Flexible sealant best bet for filling foundation gaps

Question: How is the garage floor attached to the house walls, or is it not? Is there a thin space between them? What material is the outside of the house made of, where is touches the garage floor? I ask because . . .

Posted: 2020-11-21

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Sump pump, backflow valve in older home

QUESTION: With all the dire warnings in the news these days about the prospect of a flood this spring, I have been exploring our options regarding installing a sump pump and back-flow valve. Our house is about 55 years old and . . .

Posted: 2011-02-26

Guarding the Garage

How to protect your house's biggest entryway

Home security is a booming business in Canada, with some reports suggesting it's worth as much as $2 billion annually. High-tech devices such as HD surveillance cameras, motion detectors and smart locks have become almost ubiquitous parts . . .

Posted: 2019-09-06

Divert sump pump water to avoid a skating rink

Question: Last year I had a problem with my sump pump exterior discharge area. Since most new homes in the city are close to each other, I had my sump pump hose disconnected in the fall. Through the winter, all . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Carefully inspect fireplace and chimney prior to first fire of the season

Question: We moved into an old home and we are excited to use the wood-burning fireplace. What do we need to do before we use it, so that we don't burn down the house? Any tips? Peter, LoretteAnswer: Before lighting . . .

Posted: 2015-11-07

ASK THE INSPECTOR: How to be sure HRV system is up to par

QUESTION: I am moving into a new home and have ordered an HRV system. You had stated in a previous newspaper article many technicians are not knowledgeable in installing these systems. What should I look for when I do the . . .

Posted: 2010-04-17

Ice on your roof? Snow problem!

I climb up and shovel it off myself, but I strongly advise against doing the same

There’s a lot of snow building up on Manitoba roofs this winter. Or is it rooves. I mean if it’s hoof and hooves, does the same hold true of roofs and rooves?Apparently not. I wanted to know, so I looked . . .

Posted: 2017-01-07

It'll floor ya

More than imitation hardwood -- laminates have come a long way

We're not about to rip out the hardwood in our house (my husband would kill me), but if we were starting from scratch we'd certainly reconsider our choices. The versatility and durability of laminate flooring has come such a long way . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

Inside moisture likely cause of frozen exterior door and lock

Question: I have been having an issue with my locks and doors freezing up, on my five-year-old home. Every winter we are struggling with doors and locks freezing to the point we can’t open them. We tried everything, even . . .

Posted: 2023-01-21

Walk-out balcony a lofty project

It's basically a deck set at a higher elevation

Some projects require a staggered approach. When the vision involves a design that is so grandiose, the changes cannot all be conveniently tackled at once. The homeowner at a rural property East of Selkirk has big plans in mind, which . . .

Posted: 2021-09-11