Donating used windows and doors
Q. We are going to be doing some work on our house, and I hate to send perfectly useable materials to the landfill. I'd love to find a charity that would accept windows, doors, kitchen cabinets, etc. Do you know of any?
BRIDGET
A. Yes, Bridget, there is a Santa Claus. It is the Building Resource Center of Roxbury (617-442-8917). It's part of the Boston Building Materials Cooperative, and for a small fee will take your materials away with thanks and give it to those who need it.
Q. I had a mason put in some brick steps. They look OK, but the man spilled mortar on the asphalt driveway. Should I hammer it off?
KATHLEEN HIGGINS, Belmont
A. The only other way is to have the mason do it. I am not convinced he is a mason because a mason would clean up his messes. So, you probably will have to do it yourself, but not by hammering. Use a cold chisel to chip it off. If any mortar remains, treat it with muriatic acid. Make a half-and-half solution, pouring the acid into the water to mix it. When the mortar stops fizzing, scrub with a brush, then rinse with a hose. Be careful when working with the acid, and wear skin and eye protection.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton also appears in Sunday Real Estate. He chats on line about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. Go to Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@Globe.com 