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Home improvement guides
Practical, reviewed advice for planning repairs and projects, choosing the right pro and knowing what to ask before you hire.
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508 guides
- Guide
Snow Removal guide
Residential snow removal keeps a driveway, walkway and front steps usable all winter, usually through a seasonal contract with a company that plows or blows the snow after each storm.
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Winter Maintenance guide
Winter maintenance is the care that keeps a property safe between and after snowfalls: salting and sanding driveways, walks and steps, breaking up ice, clearing the public sidewalk where the owner is responsible,…
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Contractors guide
Pool contractors design, build and renovate residential swimming pools, from above-ground models to inground pools with vinyl-liner, fibreglass or concrete shells, along with the decking, enclosure, heating and lighting…
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Installation guide
Pool installation is the build itself: turning part of the backyard into a finished inground or above-ground pool, with its plumbing, equipment, electrical supply, enclosure and deck.
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Renovation guide
Pool renovation brings a tired pool back to life, or reshapes it around how you use it today: a new vinyl liner, a fresh plaster or aggregate finish on concrete, a recoated fibreglass shell, new coping, waterline tile…
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Repair guide
Pool repair covers the problems that stop a pool from holding water, circulating it or staying safe to use: leaks, torn liners, cracked shells, failed pumps, filters and heaters, and damaged skimmers and returns.
6 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Opening guide
A pool opening brings a backyard pool out of its winter shutdown and back to clean, circulating water. A technician takes off and cleans the cover, pulls the winter plugs, puts the ladders and fittings back, reconnects…
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Closing guide
A pool closing, or winterization, gets a backyard pool ready for months of freezing weather. The technician cleans and balances the water one last time, lowers the level as the pool and its equipment require, blows the…
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Maintenance guide
Pool maintenance is the routine work that keeps the water clear, safe and gentle on the equipment between the spring opening and the fall closing: skimming, brushing, vacuuming, emptying baskets, caring for the filter,…
6 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Cleaning guide
Pool cleaning is the hands-on work of getting dirt, debris and algae out of a pool: skimming the surface, brushing the walls, vacuuming the floor, and taking the filter apart when it can no longer keep up.
8 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Heating guide
Pool heating turns a pool that feels cold on all but the hottest days into one the family actually uses, and it stretches a short Canadian swim season at both ends.
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026 - Guide
Pool Covers guide
A pool cover can do very different jobs depending on its design: keeping leaves and sunlight out over the winter, holding in heat and water during the swim season, or forming a barrier over the water whenever the pool…
7 min readSeptember 10, 2026
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