Homes & Gardens

The Good Life

July 22, 2020

Nettie Thill hopes to age in place at her longtime home in Spring Lake Park, where she enjoys feeding the birds.

New Habitat for Humanity program helps Twin Cities seniors age in place

Age Well at Home initiative serves those living on fixed incomes.

Home & Garden

July 21, 2020

Photos by Don Severson: ONE TIME USE ONLY with Val's birding col A mallard mom keeps her brood close.

Two bird parenting styles achieve the same end

Some birds are ready to go almost as soon as they hatch, while others require constant care and feeding.

Home & Garden

July 21, 2020

Inspecting a water heater vent connector

Inspecting a natural draft water heater vent happens quickly and easily once you know what to look for. Today, I'll show you what to look for when looking at a water heater vent connector. I recently blogged about inspecting water heaters and testing for proper draft at water heaters, and I just couldn't squeeze the part about inspecting water heater vents into those posts. This is really a topic all on its own, so here goes.

Home & Garden

July 20, 2020

This log cabin is set on a private island on Farm Lake near Ely.

Private island with log cabin on edge of BWCA can be yours for $399K

Rustic home near Ely comes with 2,320 feet of shoreline, dock on the mainland, sauna and deluxe outhouse.

Home & Garden

July 18, 2020

Sisters' side-by-side cabins on Minnesota lake help their families stay connected

Thirty years ago, two siblings bought a little cabin near Pelican Rapids. Now the cabins they built on the original site continue to bring them together.

Home & Garden

July 18, 2020

What's up with surprising volunteer plants that appear out of nowhere?

Due to the pandemic, more people are at home and noticing what's growing, including some surprises.

Home & Garden

July 17, 2020

Home listings: What $360,000 buys in the Twin Cities area

What you get for the money in Shorewood, Minneapolis and Lake Elmo.

Home & Garden

July 17, 2020

Home plan: A design perfect for a narrow lot

Home & Garden

July 14, 2020

Oriole nests are works of finely crafted art

Home & Garden

July 14, 2020

How to remove old paint from furniture

Home & Garden

July 14, 2020

Chip lessens paperweight value

Home & Garden

July 14, 2020

Water heater backdrafting: how to test for proper draft

When a water heater backdrafts, it's a safety hazard. Homeowners usually don't know they have a problem because a backdrafting water heater will almost never set off a carbon monoxide alarm. A water heater backdrafts when the exhaust gases from an atmospherically vented water heater spill out into the room, rather than safely leaving the house through the vent. Exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide and high levels of moisture, so this is always a condition that should be corrected.

Home & Garden

July 13, 2020