What to look for in a Snow Removal Company

Jessica Greaves

Living in Canada means we’re lucky enough to have 4 distinct seasons that show us all the beauties of nature. It also means we spend half of the year freezing and shovelling ourselves out of several feet of snow. If you’ve had enough of waking up early to dig yourself out of snow banks, then it’s time to call in a professional to deal with your snow removal. Here’s what to look for in a company before you hire.

Communicates and Listens

Like any good relationship, the foundation between you and your snow removal company should be built on solid communication. If you find that a company has a hard time getting back to you, doesn’t answer their phone most of the time, is always rescheduling or forgetting appointments, these are all signs that they do not have good communication skills. Instead, look for a company that responds in a timely manner and actually answers your questions when you have them.

Every home is different and will require different snow maintenance. If a company says they have it covered but do not offer any specific examples or options of how they’re going to help you, this isn’t the company for the job. Find a company that listens to your unique needs and offers a solution.

Provides a Contract and Sticks to It

It is very important that the company provides you with a signed contract. You’ve made an agreement with the company and you expect them to honour it. Make sure that you get the terms in writing as part of a formal contract signed by both parties. Should the company not uphold their end of the agreement, the contract will be there to help you out should the matter have to escalate.

Snow is unpredictable but your contract shouldn’t be. Make sure the contract contains a plan for emergencies or extreme weather. You want to be covered should anything happen, and you want to know exactly what that process will be if and when it does. Having a valid contract also means that there will be no surprises when your bill arrives. Make sure that the pricing you agreed to is correctly reflected in the contract and do not sign if there are discrepancies.

Has Professional Working Standards

When considering a company, ask about the type of insurance they offer. If they do not offer insurance, do not hire them. You want to find a company with insurance that covers you should anyone fall on your property. Not all insurance is the same so be sure to ask specifically if you’re covered for falls and accidents.

You should also ask the company about how its employees are treated. Snow removal is a hard job and workers are often overworked, especially when hit with snow storms. Find out about the company’s policies when it comes to proper safety standards. If they do not want to share this information or it seems vague, that’s a sign the company does not have proper standards in place.

Is Well Reviewed

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t take a chance on a new company; however, hiring a company with proven results and past customers will make your hiring decision easier. Check out their reviews and pay attention to how people describe their interactions with the company. Were they polite? On time? How was the quality of work? All of these things will be listed in an effective review.

Do not just look at the positive reviews; a lot can be learned from negative reviews. Not only can you read about potential problems previous customers have had, you can also see how the company deals with complaints and criticism. A company that provides good customer service on a negative review is more likely to provide good customer service when problems arise. Be sure to read both positive and negative reviews to see the whole picture.

Do not be afraid to shop around and get multiple quotes from several companies. It’s important to weigh your options. When you’re ready to get some quotes and make a decision, start on HomeStars for all your snow removal needs.

www.teambluesky.ca

What to do when your pipes freeze?

Becky Harris

When you go to turn on your faucets on a frigid day and nothing or only a trickle runs out, it’s the one time you hope you’ve forgotten to pay the water bill. But that’s wishful thinking and you know it, so panic sets in — your pipes are frozen, and if those suckers burst, your house could be a flood zone in no time. Take a deep breath, calm down and follow these steps to thaw them and avoid disaster.

Call in the pros. Don’t hesitate to call in a plumber, especially if you cannot access the frozen pipes. But if it’s 6 a.m., no one is taking your call and you want to get working on the problem right away yourself, here’s what to do.

Andre Rothblatt Architecture

Turn on the faucets. Turn on each affected faucet. Opening up the flow relieves pressure on the pipes — water expands when it freezes, which can make the pipe burst. Once the pipes start to thaw, the running water can help speed up the melting.

Dawson & Clinton

Let water drip. After you tend to these faucets, it’s a good idea to let the rest of your faucets drip, especially the ones that run inside exterior walls. After all, if some of your pipes freeze, it’s cold enough that your other pipes could be vulnerable to freezing as well. Letting them drip helps prevent this.

Keely Brewer Interior Design

Warm the room. Turn up the heat. If your bathroom has a little built-in heater of its own or radiant-heat flooring, all the better. Crank them up too.

Open the cabinet doors to let air circulate. “Leave those doors open and let the heat get in,” says Boston area plumber Jim Dellarocco, who has extensive experience with frozen pipes. If you have a space heater, aim it toward the pipes.

Caution: Dellarocco advises being careful if you use an electric heater, as common sense can fly out the window when you’re in a frozen-pipe panic. “Your instinct is to place it as close to the pipe as possible, but don’t do that,” he says. Keep your eye on the portable heater and do not place it somewhere where it could get wet and electrocute you when the water starts to flow, like a shower stall or in a bathtub. If you don’t have a space heater, you can use a heat lamp or Dellarocco’s tool of choice, a blow dryer. 

Synthesis Design Inc.

Heat the whole pipe. If you’re noticing frozen pipes from an upper story, make sure the rooms below (where the pipes run up the wall) are toasty as well. Crank up the heat along the entire length of the pipe. 

If you have a basement, continue checking out that pipe as you go down, as it could be exposed there. Touch the pipes and you may well find the frozen spot. You may see frost on the frozen portion as well. 

Thaw the pipe. The Red Cross recommends using a space heater, a hair dryer or a hot towel wrapped around the pipe to help thaw it out. They also warn not to use a blowtorch, a kerosene or propane heater, a charcoal stove or any other open-flame device. These devices not only could damage the pipes but worse, could cause a house fire. 

Check for leaks. Once things have started to thaw, make sure there are not any leaks. If you can hear a leak, shut off the main water valve and call a plumber. If you don’t hear any rushing water, you can still test it by using your water meter. 

If you have an ice maker, turn it off. Make sure all the toilet tanks have stopped running, make a note of the number on your water meter and set a timer for 30 minutes. Do not use one drop of water during this time. After the timer goes off, check to see if the water meter has shown any use. If it has, you have a leak; call a plumber. 

What if it bursts? If a pipe does burst, shut off the main water valve, call your plumber and insurance company immediately and be sure to take photos of the damage while you’re waiting for the plumber to arrive.

Plumbers Supply Co.

How to Avoid Frozen Pipes — Short-Term Solutions

Locate the shut-off valve for the main water line to your property. If there is a leak or if the pipe does burst, you’ll need to be able to turn it off. 

Take extra care on nights when it’s going to dip below freezing. Dellarocco recommends leaving the heat constant from day to night instead of turning it down when you go to bed. “The few dollars you’ll spend on your bills are a lot better than having to pay plumbers, painters, plasterers and floor refinishers if your pipes burst,” he says. Keep the thermostat at a few degrees higher than you usually would. 

It goes against that water-wasting experiment you did in the second grade, but let your faucets drip overnight.

Keep cabinet doors beneath your sinks open to let the warm air hit the pipes underneath the sink.

EOS Digital Services

Dellarocco says the best way to prevent frozen pipes is to keep your house at a nice, warm temperature around the clock. If you go out of town during the winter, it’s tempting to crank the thermostat way down, but you should keep it set warm enough. The Red Cross recommends a minimum of 55 degrees, but you likely know your house. For example, I live in the South in an older home that is not super-insulated, so I leave it at around 65 degrees. Better yet, if you have a smart thermostat you can control from a mobile device, keep an eye on the temperatures at home online and crank your thermostat up remotely on frigid nights.

Peter Cohan Architect

How to Avoid Frozen Pipes — Long-Term Solutions

Make sure your home is properly insulated. Uninvited guests like rodents tend to pull down insulation for nests in crawl spaces and attics, so make sure yours is intact before the cold weather hits. 

• Insulate exposed pipes in spaces like garages, crawl spaces or attics.
• Drain your hoses and use the shut-off valves or sillcocks (not the frost-free kind) to the outdoor faucets.
• Consider installing a smart thermostat so you can monitor and control it remotely.

Be vigilant. After 11 years in my home, I know it pretty well. If the temperature has dipped to about 20 degrees or less and the water coming out of my faucets feels extra cold, I go around the house every morning and run each faucet to make sure they haven’t frozen overnight. If you do this and you get no water or only a trickle, it’s highly likely you have a frozen pipe. (If you are also vigilant about not wasting a drop of water, collect it for other uses.)

ZeroEnergy Design

How to Plan for Resilient Pipes in New Construction

Massachusetts firm ZeroEnergy Design has extensive experience designing energy-efficient homes in places with frigid winters, such as this Passive House in Vermont. Jordan Goldman, an engineering principal there, shared some tips for constructing a house with pipes that won’t be vulnerable to freezing. 

“Implementing these strategies will yield a more comfortable home with improved plumbing resilience and a far lower chance of any pipes freezing, even in the case of a power outage without a generator and/or in the presence of low outdoor temperatures,” he says. 

• Keep plumbing and HVAC equipment and systems within the home’s thermal envelope whenever possible. (Exceptions include exterior penetrations for life safety, health or code requirements such as plumbing ventilation stacks, heating system combustion exhaust and mechanical ventilation intake/exhaust.)
• Never install water pipes inside exterior walls, unconditioned attics, unconditioned crawl spaces or basements. (Frost-proof sillcocks are an exception to this rule).
• Avoid spot air leakage or cold spots inside the house by using both a continuous air barrier, like carefully taped building wrap and continuous insulation around the house exterior.
• Consider installing an automatic backup generator with the capability of running your heating system during any extended power outages.

“A super-insulated building envelope in a home will almost assuredly keep the house above freezing, even if the heating system or power fails, thus providing exceptional protection against frozen pipes,” Goldman says.

www.teambluesky.ca

New Year To-Do's: January Home Checklist

Laura Gaskill

January may be cold and dark, but it can also be a time for bold beginnings. Make the most of your month by clearing space in your home, boosting warmth and dreaming up plans for the year ahead. Here are 13 to-dos to give your home a little midwinter TLC.

Studiochevojon

Things to Check Off Your List in an Hour or Less

Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. With more heater use and wood fires in the fireplace, it is especially important during winter to make sure those smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Use the test button on each device, and change batteries as needed.

Modern Rustic Homes

Organize the board games. When bad weather has you stuck indoors and you’re looking for an alternative to screen time, board games and cards are a crowd-pleaser. Pull out everything you’ve got and check that each set has all of the pieces. Put games your family no longer enjoys aside to give away, and put the rest back neatly.

Susan Brook Interiors

Organize cold-weather accessories. Stay toasty warm with plush, thick socks, cozy hats, scarves and gloves or mittens. Sort through your sock drawer, entryway baskets and hooks and anywhere else cold-weather accessories are hiding, and take stock of what you have. Replenish as needed.

Coburn Design Build

Tackle These Tasks Over a Weekend

Protect pipes from freezing. Why? Because frozen pipes can burst, leading to costly repairs. If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to insulate any exposed outdoor pipes. And if you’re planning to be away from home, ask a friend or neighbor to turn on your water to a trickle. Also, find out where your home’s water shut-off valve is so you can cut off the water quickly if a pipe does burst — and be sure to show your house sitter where it is.

Très Chic Designs

Refresh play spaces. Entice little ones stuck indoors to creative play and cut down on cries of “I’m bored!” Try adding a chalkboard or whiteboard wall, a play tent or tepee, an area for messy art, a “stage” for acting or a tumbling mat.

Kohler

Give potted plants some TLC. If your house gets very dry in the winter with the heater on, you may need to add humidity to the air around some plants, especially citrus trees and ferns. You can use a humidifier or simply spritz them with plain water occasionally.

Stephanie Schetter

Clear home and wardrobe clutter. Make a fresh start with the new year and clear out the clutter. If dealing with the whole house feels overwhelming, focus on just a few categories of items, such as clothes, books and children’s toys.

Myrica Bergqvist Interior Stylist/Decorator

Clean out the kitchen and pantry. Remove everything from the pantry, toss out stale and expired foods and wipe down the shelves before putting everything back. 

Clean out the fridge and freezer, and clear off countertops. Let the refreshed space motivate you to stick with your health resolutions for the new year.

James Martin Associates

Knock heavy snow from tree branches. Heavy coatings of snow can cause tree limbs to break — which can be especially dangerous if a large limb is positioned near your home. Using a long-handled broom or rake, gently knock snow from branches after each storm.

Take down holiday decorations, and store them well. When you’re ready to put away the holiday decorations, take the time to do it with care (you’ll thank yourself later). Wrap delicate ornaments in tissue paper, and wrap string lights around cardboard to prevent tangling. Consider giving away ornaments that didn’t make it onto the tree this year, and repair or toss broken items. And if you’re not ready to say goodbye to the white twinkle lights quite yet, leave them up. We can all use a little extra cheer in the middle of winter.

Riverside Shepherd Huts Ltd

Give in to the urge to hibernate. In winter, it’s natural to want to spend extra time at home, just relaxing. Make yourself a haven for snuggling up to watch a movie or read. Layer on warming textiles, pour some hot tea or make cocoa, and settle in. 

Le Klein

Maintenance and Extras to Budget for This Month 

Take steps to prevent ice dams. Ice dams are areas of built-up ice that can accumulate around your roof line, causing leaks when the backed-up snow behind them begins to melt. Using a roof rake, remove snow after each storm. And, if you notice an ice dam beginning to form (and if you can safely reach the area), break it up now to prevent future damage.

Anna Braund

Plan big home projects for the year ahead. Thinking of remodeling the kitchen or bath, painting the exterior or adding on? Use Houzz to save your ideas, resources and inspiration, and start contacting pros to help make your project a reality.

www.teambluesky.ca

10 Home Design Trends in 2018

Megan McDonough

10 home design trends to watch out for in 2018, according to Houzz

Believe it or not, New Year’s is just around the corner, and while you’re deciding on your annual resolutions, the design world is setting its sights on what styles will be big in 2018.

The home remodeling and design platform Houzz is ahead of the game, recently having released its top 10 home-design-trend predictions for the new year. The site’s forecast, derived from conversations with industry experts as well as trends noticed among its 40 million monthly users, gives a glimpse of what we might soon see in our homes — and on our social media feeds.

We chatted with Houzz editor and writer Mitchell Parker about Houzz’s conclusions, and why these particular trends are gaining traction.

So whether you’re a first-time homeowner looking to revamp your current home or just want some new design inspiration, here are some home design trends to take note of in 2018.

(Rikki Snyder/Houzz)

1. MORE COLOR IN KITCHENS

Although white will always be a classic color for kitchen design, homeowners are shying away from bland hues and injecting rich colors, such as warm wood tones (example: mahogany) and neutrals (example: grays and blues), into the space to give it a warm, fresh and unique feel.

Social sites such as Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz have exposed homeowners to “what’s possible, what looks fun and what they can personalize themselves,” Parker said, and have encouraged them to be bigger risk-takers when it comes to color.

(Sea Pointe Construction/Houzz)

2. RICH COLORS THROUGHOUT THE HOME

Warm grays paired with “camel, rust, tobacco [and] brown-blacks,” as well as earthy reds and yellows, are expected to edge out cooler neutrals in the coming year.

“These rich colors are not like the avocado green and mustard colors from the 1970s. They won’t date quickly,” Parker said. “They are rich, moody and work well in home environments where you want a soothing and diverse mix of colors and textures.”

(Sheila Mayden Interiors/Houzz)

3. NO MORE WHITE OR STAINLESS STEEL SINKS

The modern Farmhouse style will continue to flourish in 2018 and spread to the bathroom. Parker predicts that there will be “more concrete, stone, copper and granite composite sinks in darker hues of gray, bronze or black.”

“As people set out to personalize their spaces, they are kind of bored with seeing a white sink all of the time,” Parker said. The rustic home decor trend is “waking people up to trying something new and different.”

It “harkens back to simpler times,” he said, “and that feeling of simplicity can be very calming in a home environment.”

(Angela Flournoy/Houzz)

4. FLORALS

The tropical palm print may have flooded your Instagram feeds this year, but people aren’t yet tired of eye-catching, oversized graphic florals. Houzz expects that we’ll see even more interpretations of over-scaled floral patterns, in high-contrast colors, in the new year.

(Kimberley Bryan/Houzz)

5. VINTAGE LIGHTING

Vintage light fixtures, including sconces, lanterns, pendants and chandeliers, are making a comeback as crafty home do-it-yourselfers outfit retro fixtures with new technology.

“I find that vintage fixtures are often better-made than new fixtures, I prefer their patina, and I appreciate the distinctive, one-of-a-kind quality they add to rooms,” designer and “Today” show style expert Elizabeth Mayhew wrote in The Washington Post. “Online shopping platforms such as 1stDibs, Etsy and One Kings Lane have made it easy to find everything from an early-20th-century French crystal chandelier to a ’60s Sputnik.”

(Designstorms /Houzz)

6. TROUGH OR BUCKET SINKS

Another sign the modern Farmhouse trend isn’t dying in 2018: Houzz predicts that deep, wide and durable trough and bucket sinks will continue to be popular in the new year. Used commonly in busy laundry rooms and kids’ bathrooms, these long, narrow and low-maintenance sinks can help create a rustic aesthetic and maximize minimal space.

(Alexandra Crafton/Houzz)

7. CONCRETE ACCENTS

Step aside, white marble — it’s concrete’s time to steal the spotlight.

“It’s a really affordable, high-impact design element,” Parker said.

Already used for floors and countertops, the versatile, accessible material is now being used in more interesting and unexpected ways, including in home accessories, such as pendant lighting and furniture.

“We’re seeing new uses [of it] on all kinds of hardscaping surfaces,” Parker added. “On anything you can think of, people are casting it.”

(Michaela Dodd/Houzz)

8. MILLWORK FEATURE WALLS AND DETAILING

The ease and availability of millwork has helped increase its demand and popularity in the design world. “Before, if you wanted to find millwork or reclaimed wood, you really had to know where to go and find somebody who was good at working with it,” Parker said. “Now, you can DIY it, and put it right against the drywall behind your bed to create a feature wall.”

(Rachel Loewen Photography/Houzz)

9. WALLPAPER-LIKE BACKSPLASH

Looking to refresh your kitchen or bathroom? Stay away from subway or hexagon tiles and instead consider contemporary tiles that look like wood, concrete, resin, fabric or even wallpaper.

(Nanette Wong/Houzz)

10. CASUAL AND CALM MODERN BEDROOMS

Homeowners are running with the “less is more” notion in the master bedroom and opting for more modern and minimalist furnishings. Instead of bold and busy colors, soothing, neutral color palettes are expected to reign supreme, along with soft fabrics and simple furniture pieces.

www.teambluesky.ca