Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Why you should never unplug your sump pump
QUESTION: I read your article on sump pumps in the Free Press on April 16. I found it very informative and timely. However, I would have liked to have seen you expand on the issue of never unplugging the sump pump. There must be readers out there who question the wisdom of leaving your pump plugged in during the freezing temperatures, and burning out the motor because of frozen lines. Indeed, why wouldn't I unplug? Is there any harm done leaving it in storage in the pit until spring? I would appreciate your comment. Lorri R.
ANSWER: In an effort to keep my columns fresh and avoid redundancy, I rarely answer questions on the same topic so close together, but yours is not the only inquiry I had on this subject after the recently published article you site. With the rising waters and flood risk increasing for the second time this spring, I thought I would also provide an encore in answering your sump pump question.
In my previous comments, I made a general assumption that most homeowners who have sump pits and pumps understand that they should never be disconnected, but obviously that is not the case. The reason behind this is that the sump pump gives you protection from weeping tile water overfilling the plastic drain lines under your basement floor slab and possibly the sump pit, itself. This is much more of a concern with sump pits installed in newer homes that act as catch basins for the weeping/drain lines, but may also apply to retrofit pits in older homes, to a lesser degree. To understand this fully, I will provide a basic lesson on the function of these sometimes mysterious components of our homes.
A sump pit in a newer home, normally one built in the last 25 years in our area, will be installed to act as a catch basin for all of the water drained from the weeping tile/drainage system. This system of corrugated plastic pipes collects excess ground water from outside the foundation and directs it toward the sump to prevent seepage and excess hydrostatic pressure at the foundation and footing.
In other words, the weeping-tile system keeps your foundation dry and prevents damage from soil pressure. The plastic piping outside the foundation, installed near the bottom of the foundation, is perforated with small openings that collect excess groundwater during rains and spring melts. This water is normally directed through the footing, below the foundation walls, into non-perforated plastic drain piping installed in the substrate below your concrete basement floor slab.
These pipes are gradually sloped toward the sump pit to drain the weeping tile water by gravity. The plastic weeping tile pipes terminates inside the pit, allowing the water to drain to the bottom of the sump, well below the floor slab.
A sump pump is installed near the bottom of the pit, which is equipped with a float or pressure switch that will engage the pump once the water reaches a certain depth, normally below the bottom of the weeping tile terminations. This electric pump will be connected to rigid ABS plastic piping that directs the water, through a small opening near the top of the foundation, to the exterior. This discharges the water above the ground outside the house, so that it can safely drain away from the home and foundation.
The reason that you should never unplug your sump pump is that water can drain into the sump pit at any time, even in the dead of winter. Even if the ground is snow covered and is frozen a metre of so below the surface, it may not be near the footing or bottom part of the foundation.
I have many clients and callers that tell me their sump pump runs periodically all year round, which is likely due to unfrozen soil around their foundations and high water tables. Also, we normally experience one or two periods of warm weather in the middle of a typical winter where snow will melt, and often cause additional seepage into the weeping tile system. If your pump is unplugged in either of these situations, the consequences can be disastrous.
In the worst cases, enough water can flow into the sump pit to overfill the top of the weeping tile terminations and even the pit, itself. This water can cause a mini-flood in the basement if it overspills the top of the sump.
Even if this doesn't occur, having the non-perforated drain lines under the floor slab completely filled with water can cause them to heave and crack and push up on the concrete. This can cause significant cracking and damage to the floor slab and interior basement walls. While this seems like an unlikely scenario, I have seen this occur in several homes where drains were blocked or pumps damaged or disconnected.
To further illustrate the need to keep your pump plugged in at all times, the duplex electrical outlet is required to be on a dedicated circuit. In plain language, that means that the outlet installed for the sump pump, as required by the Building Codes, must be the only thing attached to a specific circuit breaker in the electrical panel. That's required so that the circuit-breaker does not accidentally get tripped by any other device or appliance, preventing the pump from going on when needed.
If the officials who create the building codes feel that it's important enough to have constant power to your sump pump, you know it is critical.
As for your concern of a frozen sump-pump hose causing the pump to burn out, which is a very legitimate worry, the solution is simple. Most new sump-pit lids come with a brightly coloured sticker that states, "sump pump discharge hose must be disconnected at the exterior in the winter to prevent freezing". If they also included, "and sump pump should always be connected to a dedicated electrical outlet except when servicing", the advice would be complete.
Adhering to these two small principles, and annual testing of the pump, will prevent a serious problem associated with the sump pump and weeping-tile system.
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
SOLUTIONS: Hardwood installation need not floor you
QUESTION: I purchased hardwood floor and am now at the point where I am deciding which way to lay the flooring. Are there any rules about which way to run the flooring? Benette (Onanole, MB)
ANSWER: Install hardwood parallel to incoming light in narrow rooms, install so the flooring runs parallel to the longest wall. Technically the wood flooring should run across the joists for added stability.
QUESTION: I have your book Solutions & Substitutions and love it! My husband and I recently built a new home in La Salle and installed beautiful quartz countertops. We were led to believe that quartz was impermeable to all types of staining. However, last week my husband left a rusted cookie sheet on the counter and we now have a rust stain that I can't get off. I was wondering if you had any tips for removing rust from a quartz surface. Much appreciated. Janelle (La Salle, MB)
ANSWER: Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a bowl and add enough baking soda to make a paste. Apply the mixture with a cloth and wipe the counter until the rust is gone. Be sure to test solution on an inconspicuous area first.
QUESTION: I live by myself and am in the process of cleaning many kitchen household utensils in order to give them away. One of the most disgusting items that I need advice on is my grandmother's cast-iron frying pan. The pan is rusty; is it safe or do you think I should throw it away? Thanks, Kenneth (Plum Cooley, MB)
ANSWER: Nothing beats the taste of food cooked in a cast-iron frying pan! The solution for cleaning rust off of the pan is so easy that you won't believe your eyes! Pour a liberal amount of cooking oil over rust, sprinkle with regular salt and scrub. The rust will disappear and the pan will look as good as new!
QUESTION: I enjoyed your cooking secrets workshop but I am confused with one of my own recipes. Whenever I bake cupcakes, they end up with an annoying tall peak on the top of them instead of a nice round surface. What am I doing wrong? Jaclyn, Winnipeg
ANSWER: When adding batter to cupcake liners, spoon in until cups are two thirds to three quarter full. Bake cupcakes in the centre of the oven at 350 degrees; higher temperatures result in 'peaked tops'. Do not over mix the batter, baking fluffy, moist cupcakes is all about creating air bubbles in your batter that expand in the oven. When batter is overmixed the bubbles collapse and the cake becomes heavy. Mix at low speed just until the ingredients are incorporated. One more thing: place all of your ingredients on the counter 15 minutes before use. Using ingredients at room temperature makes a big difference in baking the perfect cake or cupcake.
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
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Warming up basement floor without wet woes
QUESTION: Recently we bought a modest bungalow in North Kildonan. The basement, which has some of the area broken up by stud-framed walls that are not sheeted in, will be completed as soon as it is affordable. The concrete floor has shown no signs of moisture during the past few months, but our possession date was this past December so there is not much documentation to go on. The concrete floor in the basement is also coated by grey porch and floor sealant that is popular. This basement seems reasonably warm by basement standards.
Given that completed basements with tiled, carpeted or otherwise completed concrete floors are generally cold to walk on, I had the bright idea of putting down a subfloor. The type I had considered was the tongue-and-groove, two-foot-square OSB sheets with the plastic channelled underlay that creates a space for moisture to travel underneath the floor, if any should occur.
Now, therein lays the dilemma. Once this subfloor is laid down and the floor finished, what goes on over time between the subfloor and the concrete? Is there more preparation to the concrete floor that must be done? Will this efflorescence suddenly begin to occur beneath the subfloor? Over the years, will this efflorescence cause substantial harm to the basement structure? Certainly, shielding the concrete in this way will prevent any kind of airflow from having an effect. Will we then suddenly begin to create a favourable situation for mould to thrive?
Also, we have a general abhorrence of the typical dark cheap panelling that is typically put up on finished rooms in basements. We prefer drywall that is paintable. Will the drywall finish further encourage mould growth?
Can you help with these questions?
-- Richard John Korotas
ANSWER: I can indeed help with these questions, partially based on my own experience with the type of subfloor you are planning on installing. You are definitely on the right path with this type of material, designed specifically for your situation and I would not hesitate to install it in your new home.
The type of material you are suggesting using is ideal for many homes to provide a warm, dry subfloor to an otherwise difficult situation. Many older homes have low-quality carpeting installed directly over the concrete basement floor slab, which can lead to several problems. Primarily, the carpet will make the cool concrete slightly more comfortable to walk on but will not make it substantially warmer due to the direct contact. Also, many homeowners glue foam-backed carpet directly to the concrete, eliminating the possibility of easy removal if wetting does occur.
As you know, many older homes have problems with periodic basement seepage or dampness, especially along the floor slab. The manufactured product you are proposing buying addresses both the comfort issue and the moisture issue integral to its design. Because the synthetic backing material has raised dimples, it will allow a small amount of moisture to drain away from the point of entry, preventing damage to the subfloor. Also, the plastic dimple layer provides a thermal break between the concrete and OSB and the airspace between the dimples combine to warm the floor considerably. This allows for installation of carpet or other floor coverings without the concerns of moisture damage or mould growth due to condensation.
In reading the installation instructions for these tongue-and-groove panels, you should notice they call for small areas to be cut in the surface, around the perimeter of the finished floor. These holes act as vents and should allow a small amount of moisture that may build up under the plastic to escape. This airflow should prevent excessive condensation and efflorescence. If there is no moisture buildup under the floor, then there will be poor conditions for mould growth. The efflorescence itself is harmless, and will not contribute to any larger mould problems.
Installing this type of system in a large portion of my own basement over four years ago, I have been very pleased with the performance. As with many homeowners in homes over 60 years old, I have experienced seepage in recent years, previous to having had foundation waterproofing done more than a year ago. Some of the seepage did occur in the area where the subfloor was installed, and I have had no serious problems after the water was mopped and dried up. Since I am still in the process of developing my basement, and may never find the time to fully complete it, I have left the subfloor uncovered. The surface has been trampled upon by numerous teenagers and other than some slight separation of the individual squares at the edges where it is not complete, it has held up remarkably well.
The only drawback to this style of subfloor is that it can be difficult to level on a very uneven floor slab. Many homes in our area may have substantially heaved or settled concrete floors and installation of this type of "floating floor" may be tricky in those homes. Installing drywall should present no additional concerns if you leave the bottom of the sheets slightly above the subfloor. That should allow for some movement and not coming into contact with the cool concrete will prevent wicking up moisture.
All in all, installation of this style of tongue-and-groove-style subfloor may be ideal for your basement and removal of some panels should be relatively easy if future problems do occur.
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