The importance of having a home maintenance checklist

One topic that isn't discussed while sitting with your real estate agent, mortgage broker or home builder is the topic of home maintenance. We're often surprised to hear from our customers that they didn't know you needed to add salt to a water softener or had no clue what their HRV (Heat-Recovery Ventilation) unit was for!

Understandably, home maintenance is a very broad topic and covers a lot of different areas. Between the seasonal, interior, exterior and yard maintenance items one has to consider, there is really an extensive list of items that one has to concern themselves with.

Also, what's unfortunate is that with home maintenance, there is a very slow process and isn't as abrupt as getting a baseball through a window or leaving the bath water running (and forgetting you wanted to take a bath!). As the years go by, materials age, dust and grime builds up and in some cases parts need replacing (such as furnace filters, fire extinguishers or rubber "O" rings).

Home Maintenance Made Easy!

This was really the basis for the creation of HomeReminders. We created a unique and state of the art email notification service that lets our customers know when certain items in their home might need some attention. Have a look at our YouTube commercial for a quick 1 minute intro to our services:


When our customers follow our home maintenance tips not only are they working towards a better quality of life but also saving thousands of dollars by preventing potential issues to their home. One question we often get asked is how our customers will save over $25,000 over the life of their home, using our services. We've calculated this value by considering some major issues or potential damages that could occur in your home such as flooding, major appliance breakdown, mold issues and yard issues.

• A typical flooded basement renovation could cost anywhere between $5000 - $10,000
• The cost to replace and install a furnace could cost $3000 - $5000
• To have your home properly treated and rid of mold could cost between $1000 - $5000
• Re sodding your yard could cost you $3000 - $5000

These are typical expenses many home owners will face throughout the life of their home. The good news is that all these major expenses can be prevented or remedied at a fraction of the cost with some preventative efforts and with regular maintenance and inspection.

Have a question pertaining to your home? We're always happy to answer questions! We're active on Facebook and Twitter so you can find us there to connect!


HomeReminders
info@HomeReminders.ca
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Wet "Winter" Windows

Some people simply don't notice them and others rack their brains to find a cause and a solution for what is known as "winter windows". Winter windows happen when excessive moisture, water and condensation form on your window, in the inside of your home. This is caused by excessive humidity in the home. As the humid and warm air comes into contact with your cold window, the air quickly cools condensing into water. This is similar to why your cold drink gets wet on the outside during the summer.

However, winter windows (or wet windows) is a much more serious issue than trying to keep your summer drink cold! The water or condensation itself is not an issue, but the damages caused by the water definitely are. Whenever you have water inside your home you need to concern yourself with damage to the material and mold growth.

A typical "Winter Window" showing signs of moisture and mold

Why Do Winter Windows Happen?
As the weather drops outside during the fall months, we tend to close our windows and rely on our furnace for heat. A well built home will have very little air leaks making the inside of our homes almost like a bubble. Many of the activities we do in our homes like cooking, washing, bathing and even breathing cause the relative humidity in your home to rise. Over the summer, since our windows are mostly open, this humid air has the ability to escape and bring in dryer air from the outside, however, during the winter, this humid air stays trapped inside. It's this increase in humidity in your home that causes the wet winter windows.

Winter window with water dripping onto wood frame

Winter window with mold growth

How Can You Prevent Winter Windows?
There are a few preventative ways of managing excessive humidity in your home, however, these will not combat the issue successfully. Most kitchens and bathrooms are equipped with fans which grab the air and push it out of your home. This is always a good first line of defense. Make it a habit to always turn on your kitchen fan, oven range fan or bathroom fan before using it and turn it off about 1 hour after you are finished. Most fans come with a timer which can make this easy to control.

If you live in a small apartment, condo or house, opening southerly-facing windows on a sunny winter day to exchange the air every so often will help recycle the air inside your home, however, this could get costly to heat your home back up to temperature.

If you have ceiling fans installed in your home, turning these on will help circulate the air in your home and "average" out the dryer sections in your home (living rooms, dens, bedrooms) with the humid sections in your home (bathrooms, kitchens)

 What Is The Foolproof Solution?
There is no better way to safeguard yourself against wet winter windows than having or installing a Heat Recovery Ventilation System (HRV). HRV's where brought about in homes to allow the stale air inside a home to be exchanged with the air outside without affecting the temperature of the interior air. So, as the stale air gets blown out, cold air is brought in and heated before being circulated in your home. During the winter months, it is unlikely that the air outside your home contains any moisture (otherwise it would freeze and snow or fall to the ground as ice) so this dry air helps neutralize the humid air inside your home. Quite often running your HRV for a couple of hours a day, once weekly over the winter months is enough to prevent any moisture or condensation build up on your windows.


Can I Use My HRV In The Summer?
The short answer is NO! The key word is "HEAT" recovery ventilation system. Most HRV's are equipped to heat the incoming air so this would defeat the purpose during the summer months when you are trying to keep your home cool. Also, during the summer months, the air outside of your home is most likely just as humid or more humid than then air inside your home so this would worsen the issue!

However, there are products like an Energy Recovery Ventilation System (ERV) or Air Exchangers that treat the air according to the seasons. How to properly choose which unit would suit your home best is another blog topic but the bottom line is that your home needs a ventilation system to help prevent winter windows.

Depending on which unit you choose between an HRV, ERV or an air exchanger, you could spend anywhere between $1000 and $3000 to install and retrofit the unit which might be a big expense. However, replacing damaged windows due to deteriorated materials would cost you well above this. Also, mold in your home could be a long term killer causing mild symptoms such as headaches or respiratory issues and much worse symptoms like lung damage, brain damage and even cancer with prolonged exposure.




HomeReminders
info@HomeReminders.ca
www.HomeReminders.ca
Twitter: @HomeReminders
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The Fall Season and Home Maintenance

The fall season is an important time of year for your home. It's that transition from the warm summer months to the cold winter months. Just like you would prepare your own wardrobe and habits for the winter, you need to also prepare your home for the winter months.

A stark reminder of what's to come!

Aside from the obvious "to do" items like making sure all the windows are closed and exterior water taps drained and shut off, there is actually an extensive list of  items that will really prepare you for the winter. Some of these items might not be so obvious but will help save on energy, prolong the life of your home and even make the transition into spring a lot easier.

Here is a list of some of our favorite home maintenance fall tips:

1. Winterize Your Landscape: You work so hard all summer long caring for your shrubs, trees and other plants in your yard. Winter should not be a reason to stop you as well! Many plants are sensitive to weather and the weight of the snow so it's important to properly care of these.
2. Put Up Holiday Decorations: The timing of this task could be critical. Leave it until the last minute and you might be putting up lights in cold weather with a snowy roof and icy conditions.
3. Fall Leaves Cleanup: Sounds like a simple task but at HomeReminders, we provide you with a few options to really benefit from those falling leaves on your lawn and give you a few different ways to make this task enjoyable
4. Fertilize Your Lawn: Winter can be extremely harsh on your lawn. One final round of fertilizer late in the fall is a great way to provide some nutrients for the winter months and allow your lawn to flourish come spring time.
5. Prepare Your Roof Heating Coil: Ice dams are one of the leading causes of roof damage and water damage during the winter months. Investing in a heating coil for your roof is a great and affordable way to help prevent this from happening.

The above is just a small description of what we offer to our customers. As a subscribed customer, you get not only a thorough description of the notification but also a list of recommended steps needed to achieve the task or some instructions on how to find a professional that could help you take care of the maintenance item.

Every home owner should have a checklist of what needs to be done as every home is different depending on size, location and the type of environment its in (by the water, tree coverage, exposure to wind etc...). This is actually how HomeReminders came about! We had lists and lists of "To do's" and thought this would be a great service to provide to customers and automate on a timely manner.
At HomeReminders, we take the stress out of our customers and make this process easy to manage by providing them with a series of important "to do" items leading up to the winter so that not everything has to be done all at once. We've mastered an efficient process of when to do certain items so that you are ready for the winter months without the headaches and worries of getting there or feeling as you forgot to do something!


HomeReminders
info@HomeReminders.ca
www.HomeReminders.ca
Twitter: @HomeReminders
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Spring Has Sprung!

Today marks the official start of spring (also known as the Vernal Equinox) and for most of us, spring is synonymous with cleaning and changing over the seasons. Although most people focus on seasonal changes like closets (putting winter clothing away and bringing out light jackets, shoes etc.) snow-removal equipment, patio furniture and yard toys, there are a lot of things happening inside your home that you should be aware of during the spring.

Here is a small list of some of the maintenance items our customers get notified of with respect to this time of year:

1. Sump pump: For northern/snowy climates, the melt-off could cause your sump pump to work overtime. Make sure it's functional with proper drainage away from your house.
2. Bird nesting: For many birds spring is nesting season and since we've replaced many trees with homes, birds still do not hesitate to look for nooks, crannies and crevices on our homes. A quick walk-around to make sure vents / troughs are properly closed only takes a few moments. Even BBQ's are an ideal location for birds to set up shop!
3. Siding, shingles, flashing & vents: Over the winter months, the weight of snow and ice can quite easily disturb structures around your home and on your roof. If you haven't taken down your Christmas lights by now, spend an extra few moments walking around your roof and the perimeter of your home to make sure troughs, flashing, shingles, smoke stacks, drain-waste vents (aka "stink pipes) haven't been disturbed or damaged. Quite often, this is where leaks and structural damages can begin.
4. Spring Forward: With the time change (1 hour ahead on March 13th, 2011 at 2am). Many people update their clocks but forget to update appliances on a timer such as water softeners, alarms, exterior lights or thermostats. Although, technically this won't affect the cost of your bills, in the case of the thermostat, you will be heating your home 1 hour earlier than needed and start the cool-down process an hour earlier as well.
5. Basement Humidity Levels: With the snow melt that occurs during March/April, spring is an ideal time to check humidity levels in your basement. If there are any cracks, leaks or compromised areas in your foundation, these will be most prevalent during these months. Simply walking around your basement and looking for wet spots, leaks or a powdery white substance called efflorescence will give you a good indication of humidity levels. If your basement is finished, renting a thermal imaging camera or hiring a professional who offers these services will allow you to see see behind the walls for any potentially hazardous spots.

These are merely a few of the home maintenance tips we send our customers throughout the year in order to minimize repair costs, extend the value of our customers homes and minimize the time spent fixing their homes. On average, our customers will save $25,000 in home repair costs, energy-savings and eco-friendly alternatives throughout the life of the customer's home.

Home Reminders
info@homereminders.ca
www.homereminders.ca


HomeReminders
info@HomeReminders.ca
www.HomeReminders.ca
Twitter: @HomeReminders
We're On Facebook!

The Cold Weather Is Upon Us!

Check your email for your latest notifications on alerts for the fall season. There are plenty of them so set aside a weekend to take care of them! Also remember to check your windows and make sure they are properly closed. Over the summer, we get a little lazy and quickly close them. The cracks revealed (or if you have 2 window panes leaving one open) can let in a lot of cold air, cooling your house faster and using your furnace more than you have to!

HomeReminders


HomeReminders
info@HomeReminders.ca
www.HomeReminders.ca
Twitter: @HomeReminders
We're On Facebook!