Renovation & Design
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
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Ring in 2013 with helpful tips for the home
Life just got easier!
To save real snowflakes, wait until the temperature is -10 C or colder outside. Collect snowflakes on microscope slides (do not use your fingers). Cover the snowflakes on the slide with a drop of super glue (not gel). Put a cover slip over glue, don't press. Store slides in the freezer for two weeks without touching it. This allows the glue to completely harden before you remove the slide from the freezer. Examine slides with a microscope and take notice of how no two snowflakes are alike.
Save all of the cookie crumbs in the bottom of cookie boxes. Use your food processor to grind them into fine crumbs. Perfect for all kinds of cake and cookie recipes.
Pigeon problems? Screen the birds out of wall recesses and window ledges with fine-mesh chicken wire sold at hardware and garden shops. Also, sheets of plastic with plastic spikes at narrow intervals are available in hardware shops for use on flat roofs or window ledges. It is impossible for pigeons to perch on them or find a comfortable foothold.
Discourage mice from visiting areas around the home, car or barn by shaving several bars of Irish Spring soap and sprinkling them wherever mice tend to gather. Tip: Discourage rats and mice with the help of a weasel. They'll soon be gone.
Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle, no more mess, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!
Concrete that has black colouration from weather is usually mouldy. Spray bleach water on the concrete with one part bleach to three parts water. Brush in and let set. Then wash off.
Wax paper taped inside slatted closet doors will help to keep out moths and dust.
The best way to hammer a small nail into the wall is to use a small comb to hold the nail.
For all of the little wastebaskets around the house use this housecleaner's trick. Keep folded garbage bags underneath the liner being used. That way you don't have to track down another liner after you empty the basket.
Next time you make Fajitas; add cooked pork, peppers, onions and seasoning to your baking pan. Next cook powdered onion soup and water on the stove. Thicken soup with cornstarch (the way that you would gravy). Add this to the Fajita pan for great flavor and texture. Bake to heat.
Store birdseed in a 20-gallon garbage can, this is inexpensive, holds more than a 50-pound bag of seed, fairly easy to carry because of the handles, comes with a lid, easy to access food for quick filling of bird feeders. Less mess, and less time.
For painting crafts, use an empty egg carton to place puddles of paint colours in, when finished dispose of carton, no mess to clean!
Make ripe tomatoes firm again. Dip tomatoes in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight.
Make leafy vegetables crunchy again. Cut the stem off and separate the stalks. Add three-quarter cup granulated sugar to a vessel filled with cold water. Place vegetables inside. Soak for four to five hours. Drain well and refrigerate.
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 Twitter and my website at reena.ca
Renovation & Design
Prevent winter roof expeditions in the future
QUESTION: I have lived in a 1950s bungalow since 2001. Over the last couple of winters there have been problems with my plumbing stack filling up with snow and freezing up. The roof is a hip roof and the stack is located on the east side.
This wasn't an issue the first five years in the house, but the last two winters I have had to climb up and clear the stack just about every time it snows, as the toilet barely flushes.
I put in a low-flow toilet on the main level sometime during this time frame, but I'm not sure if the timing directly coincides with the freezing problem. Any insight would be appreciated.
Gord Koshelanyk
ANSWER: With the recent winter weather, resulting in frequent small snowfalls, this issue may become a concern not only for you but other homeowners as well.
A slight amount of snow covering a plumbing-stack opening on a roof may not cause much concern, but it appears you have a more serious issue with it blocking proper venting.
There may be a couple of approaches to resolving this, so that you don't have to risk climbing on your roof in nasty weather just to ensure proper plumbing drainage.
Most older plumbing stacks in homes of your age were constructed of cast iron surrounded with a lead flashing installed on the roof. While this arrangement provided adequate protection from leakage, most of these older vents protruded just above or flush with the roofing, providing little protection from snow and ice.
Surprisingly, these older vents did not often freeze over because of good conduction of heat through the cast iron, combined with frequent hot-water and warm-air generation through the plumbing drains. Many older attics also were poorly insulated and air sealed at the ceilings, further warming the portion of the stack in the attic.
The common practice for older homes over the last few decades has been to dramatically increase the attic insulation to prevent heat loss and cool the attic to prevent premature wear to roofing. Because a substantial portion of your cast-iron stack may be wide open inside the attic, it could be subject to major heat loss as well, since the attic becomes colder after insulation upgrades.
As this occurs, warm vapour from waste water entering the plumbing drains will cool and condense as it enters the attic portion of the stack. If the stack is cold enough, this condensation may freeze inside this pipe, typically near the top. This can reduce the inside diameter of the stack significantly and may prevent proper venting of plumbing fixtures.
As this opening gets smaller, it's also more susceptible to being covered with snow. This can be followed by repeated melting and freezing cycles, eventually icing over the top of the vent above the roof. As more snow falls and outside temperatures drop, this may create a thick layer of ice/snow that will completely block proper air intrusion and vapour escape from this important vent.
While you're right to climb up on the roof to remove the mini quinsy that can form over top of the vent, prevention may be the key to stopping this in the future without risking life and limb. There are two areas that need your attention to make this problem disappear.
First, insulating the exposed iron piping in the attic will help to keep it warmer as it exits through the ceiling. This may be done several ways, but wrapping it with flexible pipe-wrap insulation is often the simplest. Make sure you apply a sufficient thickness, even if it requires several layers, to prevent heat loss. Many types of this pre-made insulation material come with an integral air/vapour barrier which should be installed to prevent condensation and frost.
Insulating the attic portion of the main stack inside the attic will often warm the pipe enough to prevent blockage with ice and snow. If not, hiring an experienced roofer to replace the existing flashing will put an end to your woes. This repair should be done by completely removing the existing flashing and the collar that connects the flashing to the cast-iron stack.
Quite often, the opening of this collar has a much smaller opening at the top than the inside dimension of the stack. Replacing this with a flexible neoprene connecter/flashing will serve two purposes: it may increase the diameter of the opening above the roof and it will allow the installation of a short vent extension.
Installation of a short section of ABS plastic drain piping above the roof should prevent blockage caused by snow build-up on the roof. Combined with the increased inside pipe diameter and warming of the old stack, it should eliminate future winter blockage. This minor upgrade can help prevent debris and leaves from entering the top of the vent and should ensure the top remains above roof accumulations of snow.
Care must be taken not to extend this pipe too high, though, as too much exposure to frigid weather can cool the new vent extension above the roof, simply transferring the condensation-related blockage higher up.
I suspect that reduced water entering your drains from your new toilet may be partly responsible for the vent blockage from interior frost build-up, but that's not the underlying cause of your recent problems. Excess cooling of the old stack in the attic and snow blockage of the flush-mounted vent flashing on the roof are the main culprits. Remediation of these two areas of concern should certainly prevent the need for winter roof expeditions in 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 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
Countertop repair proving to be a problem
QUESTION: I would like to change my bathroom countertop and paint the cabinets. What can I do, or should I "bite the bullet" and buy a new counter? Thank you, Sharon, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Before purchasing a new countertop there are a number of products available for restoring drab-looking counters. You can try a commercial laminate or fibreglass cleaner, such as 3M Marine Fiberglas Cleaner and Wax, 3M Marine Fiberglas Restorer and Wax, Gel-Gloss or carnauba wax (car wax). Remember to test everything on an inconspicuous area first. You may want to look into purchasing spray-on counter restorer.
If your counter is damaged by dents and scratches, filler can be used. One of the fillers that currently exist on the market is "Seamfil" by Kampel Enterprises.
If all else fails, it's possible to resurface your counter inexpensively with a piece of wood and a thin sheet of laminate counter available at large hardware stores for about $35 per sheet. For an even less-expensive solution, paint both the cabinets as well as the counter -- just make sure to check with your local paint store about the best paints to use for these projects.
QUESTION: I have two questions: Is it safe to dump coffee grounds down the kitchen sink? Secondly, do you have a solution that can be applied to a window to make it look frosted? Diane, Inglis
ANSWER: Some professionals say it is okay to dump coffee grounds down the drain if you run enough water to flush them completely out of the plumbing system. However, it takes a lot of water in most houses to rinse them that far. Chances are you will eventually need to call in a professional plumber to unclog your pipes.
A better idea is to add coffee grounds to your potting soil or garden -- plants love coffee grounds. For now, dump grounds into a container outside. When spring arrives, add the thawed coffee grounds to soil around trees or in the garden.
To frost your windows, begin by giving them a thorough cleaning. Next, dissolve four heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts into one cup of beer. Leave for 25 minutes. Using a paintbrush, apply the solution in a circular motion.
To remove frosting, wash the windows with vinegar and water and a good-quality microfibre cloth. There are also frosting sprays available in stores.
For a longer-term frosted look, purchase clear self-adhesive shelf paper or frosted window film.
QUESTION: I fried a sausage in my frying pan with grape seed oil. Now I have residue in my pan and cannot get it out -- the bottom and sides have a yellowish film. Can you please help me? Thanks, Iona, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Unfortunately I have no idea whether you are tackling cast-iron, non-stick, aluminum, porcelain or some other frying-pan makeup, but here are a few options for cleaning stainless-steel frying pans.
Begin with the easiest solution, which is to sprinkle the pan with baking soda and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Boil the solution for five minutes. Turn the element off, leave to cool and scrub. Borax or dishwasher detergent and water can be used in the same way.
If you are desperate, try either water and ammonia or oven cleaner. Be careful not to combine one cleaner with another and ventilate well by cleaning the pan outdoors.
QUESTION: I have a laundry problem. A lip repair (like Lypsol) went through the washer and dryer and has left greasy stains on the front of my good sweatshirt in several places. Any ideas how this can be handled, or is this now a permanent stain? Also, when grease stains appear on pillow cases (after guests) how can I get them out? Marilyn, Winnipeg
ANSWER: You are not alone -- I've received many letters from people in the same predicaments. Here are two options for both challenges: Soak fabrics in hot water and Oxy Clean, or soak the fabric separately in a half-cup of Arm and Hammer washing soda and enough hot water to cover the clothes for 30 minutes. Wash as usual. Air dry. Repeat until stains are gone.
If all else fails, you can zap stains using RIT dye remover according to the directions on the box. Note: Fabric color will be significantly lightened.
Feedback from Manitoban who cares
It just 'floors' me that your article about considering new flooring (porcelain or ceramic) didn't mention how these materials conduct sound. We are presently in litigation because the noise conducted in a wood-frame older condo has ruined our quiet enjoyment. It amazes me how often people choose these lovely materials and don't give a thought to what may happen downstairs.
Perhaps you could add a sentence or two about what may happen to the unlucky ones below (maybe in granny's bedroom if you live in a house) if these floors are not properly installed with sound conduction in mind.
Thanks, love your articles. Judi
Fabulous tips of the week
-- Ever been frustrated by the puddle of water that collects on the floor after a shower? Sew a piece of Velcro to the shower curtain, adhere the other section of Velcro to the wall. During showers, attach the curtain to the wall to close all gaps.
-- If your key gets frozen in the lock of your car and you don't have lock de-icer, use hand sanitizer in its place. The alcohol in hand sanitizer is the main ingredient in lock de-icer, so they will both work.
-- Want your sled to go faster downhill? Just spray the bottom with non-stick cooking spray. This method will also lubricate an inner tube, shovel or lawnmower blade.
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