Transforming old oak into masterpiece

Getting creative to salvage what's left of backyard tree

REDRUM! REDRUM! I confess. I believe it was me who killed the beautiful old oak tree in my backyard. Not intentionally, but through ignorance. Nevertheless, it’s just as dead. How? I believe I accidentally over-watered it. Water from the sump pit pumps out . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

Leave furnace repairs to the pros

Explosions, leaks, carbon monoxide poisoning are a few reasons not to DIY gas-line projects

Question: We installed a new high-efficiency furnace three years ago. When it gets really cold outside, the fresh-air intake collects frost on the inside of the PVC pipe, so the furnace does not have enough air and will not operate . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

Cash not king when it comes to home renos

The best deal is the one you get in writing -- it could save you a whole lot of hassle later

If you’re taking in this year’s Winnipeg Home and Garden Show, on now at the RBC Convention Centre, there’s a good chance you are considering a home renovation project this spring or summer. Many homeowners are starting to plan their summer . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

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

Water bath the best method for making cheesecake

Question: I am baking a cheesecake and would like to avoid making a water bath. I don’t want my cheesecake to crack, is there any other option? Thanks, — Jess Answer: If you are trying to prevent cracks in your cake as well as . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

Custom built in an established area

Scotswood Meadow's third phase offers functionality and elegance

Way back in the 1970s, a forward-thinking investor by the name of Lorne Sharfe bought a tract of land in southwest Charleswood just west of the junction of Harstone Road and Glenbush Street. That land sat undeveloped until 2015, when Sharfe’s . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

Townhome stunningly appointed

Sage Creek property offers feast of features

Sometimes, the most pleasant surprises just seem to jump out at you from out of the blue. That’s the case with Stone Ridge on the Creek Condominiums in Sage Creek, Sherri Baldwin of RE/MAX Executives Realty says. "They are a small collection . . .

Posted: 2019-04-06

Lemon water a quick way to freshen up old microwave

Question: I have a microwave that I purchased 15 years ago. I have never cleaned it and it smells pretty bad. Can you give me advice on how to properly clean the unit? I’m planning to boil four tablespoons of . . .

Posted: 2019-03-30

Garden snips, hoses and gloves, oh my!

Experts recommend their most used and loved tools

Kelly Smith Trimble, editorial director of HGTV.com and author of Vegetable Gardening Wisdom: Daily Advice and Inspiration for Getting the Most from Your Garden, has a shed full of her favourite gardening tools. If she had to pick only five . . .

Posted: 2019-03-30

Will aluminum foil keep hungry squirrels from precious tomatoes?

Dear Joan: My wife and I had a unique experience last year with squirrels that annually invade my tomato crop. I’ve resolved over the years to give them a third of the crop and we get the rest. It’s been an arrangement . . .

Posted: 2019-03-30