Chat with Peter Hotton -- May 10, 2007
shed__Guest_: Peter, My shed is in bad shape. Foundation and floor are rotted out (can put my finger through it) and the roof is doing the same. The framing, however, is in good shape. I'm thinking about taking off the roof, cutting out the floor, moving the frame to the side and putting in a new foundation and floor before re-setting the frame and putting on a new roof. I figure I can do this for around $300. Is this a silly waste of time/money or should I try to salvage what I've got?
Peter_Hotton: Ok, boys and girls time's a wastin' so let's get to work. There is not enough hours to answer all questions, but I am working on that, too. For shed, it is definitely not a waste of mone or time to re-jig your shed. In fact, that is exactly what I did with my 10 by 12 foot shed when I had to move it.Take off all decayed stuff, and in taking off the roof (sheathing , shingles and all) it will easier to move the walls. If the four walls are too heavy to move, ou could take them apart, just as I did. The damned walls were super heavy anyway. Then you can tackle the foundation; use pressure-treated wood wherever you can.
ollie__Guest_: Saw your message about the radiator in the bathroon. You can buy aluminum baseboard. COnsidering it is only about 4 feet ist is not expensive. A plumber will need to install, but the price is cheap. A few hundred for all the work and never rust agaoin/ Worked for me.
Peter_Hotton: ollie: That is interesting and something I will put in my file. It my not ever rust again but it still will have to be repainted n occasion, especially if there are a lot of men and boys in the house.
jose__Guest_: Do you have any advice for a mark left on marble when a pumpkin was set there for several days around Halloween?
Peter_Hotton: jose: MAKE a solution of one part household bleach and three parts water, and see if that will remove the stain. If that does not work, try rubbing with Mr. Clean Magic eraser.
House_Hunter__Guest_: Hi, I'm looking for a house and have noticed that a lot of finished basements have a musty odor - even in split level homes in which the basements are not entirely underground. Is there anything that can be done to eliminate this odor or to prevent it from recurring? I am allergic to mold but don't want to rule out buying one of these homes if there is something that can be done about it. Thanks!
Peter_Hotton: House_Hunter: Those basements are musty because they have been closed up without air to circulate round them. This is generally the reason the are musty. The cure is to ventilate that area by opening windows for cross-ventilation, usually all summer long. In several cases there might be some mold growing and that is more difficult to solve if the mold is behind the wall or otherwise hidden. A home inspector should be able to detect such a situation and advise how to treat it.
auxarcs__Guest_: Hi! You've been very helpful before with questions about our 1945 Dutch Colonial house. Here's another: The kitchen counters are cherry, and could be pretty, except that previous owners used some kind of flow polyurethane finish and left hardened drips along the edges. Little round stalactites. How difficult would it be to refinish the counters, and how would we go about it? (I think anything wood is worth saving; my husband is lobbying for new composite counters.) Thank you!
Peter_Hotton: auxarcs: If the counter tops are solid wood, they can be sanded to the bare wood (Tops and edges, too and re-stained if necessary and varnished with two or thee coats of an oil-based polyurethane varnish. The proper brushing technique will prevent tose drip lnes. Or, maybe the drip lines themselves can be sanded smooth and varnished, without the whole thing needing refinishing.
ed__Guest_: i just got an estimate to repave my driveway $4500 + or - $500 got any alternatives?
Peter_Hotton: ed: You say the offers were $$4,500 or $500? Something s fishy. Alternative? Dig out the driveway (thaT IS EXPENSIVE, THE DIsPOSAL, that is. , then put up some forms and pour contrete into them. )
Barbra_G__Guest_: My bathroom mirror is approximately 5? by 5?, with a light fixture attached to the wall through the mirror. The mirror has a crack that stretches about two-thirds the length of the mirror. A glass/mirror contractor recently said it would cost $700 just to remove this mirror from the wall. There is a molding around the edge of the mirror, but I am not certain whether the mirror is glued to the wall as well. I am thinking of removing the mirror myself. Do you have any recommendations?
Peter_Hotton: Barbra_G: You should be able to take that mirror down, but it will be necessary to disconnect the fixture, or at least pull a fuse or circuit breaker to shut off the power. Then u can figure out how to pry off the frame. If everyhting is glued on, then use heat from a hair dryer on high to soften the glue so you can pry it off. You MIGHT Burn out th dryer but this a small price to pay for removing that white elephant. Do not use a hot air gun; it is far too hazardous to use indoors.
GC__Guest_: Hi Peter -- my cat recently peed on the hardwood floor near the litter box and the smell won't go away. I used floor cleaner, Nature's Miracle, the whole deal. What else can I do?
Peter_Hotton: GC: Try Febreze or any odor reducer. Som of them might work. If not, you have to sand the floor to the bare wood and refinish
mark__Guest_: Hi Peter...Fixing cracks in my driveway. Diffuclt job for a homeowner? I do most of my own improvements
Peter_Hotton: Mark: It depends on the width of the cracks. if they are not too wide, you can fill the cracks with asphalt crack filler, a tar like substance. Fill it full and then sprinkle sand on the wet filler. If the crack is too wide, then you may have to fill it with cold patch, made by Sakrete and sold in hardware stores.
Andrea__Guest_: Hi Peter, as my incandescent lightbulbs need to be replaced, I?m gradually switching over to compact fluorescents. Many of my light fixtures indicate a maximum wattage (incandescent) bulb that should be used. Compact fluorescents, of course, have much lower wattages than their incandescent ?equivalents.? I just want to make sure that it?s safe to use the ACTUAL wattage (rather than its incandescent equivalent) of a compact fluorescent when determining the brightest bulb I can use in a fixture. So, for instance, if I have a fixture that indicates I should use no higher than a 60-watt incandescent bulb, I can actually go ahead and use an 18-watt compact flourescent, which has the equivalent output of a 75-watt incandescent bulb, right?
Peter_Hotton: Andrea: Yes, you can use fluorescent bulbs in place of the incandescents, not only the waattage is lower but the heat is lower, too.
jim__Guest_: I live in north Alabama. What material do you recommend for rain gutters?
Peter_Hotton: jim: Aluminum iS The gutter matERIAL OF CHoICE. Vinyl is OK too, but is not traditional.
chris__Guest_: we are redoing our kitchen and have to take off a linoleum backsplash from the wall. It is just like the linoleum on the counter and is apparently glued to the wall - any ideas on how to remove it? we will probably end up tiling the backsplash
Peter_Hotton: chris: Use heat from a hair dryer on high to soften the glue so you can scrape off the linoleum with brute force scraping. You might scrape off some of the wall finish, but this can be plastered over to make a good base for the tile. Or, take down the whole wall finish (plasterboard, etc.) and put up a new base for the tile.
JK__Guest_: Peter - everytime we run our upstairs bathroom faucet, we get a very bad smell. Sulfur-like, eggy. Happen about 10 seconds after the water is running. Any ideas?
Peter_Hotton: JK: There is hydrogen sulfide in the water, and though it stinks, it is harmless. Let the water run for a while and it should go away. If you are on well water, you can treat the well with a bleach solution but you should get professional help to do this.
sammywhite__Guest_: Hi Peter. I've stripped 99% of the paint off my kitchen cabinet doors. Do you have any recommendations for getting that last 1% off?....and for preparing the surface for its new finish. Thanks.
Peter_Hotton: sammywhite: If you plan to stain and varnish the cabinets, sand off the remnants and do not spare the horses, because all signs of paint must be removed. If you plan to repaint, then go ahead and put on a primer and then a finish paint.
Kathy__Guest_: Peter: I have robins building nests all over my property. They have now built a couple of nests in the framing of my 3-season porch. I love having the birds around, but would prefer they build their nests in the trees. I don't want to disturb existing nexts, but what can I do in the future to deter them from building nests under my 3-season porch. Is there something I can spray to keep them out? Many thanks for all your great advice.
Peter_Hotton: Kathy: Wait a few weeks and the babies will be grown up and will fly the nests, which then will be abandoned and not re-used. It mght be possible to cover areas of the framing with hardware cloth to keep out the birds. Hardware cloth is 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch steel mesh that is very sturdy.
Peter_Hotton: OK boys And girls, time to go. And from here i am off to confront the boss for a two-hour chat session for a bit more cash, thank you. My email as usual is photton@globe.com
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