May 1979

HOW TO FINANCE YOUR HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Though mortgage money may be tight this spring, you shouldn't have much trouble getting a loan for improving your present home-- provided your credit is good. See what your bank or mortgage lender has to offer, but shop other sources as well.

Home insulation: How to figure the payoff

By now, you've probably caulked and weather-stripped everything in your house that doesn't move, and you've even ordered a glass door for your fireplace. But does the big energy saver-- insulation-- have you buffaloed? Are you unsure of how much to use, where you need it most, and how long you'll have to wait to get your money back in lower energy bills?

Schools: Where does the gifted child fit in?

At 13, Brad was an electronics wizard, but he didn't care much for spelling. To get it out of the way of more interesting work, he built a computer that could store several weeks' worth of spelling assignments. His mother wasn't surprised by his unusual abilities; even when he was three, she recalled, he'd preferred Newsweek to picture books.

Showcase walls

How to replace your car's carpeting

Spills of all sorts and hundreds of shuffling shoes depositing dirt and moisture are tough on car carpeting; even floor mats can't protect all of It. And worn carpeting can make your family chariot look like a candidate for early retirement.

Before you remodel... KNOW WHAT'S UNDER THE SKIN

As you deftly raise your crowbar to tear into your kitchen wall, you have one thing in common with a surgeon about to operate: You'll both do a heck of a lot better if you know what's inside.

CREATE BIG SPACES IN A TINY COTTAGE

Like many other houses of its vintage, this 40-year-old bungalow was a maze of tiny rooms. To make the house more livable, walls were removed and ceilings opened up to the roof line. Now, when you step inside, you see the soaring spaces and comfortable flow of rooms you'd expect to find in a much larger home.

RECYCLE A 1920s STORY-AND-A-HALF

A half-century ago the small rooms and strictly defined spaces of this house served its owners well. Most houses had small rooms back then-- end most rooms were used for a single purpose.

TIPS TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

A REGULAR FEATURE DESIGNED TO MAKE AROUND-THE-HOUSE JOBS EASIER FOR YOU

Family-centered sewing room

Gutters and downspouts: cleanup and care tips

The occasional repair and cleaning of gutters and downspouts is an important part of home maintenance. Accumulated leaves, mud, and standing water in metal and wooden roof gutters can cause rust, corrosion, and rotting-- and lead to expensive replacement.

Adding a powder room plus

When the new owners of this row house decided to add a powder room and library, the architect managed to fit in a 4x5-foot bath right off the kitchen and add floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

STEP BY STEP TO OAK PARQUET FLOORING

There comes a time when even the best flooring has had it! It's when stains are so numerous that their color schemes clash... worn spots look like a bombing site... and the flooring under the sofa is the only good-looking patch in the room.

STEP BY STEP TO A CERAMIC TILE COUNTER TOP

Chances are your kitchen counter top is covered with plastic laminate. And it looks great-- until someone slices meat on it (you wouldn't do that) or scrubs a stain with scouring powder and steel wool. Once that kind of damage has been done, there's no way to undo it.

INVESTING abc's: REAL ESTATE

Here's the fourth installment of our series on investments to consider once your savings, insurance, and home are secure. (See "Investing ABC's: Bonds," Better Homes and Gardens, November, 1978; "Common stocks," March, 1979; "Mutual funds," April, 1979.)

Special effects with smocking

The art of smocking is enjoying a revival, and with good reason. Smocking is an easy way to give store-bought fabric a one-of-a-kind look.

Mattress buymanship

You and your family spend one-third of your time asleep. Although a good mattress may seem a sizable investment, remember that you are buying 30,000 to 45,000 hours of solid use for the next ten to 15 years. Shop for as much quality as your budget will allow; a "bargain" mattress is no bargain when it comes to comfort.

Grow vegetables in a tiered garden

Solve your narrow-space growing problems by stacking vegetables in tiered planters. These ten-inch-wide planting steps are held in place with 2x12s of rough redwood anchored by metal holding rods.

Cut Flowers

Plant now to have plenty of flowers for indoor bouquets all summer and fall. Roses, annuals, perennials-- even tree and shrub branches-- are all good candidates for indoor arrangements. You may even elect to plant a cutting garden-- a bed of flowers intended for plucking.

COME HOME TO COLOR

When it comes to decorating a home, color is the key. Color has no price tag, yet it's worth its weight in gold if you know how to make it work for you. You can use it to mask less-than-perfect proportions, meld a mixed bag of furnishings, communicate a mood, or help state your personal style.

Flavoring with fresh garlic

Add zest to a wide variety of foods with garlic. Though generally considered a strong-flavored herb, garlic varies in intensity depending on how it is used. Here are a few tips to help you get the most (or the least) out of fresh garlic.

Wall power

Kitchen space saver

Rooms for inspiration

Booklet bonanza

Manufacturers and special interest groups often publish useful and informative pamphlets that are available free or at a nominal charge. Here is a group of some of the best.

Improved fabric paints

Computerized car shopping

FAVORITE GET-AWAY-FROM-IT-ALL VACATION SPOTS

Want to escape the bright lights and the roar of traffic, the gaudy hurly-burly and the frenzied pace of daily living? All across America there are hideaway vacation spots that offer serenity and natural beauty, cozy and distinctive accommodations, and the perfect opportunity to slow down, to unwind. Enjoy each other. Dine quietly by candlelight. Commune with nature. These vacation spots are truly places where you can "get away from it all," in some cases as a family (but leave your pet at home), and in others as a couple.

Tough wood flooring

Pivoting bike seat

Child's fun center

Luggage organizers

Safety security bars

Ready-made lattice panels

When your pet has a litter

Raising a litter of puppies or kittens is serious business. You'll be required to invest considerable time and money-- and you'll be responsible for finding good homes for the offspring (too many homeless pets are already on the scene).

GARDENING IN MAY

How can you keep bare, brown patches of garden soil around your trees, shrubs, and perennials from spoiling the looks of your garden this year? Just plant a low-maintenance ground cover now.

How to order material from the magazine

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence. If not delighted, each company will happily refund your money.

The Man Next Door

Even though the miles from our town to the Dresch country place are few, the journey is always a long one. As Dick Dresch explains, "It's four flea markets, two auction barns, three antique shops, and one mill-end store away."