RSS

3 benefits of a healthy lawn

(NC) Whether it’s in your backyard or a nearby park, lawns provide more than just aesthetic benefits, they contribute to happier and healthier communities. Here’s how:

  1. Providing oxygen that we breathe
    Green space are a valuable part of creating clean air anywhere. For example 15 square metres of grass produces enough oxygen for a family of four every day. That can help make a difference to how we feel and breathe.
  2. Reducing the warming effect of hard surfaces 
    When the summer heat hits, grass helps keep you cool. Street or sidewalk temperatures may reach 38 degrees Celsius or higher, but grass remains at 24 degrees. Your feet and your home can thank your lawn for lower temperatures.

  3.  Acting as water filtration systems 
    A healthy lawn will slow runoff and allow time for the water to seep back into the groundwater system, rather than overworking municipal storm sewer systems and creating a flood. A 900 square metre lawn can absorb more than 22,000 litres of water.

    To provide these benefits, lawns require care. Pesticides are one tool that help protect lawns by keeping weeds and other pests under control. Health Canada regulates every pesticide sold in the country to ensure they do not pose risks to humans, pets or the environment, when used as directed. 

Find more information at croplife.ca

 
Read

Testing your well water: What you need to know

(NC) There’s nothing like a cold, refreshing glass of water. But if it comes from a well, you will want to make sure it’s safe.

Your well water should be free of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses or parasites that may cause disease, and from chemicals at levels that may be a risk to your health.

If you have a private well, you should have the water tested to see if there are any problems. Your most important tests look for certain bacteria that tell you there may be disease-causing microorganisms in your water. You should test for these bacteria (E. coli and total coliforms) every six months.

There are also other tests for chemicals and general water quality. Your provincial or territorial drinking water authority or local public health unit can help direct you on what you should test for, how often to test and suggest an accredited laboratory that can do the tests. It’s also a good idea to test your water if you notice changes in taste, smell, colour or in land uses or activities, such as construction, near your well.

Follow all instructions from the accredited laboratory on completing and submitting the test forms; collecting, labeling and storing the sample; and handling and transporting the sample to the laboratory.

The best time to sample your well water is when there is the greatest chance of contamination:

• early spring just after the thaw,
• in the fall rainy season,
• after a long dry spell or drought,
• after heavy rains or floods, and
• after the well has not been used for a long period of time.

Check your well record to find out how deep your well is and learn about the geology in your area. Shallow wells or wells that have only a thin layer of soil over rock can become contaminated more easily. Water in these wells needs to be tested more often.

If you or a family member has had a gastrointestinal illness and suspect that it might be related to drinking your well water, speak to your doctor and local health unit and have your water tested.

Find more information at canada.ca by searching the keywords “well aware.”

 
Read

3 benefits of a healthy lawn

(NC) Whether it’s in your backyard or a nearby park, lawns provide more than just aesthetic benefits, they contribute to happier and healthier communities. Here’s how:
1. Providing oxygen that we breathe.

15 square metres of grass produces enough oxygen for a family of four every day.

2. Reducing the warming effect of hard surfaces.

Urban areas sprawling with buildings and concrete tend to be significantly warmer than areas with lush greenspaces.

3. Acting as water filtration systems.

A healthy lawn will slow runoff and allow time for the water to seep back into the groundwater system, rather than overworking municipal storm sewer systems and creating a flood. A lawn the size of 900 square metres can absorb more than 22,000 litres of water.

To provide these benefits, lawns require care. Pesticides are one tool that help protect lawns by keeping weeds and other pests under control. Health Canada regulates every pesticide sold in the country to ensure they can be used safely. A product that may harm human health when used as directed will not be approved.

 
Read

Water damage is on the rise – is your home protected?

(NC) In recent years, water damage from flooding has become increasingly common across Canada. In fact, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says that water damage accounts for nearly half of all insurance claims, and the frequency and cost of these claims has risen dramatically in recent years.  

Some of this increase in property water damage is due to climate change, with strong storms becoming more frequent and lasting longer. Infrastructure in many areas is old or inadequate and unable to handle the volume of water associated with these new storms as well as flash floods or snowmelt.  

Sewer backups are also occurring more often, both with old systems and with newer ones that are designed to handle both rain and sewer water. Faulty plumbing is another factor that can contribute to water damage, especially in aging, poorly constructed or poorly designed buildings. 

Despite these concerns, a poll from the Insurance Bureau of Canada revealed that more than a quarter of people don’t know if their property insurance policies cover flooding, while another 45 per cent only “think” they do. Not knowing whether you have coverage for water damage can be costly.   

Fortunately, according to Aviva Canada, one of Canada’s largest insurance providers, there are things you can do to help protect your property: 

  • Perform regular maintenance on plumbing systems, including sanitary lines and hot water tanks. Have water and sewer lines scoped to reveal damage from tree roots. Test shut-off valves to ensure they will work in an emergency. 
  • Pay attention to your building envelope. Roof leaks are one of the most common causes of water damage, especially in areas that are prone to freezing weather, strong winds and hail. So, it’s important to maintain the condition of your roof and clear your downspouts and drains of obstructions. Caulk your windows to ensure an adequate seal, and make sure grading slopes away from your premises. 
  • Is your water hard or soft? Depending on where you live, the quality of water can affect your appliances and plumbing systems, causing them to deteriorate much more quickly. Water softeners are available for hard water areas, but you could consider using a softener for soft water areas too, as soft water can lead to corrosion of copper piping. 
  • Technology can monitor and even reduce issues related to fluctuations in building temperature. Water detection and shut-off systems can prevent damage from burst pipes due to freezing or leaking of your hot water tank. Installing these systems can help eliminate or reduce loss to your property,  particularly when you’re not there. 

Talk to your insurance broker about what level of water damage your current homeowner’s insurance covers and what additional insurance you might need. Find one in your area today at aviva.ca/en/find-a-broker. 

 
Read
Categories:   2022 | account | activities | adventure | affordability | agents | air | air conditioning | air quality | alarms | alberta | ambiance | amenities | andrew | Andrew, Andrew Real Estate | apartments | appliances | art | artwork | assessment | automation | backsplash | backyard | balconies | balcony | bank | banking | barbecue | Barrhead, Barrhead Real Estate | basement | bathroom | bathrooms | bedroom | benefits | bikes | bills | bistro | Blue Quill Real Estate | borrowing | budget | build | builders | building | buildings | bungalow | buyers | buying | cabinet | cabinetry | cabinets | Canada | Canadian | canadians | candles | carbon monoxide | ceiling | chairs | challenges | chimney | city | clean | clients | climate | clutter | cmhc | cold | colour | colours | comfort | communities | community | concrete | condo | condos | construction | consumers | contractor | costs | countertop | covid-19 | credit | curb appeal | curtains | debt | design | diy | donations | doors | edmonton | edmonton, alberta | Edmonton, Edmonton Real Estate | education | efficiency | election | electrical | energy | entertaining | entertainment | entrance | entryways | environment | exits | expense | expenses | expert | exposure | fall | families | family | fan | faucets | fees | finances | financial | financing | fire | fire escape | fire extinguisher | fireplace | fixtures | flood | flooding | floor | flooring | flowers | food | Fort Saskatchewan, Fort Saskatchewan Real Estate | friends | fun | furnishings | furniture | garage | garbage | garden | gardening | Gibbons, Gibbons Real Estate | government | grass | greenery | greenspaces | groundwater | gym | hardware | health | heating | heloc | highrise | home | homeowner | homeowners | homeownership | homes | homework | house | household | houses | housing | ideas | ikea | incentives | income | indoors | infrastructure | insulation | insurance | integration | interest | interest rate | interior | interiors | invest | investing | investment | investments | kitchen | lamps | land | landlord | lawn | lawns | layout | learning | lender | lifestyle | light | lighting | lights | listing | living room | loan | location | lrt | mail | maintenance | makeover | market | marketing | meals | minimalism | money | mortgage | move | movie | nature | neighbors | neighbourhood | new | news | nights | offer | offers | office | offices | oliver | Onoway, Onoway Real Estate | options | outdoor | outdoors | outside | oxygen | paint | painting | park | patio | patterns | payments | pergola | perks | permits | pesticide | pests | pets | photographs | pillow | pitfalls | plan | planning | planter | plants | plumbing | plywood | pollution | pool | population | portfolio | price | professional | project | projects | property | purchase | purchasing | quality | realtor | red cross | regulations | remodelling | reno | renovate | renovating | renovation | renovations | rental | repair | repairs | resale | reserve | retirement | river valley | roof | room | rooms | Rural Lac Ste. Anne County, Rural Lac Ste. Anne County Real Estate | Rural Leduc County, Rural Leduc County Real Estate | Rural Sturgeon County, Rural Sturgeon County Real Estate | safety | sale | save | saving | savings | search | season | security | security system | sell | sellers | services | sewer | shades | shed | Sherwood Park, Sherwood Park Real Estate | shopping | shops | sidewalk | sink | smart home technology | smoke detectors | sold | solutions | spa | space | spending | spring | Spruce Grove, Spruce Grove Real Estate | St. Albert, St. Albert Real Estate | statements | Stony Plain, Stony Plain Real Estate | storage | stove | street | stress | style | succulents | suite | summer | table | tax | technologies | tenant | theatre | theft | thermostat | tile | tips | tools | toys | transportation | trends | tub | upgrade | upgrades | vacations | value | veggies | ventilation | viruses | volunteering | vote | walkway | wall | wallpaper | walls | warm | warmth | water | wealth | weather | weatherstripping | weeds | well | window | windows | winter | winters | wiring | wood | woodstove | work | workspace | workstation | world | Zone 01, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 02, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 05, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 07, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 09, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 10, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 12, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 14, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 15, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 16, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 20, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 21, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 23, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 27, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 28, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 29, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 30, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 51, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 55, Edmonton Real Estate | Zone 58, Edmonton Real Estate | zoning
Copyright 2024 by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. All Rights Reserved.
Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton.
The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by CREA and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA.