Belvedere's Complete Spring Check List

Inside
Now let’s go inside and see what we can discover. It’s here that problems originating outside will show up.

1. Check basement plumbing and hot water heaters for drips or leaks. This could be a source of water, and not a foundation leak.
2. Check for signs of moisture, mildew or condensation on the ceilings of upstairs rooms, including inside closets, because this is where attic moisture problems first show up.
3. Take a look into the attic and feel the insulation for wetness.  Look at the undersides of the roof for discoloration or rust.  You may also be able to see daylight showing through cracks or holes that have developed over the winter.  This is also a good time to ensure your exhaust fans are not just dumping moist air into the attic.  Have someone turn them on while you watch to see what happens.
4. Check your fireplace by opening the damper and using a mirror.  If you can’t see daylight, you may have a blockage.  Check behind the damper for debris, such as bits of mortar or brick that have fallen down the chimney.  Remember to tightly close the damper when you are finished.  Do this every spring – why not change the batteries in your smoke detectors at the same time? – And you’ll have a pretty good idea how your home survived the winter.  If you find problems, we’re always here to help.

Your Basement: Dive Right In :
By Maurice Gualtieri

A wet basement is the No. 1 problem with Toronto homes, a fact you may already know from personal experience. But did you know that the search for basement leaks often begins on the roof?

That’s one of the few vantage points that will reveal inadequate grading. Looking down from above – especially in the spring when the ground may still be wet and foliage hasn’t yet blossomed – might reveal that water isn’t being directed away from the house at all.

Climbing a ladder is also the only way to survey your eavestroughs and downspouts. Many homeowners undertake the dreary task of clearing the eaves in the fall, but it should also be done in the spring in advance of heavy rains.

Remember, every drop of rain that lands on your roof will end up on the ground just a few inches from your foundation wall, unless the eaves carry it away or the ground slopes distinctly away from the house.

Back on the ground, carefully check the connection where the downspout enters the storm drain. A washout or depression around that area indicates water has been backing up or spilling directly onto the ground.

Persistent dampness in the basement causes mould and mildew, which usually smells, so your nose will tell you if you have a long-standing problem. You can also detect less obvious problems by doing a little detective work.

Check the window sills for stains, mould or rusty nail heads, all signs of excessive moisture. Check your walls, especially near the floor. There should be no flaking or powdery residue. Efflorescense, those shiny flakes that result from the build-up of minerals and salts from water infiltrating the walls, is a dead giveaway of seepage or a leak.

On the floor, look for lifting tiles or stained carpet. Spongy areas in a wood floor also signal a moisture problem below. Buckled paneling or bulging drywall are also telltale signs of dampness. Moisture problems need to be solved, because in time, wood components will rot, metal will rust and concrete will crumble, weakening the structural integrity of the house. Wet wood is also a gold-engraved banquet invitation to termites.

Fortunately, some solutions are simple and you can accomplish them yourself.

The first is to fill in any depressions or gullies around the foundation and make sure the surface slopes away from the walls – one inch per foot for the first six feet will do it. This will prevent rain and melting snow from ending up in your basement.

The next is to clean your eavestroughs and then pour some water into them at different locations. If the water drains away then you know the slope is fine; but if water pools in some areas, the eaves in that area need to be realigned.

Other solutions call for expert assistance. If you have leaks or seepage around the basement windows, a new concrete or corrugated steel window well may be the solution.
If you have more serious problems – if you can’t leave cardboard boxes on the floor without deterioration, for instance – you may have to waterproof your foundation wall or install new drainage tiles around the foundation to direct water into the storm or sewer system.

Belvedere has been waterproofing and repairing foundation walls for decades. Replacing drainage tile clogged by dirt or broken by tree roots and using the latest foundation wall technology (including cement and asphalt sealers and plastic membrane), we are confident enough in our work to provide a 30-year guarantee.

A pool is a great addition to any home, but not in the basement!

Your Fireplace: Handle with Care
By Jay Williams

A fireplace is an attractive feature in any room, and – especially if you’re a romantic – a crackling fire is about as important to a successful rendezvous as a bottle of good wine!

But if you’re going to be practical, you might as well use dollar bills for kindling, because most fireplaces send more heat up the chimney than they add to the home.

A roaring fire can suck 400 cubic feet of air right out of the house – air that you’ve paid dearly to heat and that you are counting on to keep you warm when you venture more than a few feet beyond the hearth!

Another thing: A fireplace can add hundreds of dollars to your heating bill even when you are not using it. If the damper is open or not well sealed when closed, heated air from the room will be drawn up the chimney and you’ll never realize why the house is so cold or the fuel bills are so high.

When you are using the fireplace, there’s more to worry about. Creosote build-up from burning wood, particularly green or soft wood such as pine, is unavoidable and can cause a serious chimney fire if the flue is not cleaned out regularly.

Fireplaces – and all combustion appliances, such as gas or oil furnaces and gas water heaters – require fresh air for effective burning. Because today’s homes are often tightly sealed for energy efficiency, you may not achieve complete combustion or the chimney may not effectively draw the smoke and gases away.

That means dangerous carbon monoxide can be produced and enter the house, with potentially lethal results. Smoke stains on the front of the fireplace is one clue that such a problem may exist.
A faulty flue or a deteriorated chimney or a chimney without protective devices to keep birds, squirrels and even raccoons from blocking the airflow are also sources of trouble, ranging from annoyance to disaster.

Fortunately, there are solutions that mean you can enjoy your fireplace in comfort and security, and Belvedere has been called on to provide all of them over the years.

The simplest step is to correct any deficiencies in the chimney. It’s also important to ensure that there’s a separate flue for each appliance that produces exhaust, such as the furnace and each fireplace in the house.

Tuckpointing the chimney and putting a proper cap on it will prevent bricks, mortar and animals from falling into the flue.

Ensuring that the damper closes properly and installing glass doors will help prevent heat loss when the fireplace is not being used. Adding a supplemental air intake for combustion air can improve burning efficiency and prevent problems in air-tight homes.

Another solution is to install some sort of heat recovery ventilator that forces heated fireplace air into the room, instead of letting most of it flow up the chimney.

Perhaps the best solution from an energy efficiency and safety point of view is to install a gas or propane fireplace insert with realistic-looking ceramic logs. They are not only efficient and cost-effective, but produce a predictable and even flow of heat. And you can turn them on and off with the flick of a switch whenever you want.

Some of these installations don’t even require a chimney, just a small pipe to the outside that serves to bring in air for combustion and to take out the exhaust gases. That means you can have a fireplace not just in the living room, but virtually any room in the house from bedroom to bathroom.