Archive for December, 2011

NO cats will be harmed in the writing of this blog post.  Promise!

Camera Shy Sugar the cat

It’s two weeks (less a day) to the blessed day and my house needs to lose some weight.

The goal is simple.  100 items.  (paper clips don’t count as one item, besides, I will keep them )  Inspired by a friend on Twitter who was moving, and loving the fact that he was getting rid of 20 year old receipts and junk, I thought, 100 items…I could do that.  Are you up to the challenge?  Do you think that you could relieve areas of your home of trinkets, outdated items, clothing that doesn’t fit or just ISNT fit to wear?  What a great time to do it when you know that your house will be filled with more people, more stuff will be coming in, and you will have a great opportunity to help others at the same time.  Don’t forget the incredible feeling when things go out the door and your home is that much more organized.

In the not so distant past, I have had the need to shop in second hand stores (still do from time to time) and always appreciated that I could give my family a great Christmas, with lots of presents under the tree.  They didn’t know that the presents had been “pre-loved” but were always happy with the items that they received.  Kids toys, gently used clothing, home accessories can all be repurposed for another family who would be happy to use them, but don’t have the means to buy them.

So, off I go with a big green garbage bag, and a notepad (for counting of course!) to relieve my closet and office area of 100 pieces of “I don’t need this anymore”.   The cat?  She sleeps silently at my side as I write this… She is fluffy, and it has become the family joke when we clean out behind things, and vacuum up whats there (!) we find Sugar’s long lost cousin in a forgotten corner.  We’ll be gentle, we promise.

Will you be joining me?

Sarah

Time for a basic post on window repairs.  Cracked, moisture, won’t open? Read on.

Is your window Broken?

Funny, when we started this business 4 years ago, we figured that we wouldn’t get one call for window repair after December 1st, until the early spring when people start opening windows again.  We were so wrong!  For some reason, people open their windows in the winter, just as much as in the spring and summer.  Our theories on this range from excessive cooking (and burning – hence window opening) to that awesome Canadian mentality that there is no air like fresh air – we agree!

But there are TWO panes of glass and moisture between them…what do we do?

We replace the thermal unit!  NO need to replace the whole window (but this is what a window company will tell you.)  Sorry peeps, we don’t sell windows  We repair them.  This is a bad word in the window sales business.  Want to know a secret?? 90% of problems with windows can be repaired by us.  For the 10%, yes, you will need new windows, but that is truly a last resort!

Broken window cranks.  Window opens but won’t close…Closes but won’t open…

Mark my words… (and please, quote me and test this theory) “we have not found a window crank yet that we could not replace and fix”. As my kids would say…True say!  Never happened.  We keep waiting to be stumped, but we love a challenge, and even when faced with the challenge from people that they have been “trying for years to get this fixed” we fix it.  We’re just awesome…I can say that cause we kinda are when it comes to window crank repairs.  If your crank doesn’t work, call us and we’ll get it working.  To facilitate the process, we ask you to send us one of these pics (see post) that will allow us to being the right hardware to do the repair.

Proper measurement of window crank hardware

While your hardware might look the same, there are numerous different sizes and styles and having an image really helps.  If you can’t open the window, we understand.  If you can though, its super helpful!

Window hanging by a thread?  Wind ripped it off while it was open? No problem

Seriously, can you tell how much fun we have with this stuff?  Craziest call we had from a lady  in the Oak Park area of Oakville who had her THIRD floor window open on a windy day.  Wind darn near ripped that puppy off the house.  It was literally hanging at an angle by the top.  Shoulda taken a picture but I was not in the blogging frame of mind.  We fixed it.  Window reattached with new hardware and everybody happy.

Final words of wisdom… Ask yourself.  Do I want to pay $1000 to fix my window, or $200.  You decide.  289-242-8439.  Experienced, Insured, and Insanely good at what we do. Serving the Oakville, Mississauga and Burlington areas.

Groutfiti – I actually found this word when doing a quick search to think up clever tile puns that I could use as a catchy headline for this blog post.  Needless to say, the world of tiling and grout is really not all that clever or humorous.  While the post on Urban Dictionary under this name is interesting, it really did not contribute in any way to what I wanted to say about the incredible work that we can do with tile, and the wonderful tiler that we have on our roster of talented professionals.

Stone tile accent wall in Oakville

From kitchen backsplashes to entire floors, to careful mosaic work and small repairs, Lakeshore Home Maintenance is your trusted source for tiling work.  Insured, quality work, and craftsmanship with every job, small or large.

Transform your room with tile

Thinking of updating a room without a full renovation?  While a kitchen like the one shown here is gorgeous, sometimes all we need is a splash of colour or texture and a change of wall colour to spruce up a room.  Thinking of selling?  Tile is a great way to make a change.  Travertine, marble, ceramic and glass tile can be used in combinations or alone to create dramatic effects in your home.

For someone who is considering a bathroom or basement renovation, heated floors under the tile are a great way to warm up a space, and surprisingly, can reduce your heating bill.  Something to consider if a tiled floor is in your future.  The cost to upgrade to heated floors is surprisingly reasonable and is a valuable selling feature when you go to resell your home.

If you are looking to renovate a bathroom, at Lakeshore Home Maintenance we recommend the Schluter Kerdi bathroom system, ensuring that the final result is a beautiful tiled shower/bath that will protect your home.  The Schluter system is a pliable sheet-applied bonded waterproof membrane.  Unlike traditional waterproofing, KERDI is bonded to the substrate and allows for the direct application of tile using the thin-set method.  This prevents moisture from infiltrating the mortar setting bed, thus reducing the risk of leakage, efflorescence, and mold growth in wet areas (e.g., showers, commercial kitchens, etc.).

If you live in the Oakville, Burlington or Mississauga area, and are looking to complete a tile project, or just have a small tile repair, call us today at 289-242-8439 to take care of this for you.  We look forward to hearing from you.