Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Modern fasteners the fix for decorative shelf brackets
QUESTION: My brother-in-law has a situation with one of his decorative house brackets. At the front of his house, built in 1930, he has three of these decorative brackets. Upon these he attached a top piece of wood to act as a shelf for placing condiments when he barbecues. A friend mistakenly sat on the top of the shelf and pulled one of the brackets away from the house wall. There appear to be no hole plugs on the front of the decorative bracket to indicate it is attached to the house wall structure using a wood screw or lag screw from the outside.
Would you know if these brackets would be attached from inside the house behind the wood lath to anchor them in place? Would applying construction adhesive and then bracing the bracket back up against the house until the adhesive dries be a way to attach the bracket back in its original position?
Your thoughts as to how to repair this situation would be very much appreciated. Thanks, Greg W.
ANSWER: The wooden brackets on the house wall are not structural and likely installed just to provide an esthetic or slightly practical component to the exterior. Securing the loose one back in place may be done with various methods, but using modern fasteners will be required to make the job relatively easy and long-lasting.
The fairly large wooden bracket installed on the exterior wall of the house in question may have been installed just to break up the flat surface of the wall it is secured to. These can often be painted a contrasting colour to the wall, to add even more of an esthetic nuance to the exterior surface. Sometimes these brackets were installed to hold a small shelf, as in this case, which would often be used to support seasonal planters. Over time the original shelf or wooden planter may have rotted, but the larger support brackets could have survived. This is likely due to their size, protection from direct moisture by the shelf, or good maintenance. Using the shelf to put light tools or other grilling accessories on may be a good idea.
Because these brackets were normally used in a very light-duty application, the need for good fastening was limited. It would not make sense to try and support these by attaching to the wall structure, other than through the sheathed exterior wall. Installing anything on the interior of the wall for support would require major forethought and would cause another dilemma. Sealing around any kind of fastener or support sticking completely through the exterior wall would be difficult. If it was a metal fastener, cold and heat would be conducted through the exterior wall, leading to condensation. This would certainly cause premature deterioration, but also an opening for moisture intrusion where the wall had been penetrated. There may be an old nail or lag screw that was originally installed from the inside of the outer wood sheathing, but that would no longer be in satisfactory condition if the block came loose.
To be sure about the exact method of installation, the loose bracket may have to be completely removed to inspect the wall behind. This should give an idea of how it was initially fastened, and also the exact composition of the exterior wall, itself. Because of the age of the house, and the siding apparently being traditional stucco, it is likely that the bracket was installed before the finish coat of the stucco was applied. If finished stucco is seen behind the bracket when removed, then it really had limited support to begin with.
From outside to inside, the composition of the exterior wall of a home of that age is normally stucco top coat, stucco scratch coat with embedded wire, building paper, wood plank or shiplap sheathing, then fir wall studs. If this is what is discovered, then re-securing the loose bracket should be fairly straight-forward.
While it may be possible to secure the bracket using some form of adhesive, as you have suggested, that method may have a very limited lifespan. Most adhesives are only as good as the surfaces they are securing. If the bracket is not in perfect shape on the side facing the wall, or there is slightly crumbling stucco or exposed sheathing on the other surface, adhesion will be temporary. Especially since this is outside, where seasonal temperature variations can be extreme and water penetration is likely, gluing it back in place will not last. Securing it with modern fasteners will be a better solution.
As long as the homeowner has a good quality drill, and some basic maintenance skills, re-securing the bracket should not be difficult. This may require both standard drill bits and a masonry bit if there is stucco behind the block. First, pre-drilling pilot holes slightly larger than the diameter of long wood screws should be done at an angle through both the top and bottom of the bracket. Once complete, the bracket should be held in place and smaller pilot holes drilled into the sheathing through the other pilot holes. If there is stucco behind the bracket, this is where the masonry bit comes into play. After that step, the block can now be secured to the wood sheathing by inserting the long screws in the pilot holes and installing the fasteners with the appropriate drill bit. A slightly larger hole may be made in the surface of the bracket to hide the head of the screw or it may just be countersunk below the surface by applying a little extra pressure when installing. If the wall sheathing is not that solid, additional fasteners could be added to the sides of the bracket in the same manner, to ensure none easily come loose when the shelf is once again used.
The wooden shelf support that pulled away from the wall is likely secured from the exterior, or from the inside of the sheathing, and putting it back in place should be relatively easy. Using a few long screws, a common electric or cordless drill, and few different bits should be enough to ensure that it is properly reattached and will safely remain so for a good length of time.
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
Storing patio furniture cushions a matter of choice
Question: Is it smart to leave my front porch cushions out all summer long, or do most people take them out only when guests are coming over? The extra work of keeping the upholstery clean is such a headache. Lorraine
Answer: There is no hard and fast rule for every person. Determine what works best for you according to your needs and limitations. Our summers are short and since you are referring to the front of your house, you may want to display the cushions for July and August. Other people choose to take the cushions into the garage or store them in a bin on the porch when not in use so that the fabric is not covered in dust and pollen when company arrives.
Question: I put my air mattress away when it was still wet, and it now has mould spots. I washed it with water and vinegar and dried it in the very hot sun. No smell, but the stains still show, do you think the mould is gone? What else can I do to get rid of the stains? Robert
Answer: Regarding safety concerns, it is important that you clean off the mould stains on your mattress. Wipe the stains with a cloth and Lysol or rubbing alcohol. Scrub and rinse the area with water. When the stains are gone, blot the wet area with a dry cloth and air dry.
Question: What is the best way to clean a self-cleaning oven that has a thick layer of baked on grease on the oven floor? Lorraine
Answer: For people who do not own a self-cleaning oven, the oven mess does not have to become a dreaded chore. The world’s easiest way to clean an oven is to sprinkle the bottom of the oven with baking soda. Pour white vinegar over the baking soda, let bubble and soak for 30 minutes. Wipe and rinse with water. In the meantime, put an old towel on the bottom of your bathtub, fill it with hot water and one cup of washing soda. Let oven racks soak overnight and, in the morning, (while wearing gloves) rinse the racks and wipe with vinegar. Clean as a whistle. Note: Do not leave water in the tub if small children reside in the home.
Regarding a self-clean oven, reading the manufacturer’s guidelines is the first step. If the self-clean feature does not clean the oven sufficiently, and you do not have the manufacture’s guidelines, consider sprinkling the floor of the oven with baking soda and water and using the techniques outlined above before activating the self-cleaning feature.
Helpful hints
- When it comes to gardening, upcycle old items by cleaning, painting or repairing them and displaying them in the garden. These items can include bicycles where you can display flowers in the basket, an old bathtub, a metal wheel, an old chair, even an old child’s wagon. Items such as these will create interest, individualism and uniqueness to your garden.
- Upcycle an old hitching post and use it to hang your garden hose. Attach a hook to the side of a wooden bench for hanging the garden hose.
- Concealed hose. Create a hinged door on your wooden porch or deck floor. Place a large tub, box or container under the deck and store your hose underneath the porch or deck. This may also be a suitable option for storing patio furniture cushions.
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
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
