Page 12, Whtby Free Press. Wodnesday. June 9. 1993 ____________A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE- Basement leaks worst problemn new homes SHREDDED TOPSOIL TRIPLE MIX SAN D-SCREENI1NGS-G RAVEL FINE GRADING m EXCAVATING m -427f*yO4[su Intr@ducing Lightlines Designer Series. The onIy mini blind with the "Break-Thru" ,'s.fety tassel. Il you have children or pe,ý you owe ilto ourself t corne see the new Ligh ines Desiger Series' with the revolutionr »Break-Thru'»" safety tassel. While card accidents donti happen olien, they do occur. urexclusive, poented "Breok-Thru" tossel releasese- automatically under pressure, then easily snaps bock together. Don't miss the ightlines Designer Series. Now that there are blinds this sale, why take a chance wiîth anything else? HunterPougLas WINDOW FASHIONS Taig aeofYu V ~ 7kPaîi 20A4kg [Pool care experte in Chiorine, Algaecide. Test Kits, etc. em" Clean-it Centre 500 Hiopkifls St., Whitby 666-1224 (NO) According to recent studies, up to 33 per cent of al basements in Ontario leak at one time or another, and the average new basement has two leaks within the first two years. Also, results of a 1992 survey, conducted by the Ontario New Home Warranty Program (ONHWP), tise City of Hamilton and the Hamilton-Halton Home Builder's Association, show that basement leaks are by far the worst problemn plaguing today's new homes, accounting for 20 per cent of wvrranty claims in tise Hamilton region. Overaîl, basement leak dlaims have cost ON1WP $5,371,400 during the past five years. The statistics are staggering. To combat tise problem, ONHWP formally requested a change to the Ontario Building Code to make thse installation of a drainage layer on thse outside of tise basement wall mandatory. Our technical people forecast that this change, that will be in place this summer, will 'drastically reduce' tise problemn of basement leaks. Wh-ile adding drainage layers is obviously an expense te a builder -- a cost that may well be passed on to consumers -- over the long-termn such measures will save homebuyers considerable money and headaches. Disposfing of Congratulations! You've just bought a new energy-efficient refrigerator. But before you can sit back and enjoy the energy savings, you still have one problem to solve. What should you do with the old one? If you plan to put your old fridge in the basement to serve as a soft drink or beer cooler, think again. Some older fridges can use Up to three times as mucis electricity as newer models. Keeping your old fridge could increase your energy consumption By Margot McTavish Thse key here is comfort level. You will be spending a good deal of time with your designer, and you will need to establisis a trust te allow them to function as a desiger on your behaîf. Meeting your potential decorator establishes rapport. Do you communicr.te weIl? Is the person able te meet your requirement:4 or are they out of your reacis in budget or directive? Thse first stop is to discuss your project with them over tise pisone, tisen meet one-to-one. There are many decorators available with varying expertise and access to suppliera. Some designers work out of their Under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, as of June 1987 homes are protected for twvo years against water penetration into thse basement through the foundation from outside the home. For homes enrolled after Dec. 31, 1990, tise entire building envelope is warranted against water penetration for two years. Basement cracks, often caused bv shrinkage of tise concrete, homes, others through well-established retail sisops that focus on tise design cnd of home decor. The latter can easily acces numerous products, from wallpaper to sofas and dining room suites, geared to your specific needs. Talk with your fiends and neighbour-s. They may have some experience wvith a local designer or have heard positive feedback from others. Once you have found tise designer you feel comfortable with, stay %vith her/him -- don't try to work %vith more than one. Designers all have unique approaches and too many messages will leave you confused and in a stalemate. spring, so April/May is the ight time to inspect the basemnent. If you discover a leak in your new home and you report the problem in the first or second year of the warranty, then the builder is responsible for fixing the problemn and warranting the repair for a full year. If, in future years, a new leal< is found and is determined to be separate from thse original, it is not covered even if it is located near thse old leak. Homeowners must begin thse complaint process prior to thse expiration of the two-year warranty by submitting a claim in writing to botis the building and ONHWP. Unfortunately, niany home- owners are unsuccessful in having their basement leak problems remedied because thse problems fali outside the two-year coverage period (cracks found in the third year or beyond are covered only if they can be classified as a major structural defect). Also, unfortunately, costs of secondary damage in basemrent leak cases are not covered. To obtain a copy of ONHWP's free brochure, 'Basement Cracks,' cali tolfree, 1-800-668-7504 or (416) 229-3807. during tise late winter or early an old fridge dl .. for refrigeration by as mucis as 200 per cent. If more capacity is what you need, buy a larger new fridge and take tise old one to an appliance recycling company. Some companies offer free pickup and may even pay you for the used appliance. Appliance recyclers will refurbish and resell tise euipment if possible; otherwise, tiey wl strip off tise useable parts, colect thse refigerant for storage and turn the rest over to a scrap metal dealer. Finely Fini*shed Have your noticed when you entertain in your home that eventually the party ends up in the kitchen? This inviting room is always an important social spot for bath family and Triends. That's why moe r4 more home designs focus on \ekidtchen flowing into other rooms, such as family rooms, sunrooms and decks. Wihile opening the kitchen into other rooms brings family and friends dloser together, it aiso creates a decorator's challenge.. how to co-ordinate these rooms, while making sure each retains its individuality. One way to, acisieve this is to select one colour to pull from room to room. Another idea is to choose one wallcovering in the kitchen and select a co-ordinating border for thse adjoining family room. Most wallcoverings have matching fabrics that can be used in both rooms. And, an informnal window treatment, such as a tapered valance, is great in the kitchen, while balloon shades in the same fabric can dress-up a sunroom or family roomn. There are aiso, many easy, inexpensive ways to give your kitchen a quick facelift. Try adding brass knobs to thse cabinets or painting tise cabinets entirely. New placemats and napkins or colourful seat cushions add a lively splash to any kitchen. No matter what choices you make, enhancing the warmth and comfort of a beautiful kitchen wvill cascade tise rest of your home. 0e Fmnding the rigiht design er LANDSCAPE RETAINING WALLS INSTALLATION & SALES Interlockîng a T Stone ftromFr Wchester M r.dRm 5825 THUCKSON RD.N Tauntor Rd. gr 1 Hfg- SHW655- 4749