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...
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...
As if painting was not difficult enough… The most common difficulties encountered during the winter while apply quality acrylic latex paint is an uneven look due to roller marks, curtaining and picture framing (when cutting and rolling looks different). There is a very simple explanation for this and it has to do with drying...
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...
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...
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...
“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,...
I am currently involved in a circa 1950’s house renovation. We are completely gutting it: dry wall, floors, ceilings and some form of insulation (mainly hay and newspaper it looks like). What really struck me was the knob and tube electrical system. Knob and tube electrical is a system of rubber and cloth covered...
A friend of mine was asking me how I keep my house so cool in the summer heat? He knows I don’t have an air conditioner and wondered how I apply my HVAC to deal with it. Well, in Calgary, the one truly hot week we get in summer just isn’t worth air conditioning...
Granite has long been the trendy choice for counter-tops, however it may be on the way out as other materials on the market are found to have the same qualities and added appeal. Equal quality, durability and a unique appearance now exist with wood, engineered and natural stone, stainless steel materials, and glass surfaces....
A budget renovation may be said to include the installation of laminate or vinyl flooring and counter-tops. However, laminate materials have evolved to more closely resemble valuable granite counter-tops, hardwood flooring and ceramic tiles, and offer other benefits to builder and homeowner to be discussed. More recently, vinyl has increased in popularity as an...
Kitchen Renovations and Remodeling, home improvement contractors and kitchen renovators When renovating a kitchen, regardless of the age of the house, a kitchen renovation is an excellent return on investment both in terms of quality of life as well as increasing the value of the home. Modern kitchen renovation designs are ideal for updating...
Plumbers are more than a rescue team for repairing leaks and unclogging pipes, they offer skills vital for many home renovation and improvement projects. Major plumbing projects or those that require more than a day’s work, span the entire home, and involve the installation of heavy equipment, more accurately require the help of Plumbing...
Architectural detailing can transform a home from bland and impressive, standard to custom, average to valuable. These details are the unique design features found in older homes, or the design extras of the newer ones. Architectural detailing can be built in with the original construction of the home, take for example arched entranceways and...