Home Improvements

We have a century old home that we are in the middle of restoring to it's glory years, the original wood work has been preserved from the floors to the ceiling and we are now in the process of getting q...

1 May 29, 2013

Looking for information, tips, references, links, do's, don'ts... Is a contractor the best place to start or an architect? Have approached municipality & house-raising compan...

5 April 26, 2013

Our basement has flooded four times and we are sick of hauling out soaking wet carpet everytime it gets water in it. Our basement has weeping tile underneath the whole basement as it is sitting on a spring and...

8 April 9, 2013

We are considering replacing the load bearing wall to give an open concept. However I understand there's a high risk of collapse. Removing the load bearing wall and replacing it with a 17 foot micro lamb la...

10 August 10, 2015

We have an area at the rear of our home that has very little grade and no down spouts. We are looking at adding some down spouts but will have gardens beds close to the down spouts. Is it adviseable to insta...

9 August 2, 2015

I plan to do home extension, sunroof and a bedroom on the main floor. How long does this project usually take? What kind of a foundation is the best for Ottawa Kanata soil?...

11 April 6, 2013

Hi Pros, Any idea how much it would cost to install a sliding glass door at the back of a house that currently does not have a door? So in other words a cut has to be made to fit and door installed. ...

5 April 9, 2013

Hi, I am a newbie to forums. Pls. pardon any oversights. I have noticed a small amount of water at the junction of the wall with the floor in my basement especially after a thaw following a large snow...

6 March 23, 2013

Broke a concrete floor to reach the pipe or install a saniflo system....

4 March 30, 2013

Hi, I am planning two projects and considering radiant heating via cable in concrete as the way to heat both. 1) a 18 x 12 backyard studio for my wife to teach yoga in. 2) turning a 19 x 11 bas...

7 March 28, 2013

Hey, I have a basement to do later on and just curious about the cost of plumbing. a) Setting up the drain, water pipes and shower pipe as well as toilet drain for a bathroom. b) the drai...

4 March 30, 2013

Hello all, I am building a new home and want the floor in the basement to be heated. What are available systems that can be bought from suppliers in Ottawa, On. How much is it sq.ft.? Many T...

5 March 31, 2013

I'm wiring a basement washroom with an inline fan which will also exhaust the upstairs washroom. The power will come from an existing 15 AMP breaker. The power (14-2 wire) can be run into any ...

14 March 20, 2013

A portion - 8 ft x 5 ft square of my condo flooring was damaged by flooding. It is now buckling and has air pockets. It is pre engineered hardwood flooring in a tongue & groove installation. Can anyone g...

4 March 18, 2013

I want to convert my Coldroom in the basement into washroom. Could it be possible?...

8 March 18, 2013

Looking for professional help! Hope I'm in the right category...please let me know if this should be in repair. Thought we'd switch out the fixtures in the 2nd floor bath and found a nightmare. ...

12 March 21, 2013

What is the size of egress windows in accordance to Ontario Building Code?...

6 March 17, 2013

I have fixed many cracks above and below windows and doors but they always come back. I have tried Durabond, drydex and plain old Mud. I have used paper tape and fiber tape but most of them re-appear. H...

9 March 21, 2013

I plan to do the laminate installation on my stairs myself, however there is a portion of the staircase that is open to the side. The railings will be replaced as well and will sit on top of the laminate. ...

8 March 26, 2013

This probably has been discussed many times, but I haven't seen the comparisons of the subfloor products that are out there. I have a basement that I'd like to renovate--it's about ...

11 December 8, 2014