Exterior
Be Smart When Closing Up Your Country Home This Fall
With COVID-19 travel restrictions in place all summer, many people decided to vacation in the country. Those who already had a cottage spent a lot of their summer in the country and those city dwellers who had never considered having a second residence decided to buy a second home. Reals estate sales in the Laurentians…
Read MoreConfinement Cleaning Time: How to Fall in Love with Your Garage
Confinement measures have us stuck at home, but it is a great time to do some cleaning. What better place to start than your garage, often a place where we store junk and things we don’t know where else to put. With a little TLC, your garage could become one of your favourite places again,…
Read MoreWater-Cooled Air Conditioners to be Illegal in Montreal as of January 2018
As of January 2018, running an air-conditioner connected to the aqueduct that does not have a water recycling system will be prohibited and fined, according to Montreal By-law 13-023. All air conditioning units that use a drinkable water cooling system need to be retired by December 31st, 2017. The purpose of the law is to get devices…
Read MoreSummer! Time to Get Your Deck in Ship Shape
While a ship’s captain may have a little time to batten down the hatch and get all hands on deck when he smells a storm, your deck may not give you the chance before it collapses. Your deck is where you relax, toast your daughter’s graduation, and celebrate summer. But a deck can also be…
Read MoreTop 10 Home Defects – How to Spot and Deal with Them – Part 2
For nearly 15 years, Mose Home Inspection Services (MHIS) has been working to make home owners and prospective buyers more knowledgeable. The goal is to help them be better prepared to make an informed decision when buying, selling or renovating a home. Michael Winkel, one of our home inspectors, has done some research and prepared…
Read MoreThe #1 Reason Montréal Roofs Leak in Winter
By Michael Winkel, Certified Building Inspector Have you ever been sitting back on your sofa, seeing no evil, thinking no evil, when suddenly, you hear a dripping sound? Alarmed, you investigate and discover water dripping from a single point in the ceiling. The drywall and carpeting are soaking wet. How can this be? Is there…
Read MoreWinter Preparation: Let’s Go Nuts!
All the squirrels and chipmunks are running around, busy collecting nuts, making sure their homes are well stocked… and you? What exactly are you doing to get ready for winter? Before settling into hibernation mode, it’s a good idea to do a thorough walk around your home and see what may benefit from a little…
Read MoreClimbing Vines on Brick: Much Ado About Nothing?
This year’s Montreal and area Shakespeare in the park series featured Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. The meaning of the title to this play, often misinterpreted, is about making a big fuss when there is nothing to fuss about. They play attempts to show that deceit is not inherently evil, but can be used…
Read MoreCarpenter Ants are NOT the Problem, They are the Symptom
Sure, as carpenter ants burrow into wood to create their nests, your home is slowly getting destroyed from the inside out. But carpenter ants don’t generally nest in nice dry areas free of food stuffs. They prefer moist, rotting wood. Carpenter ants indicate a bigger problem in the home. Carpenter Ants Like High Moisture Carpenter ants…
Read MoreIce on the Roof: Remove or Leave Alone?
Deep freeze at -26 Celcius. Next day, a balmy 2 degrees and everything melts. Then it rains. Then freezes again. Then snow. What’s a homeowner to do? Be prepared. Freezing and melting water can be your home’s biggest enemy. Ice, especially, can cause a lot of damage. But the fact is, removing thick ice from…
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