How should I insulate my basement? I’ve been researching foam products and they look impressive, but I can’t find any contractors who think foam insulation in basements is a good idea. All they recommend is stud frame walls with fiberglass…
Steve answers a question from a worried homeowner who is noticing ice build up in his downspouts during winter.
How can I widen the spaces between my deck boards on my 3 year old cottage deck? Pine needles and other debris are building up between the deck boards and I’m concerned about moisture build-up and rot. In this video…
In this video I assist Joanne, from Kingston Ontario, with a cold floor situation in her 95 year old home which is mostly over an unheated crawl space.
In this video I give advice to Gareth, from Ottawa, who is wondering how to anchor the partition walls in a basement he’s renovating. He wants to know if he should put the partition walls on top of a dimpled…
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, shares insight and tips towards finishing your basement.
What’s the best way to make my brass door hardware shiny again? As I polish the metal only some areas come clean. The problem you’ve got comes from a lacquer coating. It’s intended to prevent tarnishing during storage, but it…
Can I store paint in an unheated garage? Living in the country there’s always something that needs a lick of paint. We keep a small supply of paint in a metal cabinet in the basement, but would like to move…
Although it’s possible to install vinyl flooring directly on concrete, it’s not a great idea. I’ve seen vinyl separate from the concrete over time, besides the fact that a basement floor constructed this way won’t feel very warm underfoot. That’s…
What can I do to fill the cracks between pine floor boards on my covered veranda? Every four years I need to replace large sections due to rot, and before painting I fill the cracks. In a week or two…
How can I treat two new cedar decks I’ll be building at our restaurant? I need something that looks good and requires little work. In this video, Steve Maxwell answers a question from a homeowner wanting advice on treating their…
Will it do any good to put drainage tiles under the patio slabs around the perimeter of our leaky basement? The slabs measure 18″ x 18” and begin right next to the wall. Water is leaking into the basement where…