Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Don't use wood to damp-proof foundation
QUESTION: I wanted to know your opinion on waterproofing a 1960 basement foundation. We are planning on doing only two sides of our foundation and the other two in about five to eight years. We can’t afford to do it all at once.
The house is a three-level split, with only about four feet below grade. We had some leaking around the joists as we graded to high outside. This problem has been fixed by an epoxy injection on the inside and by lowering the grade outside. We would like to waterproof the foundation for peace of mind.
Is a Delta brand membrane a good option for our climate? The other quotes we have received include a paper application with the sprayed on rubber type material and another one that applies a wood on the outside and additional material for a seal. Any information you can shed on this type of work would be greatly appreciated.
— Karen Joyal, email
ANSWER: Repair to foundations and reinstallation of damp-proofing is quite common on homes after they hit the 40-year milestone. Yours may be a little more complex due to the multi-level design of the home and the low-lying floor system, but the methods of repair may be quite similar to a single-level home.
Most concrete foundations, especially those over 20 years old, use a simple method to prevent saturation of the semi-porous concrete from exterior moisture. Most have a bitumen-based damp-proofing material sprayed, rolled or trowelled over the fresh concrete before backfilling. This asphalt-based material may be installed by itself, or with an embedded membrane or mesh to prevent deterioration. It may also be covered with rigid foam insulation or protective sheathing to prevent damage from backfilling, but is often uncovered. Along with weeping tile, installed near the footing below the foundation wall, this thin membrane is the main protection the concrete foundation has from moisture intrusion.
This method has been successfully used for decades and works well, but may have a limited life expectancy, certainly less than that of the concrete foundation. Frequent movement of the soil outside the foundation, caused by seasonal temperature changes and freeze-thaw cycles, can wear away this thin foundation coating. After several decades, water may begin to permeate the concrete in areas where the coating is worn or small cracks or holes have opened. This is particularly problematic in older homes where weeping tiles have become blocked. The only real solution is to excavate around the perimeter of the foundation and redo the membrane and weeping tile systems. There are several newer products available, but the bitumen-based membrane system is still used.
The “Delta” membrane is well suited to our climate, but may be the most difficult option to properly install without complete excavation around the home. This very durable material prevents moisture absorption by the concrete foundation. The dimples provide added strength to the membrane while providing a small drainage plane between the bumps. This allows any moisture which seeps behind the membrane a route of escape. There are several manufactures of similar products.
A third option is a self-adhesive, rubberized membrane often called “blueskin” because of the blue colour of one of the major manufacturers. This material is very pliable and highly resistant to moisture. It is often used along with rigid foam insulation or other sheathing over top to prevent damage from backfilling.
While it may seem either of the two types of membranes may be superior to the bitumen based coatings, they are not nearly as widely used. On new homes, the reason is normally an economic one. Some foundation contractors have told me that they have difficulty adhering the membranes to older, uneven foundations. They often prefer the trowel or roll on products due to their ease of application for complete coverage of the foundation. Most will also add an embedded layer of mesh or other material to give added durability and strength to the foundation coating.
Using a paper or wood-based product below grade is a bad idea. It may be subject to rot or moisture damage. Pressure treated plywood is sometimes used to protect a foundation coating or membrane from soil damage, but that is not typical.
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 or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
The new neutral
Sharon Grech knows a thing or two about colour and she's not afraid to paint her walls to prove it.
Hues inside her home range from a golden tan to a tawny orange to a dark purple-brown. She'll probably switch it up again in a couple of years to keep her interior current.
"Buying a gallon of paint is a lot less expensive than buying a whole bunch of (new) cushions," says Grech, a colour expert with Benjamin Moore.
Benjamin Moore's up-and-coming colours for 2009 has a shade for everyone, from blushing red (a Caribbean-infused hot pink) to white sand (a barely-there beige). But two hues of note showed up on each of three palettes: grey and green. "We've been really seeing grey taking over from that beigy neutral," says Grech.
Grey, in turn, has helped usher in a flood of cool colours that look great paired with it, from the purples and aubergines of last fall to the blues and, especially, greens popular this spring. Be it pale avocado, brookside moss or dry sage, this all-natural shade has been so popular the past several years, it's becoming a neutral too, says Grech.
Para Paints recently rolled out 18 new hues, including a steely grey called digital and a grey dubbed treadmill.
General Paint's colour card for 2009 features pale powder, a washed-out grey-blue, and harlequin, a dark charcoal-navy. An eclectic mix of purples, blues and browns round it out.
"Colour experts search the world for inspiration," says Yvonne Provencal, the company's brand and creative services manager.
"It could be the kingfisher blue of an Indian sari, the sleek shine of a copper bowl or an elusive shade of grey found in a stormy sea.
One global concern of late has been the environment, whose go-to colour is, surprise, green. So intertwined are the colour and the concept, "We talk about green even when we don't mean the colour now," says Grech.
So, is the rise of grey, like a thunderous sky, a metaphor for the sodden days of recession? Not at all, says Aly Velji of Alykhan Velji Design in Calgary.
"Greys are becoming huge in interiors now because they are little more complex. Greys are no longer reminders of dark and stormy days, but of more sophisticated colour palettes. We are seeing greys as all-around wall colours, in flooring and furniture," he says. "It's the new neutral and works with so many other colours."
-- Canwest News Service
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Where there's water, there's a solution
QUESTION: Our sump pump works but it seems our house is the lowest spot on our street. Our house was built in 1996 and our sump pump was replaced in the last couple of years. Our street is in a newer development and water collects around our house. The owners on our west side raised their property a couple of years ago and compromised the grade and since then water collects between our houses, especially on our property because ours is lower. Their downspout and our downspout are located approximately across from each other.
The sump pumps from our house and our neighbour's house on the east side are also located approximately across from each other and the water collects on our property in the early spring because we have taken the hoses off that normally drain onto the front of the property in the summer. This water creates a pond and freezes when the temperature is below zero. There is no sewer drain where it should be, and it is about 30 metres further down on the east side.
Water collects in front of our house and is there permanently. We sweep it away to the sewer drain on the east side but it fills up as soon as we sweep it away. We feel threatened by the possibility of our basement being flooded.
What is your recommendation?
-- Eldon and Bernice Dimond
ANSWER: The problem of poor drainage and excess water in yards and even on some streets in newer developments is a common complaint of homeowners. This is often caused or accentuated by excessive runoff from sump pump hoses and can lead to potentially dangerous conditions when the water freezes. Unfortunately, there may little you can do for the street water, but the water in your own yard may be manageable by following some suggestions I will recommend.
Newer housing developments are surveyed prior to roads and sewers being laid out and constructed. These surveys will determine the location and height of grading of the new roads and drains, which should provide adequate drainage of rainwater from surrounding properties and roadways after the homes are built. Like any construction project, many variables are involved that may conspire to create situations that don't go as planned. Soil may settle, concrete may heave and crack and plans may be misread or not properly followed. Any of these can lead to the poor drainage problems you are experiencing. Unfortunately, there may be little you can do to correct the situation, unless you are willing to fight city hall to install an additional sewer drain in front of your home. The good news is there is little correlation between water on the street in front of your home and the potential for basement flooding.
As for your own yard, there may be a number of things you can do to improve the drainage. The first thing to accomplish is improvement of the grading to channel the excess water away from the foundations and low areas. Distributing several metres of mixed soil and grass around the home will help with the drainage. What your neighbour to the west has done is not a slight to your home, but good maintenance to their own. When the homes are first built, the normal process is to grade up the soil excessively along the sides of the houses to provide a generous slope to a swale created between the two. This swale will normally slope toward the front street, channelling excessive water in that direction. As the freshly graded soil quickly settles in this area, it must be built back up to recreate the swale. If your neighbour has done this and your have not, you will get the brunt of the water.
On the other side of your home, the sump pumps may create a temporary problem twice a year, but in the late spring and summer, a long flexible hose should be attached to the sump pump discharge pipe. This pipe should be regularly moved and relocated in different areas of your yard to prevent excess ponding. Many homeowners install too short a hose and leave it in the lowest part of the swale, too close to the home. Simple repositioning of this, especially after a big rain or heavy snow melt, will help.
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 or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
DEBBIE TRAVIS: Paint best way to transform room
QUESTION: I have an empty room in my home that I would like to reflect me, but don't know where to start. Money is an issue. I'd like a desk for a computer and bookshelves, but I'd also like room for projects (I love to scrapbook). I have two grandchildren and need some storage space for their toys. This is the first decorating I've done on my own and I'm excited and nervous.
ANSWER: I imagine this room to be multi-purpose, a small part of it for personal work and correspondence as you mention the computer, but also a play room for you and your grandchildren. I'd start with a big table; you can make one inexpensively by laying a hollow-core door on trestle legs. It would be the right size for the three of you to scrape book, do puzzles or art and work or play on the computer. If you have or can find a storage unit, this would be the best for all the craft supplies and toys. Otherwise, you can make do nicely with metal brackets and boards for open shelves. Pick your favourite colour to paint the walls -- lavender blue, daisy-yellow or even a wall of orange that you can use as a backdrop for the kids' artwork. Paint is the simplest way to completely transform a room, and the easiest to redo. Take a deep breath, and go for it.
QUESTION: When my son moved into his first apartment, he purchased a sisal rug at a greatly reduced price. He discovered that it had discoloured spots that he has been unable to get out. Can sisal be painted or dyed? It's a straw colour with deeper toned discolourations.
ANSWER: Sisal is a natural fibre and absorbs dyes easily unless the carpet has been treated with a sealer. Since the carpet has stains this is unlikely. You can also paint sisal. Decide on a colour, and why not choose a pattern or a border contrast. You don't have to paint the whole carpet. A pattern such as stripes, squares or a stencilled motif will camouflage any difference in shading. Tape off and cover up the spaces in the carpet you do not want painted. Press the tape down carefully. If you are using a stencil, spray the back with stencil spray adhesive and hold down while you are filling in the pattern with paint. Use spray paint and apply a liberal amount. Allow 12 to 24 hours to dry completely. Seal the carpet with an acrylic spray sealer.
Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to:house2home@debbietravis.com
Renovation & Design
Window upgrade can give you immediate payback
The federal government's new budget offers homeowners a tax break of as much as $1,350, if they spend up to $10,000 on renovations.
On top of the Home Renovation Tax Credit of up to $1,350 for work done around the house, homeowners making upgrades to the energy efficiency of their homes might also qualify for provincial and federal incentives.
The provincial and federal incentives encourage the reduction of energy use in the house. A good place to start is the replacement of older windows, doors and skylights with more energy-efficient models.
On average, windows account for 15 per cent of the total surface area of a house. This surface area exposed to the outside temperatures accounts for as much as one-third of the heat loss of a home, making window replacement one of the easiest ways to lower a home's annual energy bill.
Although energy saving is the long-range goal, some homeowners find an immediate payback in comfort, as soon as their new windows are installed.
New windows, while offering savings in heating costs, can be expensive. Experts suggest homeowners budget between $500 and $700 per window, installed. A typical house has about 10 windows.
Vinyl windows account for over 80 per cent of the residential market. But not all windows are created equal. Windows at the lower end of the market are designed for the budget-conscious buyer. More energy-efficient windows typically cost about 15 per cent more than regular ones but the price premium is offset by lower energy costs over the life of the house.
The best windows are double-glazed low emissivity, commonly called low-e, units filled with argon gas that reduce heat loss in the winter while controlling heat buildup in the summer. The use of argon gas increases the cost of the window by five per cent but increases the window's thermal performance by 10 per cent.
Some environmentally conscious consumers prefer wood windows because they are manufactured with a renewable resource. Lumber can be harvested from certified second-generation trees. But wood windows can cost up to twice the price of vinyl.
As consumers are becoming aware of the multiple incentives to upgrade, the phones have been ringing off the hook for some local window companies.
Owners of the new windows are also finding quieter houses and, in the case of the low-e windows, less furniture and floor fading due to ultraviolet and infrared rays. The almost-invisible film on the inside of the glass helps retain heat in the winter and reduces heat gain from the sun in the summer.
-- Canwest News Service
