Fall Maintenance for the Home

Fall is here and it’s the time of year when we inspect our homes, finish off those exterior maintenance chores and ensure our homes’ heating systems are in fine working order. While the timing of the seasons varies across the country, this maintenance list is a general guide for you to follow.

Fall Maintenance To Do’s

• Have furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace.
• Open furnace humidifier damper on units with central air conditioning and clean humidifier.
• Lubricate circulating pump on hot water heating system.
• Bleed air from hot water radiators.
• Examine the forced air furnace fan belt for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup (after disconnecting the electricity to the motor first).
• Turn ON gas furnace pilot light.
• Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.
• Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.
• Remove the grilles on forced air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
• If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean the filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test it.
• Clean portable humidifier, if one is used.
• Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.
• Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks.
• Replace window screens with storm windows.
• Remove screens from the inside of casement windows to allow air from the heating system to keep condensation off window glass.
• Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Renew door weatherstripping if required.
• If there is a door between your house and the garage, check the adjustment of the self-closing device to ensure it closes the door completely.
• Ensure windows and skylights close tightly.
• Cover outside of air conditioning units.
• Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall, so that water does not drain into your basement.
• Clean leaves from eavestroughs and roofs, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.
• Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.
• Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost proof hose bibs.
• If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring.Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.
• Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.

Article courtesy of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Insulating your old drafty metal garage door and garage heating option

Q: I use my garage as a workshop but I’m finding that the metal garage door gets so cold that it’s uncomfortable to work for any length of time during the winter. Can you suggest what I can do to keep the cold out and warmth in?

A: Metal and wood garage doors are made of very light material to enable easy up and down movement, however they let a lot of cold migrate into the garage cavity during the cooler months. To correct this problem insulation should be applied to the inside surface of the door. For the best result, apply a sheet of Reflectix Foil Insulation using Velcro on steel doors or stapling onto wood doors, this will reflect the cold outdoors and the heat indoors. Also make sure the weather strip on your garage door, is in good shape to keep drafts out. Visit www.reflectixinc.com for more information. You may also want to consider adding a heat source. Superior Radiant Products manufactures infrared garage heaters that are designed to heat areas such as residential garages and workshops go to www.superiorradiant.com or contact our HouseSmart office at 1-888-266-8806.

It’s Just That Easy !

Remove wood window discolouration and product best for protecting wood

Q: We have wood windows in our home and unfortunately in the winter they always get cold and wet in the inside and now the wood has been discoloured. What can we do to remove the water stains from the wood and what should we apply to keep the natural wood look but also protect it from happening again?

A: Wood window frames and sashes that are going to be left for a clear finish should always have a clear sealer applied immediately after installation to eliminate potential water staining. Windows can be the coldest spots in the home and will attract warm moist air, resulting in condensation and wet windows. Exhaust fans in areas such as bathrooms & kitchens must be used to reduce the relative humidity and minimize high moisture content. Leave bathroom fans on for minimum one hour after every bath or shower.

The water stains on your natural wood windows can be removed by mixing a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Scrub the stained area with a small bristle brush and blot dry with a towel. Continue the process until all visible stains have been removed. Rinse well with clear water. Dry with a hair dryer until clear surface is obtained. Use clear a solvent based urethane for finish i.e.; Flecto Varathane. Apply two coats with a light sanding between coats.

Preparation & product to use when painting exposed concrete foundation

Q: Over the years the soil has settled around the foundation of our home,
the black tar on the concrete is now showing. The area is dry and I was
wanting to paint the concrete, can you recommend a product that will adhere?
to it?

A: First you should dig trench along the wall at least 6-inches deeper than the grade level. Then dampen the wall with garden hose and using my home cleaning formula, wash the area, then rinse with a low pressure sprayer. Use an exterior acrylic latex stain primer such as Rhino Hide and while the wall is still damp, apply over the surface using a brush roller. Allow to dry for at least twelve hours, then apply a high quality exterior masonry stucco paint. i.e.; Towerthon Acrylic Elastomeric coating from Cloverdale Paint or a similar quality paint, the paint can be tinted to the colour of your choice.

How to stop your door hinges from squeaking.

Q. We renovated our suite three years ago with new doors and frames, the door hinges started to squeak so I sprayed some WD-40, the squeaking stopped but now the doors swing closed on there own and don’t stay open. How do I fix the hinges? What should I have used instead of WD-40?

A. The cause of the squeaking was a hinge under stress because of the jamb when installed has been stressed at the hinge points. Pull the pin from the centre hinge and determine if the stress point is at the centre point. Typically, this is the case. If so chisel out the depth of the hinge point on the frame side and replace. Now spray your hinge with silicone spray, now your squeak should be gone as well the door will stay open.

It’s Just That Easy

Painting or staining exterior wood stairs

Q. Once a year we have to totally sand down, prime, and paint our wood stairs at the front of our house. Last year we again sanded & applied primer & porch paint, but it has all bubbled & flaked off too! Is there an easier solution?

A. Keeping wood finishes, stain or paint on wood outdoor steps in our Canadian Climate can be a frustrating experience. Here is a tip that works for me. When sanding to prepare for stain or paint, use 40-grit sandpaper. This will enhance the wood with a rough texture allowing the finish to hang on. We tend to want to sand our wood to a very smooth finish giving the finish nothing to hang onto. Always to remember to do all sides of the wood, give it a try.

It’s Just That Easy

Are your plumbing pipes making noise? Water hammer perhaps?

Q. I have a problem with plumbing pipes that “hammer” or rattle. Is it a problem that I can fix myself?

A. Try the following steps to get rid of the airlocks within your plumbing that can cause water hammer (banging pipes or pipes that rattle):

1. Shut off the main water supply (there is usually a shut-off valve right at the location where your water service enters your home).

2. Go throughout the house and turn on all your water faucets including any outside faucets.

3. Flush all your toilets.

4. Turn your dishwasher to the fill cycle.

5. Turn your clothes washer to the fill cycle.

6. Shut off the water supply to your hot water tank.

7. Leave the system for about 2 to 3 hours to allow the water to completely drain (to the lowest point).

8. Turn the water back on at the main water supply valve.

9. Wait until all the taps have water running at full force.

10. Turn your dishwasher off.

11. Turn your clothes washer off.

12. Turn on the water supply to your hot water tank.

13. Start shutting off the water faucets beginning with the faucets that are the highest (within the home) and the furthest away from the main water shut-off and work your ways to the faucets that are the lowest and closest to the main water shut off valve.

Note: The toilets tanks will fill up and shut off on their own.

Another tip: Never tighten water pipe clamps on floor joists. They should be loose to allow the pipes to expand and contract as they get hot and cold.

Your water hammer should now be gone!

The Autocirc is an instant hot water pump system

Shell Busey

Q: We have to let the water run for several minutes before it gets hot enough to shower or wash dishes. Our home has a conventional 60-gallon hot water tank that is located at one end of the home in the basement and the kitchen is on the upper floor at the other end. We seem to waste a lot of water before it gets hot enough to do dishes and run the dishwasher. I am hoping there is something available, that I could add to the existing line to solve this problem? Any help you can offer us would be greatly appreciated.

A: There is an instant hot water pump system that can be installed under your kitchen sink called the Autocirc. This is an ideal solution if you have to wait more than 30-seconds for hot water to arrive at the faucet or shower farthest from your water heater. You can install the unit yourself or have a plumber do it for you. How it works is a built-in temperature sensor automatically turns the pump on when the water temperature in the pump cools down. This cool water in the hot water supply line is then pumped into the cold water line and back into the water heater. Hot water will also be available at all other faucets located on the hot water supply line between the water heater and the faucet where the Autocirc is installed. Running your faucets to wait for hot water wastes a lot of water and energy, so I would definitely check into installing one of these pumps. For more information on these units you can check out their website at www.autocirc.com or feel free to call the HouseSmart Referral Network at 1-888-266-8806.

It’s Just That Easy

Shell Busey

What can I do to take the bounce out of my floors?

Q: When we walk across the floor in the dining room, the china cabinet and everything in it shakes. It feels like the floors are actually bouncing.

Is there a way to repair it and if so could you please tell me how to fix it?

A: Bouncy floors are caused by a lack of bridging, blocking and sometimes over-spanned floor joists. If your floor is open underneath you can firm up the floor, simply by applying 1-inch-by-4-inch wood strapping across the underside of the floor joists every 16-inches. Attach the strapping with 2-inch #8 Robertson wood screws, since you do not want the pounding of a hammer to crack a ceramic tile above or knock a picture off the wall. Trust me, the bouncing will soon be over with.
Shell Busey

Need a coat of paint on your old vinyl deck, to spruce it up for a few more years?

Q. Our deck is covered with a vinyl decking membrane and there are areas that the textured finish has worn off and discolored. What finish can we use to spruce it up that is easy to clean and maintain.

A. The best thing and really the only thing to apply over top of a vinyl deck surface like yours is a product called “Ducan Vinyl Refresh.” To begin, wash your deck well with Shell Busey’s Home Cleaning Formula and rinse with clean water. When the deck is dry, apply two coats. Roll the first coat one way and then roll the second coat the other way across the surface. Do not do this project in the direct sun. For more information on Ducan products and where to purchase in your area their number is 1-604-942-0722 or go to www.ducan.com.