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HOMEOWNER MAINTENANCE



Our homes are no exception when it comes to necessary maintenance in order to keep things running smoothly and to protect your investment. By properly maintaining the components within your home, a lot of problems can be avoided. The kitchen, laundry and bathroom are high-use areas and may require additional care and routine checks. It’s important to keep in mind that warranties don’t tend to cover problems that arise due to failure to perform routine maintenance. Basic repairs and maintenance are also an opportunity to keep your home healthier.

Seasonal Maintenance

There are a number easy things that should be done regularly to help ensure your home performs optimally. Here are the seasonal maintenance items:

Weekly
Quarterly
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Weekly
Dryer Lint Traps

Your home is equipped with a secondary lint trap, located in the ceiling of your laundry area. These lint traps should be cleaned out each time to finish doing laundry. Blockages can increase drying time and humidity levels within your home.
Quarterly
Fan Coil Filters

Filters depending upon your lifestyle filters should be changed about every 3 months. Homes with smokers, pets, or residents with environmental sensitivities may need their filters changed more frequently.

Check your Windows

Many people crank their awning windows open or closed too hard and they become “stripped,” just like a bolt. Usually, the arm (the metal piece that holds the window to the handle and looks like scissors) will come loose as a result. If over crank your window, you’ll be able to open your windows but you won’t be able to close them again. Contact your Property Management office to see if they have someone whose services they can offer.
Spring
Clean Balcony Tracks

Along the edge of your balcony, there is a finishing strip of metal that should be checked each spring. Cleaning out any debris that may have become lodged between your balcony door and the metal threshold will prevent water from entering your suite and ensure it drains away from your home.
Summer
Popup Drains

At least twice each year, the popup drain in your bathtub should be unscrewed and build up of hair be removed.

Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) – Cleaning filter and core.

Erv’s where installed form an integral part of the ventilation design. Without regular cleaning the filters and core can become clogged, limiting airflow throughout your home. The Core should be cleaned annually, and the filter every six months for optimal performance. Click here for detailed instruction on how to clean your ERV (link to Maintenance pdf for ERV).
Fall
Winterize Exterior Hose Bibs (outdoor water tap)

If you have an Exterior Hose Bib, please complete the following steps to ensure that the hose bib will not split due to water freezing inside the tap.
  • 1. Turn off the “interior shut-off valve” that services the exterior hose bib(s).
  • 2. Disconnect any garden hoses.
  • 3. Turn on the exterior hose bib(s). In addition, use the “back flow preventer” (at the exterior end of the hose bib) to release any remaining water in the waterline.


Important: You can use a finger to lift or push the white plastic stem (or pin) inside the back flow preventer to drain the rest of the water, then LEAVE THE TAP OPEN.

As an extra precaution at the inside water shut-off a small nipple can be opened up (counter - clockwise) to release any access water from the water line, just make sure you have a small bucket under the shut-off to catch any water. After the line has been drained, make sure the nipple is replaced and tightened shut (clockwise).
Winter
Popup Drains

At least twice each year, the popup drain in your bathtub should be unscrewed and build up of hair be removed.

Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) – Cleaning filter and core.

Erv’s where installed form an integral part of the ventilation design. Without regular cleaning the filters and core can become clogged, limiting airflow throughout your home. The Core should be cleaned annually, and the filter every six months for optimal performance. Click here for detailed instruction on how to clean your ERV (link to Maintenance pdf for ERV).

Condensation & Ventilation

Today’s homes can be so tightly sealed to prevent air leakage, decrease drafts and conserve energy that we experience reduced ventilation to the outdoors. During the winter when we heat our homes, these factors may also contribute to increased condensation, which can impact health and your home’s maintenance. A significant part of the maintenance of your new home is ensuring that you create a balance of moisture content within the environment. It’s also important to be informed on the effects of too much and too little humidity. Extremes can cause potential damage to finishes, furniture and even artwork.

Insufficient ventilation that results in increased humidity levels indoors contributes to condensation. Condensation is formed when warm, moist air within your home meets cooler surfaces such as windows during the winter, condensation forms.

The need for ventilation is dependent on your lifestyle, i.e. the amount of cooking, washing you do. Cooking, showering, drying clothes (even breathing – believe it or not) all add to your home’s moisture content. To address high humidity levels, we must increase the ventilation in our homes to supply the fresh air, which is necessary to vent off water vapor.

How to Increase the Ventilation in your Home
  • Use kitchen exhaust fans consistently
  • Leave the fan running on the vertical fan coil unit during extremely cold weather to help the air circulation throughout the home.
  • Avoid hanging wet clothes inside the home.
  • Free circulation of air is important. Keep drapes open as much as possible so the air can circulate freely over the windows. If necessary you may open your windows to reduce localized condensation.
  • If necessary you may open your windows to reduce localized condensation

Maintenance Guides

How do I take care of my floor? I have a water tap on my terrace, how do I turn off the water for the winter? Why do I see condensation on my windows? These are just a few of the topics we cover in our library of maintenance guides. We also have a series of videos designed to help show you how to get the most out of your new Tridel home.

Appliance Manuals

Our current partnership with Whirlpool has been in place for many years and at most Tridel communities. if you know your model number it is a quick and easy lookup for your Whirlpool Appliance Manual.

Where to Begin

We know that new homebuyers have lots of questions…..and that’s ok, we’re here to help. We have put together a variety of tools and information specifically designed to make things easy and convenient. Our Condo Dos & Don’ts pdf is a great start. It’s extensive glossary and FAQs help answer your questions, such as “Where do I get my keys?” or “What is a Pre Delivery Inspection?”

CMHC

Maintenance Checklist
Fighting Asthma in Your home

Community Homecare Guides

While each community is unique so are the service issues and goings on. For each community we have produced unique Homecare Guides, just like a manual for your new car, and a Green Guide outlining the green aspects of your community.
Condo Dos & Don’ts pdf
Community Homecare Guides
Maintenance Guides