About a month ago, I was watching a neighbor of mine have their roof re-shingled and I noticed something very odd. The tar paper they were installing was being run from the top to the bottom. Now, to the regular eye this would not be a red flag, but as a contractor in the business for 25 years, I felt obliged to inform my neighbour. I quickly walked over and asked if they would mind if I spoke with the roofer on their behalf, to which they happily encouraged.

Regardless of whether science is your strong suit, everyone knows that water runs downhill, whether it be on the ground or on a wall. It is for this reason that shingles are laid from the bottom up, so each layer will rest over top the previous one. With this set-up, water will follow suit and keep running down the roof, and not under the shingle.

In our last blog, we touched upon financing and what it truly means to a homeowner looking to remodel or rebuild. Since then, we’ve discovered another source of “financing” – the City of Toronto.

You really are the only one who can answer this question, but this week we’ve decided to provide some helpful tips for those thinking about financing in general.

In this business, we do from time to time meet with people that have set an unrealistic budget for what they’d like accomplished. This may stem from a lack of knowledge about building costs, or from what they’ve heard through friends who have had work done, or even from home shows on television that do not show the behind the scenes costs of a build. Regardless, it is important that these unrealistic budgets become just the opposite, realistic and attainable.

It has been a very cold and snowy winter in the GTA already, and there are few happy faces seen when it is -30 degrees Celsius outside. However, believe it or not, you can use all the snow, ice and cold temperatures to your advantage. The frigid temperatures and snowfall can help you determine whether your home is insulated properly or poorly.