Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Tips to bring dinnerware up to scratch
QUESTION: I purchased a new set of dishes, only to find there are scratches left from the cutlery after use. This is the second dinnerware set I have had difficulty with. The dishes have both been ivory in colour with a matte finish. Is there some kind of glaze that hardens the finish, thereby preventing scratches? I have been told there is a cleaner on the market that will remove the scratches each time the dishes are used (excuse me?) and that the problem could be the cutlery. My set is stainless steel and several years old but in excellent shape. Would you have any suggestions? Thanks for your column. Cathy, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Patina develops when the coating on glass is damaged. I am not aware of a food-safe glaze that will properly adhere to dishes. The top picks to fix this challenge are to scrub the plates with one of the following: Zud or Barkeepers Friend. Or rub the plates with extra-fine 0000 steel wool and ceramic glass top stove cleaner. Extra-fine steel wool is available at hardware and paint stores.
QUESTION: I have a home business and I ship fragile items to customers across Canada. More than once, the items have broken in transit. How can I package the merchandise so they stay intact? Louise (Selkirk, MB)
ANSWER: Begin by wrapping the contents with white tissue paper. This will protect the items and avoid discolouration. Next, wrap the items with small bubble wrap and secure the bubble wrap with packing tape followed by large bubble wrap and packing tape. Fill the box with Styrofoam peanuts. Check the box to make sure it is sturdy and has no weak seams. Pack the box to the top, because a full box reduces the chance of items moving around inside. Lastly, using a thick permanent marker, write FRAGILE on the outside of the box.
Alternately, you may want to consider using 'green' items to ship products, while still presenting a professional image to recipients. Such items include: newspaper, biodegradable packing peanuts (dissolve when exposed to water) and plain popcorn.
QUESTION: I recently purchased a new T-fal UltraGlide steam iron. It constantly drips on the clothing I am ironing, leaving wet marks. I have adjusted the temperature and steam intensity, to no avail. It also boasts that it is an "anti-drip" iron. What is causing this? Time for another new iron? Signed, "Steamed," Winnipeg
ANSWER: You are not alone, I recommend you do not throw the iron out! Based on consumer reports regarding this item, the iron has a tendency to leak. Therefore, whether you have the packaging/receipt or not, it is worth your while to contact the manufacturer and ask if you can send the item back for a credit or refund.
QUESTION: I read your tips on a regular basis and have a question I am hoping you can answer for me. I have an oak night stand on which a small lamp sits that has a black velvet-type bottom underneath its stand. I have noticed the black velvet has actually stained the oak a black colour. I guess when the lamp is standing maybe the heat from it allows the black to transfer onto the wood? Not sure how or why this has happened but would like to know if you can advise me on how to remove the stain from the wood. Sonja, Winnipeg
ANSWER: In a ventilated area, spray the wood with WD-40 (test first). Leave for 20 minutes and wipe with an abrasive pad (not steel wool). If the stain remains, the woods needs resurfacing. In other words, sand and re-stain.
QUESTION: Is it true that what you put on your skin, i.e. bug repellent, actually goes into your body? Sounds like an old wive's tale to me? Brandon, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Well, I'm not a doctor so here is an experiment you can use to test whether skin is porous. Rub a garlic clove onto the soles of your feet; chances are eventually you will taste garlic in your mouth. Conclusion: skin is porous.
Sticky Tip of the Week
Recipe for homemade paper glue: In a saucepan combine one cup flour and one-third cup sugar. Add 11/2 cups water while stirring until no clumps remain. Heat on stove and add one teaspoon vinegar. Stir until thick. Store in airtight container.
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 new blog/website: reena.ca
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: When fixing someone else's mistake, get it right the second time
QUESTION: I have a bit of a problem I was hoping you could help me with. I bought my first house approximately three years ago. The basement is finished and has a bathroom with a corner shower unit. Unfortunately, when the previous owners installed the shower stall, they did so over a window! Last summer I noticed the glass was starting to come loose and it is an old single pane window. With all these storms lately, the glass has come loose on one side, which allowed some snow to enter. I blocked the window with a board temporarily. How should I permanently address this issue since I cannot access it from the inside of my house?
Thank you. Nancy Barbosa
ANSWER: Fixing someone else's mistakes, especially when it comes to home renovations, can be a major pain in the neck. You are undoubtedly faced with this challenge in your home, but yours should not be too difficult a repair as long as you take a few things into consideration when attempting this job.
Improper or amateurish renovations are some of the most frequent and frustrating issues that come up during a typical home inspection. This is even more prevalent in recent years with "contractors" buying homes for a quick sale or "flip." There are even annoying hosts on television who attempt to show you how to buy a home and successfully flip it so you can get rich. In reality, most re-sale homes require more than just a little cosmetic touch-up and often buyers get in over their heads. I would expect the previous homeowner, in your case, may have become embroiled in such a situation, or simply didn't know the proper method to install the shower. The old window may have provided some natural ventilation for the basement, prior to the bathroom installation, but now has become ineffective. I hope the renovator had enough sense to at least install a properly vented exhaust fan after covering the window with the shower enclosure. Removing or covering up the window in that case would make sense, but it has to be done properly to prevent further problems.
Covering an older window when bathrooms are renovated is a common occurrence as modern rooms of this type should have mechanical ventilation instead. That can be provided by a single exhaust fan, central exhaust fan or heat recovery ventilator. The main difficulty, when this is attempted, is to nicely match the patched window with the rest of the exterior surface without it standing out significantly. When this is done in the main living area, siding or stucco has to be added, which can be tough to match. In your basement area, the method of covering the window from the exterior will depend on the exterior surface of the foundation or walls. This could range from fairly easy to moderately difficult, depending on the current condition.
It should not be that tough to remove the old damaged window from the exterior to allow proper patching and sealing of the area. This should probably be done in warmer weather and your temporary patching may last until the spring when this could be more easily completed. After the old window is removed, likely by breaking the remaining glass and unhooking or cutting the sash, patching the opening should not be that difficult.
If the existing frame or buck, which is embedded in the foundation wall, is in relatively good condition and not rotted, it can be left in place. It can be used to mount wood stops near the inside face of the foundation wall. After that, a piece of plywood, oriented strand board, or other moisture resistant sheathing, can be cut to fit the opening and fastened to the stops. Now that the old window opening is covering on the inside, installation of a few layers of extruded polystyrene foam insulation, cut to fit the opening and fill almost the entire depth, should be glued in place. Each layer of this insulation should be caulked around the perimeter, with proper sealant designed for use with rigid foam insulation, to prevent air leakage from the bathroom into the cavity. Once this is nicely sealed, the exterior portion of the old opening can be covered, ideally with pressure-treated plywood, which can be fastened to the outside portion of the old buck. If the old buck is rotten, it should be cut out and replaced by new treated wood secured to the foundation opening prior to installation of both layers of plywood.
If the foundation is bare concrete and there is a gap between the top of the opening and the siding above, painting the new plywood grey to match the foundation may be the easiest solution. If this does not appeal to you cosmetically, which is a definite possibility, you may chose to cover the plywood instead. If the concrete foundation has a parging coat, covering it may be a better alternative to simple paint. If that is your situation and desire, the plywood should be installed with a small recess inside the exterior face of the concrete which will allow building paper or Tyvec and metal lath to be secured to the plywood. Once installed, a scratch coat of mortar can be mixed up and troweled over the wire mesh. After this cures, a top coat matching the existing foundation parging can be adhered to the surface to blend in to the surrounding foundation.
Despite the laziness of the individual who did not properly cover the old window in the bathroom in the basement of your home, it may not be that tricky to remedy the situation. The main concern is doing a proper job of insulating and air-sealing this area to prevent condensation and mould growth behind the shower. The cosmetic aspects of this repair should also be taken into consideration, but may be relatively easily done to satisfy your needs and desires.
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
