MIKE HOLMES: Is your house making you sick?

High amounts of radon, other toxins in homes can be health risks

The air inside your home plays a huge role in the way you and the rest of your family feel on a day-to-day basis. Most of us worry about the air quality outside. There are smog advisories, air-quality alerts, and it . . .

Posted: 2013-11-30

Use caution when it comes to online advice

Insulation solutions that work in some regions may not be appropriate for Manitoba climate

Question: I wonder if you could clarify the issue I have in regards to rim-joist insulation. I have a home built around 1979 which has its joists partially embedded in concrete. The joist ends and concrete are not insulated on . . .

Posted: 2018-02-17

Decorate your home with a hot tin roof

When Mathieu Pronovost and his fiancée, Tania Passafiume, bought a home in Ottawa's ByWard Market area 18 months ago, they thought they were prepared. They had limited money, but lots of energy and family willing to help with sweat equity. They knew . . .

Posted: 2010-06-12

If you have home concerns, contact the builder

Question: Is it normal for a brand-new house to have one section of steel beam out by about 1/8-inch on a four-foot level? Also, there are five long cracks in star shapes in the basement concrete right underneath it, compounded . . .

Posted: 2019-10-05

Bob the builder

Former Bomber punter tackles new-home construction

Bob Cameron once got his kicks playing professional football -- literally. The CFL's all-time leading punter kicked for more than 13, 000 yards and may be one of the Blue Bombers' most well-known, well-liked players in its history. After playing a . . .

Posted: 2008-04-20

MIKE HOLMES:Renos aren't always sound investments

Homeowners plan renovations for different reasons. Sometimes it's because they've seen a friend's new kitchen or something on a design show that sparked their imagination. Other times it could start with a repair that turns into a complete makeover. But . . .

Posted: 2012-09-29

Devices promise to make projects more accurate

It's about doing good work in less time

Sometimes when tools get sophisticated, they make it easier to succeed. That's the case with a growing group of electronic devices that promise to make your building projects measurably more accurate. Self-levelling lasers are a good place to start. These portable . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

Say goodbye to basement mould

Seco Air's systems keep it away from your house

Whether you're living in an older or new home, the two dwellings are similar in two senses. First, no matter whether a home is new or old, its basement walls and floor can be hosts to mould. Second, as more than . . .

Posted: 2011-08-13

Energy-efficient home will save you cash

Winter is a great time to look at what can be done inside our homes to make our indoor environments healthier for us and the planet. There are both simple and more complicated steps that can be taken to improve energy . . .

Posted: 2011-02-19

Battle of the bathroom

Some common sense in the loo can help you start your day off right

This one is for the couples out there who share one small bathroom with their partner and are finding it to be a bone of contention. By couples I mean everything from a husband and wife to roommates to parent . . .

Posted: 2008-09-28