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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, October 9, 1996 1 Page 15 A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE Preparing orwinter With 'Old Mon Winter' oround the. corner, le your house ready for it? Remembering the lce dams and broken pipes of last wlnter, it makes good sens. te toke the time during the. faîl te take cor. of maintenance items that will prevent winter homeowner disasters. Wherever the. winters are cold, it ,le especiolly important te "btten down the hatches" and prepare for the- onlaught of the elements. . Yet many homeowners are unaware how criticol normal maintenance and upkeep le te alI homes. "Even those homes that are in overaîl good condition stilI require a certain amount of upkeep," saye Thomas E. Finney, vice president of HouseMaster, a home inspection compony. Flnney recominends homeowners perform a ýroutine check of the house - the exterior and the interior -eoch fall. Gutters and Downspouts To begin an inspection, examine the gutters and downspouts. "Itfs important te get a good look at the whole system," says Finney. "J.fpossible, go up on the roof, assuming there's no safety risk, or use binoculars from the ground." Check te se. if any parts are separated from the edge of the roof or are visoigned advises Finney. Remove debrie from the gutters -and Patch holes in the troughs. Repair or replace broken brackets as well. "I%. heavy enowfall of bost winter coused mony guttere te sag and pull oway from the roof. These ehould be repaired and even reinforced." It le very important te let woter inte the gutters, but keep the leaves out. Ini order te do thie, Finney euggeets gutter guarde, lnstead of screening. These reet on top of the. gutters and ar e secured by tabo thot extend under the first section of roof shingles. The Roof and Fiashlng While up on the roof, look for cturedor broken shingles, whlch maight eventually leod te lealca. "If there was any chipping of ice off your roof because of ice dams, it's possible there was damage FALL MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST By HouseMaster Homeowner Information Centre EXTERIOR: Grounds - Check window wells, dry wells and storm drains; seat dmKeway/walkWay cracks; check fence/wall conditions; trim ail trees; Foundation - Check (during rainstorm) for proper drainage away tram house and garage; seat any cracks; Siding -Check for finish or paint deterioration; caulk joints; Windows and Doors - Check for .ose, damaged or mlssing shingles; check soff its for signs of moisture buildup; check condition of chimney; check flashings for lifting or poor seat; check ail gutters and leaders INTERIOR: Atlic - Check for ventilation openlngs for nesis, blockage; check for àny evidence of leakage; FirefilacelWooorsove - Clean chimney and check for creosote bulldup; repair any masonry problems in the firebox; check/repair oulside chimney for gaps in bricks, cracks; conslder chimney caplto keep out animais; Mechanical Systems - Have heatlng systemn checked by serviceman; remove (or winterlze) room air conditioners; dlean ail elemenîs of cooling system; check condition of hol water healer; test and start humidifier; service ail radialors and valves; repair breaks in insulation; lubricale ail pumps, fans, and motors; shut off and'drain exterior hose bibs. Confirm the presence of suitable t reeze protection for any exposed piping; Household Securi4'.- Check charge on fire extingushers; check operaîlon of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; review family fire prevention and escape plans; have police and fire officiais check home and offer suggestions that needs to b. repaired,"t saYe FinneY. "If your roof has a tendency toward le dams, you might consider getting professilonal adylce." Look at the metal flashing around the vent stack and chimney and at roof seams. 'Mgoot roofleaki are actuafly caused by faulty flashings," says Finney. Repair places where the adhesive has craked. Be sure to seal with roofing cernent, uslng a wide, fleible-blade putty knife. Siding, Windows and Doors The side of the houe. also ned tu be inspected. Flaking SEE PAGE 16 A new housing project will <offcilV'b. opened tomorrow (nuaa in, Whitby. Liza Homes' 'Country Garden' will contain about 150 single-family homes and townhouses, with model homes 'at Brock Street North and Whitb- burn 'Street, juet north of DeVille Produce. Under president Sharok Mansouri, ILizo Homes' pre- vMous prjecta include PRam- bow Ridge'and Victorian Garden in Bowmanville, and Countryside. at Field- stone li Courtice. There are "country-in- spired" designe on the homes to e b.bocted along Lynde (Jreek. Ti.opemnnceremonies, to include Mayor Tom Edwarda and Mark Cullen of Wéall & Cullen, wilI b. held at 3:30 p.m. choosing an inspector The home inspection business le growing rapidly. Although only a few Ontario homebuyers sought tii. services just a decade ago, o eatiefactory* home inspection report le now a common condition of sale. Home inspectors are not regulated by government. This means there is no provinoe-wide standard of training and no level of expertise that people wrho work in this industry must meet befor. they con set up shop. How do you chose the. right home Inspecter? To help people get good quality service when hiring home inspectore, Ontario'e Minstry of Consumer and Commercial Relations offers the. following tip: It's beet te find a home inepector on your own, rather dhm accepting the. judgment of construction or real estate professionals. When moving te, a new location where you have friends or relatives, ask them te suggest someone'competent. If you'r new in teown, the real estote agent may b. the. only person you know who con recommnd smre local home inspectors. Alilcustom i made draperies, top treatments and fashion accessories Includes fabdoan)d labour. HuntrDouglas WINIOW VIFASM Ions Mini Binds e Verticale; Honey Comb Shades Colour experts forecast the palette for autumn Colour remns telrgest motivator for deortng a home, and " bl o the colour palette la olive with warm raspberries, oranges and- Yellows aoeented with hues of green and blue. Yellows are back agamn this foul and will b. one of the top decorating colours by mld-1997. Yellow lu also lnfiuenclng 'green and creatng subtle, dlean yellow- green shades that will be prevalent in tliis fall's home fashions. The emerging yellow- greens are led- and olive- inspired, joiming the popular hunter and loden green tones of last year. "A French influence has brought - cleaner,. clearer yellows and bl4es to home fashion," says ICI Points' colour design consultant Barbara Richardson. 'People are so comfortable with blue' that it lu seen everywhere."Subtle shades of this traditional favouriteare ueed with neutrale because of their soothlng, relaing qualities. " The. red faznily je a hot one- for faîl 1996 as well, with raepberry and chili as the moot popular red choices. 'The newer reds are softer and rose-lnspired," Richardson adds. Orange joins purple as a catalyst colour - accenting everything and signifying newness., Popular, colours from the peach, salmon and coral: familles'are ail being poired with brown and gray. Browns, -which are richer SER PAGE 16 vib1itI 13 -'4 CALL TODAY FOR A FREE IN«HOME ESTIMATE -I -W