It's far easier to build a house than to remodel one. Renovation 3 (the 3rd edition) has earned its place on the shelf because it handles its difficult subject so well. It begins with how to inspect a house and identify the cause of problems such as water stains, rotting wood and mineral deposits on pipes. Next come chapters on project planning, tools, materials, roofing, doors, windows, skylights, exteriors, structural and finish carpentry, masonry, foundations, plumbing and electrical, kitchens and baths, painting, wallpapering and flooring. It devotes individual chapters to drywall/plaster, tile and energy conservation. At $40, this 544-page book is expensive, but then its wisdom reflects nearly 30 years of work. In those terms, it's dirt-cheap. Order from taunton.com.--Roy Berendsohn
Q: My bedroom door doesn't close properly. When I shut the door, it rubs on the upper part of the doorjamb, on the latch side. I don't want to go out and buy a hand plane to shave the edge of the door to make the repair. Is there another way to correct this problem?
A: There are three adjustments that you can make, any of which may improve the door's performance. None of them requires you to plane the door edge. First, check the hinges to make sure that they are not loose and tighten any loose hinge screws.
Next, check that the bottom hinge is not mortised too deeply. The mortise is the recess that the hinge is set into. If it is conspicuously deeper than the hinge mortise above it, you can correct this by inserting a cardboard shim between the lower hinge leaf and the doorjamb. This will reposition the door so that it fits in its jamb properly.
Here's a little-known tip: If the door binds just slightly, you may be able to use a 3-1/2-in.-long woodscrew to pull the upper part of the jamb toward the doorframe. To do this, remove the hinge leaf that is attached to the doorjamb. Next, bore three holes into the bottom of the hinge mortise. Start by boring a shallow saucer-shaped hole for the screwhead, then bore a hole for the screw shank, and finally, make a third and smaller pilot hole for the screw's threaded portion.
To match the bits to the screw, hold the screw over a drill bit. The first hole should be equal to the head diameter, the next should be slightly larger than the shank, and the pilot hole should be equal to the screw's diameter minus the threads.
The three diameters ensure that the screw's threads grab the door framing, but not the jamb, allowing the jamb to be pulled more tightly to the framing. You can bore these holes with three separate bits or use a taper point drill bit (a source for these is jamestowndistributors.com) and then bore the countersunk hole for the screwhead. After you've driven the screw, reattach the hinge leaf to conceal the repair.
Some carpenters shoot for a speedy repair and simply drill a small pilot hole, and then drive a long drywall screw through the bottom of the hinge mortise. However, using a drywall screw in these applications requires a deft touch and experience. Also, a drywall screw may work loose over time, but it's unlikely that a properly installed woodworking screw will loosen.
It's a well-known fact in repair work that getting things back together can be tricky. That's especially the case when it comes to fixing an appliance because you've got lots of thermostats, switches, fuses, pumps, timers and controls to unplug and test. An indispensable tool is a Sharpie Ultra Fine Point marker. With a steady hand, you can use the marker to label wires and other parts so that they go back together just as they came off. Use Sharpie pens in various widths and colors to mark part positions or make an assembly note right on a machine. Unlike other labeling methods, like applying tape or strips of paper, there's nothing left behind to pose a fire hazard once the appliance is reassembled.--R.B.
Snow-Covered Ridge Vent
Q: Should I remove snow from the ridge vent on my house every time it snows? Recently, I noticed that when the ridge vent was covered in snow, there was frost in the attic on the underside of the roof.
EAU CLAIRE, WI
A: If you can remove the snow safely and without undue strain, then it's a good idea to do it. Remove it, that is, if you can do the job with a roof rake while standing on the ground or, at most, on a small extension ladder. It should be raised so that your feet are no higher than 10 ft. from the ground. However, the danger of clearing the ridge vent exceeds any benefits if it requires you to climb up on the roof (even if it's a shallow pitch) or if the snow is so wet and heavy that the strain of removing it is severe.
Install gable vents if the roof is covered in snow for much of the winter. This will ensure that the attic is adequately ventilated.
Q: Our 10-year-old home has five curb-mounted skylights that were installed when the house was built. Would it improve the energy efficiency of each skylight if I covered its opening in the ceiling with a sheet of clear rigid plastic?
A: Do not cover the skylight opening with a rigid plastic sheet because moisture will get trapped behind it and cause mildew and other problems.
The skylights may be more energy efficient than you think. During the energy crisis in the mid-1970s, most states passed energy-conservation construction codes, which mandated insulated windows. The first generation of these products had an airspace sealed between their panes of glass; later products are more energy efficient because they use argon, an inert gas that is an effective insulator. It's likely that your skylights have insulated panes, although they may not be as energy efficient as current models. If you have a tall folding stepladder, check whether the skylights have two sheets of glass with a spacer between them. If the skylights are not insulated, it's probably worth the money to replace them.
One way to reduce energy loss through the skylights is to install honeycomb translucent insulating shades. In severe cold weather you can keep the shades closed or just close them at night to keep heat in the room. To see one of these shades, visit the Web site cellularwindowshades.com. For additional information on skylights, see "Heavens Above," Nov. 2005, page 93.
A Few of Our Favorite New Gadgets
HOME HEARTBEAT $150
Eaton's Home Heartbeat alerts you to a door or window that has been left open, a water leak, an appliance's power consumption or a furnace filter that needs changing. Its base station plugs into a phone line and power outlet, and it receives information from wireless sensors placed around your home. The base station signals the home key, a display device about the size of a large key fob. You can dock the key at the base station or take it with you. On the road, the base station can signal your cellphone. The starter pack system includes the base station, a sensor and the key. homeheartbeat.com
A: The product is called DrySpace and it's made by TimberTech (timbertech.com). It's available nationally through lumberyards. The system consists of V-shaped panels, support brackets and joist covers, and it's designed to work with decks that have joists spaced 12, 16 and 24 in. on-center. Basic hand tools, a small drill and metal snips are necessary to install the system. Each V-shaped panel is hung so that it collects the rainwater that seeps between the deck boards. The panels are installed with a slight downward pitch so that this water drains to the front of the deck and into a gutter and downspout. For information on how to install such a system, see "Below-Deck Drainage," July 2002, page 111. A TimberTech distributor estimates that, based on a 16 x 16-ft. deck, the system costs about $3.75 to $4.30 per square foot, or about $960 to $1100 for a 256-sq.-ft. deck.
A moderately skilled homeowner should be able to install the system on an average deck in a weekend.
Fixing Energy Leaks
Even a well-insulated house may have plenty of costly energy leaks. Here are a few you should search out and seal.
Attic Entries Many houses have a small, uninsulated plywood or drywall hatch in the ceiling of an upstairs closet. Often, that entry goes unused because a more convenient pull-down attic entry ladder has been installed.
Peel back insulation over the hatch and seal its perimeter with spray foam insulation. As to the pull-down ladder, seal the edge of its door using weatherstripping. Next, build a cover that fits over the pull-down stairs using polystyrene insulation and construction adhesive, such as Liquid Nails LN-950 Ultra Duty Poly or LN-903 Heavy Duty Construction and Remodeling adhesive. The cover must be large enough so that it fits over the folded ladder.
Caution: Watch your step in the attic. One wrong step and you'll break through the drywall ceiling--and that may not be all you break.
Pipe, Duct, Cable and Vents Most attics have pipe, duct, cable and vents entering and exiting through holes drilled in wall framing and the drywall ceiling. Seal each entry using spray foam insulation.
Caution: Do not use spray foam around older recessed light fixtures that are not rated for insulation contact. It creates a fire hazard. In the long term, plan on replacing noninsulation-contact recessed lights with insulation-contact lights to prevent energy loss. Also, add a second layer of unfaced insulation to the attic if only one layer is in place.
Knee Wall Door Houses that have a finished attic often have a short wall, called a knee wall, that spans the floor and rafters. A small, uninsulated plywood door gives access to the area behind the knee wall. This may be in the room or in the back of a closet. Insulate the door's back by gluing rigid polystyrene insulation to it using a compatible construction adhesive such as the Liquid Nails products mentioned above.
Sagging Insulation Work and storage areas in attics and garages are often insulated but unfinished. Support sagging insulation in these areas with duct tape spanning the wall, ceiling or roof framing. Drive two staples through the tape at each framing location.
Caution: This is not a permanent fix. Drywall installed on walls and ceilings provides permanent insulation support, seals drafts, and increases fire-resistance of walls and ceilings.--R.B.