When we are working with wood studs we generally build the wall on the floor and then lean it up to the wall. But in the basement we have all kinds of overhead obstructions, so if you just tip it up, you will probably find yourself blocked by pipes or ducts.
The secret is like in the photo, to b...
For years we have talked about protecting the sill plate of basement walls from moisture rising up from the concrete. This could be water in the concrete from plumbing spills, or even from under the slab from a high-water table. The old standard ways to protect that bottom piece of wood on t...
I just received (October 2014) an alert from Healthy Building News about additives in many building products that are supposed to kill microbes and make the house healthier. These things are called “Antimicrobials”. A couple of the best known trade names are Microban and BioFresh.
Little disi...
Cutting crown moldings can be simple and it can be difficult.
First you want to check if the corner you are putting the molding into is in fact 90 degrees. If you don't check that you can get real frustrated with your mitre saw. 88 or 92 degree walls require different mitre cuts.
Over the years...
Drill
A “drill” is defined as a spinning device that has an adjustable chuck able to clamp down onto a twist bit of just about any size. Yes they still make them – usually called “drill/drivers”, because you can also put screw bits into them. The simplest ones available are usually variable...
Wooden window sashes tend to rot. There are special hardening and filler materials that can do a good job of restoring this wood without having to replace it -- also good for the bottom of door frames.
A wood hardener is the starting point, to solidify existing soft wood and prepare the area for...
Jack wants to know just how a door frame is made, so that he can take his apart. The sill is rotten.
Usually, but not always, the sill goes right under the vertical framing. Sometimes the vertical piece is notched into the sill. In either case, you have to either cut out all the rotten wood, or ...
I am often asked "what are the best replacement windows?". There is no simple answer. For a through discussion check out the National Resources Canada publication Energy-Efficient Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights, which can be found with many other energy efficiency publications by search...
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...
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...
