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Making sure that the water tank in your home is properly functioning is an important responsibility of any homeowner. With a few easy maintenance steps, you will be able to keep your hot water tank running properly, and have it last long into the future. Here are some ways to maintain your hot water tank to improve its lifespan from Loewen Plumbing & Gas Fitting Ltd. in Edmonton.

Flush your water tank once a year

Depending on which model of hot water tank you have, this may vary. You can probably find instructions on how to do so somewhere on the tank. Still, flushing it out once a year will improve the efficiency of the tank. There may be a build-up that can accumulate in the tank, which can cause problems with the tank. It can lead to a decrease in the lifespan, and the complete replacement of the tank. Flushing it out will ensure that it remains effective, and cause fewer problems in the future.

Check the anode rod

The anode rod is a metal piece of the hot water tank that hangs inside. It’s responsible for protecting your hot water tank from rusting. A sign that it may need to be replaced is if it’s beginning to show signs of corroded material. This can be harmful to the water and the tank. The anode rod can be replaced as a solo part if caught early, but if left to long may result in damage to the entire tank.

Give it a visual inspection periodically. 

Hot water tanks are usually fine – until they’re not – and then you can have a leak or even a flood. If you have an older tank, it’s important to give it a visual inspection periodically. Look near the top of the tank where the pipes enter and check for leaks or corrosion. If there is an issue at the top of the tank, it can usually be fixed.

You should also look around the bottom of the tank for signs of wear or possible leaks. Sometimes, there is corrosion near the bottom of the tank caused by settled sediment. This can cause the bottom of the tank to leak or even come off if it’s not caught quickly. If your tank is showing signs of wear and leakage at the bottom, or it’s more than 10 years old, it might be time to replace it.

Insulating the tank

Insulating your hot water tank will improve how efficient the tank heats up. If you were to insulate it, it takes less energy for the tank to warm up the water. It only has to be done once rather than periodically, making it an easy task to do. You’ll save money on your bills, have hot water, and have a properly functioning tank.

Plumbers in Edmonton

Your home is as important to you as the service is to Loewen Plumbing. With their friendly, reliable and quality workmanship, you will always feel confident choosing them for your plumbing needs.

Looking for help with your hot water tank? Contact Loewen Plumbing & Gas Fitting Ltd. today!

This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com

This post first appeared on https://www.homebuilding.co.uk

This post first appeared on https://www.homebuilding.co.uk

While the holidays have come to an end, the cold winter weather has not in most places. How is your home standing up to this year’s wintry test?

Winter weather is harsh on even the sturdiest of homes, but with a little foresight and the help of a local handyman, you can make your home safer and stop cold-related home wear-and-tear before it starts. Here are a few winter maintenance tips to keep your home protected from the cold all the way through to the spring.

5 Winter Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Home Warm and Safe

1. Seal leaky doors and windows

Have you noticed a gap between your door seal and the frame? You might benefit from sealing your doors and windows with either weather stripping, self-stick plastic or even an insert. In addition to staying warmer, you’ll also enjoy your lowered heating bill even as the coldest winter months approach.

2. Get rid of gutter icicles

Anyone who’s seen A Christmas Story knows the dangers of gutter icicles – but they can also be damaging to your home. Because water expands as it freezes, ice can crack or warp your gutters, causing major drainage issues come springtime. If you notice that your gutters have frozen, have a home maintenance professional help you clear them out before things get out of hand. And if you’re looking to replace them in the spring, make sure to choose the right gutters for your home’s look and climate.

3. Check your outdoor dryer vent

If you’ve recently had a major snowfall, check your exterior dryer vent to make sure that it hasn’t been covered up by snow. A blocked dryer vent can eventually freeze, causing your dryer to not function properly, or worse, catch fire. In some cases, a blocked dryer vent can cause carbon monoxide to build up in your laundry room, which can be dangerous to yourself and your family. If your dryer vent’s placement is the problem, an experienced handyman can help you reroute it to a safer spot.

4. Test your sump pump

Sump pumps are meant to prevent floods and water damage to your home, but winter’s freezing temperatures can complicate their jobs. While you shouldn’t unplug your sump pump in the winter, make sure the discharge hose is disconnected prior to a bout of cold weather – if it freezes, it’ll be useless. Also, make sure to have a backup hose on hand in case your primary one freezes or cracks in the cold. Check the sump pump pit to make sure there’s no ice or debris and test it regularly. When in doubt, call in a plumbing professional to make sure it’s ready to handle the melting snow come springtime.

5. Protect exterior pipes

You’ll want to protect your pipes from the cold air as well. Unless you catch it early, a frozen pipe can crack, unleashing a flood of water into your home and costing you a fortune in repair bills. There are several different ways to adequately protect your pipes from freezing, but the right solution will vary from home to home – you can call an experienced local handyman to make sure the job is done right.

Need help tackling your winter home maintenance list? Call Handyman Connection

Handyman Connection offers general handyman services to help you with every aspect of winterizing your home, from top to bottom. Our team of experienced craftsmen will evaluate your home’s needs, walk you through the solutions and implement the right one for you.

The post Winter Maintenance Tips to Protect Your Home appeared first on Handyman Connection.

The reason is simple, it is a lack of insulation!

The first question is: why is there a lack of insulation?

The second question is: how do I fix this?

Energy Savers Insulation explains why below

The answer to the first question is builders rarely insulate the subfloor of the bonus room. They insulate the ceiling of the garage, but leave a void above the insulation and below the floor or the bonus room. Their solution is to run heat ducts into the cavity, commonly referred to as a hot box. This does not work in Alberta’s climate. The temperature inside the cavity will be the same as the temperature outside. The idea with the hotbox is that your furnace will heat this space. However, your furnace runs for approximately two minutes, every 20 minutes or so. Now the air and the metal pipes for the ducts are going to be very cold, so your furnace spends energy just trying to heat the ducts. This is why your heat registers in the bonus room blow cold air for the first minute of the furnace cycle. Once the ducts are warmed up, they will blow warm air, by that time the furnace shuts off as the rest of the house has warmed up. It’s a tremendous waste of energy and never works. The answer I most commonly hear from builders as to why they do this, “it’s the way we’ve always done it”.

So then, how do you fix it? It’s actually fairly simple. If it is a new build and the garage ceiling has not been put up, the subfloor and perimeter of the cavity can be spray foamed. If it is a home already finish then we can offer a process called a blow-in blanket. We remove a small section of the garage ceiling, directly below the bonus room (20”x20”). Once we have access to the cavity we will fill it completely full of chemical free insulation. By removing all the air and space the cold will no longer fill the cavity, your bonus room will be warm and your heating cost will go down!

For more information, contact Energy Savers Insulation.

Also, visit the Energy Savers Insulation Blog for more helpful tips.

This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com

Fireplaces can be a centerpiece in a home. It’s a place where the family or guests can gather together and spend time with one another in a comfortable space. Choosing the look of your fireplace can change the look and energy of your home, as well as be a focal point in the space it’s found. Typically, a type of stone may be used to design it, and professional masonry is a great choice to consider.

Justin Avery Masonry in Edmonton shares how you can use the masonry design to customize your fireplace.

Choosing your stone

First and foremost, you’ll need to choose a material to design with. There are many different choices, including brick, thin brick, metamorphic or sedimentary stone, limestone, quartz, and other types of stone. All of these different kinds of stone have different textures and looks, so choosing a specific material for the fireplace design you want. For example, something like brick may be more rustic looking, but at the same time can be painted or framed in a certain way to suit your vision. This is something Justin Avery Masonry can help with.

Choosing the pattern

Once you’ve decided on the stone, it’s time to decide how you want to lay it out. You can stick to the basic pattern with straight rows, or play with the stones and create your own pattern to individualize the look as much as you choose. This may depend on the thickness of stones, the length, or various textures. You can also decide if you want the stone around the firebox, to include a hearth and if the stone will be installed up the wall to create a chimney-effect. With gas or electric fireplaces, there is no official chimney, so adding can really make your fireplace look authentic.

Installing the stones

Hiring a masonry contractor to help install the stone on your fireplace is very beneficial. They will be able to make your vision a reality, as well as offer expertise on different things you may want to try. They will get the job done quickly and effectively, completing the space to your liking for everyone to enjoy. Installing brick and stone is something you should always leave to the professionals.

Masonry Contractors in Edmonton

Justin Avery Masonry specializes in face brick, thin brick, manufactured stone, natural stone installations and more. They have decades of combined experience in the trade, offering design and solutions with regards to any masonry install. Whether it’s a new build or renovation you can trust them to guide you through the process and selections. They make it simple and saving you time and worry while making positive changes to your living space!

Check out Justin Avery Masonry today!

This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com

Kitchen renovations are a common project done to increase the value of a home. Not only that, but the kitchen can be considered the house’s center. Making sure the kitchen is properly functional for your family or for resale is important for any home. It can, however, be a large and stressful project. With so many things that could go wrong or questions you may not have the answers to, one can look to the guidance of a contractor.

NWI Contracting in Vancouver shares some ways that a general contractor can help with your major kitchen renovation:

The planning process

The first step before any project is completed in the planning stage. Planning out the materials you need, the plan of what the space will look like, paint colors, permits, and many other features will keep the project on track. Following a plan throughout will keep both you and the contractor on the same page. It’s important that both parties understand what will happen. NWI will walk you through every step of the renovation. They’ll make sure you’re completely informed throughout the entire process. The better the plan, the better the build.

The design process

Kitchen renovations are large, costly, and incredibly stressful. A contractor can assist you through your endeavors, and help you make these choices. They may relay the costs of different materials, for example which countertop is most cost-effective or long-lasting. They also will help guide you on which materials may give your home more value or functionality.

The permit process

Dealing with permits when doing home projects can be confusing and frustrating. If as a part of your renovation you wish to take out walls, adding or retrofitting electrical or plumbing systems, permits may be necessary. NWI Contractors will help ensure that everything is up to the current building codes. This will give you one less worry for your kitchen renovation.

The construction process

Once the work begins, a lot of work is put into hiring, scheduling and managing trades and services that will work on your kitchen renovation. Electricians, plumbers, drywall contractors, countertop installers, cabinet installers, and painters will all need to be scheduled, and at the right time in the process. If one of the trades has an issue, they need to bring it to the attention of a project manager. This is something a general contractor will do for you, taking a huge amount of stress off your shoulders.

Major Renovations in Vancouver

NWI Contracting is a team of specialists that provide high quality renovations and customer service. They are a Vancouver based firm that believes in a personal approach to your unique project, for the success of a long-lasting client relationship, and a job well done. They have a team of qualified staff that have worked on major renovations many times, and are capable in helping clients get over any hurdles that a renovation may throw at them.

Need help? Check out NWI Contracting today!

This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com

During home renovations or while building a custom home, it’s important to have fun with it, and let your creativity run wild. When it comes to your bathroom, there can be so many possibilities to make beautiful and completely your own. From paint colours, to tiling designs, to adding other features to customize the space, there is a multitude of things you can do. If you’re building a new home, or embarking on a major renovation, here are some bathroom design ideas that you can customize to be your own, from Nicons Enterprises Ltd. in Vancouver.

Painting

One of the first things to decide in this process is the colour of the walls. Something you can do is simply paint all the walls one solid colour. If you are looking to add a pop of colour or keep the room simple and sleek, this can be the route to go. However, if you are looking to change things up, you could use more than one colour, such as painting some walls one colour and the rest another. Another thing you could do if painting isn’t your cup of tea is wallpaper. Wallpaper is back on trends and unique patterns can add texture to a space, and give the room some added character.

Flooring

For bathroom flooring, it’s probably common to assume that tiling is the default. There are so many different things you can do with tiles, as they vary in size, shape, colour, and texture. You can also arrange them in different patterns to differentiate your bathroom space from others. Tiling, however, doesn’t need to be your only option. If you are looking for a less expensive flooring choice, linoleum or vinyl could also be considered, as they are water-resistant, and also come in a variety of different looks.

Added features

The customization process doesn’t have to be limited to the walls and floors. There are other things you can change everywhere in the room. You could add different tiling patterns in the shower or a new shower head to suit your needs. You could replace the faucets and lighting to give the room a new feel or different vibe from what it previously was. On top of this, you can add rugs, plants, paintings, and other character pieces to change up the room. It’s ultimately up to you and the new and unique bathroom you want to create, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

Custom Renovations in Vancouver

Their goal at Nicons Enterprises Ltd. is to establish a win-win relationship with their clients. They believe that we are succeeding only if their clients are being happy. From the first quote appointment to the finished project, they aim to provide the best experience for you. They combine expertise, quality, speed, and affordability and that is how they get satisfied and returning clients.

For more information, visit Nicons Enterprises Ltd. today!

This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com

This post first appeared on https://www.homebuilding.co.uk

Renovating your home is a fun and exciting experience — especially if you have a decent sized budget and a team to help you. But, it can be easy to get carried away in the process and make choices that seemed reasonable at the moment, but that you’ll regret later. Some of the most common renovation mistakes are overspending, forgetting storage space, and following trends destined to become unpopular in just a few years’ time. Here’s how to avoid them.

Overspend

When remodeling or renovating, it can be easy to go down a rabbit trail and lose track of your initial goals. You may find yourself tens of thousands of dollars over budget with updates you hadn’t originally planned on.

To avoid this, focus on projects that add long-term utility to your home and increase its value. These may include adding additional storage (which we’ll discuss below), upgrading your kitchen, replacing flooring (like new carpet or fixing broken tile), or updating your bathroom. These projects provide immediate return on investment by both increasing your home’s value and providing a more enjoyable living space.

Before you start your renovation, create a list of all the items you will address in the renovation. Then, craft a reasonable budget and — because projects often cost more than anticipated — pad in an extra 20% just in case you need to deal with any surprises. Set a realistic timeline for completing the work — this helps save you money by ensuring the process runs smoothly, especially if you’re hiring out the work or displaced to a hotel while renovations are being completed.

It may surprise you how much low-cost upgrades can make a major impact on the overall look or feel of your home. For example, a new coat of bright, neutral paint on a wall in a dark area of your home can help freshen things up and make your home more welcoming. A couple hundred dollars on new cabinet pulls and knobs or a new sink (and maybe new countertops if you have the budget) can bring your kitchen into the 21st century.

Forget storage space

Storage (or lack of it) can be a deal breaker for many home buyers. Not to mention, if you’re planning on staying in your home, it’s great to have a place to put all your stuff. If you have an older home, it may not have been originally built with much storage space. But now that people tend to own more things in general, don’t overlook adding extra storage when renovating your home.

Some ways to expand your space without a full-on addition include expanding a closet, adding a shed to the yard, building a garage, finishing a basement, or including more drawers and cabinets in your existing bathroom or kitchen remodel. These options add value to your home without increasing its footprint and can pay off big.

Follow trends

Shag carpet. Wood paneling. Wallpaper borders. These past trends are cringeworthy, but at the time were all the rage. If you have these features in your home, consider slowly phasing them out. These trends can really date your home and turn off potential buyers who may feel overwhelmed by their growing list of projects — which would then include replacing flooring and redoing walls immediately upon move-in.

If you want to be trendy with your renovations, stick with investing in modern furniture and decor, rather than countertops, walls, or flooring, which are much more difficult and costly to swap out. The more bizarre or unique the trend, the more likely it is to date your home in the near future. On the contrary, good design lasts forever.

A simple, timeless, and neutral living room can be brought to life with modern, trendy couches, a beautiful chandelier, or  a pop of color through throw pillows or artwork on the wall. Focusing your creative flair on your furnishings will save you the headache of having to make expensive updates to walls or flooring later.

Author Bio: Ben Mizes is the Co-Founder and CEO of Clever Real Estate, a free online service that connects home buyers and sellers with real estate agents. Ben is also an active real estate investor with 22 units in St. Louis and a licensed real estate agent in the State of Missouri.

This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com