Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Regrading is best bet to prevent pooling water
Question: I’ve been reading your column in the Free Press for a while now and appreciate all your advice and guidance. I have a bit of a similar situation to that addressed in an older article you wrote, about a void under stairs. I have water pooling under these concrete stairs, which came in after all the wet weather. Now the water is going across my foundation and finding its way to a couple of window wells, which are plugged, of course. It is leaking in there and from my chimney clean out, as well.
Is using mudjack material to fill the void a good alternative to shovelling in quarter down?
I appreciate any insight, as Google doesn’t offer any solutions, Greg Fast
Answer: Filling in eroded or shrunken soil under older concrete steps should work to prevent foundation seepage, no matter what is used for the fill. As long as the top of the fill is well above the surrounding grade it should prevent water from pooling in that area and sitting up against the concrete foundation wall.
Having written many times about the need for proper grading to prevent moisture intrusion into a foundation, I am not sure what exact recommendations I proposed in the noted column. I am sure that it was suggested that filling in any depressions adjacent to that area, especially underneath stairs, was critical. Any voids under older concrete stairs, porches, patios, or additions are particularly important because they are typically hidden from view. While it may be easy to see standing water, from a heavy rain or melted snow, collecting in uncovered areas, the opposite is true in these locations. Moisture may collect and remain in large amounts in any hidden voids, and can take a long time to disappear, due to the lack of airflow for quick evaporation. Any water sitting against an older concrete foundation wall is likely to find its way through.
Preventing pooling water, and oversaturated soil, in any location adjacent to your home may be accomplished by simple regrading. Building up the grade, so that a gentle slope is created away from the foundation, is the trick. Because water will flow to low areas, either through or above saturated soil, regrading is critical. The opposite is also true, that water will not collect in higher locations, especially if there are no impediments to good drainage. The area under your stairs will have neither of these positive qualities, so upgrading will be required to prevent your problem from reoccurring.
To access that hidden area, partial excavation outside the stairs is likely the initial step. Digging a small trench beside the stairs, large enough to look underneath, will give you a good idea how bad the issue is. Shining a flashlight, or trouble light, into the cavity will help determine how much lower the soil is than the surrounding area. Once that is known, measurements can be made to figure out how much fill will be required to correct the situation. Enlarging the trench will likely be required, to allow better access for shovelling in material into the small cavity. As you have stated, granular fill is easier than soil to keep in place, so quarter down, pea gravel, sand, or mixed gravel is often the choice for this job. While soil of similar composition to the surrounding area may be a better choice, it can be difficult to obtain and manually shovel in our local clay-based soil into that space.
Your alternative of filling the void under your front steps with the same material used for mudjacking may be a good option, but will likely be much more costly. That specialized expanding soil can be fairly expensive to produce and pump under the stairs. While it may give you a superior product, which should be resistant to shrinkage and moisture absorption, it comes at a cost. The main benefit would be that you could hire a company to complete the entire installation. That would save you a significant amount of hard labour. If you are planning on hiring a contractor or landscaper to do the job, anyway, the additional cost of the mudjacking slurry may be the only difference. The other concern would be any possible disruption to the foundation, stairs, or surrounding components, due to the strength of that material. Since it is used to lift concrete slabs and other heavy components, care must be taken not to overfill the void and cause additional pressure, or physical damage, to any of the items noted.
The final areas to address are the window wells, chimney clean-outs, and other locations where the seepage is occurring. Filling in under your front steps may help prevent this from happening, but may not be the complete cure. Digging down to seal the old chimney base under ground will likely be needed to prevent further leaking in that location. Also, lifting up and securing the window wells to the foundation, if they have settled, as well as regrading inside and around them may also be a requirement. Shovelling built up snow away from the foundation next winter and spring may also help stop next year’s water infiltration.
Hiring a contractor to pump in expanding clay into the void under your stairs may be a viable, but costly, solution to your moisture issue. Especially if it is done in conjunction with other regrading and water-proofing improvements at the window wells and chimney. Otherwise, any fill that will eliminate the void and remain well above the grade outside the stairs should also help minimize future seepage.
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
Adding new siding over old a viable solution
Question: I just read one of your excellent posts and have a question that I can’t get a clear answer to. I have an old waterfront cottage from the 1940s, which takes a beating from the sun, sand and wind. It is not insulated in the floor or ceiling, so is only used May to October. The interior walls were wide open, so you could see the back side of the tongue and groove pine siding, with no other backing material.
We installed all new windows, and had the walls spray foamed, to seal all gaps and add rigidity to the structure. We scraped and painted the outside twice, but it simply peels off and will not stick to the 80 years of paint. In places it comes off to expose bare pine. So, we now want to re-side the cottage and would prefer to use a clap board, or some sort of wood-look siding. The pine is flat tongue and groove and I’ve been told we can put vinyl directly over the existing, but not wood.
Because the windows are new, we don’t want siding to stick out farther than the windows, which would happen if we first apply strapping. Are you aware of any products that look like wood that could be installed directly over the pine without strapping? I also want to confirm that I should use a Tyvec material first. I don’t want the old pine to rot, over time. Because it’s sealed with foam on inside, I assume it needs to breathe, somewhere. Thank you for your help,
Dave Twining
Answer: The main concern with applying new siding over older material is to ensure that it drains properly, doesn’t cause damage to any of the other components, and prevents leakage at the windows and doors. This should be possible, but may still require building out brick moulds, sills, and extending flashings around doors and windows, and modifications to other areas of potential moisture damage.
Installation of new siding over older versions is a good way to improve the esthetics and minimize the maintenance for any building. As you have discovered, repainting older siding can require a major effort in preparation, for a result with limited life expectancy. While that may be the lowest cost option, if you have to do it every few years, there is little long-term benefit. Applying a new layer of modern siding can yield a result that will last for decades without the need for remediation. It is sometimes less effort to remove the old siding prior to upgrading, to access any damaged sheathing or other components below. Also, that will allow installation of upgraded thermal insulation and minimize modifications to current window and door frames. Because you have already spray-foamed the wall cavities from the inside, that is not only unnecessary, but would be very difficult to do without damaging the insulation.
One benefit to the method of construction of your cottage, with only the siding used as exterior sheathing, is that it was open on both sides and able to easily dry after any wettings. That would prevent rot and deterioration due to trapped moisture, both on the interior and exterior sides of the wall. So, the outside siding is not only acting as a weather barrier for the building enclosure, it is also the exterior wall sheathing. As such, it should be possible to secure fasteners for new siding directly to it. Since it will be covered, there is no longer any aesthetic considerations for banging in hundreds of nails into the surface. The only consideration would be if sections are moisture damaged and not strong enough to support the new siding and fasteners. If that is the case, installing another complete layer of thin plywood sheathing, properly secured to the wall studs and the old siding, would remedy that situation. Even 12mm plywood should provide a secure enough substrate for the siding nails, while adding minimal thickness to the walls.
Either way, complete building wrap, or building paper, must be installed beneath any new siding. That is to prevent any moisture that penetrates the siding from leaking into the wall sheathing or cavity, and will allow the back face of the siding to properly dry. It will also provide a proper air barrier to the wall assembly. It may also provide a smoother surface than the old siding for measuring, leveling and chalking lines for the new wall covering.
Despite your desire not to modify the newly installed windows, care must be taken to prevent leakage or damage due to the added thickness of the new siding. Even if you are able to nail directly into the old pine for support of the new material, you may still have to build out the frames around the windows and doors. Especially at the top of those areas, new flashing may have to be applied and caulked to prevent leakage. Many types of modern siding provide these details in their instruction manuals, to make proper application easier. While there are several options, like vinyl siding, some of the best quality products that mirror older wood grains and styles are cement-board sidings. These are often applied similar to older wood lap siding, but have very durable finishes that should last for decades, even in a harsh lake climate.
Nailing directly into the older pine siding on your cottage may be possible, after application of proper building wrap, but will still require some other considerations. Modifications to existing doors and windows may still be required, even if another layer of strapping or sheathing is not.
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
Make perfect caesar salad â every time
Question: I love the taste of restaurant caesar salad. When I make it at home, I never know how much salad dressing to add to the lettuce. If I add too much, the croutons become soggy. If I add too little, it lacks flavour. Any suggestions?
Cassie
Answer: While there is no set standard measurement of dressing-to-lettuce ratio, the general guideline is one-half cup dressing for a single size head of romaine lettuce. Each leaf should have some dressing, but too much dressing will leave you with soggy croutons and lots of fat. When it comes to croutons, make sure that you add them just prior to serving. Another chef’s trick is to serve caesar salad in a wooden bowl. Remove the skin from a clove of garlic and rub the clove along the inside of the bowl. This adds flavour to the salad.
Question: Is there any way to clean cat urine off a silk duvet? I understand silk duvets are not to be washed or dry cleaned. Thank you for any help with this problem.
Janet
Answer: It is true that high heat and domestic washing machines can damage the beautiful and strong properties of silk fibers. For this reason, it is important to refer to the care label instructions. If the instructions direct you to dry clean the product, contact a variety of dry cleaners to locate a company experienced with caring for silk duvets.
Question: I have frosted glass in my pantry door. The one side is plain glass, but on the inside, it is frosted. I cannot seem to get normal, everyday; kid spills off the inside of the door (chocolate milk for instance). Any suggestions? David
Answer: I would apply a small amount of smooth peanut butter onto the chocolate milk, leave it for five minutes and scrape it off, with a plastic putty knife or a green abrasive pad (not an S.O.S pad). Then clean the glass in the usual manner with either my Squeaky-Clean Window Cleaner Recipe or a super-duper solution that works best for you!
Manitobans respond
Re: Removing butter tarts from the pan
The easiest removal of butter tarts and no mess cleanup are the Paperchef parchment baking cups. No mess. No losing half your muffins, amazing. — Agnes
Regarding removing butter tarts cleanly from the pan. I often use nonstick foil instead of regular foil and sticking is no problem and there is no added fat. — Mavis
Re: Ripening bananas
Hint: speed up soft bananas for baking. Put bananas in the freezer for at least 24 hours; remove and defrost in the microwave when required. You get soft bananas for baking, and extra moisture in your baked goods! Works great for delicious banana bread, in a Bundt pan. — Lynne
Soft Skin Solutions (try saying that five times, fast)
Bee Natural Hand Lotion Recipe: Into a double boiler melt 4 oz. sweet almond oil and 1 oz. beeswax. Remove from heat and add 2 oz. water and stir well. Add 10 drops Vitamin E and 10 drops of your favourite essential oil such as lavender. Stir until cool. Pour contents into jars or metal tins.
My facial skin seems much softer now that I use a banana mask once a week. Mash up a banana and spread it on your face. Leave for 10 mins. and rinse. — Jamie
Whipped Body Butter Recipe
In a pot over medium heat melt together a half cup coconut oil and one cup shea butter. Mix in half cup jojoba oil and add 20 drops of your favourite essential oil. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and place in the fridge for two hours. When solid, whip for 10 minutes, until it looks like whipped cream. Store in an airtight container and use as you would use lotion. — 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
Renovation & Design
Foil is your friend when baking butter tarts
Question: Every time I bake butter tarts, I leave behind pastry when I go to remove them from the pan, after they are cool. I have even tried using Teflon pans with the same results. Can you tell me how I can serve whole tarts to my family? Allison
Answer: The absolute easiest solution is to line each muffin tin with foil. Once the tarts are cool, lift the foil up and the shape should stay intact. If you are worried about the tarts sticking to the foil, wipe each foil lined tin with a little margarine or butter before pressing the crust.
Question: I buy a lot of second-hand clothing. They often smell, even after being washed. They either smell like the previous owner’s perfume or they carry that familiar second-hand store scent. I washed the clothing using my regular detergent, what else can I do? Angela
Answer: Begin by soaking the smelly fabrics in a stainless-steel pot with one gallon water and one quarter cup of one of the following: borax, white vinegar, washing soda or club soda. Boil for five minutes. Next launder in hot water. If the clothes still smell, lay them on the grass on a rainy day, the combination of sunshine and rain will help take away the odours.
Question: What should I use to clean my garage doors? I have a pressure washer, but I don’t want to damage the paint. Garth
Answer: It is a great idea to clean your garage doors, twice a year. The safest technique for cleaning them is to scrub with dish soap and water. While many people opt to use a pressure washer, this comes with the risk of denting the metal or damaging the paint. Rinse with a regular garden hose, set on a gentle spray setting.
Question: I sometimes want to ripen bananas fast, so that I can use them for baking purposes. What can I do to speed up the process so that they are softer? Serenity
Answer: Using a knife or a fork, poke holes in the peel and lay the bananas on a baking sheet. Bake them in the oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. They should be brown before you remove them from the oven.
Why keep it to yourself?
Regarding weeds between bricks on a path. Thought I would send a suggestion to you: I find pouring boiling water on the weeds works great. No need for any sprays. — Helen
Knowing that I will no longer be given plastic grocery bags, I wanted to keep a few on hand, but didn’t know how to store them. I recently realized that the easiest storage unit is an empty tissue box, I stuff them in there, with the handle facing the opening and then pull them out, one at a time, as needed. — Celina
Instead of spraying glass doors with glass cleaner, I wipe them with a fabric softener sheet to clean them. They really shine! — Donella
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
Call in a pro when covering a skylight
Question: I’ve been looking for information on how to fix a skylight cavity, once the skylight has been removed, and ran across an article you wrote, online. In it you say to remove the skylight housing. If this is not possible, would it work to drill holes in the housing for cross air ventilation between rafters in my cathedral ceiling?
My skylight, I assume, was installed between rafters, 24 inch-on-centre, with framing from rafter to rafter to make a box. The skylight was taken out 13 years ago and I put a thin piece of birch plywood over the opening, with decorative holes for ventilation, to keep the underside roof decking dry. It worked, except around the inside edges of the cavity. I just got a new roof and assumed they would replace the roof decking if needed. They didn’t, and it should have been replaced, as it was cut short and did not cover the whole hole, which is now sagging at one end. I will be calling the roofer, as I think the whole sheet should have been replaced. I’m also worried that any work is going to compromise the whole underlayment, just to repair this section. So much for a strong protective new roof!
I just had my son drill three, one-inch holes, about an inch down from the decking, in each end of the box between the rafters. I did this so air could flow between the rafters, and then jammed a piece of two-inch-thick foam insulation into the cavity. He then put plywood over the opening. I’ll figure out how to finish it later, maybe with a picture of a night sky. Will this work?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you, JoAnne.
Answer: Repairing, properly insulating, and air sealing the area in your roof system where an old skylight has been removed is no small task. It certainly requires a high level of understanding of building science principals. This is undoubtedly beyond the scope of most homeowners, and should most certainly be left to professional contractors for proper remediation.
There are many small to moderate jobs that may be within the skill and knowledge level of the average home handyperson, but care should be taken to not exceed those limits. Quite frequently, I observe improperly installed upgrades or repairs in homes that I come across in typical inspection. Often, these can be attributed to enthusiastic homeowners wanting to test their renovation skills. Almost as frequently, this type of poor quality workmanship can be the result of improperly trained individuals wanting to cash in on the “flipping” craze. Either way, bad work may range from a purely cosmetic issue, to a major defect requiring immediate repair.
While I often encourage my clients to attempt small repairs, like patching and painting small cracks or damage to walls and ceilings, more complex work should be avoided. My concern is not over the physical limitations of the repairs, but the lack of knowledge. Too often improper work is the result of not knowing the proper methodology for the task. While that can often be remedied by an extensive search of YouTube videos, most people will not spend the time required for proper research. The results are usually easy to spot, with leaky or gurgling plumbing components, non-functioning electrical fixtures, uneven tiles, jamming doors, and the list goes on. So, the key to successfully attempting any DIY projects is to ensure that you know the proper methods before you begin.
Properly air sealing and filling in an older skylight opening will require a contractor with extensive knowledge and experience in building enclosure work. The exact methods for this work will also vary according to the climate in which your home is located. Because you had only a thin piece of plywood over the old opening for several years, I would doubt you live in our area. Otherwise, warm air intrusion, condensation, and leakage would likely have been a regular occurrence. What makes it even more tricky is the fact that the skylight was located in a vaulted ceiling. Many of those type of roof systems were never well insulated or vented properly from the beginning, so much more extensive upgrades would likely be required. The ideal time to do that would have been at the same time as the roofing replacement, but that window is now closed.
I rarely reply to a respondent’s inquiry without any sort of answer, but in this case, I will make an exception. Not only am I not willing to provide you with specific details, I am unable due the many variables in play. The location of the home, climate, pitch and direction of the roof, trees, roofing materials, thickness of the roof system, and current insulation and ventilation of the surrounding area all must be evaluated before going further. I will go out on a limb and suggest that a proper repair is beyond the capability of any homeowner, unless they are currently employed in the building design or construction field.
Further ill-advised and random work, or attempts to properly insulate and ventilate the opening for your former skylight, should be immediately halted. That type of work will require a high level of experience and knowledge of building enclosures, and well beyond your capabilities. Hiring a good general contractor, or building enclosure specialist, will help avoid further problems, and deterioration to your home and roof system, where the issue is located.
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