First time renovating? With these tips you should be able to make the most of your investment, both financially and in enjoyment!

After meeting with the home owners in the Kingsway part of Toronto they showed the exterior of their home and wanted to do a major exterior improvement job. I thought it was odd at first until they showed the interior of their home which was all beautifully renovated room after room. It made sense to improve the exterior. We wanted to make the home look like it had flow, purpose or curb appeal. After viewing pictures of other homes for ideas, we decided to stucco the …

Until recently, contractors, homeowners, and the general public in the U.S. had little knowledge of the dangers around them as they worked on older buildings. Many historic restorationists who focused on buildings from the 19th and early 20th century knew that the lead commonly used as a binder and colorant in old paint could poison them. In 1971, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD) enacted laws to reduce lead in house dust in federally-assisted housing. It wasn’t until 1978 that the US outlawed the manufacture and application of lead-based paint. Most European countries had done so decades before.

Hand-held power tools have become an indispensable part of the modern handyman’s and contractors’ toolbox. Power drills are the most commonly purchased hand-held power tool. You can spend from $30 – $400 for a tool that meets your needs. With that dollar range in mind, you may want to ask yourself a few simple questions before you go shopping. These same questions will also apply to most power tool purchases.