CFLs - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Starting in 2012, stores across Canada will begin phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs under the terms of a federal ban announced in 2007. The ban is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than six million tonnes a year and save homeowners about $60 annually in electricity costs.

Compact fluorescent bulbs are vastly more efficient. They use up to 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs, which means reduced greenhouse gas emissions from energy plants. Fluorescent bulbs also last up to 10 times longer.

Fluorescent bulbs are extremely energy-efficient, using up to 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs. (Associated Press)

The effects of the ban on incandescents are being felt first in British Columbia, which is a year head of the rest of the country with its provincially mandated phaseout having begun in January 2011.

Both the federal and provincial moves dovetail with those of other jurisdictions around the world. In 2007, Australia became the first country to ban the incandescent bulb, followed shortly after by the European Union. As of Sept. 1, 2009, the EU ended the manufacture and import of 100-watt and frosted incandescent light bulbs. Clear bulbs will be banned progressively, until all traditional bulbs disappear from stores across Europe in 2012.

The reason such bans have been introducted is because of the technology used in each type of light bulb.

Incandescents work by heating a filament inside a tube until it is white hot and gives off light. But more than 90 per cent of the energy involved in that process escapes as heat.

Fluorescent bulbs, on the other hand, use only a small amount of electricity to excite the gas (mercury vapour) inside the tube. The gas then gives off invisible ultraviolet light, which bounces off the phosphor coating inside the bulb to produce visible light.

While there is no debate over the merits of fluorescent bulbs when it comes to greenhouse gas reduction, there is rising concern over their disposal because they contain mercury.

The problem with mercury

Chronic exposure to mercury — a naturally-occurring element and a known neurotoxin — can damage the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver.

"Mercury can impair the ability to feel, see, move and taste and can cause numbness and tunnel vision. Long-term exposure can lead to progressively worse symptoms and ultimately personality changes, stupor and in extreme cases, coma or death," according to Health Canada.

Further, Health Canada says recent research suggests that even at low levels, mercury can have adverse health impacts on the cardiovascular and immune system.

While no mercury is released when the bulbs are in use, taking precautions when throwing them out is important. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that three per cent of the total mercury in discarded fluorescent lamps is released to the atmosphere when they break during transportation to a disposal facility. Other researchers estimate emissions are as high as 17 per cent.

If a fluorescent bulb ends up in a landfill, the mercury can leech into the surrounding soil or be released into the atmosphere. If it is incinerated, the amount of mercury released into the atmosphere may be higher, according to Health Canada.

While fluorescent bulbs contain about five milligrams of mercury — less than in a watch battery, according to Natural Resources Canada — Health Canada recommends that items containing mercury be treated as hazardous waste.

Disposal varies across country

In Canada, the provinces are responsible for setting regulations around the disposal of household hazardous waste, but municipalities most often carry out the actual disposal.

Disposal programs vary from municipality to municipality, with some offering collection programs specifically for mercury-containing products, such as fluorescent bulbs, in which the mercury is captured and recycled. Other municipalities collect mercury-containing products as part of their general household hazardous waste program.

Not surprisingly, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has said it would like manufacturers of fluorescent bulbs to assume the cost and responsibility for recycling them.

But new research suggests there may be a way to avoid the problem of mercury disposal altogether. McGill University scientists, for example, are experimenting with a new type of light bulb that uses electrodes made of carbon nanotubes, which would allow mercury to be replaced with water.

Courtesy CBC News

Dave Bennett

Owner
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

"Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso

Design Considerations for Your Homes Trim Part II

Baseboards and Casings

I recommend you select the profile you wish and then settle on the size. Selecting profiles is very much a personal choice. Colonial (classic) profiles are the most popular. More modern profiles would include styles which feature simple and straight lines.

For very large homes or when trying to match mouldings in older homes, you may need very large trim. Either a 7¼” base or baseboards with extensions may be the answer. For these options there are many great combination ideas avaialble. Another approach is to place a decorative moulding about 2” above your baseboard. 

Shoe mouldings are placed at the bottom of the baseboard. Functionally they are used to hide any cracks between the baseboard and the floor. Aesthetically, shoe mouldings can add distinctiveness to larger baseboards.

Casings and Headers

Casings are for around windows and doorways. Normally your casing will be about 2” smaller than your baseboard. Casing is the largest item and the most seen in the household. So select the trim which most appeals to you.

Casings can be enhanced with backband. For larger homes, using backband throughout the house is common, particularly in Toronto. Another option would be to use backband and headers in your main formal areas. The use of headers is a great way to improve an entranceway. It can also be used throughout the house. 

The use of bullnose or full sill coupled with a smaller apron piece is a nice touch on windows.

Crown Mouldings

Wood mouldings feature very crisp profiles which show extremely well.

First select what type of crown profile you want:
For ornate crown or those with stylized designs, plaster or polymer mouldings are the best approach.
For simple lines and curves, wood mouldings are best.
For price, MDF mouldings best fit the bill. 

You can enhance crown mouldings in a number of ways. You can add a casing trim either on the bottom or top of the crown. This makes the crown look bigger without encroaching on the room. Another option is to to make symmetrical combinations with a casing on either side with a crown in the middle. Or you can add a decorative piece about 6” below the crown.

MDF is becoming more popular. Just make sure you are happy with the profile, compared to that of wood. Many consumers have learned over time that the crispness of wood mouldings is their preference both for casings and crown.

Dave Bennett

Owner
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

"Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso

Design Considerations for your Home's Trim

 Selecting mouldings is very much a personal choice. Having said that, there are a number of factors which you should consider.

Symmetry: Normally your baseboards and casings will reflect the same profile. By doing so the house is brought together.

Depth of Profile: The thicker the moulding, the more profile it will have. Better quality mouldings usually are ¾” thick. These profiles give the room a much richer look. Generally suburban homes come with mouldings 3/8” thickness.

 

Crisp Profile lines: The crisper the profile line, the more the moulding will stand out. By using finger joint or solid wood the profile lines are very crisp. By using MDF the lines are less crisp and hence will not stand out as well.

Proportionality:Sizing the profile to your room is important. The following is a good guide -

Ceiling height     Baseboard          Casing  Crowns

Stand 8 ft             4 to 5”   2 ½”       4 ½”

9 ft ceiling            5” plus  3 ½”       5 ½”

Over 9 ft              5” plus  3 ½” with backband         5 ½” plus

Proportionality also appears to vary by community. Houses in Toronto tend to use larger trim and backbands than those in Ottawa.

Wood Type

Generally I prefer fingerjoint pine trim.  Both the depth of profile and crisp lines are obtained at reasonable product cost.  In addition, it comes in lengths of 14 or 16 feet which minimizes waste.

American Yellow Poplar is a good solid wood.  It is excellent for painting and more durable than fingerjoint.  Like any solid wood it costs more. MDF is great if price is your most important variable.  It will not wear nearly as well as fingerjoint pine and the profiles are not as distinct. 

Pine, Maple or Oak:  If you seek wood for staining, any one of these will do an excellent job.  Remember, with pine you can stain it to reflect any natural wood for colour.

Thanks,

 Dave

Dave Bennett
Owner
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

"Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso

Navan for Kraft Hockeyville 2011

 In 2011 there are some great events coming up where you can show your support for Navan's quest to be the Kraft Hockeyville Champions. Please read on as to how you can be part of the great Navan spirit, show your support and getting involved. 

Navan for Kraft Hockeyville 2011

Let's Show our community spirit by including this in our 150 year Celebrations!

The Navan Memorial Centre is entered in the Kraft Hockeyville 2011 competition. Four communities will win $25 000 while the top one receives $100 000 in upgrades to their facility and an NHL pre-season game will be played in the arena in the fall of 2011 with a fun day of activities for everyone to enjoy!

Organized hockey has been part of Navan’s precious heritage for 97 years! In 1913, the history of hockey in Navan began as a hockey club was formed of 24 members. Each member paid ten dollars and this money was used to establish an open air rink. If you have played at the Navan Memorial Centre, on Navan teams, against them, attended any hockey game in Navan or just love hockey, you definitely have a hockey story to share!

We need the support of the community to make this dream a reality by submitting any hockey story and a photo to www.krafthockeyville.ca  and selecting Navan Memorial Centre until January 30^th, 2011.   All stories are also accepted including the ones just supporting our quest therefore if you've been at the arena for a dance, for demolition derby at the fair, skating or a horse show, we want to hear about it. We want to celebrate community!

Vintage Hockey Day will be held on Sunday January 9^th from 1pm to 6:30pm at the Navan Memorial Centre. In conjunction with Navan’s 150 years celebrations, come and take part in Navan’s precious hockey history. Hockey artefacts, photos and memorabilia presented in part by the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum will be on hand to view. We are organizing an alumni hockey game with Ex-Grads Junior “A” players against the alumni of the Gloucester Rangers from 1:00pm to 2:30pm. The admission fee to the Alumni game will be by monetary donation. Also with a $10 donation, you can sample excellent wine & cheese presented by Domaine Perrault Winery.

All proceeds will go to the trust fund of a very courageous 13 yrs old that caught meningococcal meningitis and had amputation of both legs below the knees and has decreased function of his left arm.

The Cumberland Grads will also host the Gloucester Rangers with local singers/song writers, Rothwell & Moffatt performing during the first intermission and Lola Spriggs in the second intermission. We will give a prize to the oldest artefact brought to us and for the oldest player to have ever played in Navan that shows up. You will also hear the Navan for Hockeyville theme song performed by Rothwell & Moffatt. Computers will be set up to submit your stories.  

The Navan Lions will serve a spaghetti dinner from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, $10 for adults, $5 for children 5-12 yrs and free for children under 5.  Proceeds from the dinner will go to the Food Bank. Door Prizes donated by CIBC Innes & Trim, Lacroix Sports, Broadway Bar & Grill and many more.  Join us for a fun afternoon!

Rally at the Navan Memorial Centre on Sunday January 30th from 2:00pm to 5:30pm.  This is the last day to submit your hockey stories and photos to www.krafthockeyville.ca.  Computers will be set up to submit your stories. Show your support by gathering in the parking lot of The New Oak Tree at 2pm on Colonial Rd. as we will then walk to the Navan Memorial Centre while cheering with signs. The Cumberland Grads host the Smith Falls Bears at 3pm. More to come…..

If you have any questions, need help in submitting your story or would like to volunteer, please don’t hesitate to contact us by telephone Lyne Proulx 613-833-1779 and Barry Irvine 613-835-2509 or email navanhockey@hotmail.com. You can also view our website at www.navanhockeyville.ca or join our Facebook group: Navan for Kraft Hockeyville 2011.  

Thanks 

  Dave

Painting Straight Edges take skill ... or a good tape

Having trouble getting a clean straight line when completing your home painting projects? 


Reading this article posted by a fellow renovator. They use a product that 360renos uses when you want to have impeccably straight paint lines or when cutting in an Accent wall where two colors meet.

The first recommendation is to have a good brush. For interior work, I like an angled brush, as it allows getting into the corner easily, and a 1 1/2- to 2-inch brush works well. Some people like a chiseled brush, which is more like an artists brush, rounded at the tip.

Although patience is a great thing to have in painting, so is a good steady hand. If you lack one or both of those skills, you might want to consider using painters tape. The typical painters tape is blue, available in different widths. It's similar to a regular masking tape, but the blue tape doesn't stick permanently or take any of the surface off when it is removed.

In my early painting experiences, I tried cutting in with just a brush but wasn't satisfied with my results. I switched to using the painters tape. However, I became even more frustrated with this, because when pulling the tape off, I found that the paint often got behind the tape. This causes extra work in wiping it off and then touching up the area where I didn't want the paint to go. So, I went back to the brush only, forcing myself to learn the skill.

However, we have just run across a new painters tape that we've tried out and have found that it works well. It's called Frogtape (frogtape.com) and is available at Home Depot and Lowe's and other hardware stores. The tape is green, so you won't get it confused with the typical blue tape. The reason I like Frogtape is because it is treated with what they call a paint block. As paint is applied to the tape, a polymer on the tape absorbs the water in latex paints, expanding the edge of the tape and creating a barrier. Therefore the paint doesn't get under the tape. The manufacturer states that the tape was created for latex paints, so if you're using an oil-based paint, beware. The only drawback I've found in using this is that at times I had trouble making it stick, so it took more time to get it in place.

As with any painters tape, it is best not to leave it in place for too long after the job is done. If the paint has dried, you might be pulling up paint along with the tape. So, it is best to take the tape off before the paint is dry. Be careful removing it wet, however, not letting the tape touch any other surface, or you may be spending more time doing touchups.

Courtesy of Steve Cloninger

Happy Holidays

Dave Bennett
Owner
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

"Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso

Mold in your Basement?

360renos was called in to review a finished basement which had a sub-floor that was sagging and warped due to a basement concrete slab that had heaved in some places and sunk on other places over time.


Well, the heaving was so bad that the 3 teleposts which support the main center beam of the home had either sunk into the earth or heaved up on their pads. It was a very dangerous situation as if this had not been rectified it would have eventually brought down the house.


The concrete slab needed to be demolished, so the sub-floor and interior walls were removed by 360renos. When this was completed we found a huge mold problem in one corner of the basement. This is an older home in Ottawa with cinder block foundation walls. The foundation and environmental experts have been called in!

So first to get this cleaned up with the experts before the next stage of pouring a new basement slab and re-building of the finished basement.


All of this reminded me of a great new article and tips by Bryan Baeumler and his series 'Room for Improvement'

Q: We have a major disaster in our basement due to a mold issue and now we are in a race to fix it. What is the best way to insulate the concrete block walls in the basement? Also, what are the best material to use for a basement subfloor? The current floor has foam insulation and plywood which seems to have worked extremely well but was 20 years old. Of course you could always drop by to take a look …. Cheryl and Mike

A: Hi Cheryl and Mike!

Sorry to hear about the mold in the basement – you’re definitely not alone! A lot of people have similar issues with finished basements that haven’t been waterproofed properly, have had a flood, or have high humidity levels in their homes. The silver lining in the cloud is that you now have the chance to finish the basement properly to avoid experiencing the same problem in the future.

It sounds like you’ve done the demo, which means you have a blank slate to work with. The first thing you ‘ll want to do is make sure you’ve taken care of the moisture problem. If it was a foundation leak, that means waterproofing the foundation wall properly, making sure your weeping tile system is operating effectively, ensuring proper grading of soil around your home, and directing water away from the house with downspouts. If you had a plumbing leak, obviously you’ll want to make sure the problem has been identified and corrected. And finally, if the mold was due to high humidity in the house, you’ll want to make sure you consult with an HVAC specialist to balance the system and install a dehumidifier to assist in lowering the humidity.

When it comes to insulating the foundation walls, you have a number of options. The best method by far is a closed cell spray foam – we use Walltite Eco, which you can ask about and have installed at your local Lowes. The reason spray foam works so well is that it has a high R value / inch, and eliminates any airflow – the biggest cause of heat loss. It can be sprayed right onto the foundation wall (block or concrete), and creates a monolithic insulation layer that won’t feed mold or lose R value due to moisture. You can also use the batt over spray method, which means spraying an inch of foam on the foundation wall, and adding either fiberglass or Roxul batts between the studs to increase R value, while still having the benefits of the air barrier from the foam. Roxul mineral wool insulation is another great product to use in a basement, as it’s fire proof and is a natural repellant to insects and rodents. If you plan on using batts, you’ll also need to vapour barrier the entire wall, tape the seams, and seal the top and bottom with an acoustic sealant. You’ll also want to be sure that you fully insulate and seal the joist bays (the area where your floor joists rest on the foundation) as the rim joist is one of the biggest culprits of heat loss. Not insulating and sealing the joist bays is a big reason people end up with cold floors above the basement, as cold air gets trapped in between the drywall ceiling and the floor above. If you go the spray foam route, joist bays and walls are all sprayed at once. We foamed our entire home, and we currently spend less than $50 / month heating it. We also filled all of the interior walls with Roxul to absorb sound and eliminate any wall cavities where fire could potentially spread.

When it comes to laying a subfloor, head for the Dricore – it has tongue and groove on all 4 sides to keep everything in place, it creates a thermal break from the floor that warms up the room, and also leaves an air space under the subfloor which allows for airflow so any moisture coming through the basement slab can evaporate. It also saves your finished flooring should you have a small amount of water under the floor, where it can flow to the drain. It’s also so easy and fast to install that it ends up being cheaper than other methods when you consider the cost of labour, or sanity. Foam laid directly on the subfloor will also keep your feet warm, but like a sheet of plastic it will eventually trap moisture – the idea is to give any water coming out of your slab somewhere to go and evaporate, something an impermeable layer laid directly on the concrete won’t do.

Of course there are lots of different products and methods to install a subfloor and insulate a basement (of which all done properly will perform well), so you have to make a decision based on your budget and skill level when it comes time to do the job. Most people would agree that the best method is never the cheapest, and the cheapest method is never the best. But when you look at the big picture, the best method is indeed often the cheapest in the long run.

Good luck, and have fun! (I’ll be over as soon as I can!)

Cheers,

Bryan

Fantastic info that can help a lot of home owners

360renos 
Dave Bennett
Owner
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

"Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso