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6 winter maintenance tasks that you never want to ignore
Winter is no time to ditch your cottage maintenance. Keep up with these six tasks to avoid problems throughout the cold season. 1) Checking for draughts. A cottage with draughts is an expensive...
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4 tricks to avoid frozen plumbing in winter
Indoor water supply pipes can be vulnerable to freezing at your four-season cottage—even if you keep the heat on low. Consider these four solutions. Leave a tap running slowly While this band-aid...
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Cottage Q&A: Why is my solar power conking out in the cold?
We use solar power. One circuit appears to have become weather-sensitive. It works when the weather is warm, but conks out in the cold. What’s happening? Can I fix it?—Gerry Dust, via email There are a...
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This cottager saved cash by building his own heating system
If you’ve ever warmed your toes with a hot-water bottle, you know the principle behind Michael Salter’s cottage heating system. Except this “bottle” holds 4,500 litres, it’s way too big to fill from a...
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Planning a DIY project with log posts? Read this first
Attention to detail will make your outdoor post projects more successful. Follow this five tips. 1) Projects that don’t keep out moisture are susceptible to rot. Divert water by sloping surfaces,...
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Forget spring flooding: here are 4 other sources of cottage water damage
Winter is over—which means that spring flooding could be on the way in cottage country. But rising water levels in lakes and rivers isn’t the only potential source of cottage water damage, indoor...
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4 spring maintenance tips for your fireplace
If your cottage sits empty for months, your fireplace will need some attention before you strike that first match. Daniel Kimia, a professional engineer and the managing director at Zoroast The...
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Why Canada’s Robertson screwdriver is far superior to the American Phillips...
If you are a true Canadian, the only screwdrivers you enjoy using are Robertson (black, red, green, or yellow handles denote the size of screw). Oddly, the square-hole fastener, patented in 1909 by...
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This bold blue shed has hockey-stick style
For Lac Sinclair , Que., cottage owner Mark Potter, repurposing materials was the starting point for his bold and playful shed. “Not wasting things became the framework I operated in,” he says. “A...
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Cottage Q&A: How do I get rid of the moss growing on my steel roof?
How do you remove moss from a steel roof?—Chris Gunther, via email Wait, moss grows on steel? Yes. Because moss grows wherever it damn well wants. All it needs is moisture and a little food. “Even...
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