Attics that are open to the garage pose problems

Q. I am taking advantage of the unusual February weather in Vermont to go house hunting. I've seen several 1950s-era ranches with attached garages. What baffles me is that their attics are completely open to the garages. There are no vents on the ends of the attics in these buildings. There is no visible insulation inside the attic roof. The only insulation is on the bottom of the attic, between the boards above the ceiling. (Don't know where the bathroom vents exhaust to.)

Can you please explain why an attic would be open to the garage like this? It seems like an invitation to bugs and critters. Wouldn't this house lose a lot of heat? Wouldn't the moisture from the house condense on the inside of the roof?

If a homeowner wanted to make a house like this more energy-efficient, what could be done about insulating the attic? Should the opening to the garage be closed in, even partially? Should the homeowner always leave a hole?

A. It was a common practice in Vermont in the 1950s to leave the gable end facing the garage open when building ranches. I guess the thinking at the time was the open gable into the garage provided the attic's ventilation. I assume the builders of the time didn't give much thought to the need for ventilation or to the fact that the moisture brought in by the car in winter would contribute to moisture in the attic. I also don't think the builders ever thought about mice and squirrels nesting in the attic floor's insulation. Times have changed! Building a house this way is indeed not a good practice.

The insulation was properly installed between the attic's floor joists, but it was to the day's standards and is woefully inadequate by today's. Heat loss was not increased by this system, but it also is high by today's standards. The good part is that such open gable construction makes it easy to add insulation.

The open gables in these houses can certainly be closed, but other means of ventilation may then be required to avoid moisture accumulation and potential mold problems on the roof rafters and sheathing. The attic should be checked over several winters for condensation or frost on the roof sheathing, rafters or roofing nails. If these are present, additional ventilation should be considered.

The best ventilation system is a combination of soffit and ridge vents with an open connection between the two.

Q. Is there a way to recapture the heat or energy from sources in the home? For instance, it has always struck me that we spend all this energy to heat water to cook, wash and bathe with, and yet we let most of that energy go down the drain. I also can't stand to see the heat from the dryer vent billow out into the freezing air.

A. Recapturing the energy from the sources you mention is not easy or, in some cases, possible. You can let cooking water cool on the stove or countertop, or take a bath instead of showering and let the bath water cool before draining the tub. Laundry is primarily done with cold water nowadays, so this is no longer a source of wasted heat.

The heat from the dryer is another story. During the energy-crisis panic in the early 1970s, hardware stores sold a gizmo that was installed on the dryer vent and directed the heat — and moisture — into the room while taking care of the lint in a different way. It was OK with old leaky houses, which needed added moisture for the health of the occupants and furniture, but quite undesirable in today's tight houses, where moisture can already be a problem.

You may want to contact Efficiency Vermont in Burlington for suggestions to allay your valid concerns about energy recapture.

Q. I recently read an article where you advised a homeowner not to waterproof the inside of the basement because of potential mold problems. Well, I discovered that two of my basement walls were painted by the previous owner with Drylok basement paint. So I scraped off a small section of the paint and discovered a mold problem, like you said, between the Drylok and the basement foundation.

I went to Lowe's and, thinking all paint strippers are the same, bought one called Citristrip by Barr Co. to apply to the paint before stripping it. My mistake was that I didn't test it on a small area to see if it actually worked and used it on both walls. It's a gel and went on fairly thickly.

Of course it did not work as advertised, and now I have no idea what to do. I have this product all over the walls, I can't get the paint off and I'm afraid of the chemical reaction another stripper might cause. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A. Once Drylok has fully cured, it becomes part of the concrete and can be removed only by mechanical means — sandblasting, grinding, etc.

At this point, you probably need to use a wide-blade scraper, such as a drywall joint compound plastic applicator, to remove the gel. Put the dregs in a plastic bag and dispose of them as suggested on the Citristrip container. Read the instructions on the stripper's container to see how to clean the walls of any stripper residue.

The mold problems I have mentioned several times regarding block walls treated with Drylok or similar waterproofing products are more serious than what you are referring to. Waterproofed block foundations can accumulate water penetrating from outside. With no way out, water evaporates upward inside the house, where it can cause untold nightmares. I once investigated an apartment building where the basement block foundation had been waterproofed to keep the basement dry. The apartments had to be vacated because the drywall was black with mold, the air was putrid and everything inside was contaminated.

If your foundation is made of poured concrete, you have nothing to worry about, as there are no open cavities in poured concrete to contain water. But if your walls are made of hollow blocks, the simplest way to drain out any water is to drill small holes at the bottom of the vertical mortar joints of the bottom course of blocks. Do so with a star drill and a hammer, or use a masonry bit in a cordless drill to eliminate any risk of electrocution in case water pours out.

If water comes out, you should investigate the grade around the foundation and any appendages, and correct any deficiencies to prevent water penetration into the foundation.

Q. I have noticed a plumbing connection made by SharkBite at Home Depot. Are these fittings the real thing? Can you safely cover them behind drywall without ever having to worry about them leaking? They seem too easy, not having to solder or turn on the water to test the fitting. Will they withstand the pressure of a brass or copper fitting?

A. Although I am familiar with the SharkBite fittings, I have no actual field experience with them, and I don't know anyone who has tested them over a long period. As one plumber put it, he would use them for repairs, but not for a new house.

SharkBite fittings are made of brass and designed for easy connection to copper, PEX and other types of plastic pipes. They have steel teeth that grab the inserted pipe tightly, but the fitting can easily be released if needed using the special tool provided. Once a pipe is inserted, it can be rotated around to fit the condition — an advantage. These fittings are code-approved for underground and wall installation without the need for access panels.

The caution — as it is with the installation of any fittings — is to follow directions carefully, realizing that any pipe or fitting may develop a leak.

Q. I have a porcelain tile kitchen floor that is ugly. The color I selected was a light tan, but many tiles are dark reddish brown tiles with swirls in the tile. Unfortunately, the company went out of business, so I have no recourse. The tile wasn't cheap, so short of ripping it out, what can I do? Chemicals? Paint?

A. If you know the brand of the tiles purchased from the defunct company, you may want to check with other tile companies in your town. It is likely that more than one dealer carries this brand. Depending on how many tiles are in question, it may not be too difficult or too expensive to replace the offensive ones, compared to the alternative.

Although most tile dealers will tell you that porcelain tiles cannot be painted, it is possible to do so. First, cover all adjacent wood (baseboard, cabinets, etc.) and other surfaces with painter's tape to prevent damage. The tiles must be thoroughly cleaned using an abrasive cleaner such as Aqua Mix NanoScrub. Be sure to wear vinyl gloves and safety glasses (in case some of it splashes in your face). Use coarse steel wool. Rinse the floor thoroughly.

Next, use an orbital sander with 220-grit paper to roughen the tiles. Remove all dust from the sanding with a vacuum cleaner, followed by a thorough going-over with tack cloths. Using brushes and a short-nap roller, apply two coats of a top-quality, oil-base primer that has been tinted to approximate the finish paint.

Lightly sand the primer before applying the finish coat of top-quality, oil-base semigloss or high-gloss paint, depending on your preference. The finish coat must be applied in two or more thin layers, with a very light sanding between coats.

It is difficult to avoid painting the grout lines; masking them is arduous. If you want the grout lines to be a different color, it is best to paint the entire floor. Carefully apply painter's tape to the tiles on each side of the grout line in one direction for ease of application. Paint the grout. Then apply the tape to the tiles in the other direction to paint the perpendicular grout lines.

Q. I have attached pictures of the vinyl siding, overhang and shutters from an area of my house. They have artillery fungus on them from some mulch that was in the area. Do you know any method to remove the fungus without damaging the siding, etc.?

A. The ballpoint-size black dots on your vinyl siding, overhang and shutters are indeed artillery fungus coming from a decomposing mulch next to the foundation. The fungus explodes in the spring and fall when the temperature is ideal for the spores to do so. They can be propelled 20-plus feet in the air, which is where the fungus gets its name.

It cannot be removed without causing serious damage to the vinyl siding and any surface to which it attaches itself. Repair is possible on wood siding, but not on vinyl, aluminum or steel. Short of replacing the affected pieces, your only answer may be to paint the surfaces after a thorough cleaning — although the dots will still be there.

The only way to prevent the fungus in the future is to put new organic mulch over the old every year, remove the old mulch entirely or replace it with rubber mulch, available in garden-supply stores.

• 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. His book, “About the House,” is available at www.upperaccess.com and in bookstores.

© 2012, United Feature Syndicate Inc.