April 3, 2008 -- Peter Hotton handyman on call chat
Bridget__Guest_: We want to add a bathroom on our third floor- converting one of the existing bedrooms. We are not even sure we can do that...who is the first person we should have come in to look at it...a plumber? A contractor? An architect?
Peter_Hotton: Dear Bridget: Welcome, Bridget and all the denizens of hotton's zoo, welcome to the zoo, whose critter for the day is the llama. and on to Bridget's question: Find a kitchen expert who will do everything from start to finish.
jgosse01__Guest_: What is the best way to remove stains/odors from concrete and then to seal the concrete afterwards?
Peter_Hotton: jgosse01: I dunno what the stains are but try this: Mix 4 oz. oxalic acid in a quart of hot water, and pour this on the stains. Seal the concrete with a masonry sealer.
dm__Guest_: I have noticed in the past few eeks some ladybugs flying around my house. In all rooms and all floors. Does this mean anythting? Should I be concerned about something?
Peter_Hotton: dm: Nothing to be concerned about If they are inside just sweep them up and toss them outdoors.
Mari__Guest_: The basement is used for laundry, and storage, and supplies, mostly. But I want to start doing my hobby down there. The basement gets mildewy. Will putting the ceramic tile down work okay under these circumstances? Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: Mari: Put the ceramic tile down with thin-set mortar. To get rid of the mildewy smell, etc., open windows for ventilation. The tiles may help reduce the amount of water vapor coming up through the concrete.
homeowner__Guest_: Few water drops/moisture on tip of the nails in attic is seen most of the time.I have put attic fan.Still I see the problem.What else can I do ?
Peter_Hotton: homeowner: The moisture on the nail heads is condensation of water vapor on the cool nails. You must ventilate the attic more: Make sure there are large vents at each gable end. Or, put in a ridge vent and soffit vents. soffit vents are those in the underpart of the roof over hang.
john__Guest_: what would I have to do to cement polymer tiles to a bathroom ceiling that won't stop peeling ?
Peter_Hotton: john: Try saNDING OFF all the loose paint.
basement-owner__Guest_: what can I do to prevent ant/insects getting into the house?
Peter_Hotton: basement owner: Move to Antarctica. Seriously, seal all openings that you can see or not see. Make sure your screens are intact and tight Try one of those ultrasound repellent gadgets.
housefrau__Guest_: Hi Peter, Our old house (built 1900) has maple floors in the living/diningrooms that we had refinished in 2005. These floors have lots of gaps between boards which appear to have been filled in with some type of putty. Since leavng these floors uncovered by rugs, we're finding this hardened putty chipping in spots and have come out of whole lengths between boards. Two questions: What can we get to refill these gaps, and in the interim, do I need to be concerned that the putty (and its dust) might contain lead? We have a crawling baby in the house. Thanks!
Peter_Hotton: housefrau: I am quite sure the putty that fills the gaps between boards does not contain asbestos. If the putty is white, then it might contain asbestos. If you are concerned, you can take a bit of the putty to a testing lab. If the putty does not contain asbestos, you can scrape if out and forget about filling the gaps because the boards are tongued and grooved and the gaps are too shallow to put anything in. Some people have had good luck in putting caulking compound in the gaps to match the color of the floor.
Joe_2__Guest_: What would be the best way to paint a PVC pipe (20 Feet) that will be used fora Radon system going on the outside of my home. I had planned to sand it with 220 grit sandpaper, clean it with denatured alchol, paint with acylic primer and finish with latex paint to match trim.
Peter_Hotton: Joe: A primer and finish coat of latex house paint will work well. Or, spray the pipe with Fusion, a new paint designed for vinyl and pvc products.
clean_in_Quincy__Guest_: I re-finished my hard wood floor last March. Since I have hard wood floors also in the kitchen, they need to be washed. I was told to use a little dish soap and water. What do you suggest?
Peter_Hotton: Clean in Quincy: Use a wet Swiffer to clean the hardwood.
Chris__Guest_: Where is a good place to really learn how to be a handyman?? I am new home owner and bit lost..
Peter_Hotton: Chris: Experience is the best teacher. Books are also helpful. Buy a heavy duety fix-it manual and it will cover most of what you have to do in a long career r ion keeping your house from falling down.
Chris__Guest_: I have a severe slope in my backyard making it unusable, would building a retaining wall and adding a fence on top be a recoverable cost? If so, poured concrete or interlocking block? The wall size needs to be 35' on back part of yard and 25' of right side, ideally 8-10' tall at the deepest/lowest point of the yard to level off the area. I would like to back fill and make a patio area as well. I know this is expensive. But worth it?
Peter_Hotton: Chris: Because you have an 8 to 10-foot drop, I suggest you terrace the backyard, leveling half of it and adding a 4-foot retaining wall, and finishing up on the far end at a lower level. Later, when you can afford it, you can fill in the back part and put in an 8-10-foot retaining wall.
aub__Guest_: Hi- I have an 1874 colonial. There is a chronic problem with large amounts of paint peeling from the north side of the house. The previous owners apparently had the same problem. We had it repainted about 4 years ago (w/Benjamin Moore). The preparation seemed to be pretty good, they stripped down to the wood in the bad spots, but not everywhere. It kind of looks like moisture forcing the paint off... There are no bathrooms on that side of the house and we had the roof reshingled before painting. I don't want to repaint it again and just repeat the procedure. Any ideas on where/how we should look for the problem?
Peter_Hotton: Aub: The problem is indeed moisture. Water vapor that builds up in the house forces its way through the wall and hits the cool sheathing behind the siding, and pushes the paint right off. Hard to believe? Believe it. One cure is to sand off every trace of paint and apply one coat of a semitransparent stain. It will not peel and will last up to 7 years.
kremsula10__Guest_: Peter: I have green algae on portions of one side of my house which I suspect is from an old dogwood tree that probably needs to be removed. What's the best way to get rid of it so it doesn't keep coming back?
Peter_Hotton: kremsula: It is not the dogwood but the shade of the dogwood that is causing the algae to grow. Make a mix of one part household bleach and three parts water, and paint this on the algae; then scrub with a scrub brush and repeat with the bleach solution, then rinse.
joede__Guest_: I'm also working in the bathroom. How easy is it to pull the toilet to put down wonderboard? Are there special screws for the wonderboard and what is the best way to cut it?
Peter_Hotton: joede: It is easy to disconnect the toilet and pull it off, but you are better off having a plumber put it back., because the floor will be higher and the john will need a new wax ring. Galvanized roofing nails will work with WonderBoard. To cut it, score it with a sharp scoring tool, then snap it.
FLEXING-FLOOR__Guest_: My bathroom floor has some old water damage in the area of the toilet. Can this be fixed by beefing up the floor joists or would it be better to put down another 5/8" thick plywood layer ontop of the floor and put down new linoleum? My wife is hesitant to create a 5/8" floor height difference. What is best?
Peter_Hotton: Flexing-Floor: It would be best to investigate what is rotted by the water and replace it. If joists ar3e affected, you can put a second joist next to them if necessary. If just a little is decayed, clean it out and treat it with bleach. That is pro ably all you need to do. Replace any floor boards or plywood that is rotted out. Adding 5/8 inch to the eight of the floor is OK, except you have to re-install the toilet and make sure the doors are not affected, or do something about the doors.
rob__Guest_: Hi Peter, I have old laminate countertops where the laminate is peeling off, can I remove this, attached backerboard to the particle board and tile or is that not wise?
Peter_Hotton: rob: If you take the old laminate off, you can put new laminate on the old subsurface.
Peter_Hotton: OK, boys and girls, time to go, again. Sorry I did not get to all the questions. I keep telling the bosses that I need another hour with comparable pay, but they keep crying poorhouse. I'll keep tryint, anyway, and you can try me at my email address: photton@globe.com See you next Thursday.