Past Questions and Answers:

QUESTION:

I feel like an idiot. I accidently left a pressure cooker on my stove when I left my house to run errands. When I came home, the smoke detectors were blaring and the house was full of smoke, but fortunately there was no fire. We immediately opened up and aired the house out thoroughly. There is no visible damage in the house, nothing looks burned, but the smoke odor is still strong. We washed all of the walls, ceiling, windows, and woodwork in the kitchen an adjacent room where there was the most odor. We used a dishsoap wash, then rinsed with vinegar. I put bowls of baking soda in the cupboards. All of this seems to have helped, but not enough. Do you have any other suggestions?

ANSWER:

Smoke smell is difficult to remove. I suggest you change the filter on the furnace and consider having the ductwork cleaned. For hard surfaces professionals use a "dry sponge" to remove soot and smoke smells. A dry sponge is a like a large soft eraser and you can find on at a commercial cleaning store or in some paint departments.

Consider cleaning or removing any fabric - drapes and window coverings that my have absorbed the smell. Have the carpeting professionally cleaned. If the smell remains, you will need to replace carpeting.

You may need to wall all the walls, ceilings and hard surfaces in your home. Consider a cleaner like Pine Sol because it is an effective cleaner and has a strong pine smell.

Finally I would try to open several windows for an extended period of time to continue to air out the home. You could also run exhaust fans that are vented outside. Using a wood fireplace is also good way to ventilate a home - the fire draws lots of air out of your home. If you still have problems, you should contact a professional for smoke and fire damage / restoration like Kelmann Corporation, Carl Krueger Construction or Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling.

QUESTION:

A while ago on your show you were discussing bathroom exhaust fans. You had commented not to buy one from the "Big Box" stores. You said the ones they sell are not powerful enough or capable of producing the desired results. Can you suggest some suppliers that would carry exhaust fans that are powerful enough to do the job? Also, what type of rating or specifications should an exhaust fan have for a toilet room roughly 10' X 10'?

ANSWER:

In almost every case cheap, noisy bath exhaust fans are installed in homes. This is because folks don't know better fans exist and because we are all accustomed to the noisy fans that really don't exhaust much air. Electricians also install the fans in new construction the they just generally provide the cheap fans. Luckily this is changing.

For example Broan make great fans that are quiet, move a bunch of air and are not very expensive. You can visit their website BROAN.com for extensive information on fans and application. The also have a great help line for consumers with real, experienced folks who answer questions. 800-673-1453. I called myself and got great information.

For a bathroom like you consider a "ultra quiet" fan that is 110 CFM and costs about $120. One model number is QTRN110 for a Broan brand fan. These are installed with a 4-inch duct and will be very, very quite. A step up would be the QTRE or QTXE with a six-inch duct. You can't even hear these operate an they really move air.

With any fan you need to be concerned with installation and proper ductwork and connectors. The fans with larger ductwork move more air and will be more quiet. Locally I know J and J electric will install the better fans properly - 414-645-2440.

You can also find the better fans at some of the big box stores and places like Hein Electric Supply and Guyers Builders Supply. But don't expect a lot of information from the folks involved in distribution - they just haven't dealt with these better fans on a routine basis. Broan directly can give you better information.

QUESTION:

We could use your expert advise concerning cracks in our basement walls. We noticed that the basement window was tilted, as if it was buckling in. We had McCoy in to inspect. They mentioned that they would have to apply beams inside. Can you provide any other contractors that you would use if this was happening to your basement?

Looking forward to your response and thank you,
Nancy

ANSWER:

Hi Nancy - sorry about your basement but this is a common problem around the Milwaukee area. The key to the proper type of repair is how much the basement walls have moved and the type of cracking and movement.

In many cases, interior steel beams can be added to reinforce the block basement wall to add strength and to resist the pressure of the soil.

The steel beams are connected to the floor framing and the concrete floor and strengthen the wall against horizontal pressure from the soil and moisture.

If you have horizontal and step cracks, typically the wall has been displaced inward. If the movement is over 1/2 inch from the original construction condition, you should have a concern and possible repair.

It does take an experienced person to physically review the condition and make a recommendation.

Two good resources for evaluating a basement are local independent consultants - Chuck Weber - 414-536-1300 and Mike Shadid - 414-379-1265.

Both of these gentlemen will give you an honest assessment of the conditions, and detail a repair requirement if needed. I personally think McCoy will do a good basement repair, you may also want to consider Basement Specialists Inc - 414-425-0600 and B and R Construction - 414-649-0777.

QUESTION:

I have a sump pump question. Our sump pump works fine but it really runs a lot. I tried different float levels, this did not help. Our house is 5 years old and is in a sub division, I called the city because I thought I had a leak of some sort with my incoming water. They did some testing and found no problems. The water that comes out of the

crock is clear. When I set the float really high, half way up the side

entry hole, sump pump hardly runs at all, but I fear water is building up around foundation. I am really worried about this, do you have any ideas or can you suggest a person I could call? Every time I talk to a plumber they say your sump pump is doing what its supposed to do, don't worry. Something is really wrong here, can you please help?

DANNY

ANSWER:

You could be in an area with a high water table or level. If the problem is occurring during a wet spring and not other times of the year, you know the problem is related to rain and melting snow causing damp soil and water in the soil around your basement.

Your plumber is right - if you don't have water in your basement and the pump is running, the system is functioning properly. Under ideal conditions, the level of the water in the sump crock should be below the tile entering the crock or about 8 to 12 inches below the finished floor level. The water is clear because rainwater is clear and it is filtering through the soil, gravel and tile to remain clear. You will only have dirty, messy water in a sump crack if the water is stagnant.

The key is to keep the water level below the floor slab that is about 4 inches thick. If you let the water get near the slab, it may enter the basement through joints and small cracks through capillary action. If the water touches the concrete slab it will just move through the concrete into to basement. Believe it or not concrete is porous.

If you set the pump to turn on when the water is 1/2 way up the tile and the pump hardly runs at all, you have found the normal water level around your home. As long as the level is below the bottom of the concrete floor and you don't have water wicking into your basement, you do not have a problem with this pump setting. You setting at the center of the tile would normally be about 8 to 12 inches below the slab in a typical sump crock and tile installation.

I know it can be quite worrisome when the pump runs a lot. But the system is really doing what it was designed to do. You should check the surface drainage around your home to make sure all surface water is directed away from your home. You should also consider having a replacement available and a battery powered back-up pump that will atomically go into action if the power is out or the first pump fails.

QUESTION:

I enjoy your program on WTMJ Radio every Saturday morning. Could you please give me the name of a few cement contractors? I have to have a garage floor and driveway replaced.

SHIRLEY

ANSWER:

Thanks for the kind words; I enjoy my radio show on WTMJ too. For future listeners, it is on from 8:00 to 9:00 AM every Saturday on AM 620 out of Milwaukee and you can hear it throughout most of the state of Wisconsin, northern Il and across the big lake.

I always think you should hire a contractor based on a personal recommendations from a trusted or experienced friend. I also believe you should hire a contractor who is a member of a professional organization. This could be the local builders group or near Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). You can contact Milwaukee NARI at 414-771-4071 or www.milwaukeenari.com.

Milwaukee NARI will provide a free membership roster and tips on hiring a home improvement contractor. They include great information on contracts and consumer rights. Their members must follow a code of ethics and have experience in their trade. They have several members that do flat concrete work. I had Farrell and Sons work at my home and they were just great. Cal NARI for some additional names.

When there spot where the ceiling meets the wall-they look like bubbles, does this mean there is a water problem with the roof? Once the problem is fixed how do you get rid of the bubble like spots?


ANSWER:

When paint "bubbles" there is often a water problem that is forcing the paint film from the surface. The problem can also be caused by excessive paint layers and that looks like "alligator skin". You can also have peeling over time caused by poor surface preparation or painting over a dirty surface.

The fix to the bubbling paint - scrape away all loose paint. If the plaster or drywall is soft, it must be patched or replaced back to sound material. If the plaster or drywall is soft, you know it is a water problem.

Patch with drywall compound or spackling compound for small areas.

You will need to "feather out" all sharp paint edges or fill edges with a patching compound and them sand. Sand smooth and prime with an oil based primer. Paint with latex.

QUESTION:

Our house is 7 years old. A bird left droppings on our garage door which dried on before we noticed or tried to remove it. I used some windex and tried to remove it but in the process I guess I removed some of the paint seems chalky....I think it's a metal door. Do I have to paint it to get it to blend all in????

ANSWER:

At times us fix-it folks cause problems - I am famous for that but I just don't tell anyone. Window cleaner should not have harmed the paint surface.

I would wash the surface with any mild detergent. Laundry or dish washing detergent will work fine. If it looks good after cleaning - great. If the paint finish has a different shine in the washed area - you will need to wash the whole door.

If you have a clean, dry surface but no paint, you will need to touch it up with paint. You can tell if it is a metal door by tapping on it with your fingernail. For metal you need a metal or oil paint. For a wood or a wood product you can use latex. Take a trip to True Value and check for a matching color. Take a few paint sample cards home for a match.

With matching paint - and True Value can match any color - touch up the area of the problem. If you can't get a good match, you will need to paint the whole door after washing it.