Smoke free policies make for tenable tenants

Question: I have a peculiar problem in my semi-detached house. My neighbour next door is a tenant. She smokes marijuana and the smell I suspect comes through an electrical outlet and my fireplace when my air conditioning is on. . . .

Posted: 2023-07-22

Cleaning right between the lines

Question: Suggestions on how to remove mould from grout. Our shower tile is only two years old and we thought we were cleaning properly, but we just noticed the start of mould. — Charlene Answer: Purchase a handy little piece of pumice . . .

Posted: 2017-08-12

Handled with care

Template a must when mounting new cabinet handles

Some of the most anxious moments can occur while doing tasks that take the least amount of time. That’s why it is so very important to ensure the proper measurements are taken, and a reliable process is undertaken. For instance, adding . . .

Posted: 2021-03-13

Green -- one step at a time

Small changes add up to big savings

YOU'VE heard it all before: Recycle your bottles and cans. Change your furnace filter regularly. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Chances are, you've made some of those small changes in your home. Why? Because small is not . . .

Posted: 2009-05-03

Replace old bathroom fan with HRV unit

Q uestion: We purchased a home, built in 1987, and have a bathroom fan that exhausts through a central motorized fan near the furnace. The vents that are used by the fan to pipe out the side of the house . . .

Posted: 2016-12-03

SOLUTIONS: Bring in ammonia for tough cleaning Solutions

QUESTION: I read with interest your hints in the Winnipeg Free Press. I need your help because I washed walls this week with my usual cleaner, Lysol Liquid; now there are terrible streaks over everything I've washed. This has never . . .

Posted: 2010-02-27

Proper exhaust an absolute must

The introduction of a basement bathroom always presents a few challenges. If the rough plumb for the sink, toilet, tub and/or shower is already present within the concrete floor, most of the cumbersome hurdles simply vanish. However, another aspect . . .

Posted: 2024-10-26

Removal and replacement of rusty ceiling grids required

Question: I made a big mistake, after finishing our basement, with not hooking up the bathroom ceiling fan. Now we have rust on most of the metal ceiling grids. Short of replacing all the grids, is there anything than can . . .

Posted: 2021-05-01

One door closes, another opens

Serendipitous circuitry smooths way for speedier project

When the health circumstances and mobility of a homeowner changed dramatically, the urgency to address certain aspects within their home compelled me to make the necessary time despite an already hectic work calendar. Having already remodelled the kitchen and introduced . . .

Posted: 2025-11-08

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Sometimes, beauty should only be skin deep

QUESTION: I live in a 92-unit bungalow condominium complex in Winnipeg. I have a heated garage with a concrete floor. Also, there is a concrete grade beam across the front where the garage door is located. When the garage door . . .

Posted: 2011-04-30