Gerry, one of the Home Improvement Guys on CFUN radio in Vancouver joined me in working on a solution for Ramona's slimy green BC deck which you can see in the photo.Here is the Home Improvement Guys' BC mix for removing outdoor slime:FALL CLEANING FORMULA (also known as Spring Cleaning Formula...
A viewer in Brandon, Man. had some questions about why his stockwall has started to shrink and crack. Art asked whether it is the aggregate he used or the logs themselves.Good question and I couldn't really help much. (But read on and you will see that at least one of our viewers does have so...
In this segment on my TV show we showed several commercial and home made winter emergency kits. The common elements are:some form of first aid kit red flashers or reflectors a flash light Candles aluminum foil for warmth a colorful distress flag - to show up against white snow
Linda in Oakville has finished a deck and asks Jon about the correct stain to use.Stains are optional and only serve the purpose of changing the colour of the wood. Opaque stains are not made for walking surfaces, they are not durable enough.What is not optional is a water repellent and some f...
George from Fort Frances, Ontario has a problem of snow melting off of his new addition. He is trying to pin down the problem because this causes ice formation on the edge of the roof.He had a ridge vent installed, but never checked to see if his soffit vents worked. A ridge vent, without goo...
Pest control companies generally divide into two categories: insects and small pests that one wants to exterminate; rodents and larger animals that should be captured and released.When store bought remedies fail to work, you need the help of a professional. They will have different chemicals...
Dave Ashberry of King Packaged Materials joins Jon in running down the various methods and products used making surface repairs to concrete.Cracked corners or edges on concrete steps are a major hazard and should be fixed. Top & Bond is one of the basic surface patching materials availab...
Ice Dams are created when heat from the house gets into the attic and manages to melt the bottom of the snow pack. This melt water flows down to the edge of the roof where it is now freezing cold and you get ice dams or ice cycles. Ice dams back water up behind them and this finds it way under ...
When pipes go from a cottage down through the crawl space and into the ground, they risk freezing. Simply wrapping them in insulation will not protect them, especially if the wind manages to blow though the fiberglass.Dig down about a foot where the pipes go into the ground. Remove the insulati...
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...
