10 Spring Cleaning Tasks Diligent Homeowners Always Do

Spring is here! The flowers are bursting out from autumn-buried bulbs and the bees are buzzing into action. Have you got your spring cleaning checklist in order? Likely, you’ve got the basics on the list; you may already have dusted off the barbecue and given the patio furniture a good spring cleaning… — But you might…

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The Bidet: Everything you ever wanted to know (and more!)

Common in much of Europe and Asia, bidets are toilet-like plumbing fixtures designed to promote posterior hygiene. Although bidet prevalence in certain regions represents a humorous cultural distinction from American-style paper wiping, bidets do sport considerable convenience and comfort advantages. Bidets are becoming increasingly common in North America and it is important that first-timers and…

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Winter 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…

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InterNACHI: the World’s Largest Professional Inspector Organization

InterNACHI (the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) is the world’s largest trade organization of certified property inspectors. As our team has expanded to the double digits, and we’ve grown to provide services in multiple specializations, we have sought out new opportunities to learn and benefit from other professional experiences. A highly esteemed professional association…

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Climbing 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…

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Does Your Bathroom Fan Suck up Toilet Paper? It Should.

Have you noticed that your bathroom fan isn’t quite sucking out the humidity quite like it used to? It might be time for an upgrade. A classic, simple DIY trick is to hold up a piece of toilet paper to the whirring fan. If the TP won’t stay in place, the fan isn’t pulling its…

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Carpenter 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…

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The Most Important Home Maintenance Tool you will Ever Own

As a homeowner what do you consider the most important home maintenance tool? We’ve heard a wide range of answers: “Screwdriver.” “Hammer.” “Draino.” “Wrench.” “Measuring tape.” “Duct tape.” “Paintbrush.” “Hedge trimmer.” It’s true, trim hedges and fresh paint are all good for a home, but non of the tools listed above compare to this one: The #1 Tool…

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How to Save $10,000 on your Electricity Bill

Is your Hydro-Québec electricity bill putting a hole in your wallet? It might be time to fix the holes in your home… I recently had a gentleman ask me how his electricity bill could possibly be $1000 per month. He asked me to poke around his house to see if I could recommend any energy-saving solutions. It…

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Burnt Toast Made you Disable the Smoke Detector?

You may have the wrong smoke detector. Reduce false alarms by using a different type. There’s nothing more annoying than a smoke detector that goes off every time you use the oven or burn toast. Many people take the batteries out of their smoke detectors because they get tired of false alarms – this is…

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