Skip the scraping

Sep 6, 2025 | Info

drywaller working on ceilingWhen Islington 2000 was under construction, popcorn ceilings were an obvious choice. The bumpy finish was easy to install, hid imperfections, and discouraged both fire and noise. If you still have the stippled finish you are still benefitting from these advantages.

Current taste has moved away from a focus on these practical issues and toward the modern look of smooth finishes on our ceilings. If you are inclined to make your ceiling smooth there are options. Scraping/sanding is the worst – the dust can be toxic.

Popcorn ceilings in big rooms can be covered with 3/8” drywall. This will lower the ceiling a very little. In a condo remember that the building is designed to sway which may in time expose cracks. More creative options for covering the stipple are decorative ceiling tiles or wooden planks. Both offer warmth and visual appeal.

A newer option for creating a smooth surface is to tightly stretch fabric or pvc across the existing ceiling. Installers work with an aluminum frame attached to the ceiling, then stretch the membrane of your choice over all. Besides a sleek look this improves acoustics. And the space above a stretched ceiling can include various kinds of ambient lighting options. 

A plasterer can skim-coat the whole ceiling. It may require multiple coats to even out a very textured ceiling, because it is not advisable to prepare the surface by sanding. As mentioned above, it is best to avoid any contact with possibly toxic construction dust.

The least expensive and least fussy option is to paint over the textured ceiling. An acrylic/latex paint in a flat or matte finish, possibly in a darker colour will visually camouflage the texture. It is decorative and also works as a sealant. Lay down multiple coats very thickly for best results.

Exercise can ease Insomnia

Jul 21, 2025 | Info

Getting sufficient sleep is important for good health. However, authoritative statistics on insomnia worldwide suggest that 16.2% of the global population suffers from insomnia, and 7.9% have severe insomnia. A survey study in the US conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that adults had trouble falling or staying asleep within a 30-day period.

A recent scientific meta-study examined the outcomes of 22 randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of exercise and other therapies for insomnia, and found that four types of exercise may be the best ways to improve sleep quality and avoid insomnia: yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging.

The study found that practicing yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging are effective therapies for treating poor sleep and insomnia. The positive effects of yoga were the strongest of the exercises studied, and the beneficial effects of Tai Chi were the longest-lasting. The conclusions of the study were:

  • Practicing yoga may increase sleep time by just under two hours a night and boost sleep
    efficiency by 15%. It may also shorten the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and wake
    up after having been asleep.
  • Tai Chi may improve sleep quality, increase total sleep time by nearly an hour, reduce
    wake after sleep onset, and shorten sleep onset latency. The beneficial effects of Tai Chi
    were especially long-lasting: as long as two years.
  • Walking or jogging may result in an almost 10-point reduction in insomnia severity
    scores.
  • For people seeking better sleep, yoga, tai chi, walking, and jogging may be as effective
    as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.
  • Seven to nine hours is the recommended amount of sleep each night for adults.

The original study is published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

life in a condominium

Apr 7, 2023 | Board, Info, News

For those who are new to condominium life there can be some adjustments. Few will miss the upkeep of mowing lawns, raking leaves or shovelling snow. But this freedom from chores comes with restrictions that you may not have anticipated. You are expected to share the facilities with your neighbours. And there is an expectation that you will take on some new responsibilities related to living in a shared building.

The Condominium Authority of Ontario is your source for knowledge about all things related to living in a condominium. It is strongly recommended that new owners refer to this guide. Even if you have lived in a condominium for years, you may still be surprised to know how regulations have evolved, and procedures have been refined.

When you check into this website there is an invitation to subscribe to the OCA newsletter where you will receive important news and updates. The spring  newsletter focused on conflict resolution, and the Condominium Tribunal. It just take a moment to sign up.

Avoid Water Damage

Mar 18, 2023 | Info, News

Water leaks in your suite can lead to costly damage. Toilets can leak slowly in a rarely used washroom. Your washing machine or dishwasher can unexpectedly release water. The pipes under your kitchen sink can erode over time and cause a leak. Suddenly you have an urgent problem. 

Water leaks are particularly troublesome in a condominium because water will always flow downward potentially damaging lower suites too. You will be responsible for this damage so be sure your insurance policy reflects this added liability for any expenses incurred.

Wise condominium owners can do a few things to avoid costly water damage. Every adult should be familiar with the shut-off valves throughout the suite (under sinks, beside washing machines, under toilets) and know how to turn them off in an emergency.  Check each to see if they work properly so that in the off position there is no more water flow. These valves can become faulty over time and should be repaired by a plumber in case you need to turn off the water.

Consider investing in some water leak alarms. These are small devices that you can place out of sight behind toilets, near washing machines or under sinks. They detect water and give an alarm. There are smart water detector alarms that send a notification to your smart phone app, even when you are away from home.

Scams

Feb 25, 2023 | Info, News

In the modern world we are unfortunately plagued by deceptive phone calls and emails intending to defraud. Often they seem hilariously inept, but the statistics about reported scams tell us that  vast amounts of money are stolen this way, so they obviously catch many of us off-guard. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

  • If you receive a suspicious phone call claiming to be from a family member in an emergency situation, hang up the phone and contact them directly on the number you have in your telephone list. Likewise unexpected phone calls, texts or emails from your bank or credit card. If you are worried, disconnect and follow up by contacting your bank directly.
  • If the caller claims to be a law enforcement official and asks you to pay a fine or bail, hang up and call your police directly. The police or other officials will never request payment by cash, credit card, gift card or Bitcoin. This is always a scam.
  • Be careful what you post online. Scammers can use details shared on social media platforms and dating sites for targeting purposes. They can easily gather names and details about your loved ones.
  • Be careful with caller ID numbers that look familiar. Scammers use technology to disguise (spoof) the actual number they are calling from and make it appear as a trusted phone number.
  • If you receive a strange email from a friend or family member it just takes a moment to run your cursor over the sender’s email address above the message and click.  If you do not recognize it, do not reply or click on any links in the message. Just delete. (Your email application may have a button near the delete button to report it as spam. Use it.)
  • Listen to your inner voice that tells you that something does not sound right.

Want to know more about this topic? The Government of Canada has a website dedicated to informing the public – Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Understanding Quorum

Dec 14, 2022 | Board, Info, News

The sister buildings at Islington 2000/2010 were built a few years apart and have differences in some noticable as well as some less obvious ways. Here’s one: quorum at MTCC 570 is 25% of owners; at YCC 351 quorum is set at 33%.

The Condominium Authority of Ontario explains it this way:

Quorum is the minimum number of owners that must be present, either in person or by proxy for business of the corporation, such as a vote, to be conducted. The standard quorum for an AGM is when owners who own at least 25% of the condo units are present. The quorum requirement is reduced to 15% on the third and any subsequent attempts to hold the meeting if quorum is not reached on the first two attempts to hold the AGM.

In recent years attendance at AGMs has led YCC 351 to consider amending its quorum requirement to align with the Condominium Act of Ontario’s 25% requirement. The challenge for YCC 351 is that it needs a majority of owners to vote for this change. While recent AGMs have met the threshold to conduct business, there have not been enough owners or their proxies there to achieve the required majority.

So, the goal to reduce quorum from 33% to 25% has led the Board of YCC 351 to become a little more proactive. Owners at 2010 Islington – if you did not attend the last AGM or vote through proxy, expect to be personally invited to vote in 2023. More about this soon.