Articles filed under DeMarne, Henri

• Manufacturer’s products may be best for cleaning floor May 19, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Our vinyl kitchen floor (Mannington) has a textured surface with hundreds of small crevices. It looked fine for a few years, but now that we have had the floor for six years it has begun to look very dirty. These small crevices collect dirt, which is not removed by regular mopping.
  

   

• Old floor tiles need to be removed by professionals May 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I need help with this floor. There is a great hardwood floor under it. However, I don't know if it's safe to go and pull this up — whether it has asbestos in it or not. It is the one-foot-square pieces glued down, and if you do pull it up, what's the best way to get the glue off the floor?
  

   

• Pair of old furnaces should be replaced soon May 5, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I have two 23-year-old, 100,000 BTU Carrier natural gas furnaces heating my 2,900-square-foot two-story home in the Chicago area. A few years ago, a service tech said furnace No. 2 has a small crack in the heat exchanger and needed to be monitored for carbon monoxide leakage.
  

   

• When old walls are a mess, install new drywall Apr 28, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. The ugly walls of a wood frame house built in 1920 have cellulose insulation, lath and plaster covered with old, cracked wallpaper and multiple layers of lead paint. How should they be fixed?
  

   

• Put safety first when installing stove in basement Apr 17, 2013 12:00 AM
  [No Paragraph Style]NewsQandA with bodyQ. We're considering the purchase of a pellet stove for the basement of our 20-year-old Vermont home. We've read a few archived articles from your column that raised questions regarding whether and/or how to insulate poured concrete walls. Our basement is totally dry, and we don't want to do anything that would compromise it.
  

   

• Protective membrane prevents ice dams Apr 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We have ahome that was built with no soffits. As a result, we experience occasional ice dams, but even more troubling is condensation in the attic that has led to water buildup and staining on the drop ceiling panels in our upstairs bedrooms.
  

   

• Warm air can cause condensation in attic Apr 7, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I just noticed that the house attic roof (1-by-6 planks, not plywood) is covered with frost near where it meets the outside walls (facing north). Also, most of the attic roof on the north side of the main beam is wet, and in some cases dripping on the insulation and seeping through the ceiling in one room.
  

   

• Cedar or a suitable substitute sought for soffit Mar 24, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We are from western Pennsylvania, where the winters can be very cold and snowy. We have a house built in 1976. The house is a split-entry and is all brick except for the overhang, which basically is the entire back of the house.
  

   

• Anode rods cause hot water odor Mar 17, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Regarding your recent article, I also have a rotten egg smell in my hot water caused by a new water heater. When I contacted the manufacturer, it mentioned that removing the anode rod would eliminate the problem, but said that would void the warranty on the unit.
  

   

• Primer helps when painting dark paneling Mar 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I have wainscot wood paneling around the perimeter of the kitchen and would like to paint it white or cream to brighten up the area since we have so much other wood in there — wood floors and cabinets.
  

   

• Icy vent stack may be culprit in bathroom odor Mar 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Last winter, we started getting a sewage smell in the master bathroom of our 21-year-old home. We had not had this problem before. When the weather started getting nicer in the spring and summer, the smell went away. When we had the smell, it generally built up over the nighttime hours and went away when we turned on the water to shower each morning.
  

   

• Powder room plagued by foul odor Feb 24, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. The powder room on the first floor of my two-story house has a sewer smell (annoying and obvious, but not overwhelming). I had a plumber fix a plugged toilet in this powder room in early August. He used a "closet auger" (his term) and found the plug in the toilet fixture. (He had to go out only 2 to 3 feet to clear the clog.)
  

   

• New driveway needs proper stone base Feb 17, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. This spring, I plan on making my driveway bigger to accommodate my new garage. I need to excavate some topsoil and put a base under it. My question is: What size stone should I use? I plan to let it sit about two full seasons before I pour concrete to allow for any settling. Is this enough time to allow for that?
  

   

• Rotted doorframe can be patched Feb 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  My problem is that we failed to realize that occasionally the drain at the bottom of outdoor steps down to my basement would clog. Water would sit in that bottom well, in turn seeping under the storm door and causing the doorframe to rot. What product can I use to repair the door frame that could withstand the freeze/thaw cycle in my area?
  

   

• It’s best to vent bathroom fans downward Jan 27, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I have paid close attention to your recommendations for venting bathroom exhaust fans. I have a 40-year-old brick ranch home with a hip roof (thus no gables to vent through) in the cold Chicago suburbs. I don't, however, believe that I have read your advice for my situation.
  

   

• Remedies to remove musty odor from old furniture Jan 20, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. My grandmother gave me a dresser and a tall chest that my daughter uses for her clothes. The chests are about 80 years old. We have noticed a musty smell or old wood smell on the clothes. I wash the drawers and line them with paper, but it does not seem to help.
  

   

• New year brings changes in furnace efficiency standards Jan 6, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I live in a four-story condo building with 64 residents. It is my understanding that if we do not upgrade our older furnaces to 80 percent AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) by May 1, we will be required to install 90 percent AFUE furnaces after that.
  

   

• Annoying flies hatch from slime in drainpipes Dec 30, 2012 12:00 AM
  Q. My daughter is plagued by moth flies. She lives in a 1957 two-story house. In her laundry room, moth flies have taken over. She has a drain there. Do you have an idea where they are coming from or what to do?
  

   

• When recaulking, tile and joints must be spotless Dec 16, 2012 12:00 AM
  Q. We are faithful readers of your article in the Daily Herald; thank you for all of the help we have received. This past spring, you had an article praising Sikaflex. As I hope you can see from the attached pictures, the caulk has separated from the wall/floor. Should we caulk over, or start over?
  

   

• AC units in windows need winter protection Dec 2, 2012 12:00 AM
  Q. Should I cover my window air conditioner? I have no one to help and wonder if I can do this myself. I'm a senior citizen. What type of cover should I buy, and how do I measure for it?