Don't vent bathroom fan through roof in cold region
Q. I have mold in my attic that has been caused by my bathrooms fans not being vented through my roof. What type of contractor could do this job?
A. First, bathroom fans should not be vented through roofs in cold climates. Condensation from steamy showers and baths and the normal warm, moist air found in houses in winter can run down the duct, rust the fans and stain ceilings. Bathroom and kitchen fans should be vented as low as possible through gable walls with a slight pitch to the outside, and be buried in insulation. The extent of the mold is important to determine. If the mold is not too bad, you can spray fresh Clorox bleach on it, which will kill it, but you will have to have solved the ventilation problem first. If the mold is massive, you should call on a firm that does mold remediation an expensive process.
Q. I want to take advantage of the $1,500 tax credit before the end of the year and replace a few windows in my family room. One is a picture window that doesn't open, which has windows on either side that do open. What windows do you like? Can you give me a reputable brand/company? I live in the Chicago area, so I don't have to tell you how cold it gets!
A. I prefer Marvin windows, having researched other brands for quality, price and service. Marvin is what we selected for the addition to our house, and we've found their service remarkable when we had to call twice for adjustments, once within the warranty period and once after the warranty expired. There were no charges for either of the calls, and Marvin windows meet the requirements for energy-efficiency tax credits.
Q. I recently purchased a gutter insert (from Costco) made of who knows what that fits inside my gutter and prevents leaves and debris from getting in. It is a loose-cell plastic. I ran a hose on it, and the water went right through. I installed it this weekend and we had a heavy rain for about 30 minutes; the gutters drained very well. It is cut on a 45-degree angle from the lower back to the top front. I am also hoping that it will keep the snow out and eliminate the gutters from clogging with snow and ice. Your thoughts please. I have been looking for your book on our Kindle but can't seem to find it. What is the title and where can we obtain it? And a tip: To keep water spots off outside windows, coat with Rainex for your car.
A. I went to the store to look at the gutter cover you describe. Unfortunately, as is often the case, it had sold out, and they do not expect to get any more. I was told by a supervisor that Costco buys lots from other sources and when they are gone, they are gone!
If I understand your description, the gutter cover is a wedge-shaped piece that fills the gutter; I saw an advertisement for something like that some time ago. I wonder what will happen when the temperature hovers close to freezing while it is raining. Will the rain freeze and slowly turn the wedge into ice, transforming the gutter into an ice block? I am in the process of investigating another gutter cover that looks promising. If it meets my expectations, I'll mention it.
Not being technologically savvy, I don't know anything about the Kindle, but you can buy my book “About the House with Henri de Marne” in any bookstore or directly from the publisher, Upper Access Books, (www.upperaccess.com) (800) 310-8320. And thanks for the tip.
Q. In past articles, you have suggested either adding siding on the outside or replacing drywall on the inside of an older house. Both solutions would be very costly for us. Our house was built in the 1950s and added to in the 1960s with face brick on the exterior. We've replaced all windows. A company called USA Insulation claims to add insulation to the walls from the outside with “Premium Foam.” Given the space between the outside and inside walls in an older home, what is your opinion?
A. I wonder how the insulating contractor will handle the face brick and leave you with unblemished walls. To insulate with foam, they will need to drill holes that are approximately 2 inches in diameter. How will they patch them? Are you sure that your house has no insulation in the walls? In those days, we used rockwool or fiberglass batts (unfortunately sometimes only 2 inches thick), and, much less often, vermiculite or reflective insulation made of several plies of aluminized Kraft paper. You should find out what you have, if anything.
You can certainly foam walls with all of the above, except vermiculite a loose-fill product, which fills the stud cavities (vermiculite may contain asbestos and should not be disturbed). If you are a candidate for foam injection, be sure that it is closed-cell foam, as you should end up with a vapor retarder to ensure that there will not be condensation on the inside face of the wall sheathing.
Houses built at that time were often sheathed with asphalt-impregnated fiberboard that would represent a vapor retarder on the wrong side of the wall in heating climates. Open-cell foam has its place, but because of its permeance, walls need to be constructed to allow the moisture that may work its way through the insulation to escape through the outer layers of the walls. The foam injection can be done from the inside, and the drywall easily repaired.
Q. I was wondering if you could tell me where I might be able to find a spring-loaded bathroom ceiling exhaust roof vent in my area? I have checked the big box home improvement stores (Lowe's and Home Depot), but I have not been able to find one. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
A. These spring-loaded jacks are hard to find. Try hardware stores, but a better place to find them is in specialty ventilation stores. A heating contractor can tell you where such stores are in your area.
Q. I read your column regarding the commercial gutters that you recommend to prevent clogging and found it very interesting, since I have a similar issue. My problem is pine needles. I have to have the gutters cleaned at least three times per year. Will the commercial gutters stop the clogging problems with pine needles?
A. In my experience, they will. The most important feature is the commercial downspouts, which can be installed with regular residential gutters as long as the outlet is a commercial-size one. Commercial downspouts have a cross section of 12 square inches, as opposed to the 6 inches of residential downspouts; leaves and pine needles should flush through them easily, even with several bends.
The advantage of commercial gutters is their larger size, which allows for the accumulation of more vegetation, which then has time to settle and eventually decompose and get flushed away. The only caveat is that, if your downspouts are connected to an underground pipe, the debris that is flushed through the system may get trapped in the pipe and be difficult to unclog. If your downspouts are connected to such an underground pipe, be sure you have the ability to disconnect the spouts from the underground pipe just in case. Ask the installers to provide you with such a feature.
Q. I have noticed in your column on many occasions that the topic of roof ventilation comes up. You always recommend using an externally baffled ridge vent. I am planning to do just that with the roof on my house. However, I am baffled myself after visiting the three major home improvement stores in my neighborhood: Home Depot, Lowe's and Menard's. The ridge vents that they sell do not specify on the package whether they are externally baffled.
I noticed that there are two types, one that is pliable and comes in a roll, and another that is hard plastic and comes in 4-foot sections. Please tell me how to distinguish which is externally baffled and what brand would be best. Is there any other important information I should be aware of before tackling this project?
A. Externally baffled ridge vents increase the flow of air through the attic, if paired with soffit venting of equal or greater free ventilation area, because by deflecting the wind over the ridge vent they create the conditions known as the Bernoulli Principle: negative pressure in the attic that increases the flow from the soffits to equalize the pressure.
Unbaffled ridge vents can be plugged by snow, allow rain penetration, and stop working under windy conditions, as the wind turns them into an intake, stopping the airflow from the soffits. The pliable, roll-type you saw is not what you want; the hard plastic may be. It should have a perforated baffle on the outer edges shielding the ventilation slots through which attic air exhausts. The earliest one I know of is Shinglevent by Air Vent, which now makes Shinglevent II. Be sure that whoever installs your ridge vent uses the right size nails or screws it down to prevent wind uplift, which is preferable. This is particularly important on steep roofs and those exposed to strong winds. End caps are also essential to keep insects and mice out, and prevent weather penetration. If you do not have a ridge vent, the roof sheathing will need to be cut a minimum of one inch on each side of the ridge, and you must ascertain that there are no obstructions to the free flow of air from the soffit vents to the ridge. A ridge vent does not function as intended if these conditions are not present.
More holiday suggestions: For the handy persons who enjoy fixing things around the house, don't forget the Dremel tools. Dremel offers several kits, including the Dremel Multi-Max, that make a number of tasks easier. One interesting application mentioned by a reader is the removal of stained and mildewed grout to prepare for new grout from ceramic tile walls. For all jobs generating dust, such as sanding, installing fiberglass insulation, etc., I have found Kimberly-Clark's dust masks to be far superior to the kind usually found in stores. They feature a duckbill-type pouch that really covers the mouth and nose. They are also very good in pollen season and when mowing the lawn. Kimberly-Clark's blue nitrile gloves are also very helpful and tough for cleaning, painting and any other jobs using chemicals that you do not want to get on your skin. They are quite durable and can be used several times.
Ÿ Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
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