Will insulating my garage warm up the cold bathroom that’s above it? The garage doesn’t have any insulation now, just block walls and an open ceiling frame above. Should I be using spray foam? What kind? Insulating garage walls won’t…
Can you please direct me to a reliable source of information on the real cost of energy from wind and solar? It seems that these options requires constant government subsidy to remain viable. If nuclear energy is environmentally less friendly…
Do I need to anchor the new cultured marble vanity top I’ll be installing in my bathroom? One guy in the hardware store says to let only the plumbing hold it down, and other says to use “some kind of…
How should I deal with the floor in my basement that has just flooded? Some of the prefinished hardwood has started to swell. I assume I will need to lift the entire lot and dispose of it, but thought I’d…
What’s the best container to store carrots in my root cellar? Will plastic do or must I use metal? We’ve just moved into a house with a cellar below the front porch and I’m really excited about storing food for…
How can I expand the living space in my house on a tight budget? We are a family of five and my middle child is 9 years old and has a serious illness involving medical equipment and support workers. As…
What’s the best way to insulate the sloped second floor ceilings of my 1949 storey-and-a-half double-brick house? There are three options that I know of: The baffle method is time consuming to create, but good because it allows air movement…
How can I stop a strip of condensation from forming on one wall of my bathroom during cold weather? It always happens after a shower, and I think it’s caused by a cast iron plumbing vent directly behind the wall…
What’s the most economical method of heating a new home I’m planning to build electric infloor heating or an electric boiler of floor mats? Natural gas isn’t available on my lot and I don’t want to burn oil or wood….
What’s the best way to stop drafts from coming in around the new recessed light fixtures I’ve had installed? The electrician was careful to replace the insulation around each ceiling box but it didn’t do much good. Can I apply…
What’s the best product to use for finishing the interior of pine windows? I want to leave the wood its natural colour, and I’m thinking of either waterbased urethane or tung oil. Which do you recommend? The interior surface of…
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…