In our everyday conversations, too often, and wrongly, we attribute poor indoor air quality to a house that it is too "insulated". This terminology is wrong. A house can never be too insulated, but the quality of its indoor air can still be affected by another factor: the airtightness of the house. Take advantage of…
It’s winter. The wind is whistling around you and the cold is cutting into your bones. You've barely made it from your car to the front door when your fingers are already frozen. You still risk taking out your keys, entering it in the lock of your main door, but unfortunately, it refuses to turn…
It's winter and you just got back from shopping. Your gaze is attracted to your roof, where the brilliant sun makes the icicles dangling from your gutter glitter with a thousand lights. Suddenly, the enchantment gives way to doubts: is the weight of all this ice likely to tear the gutter? You take a look…
Even though most of our modern homes are equipped with outdoor faucets that are frost-free, there are still some small precautions to take as the cold season approaches or even during the winter. Stay with us and watch our video to learn more about how to care for your outdoor faucet as winter near.
When a plumbing fixture (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, etc.) is seldom use or not use, there is a great risk that the water in its p-trap will evaporate or empty, allowing the sewer odors to escape. Simply pouring a sufficient amount of water into the drain will fill the p-trap and prevent unpleasant odors from circulating. It…
How can you understand your indoor air quality situation, whether your home is new or not? In this capsule we will help you review your concerns about the health of your loved ones and the different contaminants that can be found inside your home. You won't need any specialized tools. Your senses and especially your…
It is not uncommon for the buyer of a new house to be given a house without gutters and downspouts because, contrary to what many of us may believe, their installation is not part of the requirements of the Construction code. However, an adequate system of rain gutters and downspouts is an excellent way of…
Did you know that the slope of the land around the building has an important function of drainage of runoff water? Therefore, a poor drainage of a sloped lot due to a bad slope directing water towards the foundation can promote excess humidity in the basement or even cause water infiltration. To avoid this situation,…
Efflorescence presents itself in the form of a powdery, whitish substance that appears on the surface of brick, masonry and concrete. This phenomenon occurs when the mineral salts contained in these elements are dissolved by the water they contain. During its evaporation, the water transports these salts to the surface where they turn into those…
If you live in a home with masonry exterior cladding, such as brick, you may have noticed these small openings at the bottom of the wall. You might think the mason decided to save some money on the mortar. The reality is however quite different… Watch our video and see the real function of these…