Renovation & Design

Renovation & Design

MIKE HOLMES: Home repairs take longer than you might think

THROUGHOUT my career as a contractor, I've had to explain to the client, in detail, the time breakdown of the job. And that's a good thing -- your contractor should be able to account for how long a job takes and how much it's going to cost. And for some strange reason, it always seems homeowners question the price of a small job more than they do a big renovation. Maybe because they think the small job is something they could do themselves if they had the time.

Wrapping your head around how all the time is spent on a basic task can be broken down in four main steps. To understand these steps, let's use an example of replacing a broken stair railing spindle -- a small job that shouldn't take too much time. The average homeowner may think it will probably take an hour to replace. Let's look at the job step-by-step and see.

Step 1: Preparation

The broken spindle needs to be removed carefully without damaging the surrounding wood finish, carpet, or rest of the railing. If the spindle isn't a stock item, a second undamaged spindle may also need to be removed, in order to use as an example to duplicate a new piece. Let's say the spindle is a stock item (the best-case scenario) and the least expensive. The contractor has to still source the right piece at the building supply store. We're already at the homeowner's original estimate of one hour.

Step 2: Transportation

The contractor has to go to the building supply store, pick up the part and return. Hopefully, the local supplier has the part. If it is something more specialized, they may have to travel across town. Even if the spindle can picked up around the block at a big-box lumber store, you will still need to spend time finding the part and standing in line with everyone else while more time is ticking away. Add another hour.

Step 3: Installation

Finally some real work is getting done -- the spindle gets replaced. It might be an easy operation, or there may be complications due to the original construction method. Either way, it is precision work, to make sure the new piece sits in perfect alignment and that it is strong and safe. That brings us to the end of hour three.

And we are finished right? Wrong. The most time-consuming step is still to go and it's the one the client is going to scrutinize more than anything else --the finishing.

Step 4: Finishing

The new spindle has to match all the others, and direct from the store it comes as just a piece of unfinished wood. The contractor has to match the stain or primer and paint and may have to add a coat of Varathane or other wood finish to make sure that not only the colour is right, but the sheen matches the sheen of the existing woodwork. If this step is rushed, the replacement piece will stick out like a sore thumb and the homeowner will not be happy. All the small parts of this step -- like detail sanding, taping off surrounding areas and preparing paints or stains -- take up precious time. There you've spent another hour and we didn't even account for drying time between the various coatings.

There you have it -- a grand total of four hours, as a best-case scenario. In the end, the homeowner doesn't notice any difference between the repaired spindle and the others around it, and that is exactly the desired result. The repair blends into the rest of the staircase railing as close as humanly possible. All the time needed to achieve this seamless look will never be fully understood by the client nor anyone who wasn't there to witness it moment by moment. Tasks requiring skill and effort always take longer than imagined.

There's one other step I haven't mentioned because is doesn't contribute to the actual job, but it's still important and it still takes time on the contractor's part: Keeping the job site clean. It might require drop cloths, or if there's going to be an excessive amount of dust created in the sanding process, then plastic sheets may need to be draped around the area and taped off. Afterwards, a good vacuuming may be in order to leave the job site just as the contractor found it. This is the invisible step and an essential part of making it right, but this also adds more time to the job.

We all know it takes longer to do a job if you don't know what you are doing, just like it costs more to do it again when it's not done right the first time. Hiring a contractor with experience will shave some time off a project, but in the end, time does add up. That's the reality of a good renovation or repair.

Catch Mike in his brand-new series, Holmes Inspection airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. For more information visit www.hgtv.ca

 

 

Mike Holmes
January 16

Renovation & Design

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Forced-air heat needs good ventilation

QUESTION: This is a question on furnaces. Do we need a cold air intake to the furnace with forced air electric heat? Most of the questions you receive pertain to gas furnaces.

Thank you, Doreen Backer

I am currently building a 1,000-square-foot bungalow cabin. I have done all of the work myself, but have come to a point where I need some help. I would like to put in electric forced air heat with an HRV unit, which is requested by code. The problem is, I have no real expert knowledge in this field. I have looked on the net to find information regarding installation, code, etc, but have not found any. If you could forward me information as to where I could find the answers to my problems, or answer my question with your own expertise, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you, Ken Jakilazek

ANSWER: Both of your questions relate to buildings heated with forced air electric units and proper ventilation associated with this type of heating system. While they are not identical, I will address both issues of fresh air intakes and HRV installations for this type of system.

Fresh air intakes, for the provision of combustion air for heating appliances, are not necessary for electric furnaces. These are normally installed near an older natural-gas furnace or hot-water heater to ensure adequate air for combustion. These intakes are usually composed of long, insulated, flexible ducting installed with a loop near the bottom. This loop is designed to provide a partial trap, reducing the amount of cold air intrusion until it is needed by the heating devices.

In newer, high-efficiency units, the fresh air intakes are directly connected to the furnace combustion chamber with a plastic pipe to provide outside air without cooling the entire room where it is situated. Since electric furnaces heat using a series of electric elements, with no combustion of gases, no fresh air intake is required.

Regardless of the lack of necessity for combustion air for homes heated with electric furnaces, bringing in a good source of fresh air may be equally or more important than for homes heated with gas. Homes with older, naturally aspirated furnaces and water heaters have large chimney flues or vents installed to remove the products of combustion from the living space. These vents operate by automatically mixing a large amount of dilution air from the home with the exhaust products from the heaters.

This warm house air will normally contain a lot of dissolved water vapour, which exits the home along with the flue gases. Because of this loss of large amounts of moisture up the chimney, there is less chance of high relative humidity in the home during the heating season. With electrically heated homes, either forced air or other types, high relative humidity can be a problem because of the missing chimney.

The reason to install a good method for proper fresh air intake into a home of this type is to prevent excessive moisture and to allow stale, house air to escape. Installing a fresh air intake duct, similar to that mentioned earlier for gas appliances, directly connected to the furnace return air ducting is the traditional method to accomplish this.

If your home is older, with leaky windows and doors and good bathroom exhaust fans, that may be all you need to provide adequate ventilation. In the case of newer homes, as in the second question, a more aggressive method of ventilation may be required.

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV) are mechanical devices designed to accomplish proper ventilation, while reducing the amount of heat loss associated with regular intakes and exhaust fans. These units provide an excellent method for proper ventilation and may be a good choice for both of your homes, but may have limited capabilities in older homes where ducting is partially enclosed in walls and floors.

The reason little information is available to the general public on HRV installation is because it should only be attempted by qualified personnel. Proper installation of a ventilation system is complex and should not be attempted by amateurs, for the same reasons as forced air heating systems. Detailed measurements and calculations are required to ensure adequate heating and ventilation without oversizing requirements. Proper ducting, controls, wiring, intakes and exhausts are necessary for the safety and health of the occupants of the home. While you may feel confident enough to complete the majority of the construction requirements of your new cabin, HVAC should not be one of those attempted.

At the risk of insulting you and some members of the HVAC trades, I will let you in on a frequent observation during many of the home inspections I have performed over the last decade-plus.

The majority of the HRVs I have seen are installed improperly or with malfunctioning or disconnected controls. Some of these defects can be attributed to amateurs, but many are done by licensed HVAC technicians who are supposed to be trained on proper design and installation.

If these professionals are confused by installation of these systems, what chance do you think you may have to do a proper job? I think this issue can only be attributed to the same lack of information you have noted, which may limit the knowledge of installation personnel. This does not excuse the poor installations seen, as good courses are available through colleges and HVAC training institutions.

The good news is that every year, as installation of HRVs become more and more popular in our area, less defects are seen with installations.

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

 

 

Ari Marantz
January 9

Renovation & Design

SOLUTIONS: Clouded decanters need professional help

QUESTION: I love your column in the Winnipeg Free Press and would like to ask you for a cure to my problem. The insides of my wine decanters became cloudy over the years when I no longer put wine in them and instead used them to hold mouthwash for the bathroom and vinegar for the kitchen. I ended up spoiling all of my beautiful decanters! They are 40 per cent lead crystal. I would like to restore their beauty for posterity.

The products I've tried seem to make them look worse. So far, I have used: cola, baking soda, denture-cleaning tablets, Oxyclean, bleach, ammonia and lemon juice (both with and without salt). Thank you. Lillian, Winnipeg

ANSWER: Sounds like the glass is permanently etched. That means that material has been removed from the surface, leaving it no longer smooth (shiny). The glass needs to be polished with a buffing compound using an electric buffing machine, buffing wheel, etc. In other words, it's time to contact a professional to rectify this challenge. Oone option is to contact European Art Glass Ltd. in Winnipeg, located on Archibald.

 

QUESTION: I have all three of your books but cannot find an answer to the following question: How can I thin correction fluid once it becomes gummy? Sheldon, Birtle

ANSWER: There are thinners designed specifically for this challenge. If you cannot find a thinner for your brand, you may want to add a few drops of one of the following to your correction fluid: Nail-polish remover contains acetone, and is a quick-drying solvent compatible with many products on the market. Be aware the fumes are flammable and breathing them can be dangerous. Another common solvent is isopropyl alcohol, which you can find in your local drugstore.

 

QUESTION: Can you tell me what Accent is? I have a recipe that calls for this ingredient and wonder if it is necessary to go out and buy it. Edna, Steinbach

ANSWER: Monosodium glutamate, also called MSG, can be found in most supermarkets in the spice aisle and is sold under the name brand name Accent Æ. If using MSG, reduce salt to a half teaspoon. The purpose of monosodium glutamate is to enhance the flavour of certain foods. Originally isolated from seaweed, MSG is now made by fermenting corn, potatoes and rice. It does not enhance the four basic tastes (bitter, salty, sour and sweet), but it does enhance the complex flavours of meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. MSG is an important ingredient in the cuisines of China and Japan and is used commercially worldwide in many types of foods. It is naturally present at high levels in tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. In China, MSG is known as wei jing, which means flavour essence. It is up to you whether you choose to include MSG in your recipe. Personally, I would opt to leave it out.

 

QUESTION: I recently bought an LCD-screen TV. The dealer stressed that the screen was not glass and could easily be damaged by using common glass cleaners -- for example, those that contain ammonia. From what I've read, the damage may not appear immediately, but after regular cleaning with the wrong products it may become cloudy or have some other visible problems. Most of the commercial LCD-screen cleaners claim that they are alcohol- and ammonia-free. Another issue is the apparent dust-magnet properties of the LCD screen. Some of the commercial products claim to have anti-static properties, and I'd sure like to know what substance they use and how we can be sure it won't affect the screen. Can you shed some light on this and recommend something to clean the TV screen? Thanks in advance. Jeff, Winnipeg

ANSWER: When in doubt, always refer to your manufacturer's manual first. If you do not have a manual, call the company that manufactured the screen and ask them to email you their recommendations. Getting recommendations in writing is always a good idea.

If you would like to make your own homemade cleaner, use a solution of diluted isopropyl alcohol, no more than a 50% solution. Mix one part water and one part 90% isopropyl alcohol. Wipe with a very soft cloth. Do not use paper towels or anything more abrasive than a cotton T-shirt. I do not recommend Windex or anything that contains ammonia; it can etch the screen surface and can cause the plastic to become cloudy. There are commercial cleaning solutions available, but some of them are quite expensive and contain nothing other than isopropyl alcohol and water.

To repel dust, gently wipe the screen with a dry fabric-softener sheet.

 

QUESTION: We have two bedroom lamps which are 25 years old and we still like them. However, although the shades are not dirty, they do show signs of yellowing. We have been looking for new shades in stores, but are unable to find anything that suits nor as nice as the old items. We have not been successful in finding new lamps that would suit as well.

Do you know of any product in Winnipeg that would clean the shades? Painting them would be very difficult to get good results, and dyeing is out. You are our last hope of finding a solution. Thank you for your help. Pat, Winnipeg

ANSWER: You are right -- even with proper cleaning, sunlight can cause fading or discoloration over time. There is a company in Winnipeg called Ideal Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd. They make custom lampshades and also re-cover old lampshades. Not knowing what the fabric of your lampshade is makes it difficult to advise on cleaning, but I must tell you that both my mom and I spray-painted our lampshades on separate occasions several years ago and we are both happy with the results.

For everyday cleaning of lampshades, use a lint brush to remove dust. For general cleaning of washable lampshades: Mix four cups warm water with a half-cup of fabric softener. Dip in soft cloth and wipe down lampshades. If the lampshade is washable but has glued-on trim (preventing water immersion), use the following method for cleaning: Mix one cup dish soap with one cup warm water, whip the mixture with an eggbeater until it makes stiff foam. Apply the foam to the shade with a sponge, being careful not to wet the trim. Rinse by going over the shade with a clean cloth wrung out in clear water. Allow the shade to dry. Lastly, some dry cleaners will accept lamp shades for cleaning.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I enjoy your questions and tips; keep them coming!

Check out my website: www.householdsolutions.org

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, MB, ROA 0C0.

Reena Nerbas
January 9

Renovation & Design

SOLUTIONS: Use carpet remnants to fix burned patch

QUESTION: I have a cigarette burn on my carpet.  Is there an easy way to fix this without leaving a big space? Help please! Val, Winnipeg

ANSWER: Since the carpet fibres have actually been singed away you basically have two options. Either call a professional carpet care service. Or trim the entire cigarette burnt parts away with small scissors. Using leftover carpet remnants, trim several pieces of fibre. Superglue the fibres into the burnt area. Check the repaired area in a day and add more snipped pieces if needed.

QUESTION: How do you clean the coffee stains in a coffee maker? Even though I use a filter in the filter basket, the "mesh" basket remains stained. The same problem applies to the cover of the carafe; nothing seems to clean it. I do enjoy the cleaning hints in your column. Aurise, Winnipeg

ANSWER: Begin with the easiest solution first: run a cycle of vinegar through the coffee maker. Let the vinegar soak for 30 minutes before pouring the contents out. Follow that step with a thorough water rinse. If the stains remain, clean the entire carafe with a product called Iron Out. Ventilate well and allow the carafe to soak for a few hours in hot water and Iron Out.

QUESTION: I have an interesting dilemma to solve. On the inside of my clothes dryer there is a blue tint on the door, back wall and drum. I've tried paint thinner, Lysol spray cleaner, rubbing alcohol, plain soap and water and lighter fluid, but nothing EXCEPT Circa 1850's 'Super DeGooper' can remove this bluish tint off the white enamel. I have to apply the Circa product to a small area on a rag and then rub the blue off. The Circa product is overpowering and noxious to use, especially when a person has their head inside the dryer trying to access the back wall of the dryer or the drum itself! The white enamel is still intact after this two to three-hour cleaning ordeal, but the blue tint starts to come back (drying of T-shirts, blue jeans, etc.) in a few weeks. Have you run into this before and how can it be solved without using noxious fumes and expensive chemicals? Thanks! Sharon (Birtle)

ANSWER: Dye transfer from blue jeans to dryer interiors is a very common occurrence. You are right; only strong solvents will have the power to zap this stain and, because it is an ongoing challenge, it is probably not worth your time or health to clean. Some people have had good results with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser but again this is not a quick fix and requires hours of elbow grease. If you decide to continue with strong solvents, let the dryer stand for several hours with the door open before using, to be sure all the solvent vapours from the cleaner have evaporated into the air, as these are flammable.

QUESTION: I read your columns with great interest and have got many goods ideas from them. Now I really need another. I have linoleum floor covering in my entry and right at the basement stairwell I spilt some type of lubricant that is very slippery regardless of any footwear or bare feet. I have never felt anything that slippery.

Because of the location, it is very dangerous, as you can imagine. I live alone and often wonder what would happen to me, being 61 years old, should I slip and fall down the stairs. I have tried a liquid household cleaner to no avail, and a household steam floor cleaner, which seems to have succeeded only in spreading the size of the slippery area. Any ideas? Brian, Winnipeg

ANSWER: People often call vinyl flooring linoleum, but unless the flooring is more than 50 years old, it is likely vinyl. In any case, clean the slippery area with one-quarter cup ammonia and two cups water. Or, strip the floor with professional vinyl/linoleum floor stripper, seal and apply polish (optional) and clean with pH neutral cleaner. Take care to rinse the floor after cleaning. Although these are sold in cleaning aisles, the best are sold at janitorial supply stores. The floor can then be sealed with vinyl floor sealer.

Fabulous tip of the week:

A great idea for a child's bedroom wall is to paint a chalkboard there. This is easy to do and fun for the child. Chalkboard paint is widely available at paint and hardware stores and comes in green or black, spray paint or canned. A few coats of this paint will create a fun chalkboard surface on the wall that children can write on with chalk and will wash off easily. If you affix a wood frame around it, you have a great looking instant chalkboard. Plus, the chalk can be stored on the ridge around the frame.

I enjoy your questions and tips; keep them coming!

Check out my website: www.householdsolutions.org

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, MB, ROA 0C0.

Reena Nerbas
January 2