Keyword Search

Found 48 results for the keyword(s) ‘Frost Heaving’

• Article

  Outdoor basement stairs -- CAUTION!

  Can I cut in a door where the basement window is presently? Ed and Shirley from Dundas, Ontario want to put a door into the basement right where there is presently a window. Can they do it? If the door is the same width as the window, there will be no structural problems above. If you make the ...
• Article

  OVERVIEW: Frozen pipes: Tracing, thawing, preventing.

  As weather patterns change we are getting longer colder periods than traditionally in many areas of the country -- and with that, more and more complaints of water pipes freezing. Finding the frozen point can be difficult, thawing it can be problematic but if you have done those two, go one step ...
• Article

  Know what's below. Call before you dig.

  Many utilities are buried just underground on residential properties.  --- Water supply pipes --- Water drain pipes --- Gas pipes --- Electrical supplies --- Telephone, TV and Web Cables --- And sometimes even more as neighborhoods move more and more away from overhead wires.  Some of the...
• Article

  Avoiding common errors with paving stones & Asphalt driveways

  It is frustrating when walkway or driveway paving stones heave with frost, or drop with erosion. If properly built, this doesn't happen. Actually what I have written here about paving stones applies to asphalt driveways as well.   A GOOD COMPACT SUBSTRATE IS ESSENTIAL IN A COLD CLIMATE You nee...
• Article

  HOW CAN I STOP CONDENSATION ON THE BASEMENT WALL BEHIND INSULATION?

  First ensure that this is not a leak in the basement wall. Click here for details on Waterproofing a basement wall. Second ensure that the wall is well sealed, especially around electrical outlets and floor and wall joints. Click here for details on Air Sealing. Finally, make sure there is no a...
• Article

  Full height basement insulation? An animation explaining why the answer is YES.

  An animation on a CD that I produced with the Reader's Digest several years ago showed clearly why you should insulate the entire wall all the way down to the floor. No, you won't freeze anything outside, as the important footings are below the frost depth anyway and there is always some heat los...
• Article

  HOW MUCH MOISTURE DAMAGE CAN A LITTLE CRACK CAUSE?

  Little cracks in the bottom of the house let cold air in, and can raise your heating costs by as much as $600 a year. They also dry out the air in the house, resulting in dry throats and the needless purchase of humidifiers. Nothing too serious -- unless you don't like wasting money! Let's start...
• Article

  Installing full sized windows in a basement

  Whether you are building new or renovating, you can have incredible full sized windows in a basement. A standard window well is designed to hold the soil back to allow for a window that goes a few inches below grade. But if you were to radically extend the idea of the window well you can actually...
• Article

  Insulating a foundation with embedded floor joists

    Certain parts of Canada, particularly in the Winnipeg region, have a traditional construction technique that presents serious challenges when you want to insulate a basement -- the ends of the joists are actually embedded in the concrete foundation wall.  Chris, from Winnipeg, asked for some f...
• Article

  How do I keep a shallow Sump drain from freezing outdoors?

  Michael writes from St. Lazare, Quebec : We recently found a nasty surprise with our new house. The land has a high water table and as a result we have sump pump in the basement. The plumbing for this pump was hidden in the walls and ceiling of the basement. When our inspector inspected the home,...