The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Carole Feldman, The Associated Press

Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2015 at 8:13 AM | Comments: 0

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In this Monday, Feb. 23, 2015 photo, Prince Addy of Manassas, Va., straightens up the shelves of roofing products at the Home Depot in Falls Church, Va. A harsh winter has taken a toll on many roofs around the country. The first step in roof maintenance may be to get out a pair of binoculars and take stock. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

A harsh winter has taken a toll on many roofs.

Maybe there's a tell-tale leak, but sometimes problems are harder to spot.

When the snow melts, it's a good time to take stock.

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IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS

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After a harsh winter, check the roof for signs it might need repair, replacement

DEMAREST The Northern Valley Regional High School District will hold a $13 million referendum March 10 on a funding proposal for upgrades to Demarest High School and Old Tappan High School.

In addition, the project would construct a new building at Demarest for a self-contained special education program that has outgrown its current facility in Closter.

The district was able to qualify for 36 to 40 percent in state debt aid, which means that taxpayers would be responsible for only 64 percent of the costs, said Interim schools Superintendent Larry Hughes.

The costs would be split among the seven sending districts of Closter, Demarest, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Norwood and Old Tappan. A 15-year bond would be arranged. The estimated tax impact per year would range from $49 for the average household in Closter residents to $65 for Old Tappan residents.

Hughes emphasized that the changes are sorely needed and that the board was thrifty with property owners tax dollars. Its a carefully planned project, he said. These are necessary improvements.

Among the improvement slated for both high school campuses are renovations to the tennis and basketball courts and track, HVAC unit replacements, auditorium updates and classrooms renovated into STEM Labs.

Now was the ideal time to borrow money because of low interest rates, said Hughes. The district also was able to qualify for 36 to 40 percent in state debt aid, which means that taxpayers would be responsible for only 64 percent of the costs, he said.

Hughes said he is optimistic residents will vote in favor of the project and that he has seen no opposition to the ballot proposal thus far.

We have fantastic facilities, but they are aging, he said. People move here for our schools, so we need to maintain and support them.

If the referendum approves funding, construction would begin as early as May, he said, adding that work will be done during the summer so that it will not interfere with instruction. Work is expected to be completed by 2017.

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Northern Valley Regional High School District to hold $13M referendum on upgrades

Unger Ninja Razor / Window Cleaning
via YouTube Capture.

By: Steve O

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Unger Ninja Razor / Window Cleaning - Video

Published on March 03, 2015 Other news

If you're like some people (ahem) who put up window treatments and never give them a second thought, even as dust accumulates, this might just be the season to pay them a little respect.

No need to stress out about adding another task to your spring-cleaning to-do list: You don't have to clean curtains, shades and the windows themselves THAT often. And many times, it's not that difficult.

"In our experience, the windows and window treatments are something that people avoid cleaning because they're not entirely sure the best way to do it," says Betsy Goldberg, home director of Real Simple magazine.

"It's not hard," she adds. "It just takes a little bit of time."

If simply removing dirt isn't reason enough to clean, consider that dust can dull the fabric of curtains and shades. Household odours can linger. And washing helps preserve the fabric, especially for window treatments that get a daily dose of sunshine, says Tammy Kupernik of retailer Country Curtains.

"If you don't wash them, the sun will break down the threads," she says.

"Washing them keeps the colours bright, it keeps the threads soft and it does add to the life of the curtain."

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CURTAINS AND DRAPES

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Forgotten items on the spring-cleaning to-do list: windows, window treatments

Germs. You cant get away from the blighters. If its not the teeming populations of camplylobacter that infest the cavities of supermarket chicken, its the E coli, salmonella and worse that disport themselves on our towels and dishcloths.

Against these regiments of invisible enemies we deploy a vast arsenal of weapons-grade cleaning products. But while were spraying our surfaces with bleach and washing our dishes in Eucalyptus detergent, a shaming 60-odd per cent of us neglect to wash our hands after weve visited the loo, according to a Rentokil survey.

While confirming my conviction that youre better off eating dinner at home, where at least the bugs are mostly familiar, this news has made me reflect on my own handwashing habits which are, I realise, completely perverse.

At home in London, I carry on like Lady Macbeth, washing my hands dozens of times a day. But at weekends, in the stableyard, I find myself cheerfully eating a sandwich from an unwashed hand that moments ago was feeding a horse a mint.

Ive no idea whether it is my scrupulous townie cleanliness or my robust rural exposure to pathogens that means Im almost never ill. But either way I view with misgiving Rentokils proposed solution to the handwashing recidivists. Stewart Power, its marketing director, predicts that one day every washroom will have a monitoring system to give us a nudge to wash our hands.

Its bad enough being nagged by an electronic voice about an unexplained item in the bagging area. Just imagine the irritation of being slut-shamed by a disembodied nanny in the loo door.

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Wash your hands? That's what townies do

SCRANTON, Pa. AZEK Deck and AZEK Trim, manufactured by CPG Building Products, have been named the number one brand of decking and trim according to Peninsula Publishing's 2014 Brand Survey. For AZEK Trim, this marks the fourth time in recent years that the brand has topped the Millwork/Trim Category. The survey is conducted online to readers of Peninsula's building industry magazines, including Builder Developer, 50 Plus Builder, Options for Today's Fine Homes, Green Homebuilder, and Residential Contractor and Builder Bytes.

The annual Peninsula Publishing Brand Preference Study targets residential builders, architects and contractors who make major buying decisions. Independent survey responses ranking the brands they most recognized and preferred were tallied from the publisher's magazine web sites, social media and three times weekly through its online e-newsletter BuilderBytes.

Made of cellular pvc, AZEK Trim reinvented the trim category in 2001 when it was introduced as a wood trim replacement. Today, AZEK Trim and Moulding products include a variety of exterior trim boards and 29 moulding profiles that save time and labor on the jobsite. These include three, easy-to-install sizes of Column Wrap; Finish Grade Trim which offers a finished surface without visible fasteners; a Universal Skirt Board that works any siding type and architectural mouldings such as crown, casing and sill profiles.

AZEK Deck, a capped pvc product, has set the bar extremely high for performance and aesthetics, including products in the new Vintage Collection that must be seen to be appreciated. With 18 popular colors and textures, AZEK Deck offers an option for every home exterior with the easy workability that contractors appreciate and the beauty and durability consumers demand.

"It speaks volumes to have both AZEK Trim and AZEK Deck selected for the number one brand honor by readers of these western-based magazines," said Jason Grommon, President, CPG Building Products. "It affirms that the AZEK brand quality, which we have always held in the highest regard, resonates with audiences from coast to coast." He added that it is also gratifying to have AZEK Trim and Mouldings recognized as the leading brand for the fourth time by Peninsula's readers.

Survey results were announced at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, January 20 - 22, 2015, and can be found on Peninsula Publishing's website at http://www.bdmag.com/article/2014-building-products-brand-survey-winners.

About AZEK Building Products: Part of CPG Building Products, the AZEK brand capitalizes on more than 25 years of cellular pvc manufacturing experience to make and market premium, low maintenance exterior building products such as AZEK Deck, the leading brand of low-maintenance decking, and AZEK Trim, the leading brand of low-maintenance trim. Other AZEK products include AZEK Mouldings, AZEK Porch, AZEK Rail, and AZEK Pavers. They offer tangible benefits as ideal replacements for traditional building materials. For information, call 1-877-ASK-AZEK (877-275-2935) or visit the AZEK website at http://www.azek.com.

SOURCE AZEK Building Products CONTACT: Maureen Murray, 973-993-1570, precise2@optonline.net

Web Site: http://www.azek.com

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AZEK Deck and AZEK Trim Chosen # 1 in Brand Survey by Publisher of Builder and Developer Magazine

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