28 - Friday. November 9, 1990 - North Shore News HOME & GARDEN fortysomething homes Homes built between 1947-64 can be energy wasters 1S YOUR tysomething’? home ‘for- More than 21 million homes were built between 1947-1964 to accommodate the baby boom — and there’s a good chance that they need energy-saving home improvements. “Such improvements as in- sulating, caulking and weatherstripping can help reduce your utility bills year-round,”’ says Frank Glover, a leading manufacturer of energy-efficient building materials. Key areas to check — to make sure the insulation measures up to the recommended insulation levels — are your attic and floors or crawl space walls. “Attics in most homes need R-38 or 12 inches of Fiberglas blanket insultation,’’ Glover notes. INSULATING THE ATTIC Glover also notes that by keeping your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer, insulation decreases the amount of energy you use. When you use less encrgy, power plants burn less fossi! fuel — which helps conserve the environment and natural resources. “One of the most effective energy-saving projects,’’ he adds, ‘‘is insulating the attic, and it only costs about $350 for an average 1,000-square foot space using insulation." To install Fiberglas blanket insulation, you'll need a sharp knife, a straight-edge and a measuring tape. For comfort, wear a mask, a_ long-sleeved shirt, a pair of work gloves and safety glasses. Fiberglas blanket insulation is the most commonly used mate- rial for do-it-yourself projects. Start by laying a piece of temporary flooring to kneel on while working. If the existing insulation is a few inches below the top of the joists, lay the new insulation di- rectly over the old, parallel to the joists. If the joist cavity is already filled, install the new in- sulation perpendicular to the ex- isting layer. {™ANTIOUE WAREHOUSE) STOREWIDE SAVINGS! up to 5 O % O OFF BELGIAN CONTAINER JUST ARRIVED! GREAT SAVINGS ON WARDROBES, DINING AND BEDROOM SUITES, OFFICE SETS, DESKS, TABLES, CHAIRS, CHINA CABINETS, SIDEBOARDS AND MORE, IN A VARIETY OF STYLES AND WOODS, DIRECT FROM BELGIUM, ENGLAND AND AMERICA. MON.-SAT. 10:30-6:00 SUN. 12-5 (Open Mon. Nov. 12th 12-5) 226 SW. Marine Drive, Vancouver 324-3661 (BETWEEN MAIN ST. & CAMBIE, NEXT TO McDONALD'S) BEST SELECTION! BEST SERVICE! BEST PRICES! Ea the elegant patio cover ON ALL MATERIALS Offer ends Nov. 30/90 Venetian Blinds 50% off SOLARIUMS Ea TROPLCA MWA Industries Ltd. 103 Riverside Drive, North Van. 929-3841 Put in the long runs first, and place the leftovers aside for fill- ing up the smaller spaces later. If you encounter wiring, cut or split the insulation to fit underneath it. Make sure to butt each section of insulation tightly up against the adjacent section for a complete thermal barrier. HINTS ON INSTALLING If your aitic is without insula- tion, install faced (with the vapor barrier) Fiberglas blanket insulation. The facing helps con- trol moisture and should be placed against the warm-in- winter side of the ceiling. To prevent moisture build-up and reduce attic temperatures, leave eave vents uncovered so air flow is not blocked. As a general tule, one square foot of free vent area should be provided for every 150 square feet of attic floor, when no vapor barricr is used. With a vapor barrier, one square foot of vent area per 300 square fect of attic floor is recommended. Keep insulation a minimum of three inches from recessed ceiling light’ fixtures, and use unfaced material in the space between a masonry chimney and wood framing. TRY OTHER ENERGY-SAV- ING TIPS In addition to insulating large areas, you should also consider the small details. Seal nooks and crannies with caulk and weatherstripping. Weatherstripping, which is available as felt strips, foam rubber and flexible vinyl, is easy to install. Apply it around en- trance doors, attic doors, inside and outside basement doors and window sashes. Caulking is also an inexpen- sive do-it-yourself job. Caulking guns and materials are available at hardware stores. To apply. move the tip of the gun along a crack as you squeeze out a thin bead of caulking compound. Cord-type caulking also can be used by pressing into place with your fingers. Hydro works to eliminate old fridges B.C HYDRO recently became the first electric utility in Canada to initiate a major buy-back program to eliminate inefficient old fridges. A pilot Project in Maple R i d ge - Pi: it Meadows was so successful that it is now being expanded to Vic- toria, Delta, Vernon, Williams Lake and Quesnel. Program manager Sophia Sorensen says, ‘‘the test in the Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows area achieved startling results. In only five months we bought 930 of these old, energy-guzzling fridges, well ahead of our original target of 1,000 in 12 months.” A survey showed that one in four homes in the area had second fridges, well above the provincial average. Owners of second fridges in the five new communities will be offered a $50 rebate per household with free pick up by locally-approved contractors. ‘‘We anticipate these new areas will show a similar enthusiastic response to the offer,’? com- mented Sorensen. The refrigerators will be dismantled, with the CFC’s recov- ered, and the fridge hulk resot< as scrap steel. Sorensen explained a rew energy-cfficient fridge costs be- tween $45 and $60 to run for a year. ‘Older fridges, often underused for a few beverages, can easily cost up to $100 a year. We estimate the expanded pro- gram will save 2.7 million kilowatt hours a year. REALTORS... DIAL ME DIRECT AT 985-6982 AFTER NOV. 15 To serve our valued real estate customers better, we’ve added a direct line for advertising in the Homes section. RICK ANDERSON Real Estate Advertising Manager TOE VORCE OF MONTH AND WLBT VANCOLVEN north shore ‘SUNDAY * WEDNESDAY + FMDAY