Home repair: Sheen can be restored to old bathtub

Q. We are renovating a bathroom. Our tub is more than 20 years old, acrylic or fiberglass standard size that is not cracked or scratched, just dull and dirty. It has a surround that we will be replacing with tile and an out-of-date sliding-glass door that I hope to replace with a curtain. What is the best way to clean the old caulking along the edge of the tub? Do you have any product suggestions to clean the “ring around the tub?”

What is your experience with refinishing? We were considering that route, but I read a lot of mixed reviews. Are there any companies that will just clean the tub, but not refinish?

A. It is likely that the caulking is silicone, which should easily peel off. But if not, once you have removed the surround, which I assume is in large pieces, whatever caulking remains may be scraped off with a plastic tool. A good one to use, so as not to scratch the fiberglass, is the SKrAPr, a hard plastic tool originally designed to scrape encrusted spills off glass-top cooking surfaces instead of a razor blade, www.theskrapr.com.

A 20-year-old acrylic tub may have lost the gloss of its gel coat. Try cleaning it and putting some shine back on it with Gel-Gloss, a product specifically made for fiberglass, acrylic and cultured marble surfaces, www.gel-gloss.com. To make sure that you are directed to the right acrylic tub refinisher, if this is your choice, ask a plumbing-supply house if it knows anyone who can repair any products damaged in transit or after installation.

Q. I have a comment regarding the recent letter about a noisy sump-pump check valve. My mom had the exact same problem at her last house. The builder/architect did a horrible job in the engineering of the system. The pit was not placed near enough to the wall in order to discharge through, so the pipe had to rise the 8 feet to the first-floor joists; then it made a 90-degree turn and traveled another 10 feet and turned up and out 8 to 10 feet toward the rim joist where it discharged. This left a tremendous amount of water weight in the pipes, which hammered hard and resonated through the floor joists right into the family room above. At least the family room was carpeted.

I experimented with a couple of check-valve setups and settled on a PVC valve that was glued to the pipes rather than the typical clamped ones. I also replaced the rigid metal straps that attached the pipes to the joists with plastic J-hangers. That pretty much solved the problem. You could still hear it, but it was no worse than the furnace kicking on. My next idea was to put an air chamber in the pipe to cushion the blow.

I have an unrelated question. I have noticed there are many experts who no longer recommend using bleach to clean or disinfect. Some have even said it does more harm than good. Do you know why? It was my understanding that bleach (if used properly) is about the best disinfectant there is. The CDC still advises it as a sanitizer: www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/bleach.asp.

A. Ingenious solutions to the noisy problem! What a nightmare installation!

Regarding the bleach, I don’t know who these experts are. There are times when bleach is the best thing to use, and we use it regularly for a number of household cleaning and disinfecting jobs. There are other oxygen-based products that are better to use in the laundry, cleaning mildew and mold on decks and masonry, etc.

Q. I have a small humidifier unit manufactured by Eva-Dry (EDV 1100). I did buy it a few years ago, and it still works great for me. Don’t know if this is still available.

A. You must mean dehumidifier, as Eva-Dry, as its name suggests, does not make humidifiers. Yes, this model still exists, and if you want to buy another one, you can do so at Ace Hardware stores, Do It Best home-improvement stores or Amazon.com.

Q I was wondering if you could help me with a skylight problem. My Pella skylights are 25 years old. Their seals are broken, and I would like to replace them. Pella no longer sells skylights. They will, however, send someone out for $175 per 30 minutes to see if they might be able to repair them. I understand that Velux is a good brand, and I have found a reputable company to do the work. The problem is the shape. Velux does not offer the size I have that vents. They would have to be replaced with fixed skylights to avoid interior structural changes to my house. Is there anyone out there who can repair my current skylights?

A. I do not know of anyone who repairs skylights. If you must have venting skylights, Pella repair service may be your solution. I don’t know the size of your skylights, but check to see if Andersen has venting skylights that will fit.

Q. We have lived in this home for 10 years, and I’m approaching 70 years old and can no longer climb up and use a roof rake to cure my problem. We have a ranch-style house with an east- and west-facing roof. On the east-facing side is a three-season porch with a north- and south-facing roof. The valley where the north- and east-facing roofs join together is always sunless, and ice builds up there. Near the top of this valley is a skylight that becomes totally covered and darkens the room below. Can we fix the ice buildup in the valley? Is there any sort of cover that can be installed over the skylight that will keep light coming in?

A. If ice forms and builds up, it usually means there is need for more insulation. You may want to consider looking into this.

Another method is to install heat cables in the valley. Be sure the cables are UL listed and that you have a switch or a sensing device to turn them on only when needed. These cables are expensive to buy and run, which introduces another option: Have someone experienced in roof snow removal, such as a roofing contractor, do the job. They are more likely to be careful not to damage the roof shingles, as they would be responsible for repairs. This option would also clear the skylight, as I know of no other way to cover it and still give you light — any cover would also be covered with snow.

Q. We have had a chronic problem with water coming down the outside of our chimney, inside of the garage. The shingles on the roof were replaced seven years ago (problem existed before this). In the beginning — before and after the replacement of the shingles — the only time we had problems was during bad storms (sideways winds). Now we seem to have issues when the snow melts as well.

The roofer came back multiple times before, saying he thought the issue was chimney related. We had a chimney company here sealing/replacing tiles/installing a chimney cover, to no avail. We have since had another chimney-liner company here. Again, they have sealed the top and bottom of the chimney. They have also been back multiple times. If anything, the issue has gotten worse. This company has indicated they believe the issue is the roof. Somehow, I need to get out of this loop and get the problem fixed.

A. This sounds to me as if you have a flashing problem where the garage roof meets the chimney. I assume the chimney is made of bricks (although you refer to a “tile” replacement) and that the garage roof is sloping. Is the water leaking on the high side of the chimney, its slanted side or its lower side? If on the high side, the base flashing may not be substantial enough or there may be a small hole where it turns the corner and meets the slanted side of the chimney. If the leak is on the slanted side, and since you have had the problem before the roof replacement seven years ago, I have to assume that either the counter flashing was not properly installed in the brick course joints or that instead of the step flashing, which must be installed under each shingle course, a running flashing was used — or both.

If the leak is on the lower side of the chimney, there may be a problem with the apron and its counter flashing. There are good roofers and general contractors who do good roofing work, and there are people putting roofs on who do not really know what they are doing. If you’ve been offered caulking as a solution, this will not do. The entire flashing around the base of the chimney will have to be checked and, if this is where the problem is, fixed. Find an experienced roofer or an ASHI-certified home inspector to look into the situation.

If the chimney is not built with bricks but with “tiles” (terra cotta?), the same flashing principles apply.

Reader tip: I read your article about noisy check valves and wanted to let you know about the kind of check valve that solved our problem. When our valve would slam shut, it sounded like an explosion. Our plumber installed the quiet check valve, and our noise problem was solved. There is absolutely no sound when the flap closes. The quiet check valve is printed on the valve. I just wanted to pass this information along.

Answer: The quiet check valve is a spring-loaded check valve, which is the type I suggested be installed on the sump-pump line of a Vermont reader whose plumber installed a swing check valve, claiming that a quieter valve would not make any difference. I am glad you had a more knowledgeable plumber.

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.

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