It’s an exciting day at the Home Renovation Guide - our Photoshare section is up and running! We’ve been working on this tool for a while, and think that it is not only a lot of fun, but potentially really useful too.

So what is this wonderful tool, you can’t help wonder? Well, PhotoShare gives users the ability to create a photo album of any room in their home. The albums are separated out into categories (bedroom, living room, outdoor spaces, etc.), giving you the chance to show off everything from the paint job you’ve just completed in the bathroom to the 8-month, whole house remodel that you can’t believe is finally finished. It’s a great opportunity to put up an album to share with friends and family, with a place to describe what you’ve done and how you did it.

Not to mention the other homeowners who will enjoy getting a glimpse of your handiwork (or that of your contractors). Coming soon to PhotoShare are comments, which will allow anyone to ask questions or offer suggestions about your project, using the online environment as the perfect sounding board for your ideas!

Check out PhotoShare today, and let us know what you think!

Last week I wrote about Elizabeth Turnbull’s experiment in green homebuilding on the Yale University campus, her tiny abode sharply contrasting the behemoth student dorms typical to most college campuses. Well, as it turns out, Turnbull isn’t the only one interested in small homes.

Taking a cue from coffee cups and Smurf Village, a Japanese designer-builder is marketing small, Styrofoam prefab houses that look like mammoth mushrooms. Each house is made from 100 per cent expanded polystyrene foam, which, unlike wood and metal, does not rust, rot or attract bugs. Oh, and each home can be assembled in a few hours—not bad for homeowners on the go.

While you likely won’t see these domed domiciles in your community anytime soon, polystyrene foam is becoming a popular building material in regular-looking homes.

Polystyrene foam is an excellent insulation material, which is why green-minded builders are turning to insulated concrete forms (ICFs, as they’re commonly known) for exterior foundations. The forms look like pieces of foam that come when you buy a fridge or TV, but when put together and filled with concrete, the forms provide a strong, rot-resistant, energy-efficient insulating base for exterior walls and foundations.

There are many ICF brands for foam insulation, some more suitable depending on the application. And while it tends to be slightly more expensive to build with, ICFs provide long-term savings when it comes to heating and cooling and rot-resistance.

Sure, the housing market has slowed down, but at least we can look forward to more home renovation TV programs focusing on fixing up flipping.

Shows such as TLC’s The Real Estate Pros (that follows agents as they do their jobs), Date My House (that follows the process of prepping a house for sale) and Flip That House (that follows those who buy to sell) have seen record-high ratings. These shows have been so influential that they’ve pushed the network to create a prime time, Saturday night line-up called House Calls, which features My First Home, for buyers ready to take the plunge from rent to mortgage, and  Trading Spaces, the classic “what will my neighbor do to my home?” program. Canadian fixture Holmes on Homes is also part of the line-up, featuring heavyweight contractor Mike Holmes and his tireless mantra: buyer beware.

According to The New York Times, ratings on HGTV and TLC have shown that viewers tuning into home reno shows have climbed significantly in accordance with the plunging housing market. Why? I suppose it’s because homebuyers and sellers need any edge they can find, so tuning in certainly can’t hurt.

Actually, why not think about participating as well? After all, everyone deserves some fame, so here’s your chance to shine in the spotlight. If you’re looking to renovate, getting yourself on TV can often mean at least a bit of help with the products and services. With the increase in shows, surely producers are in need of new couples—gay, straight, dysfunctional, living in a dreamland; all are welcome—to strut their stuff on film.

It’s been nearly 40 years since U.S. spaceship Apollo 11 landed on the moon, with Neil Armstrong taking one small step for man (pop quiz: who was the second guy?)

Since those halcyon days, we’ve been lunar crazy; from Ziggy Stardust to Star Trek to so-called space-age design. Like all things nautical, it seems space never really goes out of style.

Which brings me to aerospace engineer Robert Howard Jr., manager of the habitual design centre at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Taking the concept of space-age design to its logical limit, Howard has been given the task of designing a dwelling that could comfortably house four people on the moon for a year.

The house will finally settle the long-held belief that humans aren’t destined to live outside the Earth’s sphere, and will be a symbol of “freedom and opportunity,” says Howard.

Putting aside the usual design decisions—porcelain or ceramic tiles; hardwood, or, wait, what about getting funky with bamboo flooring—Howard has more hoops to build around than Orlando developers. For one, the homeowners, or astronauts, need to be shielded from solar radiation, and every single drop of water, including sweat and urine, has to be recycled and purified. It’s a bit more to ask than putting out the green bin.

Actually, the more I think about it, this isn’t much different than Orlando after all. I have glimpsed the future … and (no big surprise) it has Disney written all over it.

While the U.S. Census Bureau no longer gathers statistics specifically focused on home renovations, up in chilly Canada yearly stats are published on what’s happening in the world of remodelling, compiled by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Usually, what’s happening in America is happening in Canada—economically speaking. Usually, but not always; it seems like Canada is charting its own future these days. Unlike American builders and renovators, which have taken a hit since the economic slowdown and credit crisis began, Canadian contractors are doing well.

In 2007, Canadians spent close to $19.7 billion on home renovations—about 37 per cent of households across 10 major cities from Vancouver to St. John’s, N.L., according to the recently released CMHC Renovation and Home Purchase Report. An estimated 1.5 million households completed some form of reno in 2007, and while this number is down slightly from 2006, when 39 per cent of all households renovated, things are not exactly cooling off.

Homeowners across Canada spend an average of $12,800 on renovations in 2007, an increase of more than $1,000 compared to 2006. The highest average amount spent was in Calgary, at $15,600, and increase of $3,000 over 2006. The lowest average for 2007 was Winnipeg, at $7,900, a decline of more than $2,000 from 2006.

Statistics Canada divides home renovations into two categories: improvement/alteration, which refers to work done to increase the enjoyment or value of the home, such as a deck or addition; and repair/maintenance, a renovation undertaken to keep the home in working order. According to the CMHC report, 59 per cent of households renovated for improvement, 48 for repair or maintenance, seven per cent to add more space and five per cent to make their home more energy efficient.

More stats: 31 per cent of renovating households remodelled a room, followed by painting/wallpapering and flooring/carpeting, at about 27 per cent. In Ottawa and Edmonton, 20 per cent of all reno projects in 2007 involved some type of major landscaping or exterior addition, including patios, swimming pools and outdoor kitchens.

For the lucky ones, summertime means taking a vacation away from home for a week or two for some well-deserved R&R—actually, make mine a G&T. Weeks before a trip, pet owners call up their neighbour for feeding and walking duties; others hire house-sitters to come and water plants. Obvious stuff, really.

But why stop with plants and pets? The fine folks over at Charles & Hudson recently wrote about having your hardwood floors refinished while away on vacation. Instead of living through the messy, five-day refinishing process, why not have it done when you’re not around? Same goes with any type of flooring, whether it’s hardwood or you’re having wall-to-wall carpeting installed, putting down laminate.

Of course, you’d have to trust the contractors working while you’re away, so make sure you hire a reliable company.

Now that I think about it, many home-renovation projects suit this while-we’re-away timetable. Is your driveway looking tired? Have it repaved, resealed or bricked when you’re gone. Same goes with any exterior paths and patios.

What about your deck, does it need refinishing? No use having this done while you’re home barbecuing and entertaining guests. Speaking of backyard parties, who wants up a big whiff of paint fumes? Nobody, so if you’re home’s in need of an exterior paint job, get it done while you’re gone.

Of course, there’s something to be said for DIY projects or even keeping an eye on the contractors at work, but there’s a big difference between being watching and “living through” the job.

It’s official: I’ve entered my Carlsberg years. it seems like only yesterday conversations with friends revolved around derelict landlords, overdue philosophy papers and who did what at weekend house parties. But these, as it turns out, were minor stresses compared to thirty-something worries over marriage, new homes and—the crux of the matter—home renovations.

Renovating a home is a rite of passage most of us go through, the lucky ones at least, and yet few things in life create such high stress as figuring out what projects to set in motion, how to pay for it, and whether or not to hire a contractor. It can be overwhelming to say the least, especially since most of us have never encountered anything of this sort before, which often results in nothing getting done. Sad but true, this is the new wing-night chat.

Not surprisingly, the web is full of blogs created by newlyweds with renovation on the brain, whether they’re greening their lives or trying to turn an old home new, complete with his and her shopping trips. But for every keen couple there’s a flipside—those who barely made it and those that broke down, thanks, no doubt, to the fantasy world of home renos depicted on TV.

Rather than planting a few platitudes on how to manage stress (count to 10, breathe deeply…as if this ever works), let me leave you with one tidbit of real reno advice: plan ahead. Like everything else in life, remodelling is all about deciding on a plan of attack and executing it.

Project derailment (and that other D-word) is avoidable with preparation, so before saying “I do” to that bathroom fix-up, make sure you’re both in tune.

Have you ever walked into a friend’s home and noticed similar design elements to your own house? You know, the same kitchen layout, or carpeting or even—heaven forbid—the same wallpaper. Sure, we all steal ideas, but some of us are more stealth, taking the idea itself and running with it.

Open house season is upon us, whether it’s someone’s daughter finally graduating high school, BBQ invites, garden tours or public viewings of for-sale homes, June is all about opening doors to friends and strangers. But don’t just hang around the bacon-wrapped scallops and Yellow Tail — there is a certain manner in which to approach open houses. But better yet … take a look around for reno inspiration.

It’s no surprise that a home for sale is typically a house that’s been recently renovated, so even if you’re not in the market (why move when it’s so much fun to renovate?), go in and see what they’ve done to the place. Not only will it give you ideas for new projects, but browsing also gives you a sense of how much your home is worth, and what you can do to raise the resale value.

So the next time you see that “Open House” sign with an arrow, consider it a personal invitation to learn from someone’s else home triumphs … or trials.

Canadians and Americans are different. For every similarity—our love/hate relationship with Celine Dion; our affinity for televised sports, with regional differences, of course — there are differences that clearly make each country separate. And I’m not just talking about Canada’s love for Clamato and the ongoing love affair Americans have with spray cheese. Gross.

But the real difference between America and Canada, at least as far as this blog is concerned, concerns the White House and 24 Sussex Drive. Don’t know what “24 Sussex Drive” is? That’s my point.

This past weekend, the Canadian media reported on the decrepit state of Prime Minister Steve Harper’s abode, pointing out that the 34-room house, built in 1866, is in desperate need of a reno—to the tune of $10 million.

At stake: who will pay for the renos and where will Steve and his family live during the repairs, which include replacing old windows, removing asbestos and installing a sprinkler system. They’re looking at a 12- to 15-month project, and that’s assuming that the subcontractors show up on time.

I simply cannot imagine the White House undergoing such prolonged and publicly debated scrutiny over when and how the “official residence” will be brought up to date; it’s not that the White House has never been renovated—it has, many times—but that Canadian leaders have historically lacked the political will and wallets to authorize big-budget renovations, let alone the cosmetic changes brought in by U.S. presidents and (likely) future leaders.

Of course, all this pales in comparison to the reno headaches suffered by other world leaders. Former Czech president Václav Havel writes in his memoir, To the Castle and Back, about concerns with the Castle’s garden hose, which needs to be lengthened, and the bat inhabiting the vacuum-cleaner closet, all while trying to run a newly democratic country. Talk about gaining perspective.

Sometimes I think Canada suffers from too much democracy; as in, too much debate over how and when things need to get fixed. It’s why there is an excessive number of elections, and a state house in need of the Holmes treatment. In the States, on the other hand, the chain of command means things get done ASAP, which is good when it comes to renos, but not as good when it comes to foreign policy.

No, we’re not the same. But that’s what makes us friends.

Lately I’ve been enjoying the ramblings of Ohio blogger DIY Diva, a self-described “power tool wielding badass” in Ohio. When she’s not shredding legal documents or dreaming of owning a mini-lathe, this ripped jeans–wearing woman is busy remodeling her 80-year-old house.

I mention the Diva because she’s the one who turned me on to Handyguys Podcast. If you’re not familiar with podcasting, basically it’s a downloadable audio or video program, like a TV or radio show, that you can watch or listen to on your computer. Handyman’s Podcast is a weekly advice show (posted every Thursday) put together by two guys with ample reno experience.

The show covers questions sent in by listeners, as well as general how-to advice on everything from deck refinishing to spring cleaning your lawnmower to head-to-head tool tests. It’s a great show led by two entertaining and informed DIYers.

Handyman’s Podcast isn’t the only home-reno show in the blogosphere. Podcasting works well with renos because you get to hear from real people about what they went through and how to solve problems in a way that doesn’t always work in books or magazines. Here are some other remodelling podcasts:

Podcast Directory lists several building-related podcasts, including shows on tiling and insulation.

HGTV (Home and Garden Television) offers tons of podcasts covering everything from basement makeovers to home wine storage.

If you read Popular Science magazine, you’re already familiar with The Toolmonger, a guy who tests and reviews tools like a one-man Consumer Reports. The podcasts feature The Toolmonger offering his opinions and advice on buying and comparing tools.

Of course, with all online content, please use caution when deciding who’s an expert and who’s blowing hot air; not everyone’s the expert they claim to be.