Jay Somerset

When I was younger, hanging a picture meant banging a nail-and nail; size didn't matter-into the wall. Often this resulted in broken drywall, large, unsightly holes or insufficient affixtures, with heavier pictures falling off the...

The average Canadian household spends more than $2,000 a year on energy bills-nearly half of which going to heating and cooling, according to the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC). Even if your abode is well...

A week's vacation sounds pretty good right about now, especially to somewhere warm and sunny. But just because you're taking a break from work and household chores doesn't mean you have to "leave things be" back at the ole...

High fuel costs and a desire to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions have driven many of us out of our cobwebby ways; we're recycling, installing energy-efficient windows and doors, and generally taking up the green torch of...

Seventeen per cent of greenhouse-gas emissions are generated from energy consumed in the home, according to Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency. Compared with standard new homes built to minimum building code requirements, an...

Cleaning a closet, sharpening chisels or running a batch of vinegar through the coffee maker–who said the DIY lifestyle was all glamour? In the name of efficiency and lifespan, sometimes you’ve got to slow down and sharpen up....

I was watering my garden last weekend and, like I used to do as a kid, I took a sip of water straight from the hose. As cool and refreshing as it was–and there is something tasty about water from a rubber hose–I had a new...

There are few things as enjoyable as inviting friends over for a backyard barbecue; warm breezes peppered with whiffs of smoke, cold drinks, a cottage atmosphere–what's not to like, other than the bland setup most of us have: a...

In my house, there never seems to be enough hot water, or, especially if someone’s been doing laundry, it seems to take forever before the cold turns to hot–and then it’s scorching. Like your well-used shop tools, it’s...

When it comes to wood, nothing beats the real thing. Unless it looks and feels like the real thing but resists mould, rot, insects and fire, and doesn’t require yearly refinishing. Here are five wood doppelgängers sure to...