Recent Carpentry IQ Answers
Browse the latest carpentry questions from Ottawa homeowners.
How wide must a bedroom doorway be in an Ontario house?
A bedroom doorway is designed for at least a 760 mm by 1 980 mm door under the 2024 Ontario Building Code. That figure...
Does Ottawa require a permit to take out a non-load-bearing wall?
The City of Ottawa's "Building permit projects" list includes "adding or removing walls" as permit work, and it does...
How high should a stair handrail be inside an Ontario home?
The 2024 Ontario Building Code sets the required height for a handrail on a private stair inside a dwelling unit at 865...
How can I tell if a wall in my Kanata split-level is load-bearing?
Figuring out whether a wall carries load comes down to reading how the house is framed, and a carpenter or designer...
How do I know if rot in my Blackburn Hamlet house is structural?
Rot becomes structural the moment it has reached a member that carries load: a joist, a sill plate, a stud in a...
Adding built-in bookshelves to a Westboro living room wall?
Built-in bookshelves are a carpentry job with no Building Code dimensions to hit, and built-ins are on neither of the...
Heritage approval for interior carpentry in a Glebe heritage district?
If your Glebe home is in a heritage conservation district, that changes which approvals you need, though less for...
How big a hole can a plumber drill through my Ottawa joists?
Plumbing is out of scope here, but the carpentry rule on holes in joists is worth knowing because it is the same rule a...
MDF or solid wood baseboard for an Ottawa home?
Baseboard material is a choice between the carpenter and the homeowner; we found no Ontario Building Code (O. Reg....
What's the tallest riser allowed on stairs inside an Ontario house?
For private stairs within a dwelling unit, the tallest riser the 2024 Ontario Building Code allows is 200 mm, measured...
Are hallway doors allowed below 760 mm in an Ontario house?
Table 9.5.5.1. of the 2024 Ontario Building Code sets minimum doorway sizes for dwelling units. For rooms not otherwise...
Same-size door swap in a New Edinburgh heritage home, call the City of Ottawa?
The heritage status of your property changes the answer here. For most Ottawa homes, the City's list of projects not...
Recessing built-in shelving into a wall cavity in Barrhaven?
Recessing shelving into a wall cavity is a carpentry project with a few real decision points, and the answers to them...
What should a quote for removing a load-bearing wall itemize in Ottawa?
A quote for removing a load-bearing wall in Ottawa should break out every paid step separately so you can see what you...
Should a carpenter visit my Kanata house before quoting a wall removal?
A site visit before quoting a wall removal is worth arranging. A carpenter looking at the wall in person can check what...
Making a joist deeper to allow a bigger hole, is that allowed in Ontario?
The Ontario Building Code does allow increasing a joist's depth to compensate for a hole or notch, but the permission...
How much rotten wood gets cut out in an Ottawa framing repair?
How much rotten wood a carpenter removes depends on what they find once the framing is exposed, and that decision...
Do baseboard heaters get in the way of new baseboard trim in Ottawa?
Baseboard heaters do get in the way, and how a carpenter handles the conflict is worth sorting out before work starts....
My kids climb the stair guard, what does Ontario code say?
There is a direct rule for this in the 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24). Nothing between 140 mm and 900 mm...
Closing in an open stairwell in my Ottawa house, permit needed?
Closing in an open stairwell touches both the stair structure and the framing around it, and the permit question...
Why does new trim look wavy on my Nepean walls?
Wavy trim can come from the wall behind it, the fitting or the stock itself, and a carpenter checks all three. Older...
Which code limits apply to a curved staircase in an Ottawa home?
A curved staircase inside a dwelling unit follows the same 2024 Ontario Building Code private-stair rules as any other...
What does my Gloucester carpenter need from the designer before cutting?
Before your carpenter picks up a saw, they need a complete set of documents from the designer that tells them exactly...
Extra carpentry work came up in Stittsville, sign a change order first?
Yes, get the change order signed before the extra work starts. The Consumer Protection Act, 2002 requires a direct...
An interior door replacement quote in Nepean, what belongs on it?
Replacing an interior door in the same opening is on the City of Ottawa's exempt list, so a like-for-like swap needs no...
Can lead-painted trim be sanded in my Sandy Hill house?
Health Canada says a home built before 1960 probably contains lead-based paint, and interior paint in homes built after...
Where along a joist is notching allowed in Ontario?
The 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24, clause 9.23.5.2.) permits notches on the top of a joist only, and only...
Built-in shelving on either side of a doorway in my Manotick hallway?
Built-in shelving flanking a doorway is interior millwork, and we found no Building Code rule that governs its...
Supporting the house while a rotted beam is swapped out in Vanier?
Swapping a rotted beam while the house stays standing is a sequencing and planning problem, and the carpenter and...
French doors to close off a den in my Ottawa house?
Adding French doors to close off a den is a carpentry job that turns on one key question: whether the opening already...
Cutting through a top plate for a duct in Ontario homes?
The Ontario Building Code (2024, O. Reg. 163/24) sets a clear limit for top plates: after notching or drilling, at...
Why can't a carpenter price rot repair until the Ottawa wall is open?
Rot in a wall can run beyond the piece you can see. Until the drywall or plaster comes off, nobody can tell how far the...
Painted on site or in a shop, how are Ottawa built-ins finished?
Site-painted and shop-finished built-ins each have a place in Ottawa homes, and the right choice depends on the piece,...
What framing goes into closing up an old doorway in a Westboro house?
Closing a doorway is framing work, and the steps follow a clear sequence even if the opening is small. The carpenter...
What load must stairs in an Ottawa house be built for?
For stairs serving a single dwelling unit, clause 9.8.9.1.(1)(a) of the 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24)...
Lead paint in my 1940s Ottawa home, what should I tell the carpenter?
Health Canada says a home built before 1960 probably contains lead-based paint, and that interior paint may contain...
What is SB-7 and does it matter for my Ottawa guard?
SB-7 is the Ministry's Supplementary Standard SB-7 for guards, and it still matters under the 2024 Ontario Building...
Rotted joists being replaced, does Ottawa treat that as permit work?
The City of Ottawa's permit list includes "structural repairs or alterations," and replacing rotted joists is the kind...
What holds the ceiling up while a bearing wall comes out in Barrhaven?
The ceiling stays up during a wall removal because the loads that wall carries have to go somewhere before any cutting...
Is the paint on my 1920s Ottawa trim likely lead-based?
Health Canada states that homes built before 1960 probably contain lead-based paint, and that interior paint in homes...
Spiral staircase up to a loft in my Ottawa home, allowed?
Spiral stairs are allowed inside a house under the 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24), but clause 9.8.4.7....
What do I send a carpenter so they can price my Manotick stair rebuild?
Getting a carpenter to a useful number quickly comes down to how much information you send before anyone visits the...
Door frame out of plumb in my Westboro house, what gets checked?
An out-of-plumb door frame can come from several different places, and the right fix depends on which one is the cause....
Can my carpenter apply for the Ottawa permit on my behalf?
Yes, a carpenter can apply for a building permit on your behalf in Ottawa. The City of Ottawa allows either the owner...
Crown moulding where walls meet a sloped ceiling in Ottawa?
Crown moulding at a sloped ceiling is a real geometry problem, and the answer depends on how the carpenter handles the...
Old balusters in Alta Vista, how do I check them against the 100 mm test?
The 100 mm (about 4 in.) sphere rule comes from the 2024 Ontario Building Code, section 9.8.8.5: openings in a guard...
Is there an option cheaper than a steel beam for my Ottawa opening?
Steel beams are one option, not the only one. Built-up wood beams and glued-laminated (glulam) beams are both...
How is the City of Ottawa permit fee worked out for a wall removal?
The City of Ottawa calculates the permit fee for a wall removal at $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value, with a...
Asbestos rules for owner-occupiers, do they bind me in my Ottawa home?
Ontario's asbestos regulation, O. Reg. 278/05, does not apply to an owner of a private residence occupied by the owner...
My HVAC installer cut a joist in my Kanata house, is that OK?
A cut joist is a structural concern that needs a carpenter or designer to look at in person before anything else...
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