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To fix black scratches in a cast iron sink with porcelain enamel finish, fill and cover them with an appliance fix-up paint. (NANCY PALMIERI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE) |
Handyman on Call
Q: I have an 1870 double Cape with balloon framing (where the studs go from basement to roofline). I removed the fascia boards covering the sill on the outside of the north side, and found that I could shove a screwdriver 2 inches into the sill plate, which is a 10-by-10 inch beam, which means the outer 2 inches of the sill is rotted out. Does this mean that I should replace the sill? I also have a brick wall of sorts on the inside of that sill. Where it goes up I don't know how high. Is that brick wall a supporting wall? The brick wall is covering the sill so I cannot check the inside of the sill for decay. Could I put 2 inches of gravel on the earthen floor of the basement to try to allow water to drain properly?
MIKE MENINGER, Worcester
A: Let's start at the end. There is no need to put gravel on the earthen floor, but if you do not walk around that basement much, you can put plastic sheets down to keep water vapor from coming up. And ventilate the basement in summer. In fact you could put a concrete floor over that sheet plastic.
As for the decayed sill on the outside, I think that water got behind those fascia boards and remained longer than usual because it was on the north (shady) side. and caused the decay. But never fear, if you can keep that sill dry, it is likely that it will decay no further. You can douse it with bleach that will help kill the decay organisms. Then make sure the siding and fascia boards keep water away from the sill. And, if there are two inches of decay on the outside of the sill, you still have 8 inches of solid wood to help hold up the house. This may go against all conventional thinking, but it can and does work.
That brick wall on the inside of the sill is probably built with the bricks on their narrow sides, and are mortared to act as a vapor barrier. It is called brick nogging. When I bought my 1768 house that had brick nogging in the walls, they claimed that the nogging was an arrow stop. In Weymouth in 1768? Unlikely.
You could also have the sills replaced, at least on the north side, but this is an expensive operation and may be (repeat, may be) unnecessary.
Q: My bathroom sink is what I think white porcelain. It has several scratches that look black. How can I cover or fill or fix those scratches?
FRED MARTIN, Hailfax
A: The black showing in the scratches indicates that it is cast iron with a porcelain enamel finish. You can fill and cover those scratches with an appliance fix-up paint, an oil-based paint in a small bottle with the brush in the handle. It is quite thick, and you can paint over the scratches once, and if necessary paint over a second time after the first dries to fill the scratches, and make a very smooth, almost invisible repair. And, after letting it dry for several days, you can try rubbing with emery cloth to smooth it out even more. Found in hardware and paint stores.
Q: I have a funny situation with my garage floor, which is a concrete slab built in 1968 when the house was built. Inside, there is so much water on the floor from condensation that it seems that it is raining. But here is the funny part: Half the floor is 13 inches thick, and there is no condensation there. In the other half, the floor is 4 to 6 inches thick, and that is where the condensation occurs. Why is that? And is there anything I can seal the floor with to reduce that water?
DARLENE SALVAGE, Chalmette, La.
A: For starters, there is nothing you can seal the floor with to stop the condensation, because the condensation comes from water vapor that is coming up through the floor, than condenses on the cool floor. The only cure, which is iffy in your climate, is to ventilate that garage whenever possible and whenever it is relatively dry outdoors.
And now for that funny part. I think the water vapor is simply not traveling up the thick part of the floor far enough to enter the space. That may be a cockamamie idea, but I don't know of any other. There also might be a vapor barrier under the thick part, but who knows?
Q: I have nice-looking Formica-covered kitchen tables that can extend to 13 feet, which is rather unusual but very serviceable. There are four oatmeal-colored Formica sections; someone scrubbed one of the tops with Brillo pads and scraped it badly, discoloring and scratching the finish that I can do nothing about. Is there any way you know to fix it?
A.P., Wakefield
A: There are polishes and filler materials for Formica Brand laminated plastic (that is what you are supposed to call it because it is copyrighted and/or trademarked) sold at dealers. I am not convinced it will work, and it if does not, you could try this: Remove the material with heat, and, at a dealership, buy a matching sheet cut to fit, and you can put it on with contact cement. While some contact cements are highly flammable, they are so in their liquid form, and unlikely to burn having been dry for years when subjected to heat. If you cannot find a match, then bite the bullet and remove all four sections and buy sheets of your color choice that can be placed on the table. To find a dealer, look in the Yellow Pages under Counter Tops. A dealer might be able to do all that for you.
One final thought: If the damaged area is not too big, you could cut out the damaged part in a circular form, and put in a contrasting filler piece of the plastic, and use it to place a trivet on. It's just an idea.
Q: I have stucco walls around my windows and I would like some ideas on how to put up some plastic to act as inside storm windows. I have put some up, but it keeps coming untaped. Any ideas would be great.
CORKY, by e-mail
A: Many tapes will not adhere to stucco or any rough plaster. But before you give up, try Gorilla tape, a very strong tape that looks like duct tape but is stronger. It is also thicker, so you can press it into the stucco-like plaster and make it stick.
Another way: Nail 1-by-3 boards around the sides and top of the opening; there is probably wood behind the plaster that will hold the driven nails. Then you can tape or staple the plastic on these boards, tightly and securely. Fold the bottom of the plastic so you can fasten it to the sill.
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
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