You want a watertight seal with a patio deck over a garage
Q. We have a side patio (measuring 24-by-15 feet) over our garage. It was originally covered in concrete, which the previous owners painted. It had two stress cracks the width of the patio, which allowed water to leak into the garage below. About 10 years ago, we decided to cover the patio with outdoor ceramic tile. My husband put down roofing membrane and a false floor, consisting of outdoor plywood. He then laid the tile on top. Most of the tile has since lifted and needs to be replaced. (My husband can no longer do such work since he has had both of his hips replaced.) We got an estimate for redoing the tiles, but it was quite expensive. The gentleman said that he could possibly use most of the existing tiles - just a few are cracked, and we have some extra - and he could use epoxy grout, which would help prevent water from seeping through and lifting the tiles. He really couldn't guarantee his work, though.
We also considered taking up the tile ourselves then hiring someone to put on something like a Trex deck, which is supposed to last a long time. We also saw a product advertised on TV that might work. It's a modified acrylic-cement product, which is sprayed on top of existing concrete and is supposed to be stronger than cement. It's manufactured by a company called Concrete Technology Inc., and according to their Web site, is guaranteed for 10 years. I would like to have them give us an estimate, but would feel much better about it if you could give us your opinion. We don't know anyone who knows anything about this product. Please also offer any other options that might work for the patio.
A. I do not know of anyone who has had the resurfacing material from Concrete Technology for over 10 years, so I cannot vouch for its durability. You risk nothing in getting an estimate from them as long as you are wary of their claims. An alternative is to remove the tiles, lay a fiberboard over a clean deck and apply a synthetic roof membrane. Once this is done, have a regular deck built over the membrane, making sure that the workers do not punch holes in it. If the drop between the living-room doorsill and the deck is limited, the deck framing can be made of 2-by-4-inch pressure-treated sleepers that are laid flat. The deck boards can be Trex or any other material you select. ACQ-treated deck boards can be stained, using one of the special stains manufactured for pressure-treated wood. Make sure that you use a penetrating stain and not a coating that will peel off in a few years like the solid-color Behr or Sikkens, which has been reported to me by a number of readers.
Q. Our house is nearly 100 years old and has the original window wells. With the recent severe storms that came through western Pennsylvania, our wells leaked into the basement, even though they are covered. What product should we use to fill the gaps and rejoin the thick cement walls that make up the various planes of the window-well box? We cannot figure out what will see us through our region's heat/humidity and freeze/thaw cycles.
A. Waterplug is probably the best to use. You should be able to get it in hardware and building-supply stores.
Q. I read your column regarding the choice of commercial gutters and downspouts for residential applications. I will soon be completely replacing the roof on my 40-year-old house. The existing gutters have Waterloov gutter guards that were installed 10 years ago. For the most part, the Waterloov gutter guards have worked well and we have not had leaks; however, we have had icicles form. I had spoken with the Waterloov technician last week about re-installation of the gutter guards in conjunction with installing the new roof/new gutters/new downspouts (additional costs involved), but after reading your article, I am wondering if we should just replace the gutters and downspouts with commercial ones instead of new residential ones. We have lots of trees around the house, so I am concerned about leaves clogging up commercial gutters. I would appreciate your advice.
A. My preference would be to use commercial gutters and downspouts. The cross section of commercial downspouts is twice that of residential downspouts and they should never clog. My concern about all kinds of gutter guards is that most of them do not work and eventually get removed. Those that cover the gutters and keep leaves out will overflow in gushers, as an honest salesman once admitted to a reader. If your downspouts are connected to underground pipes, these may need to be watched, especially if there are 90-degree bends in them.
Q. My painter used Behr stain paint on my deck. I had told the sales associate I did not want paint on my deck, but he assured me this was just stain. Of course it's paint - and not very pretty-looking after my dog used the steps hundreds of times to come in and go out. How do I get this paint stain removed?
My late husband was raised in the painting game and was very particular about paint and stain. He could, and always did, buy white lead and tubes of color to mix his own colors and was able to make a second batch of that color if need be. I know white lead is no longer approved now.
We have redwood doors (gates) on our patio that have had clear stain on them. I have some knowledge through listening to his family talk paint, and although the Behr's paint stain looked good in the beginning and matched well with the redwood gates, it's a mess now, having turned black underneath. What do I need to know to be able to talk with any future painter I hire, about how to "remove the paint stain" and stain the deck natural? Hope you can help.
A. Several readers have had the same problem you are suffering from with Behr paints, including one entire condominium project. The paint will have to be removed down to bare wood. This can be done with a finish remover (Cabot and Benjamin Moore have their own brand) or paint stripper. If you know the type of Behr product put on (latex, oil, solid color, etc.), take that information to your local paint store so they can advise you of the best method for removal. The paint can also be removed with a belt or floor sander by an experienced person, who wont gouge and damage the wood. The deck can now be refinished with the proper semisolid deck stain. A semisolid stain will last longer than a clear stain, which needs to be reapplied yearly. You haven't told me where you live, but if it is in a climate with considerable snow, even a semisolid stain may have to be reapplied every couple of years, as snow left on a deck can shorten the life of any finish product. This should not be construed that I recommend that snow be removed from decks - I don't.
Q. I'm an avid reader of your column and have used several of your home-improvement tips. I own a 1951-built Cape, constructed of cinder block from the bottom of the foundation right up to the roof, including the gable ends. My problem is that there is no insulation between the exterior block walls and the finish walls. Five quarter-inch nailers are secured to the block, then there is what appears to be 1/4-inch drywall with a skin coat of mortar (yes, mortar) followed by a skin coat of plaster. I discovered this when I gutted and remodeled the bathroom. Someone told me there may be vermiculite in the block, but that's not the case. I drilled a few test holes to look.
What's the best way to insulate the walls? Is it worth the expense to have blown-in insulation installed in the cavities between the nailers? I have the know-how to remove the finish walls and nailers and frame with two-by-fours and insulation, but it's a lot of work (not to mention electrical outlets, window trim and baseboard-heat implications). I'm estimating my annual heating oil usage to be around 900 gallons (furnace is original). My domestic water is heated through coils in the furnace, so some of the oil is used for that. The house is about 1,200 square feet, with double-pane replacement windows installed in 2001 (except for basement windows). I also installed a programmable thermostat in the fall.
A. You haven't told me what type of finish is on the exterior of the cinder blocks. If the blocks are bare or painted, it is easier to apply new insulated siding over them. It will also have the advantage of making the blocks a sort of heat sink, since they will be inside the insulated envelope. There are several such sidings available - Sto is one of them - made of foam insulation glued to a synthetic-stucco finish. A building-supply or construction specialty store will have the materials and instructions for its installation. If there is already a satisfactory siding that you do not wish to change, it isn't worth the expense to have insulation blown into the existing spaces between the nailers. The best approach is the one you have mentioned: build a two-by-four wall, but do so directly over the existing finish to avoid the mess of taking it all down and disposing of it. The electrical outlet boxes can be extended, if not easily pulled out. Trim is not hard to replace. The baseboard radiators are more difficult to handle, but certainly worth doing.
Q. I recently read your advice on re-caulking a bathtub. I bought the caulk that you recommended. Now I am trying to remove the old caulk. It is proving to be much more difficult than I thought. Do you have any helpful hints on how to remove all the old caulk? Also, can I leave the caulk that is in good shape, like up the corners of the tile from the tub to the ceiling, or does all the old caulk need to be removed? The only bad caulk is the caulk where the tile meets the tub. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and the sooner the better!
A. If the old caulk is silicone, it can usually be pulled off like a rubber band. There is a product that claims to remove all caulking compounds; it's called Professional Strength De-Solv-It Contractors' Solvent with quick release by Orange-Sol, available on Amazon.com. The manufacturer claims that it is eco-friendly, biodegradable and 100 percent organic. I haven't had the occasion to try it, so you are on your own. If it works as claimed, please let me know. There is no need to remove the good caulking on the vertical inside corners.
• 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.
© 2009, United Feature Syndicate Inc.