Fiberglass Rebar for Slabs, Driveways and Garage Floors
Is fiberglass (GFRP) rebar good for a driveway, garage floor or slab in Ontario? Road salt, stiffness, spacing, placement and when steel or mesh still makes sense.
Flitch Beam vs Steel Beam: When Each Makes Sense
Flitch beam vs steel W-beam for a house: why the Ontario code has span tables for steel but not flitch beams, how each is built and handled, and when each fits.
Foundation Wall Rebar in Ontario: Code and Spacing
When the 2024 Ontario Building Code requires rebar in poured, block and ICF foundation walls, with the OBC spacing tables and what changes when a wall is designed.
Framing and Boxing In a Basement Steel Beam
How to frame around and box in a basement steel beam: soffit framing, nailers, wood wraps, headroom rules, Type X in two-unit houses, and what not to do to the beam.
How Far Apart Should Basement Columns Be?
Basement column spacing is set by the beam they hold up. Ontario Building Code span tables for wood and steel beams, column loads, footings and a worked example.
How Much Weight Can a Lally Column Support?
Lally column load capacity explained with real manufacturer load table data, why height matters, the 36 kN telepost limit in Ontario, and how loads are estimated.
How to Cut a Lally Column to Length
How to cut a lally column to length: measuring, pipe cutter and saw methods, square ends, end plates, and why fixed steel posts are cut in the shop.
How to Install a Lally Column in a Basement
How a lally column or steel post is installed in an Ontario basement: shoring, the footing, sizing and plates, fastening to the beam, permits and inspection.
How to Install a Steel Beam in a Basement
The process for installing a steel beam in a basement in Ontario: design and permit, footings and posts, shoring, setting the beam, connecting joists, inspection.
How to Install a Steel Lintel in an Existing Brick Wall: The Process Explained
How a steel lintel is installed in an existing brick wall in Ontario: assessment, design, permit, shoring, bearing, flashing and rebuilding, and who does each step.
How to Lift a Steel Beam Into a House Without a Crane
How residential steel beams are moved and lifted into place without a crane: beam weights, getting in the door, material lifts, jacks and cribbing, hoists, safety.
How to Remove a Load-Bearing Wall and Install a Beam
How a load-bearing wall is removed and replaced with a beam in Ontario: design, permit, shoring, posts and load path, beam installation and inspection.
How to Replace Lally Columns (and When You Should)
Signs a lally column or telepost needs replacing (rust, leaning, no footing, no label) and how a basement or garage column replacement is done safely in Ontario.
HSS Steel Posts for Basements and Decks: Sizes and Options
Common HSS steel post sizes for basements and decks, what the Ontario Building Code requires for steel columns, plates and connections, and how to order posts.
Is My Lintel Steel or Concrete? How to Tell
How to tell if a lintel is steel or concrete: what a steel lintel looks like under brick, the magnet test, concrete and block lintels, and why it matters.
Joist Hangers for Steel Beams
How wood joists are hung from a steel I-beam: bottom flange bearing, wood fillers and hangers, top-flange hangers, welded seats, and what the Ontario code requires.
Lally Column and Steel Post Cost in Canada: What Drives the Price
What sets the cost of a lally column or steel post in Canada: section, length, plates, finish, footings, permits and installation, and how to get a firm quote.
Lally Column Cap and Base Plates Explained
What lally column cap and base plates do, the Ontario minimum plate size, top plates for wood vs steel beams, base plates on footings, and loose vs welded plates.