Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Stone foundations are tricky to insulate
Question: I’m a homeowner in Wolseley and I have a stone foundation. There’s some seepage, even after I had the eavestroughs replaced, sump pump and backwater system installed and built up the soil around my house. I don’t have any structural issues but I have had mice. I’ve contracted with a local contractor to install interior weeping tiles. They have recommended an interior membrane to drain any seepage. I am thinking of getting foam insulation sprayed on the stone walls to seal and insulate as well as provide an interior water seal. A friend advised me not to do this as it doesn’t let the walls "breathe." Is this warning worth taking into account and going with the interior membrane and some other insulation instead? David Weller.
Answer: How to properly maintain and insulate a stone foundation is one of the most frequent questions I get, which not only comes up during typical pre-purchase inspections, but also in many inquiries such as yours from current homeowners. There are wide-ranging opinions on this topic and the somewhat recent use of blown-in foams for this purpose has widened the scope of the debate. I have my own opinion, no surprise there, but I will also elaborate on other points of view to help you make your decision.
The first order of contention is not the choice or use of blown-in foam for insulating the inside of your older stone foundation, but the installation of an internal weeping tile system. These systems, which collect excess rainwater and groundwater below the basement floor slab, instead of outside the foundation footing, are questionable for several reasons. My main concern with these systems is that they collect excess water once it has already partially travelled through the foundation walls, which does nothing to protect it from the water. The water is only channelled away to a sump or floor drain catch basin to help keep the basement dry, while the stone and mortar may remain wet.
The old stone, which is quite porous if not waterproofed at the exterior, will continue to be constantly wetted after rains and snow melts, potentially causing deterioration from freeze/thaw cycles. Even worse, the old mortar in between the stones will definitely wear away if it remains continually damp. This mortar is critical in maintaining the structural integrity of the foundation and if it freezes while it is soaking wet, it can expand and crumble. Ensuring any old mortar that is loose or deteriorated is removed and replaced from the inside of the foundation before any further work is done is fundamentally important.
That is why I am not a fan of internal weeping tile systems. Gathering the soil moisture after the foundation stone and mortar have become soaked is the wrong approach. The reason that a waterproofing membrane has been suggested for the inside of the foundation to grade, is to help any water that does come through the foundation drain to the new weeping tile before evaporating into the basement air, or wetting any insulation against the foundation walls. While the use of this semi-rigid material for this purpose is quite resourceful, it is in the wrong location. The proper method for prevention of a wet basement is to stop the foundation from getting saturated in the first place. To accomplish that, the exterior of the foundation must be excavated to the bottom, the mortar and parging patched, and damp-proofing or a waterproof membrane installed. In this better method, weeping tile can be installed just outside the bottom of the foundation and channelled through to a sump pit under the basement floor slab.
So why is an internal weeping tile and membrane system recommended by various contractors if it is a substandard method for keeping a basement dry? The simple answer is that it is much easier to install, and consequently less costly for the homeowner. While it may be a lot of messy work to cut the concrete basement floor slab around the perimeter inside the foundation walls to install the plastic drainage piping, it is not nearly as difficult as installing it outside. The outside repair will require complete excavation and bracing of the soil for approximately one metre to allow access. This is normally with shovels, which is extremely labour intensive and costly. Many older homes in your area have minimal room between houses or outbuildings, making exterior repairs even more tricky. Also, very badly deteriorated stone foundations can be further damaged when excavating, if proper measures are not taken to prevent movement when the soil is disturbed. Regardless, that is the way to go, in my opinion.
To more directly address your question, a couple of the concerns with using blown-in polyurethane foam to insulate the inside of the stone are moisture and mould. If the foundation continues to get wet, the plastic foam insulation may not become damaged, but any small voids or gaps between it and the foundation can collect water. This may not easily drain or dry due to the foam and mould will surely develop. As well, some knowledgeable building authorities suggest that this type of insulation can keep the stone foundation colder, longer, creating better conditions for freeze/thaw moisture damage. For that reason, they suggest leaving the inside of the foundation uninsulated, thus warming the stone and preventing freezing.
My opinion regarding wet foundation repairs, including older stone foundations, is that exterior excavation and waterproofing is the proper method. That will ensure that the stone and mortar remain dry year-round, which will allow any type of insulation installed on the inside to properly do its job, without worrying about mould moisture and structural issues. In that scenario, I see no reason not to install high-density, blown-in polyurethane foam directly to the inside of the stone, once the foundation is dry.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Keep dishcloths odour-free by killing bacteria
Smelly dishcloths
A few weeks ago, someone asked you how to keep their dishcloths smelling fresh. I don’t have advice on making them smell fresh, but I can offer advice on how to easily keep them odour-free and definitely not smelly.
I’m not a chemist or biologist, but I believe that the bad odour that occurs in dishcloths is mainly a result of bacteria growing on the cloth. Bacteria need at least two things to grow: water and nutrients. We can easily control these two and prevent the bacteria odour.
The nutrients come from wiping up our foods: bread crumbs, spilled liquids (milk, soft drinks, juice), flour and other kitchen-counter and/or table debris. Plus, the dishwater usually has plenty of food particles floating in it by the time the dishes have all been washed. These become embedded in the cloth and are perfect food for bacteria growth.
The water is obviously from the spilled liquids, the dishwater and also from attempts to rinse out the cloth.
If we can remove the food and water — and then give the cloth the opportunity to dry quickly — no more odour.
Drying dishcloths quickly is important because the longer they are damp, the more opportunity there is for bacteria to grow. A damp cloth plus time equals odour.
This time of year is the worst time for the odour because the humidity in the air is high and the cloth takes a long time to dry.
Plus, it is usually warmer at this time of year, and I believe that the bacterial growth is increased with higher temperatures.
In our house, we thoroughly rinse out cloths whenever we wipe up something or do the dishes. I hold the cloths vertically by two corners (like a sheet on a clothesline) and let lots of clean water run over both sides, wring them out and do it again. This gets rid of as much food as possible.
I then get rid of the water by wringing out the cloth extremely well. I think this is the key part.
Then, I spread the cloth out so there is maximum surface area for the water to evaporate so it dries as quickly as possible. I usually just lay it out flat on the counter. Draping it over the divider in a dual-sink, or hanging it on the faucet also works.
It is definitely a very bad idea to leave a damp cloth folded up or crumpled in a ball, because then the inside of it never dries and the bacteria thrive. Since adopting these practices a few years ago, we never have any odour problems with the dishcloths.
— Jeff
Black cooktop maintenance
For the lady who was complaining about her black cooktop, I live in the country and experienced the same problem with visible dust since the road in front of our home is gravel.
I made a giant "placemat" out of an attractive fabric that I place on the cooktop throughout the day when the stove is not in use and it is a huge help in keeping the kitchen look tidy.
I made mine out of polyester satin on one side and quilted polyester on the other, so it is easy to launder and also maintains the all-black look of the appliances in my kitchen.
— Val
Cleaning baseball hats
I read your answer about washing baseball hats. Authentic fitted baseball caps (New Era brand) have wool in their weave; you really don’t want to use much water in cleaning because they will shrink.
— Tom
Burnt-on residue on frying pan
Jack was asking in Saturday’s column about cleaning the outside of a frying pan. My friend gave me this solution and it works like a charm.
All those years of struggling to remove baked-on residue from pans, oven racks, etc. and this is so easy.
Set the pan on a black garbage bag outside, spray with Easy-Off, cover with the bag and leave in the sun for a couple of hours.
Then, just spray off.
When my friend told me of this method, I tried it on my 45-year-old stainless steel lasagna pan (it was very clean inside, but the other side was black). I had to do this twice, but my pan turned out looking new. My racks and other pans always turn out looking new, whereas just using the Easy-Off without the sun, I still had to scrub. Hope this helps.
— Vera
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Need a presenter on the topic: Effective Speaking or The Power of Words? Check out: Reena.ca
Renovation & Design
Too much junk? Try to remove the usual suspects
The transition from summer to fall is an ideal time to get your home organized. As you put away all of that summer gear and prepare for cooler weather, why not also commit to clearing out some of the things you no longer need or use?
Although it’s totally legitimate to try to expand the storage options in your home, sometimes a better option is to just reduce the amount of stuff you need to store. Here are five quick ways to clean out items right now and donate them to an organization that will actually use them.
Luggage
Each person in your family needs one or two suitcases. If you have more than that, it’s time to purge. People seem to accumulate a luggage collection that far exceeds their needs, mostly because they don’t know what to do with the suitcases they no longer use and they feel uncomfortable throwing away something that is still useful.
However, there’s no point in storing bulky suitcases that you’re not using, especially when there are organizations that will gladly accept them for kids and families in need.
Toiletries from hotels
Many of us have a drawer or bin full of hotel shampoos, conditioners, soaps and lotions. We bring them home thinking we’ll definitely use them in our guest room or on a future trip, but somehow never remember to do so. If you’re not using them — and, let’s face it, you’re probably not going to — why not donate them to a local homeless or women’s shelter?
New and unopened bottles can also be sent to troops stationed abroad through an organization called Operation: Care and Comfort.
Reusable bags
Reusable tote bags are such a good idea — until you’ve accumulated so many you can’t actually use or store them all.
As it turns out, reusable bags aren’t as environmentally friendly as many of us think, particularly because we don’t use them enough to make their production worth it. In fact, they’ve become so popular and so mass-produced that a recent article in The Atlantic pointed out, "Their abundance encourages consumers to see them as disposable, defeating their very purpose."
But instead of throwing away those totes you’re no longer using, donate them to local food pantries, farmers markets and homeless shelters, where they will be used and reused. Or, if you’re donating clothes or toys to a local organization, put your items in reusable bags so that they can be repurposed.Empty picture frames
We all seem to be framing fewer pictures, and yet picture frames seem to magically multiply. Sometimes they’re given to us as gifts, and other times we buy them because we intend to use them but then somehow never get around to it. Instead of keeping a collection of empty frames in a box in the basement, donate them to an organization that will give them to people who will use and enjoy them. Organizations that help people transition into homes, in particular, make good recipients of picture frames that are in like-new condition. Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores and Goodwill will accept donations of picture frames.
Glassware
I’ve noticed in my recent organizing jobs that many people own hundreds of glasses. Really. Tall water glasses, short water glasses, juice glasses, champagne flutes, red wine glasses, white wine glasses, bar glasses, martini glasses, margarita glasses. I could go on, but you get the idea. Most of us use the same six to eight glasses every day.
Sure, you need to have enough for entertaining, but is it necessary to take up valuable kitchen cabinet storage with glassware you seldom use? Spend 30 minutes taking an honest accounting of all that glassware and see if you have at least a dozen items you could donate. I bet you do, and I bet you won’t miss them when they’re gone.
— The Washington Post
