Tips to get new life out of your old deck - The Province, May 19th, 2013

Many of you are not building a new deck, but have an older deck that you are happy with, and simply want to freshen it up. This is not a difficult task, but does require some preparation work, patience, and a little bit of manual labour!

Remodeling Decks or Restoring Deck Finish

Western Red Cedar & Pressure Treated Decks:

If face is nailed or screwed, nails will require setting below the deck surf...

Don't dicker about decks - The Province, May 12th, 2013

Last week, I explained choosing the best location for a deck, and spoke of several decking materials and options. Today, I will discuss a few other options:

Pressure-treated

Pressure-treated deck planks will be a headache for most homeowners. The homeowner trying to find a finish that will stay on will soon realize there's nothing that will stay on longer than two years. Why? I mentioned you must always finish all four sides and ends and th...

Getting all decked out - The Province, May 5th, 2013

Before you build a deck, consider location. This isn't a problem if you have all four sides of the home available. If not, you'll need to decide what location is best. The preferred space would be southeast exposure to take advantage of the all-day sun.

Every deck requires a solid base and a step away from or down from the main building. What is a step away from? Some people may call this a level entry or exit deck surface, with no obstructions when manoeuvring in or out. I like ...

Save energy, money with kitchen renos - The Province, April 28th, 2013

Remodeling your kitchen to be more eco friendly and energy efficient doesn’t mean sacrificing budget and style. Many manufacturers of kitchen flooring, countertops, appliances and other accessories have created products that not only save you energy dollars and make your space more comfortable but also add a whole new look to your space. It goes without saying that a kitchen remodeling project starts with a well designed layout taking everything into consideration including your lifestyle, budget...

Know the facts on contracts - The Province, April 21st, 2013

Spring is here, and that means the spring home show season is as well. I’m sure many of you attended the Vancouver Home & Garden show a few weeks back at BC Place. I was at the show myself and had the chance to speak to many people who attended the show. Home shows are a great place to see products you may consider using for your home improvement projects and to speak to the trades people who may end up doing those projects for you. However, I often see many new to market products and service...

Be wise with waste - The Province, April 14th, 2013

Waste from renovation projects varies in its makeup depending on the type and extent of the renovation project. However almost always you will have a demolition waste component and construction waste component. The demolition phase is where most of the waste is generated but with some planning much of the waste can be diverted from disposal or even avoided in the first place.

Look at what you can reuse before deciding to replace it. Do you need to replace this cabinet? Or change t...

Update on LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive Program as of April 1st

As many of you are aware, the LiveSmart BC Effeciency Incentive Program expired on March 31, 2013. There is now a new LiveSmart BC Effeciency Incentive Program in effect, as of April, 1, 2013.

This program is in effect for NEW PARTICIPANTS from April 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 - homeowners must have their 1st audit preformed before December 1st to be eligible for the grants 

You must have all the upgrades and pre-retrofit a...

Don't quick-fix windows - The Province, April 7th, 2013

I’ve received many inquiries to my office from homeowners who are concerned with foggy windows. What they are noticing is their windows are foggy because the sealed glass unit (dual pane glass) has been compromised, which has allowed water vapour to get inside of the window pane, showing up as moisture or condensation on the inside of the sealed glass unit.

During my 50+ years in the home improvement industry, I’ve seen my fair share of products come on the market tha...

Getting to the guts of rain gutters - The Province, March 17th, 2013

With all the rain we’ve experienced during the past week in the Lower Mainland and throughout much of BC, gutters have become a hot topic around my office. When you are considering the various gutter options, you also should consider how you are going to control the leaves and debris entering your gutter or downspout system.

Gutters and downspouts perform a function of funneling water down and away from your foundation or basement walls. A gutter system is a main line of de...

Restored cabinets enhance homes - The Province, March 10th, 2013

Kitchen cabinets are a focal point of a kitchen that will age a home if worn or dated so rejuvenating wood cabinets will make a big impact with little cost. To refresh older oak cabinets, one product that I often recommend is BriWax. 

Note: Briwax is usually available through many, IRLY, Windsor Plywood, Home Hardware stores and Rona stores. BriWax is available in colours to match most wood cabinets. Make sure to follow the instruc...