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Tool Rules for Spring Fix-ups © Before the first robin returns, home- owners are thinking about the jobs that await them after a hard winter. Before starting your spring fix-up projects, projects, take time to make sure your tools are in top working order and are right for the job. American Tool Companies, makers of VISE-GRIP® locking pliers and QUICK-GRIP® clamps, reminds tool users that hand tools come in various sizes, shapes and degrees of hardness, hardness, depending on their intended uses. Any tool, no matter how durable, can fail if it is misused, whether it's used for gutter and shingle shingle repair,, installation of storm, windows, windows, or getting equipment ready for the lawn and garden. Metal-to-metal contact under pressure, pressure, combined with a striking or twisting motion, can result in broken metal fragments that can cause injury. In the interest of do-it-yourselfer safety, safety, American Tool offers these general safety rules to study before you start your spring projects: • Follow die manufacturers' instructions instructions on the package. • Wear safety goggles when using hand tools. • Keep all tools clean, dry and in working order. • Use the tool only for the job it was meant to do. • Buy several versions or sizes of the same tool to ensure the right tool for the job. . «Throw away damaged or abused tools promptly. • Be sure tools and work are compatible. •Be sure handles are fixed firmly into a tool's working end. • Confine impact forces to striking and struck tools. • Shut off current before using a tool near electricity. • Hold work in a clamp or vise, not in your hand. •Never use a vise or clamp for lifting, lifting, pulling or transporting. • Pull instead of push a wrench handle handle for safer leverage. • Keep jaw teeth, cutter and blades sharp for better results. ' •Use steady pressure on jaws and cutters; don't rock the tool. Keep a tool's moving parts properly cleaned and tightened. •A sharp cutting tool is less dangerous dangerous than a dull one. • Use pads in the jaws to protect soft or crushable work. • Keep tools from excessive heat. • For continuous work, use comfort grips or. gloves. SH940915 House and Garden, Supplement of The Canadian Statesman/Independent, April 27,1994 11 Vinyl Flooring Sets the Stage For Kitchen and Bath Decor Frequently, floor covering gets stepped all over when it comes to home decor. Of all home decor products, products, a kitchen or bathroom floor often takes the greatest beating from frequent frequent foot traffic, spills and other natural natural disasters, and typically covers more territory (in square footage) than other home purchases. Yet, flooring is usually usually a last consideration when it comes to home interior design. What's wrong with this picture? After all, the pattern and color chosen for any room's flooring has the potential to greatly add or detract from an overall decor scheme. Why not let flooring fashion take center stage and design a decor scheme from the floor up. : There are several good reasons to follow this advice: 1. Color, color and more color. Today's top vinyl flooring manufacturers manufacturers are no longer timid about offering the hottest emerging and forecasted colors, in addition to the ever-popular neutrals. Stuart Beattie, vice president of styling and design at Mannington Resilient Floors, says the powerful presence of color in fabrics, wall coverings, coverings, carpet and even countertops and cabinets has had a positive effect on floor coverings. "Underfoot is one of few places in the home that hasn't seen a great deal of color experimentation," he explains. "Over the last few years, though, consumers have become more confident in their use of color in other areas of the home and flooring manufacturers manufacturers are responding with a wider color palette." 2. Selecting a distinctive or bold floor pattern can establish the tone for a room. It can greatly simplify the remaining decorating selections by providing clear directions for other decor choices, and/or enabling you to keep your other decor selections to a minimum. This can be ideal in smaller spaces, like bathrooms or a galley kitchen, that easily get a cluttered or a closed-in feel. , The new Mannington Sterling design, Imperia -- which combines the bold look of square interlocking bands with the delicately; veined appearance of white marble -- works well for this purpose. Its strong, çléan lines and rich, yet soothing 1 , hues taken from nature, such as Forest Green, Sterling Blue and Sandstone, can set the decor tone of a room -- providing dominant color accents -- without being ovërpowering. 3. When flooring has a greater contribution contribution to the decor scheme, the entire room becomes more interesting, more unified -- inviting the eye to take in the room as a complete whole. This is especially important in entrance halls, kitchens and baths where creat ing a defined and inviting ambiance is desirable. For instance, vinyl flooring with a delicate floral design may be used to provide a more subtle foundation foundation for the decor scheme that can then be artfully echoed in wall coverings and window treatments. 4. Vinyl flooring provides more pattern pattern options than any other flooring surfaces, with the added benefits of being more reasonably priced than many alternatives and generally recognized recognized for its easier upkeep. From checkerboards, diamonds and pavers to florals, marble and faux finishes (with the texturized look of quartz, slate, clay, pebbles and sandstone), not to mention innovative combinations of all the above, vinyl flooring offers it all. 5. Vinyl flooring is versatile and works well with a number of interior design themes and trends popular today. Home decorators need only imagination to create an atmosphere uniquely their own. Arid even decorators decorators with budget limitations can make beautiful and personal decorating statements. Spring Tune-up for Hardboard Siding Spring Into New Countertop Options Latest Countertop Material Offers Affordability and Upscale Look NUVEL™ SURFACING MATERIAL from Formica Corp. combines the easy care and installation of laminate with the high-priced look of solid surfacing. As the outdoors wake up to spring and the new colors and beginnings that accompany the season, homeowners often look towards refreshing the inside of their homes to parallel nature's handiwork. If spring is your season for a major kitchen make-over, youTf be happy to"hear that choices abound -- especially in surfacing material. What do people expect from their newly, remodeled kitchen? Designers say most homeowners think carefully about every aspect of such a project, especially countertops. The first step to meeting your countertop expectations is knowing what you want and need. Paying attention to a material's look and feel, its durability, color and cost, is important. Once you begin asking questions, you'll see your options in surfacing materials are vast. For example, regular regular kitchen counter laminate is easy to clean and its price is attractive for bud- get-conscious remodelers. Solid surfacing, surfacing, on the other hand, is priced considerably considerably higher than laminate, but offers a smooth, upscale look. Homeowners searching for a middle ground between laminate and solid surfacing surfacing may want to look at a new product product called Nuvel™, a strong, formable surfacing material from Fonriica Corp. Made from GE's Valox® sheet, Nuvel combines the easy care and installation of laminate with the high-priced look of solid surfacing. Formica has priced Nuvel at about half the cost of solid surfacing and says the material offers many features home- owners look for, including a solid, marble-like, marble-like, finish with superior stain, crack, scratch and impact resistance. ©Even though hardboard siding is manufacturer-warranted and engineered engineered to withstand the toughest environmental environmental conditions, American Hardboard Association experts offer homeowners these tips to ensure even longer life and lasting beauty: 1. Visually inspect your siding after the last freeze of the season. 2. Look for scratches, popped nails, stains, loose caulk and other winter damage. damage. 3. With a small hammer lightly tap in loose nails, avoiding hammer marks. The head of the nail should not be imbedded but should rest flush with siding surfaces. 4. Replace loose caulk and fill in nail holes as necessary. 5. Wash off winter dirt. If marks remain, use mild detergent and a soft brush. Rinse well. For mildewed surfaces, surfaces, wash with diluted household bleach or check with your local paint store for proper treatment information. 6. Small damaged areas should be touched up before the siding is severely weathered. 7. Prune foundation plantings or trees that may touch your siding. Foliage will trap moisture and possibly promote deterioration of the material. "I Didn't Know Your Store was so Large!" ELECTRICAL Store-Wide Sale On Now! You'll be amazed how large our store is once you step inside to view the 2 charming floors of fine furniture and accessories at attractive prices. We invite you to drop by anytime and browse. 28 King St. W. 623-1131 Bowmanville PATIO DOOR WE DO IT ALL 4\ -Si-*!'i f T;. .. .j '** Building?? Visit Our Showroom JrImCcP CD Z Q CO I >- z > I o Z) o GC F (O cc 8 UJ LU F CO F U. LL O </) 47 King St. West Bowmanville, Ontario Tel: (905) 623-0444 Fax: (905) 623-0445 WATCH FOR OCR MONTHLY SPECIALS FASCIA ■ FURNACES ■ GARAGES ■ GAS FIREPLACES ■ DOORS SHOW SPECIAL 10 % DISCOUNT 1 < O id LU ■ X id $ UJ Ui £ n-rrrmrr I I'MIT 1'1*1 a on Granny Doors FREE INSTALLATION or 33 03 FREE HARDWARE WINDOWS ■ WOOD WINDOWS ■ NEW HOUSE CONSTRUCTION WOOD WINDOWS ■ GLASS REPAIRS ■ NEW HOUSE CONSTRUCTION 8