Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Saskatoon Contractor K & S Contracting Share Tips on Preparing Your Basement for Renovation

K & S Contracting specializes in foundation repair for homeowners across Saskatchewan, but they also offer general contracting services to Saskatoon and surrounding area.

In this Trusted Saskatoon Tip, K & S Contracting discusses preparing your basement for renovation. 

Preparing Your Basement for Renovation


A finished basement is a great space to entertain, relax, or pursue hobbies. Turning a cold, empty, concrete basement into an enjoyable living space takes work and planning. There are a lot of design and functionality options which are up to personal choice, but there are some basic considerations to keep in mind for anyone planning a basement renovation. Before you start, take these tips into consideration for a smooth and successful Renovation. 





Start with the Layout

Plan how the room(s) in the basement will be laid out. Any bedrooms must have windows for safety. Put the main socializing area in a spot with good natural light to draw people in. If you are planning on having a TV viewing room it can be in the darker area away from the windows to reduce glare.


What to Fix Before You Start Renovations


Check for moisture by taping some squares of plastic over the walls and floors. If moisture forms underneath, your basement foundation is likely not sealed. If moisture forms on top, the basement needs dehumidifying.

Small leaks in the foundation can be dealt with yourself using some concrete-patching compound. Landscaping considerations such as sloping away from the foundation and installing gutters that send the water far from the foundation will also help. Any cracks in the foundation wider than a pencil should be checked by a professional structural engineer.

Insulate any exposed water pipes with foam insulation sleeves, and insulate any exposed wiring with high-temperature grade red silicone. If you feel uncomfortable working around electrical wires, have a professional take over this part. Have a professional check the integrity of floor joists, and inspect any fuel burning equipment and the ventilation system to ensure you won’t have carbon monoxide buildup. 

Now You are Ready to Start the Renovations

Now that the basement is ready to go, you can start the actual work! If you would rather not DIY a major project like a basement renovation, the Trusted Contractors at K & S Contracting are ready to help! 


Their services include: 


Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Store Kitchen & Bath Classics Breezes Through a Mystery Shop!

Being a Trusted Business on the Trusted Saskatoon Directory of Excellence comes with a lot of responsibility - no other directory, advertising medium, or 'watchdog organization' puts businesses through the process we do before we promote and endorse them. 

The Trusted Saskatoon businesses become partners with a contract, and they become part of a Trusted community. In a community, we all have our parts to play to ensure that the directory maintains it's high standards and level of integrity.  To ensure that our partners are upholding these guarantees on a daily basis we have a MYSTERY SHOPPER PROGRAM, where normal everyday people mystery shop our Trusted SaskatoonPartners. 

We then ask our mystery shoppers to fill out a report to tell us about the experience and share them here in our Saskatoon Trusted tip library. 



Our latest business to be mystery shopped are the Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Experts at Kitchen & Bath Classics in Ssakatoon!

Name of Shopper: Kim K

MYSTERY SHOP CHECKLIST

1. How was the greeting/ welcome/ call answered? Friendly staff member

2. If retail: Appearance of the store/staff and showroom? Great showroom, clean and I had no idea they did lighting!

3. Product/industry knowledge of staff? Very helpful – they directed me to the product that I asked for.

4. If a quote is required is the quote well laid out/ clear? No quote required – they got me pricing and I bought the item there and then from them.

5. Did they ask where you found them? No

6. Overall experience 1-10. I never give 10s- but they get a 9

7. Would you return as a customer/ recommend them to close friends? Yes- definitely – I was happy.

8. Did anyone stand out as exceptional? If so who? Why – Everyone was helpful.

If you made a purchase/booked a job how was the process? 
If you did become a customer please refer to the Trusted Guarantees and give an overall mark on each if applicable

TRUSTED GUARANTEES
1. Provide the service and quality promised. - 10
2. Complete the job on time. – 10 – it was in stock!
3. Charge the price quoted with NO surprises- 10 - as priced
4. Communicate honestly and be responsive to customer needs- 10
5. Resolve any issues with customer satisfaction in mind – 10 – no issues with service or product


Please share any other comments relating to your experience with the company.

"I had never been to Kitchen & Classics before finding them on TrustedSaskatoon.com– I was impressed with the selection, the store and the price of my item (a toilet). The staff were helpful and the quality of the product for the price is great! I will go back in the future and would recommend others to go there – thumbs up from me!" - Kim 

GREAT job goes out to the bathroom team at Kitchen & Bath Classics! They have reaffirmed that they are deserving of the THUMBS UP from www.trustedsaskatoon.com!

If you need to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom and are looking for a company with excellent customer service and knowledge, check out Kitchen & Bath Classics Trusted Saskatoon listing for more information - they are Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Experts!


Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Experts at Kitchen and Bath Classics Discuss Top 5 Bathroom Trends for 2018

Whether you are building a new home or remodelling a single room, Kitchen & Bath Classics Saskatoon a Trusted SASKATOON BATHROOM EXPERT offer you one of the largest selections of plumbing fixtures, faucets, and accessories from quality names, displaying the latest trends and cutting-edge styles. The showroom consultants offer the best expertise in the business as they understand the building process; working with you to ensure that your project stays within budget and that the right products are delivered on time.


Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Experts at Kitchen & Bath Classics Talk About the 5 Top Bathroom Trends of 2018





2018 has been a trendy year for bathroom design. Whether you are building your brand-new bathroom from scratch or remodelling the old one, you need to check out the top designs for 2018. Make your bathroom remodel/renovation trendy by meeting global standards for the year. Oddly enough, your bathroom can be a reflection of your personal tastes and standards. This is just one reason why you should put more thought and effort into the design. Here are the top 5 trendy designs for your bathroom in 2018:


# 1 High-Tech Smart Toilets


Just like smartphones, smartwatches, smart wrist wears and even smart cars. Why can’t there be smart toilets that are as high tech as the other listed items?  This year, you can expect some of the following features in the high-tech smart toilet market:

  • Seat warmers
  • Automatic lid openers
  • Slow close features
  • Adjustable air dryers
  • Built-in deodorizers 
  • Wireless music players

# 2 Vanity Lighting Schemes 


If you think you have seen it all with unique bathroom lighting, then you have to check out this year’s astonishing vanity bathroom lighting. You will see how interaction with lighting schemes in the bathroom will impact you. Creative lighting fixtures in larger bathrooms create a luxurious feeling that can define your style. If you add some light bars and wall scones to an existing chandelier situated close to your whirlpool tub you will witness a bathroom aesthetic that is too heavenly to be true.


# 3 Underfloor Heating Systems for Master Bathroom Designs


If you are looking for a master bathroom design, you can expect to find underfloor heating systems within it. Especially living in Canada with the cold winters, your underfloor heating system will instantly warm you up. It will make the bathroom floor a “hot spot” to spend your winter days. The warmth from the flooring is a delightful feeling especially when it’s cold. Regardless of what your flooring is made of (tile, concrete, vinyl or wood), your bathroom floor can become a warm patch of heaven when temperatures drop outside. Floor heating will change your life and make your bathroom a soothing place to walk into and a delight to be in especially during the long cold Canadian winter.


# 4 Relatively Unseen Tile Shapes



There are tons of varieties of shapes, sizes and colours of tiles in the bathroom floor market. However, the 2018 trend is giving a unique twist to these types of floor and wall tiles. You are sure to see ancient flooring tiles, as well as new designs, hitting the market this year. Some of the bathroom tile shapes and sizes you will see trending in the current market include:

  • Hexagon
  • Arabesque
  • Diamond
  • Moroccan fish scales
  • Chevron

These floor tiles will also come in various colours and textures to give your bathroom that special status you’d always envied your upscale friends for having in the homes. 

# 5 Smaller Bathrooms with Efficient, Small-Scale Luxury


Smaller bathrooms are trending this year! The trend for 2018 has been to make smaller, cosier but luxurious bathroom spaces compared to past years. This makes it more efficient to use the space for interior design. Forget what you see in the magazines, the bathrooms of 2018 may be smaller, but they are crafted with a unique interior that will blow your mind away. Some of these features may include:


  • Aesthetic toilet designs
  • Unusual sinks
  • Smaller walk-in tubs
  • Unique cabinets for storage
  • Wireless music technology for streaming favourite songs







If you're considering a bathroom remodel or renovation, contact the Trusted Saskatoon Bathroom Experts at Kitchen & Bath Classics today!


At Kitchen & Bath Classics, their design Experts will assist you in making your choice for your kitchen, laundry or bar sink needs with a wide selection of product on display from Blanco.






Find Kitchen & Bath Classics online at http://www.kitchenandbathclassics.ca in the SASKATOON BATHROOMS category on the SASKATOON DIRECTORY of Excellence...they are your SASKATOON BATHROOM FIXTURES and FITTING Expert! 



 

Trusted Saskatoon Realtor Clark Dziadyk Gives Tips on How to Get Into Today's Housing Market

Whether you’re buying a house for the first time, the second or the seventh time, it’s still one of the biggest decisions you ever have to make. In order to ensure sheer success, you need a Trusted Saskatoon Realtor like Clark Dziadyk! Clark will ease your mind by taking the pressure off of you to find your dream home! Clark puts 100% effort into everything he does.

 

Read what clients have to say about Clark Dziadyk hereClark Dziadyk is 'The Realtor in Your Neighbourhood'


Trusted Saskatoon Realtor Clark Dziadyk explains some tips from a recent online blog. Here are some tips on how to get into today’s housing market:


Tips to Get into Today’s Housing Market from Trusted Saskatoon Realtor Clark Dziadyk




# 1 Become a Landlord


Most people don’t know that if you buy a home that contains a rental unit, the income from that unit can help you to qualify to get a mortgage. For example, if you were to buy a home with a basement suite, you can rent out the basement. For maximum income, you could even live in the basement suite yourself and rent out the upper portion of the house.

In order to cut costs, even more, you could look into doing renovations to the rental yourself, which is, of course, more work but it could save you lots of money in the end. Rental spaces are definitely worth exploring! You can always run the numbers on purchasing certain properties with rental spaces in them to determine the best possible outcome for you. Worried about irritating and irrational tenants? Or dealing with the regulations that come with renting out a portion of your home? Concerns such as these can be dealt with by screening tenants during application processes. Make sure to check out the Government Canada website for regulations that need to be followed.


# 2 Go in With a Partner (or a few)





A huge way to cut costs would be to split everything between you and another or a few people! Let’s be honest, these days it’s becoming common for couples to find themselves living with other couples! To make this happen, you must first choose a worthy partner. Whether it be a few siblings sharing a house, a couple friends splitting a condo well you get the idea! You may be able to split the bills, monthly payments and the havoc of a down payment with one or more people! A few things need to be in place in order for this process to work! Like well-chosen partners, a draft of a co-ownership agreement drawn up by a lawyer that spells out all of the rules, and a system for communication between partners to make sure that everything moves smoothly. Communication between housemates is key, especially in preventing miscommunications and conflicts.

Another alternative in order to lessen your stress is to consider co-ownership opportunities. These allow you to buy shares of a company that owns the property, or to buy a small ownership percentage of the property. By doing this, it grants you specific rights to a unit itself. 


# 3 Consider Using Your RRSP


As a first time homeowner, you have written proof that you plan to build or buy a new home and you have money in your RRSP. As a Trusted Saskatoon realtor, Clark Dziadyk can help you with all of your pre-ownership needs! You may be able to use the RRSP Home Buyer’s Plan to get your hands on a tax-free down payment. However, if you are helping a relative with a disability through this process, you also qualify! The Home Buyer’s Plan allows each spouse to withdraw $25,000 to purchase a house. The only downfall is that you need to pay the money back to your RSSP in annual payments within 15 years. Any amount unpaid within that timeframe will be subject to income tax.

Tax-free money homeownership looks pretty good, doesn’t it? Or at least being able to start off your homeownership using tax-free money is. Depending on your individual tax bracket, it could be like having almost twice as much money at your disposal. You just cannot forget about those annual repayments in your new budget. 


#4 Make MORE Money


This is always the end goal in life now-a-days isn't it? 

Home prices seem to be increasing but that doesn’t always mean that your income is. An obvious solution is to make more money; however, this is easier said than done. Here are some approaches that can be taken:

The quickest approach is to ask for a raise at work. This can be a lot to ask, but it doesn’t always have to be. Communicating to your boss that you’re looking to settle down and buy a home (first time, second, upgrade, etc.) and what income level you’re striving for in order to make it happen, you could persuade them into giving you the raise you are looking for! In the end, asking for a raise is like a sales pitch. You are selling yourself by describing the situation, your goals, how to leverage your strengths, and ultimately asking for the raise itself. Whether you believe it or not, employers are people! Generally, people like to be as helpful as they can towards others. Sharing personal stories always have a measure of relatability to them, and more often than not they work better than pure logic.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to open yourself up to new opportunities, there is no harm in looking into another job. Shop yourself around and see if you are truly earning what you should be in your career marketplace. You will surprise yourself and may open new doors to new job opportunities in your field. Increase your network and speak to recruiters, you may find the job that you’ve been looking for that increases your income!


# 5 Relax


Let’s be honest, you’re not getting any younger. You want to be a homeowner! The whole process can be very stressful for a person. In order to relieve stress, you should consider using a Trusted Saskatoon Realtor such as Clark Dziadyk!

You need to make sure you’re ready before you become a homeowner! The right house will come along, it always does! Clark can make sure that you find your dream home! We live in a real-estate obsessed culture, but the relationships you build with family and friends will be the real key to your happiness in the long run. 

Set goals for the next few years of where you want to get to and take it one goal at a time. Write out your plan for home ownership and hold yourself accountable to it! Meanwhile, take a deep breath, relax, sign up for a yoga class and don’t rush things. You will be a homeowner one day! Believe it!








This article was adapted from Zoocasa.


CLARK DZIADYK, The Associates of Ron Baliski Realty Inc. Coldwell Banker and he is 

a Trusted Saskatoon Realtor. You can find him at 1322 8th Street East Saskatoon! View his Facebook page here!



           

Trusted Saskatoon Plumbers at Perfection Plumbing Give You a Proper Guide to Drain Cleaning

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 are Trusted Saskatoon Plumbers on the Saskatoon Directory


A few words from the experts about proper drain cleaning. The team at Perfection Plumbing will always do their best, they are truly a team to be trusted! Listen to what they have to say about drain cleaning and chemicals.


A Guide to Proper Drain Cleaning from the Plumbing Experts at Perfection Plumbing




"Proper Drain Cleaning Includes Saying No to Chemicals"


When asked about how they usually clean their drains, a lot of homeowners today answer by reaching for the chemically engineered liquid cleaners they keep under the sink.  Of course, they provide an instant and easy solution to drain cleaning. However, expert plumbers have long avoided this type of cleaning product. Would you like to find out why? Listen to what the Trusted Saskatoon plumbers have to say about it below.


They Are Toxic


All chemicals are basically toxic, but commercial de-cloggers are highly toxic. This is true especially for the off-brand, inexpensive ones. Liquid drain cleaners often contain harmful substances, such as sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. These substances can produce fumes that affect our health when inhaled. At the very least, frequent exposure can irritate the eyes and nose. Furthermore, these fumes are not easy to extinguish. They tend to linger long after the product itself is flushed down the drain.




They Are Damaging


The chemicals in commercial drain cleaners have one purpose: to chemically melt all the blockages and debris. However, substances such as hydrochloric acid will eat away everything that stands in its path. This includes the steel pipe within the plumbing system, as well as the porcelain finish of your kitchen or bathroom fixtures. Perhaps you initially intended to save money by buying this liquid cleaner, but you may actually end up spending more money for repairs down the road.


They Are Not the Answer to Everything


So many materials can cause a blockage. Therefore, a proper diagnosis must be determined before attempting to correct the problem. A drain can be clogged due to a broken pipe or even a snag in the sewer system. In these cases, since the problem is mechanical in nature, pouring chemicals down the plumbing system won’t help anything. So, what can a homeowner do to clean the drains? A plunger is a much better option than chemical cleaners. It can correct minor blockages if you know the right plunging technique. At the very least, it won’t damage anything important in your plumbing. Plumbing is a system. It means there that numerous components support its function. Therefore, many junctions of your system must be considered before you move ahead with any action. 


Taking plumbing problems lightly may just cost you more than a pretty penny. Entrust your drain cleaning to a reputable plumbing service, such as Perfection Plumbing & Drain Cleaning, Ltd., to save yourself from all of the confusion behind the proper methods of de-clogging.



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S & E Trusted Online Directories Inc
TrustedSaskatoon.com
310 Wall St #209
Saskatoon, SK   S7K 1N7
Ph: 306.244.4150

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