Consumers getting bolder with colour
Small spaces like
bathrooms are a good place to experiment with wall colour, such as PARA
Paints' Castle Marne (P860-2), pictured on the walls of this powder
room.
(NC)-More and more Canadians are
experimenting with colour on their walls. That's the finding of a survey
by PARA Paints, in polling its more than 400 paint dealers across the
country.
The study, conducted in late 2006,
shows that only 39 per cent of consumers prefer neutral colours for
their walls. This compares to a 2002 PARA survey which revealed that 90
per cent of consumers opted for neutral colours - such as whites,
beiges, and grays - when painting their homes.
According to the survey, green is the
number one choice, with 15 per cent of consumers choosing green shades
for their rooms. Red and yellow are next, with 13 and 12 per cent of
consumers, respectively, opting for these two hues. Blue is chosen by
four per cent of consumers.
If you haven't yet experimented beyond
neutral paints, PARA recommends introducing colour on a small scale.
Begin with any one room, such as a bedroom, dining room or living room.
If you're apprehensive, small spaces like bathrooms or dressing rooms
are safe bets. An entranceway is another good area to try out brighter
tones, since you get only glimpses of the space as you move through.
Choose from this season's hottest
colours, including leafy greens, ocean blues, and harvest reds, oranges
and yellows. PARA's top picks for the fall include Castle Marne (P860-2)
green, Lagoon (P1567-2) blue, Garneta (P315-5) red, and Yarrow Point
(P698-2) yellow.
More information is available at
www.para.com or by calling 1-800-461-PARA.
Laminate floors endure beautifully the test of time
(NC)-Still thinking of laminate
flooring as an easy-to-spot imitation of hardwood? Think again. Chances
are, if it were a recently installed floor, you would have a difficult
time distinguishing it from conventional hardwood.
Welcome to the new look and new
reality of laminate flooring.
While laminate floors are still as
versatile and durable as ever, imaging and imprint technology have
improved the beauty aspect. Now you can have hardwood-identical flooring
in a supremely durable product.
Most laminate flooring has a core of
HDF (high density fibreboard) topped with a high-resolution,
high-quality imprint of natural wood flooring. It is finished with an
extremely hard, clear coating for long-lasting surface protection and
performance.
From an environmental point of view,
this modern and highly popular flooring is coming into its own. Its
extreme durability extends product life for many years, decades in fact,
before any replacement will be necessary. A reduced need for new
flooring has a place in our throwaway society. Fewer trips to the
landfill benefit everyone.
One company, TORLYS of Mississauga,
Ontario, www.torlys.com has taken a leadership role in creating an
environmentally responsible laminate floor. Installation of their floors
doesn't involve messy glues, chemicals or fumes, or nails of any kind.
Their patented Uniclic joint creates a remarkably stable floor, and
because the click joint process is reversible, the floor can be re-used
up to three times under warranty.
When joints are tight in a hard
surface floor like laminate, allergens, mites and dust have a difficult
time finding a home. For asthma sufferers, cleaner indoor air quality is
excellent news.
Industry research is finding new ways
to use recycled materials and wood fibre in the production of laminate
flooring. This will mean further reductions in the foresting of hardwood
trees, a precious and limited natural resource.
With laminate flooring in your home,
the uplift to your décor comes with benefits for your budget, your
health, and the environment.
Back to school: Learn the ABCs of sleep
(NC)-A regular sleep routine is
essential for a child's health and wellness. Along with nutritious meals
and time for games and play, a restful night's sleep will ensure
children are happy, alert and ready to learn at school. Here's what
parents can do:
Adhere to a regular bedtime and
evening routine to help children get a full night of quality sleep. To
function at their best, school-aged children need at least nine hours of
sleep every night.
Beware of candy, chocolate and
caffeinated drinks, especially too close to bedtime. These stimulants
have low nutritional value and inhibit children's ability to sleep.
Care for your child's mattress.
Children's bodies grow quickly, so the mattress they had as a five
year-old may not be appropriate for their pre-teen/teen years. Ensure
they have enough comfort and support to fall asleep, stay asleep, and
awake refreshed. A normal mattress' lifespan is 8 to 10 years, so
handing one down to your child is not recommended.
For more great family sleep tips,
visit www.bettersleep.ca .
Ask the home inspector
Q: What are Infrared Thermographic
inspections and what are the benefits?
A: An Infrared Thermographic
inspection is a powerful, non-destructive and non-invasive means of
monitoring and diagnosing the overall condition of buildings. They
provide immediate documentation of: plumbing and building envelope water
leakage, post-flood and fire water-damaged material assessment, energy
use inefficiency, and electrical problems.
Q: What causes poor indoor air
quality?
A: Indoor pollution sources that
release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor
air quality problems in homes. High temperature and humidity levels can
also increase concentrations of some pollutants.
Indoor air pollutants range from minor
irritants such as dust and animal dander, to major irritants such as
moulds and chemical vapours that may be emitted from building materials
and furnishings. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant
levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from
indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the
home. It is important to be aware of how air contaminants can affect our
health and to adopt corrective measures that will improve indoor air
quality in our homes.
More information on this topic and
other home related articles are available online at
www.asktheinspector.ca.
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COMPARE RATES
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TERM
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OURS
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BANKS |
6.mo
1yr.
3yr.
5yr. |
4.89%
5.54%
5.70%
5.79% |
6.75%
7.05%
7.30%
7.24% |
Small but dramatic
kitchen changes can really make a difference
(NC)-Kitchen remodeling projects continue to provide
hefty returns at the time of a home sale. The 2006 Cost
vs. Value report, published by Remodeling magazine,
shows that home owners recoup 80.4 percent of the
average $54,200 they spend on major kitchen projects,
and get back 85.2 percent of the average $17,928 spent
on minor projects.
You may
be thinking to yourself, "That's all well and good, but
I don't have that kind of money to spend on a kitchen
remodel right now." If that's the case, don't count
yourself out, just think on a smaller scale. You can
make some dramatic changes in the kitchen just by
focusing on one of the attention-getting trends
highlighted at the annual Kitchen Industry Show and
Convention in Las Vegas.
A good
place to start is by taking a long, hard look at your
lighting. If you have an older home that has not yet
been updated, chances are you have a single ceiling
mount fixture in the center of the room that doesn't let
off much light and if you're lucky, another one over the
sink. Why not upgrade with options that offer more
direct light?
These
days in home remodels, designers are replacing the old
center fixtures with recessed cans and pendants that
offer more direct task lighting in the kitchen. They are
also installing undercabinet lights to highlight the
countertops and toe lighting to accentuate the cabinets.
Undercabinet and toe lights are easy to add. All you
have to do is tap into the wiring for the outlets that
already exist along the wall. In homes with no attic
access above the kitchen, however, the cost of
installing recessed cans can be a turnoff, but as Norm
Brown of Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre in Burnaby,
B.C., points out, "You can get around this limitation by
instead installing a rail system on the ceiling that
allows you to add light fixtures anywhere in the room."
Brown is a certified lighting consultant (CLC) and the
consulting director of education for the American
Lighting Association (ALA).
Among the
many options these systems offer, the ability to drop
pendants over and island and spotlights onto the
counters, art or china, all without cutting holes in the
ceiling. They are available in a variety of materials
and finishes so there's something that will match just
about any décor.
And when
it comes to the fixtures, Paige Malouche of Progress
Lighting in Greenville, S.C., says there is a lot of
mixing and matching of designs. "These days, we're
seeing people with what you'd consider to be a
traditional kitchen putting in modern lighting fixtures.
A popular trend is to hang bronze or brightly colored
pendants from track and illum-flex systems," she says.
"There
are so many fixtures available it has really turned into
a fashion show," adds Monty Gilbertson, CLC of Lighting
Design by Wettsteins in La Crosse, Wis. "There's clean
contemporary, decorative ornamental, pretty much any
look you can imagine, and if you want to take it a step
further and address intensity and mood lighting, this
can be done by adding dimmers to the fixtures you
install."
For more
information on lighting, visit
www.americanlightingassoc.com or call (800)
BRIGHT IDEAS for your nearest showroom.
Understanding your home's natural
heat flow system
(NC)-With
winter just around the corner, homeowners are bringing
out winter clothes from storage, packing away their
gardening tools, lawnmowers, bikes and rollerblades. And
at this time of year, homeowners are also questioning
how they can cut costs on their heating bills.
"The
first step in understanding how to help save money on
your heating bills is to understand your home's natural
heat flow system," says Andy Goyda, an insulation expert
at Owens Corning Canada. "When you understand how heat
travels in and out of your home, you can better
understand what you can do to help keep the heat
indoors."
Heat
flows from hot to cold. You can help prevent warm air
from escaping into your cold attic by installing
insulation in between the joists of the attic floor and
ceiling. Once the cavities are filled, add another layer
of insulation running perpendicular, or across, the
floor joists to obtain a minimum of R-40. Small pieces
of insulation can then be used to fill small gaps. This
is an easy do-it-yourself option that can be done using
PINK fiberglas batt insulation, found at your local home
renovation or hardware store. Consult manufacturer's
instructions and your local building code for areas
around chimneys or flues. To prevent batt insulation
from obstructing the soffit vent, install ready-to-use
raft-R-mate between roof rafters. If hiring a
professional is more your speed, find one that
specializes in PROPINK Blown Glass Fibre insulation,
which produces a fast blow rate with minimal dust and
static.
In
addition to installing attic insulation, remember to do
the little things that can make a difference in helping
to cut your home's heating costs:
. Use
caulking to seal drafts around windows and doors
. Install
a programmable thermostat that can automatically adjust
your home's temperature
Understanding how heat flows through your home is the
first step to knowing how to keep the heat where it
should be in the winter - indoors. Completing easy home
improvements this fall may help recover your improvement
costs through your heating bill savings over time. It
will also help make your home a more comfortable place
and may save you a few dollars for those holiday gifts
this winter. For more information on attic insulation,
call 1-800-GET-PINK or visit
www.owenscorning.ca.
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Latest technology means home heating not costly
enterprise
(NC)-Purchasing a furnace used to
be much like choosing a brand of salt - there were few suppliers and
even fewer options. Recent and ongoing changes however, have given
Canadian homeowners access to models that provide comfortable and
reliable heating while saving money on operating costs.
"In Canada there's no getting away
from heating your home, but I'm sure we all would prefer to spend
the money on other things," says Mark Deneau, marketing
representative of ECR International, an Ontario-based manufacturer
of high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products. "By
purchasing a furnace with the latest technology, homeowners can
choose a high-efficiency model that will ensure they aren't paying
more than they should."
ECR's newest furnace,
the Olsen UltraComfort G95V www.olsenhvac.com, incorporates the latest
technology including a variable speed blower motor and a two-stage
design.
When compared to conventional
models, a furnace that uses a variable speed blower motor consumes,
on average, only 240 watts of electricity on low-stage heat whereas
a conventional motor can consume 600 watts. This translates into
lower operating costs for the homeowner. In addition, a variable
speed blower motor starts gradually, eliminating the rush of air and
noise created by conventional motors. In fact, a furnace with
variable speed technology is slightly louder than a whisper.
For 80 per cent of the year a
conventional, single-stage furnace runs at a high level only - no
matter what the heating needs - and consuming more fuel than is
required to heat the home. The new two-stage furnace design allows a
furnace to run on two levels: the high-stage level on bitterly cold
days, and the low-stage level for the rest of the time, consuming
less fuel and resulting in lower heating costs for homeowners.
"The two-stage design is really
like having two furnaces in one, with the high-stage furnace only
operating on the coldest of days rather than continuously. These
technologies combined will ensure
New concept in paint chips unveiled
(NC)-Leading architectural paint
brand PARA Paints continues to make paint colour selection easier
for Canadians, with the launch of a unique concept in paint chips -
Colour Combo Round Paint Chips.
Available across Canada, the
four-inch interlocking round chips showcase three colour
combinations on one side, and a room setting featuring the three
colours on the other.
Available in a mix of 26 colours
from PARA's 2007 Fashion Trend collection, all of the colours
featured are also available as a single colour round chip. With a
slit half their diameter, the single colour round chips allow users
to interlock any colour with one, two, three or more other round
paint chips, creating a layering effect similar to a colour wheel.
More information is available at
www.para.com or by calling 1-800-461-PARA.
Beat fleas this fall
(NC)-While fleas won't survive
outside when the temperature plunges, they are very capable of
taking up residence in your warm home over the winter. Follow these
three tips to help rid your home - and your beloved pets - of fleas
this season.
1. Schedule a weekly date with
your vacuum. Fleas and their larvae burrow into carpeting and
upholstered furniture, so be sure to vacuum thoroughly, including
cracks in floorboards and along baseboards. Remember to change
vacuum bags on a regular basis.
2. Fleas can be difficult to
eliminate once they infect your cat or dog. A rule of thumb is that
for every five fleas you find on your pet, another 95 are lurking in
the immediate environment in the form of pupae, larvae, or eggs.
Consider protecting your pet year-round from fleas with a
convenient, topically-applied treatment like Revolution, to stop the
flea cycle before it begins.
3. In your fight against fleas,
pay particular attention to your pet's rest areas. Bedding,
including dog and cat beds, towels, blankets and even toys can
become breeding grounds for fleas. Wash them weekly in hot, soapy
water to keep them flea-free through the winter.
Luxury showers make bathrooms hi-tech
(NC)-Showering has become more
than what happens in between waking up and eating breakfast. Today's
showers are equipped with multiple shower heads, strategically
placed nozzles and body sprays, and overhead showering panels that
deliver exceptional water delivery with mood enhancing light
sequences. And, to top it off - your favourite tunes.
More and more homeowners are
splurging big time to outfit their bathrooms with the latest
high-tech offerings. To put it simply, if you're still showering
with just one showerhead - it's time to catch up.
Leading the charge in offering
consumers the latest in personalized showering innovations is
Kohler. Its WaterTile Ambient Rain overhead showering panel combines
54-nozzle sprayheads with mood-enhancing coloured light sequences
for chromatherapy. Top that off with Kohler's new SoundTile for a
showering experience that is the ultimate in luxury and sound.
"Performance showering continues
to grow in popularity since it was introduced a few years ago. At
Kohler, we are constantly developing new and innovative products for
this category," said Donna Church of Kohler Canada. "Our products
deliver the ultimate luxurious bathing and showering experience
inside the home."
Most people will agree that they
use their shower more than their bathtub due to the convenience
showering provides. High performance showers create a luxurious,
relaxing experience on a daily basis. The beauty of the products is
that they are designed for convenience. And with today's busy
lifestyle, who can't appreciate that?
More information is available
online at www.kohler.com.
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