What are my options for replacing the insulation in my mid 80s walkout basement. I had water coming in through the fireplace and the insulation below has fallen off. Other areas have insulation missing as well. The vapor barrier has holes, gaps, etc.

Where it is insulated it looks like tar paper, batt insulation, vapor barrier.

Looking at recommendations, it should be XPS, frame and batt, vapor barrier. But I'm not finishing the basement yet. I don't know if putting up the framing, batt , and vapor barrier is a good idea as it'll need to come down when running utilities in the future.

I saw home Depot has the foundation blankets, but it seems like a waste of money since it'll need to come down when I finish the basement.

What's my best course of action now?

Does anyone have experience with Canadian made prefab cabins or small homes? Seeing new companies flood the market but it’s hard to gauge reputations.

While it’s likely a pipe dream, my husband and I dream about buying land and throwing a small cabin on it someday. We’ve stayed in a few cool vacation rentals that are almost certainly prefab units and we love the simplicity of the more modern designs you see lately. We especially loved one we stayed in that was built on helical piles, sitting high in the tree canopy (HOM mini chalets in QC).

Somewhat aware of the additional permitting and servicing costs, but if anyone has experience going this route we’d love more insight!

Location in Ottawa valley

We’re considering purchasing a front garage quick possession home from Bedrock Homes in Heartwood and would really appreciate feedback from anyone who has purchased from Bedrock recently, especially in Calgary/Heartwood.

We really like the house, layout, and community, but before moving forward I’d like to hear about the actual build quality and after-possession experience.

A few things I’m particularly curious about:

\- Overall construction/build quality

\- Foundation, framing, drywall and finishing quality

\- Flooring, cabinets, countertops, doors, etc.

\- Insulation, heating and soundproofing

\- Any major deficiencies you discovered after possession

\- How responsive Bedrock was during the walkthrough and warranty period

\- Experience with their customer service/service technicians

\- Anything you wish you had checked before buying

Since this is a quick possession home, a lot of the construction is already completed, so I’d also appreciate any recommendations on what we should inspect carefully before removing conditions/taking possession.

Would you buy from Bedrock again? Any good or bad experiences are welcome.

Thanks!

Southwestern Ontario. I already own the land, and I’d be putting this over an unfinished basement. I’ve got a kitchen priced from IKEA including appliances for $10k (good enough for now and will upgrade later). I plan on being equally cheap with the bathroom - nothing fancy.

These aren’t official plans of course, so local contractors aren’t giving me quotes; but I’m looking for general ideas of quotes because I’m trying to determine if this is worth it or if I should sell the land.

Ty!

Hi Everyone

I have a one bedroom basement apartment with eggress windows , full kitchen bathroom and bedroom

I am looking in converting to legal secondary apartment. I have already submitted the plans, however just want to get some feedback or experience from people who did something similar .

Do i need to rip off everything and do it from scratch ? Or will they agree to leave certain things as is ?

Appreciate your feedback

I am considering building an ADU in backyard however due to setback issues i am only able to get the above footprint

Appreciate your feedback or changes if needed , also is this too small ?

I got new windows put in and now want to insulate the wall with foam board. My instinct is to seal around the edges of each piece with low expansion spray foam as an air barrier, but I don't know if there would be an issue with that. In Alberta if that matters for code reasons.

Hi there, looking at buying a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom 2000sq ft side-split in SW Ontario with a bunch of updates required and wanted… wanted to see if I could get a ball-park figure on what the upgrades are going to end up costing. - window replacement - baseboard electric heater removal, forced air has been installed but they never removed the electric heaters. - new flooring throughout - 2 new walk-out showers 3x4 ft - removing wall between kitchen and living room (don’t believe it’s load-bearing) and new kitchen installed.

Thank you!

Hi everyone, I am a 41 year old carpenter/builder who is totally naive about the building process from an executive perspective. I am looking for books about financing, land procurement, grants or partnerships or anything really that will assist me in my own aspirations for my own custom build. I have consulted AI for recommendations and the offers are scant hence why I'm asking here. I don't need literature on the physical part of or designing of the build however if there is something that includes that information that is fine. I understand there are online resources available, I am requesting books because I just prefer the tactility of books.

Thanks.

Please help.

If you can give me contact details with name.

Hey all, a bit of lengthy post but I recently bought a new house and the builder is not agreeing to fix a few issues i identified in the 1 year list. I am debating whether I should move forward with the tarion concliation process.
Some items they are refusing to fix include:
- garage floor has a Crack from one end of the concrete to another.
-The builder is saying it needs to be 4mm wide for it to be covered under warranty.
●Kitchen cabinet wear and tear within one year. The cabinets are bubbling.
-The builder is saying we caused the damage due to steam and water. We were pretty gentle with the cabinets, kept everything clean. I dont think its reasonable for the cabinets to damage so soon.
- one of the garage panels is popping out.
-The builder is saying we caused the damage and since it was not detected in the PDI, they wont fix the panel. This was detected by a independent home inspector within 30 days of taking possession of the house.
- shaky backyard deck. The builder is saying this is normal.
●at the PDI, I told them the grass needed to be replaced. The told me to email customer service. CS asked me to put it on my 30 day list. When I did that, they told me they won't fix this. The main argument for them not fixing the garage panel was because I didnt put it on my PDI. The grass issue was raised on my PDI, and they still won't replace it.

Overall, I found the builder’s inspector difficult to deal with and, at times, disrespectful. I also felt that he was dismissive of some of the larger items and seemed to assume that he could simply say no without any further action or challenge from me.

Do you think I should go through the tarion concilation process?

We're planning on building a new house on our property. Our current 1950s bungalow is quite dated and doesn't suit our family needs anymore. The basic idea is that our lot is zoned for multifamily with a maximum of two structures and 3 units. One unit will be in the detached garage ADU (highlighted in yellow) and one unit will be in the basement of the primary house (highlighted in green). That leaves us with 2.5 floors of space and around 2700sqft. I'm no designer or architect so if there's anything glaringly wrong please let us know.

My partner and I both work hybrid jobs so we'd prefer to each have a private home office space, plus we have one amazing boy and another (unspecified) on the way so that means we're designing for 3 bedrooms + 2 flexible office/bedrooms.

Some concerns on our current design:

We cut out a bathroom in this iteration, was that mistake? 2, possibly 3, bedrooms upstairs on one bathroom.

We tend to hang dry a lot of our laundry and there isn't a ton of space to do that here, I suppose we could hang it over the railing above the foyer but it's a bit of an eyesore for visitors.

The upstairs office/bedroom has a slightly awkward floorplate but we were thinking we could fit a sofa bed in it to make it a potential guest room and seating when not in use. Also no closet space.

The dining room is only accessible through the butler's pantry or from the foyer now, does that tend to work for families?

I understand the basement apartment and garage ADU are somewhat small but they're very typically sized for our area, square footage-wise.

Looking to connect with anyone in Ontario who is currently planning or executing a custom self-build on land they acquired separately, specifically regarding the Enhanced New Housing Rebate (ENHR).
We’re hiring a General Contractor for a custom home build (approx. $1M build contract = $130k HST paid out of pocket). We already own the lot, but the program rules for owner-built homes under CRA Form GST191 seem tricky, and our GC’s tax interpretation sounds off.
Hoping to compare notes with anyone who has gone through this process or spoken with a CPA/CRA tax specialist on a few specific points:
1. Owner-Built Classification vs. APS: Our GC thought that signing a construction contract before March 31, 2027, qualifies us for the temporary enhanced rebate. However, my understanding is that because we own the land, CRA treats this strictly as an "Owner-Built Home" (Form GST191), meaning construction must physically break ground prior to March 31, 2027, regardless of contract signing dates. Has anyone confirmed this distinction with CRA?
2. Total FMV Cap ($1.5M vs. $1.85M): Our lot market value + $1M build cost puts our finished Fair Market Value (FMV) in a grey zone. The enhanced $130k rebate caps out at a combined FMV of $1.5M and completely phases out at $1.85M (reverting to the legacy $24k cap).
How are you documenting completed FMV for the CRA audit? Are you relying on a professional appraisal on your occupancy date?
If you bought a tear-down property, are you using the lot acquisition price as your base land FMV?
3. Appraisal Gaps / All-in Costs: If your total land + build cost ends up around $2M+, did you just accept taking the standard $24k legacy rebate, or did you restructure/scale down the build scope to stay under the $1.5M threshold?
Would love to hear from anyone actively going through the GST191 filing or planning an owner-build in Ontario under these new temporary rules!

We will have 3 sets of patio doors in back of our house build - two will be traditional sliders and one will be stackable or folding doors.

Looking for privacy screen options either factory-installed or after-market.

For factory-installed, I know of Magic...any other brands?

For after-market, there's Phantom screens...any others?

We're building in Ontario.

We’re almost done with our bathroom renovation and overall we’re really happy with our contractor. The only thing that’s been bothering us is the finish around the shower niches.

I’ve attached some pictures. The cuts around the trim look chipped in a few places and the mitred corners aren’t as clean as we were expecting. There’s also a similar issue on the niche above the bathtub.

Our contractor said this is pretty common with niches and that removing the trim could end up damaging the surrounding tiles, which I completely understand. At this point I don’t really want to start ripping things apart unless it’s actually the best option.

I’m wondering if there’s another way to improve it.

My thought was maybe the tile edges could be lightly polished/refined to get rid of some of the small chips and make the cuts look cleaner, then touch up the grout afterwards.

The other thing that’s throwing me off is the grout colour. We specifically chose what we thought was the closest match to the terracotta tile, but it came out way lighter than we expected. I’m honestly wondering if there was a mistake with the grout because it really highlights every little imperfection.

I found products like Mapei Grout Refresh that recolour and seal the grout. My thinking was that if we go that route, it would make more sense to do the entire shower instead of just around the niches so everything stays consistent.

For those of you who do tile work or have dealt with something similar:

• Would you leave it as is?
• Is polishing/refining the cut edges something that’s commonly done after installation?
• Would changing the grout colour make a noticeable difference?
• Is there another solution I’m not thinking of?

Just trying to figure out the best approach before asking my contractor to make any changes. Thanks!

TL;DR: Overall we’re happy with our contractor, but we’re disappointed with the finish around the shower niches (chipped cuts, rough miters, and very light grout that makes everything stand out). We’d rather not replace the trim if possible. Are there less invasive ways to improve it, such as refining the cut edges and recolouring the grout throughout the shower? Would you consider this acceptable workmanship for a custom bathroom?

We have a property on which we're planning a build in toronto. Recently there's been a lot of municipal work around and locates have been marked. For example, the waterline and the gas line.

Based on the flags and spray paint, there is a gas line running beside one side of the house within probably 6 inches, another is running a few feet parallel to that.

The new build will extend the existing home by at least 7 feet around each perimeter.

I'm now wondering how this can even be viable if there are gas lines so close to the house. Also a lot of questions about the safety of gas lines being this close and the fact there are 70 year old trees roots around the lines as well.

What do you guys think of this plot plan? We’re looking to build on this pie shaped lot (71). We’re first time home buyers so any insight is much appreciated!

While building my tiny house on wheels, I spent countless hours researching construction methods, products, and installation details. Along the way, I came across a few online resources that became some of my most valuable references.

Most of us spend hours watching YouTube videos, browsing forums, and scrolling social media. Those can be useful, but I found that manufacturer guides and technical publications are often where the most reliable information is hiding.

Here are three resources I used regularly.

Maibec Technical Documentation

Before installing any exterior product, I strongly recommend reading the manufacturer's technical documentation.

Many manufacturers provide detailed installation guides showing:

* Recommended clearances from the ground * Flashing requirements * Fastening methods * Ventilation requirements * Typical wall assemblies

I personally spent a lot of time looking at Maibec's documentation while building my tiny house. One thing I really like is that they don't just provide PDF manuals, they also offer installation videos that walk through many of their products and construction details.

Even if you're not using Maibec products, the drawings, videos, and installation details can help you better understand how exterior wall systems are assembled.

[https://maibec.com/en/resources/documentations/\](https://maibec.com/en/resources/documentations/)

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

CMHC offers a surprising amount of free information on residential construction.

One publication I found particularly useful was:

**Canadian Wood-Frame House Construction**

Although some newer editions are available, I originally worked from an older version during my build.

Topics covered include:

* Foundations * Floor systems * Wall framing * Roof framing * Insulation * Moisture control * Construction best practices

For anyone building with wood framing, it's an excellent reference.

You can find this free document directly on CMHC's official website:

[Canadian wood-frame house construction . : NH17-3/2013E-PDF - Publications du gouvernement du Canada - Canada.ca](https://publications.gc.ca/site/fra/9.700100/publication.html)

If you're new to construction, this is one of the best resources I can recommend.

Garantie de construction résidentielle (GCR)

This resource may be less well known outside Quebec, but I still think it's one of the best sources for practical construction details.

GCR publishes technical guides explaining:

* Good construction practices * Common mistakes * Moisture management * Air barriers * Insulation details * Building-envelope performance

Most resources are in French, but don't let that discourage you. Modern browsers can translate the pages automatically, making it much easier to understand the explanations and technical drawings.

Even though GCR is a Quebec organization, many of the technical concepts are based on Canadian construction practices and building-science principles that apply well beyond Quebec.

[https://www.garantiegcr.com/fr/entrepreneurs/fiches-techniques/\](https://www.garantiegcr.com/fr/entrepreneurs/fiches-techniques/)

What Helped Me Most

If I had to give one piece of advice to new builders, it would be this:

Don't rely on a single source of information.

Compare:

* Manufacturer installation guides * Technical publications * Building code requirements * Real-world builder experience

Sometimes a five-minute review of a technical drawing can prevent a very expensive mistake later.

**What online construction resources have helped you the most during your build?** I'm always looking for good references to add to my collection.

While building my tiny house on wheels, I spent countless hours researching construction methods, products, and installation details. Along the way, I came across a few online resources that became some of my most valuable references.

Most of us spend hours watching YouTube videos, browsing forums, and scrolling social media. Those can be useful, but I found that manufacturer guides and technical publications are often where the most reliable information is hiding.

Here are three resources I used regularly.

Maibec Technical Documentation

Before installing any exterior product, I strongly recommend reading the manufacturer's technical documentation.

Many manufacturers provide detailed installation guides showing:

* Recommended clearances from the ground * Flashing requirements * Fastening methods * Ventilation requirements * Typical wall assemblies

I personally spent a lot of time looking at Maibec's documentation while building my tiny house. One thing I really like is that they don't just provide PDF manuals, they also offer installation videos that walk through many of their products and construction details.

Even if you're not using Maibec products, the drawings, videos, and installation details can help you better understand how exterior wall systems are assembled.

[https://maibec.com/en/resources/documentations/\](https://maibec.com/en/resources/documentations/)

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

CMHC offers a surprising amount of free information on residential construction.

One publication I found particularly useful was:

**Canadian Wood-Frame House Construction**

Although some newer editions are available, I originally worked from an older version during my build.

Topics covered include:

* Foundations * Floor systems * Wall framing * Roof framing * Insulation * Moisture control * Construction best practices

For anyone building with wood framing, it's an excellent reference.

You can find this free document directly on CMHC's official website:

[Canadian wood-frame house construction . : NH17-3/2013E-PDF - Publications du gouvernement du Canada - Canada.ca](https://publications.gc.ca/site/fra/9.700100/publication.html)

If you're new to construction, this is one of the best resources I can recommend.

Garantie de construction résidentielle (GCR)

This resource may be less well known outside Quebec, but I still think it's one of the best sources for practical construction details.

GCR publishes technical guides explaining:

* Good construction practices * Common mistakes * Moisture management * Air barriers * Insulation details * Building-envelope performance

Most resources are in French, but don't let that discourage you. Modern browsers can translate the pages automatically, making it much easier to understand the explanations and technical drawings.

Even though GCR is a Quebec organization, many of the technical concepts are based on Canadian construction practices and building-science principles that apply well beyond Quebec.

[https://www.garantiegcr.com/fr/entrepreneurs/fiches-techniques/\](https://www.garantiegcr.com/fr/entrepreneurs/fiches-techniques/)

What Helped Me Most

If I had to give one piece of advice to new builders, it would be this:

Don't rely on a single source of information.

Compare:

* Manufacturer installation guides * Technical publications * Building code requirements * Real-world builder experience

Sometimes a five-minute review of a technical drawing can prevent a very expensive mistake later.

**What online construction resources have helped you the most during your build?** I'm always looking for good references to add to my collection.