TV designer adds decorative line; tips for waterproofing basements

By Mary Beth Breckenridge
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Now you can add interior designer Vern Yip’s elegant flair to your home.

Yip, who gained a following as a designer on TV’s “Trading Spaces,” recently introduced a line of decorative products. The Vern Yip Collection has silk pillows, silk-wrapped frames and decorative lacquer bowls, all designed by Yip. One particularly clever design is a burnished gold throw pillow with an interchangeable decorative band, so you can easily change the look of the pillow to match your decor.

The items are available at www.vernyip.com and range in price from $19 to $59.

Q. Is it a good idea to use the type of basement-wall waterproofing that you apply with a brush? Doesn’t it just trap water in the walls and lead to an eventual bigger problem?

A. Paint-on damp proofing should never be the first line of defense against a wet or damp basement, said Bruce A. Tschantz, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Tennessee and a consultant on water issues. It’s essential to first intercept the surface and ground water and divert it away from the house. If you don’t, he said, the pressure from the outside water will build up behind the coating, and the water will work its way up and down the wall until it finds cracks or other openings through which it can enter the basement.

However, it’s impossible to remove all the water from the basement’s exterior, since soil contains moisture, Tschantz said. So in the case of a basement that has some occasional or seasonal dampness, he said, some sort of damp proofing might be helpful. He recommends sticking with a product from a nationally reputable company, and asking the vendor for a written warranty and references.