Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Gardening Weekend Workshop Line-up
Gardening Saturday, takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd. Pre-register by May 1 for workshops and/or keynote presentation by calling 837-4324 or visit www.friendsconservatory.com for specific workshop time-table
1. Soil and Nutritional Challenges for Manitoba Gardeners:
Dr. Jim Bole, Soil Specialist, prof. At U of M (retired) discusses the particular nature of the soil Manitoba Gardeners contend with.
2. Pruning - The Kindest Cut:
Mike Allen Certified ISA, Arborist with Viburnum Tree Experts, explains the hows and whys of pruning deciduous shrubs and trees, and the importance of heritage trees.
3. The Eco-Lawn - Finally Green Grass!:
Dave Hanson of Sage Garden Herbs covers the specific benefits of planting this 'green'seed, with a focus on why it is so well suited to Manitoba, and how it dramatically reduces the effort to keep your lawn beautiful.
4. Laying out the Garden:
Colleen Watson, of Watson Designs in Landscaping, landscape architect, provides pointers for planning your garden and your yard to make the most of your space.
5. Building Garden Structures:
Daryl Fowler of McMunn & Yates Building Supplies provides pointers for constructing arbors and other garden structures.
6. Container Gardening:
Carlos Ferreira, garden designer, describes the practical and creative aspects of container gardens.
7. Tree-Banding Demystified:
Samantha Mutchmor, of the Coalition to Save the Elms, explains and answers questions on why, how and when to band trees to protect our priceless resource.
8. Native Plants in the Garden:
Shirley Froehlich of Prairie Originals shows the benefits of including indigenous plants in our gardens, especially to attract butterflies, bees, birds and beneficial insects.
9. Traditional Plant Remedies Using Indigenous Plants: Coleen Rajotte, award-winning filmmaker, journalist, host of Vitality Gardening, presents a workshop on gathering wild plants for traditional remedies.
10. The Veggie Garden Updated:
Jeannette Adams, Master Gardener, describes a vegetable garden 'not in a straight row' and offers ideas and advice on incorporating vegetables with companion planting in the urban yard.
11. What's New! What's Hot!:
Dorothie Dobbie, publisher of Manitoba Gardener and host of the CJOB's Sunday Garden Show, moderates a panel of owners of Winnipeg's three leading garden centres -- Jan Pederson of Shelmerdine's, Carla Hrycyna of St. Mary's and Harry Schreimer of Schriemer's -- on this year's favourite and newest plants.
12. Understanding Small Engines and Choosing the Right Tool: Alvin Rueckert, Territory Manager of Husqvarna Canada Corp. and Randy Huebner, Allcraft Mechanical will show how to do small repairs and maintenance on your lawnmower and other garden machines.
13. Pond Installation and Maintenance:
Jane Zoutman, creator of two and renovator of four ponds at Fort Whyte Centre, gives advice to first-time water feature builders and new inspiration to the owners of existing ones.
14. The Alien Invasion:
Jane Seniw, certified arborist, identifies invasive plant and insect pests arriving with climate change.
15. Bee Smart!:
John Russell, vice president of the Red River Apiarists Association, discusses the vital nature of bee pollination, the impact and background of 'colony collapse disorder' and offers advice on beekeeping for the hobbyist.
16. Plant Propagation:
Linda Stilkowski, Winnipeg Free Press garden columnist, offers tips and techniques for successfully making new plants, including seed-sowing, the numerous types of cuttings and layering, divisions and grafting.
17. Organic Solutions for the Garden:
Reena Nerbas, author of three books -- Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions; Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets and Household Solutions 3 the Green Edition -- gives organic household solutions for garden pests.
18. Mighty MYKE - Garden Superhero!:
Arlene Wheeler, noted garden speaker and store manager of Schriemer's Home and Garden Centre, explains the importance of the fungi mycorrhiza in the garden.
19. Bringing the Indoors Out!:
Tara MacTavish, interior designer and owner of Changes by Design, offers advice on creating garden rooms for relaxing and entertaining.
20. Thrifty Gardening:
Linda Dietrick shows how to create beautiful gardens on tight budgets.
21. Photography in the Garden:
Damien Bilinsky, education trainer at Don's Photo, gives advice on how to permanently record those magical moments in the garden.
22. Toxic Plants:
Dr. Eva Pip of the University of Winnipeg explains the deadly nature of some of our most beautiful garden plants.
23. Make the most of your entrance: Sharlene Neilsen of Front Door Stories gives advice, design tips, and answers questions on containers and plants to enhance your entrance.
24. Lighting the Garden:
Bret Robinson of Robinson Lighting gives pointers on creating night magic in your garden.
Learn from the experts on a wealth of workshop subjects from plant propagation, organic pest management, pruning techniques to beekeeping.
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Smells in sink, freezer can be simple to fix
QUESTION: I am trying to eliminate an unwanted and stubborn sink odour. It is not obnoxious, but it is annoying. It smells very musty and stale. I have tried baking soda, vinegar, organic sink un-clogger and bleach without much enduring success. Can you help please?
-- Jay, Plumas, MB
ANSWER: This problem is annoying especially when company is coming over. The sink dilemma may involve the drain and vent. Begin by pouring vinegar into the drain hole; scrub with an old toothbrush. Also, the trap under the basin may not be holding enough water thus allowing sewer fumes into the room. Make sure that the trap holds water; it could be that the overflow on the basin needs cleaning. If possible, remove the trap and clean it well with vinegar, water and dish soap.
Clean the drain: Pour 1 cup vinegar into drain, chase with 1 cup baking soda. Plug the drain and fill the sink with hot water. Leave overnight and in the morning let drain. It takes a couple of treatments to effectively remedy the odour. Do this once a month to keep the bathroom smelling fresh. If you are only noticing the smell during winter months, chances are that the stack on top of your house is frozen over. If this is the case you may want to pour boiling water into the stack to get rid of ice blocks.
Most bathroom drain slowdowns and blockages start at the popup assembly, not at the trap or in the other drain lines. The culprits are the pivot rod and the stopper, which collect bits of hair and "stuff" over time. This mass grows large until it eventually slows down sink drainage or causes a full-blown blockage. Either remove the stopper or hire a professional to do the task. Clean out all of the mess on the stoppers and the metal rod. While holding a sponge over the hole where the pivot rod was removed, flush the drain with hot water.
QUESTION: I look forward to your column in the newspaper each week. Your solutions are great! Here is my question: How do I get "freezer smell" out of ice cube trays?
-- Liz, Winnipeg
ANSWER: When making ice cubes let's begin with the water supply. If you have hard water, with lots of minerals in it, you're best off to use distilled water. Whether starting with tap water or distilled water, boil the water to get some of the air out of it. If you're pouring the water into plastic trays, let the water cool somewhat before making ice cubes. Chances are that the odour is coming from food that has gotten into the insulation system of your freezer. Put 1 tbsp. vanilla extract on a small plate and set in the freezer, repeat three times. Or purchase activated charcoal from a pet store. Place in freezer to remove smell. Lastly, clean the ice cube trays periodically with a mixture of baking soda and water.
QUESTION: Please tell me what you mean by "HE" detergents for front-end loader washing machines. Thank you.
-- Glyn, St. Andrews
ANSWER: HE stands for high efficiency detergent which is specially made for front-end loading washing machines. HE detergent produces fewer suds and makes good use of water inside the machine. HE detergent is not suited for older washing machines and may become a problem over time. Since HE detergent produces less sudsing, excess detergent residue is less likely to remain in fabrics from one cycle to the next. Typically, HE detergents do not cost more than normal detergents and they are becoming readily available.
Using proper HE detergent for your high-efficiency low water washer will enable your laundry appliance to perform as it should.
QUESTION: I read in your column last year about controlling weeds. I think you mixed vinegar, dish soap, and salt but I misplaced the formula. Also, can I buy your book on your website?
-- Parker, Winnipeg
ANSWER: You are right about the ingredients for controlling weeds. Here are the amounts: 4 cups white vinegar, half cup salt and 2 tbsp. dish soap. Combine in a spray bottle and spray on weeds. Be careful, however, because this recipe will kill anything green. The solution will take effect after a few days, reapply as necessary.
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
* When buying a skillet, even if it has non-stick coating make sure it has a thick bottom. The thicker the bottom, the more control you will have over the pan. A thin pan can't handle high heat and can get hot spots or warp, making it easier for food burn.
* Throw out non-stick pans or baking sheets if the coating begins to come off. Also, cooking with lemon-based foods in non-stick ware may reduce durability and the coating is more likely to peel.
* You don't need to buy "a set" of pots. Collect a 2-quart saucepan, a 4-quart saucepan, 8-quart stockpot and perhaps a non-stick fry pan (that way you can reduce fat quantity).
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national best sellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions, Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets and the soon-to-be released book Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives available online and in stores across Canada.
www.householdsolutions.org
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: What is the best way to insulate stone basements?
QUESTION: I am hoping you can give me some advice. We recently purchased a century home in New Brunswick and there is some form of spray foam on the basement interior walls for the purpose of insulation. We are unable to ask the homeowners about it -- unfortunately they are deceased. There is no sign of water damage and no water in the basement. It is a stone foundation on the ends of the house but the side foundation walls are concrete. My question is, should we be concerned that this will jeopardize the foundation? Everything I am reading is saying to never insulate a stone foundation from the inside.
Leslie Sullivan, e-mail
D. Schon, e-mail
ANSWER: Both of these questions address the difficult question about insulating older stone foundations with spray-on foam insulation, even though the locations and climate differ. They will be answered together, due to their similar nature.
Older stone foundations, typically constructed of limestone in our area, will all have some deterioration due to their age and composition. These foundations are created by securing the large stones together with mortar. Over time, moisture from the ground will erode the mortar and cause this deterioration. In most cases, some seepage will be seen during heavy rains and in the spring thaw. In the worst cases, the worn mortar will allow the stones to move, causing structural issues.
The thing both of you should realize is that the basements in your homes were designed to be cellars, not living space. These areas may have low ceilings, poor access, and were primarily used for storage and to provide an area for the mechanical systems in your homes. The foundations were not designed to be insulated, partially to allow easy access to the mortar joints should they wear out and leak. In the case of the New Brunswick home, I will assume that rainfall and ground moisture levels may be quite high all year round and moisture intrusion through the foundation may be a big concern. Since you have not seen any signs of leakage, the previous homeowners may have done extensive repairs to the foundation before covering it with foam insulation on the interior.
Pay particular attention to eavestrough and downspout drainage and grading around the home. If this is well-maintained and the mortar in the foundation is not deteriorated above grade, you may be fine. If these areas have been neglected and gaps are seen between the stones in the foundation, particularly near grade, then exterior excavation and repairs may be required.
For the Winnipeg home, removal of the older insulation from the interior will give you an indication of the proper course of action. If the mortar is primarily intact between the stones or they are completely covered with solid parging, then little action may be needed prior to re-insulating. If the mortar is crumbling and a large amount of sand is seen on the floor slab at the base of the foundation then extensive repairs are a must.
This may require simply scraping out and removing all of the old, loose mortar before re-pointing and parging the interior. If the damage is major and stones appear to have shifted, then exterior repairs by a reputable foundation contractor will be warranted.
It is true that using blown-in polyurethane foam insulation on the interior of a wet, deteriorated stone foundation is not the proper method to prevent further leakage and damage. But if the foundation and mortar is in good condition and not leaking, that type of insulation may provide a superior job to the traditional fibreglass batt and wood framing method.
While both polyurethane and fibreglass are resistant to moisture damage, fibreglass batts can easily absorb and hold significant amounts of water, while poly foam will not. For this reason, foam insulation is a better choice for the interior of a stone foundation.
For both of your similar concerns I would not worry about properly installed foam insulation on the foundation walls, as long as the condition of those walls was good. This should not be mistaken for an endorsement of using polyurethane foam to repair a wet foundation, just to properly insulate and air seal a dry one.
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 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.
Renovation & Design
Decorate your kids' rooms, keep your sanity, too
It's tempting to give in to the whining. Your kids say they are sick of "Cinderella" or "Dora the Explorer" and HAVE to have their bedroom redecorated in "High School Musical" or "Hannah Montana."
Don't give in, says Florida designer Giselle Loor,a mother of two sons.
Decorating children's rooms that last is particularly important these days when many of us are worried about losing our homes, our jobs and our sanity. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is designing everything -- wallpaper, bedspreads and accents -- in a theme your kids may tire of in a year.
Loor decorated her boys' shared bedroom with painted walls, striped bedspreads and themed pillows to match their tastes ("Batman" and "Spider-Man"). They are embroidered with their first names.
"Sit down and talk with your child, whether they are 3, 4 or 15," she said. "Find out what their favorite colors are. They usually won't change that much over the years.
"Paint the walls as a neutral background. You can change accents. It's not that much money to change the pillows if they change their mind or taste."
Here are more of her suggestions:
Draw a floor plan before you shop
It sounds simple, but you waste money if you don't know how the furniture will fit. Measure the room, the existing furniture and lay it out on graph paper. Before you buy, make sure the new furniture fits in the plan.
"If you have a smaller child, you need floor space for them to do puzzles," she said. "I find a lot of parents allow the children to play games in the living room and before you know it the whole house is cluttered. If you don't have a separate playroom, you need to make the bedroom the playroom."
Skip the twin bed
As soon as they outgrow the crib, get your children full- or queen-size beds that will last until they grow up and leave the nest. When Loor and her family moved into a loft, she ordered two sets of custom-made, queen-size bunk beds with a desk for each child underneath.
No matter how young, every child needs a desk.
"Kids are getting on computers before they are even able to read," Loor said. "Whether they are using Leapfrog or a laptop for college, they still need desk space so they can have a quiet place to do homework without distraction."
Provide an organizational system to keep the room in order
The bedroom should be peaceful and that translates into uncluttered. She suggests buying a label maker and bins. Mark each bin with the toy names. If your child is too young to read, take a picture of the toy and put the name under it so he or she can learn the words.
Add a fun accent
Loor's children are afraid of the dark so she turned falling asleep into a pleasant experience with a light show. She bought a projector for about $100 and displays the solar system and shooting stars on the ceiling.
Provide shelves for personalization
Loor decorated a feminine room for a seven-year-old girl that featured a chandelier, an abstract floral rug and shelves surrounding the bed. The display on the shelves can change with her interests -- from dolls to photos of her boyfriends.
-- McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Renovation & Design
Don't rush to replace wooden windows on heritage home
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.
Owners of older homes can take advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit to improve their homes, but they should be careful about initiating upgrades that might destroy the visual appeal of their property.
Lowering energy consumption by improving a home's thermal efficiency is a priority high on every homeowner's to-do list these days. But not all typical renovation upgrades are sympathetic to the style of older homes.
In the rush toward optimum energy efficiency, many owners of older homes are replacing their wood windows with inexpensive thermal vinyl windows. While there is no doubt double-pane thermal units perform better than single-pane windows, heritage buffs are sounding the alarm, stressing that the change can alter or destroy the character of the home.
Energy upgrades such as added insulation and the purchase of Energy Star furnaces and appliances do no harm to the character of older buildings. But heritage experts say there is no need to replace period wood windows with modern vinyl windows to achieve thermal efficiency. They point out wood is a natural insulator and is made from a renewable source.
The visual differences between wood and vinyl are usually apparent, even to a casual observer. Vintage windows have a distinct depth and thickness of the frames and sills. There is also the visual weight of the sash that is absent in a modern vinyl window.
While some vinyl windows can be coloured by the manufacturer to soften the stark whiteness of the material, they cannot be painted to co-ordinate with a house's colour scheme.
Wood window proponents say the old standby -- the storm window -- is all a homeowner really needs, and at a fraction of the cost of new window replacement. "With a wood storm window on a single-pane window, homeowners can get the same thermal efficiency as a double-paned vinyl window," says Keri Briggs, general manager of Vintage Woodworks in Vancouver. "Storm windows are non-invasive and do not detract from the character of the house. Wood windows have a longer life, with some examples over 100 years old. A vinyl window usually needs to be replaced every 25 years or so."
Outside storm windows usually cost between $200 and $300 per window and, with regular maintenance, can last the life of the home.
Another reason to retain wood windows has to do with the quality of air in a home. Older houses have a natural passive fresh-air exchange that allows the building to "breathe." In contrast, newer homes are designed to be tightly sealed, with fresh air drawn in and exhausted mechanically. Homeowners who install new windows in older homes sometimes report condensation problems because moisture cannot escape as easily.
-- Canwest News Service
