Boston.com / Your Life

jeanne 02:04PM	Dear Handyman, I was recently entranced by the infomercial for Orange Glo ® Hardwood Floor Care System (although not enough to order the system), since my kitchen hardwood floor has suffered the abuse and dullness this product claims to eliminate with its floor cleaning and refinishing products. Have you or any of your readers had any experience with this product? Is it better than the water and vinegar I am using? Can refinisher in a bottle really work? thanks, jeanne hobbs Lexington MA
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:08PM	Dear Jeanne and all he ships at sea, let's go to press and get something done for a change. Welcome to Peter Hotton's zoo.. And for Jeanne, I got a kit in the mail of the Orange Glo system,. and all I can see is that it is a special cleaner of some sort that yu use with a bit of water. Hardly new. Your best bet for an dull floor, if all the varnish has not been worn off, is a wet Swiffer. Or just a bit of water, not a lot. That will do it, in my experience. You are not supposed to use a lot of wer on hardwood or any wood floor because water can get beween boards and cause all kinds of problems. But a well squeezed out sponge will work wonders. A little more elbow grease will take care of ground in raisins and stuff like that. For an abused floor and one thqat has lots of varnish worn off, the only cure is sanding and refinishing.
Frank/Chelmsford 02:09PM	Peter. I had full gallon of stain sitting on kitchen (vinyl/linoneum) floor and had water leak onto floor. Apparently when I cleaned up water I neglected to move and dry the bottom of can. When I did move it, I found a circular rust ring from the bottom of the can. What is the best way to clean this stain? In the house I have, TSP, paint thinner, chlorine bleach, ammonia, BonAmi, SoftScrub and an assortment of general purpose spray cleaners. I do not have on hand anything like Spic&Span or Boraxo.
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:12PM	Frank/Chelmsford: Hello again Frank; you are becoming a pleasant perennial, and I am very comfortable with that. Dip fine steel wool or Brillo or SOS in paint thinner and rub gently. It could come off with as little elbow grease as possible. If some rust persists, cut a lemon ion half, sprinkle salt on a flat side, and rub with this half lemon. Report back, like a good perennial.
BOSSAM 02:13PM	We have a 80 yr old house w/ wooden gutters. Replaced 1 side last year, but 2 others are leaking. My question is should we replace all 4 sides w/ aluminun gutters w/ leaf guards? We don't take the time to oil ect the wooden gutters & it is like pulling teeth to get husband/21 yr son to clean leaves. What kind of new ones are best. House is traditional center hall colonial, about 2200 sq ft.. Thhnaks
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:16PM	Bossam: It might be a good idea to put up new gutters wherever there are old ones, especially if they are leaking. You could spend a lot of money trying to de-leak a wood gutter. If you opt for new gutters, you have two choices: I think Leaf Guard sells a whole unit, gutter and leaf guard os some sort, as an individual unit. The other way is to put Gutter helmet on your existing gutters (if they don't leak), or put up new gutters with added gutter helment. Gutter helmet has an ineresting guarantee. At any time, if the Gutter Helmet gutters collect debris, Gutter Helmet wil clean out the gutters for free, and will do so for 20 years. that is the last I heard of the guarantee, but it is pretty gutsy.
magpie 02:17PM	Hi, Peter. There’s a small wooden fence between my property and my neighbors. Nothing special, but it’s cute. Right now it’s got some green fungus on it. I know I can wash that off with bleach… but is it worth staining the fence to protect it in the future? And can I do this in winter temperatures? Thanks.
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:21PM	Magpie: The green fungus on your fence is not a fungus, but algae, a one-cell seaweed. You can treat it with one part household bleach and three parts water, apply this, scrub with a scrub brush and reapply the bleach solution. If the fence is cedar and/or pressure-treqred, thee is no need to stain it. And stain or paint will not prortect it from the algae. If you want to stain, you cannot do it in winter in temps below 50 degrees. Wait until spring. The wood must be free of all mold (black) and algae (green) before you sotain it. Use a semitransparent stain; one coat is needed and it will last up to 5 to 7 years.Then apply another single coat.
Jeffrey 02:22PM	Good afternoon Peter, Your experience and wisdom are greatly needed today. We had a Fireplace Insert installed last spring. We were advised to conduct a ‘burn-off’ session of 8 – 10 hours to get rid of any odors being omitted from the unit. Even after this period, and again this fall, the odors persist, not as much, but they are there. It’s a ‘burning plastic’ smell. The installer was out today to investigate and noticed the smell immediately. To him, the unit isn’t producing the smell, but the paint on the new mantel appears to be the culprit. The heat from the fireplace comes out the vent at the top of the unit, 10” below the bottom of the mantel. I use oil base paint and the mantel was painted back in the summer. Three remedies were recommended: 1) continue the ‘burn-off’ sessions and the paint will ‘cure’. 2) repaint the mantel using latex paint which will not smell and will seal the oil paint from smelling 3) repaint with a special ‘mantel’ paint made just for these situations. Yo
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:25PM	Jeffrey: If the mantel is "burning" off, then I suggest this: either put a baffle above the fireplace vent so air will go into the rooom instead of bathing the mantel. Or, sand the mantel wood and prime it with a latex enamel undercoater and finish with a HHR paint (High Heat Resistant) aresol spray paint. Such paint is designed to resist veyr high temps, and there should be no smell. The HHR paints are sold in aerosol cans at paint stores.
Sky is Falling 02:26PM	Peter, the ceiling in my living room is sagging. Not a lot but clearly visible with a nice line, like a fold. I live in a building made of concrete. How is the ceiling stuck to the concrete above and what can I do to fix it. The room is huge - 23x 30 so I dont' want to rip down the ceiling if at all possible.
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:30PM	Dear Sky, Good question. If the ceiling is adhered direcly to the concrete, you might be able to drill a few holes in it and insert an adhesive caulk (Pheno Seal) beween ceiling and concrete. Then ut a big sheet of plywood under the ceilingand prop it up tight with posts, overnight. If the ceiling is on strapping, you will have to determiine if the ceiling is coming off he strapping or the strapping is coming off the concrete. In either case, the Pheno Seal (phenolic vinyl) is a real grabber, I have hung ceramic tile with this stuff and it is a real gripper. If none of thes tricks appeasl to you, find a pro.
max power 02:31PM	Peter, I installed a toilet in my house and it seems like the water in the bowl is really low (just above to hole in the bottom). Is there something I can do to get more water in the bowl?
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:32PM	Max power: It is impossible to increase the water in a toilet bowl, unless the toilet is defective, in which case a new toilet is necessary. But if the toilet flushes OK, and everything else being equal, live with it.
fixerupper 02:33PM	I have a home-improvement project from a magazine that I want to work on. In their materials list, they refer to a number of fasteners (nails, screws) using terms that don't match up with anything I was able to locate at Home Depot. I could find what I need, if only I knew what they meant. Do you know o*****ood website I can look at for that kind of thing? (i.e. - a "taper-head" screw vs. a "pan-head" screw? "brad" nails, "finishing" nails, "paneling" nails?)
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:37PM	fixerupper: Not much of a project that uses words thqat you cannot undersand. There are books on the market and in libraries describing any number of nails and screws, As for meaning,a taper-head screw throws me too but I think it is slightly rounded (not like a regualr half-round screw) but gently tapered. Pan-head is a screw with a head sjhaped like a mushroom cap. Brad nails are brads, simply small nails. Finishing nails hae small tapered heads, suitable for countersinking and filling with wood filler. Paneling nails re small nails usually ring-shanked (concentric rings along the shank for good holding power), with a small head that does not show if the nail is the same color as the paneling
BOSSAM 02:38PM	I entered a ? on my gutters. Did you receive it?
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:39PM	Bossam: I check and saw your quesiton on gutters and my answer about half way up the q and a list.
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:41PM	Rubes: I don't know how you can get a bleach solution into the system, but if you can, just let it go gthrough the system to kill any mol d. If the waer comes out OK, you have succeeded. Maybe you could have an appliance repairman come out and do the work for a fee.
rubes 02:41PM	Hi Peter, The fridge which was left by the previous owners of our house has moldy smelling water coming out of the water dispenser and the ice maker. The water supply comes through an external filter and we have installed a new filter in the fridge. We've determined that the water smells/tastes perfect before it gets into the fridge. Something inside is causing the water to come out moldy. Any ideas for us? We've tried draining gallons of water into buckets but the moldy water still keeps coming out. Is it safe to try flushing a bleach solution through ? If so, how would we do that ? Thanks!
masonb 02:42PM	Handyman - I would appreciate some advice about adding a small (12x12) conservatory (green house) & (12x12) roof deck on an antique (1880's) brick row-house with flat, rubber roof. Should the roof be re-roofed in a different material? What questions should I ask of prospective contractors? Thanks, Mason B. Boston, MA
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:42PM	Masonb: I am cnfused. Is the conservatory to go on the roof? Or is it an addition with a flat roof to hold trhe roof deck?: Lemme know.
Liquid 02:44PM	Recently had a home energy audit, my all gas house is not that bad in terms for gas used per sq/ft of the house. However, it seems the floor in my walk-up is not insulated. The ceiling has a mushroom type vent already and the audit suggested and insulation and more vents. What do you think?
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:47PM	Liquid: The floor of your walkup: Is that the ceiling of the cellar? If so, you can install 6-inch fibergalss with a paper backing vapor barrier between joists, with the vapor barrier facing up, touching the boards above. If the floor yu are speaking of is the attic floor, then it can be insulated with up to 18 inches of fiberglass. If the space being vented is full of moisture or yu see any signs of mold growing, you need more vents.
Paul 02:47PM	Frank - try CLR.
rubes 02:48PM	We have concrete countertops in our kitchen which seem to stain pretty easily (oils, various liquids). How do you care for concrete countertops ? Are you supposed to seal them every few years ? How can we get the stains out ? Thanks!
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:51PM	Rubes: The stain on your concrete countertop is a good reason not to use concrete as a counter top material. Corian, (maybe granite, which shouold be sealed) or glazed ceramic tile are the other choices. Try washing the oily stains with paint thinner. It may take quite a bit of work to clean off everyhting; a strong solution of spic and span will go as well. Once clean, seal the concrete with a masonry or tile sealer. The installers should have told you what to do, unless of course you did not buy and install the tops.
julie 02:52PM	Peter - Hi - i love you column and chat. I am redoing the tile in my bathroom and tub/shower area. I removed the wall tile which left a thin layer of mud - but very level on the drywall. Can I put wainscoting over it without replacing the drywall? When I remove the shower/tub tile do I have to replace the cement board completely before retiling? Thanks
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:56PM	Dear Julie: I love you too. I have so many loves, including my wife who has been my wife for 48 years), that I dunno what to do wih you all. Why was I cursed with this fatal beauty? Anyway, if the mud (probably mortar) is really as smooth and level as you say, then put on he wainscotting with an adhesive cualk (Pheno-Seal) or nailing. If there is mortar left on the cement board, you can scrape it off, or if not, and it is very smooth, you can keep it on and put on the tile with a thin-set mortar. If the old mortar is not too thick, you run little risk of bring out the tile excessively.
db 02:57PM	Hi Peter, I got a small metal item stuck in the sink incinerator. I'm afraid to reach into it. How can I get the item out?
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 02:59PM	db: By sink incinerator do you mean something that burns garbage? Or do you mean a disposall? In either case, turn off the unit and make sure it is off (pull a fuse or circuit breaker if i make yu feel better) and proble for the metal with a magnet or your fingers. As always, be careful. Your bewt success is to pull a circuit breaker or fuse.
holes in my house 02:59PM	Peter, I have a pesky woodpecker who keeps poking holes in my cedar shingle siding, apparently looking to nest - not going after bugs. How do I keep him out. so far I have resorted to small sheets of sheet metal.
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 03:03PM	Dear Holes, The peckers are pecking not for a nest but a territorial stake-out. Hang shiny silvery mylar party streamers from the eaves where the birds are busy. The strips will flash in the sun and startle the birds, who are very skittish. You can also hang a wind chime nerby, and the birds will leaved, but not before you go nuts with that damned wind chime. Or, hang shiny pie aluminum pie plates close enough to gether to clatter in the wind and flash in the sun.
painter 03:04PM	How hard is it to paint over a wall with a faux finish if I hate the look?
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 03:05PM	Painter: If the faux finish is flat (no embossing, etc.) then sand it lightly, wash with a strong detergent solution and apply one coat of a latex enamel undercoater Then finish as you like, pehaps with an eggshell finish latex wall paint. .
jeanne 03:07PM	Dear Peter, To follow up your answer to my hardwood floor question, I agree with the damp mop and elbow grease approach, but what's your position on using vinegar in the water, and what about step 2 of the Orange Glo system, which is supposed to be a floor refinisher substance that you use every 3 - 6 months? thanks, jeanne
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 03:09PM	Jeanne: No need to use vinegar. As for anything thqt refinishes, it sounds like a wax or acrylicx. If it works for you and the floor looks better, fine and dandy. You will probably have less success with successive applications of this refinisher. One way to refurbish a grundgy floor is to get it nice and clean and give it two thin coas of a semigloss oil-based polyurethane varnish.
Mark 03:10PM	Peter, we have a forced hot air heating system. We recently had some of our vents worked on to get more even heat throughout the house. The vent contractore mentioned to me that using a programmable thermostat is bad for the furnace. It has to work too hard on the change-over. He said anything more than 2 degrees would be too much. Is there any merit to this?? Thanks!
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 03:12PM	Mark: Last call. Changing the temp in a house with a programmable thermostat is definitely not hard on the furnace. It is designed to respond to demand for heat and the number of degrees it must make up is not hard on the furnace and neither is the frequency of the calling for heat. That is my opinion.
Peter Hotton (Moderator) 03:14PM	OK, boys and girls, time to hang a clothes on this line. See you next week. And to Masonb, who has the greenhosuje ida on top of the roof, email me at photton@globe.com and we can talk about it. Anyone else is welcome to email me. See you next thursday.