April 17, 2008 -- Peter Hotton handyman on call chat
HEAVY__Guest_: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF LAMINATED FLOORING? IS IT A GOOD OPTION?
Peter_Hotton: HEAVY: Welcome to Hotton's zoo,and I dunno what kind of a critter to be a denizen in, so I will go right ahead with Heavy's questIon: i DON'T THINK MUCH OF LAMINATED FLOORS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ENDURANCE, COMPARED TO a 3/4-inch hardwood board. They also cannot be sanded. Also, there are two kinds of laminate, which is good for many ap0plicaitons, mainly bcauwse it is less expensive and will look good for a realivley short time. The other kind is plastic laminate, which is good fror kitfchens and other hard use aqreas. But the plastic laminatesz can scratch and are warranteed only8 four about 20 years, wh9ich is nothing for a floor. So, use laminate where you don't want to spend a lot of dough, and in areas where they can be easily maintained.
D__Guest_: Hi Peter, I am having trouble with a third-floor toilet. After it was flushed, the tank won't refill. The water has not been shut off, and I tried to fill it manually to see if it would refill with no luck. The 'guts' of the toilet were replaced last year, so I don't think that's it. Any suggestions?
Peter_Hotton: D: There has to be a blockage in the feeder line or valve. Or, the float device that allows the toilet to flush is not working. Have a plum,ber check it out. The new guts may not be working.
Art__Guest_: I asked ear;ier today about a semihard pad for a washington machine
Peter_Hotton: AZrt: Buy a semi-hard rubber pad; even a welcome mat will do. Figure it out.
lillian__Guest_: i had a fire on my deck and had a new storm/screen door broken by the fire department. what i need is they call it a new door jam as they pulled all the stuff away from the door. i don't know who to call for this or what. its a very pricey anderson door.
Peter_Hotton: Lilian: What is a very pricey andersen door? I don't think Andersen makes a storm door, but it makes a main door. You need a carpenter to rebuild the jamb opening and install the door, or a new door. Insurance should pay for this.
jules__Guest_: We are just finished installing a resilitant floating tile floor in our bathroom, what type of chalking, if any, should we use between the flooring and the tub?
Peter_Hotton: jules: Use Phenoseal, an adhesive caulk.
Painting_Fool__Guest_: Hi Peter, I was given 2 green painted wooden porch rocking chairs, so I have no idea what kind of paint is on them. They are in excellent shape but I want to change the color to burgandy and put them on my covered porch. Any suggestions for the kind of paint to use and/or painting techniques? Thanks for your help !
Peter_Hotton: Painting fool: If the green paint is in good shape as you indicated, stick with the green. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If y8ou really really really want to repaint, here is how: Sand the old finish to reduce gloss and roughen the finish. Clean off the sawdust and apply a thin coat of latex enamel undercoater and finish with two thin coats of Krylon spray paint.
Bugged_out__Guest_: Every spring the inside of my colonial home becomes a haven for lady bugs. As often as I vacuum them off the walls and ceilings, they return within hours. Is there a safe way to remove these bugs without introducing dangerous chemicals into my home? Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: Bugged out: The only safe way is to sweep them up and throw them outdoors. they are beneficial and eat a lot of aphids, their favorite meal. No insecticides, indoors or out. Keep at it, eventually you will prevail.
Kara__Guest_: I broke a glass in the sink and must have lost some pieces down the drain, and the garbage disposal is now jammed. Do I need to replace it or is there a way to fix it?
Peter_Hotton: Kara: You should be able to turn off the power and turn the disposal with a hand-held turner, which should be a part of the disposal package. Or have a olu8mber do the work. If the glass shards are not too big, they will go through the diposal.
Rao__Guest_: I bought a new cedar planter from Mill Stores. I want the present wood color to be retained . I don't like the ash color it gets as it ages. What should I do now ?
Peter_Hotton: rao: Paint the outside of the planter, not the inside, with CFW, which stands for clear wood finish.
bk1273__Guest_: HI Peter, my fiancee and I are closing on a house in a few weeks. The bulkhead is pretty rusty, but solid. What is the best way to care for it?
Peter_Hotton: bk1273: If the bulkhead is solid, with no holes, sand off the rust; many rust that remains can be treated with Rusa rEFORMER, WHICH WILL TURN IT BLACK AND MAKE IT PAINTABLE. aPPLY A THIN COAT OF ExTErIROR PRIMER AND FINISH TIH TWO THIN COATS OF AN OIL-BASED ExTERiOR PAINT.
Art__Guest_: Re Washing machine-What would be a semi-hard pad?
Peter_Hotton: art: Already answered.
accessman__Guest_: I have a home on which the roof on the front of the house faces North. What can I do to first treat the minor mold issue on the asphalt roof singles and second is there any way to prevent the mold from reoccuring? I read somewhere about a zinc strip applied under a course of the roof shingle near the ridge
Peter_Hotton: accessman: Treat the mold with a solution of one part household bleach and three parts water. You can apply zinc strips under the highest course of shingles near the ridge, the full length of the ridge, with two or three inches of the strip exposed. Rain will run over the strip and distribute small amounts of zinc down the roof, and mold and algae cannot survive.
pollock5150__Guest_: I have a plastic, maybe fiberglass, tub on the second floor of my townhouse. Recently I noticed some cracks on the bottom. Can these be repaired or am I better off replacing the tub ?
Peter_Hotton: pollock5150: Find a man who works with acrylic tubs; he should be able to apply a protgctive coat. If it is fiberglass, there are fiberglass repair people who can fix it for a fee.
Brooks24__Guest_: As a follow up to y question is there a way to get pet urine out of the rug (the smell that is)
Peter_Hotton: Brooks24: Wet the stain with water and pile on a lot of salt. leave it for an hour, then sweep up and throw it away. repeat as necessary.
boris__Guest_: I am re-doing the space where the granite countertop and the wall tile meet. Should I use silicone or I found grout in a tube?
Peter_Hotton: boris: I think grout in a tube is better, or sandless grout in a tub.
gov__Guest_: hi. why is Basement such a popular column? I see its always one of the most emailed stories on boston.com
Peter_Hotton: gov: It think it is a glitch in the system.
ron__Guest_: any idea on how to locate a buried distributon box from septic tank?
Peter_Hotton: ron: The dist. box should be just beyond the septic tank, in any direction, but usually straight out. If you can't find it, call a septic tank l cleanout guy.
Pat__Guest_: I have unfnished attic with a layer of Owens Corning faced insulation (paper down). I have a second layer of unfaced insulation on top of first layer. However, there is an area of attic that has plywood on top of joists to form a "floor" so I can put boxes in the attic. There is insulation under the "floor." My question: Without taking out the "floor" can I put a second layer of insulation on top of the "floor" bit? So the layers would be: faced insulation, 1/2" plywood, unfaced insulation. The attic is not a full attic. Working up there to try to pry out the plywood would be troublesome. Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: Pat: No, do not put insulation on top of the floor. The only way to do it right is to take up the plywood, put down 2 x 6 joists t right angles to the old joists, put in 6-inch insulation between the new joists and put the plywood back on. Who said it would be easy? To make it easy, have it done.
elon__Guest_: Hi Peter, I have a bannister on my staircase and it has become somewhat loose. There is an bolt of some sort which connects this to the staircase and there is access from the basement to this connection,. The problem is that the space is small and I can not see to determine if it actually is a bolt or what I need to tighten it. The home was built 14 years ago. What type of connection would have been used and is it possible to tighten this? (If you need any more info, just ask.) Thanks for your help. ELON
Peter_Hotton: elon: There is a tongue on the end of the newel post that goes through the floor and usually lines up against a joist, and is held against the joist with bolts. Put a light on it to see what is gong on. If you cant find any mroe about it, hire a carpenter who should help. And, make sure the tongue is not broken or cracked.
Timmy__Guest_: My mothers house has a 30 yr old chimney that is exclusive to a woodstove. It has a 12" wide ceramic lining (I think it's 12") that we can't seem to find anyone who will clean it. We're being told that it is out of code and that a steel liner is required.
Peter_Hotton: timmy: A 30-year-old ceramic chimney liner is probably in code, unless it is heavily broken inside. If the liner is intact, you can use it. Call any chimney sweep.
leelee__Guest_: HiPeter I have vinly sideing on my house of 14 years... the color is pale yellow and on the front (west) side and the North side there is MOLD. We are planning to clean it but why did we get it in the first place thanks LeeLee
Peter_Hotton: leelee: You got the mold because you are a bad person. No, you are not, but mold will appear on any damp or wet surface, which your siding is. You may not even be able to ed3etedct ther damp, but i it is there, and mold spores are flying around just waiting to grow on a damp surface. The west and north sides are shady, and that is why the siding gets damp and stays damp longer than on sunny sides. Clean off the mold with one part bleach and three parts water. When it comes back, do it again.
Terry__Guest_: Hi Peter. Our house has vinyl siding, but when it was put on, the builder did not put any house wrap underneath. This was new contruction in 2001. We are having some work done this summer and want to knwo if it's worth remoning the siding and putting on Tyvek or other house wrap.
Peter_Hotton: Terry: No need to put housewrap under the siding. There is probably some kind of underlayment like tarpaper or styrofoam insulation. Ask the builder or the sider.
tiles__Guest_: does an unheated three season porch with new 3/4 inch chipboard built over existing deck need anything other than all purpose mastic to lay down ceramic tile (i.e need a membrane?)
Peter_Hotton: tiles: Use a thin-set mortar to apply the ceramic tiles. Nothing else is needed.
Marshall__Guest_: I am thinking about purchasing a standby residential generator - mostly to be sure my sump pump runs while I am away from the house.. I am wrestling with the fact that the cost for ebven the smallest is about foiur tiems a portable gasoline one. Any advice?
Peter_Hotton: Marshall: You can buy a sump pump with a battery backup system in case of a power failure.
Mr_KnowitALL__Guest_: What is the best way to remove wallpaper