Workshop Notes

Practical answers for your Ontario home. Find a guide or start with a room.

A few good places to start

From the Workshop

A man reading a finish can beside a freshly coated oak cabinet door supported on blocks

At the workbench

The Finish Is Still Sticky. Another Coat Can Wait.

The label said overnight. The cabinet door says otherwise. Leave the next coat in the can for now.

5 min read

Compact blue kitchen island with a supported counter overhang and two wood stools

Living through the work

Can You Live Through a Kitchen Renovation?

Where does the coffee happen when the sink is gone? Sort out the everyday details before demolition day.

5 min read

Editorial close view of tissue being used to check an ordinary residential window for drafts

Before the cold settles in

Drafty Window or Just Cold Glass? A Simple Ontario Winter Test

That one dining chair everyone avoids in January. Find out what is making it cold before buying more caulk.

4 min read

Browse by project

615 guides across 8 topics

Choosing between two options?

Compare materials, layouts and the tradeoffs before you decide.

Browse Decision Notes

Decks & outdoor living

Plan an Ontario deck from the ground up: permits, supports, materials, stairs, and the details that keep an outdoor room comfortable.

All 94 guides

An open double-door garden shed with a raised threshold and a stationary mower on the clear gravel approach

4 min read

The Mower Fits Through the Shed Door. Now It Has to Get There.

Door width was only the first measurement. The raised floor would also like to be involved.

Freestanding timber pergola with open rafters above a paved patio

4 min read

A Shade Sail Needs More Than Four Hooks

Plan shade sail anchors, tensioning space and weather removal before buying the fabric. Existing deck rails and house trim are not automatic fixing points.

Structure & open-plan living

Plan wall removals, floor changes, and additions with a clear picture of the supports, services, and rooms around them.

All 27 guides

A parked hatchback with its tailgate raised beneath a garage ceiling and overhead door tracks

4 min read

The Storage Rack Has a Rating. What About the Ceiling?

The box says how much the rack holds. It has not met your roof trusses.

Attic eave baffles between rafters with loose insulation below the ventilation channel.

4 min read

Attic Storage and Ladder Openings in a Trussed Roof

A trussed attic is storage space only if the actual structure and proposed loads have been assessed. Plan the ladder opening, unfolding space, insulation and service access together, and stop before disturbing vermiculite or other suspect insulation.

Roofs, walls & weather

Follow water, air, and heat through an Ontario home. Practical guides to roof repairs, siding, gutters, attic ventilation, and insulation.

All 75 guides

A round tubular-skylight diffuser illuminating an oak-floored hallway with a separate ceiling light farther along

4 min read

Could a Daylight Tube Brighten the Hallway?

The ceiling circle is the easy part to point at. The route above it needs a look too.

A narrow daylight gap beneath a closed garage-door seal where the concrete floor dips

4 min read

The Garage Door Is Straight. The Floor Has Other Plans.

A strip of daylight does not always mean you need a bigger strip of rubber.

Kitchens that work

Ontario kitchen renovation advice for the decisions behind a useful room: layout, cabinetry, appliances, permits, budgets, and installation order.

All 88 guides

Cabinet, wood and tile samples arranged on a table with a pencil sketch and tape measure

5 min read

A Downdraft Cooktop Needs Space Under the Counter Too

Plan a downdraft cooktop around the body, blower arrangement, duct turns, drawer boxes and the access needed for future service.

Small chips in cream cabinet paint beside a metal handle

5 min read

Cabinet Paint Is Peeling Around the Handles. What Failed?

Find why cabinet paint peels near handles, distinguish adhesion from slow curing, and test a repair before repainting the entire kitchen.

Bathrooms, thoughtfully planned

Plan an Ontario bathroom around daily use, waterproofing, ventilation, and the right sequence. Compare layouts and details before committing to finishes.

All 68 guides

Localized peeling white paint on a bathroom ceiling above the shower.

4 min read

Bathroom Ceiling Paint Keeps Peeling. Fix the Cause First

The ceiling has been painted twice and is now offering a third opinion.

Glass shower enclosure beside a wood vanity in a tiled bathroom

4 min read

Can an Ordinary Shower Be Converted to a Steam Shower?

The shower already has tile, a drain and a very nice glass door.

Storage, floors & trim

Practical guides to built-ins, flooring, doors, windows, wall repairs and finishing: identify the problem, compare materials, and plan the next step.

All 146 guides

Three small aluminium frames holding fine, denser and thicker-strand charcoal screen mesh

4 min read

Choose the Screen Mesh Before Buying Another Roll

The clearest view, smallest bugs and most enthusiastic cat do not necessarily want the same mesh.

A man measuring across the rear opening of a white flat-pack cabinet before fitting its back

4 min read

Square the Cabinet Before the Back Makes It Permanent

The doors can only disguise so much. Give them a rectangular cabinet to close against.

Basements & suites

Make downstairs comfortable, dry, and useful. Plan the layout, moisture work, services, and approvals before the walls close.

All 62 guides

A closed flush access hatch in a mudroom floor with a clear approach and recessed lifting ring

4 min read

The Crawl-Space Hatch Is Still Under the New Floor

A beautifully hidden hatch is less useful when opening it requires removing the kitchen.

A high basement window above household storage and a small humidity meter

4 min read

Do You Need a Mould Air Test Before Fixing the Basement?

Visible mould and damp materials usually call for moisture investigation and correction, not a routine air test. Define what a proposed test would change before paying for it.

Planning, permits & budgets

Get the paperwork, people, and sequence right. Clear Ontario renovation advice for comparing quotes, arranging approvals, and living through the work.

All 55 guides

Renovation material samples, tape measure and a hand-drawn plan on a table

4 min read

Before Placing the Deck or Shed, Read the Easement

Check registered rights and the actual site layout before locating a deck or shed. Zoning setbacks, property boundaries, easements and utility locates answer different questions.

4 min read

Changing the Approved Renovation Plan: Who Must Review It?

A signed change order settles price and scope with the contractor. Changes to approved construction also need the designer and municipality to determine the required review.

Workshop Notes

A few good places to start

The Finish Is Still Sticky. Another Coat Can Wait.

Can You Live Through a Kitchen Renovation?

Drafty Window or Just Cold Glass? A Simple Ontario Winter Test

What are you working through?

Browse by project

Choosing between two options?

Decks & outdoor living

The Mower Fits Through the Shed Door. Now It Has to Get There.

A Shade Sail Needs More Than Four Hooks

Structure & open-plan living

The Storage Rack Has a Rating. What About the Ceiling?

Attic Storage and Ladder Openings in a Trussed Roof

Roofs, walls & weather

Could a Daylight Tube Brighten the Hallway?

The Garage Door Is Straight. The Floor Has Other Plans.

Kitchens that work

A Downdraft Cooktop Needs Space Under the Counter Too

Cabinet Paint Is Peeling Around the Handles. What Failed?

Bathrooms, thoughtfully planned

Bathroom Ceiling Paint Keeps Peeling. Fix the Cause First

Can an Ordinary Shower Be Converted to a Steam Shower?

Storage, floors & trim

Choose the Screen Mesh Before Buying Another Roll

Square the Cabinet Before the Back Makes It Permanent

Basements & suites

The Crawl-Space Hatch Is Still Under the New Floor

Do You Need a Mould Air Test Before Fixing the Basement?

Planning, permits & budgets

Before Placing the Deck or Shed, Read the Easement

Changing the Approved Renovation Plan: Who Must Review It?