Most vinyl windows are white, and the reason has largely to do with the way vinyl expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Light colours reduce heat build up in the window frames, eliminating the bowing, bending and cracking that…
Can I use plastic lumber to build some Adirondack chairs for my cottage? It’s now time to replace the wooden chairs I made 20 years ago, and I’m interested in the rot resistance, weight and freedom from finishing that plastic…
We’ve just rebuilt our cedar deck and want to apply the best staining treatment to protect it. In the past everything we’ve put on other decks has either peeled off or was quickly damaged by the claws of our dog….
I live in a six year-old two story home, and when the shower or bath faucets are turned on in the bathroom, the cold water pipe vibrates and makes a knocking noise. I’ve located the spot in the basement where…
Four years ago I had the first part of a solid cherry cabinet set installed in my kitchen. Unfortunately, the water-based urethane I finished them with hasn’t aged gracefully. There are grease marks around the door knobs and water marks…
How can I fix a new door that has an uneven gap at the top? I know that the proper thing to do is to take out the door jamb and square it up, but I hope there’s another way….
How can I boost the energy efficiency of the floor-to-ceiling windows in my high-rise condo? Heating costs are very high here, and I’m thinking of trying window blankets this winter. Any coverings I choose will also need to keep early…
What can I do to protect a laminate floor in case of a water heater leak? It’s in our cottage, and at times no one’s around to deal with trouble, should it arise. Everything is located on the same level,…
How can we stop water from seeping through the walls of the cold room built in a basement underneath our front steps? We’ve parged and painted inside several times with concrete oil-based paint, but nothing works. The room has become…
We’re having problems with the hardwood floor in our house and I hope you can help. Our place was built last summer, and the floor was site-finished with three coats of varnish after sanding. For the first two months the…
How can my hubby and I get rid of recurring mold that appears in a corner of our bedroom ceiling? It’s the place where the ceiling meets an outside wall. I’ve seen this sort of thing before, and the cause…
What are my options for fixing flaking brick on the front of my house? The place was built in 1980, and the bricks were failing noticeably by the late 80’s. I’ve had repair work done over the years, but the…