The Construction Consultant

How to be at peace now? By making peace with the present moment. The present moment is the field on which the game of life happens. It cannot happen anywhere else. - Eckhart Tolle

COVID-19 AND CONSTRUCTION Its safe to say things are very slow in the construction industry these days. Lets face it a leaky roof or peeling paint is probably the least of our worries right now. We focus on the more important things like staying healthy and making sure our loved ones are looked after. And with uncertain financial times ahead , it can be hard to justify spending money on renovations. At The Construction Consultant we have been fortunate that the phones are sti...ll ringing , with people wanting quotes. But with suppliers shutting doors and us being socially responsible it might be that we don't work much until this pandemic has lightened. At least when it does we will hit the ground running, with projects set to start. But there are a lot of contractors and sub contractors who aren't as fortunate. Unfortunately most people in the home renovation industry will not qualify for Employment Insurance as they are classified as self employed. This goes for other service industries like hair dressers , waiters, drivers, house cleaners etc. And tho the federal govt. has announced they will help self employed people with assistance of $900 bi-weekly, that hardly covers any bills. It would not be uncommon for rent or mortgage to eat that amount up. If you are fortunate that you can afford to do project , but unfortunate enough to need one, know that most exterior projects can be carried out with no customer/ contractor contact. Emailed quotes and e-transfer payments make this quite possible. So if you can afford to, maybe don't let that leaky roof or siding cause damage and potentially more health problems, through mold and rot. Consider getting them fixed now. You are most likely going to get a far better price now than when this ends everyone is busy. If you need we would certainly give you a no contact quote, call us at 306-202-9796. If you know someone who is struggling in these times, reach out to them. If you have extra please share. Above all stay safe, stay positive. We are all in this together. Much love, The Construction Consultant See more

"Pain can only feed on pain. Pain cannot feed on joy. It finds it quite indigestible." - Eckhart Tolle

SPRING THAW AND WET BASEMENTS Spring is just around the cornered with the spring thaw comes damp or wet basements. I have had a lot of customers in the last 5-10 years who told me that they have been in their house for 30+ years and never had moisture problem till recently. This probably due to 2 factors. One, we have been having wetter springs the last few years and 2 in a 35+ year old house some of the moisture protection systems have been compromised. Any moisture penetra...tion into a house is harmful. Moisture will rot wood, crumble concrete and cause mildew and mold which are very harmful to your health, particularly in infants and the elderly. The best way to keep moisture from penetrating your basement is to keep the moisture away from your basement. The first step to do this in the spring is to remove the snow from around your house. I suggest shovelling the snow 2-3 ft away from the basement. The next line of defence is to direct the roof run off away from the foundation. A good eavestrough system is essential to keeping a basement dry. Typically a 35 yr old eavestrough system is broke down and inadequate. With a modern seamless eavestrough system you can effectively collect and channel roof water to anywhere you want away from your basement. If you would like a quote on an eavestrough system feel free to call, Lowell 306-202-9796. Moisture can also come from below ground when the water table is high.Modern houses, those built after 1980's have sump pump systems to remove this water and pump it outside away from the foundation. Sump pump systems can certainly be added to older houses with moisture problems. If you have a ground water penetration problem call me and we can find an appropriate solution. When your basement is bare it is easy to see a moisture problem, but when your basement is finished it can be more difficult. that is where you can run into the rot and mold problems if undetected and untreated. We have tools that can test moisture content in floors, walls, wood, drywall etc.It is very accurate and non invasive. If you suspect moisture problems in your house call me for a consultation and I will help you develop a solution. Please like and share my post and like my Fb page, also check out our web site. Thanks, Lowell See more

"What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to something that already is? - Eckhart Tolle