Come Visit the Dry House – House Proud, Toronto Sun

You have a nice house.  But is it a dry house?  This weekend at the Toronto Fall Home Show, The Insurance Bureau of Canada is offering free plays at their interactive display, The Dry House, in hopes of helping homeowners and renters learn about ways to keep moisture outside where it belongs.Using touch-screen technology and 9 large TV screens, The Dry House is anything but a dry experience.  Players find solutions to common problems such as a leaky basement or water damage.  It’s as compelling to play as a video game, says Pete Karageorgos, Manager, Consumer and Industry Relations for the Insurance Bureau. 

“People learn best when you involve all of their senses.   It’s fun to play and they’re drawn to it because it’s not like anything else at the show, and they learn from it.”

Water damage claims totalled $1.7 billion in Canada last year and as Karageorgos points out that’s only for things that are covered under a homeowner’s policy.

“Something like the overland flooding in Manitoba that we saw isn’t covered by insurance anywhere in Canada. A sewer backup isn’t covered by a basic policy. You have to be aware of these things. Some things are taken for granted but is your downspout pointed away from your foundation?  The Dry House will show you that it’s something you can do for your own home.”

Everyone can relate to the thought of losing precious photographs and mementos and Karageorgos says a flood has also become a very expensive proposition now that so many people are installing second-floor laundries and finishing their basements.

“It used to be, if the basement flooded you lost a few boxes of Christmas decorations and some golf clubs.  Now the lower level is often additional living space with carpeting, drywall and expensive electronics.  And if a washing machine pipe burst it wasn’t as big of a deal if it was in the basement.  But in a second floor laundry a lot more gets damaged and it’s more costly.”

In this era of severe weather events that have caused so much destruction, preparation is the key and The Dry House couldn’t come at a better time.

Along with learning some practical maintenance tips, the Toronto Fall Home Show is once again chock full of eye-catching designs in furnishings, décor and gastronomic delights.

Always innovative Umbra is showcasing some of its newest items including one that’s for the birds.  The Bird Café is a thoroughly contemporary bird feeder that co-designer Dennis Cheung says “takes visual cues from modern architecture”.    Why shouldn’t the birds have a nice place to eat, too?

Old cast iron radiators are new again with beautiful paints and finishes once they’re recycled and refurbished by Ironworks Radiators in an environmentally friendly way. 

Hailing from Europe, Lumon Balcony Glazing and Retractable Glass Walls are entering the Canadian market.  Lumon’s concepts add living space to the home by enclosing balconies and terraces in coverings that offer protection from a harsh winter but open up to let the summer sun shine in.

Shortbreads mean Christmastime to many families.  But you can get a head start on the tradition from Sprucewood Cookie Co.  Imagine a shortbread cookie baked with sharp cheddar flecks.  They’re introducing a new line of “Typsy” cookies with an infusion of Irish Cream or another liqueur.

 If you love the look of barn-board but don’t have room for a barn, Rustic Barn-board Furniture has its wares on display.  It’s amazing what beauty time and weather can bring out of a humble piece of wood and this company creates one-of-a-kind tables and entertainment units as well as building to order.

This is just a small sampling of hundreds of vendors with unique wares and sage advice to offer at the Toronto Fall Home Show.  See you at The Dry House.