No need to replace 'old' skylights

By Peter Hotton  |  November 30, 2008

Q. My roof has five skylights, roof windows actually, with double glazing. I am having a new asphalt shingle roof installed. I got two bids, for $17,000 and $22,000. Both roofers said to replace the skylights. One said the gaskets on the skylights dry out and you could get fogging. Do I really have to get rid of those skylights, which are working as well as they did when new?

LARRY KELLEHER, Swampscott

A. Good Lord, the skylights ain't broke so don't fix them. And so what if they fog up, they still will insulate as well as ever. We are in such a throwaway mode that it boggles this Handyman's mind, who has ancient windows and storms, which work fine. Who knows how long the skylights will work, and who cares but someone who wants to sell you new ones? For big bucks, of course.

Finally, people and manufacturers are beginning to see the value of products that endure, cars that run economically, and this time I hope the trend will continue.

OK, let's calm down and repeat: Keep the skylights.

Q. I enjoyed your piece on handling floors of different heights in a recent column, especially how your mother-in-law was the only one who tripped over a 2-inch difference in a doorway, and didn't even mind. My situation is this: I have a difference of more than 1 inch between two floors in a regular door opening, with the high floor in the opening itself. How can I use a threshold to ease this difference?

HIGHER AND HIGHER

A. The easy way: Buy a 4-inch-wide oak threshold, notch it to fit between the two jambs of the door opening, and you are all set. This will raise the high side by three-quarters of an inch. If that is not acceptable, here is what to do: Cut about half an inch off one side of the threshold to create a square edge. Then cut out about 3 1/2 inches of oak flooring on the high side, insert the threshold so the square edge butts up to the hardwood, and you will have a nicely tapered edge on the high side that will make it easy to see and to step over.

Q. I have been searching the Internet to no avail and I am hoping you can help. I have several A/C three-way ceiling vent air diffusers throughout my house, about 10 1/2-inches square. I could not find a cover for these vents to conserve heat loss in winter. Then I tried Glad Cling Wrap, which worked a few days, then fell off. I don't mind putting on and taking off seasonally. Any suggestions? Is there a material that sticks to aluminum? I asked about having something fabricated, but my husband thinks that it would be too expensive. I couldn't find anything on the Web.

SHERRI LORTIE, Norton

A. Vent covers will not be expensive if you make them yourself. Build a small frame of 1-by-1 lumber. Nail a piece of quarter-inch plywood on the frame. Put a three-quarters of an inch piece of Styrofoam inside for insulation. Buy self-adhesive Velcro strips and put them on the bottom of the frame and around the vent for a good closure. You can make the frame big enough to contact the aluminum frame of the vent, or big enough to surround it.

And here is how Sherri replied: I discovered a great energy conservation resource, right here in Mansfield, after a search over four hours, www.batticdoor.com. I have spoken to the gentlemen and will be picking up the vent covers on Saturday.

Well, said the Handyman, all is well. The company makes all kinds of vent covers, including dryer vents and attic stairways. That goes into the Handyman's vast folder, with thanks.

From Nancy with the oily splat in her basement in Hopkinton: "I believe we have solved the mystery. I had some friends over on Saturday who had read my question in your column with great interest, having no idea that it was I who had asked it! We all ran to the basement to inspect and discuss, using the various solutions posed by you and your readers. My brave, male friend Lyman removed the pink insulation and revealed remnants of an extensive mouse encampment. We now postulate that volumes of mouse urine saturated the insulation and its backing, thus drawing out the asphalt in the paper backing, and causing it to leak onto the floor. No grease; no oil; no fire hazard, just a desperate need for rodent poison."

Thank you so much, Nancy. My idea of an oil leak was wrong, but I recall some readers who sent in ideas did mention a mouse encampment. It was an interesting lesson on detecting problems and solving them.

Q. I drain my clothes washer into a soapstone sink in my basement. Recently I noticed some pitting where the water cascades. How can I prevent further degradation? Can I sand the pits smooth, then treat with linseed oil?

JOHN STEINER, Lexington

A. For starters, find another outlet to send the washer water into. It is not so much the water that is eroding the soapstone, but the soap, particularly in combination with the water. One thing to try is to rinse the sink with clear water after the washer drains. Soap is notorious for eroding soft stones such as soapstone and marble. Even hard, dense granite will succumb.

And yes, you can sand soapstone; that is what is done to clean it. The standard treatment for soapstone is indeed boiled linseed oil. Put it on heavily and rub like mad. After 15 minutes, take it all off, or as much as will come off, with a dry cloth. Then rub some more.

Q. The shades on my windows are pretty big: 72-inches long and 47-inches deep, so they are very heavy. And they are pulling the screws out of the plaster, making the holes too big for the screws to fit. Behind the plaster is stucco of some sort, or at least bricks and masonry. How can I fill the holes to make the screws hold?

NANCY DOHERTY, Reading

A. Well, you have discovered a typical rip-off by the building industry that drives screws in unlikely materials such as plaster, where the screws never hold for long. They blithely go about their business and leave the miseries to the tenant or the condo owner. Here is what you can try before you go after the contractor, an impossible chore. Fill each hole with an epoxy wood filler. Bondo is one type that will work. This epoxy is tricky; there are two parts to it and sometimes it will set up so fast that your stirrer will get caught in the hardening material.

With the holes filled, mount the bracket and see what happens.

If that does not work, cut out the plaster to a square shape 4 inches square. Cut a piece of three-quarter-inch thick wood to this shape, and glue it on with Liquid Nails or an adhesive caulk. Paint the wood to match the walls and mount the bracket on this wood.

Q. I know you have mentioned this before, but I neglected to cut it out. How can I get rid of fruit flies?

CLAIRE CLAIR, Wellesley

A. Write this down and don't lose it. Better yet, memorize it. Fill a shallow bowl with vinegar and add a drop or two of dish detergent. The flies will go for the vinegar, and the detergent will prevent their taking off and they will drown.

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 from 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to www.Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.