Overheard conversation helps divert reno disaster

After the first year at my current property, during interior renovations and upgrades in several rooms throughout the house, my attention slowly began to creep outside. I wanted a big deck in the backyard, adjacent to a higher tier surrounding . . .

Posted: 2020-01-25

Multiple ways for a house to spring a leak

QUESTION: My son bought a house last June. In his basement, on the freshly painted south basement wall, there are five or six pinholes weeping reddish-brown water on the chimney side of the house. The house is approximately 70 years old, . . .

Posted: 2013-09-14

Coordination always key to completion

Garage addition challenges stall project

Planning and executing the construction of an addition to a house is an exercise in coordination and scheduling. This past summer, a third attached garage stall was introduced to an existing double garage. The entire process did manage to . . .

Posted: 2023-11-18

Outdoor kitchens add extra spice to our backyard retreats

Our backyards promise to be popular spots again this year with the prospect of continued social distancing. And with the arrival of spring, our outdoor spaces are now getting extra attention. “The boundaries between the inside space and outside space are . . .

Posted: 2021-03-17

Tackling crawl space insulation, ventilation

Foam superior to studs and Fiberglas

111Do I really have to cover the panels to provide a thermal barrier? There is no source of flame or direct heat in that area and for me to haul pieces of drywall through a two-foot-square opening to the crawl . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

MIKE HOLMES: How to figure out if a home has been flipped

Spring is home-buying season, and buyers need to be extra careful when checking out potential homes. You don't want to buy a lemon. There are two main options when buying a home: Either you buy new -- a completely new build . . .

Posted: 2014-05-03

How to make hanging pictures a work of art

How many times have you bought an amazing piece of art and hung it on the wall, only to realize it's too high? How many nail-scars are covered up by that perfectly hung print? Hanging artwork can be frustrating, but . . .

Posted: 2009-02-28

Call or click before you dig

Avoid injury, legal trouble and property damage by planning ahead

How many times have you picked up a shovel and started digging because you were either landscaping, installing a deck or a fence, adding a garden, or planting a tree? Did you know you could be breaking the law?Most people . . .

Posted: 2015-06-13

Aluminum wiring should be inspected, repaired by electrician

Question: I’m writing to enquire about aluminum wiring. It was permitted by code to be installed in many apartments and homes during the 1970s and today is even used by Manitoba Hydro for heavy gauge service cables. Insurers love to . . .

Posted: 2022-02-05

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Reinsulate after foundation cement dries

QUESTION: I am hoping you can point us in the right direction. My husband and I took possession of our new home in September 2005. Our homebuilder, per their "code, " framed, insulated and placed vapour barrier in our basement. We . . .

Posted: 2010-11-13