Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Pack insulation against a stone foundation
Question: We have a 100-year old-house in Wolseley and I am planning to insulate my interior basement walls. I have lived here for 15 years and have never had any water or moisture enter the basement through the walls or floor. I know that the weeping tile is no longer functioning. Do you think I can get away without replacing the weeping tile.
-- Adrian Challis
My 21/2-storey house was built in 1913. It has a stone foundation in very good shape. The basement is dry for the most part. Occasionally, water will seep in one corner of the basement in the spring and sometimes after a very heavy rain. It does get a musty smell in the summer, but I don't see any water. I don't remember having any water come in this year at all, even with all the rain we had. Some of the stone has become exposed, with the parging fallen off in some places. Some cracks in the walls have been repaired sometime in the past. I've replaced missing mortar in a few places on the exterior walls.
My question is regarding insulating the walls. I was looking for some good info on the Internet, and it appears the consensus is not to insulate the walls. This seems to be your opinion as stated in a previous column. I'm trying to save some money on energy, not trying to create living space, just a laundry room, storage and a workshop. I already studded, insulated and vapour-barriered about a third of the basement walls a few years ago. I used R12 batt insulation between 2x studs. The insulation is not touching the stone wall, as the studs are out from the wall about an inch. There is some air space between the bottom plate and the concrete floor in some places, due to the unevenness of the concrete floor.
If there is a chance for some air circulation between the interior wall and the stone foundation below the space between the floor joists, would this be sufficient to keep the stone wall warm enough so any moisture wouldn't freeze? This would allow any moisture to run down the wall and drain out under the studded wall. I already bought five bags of insulation a few years ago, so I can't return them. Styrofoam SM, as you know, is very expensive to do a whole basement, especially to R12. As I said earlier, I'm trying to save some money, not create an R2000 energy-efficient home. Also, I understand the need for access behind the drywall for possible future wall repairs. The drywall has been screwed on, but the joints and screw heads have not been taped and mudded.
Please share your thoughts on my idea.
-- Mark Merrick
ANSWER: With the recent summer heat wave, it may seem like a strange time to be answering these two questions on insulating basements, but this is actually an ideal time to complete the work, while the weather is warm. While both of your questions deal with different issues, they do have similarities in a desire for answers about insulating old stone foundations, and will be addressed together.
You are correct in stating, in the second question, that I am not a big fan of insulating older stone foundations. The main reason for this viewpoint is the difficulty in accessing the interior of these foundations for mortar repairs after the walls are insulated. Almost all of these older foundations will require regular reointing of the mortar between the stones, due to deterioration. If this critical maintenance is not done, the structural integrity of the foundation could be compromised and moisture intrusion will be much more likely. If the foundation is left uncovered, it should be relatively easy to monitor the mortar for damage and repair it as required. I have also read various opinions that insulation can create problems with increased deterioration to the mortar due to freezing, but I'm not sure if that is a legitimate concern or not.
Weeping-tile replacement should not be a major concern if your foundation is dry, and lots of these older foundations that I have inspected never had weeping tiles installedin the first place. To properly replace or install weeping tile, the entire exterior of the foundation would have to be excavated, which should not be necessary unless the basement is leaky or badly deteriorated. If there is no visible seepage through the stone walls, your grading and water management must be quite effective and may be the only item to address on the exterior in the future.
If both of you are insistent on insulating the interior of your foundation walls, care must be taken to avoid a common error identified in the second inquiry. You must never leave a gap between the foundation walls and the insulation, no matter what type of insulation you are using. While this seems like a good idea, it is the worst possible thing you can do to prevent moisture issues. Any air gap left between the insulation and the foundation walls can cause frost to build up on the cold stone walls due to warm air intrusion from the basement in the winter. Because the insulation prevents heat from the home maintaining a relatively warm interior surface temperature on the foundation, condensation is almost guaranteed. Leaving a small gap at the bottom of the wall plate will be hard to prevent and will allow melted frost to leak out and dry, but ensuring the cavity behind the walls is completely filled with insulation will help prevent the frost in the first place.
While it is commendable to attempt to insulate an older foundation to prevent heat loss and achieve, lower utility bills, care must be taken with stone foundations for the reasons given. The main consideration is the condition of the foundation. If it is dry, you should be fine; if it is damp, you should reconsider until the moisture problem is solved.
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
Find hole to help patching new beach ball
QUESTION -- I just purchased a brand-new beach ball and already it has a hole in it. How can I locate the hole so that I can successfully patch it? Jessie, Winnipeg
ANSWER -- Sometimes if you put your ear to the ball, you can locate the hole within seconds. Another solution is to fill a bucket or sink with water. Hold your beach ball under the water. Observe where the bubbles are coming from. Remove the ball from the water, dry and circle the hole with a marker. Lay the ball flat and adhere a patch. If you do not have a proper beach ball patch, dab superglue around the hole making sure that the glue surrounds the hole. Stick Tuck tape onto the area and press. Leave for 24 hours before inflating ball.
QUESTION -- My friend recently had her diamond ring cleaned; it now sparkles as if it were brand-new. Without taking my ring in to be cleaned, how can I make it shine? Celeste (Piney, Man.)
ANSWER -- If you really want to make your ring sparkle, it is important to clean it regularly, especially if you wear it day after day. In a measuring cup, mix 1 part household ammonia to 6 parts warm water. Soak the ring for at least 5 minutes. Remove the ring and polish with a little dish soap and an old toothbrush. Rinse the ring with water and -- voila -- the ring will shine once again.
QUESTION -- The lower element of my oven is hidden. I baked a strawberry/rhubarb pie and to prevent the juices from dripping, I put a sheet of aluminum foil on the oven floor -- big mistake. Part of the foil stuck to the oven and looks like it is melted on. There is probably no solution for my stupidity but just thought I would ask you. Enjoy your column. Grace, Winnipeg
ANSWER -- I am assuming that you are talking about a self-clean oven. While there isn't any safe way to quickly remove the foil without damaging the porcelain finish of the oven. You can use a plastic scrub pad, some liquid dish soap and a plastic scraper to remove loose pieces. This is best done when the oven is warm (be careful not to burn yourself). When you are wiping out the oven, periodically use a plastic scrub pad and each time more will come off. The great news is the self-cleaning oven feature will eventually remove the foil, but it may take several cleaning cycles and a bunch of patience.
QUESTION -- We have a ceiling fixture that has three-inch plastic teardrops hanging from the edge of it. They look discoloured and I wonder what I can use to bring back the clearness of them? Thank you. Ruby (Gretna, Man.)
ANSWER -- Here is my favourite recipe for cleaning plastic teardrops on light fixtures. Cover the floor with newspaper. Combine 1 tsp. rubbing alcohol, 4 cups hot water and 2 tbsp. dishwasher anti spot agent i.e. Jet Dry. Spray onto plastic teardrops, drip dry, no need to polish. Or soak the teardrops (if they are detachable) in this solution, whichever works best for your situation. Taken from Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions.
Fantastic Tips of the Week:
-- I enjoy your column and have also purchased your books. Great advice. I have a tip that has proved invaluable to me since having Silhouette Shades by Hunter Douglas installed in my living and dining room windows. To clean them of any little bugs, dust, etc., I use the can of Compressed Gas/Air Duster, which we use for cleaning the computer keyboard. With the little straw attached, cleaning is a breeze. Hope this helps others. Submitted by: Edna, Winnipeg
-- For moister homemade cake recipes: Add 1 tsp. vinegar to the baking soda in your recipe. Submitted by: Kathy, Winnipeg Beach
Reena Nerbas is a highly popular professional speaker and author of the national bestselling series, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions, Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets and Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives. I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. www.householdsolutions.org
Renovation & Design
Stones easy but not optimal between houses
QUESTION: I'm moving into a new house in a new Winnipeg subdivision and I see many homeowners are now putting gravel at the sides of their houses. Is that something you would recommend? I'm wondering if it would interfere with drainage.
Generally it seems they put down the black cover to prevent weeds and then apply gravel or similar stone out about two feet or so. If my neighbour does it and I don't, will that cause more runoff into the side of my house? Thanks. Bob Mick
ANSWER: You have identified a concern that many people with newly built homes share. There are often complaints with this issue, but most have to do with drainage of sump-pump extension hoses. Your question about using stone or other landscaping materials to cover the soil in this area is an excellent one, which often comes up during inspections on newer homes.
Because current homes are often built so close together, there is limited space in the side yards for good drainage. To combat this problem and to allow for significant soil settlement after backfilling, builders will normally exaggerate the slope needed for proper drainage.
While this often creates a terrific swale to channel the water to the front street, it can create problems if only one neighbour attempts to maintain the steep grade. While it's important to have a moderate slope away from the foundation, trying to get back to the original soil height after a few years may be unnecessary.
Using river stone, crushed stone or other granular fill to cover the surface of the soil between homes is not ideal, but may often be the most practical solution to a difficult situation. This material does not restrict excess moisture from entering the soil beneath and can actually prevent quick drying of the surface soil after precipitation.
The reason the soil in this area is sloped away from the home is to try to channel excess moisture away from the foundation, toward the storm sewers on the front street or the large area of soil in the yard behind or in front of the home. Dumping and packing down clay-based soil in this area will help accomplish that goal, because it has limited ability to absorb water. Once saturated, most of the water will remain on the surface, running down any pitched area to the bottom. If there is granular material on top of this clay, it allows excess water to penetrate to the soil beneath and may prevent easy drainage.
Furthermore, the surface of the soil in the yard should be allowed to easily dry after getting wet to prevent further erosion and to reduce hydrostatic pressure on the foundation. Having a porous surface-covering such as stone may collect debris that will hold the moisture, preventing drying. The rock covering and the landscape fabric below can also keep direct sunlight from hitting the surface soil, further preventing drying. While this moisture-retentive property can be an advantage on hot summer days, it may be detrimental in the shoulder seasons, when we receive a lot of precipitation.
The ideal item to try to maintain in this area is a good cover of grass or other low vegetation. Grass helps to hold the soil together, preventing erosion, and can quickly help the soil dry after heavy rains by absorbing excess moisture for growth.
However, it can be very difficult to grow decent grass in the areas between new homes because of the lack of sunlight. With two-storey homes, the small side yards can remain shaded for large parts of the day, even on the south side. North-side yards can be especially difficult as they may receive no direct sunlight at all.
Compounding this issue is the fact that many homeowners direct their sump-pump extension hoses into the bottom of the swale in this area, often creating over-saturated soil and puddles. If this hose is not frequently moved around during and after heavy rains, the excess water can drown any vegetation trying to take hold. While grass or other low vegetation is ideal for this area, it may be tricky to keep it in good condition.
If you're contemplating using river stone or other granular fill for the purpose discussed, you should ensure one item is always included. Landscape fabric is very important to initially prevent weeds growing up through the stones. While the weed-barrier properties are only good until airborne seeds and debris fill the voids between the stones, I like this synthetic textile for another reason: It allows for easier removal of the surface stone to add additional soil in this area when regrading is needed. If there is no fabric, the stones may easily become driven into the soil and can be very hard to remove.
To sum up, using small stones for a surface covering on the soil adjacent to the foundation on your home may be fine. While it's not optimal, this may be an easy-to-maintain solution for a difficult area. The only thing to remember is that while this material may be easier to take care of than grass, it still requires periodic maintenance to ensure proper drainage beside your home.
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
