Weathered shingles will last for decades
Q. We have a lovely house on Cape Cod and have replaced two sides of the structure with cedar shingles that are weathering to the silver color typical of the area. Our children are encouraging us to do the remaining sides (front and west) in Nailite. They feel it is far more practical and would last forever. We are mildly concerned that it will change the true Cape Cod look of the property. Any thoughts you may have would be greatly appreciated.
Eliza, by e-mail
A. No, no, a thousand times no, I'd rather die than use Nailite, which I found out is an upscale vinyl siding made to look like shingles. It will definitely change the Cape Cod look of the property. Actually it is really not bad looking and is sort of the best of vinyl siding, but it will not, or should not, go on the Cape. Stick with your thoughts and put up white cedar shingles to go with the ones on the other walls, and they will outlast you, your kids, and their kids. Well, for 40 years, anyway, with no treatment whatsoever.
Q. I am looking for a suggestion on how to treat a new garage floor. I just had an addition put on the house and think I should paint or seal the floor to protect it from fluids, road salt, sand, etc.
Neal S., by e-mail
A. There is nothing you have to, or want to, put on your new concrete floor. The only thing you should be alert to is salt, and there is not even anything you can put on to protect it from salt, except to hose down the floor in winter whenever the salt-laden car comes in. You could seal it with a masonry sealer to make it a bit more water resistant, but remember, concrete is already impervious to water. When some day in the future it begins to look a little tawdry and tired, give it a single coat of semitransparent stain of your favorite color. It will look nice for a while, but remember, garage floors are not supposed to look very good. Some catalogs carry vinyl rugs to put in garages, but what the heck for? Spend your money in better ways.
Q. How can I get rid of what look like prehistoric insects (they resemble wasps but are slow moving). They are outside the house and I need to keep all the windows tightly closed; otherwise I find them everywhere inside. I have tried spraying with no results. Other than sealing all the windows in the house, what other recourse do I have? Please help. Today is an especially beautiful fall day but all the windows are tightly closed.
S. DeM., Westford, by e-mail
A. Your depiction of the insects as prehistoric is right on the button because I don't know of any insect that is not without prehistoric origins. I think the wasps are true wasps, called ichneumon flies, which are predators of caterpillars, especially the gypsy moth. Actually their larvae are internal parasites of other insect larvae, especially caterpillars. They usually appear after a gypsy moth outbreak, which we had last spring on a fairly small scale. Ichneumon flies do not sting, and your only recourse is to keep them out or sweep them outdoors. Don't waste spray on them; they will die out in cold weather. It's rather amazing they can get through a screened window; they usually end up between storm and main window. And, as you found out, they are rather sluggish.
Q. I had my house built four years ago, and just recently noticed condensation on the gable end wall of the attic. The wall is wet, and in winter, frosty. I also noticed a gap between the 2-by-4-foot floor plate and the outside sheathing. The floor of the attic goes up to the 2-by-4-foot studs, revealing that gap. The floor is well insulated, and the wall is directly above two closets on the second floor. The gap is 4-feet long and 1/2-inch wide. My architect inspected the wet wall at my request, and could not find an answer. What is wrong and can it be fixed?
Ellen Agostinelli, West Roxbury
A. Yes, it can be fixed. Good ventilation can cure a condensation problem, and a four-year-old house should have adequate ventilation. But there is cold air coming up through that gap, either from outside or from the closets, which are colder in winter than the rest of the house because their doors are closed.
Stuff fiberglass insulation in that gap as deeply as possible. Use a big, long screwdriver to do the stuffing. This will stop most of the cold air, but you can stop all of it by nailing a 1/2- or 1/4-inch-thick piece of plywood to cover the gap between each set of studs.
Q. I have two cracks in my asphalt driveway. One is 2 inches wide and full of weeds and ants. The other is 1/2 inch or so. How can I fill them?
Helen Young, Weston
A. Tackle the easy one first, the narrow one. Dig it out as deeply as practical (an inch or so is good), and fill it with a crack filler, an asphalt goo that comes in a caulking cartridge. Fill the crack to driveway level, then sprinkle sand on top so you don't get your shoes all gooey.
For the wider crack, dig it out to 3 or more inches deep, pull the weeds, soak it with vinegar to kill remaining weeds and stop growth for a season. Ignore the ants. Fill the crack halfway with Cold Patch sold in hardware and big-box stores, and tamp it with a vertical board. Add more Cold Patch until it mounds up above the driveway surface, put a piece of plywood over that mound, and drive over it with your car several times.
Q. My driveway is 10 years old and looks okay. My wife wants it sealed. I read one time that you said it is 90 to 95 percent cosmetic. Have you changed your mind?
Reluctant Sealer
A. Moi? Nevah, unless I am proven wrong, which is often enough. But I will stick to my guns on this one.
Q. The sunroom in my 81-year-old house has 10 windows, and I enjoy it a lot in the right seasons. And, I enjoy those windows, all with weights, ropes, and pulleys. Trouble is, I can't keep the ropes from breaking. I have tried sash cord, but it is too skinny and keeps coming off the pulleys. What is a good, sturdy rope that will not break or fall off the pulleys, and where can I find it?
Rose Mason, Newton
A. Yep, you can't beat those weighted windows. I think your ropes are fraying after rubbing against something in the weight pocket, but that is no worry because instead of using rope, use sash chain. You can buy solid brass sash chain at hardware and big-box stores, and while it may be more expensive than rope, it will outlast you and me and everyone else. It is unbreakable, will not rust, and will not jump the pulley track.
Use copper wire to attach the chain to the weight, and tack or staple the other end to the end of the groove in the side of the sash, where the knot in the rope used to go. Be careful tacking or stapling; there is glass in the frame that you want to avoid.
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. 
