When you do renovations, electricity is sometimes relegated to the rank of detail. However, it’s important to keep the electrical distribution in your house healthy by calling on a professional.

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As the years go by, and more and more renovations are made by unqualified people, the electrical installations in your house could be in danger.

Renovating your home is the ideal occasion to have your electrical installation inspected.

First you have to find the circuit breaker that feeds the room. If your project involves opening walls or the ceiling, you can take the opportunity to check the wires and look for hidden defects.[……]

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Is there anything more irritating than being bothered by outside noises, whether it comes from the street, your neighbour’s or your roommate.

Here is a relatively easy way to reduce noise. It’s the technique that is used most often: demolishing and rebuilding a wall.

You will need the following materials: [……]

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Glass bricks in a wall enhance the luminosity. Here is an example of the steps to follow (list of material at the end).

  1. Check for wires and pipes. Use an electrical wire detector. If not, drill a small hole, which is easy to fill.
  1. Is there a load bearing wall? If so, only use the space between the studs.

Measure the space to be freed up taking into account the space between the studs, the shape of the bricks, the surrounding frame and the mortar.

Space between the studs:

12’’ for old buildings

16’’ for the next generation

24’’ is becoming increasingly popular today

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Standard format of glass brick:

8x8x3, 8x8x4, 6x6x3, 6x8x3 or 4x8x3

Example of dimensions to consider to transform an interior wall

  • Available space: 16’’x16’’
  • Wall: 4’’ thick
  • Two rows of de two 6x6x3 bricks
  • Mortar: ¼’’ around the bricks
  • Frame: ¼’’ plywood

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Today, it’s no longer necessary to choose hardwood as flooring to enjoy its great look. Other options have the same effect. One of them is engineered wood flooring.

This flooring is made of two superimposed parts; the base and the top coat.

Generally speaking the base contains a minimum of three layers of material, which may include plywood, fibreboard and wood. The higher the number of layers, the more the flooring remains intact. It is less susceptible to shrinking and expanding with changes in temperature and humidity.

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The top coat, called veneer, is natural wood. A multitude of species can be blended with the most varied decors. The floor looks exactly like a hardwood floor.

The veneer is usually 0.6 mm to 4.5 mm and sometimes even more. If the top coat is more than 3.5 mm thick, it can be sanded and varnished. It will easily stand up to long-term use.[……]

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Renovation and restoration, two words that go together. Especially if you have a fun project where you can combine the useful and the pleasant.

Antique shops are often good places to find material that was previously used in a house. Most of the time it can be had at very little cost. The problem is finding the quantity you need to complete a project.

Here’s an idea that consists in recycling old wooden shutters into big pot holders or flower boxes to decorate your yard in summer.[……]

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Do you know the insulated concrete method for formwork? It consists in replacing the wood formwork with a polystyrene foam formwork (rigid insulation), for the foundation and the above-ground walls. The framework is an integral part of the wall because it stays in place after the concrete work.

This method offers several benefits: increased fire resistance, noise reduction, improved energy efficiency, strength and long-term profitability.

Energy efficiency may be the most obvious benefit. The walls are insulated without air space or thermal bridges inside and outside, from the footing to the roof. The building is impervious to heat loss and air infiltrations if the caulking around the openings is done properly.

This type of construction ensures sustainable development. In ideal conditions, poured concrete in an insulated framework provides a practically indestructible product that will resist humidity, insects and any type of degradation for a long time.[……]

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Handymen are always looking for ideas, while renovators are seeking advice and techniques. If you have handymen and renovators among your family and friends, why not offer them a guide as a Christmas gift?

Among the new items in bookstores is One-Board Woodworking Projects. You have to admit that it’s a great title. Author Andy Standing describes the steps to take and shows the material and tools required to build each object.

While some of you are pure handymen: dish holder, clothes dryer, laptop table, lamp base, miniature rocking chair, others are renovators: wall consoles, kitchen shelves, corner shelves.

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