Get the proper treated lumber to fix border around patio
Q. When we purchased our home 15 years ago, the patio had been poured in 4-by-4-foot concrete slabs with redwood in between the slabs. Over time, the wood between the blocks rotted. We pulled it out and tried to fill it with small pebbles, large pebbles and worst of all sand. What a mess! What can we possibly use to fill the 2-inch space between the concrete slabs? We are quite handy and are willing to try anything to fill the spaces. Would mortar work? We live near Chicago, so you know our winter can be nasty!
A. Too bad you didn't replace the rotted wood spacers with similar pressure-treated lumber before using the various filling stones and sand. But if you decide that it is worth the effort, be sure that you buy pressure-treated 2-by-4-inch studs that have a point 4 treatment. Point 2 treatment is mostly found nowadays and is labeled for above ground only. You may have to call several lumberyards and building-supply houses in order to find it.
It may be easier to remove as much of the sand and large pebbles as possible and replace them with small pebbles. Choose pebbles of color - red is very attractive. I have done the same with a space deliberately left for drainage between two slabs. Pound the pebbles down with a two-by-four and a heavy hammer or small sledgehammer so they will be stable. That would be the simplest solution.
However, if you object to that, remove at least 2 inches - preferably more - and fill the spaces with Sakrete cement mix. Sakrete concrete mix contains aggregate (small, rough stones that help bind the mix), but it may be difficult to use it in spaces that are only 11/2 inches wide. Good luck.
Could you please tell me what window brand you mentioned as being one of the best in your earlier article?
A. Having had experience with many regular and replacement windows over my 52 years in the construction business, I only recommend windows whose manufacturer has top-flight customer service. At the top of the list is Marvin. Not only are they high-quality windows that meet all new federal standards of energy efficiency, but their customer service is unparalleled. They offer several finishes that are maintenance-free and never need outside or inside painting, if you choose such models. Next to Marvin, I have found Andersen 400-series windows to be of high quality, and they also have, in my experience, a commendable service policy - only one reader has mentioned a problem with their service. I do not recommend their 200-series, as it is not of their highest quality. If you are looking for vinyl windows, Gorell and Kas-Kell make good-quality replacement windows.
If you have a house with gable vents, is it OK to cover them in the winter with plywood? I have a neighbor who does it because he thinks his house is cold, so he closes them off.
A. No, it is not a good idea. Any attic- or roof-venting system is more important in the winter than it is in the summer. In the winter, it helps dissipate any accumulation of moisture that may be convecting from the living quarters into these spaces. In the summer, it only helps cool attics when the sun heats them and starts a thermo-syphon that causes the heated air to exhaust up through high vents, creating a negative airflow that draws cooler outside air through soffit venting and any cracks between different building components.
We moved into our house, built in 1983, three years ago. The basement was half-finished. The previous owner put in walls, a drop-down ceiling and laminate floors on a concrete foundation. This year, during October, we started noticing that on the west side of the house in the basement, some boxes were getting wet. We even found small puddles in the area. After cleaning up, we suspect the water seeped through the concrete block walls and flowed through the Sheetrock walls and damaged the cardboard boxes. We moved the boxes away and put down some newspapers against the wall. Sure enough, after the next rain, the newspapers were wet. The only telltale signs were the yellowing of the floor trim. Since moving in, I have always noticed that the west side of the house was graded lower than the neighbor's house. It also has a big oak tree planted about 6 feet away from the house. The oak tree is big enough that, at its base, the ground slopes toward the house. When it rains, water will puddle around that area. I have installed long tube connections to the downspouts to direct the water away from that side of the house and planted more grass to lessen the problem. It seemed to work for the previous years, but not this year. What can be done? Regrading from a landscaper? Digging a French drain?
A. The first thing to try is to change the grade between the oak tree and the house. It is never advisable to have the ground slope toward a foundation or to have the grade flat against it. It is always best to raise the grade in order to slope the ground away from the house for as far as possible without bringing the soil too close to any wood siding or trim. Most codes require 8 inches clear between the soil and any non-treated wood. However, you should consult with an arborist to make sure that the added soil will not injure or kill the oak tree. Follow the grade raising with a healthy growth of grass. A French drain is a far more expensive option, which may not be needed and may not entirely solve your problem.
I'm looking for some help with supplemental heat. We bought this 40-year-old house in 2005 and replaced the furnace last year. The furnace is located in the far east corner of the basement, and even though we had the baffles adjusted, the far west room on the first floor and the two bedrooms on the second floor at the west end of the house are always 4 to 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the house. The air coming from the vents in those rooms is just warm and not very forceful. Is there anything we can add to the furnace to get hot, forceful air in those rooms?
A. An HVAC contractor can increase the speed or the size of the fan. You can also have secondary fans installed in the registers of the rooms suffering from lack of heat. They would pull hotter air into the affected rooms. He or she may be able to offer some other alternatives. Another thing to consider that would benefit you in comfort, fuel savings, etc., is to look into improving the energy efficiency of a 40-year-old house.
I own a 1960s split-level in Northern/Central New Jersey. We have a sump pump that operates properly. In the corner of the sump, we have mold stains on our cinder block wall. The mold does not seem to have progressed, but I am concerned about that corner of the house possibly sitting in an always-wet environment. I have attached pictures. What do you suggest?
A. The mold in the corner of these two walls may be caused by moisture seeping through the cinder blocks; that seems like the most logical explanation, since you do not mention it occurring in any of the other corners. Look at the outside grade in that area and make any needed corrections to move water away from the foundation. You should be able to remove the mold with a strong solution of equal parts Clorox bleach and water, but the mold will recur unless you get rid of its source.
We have just had a home energy audit done. The company recommends among other things that we seal the basement sill plate with 2 inches of closed poly spray foam. This means the company would remove the existing fiberglass insulation. Also, it recommends insulating the basement walls with 2 inches of Thermax RF board. The recommendation is to insulate down to the floor, although only the top 16 inches are above grade. I seem to remember a recommendation not to insulate more than 36 inches below grade. It also recommends R-22 cellulose on top of our R-19 fiberglass in the attic floor. Would you please comment?
A. If the sill plates and band joists are insulated with fiberglass that has a vapor retarder, there is really no need to replace the insulation with what is indeed a better one. The safe recommendation on insulating basement foundation walls is to do so only from the bottom of the floor joists to 2 feet below grade, unless you are positive that the backfill was done with coarse material, that there is a functioning foundation drain and that the grade slopes away from the house. It also assumes that the basement is perfectly dry at all times. Doing otherwise may run the risk of cracking the foundation - a greater concern with cinder blocks than with poured concrete, but one nevertheless. The attic recommendation is good.
Reader tip
I just read the letter from one of your readers asking how to get crayon out of grout. Many years ago, I had the same dilemma. Someone suggested using a toothbrush and toothpaste to remove the crayon. It worked.
• 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.