Gear

What to buy, if you buy anything

These are buying notes, not a store. A $30 downspout extension often beats a $400 gadget. When we add retailer links later, they will be marked as affiliate.

• Dehumidifier

  Basements and sealed crawl spaces

  Continuous drain (not bucket-only), sized for a cool space, auto-defrost if it will sit in a crawl.

• Moisture meter

  Checking wood and drywall after storms

  Pin meter for framing; pinless for finished surfaces. Learn a dry baseline in a known-good closet.

• 6-mil+ vapor barrier

  Dirt crawl floors as a first step

  Thicker reinforced sheet lasts. Overlap seams, run up walls, keep it from becoming a trip shred.

• Downspout extensions

  Moving roof water off the footing

  Rigid or locked-flex that stays put. Several metres of travel beats a decorative splash block.

• Dryer vent brush kit

  Accessible house runs (not a 40-foot condo chase)

  If the path is long, crushed, or unknown, a specialist cleaning is safer than a cheap brush fight.

• Gutter scoop and ladder discipline

  Fall maintenance under trees

  A stable ladder and a day of work still beats most ‘set and forget’ guards under cedars.