We now have our first responses to our House DR. Forum. More will be added on a weekly basis. As this page gets larger we will have it set up in categories where anyone can seek information on any particular subject. We cannot use all inquiries on this page. Only inquiries that are informative and having the most impact will be posted. Inquiries may be edited to our own discretion.
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4/9/98
Q-We had vinyl siding installed three years ago. We have recently noticed areas where the siding has bulged & is moving away from the house ...................................... The company that installed the siding is no longer in business. Can you suggest anything that can be done?
A-Sounds like the siding is nailed in too tight, where there is no room for expansion. With changes in temperature, vinyl siding move around a lot. We recommend that you contact a reputable company that installs vinyl siding. They may be able to remedy the problem.
10/29/98
Q-Our house is an older home. We have aluminum siding of the 8" variety. We recently had an accident which forced us to remove damaged siding to replace framing members of the structure ............................... Where can we purchase siding to match? What is available on today's market?
A- In aluminum there is not much of anything. There is currently one known manufacturer to us that still produces an aluminum panel that is flat, 8" in width, and is only available in white. You can get information about this product by calling a roofing and siding supply house. Is the siding textured or grained? It also may be vinyl coated aluminum. If this is the case we suggest that you call a number of these supply houses to see what types of siding are in stock for "patching only". Some of these places keep old and discontinued panels around for repairs only until the supply runs out. Good Luck.
4/12/98
Q-We paint our house every five years. We use the same contractor each time. Even though he does a thorough job we still get peeling paint almost immediately after the job is done .................................. We have a wood frame house with clapboard siding. Any suggestions will be welcome and appreciated.
A-In reviewing your inquiry there are some major factors to consider. First of all how old is the house? If the house was built before 1972 it may have a coat of oil base paint or primer beneath several coats of latex paint. The problem that arises in this situation is that if moisture becomes trapped behind the siding it will not be able to escape into the atmosphere. The reason being that oil base paint forms a natural vapor barrier. Another factor to consider is what type of paint your contractor is using. The first thing to look into is any sources of moisture that may have an easy route in getting behind the siding. Check all windows and doors. Are there any gaps between the exterior casings and the siding. These areas must be caulked. Also you should check your gutters.They must be kept clean. If they are the old built in wood gutters the linings must be maintained. I think you are probably getting the picture by now. If you could give us some more detailed information we will be glad to respond more accurately to your inquiry.
11/21/98
Q-We constantly paint the interior trim in our house with a semi-gloss enamel paint. The paint seems to always peel and fade .......................... it easily chips and does not seem to hold to the surface beneath. Can something be done to avoid this situation next time we paint?
A-When painting interior surfaces we cannot begin to stress the importance that all surfaces be clean. Paint will not bond to any surface that has any foreign matter build up on it. In the case of wood trim it can be cleaned with mineral spirits. This should give you a clean surface and also take off any grease or wax films that may be on the surface of the wood. The next important step in painting wood trim is to make sure that all existing semi gloss or high gloss finishes are thoroughly sanded. They should look like a flat finish just prior to re-painting. New finishes, especially latex paint, will not bond to a surface that has a glossy sheen. If you do not like the dust created by sanding you can use a chemical de-glosser that can be purchased in any paint or hardware store. We recommend following the manufacturer's safety instructions on each can. Only work in a well ventilated area when using these products.
1/10/99
Q-Our leaders and gutters are always leaking in the corners or where gutters join together. How can this be repaired?
A-We are assuming they are aluminum gutters. If so then they can be re sealed. The proper way would be to use a gutter seal that is sold at a roofing supply house. Silicone or other caulks are not recommended. The proper way to repair this is to disassemble the gutter where it is leaking and to liberally apply the gutter seal inside the surface where the leaking is taking place. The disassembled parts can then be put back together and the problem should be resolved. We recommend taking the gutter apart and not just smearing the gutter seal over the problem area. If this is done the area will leak again after the "temporary repair" cracks.
2/01/99
Q-Our gutters are always becoming clogged. We have seen screens or covers that claim they resolve this problem. Do they work?
A-We recommend using these covers or guards as a last resort. The best system is to clean the gutters as many times that are needed to keep water flowing down the leaders. The guards work best when installed properly. We usually find that the best ones are the variety made from ridged metal that clip in behind the gutter and fit into the front lip of the gutter. The kind that come in rolls and are less ridged and usually work well but tend to look unsightly. Remember that even with the covers that the gutters will need to be eventually cleaned since small debris will make its way into the gutters over a period of time. The guards will then have to be removed and re installed.
7/15/98
Q-What is the best way to repair small surfaces on interior plaster walls? We have tried spackle in the past but it seems to always crack?
A-There are several ways to repair plaster interior wall surfaces. It would be more helpful if your inquiry was a little more specific. Anyway here is a brief general guide that may help you in the future. Small cracks that are less than 1/4" wide: Rake out the cracks thoroughly with an old spackle or putty knife. Fill with spackling compound of multi layers allowing each coat to dry completely. Do not use joint compound of the variety used for sheet rock surfaces. Use actual spackle. For real problem areas you may use a mesh tape over the crack that would be applied with the initial coat and then re-coated. When the repair is filled and even with the existing surfaces it should be lightly sanded with sand paper no coarser than 150 grit. The area should be clean of sanding dust prior to painting. Larger areas: Remove all loose and falling plaster. Again all areas should be clean. You can use plaster of paris or plaster wall patch to fill in the entire area. The plaster of paris has a quick setting time. You may want to use this if you want to paint quickly after doing your repairs. When the plaster is fully cured it should also be sanded. You can use plaster wall patch or patching plaster to do the same thing if you are not in a hurry. The advantage of using the later product is that it gives you time to work. This may help the novice since it gives you time to correct any mistakes that need to be quickly corrected. The quick fix methods described here are only suggested for surface repairs up to one square foot. Any larger repairs should be handled by a professional.
4/18/98
Q-We have an older house built in 1920. Our problem is with the interior doors. They are always falling off the frames ......................................... My husband has re-hung them twice but each time they fall down or start working improperly again. Can you make any suggestions ?
A-Sounds like the doors are binding. This situation occurs when the door is not hung properly. This is a very easy situation to detect. Close the door slowly. Look at the hinge side of the door. Does the door seem to get harder to close or pull away from the jamb just before it closes. If this happens then there is a bind somewhere. The door could be binding on the jamb itself or a door stop. We suggest you contact a Contractor who specializes in home repairs or a Carpenter. They can remedy this problem more easily and quickly than a Homeowner can.
5/7/98
Q-A few years ago we had vinyl replacement windows installed. The windows work fine. Lately we noticed that there is a film on the windows that cannot be cleaned .................. Can you recommend a way to remove this film?
A-Sounds like the glazing for the windows is defective. A major factor to be considered is whether the windows are single of double glazed. Odds are they are thermal windows and the glazing is "leaking". You might want to try cleaning the windows with a product called Lime Away. This can be purchased in most supermarkets. If this does not work then all the glass in all the windows that has this condition must be replaced. We suggest calling the company that installed the windows. The windows must still be under warranty.
9/19/98
Q-The bi-fold doors in our house keep falling off the tracks. The pins in the upper tracks are always coming loose. These doors need constant adjustment. Any remedy?????
A-There are a number of things that can be done. One main item that must be considered is the type of door and the weight of the door. The doors may be too heavy for the class of hardware that you are using. Also there is an issue of the degree of use that these doors may be getting. Most bi-fold doors come in packages these days which contain the hardware to install them. In general this hardware works fine except when two key factors come into play. Heavy usage and heavy doors. If you feel that this is the problem then you can take the following step to remedy your problem. You can go to a specialty hardware store to obtain heavier hardware. This hardware is generally much more expensive than the hardware purchased in a lumber yard or home center. It is generally available in different classes which are determined by the weight of the doors. Once this is installed the problems are usually resolved. This hardware is generally more difficult to install and we recommend that you have a Contractor who specializes in home repairs install it.
A Comedian
5/11/98
Q-Once again my wife got here big fat ugly toe stuck in the bath tub
faucet. Oh please house doctor what shall I do?
A-At first we thought this guy was a real wise guy. But then we did commit to answer all inquiries. Maybe someone visiting our forum can send us some suggestions and we will forward them to this person.
| Disclaimer----This forum is for educational purposes only. We cannot be responsible for any circumstances arising from opinions formulated in our responses. It is suggested that all individuals consult proper officials or publications to obtain information on local codes and to follow those codes when performing any home improvement or repair work. |
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