Renovation & Design

Renovation & Design

Let it all hang out

New YORK -- As one of the designers on the TLC cable channel's Trading Spaces, Goil Amornvivat must decorate rooms in 48 hours on a US$1,000 budget. This often leads him to improvise on finishing touches such as artwork.

At home in New York, he has turned some of his own design sketches into art for his walls. It's one way to create inexpensive artwork that reflects his interests.

A chef friend, he noted, decorates her walls with pots and pans.

"I think your space is your collection of your stuff and your life, and what better place to put it than on the wall?" he said.

Homeowners without his design skills can also repurpose materials to make wall art that personalizes their home and won't break their budget. Designers suggest wallpaper, fabrics, even old T-shirts and foliage can be framed and placed on the wall.

"If you make your own, you always end up with something you're proud of," said Goil, who goes by his first name.

A little imagination, some creative Dumpster diving, and flea market and garage sale shopping can help turn up materials, according to the pros.

"Yes, Dumpster dive. Don't be ashamed," said Kirsten Kemp Becker, a designer and real estate consultant in Santa Barbara, Calif., and host of TLC's Hope For Your Home. She recommends art school and construction company Dumpsters as good places to find scraps that will make good artwork.

Noting that "art" means different things to different people, Kemp Becker said, "I've seen great art from materials like a piece of Plexiglas."

Frank Fontana, a Chicago-based designer and host of HGTV's Design on a Dime, said Dumpsters near old buildings being torn down are good spots to find vintage architectural details that can look good on a wall.

Or call local architecture firms and ask for 3-D renderings they are planning to throw out, suggested Kemp Becker.

"If you plead your case well enough they are happy to give them away," she said.

Old things in your own home, too, can be recycled. Fontana said framing old souvenir or concert T-shirts with interesting graphics does double duty: It's decorative, and preserves memories long after the shirt itself is unwearable.

"I've done it with an old pair of blue jeans," said Fontana. "For a teenager's room it's fantastic."

Wallpaper can be recycled, especially hand-painted or vintage wallpaper that may cost hundreds of dollars per roll. A single roll, or even a piece salvaged from another project, can be turned into art.

Goil likes to use wallpaper border in the middle of a large blank wall to divide it and create visual interest. He also suggests framing smaller pieces of wallpaper and hanging them.

Upholstering pieces of plywood with batting and an attractive fabric can dress up a large wall and also help absorb sound, Goil said.

Even the backyard can be a source of materials. Fontana suggested buying two pieces of Plexiglas from the hardware store and pressing an organic element, such as a beautiful leaf or palm frond, between them.

"That gives you that modern organic vibe that is very popular now," he said.

He visits nurseries to look for tree trunks and branches that are being thrown out but can be recycled as artwork. "Use it as organic artwork. It really brings a feel to a room," he said.

He also suggested asking the nursery for a slice of tree trunk, then decoupage some family photos onto it, leaving areas where the rings on the wood will show. Then coat it all with shellac and hang it.

If you're not handy with a glue gun or staple gun, you can find paintings and posters at flea markets, garage sales, craft fairs and swap meets; even hotel sales can be a source of original artwork.

Local art and photography schools are another source; many hold sales of students' work. And it's a good way to support your community, Fontana said.

"We have a photography school nearby and they have sales," said Kemp Becker. "You can go to a flea market and buy frames and frame them and they look incredible."

Goil has bought art at student sales sponsored by his alma mater, Yale University. It's a good source of one-of-a-kind art -- and maybe a future masterpiece, he said. "These are the new waves, or the next big thing."

Finding or making unconventional artwork, the experts say, just takes some imagination and the nerve to follow your own taste.

--Associated Press

Mercedes Cardona
November 2

Renovation & Design

Your brain on rugs: Get ready to be blown away

Exciting things are afoot in the world of rugs: Wools and silks are sheared, sculpted, shagged and shaped into virtual works of art, crafted in luxurious textures and rich hues.

By nature, a carpet shares a kinship with an artist's canvas. It's up to homeowners whether to put these pieces on the wall or the floor.

Amy Helfand, a Chicago artist now based in New York City, says she made her first rug for an art show at the public garden Wave Hill, in the Bronx. The rug's design was based on the garden's site plan, and the finished product was displayed in front of a fireplace in the old mansion on the property.

"I like the way a rug creates and fills a space that people can inhabit. I love the tactile aspect of rugs, especially the combination of wool and silk ... there's a depth," Helfand says.

How does she feel about people walking on her artwork?

"My rugs are pretty demanding -- they don't fade into the background of a room," she says. "The people who buy them appreciate them that way, so how they get used doesn't bother me."

Courtney Bush, who runs the online home decor shop Bunny Maxwell, thinks people are becoming more comfortable expressing themselves through their homes. She's particularly taken with using strong colours and patterns to accent a neutral palette.

Her new collections of cotton dhurries and tufted wools and silks reflect her obvious affinity for nature themes and flamboyantly elegant graphics.

"Personal style shouldn't be confined to your wardrobe," says Bush.

Interior designer Graunk Enzenberger, who is also a principal of Chicago's OrangeSkin, a modern-decor retailer and design consultancy, sees rugs trending toward a "more 3-D look, with the more complicated patterns working best in the same or similar colours, especially bold colours." OrangeSkin's 1960s linked daisy rug, by Jose A. Gandia, fits the esthetic in a playful fashion.

Crate and Barrel also reaches back in time to offer a spicy-toned shag carpet, a foil for the new tailored furniture.

In Europe, Belgium's "Floor to Heaven," the floor covering line created by German-born designer Michaela Schleypen, is generating buzz with some unusual rugs like the textural "Moon" and "In the Woods," featuring a faux bois pattern in soft caramel tones. Denmark's Bo Concept, which has retail stores and studios in the United States and abroad, and also sells online, offers "Flow" -- waves of colour that eddy across the floor -- and the circular "Boas," with a striking black and white zinnia graphic.

Some of these rugs come at a price, yet may be good investments because of their quality and artistic value. If lower cost is key, or frequent redecorating is a hobby, then consider off-price retailers or high-volume home furnishings stores. Both can be good sources for inexpensive yet attractive carpets.

--Associated Press

Kim Cook
November 2

Renovation & Design

Changing shower head is easy task for homeowners

Tired of that leaky, single-stream shower head left over from the 1970s?

If so, there's no need to call Joe the Plumber. Just pick up a wrench and change the shower head yourself, because replacing it is one of the easiest things for a homeowner to do. It's as elementary as just twisting off the aging shower head and screwing the new one to the existing shower arm.

On both ends of the price spectrum, from around $20 to more than $150, consumers can find a wide variety of shower heads, from water massagers to hand-held versions.

With a wrench and some thread tape, most shower heads on the market can be changed in a few simple steps.

"The most common thing among consumers is that people don't know that this is easy," said Mark Knurek, senior product manager for Moen Inc. "They think there is something they have to do behind the wall, that they have to install a new arm in."

Shower heads can experience lime buildup that affects water flow, and older shower heads may not be up to current low-flow guidelines, said Amy Matthews, host of two shows on the DIY Network.

Matthews says you should turn off the water supply to the house, or just to the shower, before working on the shower head.

"You also would want to turn on the shower handles and let whatever is sitting in the pipes drain out so you don't have any extra leakage while you're working," Matthews said.

Another good piece of advice: Be careful when working with copper pipe, which is relatively soft and flexible. It could get damaged if you use too much muscle.

"You have to work slowly and gingerly with your wrenches," Matthews said.

Make sure you follow the product instructions carefully. Keep your shower head spic-and-span with an over-the-counter cleaner to avoid lime accumulation.

--Associated Press

Adrian Sainz
November 2

Renovation & Design

Five simple steps to no-cost redecorating

It's not what you have, it's how you use it, insists one of Canada's leading redesign gurus.

"With all of this crisis in the financial markets and everything that is happening, people do not have a lot of money to throw around anymore. So, it's about making the most with what we have. And not going out and buying new things. And that's why I love redesign," Val Sharp, the Victoria-based founder of the Canadian Redesigners Association and author of The Art of Redesign: 5 Simple Steps to No-Cost Redecorating, explained in a telephone interview from the West Coast.

Proper placement is the key, Sharp said.

"I've walked into homes where they've had really expensive, beautiful things, and it looks like trash -- because it's not placed properly," she said.

"I've done homes where they had garage sale stuff, and you walked in and the place looked like they'd just been given a whole bunch of junk. And then, after we do the redesign, it's cosy and it's warm and it's inviting, and it speaks to who they are," she said. "We highlight the things that they love."

Sharp has taken the secrets she shares when training people who want to start their own interior redesign and home staging businesses and put them into a 160-page, paperback how-to guide.

The first of Sharp's five simple steps to no-cost redecorating is to take a real close look at who lives in the home and what their needs are.

So many people try to make their houses look like something out of a magazine, she pointed out, "and it's not about that. It's about having a home that works for you, that you can live in, that functions for you."

For example, if you never use your dining room, except once a year at Christmas, Sharp recommends turning the dining room into a kids' playroom, or an arts and crafts room, or something that works for you, so that you can be using that space all year round. And then once a year, turn it into a dining room for Christmas.

"Think about how the whole space can work for you -- because it's just a whole bunch of walls and floor space. Don't think of it as dining room, living room, kitchen, necessarily," she said.

Once you've done that, take everything out of the space, Sharp said. "Because what most people do is they leave their furniture where it is; they leave their art where it is; and they try to accessorize, and make their home work with accessories. And it will never ever work."

Or, people will try moving their furniture around, but still leave the art on the wall. But the art will dictate where the furniture placement goes, she said.

"So you truly need to take all the art off the walls, everything out of the space, and just get a clean slate perspective. And that's the most crucial step."

Then you can place all the furniture, Sharp said.

"You really have to chose a primary focal point. And if you don't have a natural primary focal point, like a fireplace, in the room, you need to create one," she said.

You can create one using a combination of furniture, art and accessories.

"You just want something visually powerful that says 'this is the main event in the room,'" Sharp explained. "And then you create a conversation area that faces that primary focal point."

Sharp offered the following tip: If you have a television in the room you're dealing with, placing the TV to the left or right of the primary focal point works perfectly because when the furniture is facing the primary focal point, it will also face the TV.

Next, you place the other pieces of furniture in the room. You want to make sure that everyone in the room has a place to put down a drink or a cup of tea, Sharp recommended.

"So you have to think function," she stressed.

Once you've placed all the furniture in the room, then you get to hang the art.

Something most people don't realize, Sharp pointed out, is that art is viewed from the seating position in every single space in the room, except the hallway and the foyer. Most art in most homes is hung much too high.

Don't just hang a random piece of art over a piece of furniture, Sharp said.

If it's a honey-gold buffet, for example, hang art that has honey gold tones in it. Or, if it's a pine, country-look buffet, you want the art to have a similar country theme.

"Same as if you're hanging art over a sofa. Pick up the colour tones in the sofa, or have art that works with the style of the sofa, the era," she added.

The rule of thumb is that art should be about two-thirds the width of the piece that it's hanging over -- and never more than the width of the furniture. Sharp recommends hanging art in collections as much as possible. Hang a pair, or three or more pictures together that all have the same theme or similar colour tones.

Once all your furniture is perfectly arranged -- and it's balanced and functional and works with the room -- and you have all the art hung, so that it's working with the furniture, then -- and not until then -- you can think about adding accessories. But your room should already feel amazing, and you shouldn't actually need to add any accessories, Sharp said.

"I'm just so tired of people throwing money away on accessories, when it doesn't say anything about them and who they are, but they saw it in a magazine and so they think they have to have it in their house and it's going to make their house fabulous," Sharp said.

Accessories should be used to help a space reflect who you are and your personality, she said. "You might add things you bought on your vacation, or a special gift somebody gave you that you really love, or something that brings back a memory of a very special time. Those are the things that are important."

Sharp has dedicated her book to the redesigners across North America who create "havens for healing" for women with ovarian cancer. To arrange a complimentary redesign of a room for a woman who's been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, contact the Canadian Redesigners Association at canadianredesigners.org.

The Art of Redesign costs $19.95. Sharp self-published the book, which is available at sharpredesigns.com or by contacting the author at vsharpshaw.ca.

-- Canwest News Service

Irene Seiberling
November 2

Renovation & Design

The colourful future of colours

As they say in the Monty Pithon skits "And now for something completely different."

When I got the news release on the new colour trends for 2009/2010 from Sico Paints, I have to admit that I was taken aback at first. The colour schemes are very different from anything we've seen in a long while. Surprising colour combinations like peach with fuchsia, mustard with teal blue, neon green with dark navy and electric blue with deep slate really push the envelope in the decorating arena. I had an immediate visceral reaction when I first saw these colour palettes, which was at first a little perplexing. The fact that the colour schemes reached me at such an emotional level piqued my interest. I think that they are on to something here.

Virtual reality technology has blurred the line between reality and fantasy, which is changing people's perspective of the world. The new colour mixes do have a fantasy quality about them which actually grows on you after a while. Over the next two years, expect the unexpected. These unusual colour combinations will be found not only in paint colour but also in furniture, wall coverings and accessories.

Consumers want a calm existence but also want a sense of optimism and freedom in their lives. In response, paint manufacturers are mixing calming pastels or earth tones with punches of vibrant colour providing a truly unique blend.

This room that is decorated in soft earth tones is given a twist with an accent wall of fuchsia behind the fireplace. At first I wasn't sure about the look but it has definitely grown on me. This room has a "modern urban" feel to it that is both relaxing and exciting at the same time. The fact that the hot pink colour has no relation to anything in the room (save perhaps for the subtle pink undertones in the furry carpet) makes it a daring choice. It's Texas meets teenager or the desert meets the tropics. It's just plain fun! If fuchsia is not for you, a punch of royal blue, brick red or lime green could easily work as well.

Another new trend is to use colour blocking to bring in geometrical interest to a room. Rather than painting a wall one colour, inspired designs in two or three tones are now the rage. The blank wall really is a canvas in this new era of creativity so you can turn your walls into an intricate part of the design rather than just a colour backdrop.

What's old is new again

Many of the colours in the new colour combos are brought back from a bygone era. That fuchsia wall for example reminds me of my childhood friends home from the 1970s. Her mom had just installed wall-to-wall fuchsia carpeting in the formal living room which was adorned with white French provincial furniture. It had the same feel then that our sample room has today. The difference is that now the colour experts are throwing in unexpected colours to the mix for truly inspired rooms.

Topping the list of Sico's most popular paint colour combos for 2009-2010 are:

Vibrant, saturated greens, blues or yellows mixed with dark, industrial tones that create a sophisticated and energetic yet tranquil decor, such as Sico's Pomelo (6101-54) bright yellow, Bold Blue (6022-83) deep navy, Basalt Grey (6208-63) slate, and Coastal Breeze (6199-31) complex grey.

Soft florals merged with deeper lively colours that deliver an intriguing, eclectic feel to a room, like Pale Chestnut (6072-52) peach, Nunavut (6181-83) brown, Betrothal (6035-63) fuchsia and Rice Flour (6180-21) lavender grey.

Rich green and yellow botanical hues combined with jeweled tones that create a healing, invigorating ambiance like Sico's Virgin Olive Oil (6102-44) bright yellow, Green Leaf (6140-73) green, Poetic Green (6165-31) mint and Chanterelle Beige (6185-31) grey.

Chalky whites and muted shades offset by strong purples and dark slate that emit a futuristic yet romantic air, such as Deep in Time (6174-73) purple, Mozart (6172-52) lilac, Rembrandt Brown (6177-41) lavender, and Time Passages (6174-11) white.

connieoliver@shaw.ca

Connie Oliver Room For Change
October 12

Renovation & Design

When does a tree need work?

There is hardly a week that goes by that I do not receive a request for information or to visit and inspect large trees. Typically, people are concerned about the safety of these trees, or perhaps they feel the tree is getting too old and has approached the end of its life. Perhaps there is a feature in these trees that has triggered a specific concern: weeping bark, cracks, creaking of the branches, overhanging branches, or a hole in the trunk. The list of concerns can go on. In some people's minds a tree that is 70 feet or more in height is simply too dangerous because it is too tall. Here is a common question I get:

QUESTION -- There is a grouping of three large elms trees easily 80 feet high about 60 feet from our house. We live by the Red River and these trees must have been here for a very long time. We like the trees but we want to know how can we drastically prune back these giants because we are concerned that they will topple over and collapse into our house

ANSWER -- The word 'drastically' comes up in these inquiries many times. There seems to be a sense of desperation an owner has about these trees. There is a process of careful observation that I follow when I point out the features of larger and older trees to their owners. I am very mindful to not downplay a tree that is obviously not safe. Here is what I look for:

1. Does the crown (the upper structure of leaves and branches) look full and green? A weak-looking crown may be the result of damaged roots.

2. Is the crown balanced? That is, is there a lopsided appearance to the tree that seems to have its crown growth more on one side than centered on the trunk? This may simply corrected by pruning to create a balanced crown.

3. Has there been a severe branch cut that has left a decayed portion of the branch stub very visible? That will likely be a sign of some wood decay in that location.

4. Is the tree a survivor? This is an extremely important point. Older and larger trees that are healthy do have a strategy of reinforcing weak areas within the tree. A healthy tree will reinforce weak areas through adding on columns of strengthening wood tissue to support and compensate for weakness. Often the bark has a lighter grey tone where the tree produces these reinforcements.

5. Is there a noticeable flaring out of the trunk or trunks from the ground? As trees age they will thicken their bases to provide additional support for their increasing height. Arborists refer to this feature as the 'butt flare.' A sign of a weak-growing tree may be the absence of the butt flare.

6. Are there cavities in the trunk? These are likely the dens of small mammals or nesting areas for birds. A cavity is not necessarily a concern. Trees usually reinforce the wood and thicken the bark around any hole in the trunk or large branch.

7. Are there any stains weeping from the bark of deciduous trees either in the trunk or from large branches? Large poplars can show dark stains where internal fluids have oozed out of a crack or small hole in the bark. Poplars are relatively short-lived trees compared to elms, oaks, ashes and basswoods. Poplars may become infected with a fungal disease that opens up the bark by killing living cells that lie just under the bark in a region referred to as the cambium. These openings are referred to as cankers.

8. Are there many dead branches and weeping cankers in older coniferous evergreen trees such as spruce and pine? Lower dead branches are common in these trees as they age. They should be pruned off at the trunk. Upper dead branches interspersed with living branches may be a serious concern as this may be an indication of extensive wood rot in the upper part of the tree. Internal extensive wood rot can lead to trunk failure and breakage in these coniferous trees.

I will be giving an illustrated seminar on the care of these older trees along with another arborist, Gerry Engel of Tree Life, on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in Room 2M 70 at the University of Winnipeg. Call me at 831-6503 for more information.

Michael Allen is a consulting urban forester and certified I.S.A. arborist and owner of Viburnum Tree Experts. He makes house and garden visits to assess tree and shrub problems. He can be contacted by calling 831-6503 or by e-mail at viburnumtrees@shaw.ca Questions can be mailed to Michael Allen, c/o Newsroom, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. His website is www.treeexperts.mb.ca

Michael Allen
October 12

Renovation & Design

Homeowner on track to fix air pressure

111Once the snow begins melting on the roof, the fans in both main-floor bathrooms drip with water. There also seems to be quite a bit of moisture in the ceiling around the fans. Our conclusion is that, over the winter, the warm moist air from the bathrooms has frozen in the exhaust pipes and is now melting. We know that bathroom fans should be run for 30 minutes after a bath or shower. However, during the winter, when a fan is running upstairs, the basement fills with a very strong smell of natural gas, which brings me to problem two.

The house has a natural gas fireplace on the main floor, a natural gas fireplace in the basement and a natural gas furnace. Any kind of operation requiring air, like the clothes dryer or furnace, seems to suck the air out of the basement and cause the strong smell and the feeling of negative pressure in the basement. We had our heating/cooling company drill a fresh-air intake which has helped with the clothes dryer problem and, to some extent, the furnace, although the basement is now quite cold as a result. More importantly, we are still left with the upstairs fans problem. Whenever I use the kitchen fan I open the kitchen window.

So far we have installed the fresh air intake, as mentioned, in the basement and insulated the pipes in the attic for the bathroom fans.

In your opinion, is the first problem a direct result of not running the bathroom fans? If so, what can we do to resolve this situation?

-- Melene and Don Sechman, e-mail

ANSWER -- The problem of negative air pressure in homes can be a difficult one to identify and correct but introduction of a fresh air intake in the basement, like you have done, is normally the first step. While the exhaust fans in your bathrooms & kitchen may contribute to the effects of low air pressure in your basement, this has little to do with the dripping fans. You have already taken two good steps toward correcting both issues, which are somewhat related, but are not directly responsible for each other.

Negative air pressure in a home is caused when the amount of air leaving the home is significantly more that that entering at the same time. This is a phenomenon often seen in newer homes, due to the energy efficient building practices of the last couple of decades. Older homes generally have minimal insulation and air/vapour barriers in the exterior walls or ceilings and poorly sealed windows. Because of this, sufficient of amounts of fresh air are normally infiltrated into the living space to compensate for that forced out by exhaust fans, dryers, fireplaces, furnaces, etc. This infiltration of cold air will cause furnaces to fire more frequently, driving up heating costs, but will normally equalize the air pressure between the inside and outside of the home. As upgrades are made to the older homes such as newer windows, increased insulation in attics and walls, and high-efficiency, direct-vent furnaces, the building envelope becomes significantly tighter, often leading to a significant reduction of incoming air. That is likely what is occurring in your home.

Bringing in air from the exterior through a fresh air intake is often effective in equalizing the air pressure in the home. This new air source will replace some of the air that used to leak through the older components. Sometimes, the intake duct for this new source of air may not be large enough, to effectively equalize the pressure differential, or may be improperly located. You think that this may be the situation in your home, and you are likely right on target. While this new intake will draw considerable air when needed, it may not come into play until your fans are activated or the dryer turned on. This may be too far away from the problem area and not effective enough to stop the back venting of your fireplaces.

One simple solution that may help address this air imbalance is to run your furnace fan on continuous low speed. That will force the air throughout the entire home, and may help minimize pressure differentials on different levels while helping with the cold basement issues caused by the new fresh air duct. This still may not be completely effective, so another alternative may improve things dramatically and also help with the cold air infiltration into the basement. Installation of a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) will not only bring in fresh air, but also exhaust stale house air, without the associated cold draft in the basement. This unit will also help control high humidity in the home, which may help with your first problem. I think you have the bathroom ceiling fan issue figured out and insulating the ducts may keep the damp, exhausted bathroom air from cooling before it escapes the roof of your house. This first problem is likely caused by melting frost, which normally forms in the uninsulated ducts above the fan housing, due to the rapid cooling of the steamy air from the bathroom. Since this air is so high in moisture content it takes a very slight drop in temperature before it condenses, which can lead to significant frost buildup inside the ducts in the winter. When the weather warms, this frost melts and runs back down inside the home.

Contrary to your theorizing question, running the bathroom fans actually increases the amount of moist air entering the cold ducts in the attic, increasing the likelihood of frost accumulation. You may be leaving the fans on a little long after a shower, but the real issue is the uninsulated ducting combined with the air movement in the home. The good news is that installation of a proper ventilation system, or HRV, will help with both the leaking ducts and the back drafting. The HRV will help control the relative humidity in the home, reducing the need to leave your bathroom exhaust fans on so long, while equalizing the pressure in the home, if it is properly installed and balanced.

Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB., R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.

trainedeye@iname.com

Ari Marantz
October 12

Renovation & Design

It's a good time to winterize your basement

The basement of the house we grew up in had a clanking furnace, rumbling water heater and banging pipes. Damp, dark and musty, it housed boxes and boxes of canned goods and who knows what else.

As children, we were too scared to venture down there much.

Ghouls and goblins aside, however, a basement also can be scary when it comes to home maintenance. Basements are vulnerable to intrusion by water, damage by rot and structural pests such as termites. Many provide easy access to rodents and insects. Most houses have a maze of exposed plumbing pipes, heating ducts and exhaust flues. Since by design basements tend to leak, one of the most important components in a basement is a sump pump.

As Halloween and cold weather approach, it's time to turn attention to the basement and the various systems it houses. Here are some tasks that can make for a safer, more comfortable home, without frightening leaks, squeaks or monster utility bills.

1. Have your furnace inspected and serviced by a professional heating contractor. Make sure it is operating safely, and also that you're getting the best bang for your energy buck. The pro will adjust burners, check the thermostat, change filters, confirm pressures and perform other cleaning and maintenance.

2. Leaking heat ducts can be a major source of energy loss. Look for separating ducts at joints and connections to equipment. Although duct tape is excellent for many jobs, sealing leaking ducts is not one of them. Pros use a heavy metallic tape or a paint-on elastomeric sealer.

3. Insulation around heat ducts is an important part of their efficiency. If the ducts are old, the insulation may contain asbestos, a health hazard. Health Canada says that if asbestos fibres are enclosed or tightly bound in a product, for example in asbestos siding or asbestos floor tiles, there are no significant health risks. Asbestos poses health risks only when fibres are present in the air that people breathe. If you are concerned, have it analyzed by a qualified professional, who can be found by looking up experts in "asbestos abatement/removal." If ducts are not insulated, insulate them. If they are insulated and the material is not firmly affixed, use a spray adhesive to anchor it.

4. Check for leaks at all plumbing pipes, and repair or replace leaking ones. Pay special attention to the pipes attached to the hot and cold ports on the water heater; they are prime candidates for corrosion.

5. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that results from improper combustion by fuel-burning appliances. In high concentrations it could be lethal. To prevent any carbon monoxide in the basement, make sure furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, water heaters, boilers, gas dryers and the like are operating at peak efficiency and are properly vented. If you don't have a carbon monoxide alarm in your basement, install one. If you do, test it frequently and make sure it works.

6. Caulk any cracks in concrete walls with a high-quality flexible caulk. Cracks and gaps that allow water to enter should be filled with hydraulic cement.

7. Minimize water entry by installing rain gutters and downspouts that discharge well away from the foundation. Soil surrounding the home should slope away from the foundation to ensure proper drainage.

8. Any water that does make its way into the basement should be collected by a sump system and pumped safely to the exterior. Be sure the sump and pump are clean and working. Excessive water buildup may require installing a more comprehensive water collection and ejection system.

9. If your washer and dryer are in the basement, replace any rubber water-supply hoses with braided, stainless steel ones to prevent burst hoses and flooding. Save energy and prevent a potential fire by disconnecting the dryer duct and removing lint buildup.

--Associated Press

James and Morris Carey
October 12

Renovation & Design

Tripping the light fantastic

Some people call chandeliers jewelry for the home.

Others talk about their bling value, the touch of glitz and glamour they instantly provide.

The fact is more people are dressing up their homes with chandeliers. And they're hanging them all over the place -- in dining rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways and children's rooms.

"I've even used one in a walk-in closet," says Ernst Hupel of 2H Interior Design.

The chandeliers come not only in traditional designs, but also in very modern ones -- some with shades, others made of black glass -- as well as transitional designs that bridge the gap between old and new.

"Today's chandelier is not like your grandmother's crystal chandelier," says Jimmy Yu, owner of Living Lighting.

Sharon Tobin installed a transitional-style crystal chandelier surrounded by an organza drum shade in the dining room of her west-end Ottawa home. Since Tobin's home mixes traditional with contemporary furniture, her chandelier ties the two looks together.

Her home was part of a house and garden tour this year, and she found the chandelier seemed to attract as much attention from visitors as the plants. People kept turning it on and off to see the lighting effects. And the lighting effects, she says, are stunning -- particularly at night, when the sparkling chandelier light reflects off mirrors on the walls.

It's that pop, that glitzy look, that attracts people to chandeliers.

"I think we all want a bit of bling in our lives," says Hupel, adding that he's seeing chandeliers all over. For example, he decorated a downtown Ottawa loft that couldn't have been more modern, yet included a crystal chandelier over the dining room table.

"Bedrooms are big for chandeliers," says Hera Arevian of Arevco Lighting. "And people like them in bathrooms."

One word of caution, however: some building codes do not allow chandeliers to be hung directly over bathtubs.

"I'm seeing them in master bedrooms and little girls' rooms," says Carol Gunn, model home decorator for Domicile and Holitzner Homes.

Hupel says one reason chandeliers are popular is that, because they come in various sizes, shapes and designs, they allow homeowners to put some personality into an otherwise neutral or classic decorating scheme.

In some ways, he says, they are almost like artwork; not just lighting fixtures, but something you hang to showcase your tastes or to get people talking.

"I like the element of surprise. Sometimes using a chandelier in a modern space feels like a piece of art. It's personality. And that's where the trend in overall design is going. You add some of your personality."

And now there are many styles to choose from.

There's the traditional look, of course -- the crystal chandelier that has always been associated with luxury and wealth. But the traditional look has been joined by a wide range of new cousins -- pink chandeliers, rectangular chandeliers, chandeliers made of black glass, chandeliers dressed up with shades.

"The lampshade look has been very in," says Arevian. "We're selling a lot more modern fixtures than traditional chandeliers."

Gunn is seeing all sorts of new shade designs, including mesh iron shades, fabric shades, sequined shades, or even shades made with tiny crystal balls. Sometimes, the shades are used as collars around the chandeliers.

Prices are as varied as the styles.

You can get some hardware store models for $150 to $250, or pay significantly more for glittery crystal.

"It's like jewelry. We have some at over $10,000, and you can easily spend $4,000," says Yu.

Hupel cautions his clients against spending too much on a trendy chandelier they may tire of in a few years.

"If you stick to a classic model, it will be timeless. If you are going to spend a lot of money, research the crystals and make sure you love it."

Keep your lifestyle in mind, too. Gunn has a pet parakeet that loves to perch on her chandelier and peck at his reflection in the crystals.

Of course, that means Gunn also finds herself cleaning the chandelier often. There's no getting away from the fact that chandeliers, with all their intricacies and hanging pieces of glass or crystal, are not easy to clean.

Arevian says it happens all the time: A female buyer takes one look at a fancy chandelier and says one word: "No!" That's because, however beautiful, she knows it's going to have to be cleaned regularly. And she knows she's going to be the one doing the cleaning.

The best way to clean a crystal chandelier is the old-fashioned way: Take the crystals off one at a time, soak them in lukewarm soapy water, rinse, and dry with a lint-free cloth.

No one says it's easy. Arevian knows from experience that it can be particularly hard to remember where each piece goes when putting the chandelier back together. She suggests taking photos before cleaning.

There are other options.

Arevian recommends feather dusters. "That's the easiest way to maintain them."

There are also spray products that eliminate the need for physically handling the pieces.

Yu prefers a product called Sparkle Plenty, which can be sprayed on some chandeliers. Coat the chandelier with the liquid spray, and all the dust and dirt drip off onto a cloth below. When the chandelier dries, it's clean.

Arevian doesn't recommend sprays because some metal finishes can be damaged.

Sometimes the simplest thing to do is change the bulbs, says Yu. "Half the time, it's the light bulbs that are dirty."

Simplest of all, he says, is to opt for one chandelier model that can be run through the dishwasher.

-- Canwest News Service

Daniel Drolet
October 12

Renovation & Design

Home Heist hosts take insights to new book

TORONTO -- It's been more than a year since TV viewers first saw Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan reviving and refurbishing Canadian homes stuck in the design doldrums.

With the launch of the second season of their HGTV series, Colin and Justin's Home Heist, the quick-witted Scottish designers are bringing their humour and insights on the do's and don't of home design with a new companion book to the show.

Colin and Justin's Home Heist Style Guide (Penguin Canada) provides a how-to to on home decor from furnishings to how best to incorporate lighting and colour.

McAllister and Ryan, who have been together 22 years and recently tied the knot, got up at 3 a.m. over eight months to squeeze in time to work on the book while juggling other projects.

The vivid images showcased, including before-and-after shots of renovated interiors, will be familiar to Home Heist viewers: they were photographed during the filming of the series where they tackled 26 homes, including 100 rooms.

"What's nice about that is that you as a viewer, you've watched the program, you know the style of home, maybe you feel it's your style of home... so it's a bit more personal," McAllister said in an interview recently. "Even if you haven't seen any of the programs, it's a guide of how to create the perfect home."

With concerns swirling about the economy, homeowners considering renovation are likely looking for how best to stretch their dollar while beautifying their space.

McAllister and Ryan encourage people to visit sale rooms, auctions, garage sales and discount stores to hunt for bargains.

It's advice they also take to heart as Ryan spoke of how they scored a $1,000 designer table at HomeSense for only $175. They also detail in their book how they sold the cabinetry and appliances in their Toronto kitchen online and bought a plasma TV with the earnings.

They're also fans of refurbishing new and old finds. In the second season, they visit a clearance store and purchase a dark espresso wooden credenza with scratches all over it for $400. By sanding it, spray-painting it white and adding new handles, which cost about $100, "it looks like we've spent $5,000 on it," McAllister said.

"Don't feel that just because you're making something over that it's a cheap alternative," he said.

"It's something you should be proud of. It's the best form of recycling if you take something that was unwanted and turn it into something that was wanted, or maybe you've got something at home that you want to change."

With individuals seeking to curtail their spending, Ryan said it's also more important than ever to think carefully before you buy, adhering to the mantra "think twice, buy once."

While infusing their style into their surroundings, McAllister said individuals should resist the temptation to take things too literally.

"If you like country style, I don't want you putting wagon wheels on your wall," McAllister."Be inspired by maybe using the colour palette of the desert ... or a beautiful timber floor and try to be a bit more intelligent in how you actually translate your loves for your home."

--Canadian Press

Lauren La Rose
October 5