Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Open the door to qualified home inspector
QUESTION: We have lived in our home in Charleswood for eight years. It's a 948-square-foot bi-level built in 1968. In the last two years, we have had difficulty closing our front door in the winter and my husband has shimmed up the bottom hinge and put a one-by-four to seal it. The problem has got worse, however, and we don't know who we should call.
We've had major cracks appear from the side of the door to the wall. Would you have any idea what type of problem we have? Is it a foundation problem? No other areas in our home seem to be affected, just the front entrance.
Could you tell us who to call first and is a structural engineer or a foundation repair company able to help us? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Marion Krause
ANSWER: It's very difficult to determine if your door movement is caused by a foundation problem without actually doing a site inspection. The pictures you have provided help, somewhat, but are not conclusive.
A qualified, CAHPI home inspector should be able to inspect the door and foundation and provide you with an unbiased opinion as to the cause. I will venture to guess it may not be related to any major foundation issues or you would likely have seen cracking or movement in other areas, but that's just speculation.
Home inspectors are trained to identify issues in homes and provide advice and guidance, but check the background of any individual before shelling out the money on a potentially costly site visit.
Many inspectors, even competent ones, have limited experience in a construction-related field. This may come as a surprise to some consumers, but that is the reality. The best inspectors often have experience in their field and a background in construction, the trades, engineering or architectural technology. If you call a home inspector who has several years of inspection and construction-related experience, you're likely to get a high-quality, valuable opinion about the source of the problem for your door.
Alternatively, a competent general contractor or journeyman carpenter may also have the ability to differentiate between a foundation problem and a damaged door. Again, ask lots of questions before allowing someone into your home to investigate the issue. A contractor or carpenter with a decade or more of experience has likely seen problems like yours and can provide a proper plan for remediation without the expense of an inspection.
I always advise my clients to ask friends, neighbours, and relatives to recommend contractors they are happy with a year or more after the completion of work. These are normally the most reliable referrals because building contractors do not need any type of licence or training to work in our province.
If a qualified inspector or contractor looks at the issue and feels the problem is caused by a major defect or settlement in the foundation, you may have to explore the problem further. Calling in a reputable foundation repair contractor to look at the foundation and structure may be needed. To allow for a proper view, some wall coverings or insulation may have to be removed from the inside of the foundation in the basement. While this will give a better view of the issues, it should not be done until recommended because there may be enough evidence on the exterior of the foundation or in exposed interior areas to evaluate the situation. If foundation movement is the culprit, repairs may not be quick, easy or cheap, but may prevent further problems in other area of your home down the road.
Since there is little other visible damage to your home, there's a strong possibility the door problem is simply due to a less-serious defect than major foundation movement. The door movement may be caused by stairs or a landing in front of the door. It's very common for these areas to periodically shift with changing moisture in the soil beneath the stairs or landing. Temperature fluctuations can also cause swelling or shrinkage of the soil due to hydrostatic pressure from below the door area. If this is pushing up on the bottom door sill or frame, it could easily be the answer. The solution to this may be to detach the steps or landing from the home or foundation wall and reinstall or replace them with a gap below the existing door frame/sill to allow for the movement.
The final possibility is that the door frame or sill is moisture-damaged or has become detached from the rough framing behind the door due to age and deterioration. In that case, replacement of the door and frame is warranted. Installation of a new pre-hung steel insulated door assembly with proper clearances and insulation may eliminate future troublesome movement.
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: How to clean pots left black and blotchy
QUESTION: I own a set of very old WearEver pots and have moved into town with treated water. Whenever I cook vegetables, the pots turn nearly black and blotchy. Is there any way to keep them polished and looking clean?
P.S. I lived in the country prior to moving and never had this happen, even though our water there was not treated. Hope you can help. Marg, (Rural Manitoba)
ANSWER: My first suggestion is to seek the manufacturer's advice. After all, WearEver stainless steel cookware has a lifetime warranty and the company will likely advise you on the best course of action.
If this is not an option, you may want to take matters into your own hands. In a pot, boil two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice with one teaspoon of cream of tartar. Boil five or 10 minutes. Turn element off and let soak overnight. Wash in the morning. Or, boil several onions (or rhubarb leaves) in water; the mild acid in onions does wonders for removing stains. Lastly, add cream of tartar (or baking soda) to the pot when cooking veggies.
QUESTION: I always enjoy your column and wonder if you can suggest something that I can do about all of the flies in my sunroom. I have a lovely (sort of) three-season sunroom but it is full of flies. Where are they coming from and how can I get rid of them? I would hate to spray them because my cats go out there. Someone has suggested those strips that catch flies -- they are disgusting! The room has new double-pane windows and screens. The floor and ceiling are not insulated. I'd appreciate any advice you can give. Terry (St-Pierre-Jolys, MB)
ANSWER: This is the time of year when flies parade into our lives and make an absolute nuisance of themselves. Here are a few solutions: Before you exert any energy in getting rid of flies, you must do some detective work to find out where they are entering from. Even a tiny entry point or outside door gives opportunity for flies to come inside.
After all food is put away and all entrances are sealed, fill half of a plastic zip-lock bag with water and a few pennies and hang it in the sunroom. Year after year, people and restaurant owners tell me this reduces the population of bothersome flies. The theory behind this funny-sounding solution is that the reflection of the water disorients flies and diverts them away. I wonder if a large vase full of water with pennies in the bottom would work in the same way.
Housefly eggs are laid in almost any type of warm organic material, so you may want to get rid of some of your beautiful decorative plants. If you are interested in displaying plants, choose species that repel flies such as: citronella grass, catnip, rosemary, marigolds, peppermint, garlic, eucalyptus, tea tree, basil or lavender.
Lastly, in a saucepan, combine two cups milk, half-cup sugar and one quarter cup ground pepper. Simmer for eight-10 minutes. Cool and pour into an un-lidded, empty two-litre pop bottle. Taken from Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets
QUESTION: I have written to you before about a home solution for dry cleaning. On my first request, you suggested I use Dryel, which I have been doing, but I wonder if there is such a thing as a home remedy, without resorting to the commercial Dryel product? Hedie, Winnipeg
ANSWER: The process of washing clothes with an organic solvent instead of water is termed as dry cleaning. Home dry-cleaning kits are made up of solvent-layered dry-cleaning sheets, which are placed in a bag with one or more garments. The bag is then tumbled in a clothes dryer for about 10 minutes. The clothes should then be shaken, removed from the bag and hung up to prevent wrinkling. Home dry-cleaning kits are effective for cleaning garments but not very successful at removing stains.
I am not aware of any home-based product that is strong enough to substitute for dry commercial solvents. If you want to reduce (not substitute dry cleaning) you can use a salt-cleaning method. The salt that one uses for dry cleaning should be finely powdered. A cleaning pad made from muslin cloth or linen would also be required for rubbing the clothes. Once the salt is spread evenly over the garment to be 'dry cleaned,' the cleaning pad is used for rubbing. The rubbing strokes need to be done in a downward manner instead of round. Although salt is an amazing cleaner, you may find the results unsatisfactory and opt to remain with your current commercial product.
QUESTION: We enjoy your Free Press solutions column very much. Never thought we'd write in but here goes. We recently moved into a home built in 1955. It has an old but very functional dishwasher that drains under the sink in the usual fashion. There is an unusual odour coming from the under-sink cupboard. We have cleaned everything under there using every cleaner imaginable (yes, including vinegar). We thought it might be the dishwasher hose, which is a reddish-coloured hose and strikes me as a bit porous. We taped the hose with duct tape as a last resort. No luck. Yes, we replaced the garbage container. No leaks, no crud, no animals, no bugs. Any ideas? Thanks. George, Winnipeg
ANSWER: A description of the smell will help get to the bottom of this mystery. For example, if the smell is sewage, the problem is likely a trap issue. Call in a professional to find out if there is a blockage somewhere in the pipes. This situation does not sound like a sanitary challenge but rather a plumbing conundrum. Are you sure there is no mouse in the house? It is not that uncommon for a mouse to make his/her home in the layer of insulation padding on top of the dishwasher.
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., R0A 0C0.
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Tankless water heater turns showers cold
QUESTION: When building our new cabin, which is off the grid, we tried to be as environmental as possible. We have a propane tank which runs our fridge, stove and a Bosch tankless water heater. The water comes from a submersible pump which is powered through our solar panels through an inverter. The water is pumped to a pressurized bladder that sits beneath the cabin. The idea is that when we turn on the water, the flow lights the propane, which then should produce never-out hot water. We were told by the propane people that we weren't getting enough propane, so they increased the lumen of the line to the hot water tank. That had no effect. We occasionally get hot water, but it is inconsistent, and of course always cuts out in mid-shower.
Do you have any experience with these, or suggestions? Apparently they use them all over Europe without problem. -- Ira Ripstein
ANSWER: It is quite interesting and exciting to hear from a cabin owner that has strived to use their summer home without the need to connect to the local electrical utility. While I have limited experience with tankless water heaters, I have received many inquiries about the technology from my clients during home inspections. To properly answer your question, I have done some research, primarily on websites from various manufacturers of these units, and will offer several possibilities for your dilemma and some possible solutions.
I commend you for your progressive attitude and attempt to minimize the environmental impact of your summer home by using several energy-saving technologies while still maintaining many of the amenities of a modern residence. For those readers that have not heard of these systems, a tankless water heater is a small unit that is normally mounted on a wall. It heats cold water on demand rather than holding preheated water in a large tank. Because there is no large reservoir filled with hot water, which cools and requires periodic reheating when not in use, it can significantly reduce the amount of energy required to heat water for domestic use. There are electric units and those that use natural gas or propane for an energy source.
After reviewing installation and maintenance information from a few manufacturers of tankless water heaters, I have narrowed down a few possibilities for your lack of hot water. Malfunction of these units can be attributed to one of three main causes; mechanical failure, gas input issues, or water supply defects. Checking for the first possibility will normally require inspection and servicing by a plumber or HVAC technician familiar with these components. Based on your inquiry, I assume that has already been done, so we will concentrate on the other possibilities.
As stated in an online manual from Bosch relating to gas-fired tankless water heaters, "Correct gas pressure is critical for the optimum operation of this heater. Gas piping must be sized to provide the required pressure at the maximum output of the heater while all the other gas appliances are in operation. Gas pressures lower than 10.5" W.C. for LP Gas will result in insufficient degree rise to the hot water being used and must be corrected." I would double check with the propane people to ensure the repairs they have done meet this standard. Alternatively, there is a straightforward pressure-testing procedure outlined in the installation manual that could be done by a licensed HVAC contractor to ensure your propane supply is adequate.
If these first two possibilities are ruled out, the final item to check is the water supply. Anyone who has owned a property with a private well and pump, including me, knows there can be periodic issues with consistent water pressure and volume. This may be due to the well itself, but is more often due to damage, wear or improper setup of water-supply equipment. Pumps, pressure tanks and water-supply pipes can wear out, freeze or leak under normal conditions. Because of this, regular inspection and maintenance is critical to proper operation of your water heater. As per online instructions, "The minimum water pressure for the home should be 30psi or greater. For installation on a private well system with use of a pressure tank, the lowest pressure range setting recommended is 30-50 psi."
Regular maintenance recommended by Bosch includes yearly inspection of the water-filter screen, pilot assembly and burner. They recommend lubricating and cleaning the water valve every other year. They recommend rebuilding the water valve and replacement of the orifice on the pilot assembly every three to five years. If your unit is more than two years old and this has not been done, this could be the cause of the limited hot water supply.
Mineral buildup inside the unit from your untreated water is another likely cause of the problem. This issue may also be linked to another common culprit if the temperature setting on the tankless unit is too high. The higher the temperature setting on the unit, the lower the amount of hot water it is able to produce. According to the specifications published, almost twice as much water is available at the minimum temperature setting of 45F, relative to the maximum of 90F. Surprisingly, mineral buildup is not normally a problem at lower temperature settings but can be significant when the heat is turned up. Rather complicated instructions are included in the maintenance information on how to descale your heater with simple household vinegar. This may be the first item to try in improving performance of your device.
Finally, keeping the water temperature near the maximum may cause another problem that is listed as a probable cause for your symptoms. If the water heater burner extinguishes in the middle of your shower, which could be monitored by a second person near the water heater, this may be the reason for the lack of hot water. The water from this appliance "is very hot out of the tap, requiring a lot of cold water to be added with it in order to attain a usable hot water temperature. The addition of too much cold will overpower and slow the flow within the tankless heater, decreasing it below activation point, which shuts off the burners. The end result is nothing but cold water coming out the outlet. In short, clean out the unit by the descaling method provided, then turn down the temperature-control dial to see if that solves the problem. The manual and maintenance information cited can be found at www.globaltowne.com.
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: A scrub, coffee grounds freshen cupboard
QUESTION: I hope that you can help. A loaf of bread was left in our bread cupboard and became very mouldy. I have not been able to get rid of the smell and cannot use the cupboard now because of this. Do you have any ideas that could help get rid of it? Thankyou in advance. Barb, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Begin by washing the cupboards out with Murphy's Oil Soap. Next, make your very own "Coffee in a Sock" air freshener. Take a clean sock and place it inside a cup. Fold the sock opening to the outside of the cup/glass to create an opening. Pour fresh coffee grounds into the sock. Close the sock with a rubber band. Store the sock inside the cupboard. Coffee is a wonderful odour absorber!
QUESTION: I am having a problem removing rust stains from a white T-shirt. They appeared after washing, so I am assuming the stains came from the washer tub. Can anything be done? I appreciate your help. Donna, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Before tackling your fabrics, find out what is causing rust on your clothing. Check the machine or your water pipes or your bleach dispenser to see if any rust is gathering. Are there any leaks in the washing machine? Read your troubleshooting guide in your manufacturer's manual. If you determine where the rust is coming from and solve the problem, your laundry will be a lot more fun to handle. If you want to clean your machine and remove rust buildup, consider using a product called Iron Out, available at hardware stores. Use it according to directions and ventilate. This removes rust in washing machines, as well as dishwashers.
For fabrics: Your best bet is to pour either lemon juice or three per cent hydrogen peroxide onto the area. Sprinkle the stain with cream of tartar. Leave the white shirt in the sun for a day and wash. Sun is a wonderful mild bleaching agent and so is hydrogen peroxide. However, be sure to test on an inconspicuous area first. Repeat until the stain is gone. If the stain remains, you can use Rit dye remover to zap rust stains. Be sure to ventilate.
QUESTION: We have a 7x10 living room wool rug that is approximately five years old. Last summer, we had the rug dry cleaned, but last fall we noticed a few tiny moths on the rug. We have never had moths in our house. When we questioned the dry cleaner, we were advised they never had any sort of problem with moths. We vacuumed the rug thoroughly and a patch approximately two to three inches in circumference developed in the rug. We put the rug in the garage during winter to kill any moths, etc. We thought we had them licked. However, a few tiny moths reappeared, along with larva. As far as the rug goes, we feel it's toast for the living room. However, is there anything we can do to salvage it and use it elsewhere in the house? Can we somehow treat the rug to get rid of these little critters? Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Maureen, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Begin by sprinkling the rug with borax or boric acid or crushed bay leaves. Do this only if you don't have pets or small children, as it is poisonous. Leave for a day and vacuum (often) with an industrial-strength vacuum, being sure to change the vacuum bag. If moths continue to be a problem, call in a professional fumigator.
Feedback from Caring Manitoban:
Hi Reena,
In terms of what can be done with used plastic grocery bags, thought I would let you know that you can recycle plastic grocery bags at Safeway stores. There is a much too small mossy green bin in the entrance area of the store where they store the carts. It is usually quite full, so often a struggle to jam the bags in. Linda
Fabulous tips of the week
-- Spread peat moss over newly planted grass seed as opposed to covering the seed with straw. Peat moss absorbs and holds water similar to straw, but has the benefit of disappearing quickly into the soil after the grass begins growing. It also helps aerate the soil and gives the grass a better environment to begin its growth cycle.
-- Coconut fibre is now being harvested as a good substitute for peat moss. It carries many of the same qualities as peat moss but is apparently more environmentally friendly. Coconut fibre is sourced from the husk fibres of coconuts and is a good use for what is often looked at as a waste product.
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., R0A 0C0.
Renovation & Design
Bring back wife's smile
Dear Marc:
I am writing to you for help in a delicate matter. My wife has cancer and she is finding the treatment very hard. She has always been tough and has a lot of pride, so she is doing her best to put on a happy face for the kids. I really want to do something special for her to see that pretty smile of hers again.
She has always wanted me to repaint our home, but I have always refused. The entire house has white walls with white casings. I used to tell her it was the best colour to have, as it never goes out of fashion, but she wanted bright colours that she could come home to. I am completely useless when it comes to choosing colours. Can you guide me through this? -- Chris
Dear Chris,
I am sorry to hear about the condition of your wife. I say we give your wife the space she has always wanted and brighten up her world!
As we want this to be somewhat of a surprise, we'll have to be innovative. Check her closet and try to find a common clothing colour. Are there at least five to 10 dresses in the same colour? If so, then that's most likely one of her favourite colours.
Now look at your wife's jewelry box. What type of jewelry does she usually wear? Does she wear glamorous costume jewelry or does she prefer simple, elegant pieces? A woman's jewelry says a lot about her style and taste. A woman who likes lots of bling will love an over-the-top space, but a woman who likes simple jewelry will love a simple and elegant space.
Now you're ready to tackle the colour scheme. The key here is not to overpower the space. What I mean by this is, if your wife loves navy blue and you saw a few yellow dresses in her closet, you can do a mixture of both colours. Who says every wall has to be the same colour? You can take the most concentrated colour, such as the navy blue, and use it on an accent wall. In layman's terms, by accent wall, I mean the wall where you would like the eye to be drawn when entering the room. The remaining walls can be a less intense colour, such as a light shade of yellow. This way, you get the wonderful colour scheme without finding it overbearing.
Once you have painted the walls, move the furniture and accessories back into the room. Analyze if all the colours go together. If you're having trouble with this, think back to when your wife was wearing that incredible blue dress. Did she wear the grey or brown shoes with it? If you can't remember, invite her friends over to check the new colour scheme. If your sofa is no longer the right colour, not to worry, as you can buy sofa covers in every colour imaginable.
As for art pieces in the space, have the kids draw a picture using crayons that work in the colour scheme of the space to show how much they love mom and hope she gets better soon. Once the pictures are done, have them framed with the use of a wide mat and hang them on the wall.
Once you have finished the space down to every detail, it's now time for the surprise. Have the kids present and explain to mom each of their pictures. She will love the new space and that pretty smile will be seen once again!
-- Postmedia News
