Q. How can I remove peel-andstick tiles from a bathroom wall? They are on drywall which makes them even harder to remove. I was able to take off some with a heat gun, but it was a tedious, miserable job. Is there any easier way? I was thinking that if push comes to shove, it would be easier to take down the drywall and put up new drywall. Is that a dumb idea or what?
ELIZABETH STEWART, Gretna, La.
A. Now you are thinking, and your idea is not as dumb as it sounds. Go ahead. Another reason to do so is to stop using that heat gun, which can burn the house down in a twinkling. Those hot-air guns can fire a stream of air up to 1,000 degrees, which is too hot for indoor work.
Did you ever think that the Handyman did exactly what you intend to do? My wife tells the story of me working tediously to get paper off drywall. The heck with it, I said, and tore down the wall. At least that let me insulate the wall before putting up new drywall. Go for it, you will be happy you did.
Q. In my 70-year-old basement, the cast iron wastewater (sewer) pipes, which are horizontal, are weeping at their bottoms, and the leaking water is forming a crust. Is there anything wrong that I should worry about? Are the pipes rusting away? One time they were painted green. Does that make any difference? Will anything slow down the weeping?
NEIL CAREY, Springfield, Vt.
A. Not to worry in all cases. The pipes may be a little rusty (that is the crust) and there is nothing wrong. The pipes are not leaking or weeping; that moisture is condensation of water vapor that has built up in the cellar. Paint will not stop the condensation, but if you would like to, you can wrap the pipes with duct insulation. A better way to stop the condensation is to ventilate the basement to release all that water vapor. This is not necessary in cold weather when the air contains less moisture, but only in the summer.
Q. I have gotten a lot of opinions, but no one seems to know for sure what is wrong with my tankless water heater. After 12 years, it is producing less and less hot water; in fact it is rather lukewarm. I have the boiler serviced once a year, and a plumber did not know what was wrong. What should I do?
DREW
A. Find another plumber who knows something about tankless water heaters. Those heaters have a coil inside the boiler that carries the domestic water; boiler water heats up this water to have it ready for use. Sometimes, usually after 20 years, minerals build up on the coil, acting as insulation against the transfer of heat, resulting in not-so-hot water. A knowledgeable plumber can remove that mineral buildup. If that cannot be done, you probably need a new heater. Unfortunately, the failure occurred after 12 years, far earlier than the normal 20 years.
She wrote, a bit paraphrased: As my family are avid fruit lovers, I have been addressing the problem of fruit flies for years, spurred to action one summer when I reached for a peach and the cloud of fruit flies that rose was audible. I tried trapping without success. Putting apples and oranges in the fridge is OK, but not peaches, tomatoes, avocados, or bananas.
The solution was to fashion net covers for my fruit bowls. It wasn't easy to find the right net, but I found the no-see-um netting to work in keeping me free of fruit flies for a few seasons, and able to see the fruit as well. The design is simple. I am happy to pass on instructions (free, of course) to any interested reader. I set up an e-mail account: fruitbowlcovers@gmail.com.
Thanks for the memories, Nancy Wilson. And memories I mean, because your covers (they look like netted shower caps) are like the old-fashioned (Victorian) covers to protect edibles from picnic marauders. They are still sold in big pricey catalogs.
Q. I had a Pergo floor installed in my kitchen. Now, one area squeaks when I walk on it. It is not large area, but I don't think a new floor should squeak. How can I fix it?
SQUEAKY
A. Pergo floors I think are floating, which means they are laid without glue or nails. As such, it must be dead flat, in full contact with the floor under, without any depressions that would move when stepped on. The installers should come back and put thin shims (cardboard or other sturdy material, but very thin, or even a leveling compound) in that squeaky area, under the Pergo. This will stop the movement and the squeak. If they don't do it (because they don't want to), you can do it yourself, but that is very tricky and I would not do it; live with it. There is something comforting about a squeaking house.
Q. I am about to start cooking Indian cuisine at home. I hear that its aromas can settle into the drapes, upholstery, etc. and remain. I do not have a hood over my stove and no fan in the kitchen to draw aromas out of the house, but could a room air cleaner in the kitchen help and do you have any specs on such?
BOB, by e-mail
A. I don't think air cleaners will work because they are adding just another chemical to the air. Besides, air cleaners will do nothing for the fat globules that contain the aroma. I think an exhaust fan is the only thing that will work. There is a lot of oil in Indian food, and it is these oil droplets that permeate everything in the house. The fan of course should be exhausted to the outdoors. It could be over the stove or in a kitchen wall, nearby.
Q. I've been in my townhouse for four years now. Several times a year I check the attic for mold and, until recently, have never seen any. Last Christmas Eve, during a rain and wind storm, a roof cap was blown off. For two days the top of the roof, where the front and back roofs meet, was exposed to outside air. (The cap was about 4 feet long. The gap itself was about 4 feet long by about 2-3 inches wide.) It made the attic very cold. The cap was put back on two days after it blew off. About two weeks later I was back in the attic and this time noticed some mold growth on one side of the roof. It is all concentrated on the bottom front part of the roof area. Is it possible that the exposure of the cold air caused the mold growth? Will a mixture of three parts water and one part bleach be enough to clean it?
BRETT PACEWICZ, by e-mail
A. That roof cap is a ridge vent, and it blew off because it was not installed properly. When it blew off, rain came in and soaked certain areas of the attic. This moisture then evaporated slowly in the cold attic, and there was enough of it left to condense into water on the coolest part of the roof (attic ceiling); ergo, mold grew. Yes, you can use the bleach solution to clean off and kill the mold. And, with the vent back on, the attic will continue to be cold, but will release any remaining water vapor to the outdoors and will not leak. If the attic "worked" for four years before the cap blew off, it will continue to work well enough to keep out moisture - and mold. Incidentally, the cold had nothing to do with the mold; it was the moisture.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in g 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.
