Renovation / Discussions

I'm renovating a 1901 house, detached wood frame with stone foundation. We are creating a ~1500SF owner's duplex on the 2nd floor and former attic. The basement and the 1st floor are a second apartment with a completely separate entrace, which is not being renovated at this time. The two units have separate mechanical ...

We have an extremely old house and we are loosing lots of heat, looking to do  upgrades and want to know if there are tax credits available. Tax credits and financial incentives for home energy efficiency upgrades and renos are different by region, and they are prone to come and go pretty quickly. You can see what gran...

An insulation contractor toured my 100-year old house near Toronto and told me that they wouldn't recommend installing any insulation in the basement because it could cause freeze-thaw damage to the foundation. Their stance was that these old houses like to "breathe" so it's better to avoid any changes because it's las...

We are contemplating an energy retrofit to several 1960's chalet style cabins in Northern VT.  Budget matters and the windows of the cabins are in reasonably decent shape.  We have a strategy to insulate the attic space and crawl space but were wondering the most cost effective method to insulate the walls and if we ca...

I'm planning to install and seal 2 inch eps foamboard to my basement foundation walls. From all of my reading it says that your basement foundation walls can only dry to the inside. If I put foamboard on the concrete and seal it everywhere, when moisture comes through the concrete it will have nowhere to go. Perhaps I ...

...Renovations Windows aren’t always best to replace unless they are really bad, read more here – When to replace windows and when to repair them Here is our page on choosing the best roofing materials and a cost comparison of metal roofs and asphalt shingles. Also in general I would point you towards these pages about re...

Hello, My husband and I are considering our options for our home and lot in Peterborough, ON Canada.  We have been thinking of completely renovating our current home but then came across the option of the Pre Fab Kit.  Could we speak with someone directly to find out more information and if this would be feasible for u...

...renovations, though I can’t guarantee how much it will cost. First though, you need to realize that rely on opening a window for fresh air will in the long run be an expensive solution to bring fresh air into a home, and when you aim to sell it you would likely benefit by having a ventilation solution beyond just 'open...

...renovation tax credits and financial incentives and to learn what home renovations and upgrades qualify for grants, see the pages below – What is offered in the Canada Greener Homes Grant 2021 Canada Greener Homes Grant 2021 - the "how to apply" guide - step by step The oil to heat pump affordability (OHPA) grant  

...renovation, choosing the right sealant for home repairs ensures the job lasts for years.  

I'm doing some remodelling on a cottage in Ontario. Some walls are being stripped to the studs and getting insulated with Roxul R14, some walls are not. I plan on adding house wrap and insulation and siding on exterior soon. Do I need a vapour barrier on the interior warm side if I'm using house warp on outside? Will a...

...renovations I hope you  find something of value there, and if you find any for your region we don’t have listed please let us know in the comments section so we can update it.  As for energy efficiency upgrades, you are always best to find out where your investment will get the most bang for your buck, so regardless of...

Just finished demo on 100 year old house. With the removal of wall panels and the ancient insulation aka 100-years-of-mold, the house is pretty drafty. I want to test for radon to see if I should build in a radon mitigation system before encapsulating the crawlspace- but wondering if I'll get reliable results with so m...

I'm a tenant, not a homeowner, so I can't tear down drywall and reinsulate but winter is coming and drafts are already getting in. Is there anything I can do to prevent that without upsetting my landlord? The wall I'm concerned about is the only exterior wall in the apartment, it has one window and one door. And it's i...

...renovation project How to stay on budget with renovations How to insulate a crawlspace How to remove radon gas from basements and crawlspaces   How to insulate a CMU cinder block foundation The best way to insulate a basement to avoid mold How to insulate an attic and avoid ice daming How to install sid...

I need to pull the cellulose from the attic, I have a radiant barrier on the attic ceiling and floor. I am removing the cellulose, but what non toxic insulation can I use with the radient barrier?  Hemp or wool?  Where can I buy hemp?  Thanks! You can order Hemp insulation through Ecohome, and hemp is a natural and non...

Concrete block basement wall. Moisture issue in spring ( and I suspect fall). We get a lot of people asking about the best way to insulate a cinder block (CMU) foundation wall, I would say the first place to go is this discussion here which I think already answers all your questions -   How to insulate a cinder block f...

We recently moved into a 15 year old home and have a smell coming from the basement. We had a mold inspector test and look everywhere and found no issues. We took down our insulated wall panels and there is a clear plastic barrier then pink fiberglass insulation right on the foundation. The insulation and barrier/plast...