MIKE HOLMES: Minimize the VOCs in your home

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are in a lot of the products we put in our homes. Everything from carpeting, cabinets and furniture to the paint on our walls and caulking around our tubs, showers and toilets contain VOCs. Some materials . . .

Posted: 2014-02-15

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Forced-air heat needs good ventilation

QUESTION: This is a question on furnaces. Do we need a cold air intake to the furnace with forced air electric heat? Most of the questions you receive pertain to gas furnaces. Thank you, Doreen Backer I am currently building a 1, . . .

Posted: 2010-01-09

Picture-perfect porch

Homeowners’ vision brought to live with new decking, aluminum railings

In the beginning of my career as a builder and renovator, my focus was to fill my calendar with work, period. The early years were primarily filled with back-to-back interior projects, allowing me to build decks on weekends. Nowadays, I’ve . . .

Posted: 2025-07-12

MIKE HOLMES: Renovations, new construction take different skill sets

As a contractor, I've built a few new houses and I've renovated many more. I can tell you there's a huge difference between building new and renovating -- and that is something you need to be aware of when you . . .

Posted: 2012-02-04

Art and soul

Home-based gallery a labour of love

It’s an idea that’s simple, yet powerful: an art gallery in a home. The seed for the concept was planted some 18 years ago, said Julie Walsh, owner of Soul Gallery at 163 Clare Ave. in Riverview."I started working in . . .

Posted: 2016-02-27

CONNIE OLIVER: Decor finds

Unused old objects can make unique accent items

When I come across a great decor idea, I like to share it with others. Not only are the following ideas fantastic, they inspire us to think outside the box when it comes to home decor. I can't take credit . . .

Posted: 2012-11-17

Ace that base

Although pre-fab shower bases are available in many standard sizes, they don’t often provide the custom look desired by homeowners, especially if the entire shower stall is meant to be tiled. Moreover, most pre-fab base sizes don’t cater well to . . .

Posted: 2025-02-01

Small touches, super style

Tweaks to design give home its own personality

As a builder, it's always a challenge to come up with varied new-home designs.Granted, coming up with a novel design doesn't mean reinventing the wheel from a design standpoint. However, it is important to think outside the box in key . . .

Posted: 2012-08-04

Keeping your evergreens green

The shrubs require a dedicated effort but are well worth it

From time to time I get inquiries about the browning of evergreen ground junipers. Typically these evergreen plants are planted in low lying ground beds in groupings of 5 to 25, or even larger.Initially, the clusters of low-lying evergreen shrub . . .

Posted: 2016-09-24

Selecting MHBA builders just makes sense

Building a new home is one of the largest investments a family will makes in its lifetime. Doing your due diligence when selecting the right builder is critically important when a family is making this type of major investment. So . . .

Posted: 2021-10-30