Holiday Safety

Tis the season for family, friends, food and cheer! While enjoying the holidays, it is also extremely important to keep safety top of mind.

Unfortunately, statistics show that home incidents including fires and electrical accidents increase during winter months. 

 Here are a few tips and reminders for maintaining a safe home and ensuring the holiday season goes with as little home incidents as possible.

Why Hire a Designer?

Designers don't just make things pretty! The help you translate your vision into a design that maximizes the functional use of space, desired resources and budget!

Trikor is partnered closely with Design Shop Interior Design to offer our customers a design experience that ensures the home they move into is not only functional, but also has a well thought out floor plan and that the materials palette is tailored to individual clients.

Trikor on CTV Morning News

Watch Debbie Golub from Design--Shop Inc discuss key design concepts of our two show homes in Stone Ridge Meadows (Stonewall, MB)on CTV Morning News' segment: Help for Your Home.

7-Step HRV Maintenance Schedule

With routine preventative maintenance, you can avoid unnecessary problems, ensure the effectiveness of your HRV, and prolong its life.

For additional specific instructions, refer to your HRV operating manual or ask the contractor who installed or services the HRV to demonstrate the proper maintenance procedures.

1. Clean or replace air filters. Filters, which are located within the HRV should be cleaned every two to three months. Washable filters should be vacuumed first, then washed with a mild soap and water. Most washable filters will last several years before needing to be replaced.

2. Clear the exterior intake and exhaust vents of obstructions. Check the outside vents regularly to ensure that the screen openings are not obstructed by grass, bushes, leaves, snow or other debris.

3. Clean the heat-exchange core. Inspect the heat-exchange core twice a year and clean it as required (consult your owner’s manual for instructions on inspecting and cleaning the core). A build-up of dust and dirt can restrict airflow and reduce the efficiency of your HRV. After inspection and cleaning, make sure the core is replaced right-side-up.

4. Clean the condensate drain and pan. Twice a year, check the condensate drain (and tubing to ensure that they are open and free-flowing. The tubing can be disconnected for cleaning. The condensate drain must have a “trap” in the tubing that traps a quantity of water – to prevent air from entering the HRV via this tubing.

An Investment in Lifestyle

Written by Mike Moore of the Manitoba Home Builders Association (MHBA)

When we say in this column that a new home is a good investment, it often only gets taken one way. Unfortunately, some people see the word investment and only think of it in terms of money. We invest in stocks, bonds or precious metals to make money, so naturally, many people think that an investment in a new home has a goal of making money.

Recent years in our local market has proven that to be true, but also limited in scope. Real estate reports indicate that in eight of the last ten years, values in the resale home market have increased by double digits. That is to say that house prices have increased by 10% per year or more. Couple that with the fact that Winnipeg has less than half the listings per capita than either Calgary or Saskatoon and again one could not be faulted for buying a new home for the expressed purpose of seeing it appreciate in value before selling it in a local market that has tremendous demand.

However, most of us are also investors in lifestyle and our own personal well-being. A new home is more than just money; it’s where we want to live; where we want to develop life-long friendships with our neighbours; where we want our children to go to school; where we want to shop; and where we want to raise our family.

A new home can be a new beginning.

2014 Spring Parade of Home Awards

Trikor Builders was again honoured to be the recipient of multiple awards at the 2014 Spring Parade of Homes Gala Dinner. Our winning homes this year include:

• Gold for 87 Stoneridge Drive under the new special awards category for "Quality and value".
• Silver for 87 Stoneridge Drive
• Bronze for 2 Heather Street

The Gold award for 87 Stoneridge Drive was especially rewarding as it's a people's choice vote that we feel is a strong vote for the quality and value of our homes.

Spring Maintenance - Snow & Ice

It looks as though spring has finally arrived after a long, cold, snowy winter. This winter has been one of the most difficult winters on record, with both cold temperatures and snowfall hitting record levels.

Excessive snow on and around our homes can create all sorts of problems, and we urge you to ensure the following maintenance items are completed.

CLIMATE CONTROL - HEATING / COOLING

In order to maintain safe and efficient operation of the furnace and HRV, ensure snow and vegetation do not cover or impede the flow of air through either the air intakes or exhaust vents. Shovel snow away from all intakes and vents after each snowfall. This includes intakes and vents for your furnace, HRV, fireplace, hood fan, etc.

ROOF VENTS

It is essential that roof vents are kept clear of snow to allow proper ventilation from the attic. Snow build up on top of the roof vents will prevent the ventilation of warm humid air from the attic, and contribute towards the formation of ice dams and frost build up in the attic. Keep vents clear of excessive snow.