A. No pole-hung feeder is safe from squirrels. Even squirrel domes that look like upside-down dishpans, top and bottom, will not stop attacks from the side. Squirrels can jump 15 feet horizontally, and their aim is good.
There is one thing you can try before resorting to other methods: Add red pepper flakes or cayenne power to the feed. Squirrels hate the heat but the pepper will not hurt birds. Be careful using cayenne powder; inhaling it can be harmful. Also, the Improvements Catalog (800-642-2112) carries Get Away, which you spray on the feeder to deter squirrels.
A better way is to hang the feeders from a tree branch, with at least 20 feet of space between branch and feeder. Use a copper wire stripped from a Romex cable as your hanger. The squirrels can climb down every type of hanging wire, rope, or chain, except smooth copper wire.
Now you have to guard against sideways attacks. Keep tree branches at least 15 feet from the feeder and you can enjoy the birds with impunity.
About those hums. . .
When Joan from Belmont called to tell us about a hum that occurred in a room that just had seven double-hung, double-glazed windows installed, we thought of all kinds of causes, ranging from loose grids between the glass panes to loose screens. Installers of the windows said they were installed properly and not defective.
We suggested several cures, but Rich from Newton e-mailed us this info: "Could the hum be caused by a harmonic vibration in the spring balances of the windows? I have noticed that in windows I have installed."
Now, why didn't I think of that? I hope Joan reads this, because I believe Rich is right on. Being double hung, the windows normally would be spring loaded.
If that is the case, I don't think there is a cure. Still, Joan should not have to put up with the hum; any window that causes a hum is, by definition, defective. Perhaps she could have the windows removed and replaced with casements, which do not have springs. The installers should do this free.
Q. My house in the woods is 12 years old, with light brown asphalt roof shingles. The roof is stained black. What are those black stains and what can I do about them? H.G., Westwood
Q. My north-facing roof is stained black, from top to bottom. In the corners are light gray-green stains, actually growths, not very big but big enough to be seen. The south-facing roof is clear. Shingles are asphalt. What's happening? KATHIE PELTZ, Manchester, Vt.
A. For H.G. and Kathie, the problem is mold. The reason H.G.'s entire roof is black is because his house in the woods is in the shade, and moisture remains on it longer than other parts, and with this prolonged dampness, mold spores will land and grow. The mold is on Kathie's north roof because it, too, is shady. If you walk in the neighborhood, you will probably see the north side of other roofs also black with mold. Usually the south side and other sides are not.
Mold left on a roof can cause decay. So, wash the roof with a solution of one part household bleach and three parts water. Wear skin and eye proteciton when working with bleach.
The same goes for algae, bright green stains that often appear on roofs. Algae, a form of seaweed, also can be removed with the bleach solution, but it takes scrubbing. Don't try to power-wash a roof. The little gravel stones in your shingles will go poof!
You can do this yourself if you don't mind working on a roof. If not, a professional house washer could do it.
Now we get to Kathie's light gray-green stains. They are not mold, nor algae, but a combination of both, called lichen. Bleach will not touch them, but copper sulfate will. If you do not use the copper sulfate, you cannot scrape off the lichen without ruining asphalt shingles, however, so I think it's best left alone.
There is, however, a way to keep mold and algae away.
Some lumber dealers carry zinc strips that are inserted under the second-to-the-top course of shingles below the roof ridge. With the zinc strip exposed, rain water flows over the strips, bringing a bit of zinc down the entire roof. Algae and mold will not grow in a zinc-rich environment.
If you can't find the strips in stores, manufacturers are Chicago Metallic, 800-638-5192; WESPAC of Seattle, Wash., 425-745-5964; and z-stop.com, distributed by PDQ Building Product sales of Hingham, 781-878-8733.
Q. We are trying to remove white paint from our brick fireplace and hearth. I tried CitriStrip, which did very little good. We tried Peel-Away, which did not peel away; the only way I can get the Peel-Away off is with a brush and hot water (which is probably not good for the bricks). Is there anything else we can try. Would a hot-air gun help? N.B., Email from Cambridge
A. OK, it's time for the Handyman's annual, "There's a place in hell for people who paint brick" tirade, with a few ideas that will work better than N.B.'s attempts. For starters, you can't get water hot enough to harm brick. The only thing that will hurt brick is sandblasting.
First, try the hot-air gun; it just might soften the paint enough for scraping. Be super careful, though; I don't usually recommend a hot-air gun indoors because of its potential fire hazard, but if you keep the stream of air strictly on the brick, it should be OK. The air stream is 700 to 1,000 degrees; since about 500 degrees will ignite wood, you can see how dangerous this tool is.
The only other way is to use a methylene chloride-based paint remover such as Stripeeze or 5F5, powerful, hazardous removers. Use plenty of ventilation when using these strippers. Keep working, and apply more than one coat if necessary; it is tedious and slow, but with hard work it will succeed.
Q. The bulb is out in one of the recessed lights above my shower. I have one of those bulb-remover poles, but the bulbs are too small for the pole to work. I also cannot grasp the bulb with my fingers. Any way to remove it? K.E., E-mail
A. Try this. Apply a piece of duct tape to each side of the bulb, as deeply into the holder as possible. Make the pieces long enough so you can adhere them to each other, then twist the connected pieces to turn the bulb. This is from Rarie Dye of Conway, Mass. You might also try turning the bulb with a soft rubber pad used to help twist off a jar lid. This pad will stick well enough to the bulb so your fingers can turn it.
Q. My driveway is in the shade, and snow and ice make it treacherous to walk on. Can I install heating cables to keep the ice away? If I use salt to melt the ice, will it hurt the asphalt? GEORGE HARRAR, Wayland
A. Electric heating cables or water pipes extended from the house heating system must be installed when the driveway is built, or repaved. Salt will not harm asphalt.
Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats on line 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. Go to www.boston.com. His e-mail is photton@globe.com
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
