ASK THE INSPECTOR: Rather than soundproofing, check furnace

QUESTION: Our laundry/furnace room is directly below our bedroom. I have recently installed Roxul Comfort Batt Safe & Sound batting in between the ceiling joists under our bedroom to reduce the noise from the electric furnace. I would like advice . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

MIKE HOLMES: Maintain your fireplace or risk catastrophe

A fireplace that doesn't function properly is a serious safety risk to our families. Ideally, we want the smoke going out and the heat coming in (and maybe Santa, too). There are many types of fireplaces: traditional masonry wood-burning fireplaces, gas, . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

SOLUTIONS: Ring in 2013 with helpful tips for the home

Life just got easier! To save real snowflakes, wait until the temperature is -10 C or colder outside. Collect snowflakes on microscope slides (do not use your fingers). Cover the snowflakes on the slide with a drop of super glue (not . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

Helping colours blend harmoniously in the kitchen

Anyone who has built or renovated a kitchen is aware of the endless lists of decisions there are to be made along the way. What complicates the process is the number and variety of materials that are required, and how . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

Kitchen Bath and Renovation Show next weekend

You've survived the holidays, sent the relatives on their way and put your house back in order. However, after hosting the hordes of guests, you've come to the realization that your kitchen just isn't practical for hosting, your bathroom is stuck . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

An amazing difference

Adding a few feet made dramatic improvement

In day-to-day life, it’s amazing the difference that a couple of inches — or feet, for that matter — can make. Take a new home design, for example. Add a foot or two to a previously successful design and — voila . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

Winner on Waverley

River Heights gem offers all a family could want

Say you have a family of five and are looking to move up to a larger, more family-friendly home in a more central location. Naturally, the first consideration might be a new home with a contemporary, open-concept floor plan in a . . .

Posted: 2013-01-05

Accessories that are clever, fun and stylish

I'm very much a homebody, but every once in a while I force myself to go out to local stores and shops to see what's new in home décor.While visiting the Old House Revival Company & Antique Mall on one . . .

Posted: 2012-12-29

Prevent winter roof expeditions in the future

QUESTION: I have lived in a 1950s bungalow since 2001. Over the last couple of winters there have been problems with my plumbing stack filling up with snow and freezing up. The roof is a hip roof and the stack . . .

Posted: 2012-12-29

Don't let yourself become the fraud man out

YOU would think that after 10 years of me showing case after case of bad contractors that there wouldn't be so many of them out there. But there are. And they're still taking homeowners' money and running.Fellow contractors are always . . .

Posted: 2012-12-29