Scissor lift a godsend for second-storey job

Certain unforeseen challenges arise once a major renovation gets underway. During the construction of the two-storey addition on my house, the biggest challenge had been lingering in the back of my mind for a while — how to tackle the . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Annual tradition

Free Press readers share which plants were their favourite this past year

The moment we purchase an annual plant in spring or start a plant from seed, our expectations begin to build. Throughout the growing season, we evaluate a plant’s performance based on a number of criteria including colour; growth habit; heat and . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Life on the cutting edge

Eddie Noakes has been sharpening blades as a second career -- for 35 years

Home businesses, they’re everywhere! And there’s none more "cutting edge" than this particular gem. I speak of none other than Eddie’s Sharpening, owned and operated by the amicable Eddie Noakes and his daughter, Linda. The business is run out of a . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Trap maggot flies for a crisp apple harvest

A sticky red ball is all it takes to throw off -- and permanently trap -- these pests

We all eagerly await early fall, when apples are finally ready to harvest. It’s the time of year most apples fruit have matured and are ready for picking. If the female maggot flies lay eggs on the skin of apples, the . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Doors just don't last like they used to

Question: When our house was about six months old, we noticed the exterior door wasn’t closing symmetrically. It would be snug at the bottom, but shy of closing by about a quarter of an inch at the top. The builder had . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

A garden's native-plant evolution

"Holy cow! I think it’s a monarch, " Barbara Downs says as an orange-and-black butterfly flicks across her mature garden in the Georgetown neighbourhood of Washington, D.C. "We have lots of swallowtails, but I think it’s a monarch." The excitement of . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Sold / Offered

OFFERED: River East ADDRESS: 403-1954 Henderson Hwy. ASKING PRICE: $329, 900 TAXES: $3, 726.94 SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1, 253 BEDROOMS: 2 BATHROOMS: 2 LISTING AGENT: Kerry Enns, Royal LePage Prime, 204-770-6893   OFFERED: Charleswood ADDRESS: 17 Swann Dr. ASKING PRICE: $1, 300, 000 TAXES: $10, 396 SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3, 700 BEDROOMS: 4 BATHROOMS: 4 LOT SIZE: 85 . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Steeped in panache

Two-storey Amber Gates home features intelligent design

Eagle Custom Homes’ newest show home at 218 Tennant Gate, in Amber Gates, is a spacious 2, 387 square feet — yet it is perfectly nestled on the relatively compact 38-foot-wide lot. "They did an amazing job, " says Eagle’s sales . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Different -- in all of the right ways

Wolseley home offers unconventional spin on the expected elements

It’s a Wolseley classic — with a twist. While 87 Canora St. certainly has the design features that make turn-of-the-century homes so popular among buyers, this home isn’t an entirely typical design. Several rather unique design features make it stand apart . . .

Posted: 2017-10-14

Students can help build more Habitat for Humanity homes

For the 11th consecutive year, Genworth Canada is asking students in grades 4, 5, and 6 to consider what home means to them. Through the Meaning of Home contest, students have the opportunity to share their stories, videos and poems . . .

Posted: 2017-10-12