Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Cracked concrete likely due to defect in workmanship
Question: I have a bungalow built about two years ago next to the Red River in Grand Forks, N.D. Last fall I started noticing cracking in my basement and garage walls and ceilings.
The problem continued until mid-November and resulted in significant cracks. Recently, I started to see new cracks slowly begin to appear. There is noticeable heaving in the middle of my basement floor that appears to be causing the issue. I estimate about an inch of movement.
The confusing thing is my sump pump has never run, even though all my surrounding neighbours were running their pumps nonstop this fall and into the winter. I assume the problem could continue, and potentially worsen, as spring approaches.
In your opinion, what is the best course of action to prevent or minimize additional damage in the short-term and what can be done to correct this issue long-term? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. — Gerald Muizelaar
Answer: The problem causing the cracking in your home is undoubtedly a defect in workmanship in the lower level wall construction and may also be a problem with your weeping tile installation. I would definitely consult the builder to rectify the defects, hopefully under some kind of warranty. If that avenue is not available, you should immediately call a reputable general contractor, with a decade or more of experience, to evaluate the problem and repair the basement walls and weeping tile as needed.
I cannot speak to the quality or experience of homebuilders in your area south of the border, but problems like yours are normally due to a lack of experience and poor workmanship in new homes. I can tell you that heaving and cracking basement floor slabs is a constant problem in both of our areas, especially close to our common Red River. To see a rise of an inch or more in the concrete basement floor is not without precedent, so the basement walls have to be constructed to anticipate this possibility. If they are not, they can easily push up on various areas of the main floor, causing serious cracks and damage to the drywall or other components.
Experienced builders and contractors in southern Manitoba know to install proper slip-joints in basement perimeter and partition walls, often referred to as floating walls. These are simply gaps left between double wall plates, or between the wall and the floor joists or concrete floor. These spaces are essential to allow for the inevitable movement of the basement slab on grade, due to the expansive clay soil beneath.
It appears to me the builder of your home either neglected to install any slip-joints in the basement walls, or left too small a space for movement. The latter may be the case, as your significant floor heaving showed the results of this defect after a couple of years post-construction. Regardless, the situation now calls for these walls to immediately be cut down to prevent further damage and allow repairs to existing areas, once the floor structure has settled back to normal. This may be easily accomplished in an unfinished basement, but yours will require partial removal of drywall and likely doors and trim.
The next item to address is the cause of the excessive basement floor heaving. I would have suggested that it may have been primarily due to condition of the soil beneath the floor slab at the time of construction, but the sump pump observations may be a red flag to something more serious. One reason could be a defect in weeping tile installation. This could range from a simple omission to unblock the ends terminating in the sump, to failure to properly install or connect the corrugated weeping tile pipes. The first place to look is in the sump itself, to ensure that the pump is operational and the weeping tiles are open. There also should be some water in the bottom of the sump, but it should not cover the tops of the weeping tile ends.
Most rooter companies now have one or more technicians who are equipped with a snake camera, which can take video of the inside of the weeping tiles, no matter the length. If nothing improper is seen, and the weeping tiles and pump appear to be functioning as designed, then the excess floor movement is just bad luck.
Problems associated with excessive floor movement in a newly constructed home are often due to poor installation of the basement walls, specifically missing or small slip-joints. The remediation and repairs should fall under a structural defect in most new home warranties, so contacting the builder or the warranty provider is prudent. If there is no warranty, or you are not covered, hiring a contractor to trim down the basement walls and fix any issues with the weeping tile and sump pump system should prevent a troublesome reoccurrence.
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 trainedeye@iname.com. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
Renovation & Design
Denture tablets a versatile cleaner
Question: I purchased an antique set of coffee cups to use at my daughter’s wedding. However, I noticed that the inside of each cup is stained. What is the easiest way to clean brown stains on the inside of a coffee cup? -Louise
Answer: Denture tablets are fantastic at cleaning coffee stained mugs. Drop one tablet into the ceramic and/or glass cups. Fill with hot water; leave overnight and wipe with a non-scratching abrasive pad.
The combination of one teaspoon of baking soda and one cup of vinegar are also effective at cleaning coffee stains.
Effervescent denture tablets are a good cleaner for fingers or fingernails yellowed by smoking. Soak fingers in a dish with one denture tablet dissolved in one cup of water.
Denture tablets are also great for cleaning combs, jewelry, white linens and removing clothing stains.
Question: Some people have complained that I have terrible foot odour. Do you have a solution for a homemade foot powder? -Corey
Answer: Begin by consulting with your physician, as you may require medical attention. For a home remedy, combine 50/50 cornstarch and baking soda and rub it onto your feet.
For a bonus, reduce foot odour by soaking your feet in warm tea. In other words, make a cup of tea to drink and another one for your feet.
Question: After a few too many, my fridge ended up with a big dent. Can the dents in my stainless-steel fridge be fixed? -Casey
Answer: There is a theory that if you heat the dents with a hair dryer or press dry ice onto the area and then blast it with cold air, the dents should release and vanish.
After researching this theory, I have found it unsuccessful. The safest and least noticeable solution is to leave the dent or dents as is or call a professional dent repair company.
Question: While away this winter, my dishwasher leaked onto our vinyl floor leaving rust stains from the screws on the subfloor. How can I remove the stains? Thanks, JB
Answer: Pour one tespoon of household ammonia and one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and one drop of dish soap onto the area. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for three hours. Scrub the area with a green scrubby pad (test on an inconspicuous area first).
Question: What do the words ‘al-dente" mean when cooking noodles? -Hank the Bachelor
Answer: Great question! This Italian phrase means, "to the tooth" and refers to the cooking time. In other words, the pasta should be cooked so that it remains slightly firm and chewy instead of soft.
Give garlic a chance
— I noticed several people sending in tips, and I wanted to share my best tip. It’s an old one; twice a month, I drop a clove of garlic into my toilet bowl. I always do this at night when the toilet is less likely to be used. In the morning I flush the toilet, and the garlic actually helps keep the bowl smelling fresher. — Mike
— Wasps don’t like garlic. Spray the following mixture on your skin to deter wasps as well as mosquitoes: In a spray bottle combine one teaspoon of dish soap and one or two cups water, drop in two or three cloves of garlic. Leave overnight. Spray clothes with the repellent mixture. — Emmanuel
— To remove the peel from garlic cloves. I have the following tip – microwave a clove or two on high for about five seconds, then cut off the end and the peel will just slide off. — Jessica
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.
Renovation & Design
Securing subfloor the solution to squeaky floors
Question: Our house was built in 1960. The floors have squeaked since we bought it 11 years ago. They are the original hardwood floors.
I am wondering, if we hired a professional to adjust the teleposts downstairs, could that help with the squeaking, or is it mainly the age of the floor.
Our neighbours have told us that different owners before us made structural changes in the kitchen and living room. I wonder if that could be a cause.
Thanks, Judy Tait.
Answer: Noisy, squeaking floors in older homes are typically due to movement between the wooden flooring and the subfloor, or the subfloor and the joists. Refastening the subfloor will usually eliminate the noise, which may be easily accomplished at the time of flooring replacement.
Anyone who has lived in a home built before common use of modern subfloor adhesives and flooring screws knows about the annoying noises that can occur when walking over the floor. This can happen with any type of flooring, but is more common with older hardwood floors, like yours. Because the older subfloors were nailed to the joists, often with smooth nails, loosening of the plywood or planks is inevitable. Once the boards pull slightly apart, movement occurs between the two when a load is applied. This is normally only heard when occupants walk over the problem areas.
Squeaky floors may be partially caused by settlement of the foundation and house movement, but telepost adjustments may do little to alleviate the problem. Since settlement will often cause additional stress on the floor system, bowing or twisting of wooden floor components can be the result. This will exacerbate the movement between the individual layers, which will not necessarily be corrected when the telepost’s threaded sections are turned. Because these slow modifications are only attempting to return the beams and joists to their original positions, they may do nothing to close the spaces between them and the floorboards. In fact, the gaps may even increase in size if the sheathing or flooring maintain their position once the joists are straightened.
Other contributing factors to noisy floors are dirt, sawdust, and other debris that may fill up the small gaps that form over time. Some of this may be the result of poor cleaning or lazy workmanship during original construction, if excessive debris is not cleared off the joists or subfloor before the next layer is installed. This material may not cause initial problems, but may increase the flooring movement as it becomes loose or crushed, over time. This can also happen after the fact, as junk accumulates inside the small spaces as the older nails loosen their hold. It may be possible to scrape or vacuum some of this from beneath the floor, but that should only be attempted shortly before flooring replacement, to be most effective.
Even if it does not help with noisy floors, should you be adjusting your teleposts? Despite my earlier comments about not eliminating the squeaks, straightening the floor beams and joists is a good idea, prior to flooring upgrades. This only makes sense if you have noticeable bumps in the floor above the teleposts, cracks in your walls, or interior door frames that are out of square. Those are all telltale signs that the teleposts are overdue for adjustment, normally downward. If you don’t see these issues in your home, you may not require that type of maintenance prior to fixing the noisy floor.
Once the telepost adjustments are complete, and the floor is left to adapt for several weeks afterward, replacement of the older flooring can be contemplated. This will require removal of the actual flooring, whether it is carpeting, wood, vinyl, ceramic tile, or more modern laminates. While the flooring must be pulled up to get to the next step, the subflooring may not require removal, even if there is more than one layer. Often, additional layers of plywood, particleboard, OSB, or other subfloor materials are installed prior to new flooring. This is most common with vinyl or tiles, but may also be done to lay a smoother surface for any type of new flooring. The condition of these layers will dictate your next step.
If the subfloor sheathing or wood planks are not moisture damaged or worn from mechanical damage, re-securing may be started. This may even be possible with multiple layers. The test for this is to try fastening the layers with a few hardened floor screws in the most worn areas. Making sure to pre-drill pilot holes, sinking a few screws just below the top surface of the sheathing with a screw gun or cordless drill should dictate further action. If you can sink the screw heads just below the surface of the sheathing without it crushing too badly, you may be set to proceed. If the subfloor gets damaged during this test, or the screws pull through the entire thickness of the subfloor with moderate pressure applied, then removal of that layer may be warranted. If the original nails pop up through the old floorboards after re-fastening, they should be countersunk, or removed, to prevent causing damage to the newer flooring. Ensuring that the flooring screws are long enough to properly secure the entire thickness of the older subfloor is the final piece of the puzzle, to prevent a return of the noisy squeaks after the upgrades are complete.
While telepost adjustment may help straighten your floor and prevent future movement, securing the older subfloor in your home is the only answer to fixing your squeaky floors. This will require removal and replacement of the existing flooring, but that will ensure that proper hardened wood screws can be used to prevent a reoccurrence.
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
