Although I enjoy carpentry, fixing issues for customers, and renovating rooms, turning an empty basement into an awesome living space for the family rates as one of my favourite projects! From the initial planning stage with the client to completing the final touches, its truely amazing how walls, built-ins, carpet and a splash of colour can transform an empty space into the best room in the house. But to keep your new basement renovation looking great for years to come its important to use quality products. I recommend the Dri-Core subfloor system in all my basement renovations for numerous reasons. Not only does it elevate your floor off the cold concrete, providing you with a warmer floor, but it also ensures any moisture leakage is kept away from your carpet or hardwood, and allows it to run off into the drain. It also levels out uneven concrete floors brilliantly, providing a level surface to work with. Its a great product that eliminates a lot of concerns.
Good quality primer and paint are also worth the extra few dollars, as they last far longer under wear and tear, look much better, and are take less time to apply, saving you money. I generally use Bher label paint and primer, but anything above the economy brands should give you a good coat that will last the rigours of young children armed with crayons!
If you do have young children you may also want to consider pine trim rather than standard mdf. Both come primed and in various styles but whereas mdf will wear down and chip under regular contact particularly on corners, pine will uphold far longer as it is overall stonger due to its natural wood fibres. Of course it costs a little more, but in the long run it can save you time and money, and I believe, looks much better.
So if you are planning a basement renovation or just about to start one, consider the issues you may have now and the activity the basement will see once its completed. Spending a little more on quality products may save you fix-ups and more money in the future. And during the renovation process take pictures. Once its completed you can flick over the entire renovation process and see how the whole project took shape. Perhaps it may even inspire you to undertake the next one yourself…hmmm.
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With the start of a new year and the packing away of Christmas comes the steady trickle of small and large renovations to the home. And one project that I am being asked to do more than most others is the replacing of popcorn ceilings, sometimes referred to as acoustic ceilings. In the past three weeks I have already done two such projects! People just seem to want them gone, replaced with a modern, smooth ceiling and finished with some nice crown molding. Unfortunately most homes built these days incorporate popcorn ceilings as they are a very quick way for the builders to finish off a room. The good news is, replacing them is relatively easy, with most rooms taking just two days.

To get rid of the popcorn layer from the ceiling it simply needs to be wetted down with water. Using a spray gun or pump-action garden sprayer moisten the whole ceiling generously to soften it. After a minute or two take a wide drywall mudding knife and scrape off the layer in a smooth forward motion. You will find it will fall to the ground with ease, leaving the ceiling surface textured like orange peel. Once its all cleared off, and after a good sweep up of the mess, a light layer of drywall compound will fill in the rough surface, again using a wide drywall knife. Complete the whole ceiling and leave to dry, ready for a good sanding down with some 120 paper. Once that is completed a lighter smoothing out with 220 paper or higher will eliminate any scratchmarks, leaving your new ceiling surface looking great. Once primed, and a layer or two of good quality ceiling paint, you new ceiling will be ready to be framed nicely in crown molding, before being shown off to your (envious?) neighbours. And why not, they look great!
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2009 was an exciting and busy year for me, with many projects spanning right across the GTA keeping me on my toes. Decks, sheds, a pool house, landscaping, basement kitchen and bathroom renovations, house repairs, various furniture projects, and the list goes on. I have expanded my customer base, returned to regular customers and look forward to providing a service to new ones. So to chronical this coming years work I have decided to add a blog to my website, and will aim to regularly update it and post any useful information that may be helpful to Homeowners.

The start of the new year has been very busy for this Handyman after a week off spending time with the family over the Christmas holidays. I have just finished a kitchen renovation which took 5 days to complete. The whole ceiling was replaced and new lighting installed which dramatically improved both the modern look of the kitchen and the lighting throughout. All the recepticles were updated to new ones and dimmers replaced old light switches, looking great and allowing the homeowner to set the mood (and reduce costs). All the damaged walls were repaired and skim-coated, then primed and painted. Finally new base and window trim, crown molding, and a fantastic 30ft long backsplash were added to tie all the elements together. Needless to say the lady of the house was very happy with the work and already planning the next upgrade for me!

Another project just completed involved resolving some basement moisture issues for a customer. Seeping water from behind basement walls can leave most Homeowners worried about costs and damage, but often an inexpensive remedy can solve the issue. In this case removing the drywall revealed a cold wall sweating moisture through small cracks, ultimately pooling at the base of the wall. Once a full investigation showed no other issue the Homeowner and I managed to seal the cracks with pneumatic cement and coat the entire affected surface with moisture sealer. The wet insulation batts were replaced with rigid foam, sealed with acoustic caulk and tucktape, and the walls replaced and sanded down. Problem resolved quickly and inexpensively. Of course the area will be monitered over the coming seasons, but often an issue will have more than one remedy, and after investigating the issue the simpliest and most cost effective remedy can often fix the problem.

New projects, repairs and carpentry jobs are starting to be booked up for the coming weeks, will keep you posted on how it all goes. Enjoy the snow!!
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