for Cold Climate Housing and much more

Latest Database Entries

  • Legality of DIY electrical and plumbing work

    NEW CONSTRUCTION In the interests of health and safety a number of trades are controlled by law, most particularly plumbing and electricity. The degree to which plumbing and electrical work are actually regulated varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For instance almost all work performed in...
  • How can I stop the ping noise in my baseboard electric heaters?

    One viewer has tried loosening the screws that hold the heater to the wall to stop that ping noise, to no avail. No, that is not where it is rubbing. There will always be a little bit of metal expansion noise when a baseboard heater goes quickly from totally cold to maximum hot, but it can be min...
  • Strange white stuff around the patch on my concrete wall.

    Ed from Quesnel, B.C. had patched a leak in his concrete wall. It worked -- no more water. But now a strange white stuff has developed all around the patch. What is happening? Obviously he has succeeded in stopping the water from entering his basement, but he has not eliminated the presence of w...
  • Should I put an air deflector over my baseboard heaters? No!

    Jean Charles from Shawinigan, Quebec noticed that the heat from his baseboard heaters was flowing up and being "wasted" by hitting the cold window glass. So he decided to put a piece of plywood over the heater to deflect the heat out into the room. He even sent me sketches of before and after. Y...
  • Working with stairs

    Paul from Vancouver wants to put some new stairs down to his basement, but he has a very limited opening in the floor above. He wants to know just how do you determine the slope of stairs. In the first photo you can see on the model the triangle formed by stairs as they go to the basement. The t...
  • A close look at carpenter's hammers.

    There is a confusing array of hammers on the store shelf, and then many more that aren't on the ordinary store shelves. You may be surprised to learn that there are cultural differences in hammers.   Here is a comparison of a North American with a British hammer. The head itself is similar bu...
  • Speciality soles and shoes -- protecting against slipping and crushing

    We can't walk on water, but we do try to walk on ice   When I first wrote this article in 2009, speciality work stores were about the only place you could buy of any these shoe spikes outside of the Internet.  In 2020 if you live where there is ice on the ground, you can find them in renovati...
  • Applying Rain Screen Principles - Pressure Equalization - to the Window/Wall interface in low rise residential construction

      THE CHALLANGE FOR INSTALLERS AND MANUFACTURERS jump to - RAIN SCREEN RESEARCH History   Jump to - RESIDENTIAL PRESSURE EQUALIZATION RESEARCH FINAL REPORTS   There are many variations on how to install a window into a wall, largely differing between new construction and renovation, but ther...
  • Residential Window Installation with Pressure Equalization

    A research project by George Brown College and Jon Eakes studying pressure equilization in low rise wood frame residential construction    Link to PDF: Pressure Equalization final report revised January 2024 --  George Brown College.  Link to Fenestration Canada's January 18th 2024 webinar on...
  • How to keep brass polished

    Theresa in Grand Valley Ontario is not looking forward to keeping a nice brass backsplash in her kitchen nice and brass looking. The key is to clean it well, making sure there is no wax on it, and then spray it with a varnish or any other clear finish. Simply some transparent finish from a spray...
  • RIGID BOARD: EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE

    Example: Styrofoam products by Dow (by the way, Styrofoam is a Dow Chemical brand name and not a generic term for foam insulation). Colour: Blue (Dow) or Pink (Celfort) Thermal Resistance: RSI - .035/mm R - 5.0/in. Very high. Cost: high Capacity to dry out if wet: Won't get wet Fire Resistan...
  • Wet Styrofoam -- will it dry out?

      Wayland asked: “Does wet Owens Corning Formula Styrofoam ever dry out?” Extruded polystyrene insulation is generally considered waterproof.  In fact it was first invented by Dow Chemical for the US army in WW I to provide unsinkable floating bridges -- and has been used as the flotation eleme...
  • Rainscreen Detailing and the Canadian Building Code

    I have reproduced below an article from the construction professional publication Solplan Review November 2008 because it was such a good article on this complicated subject.  In 2023, Solplan Review is no longer in publication.  For an animation on what is a rainscreen, follow this link.   But...
  • Quebec all-electric? Not possible and not even a valid objective!

    EN FRANÇAIS There is an elephant in the room – QUEBEC GETS REALLY COLD.  The ecological dream of an all-electric urban society is suicidal in a cold climate like Quebec. Extended power system black-outs are a reality of life in Quebec.  Every few years electrical system black-outs have forced...
  • Aluminum to Copper electrical connectors

    THE WIRE WORKS, THE CONNECTIONS ARE THE PROBLEM Aluminum wire does a good job of conducting electricity (although you do have to use one size larger wire than copper for the same electrical load) and can do the same job for less money. So for a short while it was used in houses for regular wirin...
  • Plastic supply water pipe law suits : Poly-B, Kitec, PEX fittings...

      Copper is a trusted and proven piping for residential water systems.  For years people have been interested in one form or another of more flexible plastic or mixed metal/plastic pipes that could be snaked through a house with fewer joints and easier installation.  Unfortunately there have bee...
  • How to close off a chimney temporarily

    Jacqueline from Red Deer Alberta is trying to figure out how to close up her chimney between periods of using the fireplace, given that her damper is burned out and very difficult to replace. Closing off the top of the chimney There are dampers that go on the top of the chimney and are pulled t...
  • Trimming Edges

    Drywall cuts best when you score the paper and snap the board. When cutting near the edge of a piece of drywall this is not an easy task. Here are some tips from how to clean up a rough cut to seeing how professionals "double score" small cuts near the edge.  The tool is called a "Drywall Strippe...
  • HOW DOES HYDROXYL AIR SANITATION WORK? – THE SCIENCE

    Hydroxyl generators are used heavily in industrial, commercial and institutional buildings including schools and hospitals for sanitizing the air, controlling offensive odours and providing that “fresh air” smell without fragrances.   They are used extensively in flood and fire restoration for cl...
  • Ozone Generators to clean up air quality problems -- good or bad?

    If you listen to the sales people, this is a hot debate. If you talk to Health Canada, this is a settled issue. Isabelle Sauve from Health Canada was as clear as the warnings issued by her department (January 1999) -- devices designed specifically to produce ozone may be dangerous to your health ...
  • Removing odours: cigarettes - mould - animals - cleaning up after fire or flood = Disaster Restoration

    hether you are trying to get rid of smoke odours caused by fire or cigarettes, mold infestation, incrusted pet odours, the aftermath of a contagious disease (used to sterilize ambulances) or just preparing an apartment for rent that smells bad - read on. THE CHANGING SCIENCE This article was fi...