Quick tips for cutting a clay flue liner
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Q. How can I cut a clay flue liner? I have to cut a round hole in the flue liner for a smoke pipe. I was able to cut the hole in the concrete block chimney, but it doesn't seem to work on the terra cotta. I used a half-inch masonry bit with my power drill.
FRUSTRATED
A. You need a smaller bit. Use a one-eighth-inch or three-16th-inch bit. It can be a masonry bit but it does not have to be. An ordinary bit will work but will dull quickly. As you already know, you make a whole series of holes very close together in the shape of the hole. Then you can chip it out.
Q. I have a shallow roof on a dormer, and the roof material is good. But it is cold and every winter I get a buildup of ice, which eventually slides off the roof, ruining everything below. How can I prevent that ice from sliding?
DAN LOCKMAN, Medford
A. What havoc falling ice can wreak, not to mention the hazards to you and me. But hope springs eternal: You can buy snow hooks, a nickname for a sort of fence on the roof to keep ice and snow from falling. A roofer might have some he could install. If not, there are two sources in the Handyman's file: Vermont Slate and Copper Services of Stowe, Vt., 802-888-8573 or 888-766-4273. And M.J. Mullane Co., in Hudson, Mass., 978-568-0597. The hooks will keep the ice on the roof until it melts. This could happen several times a winter, so there should be no concern over the weight of the ice.
Those dents in the fridge Remember the caller who had some dents in her refrigerator? Not even auto body people were of any help. But the Handyman heard from "Joe's Wife" from South Boston, who suggested putting a bathroom plunger on the dent, and then giving it a quick pull. "It's an old Southie trick," she said.
Well, any port in a storm, and even if it does not work, there is no damage done.
Q. Help! Crickets have invaded my house. I know they are not a menace but rather a problem because they are so darned noisy. Any way to get rid of them safely?
EARS NEED PLUGGING
A. An old wives' tale says it's bad luck to kill a cricket. If you can handle that taboo, sprinkle boric acid around the baseboards and other places you suspect the crickets are coming in. It does not take much; if you see what you sprinkled, it is too much. The point is, use as little as possible and practicable.
Q. I have seen in Parade magazine an ad about an Amish electric stove that claims to save up to half your heating fuel for a season. Can that be possible? Is such a stove worth investing in? Sounds tempting. They claim the cost to run it is 8 cents an hour.
IS IT FOR REAL?
A. Since Amish do not use electricity, I think, why in the world are they making such stoves? I suppose they have nothing to do with the electricity. It's public relations trick: If the Amish did it, it must be good. Anyway, find another way to spend your money, such as adding insulation and/or seeing that windows are tight and insulating.
That ad is a copy writer's delight. If you read it carefully, you will see that everything in it is true. You will also notice it can heat one room quickly to be warm and toasty, while you turn the house way down, saving big bucks. That is all true, but such living is not necessarily convenient. If you have to go to the bathroom, brrr. I repeat, everything is true, and eventually it might come down to living like an Eskimo in one room. But to many of us, there are better ways to save money.
Q. My
BOB STRONG, Lexington
A. Aw, come on, fellas, it's an electric motor we are talking about, which probably is not much different than the one in your newer machine. Maytag should have jumped on it to say how smart Maytag is and how great its machines are. I have one source you can check: Bay State School of Appliances (now called Bay State School of Technology) in Canton, 781-828-3434.
Q. My Thermopane slider fogs up. Could I drill a couple of holes on the outside glass to try to remove that moisture? I think I read about that some time ago. The slider company is out of business.
BOB, Woburn
A. Eeeeek! Don't do it! Don't even think about it! The glass is tempered, and will explode if it is drilled, cut, or tampered with in any way. It will not exactly explode, but will break suddenly into many, many small shards. It is designed to do this to protect the poor devil who walks into it, or otherwise breaks the glass. It may scare the stuffing out of you, but it will not hurt you. Tempered glass is required on all sliders, and all windows that go from floor to ceiling, also doors with large expanses of glass.
You can, however, drill small holes on the outside of a regular double-glazed window, one that is not tempered. And this trick sometimes works. As for your slider glass, you might be able to take it out of the frame and buy a new insert, even if it not the same brand. Check regular window companies: Andersen, Pella, Marvin, and Harvey; you may luck out.
Q. My house was reroofed over old shingles, and the job is good except there are leaks at the bottom of my Velux roof window. It was sealed twice, and twice the leaks returned. I called the Velux people, who said the only way it could leak is if someone nailed through the flashing. What can I do?
TOM PARODY, Sharon
A. Well, you know who "someone" is (the roofer, I think), so get him to come back and do it right. I know that Velux flashing is among the best in the business, using tried but true step flashing and other techniques to assure no leaks. Flashing is designed to need no nails, but this time nails went right through.
Q. I replaced my vinyl Venetian blinds with 2-inch wood slat blinds. Some of the blinds were too long for the window so the installers took slats out and shortened the blinds. Quite a few slats were taken out, enough for another blind, but the installers refused to build a new one. What can I use those wood slats for?
NEW ORLEANS
A. In your neck of the woods you need plenty of ventilation, so you could build a wood frame and insert the slats as louvers, and put it in a closet door or other door where you want privacy but like ventilation. Or use your new door as a door to a cabinet. You are limited only by your imagination.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in g on Thursdays. He is available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to www.Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.
