We would like to think that roofing systems today are well thought out, easy to assemble and trouble free. And then there is the real world. We went to the manufacturers of roofing systems and roofing components to get a handle on what are some of the real world field problems that shouldn't be...
The EcoEnergy program of homeowner grants to help retrofit homes has been brought back to life by the federal government in late September of 2011 -- part of the EcoAction initiative. I love this program and the hard workers at NRCan have done a great job of organizing it, explaining it and ma...
You can waste a lot of plywood if you don't make a cut diagram or cutting plan before slicing into a piece of plywood. One of the most common errors is not thinking about which way the grain of the surface wood is going. In some projects, especially with veneer finished plywoods, this is critic...
Dan from Winnipeg, Manitoba writes: "We have an older manufactured home with a basement. Years ago a new roof was put on top of the existing one. It is post & beam with trusses, sheeted in with shiplap and a metal roof put on. The problem is the original metal roof now seems to sweat in th...
Catherine from Calgary Alberta just moved into a house that has a tiny boat galley type of kitchen that simply doesn't work, so she was looking for some guidance.Without trying to present a full course in kitchen design, I gave her a couple of the basic rules.There are three major appliances in...
Myles Kesten from the CD-ROM Store in Toronto sells nothing but software, and from all companies. So we figured he would have an objective opinion about design programs. So how do you choose?Pick one that matches your computer and designing skills. Some are simpler than others. Some program...
" I would like to know the average cost per square foot for building a single two story home with hardwood. Turn Key without landscaping. Stone and stucco exterior In the Gatineau region?" KevinI am sorry Kevin, but I never believed in an "average cost per square foot" for much of anything -- ...
Over the years I have had the occasion to teach working with tools to kids as young as 3 years old. At whatever age the secret is to know the individual kids attention span and prepair the work to give them a feeling of completion and success within those limits. Regular sessions of success and...
Welcome to the Eakes' Origami Guide to the Building Code -- or "how to actually build new flashing requirements in the building code".
Water leaking in around windows and doors represents one of our major construction problems. The building codes seem to be constantly changing in an effort to mi...
Should you have a contract or not for every renovation? According to David Foster, author of the pamphlet Get It In Writing, except for the simplest of maintenance tasks, you need a contract, and for a lot of reasons that you may have never thought of.
If you would like to read the other two par...
