Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Hot water still cleans better
QUESTION: My son started washing his own laundry at home. He insists on using cold water to wash everything because he says hot water fades colours. I noticed when he pulls some of his T-shirts out of the dryer, they have mould stains all over them. Is this because he does not use hot water? (I never have this problem.) Rebecca, Portage la Prairie
ANSWER: First of all, good for your son that he is putting time and effort into learning the art of laundry care. After all, with the amount of money many people spend on clothes, it stands to reason that we want them to last! Cold water is a smart choice when it comes to water and energy conservation. It is also important to note that water temperature 27 C (80 F) or hotter is best for getting fabrics clean. It sounds as though you hit the nail on the head -- in order to get rid of mould on his T-shirt, he requires hot water. He may also want to experiment with detergents specifically designed for cold-water washing.
In order to avoid faded colours in fabrics, simply avoid the use of the dryer, because the heat of the dryer will fade colours quickly. Hang clothes or lay them flat to dry and iron them when damp or dry.
QUESTION: Do you have a solution for stainless steel flatware coming out of the dishwasher with what appears to be rust marks and stains? Brand new stainless sets come out of the dishwasher with these stains and they look horrible. In speaking with the manufacturer, they suggest insuring we wash the entire cutlery batch free of deposits. Why bother using the dishwasher then? We have older sets of cutlery that are more than 20 years old and this problem doesn't happen to them. Has the quality of stainless cutlery gone down or is the dishwasher responsible? Any advice would be appreciated. Ernie, Winnipeg
ANSWER: It sounds as though you have purchased inferior, imported steel cutlery, because typical acceptable stainless steel flatware has a composition of 18% chromium and 10 per cent nickel, and true stainless steel should not rust easily. This will likely be an ongoing challenge. You can switch detergents from liquid to powder or powder to liquid and add rinse agent to the dishwasher. And you may be inclined to soak cutlery in white vinegar after taking it out of the dishwasher and then polishing each piece so it always looks clean. Avoid detergents that contain citrus as this can add to the rust. Your best bet, as you suggested, is to forget the dishwasher altogether for this cutlery.
Feedback from Manitobans who care:
Hello Reena,
I follow your column in the Winnipeg Free Press, mainly for cleaning tips. I thought I would share my tip for dealing with bathroom mould after reading your answer to Jacquie in your column of May 12. I have a tiled shower, and the grout was constantly growing unsightly mould. I grew tired of the constant cleaning, and my solution involves about 90 seconds of work performed after each shower: I keep a separate towel to wipe down the tile, and I haven't had a mould problem in years! Anonymous
Hey Reena,
Just wanted to share with you something that I discovered; I was at a party and looking great, when all of a sudden I realized the back of my earring had disappeared. I quickly pulled a pencil out of my purse and broke off the eraser on the end. I then used the broken eraser as a stopper for my earring and it worked perfectly! Linda
Frozen blueberry tips
- When it comes to using frozen blueberries in a recipe, do not allow them to thaw first. Adding them while frozen will preserve the texture and prevent them from bleeding into the other ingredients and changing the colour of your baking. Note: If the skin is not broken, a blueberry will not bleed colour.
- Before adding frozen blueberries to your pie, sprinkle the crust with 45 millilitres (3 tablespoons) of cornstarch right before adding the berries. This absorbs liquid and prevents a soggy crust.
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org . You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
Renovation & Design
Upgrade windows for energy efficiency
UPGRADING windows is an investment that improves street appeal and makes a home more energy efficient.
Retrofitting with Energy Starrated windows will improve the comfort of your home, but there are a few items to consider when choosing them.
When looking for the right company to manufacture and install your windows, check for warranties that cover both manufacturing and installation defects and make sure you compare apples with apples. Some companies manufacture, sell and install, while others rely on separate warranties from manufacturers, distributors and installers. Check who holds the warranty and that the warranty is transferable. Ask for references.
Ensure that any contractor coming to work in your home has WCB coverage and third-party liability insurance.
Consider Energy Star-rated lowE windows squared with argon gas. Low-emissivity windows (known as low-E) use an almost invisible metal coating to reduce heat loss, reflect outside heat in summer and block ultraviolet light, which fades draperies, carpets and furniture. Best of all: two low-E panes with an insulating gas like argon between them make them more energy efficient.
See if your supplier provides a “house-as-a-system” approach to energy efficiency, by providing a list of your home’s overall energyefficiency performance, including insulation levels, ventilation, draft-proofing and controls, and recommendations for other areas of home savings. This service will enhance the performance of your new windows.
Buying energy-efficient windows does not mean sacrificing style. All styles and sizes of windows can be more efficient, and it’s not just the glass. The casings, the installation and even the mechanisms can help increase efficiency. The right windows will enhance the beauty of your home and save you a considerable sum on your heating costs.
Check your new windows for premium locking systems. Safety glass can be used on main floors or sidelights of entry doors for extra security.
- Glass assembly: Are all units double-sealed using foam and a proven secondary seal?
- Hardware: Is it durable to ensure years of maintenance-free operation and enjoyment? Also, using a warm-edge white superspacer product will provide you with one of the best glass spacers available.
- Welding: Is the frame fused for strength and durability and will it eliminate water leakage on corners.
- Screens: Are screens springmounted into the frame for a secure fit and ease of removal?
- Energy Star is the international symbol of energy efficiency. It helps consumers identify home appliances and energy-using equipment that saves energy. With UV protection, energy-efficient windows can also minimize sun damage to the skin and eyes of the home’s residents.
There are grants available if you upgrade your windows through the federal eco Energy Retrofit for Homes program.
— Postmedia News
For more home-improvement information, to send Shell an email or to find a certified window-installation contractor in your area, go to www. AskShell.com
Renovation & Design
Worrying about radon justifiable
Something I haven't spoken about in a while is now suddenly a hot topic again. What's everyone asking about? Radon. Go figure.
Most people are scared of radon. The truth is not a lot of people know what it is. They usually think it's a soil problem, but it's actually a gas problem.
Radon comes from uranium in the ground. Uranium is everywhere. It's in all kinds of soil. And when it breaks down, it produces a radioactive gas that's odourless, colourless and tasteless. This gas is radon.
When radon gas is released in the air outside, it gets diluted. But if it finds its way into your home, it can accumulate. That's when it becomes dangerous.
How does radon come into a home? Through unfinished floors, pipes, windows, sumps, cracks in foundation walls and floors or even through foundation walls. Remember, concrete is porous. Radon is a gas, so it can come through the tiny holes in a home's foundation walls.
Being exposed to high doses of radon over a long period of time is a huge health risk. According to Health Canada, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. In fact, 10 per cent of all cases of lung cancer in Canada are caused by radon.
Is this serious? Let's look at the facts: It's estimated that 2,000 people die every year in Canada due to radon. Think that's bad? In the U.S., it's about 20,000.
Between 2009 and 2010, Health Canada did a cross-country survey. Turns out, about 7 per cent of Canadians are living in homes with radon levels above the guideline.
How much radon is too much? It used to be 800 Bq/m3 or 800 becquerels per cubic metre. (Becquerels are used to measure radioactive concentration.) Then in 2007, it was lowered to 200 Bq/m3.
The survey also showed different parts of the country have different levels of radon. For example, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and the Yukon had the highest percentages. Nunavut and Prince Edward Island had the lowest. Anywhere uranium is mined, you're going to have higher radon levels.
But regardless of where you live, there's no way of knowing if you have a radon problem -- unless you test for it. One house can have radon levels next to zero. You go to the house next door and the levels can be off the charts.
These levels also fluctuate. Depending on the weather, humidity, the home or the time of year, radon levels will be higher or lower.
For example, during the winter we keep our windows and doors shut. This lets radon accumulate in the home. That's why radon levels tend to be higher in the winter. And for that reason, it's also the best time to test for radon.
There are radon test kits homeowners can buy at big-box stores or from organizations such as Pinchin Environmental, but testing can be tricky.
There are specific requirements when you test for radon. For example, you need to place the detector in the lowest part of the house that's occupied for at least four hours a day. It can't be anywhere where there's humidity, like the kitchen or bathroom. It can't be near any vents. There can't be any objects around it. It needs to be a certain distance away from interior walls, exterior walls, below the ceiling and above the ground. If you don't follow these instructions carefully, you mess up the test.
That's why there are professionals who know how to measure for radon. Who's a pro? Someone who is certified by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or National Radon Safety Board (NRSB).
There are short-term and long-term tests for radon. Short-term is usually over two to seven days and long-term is anywhere from one to 12 months. The longer you test the better. Health Canada recommends a minimum of three months.
But what if there is a radon issue? Should you be waiting for months to find out?
Your best bet is to do a short-term radon test in closed conditions. That means keeping windows and doors shut as much as possible -- some homeowners do it while they're away on vacation. And if the results show you've got radon levels higher than 200 Bq/m3, call in a pro to verify.
If you have a radon problem it can cost $1,500 to $3,000 to fix it. You need to call in a contractor who has experience in dealing with radon mitigation, with certification from the National Radon Proficiency Program.
Capping sump pumps and sealing foundation cracks help, but the most effective method is drilling a hole through the basement floor and installing a pipe with a fan.
Is radon something we should think about? Yes. Should we panic? No. Is it more serious than something like mould or asbestos? As far as I'm concerned, they're all bad. If you have high levels of radon in your house, it's bad. If you have asbestos or mould in your house, it's bad.
Bottom line: Whether it's mould, asbestos or radon, any time our health or our family's health is compromised, we need to be concerned.
-- Postmedia News
Renovation & Design
Upgrade windows for energy efficiency
UPGRADING windows is an investment that improves street appeal and makes a home more energy efficient.
Retrofitting with Energy Star-rated windows will improve the comfort of your home, but there are a few items to consider when choosing them.
When looking for the right company to manufacture and install your windows, check for warranties that cover both manufacturing and installation defects and make sure you compare apples with apples. Some companies manufacture, sell and install, while others rely on separate warranties from manufacturers, distributors and installers. Check who holds the warranty and that the warranty is transferable. Ask for references.
Ensure that any contractor coming to work in your home has WCB coverage and third-party liability insurance.
Consider Energy Star-rated low-E windows squared with argon gas. Low-emissivity windows (known as low-E) use an almost invisible metal coating to reduce heat loss, reflect outside heat in summer and block ultraviolet light, which fades draperies, carpets and furniture. Best of all: two low-E panes with an insulating gas like argon between them make them more energy efficient.
See if your supplier provides a "house-as-a-system" approach to energy efficiency, by providing a list of your home's overall energy-efficiency performance, including insulation levels, ventilation, draft-proofing and controls, and recommendations for other areas of home savings. This service will enhance the performance of your new windows.
Buying energy-efficient windows does not mean sacrificing style. All styles and sizes of windows can be more efficient, and it's not just the glass. The casings, the installation and even the mechanisms can help increase efficiency. The right windows will enhance the beauty of your home and save you a considerable sum on your heating costs.
Check your new windows for premium locking systems. Safety glass can be used on main floors or sidelights of entry doors for extra security.
-- Glass assembly: Are all units double-sealed using foam and a proven secondary seal?
-- Hardware: Is it durable to ensure years of maintenance-free operation and enjoyment? Also, using a warm-edge white super-spacer product will provide you with one of the best glass spacers available.
-- Welding: Is the frame fused for strength and durability and will it eliminate water leakage on corners?
-- Screens: Are screens spring-mounted into the frame for a secure fit and ease of removal?
Energy Star is the international symbol of energy efficiency. It helps consumers identify home appliances and energy-using equipment that saves energy. With UV protection, energy-efficient windows can also minimize sun damage to the skin and eyes of the home's residents.
There are grants available if you upgrade your windows through the federal eco Energy Retrofit for Homes program.
-- Postmedia News
For more home-improvement information, to send Shell an email or to find a certified window-installation contractor in your area, go to www.AskShell.com
Renovation & Design
No simple answer to heating a crawl space
QUESTION: Firstly, thank you for saving me with your previous article on how to properly heat a crawl space. I had purchased the R20 insulation and was about to start insulating the floor until I read your article.
Quick question for you. Our addition is eight feet by 42 feet and the space above is part of a great room and our master bedroom. What type and how many heaters should I hang from the floor joists to help provide comfort above?
I look forward to your response.
Bill Moons
ANSWER: I'm very pleased that advice I provided in a previous article helped save you the effort of improperly insulating the floor of your crawl space, and the more difficult job of having to remove it later on. I'm sure insulating the perimeter of the crawl space has made the area much better.
Your question about heating the properly insulated crawl space provides a different set of challenges and will depend on various factors. It would be very simple for me to suggest you install two or three baseboard heaters and thermostats in your crawl space, which may be sufficient, but that would not be the best practice.
Heating a space depends on several factors and should be determined by a professional trained to read heating charts and make such a determination. A licensed HVAC contractor or an electrician familiar with such installations should be consulted before purchasing and installing any heaters. They should do calculations based on published data to determine the required amount of heat, normally measured in BTUs or equivalent.
Once this is established, the amount could be converted to KW if electric heaters are being installed and the appropriate equipment purchased.
The reason this is not that simple is because there are other variables when determining the amount of heat required for your crawl space. The location of your home, the amount of tree cover, proximity to neighbouring homes or structures and other environmental factors should be considered.
The amount of insulation inside the perimeter grade beam or knee-wall will be another factor, and the height of the crawl space above the ground will also be used to calculate the total volume of air to be heated in this space. All of these items should be checked and measured to ensure you are providing sufficient thermal requirements for your home.
Another consideration is the capacity of your electrical system for adding heating units. If you have a modern 200-amp system, there should be little concern with installation of electric heaters for your crawl space or the additional living space above. But if you only have 100-amp service, you may be limited in capacity.
Most homes, at least those of typical size, will be adequately served by a modern 100-amp system, as long as they have natural-gas heating. If you upgraded to a 200-amp service when the addition was constructed, installation of a few baseboard heaters should be a simple affair. But if you have a smaller service, you may be overtaxing your system if you install too many electric heaters. Again, consultation with an electrical or heating contractor will easily answer that concern.
The final consideration is the type of heating system to be installed. If you have a forced-air system, either natural gas or electric, you may be able to use it, as long as it has sufficient additional heating capacity. If there is an access hatch, or an old abandoned window connecting your basement with the crawl space, that may allow use of your existing heating system. Additional ducting could be installed and run into the crawl space through this access port to pump warm air into the area, and a return air duct added to help circulate the forced air back to the furnace.
The main advantage of this system over baseboards is the drying effect of the air on an often-humid space. Electric baseboards are inexpensive and easy to install, but do little to eliminate moisture because they don't move the air in the crawl space.
So, you should first consult a professional heating contractor to look at the crawl space, assess your current heating system and provide you with options. If it's determined your furnace has enough capacity to heat the area below your crawl space, and access is present, I would get a quote to run ducting for forced-air heat.
However, if this is too difficult due to limited access to the existing ducting or to the crawl space, electric baseboard heat is the way to go. In that case, the heating technician should be able to measure the area, determine how much insulation is present and do a few simple calculations to figure out the heating requirements.
Once that's done, the only thing left to determine is where to put the new heaters, how many, and how many KW for each unit.
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
Renovation & Design
How to get those mushrooms looking clean
QUESTION: What is the best way to clean mushrooms? I buy them in bulk and soak them in hot water to get rid of all of the dirt, but they still look dirty.
Joy (Emerson)
ANSWER: When purchasing mushrooms, begin by buying them through a reliable source as picking wild mushrooms can be dangerous. Store mushrooms in the fridge in either a brown paper bag or on a plate covered with a damp cloth or paper towel.
Unless you are dealing with dried mushrooms, it is never advisable to soak them in water because they are very porous, much like sponges. All that is required for fresh mushrooms (which, by the way, are grown in a sterile environment) is to either wipe them with a damp cloth or brush them with a toothbrush or mushroom brush. Avoid peeling mushrooms, as doing this takes much of the flavour away from them.
QUESTION: I know bats are beneficial to our environment, however, we do have a problem with them roosting on our home for a few hours every night. They are staining our stucco with their droppings. I hose off the droppings and have tried scrubbing the stains but nothing seems to work. If you have any suggestions on how to keep them from roosting, that would be my first request. And how can I remove the stains that they leave behind? Thank you for your help!
Sincerely, Amy (Kasota, Minn.)
ANSWER: The easiest way to prevent bats from roosting on your home is to light it up. Bats prefer dark and quiet environments. Therefore, if you can shine a spotlight on several areas of your home, this will help discourage them.
Secondly, screen the areas where the bats tend to roost to encourage them to find another location to live, such as a bat house. Put jars of Vicks VapoRub where the bats like to hang out, as they hate the smell. Lastly, if you don't mind bats living nearby, consider investing in a bat house. This will be a good compromise for both of you.
If you choose to invest in a bat house, place it in a high area that has the most sunlight. Although bats do not enjoy light, they do like warmth, and once the climate of the bat house is toasty and comfy, the bats will be able to call it home.
Cleaning bat droppings is not risk-free and may contaminate other areas of your home and yourself. It is not clear what kind of surfaces you are attempting to clean. Stucco, siding, brick? One option is muriatic acid, a dangerous and powerful cleaner for concrete surfaces, use with caution according to the directions on the container. However because muriatic acid is so strong, you may want to begin with something a little less dangerous, such as phosphoric acid masonry cleaner or TSP. Warning: It is important never to mix TSP with any acid! Test on an inconspicuous area first. WD-40 is an option for siding and smoother surfaces.
QUESTION: I am desperate! I have fancy quilts made by my mother. She kept them in a plastic bag with mothballs and yes. you guessed it, I can't get the smell out. I need your help! Cecile (Elkhorn)
ANSWER: Put the quilts inside of a large plastic bag. In with the quilts, place a box of fabric softener sheets such as Bounce. Leave for a few weeks and remove the quilts from the bag. Other options to place inside the garbage bag are: activated charcoal, a bottle of essential oils or coffee grounds. Be sure to confine any of these items into containers that will not spill onto the quilts.
Reena Nerbas' website is www.householdsolutions.org . You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.