Question: I am putting up a cathedral ceiling, and installed paper-backed insulation between the rafters, with the paper backing stapled to the face of the rafters. I put up Proper Vents between the rafters to provide an air space between the roof sheathing and insulation, and there are soffit vents and a ridge vent. The strapping is also installed. Can I add polyethylene plastic before putting up the dry wall? Also, how far apart should the screws be when putting up 4 x 8 sheets of plasterboard? Steve Gallup, Marshfield, Mass.
Answer: You have done everything right, so far. There is no need for the poly, so don't put it up, especially when you would have to staple it to the strapping (1 x 3 boards nailed at right angles to the rafters). If you did that, you would create an air space between two vapor barriers, which is taboo.As I said, you have done everything right, including the soffit and ridge vents that get air moving in that space between roof sheathing and insulation. After all, moving air is what ventilation is all about.
The fastening schedule for using screws on 4 x 8 sheets of plasterboard is 8 inches at the edges and 12 inches in the intermediate areas of the sheet. If you feel this is not enough, go to 4 inches at edges and 8 inches in intermediate areas. If you use nails, they should be closer together by an inch or so.
Question: I took off tiles in a bathroom when I redid the room, and plan to put them back up. I soaked them in gasoline to soften the adhesive so I could scrape it off. Now, when I'm ready to put them back up, they are dry but still smell of gasoline. How can I get rid of that odor? BIll Magnusson, Malden, Mass.
Answer: Soak them for an hour or so in a strong solution of Spic and Span and Water. Rinse and let dry. Or, make the solution of baking soda and water. Either should work.
Question: I have to replace the vent pipes to my power-vented water heater and boiler, but they cost $450 each. I don't want to do that too often. Could I install an insulated chimney instead for both units? Roger Fruggerio, Salem, Mass.
Answer: I have never heard of the power vents wearing out or deteriorating, but I suppose they could, just as an auto exhaust system corrodes and needs replacement. You should be able to install an insulated chimney, but I would suggest one for each appliance. And check first with the person who installed the power-vented appliances. An insulated chimney is very expensive, but at least it should last longer than the power vents. You can put it up inside or outside the house. For gas, a special stainless-steel or aluminum chimney is recommended.
Question: I see icicles hanging from the eaves of my house, right where the fascia board (where the wood gutter sits) and the soffit (the under part of the roof overhang) meet. Should I take off the gutter to prevent this? Tony Membrino, Somerville, Mass.
Answer: Removing the gutters might help, because those icicles may be forming from water backing up behind the gutter and running down the fascia. On the other hand, with the gutters off, water still might run down the fascia and form icicles. A possibly better solution is to make sure the gutters are clean (they should be cleaned of debris twice a year), and to make sure the water is dripping into the middle of the gutter, not too close to the back or to the front. Too close to the back, and water will indeed back up behind them.
Whatever you do, be thankful that the water is forming icicles; if it weren't, it might go into the soffit and possibly onto the attic floor, where it could soak insulation and leak through the ceiling. The icicles, if they are not too big, are not a hazard. Big icicles, of course, those 4-foot behemoths, are a hazard, acting like spears should they fall on unsuspecting passersby and animals.
Question: All my hardwood floors are covered with Oriental area rugs. Is there any down side to refinishing just the borders instead of the whole floor, most of which will be covered by the rugs? C.L., Arlington, Mass.
Answer: The only down side is when you sell the house; the buyers will not be amused, especially since you are going to run off with those beautiful rugs. There's a possibility that the unfinished center part of the wood would gain excessive moisture and expand excessively, and when they dry out and contract, the board could open up more than normally, creating large gaps. I don't think this will happen. When the handyman was a tad, eons ago, he sanded and finished his mother's birch floors, but only the borders, and he does not recall any downside.
I would bet that a professional refinisher would not deign to do just the borders.