Gadgets and gifts for handy people

Following my annual practice, here are suggestions for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts for the handy men and women in your life.

Ÿ The Gordon Wrench is a small, plastic wrench used to free frozen oval metal shut-off valve handles under sinks, lavatories and toilet bowls. Trying to free these valves with regular wrenches or channel locks in an emergency often results in breaking them. The Gordon Wrench prevents this from happening. You can see what it looks like and buy it online at www.gordonwrench.com. No house should be without it. It can be hung on a nail under the sink or in the vanity cabinet.

Ÿ The SKrAPr originally was designed to replace a razor blade in scraping encrusted spills off glass cooking surfaces, but the hard plastic tool is also great for cleaning barbecue grills. It comes with a mini 4-inch SKrAPr and two SKrAPr papers to sharpen the edges (www.theskrapr.com).

Ÿ Open It!, a multitool developed by women, easily opens the cellophane tape on packages with its retractable utility knife or rugged jaws, and opens battery compartments on electronics with its very small Phillips screwdriver, among other uses (www.enjoyzibra.com).

Ÿ Another intriguing gift is the Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow. It has two built-in speakers that, when connected to an MP3 player or other musical source, will theoretically lull you to sleep (www.sound-oasis.com).

Ÿ Two great additions to your tool collection are the Dremel and Rotozip tools. Their versatility around the shop is considerable.

Ÿ A larger and more expensive item for the patio, deck or beach is the Sport-Brella, an interesting folding, all-occasions outdoor chair with an attached umbrella (www.sport-brella.com).

Ÿ For bird-watchers pestered by squirrels, the Yankee Flipper, a bird feeder that spins into action when squirrels jump on it, will send rodents flying (www.drollyankees.com).

Ÿ “The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Owning a Home” (RSBPress) by Kitty Werner is a great resource for first-time prospective homebuyers who need guidance on many important topics. And if you will forgive this bit of self-promotion, my own book “About the House With Henri de Marne,” a nearly 500-page compendium of your questions and my answers for 37 years, is available directly from the publisher: Upper Access Inc., www.upperaccess.com, (800) 310-8320. Both of these books are also available in bookstores or at Amazon.com.

Q. The wallpaper in my bedroom has mildew/mold coming through on the inside and outside walls, and my clothes in another room’s closet (on an outside wall) are showing moldy white spots all over them, especially on the dark colors. I do not have a basement. I have a gas furnace and I am a senior living alone, and I need help.

A. If your house has a crawl space, it is possible that a lot of moisture is generated throughout your house if the dirt floor is not thoroughly covered with 6-mil plastic and the crawl space kept dry by proper grading. Please have this carefully done by a conscientious family member, contractor or handyperson you know. This will reduce the obvious excessive moisture in the living areas.

If your house is built on a slab, you may need to raise the heat despite the additional cost in fuel, or have its perimeter insulated. Not knowing what finish may be on the slab, I can’t make any further recommendations.

In any case, you should seriously consider calling your utility provider to find out if it, or another organization in your state, provides energy audits. An energy audit may recommend steps to increase the energy efficiency of your house, and such programs may also offer grants or low-interest loans, depending on your income, to help you pay for these improvements. Once done, these improvements would make your house much more comfortable and reduce considerably your heating costs. They also may eliminate the mildew problem on your wallpaper and clothes, which may be due to uninsulated exterior walls.

If you use a humidifier, either as part of your furnace or as a separate appliance, please turn it off and clean and dry it.

You should also carefully think about what aspects of your lifestyle may be causing too much relative humidity in your house.

Q. Enjoy your column. This week’s dealt with flashing problems; it was for us! What I really want to know are your thoughts on the new metal roofing that is appearing more and more in our area. What is the best way to proceed for this process, meaning weight, strength of materials, wide or narrow? We are thinking of joining others in the area but are a little unsure.

A. There are basically three types of metal roofing: standing seam, screw-on metal panels and stamped panels that mimic wood shakes, clay tiles, etc. You haven’t mentioned which type is so preponderant in your area and which type you are considering for your roof.

Metal roofing has some advantages over the most common asphalt/fiberglass shingles, but, except for the screw-on type, metal roofing is considerably more expensive than shingles. As long as it retains its factory finish, metal roofing will shed snow if the slope of the roof is steep enough and if there are no obstructions, such as valleys, pipes, chimneys, etc. Once the finish gets dull or wears off, snow may not slide off as easily or not at all. You also need to be careful that sliding snow will not block a door or damage plantings; you may need snow guards over doorways.

Replacing your existing roof covering with metal does not ensure that you will not have leaks. The problem may be in the existing chimney flashing or the chimney itself — subjects dealt with in the earlier column to which you refer.

If you opt for standing seam metal, be sure that you insist on 24-gauge metal and double-lock seams, with the bottom of each seam sealed with caulking and a folded tab. This is usually installed by the most experienced metal roofers, and it is quite expensive. Screw-on metal roofing comes in several styles. Visit a building supply store and choose what appeals to you. Stamped metal panels are usually installed by licensed installers who are trained by the manufacturer.

Unless the rafters can take the additional load, it is best to remove the existing roofing unless you choose the screw-on metal roofing, which is usually installed on 24-inch on center furring strips. Standing seam roofing requires a smooth deck surface so it does not transmit the irregularities of the underlying original roof covering. Stamped metal roofing will need to be installed following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Q. In reference to your recent newspaper column in which you offered to share instructions for installing a submersible sump pump in a hole in the basement, I would very much like to receive them. I’ve been reading about this topic on the Internet and would appreciate hearing your perspectives.

A. The best way to build a sump in a basement is to cut a hole 30 inches square in the concrete slab and dig a hole 30 inches deep. Lay 5 inches of egg-size stones on the bottom. Place an 18-by-18-inch, 24-inch-tall flue tile on the stones, and fill the space between the walls of the hole and the tile with the same stones. Pour a concrete patch, using the top of the tile as a screed; this will create a 1-inch drop in the patch. Install a high-quality submersible pump. Any water building up in the stone bed below the slab will drop down into the stones lining the hole and enter the sump under the flue tile, while any water running on the floor will drop into the tile, from which it will be pumped when the level rises enough to trigger the float on the pump. Be sure you discharge the water away from the house foundation to prevent it from recirculating into your crawl space. This is accomplished by proper grading.

Q. I was hoping you could help me with a heating issue. I live in over-55 housing, so money is an issue. I heat with oil. I have a pitched cathedral living room ceiling. There is only one small heat vent (12-by-12 inches) 10 feet up the highest inside wall. The return vent (slightly larger) is about 5 feet away, slightly higher than the heat vent.

I have an open loft. Needless to say, all the warm air rises. I do have a ceiling fan in the living room, and I have read that in the winter, you should have it on clockwise. But does that apply with an open loft? Shouldn’t it be counterclockwise in the winter with an open loft?

Also, a friend recommended I put a fan in the open loft and blow the hot air down. Would that help? If yes, which direction should I have both fans running?

A. It does not sound as if the heating layout was installed intelligently. A heat supply should be installed as low as possible, while an air conditioning supply should be high. Also, a return should not be only 5 feet away on the same wall, as it causes the warm air coming out of the heat supply to be drawn directly back into the return air supply with little chance of providing heat in the rest of the room.

The rule of thumb for a ceiling fan is to have it move air upward in the winter so the stratified warm air is washed back down the walls of the room, whereas in the summer it is best to move the warm air straight down to be cooled.

If I understand correctly, the loft is connected to the open cathedral ceiling. Moving the air upward in the winter will still work, as it will wash along the loft floor and down into the room below. In the summer, the stratified warm air in the loft will be drawn down with the air in the main part of the room. I don’t think you need a second fan, but there is no harm in installing one.

Q. I have a two-flat building with new windows and insulation. I have one thermostat for both units on the first floor, and my wife says I need another thermostat on the second floor. As the heating season progresses, the second floor climbs into the 80s. Thank you for your time. I love your articles in the Daily Herald.

A. If the heating system is hydronic (hot water baseboard or radiators), it may be possible to have a separate zone for the second-floor apartment with its own thermostat. However, if the heating system is warm air and you have only one furnace, there isn’t much you can do, short of installing expensive motorized dampers or another furnace to heat the second-floor apartment. An HVAC contractor should be consulted.

That’s the best I can do with the little information you have given me.

Q. Our Premier composite deck by Composatron has mildew under plants and furniture at the end of the season. Is there a way to clean off the mildew short of scrubbing by hand? Is pressure washing a good idea for this material?

A. I could not find anything about maintenance of this decking material.

You may try power washing with a low-velocity nozzle and low pressure, and see what happens. A safer way is to scrub the affected areas with a bleach solution (3 parts water to 1 part bleach) or a safer oxygen bleaching agent such as OXY-Boost, which you can buy from www.ecogeeks.com. Once on the website, click on “OXY Products.”

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 email at henridemarne@gmavt.net.

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