Fear of Flooding

In case you haven't noticed, Calgary is a city of somewhat "extreme" weather. We can have temperature changes of 40 to 50 degrees C in a matter of days when winter cold snaps turn to Chinooks. We regularly get snow in May. We sometimes get the Northern Lights. But the weather statistic most relevant to our basement renovation project is that this city averages about 22 thunderstorms per year. And, Calgary is on the edge of Alberta's so called "hailstorm alley", so summer thunderstorms are often accompanied by golf-ball sized hail or better.

In July 2004, both Edmonton and Calgary were struck by torrential downpours that led to flash floods in some areas. Our neighbourhood in Calgary was one of the worst hit. Cars were literally stuck in drifts of hail. On the main boulevard water came up to the windows of SUVs...

The outdated oak trim debate: which side are you on???

OK, so what do you call it when you're planning a fantastic basement renovation that will be all modern and stylish and you look at the upstairs of your house that was built in the 1990s and think to yourself, gee the basement is going to better than the whole rest of the house...?  Believe it or not, there is a term for this exact thing -  actually, it is such a common phenomenon that there are multiple terms you could use depending on your particular mood that day...

Top 5 kid-magnets at the Calgary HomeExpo

Checked out the Calgary HomeExpo with the family today to do a little research for my basement reno. My two boys certainly had a great time, but let's just say the things that interested them were not the same things that interested me. I had to breeze past the granite countertops, ceramic tile, and carpet displays while chasing the kids down the aisles. So, for the results of my research, I am pleased to report the top 5 kid-magnets at the Calgary HomeExpo...

What's cold, bare, and pink all over?

It's official! We are going to be participating in the next season of CTV's Calgary-based "reality tv" renovation show, Remodel It!  This means we get to work with a prominent Calgary designer/builder (The Remodelers) to transform our cold, bare concrete and pink fibreglass basement into a living space that helps accommodate our growing family.