As a townhome owner, many of the items that you would maintain with a single-family home are still required. Specifically, when it comes to the mechanical equipment of your home. (Furnace, Hot Water Tank, Heat Recovery Ventilator, Humidifier)

Check your furnace filters monthly. If you notice that there is excess dirt, replace them. It is imperative when we are still working in the area as there will be an excess of dirt entering through the intake. By keeping this clean you ensure the furnace is not having to work harder than required increasing its lifespan.

There are several steps to take before contacting Cedarglen Living or a mechanical trade. These steps include the following:

1. Check your thermostat setting to ensure the temperature is requesting a higher temperature than is currently in your home.
2. Check to see the gas is on (running parallel to the gas line)
3. Check to see that the furnace switch is on
4. Check to ensure nothing is blocking my exterior vent (frost/snow/ice have the potential to block the exhaust, which in turn will shut your furnace down to prevent gases from entering your home)
5. Check your furnace filters. If the furnace filters are too dirty, the furnace will shut off.

If you have checked all these items and your home has remaining distribution warranty (within 2-years of your occupancy date), then contact Cedarglen Living or your mechanical trade emergency contact.

If your home is outside of the warranty period, please feel free to contact a vendor of your choice.

HRV serves to exchange air in your home. Construction practices have improved immensely over the last 20 years and homes are more airtight than ever. During the winter months we do not open our windows very often and fresh air does not make it into the home. The HRV allows you to exchange fresh air from the outside pulling into your home and heating with the use of the furnace and exchanging it throughout your home. This system is also critical for managing excess humidity in your home as it will pull the humid air out bringing in the less humid air from the outside.

Your HRV should be set to run 20 minutes every hour and then shut off for 40 minutes during normal outside temperatures. During extreme cold weather snaps, we recommend turning the HRV to run continuous with the requested humidity level of 20%.

HRV runs on low voltage wire, meaning the amount of power required to run this is nominal over a year. As it is critical item in your home it should be considered a regular expense to your home to improve your air quality and manage your humidity levels. We DO NOT recommend turning your HRV off during the winter months.

A humidifier is a system attached to your furnace that brings humid air throughout your home. As Calgary has a dry climate this allows you to raise it to a more comfortable level during the winter months.

Yes. Managing humidity in your home is critical during extended cold temperatures during the winter months (-20 degrees Celsius to – 30 degrees Celsius). Too much humidity in a home can cause numerous issues. The colder it is, the lower your humidity should be. In order to manage humidity levels, we suggest the following measures be taken leading up to these cold weather patterns:

1. Reduce humidistat setting to under 20 Relative humidity.
2. Turn HRV to continuous with a setting of 20% Relative humidity.
3. Ensure to run bathroom fans following shower/tub use for a minimum of 30 minutes following.
4. Ensure cooking fan is being used while cooking.

Water damage to the casing surrounding on the underside of your windows:

1. In the event there is excess humidity ice and water will form on the inside of your windowpane. As it melts it has the potential to fall off onto the wood casing below causing it to swell and peel paint. This is a non-warrantable item.
2. Recommendation: If you notice excess moisture in these areas take the measures mentioned in number 8 above as well as clearing any excess moisture with a towel. Ensure that your blinds are raised approximately 2 inches higher than window sill to allow air to flow into the area reducing the likelihood of condensation.

Attic Rain:

1. Your home is nearly airtight, however some holes in your building envelope are considered both normal and acceptable. During periods of extreme cold temperatures, if your humidity is set too high, this warm moist air has the potential to leak into your cold attic space. It can form frost over days and then in the next temperature warming cycle that Calgary is susceptible to, it will melt and find it way into your drywall below through these small holes.
2. The homeowner has the responsibility to ensure that they are managing their humidity to help prevent this issue from arising.
3. Note if there is a defect in the building envelope in which the amount of air is greater than acceptable normal conditions than this is a builder defect and may require a repair from Cedarglen Living.

For Paint Maintenance:

1. Remove dust on wall or baseboards with a clean dry cloth. The use of a wet cloth in continuous manner will eventually remove paint from the wall. If there are scuff marks, or colouring from different materials, touch up with paint versus using a wet cloth.

For countertop maintenance:

1. Recommended using warm water and mild detergent and dry with a microfiber cloth. A small amount of non-abrasive cleaner that does not contain bleach can be used as well. Although engineered stone is resistant to stains, spills should be cleaned as soon as possible. Liquid spills and stains from fruits, vegetables, or other foods should be wiped up and cleaned with soap and water.
2. If needed, apply a non-abrasive household cleaner to rinse and remove residue. To removed adhered material such as food, gum, nail polish or dried paint, first scrape away excess material with a plastic knife and then use a damp cloth to remove any marks or residual dirt. For extra stubborn stains, a non-scratch Scotch-brite pad is recommended along with the non-abrasive cleaner. The following cleaners are recommended: Simple Green, vim, 10x Stone Polish, Denatured Alcohol, Hope Surface Cleaner, Rock Doctor Cleaner, Formula 409 and greased Lightning. As a last resort use a magic eraser lightly.
3. Engineered stone products are more heat resistant that other stone surfaces and are not affected by temperatures lower than 150 degrees centigrade (300F) Engineered Stone CAN be damaged by sudden and rapid temperature changes. Recommended that hot pots/pans never be placed directly on the surface. Also recommended to use a hot pad or trivet on the surface under cooking units such as electric frying pans, crock pots or roaster ovens.
4. Engineered stone is scratch resistant, however avoid abuse of the surface by refraining from using sharp objects such as knives, screw drivers, etc. directly on the surface. Cutting directly on the surface should be avoided as it could mark the stone.
5. Avoid use of the strong chemicals and solvents when cleaning.

For Carpet Maintenance:

1. Manufacturers recommend daily vacuuming with a rotary brush machine to get out deep dirt. Carpet breaks down from the bottom up and dirt acts like an abrasive on the base of fibres causing the pile to lie over and look prematurely worn. Failure to vacuum daily will cause an appearance retention problem.
2. Wear clean shoes, or slippers in the house since bare or stocking feet transfer body oils and perspiration that are extreme soiling agents. Nylon stockings and socks act like abrasives on any carpet
3. Carpet must be seamed, and seams are not invisible. Heavy textured products or multi-level constructions tend to hide seams better than low pile or level loop styles.
   iv. Having your carpet cleaned on a regular basis will help it to perform and keep its appearance. Heavy traffic lines will require cleaning more often than lesser used areas of your home; therefore we recommend a 12-18 month cleaning cycle and that you use a recognized firm

For Ceramic Wall tile Maintenance:

1. Glazed tile should be wiped down to remove water and soap after each use; this prolongs the appearance of the tile and trim between cleanings. This includes backsplash and tub and shower surrounds. Always clean your tile with non-abrasive bathroom tile cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and water (1 part vinegar: 10 parts water)
2. Should a tile or the grout in your home crack, have it repaired immediately. Cracks caused by settlement may result in water damage and mildew to the wall.
3. All tile areas in your home have been silicone to the adjacent surface i.e., wall tile to bathtub. All wet areas should be inspected and re-silicone every 12-18 months to ensure the integrity of silicone is upheld.

For Ceramic Floor Tile Maintenance:

1. The floor tile in your home should be swept or vacuumed on a regular basis and washed with vinegar water mixture (1 part vinegar/ 10-part water). If you wish, you can apply grout sealers which help grout to resist stains and help maintain its colour.

LVF Maintenance:

1. Vacuum or dust to remove loose dirt or grit. Wipe up spills immediately. Do not allow standing liquids to remain on the floor. Damp mom using a solution of soap-free household cleaner and clean warm water. Do not saturate floor. Use protective pads under furniture legs to prevent scratching. Use doormats at the entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit and other substances to be tracked onto your floor. Do not use polishes or waxes. Never clean your floors with abrasive cleaners, scouring powder or steel wool.

For daily care, wipe with a damp soft cloth in the direction of wood grain and dry immediately. For thorough cleaning, we recommend a mixture of mild soap and warm water along with a soft, clean cloth for both exterior and interior of your cabinets. Wipe cabinets clean of soap mixture with another soft, clean cloth and dry immediately. Avoid leaving moisture on your cabinet surface for an extended period. Spills and splatters should be wiped up immediately as they could permanently stain the exterior of your cabinets. Never use harsh soap, abrasives, or scouring pad to clean. Waxing and polishing are not recommended. Keep steam away from exterior and underside of cabinets as it causes loosening of the adhesive on edge bandings around the cabinet and selling of material.

If your smoke detector battery begins to beep (single beeps), this is an indication that the battery needs to be changed. Please follow the steps below:

1. Shut off breaker for the smoke detector at the electrical panel.
2. Unlatch smoke detector from ceiling (twist as per symbols on detector)
3. Open the swing out battery compartment with the latch on the side of the smoke detector.
4. Replace the 9V or AA batteries and close compartment.
5. Reattach smoke detector (twist back on)
6. Turn on the breaker for the smoke detector at the electrical panel.
7. Test the new battery by holding down the “test” button on the detector for 5 seconds. The smoke detector should beep 3 times with a short break and the beep 3 more times to let you know that the testing is complete.

1. Press the reset button on your opener attached to your ceiling.
2. Press the learn button once.
3. Wait for the light on the opener to flash and click.
4. Press the button on the handheld garage door remote that you are looking to program.
5. Wait for the light on the garage door opener to then flash twice.
6. Complete steps b-f for additional remotes or touchless keypad

Your kitchen is equipped with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI), which shuts off electrical power when it senses an imbalance between the outgoing and incoming current. The purpose is to protect people from incurring an electric shock. When an imbalance takes place, it will cause the GFCI plug to trip. Press the reset button which will bring the power back to the relevant plugs.

Your bathroom is equipped with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI), which shuts off electrical power when it senses an imbalance between the outgoing and incoming current. The purpose is to protect people from incurring an electric shock. When an imbalance takes place, it will cause the GFCI plug to trip. Press the reset button which will bring the power back to the relevant plugs/lights and fans.

(Note: if you have two bathrooms your main bath will have the plug that is tied to your ensuite)

During the extreme cold snaps, you will see movement in your casings and possibly small gaps (less than 3mm) form between the vinyl window jam and wood casing. This is a non-warrantable item. To repair, use dap to fill in the gaps, smoothing over with small trowel or finger. Follow up by touching up with the trim paint. This is something that will need to be completed on a yearly basis.