A good house is the result of a passionate builder constantly paying attention to detail, but this alone isn't enough without the ability to find or build that correct detail. At Edwards and Quarrie we have taken steps to ensure that even when an item isn't readily available locally, we are still able to supply it, either by fabricating our own solution or bringing it in via a network of international sources. A prime example is our moulding machine. Tired of not being able to obtain the exact moulding profiles so necessary for any restoration work, we decided to simply get a machine and design the profiles ourselves. No more having to settle for off-the-shelf generic "Colonial" mouldings! Similarly, when told that no one in Eastern Canada could create a circular bolection mould for Victorian-era entry doors anymore, we created a lathe-tablesaw hybrid and made it ourselves. A broken piece of etched glass in a Victorian home's formal entryway also posed a problem for replacement - until we scanned a sample of it to create a PDF which then was printed as a temporary vinyl template. New glass was cut and sandblasted before the vinyl was removed and now you'd be hard-pressed to tell the original from the replacement. Other items required searching further afield. High-quality weatherstripping has a much higher silicon content than that commonly available and we source ours from a Swedish specialist company. Genuine linseed-oil putty for properly glazing windows and doors is also brought in from Sweden. Authentic plaster ceiling medallions are still being made by a company in Chicago, as are reproduction push-button light switches. A thorough paint job (see article) makes sure to use a Water-Repellent Preservative (WRP) on bare wood, before a primer coat is applied, but this too is only available in the US. Historically-appropriate hardware of all types and descriptions is generally available in the US and not in Canada; even lowly soffit vents must be found elsewhere if one wishes them to have a discreet look. Luckily we've done all the research and established relationships with these various suppliers and can thus have just about any item on hand in a few days' time.