Insulating pipes that run through cold areas is necessary to keep them from freezing; even then you have to run the water occasionally or add some heat. You could leave the tap running a little during the very cold spells; that's how Grandpa kept them from freezing. You can also get thermostat ...
There are two basic mechanisms which can cause a basement to move because of freezing temperatures -- ice-block formation and ad-freezing.Frost heaving: a form of ice-block formation occurs when moist soil lies under the foundation footings and the frost line or freezing-point penetration reac...
One viewer has recommended using Urea fertilizer to melt ice on the roof rather than using salt-based de-icers.Actually, the research done, during the famous 1998 Eastern ice storm, confirms this idea. The salt will discolour the shingles and rust the gutters and generally not be good for eith...
Chris in Mississauga wants to put a pedestal sink on an outside wall but is worried about the pipes freezing.You are right to worry, Chris. When we put sinks on the outside walls, we need to run the plumbing pipes on the warm side of all that insulation, which means inside the sink cabinet. A p...
You have all seen highway signs indicating the period of spring thaw and reduced truck loads throughout the northern US and all of Canada -- or walked across grass that is just beginning to thaw from the winter making deep footprints or tire marks that would never sink like that during a stro...
Insulating hot water lines that run through a heated basement or crawl space sounds logical, but in fact it will same you little or no money. The infrequency of their use lets them cool off whether they are insulated or not, and the heat is converted to useful room heat anyway.
The exception is ...
A basement that has more than 50 per cent of its height sticking out of the ground is not really a basement. The walls should be treated as ordinary, above-ground walls. The foundations should be treated as slab-on-grade to avoid frost problems.
Interior/exterior insulation combinations can be u...
First, don't put glazed or other slippery tiles on an outdoor porch. You will kill yourself when they get wet or icy. You can find some good looking tiles that are specifically designed to be "non-slippery".
Always use a thinset mortar that specifically says "indoor/outdoor" on the bag.
You mus...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Concrete Product: Surface Patching
Temperature Limitations: Above +5 C (+40 F) and below +30 C (+85 F)
Rain Limitations: Protect from rain until concrete is set, 2 to 6 hours (so rain won't was...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Adhesives Product: Contact Cement - Solvent Based
Temperature Limitations: Use above +15 C (+60 F)
Rain Limitations: Use on a clean dry surface
Wind Limitations: High winds will shorten set t...
