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C2 . THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Take a load off your mind It might be the last thing you think of in terms of a home safety concern, but the fluff in your dryer lint screen - and other laundry activities - can cause problems. Unlike doing the laundry itself, however, staying safe in the laundry room need not be a major chore. • Clean the lint basket in the dryer regularly. Lint buildup can reduce the dryer's efficiency and be a fire haz­ ard. • Wherever you install your washer and dryer - whether it's in the basement or another room - make sure you install a smoke alarm as well. • If your laundry room shares the basement with the fur­ nace, avoid hanging clothes, or storing laundry products, such as bleach near the furnace, where they can create fire hazards. • Watch your step while carrying laundry, especially if you have to take the stairs. It's better to take two small loads, so you can see where you're going over the top of the laundry basket and avoid tripping. It's also not a good idea to locate the laundry hamper or basket on the stairs. • Like all major appliances, your washer and dryer should be properly grounded. Ensure you have the proper sized fuse or breaker switch installed. Washing means water, of course, and if not already in place, you should install an outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter. • Water, electrical appliances, light spaces - these all pre­ sent dangers to children, so make the laundry room off lim­ its as a play area. • The iron should also be kept out of reach of children - young tots can pull on the cord and pull a heavy iron down on themselves causing injury. When finished ironing, unplug the iron, and never leave a hot iron unattended. This article was provided by the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Wednesday, July 21, 1999 LOOKING FOR EXCITING WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME, IT'S ALL RIGHT HERE IN THE OAKVILLE BEAVER H O M E IM P R O V E M E N T Health care for your lawn A preventative health care program for your lawn is very similar to one you would use to maintain your own health. The idea is to pre­ vent problems from occurring so you don't have to treat them. A healthy lawn can with­ stand most stresses such as weeds, insect attacks and other diseases. Use the program outlined below as a general guide to growing a healthy lawn. 1. Develop healthy soil. Good soil is the foundation of a healthy lawn. To grow well, your lawn needs soil with good texture, some key nutrients and the right pH balance. Most lawns need to be fertilized every year, because they need more nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Soil that is too acidic can be "sweetened" with lime; soil that's not acidic enough can be made more "sour" by adding sulfur. 2. Choose a grass type that thrives in your climate. The right type of grass -- one that suits your needs and likes the local weather -- will always give better results. 3. Mow high, often and with sharp blades. Mowing high -- that is, keeping your lawn a bit long -- will produce stronger, healthier grass with fewer pest problems. The rule of thumb is to mow often enough that you never cut more than one-third of the height of the grass blades. 4. Water deeply but not too often. It's best to water only when the lawn really needs it, and then to water slowly and deeply. 5. Correct thatch build-up. All grass forms a layer of dead plant material, known as thatch, between the grass blades and the soil. When it gets too thick it prevents water and nutrients from penetrating the soil and grass roots. Reduce thatch by raking the lawn or using a machine that slices through thatch to break it up. Sprinkling a thin layer of topsoil or com ­ post over the lawn will also help. 6. Set realistic goals. Even a healthy lawn is likely to have some weeds or insect pests. But it will also have beneficial insects and other organisms that help keep pests under control. S l I M I V f F R S P F C T A I I ■ A Burglar's View of Your Home Savings of u p to $350 ADT Security Services 1-877-557-5636 P a r k w o o d S e c u r i t y S y s t e m s • Custom design systems • Security &C fire systems • 24-hour monitoring services • Locally based company -- serving Oakville for 15 years "Small enough to know you, large enough to serve you. 504 Iroquois Shore Rd, Unit 7 (905) 8 4 5 -9 7 3 5 a Pro-Teth*£ock and Secunify Commercial/Industrial/Residential Locks Rekeyed Keyless Entry Master Key Systems Safes CCTV Burglar Alarms 24 hr. Monitoring Registered High Security Locks (905) 825-5070 Service In general, career criminals are rational, decision-making business people. Even the inexperienced criminal goes through a rational thought process when choosing a property to burglarize. And, other than crimes committed in the inner city, most burglars know exactly "where the money is." According to studies of residential burglaries conducted by Temple University in Philadelphia, most burglars plan their intru­ sions based on a calculated decision-making process, even though the burglar may believe he or she is acting completely at random. What the Temple study reveals is that there are certain predictable signals that tend to attract burglars like bears to a honey tree. What is the profile of a "treasure trove" from a burglar's point of view? New homeowners who live in close proximity to a major thoroughfare, on a comer lot, in a middle-income neighborhood, in an older home with an attached garage are statistically the most likely candidates for a burglary. One of the primary factors burglars "plan" is how quickly they can gain entry and then escape. Homes on comer lots allow burglars to park on side streets where neighbors are less likely to take notice. Homes on comer lots, near busy thoroughfares, are even more appealing to burglars. This allows the criminal to easily put "distance" between himself and the scene of the crime. Another primary factor burglars consider in their "plan" is the potential payoff. As much as we'd all like to believe we are unique, an experienced burglar can estimate how much he or she will be able to carry away from a given property with uncanny accuracy, often to within a couple of hundred dollars. The temple study also suggests that burglars "commute" to work like average citizens, with more than 50 percent of burglarized homes within three blocks of a major thoroughfare. And, one of the most curious survey results is that 50 percent of burglaries are committed against homeowners who have lived in their homes less than five years. And, of that 50 percent, 32 percent had lived in their homes less than one year. For more information about how to make your home more secure, call Parkwood Security Systems at 905-845-9735. a v \\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \VH COMMUNICATIONS INC. PROTECTION SERVICES * Alarm Systems • Video Surveillance • Card Access Call 1-888-PAS-W ORD A lS Secure Your Home Service Through Experience • 24 Hour Emergency Service Active Lock & Safe 2380 Speers Road, Oakville Toronto Hamilton Mississauga (905) 827-8401 Burlington (905) 335-0232 Oakville Fax (905) 827-8951 Call one of these fine Home Security Companies for an estimate on an alarm system that will not only suit your budget, but look after your home security needs. Take a load off your mind Health care for your lawn ADT Security Services 1-877-557-5636 *£ock and Secunify Commercial/Industrial/Residential Service av\\\ \ \ \ \ \ \ * Alarm Systems • Video Surveillance • Card Access Call 1-888-PAS-WORD AlS 2380 Speers Road, Oakville Mississauga (905) 827-8401 Burlington (905) 335-0232 Oakville Fax (905) 827-8951 Home Security Companies