Home repair: Tub gurgle perplexes reader
Q. I have a problem with my roof vent, and I don’t know how to correct it. In the early winter, we started to notice a sewer odor in the lower level of our raised ranch, and when we flushed the toilet, we could hear a gurgle in the bathtub. So I went up on the roof and removed the charcoal-vent cap. I noticed that it was frozen solid and no air was getting through, so I left it off for the remainder of the winter and it seemed that the venting was OK — no gurgling and no odor within the house. But we could smell that offensive odor outside.
So I bought a new charcoal refill and reinstalled it on the roof vent. It was working fine for a week until we started to hear it gurgle again in the tub. So I went back on the roof and removed the charcoal vent. Since then, we haven’t noticed any odor or gurgling inside, but we still have that offensive smell outside. It really needs the charcoal vent. I don’t know whether there is any restriction in the three-inch vent pipe on the roof or whether I can flush it somehow or why the odor is so strong. Your suggestions for a fix are dearly needed.
A. Before putting the charcoal vent back on, try this: Get a 90-degree elbow that matches the material and size of the roof vent, and install it facing the prevailing summer winds. Don’t solder or glue it on, as you may need to alter its direction until you find the right placement. This should solve the outside smell.
Q. Our house is a one-story brick with a concrete slab. We had a bamboo floor installed in November 2009. About a year later, the boards next to the outside wall started to cup. I didn’t notice anything like this on our previous wood floor. The attached memo and pictures from an inspection conducted by the manufacturer explains the situation very well. I am afraid the problem is going to continue ruining adjacent wood. I don’t know whom to call to find out what is causing the moisture on the slab. Are there companies that do that?
A. The inspection report mentions you have had installation difficulties with the earlier floor installation. It would be helpful to know what these were. The result of the inspection shows that, although normal moisture readings were recorded in most places, the area under the dinette set had a high moisture reading. More information in the report reveals that there seems to be a crack in the floor, which cannot be verified unless the flooring is removed. But it makes sense. A crack in the floor would allow moisture from the substrate to work its way to the top of the slab and cause the wood to cup. To get to the bottom of this, you should have the bamboo floor taken up throughout the affected areas. If a crack in the concrete is found, an engineer should investigate for any structural problem that may need to be addressed. Once it is determined that the slab is sound, the crack can be caulked with a polyurethane compound, and, once it has cured — a week to make sure — new flooring can be installed.
Q. I have a small cabin in northwest Pennsylvania, adjacent to the Allegheny National Forest. The cabin is sided with T1-11, and stained with Thompson’s WaterSeal. Love the look, but we’ve been suffering porcupine damage the past couple of years. How can I keep the critters from eating my camp? I’ve been told that the T1-11 is a delicacy for them. The repellents haven’t worked, and they last only a short time. I’ve heard crude oil keeps them away, but I don’t want the dark look from the crude. Any suggestions?
A. Any plywood is a delicacy for porcupines because they love the glues. The only real preventive is to wrap the bottom of the siding with small-mesh chicken wire or the widest mesh hardware cloth you can find.
Q. I am soliciting bids to re-roof my gambrel colonial. Presently, the roof (26 years old) is covered with the original three-tab shingle. There are heating elements over the dormers and running in the gutters. There are two gable vents on each end of the house; an alarm siren partially obstructs one. I have significant heat loss into the attic, which this year resulted in large (four- to six-foot) icicles and ice dams, causing water to run through the frame of the house. Luckily, no damage to the interior Sheetrock. I am hoping that new shingles, water barriers and improved air circulation in the attic will help with this.
As part of the roofing job, I am looking at 30-year architectural shingles and to increase ventilation in the attic with a ridge vent. When questioned, none of the contractors recommended replacing the heating elements. As a single mom, I have been trying to do my homework on both this job and the products being recommended by the various roofers. I have three questions:
Ÿ The shingle products (30-year architectural shingles) quoted include CertainTeed Landmark/Woodscape AR and GAF/ELK Timberline 30. Is there one product that you would recommend over the other for use in my area? Summers are humid, and we can get significant heavy wet snow in the winter. Additionally, we are subject to occasional hurricanes and nor’easters.
Ÿ One of the bidders is a CertainTeed Select ShingleMaster. He has shared with me CertainTeed’s Lifetime (50-year non-prorated) manufacturer’s warranty. Are you familiar with this?
Ÿ While all three quotes provide a ridge vent, only one roofer recommended installing vented drip edge on the eaves. Not sure how effective this might be due to placement of existing insulation, though I may be looking to install additional insulation next year after seeing how I make out this winter with the new roof. Do you support this recommendation?
A. I had BP shingles installed on our house because, so far, there has been no report of early failure. So be wary of any claims by contractors pushing the brand they favor and vaunting their warranties. They will not be of any help if you suffer a failure in the future, and you will be left to fend for yourself with the manufacturer, and I can vouch from experience that it is a daunting hassle.
A ridge vent is not effective without an equivalent or larger net, free ventilation area in the soffits, coupled with an uninterrupted airflow from the soffits to the ridge. Gable vents also are counterproductive with ridge vents and should be sealed. Don’t count on new roofing and increased ventilation alone to solve your ice-dam problem. Ice dams are the result of heat loss that causes snow to melt from the bottom of its pack and freezing that takes place as the meltwater reaches a cold space or area. You need to address the heat loss by seeking all possible convective paths from the heated space into the attic: attic access panel or disappearing stairway, recessed light fixtures, cracked or separating drywall tape, bath and kitchen fans discharging into the attic, etc. A blower-door test and infrared thermography can point out all these paths so they can be sealed. Additional insulation will probably be needed as well. The two areas, front and back, where the gambrel roof changes pitch will need special attention to make sure that ventilation is not interrupted or restricted. Try to avoid heating cables on the roof or in the gutters. They are costly to buy and expensive to run, and ice can damage them.
Q. I just purchased a condominium, and my unit has an attached one-car garage. The cement floor of the garage is uneven, so water that drips off my car pools up right next to the wall and steps, where I enter the unit from the garage. During the winter, this creates quite a puddle. I have been sweeping it out but would like to know if there is a product I could pour on the floor that will stick to the concrete and channel the water elsewhere in the garage. There is no floor drain.
A. Polymer-modified products can be used to resurface or patch worn or chipped concrete surfaces. One of them is Top’n Bond. The existing concrete area to be resurfaced will need to be thoroughly cleaned and etched with a solution of muriatic acid and clean water (the proportions are on the container). Muriatic acid is a potent solution, which needs to be handled carefully. Pour the water in a plastic bucket, and slowly pour the acid in the water. Wear heavy rubber gloves, eye protection and old work clothes. Soak the entire concrete slab with clean water to prevent the acid from penetrating it (you’ll understand why later). You can apply the solution with a nylon-bristle brush, but you need to use a stiff-fiber brush to scrub the surface to be treated for just a couple of minutes. Thoroughly flush the entire slab with your garden hose to dilute the acid and prevent it from penetrating the top layer of the concrete, which would damage it. Now you are ready to apply Top’n Bond, following the directions on the bag. This is a job better done by an experienced mason or concrete contractor, who is not likely to use muriatic acid but prepare the surface with an impact hammer to pockmark the surface for better adhesion. If you decide to do the job yourself, and prefer to use such a hammer, you can rent one and get instructions on how to use it.
Q. Would you please advise me on shingles for a residential roof? I am replacing a 26-year-old shingled roof and want long-lasting asphalt-type replacements. Would you compare Architectural Everest Asphalt shingles with a 40-year/lifetime warranty manufactured by Building Products of Canada with a comparable asphalt shingle made by IKO. The question being: Which manufacturer has a better product? I appreciate any information you may have on this subject.
A. There have been many failures of IKO shingles and refusals from the manufacturer to honor warranties, although they claim that they will. I defended a client who had to file suit, and was awarded the amount of damages he claimed after three different court appearances caused by some of IKO’s maneuvering. He had 35-year IKO shingles that failed in 14 years and that the IKO expert claimed failed because of the harsh Vermont climate. The judge asked him why they sell their shingles in Vermont if they are not suited for the climate. You can find out about any shingle lawsuits by Google searching “shingle lawsuit.” Dealing with IKO was such a hassle that, when our own 25-year IKO shingles failed in 15 years, I didn’t bother to file a claim because any claim is based on the remaining life of the shingles, and only covers material costs anyway. I used BP shingles, which are not subject to a class-action suit at this time, and hopefully will not be.
Ÿ Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via email at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
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