• Home Sense Discussion Archive • Home Sense Column Archive • Home & Garden Section • Garden & Patio Section • Talk: Home message boards • Live Online Transcripts • Subscribe to washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters • mywashingtonpost. com -- customized news, traffic, weather and more

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 first (a simple one with answers end of hour) and then your questions.

HOMESENSEÑ CONSUMER FUN+GAMESÑ QUESTIONS

ItÕs Spring, time to get out and play, so hereÕs a list of non-sit-on-your-rear-end-stare-at-a-screen-and-push-buttons things to play with. To score, arrange these 20th century icons of consumer fun and games in the chronological order of their invention.

Slinky
Bouncing Putty (later as Silly Putty)
Frisbee
Yo-Yo
Hula Hoop

-- and now questions

Washington, D.C.: I'm having a new home built and the kitchen island has a corian overhang that's slightly less than 12". Do you think it needs some support brackets/molding?

Mike McClintock: Actually freestanding? that is optimisitic, and probably way past the company specs for overhangs so don't be sitting out there, or maybe even leaning,i.e. yes you probably should add some structural help unless it is decoprative or just will never take much weight

Arlington, Va.: What's your opinion of engineered stone (Silestone, etc) vs. Corian for countertops? Are there huge differences in quality, installation cost, durability, etc?

Mike McClintock: think thatÕs one of the "quartz" products; not sure about costs but thinks itÕs between comsposites and real stone. It can fool you from a distance but not so much close up for a few reasons: itÕs obviously a composite, no matter the comnp[onents are mineral or plastic and that makes it more like plastic, also, most installers sculpt a big roman ogee along the edge-- another common signal of composite/plastic. For maintenance and anti-scrath, probably also between Corian and hard stone. But I like the options at either end of the spectrum: good old plasticx laminate (maybe oringal boomerang pattern) with a double wide edge trimmmed at the seam, or granite; generally, IÕd rather spend a lot for the real thing, or a little for a reasonable stand-in, but not fairly big bucks for stand-ins pretending to be the real thing, if that makes sense.

Frederick, Md.: I just moved into a 35 year old home on a well system with low water pressure. Do you have any recommendations on how to increase my pressure?

Thank you

Mike McClintock: The well pumps to a holding tank , called a pressure tank; that's where your pressure comes from. You can increase it, but that makes the pump work harder to push water in, so it's usually set at a compromise. Also, in a house with hard water (no softeneing equipment) the pressure drop is often due to dwindling pipe diamteres (caked with mineral deposits) and not the pump or tank. Needs some checking to find the cause and not to correct the wrong thing at the expense of another

Arlington, Va.: My husband and I are about to buy our first house -- a 1956 rowhouse in Alexandria. I have so many questions, I don't even know where to start, which I guess is why I'm writing you.

Do you have a book you recommend on basic home repairs, and also any books or series of books on do-it-yourself projects? Never having done this before, I'm having a hard time figuring out what things I/we can do and what things we should outsource. I'm fairly handy, but my husband is not.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Mike McClintock: At this stage you need to be relying on a very thorough home inspection report (not one of those checklist forms that really isn't much help) to zero in on the things that need work to prevent future damage; and then to sort out which ones you might try as homeowners. No one book i've seen can do that, so you need to be on websites, and investigating, possibly talking to a few general contractors

Fairfax, Va.: I have a standing shower in a bathroom that is rarely used. I have notice that if I use the sink in that bathroom I hear gurgling noises coming from the shower drain. Is this normal? Should I be concerned with this at all?

Mike McClintock: Maybe a somehwta older house? and if you rarely use the shower it's not causing a drainage problem so not to fix; could be lack of slope, a partial blockage, or more likely an older, now not legal trap-vent arrangement, specially if the shower or bath was an add-on.

Mt. Rainier, Md.: Hope you can help me. I stripped numerous layers of wallpaper and paint down to the original plaster. No way to paint over what was there. Now though, I love the plaster and plan to leave it exposed in my bedroom. But all around the room, where the plaster meets the trim at the baseboard, door, window, there is a 1 inch strip of brownish residue. Is it glue? How can I clean this off the plaster?

Mike McClintock: Probably the adhesive, so try hot water, scrubbing, and finally scraping, as sound plaster can take a lot of stress, as opposed to drywall, and if scarred in the process is fairly easy to patch and sand

Springfield, Va.: We are considereing having our kitchen cabinets resurfaced. Is there any downside to this? The cabinets are the originals in a 43-year-old house. Replacing them looks too expensive and the only thing wrong with them is their dated appearance.

Any recommendations on who should do this? Just call people from the yellow pages?

Mike McClintock: I would never just call people in the phone book, but always network some sort of recommendation or referral, at least a nod and a wink, even from an interested party like a lumberyard. Anyway, other possible option is to restain vs. resurface. Nutshell: stringent wash to degrease and clean, then bleach, then new warm-ton stain, then poly

A house with stairs: I moved into a house that has individual stair treads on each step that need to be removed and replaced. The current carpet treads are on with double-stick tape. How do I remove the tape (and its residue) from the wood steps? How should I put down replacement treads -- double-stick again? Thanks.

Mike McClintock: You mean to replace the carpet not the wood treads, yes? I think? In that case just scrape off the old tape and who cares if it leaves a few scratches undere the new carpet.

Manassas, Va.: Hello Mike,
We have just purchased a home in Manassas, it is currently carpeted over (plywood?) flooring, and we would like to install oak hardwood floors in a good part of the house.
Neither my husband or I have ever had this work done before, and I would like your advice on evaluating a contractor to install the wood floors. Can you recommend a reputable firm?
Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Can't do names for you, but you might try the oak flooring institute, national assoc of remodeling contractors, etc. to get maybe 3 contractors you feel comnfortable with and then ask for bids.

Olney, Md.: What do you think of the "European style" hot water heaters, as I've heard them called. The ones where the water goes through a lot of twists and curves and the water only gets heated when it's running through the heater. Are they really that much cheaper to operate, and how hard would it be to find the product and someone who knows how to install it correctly?

Mike McClintock: Lots of them available now, generally too expensive for the limited capacity, but good for a very remote bath far from the main water heater, i.e. it can save you on water left running forever until the hot finally arrives. But modern water heaters are very efficient

Alexandria, Va.: Water is seeping near the patio door of my basement whenever there is rain. This happened after the last big snow storm and thaw. What is the best way to solve this? Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Lots of house have one or two bad locations where, once water gets ther, it's difficult to keep it out. So answer is to work with gutters, overhangs, drainpipe extensions, etc. to keep it from getting there and eventuially defeating even several rows of exterior-grade caulk

Arlington, Va.: I am thinking about adding a bathroom in my basement. Do you know anything about the Saniflo system? Basically similar to a boat toilet system. I don't want to dig up the concrete to put in a bath if I don't have to.

Mike McClintock: There are several types of chemical and other non-standard toilets, but before you go too far, check this with the local building department that is likely to say no dice

Surlygirl: Ooh, good question. Here's my guess:
Yo-yo
Frisbee
Silly Putty
Hula Hoop
Slinky

Mike McClintock: No, and i did leave out a few icons, figuring 5 was confusing enouygh

Clifton, Va.: What is the difference in going with a kitchen and bath designer as opposed to an interior designer/architect. I am thinking of remodeling my kitchen but since a bath adjoins I would like to talk to someone who understands the structural impact of moving walls, plumbing, etc.

Mike McClintock: This part of the answer is called watch mike get angry mail from designers, but my experience is that most are a bit short on first, structural knowledge and second (even more so) on the practical detaiuls of construction, carpentry. So i would prefer a very experienced GC (and you do the design work) or an architect who rtegularly handles and supervises residential remods

(I hear the mail coming already)

Arlington, Va.: I just put up a shed -- one of the kits you can buy at Home Depot. The quality of the wood was not spectacular, warping and such, and there are some gaps and unevenness. How so I seal to keep the place clean and dry and critter free?

Mike McClintock: Ugh; but i guess for tiny cracks you could caulk, but sopme critters will get through wood even without gaps.

House with stairs: Thanks for your answer regarding stair treads. Yes, I meant pulling the carpet pieces. How should I re-glue them down -- tape again?

Mike McClintock: Worked the first time

Alexandria, Va.: My wife and I will soon move into a small 1950's house in a great Alexandria neighborhood. We are having fun imagining what we can do to the house, both large and small.

Can you recommend a design and build firm in the area we could use to get ideas and estimates? Is there any rule of thumb for the cost of additions etc?

Mike McClintock: Can't do names, and best advice on prices, which vary by dozens of factors, is to take the time to work with several contractors who will provide legit bids

Alexandria, Va.: When improving drainage in the yard, how deep should a trench be?

I don't want it to LOOK like a trench, but I've got a 45-degree hill that runs into the back of my house, so I need to divert any water. I don't love the idea of making it look like a river bed, either. Can I line it with pavers so that it's more like a walkway most of the time?

Mike McClintock: On average, a trench 2-3ft deep and 2 acrtoss will help a lot (I once pit one in top protect a house at the bottom of a big hill that was 4 deep and almost 3 across with double levels of drains). Nutshell: few inches of gravel base, perforated drain tile sloped to safe exiot point, then almosty fuill with gravel, then double layer filter fabric (it keep out most clogging silt) then sod. This creates very porous line where water drops down to the pipe, but looks like the yard

Fairfax, Va.: Yo-Yo
Frisbee
Slinky
Silly Putty
Hula Hoop

Mike McClintock: Everyone with yo-yo first is off to a good start, yopur others are a bit scrambled still

Annapolis, Md.: Here's my guess:

Yo-Yo
Slinky
Bouncing (Silly) Putty
Hula Hoop
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: same for you, so now tyry for number 2 and we'll go from there

Fairfax, Va.: Our Corian counter is cracking in two places. The cracks appear to start under the stovetop and look like they are getting longer. Can Corian be repaired, or are we looking at a brand new countertop?

Mike McClintock: Yes it can often be repairs with the cement installers use to conceal seams where counters turn corners, maybe after beefin up the cabinet carcass to stabilixe?

Fairfax, Va.: My aluminum siding is looking pretty dingy. Should I leave power washing to the pros or is it easy to do? Where can I rent equipment?

Mike McClintock: Nice rule of thumb for any job you're not sure of is to pay a pro once-- and watch and ask and brain-pick. It's not a very difficult job but can cause leaks and damage on high pressure, and if you spray up to much instead of angling the sapray down and away.

Culpeper, Va.: Mike,
I’ve spotted a small wet spot in the ceiling just below a second-floor bathroom, probably under the tile shower. Is it likely that I need a new "pan" as one contractor said, or might there be an easier and, hopefully, much less expensive fix?

Mike McClintock: ItÕs hard to track a leak back to the source when the plumbing is closed up in framing cavitiesÑ and the contractor could be right, although heÕs suggesting the most thorough and expensive fix that requires tearing up the floor and basically starting from scratch. Before that, you could try to dignose the problem by recreating the leak. Idea is to add water in contgrolled stages: first by pouring down the drain without splashing any on the floor of the shower. If the ceiling stays dry, move on to soak the chrome flange around the drain (this caulked, screw-out fitting is more likely to leak than the drainpipes); then soak the tile seams along the floor, then the corner seams in the walls, then the door seams. If you recreate the leak in the flange or higher up in the tile seams, regrouting and recaulking could solve the problem for a few bucks.

Annapolis, Md.: My revised list:

Yo-Yo
Bouncing (Silly) Putty
Slinky
Hula Hoop
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: getting closer

Washington, D.C.: yo-yo
hula hoop
silly putty
frisbee
slinky

Mike McClintock: not as close

Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: Yo-Yo
Hula Hoop
Bouncing Putty
Slinky
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: ditto (not as close)

Centreville, Va.: I have little ones, and they keep pushing on the patio screen door. As a result, the door keeps popping off the tracks. Any suggestions for a stronger screen door or other option? Thanks.

Mike McClintock: Give in and give them something at their level to grab and pull sideways, but they have the right door instincts-- to push instead of pull sideways

Arlington, Va.: Question regarding plaster. The hallway has wood lath with horsehair plaster and wallpaper over that. Sometime in the past -maybe in the 60s or 70s- a bad patch job was done with an icky plaster that is very hard. Looks like maybe they used plaster of paris. 1. Is there a way to remove the hard plaster without damaging the lath? 2. What kind of plaster should be used to patch holes in the horsehair plaster? We don't have access to a horse, so I would rather not replicate the original formula.

Mike McClintock: First you might try pigmented whie shellac to surface the patch, a few coats and light sandings. That should create a new surface and hide the patch under paint. If you really want to struggle with it, drill out the plaster with a series of holes stopped with a drill telltale at lath depth.

Charlotte, N.C.: Yoyo
Hula hoop
Silly putty
Slinky
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: no

Silver Spring, Md.: YoYo
Slinky
Silly Putty
Hula Hoop
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: nope

Dupont, Washington, D.C.: And here's my guess:

Yo Yo
Hoola Hoop
Slinky
Silly Putty
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: nope

Washington, D.C.: I have a question about stripping or painting wood moldings in an old (Capitol Hill) townhouse. We have relatively simple moldings, not the ornate/patterned ones you sometimes see in Capitol Hill or Georgetown homes. We are told they are the originals, and we're happy to keep them, but they aren't in great shape -- some areas are very splintered, especially on window sills, and in other places there is paint along the edges where people weren't careful painting the walls. Overall, they also look like they've been stained a time too many, very dark.

My question is, do you recommend a preferred solution to this? We've considered painting over them, a look I am fine with but I'm not sure whether we'd be marring something about the "original" quality of the moldings and impacting our home value negatively. Otherwise, should they just be completely stripped and refinished? I assume, with two young children in the house, this is something we'd need a professional to do (we are pretty good amateur painter-types)? Thanks.

Mike McClintock: If you're ok with paint (probably the original finish way back anyway) why not invest in that instead of stripping? That also may involve lead paint (you can do a swab test with an inexpensive hardware-satore kit) which makes things more complicated. And sure, a good pro may do a better job, but often pros do a more efficient job., i.e. faster, and not all that much better than a homeowner willing to put in the hours a pro can't afford

Somewhere, USA: Yo Yo, Slinky, hula hoop, silly putty, frisbee (gosh I feel old).

Mike McClintock: Nppe, and i don;t think you should feel old at all. I was waiting for someone to counter with the great, class, lasting, kids can't leave them alone on christmas day topys in the last 20 years, but nothing yet

Washington, D.C.: Hi,

I am about to move into a condo that has a 16 x 10 (approximately) patio composed of 2 foot square (approximately) slate tiles, with an 18-inch border of gravel at the fence line. The concrete used as a grout (for lack of a better term) between the tiles is mostly missing or in pieces. What is the best way to approach the removal and replacement of the concrete. Also what's the best way to level the tiles? I am sort of handy, but not a real do-it yourselfer.

Thanks.

Mike McClintock: You can scrape out the old grout and go again, but to relevel a lot of tiles you need to remove them and go again with a gravel bed, then a few inches of sand. It also help to install a holder system at the edges (the rubberized strips, or pavers on edge)

Vienna, Va.: Yoyo
Bouncing (silly) putty
Slinky
Hula hoop
Frisbee

Mike McClintock: almost there, which is a big hint

Bowie, Md.: Hi -- I am staining some furniture and I was wondering, is the polyurethane coating a necessary last step, or is it optional. The staining is already done and I really don't want to pull it back apart again!

Mike McClintock: Not at all, but it adds some protection; so does wax, which is easier to renew periodically.

North Carolina: Thank you so much for the great chats.
We are starting to talk to architects about adding some space to our house, adding a screen porch, and adding some interior walls to make closets and a bathroom. The guy we just talked to said it would cost $200 per square foot. Am I right to assume that a screen porch wouldn't cost that much, nor would moving a wall -- but putting a bathroom in would maybe cost more -- so it all evens out? We don't want to start down a path that's out of our price range -- the other architects we have talked to have not been willing to give a price other than a range.

Mike McClintock: You're right, of course, some areas like carports are very inexpensive per sqft, while small baths and kitchns can be $500 and up due to all the mechanical work. It strikes me as a bogus way to supply a bid. On multi-jon projects you should ask for each one to be broken out so you can compare estimates and maybe decide to scrap one

Washington, D.C.: Hi Mike,

Hopefully this is an easy question, but for me as a new condo owner I have no idea what I'm doing. My condo was built in 2001 but no one used it until I moved in (in August 2002). In the shower between the tiles where the caulk should be, in a few places there are gaps. I thought at first it was mildew but it appears the caulk wasn't put in properly or has fallen out. Its also happening on the soap holder -- which I don't use, but I'm afraid that water is going to get behind the tiles and cause big problems. Do I have to remove the original caulk before I put more in or can I just recaulk over the existing stuff. I'm not much of a DIY person, but I want to do this right so I don't have to worry about bigger problems later.

Thanks!

Mike McClintock: If the grout on the wall is already leaving you may already have deterioration in wall behind. You could caulk as a temporary fix, but grouting is better. If the grout is at all loose you should remove it and then regrout. Adding a skim coat rarely works.

Fairfax, Va.: I have a slate surround on my gas fireplace and it looks like the grout is breaking off put the slate seems pretty firmly stuck. I am not particularly fond of the slate and would prefer granite marble, or tile, would it best to remove the grout and slate or just tile over it.

Mike McClintock: If the grout is cracked, chances are that the hearth won't serve well as a solid base for tile, even with a mud bed. Once you're removing things, and you don';t like the look anyway, maybe better to start with cement backboard on the floor and then thinset tile, which is pretty easy to do because you have the backerboard as a solid base.

Washington, D.C.: yo yo
slinky
frisbee
hula hoop
silly putty

Mike McClintock: not quite but answers in a couple of minutes

Thumping Pipes: I understand the background regarding noise when water is flowing TO the faucet, but what about noises when water is flowing down the drain? Same solution (e.g., dealing with it, tightening pipes -- if possible, or adding insulation) or, if not, what should I do?

The noise only occurs when water is draining from our 1st and 2nd floors.

Mike McClintock: Pipe shouldn't be hammering or thumping in no-pressure drainage lines, and to quiet them insulation is about the only thing that helps unless you get crazy and pull outr the plastic or copper to install old fashioned cast iron. In a really noisy spot you might try drilling a few small holes and shooting in a few cans of foam insulation

Window Repair: I am repairing broken glass in my windows. The problem is that the glazing points sold at the hardware store are too big and visible from inside the house. Can I skip the points all together? Should I use some kind of adhesive instead between the wood and the glass? Thanks!

Mike McClintock: I always found glazier's points too small to hold, and had to set them with a needle nose pliers. You may not be driving them deeply enough. But it's good to install at least a couple, so you might try using a tin snips to cut them down. (Also possible you're not adding enough putty to cover.)

Toys -- I got it!: yo yo
silly putty
slinky
frisbee
hula hoop

Mike McClintock: yes

Mike McClintock: have hit the time wall already, so----

HOMESENSEÑ CONSUMER FUN+GAMESÑ QUESTIONS
ItÕs Spring, time to get out and play, so hereÕs a list of non-sit-on-your-rear-end-stare-at-a-screen-and-push-buttons things to play with. To score, arrange these 20th century icons of consumer fun and games in the chronological order of their invention.

Slinky
Bouncing Putty (later as Silly Putty)
Frisbee
Yo-Yo
Hula Hoop

HOMESENSEÑ CONSUMER FUN+GAMESÑ ANSWERS

The personal computer dates from 1976, and after that there are a ton of games that use it, or at least a TV, pretty much keeping you glued inside and in one place. Is there a post-1960 list of basic toys as good as the list below? And I didnÕt even include A.C. GilbertÕs Erector Set (an idea he got from the design of the railroad sign supports across the tracks that he saw on his daily commute from New Haven to New York), but more about Gilbert another day). And instead of typing out gobs of info for you, try this site
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/timeline/the1900s.htm
if you want to follow up on the toys and many other inventions.

1928, Yo-Yo
1943, Bouncing Putty (as Silly Putty in 1950)
1945, Slinky
1950, Frisbee
1958, Hula Hoop

More next time; see you, mike

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

Stay Tuned to Live Online:
Entertainment Guide: Got Plans?, 1 p.m. ET
Real Estate Live: Daniela Deane, 2 p.m. ET
Dirda on Books, 2 p.m. ET

Keep up with the best Live Online has to offer and special breaking news discussions. Sign up for the NEW Live Online e-mail newsletter.

   |      |