A very long shelf life

There are many great ways to show off your collections

Dear Debbie -- I could not have come this far in my brand-new home without your decorative TV guidance. However, I have an issue with our basement. My husband is a successfully retired firefighter and has collected a million die-cast . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Moist air makes house doors expand, stick

QUESTION -- During much of this winter, my front door stuck badly after being fine for four years. And other doors in the house stick at different times throughout the year. What's the cause? ANSWER -- Your doors are expanding . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Leaky foundations best fixed from outside

May not be necessary for minor seepage

Today we have two questions I have selected from the many I regularly get on everyone's favourite topic, especially this time of year, basement seepage. I read your column on a regular basis, and I was hoping you'd be able . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Tips for green grass on your side of fence

Keeping your yard looking healthy and lush good for you and the value of your property

As the snow melts away, impatient homeowners can't wait to begin preening and greening their lawns. Few are keener than Richard Dupuis, who devotes at least 90 minutes a week to trimming, fertilizing and tending the lawn surrounding his home. "My . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Green from the ground up

Dueck home environmentally friendly from top to bottom

In today's ballistically hot housing market, it's all too easy to find an infill lot, erect a good-looking home (at least, from the outside) and run off having made a quick profit. That's not Cal Dueck's building philosophy -- not by . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Taking the stress out of moving

Seniors prime users of full-service firm

Moving is considered to be one of the top five most stressful events in a person's life. It only ranks behind things like death, divorce and job loss. Certainly moving can be a stressful thing at any point in your . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Please keep off the... plants

Lawn a chore, so he ripped it up and made a garden of delights

DETROIT -- David Michener got rid of his lawn, though not because he is anti-turf. "I did it, but not to be virtuous, " Michener says. He took out grass to make more room in his yard -- and time in his . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Building the perfect doghouse

'Think nest as opposed to big space' for Fido's home

OTTAWA -- Ottawa resident Greg Thompson has a thick folder full of information on what makes a good doghouse. Unfortunately, says Thompson, he was never able to find anyone in the Ottawa area who built the kind of snug year-round outdoor . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Henry Ford of home builders

Ontario factory churns out houses on production line

HENRY Ford revolutionized carmaking by churning out Model Ts by the dozens on a production line. Now imagine a production line that handles things as big as a house. Why? Because the production line produces homes. Last August, the largest builder in . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Be careful when building tree house

Tree house not worth risking life and limb

The article on tree houses that appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press on April 20, 2008, covers the technical aspects of building the structure reasonably well. What about the living tree? The advice about removing dead limbs and keeping the . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27