wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Trying to keep my crawlspace water pipes from freezing in a cabin where power outages are common. I believe I can do this with a 12 volt heating tape, a bank of rechargeable batteries, and trickle charger. But I can't find a vendor for the 12 volt heating tape. Any leads?

Another option is a 12v heater. That I have found. Which is recommended?

I need to know for each option how many batteries I need to keep the heat going for 24 hrs, and I believe the heater draws more energy.

Any other idea on how to do this. A self starting generator is not desirable and too expensive.

Nice blog of Roof Insulation.
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I have a question:
How to stop color aging on brazilian cherry floor? Thanks.

Early
www.flooring-supplies.com

Try using a snake, mine was $15 at Home depot. Worked beautifully.

My ears pricked up when I heard today's first listener question about stopped up drains since I've recently had a few of these. I was disappointed with the Ubells dismissive answer that did not address the question at all. There are quite a few solutions to stopped up drains short of re-plumbing the pipes, as the Ubells said. You can try using various liquids sold at hardware stores for just this purpose. Or, if that doesn't work, as was the case for me, you can call the plumber and have him find that your grandson dropped the nearest ant cup into the toilet. I also tried using a snake, $15 at Hope Depot and that worked beautifully in a shower drain. I thought the Ubell brothers were more self-promoting today than is seemly for public radio.

I was concerned when I heard Al and Larry recommend vermiculite as the best insulation. As an energy auditor and contractor trainer, I advise contractors to look out for vermiculite as a hazard which would prevent performing certain diagnostic tests or work. The EPA says that not all vermiculite contains asbestos. But I would not take any chances. There are shades of being "green," but in many ways, vermiculite does not fit into any green category. In addition, the insulative value per inch is less than other products. To add to an earlier comment, I think the residents of Libby, Montana would agree with me.

Ask the guys if they know about putting a layer of tennis balls in the bottom of the Tremie to form a layer between the water and the concrete above. It was used near Rotterdam in a tunnel construction.

I live in a 3 family building built in 1880. If anyone in the building is taking a shower, and anyone e4sle in the building flushes a toilet, the cold water in the shower cuts off completely as the toilet fills. This happens on all floors. My plumber says this happens because the water main for the building is too small and I have to have a larger one installed. Your opinion?

These guys are fantastic!! Please have them back soon Leonard!!

How do I decommission an underground oil tank in Queens? The house was built in 1940, but I think the tank was put in 1969

The device is called tremie pipe

It's a caisson (sp) pile.

My kitchen sink randomly (once a day, once a week) runs only scalding hot water. I have no idea what trigers this, or what corrects it and allows the cold water to return. The super in our apt. house has replaced the original faucet, but the problem hasn't gone away. Any ideas?

I live in Queens: I want to decommission my underground oil tank and want to know how can I find out about the steps for doing so.

a tremie tube?

i remodeled a bathroom we don't use much, a year ago. White tiles white grout. Now the grout has turned yellow. Really really yellow. I did apply a sealant shortly after the grout dried. Is there a way to bleach or do i have to take out the grout and regrout with higher quality grout.

a Trevy.

I think the answer to your question is tremie pipe
Thank you

Is it a hose?

caisson

It's a caisson

Shimmy is what you use to place concrete under water.

I installed an American Standard bathroom faucet with ceramic valves for my 90 year old parents about 5 years ago. It was not supposed to leak, but the cold side is now leaking. I took the valves out, but couldn’t find replacements at Home Depot. Can this be fixed, or do I have to buy a new faucet?

Suggestions for removing calcium from well water without salt

I think the answer is slurry. At least that is what was used extensively in Boston during the big dig.

I thought vermiculite was poisonous, what about what happened in Libby, Montana: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2007/libbymontana/special_01.html

My basement leaked 2 years ago and I built a french drain around my house. The leakage cleared. There has been no leakage for 2 years now. I now want to have stamped concrete in my backyard just outside the part of my house where the leakage occurred. Could that cause another leakage?

if you have two zone heating, does it make sense to close the doors between the zones.

If you leave the house for two days, does it make sense to reduce the heat by 10 degrees

is its a slurry wall? the device for pouring concrete in water

its called a "tremie tube"

These guys are great...like Car Talk for home repair!

PLEASE HELP! About a year ago we moved into a 60 year colonial. There is a TREMENDOUS amount of DUST and we don't know what to do about it! We've had the ducts cleaned, or windows are energy efficient and sealed shut, I clean constantly but there is still a sheet of DUST at the end of every day! Could it be the house settling? Paint on the walls? PLEASE HELP! Have a newborn and I'm desperate!! Thx, Beatrice

As interior designers we are constantly talking to clients about maximizing resale value, only spending 'real' money on items that can be taken to the next home like lamps, mirrors, art work, etc. If they are looking to move in under five years say. Not to over capitalize on apartments. ie. not to put in a subzero fridge, if really a top of line GE will do, etc. Please do not tarnish us all with the same brush, some of us out there are very ethical and professional. That's why we are still in business 15+ years.

The "device" that places concrete under water is called a "tremie tube"

It seems to me my heating bills in the colder winter months are, generally speaking, about the same as my AC bills in the warmer summer months. Yet, when we're heating the temperature differential between in and out is frequently 60+ degrees, while when we're cooling the differential is rarely more than 30 degrees. Is heating a much more efficient process with current technology, or should I be thinking about different AC options?

Hi Leonard, my wife and I bought a new (2 year old) condo in Brooklyn about a year ago. Although we love the unit, we are quite upset because there seem to be cracks showing up everywhere, along the baseboards, the molding, even along the sheetrock seems in the walls. Also, we have "Brazilian Cherry" floor that is also starting to show cracks and it seems like some of the adhesive is coming up from some of the cracks. Is this something that is "normal" as in the new building settling, or is this something that we really should be worried about. Thank you.

The "device" that places concrete under water?
It's called the Mafia!

I have a question for Al and Larry. My old plaster ceiling was torn out, and replaced with drywall. I had the contractor put up Homasote before putting in the drywall, but now the sound coming through from the upstairs apartment is just horrible--I can hear my neighbor even when he's having a normal conversation. What can I do to reduce the amount of sound coming through the ceiling, and why didn't the homasote work?

Thanks,
Jonathan
Brooklyn Heights

My wife and I are looking from a home in Long Island. We saw a vacant lot and the idea of building a new home occured to us. Can you give us a guideline about what that might cost per square foor?

Eco-Friendly Rennovation

Eco-friendly Insulation (e.g. non-fiberglass) and Rennovation

What types are there and which are most effective?

What does it cost?

Can you do it yourself and if so how to do it?

Can you recommend an Eco-Friendly Design firm in the NYC area or at least tell me where to find names of such firms.

Thanks!

We have very old plaster walls with not a stud to be found. Would it be impossible for us to safely secure wall-mounted shelving?

My partner and I were concerned about a mold problem in our apartment so we did a "home mold test." Mold grew... but then we wondered how much mold is natural or acceptable if any?

Please suggest a formula for a mortar mix or mortar product to reface a brooklyn brownstone staircase that will effectively “stay put” as opposed to flake-off that happens in most of the jobs I have seen. Is it true that you can use tile grout vs cement with a bonding agent to make an effective mortar?

Thanks so much for this regular font of information! I would like to ask:
Our (nearly) flat roof needs replacement this spring, and we would like to be able to have a garden up there. We would like to know:
1) How can we find someone knowledgeable about green roofs, who can advise us on the best materials and contractor?
2) Is it possible to find a roofer who will let us do some of the work, such as removing the old roof (which is essential this time), ourselves, with supervision? (Both of us are very handy.)
Thank you!

I would like to know:

1) How do I safely remove a bathroom mirror from the wall?
It is just a plain mirror but I can't tell what adhesive is holding it there.

and

2) Need to purchase a kit to stop the toilet from running, my question is am I going to be able to accomplish this on my own with no skill or knowledge of how to do it? Does it come with good instructions? What tools will I need?

Thanks for your help.

contractors who renovated my apartment attached a stainless steel sink to a corian countertop by gluing it to the countertop. I just discovered this when the sink came glued. I am assuming they thought they couldn't drill holes into the corian. Is there a special technique to do that? or do you treat it like a hard wood or any other
hard material?

As happens about once a year, my bathtub and bathroom sink are stuffed. Before I pour down the Liquid Plummer jel, I'd like the Ubells' opinion of that. In the past I've used "drain doctors" who charged plenty and created additional problems such as causing the big sink in my garage to back up.