Whitby Free Press, Wodnosday. JuIy 13, 1M9, Page 17 A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE Home mprovement ideas for the g arden The birds and bees are doing it. Even the Jones's down the street are doing it. At this time of year overyone seems to get in the mnood for home improvement and renovetion. Maybe it's the months spent cooped-up indoors with only dreams of long sumnmer days te keep us warm. Or rnaybe it's the promise of spending a tax refund in a way that will last for years te, corne. Whatever it is, one thing's for sure -- when the warm weather arrives, most people (and animais) are itching te improve their particular patch of earth. Whichever way you look at it, home improvemont makos sense. So much se, that the nineties have witnessed a real boom in the home renovation market with Canadiens spending more than $16 million annually on thir homes. Making those improvoments to our properties, through the addition of outdoer building projocts, net only appeals te, our sense of aesthetics and ploasure, but cen improve the real ostate value of our homes. Privacy fonces, multi-level pool and patio decks, picnic tables, sterage sheds, flower display racks, swing sets thore are limitloss ways te add excitnient te your outdoor environment. However, itfs one thing te, dream of a beautiful gezebo and it!s another te corne up with a building plan for the project. 7hates where the Canadien Insttute of Treated Wood (CITW) can help. Eveiy year the CITW provides Canadian homeownors with a Wide variety of free do-it-yourself design plans for backyard projects. 'Tou cen't just start threwing things tegether. It should be pleanned preperly or you stand te lose yeur invested time and money," cautions Henry Walhert, executive directer of the Canadian Institute of Treatod Wood (CITW). "That's why we meke a variety of plans available te the public. Ites part of our commitment to providing customers with useful information. Using pressuro-treated wood for any outdoor boe improvements project will net only save you money in the long rua but ensure that you won't have te reinvest more time or eaergy re-doing your efforts efter a few short years. That!s because properly treated wood cen lest for up to five decados sud requires less maintenance than untreated wood. "TIho fact thet it lests much longer than untroated wood §also makes it better for the environinent," edds Walthert. 'Using pressure treatod wood means we need te cut down fower Cenadian trees." "For example, "an average backyard dock might caîl fer twe or three trees worth of lumnber but if yeu use uatreeted wood you'1l prebebly have to replace prt oDr ail of it every few years. Using pressure treated wood instead moans that the deck ceuld lest up to 50 yeers." In addition te docks, pressure treated wood cen be used for a variety of gardening jobs such as driveway and fiower bordera and raised gardon beds.hI fact, a recent study conducted by independent reseerchers through Texas A & M laboratories and Southwest Research Instituto, confirmed that when it's used properly, treated wood is safe for ail types of gardons. Proper use includes choosing the right ind of wood for the job at hand. Walthert expleins, "Not ail treated wood la the same and you would know what it will be used for befoe you buy it." For exemple, ho advises using 'incised& wood for jobs where tho wood will corne in contact with the groun&. 'The incising proces ailows the preservative te, penetrate the wood deeper and more completely, thus protecting it from the naturel elements," ho explains. Consumers can easily identify incised wood by the stale-like incisions on the woods îsu ace. For free CITW project design plans for your gardon and a handy information kit, cal 1-800-463-TREE. Home safeay d Dy F1IMAlert a FM ESAFETY Check your fire extin- guishers. Foilow the manu- facturer's instructions te make sure the pressure is stili adequate and that the extinguishers are properly loated. Completely Installed from NU DI E INSTALLATION DATES. business *FamiIy owned and run business (Gerald Ewing and his sons) *No subcontracting *Expert workmanship *High quality products and warranties *Free estimates 0 PLUS 7 ft. walk-in steplspa Solar blanket Solar roller Winter cover o Winterization 9 Pool chemicals e Sales tax included e G.S.T. included A FAMLY TRADITON FOR OVE A QUARTER 0F A CNTIRY r-