Question - I have cracks running through my basement floor. They are not deep cracks, but they are long ones. What can I do to repair them and keep them from coming back? - R.W., Dolton, Ill.
Answer - I believe it was Ben Franklin who said that two things in life are certain, death and taxes. Had he known about concrete, there would be three things in life: death, taxes and cracked concrete.
When concrete is first poured, it contains large amounts of water. As the water evaporates from the concrete, the concrete shrinks and often cracks.
Try filling the small cracks with a silicone caulking. Apply the caulk directly from a cartridge-type caulking gun and then force it into the cracks while smoothing it out with a stiff putty knife. If the cracks are large, big enough to insert a butter knife into, then you need to have the concrete supply company or an ASHI-certified home inspector check the home for more serious problems.
Question - Our brick home is more than 90 years old. The basement walls have efflorescence. If I etch the walls with acid, rinse and paint with masonry paint, will the efflorescence go to the outside walls? Thank you. - B.G., Whiting, Ind.
Answer - Efflorescense is the result of moisture migrating through the wall.
When the moisture reaches the interior surface, it evaporates, leaving behind the minerals that were in the moisture.
These "salts" are whitish in color and can be brushed off the wall. Unglazed brick, which is like that in foundation walls, is porous material and moisture goes through the brick easily.
If you can clean and paint the wall, the moisture will build up behind the painted surface, causing the paint bond to release, and the paint will peel away.
You can parge the walls with a cement-based plaster that is troweled on like a plaster coat. Parging will last much longer, but it too will eventually give way to the moisture.
Question - My problem is a sweaty toilet tank. I tried changing the outside covering that goes on the lid and a separate cover for the tank. It helps, but the bottom still drips. Hooking up a warm water flow to the tank is nearly impossible, but I've heard that you can line the inside the tank with Styrofoam sheets. Do you know about it? Where can I purchase a draft stopper that attaches to the door bottom to clear a rug with the spring activated flap? - A.O., Chicago
Answer - The two products you are looking for can be found at most hardware stores. Call around to a local hardware store before driving all over the country. Ask for the plumbing department for the foam liner and the door hardware department for the door sweep.