Steel Lintels Over Garage Doors: Sizes and Options
Which steel lintel goes over a single or double garage door in a brick house under the Ontario Building Code, when a W beam is needed, and when to engineer.
Steel Post-and-Beam Homes: Design Basics and What Drives the Cost
How steel post-and-beam houses are designed in Ontario: frame layout, connections, exposed steel, envelope and foundations, and what drives the cost of the frame.
Steel Ridge Beams for Vaulted Ceilings: Sizing and Cost Factors
Why vaulting a ceiling usually needs a structural ridge beam, what the Ontario Building Code says, how a steel ridge beam is sized, and what drives its cost.
Steel Stair Railings and Handrails for Homes
Choosing a steel railing for stairs in an Ontario home: guards vs handrails, picket and panel styles, handrail profiles, mounting, finishes and how to order one.
Steel Stairs vs Wood Stairs: Pros, Cons and What Drives Cost
Steel vs wood stairs for Ontario homes: looks, strength, noise, durability, code differences, steel stringers with wood treads, and what drives the cost of each.
Steel Stairs with Wood Treads: Design Guide
How steel stairs with wood treads are designed: stringer types, tread attachment, Ontario code rules for tread thickness and finish, wood movement and noise.
Steel vs Wood Beam Size for the Same Span
Side by side from the 2024 Ontario Building Code: the built-up wood beam and steel W-beam needed for the same span, plus how steel posts compare to wood posts.
Temporary Shoring: Renting Steel Jack Posts
Renting steel jack posts for temporary shoring: what rental stores carry, how load ratings work, how shoring is laid out, and when a post must be permanent.
Types of Metal Gates for Homes
The main types of metal gates for homes, sorted by job, by how they open, by infill style and by metal, with what each choice means for posts, finish and upkeep.
Types of Steel Lintels: Angle, Tee, Channel and Tube
The main types of steel lintels: single and double angles, angles with plate, tees, channels, HSS tubes and W-beams with a plate, and where each one is used.
What Is a Lally Column?
What a lally column is, what it's made of, whether it's hollow or concrete filled, what it does in a basement, and what Ontario calls it: telepost or steel column.
What Is a Steel Lintel and What Does It Do?
What a steel lintel is, what it does over a window or door, how the brick above loads it, where you will find one in an Ontario house and what keeps it working.
What Size Steel Beam Do I Need? A Homeowner Sizing Guide
What decides the size of a steel beam in a house, how to read the Ontario span table with a worked example, and when a beam has to be sized by an engineer.
When Does a House Need a Steel Beam?
The situations where a house needs a steel beam instead of wood or LVL: long spans, heavy or point loads, tight headroom and wide openings, and who decides.
When Is a Steel Lintel Required? Ontario Code Basics
When the 2024 Ontario Building Code requires a steel lintel, when a wood or concrete lintel is used instead, and how it works in brick veneer over wood framing.
Wire Mesh vs Rebar for a Concrete Driveway
Wire mesh or rebar for a concrete driveway in Ontario? What each does, what rebar size is used, how much steel each adds, and why mix, joints and base matter most.
Wire Mesh vs Rebar for a Garage Floor
Rebar or wire mesh for a garage floor in Ontario: what the building code requires, when a garage slab needs design, typical rebar spacing, and a worked example.