Lifestyle

It’s interesting that the top is warranted but not the bowl. At any rate, the porcelain cracked, I think, because the chrome drain cover was installed too tightly. 

Q. We are having our house painted, and a bit of clapboard and shingle replacement done as well. We have noticed that the contractor has started caulking between the vertical joints of the shingles, both new and old. This just doesn’t seem right to me. I assume the new shingles will shrink, and then the caulk will probably separate, pulling paint with it, and looking horrible. And I’ve never seen it done before, so it just seems like an unnecessary amount of labor that could be eliminated (and save us money). What is your opinion of this?CHRIS, Jamaica PlainA. No, no, a thousand times no. Properly installed, shingles and clapboards do not need caulking. The way they are overlapped they will shed water as long as they are intact and not eroding away. 

Peter Hotton answers readers’ questions. 

Try scraping and sanding; any change in the Bluestone will disappear in a few days. Citristrip will also remove enough so it can be scraped and hosed off.  

Soundproofing a house is impossible if you open windows in the summer. Air conditioning is the answer to that.  

Peter Hotton answers readers’ questions.  

Q. We are having our house painted, and this seems an ideal time to deal with a big problem we had in recent years. Birds perch/live behind our shutters on all sides of the house, and their poop has created streaks on the house that look terrible. Before the shutters are put back up, is there anything we can do to stop them from moving back in? Our painter suggested carpet strips. Any help would be appreciated. K. JOHNSON, LexingtonA. Since the shutters came off easily for painting, I think they are hinged, in the old-fashioned way, and can be opened and closed. 

Q. We are having our house painted, and this seems an ideal time to deal with a big problem we had in recent years. Birds perch/live behind our shutters on all sides of the house, and their poop has created streaks on the house that look terrible. Before the shutters are put back up, is there anything we can do to stop them from moving back in? Our painter suggested carpet strips. Any help would be appreciated. K. JOHNSON, LexingtonA. Since the shutters came off easily for painting, I think they are hinged, in the old-fashioned way, and can be opened and closed.

Peter Hotton answers readers’ questions.  

Q. One of the metal posts on my front step railing has rusted out so badly that it is sort of dangling from the rail. Can that be fixed, or replaced? 

Q. Just bought property in Revere. Part of the deal included a wooden fence that has seen better days. My guess is that very little attention has been paid to the fence as it is dry and brittle and definitely could use some “moisture,” but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on it before I know it can be salvaged. A. The fence is made of cedar and maybe fir, both woods that bear up well outdoors, and being dry and brittle is normal. If it is not punky or soft from decay, you can rescue it. If the posts are made of pressure-treated wood, they will last. If they are made of cedar, they may be near their full life. 

Peter Hotton answers readers’ questions.  

Peter Hotton answers readers’ questions.  

Globe handyman Peter Hotton is here for your dilemmas.Q. How can I get blood out of a rug? Ice water did little good. SCRUBBER A. One answer is to use your own DNA (saliva). Easier is to soak with hydrogen peroxide. Q. I put a hot pot on my laminated plastic table top, and now there is a black burnt spot where the pot stood. Can I clean or sand it off? A. If it is Formica Brand Laminated Plastic or similar material, a store worth its salt can take off the top and put a new one in. Or, cut a wood top and stain and varnish it for a new look. Or put a piece of granite on it.

Globe handyman Peter Hotton is here for your dilemmas. 

The Globe’s handyman on call, Peter Hotton, answers questions from readers. 

Q. I have a number of cast-iron radiators on the first floor of my house (circa 1929). For those that are in the bathrooms, where there really isn’t room for a radiator cover, the paint is in tough shape. Short of removing them, and sending them out for refinishing (would this involve sandblasting?), what is the best way for a homeowner to prep and refinish? Obviously, there are many hard to reach areas on a radiator that would make prep and re-painting difficult, so any tips are welcome. Also, any thoughts on how to clean (or make more presentable) the steam pipes that come up from the floor into the radiators? ED HUDSON, Natick

Q. I have a number of cast-iron radiators on the first floor of my house (circa 1929). For those that are in the bathrooms, where there really isn’t room for a radiator cover, the paint is in tough shape. Short of removing them, and sending them out for refinishing (would this involve sandblasting?), what is the best way for a homeowner to prep and refinish? Obviously, there are many hard to reach areas on a radiator that would make prep and re-painting difficult, so any tips are welcome. Also, any thoughts on how to clean (or make more presentable) the steam pipes that come up from the floor into the radiators? ED HUDSON, Natick 

Q. I can’t seem to get hot water in my bathroom. I get just enough for a shower, but filling the tub is out of the question. I had to fill the tub with pots of water from my kitchen faucet because the spigot on the tub was only giving me lukewarm water. Why is the kitchen water hot but not the bathroom? A. If you have an anti-scald valve, a round plate with a handle at the bottom of the round fixture that you can switch from tub to shower and vice versa, and the water flow is very low, I think that you have not pushed the handle all the way to “tub.” If that doesn’t work, call your favorite plumber. You may need a new valve.

Q. I can’t seem to get hot water in my bathroom. I get just enough for a shower, but filling the tub is out of the question. I had to fill the tub with pots of water from my kitchen faucet because the spigot on the tub was only giving me lukewarm water. Why is the kitchen water hot but not the bathroom? A. If you have an anti-scald valve, a round plate with a handle at the bottom of the round fixture that you can switch from tub to shower and vice versa, and the water flow is very low, I think that you have not pushed the handle all the way to “tub.” If that doesn’t work, call your favorite plumber. You may need a new valve. 

The Globe’s handyman on call, Peter Hotton, answers questions from readers. 

Handyman on Call 

Q. My duplex has a common basement divided by a wall. My neighbor has installed a sump and a pump, but some water finds its way across his floor and under the wall into my space. I don’t mind that, but he does, and wants me to install a sump and a pump on my side to stop that overflow. Would that work?

Q. My duplex has a common basement divided by a wall. My neighbor has installed a sump and a pump, but some water finds its way across his floor and under the wall into my space. I don’t mind that, but he does, and wants me to install a sump and a pump on my side to stop that overflow. Would that work? 

Handyman on Call