For Ceiling Blot, Bleach or Paint Hits Spot
QUESTION: A roof leak at our house has left a brown water stain on the textured-paint ceiling in our bedroom. Is there any way to safely remove or hide the stain without damaging the heavily textured surface? We don’t want to scrape and re-spray the whole ceiling.
Faye Aubuchon, technical administrator for Bondex International in St. Louis, Mo., responds:
ANSWER: First, try bleaching out the stain. Start by mixing some sodium percarbonate bleach crystals (marketed as acoustic ceiling cleaner) into a bucket of water. Then pour the solution into a pump-spray bottle and spritz a little directly onto the stain. Let the area dry; repeat the process if needed. Don’t soak the surface; that will only worsen the existing problem. If the stain remains, seal it with an oil-based paint. Be sure not to use a latex paint, which will break down the rough texture. Use a long-nap roller and apply very light pressure to avoid disturbing the textured surface.
Do the Math to Solve Attic Fan Problem
Q: I live in an 88-foot-long ranch-style home with four gable vents and well-vented soffits. The house is fitted with one gable-mounted exhaust fan, and I would like to add another fan at the opposite end. Should the second fan also blow air out of the attic, or should it pull air in?
Dale Rammien, director of the Home Ventilating Institute in Arlington Heights, Ill., explains:
A: Both fans should be used to blow air out of the attic. If a greater volume of replacement air is needed to keep up with the fans, then increase the number of soffit vents. Here’s how to size the new fan and to be sure your soffit vents are supplying enough intake air:
First, determine the cubic feet per minute of air both fans must move to cool your attic. The formula I use is based on 10 air changes per hour, though this is well beyond what’s required by building codes.
Start by determining the total square footage of your attic (multiply floor length by floor width), then multiply that figure by 0.7. Subtract the cubic-feet-per-minute rating of your existing fan to arrive at the required rating for the second fan. On houses with dark roof shingles or particularly steep roofs, multiply the required rating by 0.15.
To find out whether you have to increase the number or size of your existing soffit vents to accommodate the air moved by that second fan, divide the total cubic feet per minute required by 300, then multiply by 144 to yield the total net-free ventilating area required for your intake vents. Compare this requirement with the total area of the existing vents to determine whether you need to add more vents.
How Often Should You Seal Asphalt Driveway?
Q: Is it really necessary to coat a driveway every year with an asphalt sealer? If not, what maintenance is required for asphalt driveways?
Kent Hansen, director of engineering for the National Asphalt Pavement Assn., says:
A: Applying an asphalt sealer helps driveways look newer longer, slows the asphalt’s aging process and seals small cracks. Some sealers can even protect against damage caused by gasoline and oil spills. Even better news: You don’t have to do it every year. With today’s sealers, every three to five years is often enough.
Think Again Before Chucking the Chimney
Q: I’d like to expand my kitchen into an unused den. Doing so would involve taking down a brick fireplace and chimney located in the center of the house. Can I remove it? Who should do the work?
John Chyrczk, of Masonry Tuckpointing Contractors in Chicago, suggests:
A: Although an interior chimney like yours can be demolished, considering the work involved--and how little space you’re likely to gain in the process--you might want to explore other design alternatives first.
A chimney is an independent structure. Removing one requires extensive demolition, hauling and disposal. The larger the chimney, the more removal will cost. In your case, you’ll also have to deal with roof penetration and the re-roofing that entails. And if the chimney includes a flue for your heating system, the removal process is even trickier.
Add in the interior demolition, carpentry and finish work typically required and you’re looking at a major project. If you must remove your chimney, have a good remodeling contractor do it, presumably the same person who handles the kitchen renovation you’re planning.
Stuck-On Carpeting Requires Floor Scraper
Q: I want to remove my old carpeting, which is glued directly to a concrete floor. How should I do it?
Brent Evans of Leola, Pa.-based RSS Distributors, an equipment supplier to the tool-rental industry, says:
A: Begin by pulling up the carpet, starting in a corner; it should peel up easily. If the room is big, slice the carpet into manageable pieces with a utility knife.
Odds are that the rubber backing and adhesive on the carpeting will remain stuck down. The quickest, easiest way to remove them is with an electric floor scraper, a walk-behind machine with a vibrating blade that plows up the residue.
Floor scrapers rent for $50 to $70 a day. They’re loud, so wear earplugs--as well as eye protection--while you work. You might also want to rent a small, handheld scraper with a razor blade for corners and other hard-to-reach areas.
Looking for an answer to a remodeling question? Mail it to Questions & Answers, Today’s Homeowner, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. Send queries by fax to (212) 725-3281. Please include your name, address and phone number.
