How to build a brick stoop to last
Q. I have a brick stoop about 5- by 4-feet at my front door, with brick steps. The center part of the brick floor collapsed twice, once 10 years ago and then this year after a man repointed the bricks. The hole is deep and everything collapsed except the border bricks which are on a foundation. Someone suggested I pave the stoop with bluestone, for $2,800. That does not sound like a very good idea or price. What can I do?
BOB CRAIG, Andover
A. You are right. It is not a good idea and the price is outrageous, especially since it won't work. It is not the paving that is at fault, but what's under it. In your case, nothing but air. And you can fix it yourself. What happened: The brick on the stoop was applied over a very thin concrete slab, without reinforcing, and it did not take long for it to collapse. Twice. To correct this, dig out any bricks in the hole and put them aside, because you are going to re-use them. Fill the hole with sand up to within 6 inches of the top of the brick paving, and tamp it thoroughly. Then pour a four-inch slab of concrete, putting rebars (reinforcing steel bars) in the concrete if you like. After the concrete cures, put on a layer of mortar and embed the bricks in that mortar. Then put mortar between the bricks, and compact it heavily.
If you do it all yourself, you will only pay for the concrete mix and the mortar. For your labor, pay yourself about $2,000, because it is a lot of work, but worth it. I did a stoop like that 40 years ago, but must admit I had top-shelf help: My father-in-law, a Sicilian-American bricklayer-turned-contractor. Brother, he was good. And I was lucky because he did all the work. I mixed the mortar and carried the hod, but I did not touch a brick.
Q. My garage has two one-car doors divided by a people door with about 18 inches of siding on each side of the people door. The people door threshold is directly on the garage floor, which is on the same plane as the level driveway. Water seeps under the door and also under those 18-inch-wide walls with siding. And quite a bit of it. No water seeps under the garage doors. How can I stop it? Someone suggested lowering the driveway, at considerable expense.
MIKE MURRAY, Plaistow, N.H.
A. Don't lower the river, raise the bridge. That is, don't lower the driveway but raise the door and wall containing the siding. That people doorway should have at least a 7-inch step-up, to prevent seepage under it. So, build a wall about 7 inches high, sealing the bottom where it meets the floor, and raise the door. You should have enough room above the door to do this. Basically you can rebuild that part of the narrow walls on each side of the door. This would require you to step over that new wall when you go through the door, but it is worth the trouble if the leaks are stopped. Finally, you could build a concrete berm instead of a frame wall, which would give better protection against leaks.
Q. I would like to cover my Formica backsplash with a new one. I was told by a contractor that I cannot put new Formica over old. Is that true? Would I have to remove the old backsplash in order put in a new one?
FRAN, Arlington
A. No, it is not true. The guy said it was not possible because he did not want to do it. But you can. In fact, it can work better than the original job. If you put the Formica on plasterboard or any absorbent surface, the contact cement instructions say you will have to put two coats on each surface. Not with Formica Laminate; which is non-absorbent. Simply sand to reduce gloss and roughen the finish, put one coat on the old stuff and another on the back of the pre-shaped replacement piece, put it in place, and tap with a wood block and hammer to seat the Formica. Make sure the new piece is the right shape and goes on in the right position, because if you don't, it is the very devil to take off.
Q. When I bought my brand new retirement home in New Hampshire in 2007, I figured I was all set. But this winter, numerous cracks appeared in the concrete basement and garage floors, and a major one on the concrete foundation wall in the garage. The latter one sounded like gunfire. Is anything wrong?
DAVE ALCORTA, Rindge, N.H.
A. If they are not leaking water, forget them. There is nothing wrong. Concrete floor slabs will crack no matter what, even if they have reinforcing rods in them. Concrete is simply not elastic. Cracks in foundations are another matter. While not dangerous, in most cases, they can leak water, in which case the water can be stopped. What happens in a foundation wall is this: The footing at one end of the foundation drops a micron or so; the wall, not being elastic, cracks vertically down the middle. Chances are that it will not happen again. It's also possible that expansion and contraction of the material can cause a crack. But relax, in the long run you have nothing to worry about. You are right about sounding like gunfire. When several thousand pounds of concrete breaks, it is bound to make a racket.
Q. My asbestos-cement sided house needs a paint job. Can I pressure-wash the asbestos-cement?
CONCERNED
A. Do not power-wash or pressure-wash asbestos siding, unless you turn the power down a great deal.
Q. I am getting a brown stain from creosote coming out of my metal chimney from a wood stove. Why does this happen and how can I prevent it?
METHUEN
A. You cannot prevent it if you continue burning wood. What happens is that the wood creates smoke containing creosote, which rises in the chimney, then condenses into a brown water as it exits the chimney, and falls as creosote rain. Try cleaning with a strong detergent and water, which might lighten the stain.
Extending the chimney might help, too, allowing the creosote-tainted rain to dissipate in wider circles. Extending the chimney might also allow more condensing creosote rain to run down the inside of the metal chimney, aggravating an existing problem.
When you are ready to reroof, pick black shingles; the creosote rain will not show as much.
Q. My heating unit is in the attic. When the unit turns off. I get a draft from the return ducts. The floor of the attic is insulated. The roof is not and I have air vents in the roof. How can I stop the draft from coming into my living space? The unit is not insulated. Should I insulate the roof of the attic, insulate the heating unit, block the ducts in the roof or all of the above?
JOHNNY
A. Insulate the heating unit, but it should already have insulation. If it is encased in a steel jacket, it probably already is insulated. Insulate whatever return ducts and supply ducts that you can reach, with 1-inch duct insulation. It might help some because the attic is quite cold, and the ducts are picking up that cold temp. Do not insulate the attic roof, and do not block the vents in the roof or any other vents; they are needed for critical ventilation.
If you can locate that unit away from the attic, do so. The attic is the worst place for a heating unit, in my opinion.
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, at 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 
