Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Saskatoon Window Expert Brad at Wiebe Windows & More shares a window tip on dealing with condensation

Wiebe Windows & More owner  Bradley Wiebe has been installing windows and doors in Saskatoon and area for over 10 years. They only install Canadian manufactured windows and doors. These products are built for the Saskatchewan climate. Wiebe Windows & More are Trusted Saskatoon Windows & Door, Experts share a window tip on prevention condensation. 

Are your windows weeping? Are you struggling with condensation? 


Have you noticed that the windows in your home are continually fogging up? Does it seem like they are collecting moisture? This isn’t necessarily your windows’ fault. In fact, window condensation may be an indicator of something entirely different. Your foggy windows may be an indicator that you need to reduce indoor humidity before it causes hidden, costly problems elsewhere in your home like peeling paint, rotting wood, buckling floors, insulation deterioration, mildew, even moisture spots on ceilings and walls.

Do windows cause condensation?


No. Windows do not cause condensation. But, windows are often the first place where condensation can be seen. Think about it. You’re probably not surprised or concerned when your bathroom mirror becomes fogged. You expect it after a hot shower. Your car windows fog up in humid weather or in winter when you have several passengers. These are just a few examples. And although condensation usually occurs in cold weather, it can occur during humid months when air conditioning is running. The mirror doesn’t cause the condensation. The car windows don’t cause it either. These are just the first places you actually see condensation. Check your bathroom walls after a shower – you’ll see condensation there, too. Run your finger along the wall. You’ll see water on your finger, and you’ll see the trail of your finger through the condensation on the wall.The same is true for the windows in your home.  

What does cause condensation?


Condensation forms when warm, humid air contacts a cold surface. Moisture is in the air all around us. Warmer air can hold more moisture. As air cools, it contracts (just as people pull their arms and clothing tight around them when chilled) and its moisture condense. When the temperature drops, the first place you will see any condensation is on the windows. Your windows are the coldest surfaces indoors. During colder months, indoor air is much warmer and holds more moisture than outdoor air, which is colder and dry. Warm, humid indoor air cools and contracts as it contacts the cooler windows, and the moisture condenses on the glass.


 

How to reduce window condensation by controlling and improving ventilation


1. Leave blinds and/or drapes open as wide as possible at night and open all window coverings during the day. This will increase the warm air circulation over the cool surface and increase the temperature of the glass. 

2. Check the furnace filter and replace if dirty. A dirty furnace filter will reduce the output of the furnace fan. A clean filter will ensure maximum flow. 

3. Turn your humidifier off during the winter and anytime the temperature falls below 0 degrees C. 

4. Always turn on the bathroom fan when bathing or showering. The best results are achieved when the fan is ducted directly to the outside. Humidistat controlled fans which automatically turn on when the humidity exceeds the setting on the switch is also available. Running the fan will also reduce the fogging of bathroom mirrors. 

5. Always turn on the range fan when cooking. For best results, make certain the fan is ducted directly to the outside. 

6. Ensure your clothes drier is properly ducted to the outside, no air leakage is present in the duct, and the duct is free of all blockages. Avoid hanging clothes indoors to dry. 

7. Ensure fresh air intake for the furnace is free of all blockages. If your house has no fresh air intake to the furnace, have one installed. 

8. Ensure all hot and cold air registers are clear of any obstruction as this could affect maximum air circulation. Avoid the use of air deflectors. Air deflectors directed towards a window can result in thermal cracks in the glass. 

9. Install ceiling fans in locations where heat registers are not located close to the windows. The increase in air flow will definitely help reduce condensation on these windows. Ceiling fans should be run continuously in houses where the relative humidity is above recommended levels. 

10. Floors wet from mopping can add large amounts of moisture. Run exhaust fans while floors are wet and avoid washing floors on cold days. 

11. Wipe up any excess snow or moisture tracked into the house. The evaporation of the moisture will result in an increase in the relative humidity level. 

12. Run your furnace fan continuously. Most furnaces are equipped with a switch which allows the furnace fan to operate even when the furnace is not producing heat. If your furnace is not equipped with this type of switch, have one installed. 

13. Open doors and windows periodically to allow the dry air outside to replace the moist air inside. 

14. Ensure there are no leaks in the water pipes or drains. 

15. Ensure window and door frames are caulked where they meet the exterior finish of the house. This reduces the possibility of cold air infiltration which may lower the inside temperature of the window or door. 

16. Remove interior screens in the winter to allow for better ventilation over the window surface. Screens will hamper the flow of air over the interior surface. 

17. Patios, decks, and landings: Do not stack patio furniture or other articles near or against windows that directly cause shading or “cold spots” on your windows and doors. This reduces the effectiveness and performance of the glass. This can also lead to glass cracking.


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Wiebe Windows & More are Trusted Saskatoon Windows & Door Experts!


Trusted Saskatoon Plumber JOB Heating & Air Conditioning share advice about clogged drains

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 their latest Saskatoon furnace tip, owner Jeff Bolton,  shares why you can trust JOB with your Saskatoon heating and furnace issues.


Saskatoon Plumbing Tips for Drain Clog Prevention

Having to call your Saskatoon plumber every time a drain in your home gets clogged can become time-consuming, frustrating, not to mention very expensive. Your drains may work right now, but clogs can happen at any time. Though plumbing codes, normal plumbing maintenance, and good drain pipe materials can keep the rate of clog formation to a minimum, most people do not have the advantage or the ability to decide what plumbing materials are to be used. No one thinks about plumbing maintenance until there is a clogged drain. Clogged drains can create severe water damage to a home’s structure (such as the wiring) and can be a potential health risk. Problems caused by a clogged drain can be avoided by taking necessary steps of drain maintenance to prevent clogs from occurring. Remember, prevention is not only easy to do but can save you a lot of money in the long run!

 Tip 1: When cleaning up after dinner, run hot water through the drain to prevent grease buildup and hard water deposits. Once every few days, to really prevent buildup in your pipes, first put in a half cup of baking soda, followed by a half cup of vinegar, and then wash it through with boiling hot water.


Tip 2: Check your bathtub stoppers every three months for hair and buildup of biofilm (a mixture of bacteria, food particles, soap residue, and body oils that hardens as layers begin to build up and lead to a clogged drain) and see if the stopper needs to be replaced due to wear and tear. Once a week, fill the bathtub halfway to three-fourths full (while the stopper is in the drain) and then pull out the stopper. The weight and volume of the water will fill the pipe and will flush the drain line.          

  
Tip 3: Have your home plumbing system regularly inspected for maintenance from the team at JOB Heating and Air. As a preventative measure, at least once a year, hire a plumber to snake your home’s drain lines for any buildups that can lead to a clog. For major connections, such as your septic tank or your main pipe to the sewer system, have periodic inspections. Small roots that penetrate a drain pipe can be cleaned up before it turns into a big problem. If regular inspections are not performed by a plumber, the roots can become entrenched in the drain pipe and will have to be replaced altogether. 

Tip 4:  Special clog prevention for kitchen sinks include: remove all kitchen waste from the sink; do not pour coffee grinds down the sink; do not pour grease down the sink; and catch all food from falling down the sink.

Tip 5: Most plumbers will tell you to avoid using chemical-based cleaners as clog prevention on a regular basis as they can corrode metal pipes after awhile. A natural cleaner is an enzyme/bacteria based cleaner. Once poured down a drain, it creates colonies of good bacteria that destroy bad bacteria that cause clogs in your drains. Use natural-based cleaners at night, just before everyone goes to sleep – large amounts of water used after the cleaner can get rid of the good bacteria before it has had time to work.

At JOB Heating and Air. 

Your Comfort Is Their Concern


                  

Trusted Saskatoon Mortgage Brokers– Your downpayment and what you NEED to know

Purchasing your home is one of your most significant and vital decisions. In the latest Saskatoon Mortgage, tip we explain downpayment rules.

Your Downpayment - What You NEED To Know


Downpayment for a new home: It seems like a pretty easy thing to understand. NO?

If you wish to purchase a home, you need a downpayment. YES.

In most cases, the minimum downpayment is 5% of the purchase price.

Proof of DOWNPAYMENT is one of the trickiest things for most people (first-time home buyers OR repeat buyers) to understand.

Years ago, a home purchase consisted of a verbal agreement and a handshake. Gone are the excellent ol’ days.  

  Today: due to money laundering and fraud, minimum banking standards and policy require every consumer (regardless of income level, credit score or net worth) to provide the lender confirmation of funds being used for a downpayment in a particular format.

Your lender will be verifying your down payment before full approval.  It’s required by all lenders to protect against fraud.

The lenders must also prove that you are not borrowing your down payment. Borrowing your downpayment can change your lending ratios and your ability to repay your Mortgage.

There are no gray areas with proof of downpayment rules. There are no exceptions to the restrictions relating to evidence of downpayment.

Every single consumer who wawantingrrow money for a home (from any lender) needs a downpayment viably.
EVEN IF: you are purchasing a $500,000 home and putting down $475,000 and only need a $25,000 mortgage – the rules still apply to you.

HOW CAN I MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR YOU?


 We are here as your Mortgage Expert to help you through what some of my clients have called a “minefield” of mortgage rules. Follow our guidance and advice. Following our advice, the entire pre-approval to possession date process is simple, efficient and speedy.

Get PRE-approved.


This simple step will allow us to gather and review your essential and unique details UP FRONT-BEFORE you go house hunting and have minimal time restrictions to meet for your final approval.
   

Deal With Hard Questions First

If you are applying for a mortgage, be prepared for full disclosure of your finances. Lenders will not even consider reviewing an application if something is left out or unclear.
We ask ALL of the hard questions upfront so we can package the information in a way we know the lenders will accept or consider it.
 If your downpayment source is questionable (cash from tips, cash from the sale of a vehicle, a gift from a family member, ETC)- run it past us so that we can provide information on what the bank will need to see when you proceed with an offer on a home.  We are not the bank. We are here to provide you with the information you need to make educated decisions on what the bank WILL need to see so you can adequately prepare yourself.
WHY do we ask the hard questions up front? To avoid delays for you when you need the final mortgage approval. You may want to purchase to avoid disappointment and lost opportunities on homes because the appropriate information and paperwork are not organized for the lender to review.

Send paperwork immediately.


We prefer to review ALL of your paperwork upfront BEFORE you start house hunting with your Realtor.
We will provide you with a detailed list of every document we need to review. Could you send this to us immediately?
This allows us time to review and ensure that the paperwork on file aligns with what the lender will need when we request your final approval.
If we are missing something, we will ask for MORE.
The more we ask for, the better we prepare your file to get speedy approval at the best rates with the best lenders.
The less information we have up front will mean more information you have to provide to us last minute. This always creates un-needed stress for you throughout the home-buying experience.

Remember, we are working for YOU. 


Not only are we Provincially legislated to work in the “consumers' best interest” by the “FCAA” (Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority), BUT we generally want to make the entire home buying experience seamless, stress-free and easy for you from PRE-APPROVAL to POSSESSION date.
We are not asking for paperwork that we will not need, and we are not asking for anything to make things more difficult.
The more prepared YOU ARE – the faster the final approval process will happen for you.

Not every Mortgage is created equal.


Although you may receive advice and guidance from many sources (Online, Mom, Dad, Grandparents, friends, neighbours and colleagues), please know that every single person’s finances, employment situation, debt load, other financial obligations, credit score etc., are vastly different and unique.
The differences in each mortgage request will mean different requirements for different people.
Mortgage rules have changed immensely and aggressively in the past ten years, and the approval process may be different for you than it was for your friend.

Saving for a down payment is often one of the biggest challenges.


The source of your down payment could come from your savings, a gift from a family member, your RRSP if you’re a first-time home buyer or the proceeds of selling your current home.

EXAMPLES of DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED TO SHOW WHEN VERIFYING YOUR DOWN PAYMENT

1. Savings/Investments: If you’ve saved enough money for your down payment, your lender will want to see a CURRENT 3-month history (90-day transaction history) of any account you plan on using for your down payment. (Savings/TFSA/RRSP/etc.)


Your statement will need to show your name and your account number clearly.  Any large deposits will need to be verified. Example: You sold a dirt bike and deposited $6000 into your savings account.  A few days later, you transferred it to your TFSA. In these examples, you will have to provide a 90 days statement from your savings account and your TFSA.   Any transfers between accounts from one account to another need to show a record of the money leaving one account and arriving in the other.  The lenders want to see a paper trail of where the money came from and how it got into your account.

A screenshot of a quarterly statement from last Summer won’t do it.

2. Gifted Down Payment:  Mom and Dad (or ANY IMMEDIATE family member) can assist you with your downpayment. You will need a signed gift letter from your family member that states the down payment is indeed a gift and no repayment is required on the funds.

The lender will also require that we show the funds have been deposited into your account no later than 15 days before closing.

3. Using your RRSP:  If you’re a First Time Home Buyer, you may qualify to use your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) for your down payment.

Verifying your down payment from your RRSP is just like verifying from your savings/investment accounts.  You will need to show a 3-month history with your name and account number via your account statements.  Funds must have been in your account for 90 days.

4. Proceeds From Selling Your Existing Home:  If your down payment comes from selling your current home, you will need to show your lender a fully executed purchase and sale agreement between you and the buyer of your home.  If you have an outstanding mortgage on the property, you will also have to provide an up-to-date mortgage statement.

5. Money from outside Canada:  Using funds from outside Canada is acceptable.  The country of origin will determine the documents required by the lender. Some lenders require the funds to be in Canada for a minimum of 30-90 days.  In these situations, reviewing your options and timeline restrictions is good before starting the house-hunting process.

Verifying your down payment will always require showing where the money originated. All large deposits need explanations and paper trails.

Want to make things easy?  Preparing to become a homeowner?

Use ONE bank account to save your downpayment. Avoid multiple transfers among multiple accounts. (Remember, we need a 90-day transaction statement for each account your money has moved in and out of). If you have been gifted funds from Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister etc., advise them they may need to sign a Gift letter.  If you have sold ANYTHING, get a bill of sale and deposit that amount of money directly into your bank account so that the bill of sale and the deposit match up exactly. Have you been saving your TIPS? Or Birthday Money for years? GET THAT money deposited asap. It has to be in your account for 90 days before it can be used without a paper trail to authenticate the funds as per the rules above.

We can review your information now to prepare you for the future.


Burnt Orange Solutions Trusted Saskatoon IT Expert Shares Basics Of Protecting Your Business

The Trusted team at Burnt Orange Solutions are located in the Computers & Web Design Category.

Honesty and respect are important factors in daily communication at Burnt Orange. Gareth and the team at Burnt Orange Solutions are YOUR Saskatoon IT stress solution. Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts


BURNT ORANGE SOLUTIONS SASKATOON BASICS OF PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS INFORMATION

Our Saskatoon IT Tips are from the Trusted professionals at Burnt Orange Solutions.  We promise to have a one-hour response time for all your Saskatoon IT support needs. Honesty and respect are important to us. In our latest  IT Expert tip Article, Gareth McKee, owner of Burnt Orange Solutions shares tips on protecting your business information.

 

The Basics of Protecting Your Business Information

  1. Network Gateway Firewall

The first point of defense to protect your network from hackers and bots trying to gain access to your network. Ensure you speak with a professional IT company to ensure it is configured correctly.

  1. Web protection

It is the easiest thing to click on a link not realizing it takes you to a very good fake website, this triggers the automatic download of a virus or ransomware. Web protection stops this happening by blocking known dangerous websites as well as legitimate websites which become infected.

  1. Antimalware at server/workstation/tablets/cell phones

Everyone knows you should have anti-malware/virus on your PCs and Servers, but not everyone understands that you should have this software on all your devices. And don’t for 1 second think that Apple products are safe, they also need antimalware, as do your tablets and cell phones.

One more point on this, do not use free antimalware tools, they are free for a reason i.e. they are about as much use as a chocolate fire guard.

  1. Anti-malware/spam at the email server

Specific email server antimalware and antispam software much be installed and configured correctly. This helps protect your staff from emails with dangerous links, virus payloads and generally makes them more efficient as their inbox will not be bombarded with 1,000s of annoying emails.

  1. Secure WIFI

Protecting Your Business Information wifi secureWIFI must be secured using the latest encryption WPA2 and protected with a strong password or RADIUS security tools.

Other tools which may be used to improve the security of WIFI networks include hiding the network, this way only computers which have been previously logged on to the network with be able to connect. You can also configure the WIFI network to only allow specific computers to connect.

One tactic which many businesses don’t do, but is a must, separate the WIFI networks, one for staff and one for guests. Only allow guests access to the internet and not on the business network, your laptops may be fully secured, but you don’t know the security standard of guests, they may very easily bring a virus in to your network.

  1. Encryption

Consider full encryption of all your computers, in particular laptops. By design laptops are for travel, unfortunately, this allows the theft of them to be much easier than a server in a locked down building.

Encryption would ‘scramble’ all the data on the hard drive and the only way to decrypt the data is by having a user login and password. Even if the hard drive is removed from the laptop the data cannot be accessed.

  1. Local and cloud image-based backups

A good backup solution is like insurance, you never need it until you NEED IT.

Don’t mess around with USB sticks which sit in a drawer. All businesses can afford and should use a business class backup service which provides:

  • Image based backups – allows for quick recovery of whole systems
  • Local backup – allows for quick recovery of files
  • Cloud backup – allows for recovery of data even in the event of a total loss at the business location
  • Encryption – stops hackers and thieves getting at your data.

 

  1. User training

Staff members must be trained to use the software correctly, also to recognize dangerous phishing emails or other attempts at gaining access to your network.

  1. Acceptable Use Policy

securing a lost laptopBe sure to have an Acceptable Us Policy for your computers and networks. This plainly shows the staff members what they can and cannot do on the computers:

  • Are they allowed to use social media?
  • Are they allowed to install software?
  • Are they allowed to shop online?

 

  1. Patch management

Patch management is a must for all devices on a network. New security holes are discovered every day on PCs, servers, switches, routers, firewall, WIFI access points, printers, scanners etc. all these devices can provide access to your network, ensure all patches and upgrades to all software and hardware are installed when they become available.

  1. Proactive maintenance

We all know the value of maintaining our cars, yet very few people maintain their computers. From blowing out the insides of a computer to get rid of all the dust to hard drive checks which will save you hours if not days in the event of a hard drive failure.

The best solution here is to outsource the proactive testing and reporting to an IT support company, they will have the tools, the trained staff and the reporting to do this properly.

  1. Firewall at server/workstation

Each device needs a firewall to improve its safe on the network. Often when a virus finds its way in to a network it will try to replicate itself across all the devices, a firewall on the PCs and servers helps prevent this.

  1. File and folder security permissions

To prevent leakage of information from your business it is paramount that security rules are in place to prevent a staff member from gaining access to information they should not have. Whether malicious or not, this can cause at best an HR headache at worst business secrets could find their way to your competitors.

  1. Users should not have administration rights

Staff members should not have administration rights to their local computer, it helps prevent the installation of unknown software and the spreading of viruses.

  1. Passwords

We now speak about passPHRASES rather than passwords as you can have spaces in the string of characters. A good passphrase should have at least 14 characters and be changed at a minimum quarterly.

  1. Do not allow the use of Dropbox etc.

Unless authorized by the management of a company, Dropbox and the like should not be allowed. A helpful staff member today who uses Dropbox to work at home may leave the company next week and have a lot of business information on their home computer.

Also, Dropbox can aid the spread of viruses and ransomware.

On a side note, do not use Dropbox as a backup solution, if a file on your PC becomes corrupt, the copy in Dropbox will also become corrupt. It is not designed as a backup solution.




Contact Burnt Orange today for more information or to take advantage of your FREE initial consultation. View them on Facebook here. They are your Burnt Orange Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts!

Burnt Orange Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts Talk About Windows End Of Life… Are You Ready?

The Trusted team at Burnt Orange Solutions are located in the Saskatoon computers Category.

Honesty and respect are important factors in daily communication at Burnt Orange. Gareth and the team at Burnt Orange Solutions are YOUR Saskatoon IT stress solution. Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts


WINDOWS END OF LIFE…ARE YOU READY?

Our Saskatoon IT Tips are from the Trusted professionals at Burnt Orange Solutions.  We promise to have a one-hour response time for all your Saskatoon IT support needs. Honesty and respect are important to us. In our latest  IT Expert tip Article, we discuss the imminent Windows end of life and what happens if you aren’t prepared.

Windows End Of Life.

Let’s start off with the news that the much-loved Windows 7 operating system has now less than 1 year of life left in it.

On January 13th, 2020 Microsoft will cease to provide any further updates or security patches for Windows 7.

After this date, Windows 7 will become an ever-increasing security hole in your home or business network. As hackers and criminals find and make use of security gaps in the coding of Windows seven anyone who is still using it will be at greater risk of infection risking data being stolen or made inaccessible.

Saskatoon businesses need to plan for the change now. Depending on where you look for the figures, polls show that anywhere between 30% and 50% of businesses still use Windows 7.

Depending upon the number of PCs, the complexity of the network and the number of different programs used it could take months to plan and roll out new Windows 10 PCs to a business network.

Burnt Orange advice, contact your IT support company now to ensure you are fully secure and using Windows 10 before Christmas 2019.

Windows Server 2008 End Of Life Date Approaching

The much-used Windows 2008 Server operating system has now less than 1 year of life left in it.  Windows 2008 Server will become an ever-increasing security hole in your business network. As hackers and criminals find and make use of security gaps in the coding of Windows 2008 Server anyone who is still using it will be at greater risk of infection risking data being stolen or made inaccessible.

Depending upon the number of servers, the complexity of the network and the number of different programs used it could take months to plan and roll out new Windows 2019 Servers to a business network.

Burnt Orange advice, contact your IT support company now to ensure you are fully secure and using Windows Server 2019 before Christmas 2019.

Windows 7 and Server 2008 End Of Life – What You NEED To Do

This doesn’t mean that your Windows 7 PC or 2008 Server will suddenly stop working, what it does mean is that no more patches or upgrades will be released by Microsoft.  It means that every day after January 13th the Windows 7 computers and 2008 Servers will become less secure and more likely to be infect by a virus or become victim to ransomware or other hacking type code.

Recovering from a virus attack or ransomware infection is a very expensive operation, so what should your business be doing?

  1. Contact our team at Burnt Orange Solutions to discuss planning an upgrade to Windows 10 and Server 2019. Depending upon the age of your PC hardware it may not be necessary to buy new computers, but it will mean server hardware. Early investigation is a must as it can take months to plan and roll out an upgrade depending upon your individual needs.
  2. Contact all your software vendors, do the programs you use on a daily basis function in Windows 10 and Server 2019? If not, you are going to either need to upgrade or move to a new software package.
  3. This is going to cost your business money, there is no way to avoid it. New computers, new softwares, IT consultants and engineers, possible down time due to the upgrade process, possible business interruption.
  4. Plan on changes to your network if you need to keep any Windows 7 PCs or 2008 Servers in your office due to legacy software packages (fun fact – 7% of the worlds computers still run Windows XP), these PC must be kept separate from the rest of the network for security reasons.

Burnt Orange Solutions can help your business navigate this necessary evil, whether you have 1 PC or 500. The main take away here is to start the process sooner rather than later!!

As 2020 approaches expect many IT companies to be very busy and not have time to fit you in for an upgrade.

Don’t be offended if in December 2019 you call a computer support company to discuss the upgrade and all you hear is laughter from the other end of the phone.




Contact Burnt Orange today for more information or to take advantage of your FREE initial consultation. View them on Facebook here. They are your Burnt Orange Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts!


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