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Mike Holmes Online / Mike's Resources / Articles / Building Safety Month 2012
- Building Safety Month 2012
- Toilet Basics
- Spring Home Maintenance
- Wet Basements
- Copenhagen 2009
- Gutters and Downspouts
- Getting Ready for Winter
- Air Conditioning & Cooling
- Insulation Basics
- How To Hire A Contractor:
- What Should be in Your Home Renovation Contract
- Furnace and Heating Basics
- Roofing Materials Compared
- Sump Pumps & Weeping Tile
- When the great outdoors moves in...
- Building Green
- Concrete Housing
- Painting & Low-VOC Products:
- Decked Out For Summer
- Roofing Basics
- This Mould House
ARTICLES
Building Safety Month 2012
"We’re covering backyard safety for the last week of Building Safety Month. And when the weather getting warmer the stakes get higher. Let’s make it right by keeping it safe. Make sure all decks and balconies are strong, sturdy and secure."
Toilet Basics
"We all use them everyday, but no one gives much thought to toilets until they overflow, run on or leak. The toilet is the most used appliance in your home."
Spring Home Maintenance
"Now is the time to get your house ready for the summer months ahead. Most of us are tempted to leave these jobs until the last minute—and that’s when you might get stuck waiting for service people who are already booked up."
Wet Basements
"No matter where you are on earth, there is always water underground--either from the water table, an underground stream, or just from surface water percolating its way down to the aquifer."
Copenhagen 2009
"I was honoured to be invited to attend COP15 in Denmark as a member of the advisory team. I wasn’t there to negotiate the new agreement—I’m a contractor, not a politician or expert in global warming and climate change."
Gutters and Downspouts
"Water is your home’s enemy--you need to always control water and keep it away from every part of your house—from the roof to the foundations."
Getting Ready for Winter
"Making sure your house makes it through winter is pretty straightforward really. Your goal is to keep it dry and keep it warm. So how do you do that?"
Air Conditioning & Cooling
"As the temperature climbs as high as your electricity bill, you’re going to hear a lot of talk about how we should be cutting down on home air conditioning to conserve power and help the environment."
Insulation Basics
"Homeowners don’t usually think a lot about insulation. They know they need it, and they know--generally speaking, that ‘more is better’--but that’s about it."
How To Hire A Contractor:
"So you've saved up your hard earned money, figured out which part of your house needs the MOST work and set your budget. Now what?"
What Should be in Your Home Renovation Contract
"I have known some home owners who've agreed to a huge home renovation project with just a hand shake. As honorable as that may be, it is not smart."
Furnace and Heating Basics
"The best heating system is one you never have to think about--when you want your house warm, it’s warm. But things don’t always work out that way."
Roofing Materials Compared
"I end up talking a lot about roofs because so many problems seem to start with the roof. Your roof is your first line of defense against snow, wind, rain, hail and UV from the sun, as well as unwanted houseguests such as raccoons, bats, and squirrels."
Sump Pumps & Weeping Tile
"I hear a lot of complaints about wet basements in both old and new houses. Often people are upset because water damaged the carpet or furniture."
When the great outdoors moves in...
"Ants, spiders, termites, raccoons, bats, squirrels and skunks—they’re all part of nature and I love them all, but they can be real pests when they decide to move in."
Building Green
"We’ve all been hearing a lot of talk about lessening our impact on the environment. Just about every company under the sun has jumped on the green bandwagon."
Concrete Housing
"You know we use concrete for house foundations—either in blocks or poured forms or in ICFs. But, if we really want to build solid better homes, let’s not stop at the foundation."
Painting & Low-VOC Products:
"Every renovation or construction job has the same goal: to get finished. And the finish usually means a coat of paint."
Decked Out For Summer
"When building the deck of your dreams you must take aesthetic, structural and landscaping details into consideration."
Roofing Basics
"Your roof will require maintenance. Don't wait for the roof to start leaking before you fix it. Leaks can cause all kinds of problems with structural damage and mold well before you start to see any stains on the ceiling."
This Mould House
"Mould is a fungus that thrives on moisture and poor ventilation. Mould spores are in the air naturally and attach to any place that is damp where they can begin growing immediately."
