New metal roof will contort to shingles below
Q. We recently got several estimates on what it would cost to have a standing seam roof placed on our house. Most estimates included the cost of stripping the "architectural" shingles off and putting on either a 24- or 26-gauge metal roof. One roofer, who has been doing standing seam roofs for 20 years, said it is not necessary to remove the old shingles. He would just reroof it with a metal roof placed over them. This estimate is much less than the others, as there would be less work involved.
Although this information came from a well-known, recommended and experienced roofer, we are wary of what may be a short cut. If he's right, we'd save a good bit of money. Do you have an opinion about whether it matters or not to leave the old shingles on? Also, does one way over the other make a difference whether you would choose 24 or 26 gauge?
A. If the old shingles are not removed, the metal roof will telegraph them after being exposed to the sun, and the roof will look pretty bad. You should also insist on the heavier 24-gauge metal, as it will be a lot quieter under windy conditions. Both 24- and 26-gauge metal roofs will oilcan when the wind blows hard, but 26-gauge metal will not only do so a lot more, but it will also sound like a freight train is running on your roof. You should also insist on having all seams double-locked.
Q. I have heard mention of your squirrel solution. I really need something to keep squirrels out of my attic. Could you repeat your solution for me?
A. You need to find out how they get into your attic; there is a hole somewhere, either through a screened gable louver, a rotten trim board or through a soffit vent that they have torn up. You'll need to make sure that the squirrels are out of the attic, including any young ones, before the entry point is sealed by whatever means is appropriate.
Q. I hate the gutters on our house. They're typical of the gutters you see on most houses, and the design is very poor. It would seem the only thing they excel at is getting clogged. As soon as good weather comes, I want to replace them. Where does one buy the large commercial gutters that you would recommend? I'm beginning to think that no gutters is a possible solution. At least then, all of the water coming off the roof doesn't go to one corner.
A. Look in your Yellow Pages under "Gutters & Downspouts." You will find firms listing 6-inch commercial gutters. They should also install 3-by-4-inch downspouts, commonly used with 6-inch commercial gutters. These should end your clogging problems. I cannot recommend any of the gutter toppings offered at high prices, as all of them I have looked into have one or more problems. If the grade around your house slopes gently away, and you have good drainage, an alternative is the Rain Handler, www.rainhandler.com. Water coming off the roof hits several horizontal "Venetian blind-like" flaps that scatter the rain over a larger area than it would with no gutters at all, so it does not cut a trench at the roof's drip line.
Q. A leaking pipe from a second-floor toilet proved to be the work of a mouse or rat gnawing inside an elbow. The angle was too acute for metal work, so our plumber fashioned an epoxy replacement. Within a few weeks, gnawing could be heard at night, so they're getting in somewhere, but our guys are stumped. We replaced our connection to the city sewer in 2005 and are not eager to exhume that work. Is there a way to find and seal the rat door without ripping up the wall and bathroom floor? If not, what do you advise?
A. I assume the leak is from the waste line and not in a water pipe. Mice need a very small hole to get into a house, but rats would need a much more considerable hole. If your guys have not found any hole through which mice or rats can get into the house, and the problem is with a toilet waste line, the culprit may have gotten in by falling into the plumbing roof vent. If this is the case, the critter could have traveled in this waste pipe, looking for a way out. It's unlikely that it could get back up the pipe, particularly if the pipe is plastic. When it reached the epoxy connection, it found something that it could chew on to get out.
Is the chewing noise continuing? Is it still in the same location, or do you hear chewing elsewhere in the house? This would indicate that the critter is out of the pipe. It would seem to me that the animal would have been flushed down the waste pipe when the toilet was flushed.
You have a leaky pipe that needs to be fixed, so either a wall or a floor needs to be opened up, and I would think that you'd want the plumbing altered so the angle in question is no longer so acute. What was done is obviously a weakness, although the damage to it may never recur; this may be a fluke event.
Q. We seem to have a problem with flies in our house, even in the winter here in Succasunna, N.J. Our house is a raised ranch built in 1986 with a big palladium window at the front entrance. Every day as the sun rises and shines through this window, you can see at least five black flies moving about on this window. Some die, but they keep coming. Do you think these flies are hatching in the woodwork around the window? I can't seem to locate any area they are coming out of. In the winter, it's not like they are flying in from the outside through open doors. On a similar note, a couple of years ago, during the summer, I observed big black flies coming out of a cinder block in the garage. They were coming out one at a time, moving almost like they were just born.
A. The winter flies are cluster flies. They get into houses through any small crack they can find to seek shelter as cold weather approaches. They hibernate within walls or attics and come out when the sun is shining, buzzing on window glass. They are not "dirty" flies, but they are annoying and, if crushed, smelly and messy.
One way to get rid of them is to vacuum them up. But the best way to prevent an infestation is to caulk and seal every joint between different materials - around windows, doors, beam projections, cantilevered joists, etc. It is also essential to caulk the joint between the foundation and the mudsill if it does not have a sill-sealer.
As to the big black flies that came out of the cinder blocks during summer, I wonder if they were carrion flies that had just cleaned up a dead mouse. If it's a one-time occurrence, that is likely to be the case.
Q. We live in a home built in 1989. The basement walls are cinder block, and the floor is poured concrete. We do not currently have a sump pump. We have had water in the basement on two occasions - once following Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and once following the April nor'easter in 2007. We had about 3 inches of water after Floyd and almost 7 after the nor'easter. In both cases, the water intrusion occurred a day or so after the rains had stopped, leading me to believe the problem is related to a rising water table. Our downspouts and grading appear to be managed appropriately.
What is the best solution for preventing water from entering the basement? Both of the companies that have come out to give opinions/estimates recommend an interior-drain system that involves removing the concrete from the perimeter, lining the trench with gravel and a PVC pipe that leads to a sump pump with battery backup. They would also drill "weep holes" in the bottom cinder blocks to allow drainage into the trench ($5,000 to $7,000). What are your thoughts? Do we need a system like this, or is a sump pump (or two sump pumps) enough? The basement is small - about 25 feet by 28 feet. I want to deal with this problem once and get it right.
A. Your diagnosis appears correct. The delay in the leakage may indicate a rising water table or an underground spring or other water course that swells with the heavy rains you mention. Since you are aware of your grading and water disposal from your gutter system, and they seem OK, your leakage problem is very likely caused by some underground event. The proposed interior-drain system is the best solution, but, considering how much water you did get, the sump pump must be of high capacity. Hopefully, you will not need two of them.
Q. Our fireplace is centered between the living room and the family room with openings on both sides. Each side has glass doors. I would like to have it open only in one room. Is it possible to close one side up, or is a two-sided fireplace engineered in such a way that it can draft only with both sides open? I have visions of having a mason brick up one side, and then I could Sheetrock over it to give me another solid wall to place furniture on. Is this possible? Our house is a ranch with an unfinished attic.
A. Have a competent mason that's experienced in building fireplaces look the situation over. It should be possible to have one side sealed as long as it won't affect the draft from the other side.
Q. We enjoy sitting on our patio on warm summer evenings. However, we are driven inside by wandering skunks. They bumble across the patio, walking right under our glass-top table while we are sitting there. Is there any way to discourage the skunks without increased lighting?
A. I asked the question of a longtime friend, a former game warden now retired from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Service. He says that there must be a den nearby, and that you should have the skunks removed, as they are rabies carriers. Apparently, skunks that are living in cities have no fear of humans and do not spray easily since they do not feel threatened - skunks are offended by their own smell. Call the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Service, (802) 241-3700, for a list of licensed trappers who will come and catch the skunks in Havahart traps and take care of the problem. There is a fee for the service.
Henri de Marne's column appears Sundays. He was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. His book "About the House" is available in bookstores and at www.upperaccess.com. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or via e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
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