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JEWEL COLLECTION

Give your house
a physical before
making repairs

THE ONSET of fall means two
things: a return to school for kids
and renovations for homeowners.

By Greg Feiton

Contributing Writer

October is home renovation
moath, according to the Greater
Vancouver Homebuilders’
Association. Prepurchase building
inspector and author Ed Witzke
says two aregs inside the home
deserve special attention — the
bathroom and kitchen:

“Throughout a number of years
that studies have been made, you'll
find (they) have been the most pop-
ular and get more return on the del-
lar.”

The most common problems
here concern plumbing: worn-out
faucets, washers and valves, es well
as moisture and mildew damuge to
flooring and paint from condensa-
tion and improper ventilation.

The bathroom and kitchen are
major areas for renovation, says
Wilzke, because it is here that a
homeowner can add a lot of value
to a house. However, before any
renovation is done the house should
be given “a physical.”

“First of all, make sure the hause
can withstand a renovation,” he
suid, “Even hire an independent
home inspector to evaluate your
home.”

Wiizke also says homeowners
can undertake renovations for a
variety of reasons: more conve-
nience (new kitchen, extension);
health (replacing lead-based paint
or bad insulation); or higher resale.

However, he does not advise
people to undertake renovations to
improve energy efficiency.

In the first place, those who
install low-pressure shower nozzles
or energy-efficient lights tend ¢o
increase consumption. [f your fami-
ly js not heuse-trained, you won't
save anything,

Second, renovations to save
energy can’t be done piecemeal: “if
you do it, do the house as a whole;
in other words, don’! just put insu-
lation in the attic, don't jus upgrade
the windows — do everything,

including weather stripping (or
else) you're just wasting your time
and energy.”

As fer the outside of the house,
moisture is also the biggest prob-
lem. Witzke says miake sure the gut-
ters und down spouts are clear of
debris and that the pipes carry the
water away from the base of the

ED WITZKE

house. Similarly, cut back vines and
move soil 6” to &” away from the
base of the house,

“That way, fall rains or melting
snow won’t start to rot the under-
side of the house.” Witzke says soi}
can act as 2 conduit for water,
which can lead to seepage into the
basement or the base of the house.

As far as home heating is con-
cerned, a check of the chimney is in
order. He says urban wildlife can
turn a chimney into a home, which
can impede air flow, cause carbon
build-up and lead to back drafts.
You should be able to see the sky
reflected in 2 mirror as you point it
up the chimney.

While on the subject of rcoftop
extremities, a quick scan of the roof
from a ladder shouid teli you if any
repairs need to be done.

As for pasting the exterior,
Witzke says wait for spring,
although a scrub-down wouldn’t
hurt. With cooler temperatures in

See Professionals page 35

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it 983-9275

Remaleting # De

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