Maintenance key for home mechanicals

Question: We currently live in a home that has both a natural gas heating system as well as an on-demand hot water heater. I would like to know how often these should be serviced, annually or over a longer time . . .

Posted: 2021-03-27

Tub full of delays

Walk-in unit arrives just in nick of time

Despite every proactive approach to scheduling a recent bathroom remodel, repeated third-party miscommunication quickly undermined best-laid plans. The homeowner wanted to replace a shower, which she was finding difficult to use, with a walk-in tub. The tub she chose on a . . .

Posted: 2021-03-27

It's time to get growing

This summer put some Sweet Heat on your plate

Are you in the mood for a little Sweet Heat? Whatever image that may have brought to mind for you, I’m going to take you straight to the bottom line and tell you that Sweet Heat is a kind of pepper, . . .

Posted: 2021-03-27

Clean suede boots with rubbing alcohol

Question: I have a pair of tan suede boots and I spilled black copier toner on them. I know you’re supposed to vacuum the toner, but instead I rubbed what I could. Then at home, I put Oxyclean on them . . .

Posted: 2021-03-27

Fabulous & flexible

Versatile layout attractive for young families or empty nesters

When you think about a home in its entirety, a foyer seems like a small piece of its overall design. The reality, however, is the foyer can have a huge impact on how folks view a home. If it makes a . . .

Posted: 2021-03-27

Dare to dream

Modern mansion offers 6,478 square-feet over three levels

While it’s easy to imagine building the home of your dreams, it’s a different proposition to actually build it. When you’re in pursuit of perfection everything must come together in seamless harmony. First, you must find just the right location. Then, you . . .

Posted: 2021-03-27

Bordering on beautiful

Brimming with bright ideas for garden borders

Just when you thought you had achieved a balanced composition in your garden border, your best laid plans are upended by the extremes of winter. Sound familiar? You are not alone. Many of us are waiting to see if we . . .

Posted: 2021-03-20

Midcentury makeover

Dark split-level home is now light, fresh and open

Photographer Rod Komis fell in love with his picture-perfect neighbourhood long before he bought a house there. "I always liked the street, " he said of the quiet cul-de-sac in a pocket of winding roads and mature trees that he first . . .

Posted: 2021-03-20

Standing the test of time

Nearly century-old St. Boniface two-storey meticulously maintained

When someone tells you a home is almost 100 years old, your expectations about its livability often drop. That’s because a high percentage of homes built between 1900 and 1930 come with floor plans that are — let’s just say— not . . .

Posted: 2021-03-20

Structural engineer required to evaluate foundation

Question: I wonder if you could provide some advice for a problem we are having with our lakefront family cottage. This small 28x24-foot cabin was moved onto a poorly constructed pony wall foundation 13 years ago. The four-foot high pony . . .

Posted: 2021-03-20