RENOVATION: Residential heating choices

Examine all options before buying new furnace

People who look forward to a Manitoba winter are known as snowbirds. Like most migratory members of the species, they become restless in the fall and begin to prepare for the long flight south, where on arrival they change plumage . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

SOLUTIONS: Tips to bring dinnerware up to scratch

QUESTION: I purchased a new set of dishes, only to find there are scratches left from the cutlery after use. This is the second dinnerware set I have had difficulty with. The dishes have both been ivory in colour with . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

MIKE HOLMES: Spotting the cold

You can usually feel drafts around windows, doors and fireplaces. Or, sometimes you can feel a cold spot along a wall. Feeling a draft or a cold spot is one thing; finding exactly where the cold is coming from is . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

Strie finish works well for panels in a room

Dear Debbie: We are creating panels on our dining room walls with moulding strips, and I want to fill in the panels with a paler shade of the main colour or paint the panels white. Is there a paint technique . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

ASK THE INSPECTOR: When fixing someone else's mistake, get it right the second time

QUESTION: I have a bit of a problem I was hoping you could help me with. I bought my first house approximately three years ago. The basement is finished and has a bathroom with a corner shower unit. Unfortunately, when . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

CONNIE OLIVER: It's not hard to pamper your guests

Having a lovely guest bedroom at the ready says a lot about you and your home. It speaks to your willingness and readiness to welcome and pamper overnight guests. Whether it's to welcome a far-off relative for a long-overdue visit . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

Be careful who you hire for home renovations

We first ran this column in 2008. Based on the increased amount of information gathered by attendees at the Kitchen Bath and Renovation Show, it seemed like a good idea to run it again. Deciding who to hire for your home . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

A place you can afford

High-quality condos ideal as starter homes or empty-nester retreats

No matter whether you're a young couple looking for your first home or empty-nesters looking to downsize, the same issue tends to crop up. That issue? Affordability, of course. Over the past five or six years in the province's hot real . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

From farmhouse to urban treasure

118-year-old home fully modernized but still rustic

The moment you drive up to 601 Silverstone Ave., you feel like you're in the country. There's a reason for that countrified ambience, said Century 21 Bachman & Associates' Wendy Fyfe. "This home was built in 1895 and was originally a farmhouse . . .

Posted: 2013-01-26

Kids' table provides lasting memories

Dear Marc: We took a weekend trip with our kids last weekend. It was our first trip as a family. With our busy schedule, it's hard to take time off of work. We took lots of pictures, but I'd like . . .

Posted: 2013-01-19