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Developing Your Basement With Trusted Saskatoon Contractors K & S Contracting - Part 2 of 2

26. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Contractors, Trusted Tips

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 tip, K & S Contracting, Trusted Saskatoon General Contractors, and foundation specialists, they continue last month's blog on Developing your Basement. This is Part 2.

DEVELOPING YOUR BASEMENT - PART 2

Many basements are little more than a place to collect cobwebs and store stuff. However, fixing a full-height basement can increase the usable living space in your home at a lower cost than adding on. Basements can be turned into any one of several living areas: bedrooms, rec room, or office space. 


Changing a concrete dungeon into an inviting living area can be a challenge, and not every basement is a good candidate for finishing. And this time, we are going to review the key considerations for conversion including lighting, ventilation, and dressing up those window wells.  Although you can do some of the work yourself, hiring K & S Contracting can save money and headaches. 



WHERE IS THE LIGHT? 

Basements that walk out usually have an abundance of light; however, when the only light is from small, ground-level windows, the basements can be dark and uninviting. The first step is to clear away shrubbery from existing window wells to make the most of what natural light there is available. If the basement is served by a steel bulkhead, a door with glass lights can be installed at the bottom of the steps and the bulkhead doors left open when the weather is nice. 

The options listed above, don’t always do the trick, so lighting needs to be added to the ceiling. Depending on the area you have to work with, you will have different options. Some of them include track lighting, recessed lighting or “can” lights can be added as spot or flood lamps. These lights allow you to add a dimmer switch which gives you more lighting flexibility. 


VENTILATION ISSUES

If you only go down to the basement occasionally, musty, damp air may be something that you can tolerate. But once the basement becomes a true living space, some form of ventilation is crucial in controlling air quality. Using reverse fans work, in winter they draw in fresh dry air from outdoors, and in summer moist air can be pumped out of the house. If the home already has a forced air heating system then the basement can become another area. 


HOW TO DRESS UP THE WINDOW WELL

It’s hard to enjoy the view out of a basement window if all you see is a when all you see is corrugated steel. Changing that dreary scenery may be easier than you think. You can add a view of the seashore, mountains, woodlands, desert or golf course with Scenic Window Wells’ WELL liner. These are weather-resistant polystyrene liner that slips into a standard window well. The window well liners will allow you to imagine you are on vacation to the ocean or on the golf course. 

There’s a lot to think about when you convert your basement into a bright, welcoming living area, when trying to make the decision to develop your basement, we recommend you call Steve and ask him to provide you with your options and costs. Once the work is done, you won’t be sorry about the decision. 

Developing Your Basement With Trusted Saskatoon Contractors K & S Contracting - Part 1 of 2

26. Oct 2022 Admin Saskatoon Contractors, Trusted Tips

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 tip, K & S Contracting, Trusted Saskatoon General Contractors, and foundation specialists, discuss what you should consider when developing your basement. This will be a 2 part article.

DEVELOPING YOUR BASEMENT - PART 1

Many basements are little more than a place to collect cobwebs and store stuff. However, fixing a full-height basement can increase the usable living space in your home at a lower cost than adding on. Basements can be turned into any one of several living areas: bedrooms, rec room, or office space. 


Changing a concrete dungeon into an inviting living area can be a challenge, and not every basement is great for finishing. Some of the things you need to think about are building codes, moisture, low-hanging drain lines, ductwork and wiring, and your walls and floors. Although you can do some of the work yourself, it will save you time, money and headaches, if you contact K & S Contracting to help you with the project.



MEETING BUILDING CODES 

Building codes vary, but generally, a basement must be 7 feet tall. Codes can permit lower obstructions if you have structural beams that can’t be moved. Connect with a local home inspector while you are in the planning stages and they can help you determine what you need to be within the National Building Codes. Once you determined what your basement will be used for, you must make sure it includes doors and windows for emergency escape.
 

MOISTURE

If your home has a history of flooding, you need to fix that problem before developing the basement. 2 inches of rain falling on a 2,000 sq ft home produces approximately 2,600 gallons of water.  Repairing cracks in the foundation, making sure that gutters are clear of clogs and sloping the ground away from the house can solve some of these flooding problems.  


LOW-HANGING UTILITY LINES

When you are building a new home, the basement ceiling height and utilities can be planned accordingly. However, when renovating an older area, water lines, air ducts, bathroom and kitchen drains etc are generally smack in the middle of where the renovations are happening. There are a few choices. Move them, box them in or leave them as is. If you decide to tuck water and drain lines out of sight, don’t block access to water shutoffs and drain clean-outs. 


FINISHED WALLS AND FLOORS 

Hiding concrete or block behind new walls is the easy part. Building walls that won’t encourage mold and mildew, or be damaged by condensation, is a lot harder. Because concrete in contact with the ground is always cool, it can become a condensing surface for water vapour in the warm air escaping from a finished basement. The result? Damp building materials, mildew and, eventually, rot. Air will be musty, finished surfaces ruined. 

When it comes to flooring, just about any material will work — tile, carpet, vinyl or laminate. Few contractors recommend traditional hardwood flooring because the moisture in the concrete can cause the wood to swell and buckle. 

When trying to make the decision to develop your basement, we recommend you call Steve and ask him to provide you with your options and costs. Check out Developing Your Basement – Part 2 in next month’s blog and Steve will talk about lighting, windows and ventilation. 

Trusted Saskatoon IT Pro's at Burnt Orange Discuss the Purpose of a Cybersecurity Audit

21. Jul 2022 Admin Saskatoon Computers & Web design, Trusted Tips

Gareth McKee and his Trusted Saskatoon IT team at Burnt Orange Solutions promise to have a one-hour response time for all your IT support needs. Honesty and respect are important to them. They pride themselves on ensuring their clients understand IT concerns by providing a straightforward and reliable solution with exceptional service. Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts. In their latest Saskatoon IT expert tip, Gareth shares the purpose of a cybersecurity audit. 

WHAT IS A CYBERSECURITY AUDIT?


If you were hit by a cyber attack tomorrow, is your business ready? Ensuring the appropriate cybersecurity measures are in place is vital in protecting your business. A cybersecurity audit is a helpful tool in assessing the cyber security strength of your business and ensuring important information remains secure.

What Is A Cybersecurity Audit?

A cybersecurity audit is a comprehensive review of your business’s IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity audits are helpful as they detect vulnerabilities, recognize threats, and reveal high-risk practices in relation to IT security. Cybersecurity audits are all about data security and protecting information to ensure cybercriminals are unsuccessful in their hacking attempts.

What Does It Cover?

A cybersecurity audit involves a full audit of your business’s cybersecurity measures in order to assess risk, detect vulnerabilities, and recognize threats across all areas. These areas include but are not limited to:
  • Data Security – Involves a review of network access control, encryption use, data security at rest, and transmissions. 
  • Network Security – Involves a review of network and security controls, antivirus, and security monitoring capabilities. 
  • System Security – Involves a review of hardening processes, patching processes, privileged account management, and role-based access.
  • Physical Security – Involves a review of disk encryption, role-based access controls, biometric data, and multifactor authentication.
If it has been a while since you revisited your business’s cybersecurity measures, they are likely out of date and may no longer be effective. A cybersecurity audit will help ensure your business is prepared in the event of a cyber attack. 

If you have any questions regarding cyber security and how we can help secure your data, contact the IT experts at Burnt Orange IT Solutions. We can help your business mitigate risk, and be prepared for any IT-related emergency.


Burnt Orange IT Solutions Products & Services:

"IT Support You Can Trust and Understand"

Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts

Trusted Saskatoon Electricians Share 5 Electrical Projects DIYers Should Not Attempt

11. Jul 2022 Admin Saskatoon Electrician, Trusted Tips

Choose Saskatoon electricians who have many years of experience in the field. 


5 Electrical Projects DIYers Should Not Attempt

We know people out there in Saskatoon love to DIY, but when it comes to electrical work there are some projects better left to the professionals at Anytime Electric.


1. Replacing Wiring


The main factor when deciding whether an electrical project can be tackled by a DIYer or whether it should be handled professionally is the complexity of the project. Replacing wire is one of the jobs that are simply too complicated for even experienced DIYers. There’s just too much that can go wrong to make DIY wire replacement worth the risk. Faulty wiring leads to electrical shorts that can single-handedly cause a disastrous house fire. According to statistics Canada in 2014, in Saskatchewan, 50% of house fires were caused by electrical appliances or electrical distribution equipment.


2. Repairing or Replacing a Circuit Breaker


Another sure-fire (no pun intended) way to cause serious electrical problems in a home is to mess with the circuit breaker. Circuit breakers might seem simple from the outside, but they’re basically the brains of your house’s entire electrical system and is there to keep you safe. Making a mistake when you’re working on a breaker can cause power surges and damaged wiring throughout the home. Familiarize yourself with your circuit breaker so that you know when it’s not functioning properly and needs repair, but when it comes time to do the actual electrical work, hire a pro.


3. Replacing Burnt Outlets


Replacing outlets on their own is actually fairly simple and should not present too much of a challenge for experienced DIYers. But if an outlet is blackened, burnt, or even hot to the touch, don’t work on it. The issue here is probably related to overheated wires or overloaded circuits. If you just replace the outlet without looking deeper, you’re basically just applying a bandaid to an electrical problem. A professional electrician will be able to accurately diagnose whatever more advanced problem is causing the issue and then repair it correctly.


4. Installing Dedicated Circuits


Some appliances, especially those on the more heavy-duty side, require their own dedicated circuit for power so that they don’t cause the wiring to overheat. If you’re trying to set up a high-wattage appliance in a room without a dedicated circuit to spare, you might be tempted to try and install another one on your own - don’t. Installing a dedicated circuit requires more advanced knowledge of wiring and outlet installation, and if you get any of it wrong you’re just going to end up wasting time and money and creating a potential fire hazard.


5. Installing New Light Switches


Replacing switches that have gone bad or upgrading to a different kind of switch is not all that complicated. Installing an entirely new switch is. Avoid installing a new switch as a DIY project. A professional electrician will be able to do the job much safer and much more efficiently. 

Trusted Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaners Explain Air Duct Cleaning

20. Jun 2022 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaning, Trusted Tips

HOW AIR DUCT CLEANING IS DONE

You’ve seen the signs that your air ducts need cleaning, but now you are wondering how air duct cleaning is done. What do you need to be prepared for?

The Steps To How Air Duct Cleaning is Done

Step 1: Inspect The Air Ducts

For two reasons, a simple, visual inspection of the ducts leading to the return and supply registers is important. First, it’s a step that you can take yourself to assess the level of buildup in the ducts beforehand and confirm the difference after they’ve been cleaned.

Second, a professional duct cleaning is an opportunity for Bridge City Duct Cleaning to check the ductwork for leaks or, in the case of flexible ducts, kinks. It is also a good time to repair and replace damaged ductwork.

Step 2: Create Negative Pressure

Bridge City Duct Cleaning uses large, portable or truck-mounted vacuum collection devices to suck dust and debris out of your ductwork. However, before turning on the suction and scrubbing the ducts, the technicians must perform preliminary steps.

  • First, they hook the vacuum collection device’s large hose to a duct close to the air handler—the heart of your HVAC system. The technician cuts an access hole in the duct, inserts the vacuum hose, and seals the joint as tightly as possible.
(Note that your HVAC system has a supply and a return side—ducts that send treated air into the house's rooms, and ducts that return air to the air handler. The supply and return sides are separate, and the duct cleaning process is performed on each.)
    • Next, the technician will seal each register with an adhesive cover. This is an essential step because even a mighty vacuum collection device will not work if the registers in each house room are uncovered.
    • Once the technician finishes these steps, they turn on the vacuum unit. This step creates negative pressure, and particles inside the ductwork will be sucked into the collection device as they are brushed or blown loose.

    Step 3: Agitate The Dust

    Once the system is under negative pressure, the technician uncovers each register and cleans each duct. Technicians use rotating brushes, compressed air tools, and simple vacuum cleaners to ensure dust is dislodged and sucked into the vacuum collection device.

    Step 4: Clean The Rest Of The System

    It is recommended that the other components of the HVAC system, including the air handler’s blower motor, evaporator coil, and drain pan, be cleaned as well.

    Cleaning these components, along with cleaning or changing the filter, will improve the air quality in your home, extend the life of your HVAC system, and increase its efficiency.



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