Handyman on call
Getting the most out of good bricks
Q. There are a few bricks loose on my concrete steps built in the early 1950s. Some are big chunks of several bricks, with the mortar intact. Should I replace the bricks or rebuild the steps?
JIM POAGE, Lexington
A. Keep them, but chip off all mortar on the bricks and on the steps before putting them back with mortar. The big chunks can remain intact, if chipping off the old mortar doesn’t break them up. You can buy matching bricks and install them with mortar.
Q. I’d like to store my convertible over the winter in the garage of our New Hampshire house, but water seeps in from snow and ice buildup outside the overhead doors. Is there any garage-door weather stripping sold that can stop the water flow?
STU, by e-mail
A. The Improvements Catalog (800-642-2112) has a garage-door threshold that fits on the bottom of the door and has an outside lip that is designed to keep out water.
Q. Four questions: 1. Is it possible to sharpen hand-pushed reel lawn mowers? 2. Are pellet stoves OK? 3. Will painted white cedar shingles last longer than those that are not? 4. Is a vapor barrier essential on the attic floor?
I’D LIKE TO KNOW A. OK, let’s tell all. 1. One company that sharpens reel mowers is Siraco Sharpening Service of Somerville, 617-628-6071, www.siracosharpening.com. 2. Pellet stoves are rather phenomenal. The pellets are about the same price as firewood and readily available. The stoves are power-vented, and they can be turned off and on. 3. White cedar shingles, in fact virtually anything, will last longer if painted. 4. A vapor barrier under attic floor insulation is 100 percent necessary to stop the loss of heat in a house. Insulation (fiberglass, cellulose, for example) will slow down the loss, but a vapor barrier will stop it in its tracks.
Q. Do you have any opinion about ventless gas fireplaces? We want a heater but cannot vent it easily. I checked them out at the fireplace store and they look great. I do have qualms about the ventless technology.
JON, in Hotton’s chat room
A. Ventless gas fireplaces and ventless gas heaters are among the most dangerous frauds foisted on a chilly populace. They not only suck oxygen out of a room but spew carbon monoxide into it, and force a lot of water vapor into the room in the process. You need a power-vented appliance vented through the wall. If you cannot do that, find another heater that is vented.
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. 
