As you can see in the first graphic, the soil helps to insulate a basement so there is more heat lost on the top of the basement than on the bottom. That is why the National Building Code requires a minimum level of insulation in a basement that reaches from the floor boards above your head, down...
There is no reason to spill gas on a hot motor or the ground while filling the tank as there are more and more modern gas cans that give you control over the pour while meeting all kinds of tight regulations related to gasoline safety. The old, no-longer legal cans, had an air relief cap that yo...
The basic message to remember is that Radon is a dangerous cancer causing gas and if found to exist in high concentrations in your house the problem can be solved permenantly and at a reasonable cost. So we don't want to ignore the possibility, we need to test every house in Canada.
7% of homes...
If you have a wobbly toilet because there is something uneven on the floor the ideal solution is to find a way to level the floor. If it is wood, you could shave it down to flat. If the problem is tiles, you could remove the tiles under the toilet. But often in real life, we don't want to do eith...
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, ...
Richard writes in:
Hi, I could not find this second level question on your web site. I am familiar with the humidity levels required in a home to avoid condensation on the inside on a thermal pane window- we are still getting condensation with readings in the center of the room of 20 degree C ...
We all like the ability to reduce the intensity of a light, but not all dimmers work on all lights. First a really important distinction: Fan speed controls and light dimmers often look almost identical, but are radically different devices, not to be mixed up at the risk of burning out a motor or...
Video conferencing, like Zoom, is known for head-to-head talks, but it is also a dynamic tool for interactive inspections, remote on-site consultations, and remote on-site teaching. In 2016 I tried to start a Zoom interactive webinar but back then, not many people were comfortable with video c...
Video conferencing, like Zoom, is known for head-to-head talks, but it is also a dynamic tool for interactive inspections, remote on-site consultations, and remote on-site teaching. In 2016 I tried to start a Zoom interactive webinar but back then, not many people were comfortable with video c...
Kim from Victoria, B.C. pulled up a carpet and discovered that the concrete floor slab was not level with the door sill. What to do? Use Self Levelling concrete.
This is an easy to find but very special type of concrete that will say 'Self-Levelling' right on the bag. It is designed to flow like...
