Digging deeper for a bigger basement

Q. Can you tell me the way to make a basement higher? In ours you have to bend over to walk. Is it more costly to dig deeper or to lift the house? Whom do I contact who does that?

A. A general contractor either with experience in hand-excavating or, if possible, a contractor experienced with using a small machine to dig a deeper basement would be the person to consult. The most important factor is the type of soil your house is built on. The contractor must be careful not to undermine the existing foundation when deepening the basement.

There are two ways to do this work. One is to dig the center part of the basement, staying away from the foundation walls by the same distance as the depth needed to give you the headroom you want. Footings are poured and a new foundation is built to the same height as the top of the original footings. A concrete cap is poured over the dirt, the original footing projection and the new walls, which provides a shelf for storage. This results in less floor space than the original. If you want to have the new basement as large as it is now, the second option is to excavate under the existing footings in 4-foot sections, leaving 8 feet between each section. A new footing and wall are poured or laid to the underside of the existing footings. After the day it takes for the new construction to firm up, the next 4-foot sections are excavated and so on until the entire original foundation is underpinned.

To compare prices, have a house mover give you an estimate for lifting the house. This is likely to be more expensive, as it requires disconnecting all utilities and reconnecting them when the house is at its new level. It all depends on issues dealt locally by competent contractors.

Q. We recently moved into a small 1950s ranch here in South Burlington. It has a hydronic heating system with a new Weil-McLain Boiler, and a large-diameter circulating pipe around the perimeter of the house, which then has "Ts" going to the radiators. Pretty standard for the vintage.

All the heating pipes fit very snugly through every joist or stud they pass through. Every drilled hole barely accommodates the copper piping, and some of the wood is even discolored from the heat. Naturally, during the heating season, we hear constant loud "pinging" noises as the copper pipes expand and contract continuously throughout the day. We also hear the sound of straining wood, as if on an old boat. I don't see how it is possible to enlarge the plumbing holes through the wood that accommodates the heating pipes. Is there anything I can place on the pipes to make them slide through the wood as they expand and contract? Note that my boiler's water circulates at about 180 to 190 degrees, so the pipes get fairly hot.

A. Since the pipes are accessible from the basement, try spraying WD-40 in each location where the pipes go through wood joists. If it helps, repeat as needed.

Q. We have a 23-year-old center hall colonial that is situated on the upside of a hill. There are a lot of hills around us, and we have wind that sweeps up the hill on the northwestern side of the house. We have two fireplaces, one in the back of the house facing north and one on the east side. The east-side fireplace works perfectly but the north-side fireplace is unusable due to downdrafts.

When the house was built (masonry fireplace) the builder extended the chimney about 5 feet so it extends well above the roof. But that did not solve the problem. The downdrafts are so severe that we have covered the fireplace entrance with shrink wrap and still the room is about 15 degrees colder than the rest of the house.

We do not use the room in the winter. It is the family room but we cannot shut it off from the rest of the house. I have contacted many chimney companies and they tell me that short of sealing the fireplace or permanently capping the chimney, there is nothing we can do. Do you have any suggestions?

A. If you haven't had a weather cap installed over the flue, it is worth a try. If the chimney has several flues, make sure that the caps are the tunnel-type and that they are installed parallel to - not facing - each other. If the only flue is the fireplace's, either a tunnel-type cap or a flat cap will be fine. But the flat cap must be at least 8 inches above the top of the flue liner so as not to "smother" the smoke. If you can find it, a clay flue pot, similar to those used on Bermuda chimneys, is a good option. I have seen some on seashore homes in Florida.

There are also European-style copper flue pots available on the Internet that should do the same thing. One such site is fireplacemall.com. These special tops that are installed on top of regular flues control the wind and may help your situation. You may also want to contact local chimney sweeps and ask if they have access to these types of pots.

Q. One of your readers asked if there was any solution for on-demand units and long hot-water waits. I recently came across a Web site for something called the Hot Water Lobster. It is connected to the farthest plumbing fixture from the hot water boiler and does not need any electrical outlet as it has no pump and works on a difference-in-temperature principle. I read dozens of letters from satisfied customers who said it gives you hot water to any part of the house in 30 seconds or less. It costs $179 and is easily installed.

I was thinking of getting one for my girlfriend's house in Cumming, Ga., as the wait for hot water can often be three to four minutes because her boiler is in her garage, and all the pipes are buried in the slab foundation. Have you heard of this device?

A. I am not familiar with the Hot Water Lobster and just visited their Web site. It sounds intriguing, but I would like to hear testimonials from people I know or readers who have installed one. Testimonials like those on the Web site are often made up and of little value.

Q. I have replacement windows that are about 25 years old. Most still work fine (some need the balance bar replaced) and fit well, however, the bottom window is discolored. The top half is fine. I believe the gas inside the window has leaked and caused the problem. I don't think I need total replacements. But how do I get the bottom window clear again?

A. Unless you know the manufacturer or supplier, and can get new bottom sashes, I don't have good news. Newer replacement windows are very likely to be more energy-efficient than 25-year-old windows.

Q. We are having a new cement sidewalk poured, and I have a question. Our downspouts run across the sidewalk, and we would like to have a flexible downspout buried under the sidewalk. Should the flexible tubing/downspout be solid or slotted to allow the water to slowly be distributed? Someone told us that it should not be slotted, because we wouldn't want the dirt under the new sidewalk to wash away causing the new sidewalk to crack. Someone else told us to go with the slotted. We are not sure which way to go. What is your expert advice?

A. Use a solid pipe. The slotted pipe could cause problems in heavy rains, regardless of the type of soil. I assume that the buried pipe has a way to outlet to daylight. But if not, where will the roof water go? If it had been suggested to use a drywell, don't do it. It may be why the downspouts were made to discharge over the sidewalk.

• 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 e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.