A Valley Firm That Slides Into Home
Question: I am certain that my problem is a problem of interest to many of your readers.
I have several sets of folding doors in my home, and they become detached from their moorings. We have had them professionally repaired, but the repairs do not last.
Is there any suggestion you can make? Please don’t hesitate to mention stores or repairmen I can contact.
Answer: When you say professionally repaired, I assume you mean that you have a handyman come in and work on the doors.
Perhaps it’s time you got a specialist to come to your rescue. Perhaps it’s time to call in . . . Captain Glides!
Sounds like a radio drama, right?
Well, it isn’t. Instead it’s a firm that specializes in fixing sliding doors--whether glass, folding or whatever. If it slides, they can fix it, according to John Benach, president of Captain Glides, 20832 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park.
Here’s the scenario: Give the firm a call, and a repairman in a truck, which carries hardware that will likely be necessary, will come to your house. He’ll give you a free estimate, and if you say go, he’ll stay and fix it while he’s there. If you want to wait, he’ll return at a later time.
Typical cost for fixing a sliding glass door that is jammed shut is about $50, including parts and labor. If the dead panel of a door has to be removed, it would be about $10 more, Benach says. He also guarantees the job for one year.
Captain Glide trucks service homes as far north as Santa Barbara and south to Laguna and from the coast to Palm Springs. If San Diegans have more than one door to be repaired, the trucks may even go that far south, Benach says.
Meanwhile, he offers some tips about sliding doors in a coastal area. He points out that nylon rollers work better than steel because nylon won’t rust. Zinc rollers are another possibility. And the slide areas should be kept lubricated with WD-40 or other lubricant sprays.
Q: Help! I hope this isn’t the dum-dum question of the day. I have a mildew problem in a corner and down the wall of a bedroom. There are no windows in this corner. There is a window at the opposite end of the wall.
The enclosed ad (for a chemical product that claims it sucks excess moisture out of the air) is interesting, but a bit costly, because it must be replaced every few months.
Since baking soda is used for many different things, I was hoping there was a household product that might be used as a humidifier. Any ideas?
By the way, there is no standing water outside the mildew corner and wall. My husband says it’s the cold air outside and the warm air inside. Would a storm window help?
A: As always, it’s a ventilation problem.
The attic area might not be properly ventilated. Or it’s possible you need a vent in the foundation area of that corner. At least check to see that the foundation vents are unincumbered.
You might try placing a vapor barrier (any kind of sheet plastic) on the ground under that area to prevent the moisture from the ground rising to the floor level. I don’t believe a storm window on the opposite side of the room would help.
As for household products that might absorb the moisture, one remedy I’ve heard of but never tried is charcoal. It would be worth a try to place some charcoal pieces in a small open container in that corner. If it doesn’t work, invite the neighbors over for a barbecue.
Washing the walls (assuming they are white) with a solution of household bleach will help keep it clean, but you really should get to the cause of the problem before damage is done.
