March 27, 2008 -- Peter Hotton handyman chat
peggy__Guest_: How do I see yesterday's chat, for which I submitted a question?
Peter_Hotton: Peggy: I have no idea; check out Boston.com to see if they can tell you. I just do what I am told. And, by the way, welcome to Hotton's zoo. the denizen today is the leopard seal, the villain in last night's rather remarkable movie, Eight Below, the saga of eight huskies left in the antarctic for nearly a year, and all but one, survived.
Ian__Guest_: In our master bath (which is on the second floor), we have sink in which the pipes start to vibrate loudly whenever the faucet is turned on to all hot water. If you turn the tap back to about 50/50 hot/cold water, the vibrations stop. We have two sinks in that BR, and we have been just using the other sink which did not have the problem. Over the last few days though, this one is also starting to have the same problem. I have heard about the water hammer problem, but thought that occurred when a faucet is turned off, not when it is turned on? Any suggestions on a solution? The house is only a 3-4yrs old. Thanks. Ianr
Peter_Hotton: Ian: Chances are the pipes are vibrating because they are loose. Tighten up any pipes you can get to. If they are in the walls, it would be difficult. If the vibration is an actual bang!, it is water hammer, which can occur when the water is turned on or off. a plumber can put a water hammer arrester on the banging line. But have the plumber check your water pressure; if it is too high (over 60 psi), it may be the culprit.
Maureen__Guest_: Peter, I have a home on the Cape with a Cape Cod basement (cement floor) There was an addition put on with a dirt floor. The only access is through a window in the original structure. There is a musty smell coming from the dirt floor. Is there anything I can pump through that window to cover up that dirt floor and perhaps get rid of the damp smell? Maureen Cape Cod
Peter_Hotton: Maureen: Two things you can do to reduce or eliminate that musty sm3ell: Put plastic polyethylene sheets on the ground, to stopp water vapor from coming up, and ventilate that crawl space by opening windows of vents. If there are no windows or vents, then ventilate the basement and let the window between basement and crawl space provide some ventilation in the crawl space.
cathy__Guest_: my condo is really old and I hired painter to paint the whole house last summber. however, i see now the painting on ceiling is falling down. what do i need to do?
Peter_Hotton: Cathy: get your money back from the painter. The paint may have failed on the ceiling because it is painted with calcimine, which is incompatible with any kind of paint except calkote. If that is the case, everything must be removed to the bare plaster then repainted. If it is not calcimine, it was probably applied too thickly. the cure in that case is to sand to remove loose paint, then apply two thin coats of a latex ceiling paint.
Mike__Guest_: Hi Peter, I'd like to replace a toilet, I looked online and it seems fairly simple. Do you think I can do it on my own? Anything I should look out for?
Peter_Hotton: Mike: It is simple, so make sure you follow any instructions to the letter. I could do it, too, but plumbing is simply not my favorite thing to do.
Mike_Hammer__Guest_: Hi Peter need help with water hammers , had 1 in bathroom 2cd floor and 1 in washing machine 1st floor installed a water hammer arrester that cured the washing machine problem but the toilet on 2cd floor returned to the problem after a few days installed the water hammer arrester as close to main as i could all 3 toilets have the same flowmaster tank valve now what ?????
Peter_Hotton: Mike: You might have put the arrester on the wrong line. Or, the water pressure is too high. Have a plumber check the water pressure. It should be around 60 psi.
Maine_Gal__Guest_: Hi Peter--I own a very old (1898) beautiflu Victorian home in Maine. The windows are original and in fair shape. I am intersted in replacing some or all of the windows but don't want to use vinyl. Do you have a recommendation on a wood alternative? or should I should I try to repair the windows even though its messy and expensive.
Peter_Hotton: maine_gal: It might be wise to repair the windows, weatherstrip them properly and add a high quality storm window, which will give you an equivalent to new windows, except for the weight pockets. A lot cheaper than new windows or even replacement sash.
Kathy__Guest_: I'm planning to remodel my bath in the next year. I only have one bathroom. I'd like to remove the bath tub and put in a full size shower (the same size at the tub). Will the lack of a bath tub decrease my home's value?
Peter_Hotton: Kathy: I don't think so, although some buyers might be put off by it, especially if you have only one bathroom. One bathroom would be a bigger deterrent than no bathtub.
Peter_Hotton: Kathy: Thinking about it, just put in a shower on the tub.
Joe_D__Guest_: How difficult is it to pull the toilet to make floor repairs? I plan to put wonderboard down and the vinyl tile. Are there special screws for the wonderboard?
Peter_Hotton: Joe_D: You can use galvanized screws or roofing nails for the WonderBoard. If you are going to that much work, why not install ceramic tiles on the wonderboard. Yu 0cxan pull the toilet easily enough, but putting it back, on a thicker floor will be a bit tricky. I would have a plumber do it. If the toilet is not a low flow, then put in a new low flow one; you will save a bundle of water.
Mari__Guest_: Hello Peter. Can you tell me how to go about putting some sort of tile (what do you recommend) down on a basement cement floor? Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: Mari: If you use the basement for living space, then some sort of tile is a good idea; i would put down large ceramic tiles with a thin-set mortar. It is a matter of laying out a pattern, then putting the tiles down with a thin-set mortar, making the spaces between tiles as narrow as possible; 1/16 inch is best, 1/8 inch is good but not as good as 1/16th.
bobJ__Guest_: Hi Peter. I have the flashing at the roof edge next to the gutters coming out on windy days. Its a new roof. I cannot bend the roof shingles to nail the flashing without breaking them. How can I secure the flashing? Can I nail through the roof shingles? Use roof cement? Also, I cannot push the flashing in, something is catching. How far should the flashing be over the roof edge? Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: bobj: The flashing at the edge of the roof should be a drip edge, an L-shaped flashing that sticks out under the shingles by about an inch. Use galvanized roofing nails to secure the flashing, every 4 feet or so. Drive the nails in the grooves as close to the bottom of the next highest shingle. Dab a big blob of roofing cement over each nail head. Should be OK. In a 10-year-old house, that is weird; someone really screwed up. I think someone drove the nails just above the drip edge; that is why you cannot push it in. It is, I hope, in the right position. If not the wholer edge should be fixed by roofer who knows what he is doing.
john__Guest_: my ceiling keeps peeling. i was going to cement up polymer tiles but the guy in the store told me i had to do a calcicoat then sheelac based kiltz and then paint. what do you think?
Peter_Hotton: John: If the ceiling peeled because it was calcimine, adding a calcicoat and kilz as the guy suggested will not work. the damage was done when the paint was applied. The only cure if that is the case is to take off all paint and calcimine and redo the ceiling from the start.
Spring__Guest_: Have a real 80's style kitchen, wood grain cabinets with the cream formica doors with oak edging. Any way to upgrade without totally replacing cabinets?
Peter_Hotton: spring: If wood grain cabinets are real wood, you could paint them. Otherwise let them alone and maybe put on new hardware and replace the counter tops with Corian or similar good stuff.
harrythegreek__Guest_: I need 3 new windows on the first floor of the south corner living room of my 2 family in Cambridge. I can feel the drafts and need to put up plastic every year. If i purchae the windws myself, how would I measure them and is it a big job? Thanks,
Peter_Hotton: Harry: It is not a big job and if you feel fairly confident, and can buy movable sash rather than the whole window, frame and all, sure, go ahead. I have toyed with that idea but I have triple glazing now and i do not think I would improve things much.
Fay__Guest_: Hi, I am not sure if this question should be asked here, but here it is: I recently found the laminate wood floor is creeping up in the middle of the living room. It's like a crack dividing the living room. My house has no basement, so I wonder if the foundation is shifted? I'd like to get some tips to confirm it myself before hiring professionals for solutions. Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: Fay: Something is wrong with the flooring; it sounds as if it buckled and then went back down, creating the space. Have the installers, if you can find them, check it out; If you cannot find the installers, then find a floor man who knows what the hell he is doing.
Cliff__Guest_: How do I remove bats (the furry flying kind) from a basement and discourage their return
Peter_Hotton: Cliff: Open all the windows and light up the basement like a christmas tree. Except for the guano, they are not a problem.
pests__Guest_: Twice now I've had mice infestation occur in the insulation in my basement ceilings on the Cape and in Waltham. What can I do to prevent this from happening again. I have not replaced the insulation in either house.
Peter_Hotton: pests: Staple tyvek on the bottom of the joists to seal the insulation and prevent any openings for the mice. Put down d-con on the floor, that is, if yu do not have any pets.
KRC__Guest_: Peter, What is the best heat relective material to install between my radiators and my exterior walls to prevent heat loss?
Peter_Hotton: KRC: A reflective material will not prevent heat loss, but will reflect heat from the radiator into the room. A highly polished piece of aluminum is best.
be_our__Guest_: why is my tap hot water very hot but the shower does not get very hot
Peter_Hotton: be_our guest. The shower valve is defective; have it replaced.
sammywhite__Guest_: Hi Peter. Great chat! What would you use to treat a new cedar table. It will live outside, but be covered most of the time. I've heard recommendations for using a deck sealer, using spar varnish, or using nothing at all. What do you think?
Peter_Hotton: sammywhite: Use a semitransprent stain. nothing else will do. Only one coat will do, and it will stand up for 3 to 7 years.
Peter_Hotton: OK, boys and girls, time to go. I dunno what happened to the chat, but it worked for me fairly well, and for most of you. See you next week; I am at the Cape Ann Home SHOW IN Gloucester this Saturday and sunday, and would love to see any of you up there. In the meantime, email me at photton@globe.com So long.