Edmonton Winter 2021-2022

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PLEASE NOTE
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the industry.
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Phone: 1-780-406-6441
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READ
Sinks & Faucets in Edmonton
PF Custom Countertops
pg. 14
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READ
Covid Business Recovery
MetCredit
pg. 18
The
Fireplace
Guy
OUR SERVICES:
Gas Fireplaces
Wood Fireplaces
Fireplace Mantels
Fireplace Surroundings
Wood Stoves
Competitive prices
780.974.7689
Edmonton, AB
Residential Or Commercial Electrical Services
Jesse Martin
Director
780.691.4512
Jesse@emerte.ca
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Moving doesn't
have to be a hassle.
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Sculptured
Clay
Walls
Platinum Edge Lawn Care
Great soil amendment
Neutralize dog urine stains
100% organic and from Alberta
Helps with droughts
30% more yield in gardens and agriculture
Binds heavy toxins and metals
Our product will help your plants have deeper roots, break down clay, and aid your grass against droughts
Facebook.com/platinumedgelawncare/
780.660.6842
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While the weather is still warm and dry and the children are just
winding down their summer holidays, you might want to re-plaster
one of your walls or take up clay sculpturing, clay carvings and murals
for your outside patio wall.
If you are interested in learning the art; the different techniques,
sculptural designs, mouldings and carved plasters, colours and
textures, natural wall finishes of beautiful clay and lime plasters, your
walls will be sure to become a talking point amongst your friends.
One of the benefits to come out of the straw and bale cob houses are
the natural earthen plasters. Originally developed in New Mexico
and Arizona with the growth in popularity of cob clay and straw bale
homes. They have been around for thousands of years in traditional
mixes and tend to look better and become harder with time.
Sustainable clay plasters are now available for purchase online. The
lime-based clay plasters are eco-friendly and non-toxic. They are the
ultimate replacement for paint as they can be tinted with the same
colourants used to colour latex paint. They have no off-gassing components
and are hypo-allergenic.
These plasters are perfect for either new construction or for renovations
as they will stick to other surfaces. One great attribute is that
they filter the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and odours. They are
known to be mould resistant with the ability to absorb moisture. They
can be painted over and colours do not fade. YouTube videos and
other tutorials are available to learn how to apply the plasters.
If you are not anticipating redoing an entire wall and would love to experiment
with the decorative techniques used with earthen plasters,
techniques can be learned to create something unique and special.
Experts Bill and Athena Steen from the States have perfected their
decorative plasterwork by plastering several layers of clays that consist
of different pigments.
They use Japanese trowels of different sizes and flexibilities to cut and
remove layers, ultimately to reveal the different colours underneath.
If you are interested in learning the art; the different techniques,
ᰠ 夀 漀 甀 爀 嘀 愀 挀 甀 甀 洀 䤀 猀
伀 渀 氀 礀 䄀 猀 䜀 漀 漀 搀 䄀 猀
吀 栀 攀 䤀 渀 猀 琀 愀 氀 氀 愀 琀 椀 漀 渀 ᴠ
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匀 瀀 攀 挀 椀 愀 氀 椀 稀 椀 渀 最 䤀 渀 一 攀 眀 䌀 漀 渀 猀 琀 爀 甀 挀 琀 椀 漀 渀 Ⰰ
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眀 眀 眀 ⸀ 挀 攀 渀 琀 爀 愀 氀 瘀 愀 挀 椀 渀 猀 琀 愀 氀 氀 攀 爀 ⸀ 挀 漀 洀
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䘀 刀 䔀 䔀 儀 唀 伀 吀 䔀 ⴀ 䌀 䄀 䰀 䰀 吀 伀 䐀 䄀 夀
㜀 㠀 ⸀ 㠀 㠀 㜀 ⸀ アパート 㘀
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- A dehumidifier is a good investment to reduce moisture.
- Move your furniture and clean well underneath.
- Clean and deodorize curtains, carpets or rugs.
- Wipe down wood furniture and consider cleaning with wood soap
in the springtime. Place packets of coffee grounds or charcoal in the
drawers of cupboards or dressers.
- Baking soda in your fridge deodorizes and removes stale food
smells; also in the garbage pail or down the kitchen sink.
- Natural deodorizers – oranges and lemons are great for cleaning
counter surfaces. Place dried oranges spiked with cloves in your
cupboards.
- Place lavender, cedar or vanilla sticks in closets.
Eliminating Winter Home
Odours
Winter homes keep us warm and protected from weather extremes.
Closed up houses block the circulation of fresh air, and the lack of
ventilation can become the source of damp, musty stale air.
Try these suggestions to get to the source of a musty environment and
to freshen your home:
- One part boric acid, and two parts hydrogen peroxide and white
vinegar each with four parts water clears musty smells.
- Along with charcoal, zeolite is a natural mineral that absorbs odours.
- Kitty litter draws out odours in a room.
- Use natural food-grade odour neutralizing sprays in trashcans,
smelly sinks and drains, bathrooms, cars and diaper bins. These and
wickless food-grade candles are safe for children and pets.
Experiment with safe, natural ‘cure-alls’ to effectively disinfect and
neutralize odours and kill bacteria – making your winter home experience
pleasant and refreshing.
- Check doors and window seals for moisture leakage.
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READ
Silverline Roofing
pg. 29
DEPENDABLE EDMONTON
HANDYMAN SERVICES
TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO:
- RENOVATE
- REPAIR
- INSTALL
CALL US: 780.504.8009
Are you looking to get some work crossed off your to do list? Go handy can give you a
quote and get those items crossed off. We do handyman services as well as general
maintenance and renovations. Give us a call!
gohandy.ca
cesar@gohandy.ca
@gohandyservices on instagram
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PF Custom Counter Tops
SINKS & FAUCETS IN EDMONTON
As part of our start-to-finish service, we offer a full range of sinks
and faucets at competitive prices. This allows you to work with
our staff in our showroom to choose the sinks and faucets that will
work best with your countertops.
Sinks and Faucets Available at PF Custom Countertops
GROHE Faucets
GROHE award-winning faucets are designed from fine materials
and offer the latest technologies. Options include lever handles on
the faucet body for tight spaces, pull-out faucets to make rinsing
easier, and varying spout heights. Designed to last a lifetime, GRO-
HE faucets are subject to high quality standards.
DELTA® Faucets
Delta faucets are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes.
Choose the number of handles, the style of finish, whether you’d
like Touch2O® technology and more.
since 1925. Today, BLANCO faucets, kitchen sinks and compost
systems represent quality, functionality, aesthetics and professionalism
of the very highest in over 100 countries all over the world.
KOHLER
Kohler offers a wide variety of sinks designed by various artists. We
provide the latest range of sleek and slim products that enhance
your curb appeal. Talk to us today to learn more about Kohler sinks.
PF Custom Countertops
10417 – 174 ST NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1H1
T: 780-484-0831
Toll free: 1-888-484-0831
F: 780-486-0698
E: ask_us@pfcustomcountertops.com
pfcustomcountertops.com
KINDRED
Known for quality and reliability, Kindred sinks come in options to
suit any style, budget, and use. Choose from stainless steel, granite,
or even copper in a broad range of configurations.
FRANKE
Franke offers a large variety of sinks in your choice of ceramic,
glass, or stainless steel finishes. Apron-front, drop-in, and undermount
are all available.
BLANCO
BLANCO has been producing high quality kitchen technology
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Need more Home Advice? Check us out online!
www.realhomeadvice.ca
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COVID BUSINESS
RECOVERY

What to Do When Payments Stop: 5 Urgent Steps
Collecting debt has always been one of the most uncomfortable and delicate tasks in business.
In a time of crisis, it becomes infinitely more challenging.
Previously reliable customers no longer pay on time—if at all. Even the best ones have stopped taking your calls and their voicemail is uncharacteristically
full.
When they DO answer, it isn’t good. Apologies, but they can’t pay for an indeterminate period because of COVID-19.
It’s not just you. Virtually all business models, both B2B and consumer-facing, healthcare providers and landlords, are in a similarly precarious
situation.
The customer in many cases has an impeccable history, making this an entirely new kind of problem. Good business is hard-won, cost of sales is
premium and customer relationships are precious. Most importantly, your brand reputation is priceless.
But here you are. Even the best customers are holding out, and you have growing obligations of your own.
It’s painful and a source of tremendous stress.
Here’s the kicker: the worst is yet to come.
The forced shutdown has only just begun to take its toll on businesses
and consumers. Many are sitting on a shrinking cash stockpile,
waiting for a turnaround that isn’t coming soon enough. If they owe
you money, they are spending it on other things—until it the last of it
runs out.
And despite the rosy flourishes being painted by some politicians, the
crisis is worsening. The subsidies, stimulus packages and deferrals
must soon end. Buying habits and patterns have been massively
disrupted, in a lot of cases permanently.
If your business is already struggling to collect money owed to it,
it doesn’t take a master economist to envision what’s in store. And
the real economists concur it will be very bad, for longer than many
businesses can withstand.
So What to do?
There are 5 important steps every business owner needs to take in
order to minimize risk and be as proactive as possible.
1. Assess the current situation. Take a look at your accounts receivable
and flag everything past due. Contact all account-holders and
make them aware that for your business’ continuity you must be firm
about due dates. They should respect this need and do the same. Alert
past-due accounts that collection action is imminent—give a specific
date.
2. Take immediate action. Send all non-responsive accounts and
any that are more than 60 days past due to MetCredit (as we remind
our clients, 60 is the new 90 in the critical post-COVID-19 era). Our
professional debt collection agents will treat your customers with
respect, and establish a high payment priority for future dealings.
3. Fortify business processes. The way people paid you in the past
is probably not reliable enough for the new normal. Risk reduction
should be top priority: sales are a dangerous liability when you can’t
collect. Insist on full payment or substantial deposits—and make your
credit application mandatory whenever you grant credit (which is
anytime you are not paid in full upfront.) Be sure buyers understand
when payment is due and acknowledge their commitment to you.
4. Make it easy to pay—safely. We recommend Interac eTransfer or
debit payments because funds are immediate, fees are low and there
is little risk of chargebacks. If you offer financing for larger amounts,
partner with a leasing or finance company that is equipped to manage
the risks.
5. Embrace the new normal. If you have been patiently waiting for old
buying habits to resume, don’t! Some business models, such as airline
travel, retail sales and buffet restaurants will surely never be the same.
Instead of praying for the good old ways to come back, find ways to
help customers with their new needs. And while you do it, protect
your own business’ future.
This is a hard reset, not a speed bump. It is an opportunity to become better,
more efficient, and eventually more profitable than ever.
Many, many businesses are going to fail. The ones that survive to rebuild the
new economy will be the ones whose leaders are smart, bold, innovative and
proactive.
I hope the latter group includes yours. Get energized, call upon your most
inventive self, and take action!
Need more help? Reach out to me or one of my helpful debt collection experts.
Be safe and healthy—and the same goes for your business!
Brian Summerfelt
President and CEO of MetCredit, Canada’s top-performing
consumer and commercial collection agency
metcredit.com
1-888-797-7727
Left out in the cold?
We’ll collect those
receivables.
Since 1973 MetCredit has been Canada’s go-to source for collecting
business debt. For businesses of all sizes Canada-wide, we
turn accounts receivable into accounts received—fast.
MetCredit. We get it.
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Discover ReStore!
All proceeds go towards helping families gain access to affordable home ownership.
SHOP
You never know what unique product will be waiting for you! Each of our Re-
Stores is a bit different in layout and product, but one thing that is the same
is our stellar customer service and value based prices.
DONATE
Every donation from a home or business can be dropped off at
one of our ReStores or picked up at your doorstep by our ReStore
Team. To donate visit HFH.org/restore or call (780) 477-4057. Your
donation of product is also eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
VOLUNTEER
Meet new people while helping a life-changing charity! There are
plenty of volunteer opportunities at ReStore, and our friendly staff
would love to have you join us.
Visit us Monday to Saturday from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm!
The ReStore Impact
ReStore contributes funds to Habitat for Humanity to help families like
Rhonda’s and Reier’s. This amazing couple had big plans: Reier was
working on a computer sciences degree, they started a family, and
wanted to purchase a decent house. Due to circumstances beyond
their control, they were pushed out of home ownership.
After their financial situation improved, Reier and Rhonda began
renting an old townhome. Although it was a step up, they were
concerned that rent increases would keep outpacing their income.
They worked out that they could afford a down payment if they
saved for the next 10 years and their rent didn’t keep outpacing
their income. And so they gave up on owning a home.
The couple then found Habitat, applied for home ownership, and received
a home! It’s the first home that hasn’t felt temporary. Reier and
Rhonda no longer worry about rent increases outpacing their income, or running
to the fuse box when the washing machine and the microwave are running simultaneously.
Read Reier’s and Rhonda’s full story at www.hfh.org/stories.
Donate: HFH.org/restore
(780) 477-4057
restoreYEG
restoreGP
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The treasures you’ll find
Appliances
HVAC
Windows
Cabinets, Cabinet Sets,
and Countertops
Lawn & Garden
Unique and Specialty Items
Doors
Fasteners & Hardware
Flooring
Furniture
Home Goods
Lighting & Electrical
Lumber &
Building Materials
Plumbing
Roofing
Tools & Equipment
LOCATIONS
8210 Yellowhead Trail NW
16811 106 Avenue NW
4004 99 Street NW
7 Streambank Avenue (Sherwood Park)
10431A 96 Avenue (Grande Prairie)
Hours: Mon - Sat, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
BENEFITS OF RESTORE
Funds affordable home ownership
Charitable tax receipts available
Diverts items from landfills
Provides employment
ENJOY 20% OFF!
Valid only at Habitat Edmonton ReStores. No cash value. Cannot be
used on Gift Cards or previously purchased items. One time use; must
be surrendered at time of purchase. One coupon per transaction, per
customer. Coupon code RHA20. Expires June 30, 2022. Redeemable
at all Edmonton, Sherwood Park, and Grande Prairie ReStores.
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Use our Home Advice
to take your home to the next
level.
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Troubleshooting Why Your Snow
Blower's Auger Won't Turn
There’s nothing more frustrating as a snow blower owner than when
you venture out into the cold to clear your property after a winter
storm and your machine doesn’t work. Not only are you stuck with a
whole lot of snow to clear and nothing to clear it with, but now you’ve
got to figure out what’s wrong with your once-trusty snow blower.
If the problem is that your snow blower’s auger is no longer turning,
there are a few potential causes and we’re here to help you troubleshoot
the issue. Thankfully, a few of the causes can be fixed if you have
the proper replacement parts on hand. Check out this list of snow
blower replacement parts so you know which ones you should keep in
your garage or shed, just in case.
Here are six parts that may be the cause of your snow blower’s auger
trouble:
Belts
The snow blower’s auger is driven by a belt that is engaged by the auger
control lever on the machine’s handles. If the auger belt becomes worn
down or breaks, the auger will fail to turn when the control lever is
engaged, and the defective belt or belts will need to be replaced[1] .
Shear Pins
Snow blower shear pins are made to break (or shear) in half to avoid
causing further damage to the machine if a chunk of ice or a rock
becomes lodged in the auger housing.
Found along the main auger shaft, shear pins attach the augers to the
shaft and when the shear pins break the affected augers will no longer
turn. If you find that one of your snow blower’s shear pins is the cause
of your auger issues, you’ll have to install a new pin or pins[2] to get
the auger working again.
Auger Assembly
If you’ve checked the shear pins on your snow blower and they appear
to be intact, then inspect the auger blades and auger assembly.
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Your snow blower’s auger blades can become damaged or bent and
may need to be replaced. On certain snow blower models, auger blades
are separate from the assembly and can be changed out individually
when necessary. However, some auger blades are attached to the
assembly, meaning if a blade is damaged then the entire assembly may
have to be replaced.
You might also need to replace the entire auger assembly[3] if it has
become worn out, so check the whole of the assembly for wear and
tear.
Gearbox
Your snow blower’s gearbox is in the auger housing in the middle of the
machine’s two auger blades and uses gears to power the auger shaft. If
the snow blower’s drive shaft has power and the shear pins aren’t broken,
then the gears may be causing the issue and should be inspected.
Other key indications of a problem with the gearbox are the sound of
grinding coming from the auger housing or the feeling of the augers
jumping while operating the snow blower.
Bearings
Your snow blower’s bearings help the auger shaft spin properly and
smoothly within the auger housing. If the bearings become loose,
worn down or seized, the auger may not rotate correctly, and you’ll
need to have new bearings installed where necessary.
Auger Cable
The auger drive cable engages the auger when the control lever is used.
If the auger cable stretches or breaks, then the augers won’t turn.
In some cases, your snow blower’s auger cable can be tightened if it’s
just been stretched so it’s worth giving that a try. However, if the cable
is broken then a new one is needed for the snow blower to work again.
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So you want to give condo living
a go?
Here’s a tip or two to help you out in the process. First up, hire a professional realtor to help you
with the process, things will be a lot less stressful – and it costs you nothing! Secondly, look for
the largest one you can afford and with the best view possible. Both of these help with resale
later.
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Silverline Roofing
Reasons You Should
Fix
Silverline
a Leak In Your Roof
Immediately
Roofing
Maintaining your home is a mammoth task that requires your attention
and time. We tend to overlook certain things, such as a dent in
the closet or a leaking tap. But, when it comes to a leak in the roof, it is
hard to ignore as it causes great inconvenience. At Silverline Roofing,
we are residential roofers and we provide expert roofing services in
Edmonton. Our services include residential roofing, skylight installation,
reroofing, roof inspections and roof repair.
Four Reasons Why You Need Roof Repair
Here’s why you need to fix your roof:
1. Ignored repairs tend to be expensive
If your roofing structure is getting weaker by the day due to water
exposure and you are avoiding roof inspection and repair, the damage
will get worse and you will have to invest a lot in the future in roof
repair. It’s advisable that you get it done in due time to avoid future
expenses.
4. Mould formation
As wet wood rots, there is fungal growth on them that cannot be
avoided for long. Mould is a fungus that can speed up the wood
rotting process and also cause health issues. When mixed with other
substances in the air, mould can form harmful toxins. To avoid respiratory
problems and prevent your roof from falling, repairing it on
time is the best alternative.
substances in the air, mould can form harmful toxins. To avoid respiratory
problems and prevent your roof from falling, repairing it on
time is the best alternative.
Contact Silverline Roofing for roof repairs today!
Silverline Roofing
100-11441 261 st.
Acheson, AB, T7X 6C6
Phone: 587.754.9495
2. Increase in power consumption
A leaky roof has the potential to destroy the insulation in your attic.
Wet insulation materials take a long time to dry out, which in turn
reduces the resistance to temperature change. This will lead to heat
loss, and you will see the effect in your electricity bills.
3. Corrosion of materials
Roof leakage causes damage to wall frames and ceiling joints. Exposure
to moisture breaks wood down and it begins to rot. With time,
this might even cause the frame of the roof to weaken so much that
it collapses. Water flows downwards; hence, this not only affects the
roof but also the foundation of the house.
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