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If it's time to finally finish that basement or the year you refresh that tired old bathroom, maybe your office could use a redesign and some upgrades. Whether you are planning a renovation to your home or office space, AL SCHICK CONSTRUCTION can help!  They specialize in residential and commercial projects including interior and exterior renovations....from offices to old character and newly built homes. If you are planning a project or a renovation on a specific area of your home or business, look to the experts at AL SCHICK Construction to get the job done right! AL SCHICK CONSTRUCTION a TRUSTED REGINA CONTRACTOR and Renovation Expert

Here Al Tip on Hiring a Professional Contractor In Regina 

Before you consider hiring a contractor to complete repairs, regular maintenance or home renovations, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Depending on the type of work want to be done, you may need to contact a contractor with specialized expertise. Ask lots of questions, research your options, and make sure all contractual obligations and payment terms are included in a signed contract. The following tips can help you when looking to hire a reputable professional. 

Research your options and consider contacting your local renovation and/or home builder associations for a list of professional service providers.

Get quotes from more than one renovator or service provider. This will help you compare prices and levels of customer service; be sure to discuss your project expectations, timelines, costs and possible interruption factors.

Ask questions about the company and the work to be completed, including:

• How long have you been in business?
• What is your area of expertise?
• Will you use your own staff for subcontractors to complete the work?
• What permits are required for the project?
• How much time will you spend supervising the site?
• How do you manage health and safety concerns on the site?
• What level of insurance coverage do you have?
• Do a background check and consider contacting the following agencies before selecting a service provider:

Information Services Corporation Branch (306-787-2962) to make sure the business is registered as a legal entity in Sk.

Workersʼ Compensation Board (306-787-4370) to make sure the company carries workersʼ compensation coverage. Without coverage, you may be liable for injuries that occur while staff are completing work in your home;

Better Business Bureau (306-352-7601) to see if any complaints have been registered against the company; 

Consumer Protection Branch (1-877-889-5550) to confirm your contractorʼs direct seller's license, if applicable. Licensed contractors are required to be bonded, which will provide you with some financial compensation in the event that problems arise during construction.

• Ask about warrant options– warranty coverage differs from company to company, make sure you understand what type or warranty is included and what it covers.

• Discuss payment options and get a cost break down of what is included in your estimate. Depending on whether your contractor offers a “fixed-price” or a “cost-plus” quote, different materials, labour and overhead will be included in the quoted price or charged in addition to the quoted price. Typical payment plans can require a 10 percent down payment and the rest in installments.
• Get a contract – a detailed written contract between you and the service provider is essential to any renovation or home repair project. All details should be included in writing, including start/finish dates, warranties on work and/or materials and the total project costs and payment plans. Never hire a renovator or service provider that refuses to provide a written contract.

Ask for and check references of past customers that had similar projects done with the contractor over the last two years. When checking references, you may wish to ask for the following information:

• If the project was completed on time;
• If they were happy with the results;
• If they were satisfied with the level of communication and customer service during and after the project was completed;
• If there were any cost over-runs;
• If employees left the site satisfactorily cleaned up after the home improvement project was finished.

Never hire a contractor that only accepts cash, offers unreasonable or extremely low prices compared to others, does not offer a written contract, and does not have an official address. These are warning signs of unethical business practices and can be an indication of future problems. Do not feel pressured to sign into a quick agreement – before making a decision, seek written quotes from at least two other contractors or service providers.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) have a simple checklist of steps that can help you choose the right contractor for any home remodelling project. You can view the checklist online by visiting www.cmhc.ca and searching “Renovation Checklist.” If your project is very large and involves thousands of dollars it may be wise to obtain a lawyer to help you with the contract.

 AL SCHICK CONSTRUCTION a TRUSTED REGINA CONTRACTOR and Renovation Expert

Choosing a kitchen sink 

When choosing a kitchen sink, design, size and type of installation are all very important.If you are renovating, it is helpful if you take a couple of measurements inside your cabinet with the width and depth of the cabinet that will be accommodating the sink. If you bring those measurements along to your consultation with our Kitchen & Bath Classics expert they will help you choose your perfect sink. If planning new cabinets, we can work with your cabinet designer to match the size needed. Blanco has a number of options available to choose from, with sinks made from Stainless Steel, Siligranite and Fireclay.

The Blanco stainless steel sinks are 18 gage and have a wide variety of sizes and styles to choose from. The Blanco Attika sink with Steelart design, has a special elevated rim, making it a trendsetter showcasing popular architectural designs. The Blanco Practika laundry sink is an interesting undermount sink that has an integrated washboard for scrubbing.

The Blanco Siligranite sinks have a composite with 80% granite within them, creating a scratch and stain resistant sink. New colours available like Truffle and Cinder, introduce designer colours into your kitchen design. The Blanco Diamond with a low divide is a large sink with a lower centre divider allowing it to be used as both a single and a double sink. At Kitchen & Bath Classics we have many Blanco sinks on display so you can see the new colours and designs.

The Blanco Fireclay sink design is an undermount with an apron front, perfect with Granite, Quartz or other solid surface countertops.

Experts will need to know what type of countertop you are planning to use, whether laminate, granite, quartz or other solid surface tops, so we can suggest a drop-in or under mount option for your sink.

Blanco also has a variety of Kitchen and Prep faucets to choose from in both chrome and stainless finishes with some featuring accents to coordinate with Siligranite colours.

 5 tips for healthy skin:

Don't have time for intensive skincare? Pamper yourself with the basics. Good skincare and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural ageing process and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection:

• Use Sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
• Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.

If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle:

• Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
• Shave Carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
• Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

4. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger-looking skin.

5. Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.

 TRUSTED REGINA home cleaning experts! 

Here they share a tip on The Only Spot Remover You’ll Ever Need:

The story tells a tale of a favorite dress and a glass of red wine. After thinking the dress was completely ruined, a friend let her in on a little stain removal secret that she has sworn by ever since...

The recipe for homemade Miracle Cleaner:

• 1 part blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
• 2 parts hydrogen peroxide

Mix and pour or spray directly on stain, launder as usual and watch it disappear like MAGIC.

I keep a bottle of this Miracle Clear in my laundry room to spray on stains, and it has yet to fail me. Besides usual food and other mysterious stains that appear on my family’s clothes, I have used the Miracle Stain Remover to successfully removed set in grease on a favorite t-shirt, yellow arm pit stains, chocolate, blood and tire grease when a white hat was lost in the street and drove over.

If I’m worried about a really tough stain, like the hat or yellow arm pit stains, I will use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain remover into the fabric (you can also sprinkle with a little baking soda to make a paste for a little extra scrubbing power) and let it sit about an hour before washing. If it’s a large stain, as was the case with the dress, you can mix the formula and add it to a bucket of hot water and soak the entire garment for a few hours. If the stain does not come out completely the first time, try it a second time, but it has worked the first time on everything I have tried.

As with any stain removers, always do a spot test, but if it’s an garment that’s already a loss because of the stain, what do you have to loose?

I have used the Miracle Cleaner on carpet with great success as well, and I know others have used it on upholstery, grout, and many other items around the home!