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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, March 10, 1993. Page 19 A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE Is yur asemnt rying for attention? Is it a single tear, a ight sob or could it be crying out for attention? A basement with a water problem cannot only cause damage to the belongings stored in it, but cari go as far as damaging your home's foun- dation. The* solution is foolproof waterproofing. But, before you spend lots of time and money, you should know the difference between normal basement conditions (condensation because of its cooler temperatures) and warning signs of real* trouble. Then, you muât consider if this is a projeet that demands 95e out of 100 leaky basemeo.nts are curable, immeciate attention from a professional or can you do it The majority of basement leaks are from surface water. Only about five per cent are from a high water table. And, the problems can be chronic or seasonal. Surface water çomes from loose or sagging gutters and Ldownspouts facing the house, Ifallowing water to drain from the roof and collect against the basement wall. The water saturates the soul and, under hydrostatic pressure, enters tbrougb cracks or wicks its way tbrougb tbe porous concreta. But most serious basament damnage is caused by a bigb underground water table. The water seaps up and creates pressure on tbe foundation and results in cracking tbe foundation's and bnsement's walls. Signa of more serious trouble are cracks in tbe basement floor and walls and efflorescence, the appeerance of a chalky-white substance on tbe walls' cement blocks. Also watcb for damp spots on tbe walls or puddles of water on tbe floor, peeling and cracking paint (especially if it's fairly fresb paint), buckling, bulging or warped panelling and the presence of insects. Often tbe- problem isn't a structural or natural one, but one tbe bomeowner b as actually created. Gardening or adding a patio or deck may change the grading of tbe land around the house and cause tbe water te drain and collect at the basement walls. But take 'comfort, 95 out Of 100 leaky basements are entirely curable. And, tbe Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association says tbat most basament problems due te surface water cen be solved by do-it-yourself methods. In most cases, the simple approaches are surprisingly effective. The first thing to do is fill aIl floor and wall cracks witb patching bydraulic cernent. The entire gutter system should be inspected end sagging gutters sbould be repaired or replaced. All downspouts' splasb guerds should ha checked to ensure that tbey are facing away from the bouse. Check the grade of the proparty -- the flow of water should be away from the house. The grade should drop away ftrm the bouse, haîf an inch per foot. Regrading and additiorial MIî may be needed because the oiginal grading and filîlbas settled. I many cases, regrading alone can solve a water problem and at a much more affordable expense. If problems still persist, or if the problem is a higb water table, then professional belp. is almost always neaded. Thils article is prepared by the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association as part of its consumer ionformation program. Cati 391-HOME for information. 1 Guratesa-itb- Save with a heat pump 1 By David Brennan Simply speaking, a beat pump is the most effiacient way te beat or cool your home, witb tbe edded incentive of obteining bot water while tbe unit is active. Average savings cen ha up to 75 per cent of your heating costs, compared to electric beating, or 50 per cent savings over a typical oil furnace. How doos it work? A beat pump is basically a refrigerater. In the case of a refrigerater, heat is extracted from food and transferred to tbe black metal grill at the teck of tbe unit. Witb the beat pump a liquid is pumpad througb the unit and beat is extracted from it te a radiater witb a fan to move tbe beated air throughout tbe building. Sources of liquid There are two types of sources for the liquid. One is called a closed loop system in whicb strong plastic pipe is laid in tbe ground borizontally or vertically and an antifreeze solution is circulated tbrougb it. The second source is called an open loop systam. Water is teken ftrm a well, pond or stream and pumped tbrough the beat pump and then returned to its source. Tbis method is usually tbe moat inexpensive but does present some problems to solve. Guarantees A Canadian Eartb Energy Association member will give a one-year guarantee on tbe ground service installation. The beat pump manufacturer will usually give a five-yeer guarantee on parts and labour. Some membars also bave a 5 + 5 year service policy wbicb covers the first five years parts and labour, and an additional five years on tbe compressor. To back this up, tbe association has an inspection of the installation and after approval will give a reasonable performance guarantea on tbe installation for five years. Altbougb any licensed rafigeration service agent can work on a beat pump, it is advisable to bave tbe installer or factory representative service tbe unit as that agent will be fanuiliar witb any new modifications. Ontario Hydro, to furtber reduce its load, is prepared to give a $1,500 cash rebate (if casb paid) or a $750 rebate and loan of up to $12,000 at 2 per cent below prime to qualified custe- mers for installing a beat pump. Where will I find an installer? Most installera are listed in tbe yellow pages under 'Heating.' It is advisable te look for the association and power saver logo te assure a guaranteed installation by a knowledable licensed dealer. INVITES YOU TO VISIT THEIR NEW LOCATION AT 375 KINGSTON RD. W. (ROUGEMOUNT &HWYU #2) MA Gar e Kit cla ONL $69* Value 30ft. hM. top hose hanger. 1 (most hori Uphowery 1001. 2 LOCAMONS 1 .j H«y 2 AJAX 29 Harwood Ave., S. (between wy 2 & 401) 428-8.227 PICKERING 375 Kington Rd. (Rougmufl & Hwy 2) 831-8227 -HIE-I HER