Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Drainage slope away from foundation always prudent
Question: I read your recent article in the Free Press about how to properly maintain the slope away from the house. I would like to ask you a question and will appreciate your answer. I did understand that the best is to use clay, but it is not available in landscaping stores. What would be my additional techniques to create a slope, to drain water away from the house, using materials that are commonly available? Can I use quarter down? Or can I just use topsoil and an additional layer on top, to prevent the soil from being washed away?
Thank You in advance,
Vadim N.
Answer: Building up the soil adjacent to your foundation is an easy and important way to prevent typical basement leakage. Using topsoil from a local landscape supplier is fine as long as you take proper measures to prevent erosion and washing away of the soil.
The heavy clay-based soil in our Red River valley area may be problematic for house foundations due to its expansive properties when saturated. Fortunately, that same property makes it very good for creating good grading around our homes. Having a well-draining substrate below grade adjacent to the foundation is ideal, but maintaining a “clay cap” at the top of the soil will help shed water efficiently. Because the clay can only absorb a certain amount of water before becoming saturated, it will help with runoff from heavy rains and melting snow when very wet. This will help prevent excess moisture up against the foundation walls below grade, as long as good grading practices are in place. If the grade is sloping toward the house, clay at the top of the soil column will do the reverse and shed water in the wrong direction, and can be a direct cause of moisture intrusion, instead.
Even though heavy clay soil is not normally available at retail stores, it can often be obtained nearby, with a little creativity. Anywhere there is construction activity that requires digging, clay soil will be in abundance. This should hold true where a new home or building is going up, due to excavation for the basement. It may also be piled up on the street from a foundation repair, pool installation, or even from drilling holes for new fence posts. Most contractors will have to pay to take this unwanted material away, so they may be thrilled if you offer to remove some for use at your own home. If it is close, using a long-handled shovel and wheelbarrow may be all that is required. If it is further away, a small trailer will be a better choice, even if it has to be rented on a short-term basis from a U-Rent retailer.
Working with clay soil, especially if it is wet, can be difficult and will require patience and strength. It is not very easy to spread against your house, but is easier when dried out. If you are able to get a sufficient quantity for your job, piling it up reasonably well may be all that is required. Once in place, even if it is lumpy and uneven, the process can be completed by finishing it off with typical topsoil. That will allow you to smooth the surface, allowing for better runoff, and will also ensure the next step works well. Planting grass seed, or sod if available, will help to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. If the area will not easily grow grass due to lack of sunlight or moisture, adding a thin layer of bark chips, mulch, or stones may also prevent loss of the soil, over time. Installing a landscape fabric over the sloped topsoil, before the other materials, may also help prevent unwanted weeds from poking through.
If this all sounds like too much effort, or you simply can’t find a source of ugly clay, completing the entire job with topsoil is your next best bet. Topsoil will be much easier to work with and easier to smooth out for a good sloping grade. Using a lawn roller, or small compactor, can also aid in those efforts and prevent dry soil from blowing away. The roller is also an effective way of ensuring that grass seed applied on top of the newly sloped area is evenly spread. Going over the area another time or two after spreading the seed will embed it in the soil and prevent loss from the elements and feeding birds. The final step is to water the area immediately after completion, and very regularly thereafter, as long as it does not rain too much.
It is possible to apply another type of granular fill, like the quarter down you mentioned, but that is not as reliable for several reasons. Firstly, it may shed water fairly well when wet or compacted, but is not easily maintained in a proper slope. You can’t grow anything on top, unlike the soil, so it may wash away or erode much more easily. It will also collect dirt and debris, and can become covered with unwanted weeds.
Piling up clay and topsoil against your foundation walls, to provide a good drainage slope, will be your best bet for a dry basement. Ensuring the slope is smooth, covered well with grass or other low vegetation, and watered regularly, are the final pieces of the puzzle for good water management.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and a Registered Home Inspector (RHI)(cahpi.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Keep pesky wasps away with these handy tips
Question: What is a good solution for keeping wasps away? Thank you, Edward
Answer: If you notice wasps building a nest in the same space year after year, purchase an artificial wasp nest. Or make your own by blowing up a brown paper lunch bag and closing it with a string. Wasps are territorial and don’t like to make their home where someone else already has lived.
If wasps are not bothering you, leave them alone. Knocking down a wasp nest is risky business; surviving wasps will be angry and may attack. Also, they often rebuild nests in a new, nearby location. If you are desperate to remove a small nest, do so at night when they are sluggish. While wearing protective clothing, pull the nest inside of a sealable plastic bag or coffee can. For large wasp nests, call in an expert.
Make your own wasp deterrent: In a spray bottle, combine 1 teaspoon (5 mL) dish soap and 1-2 cups (250-500 mL) water. Drop in 2-3 garlic cloves. Leave overnight. Spray clothes and skin with the repellent mixture to deter wasps as well as mosquitoes. Or add 1 tsp. (5 mL) dish soap to a bottle of Mountain Dew. Place the container away from the seating area and watch those wasps disappear. Here is another option: Take an open can of tuna and lace it with borax. The wasps gobble up the tuna and will disappear in a few days. Wasps love garbage!
Question: I use dishwasher detergent in powder form, and I have noticed over the past months that my detergent tends to clump. Is there a better way to store the detergent so that the powder stays loose? Tyler
Answer: Whether you are storing homemade or store-bought dishwasher detergent, you can prevent clumping with this easy solution: Pour powdered detergent into a plastic bucket and close with a tightly fitting lid. This way moisture and humidity will not find its way into your detergent and the powder will stay loose. Stores sell dishwasher detergent in plastic buckets you may want to purchase one and continually refill it.
Feedback from contributors
Re: Growing Green Grass
For the person who is having trouble growing lush green grass, they should choose grass seeds that are conducive to the environment and soil. Also, don’t over fertilize because over fertilizing can burn the grass. — Claudia
Remove mildew on wood patio furniture by combining 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 gallon water. Wipe onto furniture and rinse. — Lynda
Clean mildew around the tub area by placing cotton balls soaked with bleach in each corner. Clean the inside of the tub as normal. Remove cotton balls from corners and rinse. — Lynda
Discourage mildew by leaving shower doors or curtains open after a shower. Before getting into the shower, spray the inside with mildew cleaner. Scrub while you shower. — Edward
To clean mildew on carpets: Vacuum carpet and throw away the bag. Combine 1/2 tsp. liquid dish soap with 1 cup warm water. Sponge onto area and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse and blot with towels. Combine 2 tbsp. ammonia with 1 cup warm water. Blot area with towels. Air dry. — Glenn
To get shower curtains really clean add 1 cup vinegar to the water when laundering. — Aman
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.
info@reena.ca
Renovation & Design
Demolition likely not required to inspect for mould
Question: Over the past 15 years, we have noticed minor seepage from under our baseboard in our finished basement bathroom wall, through the spring thaw. This year, because of the wet weather, we had major flow. We are thinking of joining the lineup of homeowners requesting foundation repairs on the exterior wall, but with the overwhelming demand it may take a year. We wonder if we should tear apart our bathroom now to determine if there is any mould? Can we wait until the exterior wall is repaired?
Thank you, Diane.
Answer: Opening up a basement wall to inspect the area for mould growth may or may not be required, due to annual seepage, depending on the construction methods used to build the wall. If the wall is partially insulated with moisture resistant insulation, and a pressure treated bottom plate, then you may not have to worry. If it is insulated with the traditional fibreglass batt and poly method, especially if there are any gaps behind the insulation, mould growth is likely and repairs and mould removal will be required.
Mould may grow in our indoor living space if three essential components are present. The first is heat, which will be present, because we have to live in a warm environment to survive. The second is a cellulose-based food source. The majority of the building products used in our homes fit that criteria, including products from the environment like common dust and dirt. The final item is the key for successful growth of dormant mould spores, water. Mould spores are naturally occurring in our environment, from dozens of species, but most will remain inactive until they get wet. In relation to our homes, this moisture can come from precipitation, plumbing fixtures, human activity, or condensation.
The key to prevention of significant mould growth inside and outside our houses is ensuring that anything that does get wet, quickly dries. This applies to exterior components as well as anything inside the living space. Products on the outside that are not moisture resistant should be able to take a good soaking from a prairie thunderstorm, as long as they can easily shed that water once the sun comes back out. Inside, house components that can get wet, particularly in our kitchens and bathrooms, should not allow water to sit for more than a short time before it drains or evaporates. Also, areas where warm air can become trapped or stagnant, must have good ventilation to prevent cooling below the dew point. Otherwise, condensation on cooler surfaces and high humidity is another risk factor for mould propagation.
The area behind the wall covering in your basement bathroom may fall into the high-risk category, depending on how it is constructed, insulated, and air sealed. Because it is in a bathroom, proper ventilation with a good exhaust fan is also essential, or both surface mould and hidden growth is much more likely. Typical construction for many years has included using untreated softwood framing, fibreglass batt insulation, and polyethylene sheathing stapled to the warm side of the studs. This method is effective if the poly is fairly well sealed, over cavities completely filled with fibreglass, in a home with relatively low winter relative humidity (RH). If the poly is full of holes, or not sealed at the top between the floor joists, the fibreglass installed with gaps behind, or other poor-quality methods, warm air leakage into the wall cavity is highly likely. If that air has moderately high RH, common to bathrooms, or has no way to easily escape the cavity, condensation will often form inside the insulation or on the foundation wall. In really cold winter weather, that condensation will freeze and then melt when the weather warms. What you may have seen in previous years was this melted frost trickling out from underneath the bottom wall plate, or small amounts of seepage through the foundation walls.
If you don’t know what materials were used to construct and insulate the bathroom walls over top of the foundation, opening another area in the basement that is less obtrusive should be done before damaging the bathroom walls. If problems are noticed in those areas, or significant mould growth is visible, then more demolition is in order. If you find rigid foam insulation in the wall cavity, or better yet spray-on foam, you have less to worry about. Even if a layer of foam insulation is seen directly applied to the concrete and covered with batt insulation, that may be enough to prevent problematic condensation and frost.
If the water is indeed coming through the foundation walls, due to small cracks, rusted form ties, deteriorated damp-proofing, or damaged weeping tiles, then exterior excavation is certainly in order. That may not be fully determined without exposure of the majority of the inside of the foundation in that area. So, depending on the wall covering material and its condition, opening up the wall prior to excavation and repairs will help diagnose the cause of the leakage. That will also reveal whether you do have a mould issue to deal with, and help decide how to proceed. A small amount of mould should be within most homeowner’s skill level to clean, but a larger growth will likely require professional cleaning and remediation.
Determining how well your basement walls have been insulated and sealed should help you decide whether premature demolition is required to deal with mould growth behind. If the area is not able to properly dry after the most recent moisture intrusion, partial removal of wet or damaged wall coverings is warranted.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and a Registered Home Inspector (RHI)(cahpi.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Homemade eyeglass cleaner will have you seeing clearly
Question: I have been a fan of your column for years, and I wonder if you have a recipe that I could use to replace the expensive potions that eyeglass stores sell to clean the lenses of eyeglasses sold in the offices of optometrists etc. If you have a recipe for such a useful concoction, I would be grateful if you published it in your weekly weekend page in the Free Press. Warren
Answer: Here is a wonderful eyeglass cleaner recommended to me by an optician: Fill a spray bottle three quarter full of rubbing alcohol and one quarter with water. Add a few drops of dish soap. Shake to mix. Spray lenses and gently wipe with a soft cloth (not paper towels, toilet paper or tissues these will scratch your lenses).
Question: Do you have a recipe for homemade wipes? I want to store them in my car during the summer. Thank you, Renita
Answer: Cut one roll of paper towels in half to create useable squares. Place cut paper towels into a plastic container. In a bowl, combine half cup olive oil, 3 cups water and half cup baby shampoo. Pour over paper towels and close with a tightly fitting lid. Store in car, shake before using.
Question: How can I remove grass stains from the knees of pants? Thank you. Lucinda
Answer: Soak the area with white vinegar and Dawn dish soap for ten minutes. Next scrub the stain with liquid heavy duty detergent. Wash as usual. Repeat until the stain is gone.
Feedback from smart contributor!
Re: Apple Butter
I had several leftover apples this year and decided to make Apple Butter for my toast. It turned out so well that I really must share the recipe. Make it in a slow cooker and the entire house smells amazing! Peel, core and chop five and a half pounds of apples. Place the apples in your slow cooker. Into a separate bowl combine: four cups white sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, half tsp. ground cloves and half tsp. salt. Mix contents with apples. Cook on HIGH for one hour. Reduce heat to LOW and cook for 10 hours or until mixture is dark brown and thick (stir occasionally). Uncover and cook for one more hour. Pour into sterile jars and store in fridge or freezer. Yolanda
Household solutions
Potatoes remove food stains from fingers. Slice a potato and use the exposed side to rub your stained skin. Wash as usual. Edna
Real vanilla (not imitation) is great for keeping ticks and mosquitoes away. Wipe vanilla onto skin and let dry. Mosquitoes will not bother you as much and your skin will smell sweet. You can also repel ticks with essential oils such as: lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, peppermint, rose and geranium. Betty
To increase the shine of your silver, soak it in the water in which the potatoes were boiled. Let stand for one hour. Rinse. C.C.
Liven up a smoothie by adding one of the following: coconut milk, green tea, or almond milk. When making smoothies, always use frozen fruit. Kameryn
White shoe polish will not smear if hairspray is applied to the shoe after it has dried. Darren (Reena’s note: White shoe polish will have an even appearance if shoes are wiped with rubbing alcohol before polishing.)
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups. Check out her website: reena.ca.
info@reena.ca
Renovation & Design
Sump pump in crawlspace always a good idea
Question: Should I install a sump pump in my crawlspace for a house I’m building in Gimli? I’m concerned about the possibility of an issue with the sump pump while I’m away from the house for a long period of time. I hope you have a good day.
Karen G.
Answer: You should absolutely install a sump pump in the crawlspace, whether you are planning on installing a weeping tile system, or not. Concern about an issue while you are not occupying the house can easily be solved, with a little extra work and expense.
Almost any home with a crawlspace, rather than a typical concrete foundation and basement, has the likelihood of moisture intrusion. That is because the open floor of the crawlspace may be near or below grade. Even with a proper concrete footing and grade beam foundation and/or concrete piers, the soil inside the crawlspace may be at risk of absorbing significant amounts of moisture from around the home. The current spring weather is an excellent example, where many yards have large puddles or standing water at the present time. That is due to the abnormally high amount of rain we have experienced in the last month and the large amount of runoff from the heavier than average snow cover. That has caused a situation where the soil may be completely saturated, and possibly still frozen deep down. Those environmental factors have prevented normal moisture absorption by the soil and undoubtedly contributed to a large number of wet basements and crawlspaces.
The concern with prolonged moisture in the crawlspace is the effects on the floor structure and the possibility of mould growth. If a crawlspace gets wet due to seepage from the soil surrounding the house, and does not quickly dry out, the high humidity can cause fungi to grow. These can range from various moulds in the air and soil, but can also include wood rot. If the wooden floor joists and beams start to develop surface rot, and remain in a damp environment, major structural damage can occur. If the rot becomes extensive enough, main beams and joists may have to be removed and replaced. That will be a huge inconvenience and expense that no new homeowner wants to deal with. It may take several years, or even decades, for that to develop in a damp crawlspace but installing a proper drainage system, and proper ventilation, can totally prevent that from occurring.
To do the best job possible, your sump pit and pump should be installed with complete perimeter weeping tile outside the foundation. Those perforated plastic pipes will absorb a large amount of moisture from the exterior soil and channel it to the sump, through similar solid-walled extensions in the crawlspace. To work effectively, the sump should be a fair bit lower than the grade outside and the corrugated pipes inside the crawlspace sloped downward toward the sump. In that way, excess moisture immediately adjacent to the foundation will be collected, passively channeled to the sump, and then pumped back outside. This reliable water management system should have good success in maintaining fairly dry soil in the crawlspace. Summer vents, and/or a mechanical ventilation system, should be the final pieces of the dry crawlspace puzzle.
Some consideration should be given to the location of your new home and the soil conditions, before deciding on which way to proceed. That area will normally have some clay-based topsoil near the surface of the ground, but may be quite sandy underneath. The closer to the lake you go, the more likely you will have a higher sand content to the soil. Sand is much better to build on than clay, and will also drain quicker when wet. For that reason, a geotechnical engineer, or experienced builder, should do some soil analysis before deciding on the installation of a weeping tile and sump system.
As far as your concern with pump failure in your absence, there are two main methods of preventing a sump pump failure when you are away from the home. Both can be used together, or either one alone, depending on your preference. The first method is to install a secondary, battery operated pump, inside the sump, in addition to the standard electric model. This will require a connection to a nearby large marine or car battery, which remains constantly charged by an electric slow charger. That way, even if there is a power failure while you are not in the home, the battery pump will run for a significant amount of time to prevent overfilling of the pit.
The second method for flood protection is to install a high-water sensor near the top of the sump. This simple device will send a signal when it becomes wet, which will occur only if the sump pit is overfilled. That can only occur if there is a failure in the pump(s) and an instant notification can be sent to an alarm provider, or to you through a smart home device. That will only work if you have a monitored alarm system installed, or a more modern internet connected device. Either way, someone will be alerted to the failure and a plumber or other contractor can immediately be contacted for a repair before the crawlspace floods.
Installing a sump pit and pump, especially paired with a complete weeping tile system, will be an excellent choice to prevent excessive moisture and damage in the crawlspace of your new home. A simple water sensor installed near the top of the sump, and monitoring system, should easily alert you to a pump failure, or other problem, even when you are miles away from the home.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and a Registered Home Inspector (RHI)(cahpi.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Shoe polish makes a faded leather belt shine
Question: How can I restore a black leather belt? The black has faded and it looks very worn out. Thank you, Adam
Answer: The easiest fix for this dilemma is to polish the belt with black shoe polish. Make sure that it holds fast to the leather and you buff it well after applying the polish so it does not rub off on your hands or clothes.
Question: Recipes often instruct me to mix dry ingredients separately from wet ingredients. Why is this a necessary step in baking? Also, how can I make all of my cookies the same size? Susan
Answer: The reason why dry ingredients such as salt, baking soda and flour are mixed separately is to avoid clumps. Imagine eating a cookie and suddenly, POW, a mouth full of baking soda. Yuck! Stirring or whisking the baking soda in with the flour breaks up the pieces and ensures evenness in your baking.
As for consistently shaped cookies, purchase a retractable ice cream scoop (they come in different sizes). Not only will each cookie end up the same size, but you will notice your cookies don’t flatten as much because the dough is rounded, plus, cookie scooping is much faster with a retractable scoop versus two spoons.
Another option is to bake cookies inside of silicone muffin pans — they will all turn out the same shape.
Question: What can I do to reduce the number of spiders in my house? I have heard that sticky traps are effective; what do you recommend? Benjamin
Answer: Sticky traps are not recommended for catching spiders. Reduce the spider population in your home with the following homemade spider repellent. Into a spray bottle, pour four cups water, one teaspoon of dish soap and eight drops of peppermint essential oil. Spray wherever spiders appear. Repeat as needed. Substitutes for peppermint essential oil include lavender, tea tree oil, cinnamon, orange and lemon essential oil.
Question: How do cooks prevent steak from releasing blood onto the plate after being cooked? David
Answer: Let the meat rest for several minutes before plating the food. As the proteins harden, they draw to the centre of the meat. When meat has a chance to rest, the juices will reabsorb into the meat.
Question: I have a small stainless steel pot that I left on the stove and sugar burned the bottom and sides. Is the pot garbage, or can it be cleaned? Nicola
Answer: Pour 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup white vinegar into the pot. Heat on the stove for three minutes. Turn the element off and leave in the pot overnight. In the morning, scrub with an abrasive pad.
Helpful feedback
Re: Dishwasher not getting clean
I regularly purchase dishwasher cleaning tablets to clean my unit. I place one in the dispenser every three months to clean my dishwasher. Since doing this, my machine works better. Anne
Don’t raise a stink
If you have an old trunk that smells musty, place an open box of kitty litter inside. Close the lid and let stand for a day. — David
To freshen up smelly sheets, soak the sheets in one tbsp. dish soap and enough hot water to cover the sheets. Add at least four cups of white vinegar to the water. Leave for one hour and launder as normal. — Cindy
After I clean the inside of my oven, I wipe the walls with vanilla extract. The extra steps help freshen the oven and helps my kitchen to smell really good. — Amber
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.
info@reena.ca
