Plastic water storage tanks can replace cistern

Q. I have a serious problem for which no one seems to be able to give me a solution.

I have an old, round, 8-foot wide by 9-foot deep cistern in my backyard. It was built of red bricks and holds about 2,200 gallons of water.

For some 14 years, I have been patching holes every three years or so with hydraulic cement and Quikwall to keep the dirt out.

This year, the problem is that I didn't patch it well enough, and I am getting mud through a lot of holes.

Hydraulic cement is very expensive and I would need a lot of it. Do you know of someone who can sell me another type of cement that I can buy in bulk and mix myself, and that would keep mud out and water in? I have a 280-foot-deep well that works fine until we get a drought, at which time it runs out of water for four or five days, which is why I need the cistern.

A. Sorry, I do not have an answer for you regarding the cement substitute. It seems to me you are going to a great deal of trouble to keep this old cistern going.

I suggest you consider replacing it with a new HDPE plastic water storage tank that can be inserted into your existing cistern.

National Tank Outlet, www.ntotank.com, (888) 686-8265, has a huge selection of all sizes of plastic tanks. There is a 2,100-gallon vertical tank that measures 87 inches in diameter and is 89 inches deep. It should fit into your existing cistern. There are many others with different sizes and capacities.

You may not need a 2,100-gallon tank, considering that the average person uses between 60 and 90 gallons of water a day, and that your well only runs out of water for four or five days.

The price of the one described above is $1,235, perhaps more than you can afford, but there are smaller ones at lower prices. The repeated hassle of having to patch every few years, sometimes unsuccessfully, added to the cost of the cement and your labor, should help you make a decision. After all, there will be a time when you may be unable to keep up with the patching.

Contact your local government to see if there is some financial help available.

Q. My mom recently passed away at age 104. With my help, she still had her own home.

My problem is the 2-part toilet. The pipe between the toilet and the tank has a hole in it. I have a bucket under the hole, but it is not very sanitary when flushed.

I asked my plumbers what could be done and they didn't know. I called a plumbing-supply store and they could not help. Can you help me?

A. Sorry about the loss of your mom, but what a wonderful life she must have had! It's always hard to lose a parent, even when he or she is at such an advanced age.

Most toilet tanks sit on the toilet itself. You must have an older model.

I wonder why your plumbers did not suggest replacing the toilet with a new one. It seems like the most logical solution. Is there some reason why they and the plumbing-supply store didn't? Please let me know, as I am curious; I may be missing something. At this point, I am not sure what else to suggest.

Q. I inherited an old house that was built by my great-grandparents in the 1920s. Under the front porch is the old coal cellar. During a heavy rainstorm, water gets into the coal cellar and then runs under the door of the coal cellar into the basement, which has the laundry room and a bathroom. I had the floor of the front porch replaced, thinking the water was coming in from there. However, some water is still getting in. There is no drain in the coal cellar, so the water runs into the only drain in the basement, which is in the middle of the laundry room. I have started to remodel the home, but I am not sure how to proceed to keep the basement dry. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have.

A. The leakage may be caused by a grading issue. Make sure the grade slopes gently away from the front porch so water is directed outward and cannot run down along the foundation.

You may want to check all around the foundation, as I have seen cases where the source of the leakage was discovered far from the point of entry.

Q. Our kitchen cabinets, built hastily as a final project of our "owner-built home" by my husband in 1978, need work. Although my husband is not a true "finish carpenter" by temperament or skill, the cabinets have served us well since then. They are still very sturdy, but somewhat unsightly, having never looked professionally built and having taken a beating over the almost 40 years of family living, cooking and eating. It's clearly time to upgrade, but I'm not sure what the best option is.

There are some things that are great about the cabinets. I still love the design of the kitchen, where the cupboards and drawers are, and the fact they fit perfectly up and around our posts and beams. Our kitchen design functions perfectly with a nice sink and appliances. We've replaced the Formica countertops and the flooring twice over the years, and the current ones are still pretty good. The cabinets originally just had a polyurethane finish, but were painted about 15 years ago with occasional touch-ups since then.

On the negative side, there are lots of small gouges in the doors and drawer fronts, which were originally flush with the cabinets, but are now warped a bit and out of true. Full drawers don't slide that well. The modern hardware that makes drawers slide easily would be nice. I'd also like to have some of the modern pullout shelves and other conveniences in the cabinets and a minor change in the setup of two drawers as part of this renovation.

I fear it is time for us to invest in all-new cabinets, but recently heard about the option of having our current ones resurfaced. My understanding is that resurfacing would involve new cabinet and drawer fronts and the placement of a thin laminate on all the other surfaces. It seems that would be less disruptive of the center (heart) of our house for a shorter time. It would be a reuse of our current cabinets and I'm all for reuse when it's practical. Resurfacing also sounds much less expensive. At the same time, perhaps it's an option that is too good to be true, and would, in the long term, not be a good investment. I know lots of people who have invested in all-new kitchens, but no one who has had their kitchen cabinets resurfaced.

My husband toyed with the idea of doing the resurfacing or replacing/rebuilding himself, but has decided it would be better to hire someone so the job gets done in a reasonable amount of time.

Any advice, recommendations and/or caveats would be appreciated.

A. There are firms that replace cabinet doors and drawer fronts, but they may be hard to find. You may want to ask personnel in a kitchen design store for suggestions.

Considering that you want some interior and hardware improvements, it may be more advantageous to have a new kitchen designed and installed to fit your space.

Q. Recently, a loud whistling noise has been coming from the tank on our toilet. Sometimes the washing machine or dishwasher is running, other times a faucet is being used or was just used, Occasionally the whistling just starts. One way to stop it is to remove a small amount of water from the tank and another way is to run a small amount of water from a faucet. What can I do to stop the whistling, or is it a job for a plumber?

A. This is something that needs to be checked out on-site. You should have a licensed plumber investigate.

Q. I am a house painter from Pittsburgh. A majority of my work comes from a man who owns 60 properties. They are divided up into separate units and most were gutted and re-drywalled in the 1980s. Unfortunately, on most of the bathroom ceilings, they did not use green or MR (moisture resistant) drywall and I am plagued by recurring mildew. I wipe with bleach and most of it goes away; I repaint with mildew-resistant additives, and the situation recurs. I know the best case is to remove and re-drywall, but is there any other positive way you know to stop it from recurring?

A. The mildew may be caused by excessive moisture in the bathrooms because they are not properly ventilated, fans are nonexistent or not used, or windows are not opened in a timely fashion.

Instead of removing and replacing the drywall or covering it up, you may want to try painting the ceilings with Zinsser's Perma-White Mold & Mildew-Proof Interior Paint after priming them with Zinsser's Mold Killing Primer. You should remove as much of the existing mildew as possible before priming and painting.

• 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.

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