MIKE HOLMES: Advice for do-it-yourselfers: safety first

With spring here, many of you will start home projects. My advice: Leave the bigger, more complicated jobs to the professionals, because you could do more damage than good. Planning minor projects around the house -- such as painting, drywall repairs, . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

Can't stand the look of concrete? Paint it

Dear Debbie: Our urban backyard is fenced off by a concrete wall. It looks rather bleak. We love colour and wonder if painting the concrete would be a mistake. It would cheer up the garden. Thanks. MonicaDear Monica: There are . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

Antique aficionado

Term has evolved to include modern items, Judith Miller says

Judith Miller has a confession. "I'm an addict, " the confident Scottish lass admits as she nurses a glass of mineral water at a downtown Toronto hotel. "I have to have something to buy." Luckily for Miller, shopping pays the bills. At . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

SOLUTIONS: Trash microwave oven over safety concerns

QUESTION: I am hoping you might have a solution for getting rid of a burnt popcorn smell in a microwave oven. I have tried lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda, and even microwaving meat with a barbeque sauce on it, hoping . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

RENOVATIONS: Touch wood

Reno of 40-year-old St. Vital home maintains best feature

Paint-brush fever swept the nation in the 1950s and 60s when postwar Canada fell in love with bright interiors and a palette of new colours proffered by manufacturers in the burgeoning economy. The downside to this wanton epidemic was the loss . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Get professional opinion on roofing job

QUESTION: A friend noticed that the people doing her neighbour's roof had laid down felt paper this morning, before it poured for about 15 minutes. She was sort of expecting them to remove it and re-apply dry, but they shingled . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

SOLD & OFFERED: May 24-14

SOLD North End Address: 1091 Manitoba Ave. Asking Price: $229, 900 Sold Price: $225, 000 Taxes: $2, 592 Square Footage: 1, 300 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1.5 Lot Size: 26 x 108 Listing Agent: Jim Born, RE/MAX Performance, 204-255-4204 Fort Richmond Address: 1-36 Snow St. Asking Price: $239, 999 Sold Price: $238, 800 Taxes: $2596.10 Square Footage: . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

Hardly an open-and-shut case

Segmented homes can be just as stylish as an open-concept

As popular as open-concept floor plans are in new homes these days, it doesn't mean they're the end-all and be-all in home design. In other words, a home doesn't necessarily have to feature an open-concept floor plan to offer maximum livability, . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

More than meets the eye

1940s home combines function and character

Prior to the advent of CAD technology, home design was as much an art as it was a science - likely more of the former. As many prospective home owners have found over the years, the design quality of homes built . . .

Posted: 2014-05-24

GARDENING: Create your own DESERT OASIS

Design an effortless garden with luscious succulents

Most years, the May long weekend finds greenhouses packed with eager gardeners, snapping up their favourite plants by the cart load before they disappear from greenhouse shelves. The long, hot days of summer will eventually arrive and when they do, we . . .

Posted: 2014-05-17