Do you have a love/hate relationship with your deck?

A wooden deck with glass railings—perfect for anyone with a love/hate relationship with their deck—overlooks a landscaped lawn, potted flowers, and scenic views of trees and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.

If you love lounging and entertaining on your wooden deck but hate the maintenance and effort it takes to keep it looking good, here are some tips for keeping your deck in tip-top shape. Diamond Valley Custom Homes, Okotoks, AB: “Rocky Mountain Oasis” (Finalist, Outdoor Living, CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence) Be Realistic Begin […]

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7 Tips for Energy Efficient Renovations

Side-by-side comparison of a dated kitchen and a modern, bright space highlights the impact of 7 Tips for Energy Efficient Renovations. Logos for Lagois and Laurysen appear.

Did you know that older homes can be upgraded to improve their energy performance? While modern construction standards incorporate greater energy efficiency, most older homes have a lot of room for improvement. Take the opportunity while renovating to save energy and money by making modest investments. Melanson Homes & Renovations | Calgary | 2019 Finalist, […]

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Upgrading Your Flooring? Consider This

Modern kitchen with light wood floors—upgrading your flooring? Consider this space, featuring white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a large dark island with a wooden countertop, upholstered chairs, pendant lights, wall clock, and red tulips.

There’s more to upgrading your home’s flooring than simply choosing the material you like and having it installed. The perfect flooring will look good and be practical. Here are three things to consider when choosing to update your floors. Consider the room It’s important to pick a flooring material that will work with your space. […]

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Tips for Updating Your Basement

Green and white graphic with large black text reading ASK a Renovator and the RenoMark logo, featuring a check mark in a circle with the words RENOMARK Renovators Mark of Excellence—perfect for tips on How to Make a Legal Basement Apartment.

By Guy Solomon of Penguin Basements Adding livable space in your basement or updating the already finished space is a great way to maximize the use of your home. When thinking about tackling the project, many people don’t know where to start. Design, material, contractors, permits, pricing are all part of the considerations. Everyone wants […]

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5 Tips for a Cozy Finished Basement

Modern living room with a sectional sofa, glass coffee table, wall-mounted TV, and marble fireplace—capture this ambiance in your home with inspiration from 5 Tips for a Cozy Finished Basement. Ceiling lights and neutral decor create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

If the lower level of your home resembles more of a cold dungeon than a warm space to relax, consider these five tips for creating a cozy finished basement. Five Steps to a Healthy Finished Basement 1.Ensure It’s Reliably Dry All it takes is a small amount of leaked water to trigger mould, mustiness and […]

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Do I Need A Building Permit?

Green and white graphic with large black text reading ASK a Renovator and the RenoMark logo, featuring a check mark in a circle with the words RENOMARK Renovators Mark of Excellence—perfect for tips on How to Make a Legal Basement Apartment.

By Lou Orazem of Inspire Homes Building permits exist to create a minimum standard for the safety and functionality of a building. Many projects require a permit – even those inside the home – for example adding, moving or removing walls, and relocating plumbing fixtures. There are two good reasons why you should always get […]

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Everything you need to know before hiring a contractor

A modern renovated house with grey brick, large windows, and landscaped front yard. Inset shows a black-and-white “before” photo. Text: “Renovation By Revelstoke Developments Corp., Winner of the 2018 CHBA Housing Awards. Everything you need to know before hiring a contractor.”.

Before you hire a contractor for your home renovation or repair project, here are some important questions you need to answer. Remember that professional contractors should be able to provide clear answers to your questions. If they can’t, they’re not the right contractor for you. What experience does the contractor have?  You need someone with […]

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How to stop window condensation

A close-up of a window with condensation covering the glass, droplets forming streaks. Soft light from outside creates a hazy, glowing effect through the moisture—a scene that prompts thoughts on how to stop window condensation. A small latch is visible on the sill.

If beads of water run down the inside of your windows during cold weather, it’s not necessarily a sign you’ve got bad windows. In fact, your windows are probably doing just what they’re supposed to do — keeping outdoor air outside. Different But Related Problems Wet windows can simply be an indication of two different […]

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Should I Renovate or Rebuild?

Green and white graphic with large black text reading ASK a Renovator and the RenoMark logo, featuring a check mark in a circle with the words RENOMARK Renovators Mark of Excellence—perfect for tips on How to Make a Legal Basement Apartment.

By Dave Farris  of Whitehall Homes & Construction When you embark on a large renovation project where you want to increase your living space, one of your first questions should be, “Do we want to add an addition to our existing home?” or “Do we want to demolish and start fresh?” There are many things that […]

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How to Spend Less on Heating your Home

Two people wearing patterned winter socks rest their feet on a dark surface in front of a cozy, burning fireplace with glowing logs—showing how to spend less on heating your home while enjoying warmth and comfort.

Does your house cost a fortune to heat and cool? Should you switch energy sources? Get a new furnace? While all these questions are valid, they are not the most important ones. The main issue is something more basic – how fast does your house lose energy? You can have the most efficient furnace or […]

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