Hiring a Contractor (original article) At some time, most homeowners will hire someone for repairs or renovations. Even a homeowner experienced in home repairs may have to hire a contractor or renovator because of the size or level of difficulty of the job. This fact sheet will help you choose a contractor and work...
Although it is ideal to pay for your renovations in cash, comparing financing options can ease the stress of the renovation process. Most renovators turn to financing their renovation using credit cards and personal loans. This can become quite costly as interest rates on these types of financing are typically higher (typically 6 to...
Do you get knots in your stomach every time you walk down to the basement during the spring thaw? You’re not alone! Water in the basement is a very common problem. You might assume that the most obvious cause is a crack in your foundation, but that’s not always the case. Check out these...
Cansolair is a company based in Newfoundland that’s developed a solar heater that’s built with recycled pop cans (and by “recycled” we mean basically opened, cleaned and painted, there’s no expensive smelting and recasting involved). It’s pretty fascinating as this video attests: How the cansolair pop can solar heater is manufactured More info here:
If you’re like me, even if you hire contractors to do all of the dirty tasks, you are still going to pitch in here and there to do some renovation work such as patching, sanding, cleaning, painting, demolition etc. During the beginning of winter, when the air turns most dry and we use hotter...
Ijeoma Ross has put together a great article that lists and explains the Top 10 renovations that give you the most bang for your buck (10 renovations with big returns). Here they are: 1. Bathrooms Renovators can get 90% – 105% of their bathroom money back when they sell their house. Adding an extra...
Fall season home improvement “must do” projects around your home With cold weather approaching and heating bill season here for a while, we have some suggestions for this fall season. Get your furnace cleaned, whether hot water, forced-air or other, dirt and grime greatly affect your furnace’s efficiency Replace your furnace air filter. Forced-air...
Not all siding is created equal. Most of the time, a little extra money gets you much greater value. Keep this in mind now that residing your home is one of the best ways to improve the value of your home. A short list of siding includes vinyl, wood, stucco, brick, rock, aluminums,...
After working for several years with geothermal energy pioneer James Bose at Oklahoma State University, entrepreneur Gerald McClain has developed a new geothermal heating and cooling unit suitable for homes that uses up to 2-3 times less power than conventional electric heaters. Heat pumps work as a fridge in reverse Heat pumps work as...
Well it’s that crazy time of year again for all of us, back to school means moms and dads are happy that school is starting! Students are heading back for another semester and moving companies are as busy as ever… As the September excitement hits us, we have some tips for home owners at...
So here are some things to think about regarding decks. Although summer is almost finished, it does not mean you can not get good use yet out of a deck. What are some of your options? So many people are opting for composite deck. The belief here is that they are maintenance free. That...
That old house, best opportunity? I have renovated 3 early 20th century houses in the past 10 years. Beautiful, disgusting, challenging and financially rewarding, each of them! My first home was called the “Money Pit”, named so by a friend I invited over for a demo party, where we were tasked with taking down...
Do not forget about grading for rain around your house. With all the rain this country has been having, I though a little reminder and some tips would be appropriate. What may happen, if you have a negative grade away from your home is the accumulation of water. Even newer homes with the...
Just a reminder to everyone, since I’m having this done: have your heating ducts cleaned. This is slow season for all the operators and prices tend to be lower. We do not usually use our furnaces in the summer, (unless you have spent some time in the prairies this summer) so it is a...
How do you increase the value of your home? Renovations seem always to be the answer. If you are careful they will bare fruit. Typically, lipstick and rouge are common short term answers if you need to sell your home quickly. By this I mean paint. Clean neutral tones please. Everyone loves the current...
With the recession hitting home, the current federal government tried to kick start the economy by advancing a tax incentive for home renovation. I can only assume it was meant to help generate work for the trades. The Home Renovation Tax Credit did some of that. Fairly good idea you would think, but here...
“Green” is now such a loaded word it immediately makes you think of… well… politics, consumption (like sometimes spending more to save more) and opinions less than our impact on the earth. “Thinking Green”, “Going Green” and “Green Movement” all should mean the same thing: doing things more efficiently, with less materials and less...
If you buy an older house it may need a lot of work, including installing new floors. If you intend to fix it up and sell it, a quick and easy way might be to use engineered hardwood. The glue down process might be for you. Modern, engineered wood is clean, hypo-allergenic and well,...
By Erik Kulakowsky, CA ( Kül & Associate … www.kultax.com ) At this point, the only way we’re getting rid of this tax is if the NDP get elected (NDP leader Andrea Horwath vowed to abolish HST should she win the next election), but since that’s never going to happen, might as well learn...
Advancements in roofing have been made over the years in regards to durability, sustainability, and aesthetics. From the earliest fire-hazardous and short-lived straw roofs to a modern green roof. Though roofs have always served to protect inhabitants from the outdoors, basic improvements such as slanting a roof and adding eavestroughs for proper water drainage,...