Springfield retreat built with great attention to detail and quality

'A gem in every way'

When George Oost and his family moved to Manitoba from southern Ontario in 2004 to enjoy Manitoba's wide-open spaces, they wanted their new home to reflect the beauty of its surroundings. Given the lot they chose -- a mature, five-acre piece . . .

Posted: 2008-09-21

Correction In our preview Aug. 24 of Sapphire Homes' show home at 16 Medinah Dr. in La Salle, it was incorrectly reported that the home had been sold. The home remains on the market, listed with Realtor Jeff Stern of . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

It'll floor ya

More than imitation hardwood -- laminates have come a long way

We're not about to rip out the hardwood in our house (my husband would kill me), but if we were starting from scratch we'd certainly reconsider our choices. The versatility and durability of laminate flooring has come such a long way . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

Devices promise to make projects more accurate

It's about doing good work in less time

Sometimes when tools get sophisticated, they make it easier to succeed. That's the case with a growing group of electronic devices that promise to make your building projects measurably more accurate. Self-levelling lasers are a good place to start. These portable . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

Plug the air leaks, save on heat

With fuel costs skyrocketing, you can keep the house warm economically

The icy days of winter are coming, and there's a lot you can do to save on your heating bills besides wearing an extra sweater or two. One easy step is to buy a programmable thermostat for as little as $40. . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

There's no place like home -- for shopping

House parties are a friendly way to choose your décor, and several companies offer the experience

We are so fortunate to have many different ways to shop for home décor products. We can shop in the store and see the items first hand, we can shop online and open up our world of choices to infinite . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

solutions 15 ways to end laundry-room nightmares

After picking her son up from summer camp a mother noticed that he had on seven pairs of underwear. "Why are you wearing seven pairs of underwear dear?" she asked. The boy answered, "Well, you told me to put on . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

Tackling crawl space insulation, ventilation

Foam superior to studs and Fiberglas

111Do I really have to cover the panels to provide a thermal barrier? There is no source of flame or direct heat in that area and for me to haul pieces of drywall through a two-foot-square opening to the crawl . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

Sold

North Kildonan Address: 365 Douglas Ave. Asking Price: $159, 900 Sold Price: $185, 000 Taxes: $2, 471 Square Footage: 1, 080 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1 Lot Size: Pie-shaped Listing Agents: Geoff and Regan Archambault, Century 21 Advanced Realty, 997-1761 . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14

A nice little Niche to call home

Upscale River Heights condos will be green, state of the art

For the longest time, a compact parcel of land sat empty at the corner of Grant Avenue and Niagara Street. To the naked eye, nothing was going on. As it turns out, that was perception, not reality. Come early winter of . . .

Posted: 2008-09-14