# Sawdust & Steel

> Residential carpentry, framing, kitchen renovations, bathroom remodels, custom decks, finish trim, and roofing across the Greater Toronto Area. Family-owned shop based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Founded 2019 by Marcus Cole and Danny Reeves. Written by working carpenters, for homeowners who want honest answers with real numbers, real Ontario Building Code references, and real costs in CAD.

Sawdust & Steel is a residential carpentry company serving Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Toronto, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham, and Hamilton. The workshop notes on this site are written by Marcus Cole (Founder & Lead Carpenter, 20+ years on the tools) and cover the parts of renovation work that homeowners usually can't get straight answers about: what things actually cost, which materials hold up in Ontario weather, what the Ontario Building Code requires, how long jobs really take, and what goes wrong when they're done badly.

## About

- [About Sawdust & Steel](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/about): Shop history, team, values, service area.
- [Marcus Cole, Founder & Lead Carpenter](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/about/marcus): Author profile for the workshop notes. Twenty years of residential carpentry across the GTA. Writes every blog post on this site.
- [Fleet & Equipment](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/fleet-and-equipment): Trucks, shop tools, and why it matters.
- [Warranty](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/warranty): What we cover, for how long, and why.
- [Contact](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/contact): Quote form and direct contact for consultation calls.

## Locations

- [Oakville](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/oakville): Carpentry services in Oakville — Bronte, Old Oakville, Glen Abbey, Clearview. Halton Region permits. Helical pile decks on Halton clay.
- [Burlington](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/burlington): Carpentry services in Burlington — Aldershot, Roseland, Tyandaga. Halton Region permits. Escarpment bedrock footing considerations.
- [Mississauga](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/mississauga): Carpentry services in Mississauga — Port Credit, Streetsville, Malton, Erin Mills. Peel Region permits. Credit Valley Conservation Authority overlays.
- [Toronto](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/toronto): Carpentry services in Toronto — century semis, narrow lots, Committee of Adjustment variance work. Toronto Building permits.
- [Richmond Hill](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/richmond-hill): Carpentry services in Richmond Hill — 80s–00s subdivisions, walkout basements, second-storey additions. York Region permits.
- [Vaughan](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/vaughan): Carpentry services in Vaughan — Kleinburg heritage, Woodbridge, Maple. TRCA review near the Humber. York Region permits.
- [Markham](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/markham): Carpentry services in Markham — Unionville heritage, Cornell new-builds, Berczy/Cachet subdivisions. York Region permits.
- [Hamilton](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/locations/hamilton): Carpentry services in Hamilton — Durand/Kirkendall Victorian brick, Mountain 60s bungalows, escarpment drainage. City of Hamilton permits.

## Services

- [Custom Decks & Patios](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/services/custom-decks-and-patios): Helical pile and concrete footing decks in cedar, composite, and pressure-treated lumber across the GTA.
- [Kitchen Renovations](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/services/kitchen-renovations): Full gut kitchen renovations, IKEA to full custom cabinet tiers, load-bearing wall openings.
- [Bathroom Remodels](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/services/bathroom-remodels): Full bathroom gut jobs, curbless walk-in showers for aging in place, Schluter Kerdi waterproofing systems.
- [Framing & Structural Work](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/services/framing-and-structural): Load-bearing wall removals, second-storey additions, LVL and steel beam work with PEng stamped drawings.
- [Finish Carpentry & Trim](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/services/finish-carpentry-and-trim): Scribed baseboard and crown, custom built-ins, wainscoting, and trim restoration in older Ontario houses.
- [Roofing & Siding](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/services/roofing-and-siding): Asphalt, metal, and cedar shake roofing, drone roof inspections for insurance claims, Hardie and cedar siding installs.

## Workshop Notes (Blog)

### Custom Decks & Patios

- [Helical Piles vs Concrete Footings in Ontario](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/helical-piles-vs-concrete-footings-ontario): Frost-depth code (OBC 9.12.2.2), real installed costs in CAD per footing, and what we found tearing out failed sonotubes in Oakville.
- [What a Custom Deck Actually Costs in the GTA (2026)](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/custom-deck-cost-gta-2026): Line-item breakdown for a 14x20 cedar and composite deck — footings, framing, decking, railings, stairs, and permits. Real 2026 CAD numbers.
- [Cedar vs Composite vs Pressure-Treated Decks](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/cedar-vs-composite-vs-pressure-treated-decks): Honest tradeoffs on cedar, Trex/TimberTech composite, and PT lumber for Ontario decks. What we'd put on our own house.
- [Ontario Deck Permit Rules 2026: What Actually Fails Inspection](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/ontario-deck-permit-rules-2026): OBC 9.x permit triggers, guard height requirements, municipal setbacks in Oakville and Toronto, the three inspection stages, and the top 10 reasons decks fail inspection in the GTA.

### Kitchen Renovations

- [Living Through a Kitchen Renovation in the GTA](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/living-through-a-kitchen-renovation-gta): Week-by-week reality of a full kitchen reno — dust containment, temporary kitchenette, when to book the hotel.
- [What a Full GTA Kitchen Renovation Costs in 2026](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/kitchen-renovation-cost-gta-2026): Line-by-line cost breakdown for a full gut kitchen reno in the GTA including cabinets, counters, appliances, and wall changes.
- [IKEA vs Semi-Custom vs Full Custom Cabinets](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/ikea-vs-semi-custom-vs-full-custom-cabinets): Honest tradeoffs between IKEA SEKTION, Kraftmaid-tier semi-custom, and full custom shop-built cabinetry in the GTA.
- [How Long a Kitchen Renovation Actually Takes in the GTA (Week by Week)](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/how-long-does-a-kitchen-renovation-take-gta): Honest kitchen renovation timeline for the GTA — demo day, cabinet lead times, countertop template gap, permit turnaround, and the hidden waits between phases.

### Bathroom Remodels

- [Curbless Walk-In Showers for Aging in Place in Mississauga](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/curbless-walk-in-shower-aging-in-place): Framing, waterproofing, grab bar blocking, and real costs for a tub-to-curbless conversion in Mississauga.
- [What a GTA Bathroom Renovation Actually Costs in 2026](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/bathroom-renovation-cost-gta-2026): Small powder room, mid-tier main bath, and full gut-job numbers with line-item breakdowns in CAD.
- [Kerdi vs RedGard vs Hot Mop: Shower Waterproofing in Ontario](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/kerdi-vs-redgard-vs-hotmop-shower-waterproofing): Comparison of Schluter Kerdi sheet membrane, RedGard liquid membrane, and traditional hot-mop methods for Ontario bathrooms.
- [The Best (and Worst) Time of Year to Renovate a Bathroom in Ontario](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/best-time-of-year-bathroom-renovation-ontario): Why January-March is the cheapest booking window, why May-August has three-week tile-setter waits, and why September is the hidden sweet spot for a bathroom renovation in the GTA.

### Framing & Structural Work

- [Load-Bearing Wall Removal in Toronto](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/removing-a-load-bearing-wall-richmond-hill): How to tell if a wall is bearing, engineer role, LVL vs steel beam sizing, OBC permit process, inspection day, real CAD costs.
- [Second Storey Additions in the GTA: Real 2026 Costs](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/second-storey-addition-cost-gta-2026): What a second-storey addition actually costs in Toronto, Oakville, and Mississauga — foundation, framing, roof, permits, engineering.
- [LVL vs Steel vs Glulam Beams](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/lvl-vs-steel-vs-glulam-beam-comparison): When to use laminated veneer lumber, structural steel, or glulam for residential load-bearing work in the GTA.
- [Six Months of Living Through a Second-Storey Addition in the GTA](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/living-through-a-second-storey-addition-gta): Month-by-month narrative of a real Richmond Hill second-storey build — discovery, engineer, permit wait, demo, the roof-off rain day, weather-tight, finishes, and move-back day.

### Finish Carpentry & Trim

- [Baseboard Gap Scribing in Ontario](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/scribing-trim-old-houses-ontario): Why baseboards gap in older Ontario houses, how to scribe with a compass and block plane, and when caulk is not the answer.
- [What Custom Built-Ins Cost in the GTA (2026)](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/custom-built-ins-cost-gta-2026): Real cost per linear foot and per unit for shop-built library walls, mudroom benches, and fireplace surrounds across the GTA.
- [MDF vs Poplar vs Pine Trim](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/mdf-vs-poplar-vs-pine-trim-comparison): Tradeoffs on paint-grade MDF, poplar, and pine for baseboards, casing, and crown in Ontario houses.
- [How to Hire a Carpenter in the GTA (7 Red Flags That Mean Walk Away)](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/how-to-hire-a-carpenter-gta): Seven red flags to walk away from, five questions to ask on the first call, and the Ontario Consumer Protection Act deposit rules every GTA homeowner should know before signing a contract.

### Roofing & Siding

- [Storm Damage Roof Inspection in Ontario](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/drone-roof-survey-storm-damage-claims): Post-storm drone roof survey, insurance claim documentation, tear-off timeline, and real CAD re-roof costs.
- [What a GTA Roof Replacement Costs in 2026](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/roof-replacement-cost-gta-2026): Line-item pricing for asphalt, metal, and cedar shake roof replacement on standard GTA single-family homes.
- [Asphalt vs Metal vs Cedar Shake Roofing](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/asphalt-vs-metal-vs-cedar-shake-roofing): Honest tradeoffs on GAF Timberline HDZ, standing seam metal, and cedar shake roofs in Ontario weather.
- [Signs Your Roof Needs Replacing: An Ontario Homeowner's Field Guide](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/blog/signs-your-roof-needs-replacing-ontario): Twelve signs an Ontario homeowner can spot from the ground — granule loss, curling shingles, algae streaks, sagging ridgeline, attic leaks, and how urgent each one is.

## Glossary

- [Residential Carpentry Glossary](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/glossary): Forty residential carpentry and renovation terms defined by a working GTA carpenter — LVL beam, helical pile, Schluter Kerdi, scribing, Ontario Building Code references, and the products we install on every job.

## Author

All workshop notes on this site are written by Marcus Cole, founder and lead carpenter at Sawdust & Steel. Marcus has been on residential job sites across the GTA for over 20 years, has personally led more than 350 projects, and still runs a tape measure on every active job. For questions about any of the content on this site, reach out through the [contact page](https://sawdustandsteel.ca/contact) — every consultation call goes through Marcus.