Q. I have just had an out-swinging exterior atrium door with an interior retracting screen installed leading to my deck. In nice weather, I plan to leave the door open for fresh air. The door came primed and I painted the outward facing side with an exterior latex paint. I have not painted the interior side yet. The top of the door is currently not painted, but is raw wood. If it happens to rain when the door is open, the door will get wet.
Should I paint the interior side with an exterior grade paint? Is there a product that is better than paint to apply to the top of the doors so water won't get in and warp it?
DJL, Boston
A. For your purposes, I think it is best to paint the primed interior face of the door with two coats of a latex solid stain; it is an exterior finish but will give an interior feel to it, and will be weather-resistant.
For the top (and sides and bottom, for that matter), prime with an exterior latex primer where necessary and finish with an exterior latex paint. This should seal it sufficiently to resist absorption of moisture and subsequent swelling.
Q. I know you addressed how to deal with noisy next-door neighbors in a townhouse. My problem is my downstairs neighbors. I can hear them talking in the bedroom late at night. Usually it's after 3 in the morning. I have wall-to-wall carpeting. Is there something I can put under the carpet to absorb the sound? I don't like having to go sleep on the couch every night.
C.C., by e-mail
A. The best way to stop that sound transfer is to build a separate ceiling in the neighbor's unit. Since this is impractical, I suggest you buy a sound-absorbing pad that comes in 4- by 8-foot panels.
Remove the carpet, and put down the panels, with tight seams. Make sure they are tight against the wall or baseboard; if there is a quarter-round at the bottom of the baseboard, remove it. Tape all seams and caulk perimeter joints. Put the carpet back.
It might take some effort to find sound-absorbing board. A lumber store, if it does not carry it, can order it.
Or, buy a fiberboard panel made by Homasote, which calls it carpet cushion. It is designed as a carpet pad, or cushion, but should also help reduce sound transfer.
Q. What is the deal with radiator covers and energy efficiency? I hear mixed reports as to whether they make the heating system more or less efficient. Based on what I hear, I am inclined to believe that they make the system less efficient, especially if they are wood rather than metal. That's unfortunate, because I am hoping to cover many of the radiators in my house with wood covers in order to keep them from burning little fingers. Is there anything you can do to help make radiator covers more efficient (or at least less inefficient)? I have heard about putting foil in back of the radiators but would like to hear if there is any company that makes these sorts of reflectors in a less ad-hoc way than using rolls of aluminum foil.
JEFF LEVINE, Somerville
A. First of all, let us define our terms. When you say radiator covers, do you mean a cap that covers just the top or the radiator, or a cabinet type that encloses the entire radiator? A properly designed cover or cabinet will improve the efficiency of a heating system. I say properly designed, and a cover will work well enough, especially with reflective foil or a polished aluminum sheet behind it. Some ready-made cabinets have foil on the backs.
A properly designed cabinet has a solid top and an opening at the lower and upper part of the front (the front is usually louvered or screened anyway), so that cool air along the floor will enter the lower space, rise as it is heated by the radiator and come out the upper space, circulating more completely in the room. Foil or sheet aluminum on the back will add to the efficiency.
Wood or metal? Any difference is minimal, although a metal one will take on heat from the radiator without an increase in fuel consumption.
Q. I live in a 107-year-old Colonial Revival house in Acton. The walls are not insulated and the house still has some live knob and tube as well. The insulating contractors won't touch the house until the old wiring is gone. The problem is that the cost to redo that wiring is thousands and will take a lot of work throughout the house. I was hoping you might know of some new technique or product out there that we can use to insulate our home.
CHRIS, by e-mail
A. I wish there was an easy way to get around that knob and tube wiring in your house in order to insulate. There is none that I know of. You could put one-inch polyisocyanurate sheets on the inside of the exterior walls, but this would be rather complicated and even more expensive than anything else. The contractors are right in refusing to put insulation in knob-and-tube wired walls because of the risk of a short or worse, and that applies to all types of insulation.
Unless you have already priced the cost of new wiring, it may not be that high, because electricians are very apt in snaking new cable through walls with a minimum of wall cutting, after, of course, disabling the knob-and-tube wiring. I have to assume that the old disabled wiring can be left in the cavity.
Q. Over the summer I replaced my concrete front steps with very nice wood (mahogany) steps. But now that is winter, I have no idea what I can use to de-ice the steps without damaging the wood! Can I use rock salt or "Safe Paws?"
CHRIS McLELLAN, Braintree
A. Rock salt will not hurt the wood but will stain it, whether it is bare wood or stained. I had to look up Safe Paws and discovered it is made of crystalline amide core infused with special glycols. That did not help much, except that glycol is a material used, I think, to de-ice aircraft.
By all means use it; it's a little pricey, $30 for a 5-gallon pail. It is sold is hardware stores and big box stores. Also, it too might stain the wood. Check the label.
Q. I own an old home (built ca. 1900) and I want to insulate the attic floor and the basement ceiling. The problem is that the joists are not spaced evenly. They vary from about 12 inches to 22 inches apart. For the attic floor, I was thinking of taking up the floor boards and laying down plastic for a vapor barrier, then using pour-in insulation. But that won't work for the basement ceiling. Is my only option there to custom cut rolled insulation to fit between each joist? How in the world can I cut that 6-inch-thick insulation?
DAVID, Gloucester
A. You are right about the attic insulation. A vapor barrier is as important as the insulation, because it is an air stop, which increases the effectiveness of the insulation itself. Use cellulose for the pouring insulation. And once you have filled the space between joists to the top of the joists, you can put unbacked fiberglass batts at right angles to the joists. Do not put insulation in the eaves (the under part of the roof overhang).
For the basement insulation, use 6-inch fiberglass insulation with the vapor barrier up, touching the ceiling above. To cut it, place the insulation paper-side down on a piece of plywood, and cut through the fiberglass and paper with a utility knife.
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
