Deciduous

trees help

to screen the sunlight

THERE’S NO getting around it:
Climate affects our energy usage.
When the wind howls or the sun
beats down, when the temperature
plunges or the humidity rises —
all of these affect how much
heating and cooling we need in
our homes.

There’s not much we can do
about the weather. But we can
manipulate natural elements such
as vegetation to modify the
microclimate around our homes,
and hence our energy usage.

In other words, landscaping can
help make our homes Power
Smart.

Screening summer sun

In most parts of British Col-
umbia, we can never get enough
suntight falling on our homes in
winter, but then in summer we've
got too much of a good thing.
Planting deciduous trees (trees
that lose their leaves in the fail,
such as maples and crab apples)
on the south and west sides of the
house will help correct the prob-
lem.

In summer, when the trees are
in full leaf, they screen sunlight
and so reduce the need for cool-
ing; in winter their bare branches
allow sunlight to pass through,
cutting the home’s heating re-
quirements.

Planting deciduous trees may
seem like a simple thing to do, but
a mature tree can cool yards,
gardens and houses by up to 15
degrees in the hottest part of the
day.

, “Siowing down the wind

_ When winter winds blow against

an unprotected house wail, they
rob the house of its warmth, and
the heating system has to work
harder to keep the home warm.

The best way to protect your
home from heat loss from wind is
to plant a windbreak of trees and
shrubs on the windward side of
the house. In most parts of B.C.
that would be the north and west
sides.

Windbreaks, or shelterbelts,
slow down the wind and divert it
upward, over the building. For
every foot (0.3 metre) of
shelterbelt height, conditions on
the leeward side are improved to a
distance of 50 feet (15 metres).
Windbreaks can reduce home
heating costs by up to one-third.

Shelterbelts generally consist of
one or more rows of trees and
shrubs, increasing in height as
they approach the house. A typi-
cal arrangement would be a row
of fast-growing shrubs such as
Leyland cypress on the windward
side; then a row of ornamental
trees such as choke cherry or
mountain ash; then a line of
long-lived conifers such as white
spruce or lodgepole pine.

Of course, the size, depth and
composition of the windbreak will
vary with the size and position of
the lot, the species that will grow
in a given area, and so on. For
best results, consult a nursery,
landscape architect or agricultural
eoviser.

Safety first

Always remember electrical
safety when planting trees or
shrubs. Never plant tall-growing
shrubs or trees near power or ser-
vice lines.

If you would fike to learn more
about energy-efficient landscaping
and other Power Smart measures,
contact your local B.C, Hydro of-
fice. Or call the Power Smart in-
formation lines: 293-7777 in the
Lower Mainland or 1-800-663-
0431 in the rest of the province.

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

DECORATIVE DEER lock expectantly upon a small waterfall in a West Vancouver resident's

garden.

Beware of lead-based paints

RENOVATING AN old house?

If the house was built before
1980, the interior and exterior
paint may contain smail amounts
of lead. Houses built before 1950
may contain substantial amounts
of leaded paint.

The Canadian Paint and
Coatings Association (CPCA), in
partnership with Health and
Welfare Canada, Consumer and
Corporate Affairs Canada, and
Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, has produced a

pamphlet entitled ‘Old: Paint:
Lead and Your Family’s Health.””

The pamphiet is designed to
help consumers identify and avoid
potential health hazards when
renovating older homes, offering
practical measures for safely deal-
ing with old lead-based paint dur-
ing renovation projects.

Depending on the level of ex-
posure, lead can cause anemia,
impair the functions of the brain
and nervous system, and result in
learning problems and an inability

to concentrate.

Children are particularly at risk
because they absorb lead more
easily than adults.

Free copies of ‘Old Paint: Lead
and Your Family’s Health’ are’
available at paint stores, building
supply and renovation centres
across Canada. Or write the Ca-
nNadian Paint and Coatings
Association, Suite 103-9000
Cavendish Blvd, St. Laurent,
Quebec, H4M 2V2,

Complete Quality Custom Built Homes by

M G BLACKWELL enz inc.

From $ 50 sq.ft. This includes:

« Cedar Siding « Vinyl Windows
e Cedar Roof e Hot Water Heating

& more
Call today for more Information

Tel: 922-6985 Fax: 922-6975

The Canadian

- Red Cross Soclety

$6995)
soe ote EN

“YOU OWN-xQuROW
3 LIMITED SUPPLY

INCLUDES 5 YEAR
BNO CHARGE,

2. N
& DEDUCTIBLE
WARRANTY

NEW SONATA GL

Power Steering, Power Brakes, Tilt
Whee! & Stereo Cassette

ONLY AT...
700 MARINE DRIVE
NORTH VANCOUVER

'984-7044|