Q-After an unexpected cold spell, the water pipe leading to a spigot in my attached garage froze. This has happened before and after a day or two the pipe thaws out with no damage done. If I don`t want to wait for the pipe to thaw naturally, because I need water in the garage now, how can I thaw the pipe safely in a hurry, and how can I prevent this from happening again?
A-As long as you can get at the pipe that supplies water to this faucet, you can thaw it safely by applying mild heat such as a heat lamp, a portable hair dryer, or a heat gun set on low heat.
Make sure the faucet is open, then start applying the heat right next to the faucet and work away from it. Don`t hold the heat in one place too long and keep working back to the faucet so that as the ice melts the water will run out without freezing again.
The easiest way to keep this from happening in the future is to wrap the pipe with electric heating tape if you can get at it. Otherwise you will have to install a shutoff valve on that water line somewhere inside the heated part of the house so you can close down the water supply to that faucet when a freeze is expected.
Faded siding
Q-My house is 20 years old and has beige-colored aluminum siding. The color looks dull and faded. I`ve considered power washing, painting or completely replacing it with new plastic siding. Which method do you think would last longest and be the most cost effective?
A-Power washing would be the least expensive and might be the answer if the problem is simply dirt accumulated on the surface, or if there is excessive chalkiness that needs to be washed off.
You can see whether this will do the job by scrubbing a small area by hand, then determine whether this is all that is needed.
Painting will give you a complete new look, but you will have to wash the siding first, and you must expect to repaint at intervals-usually every 6 to 10 years-with a good quality latex house paint.
Installing new vinyl siding is by far the most expensive alternative, but it is permanent; it will never need painting. However, it can still get dirty and may need periodic washing, and if you select a color other than white, it may still fade to some extent over the years.
Loose flagstones
Q-I have a flagstone patio on top of poured-concrete. Some of the flagstones have come loose and I`ve been told the concrete must be chiseled away to a depth of about 1 inch in order to re-cement the flagstones.
But I`ve also been told that there are new glue-type products that can be used to reattach the stones. Are there such products that I can use for this purpose?
A-Yes, so long as the concrete under the flagstones is still sound. Mastic adhesives that are suitable for this purpose have been around for some time, but probably the strongest adhesive you could use is a two-part epoxy cement. There are dozens of brands on the market; you can buy them at most home centers, as well as at hardware stores, marine supply stores and masonry supply dealers.
Water seepage
Q-A painting contractor has told me there is a kind of paint on the market that I can apply to the brick walls in my basement to prevent the seepage of ground water through those walls. I don`t have puddles of water, but the basement is very damp. Is there such a paint, and will it do the job? A-There are a number of waterproofing paints on the market that are designed for use on masonry walls and inside basements.
These will stop minor seepage through poured concrete and cement block foundation walls, but I have my doubts as to how effective they would be on a brick basement wall.
Even under the best of circumstances, when these coatings are applied to a poured concrete or cement block wall they will only work reasonably well if the seepage is minor and if there is very little pressure forcing the water through.
You can try it, but chances are more drastic measures will be needed to dry up your basement.
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Have a question about home repair problems? Write to Bernard Gladstone in care of Your Place, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. Sorry, letters cannot be answered personally.
