The property was built in 1908. The basement walls are concrete & stone, about a foot thick. The basement walls are newly parged and they used a wire mesh under the parging. The basement has a gravel floor. Main floor is hard to heat because it is right over unheated basement. Heating costs are high. If I was to insulate the walls, would it keep the lower floor warmer? Would it save on heating costs? Should I use rigid foam or pink insulation?
You're on the right track, the walls are what you'll want to insulate but you should also spread an old swimming pool liner on the floor because it is bleeding moisture up throughout the year and you're paying to heat that moisture as it goes on up along with mildew odours it leaves behind.
| 1. |
Which is better, poured walls or cement blocks, & the second question has to do with drainage around the found ... |
| 2. |
We recently purchased another home. It is a thirty five year old, three bedroom bungalow, with an almost finis ... |
| 3. |
I have an older cottage on a newer foundation(24x24). I would like to raise it 6 feet to accommodate a full ba ... |
| 4. |
We are getting mice in the basement. We are in a 6 year old development. I checked everywhere to see where the ... |
| 5. |
I have an eight year old split that was built in a swampy area. It has a block basement, the problem is in the ... |
| 6. |
I have just had a new basement installed this summer. The north corner of the property is all springs and my c ... |
| 7. |
My problem is the house is settling, the paneling is bowing in the family room in the third level of my four s ... |
| 8. |
What is the advantages /disadvantages between a concrete foundation and a wood foundation? Which is the best w ... |
| 9. |
We have a white powder forming on the bricks at the front of our house. What is causing this? We suspect it is ... |
| 10. |
I'm looking to buy a house, and it has a patched crack of about 3 or 4 feet in the cement wall in an unfinishe ... |
| 11. |
I have a crack in the foundation of my 9 year old home. It begins about 5" above ground and goes all the way ... |
| 12. |
I own a 10 year old house in Orleans, Ontario with a large double car garage, I want to put an entrance door f ... |
| 13. |
What is the best way to repair a crack in my foundation? During a recent heavy rainfall I had water leaking in ... |
| 14. |
I have an eleven year old house that was built in a swampy area with a block basement. In the summer on a hot ... |
| 15. |
The property was built in 1908. The basement walls are concrete & stone, about a foot thick. The basement wall ... |
| 16. |
I'm the guy that had the garage footing fall. Can I just jack up the sill plate on top of the foundation wall ... |
| 17. |
We had a new basement installed but have not yet had the concrete floor poured. Could we install a wooden floo ... |
| 18. |
I would like to build a concrete porch on the front of our house. Someone told me that I should dig about a fo ... |
| 19. |
I have a house in Ottawa, Ontario, built around 1910 with a poured concrete and stone foundation. I have a pro ... |
| 20. |
The cement has become very crumbly and parging is coming away in sheets. At least the first 2 inches of cement ... |
| 21. |
I have had two separate cracks repaired twice. Once from the inside using some type of mastic and it did not w ... |
| 22. |
If I'm not mistaken, I can ask you a question about my "sow's ear" of a house and receive an expert answer. It ... |
| 23. |
I have a hair line crack in my foundation, it runs from the footings to the top of the foundation. What is the ... |
| 24. |
I would appreciate your comments on relocating a chain link fence, presently located 2 feet from the property ... |
| 25. |
You mentioned on your show that there was a new product for fixing cracks in basement walls. You had mentioned ... |
| 26. |
I live in a condo in Hamilton ont and happen to be on the board we recently had some foundation work done and ... |
| 27. |
I live in a condo in Hamilton ont and happen to be on the board we recently had some foundation work done and ... |
| 28. |
I live in a condo in Hamilton ont and happen to be on the board we recently had some foundation work done and ... |
| 29. |
I live in a condo in Hamilton ont and happen to be on the board we recently had some foundation work done and ... |
| 30. |
My basement fell about 2 1/2 inches on the east side of the house, thereby, pulling the wall from the ceiling. ... |
| 31. |
We are building on Canadian Shield. Rather than blast out a piece of granite, we chose to build this into our ... |
| 32. |
My son is about to have a house built on the outskirts of Pembroke (ON). Could you please give me a comparison ... |
| 33. |
we have a crack in our foundation. Two years ago the condo corp dug down on the outside and sealed it. Howev ... |
| 34. |
My basement is 8 ft, with 6 feet below ground level. I am in an area with poor drainage, a fairly high water t ... |
| 35. |
I am thinking of moving my garage to another location on my property. The place where I want to move it has a ... |
| 36. |
We purchased our house in 1991 and only this last fall we have noticed a leak in our laundry room. Unfortunat ... |
| 37. |
We intend to purchase and install a new shed that is 10 x 21. We understand that a concrete pad is the best wa ... |
| 38. |
I am getting ready to insulate my basement. There is no water coming through the walls, however at this time ... |
| 39. |
Our Home is appr.40 yrs. old we've owned it for 18 yrs. but when we bought it, it did'nt have a base ... |
| 40. |
I am looking at buying a house that has leaks in the block foundation walls. I am told that the water has been ... |
| 41. |
We live in a 100-year-old house with a stone foundation. The joints between the stones on the interior baseme ... |
| 42. |
The walls in my basement get very flaky and bubble like stuff under the paint. I have tried to sand, refill a ... |
| 43. |
IS THERE ANY PRODUCT THAT I CAN BUY TO REPAIR THE CRACK ON MY FOUNDATION WALL OR SHOULD I LEAVE IT TO THE EXPE ... |
| 44. |
We have had water problems that we plan to solve by excavating etc. We came to this conclusion based on inform ... |
| 45. |
Am considering purchasing a 'historical board' protected home, a small cottage style home (approx. 1 ... |
| 46. |
We have a two story, 16 year old home with a walkout basement in the rear. I repaired a crack in the (stepped ... |
| 47. |
The mortar between the stones has started to deteriorate and water is now seeping through the wall. To I have ... |
| 48. |
I have a leak in my basement and want to fix it with polyurethane injection. Will this be a permanent fix? I ... |
| 49. |
I am in the process of looking to buy a home. Many of the homes that I have come across have foundations that ... |
| 50. |
I am in the process of looking to buy a home. Many of the homes that I have come across have foundations that ... |
| 51. |
I am in the process of looking to buy a home. Many of the homes that I have come across have foundations that ... |
| 52. |
I am in the process of looking to buy a home. Many of the homes that I have come across have foundations that ... |
| 53. |
a previous owner of our house, in an attempt to insulate the basement, attached 2"X 2" studs with concrete nai ... |
| 54. |
I'm building a new bungalow in a high clay soil in Pakenham (ON) and wondered if you thought it worthwhil ... |
| 55. |
My house is approx. 80+ yrs. old with concrete block walls. There is what seems to be parging along the bottom ... |
| 56. |
I am looking at purchasing an investment property, a single family home. It is in good shape except there are ... |
| 57. |
We are having house built with a cold storage room in the basement. The foundation walls were poured about a ... |
| 58. |
Our cinder block foundation has white line appearing all over the place. We also have a brick fireplace in th ... |
| 59. |
My house was recently inspected for insurance purposes. The inspector informed me my back nasement wall is le ... |
| 60. |
When I went in my backyard I noticed that there were cracks in the foundation that I don't remember being ... |
| 61. |
I have a small vertical crack in my exterior foundation (driveway side) which is approx. 11 inches long. I hav ... |
| 62. |
i was wondering if you half to put a footing for a garage(20BY35) OR JUST A SLAB WIIL DO. ... |
| 63. |
I have purchased a brand new home. It will be 5 years this October. I have noticed that my basement floor (w ... |
| 64. |
I've had many different views on getting my problem solved! I have a crack in my foundation that is locat ... |
| 65. |
Our attemps to repair our leaky foundation (poured concrete) failed due to massiv cave-ins during excavation. ... |
| 66. |
How can we fix the complet fracture of foundation. This fracture runs right to left from top to bottom, over a ... |
| 67. |
Is it possible to waterproof a basement from the inside as opposed to digging up all around the house? Which i ... |
| 68. |
We have a 36X24 log house with a full basement, reinforced poured concrete walls, sitting on flat limestone be ... |
| 69. |
I have a bungalow house that is over 30 yrs old and the foundation has cracked and leaks only on one side of t ... |
| 70. |
I have found that I have “white residue” on the floor of my basement. People have told me that this is caused ... |
| 71. |
I have found that I have “white residue” on the floor of my basement. People have told me that this is caused ... |
| 72. |
I have found that I have “white residue” on the floor of my basement. People have told me that this is caused ... |
| 73. |
I have found that I have “white residue” on the floor of my basement. People have told me that this is caused ... |
| 74. |
We are presently having our new house build and I noticed that under the insulation on the foundation in the b ... |
| 75. |
Is there a specific way of re-finishing a basement to keep the water out without having to dig up the foundati ... |
| 76. |
I have an old house, circa 1915. The exterior walls are two flights of brick which appear to continue down in ... |
| 77. |
My parents reside in Smiths Falls ON and hava a bungalo built in the early 60's. It has a standard baseme ... |
| 78. |
I have a very old home with rock walls in basement. I would like to finish the walls but dont know where to s ... |
| 79. |
I own a 4 unit in the Glebe part of Ottawa (ON). The soils are mostly clay and it appears that the clay has s ... |
| 80. |
I have a 50 year old home that has a small leak in the basement. I have found the area where the leak occurs ... |
| 81. |
Our 2 year old house has a 1 millimeter crack running down from the corner of the basement window to the floor ... |
| 82. |
I would like to make the basement of our 80 year old house into a living area. the foundation is brick and i h ... |
| 83. |
Water has appeared near one wall, seeping at floor level in basement. Could you please provide information on ... |
| 84. |
In the rear of my home, there is a patio area that was constructed when the home was built, and sits on a conc ... |
| 85. |
In the rear of my home, there is a patio area that was constructed when the home was built, and sits on a conc ... |
| 86. |
In the rear of my home, there is a patio area that was constructed when the home was built, and sits on a conc ... |
| 87. |
In the rear of my home, there is a patio area that was constructed when the home was built, and sits on a conc ... |
| 88. |
running along the back wall of my cinderblock basement wall is a separation in the mortor joints that started ... |
| 89. |
My son recently had work done in his basement due to water seepage. What they did was install new weeping tile ... |
| 90. |
My foundation to my home, built in 1941, was apparently made with salty sand, and now the surface (at least, b ... |
| 91. |
I have a leak in my basement (poured form) where an outside entrance to the basement was closed with cinder bl ... |
| 92. |
previous e-mail told me to go to this site to ask question about sealing a block basement. There are leaks don ... |
| 93. |
I'm planning on doing the above this Fall. It's a 30+ year old bungalow home with cinder block founda ... |
| 94. |
How to repair cracks in foundation walls using method with fibreglass sheets. I believe I heard this on your r ... |
| 95. |
After heavy, sustained rainfall I have a trace of water on the foundation wall that comes out below the electr ... |
| 96. |
I am beginning renovations on our basement. We have excessive moisture which causes mold to grow on the walls ... |
| 97. |
I have a 14 yr old brick bungalow with a typical poured basement foundation. I would like to add a natural lig ... |
| 98. |
I recently purchased a townhouse that was built in 1980. I had the house inspected before purchasing and it we ... |
| 99. |
My husband and I are newbies at home buying. The house we are living in was built new when we bought it. So we ... |
| 100. |
I have some cracks in my concrete foundation. The cracks are about 1mm wide and they leak water. Is there a pr ... |
| 101. |
I am going to under pin my basement and would like to know how to waterproof it from the INSIDE (I am not able ... |
| 102. |
We purchased a home in a new development and I noticed that once the basement is excavated the builder is lini ... |
| 103. |
Is the Ontario Building Code applied Province wide or do Municipalities have some discretion. My two year old ... |
| 104. |
I have a two year old house with three cracks in basement walls, two are leaking.The basement was back filled ... |
| 105. |
We live in a 70+ year old house which at some point had a small addition put on the back right corner of the h ... |
| 106. |
I have purchased a new home and have discovered a crack running the full height (8') of the basement wall. ... |
| 107. |
Hi Ren, I thoroughly enjoy your show and respect your knowledge of home renovation. I'll try to be brief. ... |
| 108. |
1. When it rains south side basement wall (poured concrete) of my house (16 years old)leaks @ about four feet ... |
| 109. |
I have a cement patio (12'x 20'), many years old, next to my house. The problem that I have is that i ... |
| 110. |
We have a crack in our basement wall below ground level which leaks water into the basement in a heavy rain fa ... |
| 111. |
My house is at least 60 years old. We bought the house two years ago and the basement has been leaking ever s ... |
| 112. |
I was wondering what kind of options I have for insulating either my rock foundation or the floor above it. T ... |
| 113. |
Hello I enjoy your program very much and I have learned many things. I have a poured basement with leaks lot ... |
| 114. |
What is the correct way to waterproof basement foundation walls?
I heard using a dimple fabric then ins ... |
| 115. |
I have an 100 acres near Lanark, Ontario with a house that was originally log built in 1891. It has a stone fo ... |
| 116. |
We are adding 3 rooms with a full basement on to our 30yr old home. I was looking into an ICF poured foundatio ... |
| 117. |
What do you do when your poured concrete foundation walls have hair line cracks in them? ... |
| 118. |
I have heard you recommend the use of deck blocks. I intend to build a 10x14 ft. deck I will be placing 3 deck ... |
| 119. |
We want to purchase a home in Marathon, Ontario. The raised bungalow built in 1991, has an attached garage on ... |
| 120. |
I have a cottage in Northern Ont. It has a crawl space with a granite floor and a poured concrete foundation ... |
| 121. |
I love your program on CFRA - it is a wonderful public service - besides your participation in other programs- ... |
| 122. |
Could you please educate me regarding the repair of a wet basement? The home is a bungalow dated about 40-50 y ... |
| 123. |
The house is over 100 years old with a stone wall basement and cement floor. It is too humid. I put in a dehum ... |
| 124. |
My husband and I have recently purchased an old home in Cambridge Ontario. It has a rubble stone foundation th ... |
| 125. |
We have a shed which is at the bottom of the slope in a narrow backyard are. The floor is rotten plywood which ... |
| 126. |
I wrote to you about patching the hole in the foundation wall where the sewer pipe goes out. Did as I was tol ... |
| 127. |
We currently have a stone driveway and our house is almost 5 years old. We're planning on getting a concrete d ... |
| 128. |
My basement floor, along the length of our driveway is seeping water. We own a house that is about 60 years ol ... |
| 129. |
We have a house, built for us in 1972-73. It is on clay soil. Over Saturday night and Sunday morning, we got ... |
| 130. |
How can you tell a foundation crack visible only from the outside is in need of repair. ... |
| 131. |
I thoroughly enjoy your show and listen to it at every opportunity. We are planning to have a storage shed bui ... |
| 132. |
I enjoy listening to your show as often as I can and have made notes on many things. I do however, have a ques ... |
| 133. |
I recently had a 1937 house restored. I t has turned out beautifully. There is one exception. The foundation h ... |
| 134. |
Problem with wet basement, town home being built 3rd from left of 6,water seeping through floor into basement, ... |
| 135. |
Our house lets in water through the basement walls in the winter when the ground is frozen and it rains or whe ... |
| 136. |
I am looking at purchasing a new home and was wondering when looking at homes is there any way of telling whet ... |
| 137. |
I uncovered all the drain pipe and it is situated about 3/4" above the footings. I can just get my fingers un ... |
| 138. |
Repairing the sewer pipe going out the basement wall just above the basement floor. I have dug down to the pi ... |
| 139. |
The other day I was cleaning my porch and spraying it down with water from the hose. I noticed that in the ba ... |
| 140. |
Our home is on a concrete slab, and we live at sea level. We have forced air heat with ducts under the slab. ... |
| 141. |
We recently bought an older mobile home that I can be made more comfortable. It is supported on concrete block ... |
| 142. |
My home has a poured concrete foundation with 2 rows of concrete block added to the top. The seam between the ... |
| 143. |
I am planning to build a workshop and am getting conflicting advice with respect to foundation requirements. I ... |
| 144. |
You suggested that there is a lot of condensation with new construction. We are keeping air circulation moving ... |
| 145. |
The HVAC company who cleaned the furnace wants me to install an 5" direct vent from the outside to the furnace ... |
| 146. |
We have a 30 year old 2-story house and we are finishing our basement. I received a quote from a local company ... |
| 147. |
I have a 30 year old bungalow with a cement block basement and a sump pump. The house was built on a floating ... |
| 148. |
Are there any new developments as to how to patch a crack on the inside of a cellar wall? ... |
| 149. |
We have a two storey house with walk out basement. We want to extend the main floor family room by approximate ... |
| 150. |
How do I deepen my basement to meet the 7 foot minimum standard? I live one block from the lake. The ground ... |
| 151. |
I purchased a home 2 1/2 years ago. It was inspected by a house inspector recommend by their lawyer. There a ... |
