Found 180 results for the keyword(s) ‘Environmental’

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  A potter who makes his own clay!

  Paul Kaye is a potter who makes fine terracotta pots, but we took the TV cameras to see not how he makes his pots, but how he makes his own clay. Making his own clay gives him total control over the quality of the product -- and he makes it from old scrap concrete construction blocks. He grinds...
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  Identifying Asbestos in your home.

  Dr. Don Pinchin of the Pinchin Group in Mississauga, Ontario is an expert in asbestos abatement who usually works on large commercial projects. We got him to show us what forms of asbestos we might still find in our homes, and just how dangerous they might be.The key message was that if it is...
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  Will Glass Doors increase the energy efficiency of a open fireplace?

  When you consider the total heat given off by an open fire place versus the amount of household air that goes up the chimney throughout the burn cycle, an open fireplace may warm up the room it is in, but it delivers a net energy loss to the house. It is in fact a wintertime air conditioner ...
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  How do you make a house "earthquake ready"?

  When an earthquake strikes you have two major things to worry about:First, things may move or fall over. This could mean glasses falling out of cupboards, or electrical appliances crashing to the ground (fire hazard) or even the hot water tank tipping over (fire hazard again).Second, the house...
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  Should I get my ducts cleaned?

  Josie asks: "I am considering getting my ducts professionally cleaned. Can you tell me if it will reduce the dust in my home and whether there are any other benefits to having this done?"This question comes back every year, and although there is still hot debate on the subject, it appears to me ...
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  How to melt ice on the roof.

  One viewer has recommended using Urea fertilizer to melt ice on the roof rather than using salt-based de-icers.Actually, the research done, during the famous 1998 Eastern ice storm, confirms this idea. The salt will discolour the shingles and rust the gutters and generally not be good for eith...
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  Removing Paint from Concrete.

  When paint gets onto concrete by accident, or as graffiti, it is difficult to remove because the concrete is so porous that the paint soaks down in.We decided to test a few different removers.Bio-Wash Masonry Strip works very well at removing oil, latex, and spray enamel paints.De-Greaser from St...
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  Why do shingles cup and curl long before their warranty date? And what is CSA certification?

  Click here for the BP Class Action Suit relating to failing organic based asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles should be able to take a lot of heat and cold, over and over again. So why do some suddenly curl up, asks Craig from Point-Claire, Quebec?Cold climate shinglesProbably the first thing to u...
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  What can I do with lots of Sawdust scrap?

  Todd is collecting a lot of fine sawdust from renovation work and doesn't want to throw it away. What do to with it?First on the safety side of the question. Fine sawdust in the air is explosive! Keep it in closed containers. Sawdust with any volitle solvents in it is like cleaning rags, it...
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  Proper installation of new whole house ventilation systems

  Joan from Armstrong, BC is having trouble adjusting the ventilation system in her new home to keep condensation off the windows. She told us the kind of system she has and said that it was required by the building code. Actually no specific system is required by any of the building codes. ...