Renovation & Design

Renovation & Design

Repairing storm windows a sensible option

Question: My husband and I live in a character home built around 1930. Most of our single-pane, downstairs windows are made of leaded glass.

In the 30+ years we have lived in our home we have never removed our original storm windows, except for regular cleaning and painting. Some windows have had aluminium storms, with screens, installed to replace the older wood ones.

Although the storm windows have done a good job of protecting the leaded glass inside, my husband and I are contemplating replacing these storm windows with something sleeker, less bulky, and with UV protection.

We are looking for window options that look good but we are, first and foremost, concerned about preserving and protecting our leaded glass windows.

What do we need to be thinking about before replacing the storm windows that are currently in place? Is there a product on the market that might suit the job we want done? If so, what are the issues to be considered prior to making this change?

Thank you for your attention to this request. -Irene B.

Answer: Upgrading older windows without removing the inside sashes poses some serious challenges. Leaving the original storms in place, with some repairs and painting, may be the most sensible thing if you want to preserve the inside leaded glass sashes.

Most homeowners have long ago removed and discarded their older wood storm windows and summer screens. When older homes were built, prior to the sixties, the original vertical sliding wood windows were the norm. These had interior sashes with single-pane glass, with the bottom unit typically sliding inside the upper one to allow for ventilation. Once lifted up, the two sashes almost lined up with a large airspace below. The outside portion of the window had a wooden-framed screen, which was removable. In the heating season, this screen was typically removed and replaced with a fixed single-pane sash, known as a storm window.

The purpose of the storm window was to increase the thermal resistance of the entire window by adding an extra pane of glass between the exterior and interior of the home. This definitely helps keep the cold winter wind from blowing through the window, but only to a limited degree. Because there was usually no weatherstripping installed, either on the inside sashes or the storm window, cold air could still penetrate the living space inside the poorly sealed widow. To improve upon this, and prevent the necessity of changing the outside window components twice a year, aluminum storm windows were developed.

The aluminium storm was installed to replace both the wood storm and screen. Because these permanently secured add-ons had thin, metal frames around the glass, they could easily fit both components in one unit. The inside wooden sash would have to be in the open position to access the bottom sash of the storm window, to raise it up for ventilation. The fixed screen was on the outside of the glazing and was often removable for cleaning. The major benefit of this new storm unit was the lack of storage required for the off-season component of the old window and the need to switch them spring and fall. The downside of the aluminium storm is that the metal conducts heat much better than wood, so these did not do much for warming up the window units. They did, however, often have a better seal than the old wood storm as weatherstripping was often integral in the design.

To replace either of these storm windows in your current home, in an effort to preserve the inside leaded-glass sashes, may be difficult. Any new window installed will have a dual- or triple-paned sealed unit, making it much more airtight and warmer. Unfortunately, it will also have to be fixed in place, like most of your leaded units, making the space in between it and the old sashes inaccessible. This may lead to condensation, from warm house air leaking through the leaded glass portions.

While this may be no different than with the current storms, they can easily be removed to clear any moisture, dirt, and cobwebs that may accumulate in this area. With a new window, that will not be possible. The only end-around for this situation would be to get new wooden storm windows made with dual-paned sealed units and a proper weather strip. That would be very costly and would only be feasible if the original storm windows are deteriorated.

If the original storm windows, and the corresponding screen units, are not in too bad condition it may make more sense to keep them despite the added work of yearly removal and replacement.

As long as the wood is not rotting or coming apart, and the glass and glazing material is in good condition, keeping them may be the most practical solution to having your precious leaded windows intact. If the paint, wood, or glazing is deteriorated then immediate repairs before this coming winter are warranted. Installation of modern weather strips on the inside of the window frame that the storm window stops up against, will be an inexpensive method to minimize drafts.

While it may make it somewhat warmer and less drafty to replace your current storm windows with modern, fixed, sealed units, getting access to the space between the two will be a major challenge. It makes more sense to put a smaller amount of money and labour into repairs and maintenance of the old storms, and maintain the status quo, if you are determined to keep the aesthetics of the original leaded glass windows.

Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.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 

Ari Marantz
June 5

Renovation & Design

Got buttermilk? It's the secret to making delicious corn bread

Question: I made cornbread and it was very crumbly. What did I do wrong? I used one egg; should I use two next time? Carolyn

Answer: Here are a few hints for making delicious cornbread: the first is to use buttermilk instead of milk or water. While you do not want to add excess moisture, the following are a few options to try: Add half a cup of sour cream to your recipe. The extra egg is a good idea, and some people like to add a can of cream corn to the recipe to add moisture.

Question: I am packing a picnic and would like to keep the food hot as long as possible. What is the best way to package the food? Jeff

Answer: Using an insulated bag or cooler is the first step in keeping food hot. Wrap the containers tightly in foil, newspapers and towels. Include one or several hot water bottles. Pack food into an insulated container, if possible. If you need to transfer the food to a container, other than the pot or pan you cooked the food in, heat the casserole dish in the oven first. Some people use thermal bags, or buckwheat bags, heated in the microwave, to insulate the cooler.

Question: What is the easiest way to remove ticks from skin? Karina

Answer: To remove ticks, apply a glob of liquid hand soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick for 20 seconds; apparently the tick sticks to the cotton ball. If, however, you do have to remove the tick, turn it counterclockwise.

Tick Trivia: Tick season is here, and those hardy critters can live as long as 200 days without consuming food or water. Tuck those pants into your socks and stay covered as much as possible. Some stores carry tick-repellent clothing, I haven’t put them to the test, but it’s tempting.

Question: My children love to eat chicken wings. I make them by battering them with flour and spices, but when I deep-fry the wings, the coating falls off, making a big mess of skinless chicken wings. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Jennifer

Answer: After rolling chicken wings in batter, cover the bowl of wings with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the fridge for about 90 minutes. As the flour adheres to the meat, the wings become sticky and the batter holds to the meat during frying. Also, make sure the oil is very hot before dropping meat into the pot. To test proper deep-frying temperature, drop a bite-sized piece of bread into the oil. If the oil bubbles around the bread and turns light brown within 60 seconds, the oil is ready to use. Or put the handle end of a wooden spoon into the oil, when bubbles form along the handle a little, the oil is ready. Or drop a popcorn kernel into the oil, the kernel pops when oil reaches approximately 350 F, which is perfect for deep frying.

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 at: info@reena.ca. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.

Reena Nerbas
May 29

Renovation & Design

Use air conditioner to reduce humidity in home and crawlspace

Question: I built a 1,500 square-foot home at the lake on a rock. I used ICF (insulated concrete forms) blocks for the crawlspace foundation, setting them on the rock and filling with concrete. Even though no leaks occur under the ICF walls, the crawl space is extremely damp and the relative humidity (RH) in the home is very high in the summer. The home is very well insulated, has electric forced-air heat, air conditioning (A/C) and a heat recovery ventilator (HRV). We never use A/C because the building is extremely cool in the summer. I am going to put heavy poly on the rock floor to see if this will help lower the RH, but was also thinking spray foam. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Bill.

Answer: High relative humidity, condensation, and moisture issues are common to many homes with crawlspaces, but especially in lake country. Improved ventilation and use of the air conditioning should be the two most effective methods of managing this issue, while sealing the bedrock floor inside may not make much of a difference.

Seeing signs of moisture in a crawlspace on grade, at different times of the year, is quite normal but still should be managed. Excessive humidity can cause premature rot, mould growth, rusting metal components, and other issues inside the confined space. Sweating water supply and drain pipes can also lead to small puddles, but the most serious problems normally occur due to accumulations of water from the surrounding soil. Since you don’t have that issue, as you are ideally situated on bedrock, the main concern is how to prevent or remove moisture from the crawlspace air.

There are two main approaches to dealing with humidity-related issues in an enclosed space, like the crawlspace below the floor in your lakefront home. The simplest and most effective way to prevent excessive moisture buildup in this area is by adequate ventilation. This method also has two main possibilities, passive vs. mechanical means. The passive ventilation approach is the easiest, by installation of several screened vents on each side of the crawlspace grade beam foundation. If you have included these in the insulated concrete forms used for your foundation, it may simply be a matter of installing insulated covers for the winter and replacing them with screens for use when the weather is warmer. The screens should be made durable enough to prevent rodents chewing through the mesh, to stop them from gaining easy access to the crawlspace. If you have not done this at the time of construction, it may require hiring professional concrete cutting contractors to install these openings after the fact. Either way, ensuring good air movement through the vents will really help prevent condensation related problems, even with very high humidity in the summer months.

The second way to improve ventilation in the crawlspace will be to use the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems already in the home. The initial checklist should include ensuring there are enough duct openings or registers in the crawlspace from the furnace and HRV. If these have been omitted, or minimally installed, the mechanical systems may not be able to adequately help. There should be at least one intake for the HRV and two or more heating registers/open ducts. If there are areas where the floor joists are closer to grade than others, or multiple foundation angles, more duct openings will be required to increase the air movement and prevent stagnant air pockets.

Once enough duct openings are ensured, running the furnace fan continuously on low speed, from a control on the thermostat, should be done. This will use the blower to continuously move the air through the crawlspace, as well as the rest of the home. The second key to the success of this will be to use your air conditioner in hot weather, which will significantly reduce the RH in the entire building and crawlspace. While you may not think this is necessary for temperature control, the A/C system substantially reduces air moisture during operation. One caveat, if you have adequate passive vents in the crawlspace and open windows in the home, mechanical summer ventilation may not be necessary. Especially if you have a consistent breeze off the lake, using this to your advantage may make using the furnace in the summer a non-starter.

Finally, ensuring your HRV is properly set up, with the dehumidistat function operating properly, will help dry out the crawlspace. This should not necessarily be used in the summer, but will be crucial for use in the heating season, when the crawlspace is fully enclosed. While this will only dehumidify the area in the winter, preventing condensation at that time of year will minimize the chances of significant moisture damage to the wooden components, even if some does occur in the hot summer months. This influx of dryer winter air will help remove any residual moisture that may be trapped in the crawlspace from the previous summer months.

Having high RH in your crawlspace in a home located adjacent to a lake is not in itself a problem, unless the area is poorly ventilated and prone to condensation. Ensuring it has enough passive ventilation, or using the air conditioning system to mechanically dry out the air, are the two approaches to prevention of serious moisture-related issues and damage in that area. Installation of 6MIL polyethylene sheathing over the bedrock floor is a good idea, but may not help much with your high RH issue.

Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.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

Ari Marantz
May 29