Garage goals

Insulation, sheeting makes sense in our climate

Question: I live in a home built in Winnipeg seven years ago. I wish to make my garage a nicer space. I plan on completing the drywall in my attached garage. I really don’t ever plan on heating my garage, although . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Spring Parade of Homes just around the corner

The snow and cold temperatures we’ve experienced this past week might make it hard to believe, but spring really is just around the corner and we are only five weeks away from the 2022 Spring Parade of Homes! The Manitoba Home . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Class & Character

Prairie Pointe two-storey balances style and utility

Builders are always looking to make a statement when they conceive a plan for a new show home. However, there’s an element of risk associated with trying too hard to turn heads: that a bold design theme might not appeal to . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Opportunity knocking in Charleswood

Raised bungalow is big, bold and better than new

Over the past 18 months, sales of new homes have skyrocketed due to demand brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the demand is still so high that those wanting to build new are facing wait times of a year, . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Peaches on the Prairies?

With proper overwintering, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labours

Don’t tell Bernie Nikolai it isn’t possible to grow peaches or figs outdoors on the Canadian Prairies. He has been doing it successfully for several years in his backyard in Edmonton. Take, for example, what Nikolai refers to as his . . .

Posted: 2022-01-15

‘Bee' there for someone

A little collective effort can truly brighten someone’s life

So it’s already mid-January, and I consider March to be winter’s end, making it only six weeks till spring, and what a wonderful thing that is! Humour me on this, will ya? Mercy. Sitting here pondering summer and the many outside projects I . . .

Posted: 2022-01-15

Bright ideas out of downtime

Lull offers perfect opportunity for long-overdue ceiling fan light upgrade

With very short notice, a renovation project set to begin in early January was pushed back a week due to unforeseen circumstances. As such, this allowed some time to catch up on overdue paperwork while recovering from the COVID booster . . .

Posted: 2022-01-15

Fresh air worth a bit of frost

Older intake ducts have role to play in airtight homes

Question: My house was built in 1984, with a forced-air heating system and a standard efficiency natural gas furnace. The furnace was replaced 15 years ago with a high-efficiency unit. During the recent cold snap, I noticed that one of . . .

Posted: 2022-01-15

Divert coffee grounds from sink drain to garden

Question: Do you think it’s safe to pour coffee grounds into the kitchen sink? Wyatt Answer: Some professionals say it is OK to dump coffee grounds down the drain if you run enough water to flush them completely out of the . . .

Posted: 2022-01-15

Up to the challenge

Deft design maximizes space on narrower lot

When a builder says they can build an exceptionally livable home on a 32-foot-wide lot, it’s hard not to be (at least a little) skeptical about such a claim. Yet, when you step inside the Crestmont II — A & S . . .

Posted: 2022-01-15