Love-hate relationships with the kitchen

Kitchen. Food. Mess. Comfort. Cleanup. Apple pie. Dishes. Spaghetti sauce. Stains. Roasts. Clogged sinks.

As you can imagine, the list goes on. Given our present economy, we're more cautious when it comes to spending. Not surprisingly (and quite wisely given the impending HST), many of us are spending it on home renovations - especially in the kitchen. A good number of us spend a relatively large amount of time in our kitchens and when it comes to health, taking care of the environment in which you prepare your food is a no-brainer.

Starting this week, I'll be sharing a series of tips on how to go about kitchen renovations.

1. Consider the three primary functions of the kitchen: Storage, food preparation, and clean-up. Your kitchen renovation should incorporate all three goals. That being said, the final tip for today is... location, location, location!

How are you planning the layout of your kitchen?

Do you have enough room for the classic "work triangle"?

Is there enough room to accommodate another chef?

Trust me, cooking with your spouse can be an excellent way to bond.... sometimes (Otherwise, sic him/her on the dishes, they may as well be useful if you're sweating over the stove).

That's some food for thought. I'll be back tomorrow with your next assignment!

We may have to guess with the weather, but at least know your connections.

Anyone who has lived in the lower mainland accepts that our weather is... unpredictable at best. However, despite this uncertainly, one thing we definitely can know for sure is the location our sewer/sanitary connections.

Knowing the location of these connections can save you a good amount of frustration and money when it comes to major installation or just diagnosing a problem.

There are actually a few good resources available to the public when it comes to gaining a better understanding of the infrastructure of your home and property. For example,

For Surrey residents, you can access Cosmos and utilize the embedded software to assess your property.

For more information about sewer connections and services, the city of Vancouver also hosts a good summary site you can access at this link.

Welcome to the shop!

How exciting it is to have a little corner of the internet!

I'm looking forward to sharing with you some of the things we've been up to and answering any questions you may have. Plumbing, drainage and HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) are extremely critical subjects that people often overlook. While they don't seem to be fascinating, this blog will hopefully change your mind. I'll be discussing some of the history behind those topics and perhaps share a hint or two along the way!