle on deck maintenance and if it is no longer on the newsstands, get down to your public library. It is a popular title and should be there. If you are married to the idea of stain, just remember that you need a generous application of water seal on top of any stain. MARILYN WYKES* 338-2201 OR 844-9859 New listigg! Nanrg or in-law accomm ation. n bus route. Fireplace, air conditioned. Priced to sell quick. $189,900. TALK OF THE T/ HOUSE It's a gem. Tons df upgrades. Approx. 2600 sq. ft. Quiet Cul-de-sad. Near lake. Super design. Luxurious living A pleasure to show. $325,000 JUNE BENNETT' 338-2201 or 845-2340 FIRST TIME BUYERS! "' ,.:_.. BERN CROWLEY‘ 338-2201 Eater