for Cold Climate Housing and much more

Found 53 results for the keyword ‘System’

  • HEATING SYSTEMS -- AN INTRODUCTION

    Building codes require that a heating system be able to just barely maintain a comfortable house during the coldest day of the year. Hence the size of the heating system depends not only on the size of the house but on where it is located and how well it is winterized (sealed and insulated). The ...
  • Overview - Building the base to a tiled shower.

    Most people don't realize it but glazed tiles are not completely waterproof although they are highly water resistant. The reality is that the tile and the grout are not the final line of defence against water leaking through to the ceiling below. A proper built-in shower stall starts with a tape...
  • How to turn on the main breaker in your electrical panel

      If for any reason you have turned OFF the main breaker of your household electrical system, do not simply turn it back ON.  In fact in many cases it will simply not turn back on, especially if you have baseboard heaters all on all over the house.  Powering the main breaker while all the circui...
  • The 3-FLEX CONTROLLER -- getting the most out of every central heating system

    If you are looking at changing or upgrading your heating system – read this article.  It may introduce you to things you have never heard about and can certainly save you a lot of money while improving the comfort of your home.   BANNING OIL HEATING If you are concerned about the move to ban h...
  • Trained Indoor Air Quality Investigators

    As indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified as a more and more important issue in our homes, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation  had  instituted a training program to train individuals/companies who are qualified to come into your home, identify IAQ problems and outline the solutions...
  • Sealing ductwork in an attic

    Often furnace heating and air conditioning duct work is run though an attic and then back down into the house. Personally I think that this is a really bad idea unless there is absolutely no alternative route. Why? First, most duct work is not sealed where it goes through the ceiling, so a lot o...
  • Keeping a laptop going (quietly) - from Win7 to Win11

      Ultra Soft -- the Montreal store that still solves LAPTOP problems I keep finding myself going back to the first laptop store in Montreal, now a tiny basement workshop at 16 Westminster Ave in Montreal West called UltraSoft.  After all the big stores and websites have stolen away the market f...
  • Quebec Residential Electrical Rates and Subsidies

    Saving money on residential heating in 2022 – a look at the financial side.   Electrical Rate Structure summary:  Hydro Québec is developing various incentives for people to reduce their electrical use during peak periods in the winter.  Lowering the peaks in the demand for electricity allows f...
  • 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 ...
  • OVERVIEW: Changing the roof or roof covering on a house

    As I look at my own database, I see that I have almost 100 answers to specific questions about roofs and roofing.  Despite a good search engine, that much scattered information can get confusing.  Let me make just a couple of overview statements to help guide you in getting your existing or new r...