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Found 122 results for the keyword(s) ‘Ventilation’

  • Article

    Moisture problems with a new roof over an old roof.

    Dan from Winnipeg, Manitoba writes: "We have an older manufactured home with a basement. Years ago a new roof was put on top of the existing one. It is post & beam with trusses, sheeted in with shiplap and a metal roof put on. The problem is the original metal roof now seems to sweat in th...
  • Article

    How do you put the vent pipe in an island sink?

    Tom from Toronto, Ontario wants to know how to go about putting a vent pipe into the drain of a kitchen island sink.Good question Tom, because you don't have a wall which will simply allow you to go from the drain pipe uphill to the vent stack as we usually do. The first drawing shows a simple me...
  • Article

    How to control bathroom fans

    The minimum control for a bathroom fan is a simple wall switch.Sometimes the bathroom lights and the fan will be tied together. Now when you have a noisy fan, this can be quite tiring, so to avoid the noise you use the bathroom in the dark.The biggest problem with the simple wall switch control ...
  • Article

    Do I need vents in the top of my roof?

    Hector from North Bay, Ontario, tells me that he has just built a new house. He has soffit vents on both side of the house but no gable nor roof top vents. Is this enough?Simply --  NO.If there is a strong wind, you would probably get a little air moving through the attic, but most likely just ...
  • Article

    How to get rid of wasps at the soffits.

    If you can see the wasp nest, you can buy special sprays that will allow you to stand about 10 feet away and shoot at them. Make sure to wear protective clothing and goggles, both for the overspray if the wind moves aginst you, and for some angry wasps. The second photo above shows just how far ...
  • Article

    The plumber left a cap on the vent stack and it smells bad in the new house.

    Ron from Guelph, Ontario writes: "My wife and I moved into a newly built home in June 2001. There is an orange plastic cap on top of our vent stack. The builder says that the plumber needed this cap on so he can pressure-check the system, but that it is to be removed following the test. He sa...
  • Article

    HRV ventilation system maintenance.

    The National Building Code of Canada, the basis for most building codes in the country, requires mechanical ventilation in all new housing because it is now recognised that our modern energy efficient homes must have the possibility of good through ventilation beyond opening windows.There are man...
  • Article

    Can I close off the fresh air to the furnace return duct?

    Phyllis from Regina, Saskatchewan wrote: "We live in a house that was built in the early 60's. The furnace has a vent that runs to the outside. I suspect this is bringing in fresh air. Is there a problem in closing off the vent for the winter? I think that the furnace would run more efficient...
  • Article

    Mysterious tracks in an attic.

    Dennis in Calgary, Alberta convinced me to come visit his attic which he was about to add ventilation to, but he had never been up in the attic.This was a very interesting attic, and an interesting home. The cellulose insulation was matted down a bit and had a very strange grid pattern in the to...
  • Article

    Should I install a turbine vent on my roof?

    Vent yes, turbine no. A vent on the top of the roof is designed to let hot moist air out of the attic. It is critically important that air can get into the attic as low down as possible, ideally up through the soffits. This air then feeds up and out the roof top vents. When there are little o...