Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Valuable advice given at renovation show
Last week at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, numerous experts were on hand to share advice with thousands of Manitobans intent on doing a renovation to their home.
The Kitchen, Bath and Renovation Show featured hundreds of booths displaying fabulous products that would make any home look like a castle.
Guest speakers were on hand to help you turn tired into terrific.
Following are some highlights from various presenters and things that I learned over the weekend:
Andrew Downward taught us how to carry out the perfect paint job (Preparation, Preparation, Application). We learned about brush management, ensuring that walls remain smooth, the W method of using rollers and the importance of buying the right tape for the job.
He told us the greatest difficulty people have is deciding on colours and he had a wonderful suggestion for making the decision. He told us to look inside our clothes closets, or better yet our wives' clothes closets, as they have better colour co-ordination and see what colours we like and wear.
If these are our favourite colours to wear every day, then they are likely our favourite colours to paint our walls.
Michael Penney gave the crowd a number of handy pointers on how to turn small DIY projects into features and make walls and rooms stand out.
The simplest items such as cushion covers, framed hangings and table covers can bring life to otherwise plain surroundings.
He also gave sage career advice to young people about realizing and pursuing your passion and then turning it into a career.
Tony Teunis and Mike Kerr from All Canadian Renovations spoke of the importance of picking the right renovator, a RenoMark renovator, one who puts everything in writing, puts a warranty on their work and avoids the discount cash deal.
In other words, they spoke of hiring a qualified, ethical contractor and not just the pursuit of the cheapest price.
Finally, Mariel Hemingway shared many life lessons and the importance of a healthy lifestyle coupled with healthy products. Hers was a fascinating life story that appears to be one of happiness after many tragedies.
Now that we have all of this vital information, we will be able to expand it to our entire home and garden at the Home Expressions Show March 15-17 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
Renovation & Design
Don't let a mouse live in your house
A lot of homeowners might be starting to notice some unwanted guests. No, not the in-laws. I'm talking about pests, and mice in particular.
Cold weather drives most animals and insects to find warmth, which could lead them straight to your house. And if they find a food source, they're moving in.
What are the signs you have mice? Mouse droppings. Little bits of chewed-up food packages. You might also be able to hear them in your walls or ceiling. They lurk in the cellar, the garage, pantry, kitchen -- and even bedrooms.
It takes just one mouse to make most people feel uncomfortable in their homes. And I don't blame them.
Mice are known to carry diseases, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Breathing in small particles from their droppings, urine, saliva or nesting materials can make you sick. The particles can get into the air when you sweep or vacuum so spray any area where mice have been with a disinfectant, before you sweep or vacuum, to help keep the particles from flying around. Remember to wear a disposable mask and gloves.
Mice can also contaminate surfaces in your home with their saliva or urine, which is almost impossible to detect. Next thing you know you could be drinking from a pop can that has mouse urine on the lid.
Some people might think that a couple of mice isn't a big deal. But two mice in your home can do a lot of damage. In just six months, two mice can eat four pounds of food and leave 18,000 droppings. Plus, mice multiply fast. One female can have five-to-10 litters of about five or six mice a year. Then those mice can start reproducing after only 30 days. Within three months six mice can multiply into 60. So if you've found one, there are probably more.
The worst part is the risk of contamination. Mice contaminate about 10 times more food than they eat.
These rodents are also destructive. They can chew through electrical wires and cause an electrical fire. They've been known to destroy rigid foam and fiberglass batt insulation. They can also gnaw through any wood in your home, including furniture, trim, cabinets, doors and even your home's structure. Repairing all the damage they cause can be very expensive. And if you're thinking of selling your home, a pest problem is usually a deal breaker.
So how do you get rid of them?
I've heard of people using electrical devices that emit sound to get rid of mice. They usually don't work. At first such a device might have an effect, but eventually mice get used to it.
Poisons aren't always effective either. Plus, it's a risk if you have pets; they could eat the poison or a poisoned dead mouse. When mice are poisoned they usually die somewhere inaccessible, like in a wall. It won't be long before you start to notice a foul smell. And then you have a new problem -- how are you going to get a dead mouse out of your wall?
If you're serious about getting rid of these critters for good, you need to call a professional. You don't want to risk an infestation.
An experienced pest control professional can find where the mice are coming in. They'll check for cracks and spaces around vents, wires, pipes, windows and doors. Then they'll block their entry with mesh wiring, wood or spray foam insulation, or both.
Next, clean your house -- including the garage and basement. Get rid of any clutter and trash. Mice love messy places, which make it easy for them to hide and nest. Store all food sources in sealed containers, including pet food.
To help stop mice from coming in, place weatherstripping around your doors; as a bonus, this will also increase energy efficiency. If your house has a chimney, get a chimney cap installed. Keep compost far from your home. Also move any firewood or mulch from around your home's exterior. These are excellent places for mice to hide in.
All mice need is a little crack in a wall or foundation to get in. A sealed home is the only way to stop the problem. It's also the most effective and humane. So check your home annually for cracks where mice can sneak in.
Catch Mike Holmes in his new series, Holmes Makes It Right, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca
Renovation & Design
How to keep the lumps out of brown sugar
QUESTION: I enjoy a bowl of oat cereal for breakfast and like to sprinkle it with brown sugar. My problem is the sugar is always lumpy and no amount of shaking makes the sugar finer for sprinkling. Thanks. Gord, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Brown sugar hardens when its moisture inside evaporates; all you need to do is replenish the moisture with one of these easy solutions. Put a cut-up apple or slice of bread into an airtight container with the sugar. Softening will take about a day. Or drape a damp towel over the un-lidded bowl and leave overnight. Or put the sugar into the microwave with a separate bowl of water. Turn the microwave on and check every 30 seconds to observe if the sugar is soft. A long-term fix is to purchase a piece of clay; these are available at most grocery stores. Soak the clay in water for a few hours and then store it inside the brown sugar container to keep it moist.
QUESTION: I'm sure I read something in a past column of yours regarding painting basement floors. Ours is cement, and the finish used was recommended by our local building supply dealer and applied according to directions. It does not seem to be working, and the paint is coming off in patches. I believe the problem is dampness coming in from underneath. Any help you could give me would be appreciated. Holly (Birtle, MB)
ANSWER: This is a common problem in basements that have not been sealed before painting. Consider sanding off the peeling paint and then applying a sealing product such as Aqua Seal before applying the proper paint. Following that, talk to your local hardware store about the best epoxy paint to use on the floor.
QUESTION: I sprayed my copper tea set and my silver-plated set with hairspray a few years ago to avoid cleaning frequently. I used silver cleaner, but it did not work on the copper or on the silver-plated articles, and now they are looking worse. Do you have suggestions on how to restore these items? Thank you for your wonderful column, I enjoy it very much and I am using many of your hints for my daily life. Eugenia, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Before cleaning the copper and silver, wipe the metal with rubbing alcohol to remove the hairspray (test on an inconspicuous area first). The best way to clean copper is to either spray and polish the copper with WD-40 or combine one-half cup vinegar with 1 tbsp. salt and 1 tbsp. flour. Apply to metal; leave for 15 mins. Rinse with warm water and polish (always test first). Taken from Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.
In terms of the silver cleaner, place crumpled aluminum foil in a plastic bucket. Dissolve one-quarter cup washing soda in 4 quarts of hot water. Place silver on foil and let stand for a few seconds until the tarnish is gone. Remove silver, rinse and dry. Also, corrosion caused by food can be repaired my mixing 1 tbsp. hot vinegar, 2 cups water and 2 tsp. salt. Soak for 5 mins. and polish.
QUESTION: I read your column every week, however, I don't recall seeing a solution for removing quite a buildup of moss in our driveway, and as I am elderly, I am afraid of slipping on it. I once read about either vinegar or bleach and boiling water but would like to hear a more accurate solution from you if that is possible. Sincerely, Flo
ANSWER: You don't need bleach or boiling water all you need is "Household Superstar Vinegar." Put pickling vinegar into a spray bottle and spray the moss. The acid in vinegar is strong enough to kill weeds. Be aware that vinegar will kill anything green, so keep it away from your green grassy lawn.
Manitoba Readers Comment on Swimsuit Care
Dear Reena:
I have been making my own bathing suits for over 30 years. I swim almost every day and this is what I do with swimsuits after each use. I run cold water in the bathroom sink and add about three quarter-cups of white vinegar to the water and then plunk baking soda into the sink, which I leave for a while. Then I hang the dry bathing suit to dry and they last a long time! I also line my swimsuits and I think that keeps them looking better as well. Sincerely, Diana
Dear Reena:
A swimsuit made from Lycra will deteriorate when exposed to chlorine. Swimsuits made from polyester are much longer-lasting.
I swim three times a week with my triathlon club. When I used to use Lycra suits, they would deteriorate within a couple of months, even with careful rinsing and hanging to dry. My polyester swimsuits have lasted years, with only some slight fading. I highly recommend them.
Fabulous Tip of the Week
Dear Reena:
I have a yummy tip for your readers! You can make the best ribs in a slow cooker if you remove them from the slow cooker 30 mins. before serving and place them onto a baking sheet. Broil until browned. This way, they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Let me know what you think! Hilda
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 blog/website: reena.ca
Renovation & Design
Caveat on flooring guarantee looks sketchy
QUESTION: Two years ago we had a lovely Tigerwood floor installed in our kitchen. Overall, we love it. We bought it from a dealer in Niverville. They were wonderful to deal with, except for the information we received after installation. At the end of the job we were told, almost as an afterthought, "the warranty is void if you fail to maintain the humidity between 35 and 55 per cent." Apparently if it gets too dry, the wood will shrink and form gaps, or if it gets too moist in summer, it will expand and buckle. That disappointed us somewhat, for had we known that earlier, we might have chosen an engineered product or something else entirely.
So we bought a humidifier, and in winter we carefully pay attention to humidity and turn the machine on whenever it drops to the mid-30s. Not a big deal, but a bit of a nuisance. In summer, we do the reverse. If humidity climbs into the 50 per cent range, we turn on the dehumidifier downstairs.
Are we being too fussy? Does such wood ever "season" enough to not need this extra attention? Our house, built in 1969, has other hardwood throughout the main floor and it never seemed to have had a problem when humidity dropped below 30 per cent before we added the Tigerwood.
-- Walter Kroeker
ANSWER: Unfortunately, some manufacturers of building products have unreasonable stipulations attached to their warranties, mainly to avoid honouring them. That is why I always advise my clients that warranties are not to be relied upon too heavily when making decisions about product purchases. There are many examples of this, from flooring to shingles, and yours is another case in point.
There is a lot of information, much of it without scientific basis, about the need to maintain certain conditions for many building materials installed in homes. Some of this information is gained from experiences from homeowners, installers, and manufacturers of various products and should be treated with respect. Other information, such as that you received about maintaining proper relative humidity (RH) in your home to keep your wood floor in good condition, is unreliable and likely thought up by some shrewd lawyer to protect their client when problems occur. In our climate, interior RH levels change with the weather and maintaining artificially high humidity for this purpose can cause other negative effects. Also, how can you prove that you did maintain these "proper" RH levels if a flooring problem develops? It appears that this may be an excuse for manufacturers to blame defects in their products on less-sophisticated homeowners.
As you have stated, older hardwood flooring in your home has been in place for over four decades and has not become damaged from the fluctuating RH in all that time. Why would newly installed hardwood have different needs? If the material is an exotic wood, like yours, it may have different properties than the traditional oak or maple originally installed in your home. Regardless, numerous types of hardwood are very commonly used for flooring because they are very durable and adapt to environmental changes as well or better than most building materials. If the type of wood is not suited to changes in RH common in our area, then it should not be installed in our homes.
The majority of problems that occur with wood flooring in homes is due to the material itself or the conditions around the time of installation. After cutting and milling, wood flooring has to be dried, often in huge kilns with tightly controlled heat and moisture, to reach a fairly low moisture content. This is critical to prevent further shrinkage if the wood were to excessively dry out after being nailed down in your home. If the wood is not properly seasoned, gaps opening between individual planks is a strong possibility. Conversely, if the hardwood has a proper moisture content but the inside of the home is too wet as the wood is being installed or afterwards, buckling can occur as it absorbs this ambient moisture. This is most common in newly built homes, as the RH can be excessively high from drying of recently installed materials. For this reason, any wood flooring product should be stored inside the building it is to be installed in for several days or weeks prior. This will allow the material to acclimatize to the current RH, preventing dramatic shrinkage or swelling after being nailed down. This critical step has been adopted by flooring contractors for decades due to their experience and is a very probable cause of floor issues if missed.
Maintaining an RH close to 50 per cent in the heating season in our climate can cause excessive damage to the home. This will cause excessive condensation on windows and possibly other areas such as foundations, which can lead to moisture damage and mould growth. An RH at the bottom end of the recommended range near 35 per cent, at normal room temperatures, may cause some sweating windows in cold weather but may be all right if good air circulation is promoted. If the RH drops below 30 per cent inside your home on very cold days, which is quite common, that should not create any undue problems for the home or flooring but may feel dry to the occupants. Adding artificial moisture to the house air to raise the RH above the recommended level just to benefit the hardwood flooring may cause the same mould and condensation issues in areas with poor air circulation or on outside walls or windows. In the summer months and in many areas near lakes or oceans, the RH inside a home can easily exceed 50 per cent. While air conditioning should lower this to acceptable levels, moderate days when windows are open and air circulation is good should have little effect on your flooring if the humidity rises.
Having heard the requirements you have stated from many homeowners, and reading similar recommendations on various websites, including those of hardwood manufacturer associations, I am still at a loss to see any real proof of the need for these measures. As you and millions of other homeowners with older houses have observed, properly seasoned and installed hardwood flooring adapts well to seasonal climatic conditions, and defects should not be blamed on the home or its occupants.
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
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Rather than soundproofing, check furnace
QUESTION: Our laundry/furnace room is directly below our bedroom. I have recently installed Roxul Comfort Batt Safe & Sound batting in between the ceiling joists under our bedroom to reduce the noise from the electric furnace. I would like advice on how to further reduce the noise. There is no fixed or suspended ceiling in this area. The laundry/furnace room is separated by two-by-fours from the rest of the finished rec room. Would it help if I moved the batts down to the level of the bottom of the joists, creating an airspace above them, or install a second layer of batting? Thank you for any help you can give me.
Sincerely, Jack Middleton
ANSWER: I may be able to offer some advice about further improvements to your soundproofing attempts, but I think your focus may be on the wrong subject. Electric furnaces are normally very quiet when operating, so modifications to it or the other components attached may yield better results.
Electric furnaces are almost silent in their operation, with the exception of the air-handling components. This includes the electric motor and blower and the ducts through which the air moves to heat the home. If your furnace is noisy when operating, I would suspect that either the blower motor is in need of maintenance or repair or the ducts are at fault. If you hear a whining noise when the furnace kicks in, it is likely due to the blower motor. As this common electric motor operates, the lubricant may begin to deplete. Many motors can be quieted simply by lubricating the motor, as per manufacturer's instructions. If the whining is very intense, and the motor housing becomes quite hot to the touch when operating, the bearings may be worn out and replacement of the motor will fix the issue.
Alternatively, the blower or its attachments to the furnace housing or motor may be at fault for the excessive noise. Many older furnaces have a flexible belt that connects the blower to the motor. These belts become worn over time, can stretch and make a racket due to the looseness or deterioration. Again, simple replacement of the belt may make the unit quieter. Lastly, blowers often sit on adjustable mounts or other connections to the furnace housing and may become loose, corroded or damaged. When this happens, the blower can vibrate or rattle, creating loud noises that reverberate through the entire duct system. Calling a licensed HVAC contractor to adjust or repair the rattling blower should quiet this issue and make life more bearable.
The other noise complaint related to forced-air heating systems I often hear from homeowners is the sound of the air movement itself. This can be due to initial design of the ducting, with too many sharp turns or poorly secured ducting. It is also a common occurrence when fan motors or blowers are replaced, and is due to the increased performance and higher velocity of the air moving through the ducts. If any of the older ducts are loose, partially disconnected or have dampers closed, then addressing these issues may calm the problem. If you have recently upgraded the heating system or blower components, there may be little you can do to stop the annoyance.
It is not a bad idea to insulate between the joists below the main floor to prevent sound transmission, and covering the ceiling will further improve the soundproofing. Installation of a drop ceiling, with tiles designed for acoustic improvements, should help the mineral-fibre batts in decreasing sound transmission between rooms. If you don't have enough height for a suspended ceiling, installation of thin, sound-absorbing materials such as burlap or cork may help. Again, it surprises me that only the furnace noise is mentioned when the washer and dryer in the same room can make equal or greater noise than the heating system. Perhaps they are not often used at night when quiet is most desirable in your bedroom above. This may be another way to test -- turn on the washer and dryer just before going to bed to see if further soundproofing is warranted. If little noise from these two appliances is heard in the bedroom, addressing the furnace itself is the solution.
There are many components in our homes that appear to cause issues when the true culprit is something entirely different than many homeowners assume. Home inspectors are trained to look at the entire house as a system comprised of many smaller systems. This approach, while straightforward, can help analyze and pinpoint issues that may arise. Very few components in our homes work in isolation, and almost all have effects on other systems within our living spaces. Though it may seem that the annoying transmission of sound from the furnace room to your bedroom is due to lack of proper acoustic insulation, it may simply be that the heating system itself is in need of repair or upgrades.
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