When shopping for a new house, many prospective buyers are attracted to older homes that require TLC, or that have potential to be renovated into a more useable and valuable property. If secured for the right price, these older homes can have hidden value if renovated well. During the buying process, due diligence is performed […]
Introduction If you were to remove the roof of an imaginary home, turn it upside down and shake it, most items that fall out are considered contents. Examples include: Furniture Artwork Clothing Utensils / kitchenware Computers TVs Did you know that many contents that are affected by smoke and soot can be fully restored? While […]
Introduction WINMAR® Kootenay restores properties after many different types of property loss, however, fires are often the most devastating financially, physically, and emotionally. When a structure is affected by direct fire damage, it not only causes physical damage to the surrounding building materials, but the smoke generated by the combustion process travels throughout the structure […]
Every spring when the days warm and the ground thaws, WINMAR® Kootenay begins responding to calls of flooded basements, foundation crack repairs, and overland flooding mitigation. During this seasonal transition to warmer weather, bodies of water begin to reach capacity and the groundwater table becomes saturated. Add into the mix your typical spring rainstorm with […]
What is dry ice blasting? Dry ice is used by WINMAR® Kootenay to safely remove contamination or unwanted coatings from surfaces. Forms of contamination may include fire soot, mold root staining, graffiti, grease, rust, etc.) When the rice-sized dry ice pellets are blasted against a surface, they disintegrate and change to carbon dioxide gas through […]
Here at WINMAR® Kootenay we often receive calls from homeowners concerned about the presence of a musty odor, spots of mold growth, or concerns with respiratory congestion while at home. Sun Tzu famously said “Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.” In order to understand how […]
Many homeowners believe that ice dams are a fact of life in cold and snowy climates. But did you know that ice damming is preventable? To help us understand what causes this phenomenon, first we need to be familiar with how an attic functions. The attic is the space between the ceiling inside your […]
When shopping for insurance, many homeowners conduct a comparison based on cost and coverage (premiums and limits) alone. Although this is a great place to start, many make the mistake of ending their comparison there which could cost them tens of thousands of dollars in the event of an uninsured peril. Did you know […]
Water damage is the leading cause of property damage in Canada, accounting for 45%-50% of all insurance claims filed. From frozen water pipes and roof leaks, to groundwater infiltration and sump pump failure, there are no lack of sources for water to enter your home. A question we are often asked is how come […]
A question we are often asked is “how much does it cost to remove asbestos from my washroom?” The answer? It varies, but expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500. But first let’s take a step back. Scenario: You have just purchased a charming 1970’s home and you are planning on a full […]
