Ivy tendrils can be burned off with a propane torch

Q. How do I clean my brick-sided home of ivy, specifically the tendrils that are attached to the bricks?

I love the effect of the ivy, but need it trimmed back and cleaned. I don't think that pressure-washing would get rid of the tendrils.

A. You can burn the tendrils off with a small propane torch, which you can buy in a hardware store if you don't already own one. Just be careful not to get too close to any wood or plastic. You may need to have a metal shield on hand to protect any flammable material if you need to get close to it. Use heavy-duty gloves.

Q. We are about to redo our deck with AZEK decking material, and now we've read in the newspaper about the lawsuits against this company. We plan to ask our local lumber company and our contractor if they are aware of any problems. We are not using the Brownstone color. We have selected Sedona in their Terra collection.

Do you have any further information that may be helpful in making our decision on materials before we proceed?

A. I have no new information other than what you read in this column that triggered your question. I can't tell you if Sedona will have the fading problems that Brownstone color has.

My only suggestion is the old standby - pressure-treated wood - is still around and has been time-tested over many decades. Trex, a synthetic material, has also been around for quite a long time, and has a good track record.

Q. You have helped me so many times with problems in my house and now I have another one. The faucet in my bathroom gets black gunk around it. I called a plumber and he said it's because I need a new faucet. I said, "OK, please install a new faucet," but that did not solve the problem. The black gunk continues to appear. I think it's from toothpaste. I have two bathrooms, but this one bathroom faucet is the only one that continues to have this problem. I would love your advice.

A. Is the black gunk like a stain or is it actually some sort of material that can be gently removed with a knife?

If it is a recurring stain, try removing it with an old toothbrush and a mild ammonia solution. Bleach wipes also work well, but never use any bleach with ammonia; the combination results in the formation of a type of mustard gas that is very dangerous.

But if it is a foreign substance, it needs to be identified to determine what can be done about it. Try another licensed plumber who has been around a long time.

Q. Recently you mentioned in one of your columns (which I have somehow misplaced) the names of a couple of tub refinishing businesses that have good reputations. Could you please refresh my memory on the names?

A. I think you are referring to a question from a reader who wanted to have her bathtub relined by Bath Fitter, but, to her dismay, Bath Fitter would not do just the tub; it insisted on doing the walls as well. Another reader emailed me that they had a similar problem with Bath Fitter and found another firm, Re-Bath, which did a great job for them.

Q. I have a home that is 3 years old. I have a screened-in porch going out from the kitchen. I have a walkout basement.

The 4-inch posts supporting the porch are treated. Should I put anything on them to preserve them or is there any maintenance that should be done? The lawn sprinkler does hit it daily.

A. If the posts are pressure-treated, there is no need to do anything to them. But you can apply a coat of Amteco TWP Series 1500 on them to give them added protection and change their appearance (www.amteco.com).

Q. My wife sprayed-painted some children's furniture using Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover Paint and Primer - gloss berry pink!!! Needless to say, she didn't protect the cement garage floor well so it bled through the newspaper. What can she do (she, not I) to remove the pink paint from the floor?

A. Have your wife try to remove the paint with a semisolid paint remover. It may take more than one application.

Q. Thank you for the invaluable education on home repair problems. I have two issues that need attention:

• I'd like to remove my Gutter Helmet leaf guards, but I hesitate because they are screwed in every 18 to 24 inches directly through the shingles. Removal will probably cause damage and leakage. Would installing commercial gutters and leaving the guards in place be a possible solution? There should be enough space for water to flow into the gutter versus overshooting the roof.

• My basement sump pump runs continually due to a high water table or underground spring. My neighbors do not have basements, and it seems all of the water is drawn to the lowest point - my basement. It is clear and cold and the french drain collapsed after 17 years and the backyard is a sinkhole. Since my pump runs so often normally, in heavy rains my basement floods.

Water on the basement floor is enough to deal with, but the last excessive rain caused the window well drains to back up. The extreme water pressure forced water between the drywall and basement perimeter walls soaking the insulation. The pipes and drains are not clogged. What can I do? Would a backup check valve alleviate the problem?

Note: Another source of bee home invasions are gutter guards - their nests are hidden underneath.

A. If you have the trademark Gutter Helmet, it can be taken off, and the holes left after the brackets are removed can be sealed by slipping a small piece of aluminum under the top shingle. Secure the aluminum pieces with a dab of polyurethane caulking or roofing cement.

Checking its website, the Gutter Helmet bracket seems to rest on the front of the gutter, so it does not seem possible to leave the product on while changing to commercial gutters.

Your basement water problems are serious enough to warrant professional advice. I suggest you call in a professional engineer who is experienced in hydraulics, rather than a contractor who specializes in waterproofing basements and whose object will be to sell you a system that may be a Band-Aid and not fully take care of the problem at the source.

There may need to be grade changes, but if the majority of your problem is due to an underground spring or a high water table, grade changes may only offer a small relief.

You may need more than one sump pump, or you may need to change yours to a pump of higher capacity.

Thank you for the note about how bees and wasps can enter a house. If they build nests under a gutter guard, they can enter the attic through the small space usually found between the roof sheathing and fascia board.

Q. This summer (for the first time in 36 years in this house) we noticed very small, raised, dark gray spots on our patio furniture, fiberglass pool rim, wooden deck rail, etc. The spots seem to be the result of something that was wind-borne (perhaps spores) based on the distribution pattern. Those parts of the patio furniture that faced the wind seemed to be the areas most affected. These spots are quite hard and impossible to remove. When scratched off the vinyl straps of the patio furniture and painted deck railings, they left behind a very pronounced gray discoloration. The only place where I could successfully remove them was from the top of the glass patio table. Do you have any idea what these are and what I can use to remove them?

A. From your description - raised, gray dark spots that are hard to remove - it sounds very much like a case of artillery fungus. Artillery fungus develops in the spring and fall when the temperature is right for the formation of the spores, which are part of the decomposition of certain types of organic mulch. The spores are shot great distances, which is why they are called artillery fungus. They land on any surface and stick so hard that it is nearly impossible to remove them without damaging it.

Do you have organic mulch nearby? The spores may have exploded and been transported by the wind if the two events happened at the same time.

A Pennsylvania reader has had success waiting until the fungus freezes to remove the dots with a plastic scraper.

Q. Is Lowe's Rescue It similar to, or does it have the same problems as, Home Depot's Deckover?

A. Rescue It is a product of Olympic Stains. The reviews are mixed; those who used the product on their outside decks seemed to be most disappointed, as Rescue It peeled after a winter's exposure to the elements.

I have heard from many readers over the years who have tried a variety of solid color stains and paints on exterior wood surfaces only to be faced with peeling problems. In my opinion, the best deck treatments are those that penetrate - semitransparent stains.

Here is a great suggestion from a reader: "For years I tried many products for cleaning our gutters. None to my satisfaction. What we found is a product called Awesome. The best part, you can find it in a dollar store. My wife and I use it everywhere around the garage and house. The manufacturer states it should not be used on windows or glassware. Simply put, it is awesome."

• 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.

© 2014, United Feature Syndicate Inc.