How to rid furniture of flood mold?

Q. I had furniture in a storage facility that was flooded, and the water soaked a lot of the furniture, especially the legs. Can I refinish those parts that were soaked? I noticed a bit of mold on the wet areas. Do you think mold is inside the wood where the wood absorbed a lot of water?

ELAINE PETERSON, Bedford, N.H.

A. I think that the mold you see is the only mold to worry about . If there is mold deep inside the legs where water percolated upward, I don't think there is a way of getting to it. To handle the mold you see, treat it with Moldex, a new, less toxic mold killer (less toxic than bleach).

Rinse, let dry, sand the old finish lightly and then apply the new finish. The storage company should do all that for free.

Q. I have bees in my wall. They are getting in through a break in the mortar between wood siding and brick. At least I think they are bees. They are small, brownish, and are very busy. What can I do?

CAROL, Troy, N.Y.

A. From your description, they are indeed honey bees, and they are building a hive in the wall. The expanding hive can bulge the inside wall, so it is important to do something. That something is to hire a beekeeper who will remove the hive and the queen, and the swarm will follow the queen to new headquarters.

Q.Twenty years ago I made a big mistake when I nailed a joist for a deck directly on the shingles of my house. The joist, shingles, sheathing and part of the 2-by-6 sill rotted out. I know I have to replace them, and I know how to rebuild the deck right, but the sill is only about one-third rotted; I plan to dig out the decay and add another 2-by-6 for support. Would that work?

BOB, Chelmsford

A. That could work, especially if the inside joists are parallel to the sill; you would use a pressure-treated 2-by-6.

Technically, however, you are not supposed to do that, because it is a part of the house structure. You need the advice of an architect or an engineer to tell you how to do it. I am not allowed to tell you because I am not a licensed engineer. Before you close everything up, treat the hollowed-out decayed areas with full-strength bleach, which will kill any decay organisms. Kept dry, that sill is unlikely to decay further.

Q. I am closing up my house for the winter. What can I do about water in the washing machine hose, and possibly water remaining in the new dishwasher? I can drain the hose water by detaching it and holding it to the floor, but it gets all over the floor.

NO FREEZING, PLEASE

A. Hold the hose into a bucket. As for the dishwasher residue, there may not be enough to be a problem, but you can call your appliance dealer for advice. Or, put a bit of nontoxic antifreeze in the washing machine and in the dishwasher. It can be flushed away when you return. It is important not to leave excess water around, because even a small amount of freezing can cause a problem.

Here is the experience that Snowbirds e-mailed the Handyman about winterizing their northern home: "Experience has taught us a few things. About five years ago we left a wine rack (with six bottles of wine) on the dining room floor. We returned in the spring to find that the wine had frozen and popped the corks and then defrosted and spilled the wine on my beautiful wood floor. If that wasn't enough, the mice who take up residence every year, imbibed and made a mess. My floors have a good coat of polyurethane and they cleaned up perfectly. We are ready to leave now, it is freezing in this huge house with no heat or insulation."

Thank you, Snowbirds. My goodness, you could have taken the wine with you or given it to the Handyman for safe keeping. Six bottles. A tragedy.

Q. I am redoing some furniture, including a 1890 black-lacquered buffet. Some pieces have fallen off. What kind of glue can I use to reattach them? And, how can I safely remove latex paint spatters from the lacquered surface?

DON CAMBRIA, Newtonville

A. Use Elmer's yellow carpenter's glue, or the new Gorilla wood glue. With either, you can wipe off any oozing glue with a wet cloth. For the spatters, use Oops! or Goof-Off, both of which will remove latex paint without spoiling the original surface. Any kind of oil will also work: Let the oil sit on the paint for 15 minutes, scrape off with a fingernail or wooden scraper. Then wipe off with a cloth.

Q. In my old three-family house, all three units are fed by the same water heater. When I am showering, and someone in another unit flushes the toilet or turns on any tap, I could get scalded. Sometimes the water is not scalding but freezing. Is there something I could put on the shower head to prevent this hazard?

TOO HOT OR TOO COLD

A. Sure is, but it doesn't attach to the shower head. It is a valve, called a one-handle, pressure-reducing valve, also called, appropriately, an antiscald valve. The old pair of faucets is removed and a new single valve is installed. Push the handle to the left for the tub. To the right, for the shower. Or vice versa, I forget which. But be assured you will never scald or shiver again.

Q. I spilled white paint on my asphalt driveway. Power washing did nothing. Now what?

ANGRY!

A. I don't blame you. It is frustrating to mess up a perfectly good driveway, sidewalk, lawn, porch, or anything else. We've all done it, and rue the day.

There is hope for you, though. Try Goof-Off to dissolve the paint, then power wash it away. If that doesn't work, get a bit of driveway sealer and paint that on the stain. You don't have to do the entire driveway. Or, thin down a bit of roof cement with paint thinner and apply that to the stain. A spot of black will be less annoying than a big blotch of white paint.

Q.I saw the question about sticky double-hung windows. I sprayed mine with a silicone spray which worked too well. Now the windows won't stay up. I thought the effect would wear off but two or three years later it only has for some windows, but not for others. Any ideas to make the windows more sticky?

RICH L., Albany, N.Y.

A. Eventually the silicone effect will go away. In the meantime, use a stick to hold the windows up when needed. If there is a side stop on each side of the lower sash holding it in place, pry it off and press it a little tighter against the sash, then renail. That will help.

Q. I tried putting up a beam on my ceiling with glue, but it did not work. I am not gong to try to nail it. How can I get the glue off? If nothing works can I put up Sheetrock as a new ceiling?

BIG BROWN SPOTS

A. Try chemical paint remover such as Citristrip, which will remove the glue but also the paint, so you will have to repaint the entire ceiling. Or, if the glue is hard, sand it off. Also, if the glue is not thick and bumpy, paint it with Kilz or clear shellac, then paint the ceiling. The shellac or Kilz will prevent the glue from bleeding through the paint. Sheetrock is a brand name for plasterboard, which can work as a new ceiling. A better ceiling is to put up Blueboard, then have it skimcoated.

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 www.boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.