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...
  • OVERVIEW: Outdoor concrete in a cold climate

    Air Entrainment When ordinary concrete gets wet and then freezes, the ice crystals can cause surface chipping, or even more serious fracturing. All outdoor concrete in Canada, even by code, should be what we call air entrained. This means that there are microscopic air bubbles in the concrete ...
  • What is wrong with my gurgling double sink? The Vent Valve

    David writes that he recently installed a double sink but it gurgles and backs up. It is 10 feet away from the plumbing stack and goes through a garbarator. What did he do wrong?     When you attach a large double sink on a long horizontal run, the drain pipe will tend to fill up with water ...
  • Vent Stack Ice Capping or Evaporation : I GET SEWER ODOURS INSIDE THE HOUSE OCCASIONALLY IN THE WINTER.

    Click Here to Go to the BLOG This is one of those problems that are not dealt with seriously enough by the building officials in really cold regions.  I have opened a blog space at the bottom of this article for you to add in your case history so we can demonstrate that this is a large and conti...
  • Why do plumbing washers have letters and numbers on them?

    I don't really have an answer to the question, but I can help you to understand what they mean. We could find no plumber, nor plumbing manufacturer who could actually tell us the origin of the plumbing code for rubber washers. My guess is that it probably had something to do with the inside diam...
  • What homeowners say about working with Jon Eakes.

    Two unsuccessful service visits later... I asked Jon a question by email and sent pictures about my furnace not turning on.  He pointed out something he saw (almost by accident) in the corner of one picture and that turned out to be the problem!  Solved! M Babins ------ Sump Pump configuratio...
  • It is all wet behind the shower tiles. Why?

    Ed writes from Ajax, Ontario : All 3 walls of my bathroom shower stall are finished with 4" ceramic tiles and are in good shape. When I had to remove one of them, I discovered that the drywall was behind it was so wet that I had to put a fan on it over night to dry it out before I could glue the ...
  • At what speed should my saw blades spin?

    Tools Vary Woodworking tools, from table saws to portable saws right down to tiny routers vary in rotational speeds from around 3,000 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) up to 50,000 RPM.  If it is a direct drive motor, the arbor RPM and the blade RMP are the same, which is true of routers and many, bu...
  • What do you put in a basic beginner homeowner's toolkit?

    If you are just talking about keeping the house from falling down around your head, and a few minor adjustments or additions here and there, but no real renovations -- the tool kit is rather simple. A multiple head screwdriver. A pair of pliers. A pair of clamping pliers. A light hammer. A g...
  • Radial Arm Saws

    No video - but an entire book Scroll down to:   Download the book Principles of Precision - excerpted from the book If you own this book and have a question, or if you just what to say what you think about the book, add  to  "Your Blog comments" at the bottom of this page.  If you are not su...
  • 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...
  • OVERVIEW: Lubricants: Why are there so many choices?

    Lubricants are products designed to make things slip. Sister products that have some lubrication but are specialized for other uses are penetrating oils that are used to loosen up rusted parts, drying sprays designed to remove water from electrical wires and some cleaning sprays. Although I use...
  • Softening water -- do electronic water softeners work?

    John from Halifax wrote in asking about replacing his salt based water softener with an electronic water softener to make it easier to water his lawn.   Note 2020: I originally wrote this article in 2004 and many products have come and gone since then.  I recently received several requests to l...
  • Avoiding flooding from clothes washing machines

    The rubber hoses that bring water to a clothes washer, particularly the hot water one, will age, swell, and eventually burst, usually right where they bend coming out of the faucet. The official instructions with all clothes washers are to turn these faucets on and off every time you use the mach...
  • What are BUILDING CODES and why do I care?

      For the first time in history most Canadian National Codes are free. As of April 2019, the NRC is offering free access to the downloadable and electronic formats of the National Building Code, the National Fire Code, the National Plumbing Code, and the National Energy Code for Buildings, as w...
  • Changing energy conservation habits in the home via grade school education.

    In 1990 I produced a video for NRCan (National Resources Canada) specifically targeted to grade school children to improve the energy efficiency of the family home.  If things look a bit weird in the video it is because the camera was always at the height of the eyes of a grade school kid – you s...
  • What is a Renovation Coach?

    When I work as a Renovation Coach I do the following: Trace problems to their source Evaluate options for remediation Guide you in your project – step-by-step Help avoid future problems Critique conflicting contractor propositions Find solutions that fit your house and your climate Help po...
  • Water radiator overheating the room.

    Controlling a hydronic radiator when there is no water shut-off valve.  Hydronic heating means heating with hot water or steam.  With older systems it often means overheating as well!   IS THERE NOTHING YOU CAN DO? Hydronic heating was what kept houses hot a long time ago, and some of the old...
  • Who Is Jon Eakes?

    It all started when his older brother and sister were really good at music and he couldn't carry a beat with the garbage can. So he holed up in the basement and built boats. The saving grace for his 12-year-old engineering talents was the discovery that wooden boats float even if they're full of ...
  • Quebec’s Decree to ban residential oil heating -- The hard truth and your options

      (updated May 2023)  -- Essentially nothing has changed in the last year -- read on. As for heating contractors that say you have no choice but to go all-electric, they are either ignorant of the regulations or lying to you.  When they tell you that you have no choice, tell them to call their ...
  • HIGH DENSITY AIR FILTERATION (HEPA & CARBON) – DO I NEED IT?

    After an exchange about hydroxyl air purifiers, Mike asks another question: "What is your opinion on purification units with HEPA and carbon filters versus the hydroxyl technology. I am reading a lot about fine particle pollution I.E dust and I notice that this (hydroxyl) technology does not eli...