Help may be needed to replace odd-size door
Q. I have to replace my front door. It has one side light, and the whole unit is 56-inches wide. The width is apparently odd, because I can’t find an entry to fit that rough opening. Are there any places I can check with to see what kind of a combination will work?
JACK FAHEY,
Westwood
A. Finding a door and side light to fit in an odd-size opening is not going to be easy because most doors and sidelights are standard sizes. But for starters, go to an independent lumber store and ask to see the Brosco catalog, which features many doors and side lights. One combination might work.
If no dice, choose a combination that measures 58 or 60 inches, or any other different width, and cut your rough opening to that measure. Enlarging an opening is really no big deal, but it can be daunting, especially if you have to put in a new header, which requires professional help to determine just how big it must be. You could also reduce the opening to accommodate a smaller combination.
Whatever you do, don’t buy a steel door. Some are very good, but you cannot trim them to fit, and they require thorough painting and maintenance to keep them from rusting.
Q. My sister has a huge problem with wasps getting in her house (tons of them!). What’s the best way to get rid of them? Would an exterminator help?
CHERYL, via e-mail
A. The Handyman has been getting a few (two or three at a time), so your sister is not alone. I have been able to shoo them out the window or dispatch them with ease. They are mostly not very active and have come in to get warm and prolong their lives a little. Most wasps will die out in the cold, except pregnant queens, so one way to tackle them is to let them outdoors. Many other insects also die out in cold weather, but ants and termites hibernate, burrowing deep in the ground (as far down as 4 feet) to survive the winter.
I do not have many wasps, but I figure they come in through undetectable holes and slots. So your sister’s house has a few holes in it, too, and they may indeed be undetectable. It is not worth looking for them, unless they are leaking cold air. Be careful not to get stung.
The critters, if there are many, can be gathered in a paper bag, screened box, or anything convenient and tossed outdoors - or destroyed, if you feel they might come back in. If you call exterminators, try to keep them from using insecticides in the house. They should try to gather them for disposal instead.
If you are allergic to bee and wasp stings, lay off and let someone else do it.
Q. I had my roof reshingled about 10 years ago. Recently, I’ve noticed some dark coloring starting to create streaks down the roof. A couple of shingles started to slide out of their position in the same area as the streaks and eventually they slid to the ground. The whole shingle did not come loose. Only the normally exposed 6 1/2-inch section has come down. What is happening? How can I fix the problem, and how quickly should it be done?
ROGER KSENIC, via e-mail
A. That dark coloring is mold, which grows on a wet surface. It appears as streaks because rainwater runs down the roof in streaks. You can get rid of it with a solution of one part household bleach and three parts water. You can keep it away by installing a zinc strip under the next-to-top row of shingles. Rain will run over it and deposit bits of dissolved zinc on the roof as it goes down the roof. Your roofer can install the strips.
The shingles breaking at the point where the next shingle above begins boggles my mind. It is as if someone folded up those shingles and they broke. My only explanation is that the shingles are defective. You could take out the remainder of the shingles and put in new ones. If the shingles are defective, others will fail. If the shingles are guaranteed for 20 or more years, the roofer should pay for any losses, but he will not pay for labor.
Q. I have a screened-in porch I want to add windows to, to try to save on heating fuel. There are framed openings where storm windows can fit. Would storms be OK there, or should I buy replacement windows?
WONDERING
A. This is a case where storms would be ideal, because the porch is not heated and anything more (like replacement windows) would do nothing extra. So storms they are, and I suggest you look into Harvey’s Tru-channels, which are as airtight as any storm or window. With those storms the porch will act as a an airlock, helping the house to retain its heat.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in the g 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.
