Straighten up! There's no excuse for clutter

A tidy entry way is a warm welcome

There's a reason it's called the mud room. Kids track it in, along with leaves, pebbles and other debris from the yard. After they kick off their shoes, and throw coats, hats and gloves onto the accumulating pile, what you . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Stucco may not be ideal for cottage application

QUESTION: Our cottage is finished with vinyl and the last two feet of pony wall is pressure-treated wood sitting on a concrete footing. We want to stucco the pony wall and I am wondering if one needs to use a . . .

Posted: 2010-07-03

Design creates big results

Bungalow seems larger than 1,600 square feet

When Parkhill Homes' design team convened to work on a bungalow for 17 Blacksmith Rd. in Oak Bluff West, they had a clear objective in mind. "We had about 1, 600 square feet to work with, so our goal was to . . .

Posted: 2012-11-17

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Adding fill to void will accelerate damage

QUESTION: I have a home that is 87 years old in the Deer Lodge area. We do not have any large trees in our lot, but our neighbours on the north side have quite a few, four of which are . . .

Posted: 2010-08-07

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Furnace new, but outside-air intake useful

Question: I have a question about cold-air intakes on gas furnaces. I recently had my old 80 per cent efficient gas furnace replaced with a high-efficiency unit that obviously has its own cold-air intake and exhaust pipes. Do I still . . .

Posted: 2011-02-05

Watch out for extra moisture in sun tunnels

Question: In a previous edition of the Winnipeg Free Press, you addressed the question relating to the removal of skylights. You highlighted general concerns about the installation of skylights, such as condensation and leakage. These are concerns I share. There . . .

Posted: 2015-01-31

Finding the right lighting isn't easy

Question: My husband and I will be purchasing a ready-to-move-in house next year. It will be about 1, 400 square feet with an open concept for the living/dining/kitchen area with a vaulted ceiling. As we do have some design input . . .

Posted: 2017-04-08

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Moisture mystery easily solved, not easily fixed

QUESTION: My house was built in 1950 and originally had downspouts from the eavestroughs emptying into the basement. I'm not sure when the original owners switched them to the outside, but that's where they are today. I don't believe we have . . .

Posted: 2013-02-09

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Badly built room might not be worth fixing

QUESTION: I bought a house about nine years ago that had a "sunroom" attached. It was built off the kitchen under the carport, with access to the kitchen. It has no exterior doors. The room rests on the concrete pad . . .

Posted: 2011-06-25

THE PRAIRIE GARDENER: Ignore the flakes, grab your rakes

Here's what you can do while waiting for the spring miracle to arrive

April showers bring May flowers but this spring weather has been downright flaky. Yes, those were snowflakes coming down the other day as I looked out from my balcony, and frankly there were few signs of life other than the geese . . .

Posted: 2009-05-05