16 - Friday, March 3, 1989 - North Shore News Spring is the perfect time for home repairs AS THE spring season ap- proaches, schooichildren and adults alike tend to get spring fever. The spring cleaning bug may soon follow. After taking a good look around your home, vou may decide this spring is the perfect time for some home improvement. These improvements may range from simple repairs to major remodeling. Before deciding to make major remodeling changes, inspect and evaluate your home. This also can help you catch small problems be- fore they develop into irreparable damage. However, after adequately checking the old design of a room, you may decide only minor ad- justments are aecessary to create the look you desire. Certain changes in your house- hold or lifestyle may warrant changes in your home. For exam- ple, departures or additions to a family may make reorganization essential. You may want to convert a bedroom into a den, a basement into an apartment or add more bathrooms. If there has been a change in a family’s lifestyle, such as an alteration in work habits, the house will have to fit the changes in living patterns. Maybe you are working at home and need an office in the house. Or perhaps you have stopped working altogether to raise a family or take care of an elderly family member. In either case, the living area in your home will have to be enlarged or altered to accommodate more frequent use. A change in affluence such as a larger income usually means more entertaining and the desire and ability to expand or add on to rooms meant to entertain guests. A family may have acquired new interests such as gourmet cooking or health and fitness activities. This may cal] for kitchen expan- sion or conversion of a room into @ spa. However, major remodeling is not the answer to every dissatisfac- tion you may have with your home. It may be time for a fresh coat of paint, or new wallpaper, fix- tures or carpeting. You should noi neglect the out- side of your home. It may need a fresh coat of paint, a patio, new windows or new gutters. You even may consider installing a pool, hot tub or barbecue pit as the summer approaches. Now is the ideal time to restruc- ture the landscape in order to make it more pleasing to the eye and functional for outdoor fun and sports. Adding plants and flowers to a yard or garden is sure to add color and beauty to any home. You also may want to start a vegetable garden at this time. If you live in an apartment, flower boxes or rooftop gardens are great for those green thumbs that don’t have access to traditional gardens. If ycu do live in an apartment, you probably don’t have the same responsibilities for the outside of your dwelling. However, you may want to collaborate with your landlord to make any changes that you feel would improve the building. If this is impossible, you can always make more elaborate changes to the inside of your FIGHT THE LUNG CRIPPLERS apartment, since you wiil have more time and money io put toward the effort. If you are planning on making the improvement yourself, make a list of the supplies and tools you will need to complete the job. A single trip to the Iumberyard, hardware store or interior design store will be beneficial and time- saving. Make sure you buy enough of what you need to avoid multiple trips, frustration and exhaustion. Know your limits and when a job is too big for you to handle. Don't be ashamed to turn a half- finished job over to a professional if it becomes too time-consuming. Wallpapering and adding on an additional room require different amounts of energy and time. Evaluate the situation to see whether it is better to do the work yourself or hand it over to some- one else. The best way to find a profes- sional for your home improvement is by word of mouth. Ask people who have had work done on their homes if they were pleased with the quality and price of the work. Or, you may want to ask your local hardware store or lumberyard for recommendations. Whether you do it yourself or have it done by a professional, improvements to your home are a pleasure to come home to and en- joyable to share with guests and family. ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSETS CANADIAN HBA CLOSET SHOPS . © custom shelving & drawers . © mirror closet doors ! @ wire storage systems * wall bed Se Do-it-yourself or installed ¢ Free in-home estimates 1093 Marine Dr., NV. 986-4263 | " CARRIER | Graham Edmunds Graham started delivering the North Shore News when he was nine and has been delivering 140 papers on Wednesdays and Fridays in the upper Lonsdale area for a year. Graham attends Holy Trinity School and is in grade 4. His favourite subject is Math. He also likes ice hockey, skiing and riding his bike. He is also an altar server. Some of his other meres are going to movies, reading and playing Nintendo Graham has used some of his North Shore News earnings to buy a mountain bike and is now saving up to buy a computer for which he likes to make up his own programs. Our thanks go to Graham for being our Star Carrier and for a job well dene. DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT 986-1337 ARE YOUR EDGES SHARP? Complete Mower Repair Service Mower — 2236 West 41st Avenue pape Vancouver, B.C. (60) 261-3555 —————— ee gaits UP: TO. 5198 OurReéegular Low Prices... Compare and enjoy the largest selection of han knotted carpets in B.C. Kashmar fine Kirman fine Bakhtiar Heriz Keshan Isfahan on silk Qum pure silk $6,500 Repair, cleaning and appraisal of your Oriental rugs. Our underlay CARPET STOP prevents any type of carpet from slipping — 100% guaranteed. Be Smm thick — $1.50 sq.ft . and: support diiring last véar's suéce an celebrate with us at ouy inst anni Question: ¢: What place has 3 million people and 50 million sheep? ANSWER: New Zealand What do they do down there? ANSWER: They make fabulous Bremworth wool carpet. QUESTION: Where can I get some of this wonderful wool carpet? ANSWER: Burritt Bros... and it's not that expensive ...in fact the whole selection is on sale right now ... Bremworth Wool frora just 29.80 square yard. Burritt Bros. Ca pe -, Open. ‘Monday through Saturday. ° “1174 Marine Drive at Pemberton: North. Vancouver. : 986: 669 Affordable: Quality since 1907: “Vancouver” e Mictoria . North Vancouver . Saltspring’