Homes

Is it the end of the road for the humble oil furnace, a fixture in many Canadian homes for the past 60 years? Some of the thousands of homeowners who still heat with oil see their aging oil tanks as ticking environmental time bombs.

Debbie Travis >E3

Floating elements add airy touch to award-winning family home designed with the environment in mind

Luminous glow rather than bright sparkle works with a restrained decorating style

Mike Holmes >E2

The holiday season is the time to really allow your home to sparkle. For a few weeks every year, over-the-top is just what's called for. And it's so much fun to create the dazzle and then enjoy everyone's ohhhs and ahhhs.

WHY DO OIL TANKS LEAK? Steel oil tanks corrode from the inside out due to action by microbes. Microbes are living organisms so small they can only be seen under a microscope. They are found practically everywhere, in the air and water.

I'm always telling homeowners to look beyond the lipstick and mascara - the finishes. But finishes are important to many homeowners. It's what they see and live with every day. I get that. And I like finishes too.

Oil furnaces are found only in older homes, but many aficionados won't switch to other fuels

Helen Chesnut >F3