Butcher block needs yearly oil layer
Q. We have a solid maple-block countertop in our kitchen. We rubbed it with tung oil before we used it. It's been about 25 years, and the counter has a lot of stains. I've been able to remove the stains on one side and covered the top with plastic until I can find something to prevent this from happening again. What kind of finish should we use? Or did we not put enough tung oil on the counter?
St. Albans, Vt.
A. Tung oil was fine to use, but you needed to reapply it more frequently than every 25 years. Butcher-block counter tops should be scraped lightly once a year to remove any deposits, then coated with mineral oil. Let the oil stand overnight and wipe the excess off the next day with paper towels. The ideal scraper is a ski scraper, available in ski shops.
Q. I hope you can help me. I have mahogany paneling in one of my rooms. (This is real wood veneer, not pressed board.) Two years ago, I did a major cleaning and washed the walls down with Murphy's Oil soap. The finish became very dull, so I used lemon oil on them twice. I had used the lemon oil in the past to good result, but I must have removed whatever gave the woods their shine when I washed them. Someone I know suggested that I use linseed oil on the walls. I had a can from several years back and saw on the can that it could be used on wood surfaces by cutting it with mineral spirits. I used an odorless mineral spirit and the linseed oil. I applied the mixture with a soft cloth, and it seemed to absorb right into the wood. The wood looks great, but now I have a problem with the odor. It has been three weeks, and I have had the window open, but the smell does not seem to go away. I hope you may have a suggestion for me.
Clark, N.J.
A. Was the old can raw linseed oil as opposed to boiled? This may be the cause of the odor, as raw linseed oil takes forever to dry. It is also possible that the old linseed oil had soured over the years. If the odor does not abate after a couple of months, you may want to consider washing the walls with a paint thinner to remove any oil remnants (be sure to ventilate well with fans, as you should not breathe the fumes from the thinner) and follow that with a spar varnish to capture any remaining odor.
Q. My wife and I have a townhouse-style condo with three toilets. After flushing, when the tanks are almost refilled, two of the toilets make a vibrating noise that seems to be in the wall behind the toilets. The noise lasts about five to 10 seconds and stops when the tank is full and the water stops flowing. I have watched the tank as it refills, and there is no noise or vibration in the tank itself. What is happening here? Thank you very much for any suggestions you may have.
Via e-mail
A. Assuming you have town water, you may want to have a licensed plumber check the pressure-reducing valve; it's possible that something has happened to increase the pressure inside the house, although it is strange that not all three toilets are affected -- but strange things happen in houses. Another possibility is that, since the vibrations happen only when the tanks are almost full, the slowing down of the refill may cause the pipes to vibrate. The type of water pipe (Pex or copper) may also be a factor. The plumber should also check to see what type of refill valves are in the tanks -- and if they are functioning properly.
Q. I have a concrete driveway, approximately 10 feet by 10 feet square, with a gap of something like one-half inch. When we moved into the house 10 years ago, there was a black felt/tarpaper-type of material in those gaps. Over the years, moss and weeds grew in and around that spacer material, and we've wound up intentionally or accidentally pulling out most of those fillers. Do they need to be there? Home Depot has foam cord they say to put into the gaps and cover with a self-leveling caulk they sell. Is that the best approach? Should I find that felt/tarpaper-type material?
Also (and probably related), if something falls on them on some of the panels, there is sometimes a hollow sound on the concrete! Other panels make a dull sound -- like I would expect. Could the aggregate under some of the panels be washing away as water gets into the spaces? We drive on the driveway and have no cracks or failures, so I don't think it's a thin pour of the concrete.
Finally, some of the panels have what I think is called spalling -- flaking off of the top fraction of an inch of some areas. That occurred a few winters ago (when the driveway was at least 10 years old). The problem has stabilized, and some areas are rougher -- you can see the aggregate in some spots. Should I patch these areas? With what? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
Basking Ridge, N.J.
A. The ½-inch asphalt strips you are referring to are probably Flexel -- ½-inch-thick, 4-inch-wide strips of asphalt-impregnated fibers that were used as control joints between sections of concrete to allow for movement and reduce the cracking that occurs during the drying process. We used this material regularly in the 1950s and '60s. Today, the concrete is scored instead. These spaces should be filled. What Home Depot is suggesting is to use backer rods and caulking, which is worth a try. But how big is your driveway? Are you prepared to do that work? An alternative is to hire a paving contractor to fill the spaces with liquid asphalt.
Where the concrete sounds hollow, it is possible that soil washed away from underneath those areas. Aggregate is bound into the cement to form the concrete and is unlikely to be washed away. Since your concrete is not cracking in the areas that sound hollow, it may be reinforced with mesh. Or it might thick enough to hold up, or the hollows under it are very small.
The spalled areas should be fixed to prevent further deterioration. Flush them with your garden hose and apply a vinyl-reinforced material such as Thorocrete or Top'n Bond, following the directions on the package. To prevent further damage, you may want to consider coating the driveway with a mixture of equal parts boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits after thoroughly cleaning the concrete. This can be done by sprinkling TSPPF crystals on its surface and sprinkling hot water on the crystals while scrubbing with a stiff-bristle brush with a long handle. The coating will protect the concrete from salt damage. Do not apply the linseed oil/mineral spirits mixture too thickly, and be sure that you use fresh-boiled linseed oil (buy it in paint stores), not raw linseed oil, which will never dry. This mixture should not be used in enclosed areas like a garage, as it may never fully dry.
Q. I have a new cathedral ceiling where the new drywall seams keep cracking. The construction is properly engineered, and the drywall was installed correctly. There are no other drywall issues other than this ceiling. The house is in Los Angeles. The room is situated on the north side of the house. This room is always cooler than the outside temperature. I am afraid to continue with the interior finishes until the ceiling issue is resolved. Could this have anything to do with air movement inside the rafters? I installed ventilated eaves soffit that takes air up to the roof's ridge vent. I am at a complete loss and would appreciate any advice you could give.
Los Angeles, Calif.
A. I assume that there is fiberglass insulation between the rafters. If so, the ventilation between the top of the insulation and the roof sheathing should have no effect on the drywall seams. The orientation of the room should have no effect on the drywall seams, either. You say that the house is new construction, but how new? You also mention that the construction is properly engineered and the drywall installed correctly, but that the seams keep cracking. How often have the seams been repaired and in what timespan? Where do the seams crack? Where the walls and ceiling meet or horizontally at the joints between boards on the ceiling (assuming that the drywall was installed parallel to the ridge line of the roof, as is customary)? Without this information, my guess is that there is movement as the framing shrinks or swells seasonally or that the taping was not done correctly. I need more information to be of any further help.
Q. I am writing about the pros and cons of covering an outdoor air conditioning unit (whole house, not a wall unit). I have heard that it is good to cover it in the winter to protect it. I've also heard that it is bad to cover it, as the cover provides a cozy nesting place for rodents.
Via e-mail
A. If you live in the south, there is no need to cover the compressor; it needs ventilation to stay healthy -- and these units are engineered to be outside for years. But if you live in areas of the country with sizeable snowfalls, it is not a bad idea to just cover the top and, perhaps, a third of the way down the sides. Do not cover the entire unit -- ventilation is essential.
Q. In our 1890 Vermont farmhouse, a former owner dropped the ceiling in the bedroom and installed white tiles that I assume are made from asbestos. Can we leave them alone or just paint them? Removal seems to be such a hassle.
Montpelier, Vt.
A. The tiles do not necessarily contain asbestos. Most acoustical and plain tiles bought by the public in building-supply houses for sound absorption or decoration are made of cellulosic fibers. Mineral tiles containing asbestos are generally used commercially for fire protection. Assuming that you are not interested in taking a sample to a testing laboratory to determine the tiles' content, you can paint them with a couple of coats of satin finish or semigloss paint. Regardless of whether they contain asbestos, if they are in good condition, encapsulation (in this case, by means of painting) is always preferred over removal, as removal can release infinitesimally small particles of asbestos that will float in the air for a very long time.
© 2008, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.