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...
Certain parts of Canada, particularly in the Winnipeg region, have a traditional construction technique that presents serious challenges when you want to insulate a basement -- the ends of the joists are actually embedded in the concrete foundation wall. Chris, from Winnipeg, asked for some f...
How do you get enough space above the wall and below the roof for both massive insulation and ventilation? One way in new construction, or even in the rebuilding of a roof, is what we call a Raised Heel Truss. This design forces the overhang of the house further out from the house, but does gi...
Il n’y a pas beaucoup d’information en français sur ce site, mai comme j’ai produit les vidéos sur le radon dans les deux langues, j’ai voulu les partager avec mes visiteurs qui sont plus confortable dans la langue de Molière. Cliquez ici pour visionner les vidéos techniques pour le travail sur ...
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...
Have we really moved to a new generation of Pressure Treated Wood?
With the introduction of MicroPro treated wood to the Canadian market in the spring of 2013, some are saying that we have a game change in exteriour wood and building decks. It has taken several years to get this technology adap...
There are many reasons why detailed planning is essential in renovation and construction. Good planning avoids a lot of changes as you go, and often changes are very disruptive if you have to go back and rebuild something already done. Good planning gives you a chance to see the whole picture, ...
Back Pain and arthritis are probably the two primary health problems that cause people to give up manual trades and even renovating or repairing their own homes. Back pain in particular can step in while people are quite young.
It doesn't have to be so.
I have always had a peculiar pro...
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...