There are alternative options to a concrete sidewalk

Question: What are your thoughts on rubber paving blocks or rubber stone, as an alternative to total replacement, for an older concrete sidewalk? William K. Answer: Replacement of an older settled or damaged concrete sidewalk with alternative materials is . . .

Posted: 2023-05-06

Shutting off water supply before winter vacation a good idea

Question: We plan to be away from our Winnipeg home for the next eight weeks and were planning to turn off our water. Would the furnace or electric hot water tank be negatively impacted? Thank you. — Diane Answer: Leaving a home . . .

Posted: 2019-11-30

MIKE HOLMES: How your house may be killing you

Every day, we are exposed to thousands of chemicals and toxic elements — in our homes. We’re not sure of the long-term health impacts of all of them, but some are very clear: Lead In many municipalities, lead is still found in . . .

Posted: 2010-02-13

Drain hose critical for effective sump pump

Question: I wanted to know what can be done in terms of landscaping on the side of my house, where I have a sump pump discharge line that is about four feet above ground level. Our house is a raised . . .

Posted: 2020-04-04

MIKE HOLMES: Net-zero house a big plus in the long term

Homeowners, builders and architects are working together and pushing standards to build net-zero homes. These homes produce as much energy as they consume on an annual basis, taking the EnerGuide rating up to 100. EnerGuide rates the energy efficiency of a . . .

Posted: 2013-06-22

Taking baby steps

Planting more small trees could help curb loss from disease and infestation, arborist says

Trees are top of mind these days. With the news this week that Canada’s climate is warming rapidly and faster than the global average, the current prospect of losing a significant portion of Winnipeg’s mature urban forest to disease and . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

Electric water heater likely better choice than gas

Question: I changed over from a gas water heater to electric some years ago. It was done at the time that I replaced my gas furnace with a high efficiency unit. The advantages at that time were as outlined . . .

Posted: 2023-02-11

Seek out source of stench

Odour near radon mitigation outlet may signal drainage issues

Question: A radon mitigation device was installed in 2017 in my Charleswood home. I have a structural wooden floor in the basement, with a crawlspace below. An odour intermittently emanates from the radon mitigation outlet, not so much in the . . .

Posted: 2021-12-11

Doubling down to get the job done

It is satisfying to successfully squeeze-in an additional deck-build into an already congested summer work schedule. However, managing to do so and completing two projects at the same location in the allotted time takes satisfaction to a whole different . . .

Posted: 2023-09-16

Communicate clearly when hiring professionals

Having a paper trail can help prevent mistakes from being made

Got a reno or a build coming up that you’ll be hiring professionals to do? If so, and you want to be pleased as punch with the outcome, probably the most important question you can ask yourself at this stage is: . . .

Posted: 2019-07-20