ASK THE INSPECTOR: Does home need a good strapping? Maybe

QUESTION: I have a 26-year-old home in Winnipeg. I am going to be putting on a new roof, along with new soffits, fascia and eavestroughing. I also have a small portion at the front of my house that currently has . . .

Posted: 2010-05-22

River Heights classic updated to perfection

Modern amenities meet charming elegance

As much as folks love River Heights for its character-filled homes, there’s one thing some don’t love — the fact many of these classics lack modern function. In many instances, kitchens tend to be tiny, or separated from the dining room, . . .

Posted: 2021-05-01

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Outdoor backwater valves a bad idea here

QUESTION: I live in Winnipeg and have a question about sewer backups. Is it possible and allowed in Canada to have a backwater valve/back-flow preventer installed outside the house? I have seen several websites and videos on the Internet that . . .

Posted: 2012-01-28

How will your garden grow?

Roof and community plantings among 2011's green-thumb trends

Trends in gardening for 2011? It often comes down to whom you talk; everyone has an opinion. The Garden Media Group in Philadelphia, which puts out its list of trends annually, thinks "gardening with a purpose, " as it is manifested . . .

Posted: 2011-02-12

Repairing cracked vent pipe an easy fix

Question: I am wondering if you could explain an unusual pipe I have seen in my attic. My house is a bungalow, built in 1986. This was in the attic and I found a small area, three square inches, of . . .

Posted: 2021-11-20

Freezing condensation a concern for homeowners

Question: After a previous winter’s two weeks of sub-zero temperatures here in Calgary, what I believe to be the cold air return piping started to drip water through some tears in the insulation covering the pipe. I understand that this . . .

Posted: 2020-10-31

Go with high-quality pleated filters

Question: We’ve had many warmer winters since 2008 and the HRV intake frost problem described to you then was not always apparent, but in 2017, we happened to be home all winter and the old problem reared its ugly head . . .

Posted: 2019-07-06

Investing in a good night's sleep

I find myself at what I consider to be a milestone in my young adult life. After a year of moving around the country for jobs after college, suffering aches and pains from sleeping on mattresses that weren’t right for . . .

Posted: 2019-04-20

ASK THE INSPECTOR: High-voltage toaster nothing but trouble

QUESTION: There are 240-volt toasters on the market that run at 12 amps. Modern kitchen wiring has split plugs with 14-gauge wiring and two 15-amp circuits with ganged breakers, which means there would really be available a single plug for . . .

Posted: 2011-11-26

HRV settings key to homeowner's woes

QUESTION: I have a new home and have found that my furnace was running almost continuously last winter trying to keep our house temperature at 20 degrees. I also found that the temperature variations within our home fluctuate three to . . .

Posted: 2012-11-17