Our Strata council approved standards for installation of heat pumps at its Oct 2021 council meeting. Owners wishing to install heat pumps must complete an Alterations Agreement for submission to Strata Council for approval at its monthly meeting. Owners can find the Alterations Agreement, the Heat Pump Standards and an Installation Checklist on the page Aldersmith Strata Info.
The government of Canada is launching a new program today that offers Canadians grants of up to $5,000 to pay for energy-saving home upgrades.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan rolled out the Canada Greener Homes Grants program today — worth about $2.6 billion over seven years — to help homeowners upgrade heaters, install solar panels and replace windows and doors.
Homeowners will be able to receive grants of up to $5,000 to make energy efficient retrofits to their primary residences, and up to $600 to help with the cost of home energy evaluations.
How to Replace Lost Canada Post Mailbox Keys
You can also have replacement keys cut at Canadian Tire so you always have a backup available.
During the summer of 2020 several units had their wooden decks replaced with composite decking. Below is the cleaning instructions for the owners of these decks.
Our decking is Timbertech Edge:
https://www.timbertech.com/ideas/maintenance-for-composite-decking/
With the change in the colour palette of our complex, we have sourced companies that can supply replacement doors consistent with the model and colour of our existing garage doors. Should you need to replace your garage door, contact:
Depend-A-Door, Steelcraft Doors, Colour – Sandstone QC4611
Tedford, Clopay Doors, Colour- Sandstone
There are a couple of clauses within your individual homeowner’s insurance policy that you should pay close attention to and review with your insurance agent.
The Unit Contingency Coverage insures your unit so you are protected in case the Strata coverage is not sufficient.
In the event of major loss/destruction of the complex property the Loss Assessment Coverage covers the owner’s individual share of the Strata’s insurance deductible ($2,000,000) for all our common properties.
Re-building of the complex could NOT begin until all owners pay their share of the deductible. Owners are encouraged to check their home insurance polices to see if they have sufficient coverage for this.
The general rule is to change the smoke alarms in our homes every 10 to 12 years. Our units have the ones that are hard wired into our homes and on each level of our units.
One resident has just replaced his with a dual sensor (both heat and smoke). They are the 120 volt ac powered, with a battery backup and a “hush” button for those times we over do our toast or ??? The units are the Kidde Pro series (see picture below) from Rona Home builders. The price is $38.98, unless you get them on Seniors Day (first Tuesday of the month) and get 10% off at $35.08.
The old smoke alarms are not to be discarded in the the garbage because of radioactive sensing element, but can be recycled at the Return-it depot at Ellery and Lampson St in Esquimalt at no charge. It only takes about 15 minutes to change each unit once the power has been turned off.
Below you will find two files on the topic of garage door maintenance. The first file is submitted by Nancy Walsh and she shares their experience with the process of installing and upgrading their garage door (the first unit in our strata to replace their garage door).
Strata Garage Door Maintenance – July 2013
As a followup to the Walsh’s experience Depend-a-dor is offering a significant savings on a garage door tune-up if it can get a minimum of five units to participate. For details on how to take advantage of this offer see the file below:
Here’s a recipe for a great-environmentally friendly and pet-friendly weed killer. Measure 2 cups vinegar, 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of dish washing liquid into a plastic spray bottle. Mix well by shaking. Use with care, as you do not want to spray any flowers or shrubs with the weed killer. The vinegar kills the weeds, while the salt keeps them from regrowing.
Read more at: How To Make Eco-friendly Weed Killer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5008656_make-ecofriendly-weed-killer.html#ixzz216X9FBKC
If you prefer to use a chemical product, Canadian Tire sells an environmenally-friendly Round-up in a handy spray bottle that works very well.
The following message was posted by resident Annie Graham:
I am attaching a photo I took that might interest all the bird feeders in 118. The suet block was hanging from the arbutus tree on our patio. And a very healthy fat rat he was!!!! Maybe our residents should think twice about hosting such dinner parties.
Residents should also make sure they are not storing other items like garbage or bulk dog food even if it is stored in a heavy plastic bin. Rodents are able to gnaw through heavy plastic.
Updated by @118aldersmith