Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Knee wall attic poses moisture problem
QUESTION: We moved into a 1922 River Heights home at the end of May 2009. We had an Energy Audit done on our home about a year later and are interested in upgrading our attic and knee wall spaces.
The home is 2 1/2 storeys and the knee wall surrounds three sides of the upper story. The two-by-four rafters are insulated with wool and Zonolite, which is held in place with fir boards. The attic side of the knee wall is insulated with pink fibreglass batts between the studs, and the floor of the knee wall is insulated with wool and Zonolite just to the top of the floor joists.
There are no soffits to allow air into this space. Part of the space has wood flooring that allows access for storage purposes. There is also a single-pane window in this space, with a screen that can be opened in the summer. In this space there are three exhaust fan vents that run to three separate rooftop exhaust vent hoods. The exhaust hoses are not insulated. There is also a small closet door to this space that is not insulated.
How should we insulate this space to improve our energy savings? Should we add more batt insulation to the back side of the existing wall insulation and also add more fiberglass batts to the existing floor insulation, along with insulating the door to the space? Also, should we change the exhaust fan hose to an insulated one with vapour barrier? Should we look at adding roof vents as well? We are a bit confused as to how we should proceed.
If we open the space to the outside, we should technically remove the insulation in the roof rafters. As this insulation contains Zonolite, this would be a costly endeavor, far exceeding the energy savings gained. At a minimum, I believe I should insulate the exhaust-fan hosing and perhaps add something to prevent backdrafts down the pipe into our home.
In addition, we are now getting ice dams and icicles along the south side of our roof along the eavestrough outside the knee wall area. This, I believe, is an indicator of heat loss through the roof from the knee wall area.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Dave Mainprize
ANSWER: You appear to already be well on the way to understanding the issues of improperly insulated and vented knee wall attics in contributing to ice damming and other issues in your home. You appear to have a few remaining items to address before having a significant improvement in heat retention and prevention of moisture issues.
One of the biggest issues I see during inspections is related to improper insulation and ventilation in older 1 1/2- and 2 1/2-storey homes. As you've observed, one of the main problems is improper insulation of the area between the rafters in the small knee wall attic spaces. This is the primary area of concern in your home, as you already have some insulation in the proper locations -- the attic floor and knee walls.
Removal of the old rock wool from between the rafters is normally a straightforward job, but yours is complicated by the presence of vermiculite, which may contain asbestos. While disturbing this type of insulation in a sealed attic is not recommended, you have little choice. Since this potentially hazardous material is already in the knee wall attic floor, and you do not have a well-sealed door, dealing with it is imperative.
It's probably better to leave this insulation in the knee wall attic than try to remove it. I suspect that there is a minimal amount of vermiculite in between the rafters in your knee wall attic, due to the typical method of installation.
This material was normally installed by pouring into cavities from large bags. These cavities are between ceiling joists in the bottom of attics, or between studs in walls. To access the area between the rafters in your knee wall attics, this material would have to have been poured in from the main attic, above the visible sloped ceilings in the upper floor rooms.
To get this material all the way into these cavities would have required the old insulation to be removed from between the rafters inside the knee wall attics and the sloped bedroom ceilings. It appears that this has not been done in your home, as there is still older rock wool present.
It's my guess that the vermiculite you are seeing may have been installed in the upper attic and is only a small amount that may have slid down the sloped ceilings through small gaps in the old insulation. If this is the case, there should be minimal amounts disturbed when you remove the old fir boards and rock wool from the rafters.
Regardless of the amount, you must take special precautions to prevent breathing in any of this insulation and protect the living area from contamination. Breathing protection should be a respirator rated for asbestos and your body should be covered from head to toe, preferably with disposable coveralls and gloves.
The first order of business is to properly insulate and seal the knee wall access hatch, probably with extruded polystyrene sheathing and weatherstripping. After insulating the exhaust-fan ducts and sealing the knee wall attic floor where these pipes come through, the boards and loose insulation can be removed from between the rafters. It may be most practical to leave the insulation that falls from this area on the attic floor, to prevent possible contamination of the home if you try to remove it. The old window may come in handy to dispose of the old fir boards without taking them through the house.
Once this is all out, covering the entire knee wall attic floor with a thick layer of new cellulose fibre insulation will be your best option. This should cover any loose vermiculite and prevent future friability of any asbestos fibres.
Adding more insulation to the knee walls themselves would help with heat loss, but may not be necessary and too difficult to accomplish in the small space. Installation of several roof vents, near the top of the knee wall attics, will finish the job, preventing moisture issues and further ice damming.
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: Cleaning a treasured copper baby cup
QUESTION: How do I clean copper? I have a copper baby cup (back from the "coppercraft" days) my mom gave to me 26 years ago. She passed away 1 1/2 years ago at 51, so now I want to bring the cup out of hiding, clean it up and display it with her dinnerware that I now have in a china cabinet.
The copper is shiny, so I am guessing that it has a lacquer finish on it. The discoloring on it looks like fine black cracks. There are a few different spots, some about the size of a quarter and the rest about the size of the end of a pen. The handle of the cup is the worst; it looks like a cross between tarnish and these tiny, fine cracks. Would this be 'bronze disease' or something else?
I have another question: Do you have a foolproof way of killing weeds? Are there any solutions to killing weeds but not the cedars? We have tried a few different suggestions from people, but no success. We have a good-sized yard and many spots with landscaping mulch or bark or rocks and we constantly have weeds coming up, especially the area next to our back fence (along the alley). We also have landscaping fabric in some of these spots and the weeds are poking through the fabric.
We really don't want to spend our life weeding, I thought these landscaping materials were supposed to minimize or eliminate weeds. What are we doing wrong? Tracy, Winnipeg
ANSWER: With the copper piece being so special to you, it may be worth it to take it to a jeweller and have it professionally cleaned especially since you are not 100 per cent sure if the cup is lacquered.
If you choose to tackle this project yourself, there are several household cleaning methods available as well as suitable products such as Wright's Copper Polishing Cream. However, I've found that one of the best products for removing tarnish and oxidation (that green stuff you sometimes find on old copper) is cleaner made for cleaning ceramic cook tops. This gentle abrasive product cleans away dirt that's settled into engraving without damaging any finish or scratching the metal. To polish old copper:
1. Spread ceramic cook top cleaner over the metal.
2. Use a soft brush to clean around molding and engraving.
3. Let dry.
4. Buff away polish with a soft cloth, using the brush to clean away any polish that has caked around molding or engraved lines.
In terms of the weeds, constant upkeep is part of life and something that we cannot get away from all together. The secret? Attack early. Getting weeds out of the garden at the start of the season, when they're most vulnerable, is a smart strategy for two reasons: it keeps annual weeds from forming seed heads and it keeps perennial weeds from developing deeper roots.
Remember, the root should be completely removed, even to its root depth. If the roots are six inches deep, make sure you dig the roots up from that depth as well. This can be accomplished by loosening the soil around the weed roots and slowly removing the weed back and forth from the soil. If the ground is too hard, try soaking it a little to ease the root removal process. Some people will even use hot water from a kettle to poor on shallow rooted weeds (like spurge) to help loosen up the soil or even kill weeds on the spot!
Landscape fabric used must be high quality and overlap so that no weeds or seeds can sneak in between layers. Also, make sure that no weeds sit on top of the fabric when laying it down so that they don't plant themselves. To kill weeds spray 100 per cent pickling vinegar onto weeds, but keep in mind that vinegar will kill all greenery that it touches.
Make sure to bag and throw away your clippings when you dig up weeds. This helps prevent the seeds from spreading. Excellent fertilization is also a good defensive step against weeds. Using the right type of fertilizer that possesses the best combination of nitrogen and other important compounds four times a year will go a long way in improving the health of your yard. But don't be surprised if some stubborn weeds still persist in growing; that's the time when other more aggressive steps must be taken to achieve effective weed control.
Let's talk mulch; the particle size of the mulch will determine the depth of the application. Apply coarse-textured mulches, such as bark and wood chips, four inches deep for weed control. Apply fine-textured mulches, such as shredded leaves or dry grass clippings, about two inches deep. Keep all mulches several inches away from the stems of plants or the trunks of trees and shrubs to prevent disease.
Lastly, herbicides are chemicals used to kill weeds. They are generally the last resort for home gardeners. Herbicides have several disadvantages:
-- They are expensive.
-- They are difficult to apply with accuracy.
-- Drifting or leaching may occur and damage desirable plants.
-- Proper storage and handling may be a problem.
-- Many herbicides are labelled for specific crops and are not suitable for a garden with a wide variety of crops.
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
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Finding kitchen moisture source critical
QUESTION: Recently we have noticed a sizable hump in our kitchen floor which has been getting progressively worse. We have a very high-end laminate floor and it seems to be lifting along one of the seams directly beside the refrigerator. In the past we have checked for any water damage from around the sink and dishwasher and also see no damage to the basement ceiling. Our basement is unfinished so visibility is good. Today we pulled out the refrigerator and noticed that the toe plate on that side of the counter is swollen and very dark. It looks like water damage but we can see no sign of any wet areas or stains. Could the refrigerator be causing this problem? It is well-vented according to the manual, however it has a bottom-mounted freezer.
Could it be causing condensation of some sort? If you feel that it is indeed a moisture problem, as we suspect, what options would we have? Do you have any suggestions of where to start to correct this problem? Your opinion would be very much appreciated. Best regards. Cathy and Stan Falk
ANSWER: The damage you are seeing to your kitchen floor is undoubtedly due to moisture and finding the source is critical in solving this problem. There are several possibilities and they should be eliminated one by one until the true source is found, and then actions taken to stop further deterioration.
It's understandable that it may have been difficult to locate the source of your buckling flooring initially. Because laminate flooring has a very durable surface, but a substrate that is very susceptible to moisture damage, deterioration may go unnoticed for some time. When water seeps through the joints between the individual planks, or gets under the flooring itself, the fibreboard core may begin to swell without any visible signs on the surface. Often, it is too late to do anything to stop further deterioration once this has occurred. For this reason, I always caution my clients to quickly wipe up any water that drips or spills onto the surface of laminate flooring, especially in kitchens. I also recommend against using this product in any bathrooms for the same reason.
While it is possible that the initial bump in your floor could be due to typical floor movement and shifting, the swelling and staining at the bottom of the kitchen cabinets is a dead give-away for water damage. Somehow, moisture is being absorbed by the particleboard in this area, causing similar deterioration to that seen in your flooring. The question to address is where this moisture is coming from.
When trying to identify the source of something like this, I always start looking at the most common culprits. If the kitchen sink or dishwasher are directly adjacent to this area, start there. It is quite common for kitchen faucets to drip undetected, especially from retractable hoses for spray wands, inside cabinets. If the bottom of the cabinet is solid, without any pipe protrusions or holes, water damage is normally seen in the cabinet itself. If the cabinet has any openings, particularly in the bottom around water supply or drain pipes, look there first. While it may not be readily visible with the naked eye, try pushing a rolled up paper towel into these openings until it touches the actual subfloor and see if it comes out wet. If it is damp, you have likely found the source of the water.
A dripping or sweating water supply pipe or faucet can produce a lot of moisture, which may be running along the subfloor beneath the cabinet. This may run downhill until it reaches an obstruction, in your case the cabinet gable or kick plate. This water will be wicked up into the man-made, wood-based cabinet, causing the swelling and staining you have observed. If there is enough moisture, it could also run underneath the cabinet and eventually be absorbed into the base of the laminate flooring. This would certainly cause the flooring to buckle as it swelled, creating the floor hump and lifting floor seams you have observed.
If the area under the sink and cabinet are dry, and no visible leakage or moisture is seen on the water pipes in this area, the next probabilities are the dishwasher and fridge. Built-in dishwashers can be problematic when there are leaks, because the water supply connections, and a good portion of the flexible drain hose, are hidden underneath. To accommodate this, most manufacturers have easily removable kick plates to inspect this area. Once you have removed this metal covering, shine a good flashlight in this area and look for pooling water. If none is visible, try the paper towel trick again, this time laying out a sheet or two flat, to see if any water is absorbed. The best time to evaluate a leaking dishwasher is right after a complete cycle, as the leakage could also be through the door from a damaged gasket or hardware. If nothing is visible from this and the sink, move on to the refrigerator.
While I am not very familiar with the components of the newer bottom-mounted freezer units, most modern fridges have integral defrost mechanisms. These defrosters can become blocked with dirt or other obstructions and can leak water. If there is an evaporation pan underneath the fridge, it will usually catch any of this excess water, where it can be harmlessly dried, but these can also become damaged or overflow. Pull out the owner's manual and see if there are instructions for cleaning or inspecting the defrost system. If this is the item responsible for the water, doing the required maintenance may solve the issue. If you can't find this information, and it appears that the fridge is leaking or condensation is forming on the outside anywhere, call an appliance repair company immediately.
Unfortunately, once laminate flooring is swelled, replacement of the damaged sections is the only repair. Hopefully you have a few extra replacement planks saved, but this can only be done once the cause of the damage is found. While it appears obvious that water is causing this damage, finding the source and stopping it may be a little less simple.
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: Golden brown the colour of bread baking
QUESTION: I am new to the art of baking bread. Can you please tell me how a person can tell when bread is fully baked? Elaine, Pelican Lake
ANSWER: The first test is colour. Baked bread should be a nice golden brown colour, especially if you brush it with egg white before baking. The bread should feel firm but not hard, the easiest way to determine this is to remove it from the pan. Turn the loaf over and tap the bottom. If the loaf is properly baked, it should sound hollow.
QUESTION: Love your columns. I was gifted a lovely Harrods tote bag. Unfortunately it has some writing on it in felt marker, I have tried several ideas but nothing is budging. Can you help? I LOVE this bag! Phyllis, Winnipeg
ANSWER: The risk in trying a variety of products is that certain products set stains, however if the bag is unusable as is you have nothing to lose. Spray the area with bug repellent and blot with water until marker is gone. A nurse recently told me that she uses waterless hand cleaner to get permanent marker out of fabric. Other possible solutions: Mr. Clean original cleaner, hairspray, rubbing alcohol, WD-40, Sunlight laundry bar soap or soak the stain overnight in paint thinner and wash. Repeat as necessary. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first and rinse well between cleaning attempts.
QUESTION: I have been trying to buy washing soda to clean my cutlery according to your article. So far I have had no luck. Can you please tell me who carries the product? Thank you. Barbara, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Washing soda is or at least used to be carried by; Superstore, Sobeys or Safeway. Washing soda sits in the laundry aisle and if you can't find Arm & Hammer So Clean Washing Soda; salt, baking soda or borax are the next best thing.
QUESTION: What is the best way to clean a large tapestry wall hanging? I have had it in my home for 10 years and never cleaned it. Karen, Winkler
ANSWER: Change the attachment on your vacuum from floor to brush. Run the vacuum along every area of the tapestry including the very top. Do not soak tapestry with water; however, spot clean areas with water on a cloth and a small amount of dish soap. For thorough cleaning, contact local dry cleaners. Be prepared to give dimensions when you call.
Tips for cleaning backyard play structures:
While many play structures are low-maintenance investments and require very little care, here are a few hints for maintaining a safe, long-lasting structure.
-- Towards the end of play structure season, hose the equipment with a pressure hose. Doing this removes old spider webs and stuck-on particles that the rain was unable to hit.
-- Check the entire structure for loose bolts. Tighten all bolts and spray metal with WD-40 to reduce the risk of rusty bolts on the frame.
-- Sand all areas of the play structure that feel rough, this will guard against painful splinters to users.
-- Consider purchasing sealants made for exterior play structures and apply according to instructions.
-- If necessary replace ground cushion i.e. pad, sand etc. for underneath the play structure.
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!
