When Is the Best Time to Starting Shoveling Snow?

Every time winter comes, and first snows kick in, most people realize that they will soon have to start shoveling snow. Nobody likes doing it; it's downright tedious and frequently hard. What's more, it can even get dangerous due to ice and cold weather.

Snow shoveling also seems like menial work, but it can often get hazardous for you if you don't know when and how to do it. 

The Best Time to Start Shoveling Snow

Everyone who has ever shoveled snow has an opinion on when you should do it. Many will tell you that there is no point in doing it until there's enough of it. Most people will tell you that you don't need to do it if the blizzard hasn't ended. Some will even tell you that there is a precise date when it's best to shovel snow.

So, who is right here? Well, no one, because none of these people have considered the fact that there is a lot more to it if you want to be genuinely effective and if you're looking to avoid getting injured. As we're sure that you want to prevent injuries and be as effective as possible to avoid having to do it all over again very soon, here are a few tips that should help:

• There is no point in waiting for the snow to accumulate as the snow beneath likely will freeze, and you'll have a much harder time to shovel it.
• You shouldn’t start shoveling snow as soon as some of it has accumulated. It’s best to shovel snow as soon as the first snowfall has stopped. 
• Avoid shoveling in low light and during a blizzard.
• Always look to start shoveling snow early in the day to prevent it from building up later.
• You don't have to shovel at all if the snow level is very low, and there is enough sunlight that will melt it very soon. 
• Never start shoveling snow right after you’ve eaten or had a smoke. 

How to Shovel Snow

Now that you know when the best time to start shoveling snow is, all that’s left for you to do is to do it! We can aid you in that as well as there are several tips that can help you do it effectively and thus much faster than usual.

• Always dress appropriately. Your age and level of fitness are irrelevant here, as cold weather can be harmful to anyone.
• Never rush through the shoveling. A lot of injuries occur from shoveling, and they are more common when compared with other activities. It's best to go easy and take enough breaks. You can even stretch before you start to prevent muscle cramps.
• Drink enough water to stay hydrated while shoveling.
• Use a shovel without a sticking surface or spray it with a silicone lubricant as that prevents the snow from sticking to shovel, and you'll have a much easier time shoveling.
• Shovel in one direction and always have a specific place where you’ll throw away the snow.

The Bottom Line

All in all, there is always the best time to start shoveling snow and the right way to do it. If you take the time to heed this advice, you’ll find that shoveling snow can be a much easier task than most people feel it is.

How to Avoid Having Freezing Pipes?

Cold winters with constant freezing temperatures bring a lot of issues for people. Besides the fact that it's challenging to keep yourself warm, it's also difficult to keep specific parts of your apartment warm as well. 

By this, we specifically mean the pipes. A common issue in homes during freezing winters are freezing pipes. Some are not even aware, but the pipes in your apartment can't easily freeze if the temperature on the outside is constantly below zero. This, on its own, might not be as big of an issue were it not for the fact that frozen pipes can easily burst. If you didn't know, bursting pipes are one of the most common property damage causes during winters. 

With that in mind, we wanted to discuss what you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing. Let’s have a look:

Everything You Can Do to Prevent Freezing Pipes

Every time the temperature outside falls below zero, you need to start implementing specific measures to protect your pipes from freezing. 

• Keep the heat up! It's vital to have your heating system on as the inside temperature needs to be sufficiently up to protect the plumbing in the walls from being affected by the cold temperature from the outside.
• Don’t try to save money on your bills by turning the thermostat down during the night. That difference in temperature can be the cause of frozen pipes, so it’s vital to keep the temperature constant 24/7.
• If you are going away for a while (on vacation, for example), keep the heating on. You don't need to keep the home warm; just put the thermostat to 13 degrees, at least. That's enough to keep the pipes from freezing. 
• Allow warm air to circulate the plumbing by opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors. If significant parts of your plumbing are within an exterior wall, then this is a must-do thing to prevent them from freezing.
• Let the faucet drip from time to time. It might sound like a weird suggestion, but it's actually the pressure that causes the pipes to burst, not the temperature. By keeping your faucets open a bit, you are effectively preventing pressure from building up in the pipes.
• Seal all holes and cracks around the areas where pipes go through the walls into the interior of the apartment. If you leave these areas open, you allow cold air to circulate freely within the walls. If you can, you should do this on the exterior side of the wall as well.
• Apply heating tape to pipes at a high risk of freezing. Naturally, you should do this only if you can access these pipes. 
• If you’re looking for protection in the long-run, then you should invest in insulation, especially in houses. 

Key Takeaways

As you can see, there’s a lot that you can do to protect your pipes from freezing. The most important thing you need to do is keep the heating on, and the suggestions here should prove to be an adequate bonus. 

Which Energy-Saving Appliances Should You Consider for Your Rental Apartment?

When renting an apartment, it's vital to try to keep your costs minimal. The rent is always a big part of your monthly income, and it's fixed, so it's best to try to save money on other things.

Instead of eating less or buying less of the things you want and need, you can also save on bills. Sometimes, this solution is much better, as you'll be consistently saving every month.

With that in mind, we wanted to give you a list of energy-saving appliances you should consider getting if you're going to save money in the long run. Let's take a look:

LED, CFL, or Halogen Incandescent Lightbulbs

On average, most households spend around 5% of their energy on lighting. It sounds small, but it adds up when you combine it with other energy-saving methods. Plus, it's not really a problem to get any of these energy-saving lightbulbs. Yes, they are more expensive than regular ones, but they last much longer and consume less electricity.

If you opt for the best option, which is LED lightbulbs, you'll spend 75% less energy on your lighting needs than you usually do!

Energy-Saving Kitchen and Bathroom Appliances

The kitchen is usually packed with appliances that suck up a lot of your monthly energy usage. If you cook a lot, you're probably spending even more than you think. The same goes for the bathroom.

Instead of doing a minimal amount of cooking and washing, you can get new energy-saving appliances. Some of the appliances you can swap for their energy-saving counterparts are:

●        Clothes washers

●        Clothes dryers

●        Refrigerators

●        Freezers

●        Dishwashers

Each of these spends from 10% to as much as 50% less than their non-energy-saving counterparts. When all of that is combined, you can see a drastic decrease in your monthly expenses.

You can even get air purifiers and dehumidifiers that are energy-saving and save even more on your bills.

Energy-Saving Electronics

Consumer electronics amount to as much as 15% of the total household electricity use. What’s more, that number is only growing as we are all increasingly using these devices (smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, TVs, etc.).

When buying any of these devices, it's essential to take a look at the amount of electricity they use. Then you can opt for the version that sucks up less energy.

Key Takeaways

If you manage to get all of these appliances, or at least as many as you can, you'll end up saving thousands of dollars each year on your energy bills. That's, without a doubt, a very significant amount of money, so it ends up being entirely worth it.

You don’t have to get all of the appliances listed here right away. That will probably end up costing you more than you will eventually save. The key is to always opt for an energy-saving appliance or device whenever you have to buy a new one. Eventually, most of your appliances will be energy-saving ones, and you’ll be saving a lot every month.

How to Increase the Chances of Your Rental Application Getting Picked by the Landlord?

If you're searching for a rental apartment, you're bound to run into a well-known situation that begins with finding the perfect place. Everything is in order, and you want to move in immediately.

There’s just one problem: there are other applicants as well. You know you'll be devastated if the landlord eventually picks someone else, and you know there's nothing you can do to change the outcome.

However, there are ways of increasing your chances. That’s precisely what we wanted to discuss in today’s piece. Let’s see what you need to do to increase your chances of the landlord picking your application.

 

Know What the Landlord Wants from the Tenant

If you want to increase your chances, you need to provide what the landlord is looking for in a tenant. In our many years of experience, we've noticed that landlords always want three things:

1. To know that the tenant will treat the property as if it was their own and call the landlord when any issues occur.
2. To be sure that the tenant will make their rent payments on time.
3. To be certain that the tenant will fulfill the term of the lease.

Now, we know that you will say that you can definitely do all three. We know that, but the landlord doesn't. You need to find a way to assure them that they can expect these three important things from you.

What landlords care about is stability, as all of these three things point out. It doesn't matter what your application looks like and what it says. What matters is that they can see that you will provide them with the stability they want. It's far easier for them to find a single tenant who will pay their rent on time, take care of the place, and be a stable source of income for the landlord for a long time, rather than running from tenant to tenant.

Be Financially Responsible and Be Able to Prove It

Naturally, they will want to see that you are stable in financial terms as well:

●        You need to have a good and stable job.

●        Your salary needs to be at least three times bigger than the rent – it shows the landlord that you are applying for a place and a lease you can genuinely afford with your income.

●        You need to have a perfect credit history and good employment records – it all further proves that you are financially responsible.

Additionally, if you have recommendation letters from previous landlords, you’ll have a massive plus on your side.

If you are a student without a job, for now, you still have big chances. All you need to do is prove to the landlord that you will be able to pay your rent. By getting a suitable guarantor who is willing to show their income to the landlord, it will be almost the same as having that income yourself.

At the end of the day, all the landlord wants is to feel safe and happy with the tenant. If you show them that they will feel like that with you, then the rental is as good as yours.

Is the Tenant Responsible for Raking the Leaves?

When you live in an apartment, there are so many things that you need to worry about in and outside of the place. The apartment is not yours, so you know it’s your duty to keep it clean and maintain it as much as you can.

You want to be the best tenant and never have any problems with the landlord, but some issues still occur from time to time. Most of the time, these problems happen due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the tenant or landlord, or maybe both.

The same thing can be said about simple chores like raking the leaves. If you’re here, then you're probably not aware of whose responsibility this is. That’s precisely why we wanted to help you out by explaining who is responsible for raking the leaves in Ontario and British Columbia, as well as the rest of Canada. Let's take a look:

Is the Tenant Responsible for Raking the Leaves in Ontario?

Winter is coming, and there are so many things that need to be done in the way of making sure you’re safe and warm inside. Raking the leaves outside of the building is probably the last thing you want to do. But do you have to do it?

If you live in Ontario – you don't. Ontario is the most tenant-friendly province of Canada, and the landlord does almost every chore that has to be done if it involves the common areas. 

However, there's more to it than that. If you rent a whole building (a house, a duplex, or similar), then what's usually considered the common area is used exclusively by you. When you or your family are the only ones who use it, then the law requires the tenant to rake the leaves, remove the snow, and all similar chores in the way of maintenance.

Additionally, if the tenant lives in a multi-tenant building, the landlord can change these rules and put the responsibility on the tenant’s shoulders. As long as they prepare a separate agreement that is signed by both parties, the rules are changed, and raking the leaves is now your responsibility.

Is the Tenant Responsible for Raking the Leaves in British Columbia?

The same rules apply in British Columbia and all other provinces and territories of Canada. Unless the lease or other agreement states otherwise, the landlord is always responsible for all maintenance of a multi-residential unit. It's only the tenant's duty when they exclusively use the area in question.

In general, most of these things won't be a problem for you as long as you and your landlord have a kind and respectful relationship. Most landlords in Canada are good and won't try to abuse their power. However, if they do, it's best to avoid confrontation and to try and resolve the situation peacefully. When all of that fails, you should contact the proper authorities and let them handle the situation according to the law.

Is the Tenant Responsible for Snow Removal?

Winter is a tough season. You need to work hard on surviving it in your apartment, and you don't need additional stress like snow removal. However, it can be an even greater stress if it's an obligation, a job that you have to do according to the law. If you don't, the consequences will end up being an even bigger problem than the task itself.

It has happened more than once, that tenants and landlords went to court over such small issues. For example, in one case from 2002, a tenant slipped on the walkway to her basement apartment and decided to sue her landlord. However, because the lease stated that it was her job to clean the snow, the landlord wasn’t charged.

With such things happening from time to time, we wanted to give you detailed information on whether or not you need to do it if you live either in Ontario or Alberta. Let’s take a look:

Is the Tenant Responsible for Snow Removal in Ontario?

The case we previously mentioned occurred in Ontario. It was later taken to the Court of Appeal, and the decision was altered to the tenant's favor. Why? Because according to the law in Ontario, snow removal is the landlord's obligation. If they want to delegate the duty to a tenant, they have to prepare and sign a separate agreement (outside of the lease), where it's clearly stated that the landlord will pay the tenant for snow removal outside of the building.

So, unless you sign a specific agreement and get paid for it, you, as the tenant, are not responsible for snow removal in Ontario. Now you don’t have to worry about slipping outside of your apartment while you commute to work and then having to pay for everything yourself.

Additionally, it’s worth it to know that according to section 26 of Ontario Regulation 517, it’s the landlord’s job to maintain the common areas in their building, not the tenants’. However, even if the landlord doesn’t respect this, you cannot withhold rent to get them to comply. It’s best to resolve this amicably. If that fails, you can then contact the Landlord and Tenant Board and let them handle the situation.

Is the Tenant Responsible for Snow Removal in Alberta?

Pretty much the same thing goes for Alberta and most other provinces and territories in Canada. If the area belongs to the landlord and is for the use of all tenants, the landlord must maintain it, which always includes snow removal.

However, if the landlord rents a building to a single tenant or family (like a house or a duplex), as long as they have exclusive use of the yard and walkway around the building, then the tenant must maintain it.

Naturally, all of these rules can be changed, as long as both parties agree and sign agreements. Our advice is always to know what your duties are as a tenant and be respectful to your landlord, and we are positive that they will do the same for you.

How to Take Care of Your Balcony Plants in Winter

For those of you who love taking care of plants, we are sure you like having them on the balcony as well. However, the problem with this usually lies in the fact that they can die out during the cold winter months.

In this article, we wanted to give you some advice and tips on how you can take care of those plants in the winter. If you do everything right, and with a little bit of luck, your balcony plants will be completely fine, no matter the cold!

How to Be Good at Winter Gardening

In the past, only people with big gardens were able to have plants. Today, it’s all very different as even people in apartments can keep plants all year round. That’s especially true for people with balconies.

What’s more, you can grow annuals, perennials, small trees, shrubs, and even vegetables in your apartment today! You only need to learn how.

First of all, you need to know which pots are right for your plants. You should know that materials like concrete, ceramic, and terra cotta are not going to do well in the cold. It’s best to opt for fiberglass or polyethylene pots with drainage holes. These materials don't only survive the cold, but they are also more practical as they are very lightweight. Additionally, you should make sure that your pots are some 18 to 24 inches wide as plants do better in larger containers.

Make sure you place the pots in pot feet. By keeping the plants well above the ground, you’ll make sure they have proper air circulation. It will also ensure that excess moisture leaves through the drainage holes.

As for the ground, each plant has its own preference. However, you should make sure you fill your pots with soil and then add a layer of mulch. That will ensure that no mold and excess moisture ruins the plants. However, if you have the right compost and drainage holes on your pots, you can avoid the moisture problem. Also, make sure you fill the containers up to the rim.

Some plants simply can’t live in the cold, so you’ll have to keep them inside during the winter. However, you must keep them somewhere where they can get enough light to survive.

It’s good to prepare plants for the winter. You can do that by continuing to water them regularly throughout the fall, as this reduces new growth, which is the most vulnerable in cold weather.

As for watering in the winter, it's important not to overdo it. The excess water can kill the roots of the plants. It's vital to keep it just slightly moist so the roots don’t dry out. Additionally, before the first freezing temperatures, you should water the plants well. Then you can continue to add some water whenever the temperatures rise above 4 degrees C (40 degrees F).

The Bottom Line

As you can see, there’s always a way to keep your plants alive, even during harsh conditions. All you need to do is follow the advice we gave you, and you should be fine. And if you have a green thumb, you’ll do great.