for Cold Climate Housing and much more

Found 60 results for the keyword ‘House’

  • Basement walls -- Moisture & Vapour Barriers

    Do I need to place a vapour barrier against the brick wall, then insulation and then another vapour barrier over that?  The wall does not leak and is fully underground.  Barbara THE VAPOUR BARRIER The vapour barrier is more properly called a vapour retarder. It is designed to stop moisture in t...
  • What temperature should a house be when you are gone for the winter?

    Jim from London, Ontario is wondering what temperature he should leave his thermostat while he migrates south for the winter. The short answer is 55 degrees F, or about 12 degrees C. That should keep the pipes from freezing, keep the humidity under control, keep the furniture from going through ...
  • Quebec Residential Electrical Rates and Subsidies

    Saving money on residential heating in 2022 – a look at the financial side.   Electrical Rate Structure summary:  Hydro Québec is developing various incentives for people to reduce their electrical use during peak periods in the winter.  Lowering the peaks in the demand for electricity allows f...
  • Zoom Consultation - Matching raised floor levels

    Video conferencing, like Zoom, is known for head-to-head talks, but it is also a dynamic tool for interactive inspections, remote on-site consultations, and remote on-site teaching.    In 2016 I tried to start a Zoom interactive webinar but back then, not many people were comfortable with video c...
  • Why Zoom problem solving consultations are effective and easy to do!

    Video conferencing, like Zoom, is known for head-to-head talks, but it is also a dynamic tool for interactive inspections, remote on-site consultations and remote on-site teaching.    See for yourself! Let me show you how much amazing detail I can see with a Zoom consultation, and with it being...
  • Quebec’s Decree to ban residential oil heating -- The hard truth and your options

      (updated May 2023)  -- Essentially nothing has changed in the last year -- read on. As for heating contractors that say you have no choice but to go all-electric, they are either ignorant of the regulations or lying to you.  When they tell you that you have no choice, tell them to call their ...
  • OVERVIEW: Changing the roof or roof covering on a house

    As I look at my own database, I see that I have almost 100 answers to specific questions about roofs and roofing.  Despite a good search engine, that much scattered information can get confusing.  Let me make just a couple of overview statements to help guide you in getting your existing or new r...
  • Removing odours: cigarettes - mould - animals - cleaning up after fire or flood = Disaster Restoration

    hether you are trying to get rid of smoke odours caused by fire or cigarettes, mold infestation, incrusted pet odours, the aftermath of a contagious disease (used to sterilize ambulances) or just preparing an apartment for rent that smells bad - read on. THE CHANGING SCIENCE This article was fi...
  • Quebec all-electric? Not possible and not even a valid objective!

    EN FRANÇAIS There is an elephant in the room – QUEBEC GETS REALLY COLD.  The ecological dream of an all-electric urban society is suicidal in a cold climate like Quebec. Extended power system black-outs are a reality of life in Quebec.  Every few years electrical system black-outs have forced...
  • Rainscreen Detailing and the Canadian Building Code

    I have reproduced below an article from the construction professional publication Solplan Review November 2008 because it was such a good article on this complicated subject.  In 2023, Solplan Review is no longer in publication.  For an animation on what is a rainscreen, follow this link.   But...