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tii 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. 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. 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. As a result, our decks need a lot of tender loving care each spring to repair Spring spruce-up for your deck Mfptarxy MARC t MARC} if: SOMETHING SI‘LCIAL how place. Call m lulu. jeff's Tip For Flame Burrs THE WEST ts BEST LOTSOX IAOFIIJ Countrywide Town Centre Realty Inc. . 280 North Service Rci. W. Oakville. Ontario L6M 255 . FOUR BIDROOMS - COURT SEWING S i68.500 [EH PEARCY sdil B 33843550 :4: :4: A: . h"ur, [Mom "cVi-" W “"J Bus. 3386550 mm 24 Hour Pager q: hi Man Mn" m Fn HMO MCI MIC! T.o.v$!N 'pp/tfry.?, 338-6550 2.9oosq1mrm... CREAI SUNDECK RE NOVATID! ITllP.eirt' the ravages of winter. If we ignore that fact, we do so at our peril. Here is the scenario we have to follow. Replace damaged boards. Reset popped nails. Clean the surface. Apply a bit of make-up (stain) and lots of protec- tion against water. 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 along- side them so the head of the screw exerts pressure on the edge of the nail head. If with In mo a board was laid down incorrectly the bark side down. you will proba- m In m F'" Psi' a" l 1si i .'i an.” _ ”a LL i, R It; , if I_ ,7 "AV L- 1-11 i ALLANMN PRIVATE COURT SETTING HEAVEN ON EARTH lOCATION. LOCATION MRS. CLEAN IS MOVING a THE WEST IS BEST flan S ALLANINN MORE FOR YOUR MONEY! - Si68,500 ALLANBAIN 37;“: 5stng oq4eo $33 Tip Forl-b ALLA“. MIN bly see its two edges sticking up above the level of the deck. 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 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 stringers should have a firm foot- ing on a patio block or a pad of con- crete. 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. The surface of the deck should be scrubbed with a mild solution of oxalic 'me ALLAN IAIN ers ”(XX ALLAN BAN TALL PINES IN EAST mth ALLANBMN It' a acid and water (read directions) and rinsed well. It will remove all dirt and grime and a thin layer of the wood itself. An alternative is to rent a power washer and get basically the same results with the strong jet of water. Consider the R-2000 option The bonus here is that you can use the power jet to clean off walkways, garden furniture, cellar windows and foundation walls - in fact, any painted surfaces on the house. It may work so well that you can postpone 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 dif- ferent colors for the railing and for the support structure. 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. For most of us, buying a house is the single most important investment we'll make in our lives. That's why it's essen- tial to review all the options. If you are actively house-hunting you may well have come across an R-2000 home. Over the past decade, a lot of "energy- efficient" houses have been built. But when you’re investigating a property it can be very difficult to tell just how well built or energy-efficient it really is. With an R-2000 house, there's no guessing. To get the R-2000 designation and identifi- cation certificate, a house must meet strict technical requirements that ensure quality, comfort and energy efficiency. The R-2000 home has established an excellent reputation for itself over the past 10 years. In fact, it is arguably the best-built energy-efficient house any- where in the world. And the technology is all Canadian. R-2000 features include careful seal- ing against air-leakage, mechanical venti- 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. One choice would be marine varnish, but remember even that will break down after a couple of years. lation systems, high levels of insulation and superior heating systems. R-2000 homes are designed to take advantage of solar heat and light, and many are equipped with energy-efficient appli- ances. As a result, they can save you up to 50% in energy costs, in addition to reducing the impact of energy use on the environment. Thanks to the R-2000 ventilation sys- tem, levels of indoor air pollution are lower than in conventional homes. Sealing and insulation help to reduce drafts and noise, and to keep dust and pollen outside. In short, the R-2000 home provides you and your family with a healthier, more comfortable environment in which to live. The R-2000 Home Program is a coop- erative effort involving several partners, including Energy Mines and Resources Canada and the Canadian Home Builders' Association. The world will be coming to see Canada's leading edge R- 2000 technology at Innovative Housing '93, the largest-ever conference on ener- gy-efficient and environmentally-sensi- tive housing and development. If you would like more information about the conference, or the R-2000 Home Program, contact Energy, Mines and Resources, 580 Booth Street, 15th Floor, Ottawa, KIA 0E4