Trench warfare; power washing a mahogany deck
Q. We have a big problem in our back yard, which butts up against a concrete block retaining wall about 3 feet high, with a trench 3 feet deep on the other side of the wall, which is 18 inches from the house, where the earth covers several inches of aluminum siding. The trench is a big attraction for my young daughter, so I have to have something done. A landscape architect proposes lowering the grade of the yard to make the wall 2 feet high, and filling the trench with crushed stone to allow drainage through a plastic pipe. Will this work?
SUSANNE CROWLEY, Medford
A. From what you have told me, it may work but not very well.The first thing that has to go is the earth that is covering the siding. There should be at least 6 inches of foundation showing between earth and the bottom of the siding. Otherwise decay is a certainty. Perhaps the aluminum siding is keeping moisture away from the wall, but eventually the wall behind the siding will decay. It is OK to put in the drainage pipe, but it must be lower than originally planned.
And that leaves the ``attractive nuisance," the trench that is such a temptation to your daughter. Try this: You can lower the wall and install the pipe and lower the earth level in the trench, to expose that needed 6 inches of foundation. Then cover the trench with sloping glass windows, a little like a greenhouse. This will make that section of the house more attractive and give it a finished look, and keep your daughter away from it. If the windows cause a problem, you can build a sloping roof and shingle it. There also should be some ventilation in that trench.
Q. The man who built my mahogany deck did not put any finish on the deck boards, and now the mahogany has turned very light gray, and has mold stains and other stains as well. I was told that I can power wash it. Is that acceptable?
WILLIAM MORRISON, North Chatham
A. Yes, that is acceptable. The power washing will clean everything up , and you will be all set for another year or so. You do not have to stain or preserve mahogany. It has natural decay-resistant qualities. Dirt stains and mold will return; that is the nature of an outdoor deck.
Q. 1) I just bought a duplex converted to condos and stripped to the studs for renovation. When the cabinets were set up in the kitchen, a 32-inch-wide space was left for the refrigerator which is just too wide to fit into that space. Can the cabinets be moved 2 inches to widen that space? 2) Also, the wall in the bathroom was bumped out to accommodate an HVAC system, so now the door bumps into the vanity. What can I do about that?
J.C.M., Winchester
A. OK, one at a time: 1) The installers can move the cabinets 2 inches or so if there is space on the wall to move into. If the cabinets butt up against the edges of a door casing, for instance, you can take off the casing, have the cabinets moved, then cut the casing to fit. 2) Get a pedestal sink. But you like the storage in the vanity? Then have a shallower vanity custom built, or build one yourself and drop the sink into it. You could reverse the door to open on the other side, but you say the door opening that way would cover the light switch. Maybe you could rejig the switch to be on the other side of the wall. Finally, if there is enough wall space on either side of the opening, install a pocket door.
Q. My baseboard is pulling away from the wall. How can I get it to lie flush with the wall?
THELMA WHITE, Newton
A. If the baseboard is a wood one, it might mean that it was not nailed into the studs, but into the plasterboard, inadequate to hold the baseboard in place. So, push the baseboard flush with the wall, locate the studs with a stud finder or other method, and nail the loose board into the studs, using galvanized finish nails.
If the baseboard is actually a baseboard heater, remove the cover and mark the stud location on the metal back of the baseboard heater, and predrill a hole in the metal before driving the nails.
If these methods do not work, caulk the gap with a caulking compound and repaint.
Q. My bulkhead has six to eight steps leading to the cellar. When it rains, I get water collecting in the bottom of the bulkhead, which floods into the basement. I have a 6-inch pine board set at the foundation opening, which helps keep the water out, but not too well. What can I do to keep water out of the basement?
GERENE SANGUINET, Lunenburg
A. If the bottom is concrete, break it up, but do not break up any concrete in the foundation opening; it is probably separate anyway. Dig a trench 6 to 12 inches deep, and fill the void with crushed stone. This will allow water to fill the crushed stone ``dry well" and eventually drain away without flooding the basement. If you get a little bit of water into the basement, you can build a concrete dam in the foundation opening. Or, install a 2 x 6 pressure-treated board in the opening, securing it on the concrete with adhesive caulk or roofing cement.
When a caller asked how to loosen her rather stiff Andersen windows, the handyman suggested sprayng the slides with
Here is what Vicki in Chesapeake, Va., had to say:
I have had work done on my Andersen windows , and the workers left me a can of Ballistol Lube , multi-purpose. This product is not greasy like WD-40. It is biodegradable and has no carcinogens. It works very well , and I like it better than the WD-40. I think it could be easier to use than candle wax.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats on line about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com. 
