Western Carpet One Floor & Home Share Advice On Beautiful & Durable Carpet Options

28. May 2020 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Flooring, Trusted Tips

Western Carpet One Floor & Home is a locally owned and operated servicing Saskatoon and area since 1974. They are a full-service store offering no charge estimates and full installation on all flooring products. A newly expanded stunning showroom offers a comfortable shopping experience for every type of flooring. Whether it is Carpet, Hardwood, Ceramic Tile, Laminate flooring, Cork, Sheet vinyl or area rugs, you will find it at Western Carpet One Floor & Home a Trusted Saskatoon Flooring Store

Can You Choose a Carpet that is Both Beautiful & Durable?

Flooring can add beauty and style to your home. From beautiful, natural hardwood to soft luxurious carpet, a floor provides the backdrop for the rest of your room. You floor also gets a lot of wear and tear. Pets, guests, family, kids – your carpet literally gets walked all over every day. Choosing a floor that can take the abuse is important in having the beautiful backdrop that lets your home shine. When you’re choosing a floor, arm yourself with this information and you won’t be disappointed with the beautiful floors you’ll have for many years to come.

Carpet is great for bedrooms and living spaces, carpet is soft and warm underfoot. It comes in more colours so you’re bound to find the perfect hue. There are many types of carpet – some are better for high traffic areas and some offer unbelievable soft luxury. Choosing the right one depends on your space and your lifestyle.

Beautiful & Durable Carpet Fibers - Consider the type of fibre your carpet is made from.

NYLON CARPETS

Durable, versatile, wear-resistant and easy to clean, nylon is a great fibre choice for all areas of the home. Nylon is also soft to the touch and some new nylon yarns can be exceptionally soft. Nylon is not inherently stain-resistant, however, most nylon carpets are treated to protect against spills and stains.

POLYESTER CARPETS

Exceptionally soft, polyester also has natural stain resistant qualities. Polyester is not as resilient as nylon but thanks to advancements in yarn processing, polyester carpets now perform much better than older polyester carpets.

POLYPROPYLENE (OLEFIN) CARPETS

Polypropylene, while not as resilient as nylon or polyester will not absorb water making it more stain and fade resistant. Polypropylene is usually found in loop pile carpets where the lack of resiliency is not an issue.

WOOL CARPETS

For a truly natural fibre option, wool carpets offer many of the great features of man-made fibres. It is hypoallergenic, stain-resistant and even flame retardant. Wool carpets tend to be more expensive than other carpets with man-made fibres.

Best Carpet for High Traffic Areas - Consider Carpet Textures

BERBER CARPETS

Berber is a looped carpet tufted with thick yarn. It often has random specks of colour in contrast to a base hue. It is great for any areas that must endure lots of traffic, such and entryways and hallways. This floor covering has a rich, textured feel while maintaining an informal, casual look.

LOOP CARPETS

Loop carpet has yarns that are looped and uncut on the carpet surface. The pile height can vary from low, tightly constructed to a more luxurious high-level pile. Loop carpet has strength and soil hiding capabilities. This style is ideal for heavy traffic areas. Loop carpet can take lots of abuse and is great for use in kids’ rooms and family rooms. The shadings in this carpet will resist traffic patterns while making colours appear deeper and richer. That means you won’t have to vacuum every time your carpet gets walked on.

Loop pile carpet hides traffic patterns and is super soft, making it a great fit for a kid's room or playroom.

CUT CARPETS

Cut carpet consists of yarns that are cut at the ends. The soft feel of cut carpet makes it a perfect choice for the most comfortable areas of your home — bedrooms, living rooms and family rooms. There are five basic styles of cut pile carpet: Velvet, Saxony, Frieze, Shag, and Cable, each provides a different look and texture. The primary difference among these styles is the amount of twist in the yarns that will ultimately influence the carpet’s durability. Plush saxonies are used in formal settings whereas textured plushes are less formal and help hide footprints and vacuum marks. There are a wide variety of looks and colours in cut style carpets. When you’re looking for durability, remember - the tighter the twist level, the better the carpet will perform.

CUT & LOOP CARPETS

As the name suggests, cut & loop carpet has a combination of high cut tufts and lower loops in a variety of sculptured patterns. Cut-loop carpets offer good performance but are slightly less durable than loop carpets. Tough and durable, cut & loop carpets can be used in any place that gets a lot of activity. These carpets are great at adding a dimension of texture that creates an enhanced plush profile and camouflages traffic patterning.

" Armed with this information, you can choose a carpet that fits with your lifestyle and remains beautiful for years to come. What texture and fibre combination is right for your home?Choose Western Carpet One Floor & Home. From inspiration to installation" David Roden

Western Carpet One Floor & Home is a Trusted Saskatoon Flooring Store

Trusted Saskatoon Employment Agency Express Employment Shares Nine Workforce Trends Post Pandemic

20. May 2020 Admin

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 Hanif shares an article from SIA about workforce trends out pandemic. Express Employment Saskatoon Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Headhunters and Employment Agency.

NINE WORKFORCE TRENDS POST PANDEMIC

1. Contingent Workers

Expanded use of contingent workers is one of nine human resources trends that will impact the future of work following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research from Gartner Inc.The research organization cited one of its surveys that found 32% of companies are replacing full-time employees with contingent workers as a cost-saving measure.
Using more contingent workers will provide greater workforce management flexibility, according to Gartner.

“However, HR will also need to consider how performance management systems apply to contingent workers as well as questions around whether contingent workers will be eligible for the same benefits as their full-time peers.”

The other eight trends noted in the report are:

2. Increase in remote work.

A Gartner analysis found 48% of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after Covid-19.

3. Expanded data collection.

Companies are increasing their passive tracking of workers. Already, 16% are tracking employees passively via methods such as virtual clocking in and out as well as tracking computer usage.

4. Employer as a social safety net.

Employers will increase their involvement in the lives of the employees by increasing mental health support, expanding healthcare coverage and providing financial health support.

5. Separation of critical skills and roles.

“Separating critical skills from critical roles shifts the focus to coaching employees to develop skills that potentially open multiple avenues for them, rather than focusing on preparing for a specific next role,” said Emily Rose McRae, director in the Gartner HR practice.

6. Humanization (and dehumanization) of workers.

“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, some employees have formed more connected relationships, while others have moved into roles that are increasingly task oriented,” according to Gartner. “Understanding how to engage task workers in the team culture and creating a culture of inclusiveness is now even more important.”

7. Emergence of new top-tier employers.

Employers must balance the concerns today with the long-term impact on their employer brands in upcoming years.

8. Shift from designing for efficiency to designing for resilience.

Gartner says 55% of organizational redesigns prior to the pandemic were focused on streamlining roles, supply chains and workflows to increase efficiency; however, this has led to fragile systems. After Covid-19, companies will focus more on resilience through activities such as training employees with cross-functional knowledge.

9. Increase in organization complexity.

There will be an acceleration in M&A leading to larger companies and changes in operating models that will create challenges for HR leaders.

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!

Click Here: Saskatoon JOB SEEKERS
Click Here: Saskatoon EMPLOYERS

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

'It's What They Do'

Express Employment Saskatoon Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Headhunters and Employment Agency

Trusted Saskatoon Mortgage Brokers Tip On Purchasing Property During the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic

16. May 2020 Admin Saskatoon Mortgages, Trusted Tips

What Are Your Top Questions About Purchasing Property During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown millions of people's financial plans off the rails, and that certainly includes home buying. If you were hoping to purchase a property soon, you no doubt have a lot of questions—about whether it's possible to buy or tour a house now, COVID-19's impact on home prices, and more.

Is now a good time to buy a house, financially speaking?

From a financial perspective, there are certainly some advantages to buying a home right now. For one, mortgage interest rates are historically low, which means your monthly housing payments will be lower, too. And putting a property under contract now and locking in a low-interest rate gives buyers more control than living in a rental where rents might go up.

Another big consideration on the financial side of the home-buying equation comes down to competition. The coronavirus has dissuaded some home buyers from home shopping for the time being. So buyers who do venture out face less competition, which could put them in a stronger position to negotiate with sellers.

How has the coronavirus affected home prices?

The coronavirus has the world economy in turmoil. But so far at least, this does not mean that home prices have plummeted across the board or that buyers can lowball their way to a bargain. Instead, in most real estate markets, home inventory remains very tight.

"I don't expect the slowdown to be like the last recession where prices fell," says realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale. "There are more than enough buyers out there to keep home sales from slowing in any major way.”

Is it safe to buy a house now?

While no one can guarantee you won't catch the coronavirus, the real estate industry has worked to prioritize buyers' and sellers' health by eliminating personal interactions almost entirely during the pandemic. Even as different states reopen, you can still do most aspects of the home-buying process remotely, or at a safe social distance, when it comes to your home search that you may not have considered doing in the past.

First, you can find and interview Saskatoon and area Realtors virtually. While showings may not be easy to arrange because of shelter-in-place orders or continuing health concerns, most real estate listings now offer virtual tours.

Should I buy a house sight unseen?

While buying a house sight unseen has long been the only option for people relocating due to a new job or military service, the trend has been on the rise for more and more folks. In fact, according to a realtor.com survey of 1,300 consumers during the week of April 5, 24% (or 1 in 4) said they'd be willing to buy a home without seeing it in person.

Buyers who consider buying a house sight unseen generally have some comfort level with the neighborhood and know the market. And according to realtor.com senior economist George Ratiu, the comfort level of buying a house sight unseen may come down to age.

"Younger cohorts are more inclined to rely on detailed photos, virtual tours, or live video instead of an in-person visit, with 31% indicating they would be willing to buy sight unseen," says Ratiu.

Even if you're buying blind, you shouldn't operate completely in the dark. Here are some features that buyers find most helpful in such a home search.

The ability to take a virtual tour of the home
Listing and neighborhood information that is accurate and detailed
Plentiful, high-quality listing photos that show the property's interior and exterior
An agent or landlord who can walk a buyer through the property via video chat

Ask for more advice on how to buy a home sight unseen before you commit to a purchase.

What Else?

Figure out how much home you can afford: The pandemic has roiled markets and caused tremendous economic uncertainty. So you'll want to carefully consider how much home you can afford and err on the conservative side. Contact us to help you determine your monthly mortgage payment.
Secure mortgage pre-approval: Now it’s more important than ever to get pre-approved to show sellers you’re serious when you make an offer. Pre-approval shows how much a lender will loan you, assuring the seller that you’re financially capable of buying a home.

7 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Windows From Trusted Saskatoon Window Pros at Wiebe Windows & More

8. May 2020 Admin Saskatoon Windows & Doors, Trusted Tips

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. Brad takes pride in ensuring that his client’s windows and doors are installed correctly and that quality products are being used. In their latest Saskatoon windows and door tip they share a helpful article originally written by Ply Gem on the 7 signs your windows need replacing. Wiebe Windows & More are Trusted Saskatoon Windows & Door Experts!

7 SIGNS IT'S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR WINDOWS

Connecting the inside to the outside, windows have the important job of helping to keep your home well-ventilated, comfortable, and safe. Windows can last anywhere from 20 to 40 years, depending upon the type of window, where it’s located and the amount of maintenance provided. Wear and tear from exposure to the elements also affects their condition over time, decreasing energy efficiency and comfort by creating drafts and leaks

So how do you know when it’s time to replace your windows? You probably pay little attention to them until they stop working properly, but here are 7 signs that the time is now!

Opening and closing them has become difficult.

When your windows are difficult to open and close it will prevent you from allowing fresh air into your home. If they don’t close properly or you have trouble locking them, the window won’t provide a tight seal against leaks and drafts and can also impact the safety of your home. New windows and doors are designed to open and close with ease, provide protection from wind and rain and help keep your home safe. Learn more about how different types of windows operate and the benefits they can provide for your home.

You notice a draft.

If you can never seem to get your house warm enough during the winter, you may be suffering from drafty windows. Over time, deterioration and normal wear and tear will cause old windows to stop protecting your home like they should and allow significant amounts of cold air inside. Noticeable drafts mean your windows are not functioning properly and you should consider replacement windows.

They look old and outdated.

You may not realize it, but replacing old, worn-out windows can drastically improve the look of your home’s exterior. Faded paint, antiquated storm windows, and old-fashioned window grilles often detract from your curb appeal, making your home look and feel outdated. New windows give you a refresh and can better complement the overall design of your home. (Yes, you can replace your windows during the winter!).

You struggle with “dropping" windows.

Windows that slide down when you raise them are not only annoying but can also be dangerous. This occurs on double and single hung windows when the spring system is broken or has deteriorated over time. For parents with children, it’s important to watch your children around windows that have the potential to fall down and injure them. If you’re tired of propping up windows that won’t stay up and have safety concerns, it’s time to look for newer, safer windows that function properly.

Your energy bills spike.

During the winter, an abnormally high energy bill may tell you that your windows aren’t operating efficiently – letting cold air in and warm air out. This means your heater has to work overtime to compensate for the loss of heat. Instead, reduce your heating and cooling costs by installing energy-efficient windows that are good for your wallet and the environment.

You can hear outside noise.

Your home is where you find peace and quiet away from noisy neighbors and busy traffic. However, when your refuge is disturbed you can possibly blame poorly sealed windows and outdated glass. Noise-reducing windows with dual-insulating glass units decrease sounds coming into your home. For added protection against unwanted outdoor noise choose a sound-reducing glass package.

You can see visible damage.

Signs of chipping, deterioration, or water stains on or around the window may indicate rot and water infiltration. Visible damage to the windows not only looks unattractive but can also reveal that the integrity of your windows may be compromised. Leaky windows can lead to unwanted water infiltration that can also cause additional water issues in your home.

Have questions about this article or anything else you need advice on? Contact Brad and Anna today!

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

Trusted Saskatoon Caterers & Bakers at HomeQuarter’s connection with Riverbend Plantation.

8. May 2020 Admin Saskatoon Bakery, Saskatoon Caterers & Bakeries, Trusted Tips

HomeQuarter Coffee House & Bakery offers delicious Saskatoon and area catering services. In addition, they have a great Saskatoon restaurant, coffee house & bakery, as well as a private area to book small local events or meetings. Previously located within the Riversdale Saskatoon Farmer's Market for over 9 years, they opened their new location in 2018 across the street on Ave B. In HomeQuarters latest feature article on Trusted Saskatoon, we find out about their sister business, Riverbend Plantation. HomeQuarter Coffeehouse & Bakery is a Trusted Saskatoon Caterer & Bakery!

Did you know the owners of HomeQuarter also own Riverbend Plantation?

Riverbend Plantation has been growing Saskatoon berries and creating distinctive products since 1981. Grace and Lee Whittington have been the owners of Riverbend Plantation – Saskatchewan’s first commercial Saskatoon berry farm – since 1996. They were newcomers to the province having moved from Ontario in 1992 when Lee took a position in Saskatoon. They saw an opportunity when Riverbend’s first owner retired. Grace and Lee had owned a farm together in Ontario so moving back to the country was a natural choice. Also, Grace was already supplying Riverbend Plantation with Saskatoon berry chocolate (the same signature chocolate they make today).

However, growing a crop they hadn’t heard of four years earlier took some careful planning and a leap of faith. Grace’s skill as a cook and her training in home economics provided a great fit for product development, but the family was still young with a 12, 9 and 6 year old at home and Lee worked full-time. It’s been 24 years now and Lee still says that they learned many lessons on that journey.

The orchard is my primary responsibility, and much has changed from the early days. I remember our first harvest (coincidently the largest the farm had produced to date), working long hours, 7 days a week, week after week with a crew of more than 160 people. We ran out of everything: time, boxes, bags, pallets and patience! After years of renewing the orchard, we can now harvest the crop by machine. Improvements like this have greatly improved the quality of our key ingredient.- Lee Whittington.

Wonderful products and gifts

After harvest, Grace managed everything from product development to marketing. The early days took the family to fourteen trade shows a year from October to December. These days the marketing focus has moved away from direct selling at trade shows to a distribution system of independent retailers (Including at HomeQuarter Coffee House & Bakery- in the picture to the right).

"Great products come from quality ingredients, beginning with the fruit we grow, great recipes and dedicated staff. With all the changes we’ve experienced, this philosophy still holds true.” - Grace Whittington

In 2010 they added a café at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Now they are a beloved place In Riversdale where friends and neighbours gather to eat, drink and enjoy live music. Share in the seasonal delicacies from the Western Canadian Prairies, including their own orchards, with main dishes, delectable desserts, and fine coffees that are plentiful to eat in or take home.

Home Quarter Menus:

HomeQuarter is a place that feels like home, with an amazing atmosphere, wonderful coffee and great food you are sure to love. They look forward to sharing their farmhouse kitchen atmosphere with you, their friends.