Renovation & Design

Renovation & Design

Architect's home a family affair

EDMONTON -- Roger Schilf has designed signature buildings in his career -- the distinctive, award-winning Telus Centre for Professional Development at the University of Alberta, for example. But when it came to designing his own home, Schilf followed the first rule of architecture and listened to the client -- his family.

The Glenora home the Schilfs built in 2000 is not a bold, modernist statement. Rather, it is almost an understatement -- a lovely, craftsman-style house made entirely of local materials that fits perfectly with the historic charm of the neighbourhood. Reclaimed clinker brick, Manitoba Tyndall stone and stone-dashed stucco made from Villeneuve pea gravel give the house its old-world character.

Schilf's painstaking attention to detail is evident in both the exterior and the interior. Every angle, nook and cranny was carefully planned to create visual interest. Schilf cleverly maximized the space, tucking a deceptively huge, 1,100-square-foot master bedroom loft into the often-wasted area under the roof. He also designed the home with the family's future needs in mind, separating his daughters' main-floor bedrooms from the noisier main rooms of the house and roughing in plumbing in one bedroom closet where he will one day create a bar and TV room. Upstairs, too, plumbing for a second bathroom has been roughed-in, in case any future owner wants to divide the space to create another bedroom.

Schilf, principal with Hodgson Schilf Architects in Edmonton, recently showed us around his family's unique home, with wife Melissa and daughters Riley and Avery.

Q. Why did you choose this house?

A. "When we bought the property it was a flipper. We were going to hang on to it for a couple of years and then look to build somewhere else, but then we fell in love with the neighbours and the neighbourhood."

Q. When you decided to build a new house on the site, what did you take into consideration?

A. "Designing a house and building a home is a family affair and you have to listen to your family. And everything I heard was that it had to be warm and cosy, it had to be traditional in a lot of ways and it had to fit into the neighbourhood."

Q. Do colleagues ever wonder why you went the traditional route?

A. "Architects, especially if you're a designer, are judged by what they live in.

"I've done modern work. In some instances, you could call it cutting-edge. But I've always had the attitude that you design for what your client's needs are. If you're doing your job as an architect, you're really facilitating their vision or their dreams."

Q. What look were you trying to create in the house?

A. "It's craftsman with a bit of an English-manor flavour or a bit of a Tudor flavour. That's the look we were going for. And that's Glenora."

"My wife is from Pembroke (Ontario) and there are a lot of historical homes there. It would have gone more gingerbread-y if she'd had her way. To temper that slightly, I think I came up with something that was a good balance for the two of us. My craftsmanship in the craftsman-style home is really the detail. All the little things."

Q. Why did you put your master bedroom in what is usually the attic?

A. "I spent a year working as an architect in Germany and I had an apartment in the roof. We don't take advantage of that in this county. The roofs are all trussed over and they're all lost space. In Europe, everybody lives in the roof and it happens to be the coolest space. Look at all the corner details you can create by using this space."

Q. How hard was it to create this loft area?

A. "I finished it all myself. I did all the framing, the boarding the wiring, everything."

Q. Why?

A. "I love it. That's what I do. I built the garage in the back. I just enjoy doing that kind of thing."

Q. Why did you choose to create a separate living room, dining room and kitchen instead of the more popular "great room"?

A. "Having rooms that are defined can be a nice thing, instead of everything being open. You can define space differently, with objects or with enclosure. We chose to go more of that traditional kind of defining of space."

Q. What is your favourite room?

A. "I think the family's favourite room is the living room, and we use it. We go through cords of wood here. It is a little indulgent to use a wood-burning fireplace, but I think it's the coziness. It just feels like home and that's really what we were after."

"My favourite room is the nook. This room in the morning is the nicest room in the whole house. The sun, if I get up at 5:30 or 6:00, that sun is coming in through the window. We have such good neighbours, we don't even have a fence. This is almost like you're in the woods."

Q. Why was it so important to you to build a house that fit into the neighbourhood?

A. "I think people build way more than what they need. It's kind of a symptom of our society as a young country relative to the rest of the world. If you temper that a bit and say, 'What do I need and what would feel good and what do I think is right?' Neighbours, one to another, can start to build things that promote more of a neighbourhood feel, a sense of scale in the neighbourhood."

-- Canwest News Service

Marta Gold
March 23

Renovation & Design

Solutions

The benefits of eggs and egg shells have been known for generations. The larger type eggs such as Ostrich were historically used as water carriers by the hunter gatherer tribes in ancient times.

1. In a pinch substitute egg white for glue. Stick light paper together with a little egg white when glue runs out.

2. After boiling eggs, don't pour the water down the drain. Instead, let it cool; then water plants with the nutrient-filled water.

3. Sometimes a recipe will call for only an egg white or only an egg yolk. Don't throw out that good leftover! Just freeze it and add it to your next omelet or scrambled eggs. If you make sure they don't get freezer burn, they will last quite a while, but I like to use them as soon as possible.

4. When hard boiling eggs, put a drop of food colouring into the water. When cooked, the eggs can be stored and the colour will tell you which eggs are hard boiled.

5. When poaching eggs, always add a few drops of white vinegar to the water so that the eggs stay together while boiling.

6. Bake your eggs in the oven! Remove the crusts of several pieces of bread. Butter both sides and fit them into muffin tins. Drop one egg in each muffin cup onto bread, cover with foil. Bake for about 5 mins. 325 degrees, top with cheese or salsa. Bake for another 3 mins. Enjoy!

7. After purchasing a carton of eggs, turn the carton over and return them to the refrigerator. This little trick helps eggs last longer.

8. Never again watch an egg roll off of the counter and onto the floor. Cut egg cartons into 3, 4 holed sections, the next time you are baking or cooking you need only take out one section and you don't have to play the balancing act with the eggs. Tip: Reuse cartons so that you only cut them once.

9. Did you know that egg shells are excellent at cleaning drains? Crush the shells as fine as you can and let them sit in the sink drain basket. Each time the water runs, the egg shells will make their way through to your drain pipes. Egg shells act as a safe abrasive and will help to get rid of any grease or hair buildup.

10. Use paper egg cartons to make little fire starters. Keep one in the laundry room for when you clean out the lint tray. Stuff lint into each section. When full, use old candle stubs, and drip wax onto the lint. Store until needed.

11. Store decorative plastic Easter eggs inside of empty egg cartons. Doing this is much more organized then storing them in a plastic bag. They don't get dirty or cracked and can be stacked, boxed identified easily.

12. Salt not only makes eggs taste better, but it makes egg dishes clean easier. Sprinkle salt on dishes right after breakfast; it makes them a whiz to clean when you have time.

13. When the kids get too old or "cool" to hunt for eggs, give the kids a chance to hide the eggs so that the parents or grandparents can have a turn searching.

14. Chef's secret! When making homemade stock, clarify the final product by beating egg whites to soft peaks, one for each quart/liter of stock. Crumple eggs-shells and mix them through the egg whites. Stir the mixture into the stock and bring it to a simmer, do not let it boil. The egg-whites will coagulate, rise, and take any particles and cloudiness out of the stock. Keep a close eye on the simmer (push the coagulated egg-whites to the side a bit to see) and let it simmer for about ten minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for another ten minutes. Finally, sieve the stock again through a tea towel.

15. Unbelievably Easy Egg Drop Soup Recipe (with ingredients that most of us have on hand!). In a soup pot, bring to a boil 3 cups chicken broth. Combine 2 tbsp. cold water with 1 tbsp. corn starch, stir into boiling broth. Stir 1 tbsp. soup broth into 1 slightly beaten egg. Slowly pour egg mixture into hot broth. Stir constantly until slightly thick. Tip: To this yummy delight you can add cooked meatballs, or a little Soya sauce, or chow mein noodles or rice.

Happy Easter!

Solutions, is compiled from various sources: infinitygoods.wrodpress.com, essortment.com, ehow.com, foodgeeks.com, helium.com, thriftyfun.com, rd.com, saltinstitute.com, en.wikibooks.org. Thanks to all who sent in tips and tricks! Similar information may be found elsewhere.

Solutions sleuth Reena Nerbas is a home economist and speaks professionally on the topic of household challenges; she is also the author of two national bestsellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions and Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets. She can be heard on radio programs across Canada and seen on the CBC TV show Living Winnipeg.

www.householdsolutions.org

Reena Nerbas
March 23

Renovation & Design

No barriers to good living

VICTORIA -- Wayne Clarke doesn't ride in a wheelchair and there's nothing wrong with his legs.

But that didn't stop Clarke, owner of Victoria's Seaview Construction, from building a 6,400-square-foot house that he describes as "one you can whistle around in a wheelchair." The concept, which netted Clarke two awards at last week's inaugural Bear Mountain awards, came about by happenstance.

"There are two people in wheelchairs in my extended family," Clarke explains. One is Clarke's 40-year-old cousin who has been a wheelchair-user for the last dozen years. Clarke noticed she was attending fewer family gatherings as the years went past.

He asked her why.

"She was embarrassed at having to be carried in, or up staircases," Clarke says. "She's an independent person and that was hard for her. She doesn't like to think she's inconveniencing anyone."

Clarke, who has been in construction for 22 years, put his hammer where his heart is. He built the sprawling three-storey home in the Victoria-area development of Bear Mountain complete with elevator, wide doorways, lipless roll-in shower and flat indoor-to-outdoor entry.

The most obvious feature the home holds is the one you can't see.

"When I talked to people in the residential care-home industry, they said one of the biggest challenges they face is finding a building that doesn't look like it's got a big handicap sticker pasted on it," Clarke says.

"People don't need to be reminded that they're in a wheelchair every time they look around their house."

Toward that end, the first impression of the home is one of spacious comfort, amid Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, burnt saffron-stained maple cabinetry, granite countertops and high-end metal detailing in the railings and pendant light fixtures. One hardly notices the halls have extra-wide hubs for easy wheelchair manoeuvreing and extra-wide doors.

Even the elevator is elegantly panelled in wood.

Clarke's cousin might have been a guest in the home, but she didn't live there, so many of the modifications are structural.

Clarke and his designer, Will Pereboom of Victoria Design, planned the house to streamline possible future modifications, such as installing hidden plumbing in the master ensuite vanity so that some day it can be converted easily into a plumbed sink with roll-under counter.

What makes the house more unusual is that it might be the only million-dollar-plus home built on spec with the mobility-impaired in mind.

In addition to owning Seaview Construction, Clarke recently took on the role of construction manager at Bear Mountain. He and his family lived in the house for a year before he sold it to Heather and Ben Scheffer and moved his family up the mountain to build another house.

He has moved on, but the eye-opener his mobility-impaired relatives have given him has changed the way he looks at residential construction.

"If you look at the baby boomer demographic, this is the kind of design they need, if not today, then maybe tomorrow," Clarke says. "You don't have to be in a wheelchair for this. If you've got a bad knee, even a single flight of stairs will become a barrier to you inside your own home."

Indeed, Clarke has noted a number of homes at Bear Mountain built with "chaseways" -- shafts where elevators can be installed at a later date.

Elevators are costly. Clarke paid $40,000 for the award-winning home's elevator.

"For a million-dollar house, that's not a huge chunk of the budget," Clarke says, "but if you look at our demographics, for even the average home, it will look more like a wise investment as the years go on."

"Even think of all the people who are taking care of aging parents. Inevitably, your home becomes their space, too. We have to start thinking about building homes for everyone."

--Canwest News Service

Joanne Hatherly
March 23

Renovation & Design

Realtors expect spring to be hot

It's official. Spring has sprung and our long, cold winter is finally over -- hopefully!

Cold complainers like me aren't the only ones celebrating the arrival of spring. The real estate market is entering its busiest time of year and the market is picking up.

"We're seeing a lot of action in the market," says Darlene Clare, president of WinnipegREALTORS. "It is really amazing -- and it's been a very cold winter."

Now that it's finally warming up, buyers are anxious to get out and start looking for the perfect house. The combination of the milder temperatures and the extra hour or so of daylight at the end of the day has had a positive influence on home buying activity.

"It's just made a huge difference," says Clare. "When its - 46 in February, it's hard to get out there and look -- you have to be really motivated."

Yet, despite the cold weather, sales activity in the real estate market was strong in the winter months. In February, for example, there were lots of multiple offers on houses and properties on average sold for seven per cent above the list price.

As people get into the market now with the hopes of buying this spring in order to move in by summer, Clare says the challenge is getting more houses on the market. She says it is still a strong seller's market, with limited supply and many properties still receiving multiple offers. And that's disheartening for many potential homebuyers.

"There are buyers who have written eight or nine offers on different houses and are very discouraged," notes Clare. "For realtors, it's difficult to keep those buyers motivated."

Clare says she hopes more homes will come on the market this spring, which will balance out the tight demand-and-supply phenomenon and even out the market.

Realtor Greg Michie, of Sutton Group, says there is a definite need for more houses to come onto the market because there is not nearly enough supply to fill demand. He says he thinks the supply situation is even tighter than it was last year and there are even fewer listings for buyers to choose from.

While that's not good news for buyers, it has been a boon to sellers.

"My personal experience is that so many houses are selling for more than they were last year," says Michie, adding the infamous bidding wars are a continuing trend in this market.

Perhaps the newer trend is that bidding wars are becoming more common now in the higher-priced homes, where they were predominantly in the more affordable segments of the market.

"People are stepping up the ladder," Michie notes. " Bidding wars are more severe and are starting to appear at higher levels for those 'special' houses."

Michie is referring to the so-called "turn-key" houses, where buyers can essentially move right in and don't have to do much of anything. Despite the fact they may have to get into one of those bidding wars, homebuyers are often willing to shell out more money for the right house.

"When purchasers spend that extra money, they don't want question marks on what improvement costs will be," says Michie. "Houses that are turn-key are the ones that really go."

That demand for houses that are essentially done, combined with rising property values and continued low interest rates, has led many people to invest in their homes over the last several years.

"A lot of people have refinanced and upgraded their homes because the value is there," says Michael Dubienski, a realtor with RE/MAX professionals.

And that's been a positive for both buyers and sellers. While sellers are able to capture increased value for their homes as a result of the improvements they have made, buyers are getting a better deal, too.

"People are actually getting better houses," says Dubienski.

The strong values are also encouraging people to think about moving. The Baby Boomers are on the move, Dubienski says. He says many are looking at the market, finding out what their house is worth and then deciding now is the time to move into a condo. In most cases, he says they are simply trading houses -- selling their house and turning around and buying a condo for a similar amount.

"I've noticed a huge increase in the condo market," says Dubienski. "I think people are overwhelmed by the prices and are deciding it's time to sell."

Dubienski also offers a ray of hope for discouraged buyers. In recent weeks, three listings in the very popular River Heights area have sold for or even under the list price with only one offer. While many houses are inciting bidding wars and commanding top dollar, he says there are also many good homes selling at more reasonable values.

That's not to say the market is going anywhere near down.

Just like his counterparts, Dubienski is projecting a very positive spring real estate market.

"With interest rates the way they are and supply and demand, I think we're going into a great spring," he says.

Tracy Bryksa - Around the Market
March 23

Renovation & Design

Good for young and old

IN the new homes market, it's all too easy for two demographic groups to get lost in the shuffle: young families with one or two kids, and new retirees.

The reason for that is simple: both are looking for a new home that is affordable, offers a good amount of living space along with a fair modicum of style. All of which makes sense; when you're starting out, you're not looking for all the bells and whistles. If you've just called it a career, you're looking to downsize to a home that has ample storage space -- and that is easy to maintain.

Enter the Windsor, a 1,510-square-foot bungalow designed by Kensington Homes. Although not considered overly large by today's oversized new-home standards, this cleverly designed home -- with attached rear garage -- is plenty roomy, especially considering that there's another 1200 sq. ft. plus of living space ready for development on the lower level.

"It's been very popular among retirees, career people and even young families looking to upgrade," says Quest Realty's Gerry Mah, who along with Anne Hiebert markets the show home for Kensington Homes. "People, especially those from the River Heights or Fort Garry areas, love the design -- it's a bit of a throwback with the garage in rear. They also love the openness of the design. You can see the whole house, and how well it flows."

That said, the Windsor is no out-and-out open-concept design. The reason? An optional wall erected between the great room and dining room. With hallways on either side to provide a pair of access points, the wall neatly divides the great room from the dining room. Privacy is attained, yet movement between the two areas is unobstructed.

"If you like, you can have the home designed without the wall there, but we've found that people like it being there to provide a bit of division between rooms," Hiebert says. "In this design, you also get a fireplace set in cultured stone on the opposite side of the wall, as well as a niche above the (maple-trimmed) mantle for a big-screen TV or art -- it provides a focal point for the great room."

With a spacious great room and the optional wall in place, it would be easy to assume that space has been sacrificed in the dining room/kitchen area. Thankfully, that's not the case at all; the dining room is wide open with a recessed nook for a buffet -- and a recessed area on the wall (with pot light above) to display art. There's more than enough room for a table that seats six, and with the kitchen only steps away, serving dinner figures to be a largely effortless task.

Although the dining room/kitchen area is a by-and-large open concept, two design features provide division and flair at the same time: an eating nook for three that faces in toward the dining room from the kitchen's main countertop, and an arch cut-out that frames the kitchen, simultaneously opening up and dividing the shared space.

"This home has so much personality, and that feature is a big part of it," Mah says. "The kitchen is like an old country kitchen in that it's very spacious. Its L-shaped design makes for lots of room -- so much so that you can put a table and chairs in it. There are lots of windows to make it bright, tons of counter space, and even a large wall pantry. The medium brown maple cabinets and textured black Arborite countertops really finish it off nicely, while the engineered oak hardwoods in the dining room and great room (there's textured beige linoleum in the kitchen) add warmth."

Two distinct bedroom wings also allow for a high degree of privacy, something that's welcome whether you have young kids, are housing travel-weary guests, or are using one of the two extra bedrooms as an exercise or R R room.

Off by its lonesome -- just as it should be -- the master bedroom is impressively large with a cavernous walk-in closet. There's ample room in the bedroom for two end tables, a king-size bed, plant and a low-sling dresser; a big double window also makes for a bright, relaxing space. The ensuite, with its maple vanity, copper-coloured Arborite countertop and faux ceramic tile (linoleum floor) -- and large corner shower stall with frosted glass sliding doors -- offers straightforward access to the necessary creature comforts. With a deep bathtub just around the corner, a relaxing soak is just steps away.

One other design feature has been drawing raves, adds Hiebert: the staircase leading to the large lower level.

"Everyone loves it -- it's extra-wide, which will make moving furniture downstairs extremely easy when the time comes to furnish it," she says. "And there's so much room to develop, over 1,200 sq. ft. All in all, this home has real warmth and character, is easy to maintain and offers great versatility at a very affordable price. That's why it's a great home for young families, retirees, even career-oriented folks."

lewys@mts.net

Todd Lewys
March 9

Renovation & Design

Icy basement walls common in new homes

QUESTION -- We moved into our brand new house in October 2006. The basement is not finished, just insulated and has a vapour barrier. Last year, around this time, I noticed small water leaks, in three locations, on my basement floor coming from under the vapour barrier.

You cannot believe my surprise and shock when I opened the vapour barrier and removed the insulation on those leaking locations in my basement. My basement walls were covered in a fairly thick layer of ice and the walls were really wet.

I called the builder, New Home Warranty people and one home inspector in Winnipeg. All three gave me the same answer -- that it is normal in new homes and common in Winnipeg during extremely cold days. I just cannot accept such an explanation. I am very disappointed knowing that we paid over $300,000 for the house and that ice is going to be part of the interior of the house.

I am considering bringing in a contractor and spray-foaming the basement with three-inch-thick foam insulation at a cost of approximately three dollars per square foot. I am not sure if that will help at all. I am also thinking about digging out all the dirt outside my basement, putting a Delta Wrap and then insulating with Styrofoam. That will be very expensive work and the second concern is that my new home warranty might be void if anything goes wrong with my basement in the future. I am also not sure how effective that might be.

I hope you can understand my frustration, especially after the New Home Warranty person told me that he has received hundreds of similar questions in the last month from Winnipeggers. He also told me the building code should be changed to include insulating basements with the Styrofoam from the outside so this problem is remedied. Why do builders still build houses without that type of insulation if this ice problem happens to homeowners all the time?

Your professional advice will be greatly appreciated.

-- Jasmin Ismailovic, e-mail

ANSWER -- It seems to me that this winter I have answered more inquiries than normal regarding newer homes and basement issues. While attempting to maintain a balanced approach to the topics reviewed, there appears to be increasing concerns with these issues. This is particularly true with indoor air quality problems and your question also is in this general area. I have inspected several homes this winter with problems very similar to yours so I thought it timely to review this issue as we prepare for the annual spring thaw.

While it may be very difficult for you to accept, I strongly agree with those individuals you have approached who told you that frost buildup behind insulated basement walls is a very common situation in new homes. I also agree with the New Home Warranty representative that it is a problem with basement insulation methods in new homes in Winnipeg. While I concur with these assessments, it doesn't mean that I agree the problem is necessary or unavoidable. With the risk of offending my friends in the building officials department at city hall, the problem is primarily caused by foundation insulation requirements on new homes in this area.

Because of the current desire to make our homes as energy-efficient as possible, especially with newly built homes, we have created a dilemma with moisture control in the homes. With new houses, these problems are unique due to the nature of the building materials used to construct the dwelling. Most of the components of our wood-frame homes have fairly high moisture contents when installed. This includes not only the wood framing & sheathing materials, but also the concrete in the foundation and basement floor slab as well as the drywall, taping compounds and paint used to finish the inside of the home. Some of this moisture is easily released into the air in the home as materials like paint and drywall compounds dry, but other sources may be more slowly released as the material ages. Concrete is in the latter category and it will typically release moisture gradually, as it cures, for the first couple of years after installation.

Some of the moisture from the foundation curing process will be released to the exterior of the home, above grade, in the warmer months. Unfortunately, this expiration is limited during the cold winter months, when the ground is hard as a rock and the concrete above grade is well below the freezing point. The only area left for the moisture to escape to, at this time of year, is the heated indoor environment -- the basement. If the interior of the foundation is left uncovered, there may be some minor moisture issues, but these are not normally problematic. When we cover this new concrete with highly air-permeable fibreglass insulation and then a plastic air-vapour barrier, we are trapping this water vapour in the insulated wall cavity. Also, there may be some additional moisture inside this wall cavity from the drying of wood framing around the insulation. When the temperature drops low enough outside, this moisture will freeze and change to the ice and frost that you are seeing.

While I have not provided the complete explanation for your problem, the solution to your frost buildup is to remove the polyethylene sheathing and insulation from the entire interior foundation. The foundation concrete should be left uncovered for a minimum of one full year following installation, with frequent window ventilation of the basement in the moderate seasons, before re-insulating. Use of extruded polystyrene or blown-in foam will significantly reduce the chances of the problem reoccurring but will be more costly. Excavation and insulation on the exterior is not a practical solution, but I agree that it may be a superior option for new homes and a practice that will become more common in the future.

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 new website at www.trainedeye.ca.

trainedeye@iname.com

Ari Marantz - Ask the Inspector
March 2

Renovation & Design

What a drag

DEAR Debbie -- We are moving into a new house and the walls will be stark white flat paint and the woodwork semigloss white paint. I hope to paint the walls in earth tones (soft clays and greens). Is there any way to stain or glaze over all the white trim and doors to remove the "new" look of the house? Thank you.

-- Carole

DEAR Carole -- It sounds like you want to create a warmer, more lived-in atmosphere in your new home. You will experience an instant mood change by painting the walls as you are planning to do, and once this is done, the white trim might look just fine. However, there is a technique called dragging or strie, that is well-suited to baseboards, trim and doors. A dry brush is pulled through a coloured glaze, revealing the base coat in fine lines. First check to see if the builders used oil-based or water-based paint as you can't apply water-based over oil. Mix a glaze with the same type of paint. (Water-based, coloured glaze recipe: two parts latex paint, two parts water-based glazing liquid, one part water.) Apply the coloured glaze in three-foot lengths. Starting at one end, pull a long-bristled paintbrush straight through the wet glaze. Repeat several times until you get the desired striated effect. Clean the dragging brush on a rag and repeat on the next section. For durability, apply a coat of varnish over woodwork and trim.

Dragging is easiest done over a semigloss base coat, as you need a slippery surface for the technique. If you are working on a door frame, mask off the angle where the side and the top frames meet. Drag the adjoining area when the first dragged section is dry. This will give you a clean angle.

DEAR Debbie -- I have noticed on all the design television shows that the baseboards are being painted a colour, even with a very strong wall colour. I have strong red on the main floor, and the hall and upstairs rooms are basket-weave yellow. What do you suggest I paint the baseboards, and where do I start and stop?

-- Mavis

DEAR Mavis -- Generally I am an advocate of white trim. It always makes a room feel fresh and is a unifying factor throughout the home. If baseboards are small and uninteresting, you can continue the wall colour to the floor so that they blend in. If the baseboards are higher, four inches or more, you may choose to highlight this architectural feature. Traditionally, these are either stained wood or painted white or off-white. Alternately, paint the baseboards a darker, richer tone of the wall colour.

Note: You can create height and interest in existing baseboards by adding moulding. Nail the new trim about one inch above what's there, then paint the entire section including the space one colour so that it will appear to be one solid piece. Another simple and inexpensive alternative is to tape off one or two thin stripes above the baseboard over the wall colour you have chosen. Paint the stripes and baseboard white.

Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com

Debbie Travis - House to Home
March 2

Renovation & Design

Cracks in bark can cause tree woes

EACH year, especially over the winter season, I get a number of calls and e-mails on vertical bark cracks and the potential for trees to split apart. Severe cold and bright, sunny days can cause the bark of sensitive trees such as ash, linden basswood and hybrid poplars to crack vertically.

Usually the southwest side of the tree bark heats up on a sunny day causing some cell activity under the bark. Often the heat is strong enough to cause some sap to flow. Freezing temperatures at night cause the watery sap to expand, thereby damaging the cells directly under the bark. These cells cannot expand as the tree grows in the spring and summer. The circumferential expansion of the tree in the spring causes these weak, damaged areas to crack open.

Open bark cracks lead to problems:

* Wood-decay fungi and water enter the core of the tree causing the spread of wood-decay organisms that weaken the trunk.

* Open cracks allow the penetration of severe cold that desiccates the wood. This effect further damages the wood, causing it to weaken and create wider cracks.

With the return of warmer weather in the spring, most bark cracks start to close as the wood becomes more humid. The observant person will notice that the tree tries to grow a new layer of wood along the edges of the crack with the aim of sealing the opening. On a few occasions in small trees, this actually succeeds; however, the seal is rarely complete. As the tree grows, there will normally be a raised ridge of wound-closing wood trying to seal the opening.

Annual bark cracks can lead to the failure of the wood to hold up the tree. Internal decay becomes so widespread that the tree can collapse during a strong wind.

Have the tree examined by a professional, certified arborist for possible repair before a decision is made to remove it. Several bolts inserted through the entire trunk diameter and secured with washers and nuts can significantly extend the life of the tree. Other factors that may play into the decision are the lean of the tree; the presence of many broken branches; the presence of two or more very large, wide-spreading branches; a lopsided tree crown; and decay cavities in the trunk, especially at the base of the trunk. This list is not meant to be inclusive but does give one food for thought when you want to repair a tree. Depending on these issues, wide-spreading upper branches may also require cabling, especially if there is a visible crack in the crotch between two or more very large branches.

I recommend that owners of trees consult with ISA-certified (International Society of Arboriculture) arborists to have the tree assessed before any work is done. In addition, always ask to see the arborist's valid (current year) Manitoba Arborist Licence.

Mike Allen is a consulting urban forester and certified ISA arborist with Viburnum Tree Experts. He makes house and garden visits to assess tree and shrub problems. He can be contacted by calling 831-6503 or by e-mail at viburnumtrees@shaw.ca You can also mail questions to Mike Allen, c/o Newsroom, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. His website is www.treeexperts.ca

Mike Allen - Tree Care
March 2

Renovation & Design

Put away the ni-cads, get out the Li-ion battery

SOMETIMES cordless tools make me angry. A little job comes up around the house, you dig out a drill you haven't used in months, then pull the trigger. Nothing happens. Or nearly nothing. The blasted battery's lifeless.

Even though you put the tool away fully charged, you've got to plug it in for at least 30 minutes before you can get anything done, and traditional nickel cadmium (nicad) batteries are to blame. They discharge on the shelf with infuriating speed, which is one reason I was happy to see lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries making it into cordless tools, beginning back in January 2005.

They hold a charge for more than a year, though there was always a problem: Li-ion has also been too expensive for general consumer tools, at least until recently.

I've been waiting to see which power tool company would be the first to offer Li-ion technology in reasonably-priced household models, and the contest is over. The winner is Black & Decker, though other manufacturers are quickly following suit.

The Black & Decker SC1400-CA was the first consumer-duty drill I spotted with a Li-ion battery. It's a 14.4-volt unit that weighs less than 1.3 kilograms, and I was especially eager to try this model when I discovered it because of what I know about typical homeowner tool use.

The average person isn't into big renovations and serious building. They don't need a drill for that sort of work. Instead, all these folks require is a lightweight tool that runs whenever they pick it up. The SC1400-CA delivers on this count, plus a few more ways.

Something called "overwrap" is one example. It's a soft, rubber-like, high-friction material moulded into the hand-grip areas of a growing number of power tools. Manufacturers started using it about 10 years ago, and while overwrap was originally found only on high-end, professional-grade tools, the SC1400-CA is one of a growing group of exceptions. It has lots of strategically placed overwrap, exactly where you want it. That's one reason I found this tool particularly comfortable to hold.

If you're planning to build a deck, equip a home workshop or complete home renovations, a tool like the SC1400-CA isn't the first drill you should buy. You'll find one of the many 18-volt models with a pair of batteries and a 30-minute charger does a better job. But even if you already keep one of these in the garage, there's a case to be made for having a simple, lightweight Li-ion drill handy in the den or kitchen drawer. Half the battle of getting pesky, little jobs done around the house is having tools at hand and ready to go.

Ryobi is another tool company that has brought lithium-ion batteries to the consumer market, and they've done it while staying true to their previous technology. Their One+ 18-volt lithium-ion batteries and tools are interchangeable with older style, nicad One+ tools and chargers. Ryobi's new batteries run about twice as long as old ones, and weigh 20 per cent less.

Regardless of who makes the tools, Li-ion batteries are much friendlier to the planet than traditional nickel cadmium (nicad) batteries. Freedom from cadmium is the reason why. This is a highly persistent environmental toxin with no known antidote, and it's why old nicad batteries need to be disposed of with such care. Some jurisdictions have even outlawed new nicad electronics -- another reason why we'll see more lithium-ion tools in the future.

There are cheaper drills than the current lineup of consumer-grade, lithium-ion models, and that's probably going to fool some inexperienced tool buyers into buying yesterday's technology. What's less obvious is that the money saved up-front always gets paid back later in frustration, wasted time and a certain amount of regret. At least with Li-ion batteries on your side, you've got a good chance of having the drill work when you need it.

Steve Maxwell is technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Send homebuilding and renovation questions to www.stevemaxwell.ca.

--Canwest News Service

Steve Maxwell
March 2