Only option is to buckle down, buy new laminate floor
Q. My daughter has a Pergo-type laminate floor in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dishwasher sprung a leak, and water seeped in the immediate area, causing some buckling. Is there any way the buckling can be straightened out? I thought of putting boards down on the affected area plus heavy weights on top of them to see if I can restore the previous flatness. Do you have any better ideas?
A. I am sorry to say that once a laminate floor has buckled, the affected pieces cannot be brought back to their original shape. If you know the make of the floor, when it was installed and by whom, you should call them and see whether they still have matching pieces and can replace the damaged ones. Often, some lines are discontinued. It may be difficult to replace the buckled boards because of the direction of the installation.
Q. Every few years I will have tree roots in my sewer line and my system backs up. I would like to have them cut on an annual basis, before my sewer line blocks. But I'm not sure what month of the year most trees root. Can you suggest the best time to do an annual power rodding of a sewer line?
A. Tree roots grow when the season warms up, and the growth lasts into late fall. If you have noticed that it takes three years for the roots to clog your sewer pipe, have them rooted out in the spring of the third year before the pipe gets clogged by the new growth. This will cost you a lot less than doing it yearly, which does not seem to be necessary in your situation. To avoid the cost of this service, you have other options. You can buy a product like K-77 Root Killer in a hardware store, if it is not banned in your state for environmental reasons. It has a copper-sulfate base and costs around $10 for a 32-ounce bottle. Follow the instructions carefully.
Another option, albeit more costly but permanent, is to have your sewer pipe replaced - if it is under an open lawn and not too deep. It should be done with Schedule 40 PVC pipe with all joints cemented. In the long run, it may prove considerably less expensive than rooting out the pipe every two or three years.
Q. My house was recently broken into while we were away for the weekend. The burglars entered by kicking in a door in our backyard. We are considering having an alarm system installed, but the cost is considerable. Do you have any other suggestions on what we can do to make our house more secure?
A. An alarm system tied to a security-monitoring station that can alert the police is a good option. The cost of the installation varies depending on the extensiveness of the coverage you choose: doors only or doors and windows, motion sensors, etc. There is also the cost of the monitoring service. The peace of mind may make it worth it to you.
You can secure both patio and regular doors with Door Jamb Armor by Armor Concepts LLC, 280 N. Midland Avenue, Building L Saddle Brook, NJ 07663. Phone: (888) 582-2294, info@djarmor.com, www.djarmor.com. Their products are available at Lowe's with a retail price in the $125 range.
Q. Are all vinyl windows cold? I was in Home Depot looking for interior plastic windows, and I was talking to a woman who had Andersen vinyl windows. She said everyone she knew who had bought Andersen vinyl was complaining about how cold they were. I also spoke with a window installer who said he hears from a lot of vinyl-window owners who end up looking for storm windows. Does the double-sided tape for interior plastic windows do any damage to painted or stained wooden trim? Are the windows effective enough to bother with? For the long term, would you recommend interior insulated shades or going with the Acme magnetic windows you mentioned?
A. Good-quality vinyl windows with a similar rating from the National Fenestration Rating Council should all be the same. The conductivity of the frames is similar to that of wood. What may make vinyl windows, or any window, for that matter, feel cold is air leakage around the frame. There are also low-cost wood windows with poor performance. An old-fashioned window with a storm window can often perform better, as the storm window breaks the wind, preventing it from reaching the primary window. Storm windows would work as well with vinyl or wood windows that are poorly sealed around the frames, either because of an improper installation or an inadequate product. Any plastic film tightly attached to the window casing would help, but there is no way I can assure you that two-sided tape would not damage the surface; that will depend on the soundness of the coating. Magnetite storm windows are very effective; we have them on our 1960s vintage casement windows that only have one-eighth-inch separation between panes. The Magnetite storms have stopped all condensation on the glazing in the coldest temperatures. Insulated shades are also a great option, as there is always night radiation from glass and the shades reduce it considerably. The combination of the two is hard to beat. Gordon's Window Decor in the Burlington area has several lines of high quality and very effective insulated window treatments, www.gordonswindowdecor.com, (800) 869-2199.
Q. I have a cabin in northern Pennsylvania. Most of the cabin is covered with a rather heavy gauge steel siding that is white in color. This horizontal 4-inch lap siding is much like today's more modern aluminum-and-vinyl siding in both look and installation. I am unsure how old it is, but age and natural weathering is taking its toll and the white finish is chalking/fading away. It's time to paint this steel siding, and I would appreciate it if you could offer suggestions as how to clean/prep it and what primer and paint I should apply.
A. If you have access to a pressure-washer, use it to clean the siding with a mixture of 1 cup TSPPF, one half gallon of Clorox bleach and one half gallon of water. Keep these proportions for all the additional mixture you need. If you do not have a pressure-washer, a soft-bristle car-washing brush on a handle attached to a garden hose is effective. Use the same solution. Since the siding is chalking, you should prime it with an alkyd-based primer. Paint it with a paint formulated for metal or use a 100 percent acrylic paint.
Q. Every year when we prepare to leave our 15-year-old home in Charlotte, N.C., we are torn between a lamp on a timer with a red light in the window if the temperature falls below 40 degrees versus the calling in a professional plumber to drain all the pipes and tanks, fill the hot-water heat lines with antifreeze and go worry-free on to Myrtle Beach for two months. Do you have some guidelines/formula for assisting us in the thought process. We hear that the severe cold is not good for the house, walls and furniture, and it is better to keep some heat on, etc.
A. This is a frequently asked question from the many snowbirds in the northern parts of the United States and some parts of Canada. There are people who have their house winterized and turn the heat off successfully, but in cold climates, it's always a risk. It's not good for furniture, as the glue joints may come loose, paneling can shrink and plaster can crack. Houses with drywall walls and ceilings usually fare better, but it's still a risk. Also be aware that having antifreeze put in a hydronic system lowers its efficiency by about 10 percent, so it will cost more to heat the house when you are there. In a well-insulated house, it is safe to set the thermostat at 45 degrees (7 C). In other cases, it is safer to set the thermostat at 50 degrees (10 C).