Your home: it's your refuge, your castle, and the biggest money sinkhole you've ever encountered. Here are some stories from the Marketplace files to help you keep a roof over your head.

• Anti-telemarketing devices: Marketplace asks three viewers to test different products that claim to cut down on the number of telemarketers disturbing your peace. January 9, 2002

• AOL CDs: Those 'free' AOL CDs are cropping up everywhere. And some people have come up with some inventive ways to do something about that. March 4, 2003

• Betting the House: Marketplace takes you behind the scenes of Canada's hot real estate market, where both buyers and sellers have to watch their step and know their stuff if they want to avoid feeling burned. December 4, 2005

• Biometrics: Marketplace takes a look at these hi-tech ways that aim to make sure you are who you say you are. October 31, 2001

• Break-In!: Think your home is safe from break-ins? Think again. October 3, 2004

• Bunk Bed Update: The dangers of bunk beds, and what the government isn't doing about them. February 2, 1999

• Canning controversy: A decision to stop making Gem Jar lids causes a prairie storm. November 19, 2002

• Christmas Tree Stands: The Great Canadian Christmas Tree Stand-off. What's the best stand for your tree? December 3, 2002

• CSA: The standards association may not be so trustworthy. November 9, 1999

• CSL: Marketplace puts the Chimney Sweeping Log to the test. Can a log help clean your chimney? February 11, 2003

• Cut It Out: A look at a campaign to get more information on where our clothes are made — and under what conditions. March 27, 2002

• Dangerous Defects: Recalls can be the result of dangerous defects; the trouble is you're not always told about them. Marketplace finds out why. March 26, 2006

• Excessive packaging: Talin Vartanian rants on how tough it can be to open a simple package. December 2, 2003

• Failed products: Consumers buy products they've learned to trust. Your trust is what the retailers are after. But, sometimes for various reasons, products just don't work. February 1, 2000

• Faking It: Marketplace looks at uncertified products and potentially dangerous fakes. April 9, 2006

• Fire extinguishers: Marketplace discovers that not all fire extinguishers are the same. March 7, 2000

• Hallowe'en Trends: Looking at the fads and trends dominating the ghoul-fest of Hallowe'en. October 24, 2001

• Hitting the Roof: What happens when the home contractor you've hired gives you nothing but a headache? Marketplace meets one man behind renos-gone-wrong. February 13, 2005

• Home Insurance: Marketplace reads between the lines of home insurance policies and discovers that in some cases, you use them at your own risk. January 26, 1999

• House Insurance: Got knob and tube wiring in your house? Several home insurance companies aren't anxious for your business. March 18, 2003

• Home Water Filters: Marketplace takes a look at the water filtration devices available for home-use and is surprised to discover that there are no regulations for these filters. November 14, 2000

• Household cleaners: Are we doing more harm than good in our quest for cleanliness? March 11, 2003

• House on Fire! What you don't know about your fire insurance could leave you feeling burned. October 10, 2004

• Housing discrimination: Demands for upfront rent payments from new Canadians. January 21, 2003

• Low-flow toilets: The CSA has approved hundreds of low-flow toilets, despite complaints many of them don't do the job they're supposed to. February 4, 2003

• Moving Nightmares: Complaints pile up against a discount mover. February 11, 2003

• Natural dish soaps: We put three natural products, one regular dish cleaner and a special Marketplace home brew to the test. November 11, 2003

• New Home Nightmares: For many people, buying that new home has proved to be a terrible experience. January 18, 2000

• Overpackaging: What if manufacturers were forced to pay the costs of disposing of their packaging? February 27, 2001

• Personal Video Recorder (PVR): could this device change our TV viewing habits forever — and the way advertisers reach us? April 10, 2002

• Plastic Pipes: Leaky plastic pipes have caused untold headaches for homeowners and millions of dollars in lawsuits in the U.S. Why were the pipes ever approved by the Canadian Standards Association? February 9, 1999

• Retirement Homes: In Canada, retirement homes are poorly regulated. In some of them, life for elderly, vulnerable people has become a nightmare. But as Marketplace reports, there are things you can do to avoid bad retirement homes. March 14, 2000

• Reverse Mortgages: The television ad promises fast cash and no monthly payments. To elderly Canadians whose only asset is their house, a reverse mortgage might seem like a good idea. But it could cost you a fortune. April 11, 2000

• Switchgrass: A look at switchgrass, a long, straw-like grass that could well become the home-heating fuel of the future. February 13, 2001

• Telezapper: A look at the products that say they will cut down on the number of calls you receive from telemarketers. January 9, 2002

• UFFI: Marketplace revisits our story on urea formaldehyde foam insulation revisited. Banned by the federal government in 1980 amid an uproar that it caused everything from runny noses to cancer, UFFI is still commonly found in older houses. February 22, 2000

• Wireless World: An underground movement of "warchalkers" wants to hitch a free ride on your wireless internet connection. February 24, 2004

• Wood Stoves: Many Canadians are going back to wood. They're installing wood stoves to supplement the furnace and keep heating costs down. You may be tempted to do the job yourself, to save a few more dollars. But the installation of a modern wood stove is no longer a do-it-yourself job. December 5, 2000

• Wood Stoves: If it's done properly - wood can be a clean, alternative way to heat your home. January 9, 2001