Todd in Kirkland, Quebec writes: "I just purchased a house that has five low profile roof vents, 3 gable vents and perfect soffit ventilation. I have insulated the attic and now have R32. My concern is whether the low profile roof vents and gable vents will be effective in the winter or should I ...
More and more we are seeing tankless water heaters, both for replacing our regular hot water tank and for hot water radiant heating. Do they work? Where did they come from? Are they proven technology or new gadgets?
MOST OF THE WORLD IS TANKLESS
Actually, we may want to ask: "Where have we b...
Low flow toilets: do they work? do they not work? This is an ongoing very interesting debate. This history of the evolution was first written in 2001. For the latest updates on this story and current data on toilets that do work, click here.
The average Canadian household uses between 7 hundred...
Leafs and other debris clogging up the rain gutters can be the death of a roof. On a one story bungalow you can pretty easily keep those gutters clean but when things are higher up, or you have a lot of mature trees in the yard, it can be a big maintenance task. If you have tried any of the scree...
Scratches on furniture can often be camouflaged by any of a number of simple techniques, especially if the scratch follows somewhat the grain of the wood.
WIPE-ON POLY
When there is no stain on the wood, so the finish is actually the natural colour of the wood, simply putting a bit more fini...
One of the most successful, but most expensive ways to keep leaves out of rain gutters is to place a solid shield over the top.
Using the principle of surface tension of water, the water flows over the shield and wraps around its outside curve. That curve extends out over the rain gutter itsel...
Alternatives to paying hydro to not install a smart meter
In Quebec as in some other jurisdictions, the electrical utility has opened the door to refusing the installation of Smart Meters by consumers -- but at a consideral penality. Initially, in 2012, Hydro Quebec is imposing a $137 charge ju...
When Heritage Window Restoration becomes
an energy efficient & cost effective
alternative to new windows
Most of us who have worked in older neighbourhoods have at one time or another thought about or dabbled in restoring old building components rather than ripping out and installing new...
One of our viewers is about to insulate his basement and he has been told that he should not run the vapour barrier all the way to the floor. Fact or fiction?
You should run the vapour barrier wherever there is insulation to keep the moisture on the warm side of the wall. And in a basement insta...
Linoleum used to be the kitchen floor covering of choice, but with the arrival of less expensive vinyl flooring which had colourful patterns, it got lost in the market. Yet linoleum has always been one of the most natural flooring materials following wood. It has been and is still made up ba...
