Hum relief may be blowin' in the wind
Q. The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune suggested I call you about the continuous whine, or humming sound, a high-pitched radio frequency noise I have had in my house for some time. It has been constant for four months and heard in every room in our house, which has 3,600 square feet of space. It sounds like an echo, and seems to make our ears pop. We have had
LINDA TUCKER, Winter Park, Fla.
A. It's an old story, and the Handyman has in his files many causes of hums and whistles, which he will send to you.
Meanwhile, this is a summary of those many causes, and you may have checked them already.
If you have a hot water heating system, check the circulator zone pumps for unusual sound, or crossed wires or other defects. Keep those pumps well oiled. Any motor with metal on metal rubbing can cause an unholy shriek. Check telephone, cable, and electric lines for possible tree limbs rubbing against them.
Check transformers in a doorbell.
Check metal weatherstripping in windows and doors. Wind can create hums. Check for outside causes that could be telegraphing into house.
Check for hornets and wasps. Their beating wings are used for cooling, and they can flap up a racket.
I realize you have done many of these things, but getting back to electricity: Not only turn off the power at the main switch but also have the professionals disconnect the wires: electric, cable and telephone.
Some or all of this may sound far-fetched, but it is your house and your ears, and it is not tinnitus. So I wish you lots of luck.
Q. My bathtub has one of those acrylic shells over it, installed before we bought the house. It has failed, and water is trapped between it and the tub itself. My husband thinks he can take it off (it is already loose in one corner). Once it is off, would it be practical to have it reglazed, or would that fail?
DEBORAH WOODCOCK, Hudson
A. Not only can your husband take it off, but also he (and you) might find that the tub is in better shape than you think, and it can be simply cleaned.
Unless of course it was covered because it was an ugly color. Yes, it can be reglazed, which is an epoxy finish, not glazing, but any finish can fail.
The most important part of reglazing is a proper preparation.
So, to remove the shell, use heat from a hair dyer (a hot air gun is too hot and a hazard indoors). To remove the glue, try using acetone, but be careful with this solvent; it is toxic and you must use a lot of ventilation when working with it.
Oil, left on the glue for up to 15 minutes, also may help remove it.
QHow can I remove mold from a popcorn ceiling?
D., Hanover
A. Popcorn ceilings tend to be sensitive to water, but try this: Take a solution of 1 part household bleach to 3 parts water, and spray this on the mold.
If this affects the popcorn, I see no cure except to remove the popcorn and be content with a flat ceiling.
Q. I have one ceiling out of four that is peeling. It started to peel nine years after it was painted. My son is coming to paint that ceiling and four others that are not peeling, so I want to know how to tell him to paint the ceilings so they last many years.
JEAN, Belmont
A. Nine years is not bad for a ceiling, but it doesn't compare with the others that lasted 14 years and are still going strong.
So, the best secret to long-lasting paint jobs is to apply thin coats, not thinned down paint but thin coats. Don't try to cover with one coat; it never does. Use latex ceiling paint, which is lighter in weight than wall paint. It is usually weight that pulls paint off.
Someone years ago asked how can he apply a thin coat with a roller. It's easy: Load the roller in the usual way, then roll off half or more of it by rolling it on the dry part of the tray.
Prep is also simple: Sand the sound ceilings lightly and wash with detergent and water. For the peeling ceiling, sand with medium coarse sandpaper to buck off the loose stuff. Wash. Then two thin coats.
Or, use one latex enamel undercoat, then one coat of the ceiling paint. The undercoat is not usually needed for ceilings or walls, but in this case might resist peeling because the undercoat sticks well and allows the final coat to stick to it.
Q. In my old condo, steam pipes go vertically from floor to ceiling on their way to another condo. I know they have to remain where they are, so I bought some covers, actually collars, of the type that open, and close around the pipe and cover the ceiling at the joint , and also at the floor. Trouble is, the ceiling is uneven and the collar leaves about 1/4 inch of space between it and the ceiling, ruining the effect. I tried caulking the space but it was too hot and the caulk melted. What can I use?
A.P., Brookline
A. If you cannot find a heat-resistant caulk, try this: Cut pine or hardwood into a square or circle, cut a hole in the middle to accommodate the pipe, and cut the unit in half so you can put the two halves together around the pipe.
Glue this to the ceiling with Gorilla glue or similar adhesive. Chip irregularities off the ceiling so the wood sits flush with the ceiling. Then put the collar around it. Paint or stain the wood. In fact, you might try chipping off any excess ceiling material to flatten it out, then put just the collar on so it is touching the ceiling.
Q. I wanted my sheet vinyl kitchen floor to look better, so I hired a man who put down something called Pro Shot Industrial Renewing, floor restorer and refinisher. He actually put it down over a lot of dirt, so the dirt is under this clear material, a little like insects caught in amber. What can I do?
RUPERT OTTO, Chelsea, Mich.
A. That happened to me once; it is amazing what cleaners do. I solved my problem by putting in glazed ceramic tile, which can be cleaned with water.
Try to persuade the man that he screwed up, and should take off that stuff with a stripper solution, and put new material on a properly cleaned floor. If he won't do that, then you can do it yourself. Find a stripper solution and go to work. The vinyl may not need anything additional.
Q. I am getting water in my basement, mainly through a 1-inch crack between foundation and the asphalt driveway. I also adjusted my downspouts to discharge 10 feet from the house, which helped some, but not all. How can I fill that joint to prevent leaks? It is quite deep.
STILL WET
A. Try this: Fill the crack halfway with sand, tamp it down well, then apply a thick layer of roofing cement (either from a caulking cartridge or a can, where it can be applied with a putty knife), add more sand to about half an inch of the top, tamp well, and apply another layer of roofing cement.
Or, fill the crack with mortar, pressing it down compactly and smoothing it off at the top, so it will shed water. You can buy the mortar at any hardware store; it's called Mortar Mix; just add water.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in the Styles Section 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 Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.
