Find water's entry point to basement before attempting fix

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 might have.

A. I assume the front porch floor is made of wood, as replacing it with concrete would have been such a difficult job that you would have mentioned it.

If this is the case, it is possible the porch floor is still the source of the coal cellar leakage, and the elimination of the problem may involve either one of the following:

• Cover the existing porch floor with a self-stick membrane, such as W.R. Grace & Co.'s Ice & Water Shield (I&WS) (there are other brands), and apply a new finish flooring over it.

• If possible, carefully remove the new flooring for later reuse. Apply half-inch, pressure-treated plywood over the porch joists. Cover the plywood with I&WS and reinstall the flooring.

However, if the new porch floor is concrete, painting it with an epoxy coating that contains an anti-slip additive may solve the problem.

But before you embark on a major floor repair job, take a critical look at the areas surrounding the coal cellar walls. It sounds to me as if this is the more likely source of the occasional leakage in heavy rainstorms.

Look for any low areas that collect water. If there is a downspout discharging roof water close to the cellar, make sure the water does not stagnate around the cellar walls. You may need to add an extension to the downspout or a splash block to move the water away.

If you do not have gutters and the roof water falls to the ground, there should be masonry pavers set flush with a gently sloping grade at the roof drip line to prevent erosion.

You should also check the grade around the entire house foundation. Make sure it slopes gently away from the walls, as water can travel long distances until it finds a weak spot.

Make sure the soil is covered with a water-absorbing healthy grass stand or thick ground cover.

If none of these suggestions solve the leakage, please write again and send me a more detailed description with photos.

Q. I am having insulation put in my attic. I want to know, should I do blown-in fiberglass or have a cheaper green insulation blown in?

A. Cellulose would be a good choice, and an environmentally excellent one. It's made of recycled newspaper print with added elements to make it moisture- and fire-resistant, among other things.

The manufacture of fiberglass requires considerable energy.

Q. I enjoy your weekly columns in the Daily Herald in the Chicago area. I find them very informative. My question to you today may help many who are thinking of roof repairs. Roofing contractors are suggesting a ridge or turtle vent. I would like your recommendation on which would be best for my mansard style roof.

A. Turtle vents are not very effective, as ventilation studies have determined.

The most effective passive ventilation system is the combination of soffit and ridge vents with an unimpeded air space of a minimum of 1½ inches between the eaves vents and the ridge vent.

A mansard roof presents a challenge because, depending on its construction, it may not be possible to ventilate the steeper, lower part of the roof as part of the entire roof system.

But if the upper roof is also sloping, however shallow the pitch may be, it is usually possible to have soffit vents installed at the transition between the two roof planes if the eaves are extended to allow it.

However, if the upper roof is flat, it is unlikely that any ventilation provided will be effective. In that case, the best solution may be to spray closed-cell polyurethane between the rafters to obtain a "hot" roof.

Q. We just bought a house that was built in the 1920s and has phenomenal attic living/play space/man cave potential, but I am reluctant to finish it at all because of the unreliable slate roof. As you know, these last 100-plus years, but leak every year.

I only plan on being in the house about seven to eight years. Even though we had it checked twice in the last six months, we still got a new leak, but a minor one. If I were staying there for 10-plus years, I'd consider tearing it off and putting in a new modern roof. The roof is a "pseudo-hot" design with fiberglass batts on the underside and they are falling down.

The only thought I've had so far is to put up plastic sheeting that would encapsulate the fiberglass and still make it easy to access leaks. On the plus side, it would create a vapor barrier. On the minus side, it would trap water from the leaky roof. With the plastic sheeting, I might feel more comfortable about minimizing water damage and sealing the fiberglass for somewhat better air quality. Then I could put in a pingpong table, etc., but the space will still be rather raw.

Do you have any other suggestions beyond the plastic sheeting about how to deal with leaks proactively, and do you have any smart ways to make the space less raw given the leaks?

A. I would urge you to find another roofer, one very experienced with slate roofs, to do a thorough check of your slates.

Some types of slates can last 100-plus years, but some other types do not have such longevity. It depends on where they were quarried.

Ensuring a complete repair is not only healthier all around, but as you undoubtedly know, when resale time comes, you may experience difficulty selling your house. And you'll have to disclose the roof leak.

The expert slate roofer may advise you that repairs are no longer worth it.

Capturing leakage, however minor it may be, between the roof sheathing and the plastic you are planning on installing, may lead to the development of mold and the degradation of the R-factor of the insulation as it gets, and stays, wet. But the worst scenario is the possible rotting of the joists and roof sheathing over time.

Resolving the slate leakage issue will also allow you to finish the attic into a more pleasant space to be enjoyed for the number of years you plan on living in the house, and make it more valuable and salable.

Q. This is an embarrassing question:

We have bought two different water-saving toilets in the past few years. Both times, we did the research and bought top-rated models. While we love the sleek appearance and the short, quiet flush cycle, we find that these toilets do not live up to the claims of the unbiased consumer source we used.

One flush does not remove solid matter. Sometimes, three flushes do not remove solid matter. And we find ourselves having to scrub these toilets almost every day. One of the toilets is a dual-flush model, but this is only marginally helpful. We have tried various strategies to improve the situation, such as being sure to sit all the way back, adding detergent to the water, etc.

The problem seems to be the amount of water in the bowl to start with, and the one strategy that works reasonably well is adding a gallon of water before use. Do you have a better solution? We hate having to advise guests to pour a jug of water in the toilet. Can we reset these toilets to increase the amount of water in the bowl?

A. Some water-saving toilets come from the factory without the necessary adjustments. The installer should have made the adjustment to the water level. Try calling the installer, but any plumber should be able to do it.

There is also the possibility that a manufacturing defect is causing some flushing difficulty, but that should hardly be the case for you - two such defective toilets in two different brands sounds implausible.

Different makes also work differently. Over the years we have had several American Standard and Toto water-saving toilets with never a problem, but I have used other brands and experienced flushing problems.

• 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.

© 2015, United Feature Syndicate Inc.