Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Freshen the air in your home with these fragrant tips
Question: With the restrictions in place, I can’t purchase the air fresheners I usually buy. What can I do to keep my house smelling fresh? Louisa
Answer: Pour handfuls of fresh coffee grounds inside socks, close with an elastic band and store the socks in a variety of rooms in your home. Coffee is a great odour absorber. Or sprinkle either tea tree oil, lavender, cinnamon, rosewood or orange essentials oils onto cotton balls, and distribute. Or shave a fragrant bar of soap into slivers and store them in a bowl. Light fragrant candles such as soy blueberry or cinnamon (this is only a temporary fix). Always put soy candles in a container as they will spread when they melt. You can also light my absolute favourite; a collection of beeswax candles. Or make your own air freshener with vinegar or water and 15 drops of your favourite essential oil such as cinnamon, orange or grapefruit.
Question: Every time I purchase a set of drinking glasses, they end up looking foggy and dirty. I have tried to scrub off the cloudiness, but after they dry, they are foggy again. Help! Brendan
Answer: I have experienced the same challenge with etched glasses, for years. Recently, I learned the best solution for reducing etching on glasses: purchase better quality glasses, and the challenge will be significantly reduced. It seems that etching happens less, on thicker, higher quality glass. I bought better quality cups, and they don’t etch, at all. If you still encounter etching, heat vinegar and soak the glasses in the hot vinegar and then gently rub the surface with fine 000 sandpaper. You can also soak the glasses in hot water and citric acid (available at your local pharmacy, you may need to order it). Another technique is to hold the glass over the mouth of a steaming kettle and polish it quickly with a paper coffee filter. If the etching remains, the condition is permanent.
Question: How can I prevent sandwich meat from rotting before my family has a chance to eat it? Emily
Answer: Tossing food, is never easy on the budget. Purchase sandwich meat, and section it into portions. Place divided portions into freezer containers. Freeze portions and remove from freezer as needed. To defrost, place the meat on a tea towel inside the fridge to absorb the water as it melts.
Question: How can I quickly coat a large amount of chicken wings with BBQ sauce before I grill them? Charlie
Answer: Oh now, you’re making me hungry! Pour your favourite barbeque sauce into a plastic sealable container. Add uncooked chicken wings. Close the container and shake until all pieces are coated. Grill on medium for 10 minutes per side or until juices run clear.
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.
Renovation & Design
Installing new layer of drywall over deteriorated plaster a solid idea
Question: I have two questions. My first question has to do with the removal of stipple from the living and dining room ceiling. The house was built in 1950, and the walls and ceiling were drywalled and then plastered. I was thinking about scraping the stipple off the ceiling, then thought I should just put strapping and put 5/8-inch drywall over top of the existing ceiling. Then, I thought I should remove the old drywall and plaster from the ceiling. I have already removed most of the interior walls and it was extremely time consuming. The reason for removing the drywall from the walls is to address the insulation issue. The other question has to do with the insulation in the walls. I know the R-value is not that good and I would either like to add more insulation over top of the existing insulation or remove the old insulation and put in new batts to fill the cavity.
Thanks very much for your answers and direction, Brian B.
Answer: Adding another layer of drywall over top of cracked, deteriorated plaster is the best way to ensure the best, longest lasting job possible and will not require removal of the old ceilings. There may be more than one option for that and insulating your exterior walls, which will also make them better looking and warmer.
Removing stipple from an older ceiling may range in difficulty from moderate to nearly impossible. If the stipple material is older and has been painted several times, removal may be like attempting to scrape concrete off the plaster surface. If it is a newer, thin layer, often sprayed-on, then it makes more sense. If that type hasn’t been painted or modified, it may be easily removed with a standard putty knife or drywall trowel. The simple test for this is to find a small, less conspicuous area and attempt scraping it. If the pebbled finish comes off with minimal pressure, that may be an option before patching and painting.
If it is a typical older type of stipple that may have been trowel or roller applied, then you will find it difficult to scrape even a small area smooth. In that situation, or if you have many cracks or deteriorated plaster surfaces, covering with a new layer of drywall will be a much better choice. There are two typical ways of accomplishing this, but neither should require removal of the old plaster ceilings. You have identified the first way, to strap the entire surface with thin wood strips to allow a good substrate for securing the fasteners for the new sheathing. This is often done on ceilings that are very uneven, no longer straight or level, or where there is major damage or deterioration. This allows the wood planks to be shimmed, which can create a nice straight ceiling over top of a crooked one. It is a good method, but is time consuming and requires costs that may not be necessary.
If your ceiling condition is not too bad, applying a new layer of drywall directly over the old materials may be a simpler option. This will require much longer fasteners and a bit more planning, but will save the complete step of cutting, shimming, and securing the wooden strapping. Before either method is started, the location of the ceiling joists should be marked and the old plaster partially secured with moderate length fasteners. Because of the weight of the old ceiling materials, and older securing methods with common nails, the older surface may have pulled away from the framing behind. Re-securing the older plaster with hardened screws will ensure the new ceiling is firmly fastened and will not sag or crack at the seams over time.
Once the centres of the ceiling joists are located and marked with a chalk line, push the ceiling slightly upward with a brace and drive in appropriate length screws, just below the surface, with a cordless drill or drywall gun. If the plaster is loose, you may create a fair number of new cracks, but these will be of little concern when covered with new sheathing. Once tightened, the old plaster and drywall lath can be completely covered with new drywall, fastened with even longer drywall screws, ensuring that any seams are joined directly over the ceiling joists. This new surface will be much smoother than the older one and will be cosmetically superior, once it is properly taped and sanded.
As far as the insulation in your older exterior walls, the level from the pictures you included seems to be very minimal. A typical two by four wall cavity with batt insulation is usually R-12 to R-14. The small amount of mineral fibre seen in your current situation may be half or less than that total. The paper backing may help somewhat as an air barrier, but does not add anything to the thermal resistance. Complete removal of the old stuff is a no-brainer, but you do have a few options for replacement.
The most common replacement would be with fibreglass batts, which would yield approximately R-12. Upgrading to modern mineral fibre may boost that by a couple points, and using high density polyurethane foam may achieve up to R-20, but the cost will be much higher and will require professional installation. Another alternative would be to increase the wall thickness, simply by strapping the inside of the studs. This would allow you to achieve the higher level of thermal resistance with less cost. It will also more than compensate for the thinner new wall coverings, but will likely require furring out the window and door jambs, which will add to the effort and cost.
Installing a layer of drywall over your old ceilings will allow for a much better product once complete and should be worth the effort and expense. Discarding the old exterior wall insulation and replacing it with new material will help make the house warmer. But making the walls thicker by adding framing on the inside will allow even better thermal resistance, albeit with additional cost and labour.
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
