Home repair: How to preserve tuck-pointing

Q. My husband and I read your column regularly and would like a recommendation from you concerning tuck-pointing. We are having our house tuck-pointed for the first time since it was built 62 years ago. (We are the second owners.) It was built with used Chicago common brick.

When they finish, do you recommend sealing it? We are certain the brick has never been sealed. Also, if you do recommend sealing the bricks and new mortar, what product(s) are the best? We live in the Chicago area.

A. Yes, it is a good idea to seal bricks, but it should be done with a sealer that breathes to allow any moisture that has penetrated the bricks to evaporate. Otherwise, freezing may cause the bricks to spall. Choose a siloxane-based clear sealer. You should be able to find one in a masonry supply house.

Q. I hope you can help me. We have a porous tile shower and floor in our master bath, and unfortunately, soap and cleaner residue has dried on the surface. When the shower area is dry, this looks horrible. I have tried to remove it, but nothing is working. I have laid down towels soaked with vinegar, thinking this would work, but it hasn’t. Should I try diluted muriatic acid to remove this residue? I read your column every week and always try all of your cleaning product suggestions. Thank you.

A. Don’t use muriatic acid; it could damage the tiles. If you haven’t already, try Lime-A-Way. If the residue is caused by a combination of hard water and soap, it should work. Simple Green is also an option.

Q. Attached are three photographs showing the problem: apparent mold on a ceiling 22 feet from the floor. The question: Is this more likely the result of a leak in the roof or is it a peculiar result of the motion of the fan?

The first photograph shows the distribution of the mold with respect to a ceiling beam and the fan. Note that there is mold on the leading edge of the fan. No mold is visible on the other side of the beam, even when viewed with binoculars. The second and third photos are zoomed images.

The house is about 15 years old. The outer shell and roof of the house are stressed skin construction. The roof was replaced in January 2008 with Ikea 30-year architectural shingles. The work included removal of the old shingles, 30# tar paper, ice and water shields in valleys and eaves, and ridge vent and drip edge. I find no mold anywhere else in the house except at the bottoms of all the windows, which are Pella with medium-grade glass. Hardware-store relative humidity meters show the humidity inside the house consistently 5 percent to 10 percent above that outside. The fan has run almost constantly for about 15 years and blows down. It seems worn out (runs very slowly). I am most grateful for the opportunity to ask this question.

A. You must mean IKO shingles, as I don’t think Ikea sells any type of roof coverings. Why did the shingles need to be replaced after only 12 years? Was it shingle failure from a manufacturing defect or some other reason?

The fact that the Pella windowsills exhibit condensation would indicate that the relative humidity in the house is somewhat elevated — a contributor to the ceiling mold, which appears to be in the dead zone of the fan’s air movement.

However, this does not fully explain the growth of mold in that area. Stressed skin panels, also called SIPs (structural insulated panels), are prone to shrinkage. I have examined such construction where similar mold problems were caused by shrinkage of the panels.

It is also possible that the joints of the panels at the peak of the steep roof are not tight enough and were not adequately insulated with foam, or that the panels have shrunk. This would leave a gap at the peak of the roof and allow some heat loss, which would make the area cooler.

If there is no mold farther away from the fan and on the other side of the beam, it may be because air currents generated by the fan are constantly washing away any cold areas with warm air.

If the stressed skin panels have chutes on their tops for ventilation, and if you also have soffit vents, you may have an effective ventilation system. However, if there are no chutes, whether or not you have soffit vents, there is no ventilation system. The ridge vent may be part of the problem if there are gaps where the stressed skin panels meet at the peak of the roof.

You may want to borrow, rent or acquire a digital point-and-shoot thermometer and check the temperature of the roof panels at that point and compare it to other areas. An energy audit would include such a check. If gaps are found, the repair includes injecting foam in them. Too bad this was not discovered before the new shingles were put on, because the injection should have been done from the roof.

If it is feasible to remove the mold, and once the foam has been injected, switch the fan to blow upward — the winter mode — and see if the mold returns. Having the fan blow downward in the winter may have encouraged mold formation, because the fan draws stratified warm air down and draws colder air upward along the walls.

Q. I am a small contractor and have been asked to install graspable handrails meeting building codes and safety standards to a condo project’s stairways. The stairways have 2-by-6-inch railings, commonly used on all stairs for many years. Mounting standard stair rail brackets on the side of the 2x6s is an option, but it would narrow the stairs and not look very good. These handrails are on exterior stairs with open construction, so I can’t use standard brackets above the 2x6s. Do you know of another way of doing this?

A. Some time ago, Ives made and distributed the ideal brackets for retrofitting these common 2x6 handrails by adding a graspable handrail on top of them. Unfortunately, Ives has seen fit to discontinue their manufacture. I have used these brackets and, when I found out they were no longer available, I called the responsible people at Ives and urged them to make them available again. I suggested that I would spread the word through my column, knowing that a number of contractors and architects read it regularly, and write articles in the most popular contractor magazines, where I am fortunate to have connections.

I was given the runaround, always told they would look into it and get back to me. This went on for months, until I finally gave up. This was an opportunity for a company to help fill a great need, but it chose to do nothing — a sad commentary on the way the business is run.

If enough contractors complained, perhaps the pressure would make Ives reconsider. These brackets were labeled HB-162, and the phone number for Ives, a division of Ingersoll Rand Co., is (877) 671-7011. Good luck.

Meanwhile, I found another firm, Rangine Corp. of Needham, Mass., using the name Rakks, that makes brackets that, although not specifically designed to fasten a graspable handrail on top of 2-by-6s, can be used for the same purpose. They are bulkier and not as attractive as Ives’ were, and they have a different finish — shiny instead of brushed aluminum. Rakks makes two types of brackets, and you’ll have to use your skill and imagination to make them do what you need. The company’s website is www.rakks.com, where you’ll see both types of brackets. I used the H-203 and installed it flat on top of a 2-by-6 handrail.

Q. I am a contractor in Maryland. I work on quite a few ice-damming situations. Right now I am working on a four-valley roof, no overhang basically other than rakes. All four corners come to a point at the bottom of the valleys. The roof is cathedral with a 12/12 pitch. The valley interior is an exposed beam rafter. I want to know if 1-inch furring is used on top of plywood, allowing air in from sides as well as bottom point, then new sheeting installed over. What are condensation issues? Can under-plywood be covered with Titanium similar to CVRS (Cornell Ventilated Roof Sheathing)? I’ve attached a picture of the house.

A. You have not said what type of insulation, if any, is on top of the roof deck or what the roof deck is made of, including the type of ceiling finish.

For the benefit of my wide readership, here is an explanation of what causes ice damming and condensation in attics and cathedral ceilings. Ice damming is caused by heat warming the roof deck to 32 degrees; inadequate insulation is often the cause. Condensation and heat loss are caused by warm air convecting into attics or cathedral roof cavities through cracks, crevices and openings around plumbing pipes and vents; chimneys; electrical wires, switches and plug boxes; recessed and surface-mounted light fixtures; bathroom and kitchen fans; attic access panels, folding stairways and doors; and separations in drywall taped joints.

I also see considerable repairs to the shingles in the valley shown in the photo, which tells me there must have been leakage requiring investigation and corrections. The valley also appears to be of the closed-cut type — not the best anytime.

I suggest that you consider removing the shingles, adding 2, 3 or even 4 inches of rigid insulation over the existing deck, staggering all joints and taping them with compatible tape (not just duct tape).

Then install the CVRS system, which will allow ventilation in all directions — a necessary feature in the type of construction you are working with. But keep in mind that the 1-inch air spacing the standard CVRS provides is generally not adequate, so I suggest you order the 1½-inch option.

I also recommend that you use an ice and water membrane at the eaves and all valleys, and use heavy-gauge metal valleys in lengths not exceeding 8 feet, with each section nailed only at the top and held in place with clips made of the same material along the sides to allow movement. The edges of the valley metal should be hemmed up to catch any water that might creep under the shingles. Be sure you do not nail the shingles through the valley metal, which would prevent the necessary seasonal movement.

Q. I have a question about basement sump pumps. Our house is at the bottom of a street with a slight incline that runs toward Lake Champlain. Generally, we don’t have a significant water leakage problem, and we don’t have a sump pump. This spring, however, our yard was so super saturated that water came into the basement through one wall and via the basement floor, causing significant damage to our Sheetrock walls. During Tropical Storm Irene, the basement stayed dry.

Would it be wise to install a sump pump and an outside drainage system in case super saturated conditions return? Or will a sump pump create more problems than it would solve?

A. Although your recent problem seems to have been a one-time event, installing a sump pump would be good insurance to avoid future damage in case of repeat events.

If you decide to have one installed, a licensed plumber is the person to call, unless you are a veteran DIY’er and want to tackle it. In that case, if you let me know, I’ll give you instructions on how to do it. You should use a quality submersible sump pump instead of a pedestal one.

An outside drainage system can take many forms. You may or may not need one.

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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