Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Ozone machine will help eliminate powerful odours
Question: We have an older camper trailer in which the previous owners placed Downy Unstoppable beads throughout the unit. We have washed the interior, had the windows open all summer, had all cushions outside as well and stuffed the cupboards and closets with newspaper over the winter to try and get rid of the strong and annoying scent. None of this has seemed to work. Any recommendations? Debbie
Answer: For very overpowering smells, you might want to consider renting an ozone machine because the smell will disappear quickly. This little machine is not recommended for regular use, but it is great for enclosed areas that have had smoke or flood damage, or other smells. The machine lets out a molecule called O3 (which of course is oxygen with an extra atom attached). The third atom escapes into the air and absorbs all odours. These machines can be rented at tool-rental retailers, as well as some hardware stores. Read all manufacturer’s instructions before use.
Question: Can you give me a homemade recipe for shampoo that doesn’t leave my hair feeling frizzy? Ava
Answer: Into a spray bottle combine ten drops of lavender essential oil, ten drops tea tree oil, one can of coconut milk, one-quarter cup liquid castile soap, and two tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Spray your hair, scrub, and rinse.
Question: What is the easiest way to clean the floor of my bathroom; it hasn’t been cleaned in about six months and it smells bad?
Answer: Here is an easy trick that will leave your bathroom smelling great. Spray shaving cream onto the floor. Use an old rag to spread the cream all over. Wait 30 minutes. Clean with a mop and warm water. Dry and enjoy.
Question: I have an old stove with black, solid elements. They regularly get a brown stain around the edge of each element, from food splashing onto the surface. How can I clean around the oven top burners of my stove? Linda
Answer: Wait until the oven is off and cool enough to the touch so that you don’t burn your self. Pour a little water around the elements, use a sugar cube to scrub around the outside of each element. Rinse with water and wipe to dry.
Shell game
Re: Trick for Peeling an Egg
Gently crack one end of an egg. Submerse it in water, and boil. Fill a sealable container with cold water. Add the egg and cover with a lid. Shake the container, until the shell falls off. Oliver
Terrific tips
Store cheese by making a removable cover. While still in the plastic wrap, use a sharp knife to cut off a two-inch piece of cheese from the end of the block. Slide the plastic off the cheese and eat the little piece of cheese. Cover the bare end; this creates a cover and prevents the edge from getting hard. — Tyrone
The best way to properly fit your garbage bag. When I put a kitchen garbage bag into a trash can, unfold the bag and wrap the opening of the bag around the lip of the can. Push the middle of the bag downward. The garbage bag will stay in place better than if you first put the bag into the can and then wrap it around the lip. — Varina
Never throw out broccoli stalks. Cut off the outside edges, cut them into strips. Fry them in a pan with a little soya sauce and oil. A healthy snack, packed with flavour. — Garmin
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Email reenanerbas@outlook.com
Renovation & Design
Fixing flickering light may require a pro
Questions: We read an article awhile ago about a homeowner who had flickering lights in his house, after he had the knob and tube replaced. The homeowner had electricians come back and they changed everything and the problem was still happening. Do you know if this problem was ever resolved? We are selling our home in the spring and we had our knob and tube wiring replaced in 2017. We have the same problem, as of a year or so ago, that this other homeowner had. It only happens in the morning, for five to ten minutes, then totally stops. Even when we open the fridge the light flickers in there, too.
Manitoba Hydro were down recently, checked things outside, and said that it is not an outside problem. They suggested we get an electrician to check the breaker panels.
Thanks, Larry.
Answer: Diagnosing an unusual, albeit minor, electrical issue may be very time consuming, costly, and not worth the effort. If the problem gets worse, occurs on a regular basis, or other issues are seen with the electrical system, then calling a more experienced electrical contractor to investigate the defect may be in order.
It is very commendable for you to endeavour to figure out and repair the small electrical issue you are having in your home, before you put it up for sale. Fortunately, there should not be a scenario where this is required, as long as you identify the issue on any property disclosure documents you fill out. As long as you disclose this issue to the future purchaser, you will have fulfilled your ethical duty. It is likely a minor issue to most people, but may seem more serious to you because it occurred after major rewiring was done, at considerable expense. You should also contact the contractor who did the K&T removal, who may have an idea what is occurring, if other customers have experienced the same issue. At a minimum, the contractor should revisit your home at their cost, observe the problem and propose a possible solution.
While your electrical problem may be tied to the complete upgrade of the wiring in your home, it may also be due to something else. There are numerous scenarios that could cause the short flickering of the lights in your home, when first turned on. I am purely speculating, but this could be due to a small power surge, a loose or corroded main ground, bad connections between older fixtures and the new wires, or a mechanical problem with some appliance in your home. I am sure that a Red Seal electrician could name a dozen or more issues that may lead to this minor problem. The real trouble may be the difficulty in locating the source of the issue, especially since it began to occur several years after all the upgrade work was complete.
Calling the electrical utility, Manitoba Hydro, was the logical place to begin the investigation of the light issue. I am sure they provided the house call at no cost, and should have checked the main service wiring, service entrance and mast, and the connections at the pole or box. If there were any defects in these locations, the repairs would have been scheduled or completed at that time. Since the problem persists, the next logical location for an issue is the electrical panel. I would suggest that the K&T removal contractor open the panel and do a thorough visual inspection. If there are any unusual or loose connections, corrosion, cut wire sheathing, or damaged breakers, then a quick repair is in order. The main ground wire should also be examined, to ensure it is not disconnected or loose at either end. Often, the clamp that holds this bare wire to the main water supply pipe entering below the meter can loosen, over time. I would hope that the Hydro technician inspected this during their visit, but scrutiny by an extra set of professional eyes does not hurt.
As for your question about the follow-up on my previous article, I rarely get feedback from the respondents, especially since the question may have been sent to me months, or even years, prior to publication. I keep most inquiring e-mails for future use, especially if they are similar to others I have recently answered, or currently have stored on my hard drive. So, I am not sure is their similar issue was successfully resolved, and may have little chance of finding that out.
As for the flickering light issue, it does appear to be a very minor problem, especially since it only occurs first thing in the morning and quickly abates. It may not even have occurred to many homeowners to note it as a defect. You may be more sensitive to the light anomaly since you have gone through the significant renovation of your electrical system, likely at the request of an insurance provider. While the upgrades will make that system much safer and less likely to cause an injury or a fire, there is almost no visible benefit to spending all that money. Unlike new kitchen cabinets, flooring, or appliances, new wiring will be hidden from view. That can make some homeowners more aware of systems that are otherwise taken for granted.
Spending additional funds trying to figure out your short-lived morning light issue, beyond those already shelled out for the K&T removal and upgrades, may not be prudent. If any more significant electrical defects are noticed in the future, or the flickering becomes much more frequent, then another Red Seal electrician should be consulted.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and a Registered Home Inspector (RHI)(cahpi.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Stopping air leakage in older homes always a challenge
Question: I’m wondering if you could offer a practical solution for an issue which is a real problem in very cold weather. I had the basement, with a poured concrete foundation, insulated with foam a while ago. This was very effective at lowering my gas bill in the winter. However, since then, during extremely cold weather I get ice build up on the baseboards on the exterior walls of the living room. There is also some black mold as well. It improved a lot with use of a dehumidifier but is still a problem. The living room is not insulated. The varnished elm 10-inch baseboards are original and more than 90 years old. I think I need to remove the baseboards to seal the apparent air leaks but am afraid they will crack. I’d prefer to keep them for the character they provide. Any suggestions?
U. F.
Answer: Stopping air leakage in an older home can present a challenge, especially when some portions are well sealed and others are not. Partially sealing the baseboard area may help prevent the frost, but only complete wall insulation and better moisture management may stop it from reoccurring elsewhere.
Insulating your older foundation with spray-on foam will be a very effective way to warm up the basement and prevent excessive air and heat loss, especially above grade. One of the most difficult areas to achieve a good air seal are the cavities near the ends of the joists, at the top of the foundation walls. This is especially difficult in our area, where the ends of the joists are typically embedded in the concrete walls, with no true rim joist. After years of drying out and shrinking, there can be significant gaps, which may let cold air easily infiltrate this space. Spraying foam into these pockets is the best way to ensure complete air sealing and prevent drafts along with heat and air loss in cold weather.
While that upgrade you have wisely done will do a great job below the main floor sheathing, it will do nothing for the area above. That area is where the main floor exterior walls are built on top of the foundation and floor joists. As that older fir framing and sheathing, outside siding, trim and inside plaster dries out there can be some fairly large gaps where air can move in and out of the wall assembly. Especially underneath the bottom wall plate, which is the area directly behind your large, beautiful wood baseboards, significant gaps can develop. This is the most likely cause of the frost buildup, as the moist indoor air comes in contact with the freezing cold winter air penetrating these cavities.
While this can seem like a strange comment, your above average efforts to insulate the basement with spray foam may actually have increased the chances of frost buildup in other areas of the home. If you also have upgraded doors and windows, as well as attic insulation, the chances of isolated problems will further increase. The reason for this is that when the entire building enclosure was poorly insulated, after its original construction, large areas of air leakage were present throughout the house. In that situation you had more air leaking in and out of the living area, but at much lower pressure through each of the multiple large breaches in the building enclosure. Since eliminating these from the large basement area, you have significantly cut down on the volume of the air gaps. If you have retrofitted new windows and doors, the large, poorly sealed spaces integral with those old units have also been closed. So, the smaller number of remaining air gaps are subject to much higher individual air pressure. That can lead to less problem areas of air leakage, but larger noticeable problems at the remainder of the offending air gaps.
This is a common problem, which is rarely communicated beforehand by the contractors and the energy conservation organizations promoting the upgrades. This may also be compounded by another biproduct of the energy-saving retrofits. Because the air that used to easily leak out of the living space often has a high moisture content, a leaky old home would normally be very dry in the heating season. Now that the air leaks have been minimized, that humid air will stay in the home, increasing the relative humidity (RH). Since the RH is higher in the indoor air, it is easier for condensation to occur when that moist air hits spots of cold air infiltration, like the area under your baseboards. The answer to that issue is to take extra measures to reduce the RH in the home, now that is more airtight. Your dehumidifier may help somewhat, but dryer indoor air can better be accomplished by installing and using exhaust fans in the most humid areas, like the bathrooms and kitchen.
The only reason to remove the baseboards would be if you were going to insulate all the exterior walls. Doing only the living room would possibly relocate the frost issue to another area, where there are also some larger gaps for cold air to leak in. You may be better off to take off the quarter-round moulding at the bottom of the baseboard, if there is one, and drill small holes in the bottom of the baseboard. Then, you could blow expanding foam from a can into the small space below the wall cavity, or gap under the wall, with the straw inserted into the small hole. Once cured, the quarter-round could be reinstalled, or replaced if damaged, with the gap in that area sealed. You may have to do this in several areas around the house, but it may be an effective way of sealing the worst areas and stopping the frost formation.
Completely keeping your home condensation and frost free during cold winter weather may require a major exterior wall insulation job. Reducing your RH and air sealing the problem areas behind the baseboards may provide a more localized and immediate solution to the worst areas, in the short term.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and a Registered Home Inspector (RHI)(cahpi.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Freeze chocolate for no-static shavings in cappuccino
Question: I have a block of Callebaut chocolate which I shave for sprinkling on cappuccinos etc. I have tried a potato peeler and a handheld grater for this purpose, but both cause static electricity shavings everywhere! Is there anything I can do to prevent the static? Thanks. —Jeanne
Answer: Ah, one of my favourite subjects! Begin by freezing the chocolate for 30 minutes. Chill the dish that you will grate the chocolate onto. Spread a little margarine or butter onto the grater. Spray the grated chocolate with a small amount of water. It won’t fix the issue, but it will reduce the static. The harder the chocolate, the better the results. You can also use a sharp, serrated knife to form perfect, clean chocolate shavings. Lay the chocolate onto the counter and place the blade teeth onto the chocolate, pull the knife towards you, repeatedly, for perfect little curls.
Question: We had a gas fireplace installed five years ago. It is running well with no issues at all. Is there anything that I should do for general maintenance, or are they self-sufficient appliances? —Fred
Answer: Regular maintenance on your gas fireplace should be completed annually, whether it seems to need it, or not. Schedule an appointment with a certified gas service provider. They will check to make sure the unit is working properly, and safely, service the batteries, and clean the fireplace. This should not be completed by the homeowner.
Question: I cooked chocolate pudding from scratch. While it was hot, I put it in the fridge to cool, but it would not thicken up, so I threw it in the garbage. Is there anything I could have done to save my dessert? —Joyce
Answer: Yes definitely. Next time, pour one quarter cup of milk into a cup and add three tbsp. cornstarch. Stir to dissolve and add the milk to the pudding. Bring to a boil while stirring. The pudding will thicken to the proper consistency.
Question: I purchased a used couch, and when I removed the cushions to clean, I noticed gum stuck on the bottom of the cushions. How can I remove ground in chewing gum? —Charles
Answer: Pile ice onto the gum, wait for 10 minutes until the gum has hardened. Peel it with your fingers or a plastic spatula. You can also spread, smooth peanut butter, or mayonnaise onto the area; work it onto the mess. The gum will become oily and easy to remove. After it is gone, clean the area with dish soap and water.
Household Hacks
I save dryer lint and stuff it inside empty toilet paper rolls to make my own kindling. These are perfect for starting bonfires outside. —Terrance
Make your own canvas bag or shoe, cleaner. Combine one tablespoon of Dawn dish soap and one tbsp. three per cent hydrogen peroxide. Wipe onto shoes and scrub with a soft toothbrush. Wipe off with a wet dish cloth. —Salver
To help your ground beef go further, add a freshly chopped mushroom. Mushrooms are less expensive and easy to find at the store. —Jemima
I took a flight to the U.S. and had extra clothes that I couldn’t fit into my carry on. I stuffed them into a pillowcase to make a pillow and the airline didn’t charge this as an extra carry on. I don’t know if this would work for all airlines, but I was happy and wanted to share my experience! —Denise
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Send it to reenanerbas@outlook.com.
