Take it step by step for stairway success

Once new vinyl-plank flooring has been installed on all levels of a residence, some homeowners decide they want to extend the look onto the staircases between floors as well. This can be a tricky task, and careful attention to prep . . .

Posted: 2025-04-05

Catching problems early key to a healthy yard

Stressed trees can be a serious liability

Writing this column over the years, I have heard from many readers that they have followed my advice and now have a more informed understanding of how they can better take care of their trees and woody shrubs. I have . . .

Posted: 2016-10-08

CONNIE OLIVER: Bamboo offers variety of 'green' decor uses

Bamboo has become a popular component in many home-decor products. Because of its sustainability, it is a great substitute for items formerly made from less-renewable resources like hardwood. Bamboo is a grass that renews itself within a five- to seven-year span, . . .

Posted: 2010-06-12

Buyer prepare

Is a condo right for you? Find out before you commit

While a resale condo may provide an opportunity for a more relaxed lifestyle, getting there can be challenging. A big misconception with condominiums is that people tend to think that buying a condo is just a less expensive way of buying . . .

Posted: 2009-10-31

Form-tie-opening leakage common... but shouldn't be in a home this new

Question: Recently, I was checking the basement in our six-year-old home for water during a thunderstorm. We’ve had it happen once before, during a really bad storm, where the water came in through the window wells somehow, so I was . . .

Posted: 2019-08-31

Filling a void only a temporary solution for seepage

Question: We have lived in our 1986 two-storey home for six years. The concrete driveway extends the length of the south side of the house. There is a stuccoed chimney, as well as an air conditioning unit on that side . . .

Posted: 2019-05-11

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Proper insulation job can warm cold floors

QUESTION: Our home is roughly 25 years old with two sets of bow windows, with five separate panes, facing south and west in the living room/dining room. Also, we have an alcove where the buffet sits. When we moved into the . . .

Posted: 2012-10-06

MIKE HOLMES: Let's make entire communities green

I think everyone pretty much agrees it's a good thing to try and live greener and put less stress on the environment. We recycle. We think about eating locally grown foods, we buy energy-efficient cars and appliances and we try . . .

Posted: 2010-10-16

MIKE HOLMES: Build your home right -- the first time

I don't know what it is about Aug. 29 and New Orleans. But it seems like ever since hurricane Katrina, New Orleans gets hit with a major storm on the anniversary. In 2008, my crew and I were there building a . . .

Posted: 2012-09-22

ACHIEVING PHOTOSYNTHESIS

How to get great garden photos

HOW many photos do you take of your garden each summer? If you're like me, your photos number in the hundreds. Once in a while, we take the perfect photo, post it on the fridge or even frame . . .

Posted: 2011-08-13