STEVE KINGSBURY, Marblehead

A. No, no, a thousand times no! Well, there is, by coating the copper, but its protection will not last very long. Let it weather, first to a dark brown, then to that pleasant green color.

Q. My copper downspouts need replacement. Who can I find to do copper sections?

E.F., Newton Centre

A. Try the Yellow Pages under ``Gutters.'' There are a lot of gutter installers, some of whom do copper. Bring money. Copper downspouts and gutters are very pricey, but worth the cost, particularly if you already have copper on the house.

Q. I pulled off the brass house numbers when I painted the house. I tried polishing them with Brasso without much success. What will polish them properly? Also, I bought a corner shelf for my shower, the kind held on with suction cups. It held up for awhile, but when I took off the shelf to clean the shower, and tried to put it back, the cups would not hold, and the shelf just slid down the wet wall. What's wrong?

BILL RUBIN, Arlington

A. For the brass numbers, assuming they are solid brass, try Noxon, which people have told me works better than Brasso. But even with Noxon, you need power buffing with an electric drill with a buffing bonnet attachment. And, even Noxon will not work if the numbers were lacquered. If that is the case, you have to remove the lacquer with lacquer thinner. Use lots of ventilation when working with lacquer thinner; it is very volatile. Once the lacquer is off, the brass will polish up nicely. And, instead of Noxon, you can rub the brass with soap pads; I have found the soap pads do not scratch the brass, although I have gotten arguments about that.

Once the brass is polished, you can spray the numbers with clear plastic, which will keep them shiny and brassy-looking for awhile. In fact, I was scanning a new Improvements catalog and found a brass cleaner called Lusterlite and a brass clear finish called Staybrite Brass Lacquer. You have to buy the polish and the Staybrite as a kit for $14.99. I have not tried it, but it might be worth a try. It is item No. 151502. Call 800-642-2112.

As for the down-sliding shower shelf, all I can think of is that the cups have lost their suction, perhaps by drying out and hardening. Try this: Make sure the wall is dry before putting the cups in place, and wet the cups just a little. Too much water will make any cup sag, especially with weight on it.

Q. My chimney chase is wood, with a copper cap, installed a year ago. There is also some copper flashing on the roof. Both are turning a rust color, and now the rust-colored copper is staining the roof. How can I prevent that?

RICHARD SOLSKI, Magnolia

A. The copper is in its first stage of oxidizing. Later it will turn green, and the stains on the roof will be green. Replacing the flashing and chimney cap with aluminum or stainless steel will stop the stains, but it is not an easy project and not worth the effort.

Instead, coat the flashing and cap with roofing cement or flashing cement. These are tar based, will stick to the metal and be waterproof, and, once set, will prevent leaching out of the material and staining of the roof. The roofing cement is troweled on thinly (you don't need a lot) with a wide putty knife; the flashing cement can be painted on with a large brush. I think it is best to do this in the warmth of May or June, not now.

Q. I put a wrought-iron railing on the porch of my daughter's house. How can I keep it from rusting?

V.G., Clinton

A. Keep it painted. Use a special black paint, which, as I recall, is pretty thick and sticky, which does a good job in protecting the wrought iron. If rust does appear, sand it off, right to the metal, and apply more of the black paint. Regular black shiny paint will do almost as well as any special kind of paint. It's a matter of front-line maintenance, and nip the rust in the bud before it spreads and stains the floor below.

If you ever have to put in a new railing, at your place or any other place, consider using black anodized aluminum. It does not have the heft of wrought iron, but it will not rust. Incidentally, if you use aluminum, make sure the fasteners (screws, etc.) are stainless steel.

Q. A part of my brass and chrome bathroom faucet turned black in a year, was replaced, and turned black in two months. Is there any sure way I can keep the brass shiny and brassy looking?

PHYLLIS PEACH, Newton

A. Brass faucets, handles, and spouts seem to be all the rage these days; they certainly look good when they are new, but some don't stay good looking for long. They are lacquered to keep them shiny, but this lacquer wears off in a number of years and the brass tarnishes, requiring frequent polishing or relacquering.

Your fixtures turning black quickly means that the lacquering was defective. Replacing was the only option; the manufacturer should have provided the replacements for free.

The bottom line is that lacquered brass will tarnish sooner or later as the lacquer wears off. Do-it-yourself relacquering is less effective than lacquering done in the factory.

Some manufacturers of locks and latches claim to have a brass finish guaranteed for life. I don't know of any brass bathroom fixtures guaranteed for life. Whose life, by the way?

So the crux of the problem is this: Whenever you replace the fixtures, opt for chrome.

Q. I am painting wrought-iron railings over my front steps. They have peeled badly and are rusting. How can I make the black paint last more than a few years?

S.A., Framingham

A. You have your work cut out for you, but it is possible. Sand off the peeling paint, and also sand off every speck of rust. Use power if possible, and if you bust up a lot of sandpaper that way, use a wire wheel in an electric drill instead. If you can't get all the rust off, treat what's left with Rust Reformer or a similar material containing phosphoric acid (there are several different brands available in paint and hardware stores), which turns the rust black and makes it paintable. Then spray-paint with a high-gloss black enamel. Two coats. If you can find a special, extra-thick wrought-iron paint, all the better.

Q. Where can I find those zinc strips that you can put on a roof to keep mildew and algae from growing? My cousin in Florida is desperate for them.

MARIAN BELL, Milton

A. The zinc strips are tucked under the second-to-top course of shingles, exposed several inches. Rain water washes over this strip, taking a bit of the zinc with it and distributes it on the shingles, deterring and/or stopping the mildew and algae. It's ironic that the handyman learned about these strips, then was told they are sold at Home Depot in Ocala, Fla. Marian Bell called the Home Depots there, and was told that the store does not carry them. I suggest she check Home Depot in Ocala again; and ask the boss; she might have found an indifferent clerk.

Lo and behold, Marian called back to tell us she found some at Hinghamn Lumber (its own brand), and at Cape Cod Lumber in Abington.

That sounds as if they are more available than they have been in the past. That is the problem with new products; distribution to local stores is sometimes slow and iffy.

Q. How can I remove paint from brass -- door knobs, keyhole covers and lockplates? Don't ask me why, but someone actually painted them and they look awful.

G.B., North Andover

A. You might check to see if they are solid brass, although you can also remove paint from brass-plated steel, if the brass is intact. Sometimes this treatment of brass plate will remove some of the brass. It's a chance you have to take but, even if you do take off some of the plate, it will be a lot better-looking than painted hardware.

Find a beat-up old baking dish or something you don't want to keep, fill it with chemical paint remover, and just soak the items in that mess. Leave them in at least 15 minutes, maybe more, and rub off the softened paint with rough cloths. You might have to resort to fine steel wool, which will not hurt the brass.

The paint remover will tarnish the brass, but you can polish it with Noxon or Maas and vigorous rubbing with a dry cloth. The brass will tarnish eventually, but that's still better than being painted.

Wear rubber gloves when working with the remover. And use plenty of ventilation. You can use a potent remover such as 5F5 for fast work, or milder remover, such as Safe-Strip or Citristrip, which is slower but less toxic.

Q. Where can I find a black kickplate for my doors, and a black iron mail slot?

MARGARET MARDER, Sharon

A. You could always spray paint a plate, but since it's a kickplate, the paint would not last long. There was nothing in the Renovators, Improvements, or Woodworkers Store catalogs, but I did find both mail slots and plates in black iron. They may have to be spray painted often, but that's the price you pay to get cast iron black and keep it that way. It's the Crown City Hardware Co. (Pasadena, Calif.) catalog, telephone (818) 794-1188. One slot has a lift cover, another has a push-in cover.

Q. I have to strip an antique brass and iron bed where the paint is badly peeling. I think the big brass balls on the uprights are solid; I don't know about the other brass, which may be plated. How can I strip the paint? I'd like to paint the iron and leave the brass as is.

S. M., Concord, N.H.

A. Use chemical paint remover, and use plenty of ventilation as you work with it. Work outdoors if possible. I think a good remover for this purpose is CitruStrip, a citrus-based remover that does not contain methylene chloride, and therefore is safer. Because of the narrow rods and tubes of such a bed, it is best to apply the remover, let it sit for 15 minutes or so, then instead of scraping, wipe with rough cloths. Repeat if neecessary.

The stripper will not harm the solid brass, but may remove some of the brass plate; if that happens, you could sand off the paint instead. The brass will be heavily tarnished by any remover, but can be restored by polishing with Noxon or Maas and buffed with a power buffer. Needless to say, but it must be said: Wear skin and eye protection when working with paint remover.

Q. I'd like to preserve some chrome chairs to keep them from pitting. Would lacquer help?

D.F., Norwood

A. Lacquer could work. So will waxing and polishing. But if the chrome is indoors, there might not be a need for protection. But then again, with the record that chrome-legged kitchen chairs and tables seem to have with certain pitting and rusting, maybe some sort of protection is a wise way to go.

Q. The copper roof over my bay window is quite new, but it is getting dull and dark brown. How can I preserve the copper look?

CHARLIE MORRIS, Hanover

A. There is no sure way to keep copper new-looking outdoors. A not-so-sure way is to polish it with Brillo pads or a copper cleaner, then coat it with a spray lacquer or plastic. But don't do it; the lacquer will peel, and you will have a mess. Then the you'll have to remove the lacquer, and repeat the process. And often, too. 'Tisn't worth it. Let the copper continue to weather, and it will turn to that familiar and, to some, attractive green color. It's called verdigris (from Old French: green of Greece), and it's what copper is supposed to do outdoors.

Q. A lot of black paint chipped off my grill; maybe it even wore off. How can I refurbish it, to make it look good, and resistant to the high heat of a charcoal burner.

WILLIAM MORRISON, Westwood

A. Use a wire brush to remove as much of the paint as you can. Then buy high heat resistant (HHR) paint. Spray it on the grill and any other part of the barbecue. It's the best you can do. The HHR, made by Rustoleum, is sold in aerosol spray cans in hardware, paint, and other building stores. While aerosol sprays are expensive as paints go, there is not a large area you have to cover.

Q. I have a lot of silver that is severely tarnished. How can I clean it?

BEN SIMON, Somerville

A. You can clean silver the old-fashioned way, by using a paste cleaner. I remember using it as a kid, but forget the brand name. There are several types on the market, all good for polishing, but, of course, it requires hand work. Or, you can clean silver the new-fashioned way, by using the dip method.

But be careful using the dip method on heavily carved silver. The deep parts of the carving of a lot of these items are black, enhancing the deep embossing. They should stay black. Dipping will lighten these black areas, spoiling the effect of the carving.

Q. My antique brass trivet has tarnished badly. It is not lacquered. I tried using Noxon without success. What can I do to shine it up?

RHODA CLARKE, from the Bay State

A. Noxon usually does a good job in polishing brass, but it has to be buffed with a power buffer; you can do a good job with a buffing bonnet on your electric drill. A homemade formula that some claim works wonders with less effort, is this: Mix 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup salt, and 1/4 cup flour into a paste and wipe on the metal. Let dry and wipe off.

Others to try are Maas, Twinkle, Goddard's Long Shine, and Top-Brite.