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BlO--The Canadian Chamnpion, Tuesday, April 29, 2003 GET A JUMP ON SPRING Simple outdoor weekend projects help maîntaîn a "health y". home (NC)-lt's spning cleaning time again, and this means get- "Many varieties of shmubs need to be trimmed back in the when necessary. Also, check the burners when tuming ting out more than just a broom, sponges and squeegee. spring f0 stimulate growth, "says Bourque. "Get nid of broken your gnill A faulty or broken burner wull drastically cut ti You may have to tackle a few simple maintenance projeots or dead branches and replace shrubs that didn't make it. gnilling capacity. outdoors because winters wrath can sometimes damage Finally, take a look at your grill and make sure the gas Spring is a great time to tackle some of these simple ou. the exterior of your home. hose is in good condfition. Tanks and hoses have a tenden- door projects and bning your house and yard back to its ori Before surveying what needs f0 be done, take a tnp f0 the cy to rust, crack and corrode over time, so replace them inal glory. garage and organize your tools. You're going f0 need them, 50 why not h ave them ready to, go beforehand? Next, check the condition of your gutters, mailbox post, fenoes and shut- fers. If any of these are showing signa of decay, now is the best time to, replace or repair them. Ifs also a good time to, restore a weathered deck to its original wood colour with a deck bnightening solution, says Ray Bourque, an outdoor expert with The Home Depot Canada. Replace nails and smooth splintered boards before applying mhe preservative. "Foot traffic and weathering can cause nails to pop up on a deck," Bourque explains. "If mhis is mhe case, replace them with corrosion-resistant deck screws and you won't have mhe same problem again." Fumiture that has been outdoors duning the cold months may need a good cleaning. Plastic outdoor fumiture proba- bly will benefit from a good scrubbing using a solution of water and bleach, or even a dousing with mhe power wash- er. Check around the aides and back of your home f0 see if your flowerbieds, shrubs and trees survived. Are they ready formte sprihg months ahead, or do mhey need some tender Ioving care? Nrnia Pavlng PIEIi ta Stone Co. 12144 Steeles Ave. 2 km west of Trafalgar Rd, Hornby (between James Snow & Trafalgar) 905-878-1900 WE SRC CANEIEU,MBROKILE & ACTON AR ww.harwood&soiffamln.com 't-