Insulate pipes to save money, stop condensation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/10/2006 (7167 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

QUESTION — The water pipes in my basement often sweat with condensation. How can I prevent that? If I use insulation of any kind, how can I keep water from collecting under the insulation, which might cause corrosion and deterioration, especially at joints where I often see the copper turning green.

ANSWER — You are right that it is condensation, which can be a pain when you get water trickling down your collar. There are two ways to stop it: 1. Ventilate the basement to reduce the amount of water vapour in the air, which is causing the condensation in the first place; 2. Insulate the pipes with foam tubes. To keep water from getting under the insulation, be sure to put the foam tubes on every exposed pipe, especially on corners. And tape all horizontal and vertical joints with duct tape. The insulation will also help to keep water warm and save fuel.

QUESTION — My walls and ceiling were painted just six weeks ago, and now cracks are appearing on ceilings and on one wall. I don’t think it is caused by settling in a 1926 house. What is wrong and how can it be fixed? I called the painter but he never showed up.

ANSWER — Chances are that the cracks are in the paint itself, not in the plaster or plasterboard. I think the cracks appeared because the paint was put on too thickly, and when it dried out, it contracted, pulling itself apart. I think the cure is to apply one more coat, a thin coat.

QUESTION — My wallpaper is painted over. I want to take it off and re-paper the walls, but how do I get the steam or release liquid to penetrate the paint and get to the paste?

ANSWER — You can score the paint with the teeth of a handsaw by drawing the saw down over the paint. Do it all over the wall. Or buy a paper tiger at a wallpaper shop; it is a tool that makes a whole bunch of score marks as you rub it on the paint. Now you can use whatever you like to get the paper off.

But wait, you might not have to do all that. If the paper and paint are in relatively good shape, you can size them with glue size and put on new paper right over the paint. You had mentioned one wall was sort of lumpy. If so, you can sand it smooth before sizing and papering.

QUESTION — We apparently had a mouse die in the kitchen wall or under the floor. The smell has been bad the past few days. Other than finding the source, is there a way to mitigate the smell? How long will a dead mouse smell?

ANSWER — A mouse will smell for two to three days, five at the most. Anything longer, it’s a bigger critter. The only way to get rid of the smell is to get rid of the corpse. To find him, use the trial-and-error method, and your nose. Cut a hole in the wall and check it out, with nose and flashlight. Go to the next bay between studs. If you suspect it’s under the floor, check out the ceiling below. Hey, hardly anything is easy, or inexpensive.

Those new sprays that are supposed to de-scent the air itself are very suspect to me. How many chemicals are they spewing into the air that might be worse than a mouse odour?

QUESTION — How do you remove the trim around the doors for vinyl siding so I can caulk underneath it? I had new vinyl siding put on and a new door as well, now I get leaks. My contractors do not return my calls. I hosed around the whole door area and it appears to be coming in from the top, over the door.

ANSWER — Caulking is unlikely to fix the leak. Normally a J-channel (a vinyl trim with a profile of the letter J) is applied at the top and sides of the door casing; it forms a sort of trough that the siding slips into, and it makes a pretty good seal against water. You might try finding a J-channel at a big-box store that you can install yourself, separating the casing from the siding. Or, you can put a piece of regular door flashing between the siding and the casing; it is prefolded into an L-shape with the short end folded over the casing. Check the sides of that door, too, to make sure there is a J-channel on each side. If you ever get in touch with the contractor, go after him like ugly on an ape. He deserves it.

–Boston Globe