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Developing Your Basement With Trusted Saskatoon Contractors K & S Contracting - Part 2 of 2

26. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Contractors, Trusted Tips

K & S Contracting specializes in foundation repair for homeowners across Saskatchewan. In addition, they also offer general contracting services to Saskatoon and the surrounding area. In their latest Trusted Saskatoon tip, K & S Contracting, Trusted Saskatoon General Contractors, and foundation specialists, they continue last month's blog on Developing your Basement. This is Part 2.

DEVELOPING YOUR BASEMENT - PART 2

Many basements are little more than a place to collect cobwebs and store stuff. However, fixing a full-height basement can increase the usable living space in your home at a lower cost than adding on. Basements can be turned into any one of several living areas: bedrooms, rec room, or office space. 


Changing a concrete dungeon into an inviting living area can be a challenge, and not every basement is a good candidate for finishing. And this time, we are going to review the key considerations for conversion including lighting, ventilation, and dressing up those window wells.  Although you can do some of the work yourself, hiring K & S Contracting can save money and headaches. 



WHERE IS THE LIGHT? 

Basements that walk out usually have an abundance of light; however, when the only light is from small, ground-level windows, the basements can be dark and uninviting. The first step is to clear away shrubbery from existing window wells to make the most of what natural light there is available. If the basement is served by a steel bulkhead, a door with glass lights can be installed at the bottom of the steps and the bulkhead doors left open when the weather is nice. 

The options listed above, don’t always do the trick, so lighting needs to be added to the ceiling. Depending on the area you have to work with, you will have different options. Some of them include track lighting, recessed lighting or “can” lights can be added as spot or flood lamps. These lights allow you to add a dimmer switch which gives you more lighting flexibility. 


VENTILATION ISSUES

If you only go down to the basement occasionally, musty, damp air may be something that you can tolerate. But once the basement becomes a true living space, some form of ventilation is crucial in controlling air quality. Using reverse fans work, in winter they draw in fresh dry air from outdoors, and in summer moist air can be pumped out of the house. If the home already has a forced air heating system then the basement can become another area. 


HOW TO DRESS UP THE WINDOW WELL

It’s hard to enjoy the view out of a basement window if all you see is a when all you see is corrugated steel. Changing that dreary scenery may be easier than you think. You can add a view of the seashore, mountains, woodlands, desert or golf course with Scenic Window Wells’ WELL liner. These are weather-resistant polystyrene liner that slips into a standard window well. The window well liners will allow you to imagine you are on vacation to the ocean or on the golf course. 

There’s a lot to think about when you convert your basement into a bright, welcoming living area, when trying to make the decision to develop your basement, we recommend you call Steve and ask him to provide you with your options and costs. Once the work is done, you won’t be sorry about the decision. 

Developing Your Basement With Trusted Saskatoon Contractors K & S Contracting - Part 1 of 2

26. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Contractors, Trusted Tips

K & S Contracting specializes in foundation repair for homeowners across Saskatchewan. In addition, they also offer general contracting services to Saskatoon and the surrounding area. In their latest Trusted Saskatoon tip, K & S Contracting, Trusted Saskatoon General Contractors, and foundation specialists, discuss what you should consider when developing your basement. This will be a 2 part article.

DEVELOPING YOUR BASEMENT - PART 1

Many basements are little more than a place to collect cobwebs and store stuff. However, fixing a full-height basement can increase the usable living space in your home at a lower cost than adding on. Basements can be turned into any one of several living areas: bedrooms, rec room, or office space. 


Changing a concrete dungeon into an inviting living area can be a challenge, and not every basement is great for finishing. Some of the things you need to think about are building codes, moisture, low-hanging drain lines, ductwork and wiring, and your walls and floors. Although you can do some of the work yourself, it will save you time, money and headaches, if you contact K & S Contracting to help you with the project.



MEETING BUILDING CODES 

Building codes vary, but generally, a basement must be 7 feet tall. Codes can permit lower obstructions if you have structural beams that can’t be moved. Connect with a local home inspector while you are in the planning stages and they can help you determine what you need to be within the National Building Codes. Once you determined what your basement will be used for, you must make sure it includes doors and windows for emergency escape.
 

MOISTURE

If your home has a history of flooding, you need to fix that problem before developing the basement. 2 inches of rain falling on a 2,000 sq ft home produces approximately 2,600 gallons of water.  Repairing cracks in the foundation, making sure that gutters are clear of clogs and sloping the ground away from the house can solve some of these flooding problems.  


LOW-HANGING UTILITY LINES

When you are building a new home, the basement ceiling height and utilities can be planned accordingly. However, when renovating an older area, water lines, air ducts, bathroom and kitchen drains etc are generally smack in the middle of where the renovations are happening. There are a few choices. Move them, box them in or leave them as is. If you decide to tuck water and drain lines out of sight, don’t block access to water shutoffs and drain clean-outs. 


FINISHED WALLS AND FLOORS 

Hiding concrete or block behind new walls is the easy part. Building walls that won’t encourage mold and mildew, or be damaged by condensation, is a lot harder. Because concrete in contact with the ground is always cool, it can become a condensing surface for water vapour in the warm air escaping from a finished basement. The result? Damp building materials, mildew and, eventually, rot. Air will be musty, finished surfaces ruined. 

When it comes to flooring, just about any material will work — tile, carpet, vinyl or laminate. Few contractors recommend traditional hardwood flooring because the moisture in the concrete can cause the wood to swell and buckle. 

When trying to make the decision to develop your basement, we recommend you call Steve and ask him to provide you with your options and costs. Check out Developing Your Basement – Part 2 in next month’s blog and Steve will talk about lighting, windows and ventilation. 

Trusted Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaners at Bridge City Discuss Air Vents & Carbon Monoxide

25. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaning, Trusted Tips

Trusted Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaners Bridge City Duct Cleaning provides both residential duct cleaning and commercial duct cleaning and furnace maintenance services. Their team is professionally trained, qualified, bonded, and factory furnace and duct cleaning technicians. In their latest article, they talk about the number of air vents needed in our homes. With winter coming on, questions start to fly about carbon monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide

In the middle of a dark wintery Saskatchewan evening, the last thing you want is for your furnace to quit. With snow coming you will see many warnings about clearing your furnace vents of snow. Many ask does this mean you need to clean your ducts? And the answer is not necessarily. 

During extreme winter weather events (i.e. heavy snowfall and extreme cold), your furnace and water heater exhaust vents may become blocked with snow, ice, or frost. New models of furnaces are factory programmed to automatically shut off when Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels are higher than usual within your home. Without proper ventilation, carbon monoxide can build up inside your home and the consequences can be fatal. The burning of natural gas produces both water and CO. Where do these gases go? Furnace exhaust gases are vented outside via a PVC pipe and are typically one to two feet above the ground.

If you notice your furnace is not properly heating your home, check to ensure your exhaust vents are clear of any obstructions. Even if your furnace is running, there is a possibility that the exhaust vent could be partially blocked. Over the cold winter months, frost can build up slowly in and around the vent, reducing your furnace’s efficiency. So whether it’s for optimal efficiency or protection from carbon monoxide, it’s important to keep your exhaust vents clear.

Carbon Monoxide Info

Often referred to as the “silent killer,” Carbon Monoxide, also known as CO is an invisible, tasteless and odourless gas that can cause severe illness or death. The poisonous gas is produced when fuels, such as propane, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil or wood do not burn completely in fuel-burning appliances, such as furnaces, fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves, barbecues, portable heaters and generators, or vehicles.

There are more than 300 CO-related deaths per year and more than 200 hospitalizations per year in Canada. While it is mandatory to have carbon monoxide detectors in all homes now, they are not 100% reliable (they become unplugged, run out of battery, may not be in the right room, etc.). This is why you need to take every step to ensure your furnace vents properly.

Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, nausea and dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness and loss of consciousness. If you or others in your household or building have these symptoms, go outdoors and call 911 immediately. If your CO alarm sounds and no one is suffering from symptoms of CO poisoning, check to see if the battery needs replacing or if the alarm has reached its “end-of-life” before calling 911.

Not sure if you need your ducts cleaned or not, contact Bridge City Duct Cleaning Services to have them review your situation.

Call today to book your appointment with Bridge City Duct Cleaning.

 

How Often Your Air Ducts Need To Be Cleaned By Trusted Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaners at Bridge City

25. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaning, Trusted Tips

Trusted Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaners Bridge City Duct Cleaning provides both residential duct cleaning and commercial duct cleaning and furnace maintenance services. Their team is professionally trained, qualified, bonded, and factory furnace and duct cleaning technicians. In their latest article, they discuss how often your air ducts need to be cleaned. 

How Often Do Your Air Ducts Need to be Cleaned?

Did you know a single duct cleaning service removes about five or six pounds of dust? So this begs the question, how often do your air ducts need to be cleaned? We know that over time contaminants like dust, lint and debris can build up in your air ducts and dryer vents, which affects your home’s indoor air quality, but how often they should be cleaned depends on each homeowner, and who you ask. Some recommend it should be done yearly as part of your home maintenance list. It is agreed that the following situations are specific times when it should be done. 
  • When you move into a new home
  • After building a new home
  • After completing a home remodel project
  • If you have pets in the home that shed
  • If smokers live in the household
  • If you fry a lot of food in your home

What parts are included in an air duct cleaning?

  • Supply and return air ducts
  • Grilles
  • Diffusers
  • Heat exchangers
  • Heating and cooling coils
  • Drip pans
  • Fan motor and housing
  • Unit housing
A thorough air duct cleaning should remove all visible and hidden dirt and other debris from the air ducts and the connected HVAC. Otherwise, the dirt in the air duct system will quickly build up again from the dust and debris left behind on other parts of the HVAC system. 

Generally, it is recommended that you should have your air ducts cleaned every 3 to 5 years under normal household conditions. 

Now that you know how often your air ducts need to be cleaned, connect with Bridge City Duct Cleaning to get a quote online.

Call today to book your appointment with Bridge City Duct Cleaning.

 

Trusted Saskatoon IT Pro's at Burnt Orange Discuss Technology and Your Customer's Experience

17. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Computers & Web design, Trusted Tips

Gareth McKee and his Trusted Saskatoon IT team at Burnt Orange Solutions promise to have a one-hour response time for all your IT support needs. Honesty and respect are important to them. They pride themselves on ensuring their clients understand IT concerns by providing a straightforward and reliable solution with exceptional service. Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts. In their latest Saskatoon IT expert tip, they discuss technology and your customer's experience.  

Technology and Your Customer's Experience


Customer service expectations have grown over the last few years, and Saskatoon businesses have had to adapt to meet the needs of their customers. If you have not added any technology to improve your customer’s experiences here are a few ideas for you.

49% of consumers have left a brand in the past year due to poor experience; however, the emerging technology of today can power the customer experiences of the future. In order to create a positive customer experience, fuel brand loyalty and drive sales growth, Saskatoon businesses and beyond must find the right digital tools for their business. Here are a few options:


The Cloud

The Cloud and the tools backed by this technology are very important in every business organization. As technology advances, the amounts of available sales channels increases as well. Think about it, you can make a purchase at the local retail store by walking in, phoning it in, or ordering it online. There are about eight different channels for most customer engagements. No matter what channel customers choose to use, brands need to gather, centralize and react to that data. Organizations are relying on cloud technology to manage these interactions and keep the information. The days of pen and paper don’t work as well anymore.


Chatbots

With today’s technology, i.e. smartphone and mobile search features, today’s consumers are used to immediate answers and on-demand access to the web. Most people are willing to wait up to four hours for an online response. However, approximately 90% of consumers' inquiries go unanswered by brands. In comes Chatbots. They are artificial intelligence designed to engage in conversation with human users over the internet. They are quickly taken over customer service functions for many businesses as they are able to respond to customer questions and fulfil the consumer’s desire for an immediate response.


Augmented Reality Technology and Your Customer’s Experience

90% of all information is visual, our brains are built for visual information. It takes only 13 milliseconds for the human brain to process an image. Based on this fact, it is known customers often have a difficult time, visualizing what an item will look like when they buy it and put it in their home. Augmented Reality allows a consumer to take a picture of the room, place the item in the picture and now they can visualize it in their home.

There are many ways to improve technology and your customer’s experience and we can help with that. Contact the Trusted Saskatoon IT professionals at Burnt Orange Solutions and we will take IT worries off your plate.


Burnt Orange IT Solutions Products & Services:

"IT Support You Can Trust and Understand"

Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts

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