Canadian Home Trends MAKEOVERS FOR EVERY BUDGET | Page 22

is in distress

Help! my backyard

“Spring is upon us after a few harsh
winter months, and as we evaluate
the damage that Mother Nature has
done, we scramble to find the 1-800
number to the backyard emergency
hotline. Unfortunately, when we
called, the line was busy. Therefore,
we decided to do our own research
on how we can transform our
backyards into an oasis”

20

Don’t have
enough room in
the house for the
in-laws to stay overnight?
No problem, add a
private guest room in
your backyard.
Summerwood Products
www.summerwood.com

Why bend over
to pick herbs from
your garden when you can
create a vertical herb garden
like the one at the Atlanta
Botanical Garden.
Atlanta Botanical Garden,
www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org
Photo by Erica George Dines

An outdoor
shower comes in
handy when the kids are
full of mud and wanting to
come into the house.
Outdoor Shower, Orvis,
www.orvis.com

Create the
ultimate backyard
theatre with a few props
and host a movie night.
Photo by Pottery Barn,
www.potterybarn.ca

We spend hours pulling
weeds and pruning in
our backyard to create a beautiful
garden. Why not have a gazebo that
overlooks our garden where we can
sit and read a good book?
Summerwood Products
www.summerwood.com

Garden sheds
are a great way to
tidy up the backyard
by tucking away your
lawnmower and
garden tools behind
closed doors.
Summerwood Products
www.summerwood.com

Deck
repair 101
Repair your deck by
removing any soft or rotted
boards and replacing them with
rot-resistant or pressure treated
wood. Spot prime any exposed
trim ends with Alkyd Stain
Blocking Primer. Pull loose or
popped nailheads and replace
with a larger galvanized nail. Fill all
nail heads with exterior filler. To
avoid moisture penetration, caulk

all cracks or checks in the deck
boards.
Thoroughly clean
your deck prior to
re-painting. To clean and
neutralize mildew and algae spots,
use a solution of 1 part bleach to
4 parts water. Soak the area for
at least 15 minutes and then rinse
well. Give your deck plenty of
time to dry before you begin to
re-paint.
Give your deck a
fresh look with a solid
hide stain like SharkSkin Solid
Hide Deck & Siding. This stain

provides a rich, creamy texture
that hides the natural colour of
the wood, masking imperfections
and unwanted grain and colour
variations. This is especially
important if you have had to
replace some of the older boards
with newer boards that do not
match perfectly! SharkSkin is
self-priming on properly
prepared new or weathered
wood and previously painted
surfaces so you can skip the
primer and get straight to
painting. - www.cloverdalepaint.com