All outside electrical outlets must be protected with a gadget called a Ground Fault Interrupter or GFI. This can take the form of a special outlet (the one with the test button in the middle) or of a more expensive GFI circuit breaker at the breaker panel. A GFI in any electrical line then pro...
Bill from Edmonton, Alberta has coloured and varnished concrete outdoors, which has turned out to be just too slippery.To keep the same look but eliminate the safety hazard I would suggest another coat of the same finish but while it is wet, sprinkle in painter's sand. You can find little contai...
Although many insulating materials are fire resistant, most of the plastic-type foam products, be they injected as foam or installed in rigid sheets are flammable and must be covered with fire protective materials when they are inside the house exposed to a living space. 12 mm (1/2 in.) drywall ...
Revised November 2, 2004Should electrical outlets be installed with the ground pin up or down?There is a lot of debate and few regulations on this question.The first time I got asked this question, it came from Newfoundland. You can see my answer to that question by searching for ""Outlets"" in...
Shower faucets exist that will keep the temperature the same despite pressure differences in the plumbing system -- like when someone flushes a toilet. To see details about this "pressure balancing valve", go to "Nuts & Bolts", enter the keyword "shower" and look for "How to stop shower ...
Jeff Dale from Toronto's Classic Fire Protection service came in to talk about fire extinguishers.Research has shown that one reason people do not have fire extinguishers, or that they don't put them out on the wall where they should be, is that they find that big red can ugly. So something i...
When an earthquake strikes you have two major things to worry about:First, things may move or fall over. This could mean glasses falling out of cupboards, or electrical appliances crashing to the ground (fire hazard) or even the hot water tank tipping over (fire hazard again).Second, the house...
Garry from Madoc, Ontario sent in the recommendation of locating full-arm veterinary gloves (cost 25 cents from a farm supply store) when working with fiberglass.You could also cover up with newspaper wrappers or bread wrappers to keep your arms itch free. And disposable work suits are available...
Dr. Don Pinchin of the Pinchin Group in Mississauga, Ontario is an expert in asbestos abatement who usually works on large commercial projects. We got him to show us what forms of asbestos we might still find in our homes, and just how dangerous they might be.The key message was that if it is...
Linda from Kirkland Lake, Ontario has sanded and finished her deck with an opaque stain and finds it impossibly slippery. She has tried painter's sand, but it doesn't work. What to do?The opaque stain is the problem, together with too much sanding. A finely finished kitchen table is slipper...
