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Wait for a warmer season before sealing driveway

Q. My son moved down to Nashville a few weeks ago, and he keeps sending me messages saying how much warmer it is down there, but they received a bit of the arctic blast as well.

He just built a new house down there, and the driveway is concrete with pebbles on top of it to give it that grainy look. He was told to seal it, and when I was down there, he wanted me to seal it right away for him.

I am not that familiar with concrete drives, but, like asphalt or treated wood, I thought it best to let it set for a while.

After reading one of your columns, I see that I was right to let it cure before sealing. I think I will tell him to wait until spring warms the concrete, and based on your response, I will get him to use a penetrating sealer. I am not sure what there is down there for him to purchase, but I am sure Home Depot has some type of penetrating sealer. Do you have a brand that you recommend?

Thanks, and I do enjoy reading your column and pick up ideas all the time. And thanks for sharing that reply I sent you regarding the service and repair of old Andersen windows.

I have had several people call me about that piece and I hope that it helped more of your readers! Having been with A/W (Andersen Window Walls) for 32 years, I still get excited to help someone who thinks they have to spend a lot of money to replace windows. And I get frustrated with the contractors out there who try to sell things to people who have our products in their homes without telling them they can get service parts and pieces to repair the old ones to make them almost as good as new. We can still get service parts on windows from the 1950s and 1960s. I know of no other company that can say that.

A. New concrete can be sealed right after the pour has cured, but it is best to do so in warm weather. But before applying a penetrating sealer, pour water on the slab to see if it will absorb it. If it does not, there is no point in applying the sealer.

A good brand of penetrating sealer is MasterProtect H 440 HZ by BASF, which you can order from A.H. Harris, www.ahharris.com.

Q. We have a very slow drip that leaks down from our utilities vent pipe, which angles above the ceiling and then extends through the roof. It now has resulted in a hole through the plasterboard and wallpaper in one of our bathrooms. We had a reliable roofer first check to see if there was an external leak around the flange in the roof, but it looked fine. I think we also get some drips when it is not raining, suggesting perhaps condensation within the pipe.

Is it possible that the PVC pipe has a crack in it or a loose connection? If so, what is the solution, and what kind of professional do we need to reach?

Also, when we are doing several laundry loads, we notice that sometimes sewer-smelling odors reach inside the house in the same bathroom, near the vent pipe. Might that result from a crack or loose connection?

A. Condensation is the likely cause of the slow drip, as you suggest. It is possible that there is a crack in the vent pipe or that a joint in the PVC pipe is not perfectly sealed, but there may be another cause.

If the damage to the ceiling is close to where the vent pipe changes direction, you should first check to see if the joint of the first angle coupling that allows the vent pipe to slant above the ceiling has a small unsealed spot, where the joint cement was not fully applied.

To do this, wrap several layers of paper toweling below the coupling and tape its bottom with duct tape. If the towel gets wet, you have found the problem, which is likely to be on the bottom of the pipe.

But if the damage to the ceiling is not near where the vent pipe enters the attic, it is possible that an unsealed spot exists at another coupling joint. Do the same testing.

Another possible cause may be that if the vent pipe entering the attic is less than 3 inches in diameter, an adapter to 3 or 4 inches was used to increase the size of the vent pipe in the cold attic, as is common in Vermont's climate. A vent pipe less than 3 or 4 inches would freeze solid and cause venting problems. The leakage may be at the adapter.

A licensed and experienced plumbing contractor would be the person to call to investigate and perform any needed repair. I don't see a connection between the laundry load and the sewer smell. You may have a wax seal problem at one of the toilets, and it may simply be coincidental. Have the plumbing contractor check it out.

Q. Thank you for responding to my question about stuck, painted windows and natural windows that do not raise freely. I should free the painted window sashes with the tool you suggested. The natural wood windows are in good condition. It's quite difficult to raise them, and then they only open partially and not all the way up. They appear too tight for the frame.

I'd like them to operate freely, but it's always a struggle. Do you know of a lubricant that might work?

A. With the sashes down, try lubricating the upper part of the tracks with Armor All Original Protectant. Although it is labeled as a protectant, it is a wonderful lubricant, which also works wonders on the tracks of deck sliding doors.

Apply some of the liquid to a clean cloth and rub the upper parts of the tracks with it. Move the sashes up and down several times, and leave them up while you apply the lubricant to the lower parts of the tracks.

If this doesn't completely solve the problem, you may have to remove the sashes in order to apply the lubricant to the edges of the sashes themselves.

It would also be a good idea to apply the lubricant to the tracks of the painted sashes once you have freed them with the special serrated tool I mentioned. It's available in hardware and paint stores.

Q. My daughter scratched the new stainless steel countertop of a relative, and I'm hoping there's a way to remove the scratch. It's not a hairline scratch, gouge or dent. It's more like a light surface scrape and was caused by a pot rubbed against the surface of the countertop. It's roughly about a quarter-inch by a quarter-inch, so it's not very big, but it's unfortunately in a very obvious spot. I feel very badly. This is a new, very high-end kitchen.

None of the local hardware shops seem to have anything other than stainless steel cleaners. Can you help me and alleviate my guilt?

A. Repairing this small scratch may not be easy to do, as it depends on the type of stainless steel used.

I contacted a metallurgic specialist, and he is not very encouraging. Here are some of his comments, which will hopefully help to avoid further damage to the countertop:

"Such a scratch could be a difficult artifact to repair and such a repair could result in a permanent visual distraction. Obviously, the results will depend on the depth of the scratch/gouge, combined with the manufacturing practices used to produce the countertop and the means used to attempt the repair. I believe any subsequent surface treatment will be difficult to blend with, or match, the as-received manufacturer's surface.

"The blemish would have to be 'polished' out, but it would be difficult to blend it in with surrounding surfaces. Without knowing how the original surface was produced, it would be a pure guessing game to devise a suitable 'repair.'

"Perhaps a better approach would be to have the lady contact the manufacturer and/or vendor to get their recommendations. They would be in a better position to recommend a procedure to remove the scratch. Also, they might have in-house repairmen or be able to refer your reader to an experienced craftsman capable of making this type of repair, rather than trying to do it herself."

I hope that, in spite of the paucity of my efforts, your guilt and that of your daughter, if she feels as you do, will be somewhat assuaged.

Q. I could sure use your help, as I have not been able to solve a sewer gas problem in our basement bathroom. The septic tank was just cleaned out recently. The vent pipe on the roof was flushed out using a water hose with a "bully" tip to clear the passageway. Unfortunately, this has not stopped the sewer gas odor. Even when the bathroom fan is running for a while, the sewer odor becomes even stronger. Is there anything else you know of that could help stop the nasty sewer odor?

A. When you run the bathroom fan, you are drawing more sewer gases from wherever they are coming in.

Is there a floor drain in the bathroom, or close by, which may make it seem as if the smell is from the bathroom? The drain may have dried up, in which case, fill it up and add some bleach to it - and do this regularly.

Another common entry point for sewer gases is the toilet wax seal. Over time, the wax seal becomes compressed and needs to be replaced. If this is the case, be sure you have it replaced with one of the new waxless systems, which should never need replacement.

• 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 him at henridemarne@gmavt.net, or to First Aid for the Ailing House, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

© 2014, United Feature Syndicate Inc.

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