The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Renovations to the low-income and seniors' apartments on Hemlock Drive have been deemed necessary due to moisture intrusion. 'Over the past few years, these two buildings have experienced intermittent problems with humidity and ice damming,' Manitoba Housing said in a statement. 'In the past year, however, this led to moisture intrusion in some suites in both buildings, which, if left untreated could lead to mould growth.' The department said a thorough investigation of the buildings found, among other things: There were no significant concerns with the structures or foundations. Instances of condensation, ice damming and water infiltration were found in each building. The condensation was deemed to be caused by air leakage, poor roof insulation and high humidity in both the building and in the crawlspace. It was recommended that Manitoba Housing air and vapour seal the crawlspace ground, provide drainage, apply insulation to the grade beams to reduce the condensation and install exhaust fans in the crawlspace areas. The high crawlspace humidity, combined with significant roof and attic air leakage, created ice damming instances on the roofs. This in turn led to water intrusion under the roof and into the suites. It was recommended that the air leakages be sealed to avoid warm air mixing with cold attic air, and insulation be added where appropriate. It was recommended that heat-recovery ventilators be installed in all suites to ensure the continual movement of fresh air in the building. Both Hemlock buildings were built in 1977 and have been owned and managed by Manitoba Housing ever since. The low-income apartments, at 4 Hemlock, contain 14 suites, while the seniors' apartments, at 2 Hemlock, have 20 suites. _ J.N.
