Are sealed, unventilated attics a good idea? There’s a fair amount of debate on the topic, with some engineering folks claiming the advantages of insulating the underside of the roof deck with spray foam. This is a big change from…
Structural insulated panels are a foam and wood sandwich that takes the place of a wood frame, and SIP buildings use roughly half the energy required for heating and cooling than the same stick-frame, fibre-insulated building would consume. This is…
What’s the best strategy for insulating the inside surface of the solid brick walls of my 1969 bungalow? I’m planning to strip the interior surface, install 2×4 strapping, then spray the cavities full of foam. Is spray foam safe? Should…
What’s the best way to clean a dirty, mildewed, pressure treated deck? Should I use TSP? Does the wood need anything else before refinishing? Cleaning a deck with TSP is an option, but I prefer a different approach. Deck brightener products…
What recommendations can you offer for the foundation of a seasonal, water-access cottage we’re building directly on bedrock? I plan to follow your idea of using foam forms to contain the concrete as it surrounds a crawlspace, but I wonder…
Should I install a plastic vapour barrier on the inside of basement wall frames? They’re made with wood studs, and I removed old, moldy insulation and drywall then replaced it with new batts. I’ve heard some people say you shouldn’t…
Yes, you certainly can install solid wood flooring in an unheated cottage. In fact, lack of heat in the winter is actually a benefit when it comes to solid wood. It’s wintertime heating that dries wood out, causing stress, gaps…
On June 12, 2012, Shae from Sterling, Virginia wondered if a light colored, floating wood floor would work well with the dark, walnut paneling in her foyer. In this video I address the technical side regarding the new breed of…
Is there a cheaper way to control wintertime window condensation and icing than installing a $2000 heat recovery ventilator? Yes, there is another way to get rid of moisture, but you’re not going to like it. The alternative to an…
How can I stop white, salt-like powder from appearing on the block walls of our basement cold room? I brushed it off then washed the wall with muriatic acid, rinsed it down with water, then applied a coat of paint…
The challenge with any kind of masonry surface is cleaning the paint out of all those pores:
Can I use regular insulation batts to replace the paper-backed batts used between the ends of the floor joists where they meet the outside walls in a basement? The fact is, neither paper-backed nor plain insulation batts are ideal where…