Q–I recently bought and moved into an older house that we like very much, but there is one annoying problem I’m not sure what to do about. The house has a full basement with most of the copper water pipes exposed and mounted up near the joists. My problem is that the plumbing system is quite noisy when the water is turned on anywhere in the house. The noises vary from squeaking and creaking sounds to banging and vibrating sounds that all seem to come from the water pipes. Any idea what I can do about this?
A–The two most frequent causes for such annoying noises are “water hammer,” where water is suddenly shut off by washing machine valves or other controls, causing the water to “bang around” inside the pipes; and loose or improperly secured pipes that vibrate and bang against nearby joists and beams. “Water hammer,” which is made worse when pipes are loosely mounted or poorly secured, is usually cured by installing “anti-hammer” devices, which act like shock absorbers in the water lines. In addition to this, or if “water hammer” is not the problem, you can get rid of much of the banging and vibration by wrapping pieces of foam-type pipe insulation around the water pipes wherever they come up against wood structural members in the basement. After wrapping each pipe with the foam, secure it firmly with pipe straps or clamps.
Q–We have real marble tiles in our front entrance hall and there is a sizable rust stain in one corner where a metal plant stand used to be. How can I remove this ugly stain?
A–Marble is porous, so rust stains can be hard to remove and you may need professional help. However, such stains often can be removed, or at least lightened considerably, by using a poultice containing a liquid rust remover. Mix the liquid remover with powdered whiting (chalk dust that is sold in paint and hardware stores) to form a paste, then spread a thick layer of this over the stain. Cover with a sheet of plastic kitchen wrap and tape down to keep the poultice from drying out. Let it sit overnight, then remove the paste and rub the area with a coarse cloth. If some stain remains, try applying a second poultice, but this time mix the powder with liquid hair bleach (20 percent hydrogen peroxide) instead of a rust remover. Add a few drops of ammonia to start the bleaching action before covering with plastic and again allow this to remain overnight.
Q–The house we recently moved into has a basement that smells damp and humid, although there is no actual water visible. We put down carpet with a foam base, but have discovered that the plastic foam base under the carpet is wet with beads of moisture. Will this moisture cause deterioration of the concrete floor and is there some way the humidity can be controlled?
A–It isn’t likely that the moisture will harm the concrete, but the moisture in the foam backing can create mold and mildew and can cause the carpet to rot. Because the moisture is accumulating under the carpet and foam, the moisture must be coming up through the floor. Curing this calls for first doing everything possible to improve surface drainage around the outside of the house.
If this proves inadequate, you may also need to have drain lines installed around the footing. The easiest way to do this is on the inside, where a trench must be dug in the concrete floor around the perimeter, next to the walls. Then drain tiles (lengths of perforated plastic pipe) are laid in this ditch to carry water that accumulates into a sump at the lowest point. A sump pump must be then be installed in the sump to pump the water to a safe disposal point–at least 10 feet away from the foundation.
Q–Our cesspool is working fine, but our neighbors, who have lived in the area much longer than we have, says that they were advised to regularly add a special “activator” to their septic tank to keep it functioning efficiently. When we spoke to our plumber about this, he said he disapproves of the use of any such chemicals for our system. What do you recommend?
A–I agree with your plumber. There is no scientific proof that an additive of any kind helps a home sewage disposal system.
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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.
