Plastic pipe joints should stay put
By Henri de Marne
Q. We updated our sink with plastic plumbing about five years ago and added a dishwasher. Every so often, the plastic elbow will come loose and spill the contents to the bottom of the cabinet. I clean up the water and tighten up the elbow, but it keeps coming loose. I have replaced the elbow and the plastic inserts, with no luck. Could the water pressure from the dishwater cause the connections to loosen? The sink and dishwasher are very close.
A. Did you do the work yourself or have a licensed master plumber do it? If the latter, call him or her back to fix it, as there is no reason why this should happen more than once if at all. If you did the work yourself, did you use rubber or neoprene gaskets? Rubber gaskets are not tapered and can more easily slip out, whereas neoprene gaskets are tapered and hold better. If the clamp that came with the elbow is only a compression clamp, change it to a worm clamp and tighten hard.
Q. We are thinking of getting an incinerating toilet for our cabin in Maine. It would be used only two months in the summer and only three or four times a week. What do you think of these?
A. Some incinerating toilets are operated electrically and others with propane gas. They are well suited to your application. Be sure you install it following the manufacturer's instructions, or you may end up being unhappy with its operation. There have been odor problems with some installations, so be aware of the wind direction for the exhaust.
Q. We built a log house in 2000. The finish consisted of a coat of Sikkens Cetol 1, followed by two coats of Sikkens Cetol 23 Plus. After a few years, the finish showed some wear, and in 2005, we had it restained with a coat of Sikkens Cetol 23 Plus after it had been scrubbed with Perma-Chink's Log Wash. I did not have it power washed, but the Log Wash was scrubbed on with stiff brushes and then rinsed off with water. The surface now has signs of breakdown. The logs on the southern and western sides, which get sun all day, are in bad shape. I have written to Lincoln Logs, which provided the materials for the house, and the company suggests more Cetol 23 Plus, which will eventually protect the wood.
The upper part of the house is framed and uses log siding. It does not show the deterioration, and I wonder if perhaps they were drier when stained than the logs were. The man at Lincoln Logs blames UV light for the problem. Do you have any suggestions? We like having the wood's grain show through, but we are not married to the current color.
A. You waited too long to apply another coat of Sikkens Cetol 23 Plus. It should be done every three years on surfaces that are exposed to the sun and every four years on sun-protected areas. Scrape the peeling areas, and apply Cetol 1, followed by two coats of Sikkens Cetol 23 Plus. Some Sikkens failures are also due to users stretching the recommended coverage because of the cost.
Q. In a recent column on deck boards, you mentioned that Trex has problems with rot unless properly treated and maintained. This has us concerned. What should be doing to prevent rot problems?
A. Most decks made of composite materials (recycled plastic and wood flour or similar) eventually decay when subjected to water. Trex has had its problems in the past, but the manufacturer claims they've been solved. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, consider coating your Trex with a solid-color stain or an alkyd primer and paint after proper preparation, which includes a thorough cleaning.
Q. We have gas-fired, forced-hot-air heat in our home. Our furnace was recently upgraded to a new high-efficiency model. I have heard to schedule regular cleanings of air ducts. I am wondering how often this is recommended and how it is accomplished.
A. It is a good idea to have warm-air ducts cleaned periodically. The frequency depends on the environment. If you live in an area that has a lot of dust stirred up by high winds and have leaky windows, it should be done more often. There are duct-cleaning firms listed in the Yellow Pages. Replacing the furnace filters often will reduce the problem, as will an electronic filter.
Q. We had a reputable company put on vinyl siding a number of years ago. The siding is excellent, but some of the trim work around the windows and the front porch is covered in white aluminum. Over the years, it has become rather ugly. I recently had someone take a look at it, as we wanted the three sections in the front porch fixed. We were told they could not be replaced with vinyl but there were two types of aluminum that could be used to cover the beams and posts. We had the regular painted aluminum. It was suggested that the three sections be covered in vinyl-coated aluminum. This sounded like a good idea until I saw the price for what looked to me to be a small job. I think I'd rather paint the sections.
What is the best way to prepare and paint this type of material? Clearly, it has to be cleaned thoroughly. Is there a special type of primer that I should use? Is there a special type of paint that I should use?
A. After the thorough cleaning, prime the aluminum trim with a metal primer to which you should add a mildewcide. Apply a paint formulated for metal or a top-quality latex paint, also with mildewcide added. You may want to consider Zinsser's Perma-White for exterior, which is guaranteed against mildew for five years. You may also choose to use a paint formulated for metal that self-primes.
Q. I understand you have expertise with the failure of IKO shingles. We had IKO's Cambridge shingles installed in 1994, and our garage roof leaked last fall. I notified the company and sent in all required information, except for two damaged shingles, which I subsequently sent in during the spring we had the roof replaced. I had estimates from two different people and settled on a quote that included temporary repair of the garage roof until the roof could be replaced in the spring. We have a complicated roof and paid more than $17,000 to have it replaced.
IKO offered us slightly less than $3,000 in compensation for the early roof failure. The shingles were supposed to be good for 25 years and failed after 15 years. How would you suggest that I determine whether this is a reasonable offer? I have read at least four of your columns mentioning IKO shingle failure, but have not seen you address what might be an appropriate compensation. I realize that there is a class-action suit against the company, but fear that we would receive less than we want from a settlement.
My brother is a lawyer and suggested that if we wanted to pursue the issue further, we could sue the company in small-claims court. In your opinion, is the company solvent enough to come up with a higher offer? Or do you believe we should be content with the $3,000?
A. Warranties on asphalt shingles only cover the prorated cost of the shingles themselves. They do not cover removal, disposal or labor to install the new shingles. IKO should offer you 40 percent of the cost of the shingles, so if your roofer can tell you how much the shingles cost, you can determine whether or not the offer is fair.
Small-claims court has a ceiling on the amount of the claims, so you cannot sue for more. Depending on the court load, you may have to wait a long time for your case to be heard. Their decision may not entirely please you, and even if you find a lawyer willing to take such a small case, he or she will have to be compensated (usually one-third of the award).
The last case I handled was fought tooth and nail by IKO. It required three court sessions over several months before the judge could render a decision. Fortunately, the verdict was entirely in our favor, but the case was a costly hassle for my clients.
Q. We live in central Jersey, and our subdivision is 12 years old. Lately, quite a few window salesmen have been knocking on everyone's door and trying to sell new windows. Their pitch is that their windows will save 30 percent to 40 percent in energy bills.
I know that the IRS is allowing a $1,500 credit for energy-saving items, so the pitch is appealing. I am sure that the savings is based on the laboratory testing of the windows with known energy exposure and measured difference in the readings on both sides of the window.
But how can I believe them, knowing the savings would depend on installation, proper alignment, proper caulking and other factors like attic insulation, doors, etc.? Although I have nine inches of bat insulation in the attic, I was wondering if you could explain how the window manufacturers and the window salesmen show the test results.
A. Be very leery of door-to-door salesmen! Your safest approach, if you think your windows need improving, is to have an energy audit performed by your utility. If the utility does not provide it, do they have a list of independent contractors who do? There is no correlation between the attic insulation and the performance rating of windows.
Ÿ 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.
$PHOTOCREDIT_ON$© 2010, United Feature Syndicate Inc.$PHOTOCREDIT_OFF$