Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Attack nasty laundry odours with borax
QUESTION: I'm hoping that you can offer a solution for my daughter. She recently had her dirty laundry sorted on the floor of her laundry area in the basement of her home. Unfortunately, her sewer line backed up and the basement sewer drain is right in front of her washing machine. Some of her clothes ended up soaked with sewage and now she can't get the smell out of her clothes. She washed them immediately the conventional way, then washed them again and tried adding vinegar to the washing machine -- still no luck at removing that nasty odour. I'm thinking that using extra fabric softener in the wash is only going to mask the odour for a short time but not eliminate it totally. What else could she try in order to salvage her clothes? Thanks, Sharon (Brandon)
ANSWER: Before rewashing the clothing, soak them in hot water and borax. Borax contains no phosphates and no bleach and it is wonderful at zapping hard-to-handle odours. If you cannot locate borax, use a generous amount of Oxy Clean or tea tree oil and vinegar or baking soda. Adding vinegar to laundry loads is a wonderful idea, but for this particular instance you need to use straight vinegar and tea tree oil and soak for at least two hours before laundering.
QUESTION: What is the easiest and fastest way to cut an apple without a corer? Elsie (Emerson)
ANSWER: In my opinion, the easiest way to cut an apple is to stand it on the cutting board. Cut half inch from the center on all four sides of the apple around the core. Allow the sides to fall to the cutting board.
QUESTION: How can I avoid getting freezer burn on the meat that I buy? Daniela (Foxwarren)
ANSWER: All food items will eventually find themselves with freezer burn, which is thousands and thousands of water molecules that have formed into ice crystals. There is a limit to how long food can be stored in the freezer. Here are a few easy steps that you can take to reduce freezer burn. Don't overcrowd the freezer; make sure that all meat has enough room. Doing this helps the freezer temperature stay constant, which reduces freezer burn. All foods should be packaged correctly; squeeze out air before packaging. Some people double bag meats to reduce freezer burn. Freeze smaller portions and do not freeze foods when they are hot. Allow them to cool before freezing. Correct freezer temperature should be set at -18C.
QUESTION: My grandson had gum stuck in his hair and not knowing what to do I took a scissor and gave him a haircut! When his mother returned to pick him up she was mad at me for cutting his hair. She took him for a professional haircut and now he's got very short hair, which doesn't work well with such cold air. Is there anything I could have done to avoid the haircut? Pam, Winnipeg
ANSWER: If this ever happens again simply take a blob of peanut butter and run it through his hair. Gently slide the gum along his ends until it's out. If peanut allergies are a concern, use WD-40 or cooking oil instead.
Fabulous Tips of the Week
*Reduce heating costs in your home by 10% and clean less with this simple tip. Change your furnace filter monthly so that your furnace does not need to work as hard and less dust floats through the air.
*As you get ready to enjoy the fireplace in your home, remember not to burn colored flyers or magazines. The fumes from colored papers may be harmful to breathe.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my brand new videos/blog/website: reena.ca!
Renovation & Design
Mouse in house a pesky problem
QUESTION: I have a mouse problem at my house. What can I do to prevent mice from coming inside? What can I do to catch them once they are in my house? Linda (Blanshard, Man.)
ANSWER: Although some may argue mice are adorable and cuddly little creatures, they carry disease and are a hazard to you and your family.
What works for one mouse will not necessarily work for all. Begin by sealing off all openings to the home; a mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. To seal an area, use caulk, spray expandable foam, steel wool or, even more effective, copper wool.
A popular non-toxic deterrent is peppermint oil, used on cotton balls and placed in groups wherever mice like to congregate (this is different from peppermint extract used in cooking). Peppermint oil can be purchased at health stores or online. Another option is shaving cream sprayed onto cotton balls and put inside boxes or under the hood of vehicles.
While a cat is the most effective way to keep mice away, an alternative is gently used kitty litter sprinkled around the house, or shavings of Irish Spring bar soap, fabric softener sheets or rubber snakes. Mothballs should be avoided as they are poisonous to animals and humans.
If you're using a non-kill trap to catch a mouse, here is a trick that will bring you successful results. Combine peanut butter and birdseed and put it on the trap, but do not set the trap for two days. Doing this will encourage mice to play near the trap without any threat of being caught. On the third day, set the trap and catch your critters. Bring the mice at least 10 kilometres from your home before releasing them, otherwise they will likely find their way back to you.
Peanut butter is more effective than cheese because mice love the taste and it's more difficult for them to remove from the trap. Birdseed keeps mice at the trap longer because they take time to chew the seeds.
QUESTION: I am wondering about the best way to get Sharpie (permanent marker) off a beige leather couch. It looks smudged; no one is owning up to it! Thanks. Mona, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Attempting to remove this stain may make the area additionally visible, therefore you may want to leave it alone. However, here are a few suggestions of removers that have had good results on ballpoint ink and may work on permanent marker. Begin by blotting the area with a generous amount of Dawn dish soap, water and a white cloth. If some of the ink appears on the cloth, continue this process. Other wonderful ink lifters include Sunlight bar soap, shaving cream, mosquito repellent or a 50/50 combination of vodka and three per cent hydrogen peroxide. Some people have had great results with a product called Zout.
If all else fails, soak the stain with paint thinner and dab, dab, dab. This is the most effective permanent ink remover, however it does carry a strong odor and takes persistence. Test everything on an inconspicuous area first and blot with dish soap and water between applications. (Taken from Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions).
To sift or not to sift, that is the question
Have you ever asked yourself what the point is to sifting flour and does it really make a difference? The answer is yes. Sifting flour creates fluffier and lighter cookies and cakes. When a recipe calls for sifted flour, measure your ingredients, place the measuring cup on a piece of paper towel or parchment or wax paper and sift the flour over the cup until it is overfull, and then level it off. Submitted by: Margaret
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my brand new videos/blog/website: reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
Renovation industry continues to be strong
In the past two months, both Scotiabank and TD Economics have published reports on the state of the renovation industry in Canada. Why? Renovation is good business and a major economic driver.
Thanks in part to HGTV and numerous shows, columns and publications, Canadians have become much more aware of home improvement. In fact, we have increased renovation spending by seven per cent a year every year since 2003, to over $5 billion.
In Winnipeg, we lead the nation in renovation thinking. A recent survey found that 58 per cent of our citizens have a renovation project planned for the coming year. We're tied with St. John's, Newfoundland, for tops in the country. This is no surprise since we have the third-oldest housing stock in Canada, trailing only Halifax and Montreal. Locally, rising home sales over the past four years have also encouraged renovation spending. It's quite common for people to prepare their homes for the marketplace by upgrading certain basic aspects. Similarly, when buying a resale home, most homebuyers have a number of improvements they plan to do, many before they even occupy the home. Through normal appreciation of value in the housing market, homeowners have increased the capacity of their home-equity lines of credit, which have been used extensively for renovation projects.
The renovation industry survives in good times and bad. During the financial crisis of 2008-09, it was the only major component of GDP that managed to grow in 2009. Of course, much of that was due to the Home Renovation Tax Credit stimulus, but it's impressive. Low interest rates have continued to encourage renovation spending or, as I prefer to call it, renovation investment.
Since 2003, the three prairie provinces have seen the most growth in renovation spending, commensurate with the fact they have also seen the most growth in new home construction. Restoration efforts in Calgary and Toronto have supported rebuilding efforts.
We're also seeing changes to existing homes based on demographics. As we all age, seniors are looking to renovations that will improve accessibility, enabling them to stay in their homes longer.
All forecasts call for the renovation sector to remain a vibrant part of the Canadian economy.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
Renovation & Design
Fix for squeaky floors lies within subfloor sheathing
QUESTION: I am having trouble with my laminate floors, which are squeaking. I have tried adding cross-members between the joists, under the plywood seams, and I have tried adding shims between the joist and plywood, but they are glued with sub-floor adhesive. I am not certain what else I can do, and the laminate floors are squeaking quite badly in places. I am trying to sell my house and this is obviously a problem. If possible, could you please respond with any ideas you might have? Aaron Symchuk
ANSWER: Squeaking floors in older homes is probably the second most common complaint I get, next to leaking foundations. While many homeowners attempt various remedies from underneath the joists, most of these efforts are futile. Unless the laminate flooring is improperly installed, the only way to repair this issue is from above.
What happens in many homes, most older than a couple of decades, is a loosening of the subfloor sheathing over time.
One solution was to use subfloor adhesive, as in your home, but that can also wear out over time. What many people don't realize is noisy flooring is more commonly caused by movement between the underside of the sheathing and the floor joists, not between the flooring and subfloor. Many creative homeowners and contractors have tried various methods to repair loose sheathing from below but, like your shimming efforts, it rarely works.
There is a chance that your squeaking is partly due to movement between the subfloor and the newer laminate, but that's usually only the case if a serious defect has occurred in either the manufacture or installation of the flooring. Laminate flooring should be installed with a thin foam underpad, which normally eliminates noise due to its cushioning effect. Small bumps or uneven surfaces in the floor sheathing will be filled with this underlay, preventing squeaking when the laminate is walked on. If the installer has improperly laid this underpad, or if it's missing, then excess noise can be a problem.
Some laminate flooring has this foIf you truly wish to fix this issue, you must remove the laminate to access the subfloor sheathing below. The beauty of laminate is that it is designed to make removal and replacement possible. The original product was designed in Europe for tenants to install and remove when they moved between rented suites. If you're careful, you should be able to remove the entire floor without significant damage. Labelling some of the planks on the underside during removal will also help you relocate them. This is particularly important for pieces that have been cut for a specific location.
The foam underlay will also have to be pulled up, but may not survive to be reused. Depending on its age and condition, it may be wise to replace it.
Once the flooring is lifted and moved, marking the location of the floor joists is the next step. This should be quite easy if the original fasteners are visible. Using a simple chalk line, the approximate centre of each joist should be marked from end to end. Then determine the thickness and type of sheathing by measuring any small areas where the subfloor is missing, near the perimeter walls or by looking at a floor-mounted heat duct. Any area where the sheathing is visible on an edge will provide the answers you need.
If the subfloor is a single layer of plywood, it's likely 12 to 17 mm thick. For this material, or older wood boards that may be slightly thicker, two to 21/2-inch flooring screws should be used. If there are multiple layers of subflooring, longer screws may be required. The rule of thumb is that a minimum of two thirds of the fastener should be embedded in the joist.
If plywood is present, simply installing coarse-threaded flooring screws directly with a drill or driver is possible. If real wood sheathing is present, pre-drilling should be done to prevent cracking the old boards. This will also prevent slight lifting of the subflooring, common when pre-drilling is omitted. Once the entire floor is screwed down, pounding down or removing any loose or raised old nails will finish the job.
While it may seem like a major pain in the neck to remove the laminate flooring in your home to stop the floor from squeaking, it's the only way to properly accomplish this task. Any other attempts are just going to be a waste of time and leave you just as frustrated as you are now.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and 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