Constructing Our Best Lives in 2023 with Mandy Ross" In this episode, life cheerleader Mandy Ross joins us to talk about how to construct our best lives in 2023. Mandy shares tips on how to raise our standards, prioritize ourselves, and take inventory of our lives. She also discusses the importance of having a positive outlook and returning to our inner child, as well as how to stop ourselves from quitting. This is the first part in a series with Mandy on The Construction Life Podcast. You can f...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min
All About Tiling with Sebino Bove of Tile Install Plus Inc." In this episode, Sebino Bove of Tile Install Plus Inc. joins us to discuss all things tiling. The show starts with a discussion about the lack of knowledge among renovation actors and the influx of "tilers" when clips became available. Sebino shares his thoughts on various products, including liners, epoxy, and dustless mortar. He also tells a story about tiling Olympic-sized pools. We talk about the TTMAC certification process and the...
Dec 25, 2022•1 hr 35 min
Roofing with Surg and Peter of Home Star Roofing" In this episode, Surg and Peter of Home Star Roofing join us to talk about the challenges and intricacies of roofing. They discuss different types of roofs and why there can be such a wide range of prices offered by different companies. The show also touches on the importance of avoiding overexertion and the age-old question of why there isn't an inspection for roofs. Hear from some young but knowledgeable roofers on this episode of The Construct...
Dec 23, 2022•1 hr 36 min
Gripes with the Construction Industry with Aaron Vehkala and Surge Lappaire" In this episode, Aaron Vehkala of Futurescapes Landscaping and Surge of Complete Home Services join us to talk about the frustrations and challenges of working in the construction industry. Topics of discussion include the prevalence of cheap jobs for rentals, "fuck it" tradespeople, and the pressure to present well on social media. We also cover the worst parts of working in this industry and how we keep our passion al...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 37 min
Brick and Masonry with Stacey Altayebi of Tri-County Brick" In this episode, Stacey Altayebi of Tri-County Brick joins us to talk about her experience as a distributor of brick and masonry products. Stacey shares her perspective as a woman in a male-dominated industry and discusses what motivates her to work long hours. We also delve into the history of brick, the current portland cement shortage, and our thoughts on painting brick and the use of seams in limestone sills. If you're interested in...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 33 min
Business Conversations with Kim Piller of Sandler Sales Training" In this episode, we welcome Kim Piller of Sandler Sales Training to talk about the art of having effective business conversations. Kim shares his insights on questioning techniques, making connections with clients, and the pros and cons of selling to people. He also discusses the persistence and understanding required to win over new clients, and offers some tips for Manny on his own prospects. Tune in to learn about a lesser-know...
Dec 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min
In this episode of The Construction Life Podcast, we are joined by Jeff Kutas of MB Sentinel to discuss package theft and the parcel safe product offered by his company. Jeff shares his experience of losing a brick-and-mortar retail business to the rise of online shopping, and how this inspired him to develop a solution for the increasing issue of package theft. We delve into the features of the MB Sentinel parcel safe, including its mounting options, power sources, size, colour options, customi...
Dec 17, 2022•1 hr
Andrew Prete of Carpenter on Site Inc. and Gabriel DiVito of Zinnia Place Trim Carpenter join us to talk about trim carpentry. We discuss how trim carpenters are underpaid, the short lists of builders they gather to deal with that, and apprenticeship lessons. This show is comprehensive on the ins and outs of trim carpentry, with how to cut sharp corners, poplar versus MDF, tools, glues, rounds and custom jig making. Learn about the trade that hides the mistakes of other trades on this episode of...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 49 min
Jarret of Pacific Wild General Contracting Services and his wife Candace join us to talk about horror clients and being married to a tradesperson. Jarret shares stories about the bad clients he's had to deal with, and Candace tells us about how bringing work home can affect the family. We also discuss clients threatening bad social media posts, boasting about the cheapest reno, Candace's impressive father. If you're interested in the construction industry or just want to hear us complain about d...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 44 min
Brian DesChamps of DC Improvements joins us to talk about politicians, shitty tradespeople, and the industry at large. We discuss the issue with clients choosing the cheapest options, business owners not being accountable for their poor quality tradespeople, and learning hard lessons. Brian has lots of stories about the lessons he's learned, and he introduces the product he's come up with to help teach people about the trades. The show also touches on the hard subject of why someone would want t...
Dec 11, 2022•1 hr 29 min
Dave Settlemyer of LS Underground joins us to talk about outdoor living spaces and decks. He talks about working outdoors, issues with supplies, lumber shrinkage, and trends. He shares how he uses 3D modelling to show his designs to his clients, and what his designs might cost a client. The show wraps up talking about building details like fasteners, joists, pedestals, and new lighting tech. Hear about how Dave runs his award-winning business on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Int...
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Simon Breslar and Azam Khan of Trax Codes join us to discuss their Trax app, the google for building codes. Gone are the days of carrying around massive books of code. Simon and Azam tell us about how Trax Codes helps builders and inspectors alike search through provincial and national building codes easily. They talk about their plans for future features and show us exactly how Trax Codes works. Be sure to watch this episode of The Construction Life Podcast on video! Interested in Trax Codes? C...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 43 min
Coralee Beatty of Thrive HQ joins us to talk about coaching women in the industry and how to build a better business. We discuss business coaching and the differences between men and women in the industry. Coralee offers helpful tips on everything from setting end goals to being vulnerable to learning from difficult situations. Come hear how to build yourself as well as your business on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Interested in Thrive HQ? Check out their website, ThriveHQ.ca ,...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Hans Eich joins us to talk about building better, not faster. We open up the show with Bill 23's issues and how rushed jobs create low-quality homes. Hans explains how we have to slow down to change the industry's problem with quality. He advocates for prefabrication and education on green building, to build passive homes at the same cost. Get educated on the issues with Canadian construction on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Interested in Hans? Send him an email at Hans@HansEich...
Dec 03, 2022•1 hr 32 min
Luke Hansen of CompanyCam joins us to talk about visual communication and their app, CompanyCam. Luke walks us through how the app came into being, the importance of organization, and how valuable job site photos can be. He discusses making tech for tradespeople, and what they did to make an easy-to-use app. Manny asks Luke the questions tradespeople are asking about his product, so tune into this episode of The Construction Life Podcast to find out if you should try out CompanyCam. Interested i...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 26 min
On this 300th episode of the Construction Life Podcast, Gary from @marescarpentry and Carrie from @mysticalca talk about something that has affected so many of us: cancer. Come listen to their story of hardship and perseverance, going from having 6 months to live, to beating all odds and getting the chance to have a family. Thank you for sharing such a personal story and thank you to everyone that has made TCL the one construction show to share real stories. Connecting with The Construction Life...
Nov 27, 2022•1 hr 43 min
Monique of AMA Roofing Supplies joins us to talk about running a mom-and-pop and staffing issues. She tells us how both shingles and tradespeople have changed over the decades, for better and worse. We also cover recession concerns and just how much prices have increased. Monique also explains her gripes with insurance making it too hard to hire drivers, and shares an interesting tidbit about homeowners buying and installing their own metal roofs. Tune into this episode of The Construction Life ...
Nov 25, 2022•1 hr 27 min
Richard Eipl of RETile & Finishes joins us to talk tiling. To start, Richard talks to us about his past in welding and the health risks that made him leave. Richard has some strong opinions about everything from clips to thin-set to blades to grout. For everything you need to know about climatizing tile, working on century homes, thin-set setting temperature, tiling on ceilings, priming and epoxy, tune into this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Interested in RETile & Finishes? C...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 47 min
Clint Young of Fieldstone General Contracting joins us to talk about subcontractors, pricing and tiling. We discuss how tradespeople can balance rising material prices with making a profit without selling themselves out of a job. That leads to Clint's three-strike rule with subcontractors and the importance of building relationships. We also get into tiling gripes, and educating clients about materials. Tune into another great episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Interested in Fieldstone Ge...
Nov 20, 2022•1 hr 45 min
David Paraguirre of the Mexican Carpenter joins us to talk about carpentry, construction and passion. He has a lot to say about many aspects of the industry, including whether tradespeople make enough money, whether they will be able to charge more due to the labour shortage, and whether the construction stigma is changing in younger people. We also talk about family, language and being passionate about what you do. Learn how not to undersell yourself on this episode of The Construction Life Pod...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 35 min
Agnes of NextGen Professional joins us to talk about women in construction and getting people into the trades. She tells us about what NextGen does to connect clients to employers and train "paper" skills, just how bad the labour shortage really is, and the importance of recognizing the skills immigrants bring to the workforce. After banging her head against the wall with the government, Agnes describes her new direction of partnering with organizations to make programs for elementary and high s...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 23 min
Ken Morgan of Kenneth Morgan Group joins us for an inspirational conversation about building up from the bottom. He explains his story of starting as a street kid and working hard through adversity. He believes in chasing passion, not money, and in two years he now has over 60 employees in a handful of companies. Learn from a man whose mindset makes sure he always gets paid on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Interested in Kenneth Morgan Group? Check out their website, KennethMorga...
Nov 13, 2022•1 hr 30 min
Jason and Wendy of 780 Handyman Grand Prairie join us to talk about construction in Alberta and small town handyman services. After giving an unintentional economic advertisement about booming Grand Prairie, they tell us about being a franchise and the lesson they learned about the importance of marketing. Jason and Wendy share what they love about their business, the historical finds they’ve uncovered from the walls of homes, and the joy they can bring to their client’s faces, just by helping t...
Nov 12, 2022•1 hr 39 min
Adnan Zabian of ACAD Modular joins us to talk modular. He tells us about the kinds of clients interested in modular building, including a brief description of how severances work in Toronto, and how tradespeople can get into modular construction. Over the show, he shares models and drawings from the projects he's working on, giving us an idea of the kinds of things that are possible with the modular movement. If you've ever considered a shipping container home or you're looking for the future of...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Nuno from Luso Roofing and Sutton Group Security Realty joins us to talk roofing and real estate. He tells us about why he and his dad hand-nail all their roofs, and about the importance of quality in roofing. We then break into a discussion about the current real estate climate, including advice about planning for the future. The last third of the show jumps back into roofing, with a conversation about different vent types, skylights, and the materials and tools he uses. Hear all about one of t...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 44 min
Luca Bucci, CEO of the Ontario Home Builders Association, joins us today to talk about Bill 23 and government interference with building more homes. Manny and our listeners have lots of questions for Luca, everything from the labour oversight in the build faster act, to the government cracking down on shady builders, to the issues with the education system. Check out this episode of The Construction Life Podcast for the answers to all your burning political questions. Reach out to Luca Bucci by ...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 47 min
Clifford Parker of Pegasus Underpinning and Reno joins us to talk about underpinning. Starting off by discussing the differences Clifford noticed moving from construction in England to construction in Canada, we then break into sharing stories about the neighbours on projects and which soil types make the worst working environment. Clifford tells us about his experience underpinning the Drake, and his difficulties finding new hires that want to work. We wrap up the show reminding everyone about ...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 42 min
Neil Freidberg, Building Science Manager at LP Building Solutions, joins us to talk building science. Neil tells us how to properly retro old buildings for lower energy bills, considering walls, basements, chases, fireplaces, ceilings, bathrooms, and attics. He also extends that information to new construction and discusses LP's building science products. For everything on making an efficient home, tune into this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Interested in LP Building Solutions? Chec...
Nov 06, 2022•1 hr 38 min
Hayes Nulman of Hayes Nulman Design joins us to talk about custom millwork, carpentry and furniture making. He shares how he got started fighting squirrels and being kicked out of his shop, and how that led to the way his business works now. We also talk wood, CCQ, tools and techniques, and working with solid ebony. Interested in Hayes Nulman Design? Check them out on their website HN.design , on Instagram @HayesNulmanDesign, or email them at Info@hn.design . Thank you to everyone who recently p...
Nov 05, 2022•1 hr 23 min
Frank, Sam, Tony and Joey of Atlas Kitchens and Bath join us to talk about custom kitchens and cabinetry. After introductions and a quick run-through of the stages a project goes through internally at Atlas, we get into the nitty gritty of cabinet styles, hardware, appliances, materials, and trends, dispersing some stereotypes and sharing some expert opinions. They tell us some of the strangest custom projects they've done as well as what they'd put in their own dream kitchens. For everything yo...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 42 min
