The Home Improvement Thread

[Fuzz]

Is there a chance you used to have a plant there, and water dripped off of it?

[Wormius]

One thing is I never noticed this when we had our oak baseboards, but when we got wider MDF ones, I see it more. Could be install though.

Not buckling per se, but gaps between it and the wall showing up.

[Shin Pad]

The MDF they use for baseboards is really sensitive to moisture. It will expand and contract up to 1/8" in 8'-0". So, if it was installed with a really tight fit as sa226 mentioned, then you could get some buckling or gaps depending on the time of year and the humidity levels in the house. One sure sign of water damage is the MDF will expand. So if you have some swelling of the baseboard, then it is likely water damage. If it is just cracked or buckled without any expansion of the MDF, then it probably isn't caused by moisture.

The fix is fairly easy if it is just buckled. Take the baseboard off, and cut about 1/16" off one end and re-fit it. The trick is to re-install it without having to force it into place. If you have a gap at one end or the other, simply use some white wood filler and touch it up with paint.

[Calgary14]

Quick update - things got worse and started to see some water so I called insurance and they were here within an hour. It’s bad. They’re still trying to confirm but right now it looks like water is coming in from outside due to ice damming in the eavestrough. Guessing it’s all related to the recent huge snow storm then the freeze thaw cycle. Its extremely concerning when the restoration people say they haven’t seen it this bad before. Ugh this is the last thing I need right now

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

Quick update - things got worse and started to see some water so I called insurance and they were here within an hour. It’s bad. They’re still trying to confirm but right now it looks like water is coming in from outside due to ice damming in the eavestrough. Guessing it’s all related to the recent huge snow storm then the freeze thaw cycle. Its extremely concerning when the restoration people say they haven’t seen it this bad before. Ugh this is the last thing I need right now

Crap, sorry to hear that. Went through similar with my place the year after I bought it and it took me years to resolve ice damming problems. I'm not saying you will have an ongoing problem, most of my issue was from a poorly executed addition. But a few things I have learned:

• Keep the attic as cold as possible. I worked with a roofing company to increase the attic venting a lot. I also increased attic insulation and did proper surrounds on pot lights.
• I did ice and water shield membrane on the bottom 4' of my roof. My house is older, so it may be code on newer places.
• I do have a roof rake to keep snow buildup down in problem areas. Obviously tougher to do on a multi storey house.
• if you need to get water to drain around a big freeze up, nylon stockings full of salt will melt a channel through a few inches of ice

Also, take a really good look around the house to ensure you have caught everywhere it is happening. I ended up finding a second location a couple weeks after the first incident and the insurance company treated it as two claims. This really screwed up my ability to get water infiltration coverage.

Take pics if possible before the restoration folks go to town. I ended up with a disagreement over the location of a pot light when they rebuilt and wish I had a picture to show them.

[Flames0910]

Take pics if possible before the restoration folks go to town. I ended up with a disagreement over the location of a pot light when they rebuilt and wish I had a picture to show them.

It’s a good practice to do a quick video on your phone walking through your house pointing out valuables and the general lay of the land / quality of things so that you have evidence if there is a dispute. Having just been through a battle myself, I’d caution people to be aware that the insurance industry and restoration contractors are generally not the best tradesmen... and then they pressure homeowners who are unqualified to review the work sign off that it’s OK and get away with it because people just want to be done with the process.

[Calgary14]

^Thanks. They took out the drywall and insulation on that wall and there are signs of mold. So it's a bit like an onion - the more layers you peel off the more you'll discover.

But the restoration people said to be fair if you open up the wall on any house in Calgary you may find something not great (ie. past signs of water penetration)

Now waiting on insurance to get a roofer to go up and do a full report. They said there isnt much they can do for ice damming - is that true? Wouldnt you want to find the source and but some sort of stop gap in?

They mentioned heat tape for the roof edges which is a heated metal wire that goes along the edge and prevents ice damming, but it's something they only do in the spring/summer when the roof is clear. Does anyone have this?

[Shin Pad]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

^Thanks. They took out the drywall and insulation on that wall and there are signs of mold. So it's a bit like an onion - the more layers you peel off the more you'll discover.

But the restoration people said to be fair if you open up the wall on any house in Calgary you may find something not great (ie. past signs of water penetration)

Now waiting on insurance to get a roofer to go up and do a full report. They said there isnt much they can do for ice damming - is that true? Wouldnt you want to find the source and but some sort of stop gap in?

They mentioned heat tape for the roof edges which is a heated metal wire that goes along the edge and prevents ice damming, but it's something they only do in the spring/summer when the roof is clear. Does anyone have this?

Ice damming causes roof leaks when the ice build-up at the edge of the roof works it's way under the shingles and thus when it melts you have your current moisture problem. You have to remove the shingles for at least 4'-0" from the roof edge at the area where you have the ice damming occurring, and they install an ice and water shield membrane. Make sure the sheathing hasn't rotted - otherwise you need to replace the rotted portions before installing the ice and water shield. Once you have the ice and water shield in, reinstall the shingles. This is something you should do next spring. For now, you just have to keep remove the snow where the ice damming is occurring - really nothing else you can do in the winter. Someone mentioned a nylon stocking filled with salt (rock salt I assume) - that's a good idea as a temporary fix. You just want to make sure that any snow that melts on the roof, has a clear passage to the eave trough. You don't want it to be blocked by the ice dam, freeze and make the problem worse.

Do you have any roof intersections where the ice damming occurs - ie - dormers or valleys between roof direction changes (places where snow can build up)? Or is the ice damming occurring in a straight portion of the roof edge?

[Torture]

How it started:


How it's going:

Spoiler!

[timun]

Nice, love the wainscoting.

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by Shin Pad

Ice damming causes roof leaks when the ice build-up at the edge of the roof works it's way under the shingles and thus when it melts you have your current moisture problem. You have to remove the shingles for at least 4'-0" from the roof edge at the area where you have the ice damming occurring, and they install an ice and water shield membrane. Make sure the sheathing hasn't rotted - otherwise you need to replace the rotted portions before installing the ice and water shield. Once you have the ice and water shield in, reinstall the shingles. This is something you should do next spring. For now, you just have to keep remove the snow where the ice damming is occurring - really nothing else you can do in the winter. Someone mentioned a nylon stocking filled with salt (rock salt I assume) - that's a good idea as a temporary fix. You just want to make sure that any snow that melts on the roof, has a clear passage to the eave trough. You don't want it to be blocked by the ice dam, freeze and make the problem worse.

Do you have any roof intersections where the ice damming occurs - ie - dormers or valleys between roof direction changes (places where snow can build up)? Or is the ice damming occurring in a straight portion of the roof edge?

No intersections up there, just a straight portion down. Which is really weird. You would think it would need a valley or something to build up an then cause an issue. I'm thinking of obviously a full fix in the spring, but also heat tape as from what I have read it would make a difference in climates with constant freeze/thaw (here). But boggles my mind how they keep dragging their feet getting someone up there to do something. Maybe that's because they know there isnt much that can actually be done until spring?

[Regular_John]

Anyone have experience with kitchen cabinet refacing? Specifically replacing doors/countertops/sink but keeping the cabinet frames & repainting?

We’ve got the original 1970s cabinets in our kitchen, and given the size of the room there’s really not any other feasible layouts for the space, so I’m looking at lighter touch renovation ideas with a eye towards resale value.

I admit part of my motivation is cheapness, but I’m also trying to avoid any situation that would require modifying the floorboards as a result of changing cabinet depth.

[surferguy]

You have face frame cabinets if I remember correctly. Can you confirm?

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by surferguy

You have face frame cabinets if I remember correctly. Can you confirm?

Correct, while we have far fewer drawers, physically speaking our cabinets are pretty similar to these I found on the web.



The hinges are a similar design to this.

[surferguy]

In theory then you should be able to paint the frames and get brand new doors and attach them as these ones are.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by surferguy

In theory then you should be able to paint the frames and get brand new doors and attach them as these ones are.

Yeah that's my plan, I'm just looking for anyone who's been down that path before and any tips they have from their adventure.

[surferguy]

In theory then you should be able to paint the frames and get brand new doors and attach them as these ones are.

[Ducay]

Assuming you'll need custom doors, it likely won't be a cheap change (cheaper than all new cabinets, sure, but astronomically more than just painting the existing doors and swapping the hinges/handles)

[Scroopy Noopers]

I plan on repainting mine, taking them all off, using an oil based paint for a tough finish. Too many other things to fix to replace perfectly functioning cabinets.

[topfiverecords]

K & A Custom Cabinet Doors
http://kandadoors.ca/

5 piece solid maple w/ mdf panel doors, custom profile, I had made for my kitchen were about $1200. I had 26 fronts in total.

They don't do finishing so you need to take them to get finished by someone else, but they make great fronts. Only took about 2-3 weeks IIRC.