Thursday, June 23, Noon ET
Mike McClintock
Washington Post
Thursday, June 23, 2005
12:00 PM
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.
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washingtonpost.com: Here is Mike's latest column: Home Sense By Mike McClintock Checking into Professional Pest Control As summer heats up, bugs of every description come out of the woodwork- or eat into it. To halt the invasion you could try home remedies such as spreading boric acid for roaches or setting traps for mice. But many people turn to professionals, with mixed results. To start with, don't be looking through the phone book for an exterminator. That highly descriptive term has gone the way of garbage man (sanitation engineer) and mattress salesman (trained bedding consultant). Now it's pest control operator, or PCO. You'll want to consider basic consumer issues of payments and guarantees when you deal with them, and check with local consumer agencies and the Better Business Bureau. Because health issues are involved, also use the sources below to gather more information about the people, pests and pesticides in question. Professional services On the positive side, professional pest control is a $6.5 billion dollar business with revenues growing at almost six percent annually, according to the Fairfax-based National Pest Management Association. That growth is explained by research conducted by the association. It found that 24 percent of consumers believe the risks associated with pest infestations have increased, and that 72 percent believe professional services are more effective than DIY products. But a study of area firms by Consumers' Checkbook (checkbook.org) found a wide range of service satisfaction and an even wider range of prices. * Ratings. Some 15 area firms were rated superior for overall performance by more than 80 percent of surveyed customers, but 17 others were rated that way by fewer than 40 percent. * Prices. For a single visit, some firms charged $125 or less, while others charged $250 or more. For providing the paperwork required with termite inspections in real estate transactions, charges ranged from $15 to $175. * Approaches. Checkbook found that different firms have very different strategies for treating pest problems. For instance, some use poisonous bait, which confines the exposure of toxins, while other favor sprays. * Services. Some pest control firms provide one-time treatments for specific problems. Others push service contracts and repeated visits- and won't do business any other way. The obvious drawback: you could pay a monthly fee even if initial treatments take care of the problem. * Staff. You want a certified pest control operator to do the job. All firms should have at least one- someone who has passed a state test to qualify as a certified pest control applicator. But some firms price the job with their most qualified candidate and then send employees who are not certified to do the work. * Guarantees. Checkbook reports that firms offer guarantees ranging in duration from 30 days to six months. For termite control, most offer a one-year guarantee with extended coverage for an extra fee- generally one year at a time with an annual inspection included. Re-treatment is generally covered, but only some guarantees also cover the repair of property damaged by further infestations. Checkbook doesn't take a position on extended warranties- a thorny issue that arises with many consumer products and services. It's standard with title insurance (against a faulty search of real estate ownership), and has become a common sales pitch to enhance the coverage on new cars. On one hand, it's nice to have the protection- just in case there is another infestation. On the other hand, when a pest control firm sets the price to deal with a problem, why should you need to pay extra? I'd rather pay for products and services that do what they are supposed to do- without an extra charge as a hedge against failure. Taken another way, when a company pushes or even insists on a contract that protects against bad work, I figure I've got the wrong company. Information Sources These sources will help you check on pest control companies, and provide information about pesticides and other treatments. Some help in very practical ways- like where to set traps after discovering that mice live close to their food supply and often spend their entire lives within a 20-foot radius. * Maryland Cooperative Extension-Home and Garden Information Center; hgic.umd.edu * Virginia Cooperative Extension; ext.vt.edu * Virginia Department of Agriculture Pesticide Regulation Service; vdacs.state.va.us/pesticides * California's Integrated Pest Management Program; ipm.ucdavis.edu. * National Pest Management Association; pestworld.org * Consumers' Checkbook; checkbook.org * Council of Better Business Bureaus; bbb.org Finally, my main reference- the best book by far that I've found on pest control- is Common-Sense Pest Control by William Olkowski (Taunton Press; 1991; 715 pages). It's clear, detailed, well illustrated and adopts a least-toxic approach within a sensible and practical system of integrated pest management. Try the library as the, back then, $40 book seems to have been replaced on the Taunton list by a much shorter paperback related only to pest control in gardens. NOTE: The Home Sense column will be posted here online next week, and every week, while the chats continue every other Thursday at noon. Check the online schedule and I'll see you then.
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Mike McClintock: Hi there: While I start with your questions, try this mix and match about that everyday service we use constantly and take for granted and don't fully realize how crucial it is until there's a power failure, i.e. electricity. Dates are from the industry trade group, Edison Electric Institute.
HOME SENSE- ELECTRICAL MILESTONES -QUESTION
Can you unscramble some or all of these dates and significant moments in the development of electricity?
1816 Edison's incandescent light bulb
1879 Gas Light Co. of Baltimore, the first energy utility in USA
1911 First Microwave Oven Produced
1947 Neon Light Patented
1956 First Wind Turbine and Solar Thermal Generating Stations
1981 World's First Nuclear Power Plant Completed (in England)
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Washington, D.C.: Hi. I feel like this is kind of a stupid question, but how do you go about finding someone to fix gutters? Mine don't slope or something and just hold water, which then leads to puddles in the basement. I get flyers for gutter repair, but I'm skeptical. How do I find someone who won't charge me an arm and a leg? What should it cost anyway?
Mike McClintock: There are gutter contractors- and a lot of roofers handle the work as well, or just a handyman type. Costs is always best predicted by three estimates because who knows without a look exactly what your situation requires. But if all you need is a little slope, just raising the hangers at one end, sounds like about a 10 minute project.
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McLean, Va.: What's your opinion on wrapping existing wood trim, such as soffits and fascia board, with vinyl or aluminum (presumably for lower future maintenance)? I'm less concerned about the look rather the performance. Is it really all it's cracked up to be or does it just hide wood that may rot etc.,? What about replacing the wood with fiber cement (Hardie plank) or PVC trim?
Mike McClintock: Wood looks good, but you'll get used to vinyl or aluminum, or fiber-cement products very quickly- specially as they retain their appearance and you don't have to scrape and paint.
Generally, it's never wise to bury decaying materials under new surfaces. If it's just a question of flaking paint no problem. Otherwise I would take down what's there and install a synthetic from scratch.
The cement fiber siding i've seen looks great from a distance, but the stuff is heavy and fairly expensive. Vinyl is more widely available, cheaper, and easier to install.
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Staunton: I am thinking about upgrading to a NON-programmable thermostat and want the filter monitor feature. Are these filter monitors reliable and accurate? And how much more $$ will this feature add to the thermostat?
Thanks.
Mike McClintock: It's a few buck more, don't know exactly how much, but in the $75 range or so you should see this feature. (I've seen it on an EnergyStar model that was $80.
Personally, I would just be checking the actual filter instead of reading a monitor, and after a few months or so it generally becomes obvious how often you need to change it.
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Warrenton, Va.: Hello Mike -- I read both the recent columns on wiring problems, and my house might fall somewhere between safe and not so safe according the points you laid out. So I had an electrician check the system, and he said there were several spots not up to code. Does this mean I have to or ought to get them fixed? The price was almost $1,200 even though there won't be any new circuits in the breaker box.
Mike McClintock: First, there are no building code police with search warrants to check code compliance in existing houses. So you don't "have to" bring parts of the older system up to modern codes, assuming they were code when installed originally. And mandatory upgrades would be impossible to enforce because building codes often change every few years. (Annual house inspections? Maybe when the Thought Police take over but not now.) If you built an addition, all new work would have to meet current codes, of course, and sometimes new work can require upgrades in older parts of the house, say, if your new circuits tied into an inadequate service (the breaker box).
So it depends on what the elctrician found. If he said you have some zip cord buried in the wall, yes, you need to fix it; it wasn't code then and isn't code now, aside from being extremely unsafe. Same goes for broken or maybe ungrounded fixtures. You don't need to do things like string larger cable to meet modern codes, specially not if the system works properly and you're not regularly resetting tripped breakers.
One upgrade well worth considering is to install quick-tripping GFCI outlets in wet areas like kitchens and baths. But for a half dozen or so GFCI's to replace older outlets in wet areas around the house, the price should be in the low hundreds, not thousands.
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Arlington, Va. Help! The concrete on my front stoop is falling apart. One corner has fallen off and the other is close to it. The rest of the stairs and walkway are in pretty good condition but have some places where it is flaking.
It seems like everyone wants to do flagstone/brick stairs and walkway. Is this a good alternative to concrete? How will it hold up to the cold, shoveling, and the overall elements compared to concrete?
How much more would it be to re-do the concrete? I've heard re-surficing with concrete is not worth the money. Thanks!
Mike McClintock: The falling-off corners you need to rebuild- short take being that you clean, then drive in some concrete or cut nails (like mini rebar) to help the new mix grab the old, then form up the corners and pour.
As to the rest, doesn't sound like you're too entghusiastic about flagstone- and that's ok, you know. It looks nice, but it's sort of old fashioned, and many surfaces are a bit more uneven and harder to take care of than straight concreete. Up to you. And it's thin resurfacing that runs into trouble most often. If you could raise the walk a bit, even an inch, the repair would look better and last longer.
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Sierra Madres, Va.: Senor Migual,
I just had my apartment-style patio power washed, and there are still stains on the rubberized-like floor that didn't come out. Por favor, any suggestions on what might remove these difficult stains. Gracias!
Mike McClintock: Ola (is that right as i may remember from travels in Spain?), anyway, the "rubberized" part is a bit of a stumper. I thought it might be a bitumen deck (roof) but that would be black and probably would have disintegrated under the pressure. If it's just painted concrete, depends on what the stains are, but a OTC muriatic acid may help. It also helps to use some cleanser in the mix of the pressure washer. If all else fails with stains, i usually try straight household bleach, then work backwards to blend in the lighter-colored area.
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Alexandria, Va.: No question, just a comment: your chat is the best, very useful to many many people and should be on weekly. Is your editor listening?
Mike McClintock: Oh, ok, we'll post this one.
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Help: I'm having slate tile delivered -- like right now. When I purchased it, the display had the tile secured to a flat surface. I was assured that the bottom of each tile was finished with a flat smooth finish for easy installation. It's not. Question: how difficult will it be to lay these on a concrete slab with a rippled finish on both sides? Do I try, or send them back?
Mike McClintock: Slate often has a mostly flat surface, but should not be so irregular that that differences can't be more than absorbed by the setting cement. Typically, you would nestle the slate into the mix, spread with a notched trowel to give you a uniform "ride height" if you will, then tap down the slate a bit with a rubber mallet to get a true floor.
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Centreville, Va.: The house we're about to buy has a few issues I'd like to take care of before too long after we move in.
The primary concern (which highlights how well the previous owner took care of the property) is the flashing coming off two dormer windows of ther garage. The flashing is connected to the base of the dormers across the width of the window and about 1" up the front. It's then angled and follows the slope of the roof for approximately 2" before it ends. It rests on top of the shingles and both the inspector and a contractor said it needs to be corrected.
My questions are thus:
How would I go about correcting this item?
What's the proper way for this type of flashing to be installed?
Finally (and most importantly for me) is this something the average DIYer could do? (It's very accessible from the ground via a ladder so access is not a problem.)
Thanks...
Mike McClintock: Think I'vce almost got the picture, and you're right- if that's all that's wrong, holy cow and you picked the right house. Anyway, flashing is always intalled so water flowing from high to low will lap onto another sheet. That bottom, or lapped sheet should never show an exposed seem or water could get under it and into the house.
But- what you're looking at could be counterflashingm basically a cover over the flashing that does tuck under the roof shingles the way it's supposed to. If you can't be sure, try a roofer, as leaks there would be a problem. On the other hand if it's not leaking now- and now signs of tar stains or water damage inside, maybe the flashing is fine.
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Fairfax, Va.: Mike,
Our kitchen floor is sagging due to cracks in two ceiling joists in our finished basement below (the 2 cracks are not on the same beam). We have been told a variety of solutions to repair the joists, which have included "sandwiching the crack with steel/iron bolted together (least expensive option) to replacing the entire beam (VERY expensive). Is replacement of the entire beam necessary? Is there a better solution that you know of?
Mike McClintock: If the cracks have stabilized, we're hoping, the hard part is propping up the floor bewfore you make a repair. You or someone will need some heavy timbers and jacks to do that. And if you need to get back a bunch, like 2 inches, it's wise to crank the jacks only a few turns each day, taking maybe 1/4 inch each time.
Then, you could add steel, but doubling up each joists (scabbing, it's called) with glue and screws would probably do as well- and that's a fairly easy and inexpensive propjject. If you wanted exatr strength there, you could scab on 2x12s, say, even though they would extend down more than the 2x8s or whatever is there now.
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Wheaton, Md.: Hello Mike: I have a low section a couple of feet wide across a curve in my long gravel driveway that stays damp whenever it rains. The place just eats gravel that I put down to refill. Is there some way to beat this maintenance headache that requires at least a couple of big bags of gravel two or three times a year?
Mike McClintock: Sounds like the drive there crosses a natural drainage runoff, and until you do something about the water flow the soft spot will continue to wash away subsoil and cause the gravel to sink. It may seem that more and more gravel would eventually solve the problem, but sometimes not, specially on a curve where cars probably kick gravel to the side as they make the turn.
You can solve it by building a collection trench on the high side of the drive connected to drain pipe under the drive that carries away the water. (The collection trench might have to run several feet along the siude of the drive to grab the water.)That's more work and digging than dumping and raking out another few bags of gravel. But other "fixes" like trying to raise the drive with larger stones or somehow block the water flow generally don't work. The naturally draining water just busts through or moves up or down the drive enough to find another weak link and away you go again.
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Washington, D.C.: Submitting early in hopes you'll be able to respond.
I am considering renovating my 1500 sq. ft. rambler with garage sometime next year. To ease construction costs and timeframes, I hope to expand the 'ends' of the house (bedrooms/garage) by 5 - 10'. The extra space in the garage will be helpful since I don't have a storage shed. For the bedroom expansion, I'm looking for more room as well as walk in closets. I'm also looking forward to renovating my masterbath (which now has both the sink and toilet on an outside wall).
In the meantime, I'm considering redoing my siding, getting a new roof/gutter/attic fan/windows, as well as increased insulation.
Any recommendations as to what I can do in the short term without it being undone or redone with the upcoming renovation? As it is, new tile will be needed for the kitchen/laundry room as well as carpeting for the bedrooms.
I would really appreciate your insight and help.
Thanks ...
Mike McClintock: A quick read and it seems like most of a new house inside the old house- and a whole lot of disruption. But I think you may have ot backwards about easing construction costs and timeframes by spreading out the work.
First, once the household is topsy-turvy due to trucks in the driveway and people inside banging away at 8am, might as well go for it, I think. It really can be intrusive, and seems once, even longer, would be better than twice- or more.
Also, contractors have startup costs- just the overall inertia of getting aproject off the ground, lining up subcontractors, ordering materials and the rest. So same goes at the construction end, i.e. it's more efficient, and usually less expensive, to rope all the work into one contract.
You didn't say that you planned to do the work yourself, but if so, then you would want to work on one isolated part of the building at a time, start to finish.
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Arlington, Va.: Hi Mike! Thanks for taking a minute ... I just bought a condo in a converted building, and the developer put in new granite counters and stainless appliances that I LOVE! However, they left the existing cabinets which I feel a lot less fondly about. Is it possible to fully replace the bottom cabinets without disturbing the countertop? If not, how much work and money would be involved to take the countertop out and put it back -- or can it even be salvaged? Thanks!
Mike McClintock: I would concentrate on trying to improve the lower cabinets in place, as the other option is much more costly and the counter as is might not work over new units; who knows.
Working up the ladder in cost and difficulty, you could do something basic like sanding and staining, or painting. You could opto for resurfacing. You could replace the wooden slides on clunky drawers with extension ball-bearing gliders, add in-cabinter fixtures such as pull-out wire baskets and lazy susans.
It could be quite an overhaul, and get you very practical cabinets under the counter and fixtures you like.
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Frederick, Md.: Mike, is business exceedingly good for contractors right now? I called a few local contractors to try to get a quote to finish a half bath and no one has returned my calls. Do contractors not want small jobs anymore?
Mike McClintock: This is prime time for contractors, so they are hard to get hold of, specially good ones. You can imagine that they have their summers fully booked in advance. And, yes, contractors generally don't want small projects; they tend to cost too much and create timing problems. You just need to hunt more, or save up the jobs for the fall, or later.
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Richmond, Va.: My water heater is eight years old. Contracter's grade. I am on a well. Should I go ahead and replace it before it breaks?
Thanks!
Mike McClintock: I don't replace things that aren't broken, at least not until they show some sign of breaking. With waterheaters that's often some water and rust and stinaing around the base.
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Annapolis, Md.: My 100-year-old house has a bathroom that needs some cosmetic changes, but is otherwise in good condition (including having one of the old-style toilets). I have previously put in a new shower, sink, and vanity. My big problem is the ceramic tile floor. The floor has 8-inch white tiles that look good and are in excellent condition. The problem is the grout, which ranges from white to grey to almost black from wear and discoloring. I do not want to replace the floor, but would like to have the grout cleaned or clean it myself. Do you have any suggestions about how this can be done?
Mike McClintock: Clean it first, absolutely beofre thinking about grout replacement or other work. But it is a stenuous and boring job- a hands and knees project to boot.
First, use a strong cleaner to see how much discoloration is really there. Then you can use a grout cleaner or a bleach solution (you could test several ratios on out of the way spots to see what gives the best results). Then it's cleanser and scrubbing.
When dry- and tired of it all- try to make the final effort of sealing. There are small applicators (a whell guide attached to a bottle) that dispense a clear silicone mix. It helps a lot to preserve the grout and will also unify some of the last variations in color.
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Bowie, Md.: What's your opinion with regard to floor staplers vs. floor nails for hardwood floors? Which is better?
Mike McClintock: I always used an angled nailer and pounded them in by hand- actually hitting the punch on the machine.
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Waldorf, Md.: We have engineered hardwood floors. What maintanance should we be performing on these floors? Any special kinds of cleaners? They seem to be losing their "glossiness" or shine, and we'd like to revive them (they're only a year old!).
Mike McClintock: One year is kind of early for a factory-finished material to be losing it's shine. But you could try a cleaner if the shine loss is mostly dirt, or opt for waxing- that job the product literature probably says you will never have to do.
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Arlington, Va.: Dryer in a stackable unit, ran 2 loads through and the timer was stuck, put the 3rd load in ran for about 5 minutes and just stopped. Checked the fuse box no problem there. Have the repairman from Sears coming out, but want to know if you have any ideas. Also, can you replace just the dryer part of a stackable? Thanks for your help.
Mike McClintock: If everything else works it's likely just a component in the unit that can be replaced, hopefully a timer, and might be instead of a motor (more expensive) because the machine starts up but doesn't run the proper intervals.
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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Have discovered cracks in a wall in upstairs living area, and also in conrete block in basement of my home. What should I do?
Thanks.
Mike McClintock: Determine if they are active or stable- it's all the difference in the world. You might measure, photograph or otherwise document exactlky what you have, then check again and again over weeks. If there's movement, there is major settling and you need an architect or engineer or at least a contractor. If they are stable, it's just cosmetic work.
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Bethesda, Md.: I have an outside door to a patio where the bottom sill underneath the door has partially rotted. What is involved in pulling out the sill and replacing it.
Also, the screen door (wood frame) has racked -- and is not square anymore. Any suggestions on best way to square it up so that it closes properly -- right now it won't close all the way as the top corner hits the door frame and leaves a gap at the bottom -- it's not a small overlap -- more like a half inch out of square.
Mike McClintock: You can usually cut through the jambs where they attach to thge sill, then cut the sill in half at least and start prying it out. The worse part is usually what you find underneath the rotting sill- like rotting subfloor and framing. You can't just bury it under a new slab of oak.
On the screen door, once you square it up drive long wood screws through at the corners. That should hold the position. If ity's really rickety, you could add decorative mending plates at the corners as well.
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New York, N.Y.: Hey Mike- What's the easiest way to repair plastic screens, just small punctures from cat claws? One of my guys gets very excited when birds come to the feeder just outside.
Mike McClintock: The easiest way to plug small puinctures- just big enough for slender mosquitoes and plenty of no-seeums- is to apply a little dab of instant glue, with something like a toothpick. First, press the puncture to make it as flat as you can. The glue dries clear and is less noticeable than a patch. (Some people take the trouble to sew around the edges of a ptach piece.) But even clear glue won't look as good as a new piece of screen, of course, something most hardware stores will provide, installed, in a couple of minutes for small bucks. The trouble is there's no way a cat isn;'t going to be interested in birds right outside the window, so you may be in for some more glue sessions.
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Columbia, Md.: I just installed a new tile floor (unglazed) and it looks great, except that there is still a lot of grout on the surface of the tiles, mainly where the tile has a lot of texture. What's the best way to get rid of this dried-on grout?
Mike McClintock: You need to keep washing and rinsing. Sometimes (even on smooth ceramic surfaces) it takes several go-rounds, and even then there is a final haze that you have to wipe away with a dry rag or cheesecloth.
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The sky is falling!: Hi, I just got my first house, and it came with a wood stove, which has to go because I need the space. My friend is going to "come get it" but then I'm envisioning this hole being left in my ceiling (read: roof). What should I expect do have to do? Also, the stove has been sitting on a protective stone surface, but what can I expect the wood floor underneath it to look like when the stove comes out? Thanks a lot!
Mike McClintock: Under the stone you're likely to see how prisitine that floor once was- unless the stove was added later. The hole in the roof has to be closewd, of course, which means dismantling the pipes, installing a patch of decking and tarpepr and weacving in shingles- unless, you think there might be a possibility of something like a very slender parlor stove?
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Mike McClintock: HOME SENSE- ELECTRICAL MILESTONES -QUESTION
Can you unscramble some or all of these dates and significant moments in the development of electricity?
1816 Edison's incandescent light bulb
1879 Gas Light Co. of Baltimore, the first energy utility in USA
1911 First Microwave Oven Produced
1947 Neon Light Patented
1956 First Wind Turbine and Solar Thermal Generating Stations
1981 World's First Nuclear Power Plant Completed (in England)
HOME SENSE- ELECTRICAL MILESTONES -ANSWER
Here is the correct sequnce of events.
1816 Gas Light Co. of Baltimore, the first energy utility in USA
1879 Edison's incandescent light bulb
1911 Neon Light Patented
1947 First Microwave Oven Produced
1956 World's First Nuclear Power Plant Completed (in England)
1981 First Wind Turbine and Solar Thermal Generating Stations
Where does all the power come from? The Institute says about half is generated from coal, 20 percent from nuclear, 19 percent from gas, 9 percent combined from hydropower, geothermal, solar and wind and 2 percent from fuel oil.
Seems like sort of an old-fashioned mix, don't you think?- and not close to the brave new energy world predicted in the early 1960s when some otherwise fairly intelligent people said there would soon be nuclear-powered furnaces and vacuum cleaners and all-electric houses that would cost pennies to run. Maybe in the 2060s.
You can check for the Home Sense column here online every week and I'll see you in two weeks on the next chat
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