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        <title>Real Estate Blog</title>
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    <guid>https://www.cochranerealestate.ca/blog/winter-water-woes-are-you-covered-for-water-damage.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.cochranerealestate.ca/blog/winter-water-woes-are-you-covered-for-water-damage.html</link>
        <title>Winter water woes: are you covered for water damage?</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Pipes can freeze and burst over the winter. If you’re leaving your home fore the holidays, the last thing you want to come home to is a flood in your basement.  No heat, no water, no rest for the weary.


One thing you can control is the maintenance of your home and the amount of insurance you have to prepare for catastrophic water events in your home.


Extended Water Coverage


Check your home insurance policy and see if you have extended water coverage.  If you do, you’ll be covered for some types of sewer backups.  These types of events usually happen during a major summer storm, so no problem this time of year.  But if something goes crazy in your neighbourhood or a frost heavy causes a line to break, a sewer back up could occur.  That includes damage from a septic system if you have one.


For future reference, you can help avoid a sewer back up in late spring and summer by maintaining the weeping tiles around your home and keeping your eavestrough clear and in good repair.  Make sure you talk to your insurance provider to see what kind of coverage you have or should have for water damage.


Flood Insurance


If you’ve watched the news in Southern Alberta over the last few years, you probably are already aware that this type of insurance isn’t available here or anywhere in Canada.  We’re talking about natural, made-by-nature floods, not those caused by breakage or backup.   Floods in the insurance industry, are defined as water entering the home overland (or from the sky) that gets in through foundation cracks, doorways and windows.  Your extended water coverage would take care of other flooding issues such as sump pump failure.


Coverage for mould?


So, your pipes burst while you’re away and there’s water in your basement.  If this happens this time of year, it’s usually not warm enough for mould to grow.  But if it does, damage from mould is not covered by insurance.  Mould is a danger in the home to those with breathing issues or allergies.  Controlling the moisture levels in your home is the only way to prevent mould.  It loves damp, wet areas in bathrooms, door frames, around windows and in the corners of your basement.  You need to hire an expert to remediate and remove mould.  And, you likely have to pay for it out of your own pocket.


Frozen pipes


So you’ve been away and you come home to frozen pipes.  They don’t burst when they’re frozen – they break as they’re thawing.  A burst pipe can mean 30 to 60 litres of water a minute might come gushing out, which equals tens of thousands of dollars in damage in minutes if you can't stop it.  You can prepare by knowing a few simple facts, such as:




Where is the main shut off valve and do you know how to turn it off?


Do you know if you have water pipes running along concrete basement walls?


Are there any gaps you can seal to keep the cold out?


Do you turn off the water leading to outside taps every fall? 




Before going on holidays over winter months, you can:




Open the cupboard doors under your kitchen sink or bathroom vanity.


Leave a small trickle of water running if you anticipate a freeze.


Keep the heat turned up higher than 16 degrees C instead of down even if no one will be home.


If you have hot water heat don’t turn off the water in advance.




If you do come home to burst pipes, do this:




Turn off the main water value and open all the faucets


Do not heat up pipes with an open flame


Heat and patience is the key.  Do not use an electrical appliance directly on a leaking pipe to avoid electrocution.  An electric heat in the vicinity of the freeze up will do.


When you think the pipe is clear of ice, have a friend of family member slowly turn on the main water line while you check the house to make sure no water is running.


If you have a frozen pipe and you successfully unthaw it, take steps to insulate the pipe so it doesn’t happen again.  The pipe may have weakened due to the high pressure and you may not be so lucky if it happens again.


 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2015 13:39:00 -0700</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.cochranerealestate.ca/blog/town-snuffs-out-sunset-ridge-fire-hall.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.cochranerealestate.ca/blog/town-snuffs-out-sunset-ridge-fire-hall.html</link>
        <title>Town snuffs out Sunset Ridge fire hall</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
A residential home in the Cochrane community of Sunset Ridge that was designated as a fire hall is being returned to private use.


The Town of Cochrane announced that it will be removing the signs placed on the home at 4 Sunset Square as it has received notice from a new owner that it must vacate.


When the neighbourhood was being developed, the Town had made a deal with the developer to lease the home at a nominal price for the purpose of having firefighting facilities close at hand, similar to an arrangement in the Calgary community of Hidden Valley.


There were no long-range plans put into place when the lease was formalized in 2008 and the plan to turn the home into a fire station was never actualized.


A spokesman for the firefighters union in Cochrane told the Cochrane Eagle that having a fire fall in Sunset Ridge was likely wishful thinking on the part of town council.  The Mayor of Cochrane was emphatic that the removal of the potential facility will not affect residents of Cochrane to the north east of Highway 1A and 22.


The signage on the home, which likely would have been a curiosity to area residents, should have removed from the building long ago and may have given people in the neighbourhood a sense of false hope.


Both the fire department and town council believe the neighbourhood is sufficiently serviced despite not having a full-service facility in Sunset Ridge or adjoining neighbourhoods.  However, council admits that a second fire hall within the town itself is required and would be another drawing card for people considering a move to the town.


Another fire hall would certainly help in obtaining affordable home insurance.  Some of the areas which are under consideration for a fire station are Riversong or Fireside.  There has been tremendous growth in these new neighbourhoods since 2008 which is when Sunset Ridge was on the hot seat for a new station.  Since that time there has been a new shift to the south end of town.


Southbow Landing is an area recently approved for development by town council.  The community plan for this new subdivision includes provision for a two-acre plot of land for the construction of an emergency services building which would include fire.


Southbow Landing has been approved for the 545 acres nestled between River Heights on Cochrane’s south end, and the town limits.  The development has room for 3,370 residential units which is enough housing for approximately 9,000 new residents.


The current response area which the Town of Cochrane’s fire department is responsible for includes parts of Rocky View County as well as portions of Highway 1A and Highway 22 (vehicle fires/accidents).  The department is also back up for the Municipal District of Bighorn, Redwood Meadows town site, the Stoney First Nation, Village of Ghost Lake and Waiporous.  In addition to structural and vehicular fires, the Cochrane fire brigade is responsible for water and ice rescues on the Bow River and rescues in high locations such as trees and buildings.


Fire personnel are deployed from Griffin Station at 20 Grande Boulevard in Cochrane. There is a full-time fire chief, a deputy and 18 full-time staff, with 53 casual firefighters.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 08 Dec 2015 13:02:00 -0700</pubDate>
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