Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
There is no quick fix for squeaky floors
Question: My son just bought a bungalow in Ottawa and the floors are squeaky. One half of the basement ceiling is exposed and the other half, which is approximately 500 square feet, is finished. There is a company that says they can solve the problem by injecting a product up into the ceiling. I’m not so sure this would work. It is very expensive to do. Around $1,400 for 50 square feet. Although it would be messy, I’m thinking that the proper way would be to remove the gyprock from the ceiling to get at the sub floor and joists. I think it would also be less expensive. Also, it would enable soundproofing material to be added, which he wants to do. His home was built in 1959 and it looks like the finished hardwood flooring was nailed to the subfloor. Thanks, Paul Edwards.
Answer: Fixing noisy old hardwood floors is something that is often attempted, but rarely is it ever successful. Contractors with various types of quick fixes, or expensive systems, are usually not reliable. Unfortunately, the only way to stop the noisy squeaking is to remove the flooring, secure the subfloor, and install new flooring.
The construction of your son’s older home floor inherently leads to noisy floors, when walked on. This is because there are two or more layers of wood nailed on top of the existing floor joists. Over time, the wood shrinks and the nails become loose. The loose fasteners allow movement of the wood against the other layers, causing noisy squeaks.
The support structure for an older floor is typically one or more solid or laminated fir main beams. These beams may be supported on older, solid fir post or columns, or on more modern adjustable steel teleposts. The teleposts would have been retrofitted to allow adjustment of the main beam if the house has settled.
On top of the wooden beam sit the floor joists, often also comprised of Douglas fir, with typical dimensions of 2x8 or 2x10.
These older fir floor joists are strong, but do dry out considerably after installation. Because of this, they may bow or twist and develop visible cracks.
The noise problems with this type of older floor begins with the wooden subfloor. The subfloor is typically constructed of dimensional one-inch thick planks or shiplap. These thin fir boards may have square edges which are typically spaced slightly apart from the adjacent planks. The spacing between them allows for some shrinkage and movement. Alternatively, shiplap planks were also commonly used that have alternating dadoes on each side, which were overlapped with the adjacent board. Because the dadoes are not secured together, they also allow for shrinkage and slight movement, but provide a more complete coverage than square planks.
Due to the technology of the time, most of these subfloors were nailed directly into the joists with smooth, standard nails. Because the nails have smooth sides, they have a tendency to loosen over time. The result of this is slight upward and downward movement of the wood when a load is applied. In other words, when someone walks on the floor the boards move, creating friction and noise between the planks and the joists.
When older hardwood flooring was installed, a thin layer of building paper was also often laid over top of the subfloor before the floor boards. This was partially to prevent dust and dirt from above the floor falling into the gaps in the subfloor, but also as a noise prevention system. The paper would prevent friction between slightly loose hardwood floorboards and the subfloor. This could significantly reduce noise, but has a limited lifespan. The paper could wear out, over time, and now additional squeaks may be heard between the individual floor layers as well as the joists, themselves.
There have been numerous attempts to minimize this noise by accessing the floor sheathing from beneath, but most have limited success.
Driving shims between the joists and subfloor, gluing or screwing small blocks of wood underneath, and various forms of injection of adhesives have been tried. For the most part, most of these have limited success and are often extremely labour intensive to install. Over time these will ultimately fail because nothing has been done to permanently re-fasten the loose subfloor or floorboards.
Trying to fix the noisy floor with some form of injection from below sounds like a bit of scam and will not last. Especially since the costs seem exorbitant, I would recommend against it.
The only proper way to stop the noise is by removing the older flooring, and screwing down the old subfloor planks with modern flooring screws.
This will allow any new flooring to be installed over top with minimal movement and no squeaking.
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
How to achieve optimum furniture placement
What makes one room successful and another a failure? It often comes down to proper furniture placement. It is a skill to be able to lay out a room effectively. Often a room feels overstuffed with furniture or is laid out in a way that lacks cohesion. This is where proper planning and placement come into play.
Planning ahead
This should be part of your process before you buy a single piece of furniture. It is a step many homeowners forget. Failure to properly preplan a space often results in furniture that is too small, too big or just too much. In short, it often leads to a poorly executed space. Before you begin, consider three simple steps.
1. Measure your rooms with a laser tool or refer to a floor plan.
2. Plan out the furniture pieces you wish to have in a room.
3. Select specific pieces that fit the appropriate size and scale.
Where to start?
The best advice is to buy large pieces first. For example, purchase your sofa before you purchase side tables, or buy your bed before nightstands. It is important to have clarity as far as what can properly fit in a space, and the only way to set you on the right path is to place bigger items first. Want to add an area rug? Rugs certainly help to add a finishing touch. Many designers recommend choosing a rug first, for either colour or design inspiration, or last, to tie everything together.
Outdoor spaces
Plan your outdoor environment in the same way you would plan the design and layout of spaces within the home. Creating a floor plan is helpful, but begin by determining how you wish to use the space and then divide your outdoor space into zones. Zones could include a lounge or relaxation zone, as well as perhaps a dining zone.
— TNS
Renovation & Design
Surface spalling on concrete surfaces can be repaired
Question: We built a house and took possession of it in December 2018. Is it normal to get bad spalling on the concrete driveway this early? We have only lived here for 18 months. We talked to the builder and they said there is no warranty, but our driveway looks so awful and they’re telling me that I park there all winter and the salt from the vehicles is the cause, but we never park in our driveway and never put salt on it either.
What should we do? Can we go to small claims court for this?
Thank you, Milyo
Answer: Surface spalling on concrete surfaces outdoors can happen at any point in the life of the slab, but within the first few years it is likely due to a defect at time of installation. It can be hard to prove and only minor repairs can often be made, which may not last. Home warranties typically only cover this in the first year, so a trip to small claims court may be your only recourse, but may still not yield a satisfactory outcome.
Spalling is the term used to describe the phenomenon where the surface of poured concrete peels or flakes off. Often the structural integrity is not compromised, but the cosmetic appearance may be ruined and it will allow more moisture to penetrate, which will cause more serious deterioration. There are several possible causes, which range from too much or too little moisture in the mix, poor installation techniques or weather-related issues.
If the concrete was poured on a very hot day the concrete may begin setting too quickly and excessive moisture may rise to the surface. If this is not trowelled properly it can leave the surface susceptible to early spalling. If the concrete is poured when the weather drops below freezing during the curing process the same thing can occur. Also, too much water in the mix, poor workmanship or bad timing on the finishing can also allow the surface to become fragile and easily to flake off.
New home warranties often will help you force the builder into repairing defects or omissions in your home, but are limited to the first year after possession for all but major structural defects. However, there may be limitations with items like driveways, sidewalks, garage slabs, patios or other poured concrete in relation to minor cracks, heaving, and even spalling. Regardless, the time to make a complaint or claim against the builder for this issue likely has passed. Unless you pointed this out and made a formal request for repairs, prior to the one-year date, you may be out of luck.
The focus should now be diverted to what can be done to fix the problem, or at least prevent it from becoming worse. If the spalling is isolated to a few areas, which is quite common, minor repairs may be within your skill level to address. If that is the case, any loose material should be removed by sweeping, vacuuming, or blowing with compressed air. Once the area is clean, coating it with a glue solution may help with adhesion of patching materials. This can be bought pre-mixed, or done by watering down white carpenter’s glue, which may be just as effective. This solution should be painted on to the damaged concrete and allowed to dry. More than one coat may be required if the initial application disappears immediately. Once dry, the surface may be slightly sticky or tacky, which should be the time to apply the patching compound. Various concrete patching compounds can be purchased, which range from dry powders that you mix with clean water, to ready to spread products that you simply apply directly with a trowel.
While your job may not be the most aesthetically pleasing solution, the new patching compound should withstand a few years of harsh weather. This will be very important because the compromised surface of the concrete will easily allow moisture to penetrate, which can cause much more serious deterioration.
Do you try to get compensation from the builder or sub-trade that did this crappy job in the first place? That is totally up to you, and will depend on how much effort you want to put into it and how much tolerance you have for aggravation. There is absolutely no guarantee you will be compensated, even if you can prove that the concrete is defective and that it is due to the workmanship of the contractor. It will be up to the judge or magistrate at the small claims court to decide this. It is within your rights to go this route, but may not be worth the legal fees to hire a lawyer.
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
Peel a pineapple in record time this summer
Question: Please share with me a fast way to peel a pineapple. -Morgen
Answer: Pineapples can be stored at room temperature for about three days, after that store the fruit in the fridge to maintain freshness.
I used to work as a cook at a college, and here is the method we used. Using a serrated knife, cut both the top and bottom off.
Stand the pineapple on a cutting board, from the top, slice about one quarter into the pineapple, all the way towards the cutting board to cut off the peel.
Turn the pineapple and continue to slice. Cut the pineapple around the core and discard the core, which is tough and not enjoyable to eat.
Next, cut the pineapple into square, bite sized chunks. Pineapples do not retain freshness very long after being cut.
Question: Once I read that it is good to use leftover potato water for making bread, I now do that, and I like it a lot.
My friend told me to use potato water for killing weeds. Somehow something is wrong with this picture. She uses it to kill weeds and I use it to feed my family.
Answer: Leftover potato water, will kill off (cook) any grass or weeds growing in the driveway, between your pavers etc. If poured accurately, you may be able to take out weeds near the plants you wish to keep, and the same is true for pasta water.
Whenever I use this tip, I make sure that the water has just boiled and therefore in my mind, it is not the potato that is killing weeds but rather the water itself.
On the plus side, cooled down potato water can be poured onto soil so that a good amount of nutrients seep into the ground maintaining healthier soil.
I agree with you, potato water is outstanding for baking homemade breads and adding to soups and gravies. Potato water can even be saved and frozen for future use.
I just thought of another use for potato water! Dip sponges into potato water to get rid of carpet and fabric stains, works great on washable satin too.
Question: Now that we are allowed to gather in bigger group outside, I am having a large group of about 50 guests at my yard next month, for a wedding.
I would like to make grilled cheese sandwiches ahead of time and heat them up before the guests arrive. I am also planning to prepare tomato soup.
Can you give me some hints so that the food tastes fresh when it’s time to eat? -Ernie
Answer: What I like to do is butter both sides of the outside of the sandwich not the inside where the cheese is, that way you don’t need to add any additional grease to the pan when you are frying them.
Hours before guests arrive, fry sandwiches on each side so that they are brown. Put sandwiches on large baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap so that they don’t dry out. Store in fridge.
Shortly before lunch, remove plastic and pop baking sheets into the oven for a few minutes to heat sandwiches.
Make tomato soup ahead of time and pour into a slow cooker to keep warm. Cover with lid and stir occasionally, so that no skin forms on the top of the soup.
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.
