Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Throw out the design rules
DEAR Marc: I am horrible at designing my home. Every time I try to design a room in my house, it doesn't turn out quite right. I then get discouraged till I get the design bug again and give it another try and still fail miserably. What am I missing? I follow all the design rules to a T and still the spaces seem to be lacking something. Help! -- Kate
Dear Kate: Have you ever seen an abstract painting that was painted by the rules? It looks like a paint by number. The strokes are predictable and the end result lacks spontaneity and vibrancy. The same can be said for design. If you want to design a mediocre space, follow the rules to a T, but if you want to push the boundaries of design and create a true designer space, learn the rules, then throw the rules out the window. Although I must caution that it's important you fully understand the rules of design before throwing them out, since only a well-trained eye can pull this off. As you have designed numerous spaces before, this project will be a perfect fit.
There are certain rules in design that don't change with the trends and must be used in all design projects, whether it be a French villa, a vacation cottage or a personal home. The rules of design that apply to the function and flow of traffic in a room should always be embraced, as there's no point in a pretty space no one can use.
To determine if the design rule applies to the function of a space or its esthetic elements, ask yourself: Will this rule make the space usable or improve the experience of its occupants? If yes, then the rule applies to the function of the room and should be used in all future projects. If not, then the rule can be altered and modified to fit your personal style.
To find your personal style, look at your wardrobe. Fashion seems to be the obvious expression of one's personal style. If you like to mix and match certain things and make them work to make a statement, then the same can be done in your designer space by mixing and matching patterns, colours and textiles. The key to successfully integrating different objects in a space is to have everything blend together, yet stand on its own. For instance, this can be easily achieved by using a red lamp in your space, because your accent colour is red, but having the lamp reflect a different era than the sofa. Successful designers use this technique in many spaces. This is what we call a transitional design style. Transitional design uses eclectic elements in a space. The designer uses them so they work together and create a unique look.
As you browse through design magazines, you'll find every space is different. Nobody wants a cookie-cutter space anymore, so why are we still using cookie-cutter design? Technology today gives us the opportunity to experiment with different design styles, room layouts and looks before we integrate the design in our spaces. Many stores sell computerized design programs you can install on your computer in a few minutes and manipulate your room in numerous ways by changing around the colour scheme, textures and fabrics at the click of a button. I would suggest buying such a program and playing around with different looks. What these programs let you do is truly see what the space will look like, so you're not disappointed with the end result. There are a number of programs available, and many were designed specifically for general consumer use, making them affordable and easy to learn.
Design today is about pushing the boundaries and creating something truly unique. What many designs lack is spontaneity and a will to experiment.
-- Postmedia News
Marc Atiyolil is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends -- Canada's Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine, and a regular contributor to TV, radio and print media.
To submit a question for Marc Atiyolil, visit CanadianHomeTrends.ca.
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Adding fill to void will accelerate damage
QUESTION: I have a home that is 87 years old in the Deer Lodge area. We do not have any large trees in our lot, but our neighbours on the north side have quite a few, four of which are within two to three metres of our home. We have two wooden beams and four teleposts in our basement.
Over the past winter, we have developed deep cracks in the basement floor running along the north wall, as well as many small cracks in the floor. Last night I put my hand into the deepest crack adjacent to the wall and felt about three to four inches of empty space before touching gravel, almost as if there is a subfloor. The telepost on the northeast corner is being driven down into the concrete pad to the point where I am unable to turn it. Interestingly, just over a year ago it was so loose it almost fell over. The floor in our living room noticeably slopes to the northeast corner.
I am considering pouring gravel/fill into the space revealed by the cracks, then putting a quick plug hydraulic cement over top. Is this the right thing to do?
I realize the optimal solution is a major foundation repair but that is too expensive at this time.
I would appreciate your suggestions and input.
-- Todd Pennell
ANSWER: One of the most important things to remember when discussing house issues, whether it is with a contractor, building material supplier, or a building science professional, is to use terms correctly for appropriate systems. There is a large distinction between the basement concrete floor slab and the foundation walls, especially concerning cracks. While the large cracks in your basement floor slab may be of some concern, they are minor in comparison to similar ones if they were seen in the foundation walls.
Any concrete crack that you can physically insert a large portion of your hand into needs repair, no matter where the location. Regardless, the type of repair will depend greatly on the location of the concrete and its function. A large crack in your basement floor slab should be repaired, if for no other reason than to prevent further deterioration, but it is not normally a structural repair. There may be some debate about the extent of remediation required, but you should be able to determine the necessity of the repairs based on several of the items I will point out.
Basement concrete floor slabs primarily serve only two main functions. The first is to prevent moisture and pest intrusion into the basement from the soil beneath. The second, which is a structural issue, is to provide lateral support to the concrete foundation walls at the bottom. This lateral support helps prevent the bottom of the foundation walls from buckling inward under the pressure of expansive clay soil, which is present directly outside the foundation. Unless severely damaged or heaved, the second function is rarely an issue in a house the age of yours. So, repairs to the basement floor slab are most often done to improve function number one, without much regard to the second concern.
Expanding on that last point, upward movement and cracking in basement floor slabs is rarely a structural issue, unless there are not proper footings below the teleposts or foundation walls. The void that you are feeling is normally caused by repeated heaving and deterioration of the basement floor slab over many years and some erosion of the sub-slab soil. As the floor slab heaves slightly, usually after repeated heavy rains or due to the spring thaw, it can crack and will rarely recede all the way back to its original position. The concrete for this basement floor is normally poured around and on top of the footings for the house, which should be supporting the teleposts under your main beams. As long as the footing is not sinking, the post that appears to be driven into the floor is simply a result of the same heaving of the concrete, likely more in this area than elsewhere.
While your idea of adding fill to the void under your basement floor slab may seem like the correct action, it is not. The void under the slab has developed because of the yearly cycles of swelling and shrinking of the clay soil underneath. While this may become less severe with age, it won't completely disappear in the future. By filling this area and patching the crack, you will only be accelerating further damage to the floor slab when the soil expands, again.
A better repair would be to remove the damaged and heaved section of the floor slab and pour new concrete, after properly preparing a base of drainage stone beneath. That proper repair would eliminate the void, fill the existing large crack and provide a smoother basement floor slab in that area. As long as other large areas of the basement floor slab were not in the same condition, this repair could be done in one area without the major cost and mess of replacing the entire floor.
As for your foundation, that is an entirely different matter and not likely a major concern, unless the slope in your floor is the result of an individual sinking footing and not overall settlement of your home over many decades.
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
MIKE HOLMES: Garden suite can keep elderly family close
If you've got an aging family member who is facing the difficult choice of having to move out of the family home, you know how hard it can be. It's good to know there are options available that can help keep them close, but still allow independence -- for both of you. In some communities, granny flats, also known as garden suites, are allowed, and they are a great option to consider.
Garden suite refers to those small, movable housing units that can be set up, temporarily, next to existing homes. Usually they are modular and prefabricated, delivered to the site and assembled. They are not intended to be permanent buildings. They also aren't the same thing as an in-law suite, which refers to an apartment within a house.
Garden suites provide a safe, secure and close-by residence for elderly relatives that allows for independence and privacy. This reduces caregiver burnout and makes semi-independent living possible.
Of course, garden suites have to meet municipal building and zoning bylaws. According to the CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), agreements are made involving the host family, the occupants, the supplier of the unit and the municipality. Some municipalities are more flexible than others, so check with your local government before going ahead.
Garden suites are a temporary solution to a short-term accommodation problem. You might be considering adding onto the existing home, or modifying it, so an elderly person can live with the rest of the family. But doing a major renovation to a home only makes sense if those changes will be wanted in the long term, and that's not always the case.
Many renovations may be needed to accommodate a person with special needs -- for example, a person in a wheelchair -- and these can be expensive. Doorways may need to be widened, bathrooms altered, countertops lowered, lifts and ramps installed and so on. A garden suite eliminates the need to reverse any renovations you do just to accommodate the elderly person.
Most garden suites contain a kitchen and living area, bathroom and one, or even two, small bedrooms. They range from about 500 to 700 square feet. So these small units are easy to install and place at proper distances from property lines and other structures. And their compact size also makes cleaning and maintaining them relatively easy.
The cash outlay is much less than for a traditional home, because you are only buying a building and not land. New garden suites start at about $45,000, but that doesn't include external water, sewage and electricity hookup costs. And it doesn't include transporting the unit to the site. Transporting it a greater distance costs more. If a crane is needed to manoeuvre the unit into place, costs can begin to mount.
Almost all garden suites installed in Canada are manufactured elsewhere and delivered to the site. There are several manufacturers of garden suites in each region of the country. Prefabricating the units is far less expensive than building them on-site.
Portability also allows owners to remove and resell the suites -- most of which have a lifespan of about 25 years. Buying a pre-owned unit further reduces costs. Most Canadian manufacturers of garden suites provide everything from bathroom fixtures and kitchen cabinets to interior and exterior finishes. Interior plumbing and wiring, ready for external hookups to external systems, are also included. Check with the manufacturer for options and installation costs.
All prefabricated garden suites must comply with the National Building Code of Canada requirements under the certification provisions of the Canadian Standards Association.
Garden suites are not a new invention -- they've been around for years. But only recently have municipalities started removing bureaucratic barriers to this housing solution. There are some government and CMHC programs for eligible citizens to get financial assistance for putting up a secondary self-contained unit. Check with CMHC for details.
Governments are offering relief from additional taxation as an incentive to get more people to choose this option. Some municipalities will exclude the units from assessment, since they are only temporary structures. That way, they don't affect property values -- unlike any renovation you'll do.
Successful renovating often requires thinking outside the box, as the saying goes. In this case, the box may be your family home, and the best solution to helping Grandma or Grandpa stay out of a nursing home may involve putting up a separate building in your backyard.
-- Postmedia News
Catch Mike in his brand-new series, Holmes Inspection, airing Thursdays at 8 ET/PT on HGTV. For more information, visit www.hgtv.ca. Do you have a question about home renovations? Email mikemakeitright.ca
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Enjoy a slime-less Christmas chicken
QUESTION: Believe it or not I am beginning to plan for my Christmas company, and I would like to make breaded chicken drumsticks as part of the main course. However, every time I bake drumsticks in the oven they become caked with a dark brown slime on the outside of the chicken. How can I prevent this?
-- Pauline, Grand Beach
ANSWER: Wow, Christmas in August; you are planning ahead! The dark brown substance on the outside of the meat is dry blood. Prevent this by soaking the uncooked chicken in salted water for a few minutes before breading. More importantly, cook the chicken on a rack on top of your baking pan instead of laying the chicken directly on the pan. This will cause the drippings to fall and not stick to the meat.
QUESTION: I am getting ready to pack for a wonderful vacation, and my luggage is just so dirty! It is red and soft-sided and the outside is dusty, dirty, stained, etc. I have tried vacuuming it, using a can of upholstery shampoo, and a damp cloth, all to no avail. It almost seems a waste of time, as when it gets off the plane it will just be filthy again. Any ideas? I love your column and have recommended it to my sisters.
-- Moira, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Not sure what the fabric content or finish of your luggage is. If you have a polypropylene/cotton/or vinyl suitcase, sponge with a weak solution of laundry detergent, then dab with clean water. For soft plastic/vinyl bags, dilute glass cleaner with water and wipe over the bags. Remove stains with laundry detergent in warm water, then rinse and dry. Or mix four tablespoons of baking soda in a cup of water. Dampen a clean cloth with the solution and scrub it on the spot, being careful not to get the canvas too wet. Rinse. The easiest way to avoid luggage becoming dirty during transit is to secure it inside of a large clear recycling bag. On the other hand, well-used luggage will make you seem like a very adventurous worldly traveller. Safe travels!
QUESTION: I overcooked some rice in the microwave and the microwave filled with smoke. I cleaned it out with bleach, but there is still a strong smoke smell when I use the microwave. What can I do to get rid of this smell? Thanks.
-- Karen, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Here are a few tricks to tackle this quandary/ You can either heat lemon juice or vinegar in the microwave until it boils over and then wipe out the interior or combine into a bowl vanilla and water and heat until it boils over or another option is to combine lemon slices, vinegar, vanilla, dish soap and water in a bowl and heat. Alternatively combine and heat baking soda and water. If the odour persists, store coffee grounds in a bowl in the microwave to absorb lingering smells.
QUESTION: I used your suggestion of vinegar to make my glasses sparkle. It worked wonderfully. However, the next week I added more vinegar, but this time I included all my silverware. The result is foggy glasses and forks/knives that have a coating on them. Obviously some chemical reaction has occurred with the stainless steel. Do you have any suggestions on how I can make my silverware look shiny again? Thanks.
-- Lori, Linden, Man.
ANSWER: It sounds as though the glasses are etched; this may or may not be reversible depending on how deeply the etching has set in. Soak the glasses in hot vinegar or run citric acid through the dishwasher with the glasses inside. Both options are effective solutions on etched glass. If the etching remains, it is permanent. In terms of the cutlery, pour one quarter cup washing soda (or salt) and eight cups water into a pan lined with crumpled up aluminum foil, leave for 5-10 minutes, rinse and polish (wear gloves when working with washing soda).
Fabulous Feedback from Readers:
Dear Reena,
In your column printed on July 24, Gerry has suggested using "never-seize" on light bulb threads. I disagree for the following reasons:
1. Never-seize is a heavy metallic compound and conducts electricity quite well.
2. It liquefies when heated and unlike moisture will not burn off if it shorts out.
3. Under high temperatures it's flammable and if there's enough liquefied "never-seize" in the socket to drip, the drips continue to burn mid-air and on the ground.
Never-seize should not be used on light bulb threads as this can be very dangerous.
Dear Reena,
Thanks for the tip about toothpaste. I tried it on a tiled surface with dirty grout that has to this day resisted every cleaning solution; and it worked. I just spread the toothpaste and left it overnight, then scrubbed it with a stiff brush and rinsed. Scott
P.S. I also use chestnuts to repel spiders and find that one dish in the house is enough. No need to spread them around. Pets and kids pick them up if they are within reach. Flora
I enjoy your questions and tips. Keep them coming.
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.
