Kitchen Cabinets

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Tim Carter

wall cabinet crown microwave Kitchen cabinets are by and large the core of a modern kitchen. They are flanked by kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator, stove, cooktop, dishwasher and microwave, but in today's kitchen many of these appliances are encapsulated by the cabinets or made to blend with the cabinet finish.

Shopping for kitchen cabinets can be intimidating. There are scores of major cabinet companies, and many more smaller custom cabinet shops where you can get any cabinet made from any species of wood that your mind can imagine. Add to this the subset of laminated cabinets, and the choices are enough to bring the most savvy shopper to her knees.

Pricing is a fantastic way to categorize kitchen cabinets. As with many things, the higher-quality cabinets simply cost more money. It does not take much effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the actual kitchen cabinets.

Traditional kitchen base and wall cabinets come in standard sizes. The base cabinets are often 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep. They come in widths starting at 12 inches and can go up to 48 inches often in increasing width increments of 3 inches. Wall cabinets are often 12 inches deep and 30 inches tall. They also come in the same size widths as the base cabinets. Wall cabinets also come in several different heights ranging from 15 inches all the way up to 48 inches. It is not uncommon to find an even wider range of sizes with certain custom cabinet product lines.

Different semi-custom cabinet manufacturers make different-sized cabinets for all sorts of special looks and situations. It is not uncommon to have one cabinet extend beyond adjacent cabinets to create a distinguished look. It pays to shop around to see all of the different possibilities and special cabinet features offered by the custom-cabinet manufacturers.

One of the interesting aspects of true custom kitchen cabinets is the ability of the cabinetmaker to make one giant base or wall cabinet instead of separate boxes that are screwed together by the installer at the jobsite. A custom-cabinet maker can easily make one giant base cabinet 8 feet long that installs as if it were a piece of furniture. The same is true for wall cabinets. The advantage of this method is the lack of vertical seams where two traditional cabinet boxes would mate up to one another.

Pay particular attention to the materials used to build the cabinets. Lower-priced cabinets are made with minimal-quality engineered lumber. If you plan to load a wall cabinet with heavy traditional china, the weight of the dishes may cause the cabinet to pull apart over time. I have seen this happen on several occasions. Be very careful about storing china that has sentimental value in a low-cost cabinet.

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Lowes Home Improvement

Posted on May 28, 2006 by Tim Carter

Lowe's Home Improvement is the store I visit when I have a home improvement emergency. There is a Lowe's Home Improvement store about two miles from my house. I prefer Lowe's over Home Depot, because the Lowe's store is cleaner and better organized. There may be better Home Depot stores, but they are too far away from my home.

For all of my ordinary home improvement and hardware shopping trips, I go to Silverton True Value Hardware. The owners, Will and Betty, are old-time friends of mine. Their son, Don also works in the store each week. I love shopping at this traditional hardware store, because I can park within 10 feet of the door, and they stock some very unusual items. The store clerks at the Silverton store also are far more knowledgeable than any employee I have ever spoken with at Lowe's.

Here is the Lowe's store near my home. It looks just like the hundreds of other Lowe's stores all across the nation. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I go to Lowe's when the Silverton True Value hardware store is closed. I also will visit the Lowe's home improvement store for larger things that Will and Betty do not stock.

Pricing is an interesting point. Often I will get better prices when I go to Will and Betty's smaller hardware store. Having a small business myself, I also prefer to support other small businesses.

There is not a doubt in my mind that the Lowe's home improvement store near my own home is here to stay. But I will continue to drive a little further to visit with Will, Betty and Don. I also feel better when I open my wallet in their store. Try visiting a small hardware store near your home, and see if you experience the same great service I get at mine.

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Hurricane Window Protection

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Tim Carter

That is Matt Geiger, former NBA player, striking a window that has been protected with security window film. The photo was taken the instant just after the mallet bounced off the glass. The glass shattered, but did not fall to the ground. It was held in place by the durable and crystal-clear window film. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Hurricane window protection is on the mind of just about every homeowner in Florida and all states that touch the Gulf of Mexico. The fierce winds of a hurricane pick up objects which become projectiles. Imagine a piece of 2x4 flying through the air at 130 miles per hour. Think what happens when that 2x4 smashes into an unprotected patio door or window of your home.

Once the glass is shattered, wind-blown rain is driven into the home. This water will cause all sorts of damage to the house and any possessions it saturates. The inside of the home also gets pressurized by the sustained-wind blasts, and this can actually tear a house apart.

For these reasons, you can see why it is vitally important to keep window glass intact during hurricanes. There are several ways to do this. Hurricane shutters, hurricane screens, laminated glass, 7/16-inch thick or thicker plywood, tempered glass, security window films, miscellaneous other window films and annealed glass.

The cost to install these different systems varies, as well as the level of protection each offers. But the security window films are the most intriguing in my opinion. They offer some distinct advantages.

Security window films are crystal clear, and certain types offer great ultraviolet light protection as well as blocking solar heat gain. The films adhere to the inside of the window and are a passive protection system. They allow the glass to shatter, but the window film holds the broken glass in position. The window film continues to work until the storm is over and new glass can be installed. During the storm, however, the window film provides the needed weather barrier so wind and rain stay outdoors.

Another advantage to security window films is their lower cost. They are very affordable when compared to durable and discrete hurricane shutters. Hurricane shutters and other devices that cover over a window often are not as aesthetically pleasing as one might like. Security window films offer invisible protection once installed. You simply do not see them, yet they are protecting your home from storms and even burglars who try to break glass to gain entry into a home.

Author's Notes: I want to thank the hospitality of Dimitar, the friendly desk clerk who works at the Best Western Palm Harbor hotel in Tarpon Springs, FL. Dimitar allowed me to write this column in the lobby of the hotel while I waited to go to the airport.

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Bathroom Vanities

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

Bathroom vanities are a core fixture found in just about every bathroom. The bathroom sink is supported by the vanity, and the cabinet conceals the plumbing water supply lines as well as the drain line. The bathroom vanity cabinet plays a big roll when it comes to the overall design of a bathroom. Pick the right vanity and it can make a dramatic statement if you have both good taste and a generous budget.

Many consumers are unaware there is a vast difference in quality when looking at bathroom vanities. Mass-produced vanities are often very inexpensive, and can be found at home centers. Semi-custom bathroom vanities can be ordered at kitchen and bath showrooms that represent various cabinet manufacturers. You will pay more for these, but the higher quality is noticeable. You can also find cabinetmakers that will build you anything you can dream in your head. What's more, they can build the vanity from just about any material. A custom bathroom vanity can become a permanent fixture in a bathroom if it is built well and has a classic design.

Don't think that you must use a standard vanity cabinet when it comes time to furnish your bathroom. You can use just about any box to create the needed support for the countertop that sits on top of the vanity. I have even used a gorgeous chest of drawers to make a vanity cabinet.

If you use a vanity in a bathroom, you will want drawers with it if you have the room. But a powder room or hallway bath for guests might not need a vanity with pullout drawers. Keep this in mind as you look at different vanities.

Trends change as people grow tired of a look. Bathroom vanities that resemble furniture, instead of just a traditional box cabinet, often are timeless. These stylish vanities never seem to go out of style, and people who see them often comment on their beauty and functionality.

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Hurricane Damage

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I lived in a mobile home that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. My mobile home was on concrete blocks set about 32 inches high on a concrete slab. The slab is about 4 inches thick without footers or anything fancy. It does have the wire reinforcement inside the concrete.

Before Hurricane Katrina came along, we had problems with mildew on the bottom of the walls. We primarily noticed the mildew in the closets. Our home was skirted, and probably not ventilated enough.

We are about to purchase a new manufactured home that is larger than our original one. I saw a mobile home with a black plastic liner over it as a vapor barrier. Should we do this? I read on your site that water passes through concrete. Wow! I don't want to have the same problems we had with the previous home.

Our intention is to raise our new home up 5 feet high on concrete blocks. The home dealer says they will go that height, but no more. We can afford to pay big bucks to have the foundation done with reinforced block. It will be tied-down well. I am hoping that in raising the home 5 feet above the surrounding ground, this will save it from possible flooding. Will raising it this high harm the home's structure? Karen T., Slidell, LA

DEAR KAREN: I am sorry to hear about your loss. Hurricane Katrina had a really bad temper, and I have this feeling some of her sisters, brothers and cousins that will come along in the future will be in as bad a mood or possibly worse. For this reason, you must slow down and do a little research before you have this new manufactured home set on its foundation.

The first thing you need to determine is what might the water level be in the event of future flooding. The local weather department or possibly the folks at your local fire department might know how high the water reached above the soil on your land during the height of the storm.

I can see looking at the map you are located very close to water at the northeast corner of Lake Pontchartrain. Since the center of Hurricane Katrina passed east of you, the winds were pushing the water of Lake Pontchartrain away from you. But if the next monster hurricane makes landfall just west of you, the horrific winds could create a storm surge that might flood the land with water 15 - 25 feet above normal levels.

For this reason, you need to get hold of a topographic map that will tell you the height of your lot above sea level. You can also get this information from free software called Google Earth. Find your lot on this software and it has the ability to tell you the height of land above sea level at any given point on the earth.

The mildew in the closets was caused by high humidity in the spaces during the winter months. The exterior wall surfaces of the closets was cooler and the water vapor condensed on the exterior walls. You can solve this by leaving closet doors open in the winter to keep them warmer and encourage air circulation which evaporates the water fog that starts to develop on cooler wall surfaces.

The black liner you saw might have just been a protective covering used to protect the home from roadway dirt and water as the home made its trip from the factory to the dealer. My guess is they have already installed the proper vapor barriers inside the walls of the new manufactured home.

But I would also place a high-quality vapor barrier over the concrete slab after your new manufactured home is in place. This large plastic sheet will stop water vapor from passing from the ground up into your manufactured home.

You must find a way to reinforce the concrete block that will become the foundation of your new manufactured home. I don't care if it means working a second job for a short period of time to pay for this much-needed structural improvement. You will never regret having steel rods inside the cores of the concrete block. Fill the cores with a mixture of small gravel, sand and Portland cement.

A 5-foot high concrete block foundation will not harm the manufactured home structure. But if the concrete block move because they are not reinforced, you could have serious problems.

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Bathroom Remodeling

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: A bathroom remodeling project is at the top of my list for things to be done in a home I just purchased. I would like to change the layout of the plumbing fixtures. Is this possible, or am I forced to stay with the current layout? I plan to install granite wall tiles and flooring. How long will I be without a bathroom? Is there a way to speed up the remodeling process? Wendy D., Norcross, GA

DEAR WENDY: Bathroom remodeling is a popular project for people who buy existing homes. I think one of the reasons rests in the fact that people want to pamper themselves, and feel very comfortable while they are concentrating on personal hygiene. Remodeling bathrooms also makes good financial sense. Installing high-quality products in a bathroom will produce a handsome return on investment as buyers of homes desire well-appointed bathrooms that sport natural stone, gleaming tile, decorative faucets and sleek plumbing fixtures.

You can almost always change the layout of plumbing fixtures within a bathroom. Often the biggest obstacle is the doorway into the bathroom. If you are able to relocate the doorway or even move it slightly left or right from its current position, your new floor plan options increase dramatically. There are many highly-trained bathroom designers that can help you explore all of your possibilities.

This bathroom has been stripped to the studs. Plumbing pipes must be moved and new electric wires installed because the sink and tub are being relocated within the room. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Once you determine that it is possible from the design perspective to move the fixtures, you then need to study the physical and building code barriers that hinder the movement of plumbing drain and water supply lines. The plumbing code is very strict, and both the drainage and venting pipes must be installed so your plumbing system meets minimum code requirements.

There are structural issues to address and the building code speaks to these important structural challenges. Within the text of the building code you will discover very strict guidelines with respect to notching, drilling, boring through and altering wooden floor joists. If your bathroom is built on top of a wooden floor system, you must pay very close attention to these code issues. If your bathroom is built on a concrete slab that rests directly on soil, these issues do not apply as you can remove the slab and place piping wherever you like.

If you are able to move your plumbing fixtures to the places you desire, this tells me that your bathroom remodeling job is one that requires the most time and resources. Since every job is different, you might expect the job to breakdown in this fashion:

Demolition - Two Days
Rough Carpentry Modifications - One Day
Rough Plumbing - Two Days
Electrical Work - One Day
Insulation and Hang Drywall - One Day
Finish Drywall - Two Days
Install Granite on Walls and Floors and Grout - Three Days
Install Cabinets, Tops, Toilet, Faucet - Two Days
Painting and Wallpapering - Two Days
Miscellaneous Contingency - Two Days

The above schedule shows your bathroom may be out of service for about 18 work days. The schedule can be significantly reduced if you hire a multi-talented individual or company that can multi-task and work ten-hour days. You can shave a day or two off the drywall phase if you use rapid-setting joint compound, and tape the drywall seams moments after the drywall is fastened to the walls and ceilings.

The key to getting your new bathroom completed as fast as possible is to stage all of the materials at your home before the job starts. Make sure every item is free of defects, the right size and you have every single piece of material you need. The only challenge at that point will be the labor to install the materials and fixtures, and getting timely building inspections.

Before hiring a contractor to remodel a bathroom, be sure to discuss all of the temporary arrangements so you can still live in your home as the remodeling work progresses. It is not hard to set up temporary showers in basements or garages. I know as I have done it for customers.

The biggest concern is always toilet facilities, as some smaller homes only have one toilet in the entire house. If this is the case at your home, you may have to rely on a portable toilet that sits outside. Be sure your local zoning codes allow this before you order one to be delivered.

Make sure that you know how to operate the primary water shut-off valve in your home and that it works. Accidents happen and a leak may develop in a water supply line at the end of a work day. You need to monitor the water supply lines after modifications have been made to ensure they are leakproof. If you see a leak, you must shut off the water immediately.

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Garage Plans

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need plans to build a detached garage. A friend of mine thought he had built a large garage, but by the time he parked his cars in it and placed all of his gear inside, there was barely enough room to move around. What is the best size for a single-car detached garage and a two-car garage? How will I know if the plan will work, especially when dimensions on a drawing are hard to interpret? Denise P., Mobile, AL

DEAR DENISE: Garage plans can indeed be confusing. I have met many people in my career who can't visualize what the finished space will look like when they stare at a blueprint with lots of lines, dimensions and symbols. There are wonderful computer programs that will allow you to see both garages and homes in three dimensions, but even these can be deceptive. When working with computers, always remember that bad data entry results in bad rendered results.

The best way to ensure the money spent on a new detached garage will be well spent is to do one of two things. If you have an existing garage, measure its width and length and add to those dimensions the amount of space you feel the current structure lacks. For example, if you determine that you need 3 feet of space on each side of the car and perhaps an additional 6 feet of depth in front of where you park, then your new garage needs to be 6 feet larger in both width and length than the size of your existing garage.

This garage is doomed from the start. While it is longer than normal, it is too narrow. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

But the method I employ to develop superb garage plans involves a little more effort than just guessing how much space you might need. I prefer to take the car(s), garbage cans, wheelbarrows, bikes, lawn mowers and any other equipment that will be stored on the floor of the garage, and place all of these things on a flat space exactly as they would be stored once inside the new garage.

I always start this planning process by parking the cars next to one another, but far enough away from each other so that you can open a car door completely without banging the door against the adjacent car. You will usually find that four feet of space between cars will give you this needed room. I then place the objects in front of the cars and next to them, so there is sufficient space to walk around the car(s) without scratching its sides.

You will be amazed at how much space you will need once you arrange the objects such as garbage cans, lawn mowers and other such things around the parked cars. For a single-car garage, I'll wager that you will discover the width of the structure will be a minimum of 22 feet and the length of the garage will be close to 26 feet.

A garage for two cars will probably end up being 30 feet wide and 26 feet deep. You will confirm this, once you place all of your possessions around the car. After you are sure you have a comfortable space between the car and all of your gear, take out a measuring tape and measure the distance from the edges of the possessions side to side and from the back of the cars to just past the gear that you might place in front of the car. Be sure to allow an extra three feet behind the car so there is space to walk between it and a closed garage door.

If you really want the garage plans to be some of the best, make sure single-car garage doors are at least 10 feet wide. Consider making the interior ceiling of the garage at least 14 feet tall. This will allow you to create a storage loft that occupies the space over the hood of your car(s). If you plan for a wide garage, you can make a comfortable standard staircase that will provide access to this jumbo elevated storage area.

Be sure you place plenty of electrical outlets in all of the garage walls, and a few just outside the garage for those times when you want to operate tools outdoors. A wall-mounted ventilation fan is also a great idea if you live in a warm climate. Garages can get hot and these fans allow you to bring in cooler air to replace hot stagnant air.

The roof over the garage should not be wasted space. If you frame the roof with trusses, be sure to order attic storage trusses that will allow you to store extra items up above the garage ceiling. These trusses have a special open design that allows you to place a floor within the trusses. You can walk around stooped over in the storage space.

If your garage roof pitch is steep, say above a 10 inch rise in 12 inches of run, then you can order full-sized attic trusses that allow you to have a room over the garage that has an 8-foot high ceiling. You may not think this is a good idea now, but that bonus room may come in handy in the future. Be sure you plan accordingly to allow for a full-sized staircase that will access this room from the floor area of the garage.

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Brick Patio Mortar Repair

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Tim Carter

"The first thing you need to do is look very closely at your existing mortar joints. Look at the color of the sand."

Brick Patio Mortar Repair Checklist

Matching sand is the top priority
Use hydrated lime in the mortar
A mortar bag is a must-have tool
Mortar must be rich to flow from the bag

DEAR TIM: I have a lovely brick patio that has mortar between the brick. After pressure washing it this past weekend, I noticed several locations where the mortar has disintegrated.

Most of the mortar is in excellent condition, but a few places need to be repaired. Some of the voids are 1 inch deep, while others only need perhaps one-eighth inch of mortar. How do I mix the new mortar, and what tools do I use so I don't make a mess of things? I have lots of free time, so what are the best weather conditions to work in so the repairs last a long time? Holleay P., Kitty Hawk, NC

What is the Best Brick Patio Mortar?

The best brick patio mortar, in my opinion, is one that contains hydrated lime, Portland cement, and a medium sand.

When I am building a brick patio like the one you and I have, I use a special mortar that will withstand years of Mother Nature's abuse.

It sounds like your builder did the same thing, but the mortar in a few locations was defective. That has happened to me in a few spots on my own patio. I traced the defects to excessive water from a rainstorm that happened soon after one section of the new brick was grouted.

What is the Best Mortar Recipe?

I suggest you repair the defective joints in your patio with the same type of mortar mix I used when I installed my patio. It's extremely durable, and will last for 40 - 50 years if you cure the joints once they are installed.

three 5-gallon buckets of dry sand that matches existing sand in patio mortar joints
6.38 gallons of Portland cement
1.12 gallons of hydrated lime

This is excellent hydrated lime. It's a fine white powder and it's going to look great on your home. CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER SOME RIGHT NOW.

How Do I Match the Sand for the Mortar?

You match the sand by paying attention to the color and size of the individual pieces of sand in the old mortar.

Your biggest challenge is going to be matching the color and texture of the existing mortar. You did the right thing by thoroughly cleaning the brick and mortar first. All too often, people try to match mortar colors and fail to clean the surrounding mortar first. Mortar on walls, and especially on flat patios, can get very dirty.

The first thing you need to do is look very closely at your existing mortar joints. Look at the color of the sand.

Look at the colored pieces of sand. Note the size and different colors. I see white, black, orange, and some gray pieces of sand.

Check out the different colored pieces of sand. Each grain is a small piece of solid rock. The sand for the repair job should match the existing sand as close as possible in grain size, shape and color. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Is All Sand the Same?

Believe it or not, not all sand looks the same. Sand is simply a collection of very small rock particles, and the color of individual sand particles can be vastly different if the particles come from a variety of black, red, white and gray rocks. Visit different building supply businesses and/or sand and gravel pits, and try to find sand that matches both in color and particle size.

Once you have the correct sand, mix your brick patio mortar using my recipe you see above. This will make a very rich mixture that will be exceedingly strong.

You need this strength, even though you do not get too many extremely cold days.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local masons who can repair your patio mortar.

What is the Best Tool to Install the Mortar?

A grout bag is the best tool to install the brick patio mortar.

Extra cement and hydrated lime in your mortar help make the mortar flow easily from the tip of the special grout bag you'll use to fill the defective mortar joints.

This is a great mortar repair bag. I own one and it's installed thousands of feet of mortar into joints. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW to have one delivered to your home.

Mortar grout bags are just like icing bags used by professional cake decorators. They are larger than an icing bag, and have a metal cone tip that has a one-half-inch hole at the end.

What's the Best Weather to Repair Brick Patio Mortar?

I prefer to work on cloudy days when the temperature is in the 50 - 65 F range. Do not work on a hot, sunny windy day. The mortar will dry too rapidly, especially where you are filling slight depressions in the existing mortar joints.

How Do You Install the Mortar in Between the Brick?

Once you have the mortar mixed, lightly spritz the mortar joints you are going to fill. Do not get them too wet, just slightly damp.

Fill the grout bag half way with the mortar mix, and apply slight pressure to make the mortar mix flow just as toothpaste oozes from its tube. If you can't get the mortar to flow, you need to add more cement and/or slightly more water. The mortar mix needs to be fairly wet so that it doesn't clog the grout bag tip.

Carefully guide the grout bag tip so that you apply new mortar only to the joint. Move the bag along and make sure you apply mortar so it rises above the level of the brick by about one-quarter inch.

The fresh mortar needs to touch the top edges of all the brick. Let it set until you see it change from wet and glossy to a flat gray color. Use a small triangular trowel to gently scrape off the excess mortar so the top of the mortar is flush with the brick. Keep the fresh mortar damp for three days so it cures well.

When Do You Scrape Off Excess Mortar?

If you scrape the excess mortar too soon, it will smear onto the brick. You do not want this to happen, especially if the brick has a rough texture or grooves created by the wire-cutting process as the brick is manufactured. If mortar gets in these grooves, it is a nightmare to remove.

You also have to be careful about waiting too long to scrape off the excess mortar. If the mortar gets too hard, you run the risk of breaking the bond between the new and old mortar. If this happens, your new mortar may fail in a few years.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local masons who can repair your patio mortar.

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French Drain

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We are demolishing a house built in 1923, and intend to build a larger home on the site. There is an active spring on the property, and the old house had water and dampness problems.

What can we do to ensure the spring will not cause problems as we build, and after we inhabit the home? Will the spring cause soil compaction issues and/or soil stability issues over time?

Barry P., Bethesda, MD

DEAR BARRY: Water is the nemesis of many a homeowner. It doesn't make any difference where your home is located, as houses built on slabs, with basements, on flat ground or sloped land can all have problems caused by surface water that eventually becomes spring water. Underground springs are a special situation that affects certain building lots, but with a little extra work, the spring on your lot can be rendered harmless. If you install a french drain on the lot, the spring can be controlled with ease.

Look at the water from the active spring covering the driveway. It hasn't rained for nearly two days, yet water still is flowing out of the soil. The hill continues up behind the house for several hundred feet. Thousands of gallons of water are in the soil, working their way toward this spring. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Freshwater springs are a desired item for some land owners, but they are feared by others. If you own a larger piece of land and are lucky enough to have a spring above your home, you can actually pipe the water to the home using gravity as the delivery method. The spring water can be used for washing clothes, watering indoor plants, and irrigating outdoor landscaping or gardens if necessary. There are countless uses for pure and natural spring water. If you have it tested regularly, it may be excellent drinking water. You may want to consider capturing your spring water to use for some purpose.

The water that is issuing forth from the spring started as rainwater. Rain enters soil and/or flows across bedrock as it starts its journey back to oceans or lakes. The local geology of an area determines whether springs will be plentiful or non-existent. In areas where the subsoil has a clay component or bedrock close to the surface, the rainwater that soaks into the soil starts to find it more difficult to go down and actually starts to move sideways along the top of the thick clay subsoil or bedrock ledge.

If the surface topography of the land is such where the shape of the land is like a funnel, the flow of the water in the soil can be concentrated to a single point. It is not uncommon for this water to create a visible spring where the water flows out of the soil onto the surface of the land. In other areas, the flow of the spring water stays hidden below the surface of the ground.

There are any number of ways to deal with spring water as you build a new home. One method is to dig a trench on the uphill side of the foundation excavation so you can intercept the water before it becomes a problem. The trench can wrap around the jobsite and the water can flow past the construction site. I prefer this method over digging a pit for the water. The pit method requires periodic pumping. Pumps can fail, and when this happens, the excavation can become flooded.

The spring should not cause any problems with the soil stability of your new home. If the existing house built in 1923 had no structural or foundation problems, this tells you the spring is a shallow one and the soil is probably strong enough for your new home. If you have any doubt whatsoever, I suggest you hire a geotechnical soil engineer to look at the soil once the foundation excavation for your new home is complete.

This light-colored area on the driveway was caused by water that flows from an active spring. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Using soil maps and possibly samples of the deep soil inside the excavation, the engineer may give the site a passing grade. If he feels there may be a problem, the engineer may suggest piers or some other system to stabilize the new foundation.

The spring water will not be a problem for your new home if you install a top-quality waterproofing system on the outside of your new foundation. There are many different systems, and the one I used 20 years ago still keeps my basement bone dry. If you are using a high-quality builder, he will know one or more great systems to use. One key to keeping your basement dry is backfilling around the house with plenty of clean, washed gravel.

Click here to order Tim's Streaming Video with the step-by-step procedure for installing a Linear French Drain and keeping your basement dry.

Another necessary component of a foundation waterproofing system is a perforated drain pipe that is 6 inches in diameter placed at the bottom of the excavation next to the concrete footer that supports your foundation. This drain pipe must surround the house and be extended to a low spot on your property where the spring water can drain by gravity. If your lot is too level, preventing the pipe from exiting at grade level, you will have to install an interior or exterior sump pit, and pump the water out to keep your basement dry.

It is nearly impossible to stop the flow of spring water. The best practice is to capture the water and divert it around your home. Water that is flowing underground wants to take the path of least resistance. So make it easy for the water to bypass your basement.

To do this, use plenty of 1-inch diameter or larger rounded washed gravel. Water flows through this with little or no effort. Water loves to travel through rounded washed gravel and struggles to pass through soil, especially soil that has a clay component.

If purchasing a new lot for a home, always try to buy a lot that has natural slope to it. This slope will come in handy when dealing with groundwater of any type.

Read about Kathy's concerns over a wet lot in my March 15, 2011 Newsletter.

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Concrete Resurfacing

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Tim Carter

Concrete resurfacing is a very popular project for homeowners because it allows one to get a brand-new surface for a fraction of the cost of what new concrete would cost. The concept is not new, and it is gaining in popularity for commercial work and public highways. Many public roads and concrete bridges are getting new thin overlays installed as part of a concrete resurfacing project.

On a smaller level, the products you use to perform concrete resurfacing are readily available and inexpensive. If you want to make your own resurfacing material, all you need is Portland cement, medium or coarse sand and some water. If the concrete resurfacing layer is thicker than 1 inch, you may also need some small rounded pea gravel for the mix.

If you do not want to mix your own concrete resurfacing material, then you can buy products that are in a bag or a bucket. Some of the pre-mixed products are very thin, and will not disguise serious holes or scaled areas in badly worn concrete. Concrete scaling happens when a top thin layer pops off the concrete and reveals the stones that are in the concrete mix.

Thicker concrete resurfacing materials will cover up deep depressions or worn spots in concrete. The tricks to making the concrete resurfacing project last for many years are as follows:

remove all loose concrete
clean the concrete surface well
work when the air temperature is in the 50-60 F range
work on an overcast day with still or no wind
dampen the old concrete and apply a thin layer of cement paste before installing the concrete resurfacing material

If you mix your own concrete resurfacing material for a thin overlay, mix three parts sand to one part Portland cement. Add just enough water to make the consistency of the mix similar to bricklayer's mortar. If you have to add the small pea gravel for a mix over 1 inch thick, then the mixing ratios are: three parts gravel, two parts sand and 1.5 parts Portland cement.

Column EM0028

Brick Patio Mortar Repair Checklist

What is the Best Brick Patio Mortar?

What is the Best Mortar Recipe?

How Do I Match the Sand for the Mortar?

Is All Sand the Same?

What is the Best Tool to Install the Mortar?

What's the Best Weather to Repair Brick Patio Mortar?

How Do You Install the Mortar in Between the Brick?

When Do You Scrape Off Excess Mortar?

Expert Advice For Your Home