How to Deal with Moisture in your Basement

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Burlington Beach Strip

Making Burlington beach strip hydro towers disappear a tall order 

Ridding Burlington's beach strip of skyline-dominating hydro towers would cost local taxpayers up to $36 million, according to early talks between utility and city officials.

And that estimate doesn't include the price tag of powering down Hamilton's side of the ship canal, either — a cost previously pegged at more than $70 million.

Burlington officials recently met with Hydro One for an "informal analysis" of the cost to move, bury or beautify the wall of 60-metre-tall transmission towers between downtown and the ship canal, said Councillor Rick Craven.

Options range from $8 million to swap out some "oil derrick-type" towers with less obtrusive poles, to $36 million to bury the 230,000-volt transmission lines, said Craven, calling those numbers "ballpark" figures.

"They repeatedly pointed out the city would be paying the costs, if this were ever to go ahead," said Craven, who expects council to request a formal Hydro One report. "Everyone wants to see them removed but the question is how, and how much."

There are 30 lakeshore power towers between downtown Burlington and Van Wagner's Beach, each about the size of the Royal Connaught Hotel.

So far, Burlington has only asked about its side of the ship canal.

"Once you get past the canal, that's Hamilton's responsibility," said Craven with a laugh.

Any plan to reroute the corridor would affect the "visual pollution" on Hamilton's beach strip, too, said Councillor Chad Collins, who wants to be involved in any formal study.

Collins said he asked Hydro One to estimate a relocation cost for the Hamilton side in 2009 and was told "at least $70 million."

Spokesperson Nancy Shaddick said Hydro One won't comment on informal conversations.

But an email to Collins from the utility said burying power lines along the lake would be "difficult if not impossible" due to erosion and environmental concerns.

Another option is to reroute the towers away from the lake and along the harbour side of the beach strip, closer to the treatment plant and port authority lands. But Hydro One told Collins the two cities would have to find a new right-of-way between Burlington and Van Wagner's Road, where the towers veer away from the lake.

If the beachfront towers do come down, area property values would go up "very rapidly," said Hamilton real estate agent Conrad Zurini.

"Conservatively speaking, I'd guess 15 or 20 per cent right off the bat," said Zurini, who cautioned the area is still overshadowed by the skyway and lacks amenities. "Right now, a significant number of people will simply refuse to buy (near a hydro tower)."

As it stands, available Beach Boulevard homes along the power corridor range from a townhome for $280,000 to a three-bedroom "luxury waterfront bungalow" for $880,000.

A hydro tower shuffle could also help the environment, said Collins, because machinery used for maintenance routinely damages sensitive beach ecology.

It might even prevent the odd lawsuit — Burlington settled with a woman who sued in 2007 after a power-line-zapped cormorant fell on her head in Beachway Park.

Craven said a clear skyline at Burlington's beach is likely a couple of decades away. "But part of our job is to cast our eyes 20, 25 years down the road and ask where we're going."

IS GROUT GROSSING YOU OUT???

by Meg Padgett

Tile — whether it's used as flooring, in the kitchen as a backsplash or for counters, or in the bathroom — has one great downfall: grout. Since grout is porous in nature, unsealed grout absorbs all kinds of stains, from mildew to coffee and everything in between. To say it's a headache to keep grout clean is an understatement.

Note: Be wary of using too much lemon juice with marble, since it can etch or damage the stone if left on too long. Hydrogen peroxide can be a safe alternative.

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by Meg Padgett

We inherited marble tile counters when we purchased our home. It's pretty clear that the grout was never properly sealed, so it soaks up stains like crazy. It makes our kitchen feel gross and grimy, even if it was just cleaned. While I'd love to replace the counters with a solid surface like quartz, it's just not in our budget — plus, we just can't justify getting rid of something that's perfectly fine otherwise.

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by Meg Padgett

Luckily, I have a foolproof method that will lift most household stains from that pesky grout.

What you'll need:

• Oxygenated bleach (likeOxiClean)

• Warm water

• Coarse scrubbing brush (like an old toothbrush)

• Towel

• Lemon

• Grout sealer

Tip: Cleaning colored grout should be done with special care. Bleaching agents (like chlorine bleach) can discolor and harm the colored grout. Fortunately, oxygenated bleach does not contain corrosive chemicals and is safe to use on all grout.

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by Meg Padgett

1. Clean the surface thoroughly, removing any surface residue or debris. Let the grout dry fully.

2. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of oxygenated bleach in 2 cups of warm water. Wet the brush in the mixture and apply it to the grout. Let it soak in, then scrub the grout in a circular motion, which will loosen the stain more effectively than a front-and-back motion. If needed, dip the wet brush into the oxygenated bleach to make a paste. Wipe clean, then let dry. 

Tip: To lift extra-dark stains, squeeze lemon juice onto the stain, let it soak in, then scrub, wipe clean and let the grout dry. Use lemon juice sparingly, since it can damage some tile finishes.

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by Meg Padgett

3. Spray the tiles and grout with an ecofriendly cleaning spray and wipe them clean. Let the grout dry fully before making a final decision on whether your hard work paid off — damp grout looks darker than dry grout.

4. Apply grout sealer after the grout has fully dried to avoid any future stains. Be sure to reapply it each year.

The stain on this grout, which is visible two photos above, came out pretty easily with the steps described here.

Add to ideabook by Meg Padgett

This coffee stain, on the other hand, took a bit more elbow grease, a longer soaking time and a few repeated attempts before it was sparkling clean again.

Add to ideabook by Meg Padgett

Still having trouble getting that grout clean? For those impossible-to-remove stains, you might want to consider:  A commercial tile and grout cleaner A coarser brush (avoid using metal bristles, though, as they can erode the grout) Grout Renew If after you've tried all three, the stain is still hanging strong, you may have to resort to removing the old grout and replacing it with new. Tip: An electric multitool, like the Dremel Mult-Max, helps to make quick and safe work of removing the old grout. www.teambluesky.ca

Rent or Buy in Canada?

Check out this great MSN video - Market Sense - Part Two: Rent or Buy in Canada? [06-17-13 5:15 PM]

8 Little Remodeling Touches That Make a Big Difference

by Samantha Schoech

When we did our remodel, our contractor suggested a thousand things I had never really thought about. They weren't necessarily design considerations; they were more quality-of-life considerations — just little things you didn't know you were missing until you had them.

Here are eight little touches I didn't know I couldn't live without until I lived with them. What are yours?

by ExpressDecor.com »

1. A built-in dish soap dispenser. Because I don't care how nice the bottle is; it's just one more thing cluttering up your countertop.

2. Soft-close hinges. It is impossible to slam a drawer or cabinet in my kitchen. Each closes with a small whisper. It's calming somehow.

by Chang + Sylligardos Architects »

3. Large kitchen drawers. Looking down into a well-lit space is much better than looking deep into a dark cabinet. In this kitchen large drawers have completely replaced cabinets. Just make sure they are all soft close.

by Echelon Custom Homes »

4. Undercabinet lighting. I know this seems like no-brainer, but before I had it I never knew how useful it could be for task lighting and mood lighting. But spring for LEDs. We opted for fluorescent to save money, and we regret it.

by Lumens »

5. Dimmer switches.Because there are a thousand stops between on and off.

by site lines architecture inc. »

6. A garage keypad. You will never be locked out of your house again.

by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design »

7. A motion-activated porch light. You will never fumble in the dark for your keys again.

by Land Design, Inc. »

8. An automatic drip system. People told us, they did. But we didn't listen, and because of that we killed a lot of plants over 12 years. Last year we finally had an irrigation system put in. The yard is nicer, the plants are healthier and life is easier.

Know Your House: Components of a Roof

by Bud Dietrich

After you've installed your foundation, put down your floor structure and erected yourwalls, it's time to build your roof — one of the most important architectural elements. In fact, from the colonial home with its gable roof to a Prairie-style home with its hip roof, from a modern home with its low-sloping roof to an elegant mansard on an urban townhouse, we can't imagine a house style that doesn't have its associated roof configuration. Aligning the roof shape and configuration with the overall aesthetic you're after is essential to getting the look you want.

A roof also has an impact on the interior. Simply put, if all of the interior rooms have a flat ceiling of the same height, you can save time and money and have the roof built with manufactured trusses. If you're looking for some ceiling height variety and a vaulted ceiling in some rooms, you'll likely go with a stick-built roof that allows for this kind of flexibility. Or you can combine these two approaches to save time and money where possible while getting those special spaces you want.

Here are the different parts of a simple roof structure, how they come together and how they impact the interior spaces.

by Bud Dietrich, AIA »

A simple, stick-built triangular roof structure has three main components.

First, there's a ridge board, which is a horizontal wood element at the peak of the roof, establishing the apex of the roof's triangle.

Next are the rafters,which are fastened to the ridge board and slope downward to the exterior walls. The rafters do the heavy lifting for a roof structure. While resisting the downward force of gravity, the sloping rafters also provide the means by which the house sheds water, keeping the interiors dry and habitable.

Last are the ceiling joists, which also act as ties. While the rafters resist the downward force of gravity, the ceiling joists will resist any outward thrust. Just think of it like this: The rafters, having stood up to gravity, want to take a rest and lie down. But if they were allowed to, they would push the exterior walls outward — not a good thing. The ceiling joists won't let this happen; they just keep pulling the walls back in.

by Bud Dietrich, AIA »

An important design consideration is where to locate the ceiling joists, or rafter ties. These don't have to be set at the top of the exterior wall; they can be set higher up, allowing for a taller ceiling.

What's important is that the rafter ties be placed in the lower third of the overall roof structure height. This makes sense, as most of the outward thrusting action these ties are designed to resist is located lower in the roof structure, closer to where the rafters meet the exterior walls.

Setting the ceiling joists higher like this is, with the addition of some framing at the room ends, also the method used to create a tray ceiling.

by Bud Dietrich, AIA »

Let's say you want a really tall vaulted ceiling for a large great room. If this is the case, you'll want to get rid of the rafter ties altogether and replace the thin and light ridge board with a heavier and stronger ridge beam.

The rafters will get securely fastened to this ridge beam so that the whole assembly will resist the outward thrust of the rafters. And because these ridge beams can be quite massive, they become a distinctive architectural element in their own right.

by Bud Dietrich, AIA »

Another roof element, though not a common one, is the purlin. This is a board that spans rafters, or trusses, providing a way to fasten the roof sheathing and subsequent roofing materials.

Purlins were traditionally used when the rafters were placed farther apart to save on materials in utilitarian buildings such as barns. But purlins have become popular in residential construction because of their unique architectural look. In fact, using purlins will create the illusion that the actual ceiling floats above the rafters, something that can be architecturally distinctive.

by Bud Dietrich, AIA »

Last but not least aremanufactured trussesmade of 2-by-4 (sometimes 2-by-6) lumber and metal connecting plates. Trusses such as these are used quite often on large tract developments due to the efficiency of their repetitive design.

But these trusses are also used in custom construction too, as they can be a great way to save time and money. Even with a complex roof shape, trusses can be engineered and built on a made-to-order basis. And because of the efficient use of material and less waste generated when they're built in a factory, manufactured trusses can be a more sustainable way to build.

One caveat about a house built with these types of trusses: A roof built with manufactured trusses is more difficult to modify than a comparable stick-built roof. So if your home has ceilings all the same height and a truss-built roof, you'll find it more difficult to open rooms up and get that tall ceiling you want for that new great room. Be sure to get help from an architect or engineer before you modify the roof structure.

www.teambluesky.ca

Canada’s cure for summer heat

Icewine is Red Hot

As the heat waves start rolling this summer, cool off with a bottle of Canadian icewine, as cold and refreshing as the country’s below-zero temperatures, minus the frostbite. Icewine is made from frozen grapes (by law they can only be harvested when the temperature is under 18°F) that are hand-picked. The super-concentrated juice is then gently pressed out of them to create the sweet, high-acid, magically delicious wine that has become famous around the world. On average, icewines range from 12.5 to 20 percent residual sugar, but their super high acidity level keeps the wine refreshing instead of syrupy sweet. Icewines can be white or red. The white versions are generally based on riesling or vidal blanc grapes; the red versions, on cabernet franc. And while you can drink them alone as desserts themselves, icewines also pair well with all kinds of food, from salty cheeses like aged cheddar to fruit-based desserts like strawberry trifle for white icewines and bittersweet chocolate truffle cake for red icewines. To see more delectable food pairings, visit top icewine producer Inniskillin’s website, where Estate Chef David Penny shares his pairing tips and recipes. Some of our favorite icewines: MISSION HILL WINERY Reserve Riesling Icewine (Okanagan Valley, Canada) $59 (375ml half bottle) INNISKILLIN Riesling Icewine (Okanagan Valley, Canada) $60 (375ml half bottle) PELLER ESTATES WINERY Cabernet Franc Icewine (Niagara Peninsula, Canada) $49 (200ml bottle)  www.teambluesky.ca