@ Program gives
homeowners assistance
and information towards
decreasing energy losses
around the house

PowerSmart is made up of a
consortium of electrical utili-
ties across the country, includ-
ing B.C. Hydro and West
Kootenay Power, who are en-
couraging their customers to
use electricity’as efficiently as
possible.

Their long-term strategy is
to work together with cus-
tomers to establish a new
“electric efficiency ethic.”

“Society has changed atti-
tudes towards fitness, drink-
ing and driving and smoking:
PowerSmart hopes to change
the public’s attitude towards
energy use in Canada,” says
PowerSmart’s Marketing Di-
rector Janet Benjamin.

Here are some Power
Smart tips that you can incor-
porate into your lifestyle that
will not only contribute to pro-
viding energy for our country
in the future, but also to sav-
-ing money and improving the
comfort of your home:

* Install a Power Smart
shower head and reduce hot
water consumption by as
much as 30 to 50 per cent
without reducing the quality
of the shower. You'll save on
the amount of hot water you
consume and the energy used
to heat this water. Take short
showers rather than baths.

* Consider ehanging to
compact fluorescent lamps,
which look much like normal
bulbs but are much more effi-
cient. For example, a 13-watt
compact fluorescent gives the
same amount of light as a reg-
ular 60-watt bulb but uses on-
ly one-quarter of the energy
and lasts up to 10 times longer.
Use lower wattage bulbs, par-
ticularly in areas that don't re-
quire a lot of light. Install com-
bination dimmer/timer lights
on all frequently used lights.

* Make sure your next re-

Finding a

If the thought of hiring an
interior designer is confusing
or intimidating, you are not
alone. If you have never
worked with a designer, an en-
riching experience awaits you.

Your friends might recom-
mend a designer, or you can
find one by consulting the yel-
low pages or by checking mag-
azines and local publications
that show the work of design-
ers in your area. Model homes
often feature the work of de-

signers, and department or

furniture stores frequently

have designers on staff.
However you. select a de-

frigerator is Power Smart with
the lowest EnerGuide number
for its size. Check to see if your
local utility has a rebate pro-

gram.

* It’s Power Smart to set
your thermostat at 20C. For
every degree above this set-
ting, your heating costs rise by
five per cent. (And turn it
down to 18C at night.)

© Use full loads and correct
temperature settings to save
electrical energy used by your
clothes washer, And the more
cold water washes and rinses
you do, the more you'll save.
Shake out clothes before
putting them in the dryer and
they'll dry faster and use less
energy.

* Proper threshold weath-
erstripping reduces heat loss
from badly fitting or warped
doors.

¢ If you insulate the first
one to two metres of hot water
pipe leading from your hot wa-
ter heater, you can minimize
convection heat loss of the
pipes before the water gets to
your taps.

¢ Install Power Smart 34-
watt fluorescent lamps in such
areas as kitchen, bathrooms,
hallways, basement, work-
shop, garage and laundry
room and you'll have excellent
light for working and save en-

ergy too.

© Install shrink wrap plas-
tic on the inside of glass doors
and patio windows to help stop
winter heat loss.

© Using removable caulking
in the winter makes sense
around windows that you
want to open during the sum-
mer.

* A well-insulated attic pro-
vides more comfort with re-
duced heat loss in winter and
reduced heat build-up in sum-
mer.

* If you are planning to
build a new home, consider an
R-2000 Certified home.

¢ Insulate your basement
walls even if your basement is

h a: An’ vninsulated
basement can contribute from
20 to 30 per cent of the total

nishings you already have, of-
ten simply by rearranging
them or suggesting a change
in wood finish or upholstery.

Interior design services typ-
ically include space planning
and coordinating furniture,
fabrics and accessories.

At the very least, a designe.
can save you an enormous
amount of legwork. This is es-
pecially important to two-in-
come families who have little
time to track down styles or to
position pieces into a layout
that makes design sense. A de-
signer may even save you
money by preventing an un-

ise decision, such as buying a

signer, a good will
visit your home and can help
you rethink how to use fur-

wise
bargain chair that has the
wrong proportions.

* Draftproof your home by
improving the caulking and
weather-stripping of doors and
windows, still plate, electrical
outlets, fireplace, plumbing
stacks and construction joints.

* Install storm windows
over single-glazed windows
and add storm doors over
uninsulated single exterior
doors.

Fix any dripping kitchen
or bathroom taps. One drip
per second can amount to a

gallons) of water a month.

* Clean the coils in the back
of the fridge every six months,
dust and dirt act as an insula-
tor and prevent the coils from

ild-up from the
cycle for the cooking
cycle or vice versa.
© Use your microwave oven.
yh ible. The aver-

working efficiently. Al
unplug the fridge first.

© Turn off the range ele-
ment before cooking is ¢com-
pleted. The residual heat will
finish the ing. Also, make
sure the size of the pot match-
es the size of the element.

* Clean your self cleaning

age microwave is only 650
watts compared to 3,200 for a
conventional oven, and it
cooks in much less time.

For more information on
how to be Power Smart, con-
tact your nearest Power Smart
electrical utility.

Enemies of fine wood furniture

Overexp to light can ly
affect fine wood finishes. Checking, crazing
and cracking of the finish are the most com-
monly seen problems. Intense sunlight,
whether in summer or winter, can bleach a
fine tabletop in a single season.

To prevent sun damage, rearrange the
furniture in a room periodically, and rotate
accessory items so they do not create marks
on the surface.

Spilled liquids, including water, can dam-
age furniture if not removed promptly. If
they remain on the surface long enough,
they may penetrate the finish and reach the
wood itself. Liquid will stain wood and can
raise the grain. With prolonged exposure to
wet spills, wood might warp and veneers de-

inate from their base. When spills occur,
immediately blot them up. Be gentle; dont
rub the surface.

Damage from heat can result when hot
items are placed on furniture surfaces. A

pe , causes wood to expand and con-
tract. As a finish ages, it becomes brittle and
cannot respond to this subtle movement.

In time, fine hairline cracks appear in the
finish. Blistering, buckling or warping of ve-
neered pieces is another problem associated
with excessive humidity and temperature
change. Environment control is the best way
to avoid these problems.

Maintain humidity between 30 and 50 per
cent and temperature between 15 and 26 C.
Avoid placing furniture in the direct path of
heat sources such as radiators and vents, or
storing it in areas where temperature and
humidity are not regulated.

Dusting with a dry cloth (which drags
sharp dust particles across the finish), using
abrasive cleaners or tools, even putting
soiled objects down and sliding them over
the surface will scratch a furniture finish
and eventually change the gloss. Another
d ing form of abrasion occurs when fur-

chemical change in the finishi oc-
curs and results in a white spot the size and
shape of the item. Prevent the problem by
using protective pads under hot dishes, cof-
fee mugs, ils or cooking li.

Moisture in the form of humidity, espe-
cially when combined with extremes of tem-

niture near the floor is repeatedly nicked
with a vacuum cleaner. To help prevent
abrasion damage, dust with a polish-moist-
ened cloth, vacuum carefully around furni-
ture, and lift — don't slide — lamps and ac-
cessories to move them.

y

\
@ Wednesday, October 30, 1991

Trees planted around
house keep heating bills
down, say gas experts

If the thoughts of paying
high winter heating bills
leaves you cold, then it’s time
to find ways to use energy
more efficiently. Conserving
energy will not only save you
money, it'll go a long way to-
ward saving our envi

ly shaded windows,

keep drafts at bay with heavy

drapes that rest on the win-
dow sill or reach to the floor.

¢ Check inside window

panes for frost. This indicates

that heat is escaping, and cold

Here are some user-friendly
tips from the Canadian Gas
Association that will help you
take winter's chill out of your
home, and protect the envi-
ronment at the same time:

“ Home h +3

airis your home. Seal
window panes with plastic
sheeting, or apply clear, peel-
off caulking where the window
and frame meet. And check
you door frames that lead to

for most of our energy costs.
By lowering your thermostat
just five degrees C, you can
save energy and money — and
you'll hardly feel the differ-
ence. Install a clock thermo-
stat, which automatically low-
ers the temperature when
you're at work or asleep. To
lower heating bills even more,
install a high-efficiency natu-
ral gas furnace. It can reduce
your heating costs by as much
as 25 per cent.

cA wel taned furnace is
energy efficient. Change your
furnace filters, and have iteer-
viced at least once a year.

* Let nature help heat your
home. Open the window cov-
erings on the sunny side of
your home, and close them on
cloudy days, or as soon as the
sun leaves the window.,For

* Plant trees around your
home to reduce energy bills al!
year long. In the winter, theyll
act as windbreakers, and shel-
ter your home from harsh
winds. In the summer, they'll
shade your home and help
keep you cool. And trees can
absorb up to four kilograms of
environment-threatening car-
bon dioxide from the air every
year.

* Move chairs away from
your home’s cooler, outside
walls, so you won't be tempt-
ed to crank up the heat. Wear
shoes or slippers in the house,
and layers of clothing to trap
warm air around your body.
Sleep under several light blan-
kets, rather than one heavy
one.

Time to Paint
Before Christmas!

< Wat Sarin fi

Benjamin

Za Moore &

EGGSHELL
Euzcancl
Somes

p

S

PAINT

AQuaP EAR!

> ——

@ Considerations for the
environment give prospective paint
buyers more options to think about

Neal McKenna
Nothing is simple anymore. These days,
even an uncomplicated task such as paint-
ing requires more than just rollers, brushes,
trays and paint.
These are the 1990s and the biosphere
has urged us to take
notice. There are ques-
tions to ask: How much
is enough? How doI
get rid of the left-overs?
Is there lead or mer-
cury in this stuff?
When buying paint
you have to consider
the consequences of
your purchase. What
impact will the cover-
ing have on the world
around you? No, paint-
ing isn’t simple any-
more.
There are two basic
types of paint, latex
(water based) and
alkyd (oil based). Water
based paints are gener-
ally more user friendly
than oil based and kinder to the

ood have left-over paint, consider one of the

wing:
_ © Alkyd: Oil-based paints should never be
disposed of down storm drains or into the
ground. These paints are highly flammable
and contain harmful chemicals. Alkyd paint
anvals be eater as hazardous household
waste en to a government a:
disposal site. t 4 pproved
* Latex: Water-based paints can be left to
dry in the tin by removing the lid and leav-
ing the paint to hard-
en. Ensure the open
can is kept well away
from children and ani-
mals. Once the product
is completely dry, con-
tact your local munici-
pality through the En-
viroline program for
disposal. If there is no ‘.
Enviroline in your
area, consult the blue
pages of the phone
book under waste dis-
posal services for an
alternative number.
* Paint Thinners:
Turpentine, mineral
spirits and solvents
are also environmen-
tally harmful chemi-
cals. Most solvents can

ment. Today the majority of painting jobs
can be carried out with latex paints. Howev-
er, there are exceptions, so check with your
paint dealer. If the job you need to do abso-
lutely requires an oil-based paint, be sure to
have your work space well ventilated.

When shopping for paint, be sure to read
labels and look for the Environmental
Choice logo. Check to see that it does not
contain lead or mercury in its composition.
If you're having trouble estimating the
amount of paint you'll need, talk to your re-
tailer, he can work it out for you. If you end
up with more paint than you need, use it to
touch up areas or apply an extra coat. If you

rycled by following a few easy steps.

° Leng weed potent into a container.

¢ Wait until the paint particles settle to
the bottom of the container.

* Carefully pour off the clear fluid for
reuse.

__ * Toget rid of the paint residue, add cat
litter or sawdust to it and allow to dry com-
pletely. Use the same guidelines for dispos-
ing of alkyd paint.

So, before purchasing paint, be sure you
choose the right product that is best suited
to your specific need and the least harmful
to the biosphere. Not such a tough job after
all. Talk to your paint dealer!

| Spread

-—

AUTUMN

SALE

2

VALUES | 28% CARMICHAEL PAINT CENTRE

411 Hall St.

\

26%...
Wall Paint
3.785 LITRES 3.785 LITRES

Phone 352-6244 Nelson, B.C. L— -}

Painters urged to take notice