Exteriors

Question: Hello Ari, I'm writing about what must be a common problem in Winnipeg due to the severe winter weather here. I have a house in River Heights, which I purchased in 2001 after you did a pre-purchase inspection for us. When we bought it, the concrete front porch had separated from … [Read more...] about Flaking Concrete Steps

Question: Dear Mr. Marantz. We have a 40-year old bungalow in Fort Richmond. Overall it is in good shape. Below the front steps there is a cavity of 60-70 cm depth. I have received conflicting advice (from non-specialists) as to whether I should pour sand in the gap. Some say yes, to avoid … [Read more...] about Filling Void Under Stairs

Question: Dear Sir; In the spring of 2001, I started building a cabin. After the foundation, framing, roofing and the sides (covered with plywood) were finished I had used up the largest lump of money I had available for the initial construction. I had hoped that for each following year I … [Read more...] about Exposed Plywood over Winter

Question: Dear Mr. Marantz: There is a crack with a width of greater than one quarter of an inch, or 16mm, in the bottom-most step of the concrete stairs attached to my 47 year-old house. Apparently, the bottom half of the stairs shifted with the ground while the upper steps did not. The … [Read more...] about Cracked Concrete Steps

Question: We own a 22 year old in-filled home with window wells. They are filled with gravel and plastic drainage pipes, hopefully leading to the weeping tiles. Every spring, or during a heavy downpour, our window wells do not drain properly and fill up to the point of water seeping through … [Read more...] about Cleaning Window Well Drains

Question: I recently had an Energy Evaluation completed on my 985 square foot, 50 year-old home.  Although not part of the evaluation, per se, the contractor did comment that I should bring up the grade around the house to improve drainage and help out with the moisture problem in the … [Read more...] about Calculating Soil Around House

Question: I have an older home with wooden fascia, soffits, and trim. I have been updating my windows and doing other renovations to improve the look and efficiency of my house. Next spring I want to replace my soffits and fascia with aluminum or vinyl. One of my friends, who has some renovation … [Read more...] about Aluminum Soffits Over Wood