Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Chimney excavation likely needed to prevent seepage
QUESTION: My neighbour and I have the same problem. Both houses were built in 1957 and they have, what I think, is a cleanout hole for the chimney. At this time of year, and when there is a heavy rain, we get water seeping into our basements through these cleanouts. The water comes in through this area, leaks down the foundation wall and then runs along the floor.
My chimney is still in use for venting the hot-water tank. My neighbour no longer uses his chimney. Is there a way to stop the water from coming in through this cleanout area?
Mark Starodub, Selkirk, MB
ANSWER: Water leakage into basements is something most homeowners, especially in older homes like yours, worry about at this time of year. There are a few simple preventive measures you can take, but these may only help to minimize the problem rather than eliminate it.
The top item to address is the grading and water management outside the home. Everything should be done to grade the soil away from the home for the first two to four metres. Sloping the soil in this way will help prevent melting snow adjacent to the home from running toward the foundation. If this moisture is not allowed to sit or pool against the concrete walls while the ground begins to thaw, there is much less chance of leakage through small cracks or openings.
Once the snow is gone and the ground begins to warm further down, proper grading can also prevent frequent spring rains from saturating the top layers of soil. If this soil becomes super-saturated, it will not be able to drain properly to the weeping tiles below because the ground is still frozen at lower levels. If this occurs, there's a good chance of water being forced through the foundation by hydrostatic pressure.
The other main item to inspect is the roof drainage system. The majority of leakage I see in basements occurs where downspouts terminate beside the foundation. Installing downspout extensions that divert the water away from the foundation should go a long way in stopping periodic seepage. This is particularly important if a downspout is discharging near your old chimney, where you are seeing the water come in.
Most older brick chimneys leak for several reasons. The first reason is normally due to damage to the chimney cap or metal liner. In those cases, rain, snow or melted ice can leak into the chimney near the top and run all the way down until it hits the bottom of the cleanout. Once it has nowhere else to go, it will seep in through the cleanout or the brick nearby.
If the metal liner is corroded or damaged, the warm exhaust from your water heater may also leak through, hit the cold brick surrounding the liner, condense and freeze. This frost will then melt on a warm or sunny day in late winter or early spring and run down the inside of the chimney until it leaks into your basement. While this may be occurring somewhat in your home, I think the underlying cause of your problem is lower down.
Another cause of leakage can be chimney deterioration below grade. Because brick chimneys are porous, and the mortar that holds the bricks together deteriorates over time, leakage can occur.
To prevent leakage through the porous brick underground as well as the support or foundation beneath, damp-proofing material will have been installed when the house waas built. This bitumen-based coating usually lasts for several decades, but will have a tendency to lose its effectiveness after many years. As this coating wears out, water from the soil will begin to erode the old mortar joints, allowing even more moisture to seep into the chimney. Once this becomes severe enough, this water may leak through the only real opening on the interior, the cleanout.
While it may be possible to partially stop the water by filling in the old cleanout with mortar or fine concrete, it's not a permanent solution. Eventually, it will be necessary to excavate around the chimney on the exterior and re-apply the damp-proofing or a newer waterproofing membrane. This repair will cover any existing gaps in the brick or concrete, preventing water from seeping in from the damp soil surrounding the chimney. If the bricks or mortar joints are badly deteriorated, further repairs may be required before damp-proofing, but that can only be determined after digging away the adjacent soil.
While there's a chance that your metal chimney liner or cap is rusted and leaking, with moisture coming in near the top of chimney, deterioration below grade is more likely. If so, the only effective way to prevent rain and melted snow from leaking into your home is to dig around the base of the chimney to expose the old bricks and see what work needs to be done to repair and waterproof them.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
MIKE HOLMES: How to figure out if a home has been flipped
Spring is home-buying season, and buyers need to be extra careful when checking out potential homes. You don't want to buy a lemon.
There are two main options when buying a home: Either you buy new -- a completely new build -- or you buy used.
If you're buying a new home, make sure you check out the builder's track record, and speak to people who have bought their home from the same builder.
Were they happy with their new home? Did they have any problems within the first year? Second year? What types of problems were they? Did they require major fixes, like a leaking basement, a problem with the HVAC or electrical issues? How helpful was the builder when it came to fixing the problem?
Just because a house is new doesn't mean it won't have issues. I've seen brand new homes, not even five years old, with major fixes that nearly bankrupt the homeowner. A new home shouldn't have major problems, but too many times it does.
If you're looking at used homes, be careful with ones that were flipped. These homes are especially a problem because they are deliberately made to look good, but aren't necessarily built or renovated to be good. They take advantage of homebuyers' lack of knowledge when it comes to picking out shoddy workmanship.
Looks are deceiving. A home that's been flipped banks on it.
I don't like flips because most of them are done with one purpose: to make a profit. In most cases, the homeowners don't care about quality because they won't be living there. Their top priority is to sell fast to save on mortgage payments. And once it's sold, any problems in the home become the responsibility of the new owners.
How do you know if it's a flip? There are some warning signs, but again, it comes down to doing your homework. Most people think you need to be a pro to pick out the warning signs, but a lot of it is just common sense.
For example, if the homeowner tells you they just finished renovating the kitchen and bathroom, how much you want to bet they had enough money to do both renovations properly?
A standard kitchen renovation done properly will cost at least $30,000. A bathroom reno can cost nearly $20,000. If the only reason for renovating was to sell, I would be cautious on how the work was done. Good work takes time, and it isn't cheap. Ask the homeowner details about the reno, such as how long it took to find the right contractor, set up the job, choose materials and for the work to be done. If all it took was a few weeks, I would be cautious.
If a home looks like it's been renovated, do a search for any permits on work completed. If changes were made to the plumbing, electrical or structure, permits needed to be pulled.
Also look for cheap materials, such as MDF for cabinetry or laminate flooring. Keep an eye out for bad trim and sloppy paint jobs -- these are red flags for quick and cheap renos. When the trim is off or doesn't line up you can bet the workmanship isn't top quality. If they fumbled on the finishes, they probably cut corners on the stuff they know most buyers will not see -- the stuff behind walls and below flooring.
If windows were replaced, check to make sure they are at least energy star rated. If the home has bad windows you will pay for them for years in extra energy costs. The cost of replacing them will run you at least $10,000. So if they need replacing, as a buyer, you need to know.
One last thing homebuyers can look into is getting a home-history report on a property. Some home inspections even include this service as part of their basic home inspection.
A home-history report uses municipal, provincial and federal data to gather the most up-to-date property information. It's an extra tool that helps protect a homebuyer, so you know exactly what you're walking into.
The report can tell you the home's previous sales price, sale dates, building-permit information, information on structure or any previous insurance claims related to the property. You should know if a home you're looking at had major water damage, flooding, a fire or damage from a natural disaster. Some home-history reports can even tell you if a house was ever used for illicit purposes, like a marijuana grow operation or meth lab.
The more information you have on a property the better. You will know if the electrical or plumbing needs to be looked at by a professional to make sure it's safe, or if the structure of the home was been modified or undermined. It puts you in a better position to buy the right home and buy it smart.
-- Postmedia Network Inc. 2014
Watch Mike Holmes on Holmes Makes It Right on HGTV. For more information visit makeitright.ca
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Proper ventilation is key to closing up a cottage
QUESTION: I recently came across one of your articles on wintering your cottage and I have a question concerning this topic. We purchased our first cottage last year on Lake of the Woods. Last October, I had a plumbing contractor come out to winterize the cabin. They drained the waterlines, septic line, the hot water tank etc. Before leaving, we turned off all the electricity and heat.
In January, I decided to check on things and noticed all of the windows and metal door handles were completely frost-covered. I've read many articles on condensation, however, I am more confused than ever, as I come across articles and people who say inconsistent things. Some people say to leave all the windows open a crack, for air movement, while others say don't do that because the moist fall weather will add humidity. Some people say don't heat your place during the weekend you winterize, as it will create a drastic change in temperature, especially that time of year. Yet, I have also read heat will help dissipate the moisture. Some people say leave a bag of charcoal to absorb the humidity.
Our cottage was built in 2007, has baseboard heat and is insulated. The windows are dual-pane PVC. My family used the cottage the weekend we winterized it. Certainly, that would have added moisture to the air. The cottage was heated for that weekend and then the heat was turned off. I know the temperature that following week dropped below zero. My feeling, based on what I have read, is the weekend we winterize, I might not want to occupy the cottage: leave the heat off and maybe run a dehumidifier for the day and leave the windows open a crack. But at this point I am just guessing. Is this necessary to prevent the frost?
Thanks, Rick Kaczmarz
ANSWER: This may seem like an odd time of year to be addressing the issue of closing up your cottage for the winter, rather than opening it up for the summer, but it may be the perfect time to plan ahead for the fall. Since we have just come through one of the coldest winters on record, with lots of frost, moisture and condensation issues, I feel this topic is very timely while that is still fresh in our memories.
You have touched upon one of the many areas of home maintenance where there may be numerous and varying opinions. I can empathize with your frustrations, because there is no cut-and-dried answer to your question.
While it does make some sense to prevent using the cottage in the days prior to closing it up for the winter, that may only help to prevent adding moisture to the air and building materials inside by using the plumbing fixtures. Heating up the air inside the cottage may seem like a bad idea, but should have little effect on the amount of frost buildup you see in the winter or spring. It is true increasing ventilation during the winter, if possible, should reduce your issue but that may be difficult. Leaving windows open a crack will certainly increase the amount of fresh, dry air that enters the cottage, but also may let in blowing snow or unwanted rodents. If the screens on the windows are fibreglass or nylon, mice or squirrels may find an easy way into the relative warmth of your summer home.
Because your cottage is like many, constructed right near a huge body of water, relative humidity in the outside air may be very high all year round. Even with the lower temperatures in the fall before close-up, the air inside and outside will contain a large amount of moisture. As soon as this air drops a few degrees, you will get condensation forming on areas such as windows. If there is decent air movement and some relatively warm temperatures inside, this will evaporate, especially during sunny days. The problem is this process will reoccur as soon as the temperature again drops, normally that same evening. When the temperatures drop below freezing, this condensation will freeze and may stay that way until there is a significant thaw, no matter what you do before shutting down for the winter.
The key may not be trying to dry the air inside prior to turning off the heat, but reducing it once the building is sealed up. Your suggestion of using a mechanical dehumidifier may offer some relief, but you will have to make accommodation to drain the reservoir and may require a few trips out there to ensure there is no malfunction and to shut it off prior to freeze-up. A better option is to try to get some passive ventilation that does not require frequent supervision. Leaving windows slightly ajar is one option, but will leave you vulnerable to moisture, pest and security concerns, as previously noted.
A better option may be to install an insulated fresh-air intake duct, with heavy duty metal screen over the openings, to introduce drier winter air into the building. However, this may only work well if you have another opening to let the damp indoor air out at the same time.
The simplest method to ensure some moist indoor air exits the living space in the cool, fall weather is to have an opening near the top of the building envelope. While I am not advocating cutting a hole in the attic or roof, many cottages have a wood stove or fireplace installed. While it may not be obvious, these wood-burning appliances have a natural vent, in the form of the chimney. Leaving the damper open, and any doors on the front ajar, will provide a good passive channel for air to escape by the natural "stack effect." This method has served me well for many years in my own cottage, but you must ensure you have a proper metal pest screen at the top of the chimney to prevent any critters from gaining access. This integral vent may not completely prevent the condensation and frost buildup, but may minimize it so it does not create any serious moisture damage, while eliminating your dilemma about heating the inside prior to closing.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.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 www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Give your home a golden opportunity
QUESTION: I've become bored with stainless steel. I'd like to use gold finishes in my kitchen -- a faucet, lights and hardware. The plan is to stay in our home for at least five more years. I just don't want to invest in fixtures that will bring down the value of our home. Wondering if you think gold is too high-design and trendy or will it become classic? Should I just stick with stainless?
ANSWER: Life is too short to be boring, and five years is a long time. When I flip through every home magazine on the newsstands, gold is everywhere. Although it's a designer favourite -- two of my favourite kitchens with gold cabinets are by design greats Kelly Wearstler and Jean-Louis Denoit -- gold is hard to find.
You'll find a couple of different styles of gold drawer pulls and faucets in big box stores, but there are larger selections only in luxury stores. (Anyone considering gold cabinets will have to go the custom route.)
I asked my friend Margot Austin, senior design editor of House & Home magazine and the savviest design trend expert I know, for her take on gold. She suggests "warm metals are definitely happening, but have been slow to catch on because so many of us want to get away from what we grew up with -- too many bad memories of shiny brass in the over-the-top '80s." Think ºber-shiny door knobs and bathroom faucets.
But she went on to say "things come back, just like in fashion, but in a different and updated way."
"The mix (of polished chrome and stainless steel and brass and gold) is always interesting," she says. "It shows an artful approach to decorating. A gold faucet won't change the value of your home."
I still love Kelly Deck's custom range hood from her jaw-dropping 2012 IDS West kitchen. If I were in the market for a home, I would pay extra for this gilded range hood because I love the glam and a home that makes a statement.
I understand that you want your home to appeal to many buyers. However, a well-designed home will always sell well. I've seen two bold homes sell in a day at well over their asking price. The first house was covered in boldly patterned wallpaper (a highly personal design choice); the second was furnished in mid-century-modern wood with grey cabinetry and eggplant walls.
Buyers can see past easy switches. In fact, you will likely attract a design-conscious purchaser who doesn't want to switch a thing and is willing to pay more for your home's added gold style.
Happy gold decorating!
-- Postmedia Network Inc. 2014
