c/edmonton-home-reno

Warning about spray foam insulation in our cold winters

I had a guy from a local Edmonton company install spray foam in my attic about two years ago, and he came back for a check-up last fall. He pointed out that I hadn't left enough of a gap between the foam and the roof sheathing, which is a big deal here because of our temperature swings. He basically said, 'In this climate, you need that air space to let any moisture escape, or you're asking for rot.' I had just let them foam right up to the wood, thinking more insulation was always better. So, I had to pay to have a small section cut back and re-done, which cost me around $400. It was a real 'oh, right' moment because I was so focused on the R-value that I ignored the building science part. Now I always ask contractors specifically about vapor barriers and air gaps for our weather. Has anyone else had to fix a spray foam job because of moisture worries?

2 comments

rosek73•2d ago

Changed my tune on using a heat gun for old paint after a near-disaster in my Riverdale bungalow

I was stripping a door frame and the concentrated heat from my $40 Wagner gun actually scorched the wood underneath the lead paint, forcing me to replace a whole section of trim and learn that chemical stripper, while slower, is the safer bet for our century-old homes here.

2 comments

sandra_taylor•2d ago

My contractor told me my choice of laminate for a basement suite was a 'future moisture headache' and he was right.

I swapped it for vinyl plank after his warning and saved myself a costly redo when a small pipe leak happened last winter, so has anyone else had a material choice totally saved by a pro's blunt advice?

2 comments

kelly_chen•2d ago

Hot take: I used a hair dryer to fix a vinyl floor bubble in my Mill Woods bungalow.

Had a big bubble in the new plank flooring after a humid week, and my contractor buddy was booked for two months. I read online to heat it with a hair dryer, press it down with a heavy book, and let it cool. It actually flattened out and stayed put. Has anyone else tried something this dumb that somehow worked?

2 comments

spencer707•3d ago

My basement reno turned into a history lesson when I pulled up the old carpet

I was tearing out the nasty carpet in my 1950s bungalow near Bonnie Doon, expecting just dust and maybe some old coins. Instead, I found a whole layer of newspapers from 1957 under the padding. One article was about the opening of the West Edmonton Mall, but it called it 'the new shopping center on the west side' and said it would have 'over 100 stores'. I had to look it up, and yeah, the mall opened in 1981. So this paper from '57 was talking about something else entirely, maybe just a small local plaza. It was so weird to see that name used 24 years before the real mall even existed. I spent a good hour just reading these old ads and news bits instead of working. Has anyone else found weird time capsules like this in their walls or floors during a reno?

2 comments

palmer.laura•5d ago

Overheard a contractor at Totem talking about unpermitted basement suites

I was grabbing some lumber at Totem on 99th last week and heard a guy telling his buddy he'd done three basement suites this year without pulling a single permit to 'save the client money'. He said the city only checks if someone complains. That made me think about how many places in Mill Woods or Clareview might have unsafe electrical or plumbing because someone cut corners. Has anyone actually had the city come check their reno after the fact?

2 comments

olivia573•5d ago

Hot take: My attempt to install a new kitchen faucet in my Bonnie Doon bungalow ended with me chasing a rogue water jet across the ceiling.

After confidently turning off what I thought was the main valve under the sink, I gave the old faucet a final twist and was instantly soaked by a geyser from a forgotten, separate shut-off line, leading to a frantic 10-minute scramble with a bucket and a wrench while my dog barked at the spray pattern on the ceiling. Has anyone else in Edmonton found a surprise second valve in their 1970s plumbing?

2 comments

dakota_burns96•6d ago

I spent $400 on a fancy bathroom fan that was way too much for my place

So last fall I redid my main bathroom in my Bonnie Doon bungalow. I got talked into buying this super high-end, super quiet bathroom fan by a sales guy. It was supposed to move like 110 CFM and be whisper quiet. Cost me nearly $400 just for the unit. The thing is, my bathroom is tiny, maybe 40 square feet total. After the electrician installed it, it was so powerful it literally sucked the bathroom door shut if you didn't hold it open. It was overkill and a total waste. On the other side, I have a buddy who swears by the basic $80 fans from the big box stores for most Edmonton homes, saying they do the job just fine. I feel like I got upsold hard on specs I didn't need. Has anyone else had a contractor or store push you toward a more expensive product that was totally unnecessary for your reno?

2 comments

the_evan•6d ago

Remember when every house in Mill Woods seemed to have that same beige laminate floor?

Back in 2010, I'd just slap down that click-lock laminate over the old floor, but now, after seeing how much moisture can get trapped in our winters, I always put down a proper 6 mil poly vapor barrier first, even if it adds a day to the job.

2 comments

the_troy•6d ago

I thought spray foam insulation was just a contractor upsell until my attic

I was redoing the attic in my old Bonnie Doon bungalow last fall and my contractor kept pushing for closed-cell spray foam. I figured it was just a way to run up the bill, since batts had always been fine. The quote was about $4,000 more for the whole attic. I went with it anyway because he was so sure, and the main thing was stopping the ice dams I got every winter. The crew came in and did it in a day. That first cold snap hit, and my heating bill dropped by almost 40 bucks a month. The house just felt solid, no drafts at all. I haven't seen a single ice dam on my roof since. Has anyone else had a big change of heart on a specific material or method after seeing the results?

2 comments

campbell.nora•7d ago

Vent: My plumber friend said my DIY bathroom tile job was a future insurance claim

Honestly, I was feeling pretty good about my main floor bathroom reno until I showed my buddy who's a plumber in Sherwood Park. He pointed at the tile around the tub and said, 'You didn't leave an expansion gap, did you? That's gonna crack and let water straight into the wall.' Ngl, it hit different coming from someone who sees the soggy aftermath. I just followed the tile box instructions and didn't think about the house shifting. Has anyone else in Edmonton had to redo tile because of this?

2 comments

seanfisher•8d ago

Finally got the hang of taping drywall corners without the mud going everywhere

I used to treat corner bead like it was a race, slapping on mud with a 6 inch knife and making a huge mess that took forever to clean. That changed last fall on a basement suite job in Mill Woods. My buddy, who's been doing this for 20 years, watched me for five minutes and just said, 'You're loading your knife wrong.' He showed me to put a thin line of mud on each side of the corner first, then set the bead, and only use a 4 inch knife to press it in. I tried it his way on the next room and it cut my clean up time in half. The bead sat flat and the mud didn't squirt out the sides. Now I do every corner like that and it feels way more controlled. Anyone have a different method for keeping corners clean?

2 comments

abby836•9d ago

My basement flood in 2021 made me switch from carpet to vinyl plank

When my sump pump failed during that big rainstorm three years ago, I had to rip out all the soaked carpet and padding. I spent about $2,800 to replace it with waterproof vinyl plank from a local shop. Now, I don't even worry about spills or dampness down there, and cleaning is just a quick mop. Has anyone else in Edmonton made a switch like this after a big mess, and what did you pick?

2 comments

mason290•10d ago

Has anyone used Millcreek Painters for exterior work?

Hey everyone, getting quotes for exterior painting on our house in Strathcona. Has anyone here worked with Millcreek Painters ? Their estimate was reasonable but I want to make sure the quality holds up to our brutal Edmonton winters.

2 comments