Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Ask the inspector: Home inspections not just for buyers
QUESTION: My family lives in an older home in a well established older neighbourhood in Winnipeg. I have a dilemma that I hope you can help me with.
My husband and I are debating the merits of renovating our older home as opposed to adding an addition for more space, demolishing the house and building a new one on the lot, or moving to a larger home altogether. We have admittedly let several things in the home slide over the years, as we have been very busy with normal family and work commitments. As our children have matured we have outgrown the home, need more space, but love the area and have no desire to leave.
We have contacted a contractor we like who has recommended the demolition-and-rebuild option, partly due to the slope in the home. There is a very noticeable slope in the floors, and we are not sure if there is anything that can be done to fix this, or whether it is due to a damaged foundation. We are also in need of several major upgrades like eavestroughs, windows, kitchen cabinets and flooring.
We are not sure whether it is worth spending the money necessary to fix all of these items, or to knock down the old house and build new. We love our street and our large lot with mature trees and are not fond of newer subdivisions.
Could a home inspection help us answer these questions? Thanks, Carol Yamron
ANSWER: A thorough home inspection may not provide you with the wisdom to make the best choice for your family, but will certainly help identify the number and severity of items in your home that need repairs or upgrading. A Registered Home Inspector (RHI) will also be able to advise on the practicality of provide an opinion as to the possibility of repairing your sloped-floor problem.
It's quite refreshing to receive an inquiry like yours, which is asking for advice from a home inspector before jumping into a major renovation or reconstruction project. Too many homeowners are seduced by the idea of a shiny new kitchen or home without understanding the work and anxiety involved. If you think there is stress in the decision you're facing, think about what's involved in living in a home without a functional kitchen for several weeks or moving out for a year or more while your house is knocked down and rebuilt.
Anyone who has lived through such a situation can attest to the disruption caused to home life by such major changes. While not a part of a typical home inspection, these intangible issues should play a big part in your decision.
Every year I get more inquiries about doing inspections for current homeowners, rather than buyers. Many of these clients are looking for advice, like you, about items that need attention to maintain their homes in good condition. Many have received conflicting quotes and advice from contractors, friends, neighbours and family members about the need for various renovations.
The benefit of hiring a home inspector is that the information gained is completely unbiased and based only on the condition of the home. Home inspectors are trained to differentiate between an item in need of immediate, major repair from less-urgent ones that may be attended to over time. Inspectors that have construction or trade experience may also be able to help you decide whether repairs are practical and cost-effective. This would help you decide about the possibility of repairs to minimize the slope in your floor.
Another benefit of a complete inspection is to help you prioritize the repairs and upgrades, should you decide to stay put. While it sounds like an ideal situation to repair everything at once, doing so may be so disruptive that you'd ave to put many of your possessions in temporary storage for the work to be completed. It may even be necessary to move out of the house for a period of time while the work is being completed.
If you take a more balanced approach and do the repairs one or two at a time, moving out should not be required. Based on the results of the inspection and report, you can address the most pressing repairs first. This would also be the best method if budget issues are a concern.
As far as correcting the slope in your older floor system, some improvement is likely by trimming basement partition walls and adjusting teleposts, but that may be as far as you can reasonably go. Once an older home built on footings on our clay soil settles, there's not much that can be done to level it without major structural repairs. It's difficult to lift and level a floor system that has the ends of the floor joists embedded in the concrete foundation. Complete underpinning of the foundation would also likely be required to prevent further movement.
While a visit from a Registered Home Inspector to your home will not provide a conclusive answer to your dilemma about renovating versus rebuilding, it will certainly provide invaluable guidance. A detailed report on the condition of your home will allow you to prioritize repairs and upgrades and get cost estimates. This should also help you total the cost of these repairs, add them to the current value of your home and weigh that against the costs of demolition and starting fresh.
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
SOLUTIONS: Rubber-band your apples for freshness
QUESTION: I pack lunch bags every day for my three school-aged children and I always include one fruit. Ideally, I would like to include an apple but, if I don't cut it up, most of the apple gets a few bites chewed off and then thrown into the garbage. If I cut up the apple, it turns brown and gets thrown into the garbage. If there a way to prevent apples from turning brown after they are cut? Jasmine (Stonewall)
ANSWER: It's common to pour lemon juice onto cut apples to prevent browning. However, here is a neat little trick that won't leave apple pieces tasting lemony. Slice the entire apple by making four cuts, one on each side of the core. Put the apple back together and secure it with a rubber band. The apple should now look like a complete apple with slits.
Teach your children to remove the rubber band and throw away the core. The apple won't brown and all will be eaten. Warning: Do not use this method if there may be a risk of the child putting the rubber band in his/her mouth.
QUESTION: We recently renovated our bathroom and bought an acrylic tub, but we are having trouble cleaning it. I can't get the "ring around the tub" off when I clean and scrub it with a sponge. With my old tub I would have used a scratch pad, but apparently you can't use that on acrylic or it will damage the finish.
I have a toddler, so I try not to use any strong store-bought cleaners if I can avoid them (I usually use things like vinegar, baking soda, etc.) Any tips that you have for us would be greatly appreciated. Lisa, Winnipeg
ANSWER: In my opinion, you're making cleaning life an extra challenge by limiting yourself to using a sponge to cut through built-up grime. While I agree you should never use something as abrasive as steel wool, there are many alternative scrub pads that do not scratch surfaces. Nylon pads are available at most dollar stores, and so are plastic scrub pads. These should be perfectly safe to use.
Make yourself an inexpensive cleaner by combining 50/50 borax and baking soda. Wet your plastic or nylon pad and scrub. If you don't want to use anything abrasive and want an extra-fresh bathroom cleaner, combine three cups of white vinegar with 10 drops of tea tree oil (sold at most grocery stores in the pharmacy department). Spray and wipe.
Both vinegar and tea tree oil are loaded with cleaning power that will leave your bathroom fresh. Avoid using soap to clean your bathroom, because you will be left with soap scum that builds up over time. Happy cleaning!
QUESTION: My granite mortar and pestle was used recently to bash a variety of spices -- good idea for releasing fragrance. Then, essential oil was added to the spice mixture for added fragrance (not a good idea!). Now the smell of lavender and myrrh has permeated the granite and, for the life of me, I cannot get it out.
I have tried washing it with Sunlight soap, then with baking soda and then vinegar. I then tried crushing fresh lemon peel and Zest in the bowl. I even left it outside in the sun. I am running out of ideas. Any suggestions would be helpful! Deborah, Winnipeg
ANSWER: The key is not in the washing, it's in the penetration. Therefore, place the mortar and pestle inside a garbage bag on a table and then place a bowl of household ammonia in the bag. You can even put some of the ammonia directly into the bowl, but test it for colourfastness first. Seal the bag with a rubber band and leave for one week. Remove the bowl and wash it in dish soap and water.
The smell should now be gone but, if not, wrap the bowl in newspaper and leave for another week. The ink from the newspaper is effective at zapping odours.
QUESTION: I was very interested in your comment that freezing won't kill bedbugs. I buy lots of things second-hand and, if possible, I either throw them in the dryer for 50 minutes or leave them in the garage to freeze for at least two weeks. I had read in many places that was the thing to do. I am concerned that I have been fooling myself with the freezing.
Where did you get your information from? Thanks. Pam, Winnipeg
ANSWER: I used several sources as well as interviewing exterminators regarding this topic. The reason freezing doesn't work is because the bedbugs just hibernate; as soon as the temperature warms, they wake up and become a nuisance all over again. I did some research a few years ago after an outbreak of lice in our area and learned that freezing works for lice but not for bedbugs.
People with bedbugs in their homes should contact a professional to treat them during the outbreak and again a year later since they can hide for a year in wall crevices, etc. If you're dealing with dryer-approved items, the heat of the dryer kills bedbugs.
Save your bread!
-- Store bread in the freezer by placing it inside a brown paper bag and then a plastic bag and secure the end with a twist tie or knot. The brown paper bag absorbs moisture and the bread will no longer be caked with ice crystals. Submitted by: Kay, Winnipeg
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: www.reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Removing 'ring around tub' not a problem
Feedback from Manitoban who cares
I really disagree with your "cure" for cats or squirrels in the garden.
Cayenne pepper may work but it's a very cruel cure. A small animal such as a squirrel or rodent who gets cayenne on its paws and then into its eyes will scratch them until blind. What a horrible death for the poor squirrel who is unlucky enough to step into the powder. A mom squirrel could bring it back to her nest as well and afflict her babies. They are unable to wash away the cayenne powder from their eyes.
If you have ever touched your eyes after handling a hot pepper, you know it is terribly painful. I hate to think of the pain this causes the little animals. We have learned to live with all the animals in our yard and welcome them all, taking prudent steps to keep them away from the garden.
Better yet is to put something prickly or even a piece of foil under that area of the soil so the cats will not dig there. Or keep the soil wet and the cats will stay away. Even putting gravel or stones in a spot will keep them from digging there. Any of these solutions are better!
I love your advice but I hate to think about all the unnecessary suffering that is caused because we humans have to have a perfect yard. Yuck. Lori, Winnipeg
Save money with this hot tip
Many people plug the heat runs in their basement with either insulation or plastic bowls. Does this actually save you money? To answer this question, I asked Wes, an expert on HVAC and sheet metal journeyman from Steinbach.
According to Wes, "Although heat runs can be dampered down, they should never be completely shut off.
"There are many reasons why people may be tempted to plug or block off their basement heat: 'I don't need to heat the basement if I don't use any or all of the rooms. It will save me money. It is a waste of heat. It will create more heat upstairs. My furnace won't work as hard.'
"Basement heat has a purpose. In reality, the heat in your basement is just as important as the heat upstairs. In the long run it will actually save you money. Your house's wood structure and walls are built on rim joists. This is where a lot of your heat loss comes from. Without this heat, the duct work and plumbing lines will become cold and depressurized, bringing more air through rim joists and other heat-loss areas.
"With heat in the basement comes air movement, which stops mould from occurring. Stagnant air is perfect for mould to breed, which also smells. This heat will also keep your floors warm and make for a more comfortable home. Never undervalue HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) design and products because a comfortable home starts with proper temperature control."
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 videos/blog/website: reena.ca!
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: How to quiet sump-pump drain-pipe racket
QUESTION: In 2005 we purchased a bungalow which was built in 1993. This was the first time we had a home with a sump pump. Our last home was on a ravine property in Ontario, and when it was being built, we obtained a variance from the town allowing our weeping tiles to drain into the ravine. We wish that were the case here.
When we moved in, we found the sump pump was very loud, so we had a large plumbing company replace the pump with what they promised was a much quieter model, as well as a battery-powered backup pump. Unfortunately, the problem continued, although they did come back and assured us that it was installed properly.
The sump pit is in the middle of the house, and when the water is pumped out, it passes over a frequently used guest room, waking guests in the night with what we think may be the water backing down the pipe once the pump shuts off. The pipes vibrate a lot and make a racket when this happens.
Do you think there should be a valve somewhere along the line to prevent the water from backing all the way down to the pit? One alternative we have is to switch the guest room with a craft room located in another part of the lower level, but this would be a lot of work due to installed counters and shelves in the craft room.
Any help you could give us to solve this dilemma would be appreciated.
John and Marlene Oldham
ANSWER: Some plumbing noises are unavoidable and others may be minimized by minor alterations or repairs. Your sump-pump drain-pipe noise is one that should be in the latter category. The check valve you mention may also be installed out of sight, or installation may improve the situation if it is indeed missing.
I'm surprised that in a home your age, the sump-pump discharge pipe actually runs over the ceiling in a basement room. This is around the age of home when most local builders began installing this ABS plastic drain pipe inside the basement floor slab before it was poured. In that type of arrangement, the end of this sub-slab pipe normally will protrude through the floor right beside the foundation walls. It would not have to travel any significant distance beneath the main-floor joists, as in your home.
Though it may be quite disruptive, you could have a channel cut in the concrete slab to allow installation of the pipe in the floor of the bedroom. That would significantly cut down on the noise factor but may not be worth the expense or effort when simpler repairs might work.
It's quite common for long runs of sump drain pipes running under the floor joists to become slightly bowed or loose because they are full of water for much of the year. A one-way check valve, installed in the drain line above the pump, allows water to be pumped outside but will shut when the pump stops, preventing a back-flow of water to the pit. This is done to prevent the expelled water in the pipe from flowing back into the sump, which may cause somewhat endless operation of the pump. This backwards flow of water could make the noise considerably worse.
If this check valve is not seen just above the sump pit or below the lid, one should definitely be installed. If it's there, then noise in the discharge pipe may be primarily due to movement. As you suggest, the vibration from the sump pump itself can be transferred through the entire length of the drain pipe when it's running. When the pump shuts off, there can be a loud banging noise as the pressure inside the pipe suddenly drops and it rubs or bumps into the surrounding wall or ceiling coverings.
In many units I've seen, the drain pipe has been very poorly secured, not only under the floor joists but also between the sump pit and the underside of the floor. Anchoring this pipe, especially the initial vertical riser, may cut down on the vibration noise considerably. To accomplish this, some wood framing may have to be installed beside the pipe to allow proper clamps or plumbing strapping to be used. Also, the horizontal length of this pipe may be poorly secured to the floor joists and exterior wall framing, allowing extraneous movement and vibration.
If the discharge pipe appears to be properly secured and is not warped or bowed, then the simple noise of the water flowing through this area is to blame. The ideal material is soft foam pipe wrapping, which is normally used for copper supply pipes but may be adapted for the larger piping. This material is very pliable and could also be installed between the drain pipe and any framing or wall coverings to prevent noise from banging due to pressure changes.
Though it could have been largely avoided by the current practice of burying the majority of the pipe in the basement floor slab, proper securing and insulation of the offending drain may help eliminate this minor issue.
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
