If car mats bunch up, replace them now

QUESTION: My car mats continually bunch up under my feet while I am driving. I push them down to flatten them but before I know it, they creep up into a bunch. Should I tape or glue them in place? . . .

Posted: 2013-12-21

Giving up a third bedroom for a closet need not be risky

QUESTION: My boyfriend and I recently purchased a house. Not only is it our first house together, it's the first house either of us has ever owned. Against the advice of family and friends we bought a bit of a . . .

Posted: 2014-09-20

Dated bathroom needs personalization

Dear Debbie: It's time to renovate our '50s-style bathroom but how far do we go? We will be moving in two years or so. The tiles are in great shape but green with black trim. Bathtub is green. I'm a . . .

Posted: 2012-11-03

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Fixing old floor's squeaks not worth grief

QUESTION: I want to get rid of the squeaks in the hardwood floors of my 1950s-era home. Most of the floors can be accessed from above only. I am looking to hire someone to screw or nail through the hardwood . . .

Posted: 2010-11-20

Find a trusted expert for electrical upgrades

A licensed contractor is essential to ensure the work is done right

Question: My house was built in 1974 and it has aluminum wiring. I would like to improve the wiring, be it pig-tailing the aluminum to copper or rewiring the whole house. The house is a 1, 050-square-foot, three-bedroom bungalow. The . . .

Posted: 2017-09-16

Sump hose length vary depending on slope

Question: Could you please advise about winter sump hoses? How many feet long should a winter sump hose be? We have heard that they can freeze up if they are longer than 20 feet. We understand that if the hose . . .

Posted: 2021-11-27

Weeping tile important component in new home

Question: I am currently building a new house in River Park South and upon reviewing the blueprints a couple days ago, I noticed the plan does not include the typical exterior weeping tile system. Instead, the plan calls for a . . .

Posted: 2015-10-24

Turn up the HEAT

Mustard ain’t afraid of the cold (but he don’t like it)

As I write this, Tuesday of this week, the sun is shining and I’m looking out the window at my trusty John Deere mower sitting on beautiful green grass that I’m going to finish mowing today. Sob. If the weather experts are . . .

Posted: 2021-11-13

Trim triumph

New baseboards and casings can sharpen up a home’s look

Flooring replacement always requires a few extra steps. Beyond removal of existing flooring to make way for the new (as well as any sub-floor preparations that arise), the casings and baseboards are best removed to be re-installed later in the . . .

Posted: 2025-04-26

Minor evidence of moisture in crawl space likely not an issue

Question: I think about you every time I open the hatch to enter the crawl space below our basement floor. We had the home custom built in 2007 and I presume met all bylaw requirements of the day. The dirt . . .

Posted: 2021-02-27