Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Many options for removing stains from vinyl flooring
Question: How can I clean a brown stain off my vinyl flooring under the baseboard heater?
Answer: Many have found pouring three per cent hydrogen peroxide onto the floor every day for three days is helpful. Others have had great success by combining 1/4 cup OxiClean with about four litres of boiling water and pouring the solution onto the area. Another solution is bleach, but this application removes the finish and shine of the floor. Mineral spirits are another treatment people have used succesfully.
Question: How do you keep meringue from shrinking? I have tried adding cream of tartar (about 1/2 teaspoon per pie) but it has not helped. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Stuart
Answer: Here are a few tricks to prevent meringue from shrinking. Instead of cream of tartar, add cornstarch to the egg whites. In a small pot dissolve, two tbsp. sugar, one tbsp. cornstarch and half cup of water. Heat on medium and stir until clear. Prepare filling as normal and spoon onto crust very evenly while the filling is nice and hot. Beat three (room temperature) egg whites and 1/2 tsp. vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in six tablespoons of sugar. Add the cooled cornstarch mixture and beat until stiff peaks form. Be sure to spread the filling over the entire edge to seal the sides and prevent the meringue from shrinking. Bake in a 350F oven until meringue is golden brown. Cool and refrigerate.
Question: I have been baking bread for 40 years and every once in a while, the bread goes in the oven looking fabulous, only to sink in the middle as it bakes. It still tastes fine. Any idea why this happens and how to correct it. Thank you, Rod
Answer: There are a few common reasons for this: The dough has not been kneaded long enough to activate the gluten. The protein content in the flour that you are using is too low, check the ingredient list to make sure the protein content is at least 11 per cent. Ensure your yeast is fresh and you do not over proof the dough. I always let the dough rise for one hour, shape into buns or bread, and let rise for another hour before baking. High humidity in your oven can also affect your dough, as it will rise at the beginning of the bake and then fall. Lastly, I bake most breads at 350F.
Question: I have old country china and it’s not supposed to go in the dishwasher. I’m hoping you have a homemade dishwasher detergent that won’t harm my china. Thanks, Linda
Answer: China should not be washed in the dishwasher if it was made before 1979. If the china is newer, you can use the delicate setting and a commercial product such as Cascade. Make sure the water temperature is not too hot. If you do not trust commercial products, use two cups of vinegar and run the delicate cycle, however, because of the state we are currently in, I would opt for a commercial detergent.
Tip of the week
When it comes to products such as salad dressing, soya sauce, vinegar and cooking oil, the contents tend to pour out too quickly. Instead of removing the seal, after opening the bottle, puncture a hole in the seal. This will make controlling the flow easier.
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
Small amounts of asbestos can be contained
Question: We have a wood stove from the 1950s in our living room. When I was about to paint the wall, I noticed a few pieces with loose fibres of paper or paperboard behind the stove. Could this be some kind of asbestos paper? If yes, is it safe to leave it there, untouched? Or would you recommend some actions?
Best regards, Thor Hirsch.
Answer: It is likely that the fibrous paper you see sticking out from behind your old wood stove has an asbestos content, but there is no need to panic. Sealing the gap between the wall and the materials surrounding the stove should be all you need to do to properly encapsulate the asbestos paper and prevent any health concerns, as long as the old heating unit is no longer used.
There are numerous materials in older homes that have some asbestos content and it seems like they are finding more every year. This can range from really old plaster to relatively recent drywall compound. Most of these products have the asbestos embedded in a relatively stable material, which should not be harmful unless damaged. Older vinyl floor tiles are a good example of a product that may have a significant content of asbestos, which is surrounded by very durable vinyl. Unless the tiles are cut, scraped or sanded, there is almost no chance the asbestos fibres will come loose and become friable. This also goes for the greyish-white tape or paper that was commonly used for heat protection for fireplaces and heating ducts. That is the likely material that you see sticking out from behind your older wood stove.
The asbestos paper product in your home is one that is quite commonly found in homes built in the 1950s and earlier, and is not often a serious concern unless it is deteriorated. It is mostly found on the outside of warm air ducts, which are pressurized when the furnace is operating. Because of this, it is very unlikely that any loose fibres will be sucked into the ducts and circulated throughout the house. The easy fix for that situation is to cover the material with modern duct tape, or aluminum tape, which prevents the fibres from coming loose and becoming airborne. This process, known as encapsulation, is the acceptable alternative remediation to removal. Taking the asbestos-containing product out of the home is more likely to release fibres into the living space, and is normally a costly process done by a licensed remediation contractor. Because of this, these specialists take many precautions to prevent contamination of the home during the removal process.
The approach I would recommend for you is the first one, where you seal up any accessible material. Since you have only a tiny amount emanating from behind the solid material surrounding your old stove, it should be easily accomplished. First, you should carefully push any of the protruding paper or loose material back into the tiny gap. You should wear a proper respirator, or mask rated for asbestos, goggles, and gloves when working anywhere near an asbestos-containing product. Any small amounts that fall out should be immediately discarded and the area vacuumed with a HEPA filter appliance after you are done. Once no loose portions of the product are sticking out beyond the gap, it should be caulked with an appropriate sealant. The sealant should be high quality, flexible, and designed to adhere well to masonry surfaces. This is normally applied with a caulking gun and should be the end of the job once it is cured. Using a paintable caulking will also allow you to complete your wall painting job properly.
The next item to discuss is another safety aspect of the wood stove area unrelated to asbestos. The photo you sent me suggests your old wood stove is installed almost directly against the wall behind it. Regardless of the very thin layer of fire-retardant paper between this and the walls, it will likely not meet safety requirements for clearance from combustible materials. Even if the material surrounding the stove is non-combustible stone the sides and back appear to be too close to combustibles, even if there is an air space behind the unit.
Also, I don’t see a typical stove pipe or chimney coming out of the top of the unit, so it has either been removed, or is coming out the back and exiting through the exterior wall. If it has been removed, and the stove is simply decorative and not in use, that is fine. Otherwise, the horizontal pipe sections may be a major fire hazard, are fully enclosed, and also not visible for inspection or cleaning. Either way, this unit should not be used under the current circumstances, as it could put you and the other home occupants in serious danger.
Finding a minor amount of asbestos building materials in your older home, even if it is slightly deteriorated, may not be a need for major concern. Simply covering and sealing it in place, with a good quality caulking, should prevent any further safety issues other than highly hazardous use of the wood stove.
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
Renovation & Design
Flexible sealant best bet for filling foundation gaps
Question: How is the garage floor attached to the house walls, or is it not? Is there a thin space between them? What material is the outside of the house made of, where is touches the garage floor?
I ask because I can see a small gap in the garage floor, near the house foundation, where the concrete is slightly pulling away, just a little. Is this normal? What is in this gap? I don’t want there to be any chance that an animal could get in. Should I pour in something to fill it, or is the floor not supposed to be attached to the wall?
I appreciate your help. I don’t have anyone to ask and I’m concerned.
Thank you, Jen Mackey.
Answer: A small gap between the concrete garage floor slab and the house foundation is normal, as they are adjacent but not typically connected. Filling the gap in is a good idea, as long as you use a flexible sealant that will allow further movement to occur without causing any other problems.
Attached garages are typically built with short foundation walls, known as grade beams, supporting the exterior walls, other than the one under the main house wall. These short foundation walls are normally supported by poured concrete piers, which extend far deeper into the soil, to prevent movement. The garage floor, however, is often the last component to install and is not often attached to the deep house foundation wall or the grade beams. This is done to allow for the garage floor to move, somewhat, without affecting these foundation walls.
Anyone who has owned a home in our area knows about the amount of potential movement in concrete slabs poured on grade, due to our expansive clay soil. For a garage floor slab there should be a well compacted granular layer beneath the concrete, but that is often not the case. Since the floor is poured not that long after the garage grade beams, builders are often reluctant to bring in heavy compaction equipment to ensure this base is really solid. Too much purposeful vibration could cause cracking or movement in the fresh concrete foundation, leading to serious structural problems. It is a good idea to wait several months before pouring the floor, but that is rarely possible due to typical construction schedules. So, most attached garage floors are poured over minimally compacted stone, often partially accomplished by construction traffic.
Because of this dilemma, especially in a winter build where the soil may be frozen most of the time, floor slab movement is a given. It is not unusual to see hairline cracks appear in a garage floor only months after completion. This is normally followed by some settlement or heaving in the next few years. Normal erosion of the backfill outside the house and garage foundations can also increase the amount of slab movement, if not regularly built up. So, if this large, heavy concrete slab was attached to the house or garage foundation walls it could cause some major cracks in those structures from the movement. It is much better to leave this "floating slab" independent of the concrete foundation walls.
Driving and parking heavy vehicles and equipment on the garage slab over many years may also have an effect on its stability. Especially in years when there is little precipitation, as in the past several summers, the soil under the floor and around the garage can dry out excessively. This will cause the clay to lose some of its structural integrity, allowing the floor to sink further. As this occurs, the floor may pull away from the foundation, leaving the small gap you are observing. This may have previously been filled with concrete, or some other material, which has also deteriorated.
Filling in this void is not critical, as it may decrease somewhat when the soil moisture is replenished. Since you are seeing this gap adjacent to the house foundation, which is the furthest from the exterior soil, it is less likely to decrease in size. So, filling in the gap may be a good idea to prevent pest intrusion and further evaporation of moisture in the soil underneath. Since the original concrete has not succeeded in filling the gap as things moved or deteriorated, using a different approach is warranted.
If the gap is less than about one centimetre wide, filling it with caulking should be the simplest approach. Ensure that the sealant is designed for exterior use, preferably designed specifically for concrete applications, before installing with a standard caulking gun. If the gap is larger, filling it first with a flexible foam rod should ensure your caulking does not all disappear into the void when applied. The main thing to avoid is installing any kind of filler that is not highly flexible, otherwise it will not last more than a short time and may improperly fill the space.
Your concrete floor in the attached garage should not be secured to the foundation wall of your home, to allow for normal settlement due to soil expansion and contraction. Filling the gap with flexible, exterior grade sealant from an easily sourced caulking tube should prevent pest intrusion and other minor issues.
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
Renovation & Design
Clean your jewelry with this homemade concoction
Question: I was washing my hands and noticed that my wedding ring has become crudded up because I don’t take it off when I wash dishes. My jewelry cleaner is almost finished, and I got to wondering if there is a way to clean jewelry without using store bought cleaners? Marg
Answer: In the past I used toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean rings, until I was told by a jeweller that toothpaste is too abrasive. I now mix one teaspoon of Dawn dish soap, one tsp. of household ammonia and half a cup of warm water into a cup. Drop your rings into the solution and let soak for 10 minutes. Brush with a soft toothbrush and rinse with water. If you prefer not to use ammonia, you can opt for vinegar instead.
Question: A while back, you published a recipe for a taco seasoning mix. I made it several times, and really enjoyed it. I was wondering if you have a recipe for a chili seasoning mix. Thank you, Robert
Answer: Combine the following ingredients together: one-quarter cup chili powder, two tablespoons of cumin, one tbsp. onion powder, one tbsp. paprika, two tea spoons of garlic powder, two tsp. brown sugar, two tsp. salt, one tsp. oregano, one tsp. cayenne pepper, one tsp. mustard, half tsp. black pepper, quarter tsp. cinnamon and two bay leaves. Omit cayenne pepper if you do not like spicy food. Store in an airtight container.
Question: How can I soften a knitted sweater? Joan
Answer: The easiest solution for softening a knit sweater is to wash it as usual and then soak it for one hour in about eight litres of warm water and 1/4-cup of hair conditioner. Rinse and dry according to the care label. If you do not own conditioner, replace it with vinegar.
Question: I found a bag of large marshmallows in the back of my pantry and they are somewhat crusty. Can they still be used or softened, or should I just chuck them? Also, I made a cheesecake that required a pan of hot water to be added to the stove as it was baking. I used an aluminum 9x13 pan, and now the pan has turned black from the water. Is there a way to clean it, and is it still usable? Thank you for your help. Bertha
Answer: It does not take long to soften a bag of marshmallows. Seal the bag well and hold the bag under running water, or set the sealed bag in a bowl of hot water for five minutes to soften them.
The easiest method for restoring the aluminum pan is to spray it with oven cleaner in a ventilated area, wait 15 minutes and scrub it with a non-scratching abrasive pad. A combination of lemon juice and baking soda is another option, but this combination requires additional time and scrubbing.
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. Please send Reena an email if you have a great question, suggestion or tip.
info@reena.ca
