Adding insulation; fighting no-see-ums; particleboard overhangs
Q. Only a part of my A/C ducts are insulated, and the ones that are have only a 1-inch insulation. Should I insulate the remaining ducts and to what thickness? Should I add insulation to those already insulated? Also, some of my neighbors have added concrete paving stones at the ends of their driveways, where the asphalt slopes into the street. Why?
BILL GUSS, Arlington
A. Applying insulation where it is not is always a good idea, and so is adding insulation where there is some. The more the merrier, but no one I know of has suggested a point of diminishing returns, where adding insulation is no longer helping to save heat. Use common sense.
Definitely add insulation to those uninsulated ducts; they may be only air returns, but keeping them insulated will keep the return air cooler, and therefore easier to cool further when it is re-delivered to the house. Duct insulation comes in 1- and 2-inch thicknesses; apply the 2-inch thickness to the uninsulated ducts and the 1-inch thickness to those already insulated. The insulation is covered with a gray vinyl cover; it is best wrapped to create a standing seam, which is stapled to itself with a specialized stapler. Tape all joints with Gorilla tape or other tape that lasts longer than standard duct tape.
As for those pavers, I think they were put there to replace the sensitive asphalt that tended to deteriorate where it met the street.
Q. I am plagued by no-see-ums. They bite, usually around my ankles. I have found some very small insects, light colored, almost white. How can I get rid of them?
ITCHY, in West Roxbury
A. No-see-ums are a big category, but they could be mites or dust mites, which are mighty small. Fleas and lice are probably too big to be unseeable. Your best bet is to call the Public Health Department in Boston. An exterminator might suggest fumigating, which is expensive and requires that you be out of the house for a time. Those teeny white bugs might be termites; they don't bite. An exterminator can identify them.
Q. My cottage in New Hampshire has 4-foot overhangs, which I made of particleboard and then painted. Now the solid color stain is coming off, taking thin sections of the particleboard with it. I added penetrol to paint and applied two coats, and it helps some. What would be a permanent fix?
BOB CRAM, Ipswich
A. Get rid of that particleboard. Prolonged exterior exposure will wreck it. Put up 1/2-inch exterior plywood with the good side showing so you can paint it with two coats of a solid color latex stain. If that wide soffit provides direct access to the attic, you can put a 3-inch-wide screened strip along its full length for ventilation.
Q. The crawl space under my 14-by-16-foot addition has a crushed stone floor covered with black plastic, and a ceiling with foil-backed insulation. Now the family room has a slightly musty odor. Why am I getting that odor and how can I get rid of it?
RALPH KELLY, Swingerland, N.Y.
A. Ventilation is the key here. You did everything right except ventilate that crawl space. Open windows for cross-ventilation to release excess water vapor, which is causing the musty smell that's infiltrating the family room. If there are no windows or vents, make some. If the foundation is poured concrete, a concrete cutter can cut round holes in the wall so you can screen them. And ventilate the family room, too.
Q. Some time ago you wrote about the Artillery Fungusthat lurks in wood mulch and fires spores up to 15 feet onto the siding of the house, making unremovable brown, oily spots. I have the spots on my house, and the local extension coop was no help. Neither powerwashing nor bleach worked. What can I do now?
BETTY YAMIN, Wynarnskill, N.Y.
A. Try a citrus cleaners such as Citrus Green or Citrus Clean. Or, spray
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. He can be reached at photton@globe.com. 