From tired to tremendous

Spacious family home gets big makeover

Here's a saying we all know: bigger isn't necessarily better. That was the case with 81 Shorecrest Dr., a 3, 402-square-foot, two-storey Lindenwoods-area home built in 1985. Due to some awkward design features and sub-par finishes in key rooms, the expansive . . .

Posted: 2010-05-22

Super scraps

When my boys were in elementary school, their science teachers launched a program in the cafeteria called the ORT Report, in which the students measured their food waste. The goal was to cut down on their environmental footprint. According to the dictionary, . . .

Posted: 2017-06-17

Fill area under porch with crushed stone rather than concrete

Question: Just saw your article online about cold storage rooms in basements and was wondering if it is recommended to completely fill it in with concrete? We live in an older house, with cold storage under the front porch, which is . . .

Posted: 2021-09-11

Trick the eye

Create stunning space without spending a bundle

Creating drama in your d ©cor is easier than you think. It doesn't have to involve spending tons of money on expensive furnishings, high end light fixtures nor high-priced accessories. Tricking the eye is the key to creating a stunning . . .

Posted: 2008-04-13

Home's bad smell likely moisture related

Mould a possible culprit, along with dead rodents, plumbing problems

QUESTION -- We have a two-year-old house on a concrete foundation with a crawl space. Our problem is a persistent and worsening bad smell, somewhere between musty and dead animal, which is at its worst during the winter when the . . .

Posted: 2008-02-17

Return air improves heating system's circulation

Question: My son lives in a 100-year-old house. The main floor is 769 square feet and the second floor is 348 square feet. The second floor is not used or heated. At some time a 10-foot square basement was dug . . .

Posted: 2014-09-20

Cold rooms not recommended in cold climate

Question 1: For years, we have had leaking and condensation problems with our porch and cold cellar below, in our 50s style bungalow in Toronto. We finally had them rebuilt, right down to the footings, and intend to convert the . . .

Posted: 2014-10-11

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Avoid overkill when dealing with rodents

QUESTION: I had a real mouse problem at the cottage last fall and after dispensing poison and finding all the holes, I hope, where the mice could enter, I think the problem is solved for now. We have a dirt . . .

Posted: 2011-06-04

Thorough home inspection always best bet

Question: My partner and I are looking to buy a house and we are becoming frustrated with the process. With the hot real estate market, we are being told that a pre-purchase home inspection condition in our offer is a . . .

Posted: 2021-07-17

Porch encounters of the dual kind

Different designs co-exist in perfect harmony

Rarely does a jobsite include two simultaneous porch projects. Typically, the porch in worst condition is addressed one season, and the other the next. Late this spring however, a jobsite near St. Pierre-Jolys did indeed require two porch upgrades. . . .

Posted: 2023-07-08