Henry Harrison 5/15/2002

HGTV: Welcome to HGTV's hosted chat room. Henry Harrison, home improvement expert and host of "Help Around the House," is here to answer your home improvement and repair questions. Hello, Henry!

Henry Harrison: Hello and welcome to the evening chat! I hope we get good questions and some answers you can use... so let's get started.

Question: I'm in the market for a new house, and prefer older styles to newer ones. However, one of the things about older houses is the low ceiling in the basement. Rather than lift the whole house up, I was thinking it might be possible to excavate deeper and re-pour the floor to get the higher ceiling. Is this possible, or does it endanger the foundation? Can I turn a 6' ceiling into an 8' ceiling?
HH: Yes, your idea is feasible, but it will be expensive. Keep in mind that most basements are not built for habitation. So, once you decide to go deeper there are a number of considerations. Water intrusion, leakage, foundation settling and just a general overall disruption of the basic structure of the house. So these are things you can expect.

Q: We have a septic system and every time we use large amounts of water in any room in the house the sink in the kitchen "gurgles". My husband says the septic is full, but I say no because the yard is not wet. I thought I saw something once that it could be a blocked standpipe. HELP please.
HH: You are in the right area. The standpipe, which usually vents through the roof of the house, could be clogged with either leaves or nests built by birds or other animals. So it is a good idea to first locate the standpipe, which is usually a two-inch cast iron pipe which will protrude from the roof. It is usually in the neighborhood of two feet long standing above the roofline. To clear it, use a standard drain auger, which is a cable usually anywhere from a quarter-inch to five-eighths of an inch in diameter with a strong metal barb on the end. Try to auger down through the pipe. Once the cable is retracted, check the end of the barb for debris. If there is debris, that is a good indication that the standpipe has been clogged. After the auger has been used, then you can take a water hose with sufficient water pressure and run water through the standpipe for three to five minutes. That should definitely help.

Q: I have a very dark bathroom with an olive colored bathtub. I wanted to just replace the bathtub for now, but will I need to replace my vinyl flooring too? Will the floors be damaged after ripping the old tub out? I was thinking of putting tile in later.
HH: More than likely, the tub was installed before the tile. So there will probably be a minimal amount of damage. And if the existing vinyl is in good shape, once the surface is properly prepared you can come back with new flooring.

Q: I was wondering if it would be possible to build a brick wall totaling 18 feet long (alcove) on a 4 inch basement floor?
HH: Yes, it is possible. If it isn't too high, it'll be a piece of cake. If it is more than 3 feet high then it will need to be anchored with rods or metal brackets into the existing slab. Otherwise, every time it is bumped you run the risk of damage.

Q: Thank you! I was really concerned about the weight of the wall so I built a stud wall first so I could brick just one side.
HH: It's a good idea, you did the right thing, but now it is a good idea to take some metal ties that are nailed or screwed into the studs and cemented into the mortar lines of the brick. Do this. It is good to get one tie in at every stud.

Q: I first want to tell you how much I love your show! So, I was hoping that you could help me with my problem. We have a lot of silicone caulk around our bathtub, and I wanted to remove it before I put on new caulk. I've been trying to scrape it with a utility knife and with a grout scraper, but they are not working. Any ideas?
HH: Something that I use that works well is an old-time can opener (with a triangular point). That works great for digging out grout and old paint. If that doesn't work, it can always be cut out with a very sharp utility knife, which is basically an industrial-sized razor blade.

Q: I just bought a house that has asbestos shingle siding. I would like to replace the shingles with vinyl siding. Should I tear them down or cover them with vinyl? Also, are there any other alternatives to vinyl siding that could work?
HH: First off, the asbestos siding will need to be removed by a certified remediation company (if it is to be removed) because, as we know, asbestos is a carcinogen. It can be covered with other materials like vinyl, aluminum siding, hardy plank or even wood siding. But first, the asbestos surface must be disturbed as little as possible. And check the local building codes for guidelines on working around, upgrading or removing asbestos siding. One good thing about asbestos siding. As long as it isn't chipped or damaged, it holds paint well and will usually last the lifetime of the home. If it is sanded or cut, that is where the danger begins.

Q: I've been told by someone that my ridge vent was never "opened;" that it needs to be slit along its length from the inside of the attic. There is no such slit visible. Before I go and do serious damage to my roof, can you give me any information as to the truth behind ridge vents? I'd really appreciate it.
HH: Ridge vents, in the truest sense, are open -- the material itself is open. However, if the ridge vent is installed over an existing roof, then an area about two inches on each side of the top beam should be cut. There should be an opening on each side of the long beam that runs right down the middle of the house there should be a long, open space about four inches wide all along the length of that ridge. The long board is called the ridge board. The whole idea is for heat and air to rise to the very peak of the attic and escape along those slits or cuts along the ridgeline. If they are not there, then the hot air has no place to go. But the ridge material itself that fits on the top of the roof is basically a high-grade plastic or aluminum material built in sort of a shallow A-frame with louvers, screens or continuous vents. So, go up into the attic if you can, look at the very top, along the ridgeline, and see if the long slits are there.

Q: Can I pour concrete over my brick patio?
HH: Yes...what will probably happen is, after the concrete goes down, and there has been some traffic on the new surface, there will be fractures and breaks wherever there are joints in the bricks.

Q: My boyfriend and I are remodeling an old German brick home. The kitchen was an add on and we are trying to remove the paint off of the old exterior brick wall in the kitchen. There are about 6 layers of paint. We have tried everything. The first layer is a really heavy/glossy paint and the final layer we believe is old lead based army paint. Does anyone have suggestions on what we can use to get the final layer of paint off of the brick, without damaging the brick? Our last hope is to sandblast, we were hoping to find a chemical solution.
HH: Because you think it is lead. That makes it tough. Sandblasting is a good last alternative. However, you can expect some deformation of the bricks caused by the sandblasting. There are muratic acid mixtures that are used as strippers. However, since they have the feeling that there is lead there, if you use a chemical stripper, there is a great risk of lead fumes, so if it is sandblasted or stripped or sanded or scraped, with the lead being there, there is always a potential hazard. My recommendation for something like that is to clean the surface thoroughly with TSP and then use a deglosser to dull the existing paint, repaint the brick and the mortar lines. That's an alternative. If you have small children, the lead is a much greater risk.

Q: I am planning on installing a doggie door. It has to be a patio door panel. Can you take it out if you need to or are they in there for good. I have to order the large/tall model. I have a German shepherd who weighs about 85 lbs. Does it look bad once installed? I've never had one before. Thanks.
HH: No, they are fine. In fact, there are companies that make the doggie doors with real nice security panels that mount on the back and on the front. So if you decide not to use it, you can always block the doggie door with the security panels.

Q: We have inherited an older bed. It is beautiful, but squeaks whenever we move in it. It has metal rails that fit into slots in the foot board and headboard. Any ideas on how to stop the squeaking?!!?!?
HH: One thing you can do, is, if you know a welder, all of the joints can be welded. And especially, if the frame has been expanded, the areas where the rails come together can be welded, and any joints, any floating joints can be oiled. Also, any old springs can be removed they aren't needed these days because of the sophistication of the new age mattresses and box springs. Maybe a combination of these suggestions will help you.

Q: I live in an older apartment which has horsehair plaster walls. I have to use anchors whenever I hang something, but sometimes even those go right through the wall. Is there anything I can use to fill the holes that will allow me to re-drill or screw in the same area?
HH: There is a substance developed for this instance. It is called Rock Hard water putty. All of the major home centers carry it now. It is very effective. I use it all the time. It is a dry powder mixed with water. It ends up being stronger than the plaster itself.

Q: Help! My wood deck railing has splintered. Must I replace it or can it be repaired? Thanks for your help.
HH: If it has been splintered, it can be planed down or sanded down past the splintered area, if it is indeed a splinter and not a break or fracture. A break or a fracture can be repaired with an exterior epoxy. However, exterior wood is so inexpensive these days, it will be more time and cost effective to replace the splintered rail.

Q: We just refinished our hardwood floors and I've already put a few small scratches on them with the vacuum. I tried to buff them out, but only made it worse -- now they look dull. Any ideas on how to fix them or at least make the area shine again?
HH: It all depends on what type of material was used to finish the floor. If it was finished with a polyurethane or a urethane, the area can be lightly sanded with a 220-grit sandpaper dusted and cleaned and recoated with the original material. If it is a wax-type topcoat the area can be cleaned with mineral spirits and recoated with wax. And it is very important, if at all possible to try and use the same brand of material that was used originally. If you can't, at least try and match the type of material. If it is polyurethane, come back with polyurethane, if it is wax, come back with wax. If it is urethane or wax, wipe the surface with a cloth that has been dampened with mineral spirits. If the mineral spirits have little or no effect on polyurethane, but will completely remove wax. So you can tell this way.

Q: I bought an older house and the foundation in the downstairs bathroom has fallen, therefore the wall has a 3 inch gap, is there anyway to fix this besides taking everything down.
HH: A three-inch gap is pretty serious. That type of repair is best left to a foundation repair company.

Q: We have 2 attic fans. What is the best temperature to set the thermostat to? Do we have to open a window in a bedroom to insure that the house cools properly or is an attic fan just that, a fan that cools the attic and thereby cools the floor right below the attic?
HH: Well, it depends on if it is an attic fan or a whole house fan. An attic fan is just that, it cools and ventilates the attic. However, a whole house fan sometimes looks like an attic fan, but it cools the entire house by setting up sufficient air circulation from the bottom level of the home to the top level. A true whole house fan will require windows to be able to open on all levels. A good way to tell the difference is: most attic fans vent from the roof or through a gable just below the roof. A whole house fan will vent the same way, but there will be a grid, or a large open area, usually on the second story of a home, in a large hallway, where air will rise from the lower levels up through that grid, through the attic and up through the whole house. Most of the homes that were built before 1950 had some sort of a whole house fan system. As far as the temperature setting, it depends on the part of the country you are living in. In most of the southern climates, where attic temps can reach 140 degrees, usually the attic fan temperature gauges and thermostats are set between 95 and 105 degrees. In cooler climates, the thermostat can be set lower.

Q: I am planning on building a cabinet to put on a wall between my kitchen and dining room but I'd like some advice as to how do I secure it to the wall? It will be about 43"x31"--depending on the size of stock mirrors--and probably 12" deep. Wood frame with a glass front and sides; 2-3 shelves will be glass. The back will be a mirror. This cabinet will house a collection of crystal wine goblets and glasses, etc... Keep in mind, this is earthquake country.
HH: The easiest thing to do, if possible, is to first find the distance between the wall studs. Usually they are 16 inches apart. However, it can be different in some cases. Once you determine the distance then you can size your new cabinet, so that it can be mounted into the studs. And build the cabinet in such a way that the back portion has a brace at the top and the bottom that is connected to the cabinet and will connect into the wall studs with three-inch wood screws.

Q: My new house is 13 months old. Water was coming from all the edges of the basement floor. It was flooding with 2 inches water. My builder said that it was caused by the dysfunction of sump pump. Is it right? It is my first house, I don't know what to do.
HH: That sounds right on target and would be the first thing I would check (the sump pump). There should be a sensor there that will start the pump in operation when a water leak is detected.

Q: We are remodeling and our construction guy keeps asking us for money. But the work is not satisfactory. The electrician is never here 2 days out of 2 weeks. The plumber was here one week and now won't return for another week. Should we keep giving him money or should we ask for more results. Also, our construction loan contract says this job has to be done in 10 months. What happens if it is not?
HH: That is a very touchy situation. The simplest way to give an answer is that you must start a construction process properly and it will end properly. Materials, schedules, deadlines must be in writing, itemized and periodic updates, changes and modifications done in writing and signed off on by all parties. I would recommend at this stage in the process that you speak with an attorney. There is so much work out there that many builders have overextended themselves and have more projects that they can handle, so it is always good to start right. Most of the time, this is easier said than done. Good luck.

Q: I recently moved into my new home and decided to do some painting. Well, a friend was trying to be helpful and closed my windows before they were done drying. Now my windows are stuck shut. The sides of the windows are actually painted to the jams. I have cut around the window with a box cutter but it is no use. I was going to try pouring a small bit of paint thinner into the crack but I'm hoping you have a better idea. Do you?
HH: I sure do. Stop by a Lowe's and ask for a window saw. It is a little device that looks like a pizza cutter on steroids -- LOL. It is thin and sharp. You can cut away the paint in the window frame without destroying a paint job. It is a tool invented by professional painters years ago and we use them all the time.

Q: One bull-nosed marble tile, which I think is improperly laid, is broken in two. Is there some way I can just bond them together instead of replacing it?
HH: Well, it is always going to look like it has been bonded together. It would be easier, if you can find a tile match, it is just as easy to put a new one in than try to bond an old one. Cut around the grout line between the bull nose that has been cracked, get down into the grout line at least a quarter of an inch, and cut in deep enough to take a cold chisel and a ball peen hammer and break away the chipped bull nose. It's like extracting a tooth and putting a new one in. Once the old bull nose is out, the grout line can be cleaned up, new adhesive laid on the back side, a new bull nose installed, and then it can be regrouted. That way there will be a nice, clean look to it.

Q: I have pulled up the carpet in my hallway and found old linoleum that matches my kitchen floor. I have stripped and waxed this floor and it still doesn't shine or look good. A friend suggested that I might paint and stencil it but I'm not sure what that would do to the value of the house. Another option I thought of was to apply polyurethane to the floor. Any suggestions
HH: The only thing about applying a polyurethane over vinyl is that it will become very slippery. You can clean it well as you have done, and try a high-grade industrial type wax made especially for vinyl. Some of the ZEP products work very well. I definitely would not paint it. Paint will just chip off very easily.

Q: Hello, my husband just installed a reverse osmosis system in our house. Our water has a high level of dissolved solids and tasted awful. The system has made the water drinkable. But we noticed that whenever the system is filtering water it is also draining what seems to be a lot of water in the waste. It stops draining when the tank is full. We collected a gallon in less than an hour when we first installed. Is this normal? Or is this just something that happens with the GE smartwater system that we installed?
HH: It is not something that normally happens. I would call a GE technician and have them run a test on the system. The whole idea of a reverse osmosis system is not only to filter the water, but conserve water. Any water loss should be at a minimum.

Q: My friend has a popcorn ceiling in her bathroom that is constantly moldy. She has tried having it cleaned and having it painted with special paint, but it keeps recurring. Suggestions?
HH: There is something behind that ceiling that is allowing the mold to continue to bloom. There is a moisture problem or leak that needs to be addressed behind the popcorn ceiling. It could be condensation, a leak, extreme humidity, etc. Try and ventilate the area, clean it, and keep it ventilated. That should help. If it doesn't, then the ceiling will have to be opened to see what is there.

Q: (Continued from last question) I live in an apartment and there is no window in that room. How do I ventilate it?
HH: Take a small fan and allow air to blow from another room into the room with the problem.

Q: It probably is a stupid question but how do you remove stripped screws?
HH: That is a good question. It sounds easy, but it can be very tough. There are screw extractors you can buy, however, there are so many different types most of the extractors call for you to drill a hole into the screw that is stuck, then insert the extractor into the hole you've drilled and back it out using a wrench. However, most of the time, it is very hard to drill into the head of a screw that has been broken off. If the screw is in wood, I normally take a very small drill bit, and this can be done in soft metals also, about 3/32's of an inch, drill holes all around the stuck screw as close to the screw as possible with the holes being as close together as possible. Then, take a chisel or an awl which is just a pointed, looks like an ice pick, and proceed to dig the screw out by entering through the holes you drilled around the stuck screw.

Q: Is it possible to tile over an existing laminate countertop, or will the laminate deter the grout from fully securing the tile. I'm trying to redo a badly damaged countertop without spending too much money, and if I have to replace the structure of the countertop anyway, I'd rather just get a new one completely. Any ideas?
HH: It can be done. First, go ahead and sand the existing countertop with about an 80 grit sandpaper to remove the gloss from the surface. Set the new tiles with a mastic that is formulated to be used over existing surfaces. Usually, this type of mastic or adhesive is brown in color rather than white. And just use a grout of your choice.

Q: I'm going to "sister" new wall studs in shower wall. Old studs have substantial dry rot. Is it necessary to remove all dry rot from old studs? Does it continue to deteriorate even after it has been thoroughly dried? Would prefer to leave existing studs in place as they are over 50 percent good and provide attachment point for new studs and of course are attached to stucco wire. Thanks!!
HH: No, but the safe thing to do is to use an exterior type treated lumber because it is going to be resistant to fungi and bacteria. A regular kiln-dried stud won't last nearly as long if it is exposed to the conditions that the dry-rot presents. Just make sure that the new studs are sistered onto the surface that is solid. If the surface is not solid, then it will be necessary to sandwich instead of sister. And that will be basically one piece of treated lumber on one side, and one piece on the other side that has the dry rot. But always check with the local building codes. There are some areas of the country that will require you to completely remove the damaged studs.

HGTV: Well, everyone, our chat hour has ended. Thanks so much for joining us today. And thank you, Henry, for helping out the world with their home improvement projects!

Henry Harrison: All-righty...I am thankful we've had a good session -- it always goes by quickly. I am looking forward to our session on June 3rd. And don't forget to check out the Weekend Work Zone only at HGTV.