Home Care
&
Maintenance
*****
Student Manual
PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY MARKS IN THIS PUBLICATION
OVERVIEW
It is important to understand the purpose of this course. Every
person has to live somewhere. In most cases, people live in single
or multi-family dwellings. These dwellings are usually referred to as
houses, but some people live in apartments, suites, condos,
duplexes, four-plexes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, etc.
There is a difference between a house and a home. A house is a
building, comprised of a collection of systems and materials which combine to create a habitat
for people to live in. A home is a house that offers a sense of safety and protection from the
outside world. In this course you will be looking at the things you need to do or maintain in
house to make it a home. Regardless of where you currently live or where you hope to live in
the future, everyone needs to know something about how their house works and how to keep
it functioning properly. The major project of this course is developing a maintenance schedule –
essentially an owner’s manual – for your home. If you don’t want to build a schedule for your
current home, you can design your own home based on the information you read about home
systems and create a manual for that home. This second option allows you to look beyond what
exists where you currently live and design a home which makes use of energy efficient design
and smart home building practices to create your ideal home.
Your assignment then would be to design the owner’s manual for
that home. The difficulty will come in actually designing and
drawing your own house, but you could also find an existing home
design and outfit it with your choice systems. All final projects
need to be cleared with your teacher before beginning work.
Advancements in technologies are making today’s homes more and more efficient and
automated. Take note of the interesting uses of new technologies being used to make houses
more efficient and operate differently than traditional house designs. In the same vein, green
technologies are environmentally friendly and make the best use of material, money and
energy to create and maintain an efficient house. Utilizing green technology when possible will
help the environment and in many cases, save money. The students in this division are
considered rural, even if you live in town as opposed to a farm. There are benefits, and
drawbacks, to living in a rural setting, but many of them can be addressed or utilized when
considering house design and maintenance. It is important that when you are planning for your
home maintenance schedule that you factor in the location of your home and the subsequent
access to support and resources. The recommended print resource for this course is How Your
House Works: A visual guide to understanding and maintaining your home by Charlie Wing.
In The Beginning…
Your house may be the biggest investment you make in your lifetime. It is important to take
care of it in order to get the most from your investment. If you are going to start taking care of
anything – be it animal, mechanical or human – it is a good idea to understand how it works.
Every home has a number of systems which must be understood in order to be able to maintain
it. That being said, these systems can vary almost infinitely in their design and operation, so it is
important to understand which system you are dealing with.
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning)
There isn’t anything much more important to a person in rural Alberta than the HVAC system in
their house. True, not everyone has air conditioning, but everyone has heat. Without a
functioning heating system there wouldn’t be very many happy people in
Alberta.
The most common type of heating system is forced air. A furnace burning
gas, oil, coal, wheat, wood pellets, wood, or another heat source uses
the heat to warm air. This warmed air is circulated through the house to
warm it and keep it warm. A thermostat measures the temperature of
the air in a given area and sends instructions to the furnace to either
increase the flow of heated air or shut it off. Very important to the
forced air system is the cold air return. It takes the cold air from the floor
and sends it back to the furnace to be reheated.
Hot water heat can have some different forms. Old type boilers send hot water to giant
registers in each room which radiates heat into the surrounding space. New systems pump hot
water thorough pipes in the floor to heat a building from the floor up. This is a slow, radiating
heat which keeps the floor warm all the time and as the heat from the floor rises, the space is
heated. There are also registers along the wall that could have hot water pipes with fins to
radiate heat into a room, but these are becoming less and less common.
Electric heat can come from several designs. The most common is by the use of electric
radiators along the walls. They are controlled individually and radiate heat without the use of
fans. Electric heat can also be used to heat floors by inserting heating wires in the floor to
radiate heat much the same way in-floor hot water heating works. Heat can also come from
individual units consisting of a heating coil and fan, but there are efficiency and safety concerns
with these units.
Wood heat is how the pioneers heated their first homes, and some homes today can make use
of the same process to heat their homes. A large wood fired stove or furnace would be centrally
located and floor vents to upper levels would help direct heat.
Sometimes these furnaces would be in the basement and other times
it would be a centrally located fireplace on a main floor. These wood
fired units would also be often used for cooking and heating water.
The heat of the sun and the earth can also be utilized in some heating systems. Solar heating
uses the sun’s energy to provide heat energy which is used by the house heating system.
Passive solar heating uses the raw heat from the sun to physically warm a space, either through
passing through the windows or heating panels located outside of a structure. Heat from the
earth – called geothermal heat – can also be used to heat houses. A series of pipes run through
the earth below the frost line and the warmed fluid passes through a heat pump which
transfers the heat to the house in any of several different ways.
There are other technologies being developed which address the heating and cooling of houses,
and being able to do so in energy efficient, cost efficient and reliable ways. These include
reclaiming heat from waste water and recycled air within a house. These technologies are
evolving every day. One of the biggest gains in technology is the control of heating and cooling
in a house with the aid of a computer. Controlling heating and cooling based on the time of day,
the outside temperature, the level of activity and the preferences of an occupant at any given
time can reduce cost and utility utilization rates.
Air filtration is something done in increasingly different ways. Early furnaces didn’t filter the air
they pumped through a house. New houses are capable of air filtering systems which create air
supplies as clean as those found in hospital operating rooms. Current air filtering technologies
are able to remove not only dust from the air, but viruses, microbes and other microscopic
particles in the air.
Air conditioning generally refers to the cooling of air during the hottest part of the year. There
are several ways in which air can be cooled – not all of which require massive investment or
complicated equipment. The simplest air conditioner is a long pipe that is buried below the
frost line and air pumped through it. The average temperature of the ground at 2.5m is about
14 degrees Celsius, which is plenty cool for even the hottest days. More common are
refrigerant-type units which operate on a heat exchange basis and use your forces air furnace
to distribute cool air.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Electricity is common in some form in virtually every house in the world. In some cases it is as
simple as 12 volt lighting and in other places it is used to power every system and operate
everything from computers to power window shades.
The main point to which all power is attached in a house is the panel. This box is a collection of
breakers or fuses which distribute the energy from the feeder line. Breakers are a safety
mechanism which instantly cut the power to a given circuit when there is a problem with the
power being used. If there is a short circuit – which can cause
fires – power is cut off. If there is too much electricity being
drawn through a circuit, overheating of the wires can result and a
breaker will trip, causing the power flow to stop.
The electrical energy used by a house generally comes from
an electrical grid which distributes power created by
traditional means, such as hydroelectricity or coal fired
generators. Increasingly, there are more power generation
sources becoming common in Alberta. Most noticeable is the
creation of “wind farms” which have large numbers of
turbines, all driven by the prevailing winds. Power from these
units goes to a sub-station and the electricity enters the
power grid from there. Farms that have their own wind
generation units will sell their excess electricity to the power
grid. Solar cells are often used in smaller applications due to
the high cost of the materials used to make them. Geothermally generated electricity is not
common in Canada. It is viable primarily where the earth’s crust is thin and access to the high
heat of the earth’s core is easily accessible.
The part of the electrical system which is the most user friendly is the
equipment and appliances which use the electrical system. Different
appliances and equipment have different demands of the electrical system.
Major appliances, such as dryers and stoves, usually require 220 volt power,
whereas most other appliances use 110 volt. Energy consumption depends
on the appliance, with some being more efficient than others. Canada has
the “Energy Star Program” which rates appliances based on their energy
efficiency. There are also a variety of programs offered both nationally and
provincially which offer financial incentives for home and business owners for increasing their
energy efficiency.
Increasing energy efficiency in a house has multiple benefits. The first and most obvious is the
financial savings realized in decreased energy bills. Some electrical components, such as light
bulbs, can have much longer life spans so replacement is not as frequent. High efficiency
furnaces may have a higher initial cost, but savings will be accumulated over time. When a
house is retrofitted with high energy efficiency appliances or systems, the savings are not
immediately evident, but over time they do add up. The second benefit of increased efficiency
lies in the environmental impacts. Decreased reliance on non-renewable fuel sources for
electricity generation is a win-win situation.
PLUMBING SYSTEM
There are two sides to the plumbing system: supply and waste. The
supply side provides fresh water for drinking, cleaning and operating
appliances. The waste side provides a way for waste water to be
removed from the house. The only place these two systems actually
meet is at the point where the water is used, such as a sink, tub drain or
toilet.
Water systems in rural Alberta can vary a great deal from those found in urban locations.
Villages generally have a central water supply – similar in many ways to cities – but may make
use of a water tower to provide storage and supply. Most farms are on an individualized water
system which may make use of a well or cistern for a water supply. In both cases a pressure
system is needed to deliver water to its end use. Wells will also often require a filtration or
treatment process to make it potable (safe for human consumption).
Water quality can be a significant part of any water system. Every water source has qualities or
chemical components which may occur naturally or be added for a variety of reasons. Some
people prefer to remove some qualities and in some cases, add to the water’s make up. A very
common example would be the use of iron filters to remove excessive iron from a water
source. Not removing iron can result in staining of dishes and appliances and in extreme cases,
can create taste and smell issues. The size of filtering systems can range from small under-sink
or inline cartridge filters to room-filling tank systems with circulating pumps, ultraviolet
radiation filtration systems, and carbon filters.
The waste side of the plumbing system is handled differently in rural areas. Those houses which
are connected to a sewage collection system have no major concerns once the toilet has been
flushed or the bath drain pulled. Truly rural houses will have to rely on different systems to
handle waste water. The kind of system that can be used in rural areas is generally dictated by
county regulations. There are two common types of waste systems – field and pump out. Both
systems begin by collecting waste in a septic tank and pumping the waste water out after it has
had a chance to settle. Field systems pump the settled waste water through a series of pipes
buried in a large, flat area. These pipes have a large number of holes drilled in them to allow
the waste water to seep into the ground and be used by plants for growth. In the pump out
system, the waste water is pumped out and allowed to run on the surface, usually on the side
of a hill where the water can be used by plants as it runs down the hill. In both systems, solids
settle to the bottom of the septic tank and need to be periodically removed by a vacuum truck.
APPLIANCES
Appliances are the system through which people access the services available to their home.
These include major appliances in the kitchen and laundry, freezers, water softeners, kitchen
sink garbage disposal, and others. Keeping these running at peak efficiency will prolong their
life and maximize energy efficiency. It may be difficult to find out information about every
appliance in a home, but quite often general guidelines are enough.
The easiest way to approach the appliances in a home is room by room.
The kitchen has the most appliances which are very user friendly.
Refrigerators can be easily adjusted to optimum temperatures, but
those temperatures need to be determined using health
recommendations. Modern units are also frost-free, but utilize an
evaporation pan. Different models have different requirements. Stoves
and ovens use a great deal of energy to operate heating elements and
in some cases, replacement elements can save energy. New
technologies are much more efficient in creating heat and focusing
energy. Dishwashers use energy to heat water as well as to dry dishes.
Understanding the settings on a dishwasher will help prolong the life
and make efficient use of energy. In-sink garbage disposals use
electricity as well as water to function properly. Understanding how these units work and how
to keep them operating at their best is important when it comes to longevity and effectiveness.
Even counter top appliances should be explored. Some appliances used in place of major
appliances – such as grills and crock pots – can cut down on energy consumption and prolong
the life of their larger counterparts.
Freezers can be significant energy hogs. Old freezers can use excessive energy because of their
size, hardened gaskets and leaky doors. When ice builds up in freezers, energy is used keeping
that ice cold as well as the food, so properly maintaining freezers can involve regularly
inspecting them and removing ice build up.
Laundry appliances are becoming less and less user serviceable. The development of
electronically controlled machines has lessened the ability of owners to replace parts and
maintain the equipment. That being said, proper installation of the units, as well as proper lint
filtering and duct maintenance, can not only prolong the life of the units but save energy, water
and help prevent fires. Some dryers use natural gas as a heat source so special care must be
taken when working with these machines.
WINDOWS/DOORS
There are three things separating the inside of a house from the
outside: walls, doors and windows. It is common to examine doors
and windows at the same time because their construction,
installation and maintenance are very similar.
Doors have several moving parts which need to be maintained.
Hinges carry the weight of the door and allow it to move freely. Some
hinges incorporate complex bearings while others are very simple.
Lubrication can be necessary, especially if squeaking is an issue.
Locksets are the combination of a latch, door knob and locking mechanism. There are many
different versions of locksets available and they require different amounts of maintenance. The
seal around doors is important when it comes to keeping draughts and insects from entering a
house. There are different types of seals available and they have different qualities and benefits
depending on the application. The material the door is made of will also have different
demands of the finish. Garage doors can be major problems if they are not properly understood
and maintained. A poor seal, ungreased rails, bent panels – all are issue which can shorten the
life span of a garage door and limit its effectiveness. The opener is an often ignored part of the
garage door system. Regular routine maintenance can prolong the life of an opener as well as
improve its operation.
Windows come in a variety of construction and materials. Alberta weather can be very hard on
all materials – especially windows. Water, snow, dust, hail – all can push a material to its limit.
Improper installation can cause leaks and in the worst case, warping which will break the glass.
The glass itself can come with a variety of characteristics. Some is treated to reflect UV
radiation, other to reflect bright light. Other windows are sandwiched together to provide an
insulating layer to the outside and that insulation can be provided by a vacuum or inert gas,
such as argon, nitrogen or krypton. Window coverings can also have a bearing on the life
expectancy and performance of windows, especially as far as heating and cooling is concerned.
EXTERIOR
The exterior we are referring to is that part of a house which is
exposed to the elements. This includes the doors and windows
that were previously examined, but also roofing materials, the
siding or stucco, fascia and eaves trough, parging, decks and
railing, patios and driveways/pathways, steps and hand rails,
exterior lighting, and any other part of the house exposed to the
weather.
Starting at the top, there are many types of roof materials used in Alberta. The most common is
asphalt shingles because of their cost and ease of installation. The lifespan of most shingles is
up to 25 years, but like all building materials, there are many different grades and
constructions. Cedar shakes (proper terminology for shingles made of cedar) can last for a
hundred years if installed properly. This material, however, does come with some drawbacks.
Wood burns and even treated shingles have a lower fire rating than asphalt. Cedar doesn’t rot
very quickly, but it can be attacked by pests and even destroyed by animals like raccoons.
Metal roofing has been used on agricultural and industrial buildings for many years, but is only
recently finding a foothold in the residential market. A couple reasons explain this change –
cost, fading and noise. Metal roofing can be more expensive than shingles, but has a greater
lifespan. Some colors also present the challenge of possible fading. Some people might not
think that a big deal, but to go from “the house with the red roof” to “the house with the pink
roof” is a concern for some people. Advancements in color fastness technology is dealing with
these concerns and soon it will become a non-issue. Rain on a metal roof can be very loud and
hail can be louder, but people are finding if they install their metal roofing over existing shingles
using a strapping technique, noise is cut down. Hail can dent metal roofing and is not always
something that insurance companies will cover, so the possibility of dimpling on the roof
surface needs to be considered. Metal roofing can be installed by a moderately skilled
homeowner, but manipulating large sheets of metal in a windy situation could be seen as a
good reason to let a professional tackle installation.
Many southern houses make use of clay, or cement, roofing tiles. They can last indefinitely, but
are very heavy, expensive, can be damaged by hail and give a unique southwestern feel to
whatever building they may be installed upon. Some Alberta homes use them, but they are not
common at this time.
When a roof leaks, rarely is it a result of the roofing material. Most leaks happen where
rooflines meet, around vents and chimneys, or anywhere there is flashing and tar. Flashing is
the metal material used under roofing materials to conform to dips and changes in the roof
where roofing can’t fit. It is also the metal trim around the chimney and plumbing vents that is
sealed with flexible black tar. Over time the tar sealing the metal to the house, chimney, vent,
etc. can crack and peel away, allowing a path for rain water to make its way through the roof
and inside the house.
Siding can run the gamut from brick to steel and vinyl to aluminum. Each type of siding has
drawbacks and benefits, the biggest being how they react to Alberta weather patterns. When
siding is installed properly, there is a sealing layer between the house structure and the siding
material. This could be “house wrap” which is a commercial product designed to protect the
wooden structure, or it could be tar paper or felt. Over that could be siding which is nailed
directly to the structure, or it could be a layer of wire followed by layers of mortar and cement
(a process called stuccoing), or metal sheeting similar to that used in roofing could be applied.
Brick exteriors are generally applied over the wooden structure, but some buildings that are
built using large cindercrete (concrete) blocks may have a painted finish directly over the brick
and insulation applied inside the building or inside the blocks themselves.
The materials used in covering the exterior of a house tend
to be selected on the basic qualities of appearance,
longevity, cost and ease of maintenance. Of all available
options, brick is the longest lasting and lowest maintenance,
but also the highest cost. The most common option at this
time is vinyl siding due to the available colors, ease of
installation and maintenance and cost. The big drawback to
vinyl is how easily it can be damaged during Alberta’s frigidly cold winters or during the
occasional vicious hail storm. Like a roof, the point in a siding system where joints exist is the
weakest point and most likely to allow leakage. In nailed on siding like vinyl or aluminum, these
joints should have a molding underneath the seam or joint. In masonry or metal siding, these
joints are often a flexible sealant like tar or silicone. Holes in molding or missing joint compound
can be spots where water and insects can gain access to a house.
Soffit is the material between the exterior walls of a house and the eaves trough, and is on the
underside of the roof. This can be a metal or vinyl material, but regardless of what it is made of,
the most important quality is that it is perforated or vented in some way. Proper soffit allows
for air circulation from one side of the attic to the other. This ventilation is what allows for
excess moisture to be vented outside and overheating of house from taking place. If a building
has solid soffit, there is likely going to be poor circulation in the attic space. Ventilation can be
provided in a number of different ways, but properly installed soffit allows for the best air flow.
Fascia is the edge of the roof structure directly behind the eaves trough. This is an important
part of the roof system because improper fascia can allow the ends of the roof structure to
become wet and eventually rot. This rot can lead to eaves troughs falling off the structure and
eventual roof failure.
Eaves trough is vitally important to the survival of a house. It is designed to carry water from a
roof to a location away from the foundation. When the trough becomes clogged, water can
pool and begin to soak into the structure and work its way under the roofing material. Equally
important is the slope of the eaves trough so water is carried to a downspout and off of the
roof. Once water reaches the bottom of the downspout it must be carried away from the
house. In the case of a prolonged downpour, water that pools against a house can soak down
along the foundation and begin to wear against the below ground construction. This water can
also enter the house through cracks or holes in the foundation and create water issues in the
basement. In the case of houses with no basements, water can make its way along the
foundation and begin to erode soft, or un-compacted ground. The best thing to do with
downspouts is make sure they discharge the water at least two meters from the building’s
foundation. Another option is to catch the water in rain barrels for use in gardening, but these
barrels must have overflows which drain away from the building in case they become full.
Parging is the treatment given to exposed foundation surfaces. Basically a type of stucco
treatment, it protects the foundation from direct exposure to the elements. The biggest issue
with parging is cracks and missing pieces from being struck by lawnmowers and gardening close
to the house.
Decks and deck railings can range from simple landings big
enough for a gas bar-b-que to spaces almost as large as the
house they are attached to. There are many options available
to house builders when it comes to deck design and like siding,
appearance, maintenance and cost are the main factors in
deciding on material selection. The biggest concern for any
deck is the safety of those on the deck. The surface of the deck
itself needs to be smooth and not prone to developing slivers
or splintering. Putting carpet on a deck is not advised because it
holds water and provides ample opportunity for water to begin
rotting the deck material beneath. There are various
waterproof treatments which can be used on a deck to seal it in
and allow water to either pool or run off. Deck rails have some very specific requirements
according to the building code of Alberta. Balusters must be vertical and not horizontal so as
not to provide a climbing aid for small children to go over the rail. They need to be solid and
secured to the deck in such a way that over time they don’t become loose and leaning on it
won’t break the railing. Stairs need to have a non-slip surface and a good solid handrail on both
sides to prevent falling off. The railing itself needs to have vertical balusters which keep small
children from falling through. Decks are hung off of a house on a thing called a ledger board
which is firmly attached to the house using bolts or lag screws directly into structure. The posts
which support the deck can sit in blocks set directly on undisturbed ground, or into metal
saddles cast in concrete. It is important to check the status of these posts to make sure there is
no rotting taking place, or damage done to the posts themselves.
Patios, driveways and walkways can take on many forms. They could simply be gravel or stone
areas which have been leveled and covered with these materials. A popular option is
interlocking bricks or paving stones that have been places on a prepared bed of tamped ground
and a sand base. Solid surfaces of concrete are also common, but if not designed and laid
properly can crack and heave over time. Asphalt is common for driveways and not as prone to
cracking, but it can compact and develop ruts in the surface due to use during hot weather.
Regardless of the material which makes up the pad, the most important aspect of it is the slope
it has in relation to the house. All paths, patios and pads must be sloped away from the house
to ensure water is directed away from the house foundation. In some instances the slope of a
pad can change with time. If proper ground preparation is not done in advance of laying the
final surface, the ground underneath can swell and heave with changes in season and moisture
level. This makes proper installation that much more important.
Some houses require a number of steps to access the home. Concrete, fiberglass and wood or
(wood and metal) are all common step materials. Each one has its own benefits, but they all
must provide the same service – a safe means of entry and exit. The surface of the tread should
be non-slip in some fashion, either by design or treatment. Strength should be considered
because everything from furniture to pianos could be carried up the steps and into the house.
This is of special interest for wooden stairs to make sure they are not cracked, broken or rotten.
Again, proper installation is important. Concrete steps are very heavy and if they are not placed
on a properly prepared base they could pitch and twist, creating a dangerous situation. Steel
stair risers to which wooden treads are attached also need to be properly attached to ensure
maximum strength and rigidity. Handrails are also important and should meet minimum code
for height, strength and distance between balusters.
Exterior lighting and plumbing connections need to be regularly examined for condition and
operation. Electrical receptacles should have ground fault interrupters (GFI) on them to prevent
moisture from shorting them out. The area around the base of light fixtures where they
connect to the siding should be checked for gaps and spaces which may allow the entrance of
moisture or insects. Exterior faucets come in two types – long stem exterior faucets and short
stem, internal drain faucets. The long stem faucets actually have their valve inside the house at
the end of a long connecting stem. Each time the tap is closed, the water remaining in the
assembly drains out the faucet outside the house. The internal drain faucet is the least
desirable because the actual valve is outside and water remain all the way to the exterior of the
building at all times. When the weather reaches below freezing, these taps need to be shut off
inside the house and the water drained from the tap inside the house. If this isn’t done, the
water in the taps can freeze and break the tap, resulting in a uncontrolled – and often
unexpected – leak.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
All houses should have a variety of devices which ensure the safety of those who live inside.
The biggest danger to houses is fire. Smoke detectors are simple and safe devices which
indicate if there is smoke in an area. New houses generally have them wired
directly to the electrical system so battery replacement is a non-issue. Older
houses which are retrofitted with battery operated versions should change
the batteries once a year and test them at that time. Every kitchen should
have a fire extinguisher available in case of a kitchen fire, or at least a box of
baking soda on hand for grease fires. Many homes also keep an extinguisher
near their furnace or laundry rooms as both may
employ flame in some role. Each house should
have a simple plan for escaping from the building
should a fire happen. This can be done through a simple
conversation, but with smaller children it is best to practice and
explain the drill on a regular basis.
Many houses have concerns with water in their basements. These concerns are frequently dealt
with by installing a sump pump which takes excess water from below ground level and pumps it
outside of the home. It is important that these pumps are regularly checked – especially during
the spring thaw and rainy seasons – to make sure they are functioning properly and the drains
are not blocked. Some houses even have alarms on sump and septic systems to indicate when
they are experiencing high levels of moisture.
Childproofing a house is something that everyone should consider, even if they don’t have
small children in their family. Visitors – whether family or unexpected – can introduce a small
child into a house and if some basic safety precautions aren’t taken, issues can arise. Proper
storage of household chemicals is easily done by keeping them in one cabinet with a childproof
locking device on the door. Electrical outlets can be protected with inexpensive plastic plugs.
Firearm storage is mandated by Federal law and simply
following the safe storage protocol can prevent a variety of
issues. Gun cabinets need not be expensive and firearm safety
can be assured with a simple trigger locking device.
Safety is the responsibility of any house owner and in most cases, an expectation stated in
homeowners insurance. Taking the time to look at all systems and parts of a house from a
safety standpoint is a simple exercise which can prevent future problems and heartache.
FOUNDATIONS
There are basically two types of foundations found in Alberta – concrete or pressure treated
wood. Concrete foundations would include those foundations made of cindercrete brick,
poured concrete, or pre-cast concrete slabs. In some older homes, the foundation is made of
stone mortared with concrete and these foundations have lasted over a hundred years. The
biggest benefit to concrete is the durability and resistance
to deterioration if properly built, but the relative
inflexibility of the material is also its downfall. Movement
in the earth surrounding a foundation can create cracks
which allow water or moisture to enter the house.
Concrete which has been sealed properly and has been
built with proper drainage is not as likely to have this issue.
Pressure treated wood foundations are used in conjunction with concrete footings, but the
wood forms the wall itself. Like concrete, a properly sealed and drained wall can last for many
years. The weakness that can accompany wood foundations is that any exposure to moisture
can lead to rotting, and if the treatment of the wood is not complete insects can also damage
the structure.
The newest foundation material entering common use in Alberta is
interlocking Styrofoam blocks which are filled with concrete. These
blocks are easily assembled, strong when filled with concrete, offer
excellent insulation properties and are easy to finish on the interior
side.
Basement floors are generally concrete. If a wooden floor is used in a basement – or below
grade – application, it needs to have a well-designed drainage system to handle any flooding or
water table issues. Cracks are the biggest issue that affect concrete floors. They can allow water
to seep in and minerals in the ground can leech through the cracks and damage the cement.
Floor treatments on concrete floors need to be selected with the possibility of exposure to
water expected.
WALLS, CEILINGS & FLOORS
It is debatable whether walls, ceilings and floors should be
considered as system. Houses can – and do – exist quite happily with
a concrete floor and finished exterior walls. Partition walls may
define rooms, but removing them creates what designers call “open
concept”. That being said, it is often the treatment given to walls and
floors which make a house a home.
The most common treatment of interior walls is drywall. Drywall is
made up of gypsum sandwiched between two layers of heavy paper.
The joints between drywall sheets and the screw and nail holes from
fastening it to the structure require covering them with a compound
commonly referred to a “mud” or “wall compound”. Once finished, the surface is primed to seal
it and then coated with paint or wallpaper. Other coverings are possible, such as paneling, but
becoming less common. Ceilings are simply walls on the bottom of the roof. They are generally
drywalled and finished like the walls, but can receive different treatments.
Floors can range from a simple painted surface to tile, linoleum, carpet and exotic hardwoods.
Like so many of a house’s parts that are visible, selecting a floor reverts to appearance,
maintenance and cost. There could be another quality considered and that is feel, because how
a floor feels underfoot is also important to whether it is used or not. As far as concerns with
flooring, cracks, splinters, holes and tears can create tripping hazards. Carpet that becomes
saturated can encourage rot and mold to develop, both of which are hazards to both the house
structure and the inhabitants.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES & UPGRADES
Technology reaches into all aspects of our lives. Houses are no different. It must be understood
that not all technologies are reliant on electronics. Some technologies are in fact old ideas and
concepts which have merely been tweaked or reinvented to better suit current ways of life. Of
course, the electronic world is providing the house builder with a myriad of options and
opportunities, but the house owner, or renovator, is also able to take advantage of many of
these innovations.
Energy efficiency in all systems within a house pays back in both financial savings, but also in
environmental friendliness. Different steps can be taken to increase the efficiency of a home
heating system, for example. Changes could be made to a furnace, the air filtering system, to
insulating the air runs, or even adding insulation to the attic or walls. In every case, there is
something that could be done to maximize the resources used and minimize the money spent.
Retrofitting a house can be expensive, invasive and not always viable in reclaiming the money
invested. There are, however, simple things that can be done to save money and make an effort
to reduce energy consumption. Retrofitting incandescent light bulbs with a fluorescent
equivalent, adding a programmable thermostat, making sure that any new appliance purchases
are Energy Star rated, and checking the seals on all doors and windows are simple and relatively
inexpensive ways to save energy.
A growing way for people to save money is to generate
their own electricity. Wind and solar generating systems
provide a house owner with a way to reduce their demand
of the public energy grid and at the same time have the
option of selling their excess power to the electric
company. Initial start-up costs for these generation systems are becoming more and more
affordable, giving individuals – especially those in rural areas – the opportunity to generate
their own electricity.
Heating and cooling has been accomplished in a variety
of ways since houses have been built. Evaporative
cooling uses the evaporation of liquid to draw heat out of
a structure. Geothermal heating/cooling uses the earth
to warm or cool in coming air. A poor man’s air
conditioner is simply a long pipe which runs for some
distance underground, cooling the air that is drawn
through it to cool a house.
If the opportunity to build a house from the ground up
arises, many technologies which are sometimes hundreds of years old are making a comeback.
Passive solar heating, earth sheltering, straw bale building techniques, and biomass fuel sources
are becoming “cutting edge” again. Even conventional building techniques can employ “green”
processes by purchasing environmentally sustainable products, using processes which have
limited effects on the environment, and support full recycling potential at the end of their
lifespan.
RESOURCES & CREDITS
http://www.cmhc.ca/en/co/maho/index.cfm
Basic Self-Home inspection checklist
http://www.homeinspectiondirect.com/home-inspection-checklist.pdf
home eco-inspections, home energy audits,
http://www.southalta.com/tips/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audit/
Do it yourself home energy audit from south alta rural electrification association limited
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/ecohouse/index.cfm
the university of Alberta ecohouse project
http://www.atcoenergysense.com/
ATCO energy sense website for exploring how to make a house energy efficient
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/new-homes/r-2000/7334
What is an R-2000 home?
http://www.chba.ca/r-2000.aspx
Canadian Home Builders Association description of r2000 homes
How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home, Updated and
Expanded (RSMeans) [Paperback]
Charlie Wing (Author)
http://www.eureka4you.com/home/index.htm
Understanding your home site by a home inspector
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/co_001.cfm
About your house – Canada mortgage and housing corp.
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/7901
Energy Star Program for energy efficiency in Canada
http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/wp_onsite_sewage_treatment_system_maintenance_tips.cfm
Alberta Municipal Affairs rural sewage
Graphics Credits
All graphics used in this document are reproduced according to the license granted by the hosting site,
or as described below.
Images created by Philip Martin are reproduced according to his educational usage rights.
Classroom Clipart images are reproduced according to their educational usage rights.
Photos are reproduced as outlined in the usage rights for each photo. All photos used can be
reproduced for educational use without royalty.
The geothermal diagram is being used with permission of the author Jay Egg of Egg Geothermal
(www.egggeothermal.com)
Clipart from Discovery Communications is being used under their educational use guidelines.