Topics: Homework-  10 year batteries and other requirements for smoke detectors; Flat roof leak; Patching and painting an old wall; Comment about plumber overcharging; New concrete steps cracking – what to do; Setting up hydronic heating and dual energy and financial subsidies; Apartment smoke alarms; Air leakage in a basement; Basement shower renovation and insulation and a strange exception to vapour barrier rules; Plumbing stack freezing – Ice Capping.

Topics: Is the clay shrinking away from your foundation this year? I’m looking for cases across the island; Baseboard thermostat has a blank screen; Should I use a load miser to install a heat pump without having to upgrade the electrical panel; Can I keep my water radiators and change from oil to electrical heat;  What is the process to go to Dual Energy or Tri Energy to same heating costs; Daylight Savings clock change time – switch every circuit breaker in the panel before changing your clocks – it cleans the circuit breakers; Raising baseboard heaters off the floor, a good idea?; Baseboard heaters making clicking noises; Rain gutter down spouts going underground – no longer permitted and not a good idea; Underground hydro entry suddenly gushing water into the electrical panel when neighbor emptied swimming pool; Homework for me – listener reports that only 10 year batteries are accepted in smoke alarms today; Why does my house have both forced air heaters and baseboard heaters; Do I need to clear snow from the heat pump – only if it is blocking the fan.

Topics: Ice Dams - finding someone to do the attic work; Large floating floor and contraction problems; Shutting down the water for the winter; Unique solution to no bathroom ventilation – direct an exhaust duct to the overly dry house; Are pellet stoves worthwhile; Details on turning off a cooling system for the winter.

Topics: Gas furnace changed to all electric, do I need an HRV; Refinishing a laquer finish; Cleaning rain gutters; Do I need a lining on an old oil chimney; Finishing a garage floor; Leak into basement only when ice on the roof – Prevent ice – Melt ice that you can’t prevent; How to paint my bricks; Asphalt shingle underlayment; Ridge vents.

Topics: Fall is the time to prepare for Spring; Lowering a bathroom ceiling and moisture control - air tight recessed light fixtures; Water pump cycling too often; How to raise up sinking paving blocks; Preventing ice dams on the edge of the roof; Capping wooden windows with aluminum trim; Controlling moisture in a crawl space; Changing out a heating oil tank – time to change the heating system? – avoid all electric as it is the most expensive option in the long run – click here for lots of information on All Electric, Dual Energy, Tri-Energy, Oil, Propane, Pellet furnaces.

Topics: Clean air ducts or not – where does the fuzz on the bathroom floor come from? ; Avoiding hose bib freezing; 10 year limit for Hot Water Tank; How to know if an old washing machine drains totally; Need to change an oil furnace but want to keep the Dual Energy rate from Hydro – gas is available so definitely go to a regular gas furnace – could even update to Tri-Energy; Replacing a hard wired smoke detector – most only last 10 years; Does an old well working electrical furnace need checking? New to a condo – when to use the baseboard heaters, the heat pump and the ventilation controls.

Topics: How do you use spray foam in a can; Noise in kitchen sink when the toilet upstairs is flushed – the vent valve; A cathedral ceiling with poor roof insulation always has peeling paint but not water coming from above – cover the ceiling with insulation and new drywall over that; Is it a good idea to install a thermal pump with an all-electric furnace; Will spraying insulation to the underside of the roof help to stop ice buildup on the eaves; How to know if a new window well will drain in the spring; Do I need a shelter for my heat pump; Working on a roof safety; Which is better a Maximum vent or a ridge vent – actually the Ventilation-Maximum Ridge vent with an incorporated copula is the best.

Topics: Heat pump replacement – replacing a gas furnace with a more efficient gas furnace, the payback can depend on your hydro rate – and is going all electric a good idea–NO; Serious tree roots in the house drain – no-trench drains; Will putting storage hooks over a door destroy a door; Odour coming out of a sink that gurgles; Repainting peeling paint on a metal door; Ice Capping on the plumbing stack and gurgling sinks; Cigarette smoke coming through the walls from a neighbouring apartment – Both hydroxyl generators and negative ion generators can neutralize smoke odours, while killing germs.

Topics: Electrical wiring errors that are dangerous; Repairing and finishing a parquet floor; Low water pressure in one faucet in a condo; Painting bathroom tiles; Zinc pellets for moss; Furniture refinishing – testing for lacquer or plastic finish first; The quandary of changing out an oil furnace – all electric heating is not the most economical solution.

Topcs:  Smart Shopping Montreal , get the book -- Montreal fix it store -- Fix-R-Us; Balcony covering and leaking below; Elect wire touching a hot water heating pipe; Wood burning chimney flue repair; Sump pump back-up for power failures; Plumbing noise, both faucet vibrations and water hammer; What is good low VOC window caulking for someone who is hypersensitive - ADSEAL Hybrid at BMR and Canac; Repairing parquet flooring, putty and finishing tips; When does an old sewer pipe need to be replaced – possibility of an epoxy liner.