Edmonton Real Estate Blog

With winter officially beginning on December 21 and holiday festivities around the corner, there is a lot to prepare this month! For those in cold climates, it’s time to begin thinking about snow and ice removal, blocking drafts and getting cozy indoors … and we can all use a good dose of Zen as the busy holiday season gets rolling. Here are 13 home tasks to consider adding to your list this month.

1. Put up holiday decorations. If you like to decorate for the holidays, now is the time! Dig out the Christmas lights and test them early in the month, so you have ample time to replace nonworking strands. Hang exterior lights, wreaths and swags, being sure to use only exterior-rated lights, and plug them in safely to an outside outlet if possible.

2. Plan for holiday home safety. With night falling earlier this month, and many people headed out of town, it pays to be extra safety-conscious — whether or not you are going anywhere. Always lock doors and windows, set your alarm system if you use one and keep the area around your house well-lit and your bushes trimmed back.

3. Simplify your holiday. Take a moment to sit down and really consider what you love — and don’t care for — about the holiday season. No one can do it all, and trying to accomplish too much only creates stress and disappointment. Pick your top three favorite holiday activities or traditions, and commit to doing them this month. Then list your three least favorite holiday activities and vow to skip them this year.

If you are feeling pressure from friends or relatives to keep doing certain things (i.e., baking a dozen different kinds of cookies), tell them that you are simplifying your holiday this year, and are focusing on the things you love most. Then invite them to share in something you do want to do, like going ice skating or drinking hot cocoa.

4. Add layers of warmth. Drape soft throws or thick sheepskins over chairs and sofas, and roll out plush rugs on your floors. Aside from being decorative, extra layers of textiles provide a wonderful boost of warmth in winter.

5. Add weather stripping and door sweeps as needed. Feel a draft? Don’t ignore it. Apply weatherstripping to the drafty area and your house will feel warmer right away. If the problem is cold air flowing in from under a door, what you need is a door sweep. Usually made from hard plastic, a door sweep attaches to the bottom of your door, closing the gap that lets cold air in.

6. Carve out your own space to get Zen. Boost energy and relieve stress during the holiday season by creating your own private space to meditate, do yoga or simply relax. Ideally, choose a sunny corner of your home where you can get a bit of morning sun.

7. Consider a backup heat source. If you live in a cold climate with regular winter storms that sometimes knock out power, it may be beneficial to invest in a woodstove or generator — something to provide backup heat if your regular heat source is unavailable. If a woodstove is your backup, be sure to stock up on plenty of firewood. If you decide to go with a generator, enlist a pro to teach you how to set it up and use it safely — when used improperly, a generator can start a fire.

8. Update your emergency kit and store it with your camping supplies. If you already have a household emergency kit, check the expiration dates on food and medications in it, and replace as needed. If you do not yet have one, get one! You may find many of your camping supplies helpful in an emergency, so consider storing your emergency kit and camping gear in the same (easily accessible) place.

10. Keep walkways clear of snow and ice. As we get further along in December, many folks living in cold climates will get their first snow. Be prepared by stocking up on snow shovels and ice melt, and store your tools where you can easily get to them during a storm. Just be aware that certain ice melting products can be harmful to pets and plants — read the labels carefully before buying, and try to keep products off of your lawn and garden beds.

11. Check your roof for ice dams. Ice dams are areas of built-up ice that can accumulate on your roof, potentially causing leaks when they melt. If you can safely reach them, break them up now to prevent future damage.

12. Knock snow from tree branches. Large amounts of snow can cause trees to lose branches, which can be especially dangerous if a large limb is positioned near your home. Use a long-handled broom or other tool to gently knock snow from branches.

13. Thinking about remodeling next year? Use downtime this month to begin creating ideabooks and scouting for pros, and have an initial discussion about the job.

Source: Houzz.com

Planning a party or hosting overnight guests this holiday season? The preparation can be a lot to tackle all at once. That’s why we’re covering the prep one week at a time — so by the time the big day comes, much of your work will already be done. Below you’ll find tips on getting your home ready for company, from decorations to drinks.
Invest in decor that will last. Want to avoid running out at the last minute for flowers to decorate the tables? Try using either real or fake boxwood topiaries instead. They look chic and festive, but they’re not holiday-specific, so you can leave them out for months. Other long-lasting decor ideas: bowls of nuts in the shell; plain beeswax candles on a silver tray; pots of forced bulbs (they look fresh and beautiful even before they bloom).

Make room for coat storage. If you have a coat closet, coat tree or other space for coats in your entry, clear out your own coats and gear from the area so guests have space for their stuff. A unit with shelves or cubbies, like the one shown here, is great because there is also plenty of room for guests’ hats, gloves and umbrellas. If you are looking for something to add, try a simple garment rack. Racks come at all price points, hold a ton and can be used in the laundry room postholidays.

Stock the bathroom. It’s not glamorous, but there are two things every party-ready bathroom needs: t.p. and a plunger. Once you have those basics covered, it wouldn’t hurt to check your stock of pretty hand towels and soap. Have any bath product samples lying around? Spare toothbrushes? Gather them up and put them somewhere guests won’t miss it — on the sink, or in the guest bedroom for overnight guests.

Make a stain-fighting kit. Gather your favorite go-to stain fighters in a spot you can get to easily during a party, to prevent that red wine on the sofa from becoming a total disaster. Try using a travel-size toiletry kit to store smaller amounts of favorite cleaners in, so you can grab it in an instant. Store a stain-removal cheat sheet along with your kit so you always know which cleaning agent to choose.

Take care of music and drinks. Choosing music for your party can be surprisingly time consuming — put together a few playlists now, and you won’t have to worry about it later. Or pull out the vinyl collection and let your guests take turns playing DJ. Same goes for drinks: It’s not like they will go bad, so stock up now and that’s one less thing you’ll need to shop for later. Plus, when you’re not in a rush, you can take the time to shop around for the best deal … win-win!
Prep guest rooms. Fresh sheets and extra towels, a mirror, working bedside lights, curtains on the windows, a place to put a suitcase — check the basics off your list now so you won’t have to scramble when a guest is due to arrive. If your guest room shares space with a home office, now is also a good time to clear out the clutter … guests shouldn’t feel like they’re sleeping in an office.

Find extra space for overnight guests. Don’t have a separate guest room? Or need more than one? There are tons of options for squeezing in a comfortable extra bed. Store an air mattress in the closet and pull it out as needed. Or, for a more permanent option that blends with your decor, try a daybed or a sleek, modern sofa bed, like the one shown here.

Spruce up your entry, inside and out. It’s the first things guests see, so make sure it sets the right tone. In a cold climate, safety should be priority No. 1, so check that the porch lights are working and roll out a slip-proof doormat outside. Indoors, an extra-large rug will feel more generous than the typical postage-stamp-size version, and it can handle big groups who arrive (and stamp feet) at once. A place to perch on, a few plump cushions and a mirror are gracious touches to consider adding.

Source: Houzz.com

Think of your favorite room. Imagine its textures, colors and openings. Picture all of the objects that sit in it. Now take the walls away. What’s left? Does it still feel like a room? What elements are intact to distinguish it as a space?

Walls are arguably the easiest and most recognizable architectural elements that define a room. Let’s stretch this notion and identify other ways to perceive space. Consider the following tips to create your home’s spaces without relying on the typical vertical barrier for enclosure.

1. Level Change

There is no wall between this dining area and the adjacent space; a few steps differentiate the two areas. A level change can designate zones in an open plan and help to set up a hierarchy of spaces. A level change can also define a smaller area within a larger room. A sunken living room like this creates a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. The light wood flooring of this kitchen and the dark wood floor in the adjacent room merge on the steps and help the transition flow smoothly between the two spaces. Look up and you’ll notice that the ceiling changes in plane and material at the same point that the floor does.

2. Overhead Element

In this room there is a change in material at the ceiling level, while the flooring stays consistent. This material change is a smart visual way to delineate zones in a home with an open floor plan. If you can’t make a material change in your space, try using paint for a dramatic effect. Keep the color consistent from ceiling to wall to headboard — here a crisp line defines the sleeping area from the nearby window. For a cozy seating area, bring a portion of the ceiling down, as shown here. The color can stay consistent with this technique. Adding a few light fixtures further reinforces a change in scale and adds to the overall effect of this conversation zone. Use a surprising element suspended from above to illustrate a change in space. This hovering fireplace cuts through the upper-floor void and brings the focal point back to a human scale on the lower level, which could otherwise have been lost in the double-height space.

3. Structural Elements

A home’s structural elements can be used to define space too. These beams add another layer of architecture that is exposed in the vaulted ceiling. In homes, exposed structural elements are typically reserved for the roof and floor framing. But how about using cross bracing in front of translucent walls, as shown here? Walls don’t have to be solid and opaque. Steel posts with steel channels that frame the edges make up this floating overhead canopy. The zone below doesn’t rely on any full-height walls around it, so it feels protected yet open at the same time.

4. Screens

An easy way to add a privacy barrier near an entryway is to incorporate a room divider. This particular screen allows visual access to the front door with its transparent glass. The screen is a great way to create an architectural pause between here and the rest of the home. Mixing a steel frame and wood blocks resulted in a warm and contemporary insertion between the living and dining rooms here.

5. Flooring Material

Warm wood contrasts nicely with the dark, cool flooring of the kitchen and is an instant visual cue to a room delineation. Notice how the ceiling changes in plane at the same line where the flooring changes. Take the flooring up and transition it into the countertop for a more dimensional feeling, as shown in this compact kitchen. Get creative with your flooring material change to add character and vibrancy.

Defining a space without solid walls is best exhibited in a place with no walls at all! This patio relies on pavers versus landscaped areas to give it a sense of place.

Source: Houzz.com

For this family of four in Ottawa, Ontario, the choice was change their 1960s home or move to a larger house in the suburbs. Their love of city life won out, so they put in some sweat equity, got help from handy friends and enlisted the pros at OakWood Renovation Experts to convert a bedroom into a second full bathroom and walk-in closet. “These clients like the old details mixed with the new,” says OakWood’s Tim Moore. Here’s how the home was adapted to give Mom and Dad their own relaxing bathroom that suited their minimalist tastes.
It took a village to help the family to turn a spare bedroom into their dream master bath. When the Oakwood team started its part of the work, they had a head start. “They are handy people, and to help them save money, friends and family in the trades installed all of the plumbing and electrical rough-ins,” Moore says. “We came in when the drywall was installed but not finished.”

If you’re thinking about a master bathroom renovation, there are lessons to be learned from this example, some geared toward minimalist tastes, some applicable to all styles.

Let the most beautiful materials stand out. Simple, straight lines and a pale palette on the walls and floors allow the beauty of the new Silestone countertop and custom tiger wood cabinetry to shine. Rather than breaking things up with a backsplash, the builders installed a custom-cut mirror that maintains the clean lines.

Take inspiration from the architecture. While the windows are new and more energy efficient than the old windows, their shape mimics the original. The new elements in the room take their cues from the classically modern, long horizontal lines of the windows, creating connections between old and new. Also, the wood trimwork around the windows is a great match for the new tiger wood vanity and tub surround.

Punctuate a light-colored room with a few dark accents. While the palette of the room is soft, light and relaxing, mosaic accent tiles add dashes of dark color for contrast. They also provide a visual connection between the tub area, the shower surround and the countertop. The accent tiles are a unique detail that reflect the owners’ personal style.

Float the vanity to keep things looking spacious. Those few additional inches underneath make the vanity seem lighter and extend the view of the floor. Just be sure to sweep underneath once a week.

Use clear glass to continue the unbroken, spacious look. The entire room enjoys a long view of the beautiful mosaic accent tiles in the shower surround. This reinforces the strong connection between the shower stall and the bathtub across the room. Remember, if you use clear glass, you’ll need to think carefully about how the shower surround relates to the rest of the room.

To save money, plan your layout accordingly. The placement of the shower here accommodates a standard-size, short-width swivel glass shower door, which saved big bucks over a custom-made one.
In a minimalist scheme, small details matter. While the floor tiles are laid out as a simple grid of squares, the vertical brick tile pattern on the shower surround creates a subtle contrast.

The dark center and simple modern style of the showerhead suits the room’s uncomplicated geometry. “Delta products are very affordable, and this particular collection has a very contemporary look,” Moore says.

Add personality with artwork. This piece, depicting classic midcentury modern homes, is a great match for the shape of the window and the colors in the tiger wood.

Source: Houzz.com

Acentury ago universal access to electrical power began to transform just about every manual kitchen chore as electric versions of them were created. Hand mixers became blenders. Wood-fired ovens were replaced by electric ones. Toasters and waffle irons were made possible by functional electrical outlets in the kitchen.

Today another revolution is dawning — this time the catalyst is wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi enables kitchen devices to be more intelligent, automatic and remote controllable — usually with a smart phone.

Here are three new categories of kitchen device greatly improved by Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Chop-Syc is an interactive touch-screen cutting board, an idea that’s more practical than it sounds. It was invented by Siobhán Andrews, who won Sharp’s #GetItDownOnPaper design contest with it.

The device functions as an ordinary chopping block. Hilariously, while you’re cutting up vegetables and whatnot, the screen shows a wood-grain image by default. (You can change it.) But when you look up recipes, the cutting board becomes an Internet-connected touch screen and interactive cookbook. It also doubles as a kitchen scale.

Some of the innovation is in the software. The device emphasizes portion control. So you can bring up a recipe for five people and specify that only three will be eating, and the software will recalculate all the ingredient measurements. It will even display a circle on the screen to show you how much dry spaghetti you’d need.

The reason an interactive touch screen is practical is that kitchens are great places for big-screen, interactive computers. But countertop space is often scarce. The Chop-Syc combines the cutting board with the computer, giving you a nice big surface for both.

Sharp has hinted about its intention to bring the Chop-Syc to market.

Still available only in Korea, two ovens enable the use of a smart phone as an oven remote control.

One, LG’s Lightwave Oven, enables users to set cooking times and temperatures by phone — Android only. The oven itself offers multiple ways to cook food, including halogen light technology, a microwave, a grill and a convection feature.

LG plans to sell the oven outside of Korea at some unspecified time in the future, at an unannounced price.

The second smart oven, Samsung’s Zipel Oven, connects via Wi-Fi to an Android smart phone. The oven bakes, steams and even microwaves food.

The app that comes with the Zipel has 160 dishes preprogrammed for one-button cooking. You can also control some features by voice command. And it will even read out recipes as step-by-step instructions.

The Zipel Oven is not yet available outside of Korea.

Source: Houzz.com

So you’ve decided to get hardwood floors. Easy enough, right? Pick a wood and be done with it.

Not so fast. There are a lot of factors that will determine what kind of hardwood floor your home can accommodate, and what will look best with your existing or planned furnishings and decor.

You have some basic options: solid wood and engineered wood. Solid wood is what you generally think of as a hardwood floor: thick, solid planks of wood. Engineered wood is made of a veneer layer that sits atop a core of plywood. This construction deals with moisture a bit better and is recommended for concrete slab subfloors. Which brings up another point. The construction of the floor you’re working with pretty much will dictate what kind of wood you can use.

Here’s how to prepare yourself for choosing a hardwood floor for your home.

1. Where will the wood be going?

Installing hardwood floors on a second story is much different than doing so in a basement. A space beneath ground level is what’s known as below grade. A floor that’s even with the outside ground level is on grade, and any floors above this are above grade. Where you’re installing the wood will limit your recommended options.

“For example, you’re not supposed to put solid wood below grade, because the moisture coming up through the ground can cause problems,” says Bob Hagen, who owns Magnus Anderson Hardwood. “So an engineered wood is recommended.”

2. What is the subfloor made of?

Find out what kind of subfloor you have. The three most common types are concrete slab, plywood and particleboard. This will help you determine whether you can install solid wood floors, or if an engineered wood would be best.

Concrete. “If you have a concrete slab floor, you’re pretty much limited to engineered wood,” says Andrew Zheng, manager of Unique Wood Floors, which specializes in and ships prefinished hardwood. But don’t fret. You can still get any type of wood in an engineered format. And the thickness of the veneer on engineered wood varies. Higher-end engineered woods “are no less than solid woods in performance and price,” Zheng says.

(Note: Even the hardest woods, such as Brazilian cherry and hard maple, will ding on an engineered floor if the plywood onto which they are veneered is soft, like lauan, which is a commonly used base.)

Another option is to install plywood over the concrete, but you’ll have to pay for the additional plywood, insulation and labor. “Most people just choose to stick with what they have,” Zheng says.

If you’re still not sold on the engineered product, Hagen says there’s a way to still have solid wood on a concrete slab (as long as it’s on grade). It just needs to be glued down, preferably by an experienced professional.

The downsides are that you need completely flat boards (hard to come by in longer lengths), and the glue is so strong that there’s a permanency to it. “If you have a leak or a flood, getting the material up is incredibly difficult,” Hagen says. “You’ll also want to check the VOCs [volatile organic compounds, which are toxic] in the product. And we ask clients about any chemical sensitivities.”

Plywood. This is probably the most common subfloor and allows for the most versatility with hardwood floors. You can nail solid wood on top or use engineered wood.

Particleboard. This material was commonly used under carpet in homes built in the 1970s. It’s basically a cheaper version of plywood. For hardwood floors, you’ll need to replace the particleboard with plywood. Then you can add engineered or solid wood.

Oodles of time and research go into designing corporate workspaces, but home offices are different. People creating office spaces for themselves usually don’t have access to all of the studies that have been done to determine what design aspects allow them to work best.

Research from the social and physical sciences has shown that anyone can create a home office that allows for more productivity. Try these 7 tips to see if they work for you.

1. Look at nature or water. Whoever’s working at this desk has a great view of nature, which is important, because looking at green, leafy scenes helps us destress and restocks our mental energy, something that gets depleted when we perform knowledge work. No nature to look at? Add a fountain with burbling water outside your window, if possible. Even three or four green, leafy plants in your field of view are better than nothing.

2. Use unpainted wood. Seeing wood grain while working calms us in the same way that nature views do.

3. Stare into the distance. Most people stare at computer screens and cubicle walls all day. But it’s important to look up from your work and stare several yards into the distance. This allows your eyes rest. The 20-20-20 rule — every 20 minutes stare at something 20 yards away for 20 seconds — can help reduce eye strain.

4. Use reconfigurable furnishings. Control of our environment has been linked to improved professional performance. This means leaving yourself options to rearrange things and move around as you work. A rolling chair and multiple work surfaces will give you the freedom to switch positions and manage tasks more efficiently.

6. Paint the walls green. Seeing greens on surfaces has been linked to thinking creatively. The sage color on these walls is pleasant and energizing enough to optimize performance. The red flowers have to go, however. Seeing even a small amount of red, even briefly, diminishes performance on analytical tasks, according to recent psychological research.

7. Show yourself the door. Whenever possible, you should have a view of the door to the room in which you’re working (along with that nature view). We humans tend to get a little on edge if we can’t be sure that someone’s not creeping up on us — and that distracts us from the work at hand. Combining both is tricky, however. When you must choose, choose to look outside.

Source: Houzz.com

Fall is the best and most appropriate time for preparing your home for the bitter cold of winter. Winterization protects against the damage caused by broken water pipes and from the heat loss caused by openings in the building envelope. Every inspector should know what is involved in winterization and they should pass this information to their clients.

Insulation

Everyone knows that hot air goes up. This is why a significant amount of heat is lost in the attic more than any other part of the house. Make sure the house has the proper amount of attic insulation which prevents warm indoor air from escaping. Attic insulation should be at least 12 inches thick in cold climates but this depends on the amount of space for proper ventilation in an attic space.

Also, make sure storm doors and windows are installed properly to insulate the house and protect against bad weather.

Heating Systems

The heating system is constantly working during the winter, especially for those of us in Edmonton. Here are some inspection tips that will help homeowners:

1. Test the furnace by raising the temperature on the thermostat; if it does not turn on then something is wrong so make sure to get it repaired as soon as possible.

2. Check the air filter and replace it if it is dirty.

3. Make sure the propane and/or oil is always full if your furnace uses one.

Roofs

Replace missing shingles from the roof before the winter hits. Debris left in gutters can get wet and freeze which then can form into ice dams that stop water from draining properly; trapped water in the gutters can enter the house and lead to mold growth so make sure you remove all pine needles, leaves, and everything else from the gutters.

Source: Full Scope Inspections Inc.

If you want to give your home more curb appeal, one great way to start is by giving the exterior a thorough cleaning. An exterior that sparkles in the sun can make a world of difference. But if you’re about to reach for a pressure washer, stop right there. Not all surfaces can handle the intense spray of a pressure washer; some, like brick, can be damaged by the wrong tools. Here you’ll find out which method is best for your home, along with more know-how you’ll need to get the job done right.

Your garage’s main function is usually to safeguard and store your car, truck or motorcycles. That can’t take place if your garage has turned into a glorified storage unit, stuffed to the rafters with boxes, toys, tools, bikes, strollers and everything else you either don’t have room for or just don’t want in the house.

Below are 6 easy to follow steps that will help you clean and organize your garage and seize control once again.

Step 1 – get everything out of the garage and sort it all into groups. Categorize it all and put everything into groups with like items. For example, toys with toys, carpentry tools with carpentry tools, yard tools with yard tools etc. Make a pile for trash, anything you don’t want that you can sell in a garage sale and items to give away.

Step 2 – Get the appropriate organizational tools and supplies. After you’ve grouped everything, decide on exactly what tools and resources will help you organize these items better.

For example,do you need shelves? If so what kind… a free standing shelving system or shelves mounted to the wall? Do you need storage bins, cabinet systems, tool chests, peg boards, hanging roof systems, hanging bike racks, hooks etc.

Step 3 – Clean garage. As soon as you empty your garage it’s important to take time to sweep out all the loose debris and remove cobwebs. You’ll appreciate your garage much more if it’s clean so make sure to sweep and dust routinely.

Step 4 – Decor. This does not mean you need to remodel your garage into pseudo-living room, however you could think about a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Next think about the floor?

Lots of people prefer to paint and seal the floor of their garage to protect it from stains and also makes cleaning easy. Transforming your wall and floor surfaces will have a enormous effect on the appearance of your garage.

Step 5 – Arrange Items For Storage. As soon as you are done with cleaning the garage (floor and walls) now’s the time for you to put everything back. Place those items that you use on regularly within easy reach.

Put items less frequently used further back in the garage or higher up on shelves or in cabinets. Putting labels on shelves, bins and boxes will make it a lot easier for you to find what you’re looking for.

Step 6 – Lastly, make some rules for yourself and family members and implement them. Rules along the lines of, “Always return the items you used back to where you got them,” needs to be put into practice at all times if you plan on keeping your garage clean and organized.

If you follow these 6 simple steps, in no time you will have a clean and well organized garage. Not only will you be able to park your car in your garage but you’ll also be able to find anything want when you need it. One more thing, don’t forget to have a garage sale to help get rid of all those unwanted items and put some cash in your pockets!

by: Walter Jensen

Source: Articlecity.com