Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Carefully inspect fireplace and chimney prior to first fire of the season
Question: We moved into an old home and we are excited to use the wood-burning fireplace. What do we need to do before we use it, so that we don't burn down the house? Any tips? Peter, Lorette
Answer: Before lighting your first fire, inspect the chimney exterior for broken bricks or crumbling mortar. Shine a light inside the chimney, and be on the lookout for bird nests and cracks. Check to make sure that the damper opens and closes properly. Clean the chimney and loose ashes or contact a professional for seasonal maintenance. Retailers also sell chimney sweeping logs which are designed to reduce and treat creosote buildup.
It is also important to note the wood you burn in your fireplace should be seasoned for at least one year before use. Properly seasoned wood burns hotter and creates less creosote.
Question: I have two flannel-backed vinyl tablecloths. They were obviously wrapped in tight plastic packaging for a long time, because they have a lot of deep creases. What methods would you recommend I use to remove the creases without melting the vinyl? Thank you. Joan, Winnipeg
Answer: Fill a bathtub with cool water. Soak the tablecloths in the tub for a couple of hours to drench the creases. Hang tablecloths to dry. If creases persist, cover folds with a damp tea towel and iron on low setting to remove creases.
Question: I own a suede jacket that has a big dirt mark on the sleeve because I fell on my elbow into a puddle. I also have a few scuff marks on the opposite sleeve. What should I use to clean the area? Garry, Randolph
Answer: Hope you are not hurt from the fall! Get rid of scuff marks by rubbing the marks with a pencil eraser and then wiping the nap with your nail brush. Sprinkle the suede fabric with baking soda and then brush the nap back and forth with a damp nail brush. If the suede is a synthetic fabric, you will be able to clean it with plain old water and dish soap. Rinse and let dry. P.S. Love the Neufeld Garage in Randolph, very clever!
Question: Can you please give me a simple recipe for homemade garlic butter? Thanks, Carolyn, Winnipeg
Answer: For the easiest garlic butter recipe, stir together 1 cup softened butter with 1 tablespoon garlic powder. For garlic butter with a kick try the following recipe:
Into a bowl stir together 1 cup softened butter, 1 tbsp. minced garlic, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper and 1/2 tsp. paprika. Spread on bread before toasting. Store remainder in a sealed container in the fridge.
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
Use lemon juice to prevent brown bananas
QUESTION: Can you please tell me how to prevent bananas from turning brown when making banana cream pie? Maureen, Winnipeg
Answer: Black bananas take a tantalizing dessert from a treat to a travesty. I have been the baker of the latter. I learned (the hard way) to begin with newly ripe bananas. Toss banana pieces in a bit of lemon juice. Completely cover bananas with cream, and slice bananas just before serving. Finally, instead of cutting bananas into individual slices, consider slicing each banana lengthwise once down the middle before placing them into the pie crust. Less oxidizing equals less chance of black bananas.
Question: I have a fireplace and we've used it a lot over the past few winters -- I like having the door open because it's warmer when I'm sitting beside it. Now I have greasy soot on my walls and ceilings. What would you suggest to clean it? I can't afford to hire someone to do it. I'm thinking baking soda, but I thought I'd ask you. Lori, Winnipeg
Answer: Begin by vacuuming the walls with the dust attachment. Next clean all walls with one of the following solutions combined with water; shampoo or dish soap, borax, TSP or if you are desperate, household ammonia (ventilate well).
Question: Can you suggest a safe way to separate two large mugs that have become wedged together? They were placed within each other in the sink and now are stuck together. We tried hot water but that didn't seem to do the trick. Thanks for your help. Vince, Winnipeg
Answer: Here's an easy trick to separate the mugs. Fill a mixing bowl with hot water, and fill the top mug with ice. Stand both mugs in the hot water bowl. The top mug will contract, while the bottom mug expands. Leave them for a few minutes and gently pry them apart.
Question: How can I prevent SOS pads from falling apart after I wet and use them? Sammy, Carman
Answer: Find a little bowl and line it with foil. After each use, place the steel-wool pad into the bowl. The SOS pad won't rust or fall apart.
Terrific tips
Freeze leftover (if any exist) Halloween chocolate bars. They're great for adding to hot chocolate, cookies, cakes, cupcake toppers, trail mix or milkshakes. Submitted by Lindsay
My daughter had a splinter in her finger and I could not remove it. It was very painful and needed care. In desperation, I put a raisin onto the splinter and wrapped her finger with a bandage. I left the bandage on for 24 hours. Then I removed the bandage and raisin and gently squeezed the area. With little effort, the splinter was exposed and I was able to pull it out. Submitted by Geoffrey
Instead of squishing freshly made bread by cutting slices with a regular knife. Slice the loaf evenly with an electric knife. Submitted by Val
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
Weeping tile important component in new home
Question: I am currently building a new house in River Park South and upon reviewing the blueprints a couple days ago, I noticed the plan does not include the typical exterior weeping tile system. Instead, the plan calls for a four-inch perforated drain tile under the basement concrete slab, draining to the sump pit. The foundation is going to be built on piles. Have you heard or come across this type of setup recently? The builder is one of the best in Winnipeg, so I can't be the only house that has this setup. My biggest concern is water on the exterior has nowhere to go and would cause great pressure to build up against the foundation walls.
Would it be more beneficial to go with the traditional exterior weeping tile system that channels water to non-perforated pipes under the basement concrete slab, which drain to the sump pit? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Much thanks, Brian Lee.
Answer: The perfect location for weeping tile has been subject to debate for some time and may vary with the type of foundation and soil conditions. Your builder may be taking a slightly different approach, based on its past experiences. We will discuss the function of the drainage piping and location, but discussing this with the builder and the local building inspector may yield a more precise answer.
Corrugated plastic drainage piping, often referred to as "weeping tile" for historical reasons, is a critically important component of all new homes in our area due to the expansive clay soil. Because this soil can expand significantly when it gets saturated, draining it as quickly as possible after rain or snow melt is a must. The drainage system embedded in the soil near the bottom of your foundation will provide this effectively if it is properly installed. Typically, there will be perforated piping installed adjacent to the entire outside of the foundation, connected to non-perforated pipes that run perpendicular, under the basement floor. These solid pipes act as drains, which terminate in a sump installed below the basement floor slab. Excessive soil moisture that is collected in the weeping tile system drains to the sump and is ejected to the surface soil by the sump pump, when it reaches a high enough level in the sump pit.
For a traditional concrete foundation, built on top of a wider footing beneath, placing the perforated portion of the weeping tile beside or slightly above the outside of this footing is the most common practice. A short section of the solid pipe, or one of a similar dimension, is normally embedded in the footing, to allow connecting the two styles of pipes together. These embedded sections should be located at least one per side of the home, to allow easier drainage to the sump. While this is the normal setup for a home built on a poured concrete footing, foundations with different support mechanisms may have different arrangements.
Because your home is being built on poured concrete piers, commonly called "Piles", there is not as much need to collect the soil moisture directly outside the foundation, as there is no footing to be directly affected by excess water in that location. The vertical foundation walls will now be supported by these deep concrete columns, which will be buried several meters in the soil below. These piers will prevent typical sinking of the home, or settlement, but may also resist upward forces on the foundation if they are properly anchored. Eliminating the upward and downward forces of the expanding or shrinking soil on the foundation will somewhat minimize the need for the weeping tile system. Keeping the soil moisture manageable also prevents inward bowing of the foundation walls from excessive soil pressure, laterally.
The bottom of the foundation walls in your new home will be temporarily supported by void forms while the concrete is being poured. Once the concrete is cured, these foam or cardboard supports are considered expendable and may deteriorate, or be crushed, over time. Because these are located where the unneeded footing would have been, drainage piping connecting any exterior weeping tile with the sub-slab pipes could be easily installed through these void forms, even after the foundation is poured. It is also the reason that locating the perimeter drainage piping is not as critical as with a footing. Some builders now install the perimeter piping just inside the foundation for this reason. In fact, removing excessive moisture from under the concrete basement floor slab may become more of the focus, to prevent buckling and cracking of the floor, rather than foundation movement.
I have not heard of many builders who will forgo the perimeter weeping tile and only put perforated pipe under the basement floor, but that may be the design for your home. I have seen homes with structural wooden floors, with crawl spaces underneath, with both perforated and non-perforated pipe running to the sump. That method should provide maximum protection, as the perimeter piping will dry the soil outside the foundation and any excess water under the building will also be collected by the perforated weeping tile in that location.
Installation of weeping tile drainage systems has changed considerably over the years due to design modifications, newer materials and building practices. If you don't agree with or understand the plans for your home, ask the builder to explain the rationale for their proposed drainage system, and consult with the municipal building inspector to ensure things are being done according to local standards and codes.
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
Easily repair that cracked concrete driveway
QUESTION: I would like to repair the cracks in our concrete driveway. What is the best way to go about this? Arlin, Niverville
ANSWER: To repair cracks in the driveway begin by cleaning the area. Patch with crack-filler (a caulk-like compound), available at home-improvement stores. After applying the compound, smooth the area using a putty knife. For extra traction on the driveway, spread sand onto the wet sealer before it dries. For larger areas use cold-patch compound. Follow product directions, more than one layer may be needed. Flatten the patch by laying a piece of plywood over the repair and drive over it several times.
QUESTION: I boiled frozen perogies and then rinsed them. I then put the perogies into a non-stick frying pan with some oil. They stuck to the bottom of the pan; what a mess, they all broke open and some of them burnt to the pan. What went wrong? Alex, Starbuck
ANSWER: Since the perogies were wet when you fried them, the activated starch bonded the perogies and stuck them together, just like best friends. Next time, fry perogies from frozen. Preheat a large frying pan to medium heat; reduce heat to medium low and add a little butter or oil to the pan. Once the butter bubbles or the oil is hot, add perogies. Let perogies cook for four to five minutes. They should release themselves from the pan, shake pan and ease any stuck perogies from the pan using a spatula. Flip to cook both sides.
QUESTION: How do you keep pills from forming on sweaters when machine washing them? I have tried turning them inside out, washing them in cold water instead of hot, washing them on the gentle cycle and trying different laundry detergents, but nothing seems to work. Even brand new sweaters which I've only laundered a couple of times seem to be plagued with pills. Thank you. Pat, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Pilling is a result of fabric threads rubbing together to create little balls (or knots). One way to prevent pills from forming on your clothing is to choose to purchase natural fibers instead of man-made fibers such as acrylic or polyester blends. Turning fabrics inside out as you mentioned minimizes pilling as does washing on the gentle cycle to lessen abrasion. Avoid the dryer, instead hang or lay clothing to dry.
Friendly Manitoba feedback
Re: Permanent marker on whiteboard
To get permanent marker off a whiteboard, try using a small amount of Lock De-Icer. I used this on a small white board when I drew with permanent marker on the board by mistake, and when I let erasable marker sit too long on the board (like a week) and it wouldn't come off. It works like a dream and is inexpensive. Joan
Re: Dents in Carpet
The simplest way to raise indentions in a carpet is to place a very damp colorfast facecloth, folded a number of times, over the spot overnight and voila! Saves rubbing anything foreign into the carpet. Lois
Perfectly Toasted Nuts
Give nuts an added crunch by toasting them before adding them to vegetable dishes, trail mix or as a healthy holiday snack. Place nuts in a cool frying pan and heat to medium. Shake the pan to toast nuts evenly and prevent them from burning. Remove from heat when nuts are golden brown.
Did you know? The peanut is the only nut grown underground. Americans consume about 3,750,000 pounds of peanuts daily.
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.