Experience is the best teacher

From homes to automobiles, they just don't build 'em like they used to

Building a home, or perhaps considering it? Boy, have you come to the right place! Digging through some old books, I recently came across this gem, Building Your New House, a book by Mary and George Catlin that some would consider . . .

Posted: 2017-09-16

SOLUTIONS: A new life for your old Christmas lights

QUESTION: Your column is great and covers so many topics. I have been trying to clean out some excess items in my house and have some old (dead) Christmas lights I would like to recycle. I know the copper wire . . .

Posted: 2011-02-12

Use hot water to keep your towels fresh

Question: I need help cleaning hand towels. Mine always get dark and greyish where people repeatedly wipe their hands in the middle of the folded towel, and I cannot get these darker areas clean with regular laundry soap. I . . .

Posted: 2023-01-14

Glass walls a welcome option

Treat windows in uniform manner to enhance airy ambience

DEAR Debbie — Our spacious living room has high ceilings (12 feet) and two walls of glass. We want to cover windows to be able to block out the hot sun, but love the light. How would you decorate these . . .

Posted: 2008-04-13

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Air conditioning fights summer humidity

QUESTION: I have a three-year-old house in the Westwood area of Winnipeg and last summer the humidity in the house was around 60 per cent. After running the dehumidifier for several weeks it dropped down to slightly below 40 per . . .

Posted: 2011-07-30

Try cheap kitty litter for fresh oil stains

Question: A delivery truck left an oil stain on my concrete driveway. Is it possible to remove it without using a toxic product? — Sharon Answer: The fresher the oil stain, the easier it is to remove. For new oil stains, cover the . . .

Posted: 2017-10-07

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Seepage, buildup caused by wet weather

QUESTION: My access port for my backwater valve is filling up with water very slowly and I was wondering if you could tell me why. Thank you, Tom Paquette, St. James. ANSWER: There may be several reasons that water is seeping . . .

Posted: 2010-07-24

Follow these simple steps to plant a tree

I have received many inquiries from readers asking what they need to know and do to establish a new tree properly. The hope is it will grow well and bear healthy, delicious fruit. In your mind you have chosen a . . .

Posted: 2016-06-11

$20 can go a long way

An open mind the key to redecorating on the cheap

No money? No worries. You can make tons of changes to your d ©cor for less than twenty dollars if you shop wisely and keep an open mind. Where to shop You need to know where to shop to get the most . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

Location of attic insulation critical

Question: I am preparing to add more blown-in insulation to my attic. I have added baffles for air flow from my soffits where possible, but, in some areas, there is no opening down to the soffit between trusses. In these . . .

Posted: 2015-10-17