Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Saskatoon Plumbers at Perfection Plumbing Tip on When to Have a Plumber Look at Your Bathroom Pipes

Perfection Plumbing & Drain Cleaning Ltd. is a premier provider of quality drain cleaning and plumbing services in Saskatoon, SK. They are the company of choice to handle all of your plumbing concerns including drain cleaning service, water heater installation, plumbing repair, and more.  Perfection Plumbing is a Trusted Saskatoon Plumbers on the Saskatoon Directory. In their latest tip, they share helpful info on when to have a plumber look at your bathroom pipes. 

Signs that Tells You It’s Time to Let a Plumber Look at Your Bathroom Pipes

Pipes can last for a long time, depending on their composition. For instance, brass can work for up to 40 years while copper can serve you for more than 70 years. It’s a long time, but nothing really lasts forever. You will have to replace your bathroom plumbing at least once in your life. Just the constant use of water for baths, showers, and toilet flushes can eventually wear down the pipes. The age of your pipes therefore becomes a concern. But, most often the gunk from beauty products, soaps, lotions and pastes impedes your bathroom drainage. If gunk doesn’t block the pipes, some of the chemical-laden solutions can gnaw away at them.

The reasons for re-plumbing your bathroom can vary. Regardless, it is first important to learn and notice the signs that portend pipe replacement.

Glaring Water Problems

Leaks and drips shouldn’t be ignored. These are obvious signs that your pipes suffer some problems. For instance, water dribbling out around the sink tap or other fixtures means the hardware lacks proper sealing. The same goes for water pooling around the tub when in use.

Slow draining water also spells trouble. It means that the drain is being blocked. You can use a plunger to deal with it, but if the clog persists even after you and your plumber. in Saskatoon have tried other options, pipe replacement might be the answer.

Low Water Volume

Water should be coming out “full blast” from your shower. Otherwise, corrosion might be damaging the pipes. This is common in galvanized steel pipes when they start to corrode and degrade. Their decreased diameter lowers the water volume. Aside from the shower, your sink, tub, and toilet can suffer the same syndrome. Again, a pipe replacement may be the only solution.

Poor Water Quality

The smell of your water can say a lot about the condition of the pipes. A foul scent can mean that the water heater is collecting “sacrificial anodes,” which pertain to the steel cores wrapped in zinc, aluminum, or magnesium. These anodes attract bacterial and corrosive elements. Though these elements don’t enter the pipes, the anodes can wear out over time, resulting in rusty, smelly water.

The bathroom is one of the most crucial parts of your home. It meets your basic needs while serving as a relaxing, refreshing place for you and your family. If plumbing in the bathroom fails, it can significantly affect your living condition. Once you spot any problems, don’t ignore them. Call your trusted plumber immediately.



For plumbing problems in your home, don’t hesitate to contact Perfection Plumbing for help.

Trusted Saskatoon Mortgage Brokers Tip About The 2020 Housing Market


 Homebuilders Deals & Incentives on New Construction

Mike and Crystal Green couldn’t have picked a worse time to look for a new home. In mid-February, Mike was offered a promotion to be a regional sales manager at a computer security company. The catch was the couple would need to relocate 

The Greens accepted an offer on their home two days after it went on the market in early March. But by then, the Greens didn’t feel safe flying to check out houses given the coronavirus pandemic. The government was urging workers to stay home if possible and practice social distancing when out in public to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

That wound up working in their favour. The Greens went online and took a virtual tour of a home they liked. It was in a new development. They were able to choose custom details via Zoom and email—and got a discount on their new home

If they closed in March, and the builder would throw in a free Whirlpool refrigerator, washer, and dryer as well.


The Greens have plenty of company on the receiving end of a wave of aggressive incentives for buyers of new construction. With a global health crisis raging and the ensuing financial fallout with many workers laid off,  homebuilders around North America are offering discounts, throwing in freebies, and covering closing costs to attract buyers and close deals.

They had to do something. Tours of new-homes have dropped and more potential buyers deciding to put off their new home searches until things truly settle.

CMHC

2020 summer edition of the Housing Market Outlook report provides forecasts for Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. It builds on the Spring 2020 edition that focused on housing market activity for Canada and the provinces.

These reports give high and low range projections on new construction, home sales, house prices and rental market activity.

Housing forecast overview for Canada’s major urban centres

  • Sales and construction have dropped
  • House prices will likely fall because of uncertainty over the economy’s path
  • It is possible that vacancy rates increase in the rental market
  • Recovery in major markets is highly uncertain and will vary considerably

For Canada’s 3 largest cities, there had been steep employment declines according to Statistics Canada:

  • 18% in Montreal
  • 17% in Vancouver
  • 15% in Toronto 
Such large employment and income declines, coupled with uncertainty over the future trajectory of the virus, will lower the demand for housing in the urban centres. Housing starts should rebound by year-end, as projects, settled before the pandemic, should be starting soon.  Rental apartment starts will benefit from the slowdown in the demand for homeownership. 

By 2022, housing prices should be following a slight upward trend and even exceed their pre-pandemic levels.

Read the full CMHC report here 

Buyers may also get deals on custom homes

While deals on newly constructed homes abound, buyers can also shop around for discounted lots where they can have their dream homes built.


Trusted Saskatoon Contractors K & S Contracting Share Information About Vermiculite Insulation

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 contractor tip, K & S Contracting Trusted Saskatoon General Contractors and foundation specialists, discuss vermiculite insulation.

Vermiculite Insulation - What Is It?

If you have never seen vermiculite insulating an attic, it looks similar to little squares of coloured glass or little grey beads. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral worldwide. When heated rapidly to high temperatures, this crystalline mineral expands into low density, accordion-like, golden brown strands. In fact, its worm-like shape is what gives vermiculite its name. The worms are broken into rectangular chunks about the size of the eraser on the end of a pencil. In addition to being light, vermiculite chunks are also absorbent and fire retardant. It also makes a good insulating material. 

Where Was It Used? 


Sold under various brand names, such as Zonolite Attic Insulation, the insulation came in big bags. Thousands of homeowners simply opened the bags and poured the vermiculite onto their attic floor and sometimes down exterior walls. It was generally not used in new construction.


When Was It Used?


Worldwide, vermiculite has been used in various industries as long ago as 1920. With the upsurge in homeownership during the baby boom, vermiculite insulation was a popular material in the 1950s and continued with the energy crisis into the late 1970s. In Canada, it was one of the insulating materials allowed under the Canadian Home Insulation Program from about 1976 to the mid-1980s. There have been some government-provided grants offered to homeowners to increase insulation levels, reducing energy consumption. Worthwhile checking in to see what may be available. 


What Is The Problem?


The majority of the vermiculite used worldwide was from a mine in Libby, Montana, owned and operated since 1963 by W.R. Grace. The mine was closed in 1990. As well as being rich in vermiculite, this mine had the misfortune of having a deposit of tremolite, a type of asbestos. When the vermiculite was extracted, some tremolite came in with the mix. For Canadian use, the raw product from the Libby mine was shipped to Grace subsidiary F. Hyde processing plants in Montreal, St. Thomas, Ajax and Toronto, and Grant Industries in western Canada. At these plants, it was processed and sold as Zonolite.



What Is The Risk?

 

Asbestos minerals tend to separate into microscopic particles that become airborne and are easily inhaled. People exposed to asbestos in the workplace have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer. Workers in and around the Libby mine developed serious health problems. 

 

Like any hazards, length and intensity of exposure are major factors in the risk of asbestos-related respiratory illness. To assess the risk of asbestos exposure at a house, a sample of the vermiculite would need to be analyzed by a lab. Since most of the vermiculite used in Canada was taken from the Libby mine, the odds are quite good that there is asbestos in the vermiculite in Canadian attics.

 

The good news is that we don’t live in our attics. In addition, as long as it is undisturbed, neither the asbestos fibres bound up in the vermiculite chunks nor the dust will be released into the air. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S., “Most people who get asbestos-related diseases have been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time.” Lastly, most of the time the air in your house flows from the house into the attic, rather than into the house from the attic.

 

The bottom line is, like most household products that may contain asbestos, and there are many, doing nothing is often the best approach. Naturally, the risk of exposure increases with the amount of time spent in the attic.


Our Recommendations


If the attic or walls of a house contain vermiculite insulation, leave it alone. Avoid disturbing the material. Do not sweep it or vacuum it up. Do not store belongings in the attic.


If work is planned that involves these areas, for example installing pot-lights in a room below the attic, send a sample of the vermiculite to a private lab. Send several samples, and use a lab specializing in asbestos analysis. If it is found to contain asbestos, or if you just assume it does, precautions should be taken. The safest approach would be to have the insulation in the affected areas removed by a qualified environmental contractor.



For smaller jobs, it may be sufficient to isolate work areas with temporary barriers or enclosures to avoid spreading fibres, use disposable protective clothing, and use proper respiratory protection. An important note – disposable respirators or dust masks are not appropriate for asbestos. Again, it is best to consult a qualified contractor.



K & S Contracting is a Trusted Saskatoon General Contractor and foundation specialist




Communication Secrets of Great Leader, By: Hanif Hemani

Saskatoon’s only locally owned and operated staffing and recruitment agency, that offers a full scope of staffing and recruitment solutions from professional search and headhunting to temporary staffing. Express Employment Professionals allow clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business! Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best! In their latest Saskatoon employment agency tip they share an article on building employee loyalty. 


Building Employee Loyalty. 

Maintaining a productive workforce is the key to having sustainable success in business. However, with companies adapting to the current economic climate due to closures and social distancing measures, keeping top talent can be difficult. Not only do organizations need to focus on recruiting methods when opening up this summer, they also need to develop best retention practices to ensure stability as the economy ramps back up in the third and fourth quarters.

 

And with the economy facing tremendous hurdles, one thing a company cannot afford to lose is its employees. According to a study by Employee Benefits News, the average cost of losing an employee is 33% of their annual salary. So, retention needs to remain a major focus.

 

One of the key measures to retaining workers is building employee loyalty. For businesses that furloughed workers amidst temporary closures, or had to lay off employees due to economic hardships, rebuilding loyalty is paramount to ramping up business efforts.

 

Enhance Employee Development Plans

 

Though some professional development plans may have been put on hold during these past few months, it’s more important than ever to pour energy back into your workforce. Employees want to work for a company that invests in their future. And the best way to do this is through education, cross-training or tuition subsidies to name a few.

 

According to a BlessingWhite study, most employees who were willing to quit their job cited lack of career opportunity, with 26% citing lack of growth opportunities. If your business doesn’t have the capital to invest in development now, what you do have is time and talent. An inexpensive way to utilize these tools is through mentoring programs and cross-training among employees. These are all great ways to engage your workforce and build excitement about their roles.

 

Continue to Create Culture

 

A company’s culture is the heartbeat of the organization. It ties everything within a business together, binding values, mission, work ethic, and environment. It is one of the most important tools a company has for retention and loyalty. In LinkedIn’s Workplace Culture report, 86% of Millennials say they would consider talking a pay cut to accept a position at a company with a mission and values that align with their own. And a Hays report found that 43% of workers are seeking a new job with culture being the main reason.

 

Employees want to work for a company they believe in and also work in an environment where they feel safe and secure. Your culture is your key to not only recruiting new talent this year but also retaining your current workforce.

 

Engage Your Employees through Empathy

 

If your business was forced to temporarily close or your workforce was required to work remotely during these past few months, you’re probably tasked with building re-entry plans to safely bring your team back to the workplace. While this will be a great time full of opportunity to increase production, it also may be a difficult time for your employees. They have developed new habits by adapting to the work-from-home environments and may have difficulty adjusting to the new normal. This can cause employee disengagement and emotional detachment. Because of this, empathetic leadership will be a major factor this year.

 

According to Businessolver, 93% of employees would stay with an empathetic employer while 82% would leave their position to work for a more empathetic company. Consider adopting a partial remote schedule so employees can easily adjust. Or offer new projects between teams to help create newness and excitement in the workplace. By understanding their needs and helping them through the transition, you will be able to not only build trust and engagement, but loyalty as well.

 

Express Employment Professionals allow clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business. Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best!

Contact Hanif and the team today! Connecting employees with great companies like yours. 

'It's What They  Do'

Express Employment Saskatoon Your Trusted Saskatoon Headhunters and Employment Agency


A warning for consumers about fraud in the furnace and air conditioning industry in Saskatoon

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning’s wonderful staff will be more than happy to provide you with an estimate for any home comfort improvement that you have in mind. They also offer training classes at your personal site for maintenance and they also offer home heating tune-ups. JOB are Trusted Saskatoon Furnace experts and they can also help you with all your Saskatoon plumbing needs!In this Saskatoon HVAC article,  Jeff Bolton, owner of JOB, highlights how important it is to be aware of scams in the Saskatoon air-conditioning and furnace marketplace. 


JEFF FROM JOB WARNS AGAINST FRAUD IN SASKATOON’S HVAC INDUSTRY

The feeling of being ripped off is horrible, and I count myself fortunate that I haven’t been the victim of fraud very much in my life. However,  I am sad to say that I deal with victims of contractor fraud too often in Saskatoon.  In my latest article, I share another example that happened recently, as I want to educate consumers on what to look out for.- Jeff , owner of JOB


Fraud takes many different forms

I was recently at a lady’s home to provide a quote to replace the furnace and air conditioner. Her house was the same as most other homes in our city,  in fact she lives just  4 blocks away from my family. She invited me in and we exchanged pleasantries,  then I asked her the burning question that had been top of mind since I pulled up outside.  Why was she requesting a quote for a new home comfort system in a house that was no more than 12 years old?

She explained that the night before her furnace had stopped working. This was especially an issue as the overnight temperature in Saskatoon had dropped to about  -30C. Unfortunately, she was unaware that JOB offers 24-hour emergency service and she had called another company.

The other company turned up, identified the problem but they didn’t have the part required ( It was 4 am, so I give them a pass on that one,) . They  returned at 8:30 am with the correct part to fix the issue and the tech took it upon himself to go through her furnace and air conditioner. He noted that there were old watermarks both on the side and at the base of the furnace, which I can verify. As someone that has a career in the furnace and air conditioning industry, the source of the water was very evident to me.It was clear that at some point, probably in the summertime, the evaporator coil had frozen and then melted.

One indication about this was the plugged air filter leaning up against the furnace.


The other technician told this very nice lady that her furnace was over ten years old and a crack COULD happen in the heat exchanger (even though he couldn’t find any crack) and that would send carbon monoxide into her home potentially killing her, her partner and her dogs!! If that ominous threat was not enough,  he also told her that her air conditioner unit had a leak and would also need to be replaced.


Now, it is possible that she may have a leak in the air conditioner, but there’s simply no way to determine that when it’s -26C outside!  Saying that she has a leak when there is a dirty filter right there is, “bullcrap!”


The other thing that I haven’t mentioned yet, is the 3 carbon monoxide detectors I saw in her home. I will not downplay carbon monoxide poisoning,  because it is the biggest threat to life that we face in the HVAC industry, however, there was no sign of that here. When questioned, she confirmed that the carbon monoxide detectors had never gone off. In addition, one of the detectors displays the level of CO present and when I checked it showed zero.


Let me be VERY clear here, this person was simply using fear tactics to sell a new furnace and air conditioner to this lady.

If you get a flat tire on your Chevy do you buy a new Mercedes??

 

 

 

“But he said I’m in imminent danger!” Said the lady

 

The moral of the story about fraud in Saskatoon’s HVAC Industry, is to be careful, ask questions and deal with the right people. Start by looking for businesses on TrustedSaskatoon .com.

 

JOB Heating has been a TrustedSaskatoon partner from almost the beginning. We are both locally owned and accountable companies and we deal with local companies. Local people always care the most, we care about service and we care about people.  We care because this is my city and my home too.

Contact Jeff and team at JOB Heating today. 



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TrustedSaskatoon.com
310 Wall St #209
Saskatoon, SK   S7K 1N7
Ph: 306.244.4150

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