The fight against the elements has been a constant battle for homeowners since the dawn of civilization. The history of waterproofing stretches as far back as 13,000 years, and is considered the third oldest trade behind carpentry and masonry. Yet, professional waterproofing contractors are still seeking to innovate.
As Christmas approaches, there will be many families across the GTA stressed out by how they will accommodate so many people in their home. Space is tight, and as much as we adore our loved ones, they can often bring us to our wit’s end. Frankly, none of us want to experience a National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
For many Canadians, winter is their favourite time of the year because of all the skiing, ice skating and holiday cheer! However, it’s also the worst time of the year for your house. Due to the cold, snow and condensation make your home susceptible to damage. They are not only expensive to repair, but can be a danger to your family.
Windsor, Ontario experienced devastating flood damage a month ago (we wrote about the Windsor flood in our previous blog post), leading many Canadians to ask why they are not covered? In Canada, overland flooding is not insured by any private insurer, other than a few available in Alberta.
Windsor, Ontario’s early October “once in a century” flood caught the whole city off-guard. More than 140 mm of rain fell within a 24-hour period, which quickly overwhelmed the drainage systems of the city and its surrounding municipalities. It’s been just under two weeks since the flood devastated homes and businesses, but its victims are still cleaning up.
Your basement can be more than just the foundation of your home. It can also provide you with more space for your family to enjoy. If you want to improve the structural integrity of your house or to make the basement more useable, you might consider underpinning or lowering your basement. Underpinning is conducted primarily to strengthen the structure while lowering the basement increases ceiling room and creating more useable space.
When you are in the process of purchasing a home, your home inspector will look for signs of water damage in the basement.
Now with the mild spring temperatures upon us, you may be thinking ahead to summer which doesn’t seem so far away anymore. With the weather being so nice, this is a great opportunity to take some time to run a perimeter check around your house to see if there are potential water leak issues.
Now with summer right around the corner, Toronto is feeling much warmer and not just weather wise. The hotter temperatures give rise to backyard parties and a great opportunity to get to know your neighbours. If you haven’t done so yet, inviting your neighbors over for a backyard bbq or patio party is a great way to instill a sense of community and comradely amongst neighbouring families.
With Spring in full bloom here in the GTA, many homeowners have begun tackling outdoor maintenance including sealing driveway cracks and chips as well as addressing newly uncovered foundation cracks which are not only unsightly, but pose a serious risk of basement leaks during heavy rainstorms.
