Kitchen thermometer is your key to fully cooked chicken

Question: Guests are coming for supper soon, I have decided to cook chicken. Previously, I served undercooked chicken to my cousin; that was embarrassing. What is the fastest way to tell if it’s done, without looking like I don’t know . . .

Posted: 2019-04-27

Plank vinyl best bet for unheated, seasonal cottages

Question — I am hoping that your answer might resolve a question from which there appears much conflicting advice, from vendors and contractors. Many of those have not had to deal with older, unheated cottages. We want to redo our . . .

Posted: 2020-08-29

MIKE HOLMES: Some solid, hard truths about wood finishes

I'm always telling homeowners to look beyond the lipstick and mascara -- the finishes. But finishes are important to many homeowners. It's what they see and live with every day. I get that. And I like finishes, too. What I don't . . .

Posted: 2012-12-15

Embracing insulating concrete forms

Home renovations often include large additions or finished basements. Many people are telling their contractor to build their basement, and even the upstairs walls, with insulating concrete forms (ICF), which exceed R-values recommended by the Manitoba Building Code. "The present code . . .

Posted: 2015-03-21

Prevent trees from producing premature yellow leaves

In the spring all deciduous trees (those that drop their leaves in the fall) produce green leaves at the start of the season. The leaves of some trees such as certain crab apple and Schubert choke cherry turn predictably an . . .

Posted: 2016-06-25

Sunny yellow spaghetti squash is good to GO

Question: How do you know when spaghetti squash is ready to pick? Also, please share good recipes for it? Sera-Lynn Answer: There are a few cues to look for when it comes to spaghetti squash readiness. First, observe the colour. . . .

Posted: 2022-09-10

Learn the phases of home construction before you build

A very common and important question most new home buyers ask when looking at building a new home is, how long will it take to be built? As you can guess, there is no standard answer. It will be different . . .

Posted: 2020-06-27

Developing trust makes end product better

Contractors often find themselves alone in clients' homes

My favourite aspect of the client-contractor relationship is the development of trust — which sometimes allows the evolution of a friendship. Because much of the work a contractor completes occurs during regular business hours on weekdays, it is necessary for the . . .

Posted: 2017-12-16

MIKE HOLMES: Don't let power tools make you their victim

HAVE you ever heard the saying, A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing? That's especially true when it comes to power tools, an area where someone who knows just a little could really use -- or lose -- a . . .

Posted: 2010-04-10

Clearing the air-conditioner

Removal of bulky unit long overdue

Remember going on family roads trips, and staying at a motel midway through a tedious drive to the actual destination? For me, thoughts of road trips while touring with my band trigger memories of a dimly lit and tiny . . .

Posted: 2024-02-03