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Prefinished Materials Aid f- In Home Rejuvenation Indoor Room Opens To Outdoor Charms To growing families and grown-up families of every size the ^conquest of space begins at home. Families looking for more . space often overlook the solution of an unfinished or unsightly basement--but the basement, which may be little more than a storage room or a place for the kids to play on a rainy day, very likely has unlimited modernization potential. The built-in addition of privacy that every member of the family wants for reading, writing, hobbies and informal entertaining is basic to a basement -- whether it's in an old or new home. Before proceeding with plans for remodeling, however, the homeowner should review his basement with a contractor, architect or building material dealer to see if it has the room and flexibility that is needed. (lhanging Exterior Another point worth considering is the advisability of expanding the home improvement project to include some exterior changes along with the basement remodeling job. This has the advantage of coordinating the appearance of a basement and a basement entryway. Once started, rejuvenating the appearance of the basement becomes an easy accomplishment with the help of the many prefinished building materials available. Interior paneling and exterior siding in a wide range of choices can help to create an individual look and a family room suitable for every purpose and need. Space-stretching techniques vary with the size and condition of the basement. In one old house with a roomy basement, the natural fieldstone stairway and fireplace provided the nucleus for the "new look." New Living Areas Wormy chestnut paneling in washable, plastic-finished hardboard was installed throughout the room. Vinyl flooring, posts and beams to conceal built-in lighting and a few pieces of Early American furniture completed the modernization of a now-comfortable living area. Newer homes, while they lack the rambling basements of yesteryear, are candidates for basement remodeling jobs, too. For instance, a small basement in a typical .tract house was transformed into an unusual recreation area by opening up one wall to the outdoors and raising the floor to form a conversation pit around the fireplace. Pecan plywood paneling provided an elegant backdrop for the copper fireplace and colored accessories. A suspended ceiling system with translucent fiberglass was added to conceal the old rafters left exposed in the stairwell for design interest. Meanwhile, outside, prefinished siding with matching batten strips added architectural distinction to the new entry to the remodeled basement. An amber bottle glass skylight helped to dramatize the entryway. Re-Siding Benefits For interiors, prefinished paneling to suit any job is available in various sizes for easy handling and in a diversity of wood grains. For exteriors, prefinished siding comes in a wide choice of textures and materials -- among them, plywood, mineral fiber, aluminum, steel, asbestos cement and vinyl. Even a newer home may benefit from re-siding -- witness the remodeling project just discussed. For the older home, re-siding strips years from its appearances, as well as adding protection and increasing home value. Ease of installation and littie-or-no maintenance are advantages shared prefinished sidings and panelings. A building materials dealer can supply information on the features of specific panelings and sidings. Living Outdoors Yesterday, it was the porch. Today, the favored outdoor living areas for most homes are the deck and patio. "Patio" is an elastic term, applied to almost any recreation- relaxing area in the out-of-door and with prescribed boundaries. It ma. be open or roofed. A deck is really just another elaboration of the patio -- a patio with a wooden floor. It answers site problems, for sloping or uneven land can be turned into a flat-surfaced patio with the construction of a wooden deck. The sunniest U.S. Weather Station is at Yuma, Arizona. There's no doubt that cold dreary days become brighter when Mother Nature is at work all 11 months of the year. So say those happy houseowners who have turned their porch or patio area into a year-round garden room and now enjoy blossoming plants and flowers on winter's bleakest days. During warm weather shades are raised and windows opened to make the room an extension of the regular garden. Once the thermometer dips and the sun retreats, however, the garden atmosphere remains sunny and bright. It's quite a simple conversion. Economical in the long run, too, since it adds an extra room for family living to be used all the year round. Important first step is to enclose the pbrch and/or patio area with windows. Double-paned insulating glass also prevents condensation and eliminates the need for storm sash. Flooring next. An attractive, easy-to-care for floor for an indoor-outdoor garden room might be created with vinyl asbestos tiles which can be installed over concrete or wood. An interesting "Garden Walk" look can be achieved by a combination of pat terns. Use two patterns tnat simulate embossed stone and one that copies pebbles. Lay them in garden walk fashion. Construct a shelf-type window seat the length of the windows. On it, and on the floor directly below, place a row of plants brought indoors in the same clay pots in which they were standing outside. Arrange them in long shallow tin flats to provide a convenient method for watering as well as adding a true garden atmosphere. As a final touch add a tree that thrives in a tub to have a true garden room that's the envy of the neighborhood. INDOOR-OUTDOOR rotisseriebroiler for fast, smokeless rooking can be used on a patio or Hall-mounted. When not in use, it folds against the wall. Bv Naulilu- Industri.">. need remodeling is the answer! Remodeling can be the answer to many problems faced by a growing family! New home costs, and financing are the highest in hist9ry, making remodeling or enlarging your present home your best housing buy! A dormer or room addition adds that badly needed bedroom and modernizing a kitchen or bath will do wonders, while adding value to your home. But, maybe your need is that recreation room you've always wanted or just some simple repairs. No matter how large or small the job, our 18 years of experience will solve your problem. We furnish our OWN highly trained crews and we will bid comp e t i t i v e l y on a n y j o b . R e m e m b e r o u r m o t t o . . . . "PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE COUPLED WITH IMAGINATION." • RECREATION ROOMS • KITCHENS • PATIOS • PORCH REPAIRS • DORMER-ATTIC ROOMS • GARAGES • ROOM ADDITIONS • BATHROOMS • EXTERIOR REMODELING & REPAIRS • PAINTING • ELECTRICAL • HEATING • PLUMBING • PLASTERING • ALL TRADES For a FREE NO-OBLIGATION estimate Call BILL BECKNELL: ARNOLD N. MAY BUILDERS, INC. 971G N. Rt. 12 - Richmond, 111. 60071 Financing Available Phone: A.C. - 815 678-2861 Professional Excellence Coupled With Imagination*