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Have questions about how to keep your home fit and trim?

Home Sense columnist Mike McClintock is now online every other Thursday at Noon ET to answer your questions about home building, remodeling, repairs and the wide range of home-consumer issues. If it has something to do with the place where you live -- from home security to the latest on appliances, energy-saving and a lot more -- just ask. Mike has the answers.

McClintock's column appears in the Post Home section every Thursday.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Mike McClintock:
hello again: this weekÕs posting coming up (answers and info end of hour) and then your questions and comments about house and home and all the related consumer subjects we get to in the Thursday columns.

HOMESENSEÑ VISTING FAMOUS PLACESÑ QUESTION

Most of the historic houses in the country are privately owned and occupied. But some of the most famous are historic house museums open to the public. Can you name the five most visited historic house museums in the country?

To get you thinking, here are some very popular sites NOT in the top five: Franklin D. RooseveltÕs 1826-built home in Hyde Park, NY; Fallingwater, the 1939-built Frank Lloyd Wright house in Mill Run, PA; the 1668-built House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA.

Now your questions

Annapolis, Md.: A home builder offers an option to install cast iron pipes that run from the second floor to the basement. The selling point is that this will reduce noise during flushes and faucet running. Aren't cast iron pipes prone to rust and corrosion?

Mike McClintock: HeÕs offering an extra that used to be the way houses were built before the advent of plastic pipe. Because plastic is less expensive (and much easier to install, which is the real savings) itÕs become common, though there are code restrictions in some areas.
Because cast iron has much more mass than plastic (it is one of the last things to wear out in an older house; basically lasts forever) it does significantly reduce plumbing sounds. But if the price jump is also significant, you can save the bucks and get close to the same noise reduction by packing the pipes with insulation.
Normally, insulation is used only in exterior walls as a thermal barrier. But it helps to install it around piping and in bathroom walls (itÕs not expensive and installs quickly, with no vapor barrier inside) and definitely increases bath privacy

Washington, D.C.: Rustoleum has a new product that is used to protect a garage floor. Do you have any opinions about this product?

Mike McClintock: Don't know the product; maybe someone else has used it. But rust is generally not a problem; more often it's groundwater leaching up through the slab and pushing off the paint, which is something no paint can resist-- which makes sense because the concrete can't resist it either

Washington, D.C.: My husband and I just bought our first home. The inspection revealed that brick is underneath the aluminum siding on the front of the house. We'd like to remove the siding and expose the brick facade. What is involved in a project like that and do you think it's suitable for DIY?

Mike McClintock: It's a very DIY job, with one very big catch, or possible catch: that the brick may be in very bad shape. Could be that the former owners just loved the look of aluminum, but more often it was installed to cover problems instead opf reparing them. Be wise to strip back a few sample spots and see what's what uinderneath.

Chantilly, Va.: Any suggestions for sealing a deck that has never been sealed before?

Mike McClintock: I probably would spend some prep time with a plane to remove any possible splinters and really rough edges, then run the back of a rake over the surface to find raised nail heads (you'll feel and hear the ding). Once those are driven down, or if a nail seems very loose pull it and drive in a longer one or a screw) maybe two coats of semi-transparent penetrating stain. It soaks in, adds some color to unify the boards, and gradually wears away instead of chipping or cracking like paint or heavy-bodied stain.

Loudoun County, Va.: Do you or any readers know a place where you can donate household goods such as thermostats and kitchen sinks? We got a new sink and programmable thermostats, and it seems a waste to throw away things that still work or are usable. Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Another good one to post for peoplke to see; always good will, etc. but once tried unsuccessfully to give away a couch that was in pretty good shape; guess some agencies are more picky than others

Mt. Rainier, Md.: I have the really ugly metal three-track storm windows on my house that are on all older houses. Are these paintable, or is that just a bad idea?

Mike McClintock: Everything is paintable, but you would be there a long time, and you can't paint in the tracks or edges of the sliding panels anyway; they would stick at first and then scrape off the paint in any case. You might try one window, caulking the edge between the outer aluminum frame and the wood trim, and then painting just the aluminum face; it might help with the looks without screwing up the operation.

McLean, Va.: Hi Mike! Love the chats! Here's my question: We just bought a 1950's rambler that has some powdery residue on the brick below where we have siding. What should I do to get rid of the residue and "clean up" the brick? Not pretty. Thanks!

Mike McClintock: Becvause it's below siding, it's most likely paint residue that you can wash away. Many paints have what's called a self-chalking feature, i.e. rain gradually washes away a little bit of the surface to sort of renew the surface. Where that happens over brick, it leaves the deposits you see. (Alternative is efflourescence, which is salts in masonry being brough to the surface by condensation ro leaks.)
So try cleaning and see if it comes back, and when you repaint the siding use a non-chalking paint.

Derwood, Md.: Two of the Five: Monticello and Mount Vernon?

Mike McClintock: two good guesses, but 2/5 is not even a passing grade so try for some of the less obvious to win the nonexistent t-shirt

Clifton, Va.: The problem with most garage floor paint is also hot tires. The hot tires take up the paint just like heat gun used for stripping.
You might want to try tile. There are a few made especially for garages. The best garage floor paint involves epoxies and multiple coats which should be applied by a professional.

Mike McClintock: And-- best coating of all is probably no coating, though depending on the cars you drive it's sometimes wise to put down a carpet remnant to catch the oil drips

Vienna, Va.: Don't shoot me -- I asked this question on Home Front as well -- but want to get as much info as possible so am asking both places.

Can you direct me to any place or person (not Web sites, I've found those) who specialize in appliances and designing houses for elderly?

Thanks so much

Mike McClintock: i find most everything these days through websites, including in your case, the national assoc of homebuilders, which does work in the field; also, severa; major appliance mfgs., including whirlpool and honeywell, make large-type appliances so you can decipher the buttons, which is a big help for many people who wear glasses and aren't yet elderly.

Washington, D.C.: What is the average lifespan of a flat roof. I've had some leaking from one area, and six separate roofers offered six different solutions. Should I repair or replace? The roof is 15 years old.

Mike McClintock: Depends on the material and installation; some old fashioned 5-ply roofs put down with hot tar last 40-50 years with minimal repairs. If leak probalem is isolated (maybe a low spot?) a roofer can scrape away ballast (if you have an old style roof with gravel covering) and build up the area. You should get more than 15 years even from newer flat roofs that use modified bitumen (rubbery sheets) fastened together by heating the edges.

Springfield, Va.: Here are my guesses for the 5 most visited:

Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Va.
Monticello, Charlottesville, Va.
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Calif.
Biltmore, Asheville, N.C.
Paul Revere House, Boston, Mass.

Mike McClintock: You're head of the class so far, but not 5 for 5

Chevy Chase, Md.: Betsy Ross's house that isn't; Lee House at Arlington Cemetary

Mike McClintock: close

Front Royal, Va.: A large sliding glass door between the kitchen and the deck has become very difficult to open and close. We use it a lot but it has always glided freely. Would the heavy snows have something to do with it, and what can I do to make it glide smoothly the way it used to?

Mike McClintock: Snow shouldnÕt cause problems, although yard debris piled up by the drifts could. So start by sweeping or shop-vaccing the complete track free of leaves or twigs. If the raised rib in the track is grimy, clean it and apply a lubricant like WD-40. If thereÕs a crimp or burr in the main rib that the wheels ride on, straighten it or file it down. Also check the brush strips inset along the bottom faces of the door panels. If theyÕre torn and catching you can replace them or at least cut off the part thatÕs dragging.
If the door itself scrapes against the track, unload its weight with a crowbar and lower the wheels slightly to make the door ride higher with more clearance. Adjust wheels by tuirning a screw built into the edge of the door, only after you take the doorÕs weight off the wheel-- and if you alter one wheel setting you generally havew to do the same on the other end. If the door still balks, take it off the track (lift straight up, then pull out the base, maybe with a helper) to clean the wheel carriage cavities and check or replace the wheels. If the wheel is shot, you often get a bump-bump ride all along from open to close; if the track is the problem you often feel resistance in one area.

Wheaton, Md.: I'm finally tackling the bathtub grout. Some is that slightly rubbery stuff, the stuff on the floor is caked, brittle and split -- it was put on too thick. How do I remove the inch or so the previous homeowners globbed on the tub from the tub/tile wall and along the tile floor/side of the tub? Any hints about doing a neat and clean replacement? Thanks.

Mike McClintock: No easy shortcut for undoing bad repairs. You just have to dig and dig, and then clear out the seam as deeply as possible, let it dry, sweep out any remaining debris and then add fresh caulk, a flexible variety like silicone that can withstand the stress between the tun and the wall. That joint (and the one between the tub and the floor, both should be caulked instead of grouted

Washington, D.C.: My skylights crackle. The roofer who installed them says it's normal, but is that really the case?

Mike McClintock: Crackling doesn't sound so bad, and probably during the day when they heat up not at night? Not exacvtly normal, but if a skylight isn't leaking (a lot of them do) don't fix it.

Arlington, Va.: What about Monticello, in my hometown of Charlottesville? And Mount Vernon? They both seem to be visited a lot.

Mike McClintock: Both in the top five, but both sort of obvious choices don't you think?

Virginia: I have a tiny house with a door that desperately needs repainting. I'm having some contracting work done and the contractor said I could strip the paint off the door and he would lend me his heat gun.

I also went by the home center stores and saw paint stripping materials (liquid and foam for example). Without having to take the front door off the hinges, can I strip the paint using one of these projects or should I just suck it up and borrow the heat gun? (The door goes right inside straight to the living room; I'd have to put down tarp or other protection against the vinyl at the door and for the carpeting plus keep the dog and cats away.)

Thanks for any help and/or encouragement.

Signed, Weenie Homeowner who Wants to Surprise her Husband while he is away.

Mike McClintock: Would be easier to demount the door (just pull the hinge pins), set it outside on saw horses, then apply one or more coats of chemical stripper. Working in place is always more difficult. Might want to do a swab test for lead paint and wear a mask, etc when you get around to sanding.

Washington, D.C.: Savannah's Mercer House made famous in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Mike McClintock: Ah, more movie houses, but not even in the top 20

Vienna, Va.: Mount Vernon
Monticello
Hearst Castle
Thorau's cabin at Walden Pond
Goodyear Estate near Akron

Mike McClintock: Never thought of the little cabin in the woods where thoreau spent several months-- an amazing place now i think on a protected site and not sure you can go in, though i would like to; and not in the top 20, either.

Warrenton, Va.: Trade you a Paul Revere house for a White House.

Mike McClintock: How hard is it to get a tour of the WH these days, I wonder, if they are still letting the taxpayers take a look at their building; but not on the list.

Arlington, Va.: Hello and thanks so much for these chats. As a first time home owner, I find them invaluable. My question is, I own a small condo, and the hot water heater is in a little closet off the living room. It makes some pinging and dinging noises after I use hot water and the same time every night. Is this normal? I have been assuming it happens in every home and the reason I have never noticed it before in other people's houses is that most people have their hot water heater in their basement and that is why I have never noticed it. Right or wrong?

Mike McClintock: Probbably right, as hot water piping tends to expand and contract when it changes standing room temp water for hot water. In my house it sounds like a heard of mouse crunching over ice when hot water mopves all the way down to the bathroom for the shower. Basically, if the noise isn't too wild (and nothing leaks) leave it alone.

Chevy Chase, Md.: Re: sealing a deck. Our is about 12 years old and never been done. Is it a DIY project (we are VERY new to this), or should we hire someone? If we DIY, how long should it take with prep time?

Mike McClintock: Per other sealing question, prep time depends on the state of the deck, and how good you want it to be. Shaving down splits and raised nails i tyhink is well worth doing to prevent some nasty accidents when people roam around on the deck barefoot in summer.

Washington, D.C.: I'd like to redo my bathroom without a general contractor. I'd like to replace the tub and toilet, install a new vanity, put beadboard on the walls, and tile the tub area and floor. As I'll be working with a plumber, painter, tiler, and carpenter, I'd like to know the order in which the work should be done.

Mike McClintock: It's tough if you haven;t organized a job before, for many reasons, but generally it demolition first, then any repair or prep carpenty, then rough in mechanical, including pipes and wire (and maybe heat/ac) then appliances and finally tile and finishing

Help! No Hot Water: Woke up this morning to no hot water. Our house is only 2 years old, so I'm assuming the water heater hasn't gone completely. I know so little about this stuff--is it likely that the pilot light on the heater has gone out? Any other ideas?

Mike McClintock: Only 2 years old the unit could have suffered from a power failure than shut down the ignition system, so check the circuit breaker first.

Fairfax, Va.: Previous owner painted (badly) the cherry stair railing. The stiles are all somewhat decorative and I am having a difficult time getting it completely stripped -- any ideas. I have tried gels and liquids, but can't seem to get into the nooks and crannies. I want to stain, not repaint, so the paint has to be completely off. Should I just throw in the towel and either paint or get a new railing?

Mike McClintock: No, don't give up (easy for me to say, i know) but cherry, holy cow and not to paint. You could try twine, dental tools, and string-type sandpaper to get at the crannies.

Arlington, Va.: Famous houses again: got them all now (I hope)
Graceland
Mt. Vernon
White House
Hearst Castle
Biltmore Estate

Am I right?

Mike McClintock: Almost right, joining others at head of class, but the full list and some extra info will show up at 1p

Re: Usable Items Left from Remodeling: Bob Levey had a column this week that featured an organization that recycles usable materials (windows, appliances, flooring) by selling to builders of lower income housing. Might check with them to see if they can use the reprogrammable thermostats, etc. that you have to dispose of.

Mike McClintock: Good info, though larger more expensive items are easier to pass on than thermostats

Aspen Hill, Md.: I want to remove the linoleum that was put on top of my hardwood floors with some black goo. What's the best way to do this without hurting the floors?

Mike McClintock: Afraiud my answer is, let's say, unorthodox, but comes from more than one contractor. After you do the basic peeling and scraping, a wood floor often is laced with the original tar, and the way they dealt with this is with dry ice. (It's hard to get and has to be handled with utmost caution.) The idea is that it so freezes the glue that the stuff can be easily chipped off the wood.
Short of that you need to scrape again and again, which almost always scars the wood a little. Solvents just pread the glue into the wood; same for premature sanding-- glue heats up and immediately gums up the sanding belts.

Oak Hill, Va.: Biltmore
Hearst Castle
Mount Vernon
Graceland
Custis-Lee Mansion

How did I do?

Mike McClintock: You did very well, but not 5/5

Overland Park, Kan.: Hello! I would like to install a storm door on the front door of the house. Any tips you can give me about measuring, buying, and installing a glass storm door?

Mike McClintock: Only the obvious one about measuring twice (or more)

Baltimore, Md.: We are talking to builders about constructing a new home. The "standard" heating system offered is a heat pump, with two zones. Everyone I have talked to has said heat pumps are terribly inefficient and that they would never buy a home with a heat pump. The builders tell us that heat pump technology has greatly improved over the past several years and that the two zone system also improves efficiency.
What is your opinion?
Also, should we pay to upgrade the SEER level to the EnergyStar level?
Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Tough question. This area is pretty good for heat pumps, which work best in moderate climates (not extreme cold or heat like florida or maine), and splitting any system into at least two zones lets you save by having one system handle two basic areas with their own demands and thermostats. I tend to favor a small, high-efficiency (close to 95%) gas-fired boiler and hot water. It does take 15-20 minutes to respond but provides very even, bone-warming, inexpensive, convenient heat. And yes, in the long run it almost always pays to upgrade appliance efficiency.

Derwood, Md.: Could the fifth be the Winchester House in California?

Mike McClintock: nope

Jacksonville, Fla.: Thank you, Mike, for taking our questions! My husband and I just bought our first home and are eager to replace the rubber border that the former owners used along the sidewalk to the front door. We'd like to do something in brick, but wonder whether this would be the most durable and easy-to-maintain option? Would it also be a DIY project for us, who are inexperienced in home repair but eager to learn?

Mike McClintock: Rubber borders generally are set with big spikes, so you might have to peel back some sod outside the walk to find them and pull them. If you go to brick (exterior grade) or pavers, the procedure is to set them on edge (they're called soldiers) in a bit of a trench so they have more holding power.

Herndon, Va.: I replaced the wood screen door on my enclosed patio, but after a couple of months, it has warped pretty badly, just like the door before. Is there something I can do to prevent this from happening again, besides going with a vinyl door?

Mike McClintock: You can try unwarping by setting the door bowed up betrween supports at the ends, and weighing it down in the middle-- way down. Leave it that way for several days and see what happens. Better yet, add at least one cross brace with glue and screws while the door is bowed some against the warp.

Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi,

What's the average price per square foot for remodeling job that includes some plumbing (like a new bedroom and bath, say 24' x 12' in size, nothing fancy but well built) in this area?

Thanks.

Mike McClintock: No such thing as ave price-- at least not one that you can apply because all remods are different. Just have to get 3+ estimates to see what the cost parameters are.

Annandale, Va.: Biltmore
Mount Vernon
Monticello
Hearst Castle
Graceland

Mike McClintock: We have a winner-- ALMOST-- because you have the sites but (ok shoot me for being picky) but not in the order of 1-5; but that wasn't the question so you do get full credit. And from carefully watching the inputs and responses was waiting for some logical person to put the pieces together. You did.

Washington, D.C. Re: Goodwill: Goodwill does not always take appliances, but you can always call the Salvation Army.

Mike McClintock: Yes (but they were the ones who refused my couch, which stumped me.)

Reston, Va.: Hi Mr. McClintock:

Recently bought a house that has, for want of knowing the actual term, "swirled cake frosting" finish on the ceiling of the living room. I want to remove it. Can it be sanded off/down, or is it just best to replace the ceiling drywall?
Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Try picking at a small, out of thje way section, and you'll probably find it was sprayed on (on older home could be custom sand-stucco) and that removal will 1. take forever and 2, scar the surface underneath (that's aside from creating a dust stom in the house. Most likely new drywall in the end will be the most efficient way to produce a clean ceiling.

Washington, D.C.: I'm having wood floors put into my new house (not by the builder -- I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid), and had a question. The wood guy said that I could save money by having hardwood installed in the high traffic common areas, but use semi-hard wood in areas like bedrooms. This house is located in England, and I wasn't sure if the phrase semi-hard wood was used here. What do you think of this?

Mike McClintock: It's splitting hairs. There are softwood floors, like pine planks, but hjardwood lasts much longer and can be refinished.

Mike McClintock: we've topped out at 1p again in a hurry, so here's the question again, plus answers and info---

HOMESENSEÑ VISTING FAMOUS PLACESÑ QUESTION

Most of the historic houses in the country are privately owned and occupied. But some of the most famous are historic house museums open to the public. Can you name the five most visited historic house museums in the country?

To get you thinking, here are some very popular sites NOT in the top five: Franklin D. RooseveltÕs 1826-built home in Hyde Park, NY; Fallingwater, the 1939-built Frank Lloyd Wright house in Mill Run, PA; the 1668-built House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA.

HOMESENSEÑ VISTING FAMOUS PLACESÑ ANSWER

According to Counsel House Research and the Almanac of Architecture & Design, here are the five most visited historic house museums, listed with the architect and date(s) built:

1. Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA
George Washington, 1785-8

2. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
Richard Morris Hunt, 1895

3. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA
Julia Morgan, 1927-1947

4. Graceland, Memphis, TN (ElvisÕs house)
Furbringer & Ehrman, 1939

5. Monticello, Charlottesville, VA
Thomas Jefferson, 1768-79, 1793-1809

The Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, NY (McKim, Mead, and White, 1898) is number 6 on the list, but FDRÕs house (also in Hyde Park and pretty much next door) is number 21.
Other presidential homes in the top 20 with tourists include The Hermitage: President Andrew JacksonÕs 1819 home in Hermitage, TN (#14), and President Abraham LincolnÕs 1839 home in Springfield, IL (#15).
Other popular sites: Arlington House (Robert E. Lee Memorial) in Arlington (#8); the 1740 Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia (#10); and the 1680 Paul Revere House in Boston (#11).
For me, second-best famous house visit may be to Sir John SoaneÕs house in London. He designed the main expansion of the bank of england among other buildings, and his house-museum is an expression of his life filled with all kinds of art and artifacts, designed so that a small patch of natural light from rooftop skylights reaches down several stories to the ground floor. Best visit was to Monticello many years ago. Working on a magazine story, they let me show up at the crack of dawn and wander around the public spaces inside and out without guides or guards or tourists; eerie, magical, memorable, surrounded by all the ingenious, unusual, elegant, utilitarian expressions of JeffersonÕs mind. Morning silence, some of the floorboards creaked, and it could almost have been 200 years ago.
See you next time, mike

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