ASK THE INSPECTOR: There are different ways to heat crawlspace

QUESTION: Our addition is cold and we need help! The original part of the house has a full basement but the addition has only a crawlspace beneath. There is a two-foot by four-foot opening between the two underground spaces. The . . .

Posted: 2010-02-13

Earth Day: going green the right way

Earth Day is April 22, and it's a good reminder for all of us to make greener choices to help save energy -- which means more money in your pocket -- reduce waste and have better, healthier homes. Because that's . . .

Posted: 2015-04-18

Electric water heater has advantages over gas-fired units

Question: We had a gas high-efficiency furnace installed in our 1991 built, one-storey house, about eight years ago. Seven years ago, our gas water heater was changed, with no modifications made to the chimney. I heard that a chimney liner . . .

Posted: 2022-03-19

RENOVATIONS: Anyone can be a shingler

Roofing should be designated a trade in Manitoba

If you need to open an umbrella inside your home during a downpour or snow melt, you may be a victim of one of many fly-by-night shingling companies operating in Manitoba. "There are no requirements to become a shingler in the . . .

Posted: 2012-11-03

Reader hopes to sniff out cause of catch-basin odour

Question: I am in need of an answer in relation to an existing catch basin and if there is a need to install a sump pump. My home was built without a sump pump and it has a walk-out basement. The catch . . .

Posted: 2019-07-27

Timing is everything when pruning fruit trees

Once buds open, it's too late

Recently, I assisted a group of community volunteers who wanted to know how to properly prune orchard fruit trees consisting of varieties of apples and plums. We are currently in a short period where the window for early spring pruning . . .

Posted: 2015-04-11

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Don't raise home humidity for new flooring

QUESTION: Could you please give us some advice in regards to humidifiers and hardwood flooring. We have ordered hardwood flooring for our main floor. It's a Brazilian hardwood called Tiger Wood. We were told by the flooring company that the . . .

Posted: 2013-11-23

MIKE HOLMES: Respirator an essential tool

I remember the days when if you had work boots and a hammer, you were good to work on a job site. Back then, a lot of contractors would demolish a house without thinking about the potential risks, such as . . .

Posted: 2012-08-18

It's a good time to winterize your basement

Get those leaks, squeaks and monster utility bills under control

The basement of the house we grew up in had a clanking furnace, rumbling water heater and banging pipes. Damp, dark and musty, it housed boxes and boxes of canned goods and who knows what else. As children, we were too . . .

Posted: 2008-10-12

Put some heat beneath your feet

Heated flooring a great feature all year round

Homeowners can easily conclude that heated flooring will keep your feet warm on otherwise cold tiles, but they may not realize it can also accelerate evaporation and increase the overall temperature in a room. There are also a few other must-have . . .

Posted: 2021-06-05