Winterize your irrigation system before it’s too late

An automatic sprinkler system is one of the best investments you can make in your home. It provides you with a healthy and beautiful landscape, saves you money, and frees up your time to engage in the activities you truly enjoy. In addition, they can be set to the current local watering restrictions.

Planning a short getaway? Worried about who will water the yard? No problem, once your automatic sprinkler system is programmed, it will run itself. Precisely a...

Preparing your Home Before You Leave for Extended Vacations

Before leaving your home unoccupied for an extended length of time review this check list of pre-vacation tasks that should be addressed before leaving on vacation.

• Have a family member or friend drop in 2 times per week.
• Defrost fridge, remove meats and dairy products and shut off automatic ice maker.
• Shut off water supply to clothes washer.
• Pour a litre of water (add 3 tablespoons of bleach to litre) in dishwasher and clothes washer.
<...

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Store your paint for easy pouring

August 26, 2008

Save your liquid laundry soap containers for a great way to store paint. The spout works great for dispensing paint. Just wash them out and fill the jugs using a funnel, paint a swatch of colour on the side and you’re good to go. You can get rid of those rusty paint cans that splatter when closed and drip down the side of the cans when filling paint trays. ...

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How To Replace Electrical Switches Yourself

April 5, 2008

If a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips every time you turn on a switch, the switch itself is probably to blame and should be replaced. There are many different types of switches, but replacement procedures for most of them are similar. You may wish to substitute a different type for the faulty one; for example, replacing and ordinary switch with a mercury (silent) type.

Make sure the electricity is turned off before beginning to work. Either remove the fuse or trip the breaker servi...

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Cladding with Carpet:

March 3, 2008

An ideal way to dress up your patio or steps this project is done using cladding with indoor/outdoor carpeting.

Advantages:
• Indoor/outdoor carpeting is inexpensive and readily available
• It covers up nail holes, chips, splits and other imperfections in wood
• Adhesive and paint coatings, form a protective layer, impervious to rain, sun and scuffing.
• You can use any type and color of paint, helping you use up all those paint leftovers from other proj...

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Gutter repair

November 28, 2007

Straight Overlap Seam Repair:

Using EPDM Peel & Stick

1. Ensure that gutter is clean
2. Must be dry
3. Lightly sand with 200 grit sand paper
4. Peel back 8 - 12" EPDM Peel & Stick and apply to seam
5. EPDM must extend 6 - 8" over seam both ways
6. Use hair dryer to keep EPDM flexible
EDPM Peel 7 Stick ie: Protecto Wrap, Quaker Brand can be purchased at roofing distributors.



Tremco Instant Patch method...

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Refacing your kitchen cabinets

February 21, 2007

Your dark kitchen cabinets don't look new anymore and you would like to lighten up the colour to give your kitchen a modern look?

First let me say, that the process of changing your cabinet colour the easy way is not a fast way. First purchase a water based paint and varnish stripper such as 3M's Safest Stripper. Remove hardware from the doors and drawers. Pour a quantity of the stripper into a wallpaper water tray. Stand the door or drawer in the tray and brush on the paint and varnish st...

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Furnace Tune-Up Checklist

November 29, 2006



[ ] Clock and adjust input to the manufacturer’s rating plate specifications.

[ ] Confirm temperature rise across heat exchanger is within the manufacturer’s rating plate specifications.

[ ] Inspect and clean fan and air filter assembly.

[ ] Inspect filters or electronic air cleaner as applicable.

[ ] Inspect, adjust and clean pilot light and electronic ignition as applicable.

[ ] Visually inspect heat exchanger. (if acce...


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Quick Hints for Keeping the Heat In

November 28, 2006

Install a ceiling fan in rooms with high or cathedral ceilings to push warm air down where it’s needed.

Close the drapes as soon as the sun goes down in winter to keep warm air in the room

Use “door socks” – long snake–like pieces of material stuffed with sand or birdseed to repel drafts under exterior or interior doors.

Make sure your weatherstrip is in place around all exterior doors, you don't want to see daylight through any areas, as this also means heat...

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Cleaning and painting exterior concrete foundation walls

November 27, 2006

As the soil settles around the foundation of our home the black tar on the concrete is showing. The area is dry. I would like to paint the concrete, what product will adhere to it?

Tip:

Do not try to remove black tar off of concrete walls with any petroleum solvents as this will liquify the tar allowing it to penetrate deeper into the concrete.

Solution:

First dig a trench along the wall at least 6" deeper than the grade level, then dampen the ...

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