CONNIE OLIVER: Show off your reusing abilities in contest

Decorating can be a challenge, especially if you're on a budget. You have to be creative with your choices in order to achieve the look you want for the price you can afford. Clever do-it-yourselfers stretch their decorating budget by reusing, . . .

Posted: 2011-10-22

Filling gap under steps stops pests, seepage

Question: I was hoping you might be able to guide me in the right direction. I live in Linden Woods and moved into my house about two years ago. I noticed that beside my front steps there is a gap . . .

Posted: 2011-08-27

Come on baby, light my fire

Trendy new options ignite the backyard fire pit

The four elements, earth, water, air and fire, stimulate our senses. In an indoor setting, the flicker of a flame from candlelight or a fireplace evokes an atmosphere of intimacy, setting the mood for relaxation. In the outdoor setting, a . . .

Posted: 2016-07-30

Hard to deny the grandeur of a proper pergola

It was a primarily esthetic project, sure, but the finished product was well worth the effort

What’s the main difference between a four-post pergola and an eight-post pergola? Well, beyond the obvious, the answer has everything to do with the length of the main tandem supports. The plan was to build a large pergola, to cover the entire . . .

Posted: 2019-04-27

Solutions

Get cracking on these egg-cellent ideas

The benefits of eggs and egg shells have been known for generations. The larger type eggs such as Ostrich were historically used as water carriers by the hunter gatherer tribes in ancient times. 1. In a pinch substitute egg . . .

Posted: 2008-03-23

How to touch up your house for the market

At some point in a homeowner's life, there comes the time to sell.Maybe it's a transfer to another city. Maybe it's time to move up to something bigger as your family grows. Or maybe the kids have moved out and . . .

Posted: 2010-10-23

TREE CARE: You can fight leaf yellowing from rains

LAST year, at around this time, I wrote about problems with southern Manitoba fruit trees caused by heavy rainfalls. This year, it's no different. In fact, it's worse. Here's what I wrote last year: "In infertile soils that are certainly typical of most . . .

Posted: 2010-07-03

Putting your dreams on ice

For empty-nesters, it's not always about downsizing

This past fall, realtor Blair Sonnichsen and his wife Vicki decided to make a significant lifestyle change.After calling Winnipeg home for many years — and bringing up a family there — they found themselves all alone in a big, family . . .

Posted: 2017-02-18

Tasteful gardening

Herbs let your senses flower

What is a herb? If you were to look up the word herb in the Oxford English Dictionary you would find two definitions, one broad and botanical and the other narrower and referring to use: 1. Any seed-bearing plant that does not . . .

Posted: 2011-06-25

Leaking bay window hard to diagnose

Extensive repairs may be needed if area shows signs of rot or mould

QUESTION -- We have a bay window in our kitchen made up of three separate Pella triple-pane windows. The two side windows open and have not given us a problem. The large centre window juts out from the floor on . . .

Posted: 2008-06-15