Renovation & Design

Renovation & Design

Expressing thanks for a great home show

The show was a great success. Guests at Home Expressions were embraced with the newest design elements for their indoor and outdoor living spaces. They also enjoyed the diversity of the show.

Everything you need and want for your home was under one roof. There was a vast display of high-quality products exhibited throughout the three floors of the convention centre.

Your home should reflect your style and personality. We were thrilled to welcome CBC's Steven Chris. Their expertise in home d ©cor and the hottest trends were well-received by Winnipeg.

Designers Row was a must see, with spectacular rooms by some of the city's best decorators and designers. A new attraction to this year's show was the "Ask a Decorator" booth, presented by the Canadian Decorators' Association.

Canadian home repair guru Shell Busey, sponsored by Canstar, was on hand to guide us through all the trials and tribulations of renovations. If you have a question about home repair, Shell has the answer.

Manitoba's Reena Nerbas taught us how to make household solutions easy. She has tested disasters all over the home and yard. When you have a stain or odour, Reena has a solution.

Advance Electronics showcased the ultimate in "Get Wired" technology, with the newest and brightest innovations in home electronics.

The Winnipeg Free Press Lifestyle Stage presented hourly presentations throughout the show with industry experts sharing their trade secrets. We would like to thank the following presenters for their contribution -- Ed Neufeld from CWD Window and Doors, Heather Hlady and Moray Merchant from Concierge One, CJOB's Geoff Currier, Glen Rossong from the Candle Company, Jeff Bishop from the Sound Exchange, Wow Hospitality Concepts - 529, Mike Millard of Southern Comfort Mechanical, Lloyd Mah of City of Winnipeg Inspections, The Bay Downtown and For Space Sake.

A show of this size takes an army of resources behind the scenes. A huge thank you to the following companies for their support -- Concierge One, Jim Flood and his crew, Ridgeline Construction, Central Display, the Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg AV, Tom Powell Design Studio, The Sign Source and our media partners who were involved with the Media Decorators Challenge: the Winnipeg Free Press, Hot 103 and CJOB.

Thank you to Skillcraft, Wicker World and Krevco for generously providing the Grand Prize. All funds raised from the Grand prize raffle went to Variety -- The Children's Charity.

We would like to thank Variety for providing us with the volunteer Show Ambassadors. As well, we would like to acknowledge the following companies for their gracious prize donations -- CBC, the Winnipeg Free Press and the Delta Hotel for donating the trip to Toronto to see Steven and Chris's live television show, The Penthouse Furniture, and a shopping spree at Mattress Depot and JS Furniture.

We look forward to seeing you at our 2009 shows. The Kitchen Bath and Renovation Show will be held in January, 2009 and Home Expressions will take place in March, 2009.

For further information, please check out our websites at www.homebuilders.mb.ca and www.homeexpressions.ca. This column is provided by the Manitoba Home Builders' Association

April 27

Renovation & Design

Give the planet a break

They're like eco-friendly European holidays, eco-friendly cars, or eco-friendly Christmas gifts -- when consumption of resources and expense of energy goes into them, they're of dubious friendliness to the ecology.

I don't claim to be an eco-friendly designer, and, believe me, I'll be glad when "green is the new black" has gone the way of "trip the light fandango" and other overripe slogans. But I do believe in a few fundamental principles that, taken together, comprise something I'd prefer to call "conscious" design. They are: plan well, build for longevity and make informed decisions about what you buy and where it came from.

So, as summer approaches and the outdoor-living trend gains traction, it's timely to consider these ideals and some simple choices that can help us reduce impact on the world around us. I have three suggestions for you.

Vacation in your yard

Outside of design, travel is my passion, so it's with gritted teeth that I write this. It's hard to argue that the best solution for you this summer is staying in the back-40 when you could be jetting away to a Greek island or Indonesian beach.

I'll save you the rap about how air travel is a major contributor to global warming. (I'd only be cribbing it off Wikipedia, anyway.) But I think the base principle is a worthy one. When I say "backyard," I mean it in the sense of Epicurus, who felt that the final, satisfied life was one spent in the garden, with your friends and the food you've grown.

Your home and yard can be an oasis if you observe simplicity and elegance in designing and appointing them. And when you're content, you find that you don't need much else. Likewise, if your home is a space of ease and repose, you're less inclined to comb the globe looking to relax.

Eco-friendly fences, decks

As the weather warms, a lot of you will no doubt be out there pounding planks in your yards. One way to make sure that ecology is more than a passing concern is to use FSC-certified lumber or composite lumber.

A word on each: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an outfit that monitors international sustainable forestry standards. A wood product marked with the FSC stamp is a product that comes from, as they say on their website, "responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources." For outdoor applications, cedar is your best bet because it contains natural pesticides and it endures the elements with ease.

Composite lumber is a combination of post-industrial wood products and recycled polyurethane. The ecological benefit is that you can deck your yard in something that would otherwise be waste. The Virginia-based company Trex, for example, manufactures decking from recycled shopping bags and sawdust. It's much better than it sounds: their decking lasts ages, it's anti-skid, and, because it's already coloured, you don't have to stain it.

Native plants

If you're like me, when you walk into a nursery, your senses are assaulted by the beautiful, exotic plants. One key to making sure that you walk away with the right ones is choosing plants that are indigenous to your geography and ones that thrive naturally in it.

Selecting plants this way means that you won't ever have to over-fertilize or over-water them.

The other option? Integrate edible plants in your outdoor scheme -- there's nothing more satisfying than a meal picked fresh from your own garden or rooftop terrace.

I'll admit, the above is an incomplete list, but it's a start. If we keep a notion of durability and responsibility alongside our often quixotic notions of sustainability, we'll all be better off. And, in the end, that means we might be somewhere near OK.

-- Canwest News Service

line: Kelly Deck
April 27

Renovation & Design

Leaky foundations best fixed from outside

I read your column on a regular basis, and I was hoping you'd be able to help me with my problem. My home was built in 1962, and has cement walls in the basement that are experiencing leaks in a few areas where the original wire ties stick out of the cement wall. I'm in the process of opening up all the walls in the basement to renovate, and wanted to check if there is anything I can do to repair the areas affected and also deal with the ones that don't currently leak from inside the home.

Thanks very much for your help.

Regards,

--Roger Bouchard, e-mail

I experience occasional moisture in the basement, precisely along the joint between wall and the floor. I noticed the problem only along one wall, but it might be along other walls as well. I took the drywall and insulation down on the problem wall and it confirmed that there are no cracks on the wall and the problem is located within 20 to 30 centimetres of the floor. Also worth mentioning, the eaves were clogged for some time and last spring it was raining a lot. We are just doing roof and eaves replacement which will fix that problem, but I feel that still something needs to be done with the walls. The floor, which has a crack, has some moisture coming through it as well. My options are to do excavation from the outside and fix it by replacing the weeping tiles or an internal repair by removing part of the floor next to the wall, digging a trench beside the footing, and embedding weeping tile there directed to the sump pit.

Which one will solve the problem better?

--Mario Paskvalin, e-mail

Answer -- One of the most difficult problems to diagnose in homes is the exact location of moisture intrusion, especially in basements with partially finished walls. I am glad to see that both or you have decided to remove the wall coverings from the foundation areas in question before proceeding with any foundation repairs, which may be quite costly. Visual access to the inside of the concrete foundations is critical to pinpoint the areas of leakage and decide upon proper repairs.

As stated in the second inquiry, you have not seen any visible cracks that would account for the water leakage. Logically, you have then surmised that the water must be coming through the crack between the floor slab and the foundation wall but you may not be correct. Your description of the evidence of moisture being visible only at the bottom of the foundation may have other causes. As in Mr. Bouchard's home, you may have one or more rusted form ties that have disintegrated, leaving small holes in the foundation wall. The older snap ties, as they are also called, are typically installed in fairly straight rows along the length of the foundation wall. They often will rust and leak one after the other, forming a fairly regular pattern of moisture on the walls. Look for water stains, rust stains and efflourescence underneath these small holes, which may give some indication of the problem area.

Another very common factor in basement leakage, which is more typical with the leakage patterns you are seeing, is deterioration of the damp-proofing on the exterior of the foundation. This thin bitumen or asphalt- based coating will often wear out after several decades, allowing the concrete to absorb moisture from the surrounding soil. If this moisture exceeds the retention capabilities of the concrete, moisture will seep through, often detected first by flaking or spalling surface concrete on the inside. If this is evident on your foundation, after removal of wall coverings and insulation, it is just as likely a culprit as the crack at the floor slab edge. The interesting thing is that the most successful repair method for both causes of leakage is the same, which I will address later on.

As for patching the leaking form ties seen in the first question, this may depend on the extent of the leakage and deterioration of the small, metal wires inside the foundation wall. If there is only minor seepage or drip stains, patching the inside of these indentations with hydraulic cement may help, considerably. This patching material should be installed after chipping or grinding off the rusted metal and any loose concrete. If the seepage is more extensive and a visible hole is seen where the rusted wire used to be, then further repairs may be required. Often, these holes can be plugged by injecting epoxy from the interior of the foundation. If properly installed, the epoxy, along with improved grading water management outside the foundation, should provide a fairly permanent repair.

If the deterioration on the interior of the foundation is more extensive, the area around several form ties excessively worn, or several cracks seen that have evidence of leakage, exterior repairs may be required. Most exterior excavation repairs will include patching cracks and openings in the concrete, reinstallation of the damp proofing on the exterior and at the joint with the footing, and replacement of older, blocked weeping tile with modern plastic drainage piping. To answer both of your questions, this will be the best method for repairs of a leaking foundation, but may not be necessary if there is only minor seepage through a couple of rusted ties or small cracks. Internal weeping tile installation is not a good solution, in my opinion, as the messy and costly installation may affect the structural integrity of the basement floor slab and does nothing to stop further deterioration of the outside of the foundation walls.

Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca .

trainedeye@iname.com

Ari Marantz --Ask the Inspector
April 27

Renovation & Design

Green from the ground up

That's not Cal Dueck's building philosophy -- not by a long shot.

"This is our fourth infill project in this general area (north Fort Garry)," says Dueck, owner/operator of Dueck Homes. "When we build a home, we want to build it right from the ground up. That's why we use insulated concrete forms (know as an ICF or Arxx foundation)."

Dueck says the reason behind using insulated concrete form technology is simple: in his opinion, it's the most efficient system on the market today.

"The walls come in at an insulation value of R50 -- that makes for cheaper heating and cooling as the insulated concrete stays at a temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius year-round. An example of that property is that we had the heat turned off at the end of February (when it was very cold out)," he says. "It wasn't until a few hours later that we realized the furnace wasn't on. It was that comfortable inside."

Two other properties make ICF construction a sound choice, adds Dueck: superior soundproofing and being quicker to build with.

"It might be a bit more expensive up front, but you save money in the long run in terms of labour and heating and cooling costs. There's also one more benefit that comes from building with insulated concrete forms -- the insulation from the ICF structure takes on the temperature of the home. That makes for a much warmer basement -- plus, you can drywall right over top of the Arxx -- there's no need to insulate."

To increase the home's energy efficiency and "green" features -- the two-storey, three-bedroom design measures in at 1,680 square feet -- Dueck also chose to go in a non-traditional direction heating-wise.

"We went with an electric furnace -- it's always 100 per cent efficient and is better than a natural gas furnace because nothing is wasted," he explains. "That makes it cheaper in the long run. It's also much more environment friendly than a gas furnace. This is a PowerSmart home that also has a 45 gallon PowerSmart hot water tank as well as an HRV system and energy-efficient lighting."

Which brings Dueck to another key point: 1139 Edderton's interior design is almost entirely green in nature.

"Our main goal is to build an efficient, environmentally-friendly home," he says. "The Arxx foundation and walls saves a lot of lumber and insulation, and we source all the concrete we use from Manitoba. Engineered joists and a silent floor system also saves wood."

The green features don't end there. Flooring throughout the main level is comprised of rich-looking, durable bamboo, and Dueck Homes crafts all the railings, mouldings, baseboards and trim themselves. Each bathroom has been outfitted with six-litre water-saving toilets and all the windows are (extra large) double pane "E" argon models by All Weather Windows.

To help retain the heat, the attic is also well-insulated -- to an R value of 50, no less.

"When we build a home, we're looking to achieve a good balance of efficiency and style," Dueck says. "So we invest more in the basics that matter."

That philosophy is apparent on the main floor where there is no lacking for style. A bright, open-concept maple island kitchen with corner pantry, desk and track lighting make for a great spot to create tasty meals, while an equally open living room with the aforementioned bamboo floors and room to burn can be easily configured to suit virtually any taste.

A main-floor master bedroom (with four-piece ensuite) and laundry room make for privacy and utility, while the two bedrooms upstairs -- plus 10-foot ceilings -- make for a design that's bright, functional and, most importantly, efficient.

"We do the whole thing from the foundation up," says Myron Martens, Dueck's second in command. "We're here from start to finish -- we start with the foundation and footings and then build up; we also do the interior design and layout, but assign the technical jobs like electrical to subtrades. We really take pride in the homes we build, and there's a real feeling of accomplishment when we see the finished project."

Dueck says all the features combine to make for a very efficient -- and attractive -- home.

"When you take the time to think things out, you cannot only come up with a design that fits in with an area, but that has green features that make it both functional and stylish," he says. "I'd have to say we're very pleased with how things turned out."

lewys@mts.net

Todd Lewys
April 27

Renovation & Design

Taking the stress out of moving

Certainly moving can be a stressful thing at any point in your life. Now imagine that you are 80 years old and moving out of a house that you have lived in for the last 50 years. Where do you even begin?

That's where Trudy Forsyth comes in. Forsyth is a project manager for Transitions, a Winnipeg-based company that refers to itself as a "move facilitator." The company offers a full-service package to help people move out of their homes and into a new one.

"People are just so overwhelmed, they don't know where to start," explains Forsyth. "They are so appreciative when we come in and do it all."

Doing it all is just what Transitions offers its clients. The company covers just about everything associated with a move -- from packing and getting rid of unwanted items to hanging pictures and arranging for cable installation at the new house.

Their main client base tends to be people in their late 70s and 80s who are moving out of their home and into a retirement home, Forsyth notes. And it's often their adult children who call in the Transitions team to help with the move.

"With more people living away from their parents, there is a real need for help," says Forsyth, who regularly gets calls from people living in places like Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto to move their parents. "For others, the children may live here but they are very busy."

There's also the emotional aspect of moving someone out of the family home, which they may have lived in for decades.

"It's easier sometimes for us to go in and help them downsize rather than family members," Forsyth points out.

So what does the Transition team actually do? The first step is an assessment of exactly what needs to be done. For many people who are moving out of their house and into a retirement complex that usually includes a purge or downsizing of items.

"We have a saying that they should only take what they need, love and want," says Forsyth. "I always encourage downsizing or decluttering."

Once they decide what items they want to take, Forsyth drafts a floor plan of the new residence and sketches out exactly what will go where. Then they oversee the packing and book the movers. They may also help with arrangements to sell the house and get rid of any unwanted items by holding a contents sale or donating items to charity.

"What we do is get everything ready to move, but we don't do the physical move ourselves," Forsyth explains.

On the other end of the move, the Transition team ensures that the new house is all set up to move right in and start living. That means making the beds, placing the furniture and hanging the pictures on the walls. Forsyth encourages her clients to go out with friends during the morning of the move when everything is being done.

"When they walk in it's much easier to have everything in place," she says. "It's just like home, but in a different place."

Forsyth will also work with clients to take care of address changes, take utility readings and get cable and phone lines set up. She'll also arrange for the cleaning of the old residence.

"They don't have to worry about a thing," she points out. "We try to make it as less stressful as possible."

According to Forsyth, the average move costs about $3,200. That's for the whole package -- from packing everything up and taking care of things in the old house to moving someone into their new place and setting things up there. The cost does vary depending on how much stuff someone has and how much of it they plan to take with them in their move. That, of course affects, timing -- how long it will take to pack and unpack and how long it will take the movers to move everything in and out.

Company president Dawn Rennie created Transitions back in 1999 to help the seniors' market with moving. And after almost a decade in business, the company is still going strong.

"There is definitely more demand out there for this kind of service," says Rennie. "With the demographics of an aging population, it's constantly growing."

With the Winnipeg market well in hand, Rennie has decided to broaden her market. Seeing opportunities to expand her business, she has moved to Calgary to develop Transitions in that booming market. She has also sold the rights to open a Transitions office in Brandon, which is already open for business. And her growth plans don't stop there.

"I am looking at further expansion for throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta," Rennie notes.

While seniors are the majority of their clients, Forsyth says they have done moves for other people. In fact, she recently worked with a couple in their 30's who both had very busy jobs and just didn't have time to move themselves. They hired Forsyth, left everything and went on vacation. When they returned, Forsyth had moved them out of one house and into a new one.

Now that's the way to reduce moving day stress!

Tracy Bryksa --Around the Market
April 27

Renovation & Design

Tips for green grass on your side of fence

"My lawn is an extension of my gardens. It gives the home curb appeal," says Dupuis, who's known around his neighbourhood as the Wayne Gretzky of lawn care and gardening.

"Good lawns make the neighbourhood livable. When you step out of the house, a nice lawn stimulates. It gives you that happy, good feeling," says the technology engineer, who has been keeping his corner lot green since 1990.

It may sound like a lot of work to maintain a tiny patch of urban greenery, but lawn care doesn't have to be a battle.

"For me, it is a pastime. It's good; it gets us outdoors," says Dupuis, who developed his lawn and gardening talents while running a landscaping business as a teenager in his native Sherbrooke, Que., and more recently, by reading gardening books and surfing gardening sites on the web.

The folks who sell fertilizers, grass seed, herbicides and bug killers and a wide array of lawn tools naturally agree. They're happy to point out that a healthy lawn has benefits that go beyond making homeowners feel good.

"Having a well-landscaped yard, including your lawn, gardens and trees, will easily add five to 10 per cent to the value of your property," says Kevin Weir, marketing manager for Sure-Gro Inc. of Brantford, Ont., maker of lawn-care products that bear the C-I-L Golfgreen, Vigoro and So-Green monikers.

In 2003, the Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney magazine pointed out that "if you spend five per cent of the value of your home on landscaping, and do it wisely, you might get 150 per cent or more of your money back when you sell."

In addition to being a wise investment, good-looking turf can keep your property cooler, reduce erosion and improve the environment, Weir adds.

"Your lawn gives off moisture, and as it does, there is a cooling effect that keeps your yard cooler than asphalt driveways, sidewalks and brick patios. A good lawn has a cooling effect similar to the air conditioning in an average home."

Weir also points out that lawns, like all plants, absorb carbon dioxide, returning oxygen to the atmosphere and helping to improve the environment.

Now for where to start if your goal is to have the best lawn in the neighbourhood, or to reduce greenhouse gases.

First off, depending on the size of your lawn, turf experts, including Kevin Weir and Douglas Ritchie, vice-president of operations at Ritchie Feed Seed in Ottawa, suggest you set aside $100 to $150 for fe rtilizer, seed, topsoil and other incidentals.

You'll need a lawnmower, wheelbarrow, rake, spade, fertilizer spreader and a hose, which will set you back several hundred more dollars, although the wise homeowner will often borrow some of these tools from a neighbour.

Once the ground is dry and frost-free, get out the rake and remove dead grass, branches, leaves, gravel, pet feces and other debris. This will ensure moisture, air and fertilizer reach the intended destination -- the roots of your grass.

Dupuis recommends a dethatching rake -- available at most home improvement stores -- for the job. He routinely removes two large brown bags of crud from his 60-foot (18.2-metre) by 80-foot lot (24.3-metre) lawn every spring, much of which, he points out, breaks down nicely in the family's composter.

Once daytime temperatures reach 13 to 14 C, it's time to apply the first hit of fertilizer. Look for a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen -- the first of the three numbers found in large letters on the outside of the bag -- and be sure to use a spreader and follow the instructions on the bag. Too much fertilizer will burn the grass and waste your money.

If the weather is wet, there's no need to water your lawn, but if the forecast calls for a dry spell, haul out the hose and give your lawn a good soaking to jump-start the fertilizer's effectiveness. Your lawn should green up in a matter of days.

Next on the list is the season's first cutting, likely in mid-May, but sooner if the ground dries up and there is a good mix of rain and warm and sunny days to encourage grass growth.

During the spring, leave your grass 7.5 centimetres tall.

Dupuis lowers his mower slightly the first couple of times he cuts because the grass grows unevenly and the lower setting ensures uniformity. He uses a mulching lawnmower that slices and dices the cuttings into tiny pieces that are left on the lawn to supplement nitrogen and other nutrients from an early helping of fertilizer.

If winter has left bare patches on your lawn, now is the time to repair them. Rough up your soil with a rake or shovel, apply seed evenly, along with an application of starter fertilizer, and cover the seeds with good-quality soil or mulch, no deeper than six millimetres.

The key to good growth is to keep the soil damp until the new grass is three centimetres high. New grass should not be cut until it reaches a height of eight centimetres, Weir recommends.

Once your lawn is green and healthy, expect to fertilize it twice, maybe three more times before the leaves change colour, Ritchie says. Ideal times to fertilize are in mid-June, mid-summer and in late September or early October. The final application will prepare your lawn for -- dare we say it -- the coming winter.

And don't forget about...

Aeration, the process of punching seven- to 10-centimetre holes in a lawn to open up the soil, allowing water, air and nutrients to reach the roots. Experts recommend it be done every April, particularly on properties where the soil is hard and compacted. Most rental outlets rent motorized aerators. To make the task economical, organize a group of neighbours and do a handful of lawns on the same day.

If weeds become a problem, your best bet is to extract them by the roots individually. That way, you'll ward off major outbreaks and avoid the need to use chemicals that can be harmful to pets, young children and the environment.

"If I get weeds, I take them out a little at a time. It keeps the task manageable," says Dupuis, who applies a crabgrass-control product in early spring.

Bugs. If grubs, chinch bugs or ants begin chewing up your lawn, a variety of products is available, some in chemical forms that pose environmental risks, others that are fully organic and harmless. Consult your garden centre for advice.

Early detection is the key to preventing extensive turf damage. Watch closely for insect damage (brown, dead patches in the lawn) as the soil temperature warms up in the spring.

If all this sounds like too much work and expense, remember, a healthy lawn is your first defence against drought, weeds and insects. Build a strong, thick lawn early in the season and there's a good chance you'll avoid extra costs and have the opportunity to spend the rest of the season admiring and enjoying your greenery.

Randy Ray is an Ottawa writer and proud cultivator of a passable front lawn.

DID YOU KNOW...

Green makes green: In Ottawa, there are 248,000 single-family homes, semis and townhomes. If the occupants of each of these residences invest $100 in lawn care this year, that's an outlay of nearly $25 million.

Seed or sod? There are three main types of grass: Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescue. Kentucky bluegrass propagates by underground tillers. The other two form individual plants. If you haven't the patience to wait for seed to sprout, then opt for sod. It's more expensive, but delivers immediate results. Again, make sure the ground is loosened and keep the sod wet until it roots. Always select the healthiest sod available.

You're a millionaire: The average lawn has about three million turf plants.

How to read a bag of fertilizer: The three numbers on the fertilizer bag, such as 28-3-6 or 7-7-7, indicate the percentage of nutrients in the fertilizer. The first indicates the percentage of nitrogen, the nutrient responsible for green growth; the second number the amount of phosphorus, which helps root, flower, and fruit growth; and the third is the amount of potassium, which is responsible for the overall health of the plant.

Turf the thistle: The Canada thistle found in many lawns can, in a single growing season, produce 500 metres of root, equivalent to the length of three-and-a-half Canadian Football League playing fields.

--Canwest News Service

Randy Ray
April 27

Renovation & Design

Please keep off the... plants

"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 schedule -- for garden plants, which he said he enjoys more than tending a lawn.

Michener chatted recently about how he came to eliminate the grass, and what replaced it.

His switch from lawn to garden didn't happen overnight. When he bought his Ann Arbor, Mich., farmhouse in 1991, silver maple trees and shrubs like honeysuckle, lilacs and buckthorns rimmed a struggling lawn that took Michener two-and-a-half hours to mow.

The situation demanded change. For one thing, the house is on a busy street and across from an elementary school, so it's highly visible as cars and people pass by.

For another, Michener, 52, associate curator of the University of Michigan's Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, is a PhD botanist who appreciates plant diversity.

Over the years, a few trees came down, and Michener began planting and transplanting. He created raised beds, even raised walkways. In the front garden, he put favorite plants like 19 tree peonies, dozens of fragrant lilies, apple trees pruned to resemble candelabras, clematis and boxwoods.

He had the idea of a design like an ancient manuscript text with elaborate floral borders. But viewed from ground level, that didn't work. So he decided he needed a less strict plan and more fun. And "I'm only going to grow plants I like," he says.

By 2006, the only grass remaining was on the paths. It was too shady, so he took out that grass and put in gravel edged with landscape timbers.

Because of the yard's exposed corner location, Michener planted hedges of yew, arborvitae, mock orange and roses. The front yard is within sight of a blinking traffic light and seven driveways or street junctions, so strategic plant placement is crucial. As summer progresses, perennials in the front get so tall they screen the yard from the sidewalk, says Michener, who lives with his partner, Wil Strickland, 56, a textile artist. Two Cardigan Welsh corgis share the household.

"A lot of the garden is structured so you can no longer see the bus stop or the neighbour's driveway. I needed a less strict plant and more fun to live in something called delusional denial," Michener says with a smile.

He and Strickland developed their own parts of the garden, Michener's in front and Strickland's spring garden in back, where other areas are still being developed. They collaborate on the side yard, which has a grape arbor, and on the 30 large pots.

"The garden is dynamic. I want it to be extremely different in summer and winter," Michener says during a walk-through earlier this month as perennials and bulbs were emerging.

The trapezoid-shaped property is 79 feet along the front, 132 feet deep, and wide at the back. But some of the most intense interest it commands is between the front sidewalk and the street. In that parkway, Michener planted early spring attractions like snowdrops and species tulips, bulbs with exquisite small flowers that he hopes will appeal to children who walk by.

One day, he saw a little girl waving a hand and pinching her fingers above the flowers. Her mother explained to a puzzled Michener the girl was sprinkling pixie dust on the plants.

"Well, of course! We needed that," Michener says with delight. He plants sweet Honeoye strawberries and pumpkins in the same child-friendly area.

Along with the garden, the house has changed. Michener and Strickland removed stucco from the front, exposing the original siding. They redid the porch and moved the front door. The exterior is painted in such vivid colours and graphics that passersby have left appreciative notes.

In areas such as Ann Arbor, Michener says, eliminating the lawn has become a cause, with grass criticized because lawns require water and fertilizer, which has the potential to pollute, as well as time and money.

In fact, concern about lawn maintenance costs, particularly irrigation, is steering more homeowners toward smaller lawns, according to an informal survey in December of American Society of Landscape Architects members. The society predicts rising interest in native and drought-tolerant plants.

Michener says he appreciates those arguments and notes that the botanical garden where he works has a display of alternatives to turf grasses.

But grass can make sense for play areas and for people who enjoy lawn care, he says.

Whatever a landscape contains, in Michener's view, should be restorative for the owner. If something's a chore or ordeal that adds to frustration, replace it with something that brings more pleasure.

"In my case, we shrunk the lawn," he says.

-- Detroit Free Press

Five strategies for a grass-free yard

1. Create paths of turf or gravel.

2. Recycle and give castoffs a creative new purpose. For example, David Michener recently rescued old billiard sticks that were being discarded: "Maybe they'll make tomato stakes," he says.

3. To keep it affordable, commit to the design but spread the plant purchase over several years.

4. Make the yard feel bigger by dividing the garden into several distinct areas rather than one open space.

5. Change plants and amend designs that don't work: "If you don't get it right the first time, then get it 'righter' the next," Michener says.

: Marty Hair
April 27

Renovation & Design

Building the perfect doghouse

Unfortunately, says Thompson, he was never able to find anyone in the Ottawa area who built the kind of snug year-round outdoor home he wanted for his hunting dog, Teal.

Mention the word doghouse and the image that comes to mind is a small shed-like structure in the backyard -- a simple affair with a shingled roof and an open, arched doorway over which hangs a sign bearing the dog's name. It's an image made classic by Bugs Bunny cartoons.

But Ottawa's climate, with its cold, snowy winters and muggy summers, rules out that kind of structure. To be comfortable here, a dog needs much more than that.

There are some shelters on the market -- for example, PetSmart sells simple igloo-like structures that will provide a space for a dog to curl up for a while.

But as Thompson found out, anyone who wants to keep the family pet in the yard -- and in comfort -- all year-round is probably going to make it into a do-it-yourself project.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals publishes a pamphlet on the criteria for the ideal doghouse for outdoor use in Ontario. The pamphlet is available through the Ottawa Humane Society (www.ottawahumane.ca/ or 613-725-3166) and gives instructions on doghouse construction -- such things as size of sleeping area floor space, height of sleeping area and overall dimensions, all of which vary according to breed.

It also provides information on such things as bedding, doorways and insulation.

For example, the SPCA criteria stipulate that the doghouses "should be elevated on bricks or cinder blocks to keep the floor dry, and it may then be necessary to provide a ramp or step so your dog can get over the raised sill while entering."

The doghouses should have a door of some sort to keep out winter winds, and bedding that can be changed. "Straw is the recommended bedding. It is not advisable to use blankets."

The Ontario SPCA also strongly recommends that dogs not be chained to their doghouses; it's better, says the SPCA, to fence your yard, because chained dogs can suffer psychologically and are 80 per cent more likely to bite.

And it's important, says the SPCA, to remember that dogs have to be acclimatized to outdoor living, that some breeds with short coats are subject to frostbite, and that dogs whose principal residence is an outdoor kennel will still need to be brought indoors if sick or old, if the weather is particularly bad, or simply to have some time for play and socialization.

Val Ducross, a former breeder of golden retrievers, is now manager of the PetsHotel at PetSmart in Ottawa, a 124-room facility that offers care to animals whose owners need to board them temporarily.

She says people who want to build a doghouse have to resist the temptation to impose human values and desires on their dogs.

For example, Ducross says many people, out of kindness, will want to make the doghouse bigger than it should be.

Actually, doghouses should not be overly large. One reason is that if the house is too big, the dog will be tempted to do its business inside the doghouse. The other reason, as the SPCA brochure notes, is that the dog needs to be able to keep itself warm with its own body heat.

"Think nest as opposed to big space," says Ducross. "A dog thinks of the place where it sleeps as a nest, and if you make the space too big, it might go poop in the corner."

Ducross says the doghouse also has to offer adequate protection against weather. An ideal doghouse, she says, is draft-free.

"I don't like seeing them go into a box with the wind blowing through an open door onto them," she says. "Dogs are pretty tough. They can tolerate a lot. But there's a point where it's just not humane."

"What makes a dog comfortable is pretty basic," says Ducross, adding that if you pay attention to the dog's behaviour, it will tell you how it's feeling by panting if it's too hot or shivering if it's too cold.

"A dog that's relaxed is a dog that's comfortable."

--Canwest News Service

Daniel Drolet
April 27

Renovation & Design

Sold!

Address: 21 Marston Meadows

Asking Price: $994,000

Sold Price: $994,000

Taxes: $12,433.73

Square Footage: 6,680

Bedrooms: 4 + 2

Bathrooms: 5

Lot Size:116 x 380

Listing Agent: Janne Young, Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate, 989-5000

River Heights

Address: 186 Carpathia Road

Asking Price: $349,900

Sold Price: $435,000

Taxes:$4,091.11

Square Footage: 2,042

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Lot Size: 50 x 130

Listing Agent: Lindsey Corne, Bestway Realty Ltd., 488-0233.

East Kildonan

Address: 252 Bowman

Asking Price: $149,900

Sold Price: $170,100

Taxes: $1,724.00

Square Footage:

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 1.5

Lot Size: 50 x 100

Listing Agent: Terry Isaryk, RE/MAX Performance Realty, 231-5557

St. Vital

Address: 166 Sadler Ave.

Asking Price: $139,900

Sold Price: $154,500

Taxes: $1,585

Square Footage: 780

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1

Lot Size: 56 x 200

Listing Agent: Vijay Guliani, Realty Plus. Inc, 897-0800

St. Boniface

Address: 559 Deniset

Asking Price: $179,900

Sold Price: $211,500

Taxes: $2,804.63

Square Footage: 987

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Lot Size: 40 x 100

Listing Agent: Heather Johnson, Royal Lepage Dynamic Real Estate, 989-5000

River Park South

Address: 40 - 650 Warde Ave.

Asking Price: $239,900

Sold Price: $245,000

Taxes: $3,124.14

Square Footage: 1,262

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 3.5

Listing Agent: Cliff Palmer, Realty Executives First Choice, 885-8999

Windsor Park

Address: 14 Monaco Bay

Asking Price: $169,900

Sold Price: $191,300

Taxes: $2,704.00

Square Footage: 1,144

Bedrooms: 3 + 1

Bathrooms: 2

Listing Agent: Terry Isaryk, RE/MAX Performance Realty, 231-5557

OFFERED AT...

River Heights

Address: 176 Lanark Street

Asking Price: $279,900

Taxes: $3,349.07

Square Footage: ]1,572

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 1.5

Lot Size: 33 x 132

Listing Agent: Lindsey Corne, Bestway Realty Ltd., 488-0233.

Breezy Bend Estates

Address: 5 Bayhill Court

Asking Price: $549,500

Taxes: $4,840.63

Square Footage: 2,213

Bedrooms: 3 + 2

Bathrooms: 3.5

Lot Size:

Listing Agent: Janne Young, Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate, 989-5000

Headingley
April 27

Renovation & Design

Henry Ford of home builders

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 Ontario, Mattamy Homes, opened a mammoth 76,000-square-foot factory that can churn out a fancy-schmancy house in 10 days, then shuttle it -- complete with kitchen cabinets, plumbing and tiles -- on a sophisticated transporter one kilometre to a concrete foundation in Hawthorne Village, a new community in Milton, Ont.

This is a completely different operation from the one used by modular builders, who build modules inside a factory, transport them on a flatbed trailer, then zip them together on site.

It's also different from kit homes, which usually are recreational homes that arrive at a building site for the owner or a hired professional to assemble.

Imagine a giant automaker conveyor belt, and you get the mega-Mattamy idea. But instead of car parts, Mattamy's Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing Plant moves house components past the workstations. Powering up every day at 4 a.m., the conveyor belt at any given time has 10 homes in various stages of completion, and one completed house rolls out the door every day.

This conveyor belt is similar to, yet vastly different from, the concept of Henry Ford's affordable car for the masses in 1921. While Ford built a fortune by churning out millions of identical black Model Ts, Mattamy's moving production line is all about customization and scale to justify the price premium on the luxury product.

"It's definitely more expensive to build a factory home," says Ron Cauchi, president of Mattamy's Stelumar plant and the man Mattamy owner Peter Gilgan recruited from the auto industry two years ago to revolutionize the home-construction business.

Cauchi predicts the price premium will come down with experience.

Meanwhile, on the plus side of this type of home construction are quality control and significant savings, including reduced wastage.

"This is still very much an experiment and we are evaluating the various technologies," says Cauchi. "We have to do it long enough to understand the cost effect. It's been eight months and we are up to a home a day."

When Hawthorne Village is finished, almost half of the 1,600 homes will have been built in the Stelumar factory, while the rest will be built in the traditional way -- work crews on the job site from dawn to dusk until the key is handed to the buyer.

The final act will be to de-construct the Stelumar factory and move it to Mattamy's next large construction site.

Mattamy also has a second, less spectacular factory in Cambridge, Ont., which supplies the Stelumar plant with prefabricated walls and floor panels. This is a similar operation to the new Halliday Homes-Sienna Homes operation in Carleton Place, just west of Ottawa, which was unveiled last week. There is no conveyor belt at the plant and work crews put the parts together on site to make a house.

This is an option that may have legs in the construction industry, says Cauchi. Indeed, Gilgan has already said there will be more of these plants across Ontario, and Mattamy's Ottawa president Troy van Haastrecht is investigating all options to manufacture homes for Ottawa in a controlled setting.

"We are fairly early on in our investigations, but we believe in technology and where we can employ it," says van Haastrecht, noting the severe winter, snow accumulation and labour shortages caused too many delays on Ottawa's Mattamy sites this past year, including waits to get construction started.

"It still takes 130 days from foundation to closing," says van Haastrecht, adding any construction delay is unacceptable. "For sure, we would like to reduce the number of delays."

The decision on the factory will come down to a cost analysis, says van Haastrecht, who brought Mattamy to Ottawa in 2006. The careful executive quickly opened a major site in suburban Kanata and then one in suburban Barrhaven, capturing sales and becoming a force in the area. "Once our model is determined, then we will look at where to place a factory."

A second leading Ottawa builder is also aggressively looking at factory-built homes and components to ease the housing industry labour shortage predicted as aging workers retire and a smaller, younger workforce takes other jobs.

There are four good reasons to go with a factory option, says this builder, who asked not to be identified because final decisions have not been made. There is less construction waste, a better quality product, the process is not influenced by severe weather, and younger workers may be attracted to working indoors in a controlled setting away from freezing winter temperatures and sweltering summer afternoons.

"This is not a short-term decision, but it's going to happen and it's going to happen for sure," the builder says.

Margret Gallo, owner of Sienna Homes and Halliday Homes, has already taken the first step, hoping to band together the region's smaller builders into a bigger buying group at her newly expanded factory in Carleton Place.

After all, there's power in numbers. It's a smart philosophy in an industry where 80 per cent of the builders are small-scale and where the big boys and girls control 80 per cent of the sales.

--Canwest News Service

Sheila Brady
April 27