The citywide number is the one everybody quotes and the one least useful for deciding anything. A market described as balanced can contain a neighbourhood where units sit empty for months and another where nothing lasts a fortnight, and an…
If you spend your weekends building a cozy cabin, finishing a basement, or keeping backyard chickens, you already know that a hands-on approach to home maintenance means paying attention to the small stuff before it becomes a big problem. Tiny…
Steve Maxwell explains the importance of how homeowners handle unforeseen problems as they emerge in the home, especially in relation to time.
Feel like opting out of the rat race and making it on your own in the country? It’s a great idea, but success depends on how well you manage your personal work habits.
Question: How should I reinforce my floor before installing new ceramic tiles? A written quote I received from a contractor includes 3/8” plywood fastened on top of the existing subfloor, but my friend says it should be 5/8”. What do…
Question: Is it practical to create rain-proof shelter under the floor of a second storey deck? There’s a lot of tall space under mind and I want to use the space for BBQing and entertaining. Answer: Raised decks can offer…
Want to build a timber frame home but don’t have the budget? There are ways around that difficulty.
Watch Steve show how to apply an astonishing smooth urethane finish on interior wood, without using a sprayer.
While the energy efficiency of new homes and renovations has gone way up over the last few decades, most people don’t realize how much more gains are possible. Employ the renovation and new construction strategies you’ll find here and you’ll…
Winter is the season when people in cold regions rely most on home insulation. That’s because winter presents the greatest insulation needs – both physically and financially. The thing is, you have to think correctly about insulation in the off-season…
Fabric structure buildings have become a popular option for barns, equipment storage, workshops and agricultural buildings. Compared with traditional framed buildings, they can go up faster, cost less per square foot and provide bright interior spaces filled with natural light….
Portable power stations (sometimes called portable solar generators), are an up-and-coming technology that offers more than gas-powered generators. Watch this video tour of the technology and see how one of the newest and most widely available models stacks up.