wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

I have a combination of modern plastic covered, metal sheathed (BX) and much older knob-and-tube wiring in my 104 year old home. We have a modern 200 amp service and panel, and have rewired parts of the house for modern needs, like laser printers, microwaves, etc. I was told to not disturb the old wiring if it is not causing any trouble. Do you agree? We plug things in and have to bypass the ground plugs wherever the old wiring leads to 2-prong outlets. I feel that we are risking accidents without proper grounding.

What about problems that are out of my control? Who do I contact if there is a problem that my building staff will not address? There is an artificial turf 'garden' outside of my window and there is mould growing and standing water that's a haven for mosquitos.

BTW -- the answer for your quiz is proscenium arch, but the pronunciation of your on-the-air respondent was INCORRECT: in fact the correct pronunciation should use the sounds PRO-SAY-NAY-OOM, to be true to the latin root. Not just a theater person, but with a writing and choral music background. Thanks for all the good fun with your segment!!

Question: I live in a 7-story, 42 year old, steel beam & wood joist, brick building; there are no concrete slabs between the floors, only wood & plaster. Consequently, we have an issue with noise between floors: residents hear neighors above them (especially footsteps) even after carpeting installation. We have investigated piping in foam insulation, however, the vendor/installors could not guarantee that we still wouldn't hear footsteps and other sundry noise. Is there anything we can do to the floor/ceiling structure to abate the noise issue? Thanks! Pat F

Question:We have a 5unit building with a myriad of problems. The house needs pointing/fixing of leaky bathrooms etc. Our family is the sole occupant.My husband inherited this mess in 2005. The question is the following. We noticed flying creatures 10years ago, but my father in law who also was famous for saying: Don't worry about the roof it only leaks when it rains' said Don't worry it's a brick building" We started termite treatment 2 years ago.Did not remove all the infested wood yet and now tiles in the hallway are loosining up. Where do we start? Take out the floor or start from the basement ceiling.Before I ask anybody to come and look. I would like to have some tips.Thank you.Annemiek