The smoke test described in the previous answer should be used to verify the presence of typical leaks and discover those peculiar to your own house. Before sealing, read the section on Ventilation to avoid any future condensation problems.
The leaks high in the house are not necessarily the lar...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Roofing Product: Plastic Cement / cold applied Roof Patch
Temperature Limitations: Varies by product: Use above -5 C (+23 F) to above freezing
Rain Limitations: Varies by product: dry to underw...
INSPECT, MAINTAIN OR INSTALL BACKFLOW DAMPERS UNDER THE BASEMENT FLOOR BEFORE DOING ANY RENOVATION WORK IN A BASEMENT.
Installing a backflow valve between you and the city requires cutting into the concrete floor. With our changing weather, this valve is almost always necssary and generally cod...
Probably one of the best ways to learn about good and bad building techniques is to work on the renovation or restoration side of the construction picture. Here is where you see the results of everything done before, especially when the results are a failed system. In the world of ceramic, stone ...
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...
This was the first part of a special three part series designed to give you some insights to the business side of renovation because hiring a contractor and getting the job done right is a business deal. In this segment we tried to give you an idea of the advantages and disadvantages of each diff...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Adhesives Product: Adhesive for foam insulation
Temperature Limitations: Check the package: one manufacturer says above -30 C (-22 F) while another says above +15 C (+60 F).
Rain Limitations: A...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Adhesives Product: Epoxy - Wet-Bond
Temperature Limitations: Above +10 C (+50 F) -- although a special product called "Cold-Bond" will work at -6 C (+21 F)
Rain Limitations: Can be applied in r...
When Heritage Window Restoration becomes
an energy efficient & cost effective
alternative to new windows
Most of us who have worked in older neighbourhoods have at one time or another thought about or dabbled in restoring old building components rather than ripping out and installing new...
Oscillating Tools