Fall Home Maintenance Tips

As the temperature drops and the season changes from summer to fall, homeowners have a new batch of chores and challenges to face. Here are a few things you can do now to get ready for winter. 

• It is a great time to tidy up the yard and clean out your gutters before winter comes. Put your raked leaves and other yard waste in a compost bin and keep these materials out of landfills.

• Be prepared. Find out if maintenance is required to keep your heating system operating efficiently and schedule a service call before the busy season starts. Our licensed technicians would be happy to service your furnace. Click here to learn more on our website and contact us today. 

• Keep out drafts by sealing leaky windows. You can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months.

• Fall is the best time to clean the chimney and get vent systems checked. Pipes must be properly connected and there should be no signs of rust or damage.

• If you have a window air conditioner unit, it is time to remove it for the winter. If the AC must stay in place, seal it with caulking or tape and cover with an airtight insulated jacket.

• Winterize your home by caulking and weather-stripping all doors and windows. Check caulking around windows and do touch ups to reduce drafts and conserve energy. If you have questions about how to do this properly, check back here next week for our next post on how to install weather-stripping and caulking.

Happy fall to all of our customers and readers! Enjoy this beautiful season!

Back to School Shopping

Over 5 million Canadian children are getting ready to go back to school. This year, you can reduce the impact your back-to-school shopping has on the environment by making a few smart choices.

REUSE
Reusing items is the best way to minimize the impact of your day-to-day life. Send your kids to school with a reusable lunchbox and a water bottle. 

REDUCE
The best way to save energy and money is to not buy anything. Reduce the amount of new items you're buying this year. Take an inventory of the school supplies you already have on hand from last year and make sure not to waste money on new items that you don't need.

RECYCLE
We all know it's important to recycle paper and plastic items but you can also help drive demand for recycled goods by purchasing items that contain a high level of post-consumer materials. It's easy to find great eco friendly goods- check out Ecojot a Canadian company whose journals are made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste. As a bonus, Ecojot also donates a schoolbook to a child in need for the sale of each jumbo journal. Now that's some back-to-school shopping you can feel good about! 

Feeling Haunted By Your Monthly Utility Charges?

Fall Home Maintenance Tips

As the temperature drops and the season changes from summer to fall, homeowners have a new batch of chores and challenges to face. To prepare for winter, there are a few things you can do now to help your home be as ecofriendly as possible.

• It is a great time to tidy up the yard and clean out your gutters before winter comes. Put your raked leaves and other yard waste in a compost bin and keep these materials out of landfills.
• Be prepared. Find out if maintenance is required to keep your heating system operating efficiently and schedule a service call before the busy season starts.
• Keep out drafts by sealing leaky windows. You can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months.
• Fall is the best time to clean the chimney and get vent systems checked. Pipes must be properly connected and there should be no signs of rust or damage.
• If you have a window air conditioner unit, it is time to remove it for the winter. If the AC must stay in place, seal it with caulking or tape and cover with an airtight insulated jacket.
• Winterize your home by caulking and weather-stripping all doors and windows. Check caulking around windows and do touch ups to reduce drafts and conserve energy. If you have questions about how to do this properly, check back here next week for our next post on how to install weather-stripping and caulking.

Happy fall to all of our customers and readers! Enjoy this beautiful season!