We are very excited to be getting our new drop down windows very soon.

These new windows are going into our Muskoka room, which is on a second storey, with a covered porch below it.

We were amazed to find that they could be used in this application. Actually, our Builder Rob Borne, worked with Ross Windows in Parry Sound to design them specifically for our application.

In the picture above, Rob is putting them into the top storey of a boathouse with living quarters.You can see how this window is open just a bit, so that you can see how it drops down and totally disappears.

What is so good about them is that they are fully insulated windows that simply disappear into a kneewall.

In our case, they are disappearing into a glass kneewall, as we have floor to ceiling windows in our Muskoka room.

Not that many builders know about them. However, I understand that the Toronto decorator Sarah Richardson is putting them into a Toronto home, which will be featured on her television program this fall.

I will post pictures of our windows when they go in. Although they are a bit expensive, we are thinking of them as a good investment in our Muskoka Real Estate.

If you could use more space at your cottage in the summer months, consider making an very inexpensive addition to your cottage, that will not raise your taxes.

Buy a tipi or a tent.

One of the important things about the cottage, is that it be a different experience than the experience of home.

Using a tipi or a tent, constructed on a permament platform, creates an interesting and memorable experience for your guests.

People pay a lot of money to stay in ice hotels for the unusual experience of it. Your guests will have something interesting to talk about if they stay in a tipi, or a tent, when they visit you in Muskoka.

Make it a comfortable experience by having power to the structure for a coffee machine and lights, and use permament furniture like beds and night tables.

Tipis have been used at some of the older cottages for many years.

You can find excellent products on the internet at these sites www.reesetipis.com www.tipi.com www.tentsmiths.com or google tents and tipis for more information

John made a new wood shed for us.

He created the design himself and so it is a very simple pattern, that anyone could easily make with minimal hand tools.

He made it in two separate sections, so that we could carry it more easily, or we could move it to a different spot, in the future, if we wanted to.

It is constructed of 2×6 and 2×4 treated spruce, but you could make it out of cedar, if you do not like treated lumber. There are also some small pieces of plywood, which create gusset strength at the peak of the overhang.

The roof on the front overhanging section, is not finished yet, as we needed to get additional steel panels. John did not originally plan on an overhand, however, making this change to the design keeps the wood more protected from the blowing snow and rain, and gives us a dry place to stand when loading the wheelbarrow.

It is not good to store wood too close to the cottage because of the bugs, like termites, that the wood could have in it. We also have a tin lined wood box near our fireplace, to keep our cottage safe from insects.

Contact us if you would like the pattern for this wood shed.

We have prepared an article entitled “Caring for your Trees” to help you find local services. Please click the link to check it out! Thanks for reading.

The clouds thicken and the thunder echoes across the lake. The trees stand out in sharp contrast to the blackening sky, and the air takes on that special quality that is the calm before the storm.

In Muskoka, storms over the lake are an amazing fireworks display. Unfortunately these storms play havoc with our power systems. Some areas are affected more than others. The islands have frequent power outages and Acton Island is referred to as “Action Island” by the hydro workers. Without hydro, basements can flood, security systems can fail, expensive food can thaw, and a holiday can become a nightmare.

One way to protect yourself against spoiled dinners plans, a melting mess in your freezer, or worse, is to purchase your own generator. An electricgenerator is a device used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Depending on the size and type of generator you purchase, you can keep a few applpiances running, or you can maintain the functioning of most of your cottage.

We have produced a Special Report which gives you all the information you need to decide which generator is right for your cottage. For your convenience, we have also included the names and telephone numbers of local locations where you can purchase generators.

Contact us at 705-645-2110 or thelma@royallepage.ca to receive your copy.

If you are entering into a construction project, you are in for a very busy time.

It is very difficult to make all the decisions that need to be made regarding which windows you want, what style you want the ceiling in each room to be, what you want the trim to look like, which door handles you prefer, which profile of tongue and groove you prefer, what method of heating you want to choose, which kitchen and bathroon cabinets you like, and so on, endlessly.

At first the decisons are fun, but after the ten thousandth choice, you can start to get worn down, especially if you are being rushed.

Although the Builder never intends to give you too short a turn around time to make some of these decisions, it invariably happens that way.

We have created a chart thatyou can use to help you to easily stay ahead ofyour contractor, and to be ready with the decision whenyour Contratorraises the topic. This chart is called ‘Timelines in the Building Process’.

Itsuggests what descisions you should be making while the architectural plans are being completed, what decisions you should be working on while the footings are going in, and so on, through to the end of the project.

All of these decisions take time and our chart helps you to start considering each set of decisions well ahead of time, so thatyou are never rushed.

Contact us at thelma@royalleapge.ca in you would like us to email you a copy of this chart.

If you are putting in new docks or a new swim deck, consider adding a sloped section for water skiers and swimmers.

As you can see in the picture, a sloped section on the end of the dock makes it a lot easier for you to get into the water.

This section can be solid or it can be hinged, to move up and down as the water levels change throughout the season.

Friday night we have a wonderful dinner with our friends in their recently completed cottage. Naturally we wanted a tour so that we accumulate designideas and see all the new technology.

We were amazed by the sound system, which was totally invisible in many rooms. In the picture above, I am showing you one of the walls in the kitchen where the speakers are positioned. Can you see them?

These speakers are built into the wall, and then they have a skim of drywall over them, so that they are totally invisible. What a great idea!

We were also pleased to hear that all this equipment was purchased locally in Bracebridge. It is our understanding that they can also be used in renovations, as they can be easily retrofitted into the wall.