Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Gadgets to make your home life easier
From compact appliances to touchless toilets, today's home devices are designed for streamlined operations. And with homeowners spending more time than ever on their smartphones, designers are responding with apps that allow you to control such devices as lighting and your washing machine with a swipe of a finger. Here, we offer a selection of new designs for 2015 that promise to make home life a little easier.
Wi-Fi connected appliances
Want to preheat your oven before you arrive home? Now you can turn it on remotely using a smartphone app designed by GE for its Profile collection. The Wi-Fi-enabled appliances, which will arrive throughout 2015, include ranges, wall ovens, a French door refrigerator, laundry duo, a Geo Spring water heater and dishwasher. The apps are included in the price of GE Profile appliances, one of GE's higher-end brands. www.geappliances.com
Wireless charging surface
No more searching for cable or wall outlets to charge your fading cellphone. The TechTop wireless charging surface by LG Hausys -- which won best of show at the 2015 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Las Vegas recently -- allows you to charge your mobile device by simply placing it on top of a surface, such as a countertop, embedded with wireless charging technology. Currently, it is available only for phones, with laptops and tablets to come. Pricing depends on local fabricators listed on the TechTop website. www.lgtechtop.com
Touchless flush toilet
Toilets aren't just toilets anymore. They now come with accessories such as LED illuminated night lights, bidet functionality, self-deodorizing capabilities and heated seating. In some cases you don't even have to flush the toilet using a handle. Kohler's new San Souci touchless flush toilet is the perfect appliance for the germ-phobic. Simply wave your hand over a sensor mounted inside the tank and it will trigger a flush powered by four AA batteries. Available in 10 colours. The toilet starts at $820 in white. www.kohler.com
Garden sensor and water valve
The solar-powered Edyn smart gardening system allows gardeners to assess soil nutrition, moisture, light and temperature via smartphone alerts. Expect a ping from Edyn if your tomatoes need water or fertilizer. The concept: Using Wi-Fi, Edyn's garden sensor measures environmental factors courtesy of a long metal probe that is planted in the ground. The system sends the data to your phone, where you can monitor your plants and activate water valves. The system is composed of the Edyn Garden Sensor, Edyn Water Valve and Edyn App. One sensor is good for 250 square feet. More may be necessary for bigger plots. Available for pre-order on Edyn's website and available at Home Depot stores in spring 2015. Garden sensor, $99.95. Edyn Water Valve, $59.99. www.edyn.com
Small space tub
The new Halo soaking tub from MTI Baths incorporates last year's popular free-standing tub trend with another hot topic: small-space living. The simple circular design measures 52 by 52 by 26 inches and consumes little floor space in a tight bathroom. The Halo also features a built-in seat and can be enjoyed as a soaker tub or as an air bath with 20 air jets, a heated blower and a waterproof remote control. Made of Engineered Solid Stone, it comes in classic white or biscuit with an optional gloss finish. $6,655. www.mtibaths.com
-- Los Angeles Times
Renovation & Design
Avoid the dryer when dyeing jeans
QUESTION: My problem was one that you mentioned in the paper about dyeing jeans. I tried on three occasions to dye faded jeans using RIT dye, (Royal Blue) and I got the colour I wanted. Then I tried setting the dye with cold water and salt. Every time I put the jeans in the wash after that (normally just one wearing) they all faded out to the original colour once again. Do you have any suggestions for setting the dye that will work in the long run? I haven't talked to anyone in the clothing business that has a successful suggestion. Thanks, Angus (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: The manufacturing process has a lot to do with the colourfastness of each particular line of denim. The salt and water combination is typically great for reducing colour loss in fabrics but be sure to hang denim to dry and avoid the dryer. Turn them inside out and use cold water in the wash. Here is another tip that someone shared as a great option to hold the colour of denim dye: purchase Dryel and use it according to the directions. They say the colour lasts and lasts.
QUESTION: I found a very interesting antique watch that has a stamped calfskin watchband. However, on the band, near where the watch touches the band, there's a blue-green sort of stain. I almost think it's the reaction of sweat and the metal. Does that sound like something that can be cleaned? I don't want to buy the watch if the band can't be cleaned. Thanks. Thom (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: This may be due to the chemical used in the tanning process, metal touching the calfskin, or a reaction to the acid in the wearer's skin, much the same as when a finger turns green while wearing a metal ring. The green stain is difficult to remove without damaging the calfskin. In order to prevent further discolouration, you can stick adhesive backing onto the wristband to avoid direct skin contact.
QUESTION: You would not believe how much toilet paper my husband goes through every day! What a waste (pardon the pun). Which toilet paper is the best to purchase to save money? Salena (Brandon, Man.)
ANSWER: Buy toilet paper in bulk and you will save a bundle. For example, if you purchase a bundle of 24 rolls versus packages of four, you can save up to 60 per cent off the cost. Check for supermarket coupons and sales, which are often at the beginning and midway through the month (a great time to stock up). Purchasing generic brands instead of name brands can bring you a savings of another 20 per cent. If you are concerned about the environment, look for packages labelled 100 per cent recycled.
QUESTION: I packed a wet bathing suit coming home from a vacation a couple of winters ago, and even though I unpacked it and washed it right away, it has a mildew smell. I rewashed it, hung it up to dry, tried special bathing suit soap and washed it in vinegar with no luck. Couldn't part with it, so I put it in a cupboard with my two other bathing suits. When I pulled them out recently, all three had a mildew smell. I rewashed them, hung them outside, let them sit in water with vinegar, and rewashed them with vinegar and bathing suit soap -- to no avail. I've worn two of them in a chlorine pool several times this winter, and still the mildew odour remains. I always wash and hang dry right after use. Any chance at all I can remove the smell? What is the best thing to do? Thanks for your ideas! Louise (St. Eustache, Man.)
ANSWER: This is another example of odour that may be caused by dyes and chemicals in the manufacturing of the garment. Before washing your bathing suits in the washing machine, soak them in hot water and borax. Borax contains no phosphates and no bleach but is wonderful at zapping hard-to-handle odours. If you cannot find borax, use a generous amount of Oxy Clean or baking soda instead.
Fantastic household tips of the week
-- To make perfectly shaped pancakes every time, I drop them into the pan using a meat baster. Submitted by Ken
-- Get rid of terrible carpet stains by scrubbing stains with Ivory bar soap, water and an old toothbrush. You won't believe how well this works! Submitted by Helena.
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
Batt insulation can lead to mould grief
An uninsulated basement can account for up to 30 per cent of the total energy loss of a house.
This chilling statistic has motivated many homeowners to reduce their monthly electric or gas heating bills by insulating their basements with fibreglass or stone-wool batts.
Here's the rub: Though this is the cheapest method of insulating, both types of batts can cause more problems than they solve, including mould growth with serious health consequences.
To save on construction costs, most new basements are not insulated on the exterior side with below-grade foam board or other approved materials. If your basement lacks proper exterior insulation (and it likely does unless built to R-2000 standards), moisture and cold will migrate from the exterior to the interior side of your basement. In this case, fibreglass batts are a poor choice of insulation because they absorb moisture formed by cold and warm air condensing on the interior side of a concrete wall, greatly reducing the insulation's stated R-value. Moreover, fresh concrete has a high water content, which takes a long time to dissipate, causing ice to form during winter months on interior basement walls behind the insulation. In spring when the ice melts, water will infiltrate the batts or, if the concrete walls have been partly covered by a six-mil vapour barrier as recommended in the building code, run behind the vapour barrier and puddle on or under the floor. Trapped moisture creates a petri-dish-like environment that promotes the rapid growth of mould; some types of this fungus can colonize (move to another area) in less than a week.
I noticed recently Manitoba Hydro replaced a video on how to insulate your basement using fibreglass with an updated version using Roxul instead. Roxul is a stone-wool product spun into batts that repel water and dry more quickly than fibreglass. The theory is moisture trapped inside the insulation or between the insulation and basement wall will dissipate before mould spores begin to grow. This is wishful thinking, as some spores are capable of germinating in 24 to 48 hours, while moisture inside insulated walls can take months to completely dry. This leaves plenty of time for mould to become well-established. In fact, most basements insulated with some form of batt will contain mould.
An initial clue to the presence of mould is a musty smell; however, until the problem gets completely out of control and the mould migrates to the outside of a finished basement wall, the only way to confirm the presence of the fungus is to remove a sheet of drywall and examine the insulation. The generic term "black mould" is commonly used to describe several types of fungus that grow in basements. If you have a serious mould problem, the insulation, wall studs and plates will be covered in black fungus that looks like soot. In less advanced situations, the batts will contain marble-like streaks of black, also visible on structural members of the wall. Mould lives on wood fibre and cellulose in paper that covers drywall. The only way to rid a basement of this unsightly and potentially toxic fungus is to tear out all the infested walls, increase filtered air flow and wash the walls, floors and ceilings with one cup household bleach to a gallon of water. (There are other premixed chemicals available from big-box stores, or you can hire a contractor to do the job for you.)
Knowing these disturbing facts, it's curious Manitoba Hydro continues to recommend the use of batt insulation in basements through its Power Smart initiative. Even more disturbing is the 2010 National Building Code of Canada, a source of Hydro's residential construction suggestions, still allows batt insulation to be used in basements, even though North America's best building scientists have been stating for years that batt insulation should never be used in basements. (Hydro spokesman Peter Kidd said the corporation could be "showing people a variety of materials" with which to insulate basements "but batt insulation has been around for a long time and proved effective in most cases.")
Effective alternatives to batts include spray foam, solid sheets of expanded polystyrene (xps) and polyisocyanurate (polyiso), as well as a new Hydro-approved product that incorporates polymer studs and sheets to create an integrated basement-insulation system.
Polyurethane spray foam is an excellent product for insulating basement walls because it expands and seals the smallest declivities and cracks in concrete and acts as a vapour barrier at the same time. It has a high insulation value of about R-7 per inch.
The cons are spray foam is the most expensive insulation on the market, and, if not applied in the correct chemical ratio, it will not set properly, creating a fishy smell and a potential health problem due to continuous off-gassing.
Xps and polyiso are polymer-based boards (generally sold in four-by-eight-foot panels) with insulation values of about R-4.5 and R-6.5 per inch, respectively. They will not absorb moisture and can be used to insulate interior basement walls by gluing them directly to the concrete with construction adhesive formulated for polymers; then sealing the joints with tape or canned spray foam. The downside to this technique is there is no wood frame on which to screw a finish covering such as drywall. Some people glue drywall directly to the insulation board, but this technique is not recommended, as it does not properly secure the drywall to the substrate. The alternative is to build a wood-frame wall and cut the insulation to friction-fit between the studs and plates, sealing the join between the wood and insulation with bottled spray foam. This method is more expensive and labour-intensive, but it will ensure a solid structure to which Gyproc or other materials can be screwed or nailed.
The cons to polymer-based boards are the high cost compared to fibreglass or Roxul and, as mentioned, the need to build a frame wall to properly support the exterior finish. A less expensive alternative is to construct a hybrid wall consisting of one-inch sheets of xps or polyiso glued to the concrete and a wood frame filled with fibreglass or mineral-wool batts placed over top. This method is also compatible with commercially applied spray foam.
A new product recently approved for Hydro Power Smart programs is the Quick-Therm Basement and Concrete Insulation System. It is called a system because it is comprised of individual parts that fit together to form an integrated envelope that seals air leaks and prevents moisture infiltration in basement walls. Moreover, it is simple for a DIYer to install with a minimal selection of tools. The main components are polystyrene panels covered both sides with a shiny material that reflects radiant heat back into the basement or reflects cold air back into the concrete wall. High-density polymer studs are attached to the panels by a tongue-and-groove joint that is sealed with window and door spray foam. A polymer gasket seals the panels and studs to the basement floor. There is no thermal bridging (heat transfer) between the polymer studs or the panels, which are held tight to the wall with two plastic concrete fasteners.
The con to this system is higher cost compared to batts. However, at about $3 per square foot, it is less expensive than spray foam at $5 to $6 per square foot, but not much more expensive to install than a framed basement wall containing two layers of R-14 Roxul. And that wall could cost you a fortune to remove and replace if mould spores germinate inside of it.
davidsquare81@yahoo.com
Renovation & Design
What to do when leather furniture fades
QUESTION: We have four light tan leather chairs and the sun has yellowed parts of them that were not shaded by a table. What can we do to restore them so they look uniform? George, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Discolouration is most prevalent on dark colours. Leather-repair kits are available online or in stores, although matching the colour is difficult and can often accent the area instead of hiding it. Leather recolouring balm is a great option because you don't need an exact colour match. Rub balm onto the surface, the leather becomes softer and all colours blend together well. Leather protective products help prevent this from occurring.
QUESTION: I find your hints helpful. I am especially interested in the details on boiling perogies as I am planning to make a first-time batch with a friend's help. Where can I buy netted gem potatoes? My friend told me to buy that kind and I didn't want to let her know I didn't know what they were. Also, what size cutter should I use to cut the perogy dough? If I want to put bacon in the potatoes, do I cook it first? She also said she could teach me how to make holubtsi and I would like to know how to pick the right kind of cabbage? Are small ones better? Thanks for your help. Heidy, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Netted gem is just another name for russet potatoes. Roll dough so it is one-quarter inch thick and use a 3-inch round cutter to cut the dough. Cook the bacon until crisp before adding it to the dough; chop finely. Regarding Ukrainian stuffed cabbage rolls known as holubtsi or little pigeons; use thin, loose green-leafed cabbage. The size depends on how many cabbage rolls you wish to make.
FUN FACT: Next to the potato, cabbage is the second most popularly consumed vegetable in the world.
Feedback from caring Manitobans
Re: Looking for unscented dish-soap solution
Hi Reena,
Recently, I was shopping at Bulk Barn and saw a soap display by the The Soap Works. They had some plain soaps with no perfume and some were vegetable-based. I've had lots of trouble with soap sensitivity so first I tried the cucumber and calendula with great results. I then went to their website and found some rave reviews on some other soap including their vegetable-based glycerin. I think that Donna might find it just the thing to make her dish soap from. They also have a laundry bar, laundry powder and safe bleach -- these and other bar soaps can be checked out at http://puresoapworks.com/ Some of the items are more pricey but the soaps are very affordable, starting at about $1.99. Barb
Hello Reena,
I read your suggestion for the woman who has asthma that she use leftover soap slivers to make dish soap. While this will work, it is not the best solution because soap that's been sitting around in a damp soap dish is often laden with germs. Allowing it to dissolve in water would likely promote further germ growth. I also have asthma, and have found a commercial product that works for me -- Seventh Generation Free and Clear, available at London Drugs (and maybe other stores). You have to be careful not to select one of Seventh Generation's scented varieties, but the Free and Clear product has no scent and doesn't make my eczema worse. For laundry detergent, Tide also makes an unscented product. Joanne
Common household dangers
-- Old wiring: Consider hiring an electrician to update wiring in homes built before 1940. While this may be expensive, it could save you thousands in the long run.
-- Plants: Before choosing both indoor and outdoor plants, do your research. Some plant species such as Castor Bean are poisonous when consumed by humans, insects and/or pets.
-- Standing water: A small child can drown in water with a depth of one inch or more. Often forgotten dangers include: Outside buckets under downspout, toilet, sink, mop bucket, diaper pail and garden ornaments.
-- Poisonous gases: Radon and carbon-monoxide detectors are inexpensive units and make thoughtful birthday gifts. Radon is a colourless and odourless gas that seeps up from the soil through cracks in the foundation. Radon levels are highest in basements and crawl spaces because of poor ventilation. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odorless gas that can overcome you without warning.
I enjoy your questions and tips, so keep them coming. Check out: Reena.ca.
