Home Sense

Mike McClintock (For The Washington Post)

Have questions about how to keep your home fit and trim?

Home Sense columnist Mike McClintock is online every other Thursday at Noon ET to answer your questions about home building, remodeling, repairs and the wide range of home-consumer issues. If it has something to do with the place where you live -- from home security to the latest on appliances, energy-saving and a lot more -- just ask. Mike has the answers.

McClintock's column appears in the Post Home section every Thursday. He is the author of 10 books, including "Alternative Housebuilding."

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Mike McClintock: Hi: The posting this time is about what buyers want in a new house- with answers (scrambled here, of course), from a survey by the DC-based National Association of Home Builders, the major trade organization of residential construction in the country. Just for some perspective, we're talking about over one million new homes sold in 2003, representing a whopping amount of production and economic action, particularly when you start to add on the appliances, carpets, lawnmowers, driveway sealer and nearly endless number of other products and services that flow from home ownership.

HOME SENSE- WHAT BUYERS WANT -QUESTION
Most buyers want large kitchens, and then favor several particular features. Can you match the surveyed consumers' order of preference?
Island work area
Walk-in pantry
Light wood cabinets
Broom closet

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Shutterville, USA: Hi Mike-

New to the DIY world... I just purchased and painted beautiful new pine shutters. What tools and hardware do I need remove the old ones and secure the new beauties to my brick home?

Thanks!;

Mike McClintock: New ones these days (plastic of course) often are screwed to the house for show- a surprise to people who haven't discovered this and try to close them in a storm. If the old hardware is real why not reuse it. If not, the general plan is to drill a pilot hole inthe mortar, insert an anchor, and then the shutter hanger into that. You need to get the sizes right for a secure fit, or the hardware can flop in the hole and anchor.

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Snap, Crackle, Pop: Mike,

A few months ago, while walking in our kitchen, I heard what sounded like a "snap" as I stepped across the floor. The floor in the area where this occurred is not level and in the basement directly below it you can now see a slight crack in the ceiling. Who do I need to call to took at this? A handyman? General Contractor? Structural Engineer? Somene else? Also, I know I have only given you a little info, but do you have an idea of what may have occurred?

Mike McClintock: With time and room i could take several guesses, but normally structures don't just snap, so could be tiles breaking loose from adhesive, and old layer underneath a new one; maybe. But when you find unlevel floors and deforming in the ceiling below, first thing i would do is keep close track to see if the cracks are growing, and probably take a close look when someone walked over the spot.

In kitchens, sometimes a leak can weaken a joist, and then you would need a carpenter/contractor to replace it.

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Richmond, Va.: Mike:

Thanks for the forum. Last weekend I took down about thirty feet of rotting/rotted fascia on our back porch, along with the gutter and drainspouts attached to it. I replaced the fascia and now am tackling the gutter. My question is this: the old gutter had a downspout at each end. Do I need two? Also, if I do, how do I get the proper "tilt" for drainage? I know with one you drop the gutter about 1 inch for 40 feet, what does one do with two?

Thanks in advance.

Mike McClintock: Two is better, and allows you to split the sometimes very noticeable slope in two. With the high point in the center and cloping out to the corners you'll get drainage just as good and probably better than with one long slop and one outlet, and it wil look better, too.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: Hi Mike!

I noticed a faint water spot on the ceiling of my living room under my upstairs bathroom. I investigated and found that the caulking isn't sealed around the tub and that a few of the tiles give slightly into the wall when pressed. Can I simply go over the cracks with a fresh coat of caulk and assume that will stop the problem? I really can't afford a total bathroom remodel right now. Help!

Mike McClintock: Think you sort of answered your own question, but the part you left out is that if you remove the old caulk, clean out any wet much, let the seams dry, and then install new caulk (whew) it may work for a while.

Another cardinal rule of remodeling: new materials don't stay long over weak supporting surfaces.

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McLean, Va.: We have a 4-level split and want to put a new floor on one of the lower levels, either hardwood or laminate. What are the advantages/disadvantages of either material? The floor is concrete with linoleum and asbestos tiles and is below ground level (with a walk-out to the back). We're interested in looks, of course, but also durability (three kids, dog, heavy traffic area, etc.)

Mike McClintock: The expected traffic makes the place seem like a good candidate for laminate- as long as it doesn't get too wet, like up through the slab.

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Silver Spring, Md.: The cement front porch of my new house was painted a few times by the previous owner and not maintained very well. Over the years, it as peeled badly. I'd like to get rid of all the paint, down to the original cement. What products/tools can I use to do this? Power washing and scraping has not helped. Thanks!

Mike McClintock: Power washing at a higher setting (concrete can take it while wood often can't) should do. But if paint seems deep in then you have to start mucking with chemical remover. Maybe try one corner and see how you like the look. Sometimes concrete can be kind of bleak and unfinished looking, so people paint.

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Corning, N.Y.: We have 1950's cape cod home with a screened porch attached to the back which sits on a slab. Western New York winters are quite cold -- so the porch (which is bolted to the back of the house) appears to be causing our house to heave on the backside. Heaving is bad enough that our back porch door can't be used in the winter. In addition, the front entry closet door won't close until the spring thaw. What should we do about this -- slice off the porch? can we fix this with better drainage on the back side of the house which is admittedly not so good?

Mike McClintock: Big question- and some porch that it can tilt a house, bolted on at that. So to grapple with just a piece or two, porch slabs almost always are poured independently of the house foundation, which means they travel on their own and often tilt toward or away from the building. If the bolted connecetions somehow are so strong that the movement pulls on the framing and the back door- cut the porch loose, fic what you need to on the door and back of the house, and think about covereing the new floating seams with trim.

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Arlington, Va.: Good afternoon --

We want to replace the windows in our house -- 25 in all. We thought we had a deal worked out with Lowes until we got to the financial details -- they wanted 100 percent of materials and labor up front. Needless to say, we walked away. I have never heard of such a practice in the home improvement world, though apparently both Lowe's and Home Depot employ such a policy. I'd be interested to hear your feelings on this, and also the advantages/disadavantages of various routes for window replacement (Big Box stores, window dealer, window replacement specialist). Thank you.

Mike McClintock: I built houses and many other things for about 12 years and never got more than 15 percent to start. No matter how nice and competent anyone seems, the only lever you have in the end is a final payment- and if it's tiny, like under 10 percent, someone who did a crummy job may walk away in any case.
It's reasonable to give some up front (used to be called earnest money), but also to say at least as much for the end.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Mike, I know you've said that renovating a trussed attic is a lot of work. But how much work, really? We have what could be a great attic space -- reasonably high center ceiling, not a bad slope, even nice windows -- but it's trussed. What would it take to remove the trussing and make it into liveable space? Thanks! Great chat!

Mike McClintock: Trusses are used instead of conventional rafters, the idea being that trusses made of much smaller pieces of wood can be designed to support the same load as large and expensive timbers. You can't pull out a piece here or there, or the system fails- and it probably would literally if you took away enough of the webs (the pieces) to make a living space. Best bet (and not that great) might be to build a dormer with conventional framing that replaced a portion of the trusses.

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Silver Spring, Md. procrastinator: I've been procrastinating. We are getting new granite countertops and they will be installed Monday. We wanted to replace the dishwasher by next Friday, so that the plumber could hook it up when he comes to hook up our new sink (after the counters are in). If I go to Sears tonight, could the dishwasher be here by next Friday?

Mike McClintock: Well, i'd love to call Sears for you, but maybe you can while i answer some other questions, okay?

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Washington, D.C.: We're looking to add central air to our townhouse. We've had a friend recommend a contractor from Virginia to do this, who was upfront and said that he's not licensed in D.C., but goes by the code, but that he does it without a permit. We don't have any other recommendations for A/C people in the District, so our preference is to work with someone who is highly referred. Do you technically need a permit to install A/C? What does 'being licensed' mean? Either way, what happens if we work with this guy who's unlicensed and goes without a permit?

Mike McClintock: Using an unlicesed contractor (in most places it's just a business license and says nothing abnout expertise) and more so forgoing a permit leaves you open to all sorts of problems. Don't, even if it means more looking.

And if he's so competent how come he can't get a license; it's not hard to do?

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University Park, Md.: This may be an elementary question, but the cabinets holding my bathroom sinks do not seem to be attached to the wall behind them. What is the best way to secure them? Is this a DIY job?

Mike McClintock: If there is just a bit of play, puit a couple of long screws through the back into wall stud. The trick is to find the studs, possibly with a magnetic stud finder, and to stay away from water pipes and electric lines.

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Cement porch in Silver Spring, Md.: If I end up repainting the cement porch, what type of paint would work best and how do I prevent future peeling? Thanks again.

Mike McClintock: Outdoor deck paint (for concrete slabs and such) will last a while over a well-prepped surface. But outside all paint eventually peels, specially when you keep walking on it.

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Bethesda, Md.: We just moved into a Cape Cod built in the 30s and have noticed that moisture seems to stay on the bathroom walls in odd zig-zagging patterns. There is a window, but no fan in the bathroom. Since there is no attic above it, we're worried this means the roof is the problem, but wonder if it could be a circulation problem or something else? Any idea what it means or what we can or should do about it?

Mike McClintock: The zig-zag doesn't leap up for me, but if it stays wet in whatever shape a fan will help a lot. Consider a time-delay switch that lets you dry off in the wramth and steam, then run the fan for several minutes (and shut off) after you leave.

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Follow-up on Laminate: Thank you for your response to my earlier wood vs. laminate question. Following up, what should we be keeping in mind when we put the floor in (moisture hasn't really been an issue so far)? Can it be laid directly on the existing tiles? Is some kind of barrier or sheeting needed/recommended underneath the laminate? How labor/time intensive is this as a DIY project?

Mike McClintock: The most solid laminates have one system or another for locking to each other, but the success of this system, is that it floats, gebnerally over a thin insulating pad. Planning is the tricky part; the rest is mostly snap together.

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Rockville, Md.: Hi Mike,
My condo bathroom has those tiny white tiles we all hate. Is there anything I can easily install on top that will look nicer and wear well? The floor area is about 4x7.

A few years ago I had a new commode put in and the tiles around the base are not flush with the floor. The contractor said that the floor under the tiles really needs to be replaced--is this a big (ie costly) job? I plan to sell in the next two years so am more focussed on how it looks (shame on me...)

thanks!

Mike McClintock: Focused the way just about every other seller is. You can tile over tile once it's cleaner completely, but only if it's solid (if you saw that cardinal rule before it sure applies here).

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Philadelphia, Pa. : Another replacement window question:

Need to replace three original windows in a third floor attic. Is this something that my husband and I can do--he on the outside on a ladder and me inside hoisting the replacement window into place? Or are we asking for trouble?

Mike McClintock: Anothger not quite so cardinal rule: if you safety reservations about a project they are probably well founded.

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Alexandria, Va.: Mike --
I recently replaced some "old fashioned" dimmer switches that I had in my kitchen (the kind with the round knob that you push in to turn the lights off or on) with the "new" type (standard light switch with a little lever that you slide to dim the lights). Now, with the new switches, the cover plate over the switches feels a little warm when both lights are on. It's not hot, just warm.

Should I be worried about this? I never noticed before with the old dimmer switches, but maybe that's because I never actually touched the cover plate, (I just pushed the switch in).

It's been in place for a month or so, and the house hasn't burned down (!), but I'm wondering if I'm wasting a lot of energy making heat instead of light?

Thanks!

PS -- each one of the two dimmer switches that I have is also controled by another standard switch, and I did buy the correct type of dimmer (the two switch/one light type)

Mike McClintock: If you have them dimmed down a lot, and insulation packed around the box and other things, you may get a little warmth- who knows even from a pipe or duct. But heat is a sure sign that you somehow got a mismatch.

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Washington, D.C.: If they're structurally sound, is there any reason that original hardwood floors can't be refinished?

Mike McClintock: Not that i can think of, though some people paint them, which makes the job extremely difficult. That's one of the best things about standard strip-oak floors; they're 3/4 of an inch thick and you can redo them several times.

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Tree Trouble: I have 4 30-foot palm trees growing in a 2-foot wide garden space between a slab concrete patio and a tall wood fence. The trees are no more than a few inches from the fence, which is 6 feet tall. My HOA wants me to remove the tress, but refuses to move the fence out of the way for the tree people to get at the stumps/roots.
Can a tree company get a stump grinder into that space, or will I just need to leave the stumps in until the HOA gets around to replacing my fence "when it's on the schedule"?
Thanks!;

Mike McClintock: Two feet is a close call, but some grinders are longer and narrower- and on wheels so you can get them into tight spots.

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Frederick, Md.: Hello Mr. McClintock. The railing on my deck seems to be coming loose. I think I can repair it by bracing the corners where the top railings meet. I want to do a good looking job with it and I think I can use hinges to brace the corners. However, I cannot find dark brown or black small hinges. Do you have any suggest as to what I could use? I'm not too good with bending metal. Thank you!

Mike McClintock: I'm thinkling you mean brackets, as hinges might turen the wobbling part into a gate. In that line, generally called frame hardware, there are all sorts of shapes that grab onto all sorts of combinations of wood sizes and positions, but almost all are galvanized for outside use. I suppose you could paint to match, BUT, brackets are generally not considered a slick fix- more like a bandaid for a problem that's still there.

You might try removing the loose nails at the wobbly cxonnections, attaching a temporary brace or clamnp, and then driving long screws instead- maybe an extra one here or there after predrilling new holes. If that doesn't do it, think about adding another upright, or diagonal braces at the corner in a way that looks like part of the system instead of a patched repair.

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Bathroom tile grout: A simple question, I hope. I had my bathroom redone about 18 months ago. Lately I've noticed thin cracks appearing within the grout between the tiles in the shower. Can I just fill in those cracks with more grout or do I need to do something more major? Also, would these cracks have formed in the first placec if I had sealed the grout with a sealer? Thanks for the help.

Mike McClintock: If they are hairline, just use a clear sealer. If they're bigger, clean and then force in some smooth-mixed grout. And yes, a sealer helps, but mainly makes grout easier to clean.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi Mike,
I live in garden-style condos, in the middle apartment. The folks above me just had some plumbing problems repaired and it seems to me that the pipes are noisier than ever. Whenever they use the bathroom sink it sounds like a cat wailing. Is this normal? Is there anything that can be done to lessen the noise? I'm about to have half my bathroom ceiling replaced because of damage from their bathroom---is there some sort of insulation that can be used to quiet the noise? thanks!

Mike McClintock: Some valves can do the cat thing, but there's not much you can do about their faucets. You might try adding a layer or two of foamboard insulation on the ceiling before it's covered with new drywall.

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Fairfax, Va.: We just bought a three-level townhouse and have discovered through trial and error that there isn't a baby gate on the market that will work with our stairwells. Tension mounted gates don't get tight enough and there's no place to install hardware mounted gates at the moment. Because we've got a young toddler and second baby on the way, we're going to need gates for years and so we're totally open to installing some type of permanent system, but I think we're going to need a professional. The question is, what kind of professional do you call for this sort of thing? We tried a babyproofing company but all they did was try to sell us the same gates we knew wouldn't work and tell us to use plastic ties to keep them in place (it took my toddler 10 minutes to conquer that set-up). Any direction you could give would be great.

Mike McClintock: Guess i could see central stairs, or two sides ballusters thjat would be difficult, but there's almost always a wall to hang them on. I don't have anything brilliant (or even very helpful)- maybe some chatters will- but you might conside installing solid but nice looking uprights, even at the edges of ballusters to provide solid connections at both ends.

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Ohio: Mike,
why don't builders do a better job of placing and labelling electric circuits, outlets, and switches? I just moved into a new place and am going bonkers with the number of illogical switch placements (ie bathroom fan switch closest to door, lights further away). Not to mention trying to understand the cryptic notes on the circuit breaker panel.

Is it too much to expect a simple diagram or blueprint of these things?

Mike McClintock: It's something to ask for, or you're in for the two persons on-off mapping project. The actual installation and placement is opften controlled by code (inches from the floor andf such) but sometimes you need to specify order of switches in ganged boxes if the electrician isn't very logical.

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Re: tile over tile: what do you mean "if it's solid" -- where the grout is sort of dips down. Is there something to apply over the whole surface to make it solid and level?

Mike McClintock: IUf you push firmly on the wall and it gives a little, it's not solid and whatever you put there probably won't last for long.

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Columbia, Md.: Is it beneficial to leave windows cracked open in the winter? A co-worker told me it is a good idea but it is heat going out the window.

Mike McClintock: I do it, but many newer houses have air intake systems, temperature echangers and other appliances that get you a reasonablly fresh supply with less heat waster. (But i also keep what most people think is a very cold house temp.)

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Richmond, Va.: Hi Mike,
Noisy commode question... The downstairs commode/wall pipes make a rumbling noise once the tank has reached the final fill point and is trying to shut off. The noise goes on for about 15-30 secs and then stops. What's up and how to fix (DIY or Plumber)? Thanks & Great column/chat...

Mike McClintock: If it's the old floating ball mechanism inside the water closet, try bending the support arm down a bit (lowering the ball position). As the water fills and the ball rises, it will apply more force to the float switch- the valve that lets in and shuts off water- and hopefully make the on-off a quicker and less noisy operation. But sometimes that switch wears out and you have to replace it, too.

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Columbia, Md.: Hello,
Is it true that in the winter, a window (or two) should be left ajar for air circulation for the entire season? If this is true, would one window suffice or is two necessary?
Thanks.

Mike McClintock: As mentioned, it does improve the air exchange rate, which in some new houses is miniscule- and you can smell the fish dinner days later. So it's not so much true, as what you like, need, how your house is built, how efficient your heating system is, how tight your budget is- just a simple equation- and each time a little different.

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Baby gates: If you want a gate built across the top (or bottom) of a stairway, call a carpenter. The one who lived across the street from me when I was a kid built one to contain his own toddler, and I've always thought that was a much better system than plastic gates that had to be shifted back and forth.

Mike McClintock: Yes, byt custom gates have to conform to very strict rules about opening sizes.

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Reston, Va.: Hello Mike!

We have a troublesome toilet. The final conclusion is that the wax seal needs to be replaced. We got that, and turned the water off (just the valve behind the toilet in the bathroom) and flushed it a few times.

Problem is there is some water still in the bowl - not too much but I'm afraid that there is more water in the pipes, so if we take off the bowl water will rush out. Will that be the case? How do we get rid of this excess water?

Thanks in advance - your chats are great!

Mike McClintock: You hope your toilet is nice and clean and drain as much as you can (cups, sponges, whatever) and then expect some splash here and there when the bse unbit is lifted free.

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Herndon, Va.: I recently replaced my old mercury thermostat with a new digital one. Do you know of any place in this area where I can take the old mercury thermostat so they can properly dispose of it?

Mike McClintock: Don't know how many jurisdictions are that meticulous about collecting such small amounts of metals, but your local building or health dept. could tell you.

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Denver, Colo.: The back porch on our new house was added by the previous owner and abuts the wood siding. There's no expansion space or tar paper stuff, just a crack about 1/8 inch wide. Should I cover this crack with silicone or some other stuff or is it necessary to let moisture evaporate? Love your chats!

Mike McClintock: You cold there already? and in off the porch maybe. Anyway, the abutting post pieces normally are set against the house and siding butts into them. A gap is no good there as it lets in the weather, so caulk, yes, but them come up with a cover board of some kind for a better seal, and look.

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Clifton, Va.: Fairfax, Va., Check pet supply sites on line for puppy gates. They should work in lieu of kiddy gates. Larger variety of puppy gates out there. They are more expensive than kiddie gates.

They can keep three herding dogs out should work with kids.

Mike McClintock: Interesting idea, but puppies aren't covered by codes, yet.

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Marble Dilemma: Mike, random question here.

I've got Tennessee Pink marble in my kitchen -- it came from the Library of Congress (long story). There are obviously lots of other colors out there, but I want to match this if possible. None of the Marble Fabricators deal in this specific type (I've called a LOT of them). The quarries I've called directly in Tennesse only do commercial jobs. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Woul live to hear the long story (you didn't steal it i hope), but if you found a supplier maybe try to buy some scrap from their large commercial projects.

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Mike McClintock: Well i thought some of you would want to take a guess about the kitchens, but a lot of questions, and can't get to them all so if the project will wait please send them again. Meantime--

HOME SENSE- WHAT BUYERS WANT -QUESTION
Most buyers want large kitchens, and then favor several particular features. Can you match the surveyed consumers' order of preference?
Island work area
Walk-in pantry
Light wood cabinets
Broom closet


HOME SENSE- WHAT BUYERS WANT -ANSWER
Here is what buyers want in their new kitchens (aside from a lot of room), with the percentage of respondents in a recent NAHB survey rating the feature as desirable or essential.
Walk-in pantry; 78%
Island work area; 71%
Light wood cabinets; 59%
Broom closet; 0%
(that last one is a ringer, just to make the scramble harder; wasn't on the list, even though it's pretty handy in the kitchen)

See you next time

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