for Cold Climate Housing and much more

Found 52 results for the keyword ‘Bathroom’

  • How do I install an exhaust fan in a basement?

    Draw air off the floor, not off the ceiling The basement is different than the rest of the house because the floor is colder, attracting more moisture, and the cold air falls and is trapped on the floor as well. So the first step is to plan for the exhaust fan to draw the air off the floor of th...
  • WHAT IS AN AIR-TO-AIR HEAT EXCHANGER, HRV and ERV?

    Air-change ventilation systems exist that take stale air out and bring fresh air in so as to not rely on cold air drafts for the entry of fresh air to the house. They are simply a box with two fans. In a few of the warm spots of Canada these are legitimate systems on their own. In most of Canada ...
  • Legality of DIY electrical and plumbing work

    NEW CONSTRUCTION In the interests of health and safety a number of trades are controlled by law, most particularly plumbing and electricity. The degree to which plumbing and electrical work are actually regulated varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For instance almost all work performed in...
  • I painted my bathroom and now I am getting mould!

    Anne painted her bathroom with latex paint and then started to get mould and mildew where she never had any before. She is wondering what she did wrong? Mould is caused by the prolonged presence of condensation. Condensation is caused by a combination of high humidity and low temperatures. If yo...
  • Installing a bathroom fan through the roof.

    Last year we visited a home to replace a "bathroom fan" but when we arrived, we found that it was vented directly into the attic. If you've been watching my show, you know that should never be! That was in the middle of the winter with ice on a steep roof, so we promised to go back and do it righ...
  • A window that is warmer than the insulated wall

    I have always said that as far as the cold getting into your house is concerned, a window is always the coldest part of a wall. But no longer. A company called Prelco from Riviere-du-loup, Quebec has produced a window called Prel-Therm that actually plugs into your electrical system. That's right...
  • Hollow Bulkheads over bathtubs.

    Rodney from Hamilton Ontario asks "why is there a bulkhead over most bathtubs? Every home I remodel seems to have the ceiling above the tub furred down about one foot." First of all Rodney, bulkheads are not a requirement of any kind and as far as I know, never were. In fact, they are a very reg...
  • Pro: Getting Ventilation Ductwork to Work

    Bathroom and kitchen fans are rated to move a certain volume of air, but do they actually move what they say they move? A study done in 1990 by CMHC says "rarely". In fact, on the average, measured volumes were 44% of rated flow for bathroom fans and 38% of rated flow for kitchen fans. The primar...
  • Techniques for Installing Drywall

    Tubs and Showers

  • The Bathtub Fill Alarm

    There are many water spill or flood detectors on the market; some hard wired, some battery operated, some free standing, some tied to central alarm systems.  The battery operated models are quite mobile and good for seasonal tasks like spring flooding or specific tasks like the bathtub overflowin...