Repairing a bent chain-link fence
Q. I had trouble with the slates of a neighbor’s roof falling on my property, wrecking everything in its path. Ice sometimes fell, too, and lots of it. The handyman suggested building a pergola that could catch some of the debris. I did that, and added a chain-link fence as a screen on top of the pergola. The slates bent the chain link which was built on joists spaced about 12 inches apart. That bent fencing bugs me. Is there a heavier mesh I could use?
VERA GROPPER, Somerville
A. Those 2 x 4 joists are about as close together as they can be, practically. So you need a heavier screen. Have a metal worker make a grille or grid of 1/4-or 3/16-inch galvanized steel rods welded into a screen shape with openings 4-inches-square. That should stand up to a lot of debris.
Q. About 2 inches of the bottom of a post on my wrought iron railing has rotted out from rust. Do I replace the railing or the post, or what?
PETER, in Hotton’s chat room.
A. Goodness, do not replace the railing, or even the whole post. Cut the post above the rusted area and dig it out where it is mortared into the step or secured to it in another way. Then install a replacement section, and weld it to the cut post. An iron worker can do this. Or replace the whole post, but certainly not the railing.
Q. I discovered termites in a shed that is about 75 yards from the house. My son suggested treating them with boric acid. Would that work? WORRIED
A. It might, but a few applications will not deter the critters for long, so it would be wise to contact an exterminator, who will tackle the termites and make sure the house is safe. Unchecked, termites can travel pretty fast, establishing new nests in the ground and enjoying breakfast, lunch, and dinner in your house.
Q. My son bought a house whose previous owners kept dogs and cats in the basement, and the smell down there is horrendous. Ventilation did little good, and I think the odor got into the insulation in the ceiling and possibly in the walls. What can he do to dissipate this awful smell? He tried ventilation which did little good. He has hot air heat and I am afraid that when winter comes, the heating system will distribute the smell throughout the house.
TOO MUCH
A. Ventilation for a start is always helpful, even with a small fan to help. Consider taking down the insulation on the ceiling, and see what happens. If there is some reduction in the odor, there may be no need to take insulation out of the walls. If push comes to shove, you may have to hire an odor-reducing company which will clean everything in sight, maybe add an odor neutralizer and do the other things I have suggested.
Globe Handyman on Call also appears in the Sunday Real Estate section. He’s available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton (photton@globe.com) also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. Go to www.boston.com. 
