Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
More than one way to warm a floor
Question: I was browsing the Internet looking for good information and recommendation on a particular topic and I ran across an article you had done for the Free Press back in 2003. "Moisture under cottages a common woe" which had referenced from an article from 2001.
I have a cabin in the old campground in Riding Mountain National Park. We tore down an old one and built a new cabin in 1982. It is 16 by 24 feet and we recently added a eight-foot square bedroom addition on the back. We are now getting water and sewer service to the cabin area and leases which run from early April to late October. So, we are in renovation mode again, with putting in a bathroom. What I have noticed, since we are now using the cabin more in the shoulder season, is that the floor is cold on the feet. We have laminate rather than carpet, due to pine needles and dirt tracking in, and want to keep cleaning easy. We wish to stay with laminates and vinyl flooring.
The cabin is on cinder blocks, just high enough that I can shimmy under most of it. The floor joists are uninsulated, and no vapour barrier on the ground or under the subfloor. We currently heat the cabin with small electric space heaters, but I will be adding electric in-wall heaters once we get the plumbing upgraded.
So my question is; how best do I warm up the floor? I can get the air temperature toasty warm inside, but the floors and the air layer at the floor remain cold, as the cavity underneath is cold. I have considered laying in heating mats and redoing all the underlay, vinyl and laminates, which seems expensive and labour intensive. I have also considered putting in cork floors, as it feels a bit warmer on the feet, but does not solve the cold-floor issue.
I was wondered about insulating the joist cavities and covering the bottom of the joists with plywood so the rodents don't get at it. Although a lot of people are doing that with new cabins, I wonder how effective it is. The cavity under the joists is still cold. Plus I would likely have to raise the cabin a bit to effectively work underneath in order to insulate the floor like that.
My old construction days tell me if you want a warm floor, you have to put heat under it. So I was thinking of this and wanted your opinion. If I could find a small down draft electric furnace, could I use it to heat the cottage? I have enough space to run ductwork to each of the two bedrooms, the living room, kitchen and bath, plus direct a couple of heat vents into the crawl space area. In the shoulder heating season I would close in the skirting around the perimeter, and in the non- heating season, open it up for ventilation.
I am concerned about putting down a heavy vapour barrier on the ground, as it is just one more thing for the rodents to get into, and I doubt I could effectively cover it with rock. Plus, it will trap any moisture that does get under the cabin. As the ground appears naturally dry and if I am heating it in the shoulder season and opening it is the summer season I wonder if the vapour barrier is even needed. I would appreciate any thoughts, recommendation or other ideas you might have.
Jeff Sim
Answer: You have noticed one article where I annually address this common question, because it is one of the most misunderstood and frequently inquired about topics related to building issues.
You appear to have an above-average grasp on the concerns and proper techniques with this issue. Your suspicion that simply insulating between the floor joists will not be enough to provide a warmer floor is correct. While this method is commonly used, it is not effective without a heat source. In many cases, this will prevent excessive heat loss, lowering heating bills, but will often make the floor colder. This can happen because this reduced heat transfer from the living space to the joists prevents slight warming of the floor relative to the cold air outside this area. In an attempt to warm the cold floor surface, sometimes the opposite is the result. Installing an electric heating grid would warm the floor, but would require extensive insulation in the cavities, often combined with costly reflective insulating sheathing to prevent excessive hydro bills.
Unless you are planning that type of major floor renovation, your other idea will be much more effective for warming up the flooring. The only thing I would suggest to improve upon your idea is to install a permanent grade beam below the perimeter of the structure, rather than an insulated skirting, as you suggest. That way, you will be able to insulate it more effectively and won't have to remove and replace it every year. Another benefit of this method will be to improve the support structure for the cottage, preventing the possibility of uneven shifting between individual concrete block supports. This grade beam could be constructed out of concrete, block, or pressure treated lumber and sheathing. Any of these materials would allow permanent insulation inside the grade beam with rigid expanded polystyrene or blown-in high density polyurethane insulation. Using either of these materials will allow easier air sealing and minimal use of polyethylene sheathing for your air/vapour barrier.
Installing large screened vents, with removable winter covers, in several areas around the perimeter of the new grade beam should be adequate for summer ventilation of the crawlspace and also double as access hatches. These, combined with six-ml polyethylene sheathing over the entire crawlspace floor, sealed to the perimeter insulation should be installed to prevent moisture into the living space. Adding heat to the crawlspace and living space with an electric, forced-air furnace, will ensure you have a warm, comfortable cabin floor for the future.
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.
Renovation & Design
Study finds Canadian household debt stabilizing
All of us operate on a budget, whether it is a hard-and-fast detailed plan or a spending pattern that expires when the money runs out. Larger cost items such as a house or a car generally demand more planning as outside financing is often required. The Altus Group recently published some interesting data from a study regarding Canadian spending habits.
Expenses related to shelter (mortgage payments, rent, condominium fees, repairs, maintenance, property taxes) are the largest expense category for the average Canadian, followed by transportation and food. Combined, they account for about 60 per cent of expenditures. Shelter is just over 25 per cent (33 per cent for those with mortgages, 17 per cent for those without). It is interesting to note shelter costs are highest for those under 35 and just starting out; experiencing a gradual decline through the empty nester years, and then increasing again among seniors. Note this is a percentage of consumption dollars spent, thereby showing the increase for seniors due to a reduction in dollars spent on other items. On the other hand, seniors rank lowest in owned homes with a mortgage.
Each age group experiences different pressures relating to their spending patterns. Although shelter is generally the largest single item, the study also considered household operations, recreation, clothing and accessories, health care, household furnishings and equipment, education and personal care.
Once big-ticket items have been satisfied, Canadians exhibit greater restraint in spending on other items. Household debt (consumer mortgage and credit liabilities as a ratio of personal disposable income) peaked in 2012 but seems to have stabilized this year and seems to be progressing at the rate of income growth.
Canadians are also showing effort in paying down their mortgages faster. In the survey, one out of every four respondents said they made extra payments against their mortgage in 2012 and 80 per cent indicated they will do so this year. This group doesn't even include those who have built a prepay or increased mortgage payment into their schedule. Many of these people are taking advantage of lower interest rates now in order to ease their payment amounts when they have to renew.
Planning and budgeting personal consumption expenses at all levels can make the transition into home ownership or the step-up in home ownership to a new home a much easier process.
Mike Moore is the president of the Manitoba Homebuilders' Association.
Renovation & Design
Leftover paint great for accents
When your d©cor project is done, you'll most likely have leftover paint. You'll want to keep some of it for touch-ups but still, there will be lots of paint left, which carries lots of possibilities.
Since the paint will be in the colours of your updated d©cor, using it to create accents makes a lot of sense. The creative possibilities are endless. You've got the paint anyway, so it won't cost you anything to try your hand at a truly unique personal touch.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Paint the inside back panels of bookcases or shelving units in an accent colour. The accessories on the shelves will pop with a bright colour behind them. If the entire bookcase is dated, then consider painting the entire unit still using an accent colour on the back panel. You could get creative with a cube-style shelf by painting each shelf panel in a different, co-ordinating colour.
Update the inside of a closet using leftover paint. If you find it dark then use a lighter colour to freshen up the closet.
Spruce up a flea market or garage sale find using leftover paint. Perhaps you found a unique accent table that could work in your space, for instance.
If you have enough of one colour, you can try updating kitchen cabinets in a fresh new colour. Use leftover primer to make the treatment last.
Small items such as wooden picture frames, storage boxes, mirror frames and wooden curtain rods can all be transformed with paint and repurposed in your updated d©cor.
Sometimes, painting only parts of furniture can update and refresh it. If you have a dated dresser, paint the drawer fronts in a different colour than the rest of the piece to give it a new look.
Mix colours to create a new colour. Start with small batches until you get the colour you want then mix larger amounts to use on walls. If you only need a bit of a new colour then stick with the small batches to update d©cor items.
Use leftover paint to give an old door a new lease on life. A fresh colour on the interior of a foyer door can brighten up the entryway.
Wooden shutters can also be revamped with a coat of paint. Lighten dark shutters or darken light shutters.
In the bathroom, update a dated vanity and medicine cabinet with a new colour. Use a primer to keep the finish durable and long lasting. Add new hardware to finish the look.
Paint clay flowerpots so they will co-ordinate with your new d©cor. Consider adding stenciled patterns to the pots for interest.
Paint a floor cloth using leftover paint. It can be hung on the wall as simple art or used as an accent mat in the home. Paint dated brick with a funky colour to make it current. I used leftover ceiling paint to revamp a dated brick wall in my kitchen.
There are lots of ways to use leftover paint. When you have an urge to be creative, consider the possibilities and go for it.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
Renovation & Design
Throwaway furniture lives again
Yard-sale season has arrived and with it a treasure trove of potential.
Buying used furniture is a great way to add character to your home, but searching through stained coffee tables and outdated dressers can have you rushing to the nearest big-box store.
For Katrina Barclay, owner of Malenka Originals (malenka.ca) in Ottawa, those water-damaged tables are diamonds in the rough that have the potential to become your home's signature piece and the envy of friends and family.
Barclay developed an appreciation of furniture upcycling while living in The Netherlands, where painting and recycling old furniture is common practice.
"When we came back to Canada, I wanted quality furniture for our house and I couldn't find anything in our price range," she says. She scoured neighbourhood yard sales, looking for good wood pieces.
Follow these tips and transform your own yard-sale finds into works of art.
-- Shop for quality. Barclay looks for furniture that is well-built and made with solid wood. A telltale sign something is well-made are the drawers.
"I check to see if they slide well and if they have tongue-in-groove and dovetail joints," she says. Up until the 1970s, fine-furniture companies used dovetail joints, but mass production eliminated this detail.
Barclay also looks for a stamp in the drawers or under a table. "If it has a stamp, it was made with quality in mind," she says.
-- Embrace damage. Cracks and water damage don't scare Barclay. In fact, she gets excited about a piece with surface damage. "I'm going to cover that up anyways (and the damage means) I can usually get a good price. If the structure is good but the finish is damaged, that's perfect," she says. Clean the piece with soap and water and use wood filler to fill in any deep scratches. "If you have wood filler, some gorilla glue if any parts have fallen off and some paint, you can pretty much transform anything," says Barclay.
-- Replace hardware. Replacing handles can easily transform a piece. Barclay recommends removing handles and filling the holes with wood filler, then drilling a separate hole for a modern knob. She mentions a side table that had been left out in the rain at the end of a driveway.
"It was just destroyed," she says. Barclay snatched it up, painted it and replaced the antiquated knob with a modern crystal one. "It was one of the first pieces I painted and it's gorgeous. I've had so many people want to buy this piece, but I'm keeping it for myself to remind myself of how much something can be changed," she says.
-- Postmedia News
