After a great deal of panic and hand-wringing, we contacted a company called Pipe Vision who came over and ran cameras through the weepers to see what was going on.  Sure enough, the weepers were so plugged with silt in several areas that the camera could not even penetrate.  While this answered the question of why the basement was wet (weepers not working), it still did not answer why these relatively new weepers could be so clogged.

I know from 21 years in the real estate business that the very best contractor around for this type of problem is a fellow named Frank Fisher – a third generation excavator who has seen just about everything in this area.  Between him and his side-kick John Bettencourt, they know soil conditions and construction issues the way they know how to breathe.
 
Although we had to wait a full 3 months for them to be available, they finally came and the fun began.  With incredible finesse and skill, Frank excavated our entire foundation.  All we saw were 20 foot high mounds of dirt.  The grass was pretty well gone.  Our stone patio and entry stairs were gone, our two decks were taken apart and it felt a bit like a noisy war zone most days.  As it turns out, it was a great learning adventure.

We learned three important things:
1.  There was a very old (likely from the 1800’s) clay drain tile emptying about 3 feet away from the foundation providing a continuous source of water underground.
2. The weepers that were put in before were installed incorrectly!  As pointed out in part 1, the weepers must be installed BELOW the footings whereas these ones were resting right on top.
3. The aggregate (stone) covering the weepers was dirty stone as opposed to clean stone meaning that silt filtered through directly into the slits of the weeping drainage pipes and, there was no proper filter cloth creating a screen.

Over a period of 8 days, all the weeping tiles were replaced with new ones, new clean stone was wrapped and put in, the walls were re-tarred for damp-proofing and a rubber dimple wrap was added for water-proofing.  The soil was filled back in, the land graded and the first stage of construction completed.

As John says, you could float the house in Georgian Bay now and we’d stay dry.  I think he’s right!  Here’s a 90 second clip showing some of our adventure.

A little history:  the house was custom built and then changed hands a few times. From what I’ve heard from neighbours, a wet basement had been an issue for a long time. Then, the owner before us decided to rectify the situation once and for all.  She had the foundation dug up, new weeping tile installed, the foundation walls wet-proofed with a blue skin membrane and put in the beginnings of a back yard drainage system.

This is a weeping tile

When we bought the house about 6 years ago, we were given copies of the invoices showing the work that had been done.  We then completed the drainage system in the rear yard which works like a charm.  We had confidence that any problem was surely rectified so we went ahead and finished the basement.  So, you can imagine our heartache when we opened a wall running along the back of our home only to find water running along the base where the floor and wall meet.  Everything above was dry which ruled out things like burst pipes, snow, rain or grading issues.  I knew right away that it was the weepers.  The 8 year old weepers!  I turned into one myself.  We wondered, how is this possible?

It’s worth taking a moment to explain weeping tiles.  According to a reference in Wikipedia a weeping tile is “used for underground drainage. The pipe is usually made of  plastic with small slits cut lengthwise into it. It is buried and surrounded by aggregate larger than the slits. The aggregate rocks prevent excessive soil from falling through the slits into the weeping tile. With this arrangement, water in the surrounding soil above the weeping tile flows into the weeping tile. The weeping tile then drains into a storm sewer or a sump pump.”  “It is used for water drainage near basement foundations to prevent flooding. It can be used in farmer’s fields to drain waterlogged fields. Such fields are called “tiled”. Weeping tiles can be used anywhere soil needs to be drained.”

“The weeping tile is to be installed so that the top of the product is lower than the bottom of the interior concrete floor. The weeping tile should be connected to a sump pit, located on the interior of the home. The ground water collected in the sump pit can then be removed by a sump pump. The exhausted water can be pumped a safe distance from the home by means of a flexible line or in some areas, into the city storm drains. Care should be taken not to create flooding conditions for adjoining properties.”

Next week- what we found and what we did

Most home owners at one time or another, do a renovation project in their homes.  This is a great opportunity to look for green options and a little research can lead to all kinds of interesting ideas.

Here is a video that looks at a “green” kitchen.  Nothing in it is too complex or expensive for the average home owner to incorporate in a kitchen remodel:

I especially love the idea of using recycled glass materials for the counter top and using bamboo for cabinetry.  Did you know some bamboos grow up to 2 feet in a day?  I’ve even heard of 4 feet.  And yes, it can grow in Canada so it would be good of course to look for sources nearby where possible to reduce shipping and transportation impacts on the environment.

As the demand for environmentally sustainable housing grows exponentially each year, I would think a kitchen that incorporates “green” features wherever possible will also add value to a home.

Darn it, now I want to remodel my 80’s kitchen…

On March 31st of this year, the Federal government abruptly announced an immediate end to their very popular ecoEnergy Retrofit Homes Program.  Under that initiative, homeowners were able to access grants of up to $10,000 of combined Federal and Provincial contributions for specific home energy retrofits.  This was our own experience with it.

Earlier this week, the Ontario government announced it was continuing with their half of the program for the time being.  According to the Ministry of Energy website,  “Ontario is reviewing its options to create and deliver effective conservation programs to Ontarians. Until such time a decision is made and notice given, Ontario will continue to fund new pre-retrofit audits. This means we will continue to pay 50% of your home’s audit, up to $150. Audits will qualify you for up to $5,000 in provincial retrofit grants.”

In my opinion, the audit is well worth doing regardless of any grants but the reality is that the funds have been the incentive that drove homeowners to participate in the program.  The contributions allowed many people to carry out retrofits they may not have been able to do otherwise and the end result is that many thousands of Ontarians have improved the energy efficiency of their homes and the health of the Planet.

If you have not already booked an audit, how about doing it today on Earth Day?  Locally, you can contact the Environment Network by phone or online to arrange a visit or, you can search for a certified audit delivery agency here. 

In my own home, this once resulted in my tearing off a piece of drywall in an interior closet only to find a coffee cup between two sheets of drywall left behind by the contractor.  No one else could smell it but to my nose, it was so musty that I couldn’t sleep at night even one floor away.

Do your windows sweat in the winter?  Have you noticed more static cling when you take clothes out of the dryer?
It is usually in the colder months when we most notice moisture issues in our home.  As cold and warm airs mix at certain points, we may find condensation forming on windows, musty smells or, dry skin and static.  Finding a balance is important as the long term effects on our homes and contents can be significant if left unattended.

One of the most common things I see in houses is mold growing on window ledges.  Often, the seals have failed on the window units themselves allowing cold air in to mix with the warm inside area which creates a perfect breeding ground for mold growth.  Another common issue is the presence of exposed concrete walls in a basement with insufficient heat and air exchange resulting in musty smells and often showing signs of mold growth.

During the heating season, the relative humidity of a home should be in the range of 30 to 50%.  In order to determine this, home owners can buy a fairly inexpensive gadget called a hygrometer which will provide a reading of the relative humidity in your home in various areas.  You can buy either mechanical or electronic versions at most hardware stores for under $50.00.  If you find the balance is off, there can be several reasons and many options for rectify those.

CMHC has an excellent booklet about moisture and air problem signs and remedies.  If you are having issues with either too much or too little humidity in your home, don’t ignore it.  Your health and comfort are important so it’s worth addressing the issues.

Now, I am the least creative person I know when it comes to decorating ideas.  If it weren’t for my friends, I can’t imagine what our home might look like.  But somehow over the years, we’ve been able to create a nest that we think is cozy and beautiful without spending much.  Believe it or not, after over 30 years of home ownership, we don’t own any new furniture.  Even our bed was a wedding gift!  Recently it occurred to be that the golden pine cannonballs were very “retro” now but in need of some updating.  Rather than buy our first bed, we shipped it off for refinishing (with VOC-free paint of course) and voila – the now linen-cream coloured posts and frame look new and chic.

We had an old chair that was SOOOO comfy but sadly, the stuffing didn’t survive our kids teen years.  Rather than cart if off to become land-fill, we had it recovered and it’s gorgeous if I say so myself.  We splurged on exquisite quality upholstery when Three Herons had a sale on downtown and now, it sits proudly in our living room as a focal point of the room.

We have a lamp made out of an old knitting spool.  In one house I sold, the headboard of their frameless bed was made of a piece of driftwood with small glass vases affixed for dried flowers.  I’ve seen framed children’s art that look like gallery pieces.

When it comes to home decorating, I’m trying harder to see what I can alter, reclaim, adapt and reuse before rushing out to buy new.  How about you?

Have you ever wondered what the pay back might be for the money you invest in those renovations? 

The Appraisal Institute of Canada has a handy calculator on their website to assist people in estimating this pay back range on 20 of the most popular home renovation projects.  While it is a guideline only and does not reflect differences in various real estate markets, it will give most people a good sense of what is really worthwhile doing in terms of investment.  You can visit the website here.

I would have to add that renovations have a pay back in more subtle ways as well that are harder to quantify.  Some renovations may not easily have a dollar figure attached however, they will impact the salability of the house.  For example, putting in new carpet is said to have a return value of 50-75% of the original cost.  If however you’ve put in a bold colour that only you and three other people might love, that could drop considerably.  On the other hand, replacing that purple carpet with hardwood flooring might yield a return of greater than 100% and affect how quickly the house will sell.

Well Aware home visits, conducted by trained Water Guides, help rural well owners identify priorities for action to protect their drinking water source. The visits, which are VOLUNTARY, CONFIDENTIAL, and NON-REGULATORY, guide well owners through a self-assessment to help identify and address potential risks to their well water.

This Includes:
• Well owners are guided through a self-assessment to help identify and address
potential risks to their well water
• Recommendations on well maintenance and upgrading
• Water Conservation Tips
• Information on sealing unused wells
• How to correctly take water samples
• Septic Safety Information
• A full written report for the well owner

To arrange well aware home visit for rural well and septic owners in Simcoe and Grey Counties, contact the Environment Network located at 44 St. Marie St. In Collingwood, 705.446.0551 or Toll Free: 866.377.0551 Email: info@environmentnetwork.org

If you recall, I first wrote about this  in May of last year.  Our lawn had already been free of chemicals for almost two years but the poor thing was suffering.

Then, about 15 months ago, we hired Garden Holistics to come in and apply some organic magic.  I know many people are sceptical about organic solutions but I can tell you from experience, it’s worked really well for us.  Here is our lawn today:

It’s not perfect and yes, there are some weeds here and there but it’s healthy, soft, lush and happy like us.  Most communities have now followed Collingwood’s lead and banned the use of pesticides and lawn chemicals.  Alternatives exist and get better each year.  Now, when I see an artificially and perfect bright green lawn free of a single weed, I can’t help but think of how unhealthy it really is.  Organic has proven to be more than satisfactory without putting our health at risk.

While there are no laws that provide for age limit restrictions by either code or regulation requiring an oil tank to be replaced, insurers take a very specific view on this issue.

Recently, I received an email from Grassroots Home Inspections in Owen Sound about home insurance.  Attached was a copy of a notice from TD Home and Auto Insurance that very clearly stated:

Please note that damage due to the escape of domestic fuel oil is no longer covered through your main home insurance policy.  Provided you are eligible, this coverage can now be added to your home insurance policy through our Domestic Fuel Oil Escape endorsement.”

According to TD’s website, eligible includes having a policy with them already plus:

• You have an aboveground exterior tank which is less than 14 years old or an interior tank which is less than 19 years old. If your tank is near our designated age limit, you may be asked to replace it.
• Your tank is in perfect working condition; this means there are no signs of leakage or spills, no evident fumes or odours.
• Your tank is inspected/serviced annually by a certified or licensed heating contractor.
• Your tank is located on a non-combustible, level support.
• For exterior installations both your tank and fuel supply line are protected from vehicle impact.
• You reside in Canada.

In most cases today, we make offers conditional upon the buyer satisfying themselves that they can obtain insurance for the home they wish to purchase.  In addition, people who are putting an offer in on a home that is heated with oil, would be prudent to make the offer further conditional upon having the oil tank inspected  to ensure that the system is in good operating order and that it will be compliant with current insurance requirements.

Grassroots has provided some good information about this topic on their website.   If you are considering the purchase of a home with oil heat or, with an old oil tank present, it’s crucial that the safety of the system be addressed at the time of an offer.  If you are a homeowner with an existing oil system, you would be well advised to have your tank inspected and ensure that your insurance policy covers your system.