[caption id="attachment_646" align="alignright" width="340"]Assurance-pret Maison Dollars ISTOCKPHOTO finance iStockphoto[/caption]

Regardless of the reason – renovations, buying a home – new financing always entails new responsibility.

That new responsibility is undoubtedly a good fit with your current lifestyle, which is why you obtained the financing you requested. Should an unexpected misfortune occur, however, that responsibility could quickly become a heavy burden.

Why should you take out loan insurance?

Mortgage financing is possibly the largest investment you will ever make in your life. Your mortgage payments represent a significant portion of your expenses.

Loan insurance is the solution that will ensure everyone’s peace of mind.*

[……]

Read more

Porcelain has been used as table art for a long time. Major European manufacturers are internationally renowned for the incomparable quality of their dishes. Take Limoges or Sèvres porcelain for example.

Porcelain’s charm is explained by its finesse and translucency, properties that are also found in other pieces used for decorative purposes, such as figurines, ornaments, clocks, lamps.

In another vein, would you be tempted by a porcelain floor? At first glance you might doubt its strength. But wait!

We learned from Joyce Barakett, of Couvre-planchers Magnan in Trois-Rivières, that most porcelain tiles used as floor covering are stronger than ceramic. Most varieties of ceramic tiles are fired once whereas porcelain can be fired several times, making it stronger.

[caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="580"]Porcelaine COUVRE PLANCHERS MAGNAN deco Couvre-planchers Magnan[/caption]

[……]

Read more

[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignright" width="341"]Salle de bain Lavabo Casarazzi renovation Casarazzi[/caption]

This is the story of a very small bathroom that you see below. There’s not much room to move. When you’re in front of the appliances, you can’t access the vanity if the dryer door is open. You have to close it.

Above the appliances are the infamous and once popular white melamine cupboards, complete with plastic handles. No particular style. They’re plain, straight and efficient. The layout is completed with a white melamine vanity with a mirrored medicine cabinet, very popular in the 80s.

So how do you renovate this small space to make more room and have it slightly bigger?[……]

Read more

[caption id="attachment_618" align="alignright" width="344"]finance_octobre_2013 iStockphoto LP[/caption]

The purchase of a first house involves reflection and planning. By following the proposed stages, you will put all the chances on your side to make your project a success. More details for these steps are available by clicking the following links, or go to National Bank’s website www.nbc.ca

 1. Calculate your borrowing capacity

Estimate how much National Bank could give you to buy your property.

Your National Bank advisor can help you calculate your borrowing capacity by reviewing your financial situation. You can also have an idea of your borrowing capacity by using our calculation tool.[……]

Read more

A hotel located at the junction of two rivers with a rich history, the Blue Nile and the White Nile, cannot be massive, brutal or ugly. It can only be light, aerial, and futuristic. Qualifiers that the Corinthia Hotel Khartoum, also called Burj al-Fateh, proudly wears.

Plump and round, the 5 star hotel is shaped like a sail inflated by the wind of two rivers. That was supposed to be the architects’ original idea. Are we wrong?  Since we’re on the topic, let’s put forth another hypothesis. The architects were inspired by the famous Burj al Arab sail, the 7 star hotel (classification not officially recognized) inaugurated in December 1999 in Dubai. The Khartoum hotel opened its doors on August 17 2008. The work began in 1994.

[caption id="attachment_619" align="aligncenter" width="470"]OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Nick Hobgood, Wikipedia Commons[/caption]

Using the sail concept not new. The city of Barcelona, Spain also set sail with its Vela Hotel. Donald Trump was also tempted by the onshore wind with his Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in Panama. Other buildings carried by the wind include the Vasco da Gama Tower and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Great Britain.[……]

Read more

[caption id="attachment_622" align="alignright" width="281"]renovation_octobre_2013 iStockphoto LP[/caption]

Today, kitchen countertops come in several finishes that meet the requirements of all decors and all budgets. Whether you opt for moulded, wood, concrete, quartz or natural stone countertops, all of these finishes have advantages and disadvantages.

Here are the steps to follow if you opt for a ceramic countertop. Make sure that you have a suitable surface, preferably a plywood panel at least three-quarters of an inch thick. The panel must be firmly attached to the cabinet to reduce any risk of movement at the base of the ceramic. Take the time to place ceramic tiles various ways. If you have a counter with one or more corners, start your pattern in the corners. This will enable you to find the pattern that suits you. [……]

Read more

Glass is often used in decoration: vases, knickknacks, lamps and stained glass windows. We often use it to erect a low wall in a bathroom to separate the toilet from other sanitary fixtures.

However, glass isn’t used very often as the base material for staircases. But if you look at the photo, you can see that it has quite an impressive effect.

[caption id="attachment_617" align="aligncenter" width="504"]decoration_octobre_2013 Thinkglass[/caption]

Wikipedia reminds us that glass is a very solid material. Primarily made of sand, of which there is a virtually inexhaustible supply, it’s ecological, especially since it doesn’t need a sealant. Its rot-proof and inflammable, which makes it very long-lasting.

And talk about durability! Glass panels measuring one and a half to four inches used in stairs are stronger than stone or granite. The thicker the glass, the stronger it is. Since glass isn’t porous, it’s easy to maintain.[……]

Read more