New concrete may be best way to fix patio's water problems

Q. We enjoy reading your column in the Daily Herald. What is your opinion about the technique of raising and stabilizing sinking or uneven sidewalks, patios, etc.? My husband and I moved about 18 months ago into an approximately 40-year-old ranch house with a large backyard patio.

Before buying, we didn't notice the patio had separated from the house's brick wall. The patio also slopes away from the house and ends below the lawn level. Whenever it rains, the patio is awash in water. During heavy rain, the patio is covered in several inches of rainwater. Last summer, we hired a firm to rearrange the gutters, but that didn't help. Whenever we have the slightest bit of rain or melted snow, the patio is covered in water - or ice in winter.

Is raising the patio a genuine solution, or should we remove the old, large patio and replace it?

We're worried that water going below ground in the small space between the patio and the house foundation might cause damage we can't see.

A. Although it is sometimes possible to raise small concrete pads, the size of your patio is likely to make this impractical. Unless the patio was steel-reinforced, it is very likely to break up. Soil would have to be added and compacted before the slab is lowered. So this is not very practical.

Mud-jacking is a commercial process, and I understand that no practitioner is interested in small residential jobs. The cost would be high.

It is unusual for a patio to sink away from a house foundation; it is more typical for it to slope toward the house because it was poured over the backfill of the trench around the foundation. So it sounds as if the final grading was made with new soil, which was not well compacted, especially under the far side of the concrete.

As the patio tilted, it caused the small separation at the joint of the patio and house foundation.

I think your best solution is to have new concrete poured over the existing patio. It can be thinner near the house and gradually become thicker to be level with the lawn again.

This should work if the ground has finished settling over time and under the weight of the concrete.

But it is possible for the additional weight of the new concrete to cause further settlement if the soil is still not fully compacted. Be sure the new concrete does not slope toward the house.

If you haven't had any basement leakage, the small gap between the patio and the house is unlikely to admit enough water to cause problems.

Q. Recently, we were away for five weeks and returned to a very rotten and moldy lemon in the refrigerator that could be smelled in the house.

We have tried baking soda and coffee grounds to absorb the odor left in the refrigerator. We have emptied both the freezer and refrigerator and washed them thoroughly with dish soap, yet a slight smell remains.

Do you have any suggestions on what else we might try to completely remove the odor in the refrigerator? Any thoughts are appreciated.

A. Try one of two products:

First try Magic Zymes All Natural Odor Eliminator, www.magic-zymes.com. Choose the product you want to use on the company's website. Either the Original or the Plus may take care of the odor.

If this is not successful, try Nok-Out: www.nokout.com. Nok-Out has a chlorine base, but is very successful at eliminating all odors.

Q. I am planning to get a new linoleum floor installed in my kitchen. However, there are already two layers of linoleum installed - the original from when we bought the house about 40 years ago, and the current floor we had done about 15 years ago that we had put over the original flooring. I was told we need a new subfloor because we have the two layers, which makes the job quite a bit more expensive. Is it true we need the new subfloor in this situation or is there another solution?

A. Unfortunately, what you were told is correct; if you do not want to have the two layers of linoleum removed, you need a new subfloor.

The other, and preferable solution, is to have the existing two layers of linoleum removed. But be aware that they, and their mastic, may contain asbestos.

You can have the layers tested for the presence of asbestos, and if it is found, the removal must be done by trained professionals.

However, in Vermont, the homeowners can remove the linoleum themselves at their own risk. Years ago, the industry published directions for doing so. It entailed carefully cutting the linoleum in strips to be lifted off the subfloor after wetting the linoleum with soapy water and continuing to wet the floor as you progressed to keep the asbestos fibers from getting into the air. But I would not recommend doing it yourself; the risk for error is too great.

Q. Our house is 65 years old. The siding consists of double-layered wood shingles, which, as far as I can tell, are original. The shingles are painted. One side of the house (west side) has considerable paint peeling and needs to be repainted. In some areas the shingles have become grooved, meaning that the soft part of the wood is gone and the hard ridges remain. I have two questions:

• If I use a pressure washer to remove the flaking paint, will I do more damage to the shingles?

• Is there some kind of filler that I can apply in order to fill the grooves before I repaint the shingles?

A. You may want to try using your pressure washer at a low setting; it might work without causing too much damage to the shingles. The pressure washer would remove dead fibers, which may increase the depth of the grooves, but these fibers need to be removed for good paint adhesion.

Another technique is to try to remove as much of the flaking paint as you can with a stiff brush. Whatever does not come off should be sound enough to paint over.

Applying a filler over the entire west side seems onerous, and I do not know what to recommend besides joint compound. Why not live with the grooves? Cedar shakes come with natural grooves from the splitting of the wood slabs, and that is a sought-after feature, even though it may not match the other sides of your house.

Q. What is a quality ridge vent to install in a ranch house in Massachusetts?

A. My favorite ridge vent is Shinglevent II; it has been for many years and before that, so were its predecessors, all made by Air-Vet Inc.

Q. My mother told me about a column regarding cleaning wood floors. I have not been able to find it on the website. Can you possibly pass along the information again?

A. Here is a partial reprint of the answer you are seeking:

"The wood flooring industry does not recommend using water or steam to clean wood floors. A damp cloth is OK to remove spills, but leave no remaining water on the floor. The best way to clean wood floors is with Bona hardwood floor cleaner."

Q. We are building a Greek Revival in Iowa. The exterior is brick. We have been urged by professionals in the cement and water drainage fields to add gutters to this structure. I hear their arguments for adding them, but think they will detract from the appearance. What do you think?

A. I am sorry, but I can't advise you about style issues like the one you pose, particularly not being able to see the house. Do you have an architect? He or she would be the one to advise you.

If you do not have an architect, perhaps there is a historical preservation specialist at a nearby college or university. This person would be a perfect consultant.

Q. We have lived in our 45-year-old house for 26 years. Lately, we have been noticing more and more cracks in the walls and on the ceiling. I have enclosed two photographs of the latest ones.

In your opinion, is this something to be concerned about? Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

A. Not knowing how progressive the cracks are makes it difficult to tell you if it is an ongoing problem or if it is a stabilized one.

From your description, it sounds as if the cracks are still developing. If this is the case, I suggest you have a structural engineer investigate before the underlying problem gets worse.

Q. I have trouble identifying roots in my sanitary sewer line. There is an oak tree within 10 feet of the line and a maple tree 25 feet from the line.

The sewer line is very old (90 years), and made of terra-cotta pipe. The maple belongs to the borough and the large oak tree is mine. Neighbors have had problems with the maple. Is there a way to identify the roots taken out of my line?

A. I don't know of a way to identify the roots, but I wonder why it matters. If you are having the invading tree roots removed regularly by a plumber, and you are not having a backup problem, I'd rest on that.

An old terra-cotta pipe sewer system is, indeed, very old. Would you consider, for peace of mind in the long run, having it replaced with a Schedule 40 PVC sewer line? You would no longer have to worry about tree roots or go to the expense of having the line cleared.

• Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. His book, "About the House," is available at www.upperaccess.com. His website is www.henridemarne.com. Email questions to henridemarne@gmavt.net, or mail First Aid for the Ailing House, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

© 2015, United Feature Syndicate Inc.