Falling plaster doesn’t affect structure
Q. Help! The plaster is coming down in big chunks from my basement ceiling. I can see narrow wood slats where the plaster came down. Am I going to fall into the basement? What can I do?
ANN
Roslindale
A. You don’t have to do anything. The building is not coming down. It is just that the plaster has lost its grip on the wood lath (those slats), and dropped. Keep away from the falling plaster; it can be pretty heavy. If you want to put up new plaster, hire a plasterer. The plaster holds itself in place by being pressed into the spaces, then bulges out inside, forming a key to hold everything. In your case that key has broken, mainly from excess moisture, allowing chunks to fall. You can prevent further damage by ventilating the basement from April to October to release all that water vapor. Open windows for cross-ventilation, and screen them or and add burglar bars as needed.
Q. A dealer offered to install 14 replacement windows in my house for $4,000, but he said he would take off the storms because I would not need them. Why in the world can’t I keep my storms, which are in good shape?
KEEPING MY STORMS
A. Why in the world, indeed? Keep the storms. Some window people claim that with double-glazed new windows, you don’t need them, but why not keep them for added protection? They cite another reason: Sometimes new windows make a smaller opening so that the storm sash cannot be removed for cleaning. Nuts. The sash can be raised and lowered for cleaning, and washed from the outside as well. Gimme a break.
At $4,000 for 14 windows, that comes to $285.71 each, installed. A good buy, if you can determine what quality those windows are. You said that the price does not include disposal of the old windows.
Q. We have 50-year-old windows with wood grills, the old-fashioned kind where each grill contains a separate pane. One pane has cracked. Can I replace it myself, or do I need a contractor? I am mildly handy, but not if it is complicated or involves power tools. Where can I get the glass?
BRIAN
in Hotton’s chatroom
A. Goodness, you do not need a contractor, and you won’t be able to find one who will do such a small job. But you can take the window sash out of its snug opening and take it to a hardware store that specializes in reglazing windows. They will do the job in minutes and charge you peanuts. But you can, indeed, do it yourself. Chip out the old putty with a chisel, right down to the wood. Take out the glass, and measure the opening to determine the size of the glass to put in. A hardware store will sell you the glass, and take one-quarter inch off two sides. This will allow the glass to fit loosely in the opening; if the glass is too snug, it will break when it heats and expands. The same can happen when the wood takes on moisture and expands.
Next, paint a bit of boiled linseed oil on the wood shelf, then insert the glass, and secure it with glazing points, little clips driven into the wood. The oil will prevent the dry wood from pulling oil out of the glazing compound. Buy these points at the hardware store and also glazing compound, which is a putty-like goop that will finish the job. I like Dap. Roll a piece of Dap into a thin snake and press it in with your fingers. Then smooth it out with a putty knife to make a nice watershed. Do this on all four sides. A clean, shiny putty knife will make a smooth joint. You can sprinkle whiting on the fresh compound to make the knife go smoothly, but this is not necessary.
Prime and paint the window after two or three days. Voila, you are done. Your first job will look pretty horrible, but your 32d will be perfect.
Q. We have a new stainless-steel sink under a new granite countertop. There’s a strong chemical smell in the cabinet under the sink. The underside of the sink is coated in a white material. It has been months and the smell is still there. How can I get rid of the smell?
NEW KITCHEN,
in Hotton’s chatroom
A. You could keep the doors open to try to dissipate the odor, but if it is a chemical smell it is not good to breathe. So call the dealer and find out what the white stuff is; it is probably a sound damper, but they are obliged to tell you what the stuff is and how to stop the odor. If he can provide no help, then tell him to take it out and put in one that does not smell so bad, or find another dealer.
Handyman on Call also appears in the Globe’s Style & Arts section on Thursdays. Peter Hotton is available 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair; call 617-929-2930. Hotton chats online about house matters 2 to 3 p.m. Thursdays, at Boston.com. Hotton can be reached at photton@globe.com. 
