When we think of landscaping, we think of curb appeal – flowers, plants, walkways, driveways and patios. We might not think of Ontario Building Code.

I’m sure we can all agree that renovations can be very stressful. Even the most successful renovations – that run on time and on budget – still seem to cause stress! Your daily routines are in upheaval when your home becomes a construction zone. However, there's plenty you can do to mitigate the stress and improve your renovation experience.

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.