Chucking out an unwanted pest; substituting vinyl for wood
Q Outside our dining room is a landing with French doors. A woodchuck is under the landing. I don't mind him , but he is eating my wife's flowers. How can I get rid of him humanely?
RICHARD LYFORD,Winchester
A Humanely, huh? To get rid of him means killing him, because it's illegal for a nuisance - animal person to cart him away . I cannot figure any humane way to dispose of a critter , but there is another solution. You can shoo the 'chuck out and then build a sturdy foundation under the landing, effectively closing him out on three sides. Build a wall of pressure-treated wood boards going from the top of the landing and extending maybe 24 inches into the ground. Even a determined 'chuck would be hard put to excavate 24 inches down to get into his favorite spot.
Q I have a lovely old hutch without hardware. Where can I find hardware appropriate for it?
PAT, Nahant
A There are many hardware and antique hardware companies , including Crown City Hardware (626-794-0234 ), Van Dyke's Restorer s ' catalog (800-558-1234 ), and Restoration Hardware stores in the area . Also,
Q I spilled some liquid medicine, like a syrup, on a pine bureau. How can I remove it?
A If it is on bare wood inside the drawer, scrape off any crysta l lization and wet the rest with water to dissolve the remainder . Repeat as necessary. You could sand off any stain that's left , but if it is inside the drawer, just leave it. If it is on a finished top, don't scrape, but wet with water to try to dissolve it and wipe off. If it has stained the finish, try rubbing it off with Colgate toothpaste or rottenstone and oil.
Q I have an outdoor ban ister that will not keep paint. Would a vinyl ban ister be acceptable?
A.R., Danby, Vt.
A There is a continuing, rabid controversy over substituting wood with vinyl . It all started with vinyl siding, which was born as a cover for houses with a hopeless case of peeling paint. On one side are the vinyl enthusiasts who think it is the be-all and end-all of materials, and a solution to everything from hot flashes to chilblains. On the other are the traditionalists, even die-hards, and those who just don't like it .
In recent years vinyl has broadened its scope, creating solid vinyl fascia boards, trim pieces, almost any form of wood trim, including balusters, railings and, huzzah for you, A.R., ba nisters. The stuff saws like wood and I don't think it dulls saws, and nails like wood, although it's a good idea to pre - drill pilot holes even for small nails.
So go ahead and buy a solid vinyl ba nister. In fact, I am installing 1 1/2-inch square balusters on the railing around my Federal porch roof. I can handle scraping and repainting the railings and posts, but I got tired of scraping and repainting all 34 balusters .
Q I tried the usual cleaners on the soap scum on my glass shower doors, with little success. What can I use? Also, a coat hanger dropped on my bathtub caused rust spots. How can I remove them?
DEBBIE ONIE, Brookline
A Try white shampoo. Squeeze it out thoroughly and rub with your hands to smear it all over the glass. Wait an hour or so, then scrub with a sponge and rinse.Or, use vinegar. Or, use a strongsolution of ammonia and water. For the rust spot, cut a lemonin half, liberally sprinkle salt on one half and rub it on thestain.
Q I have a large one-story addition with a shed (one - slope) roof. There is a large overhang at the low end of the roof, so I can put in soffit vents, but how can I ventilate the roof where it butts up against the vertical wall? There is a flat ceiling under the roof, creating a small attic crawl space. Also, how can I make inside storm windows?
STEVE CURRIE, Chelmsford
A If you put a wide soffit vent in that lower overhang, that might be enough, but you won't be able to tell if it works unless you can gain access to the attic area to check for moisture . There are three ways to ventilate the high area of the roof: Cut square vents in both side walls of the attic, locating those vents as near to the high part of the roof and the house wall as possible; install several roof vents close to the wall at the high end of the roof; or cut 2 inches off the shingles and roof sheathing next to the wall, and install a half-ridge vent.
For the inside storms, you can buy kits with Saran Wrap -type plastic that is held on to the window casing by a special clip system that goes on three sides of the casing and which comes with the kit. Another kit is the holding system for acrylic or Plexiglas sheets that are sold separately.
Q What can I do about the metal baseboard heater covers in my bathroom, which keep rusting out and peeling? I have already replaced the covers once, and they are looking pretty awful again.
DON ROCKETT, Abington
A You can sand the old covers thoroughly and prime them with an oil-based primer and finish with an oil-based enamel, which might be more liquid-proof than latex paint. But here is a better idea: Buy decorative self-adhesive covering, also known as contact paper and most correctly,Con-Tact sold by Decora. Put this material on the heater cover; modern decorative self-adhesive covering is easily peeled off when it gets dingy, and you can simply recover the cover whenever necessary.
Q I have a new shower stall with ceramic tile sides and a fiberglass floor, very white and very clean. Can I put mosaic tile (the kind that comes on sheets) on that floor?
CURIOUS
A You can put down tile with a thin-set mortar if the floor does not flex. But I suggest you leave the floor as is, and keep it clean with Daily Shower treatments.
Handyman on Call also appears in the Globe's Real Estate section on Sundays. Peter Hotton is available 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair; call 617-929-2930. Hotton chats online about house matters 2 to 3 p.m. Thursdays, at Boston.com. Hotton can be reached at photton@globe.com. 
