April 20, 2009

           Dear Readers:   We may have a breakthrough in the woodpecker soap opera.   One of my listeners--noticing that these birds hang out near power transformers-theorized that a humming or buzzing sound emulates tasty insects under any surface-and the rat-a-tat-tat is their attempt to get a meal.   He says his guy stopped pecking on the house and went away after he turned off a fan that was next to a wall in the master bedroom.   Another listener confirmed the theory by turning off a buzzing ceiling fan.   If you have woodpecker issues and use an air-moving appliance, or run your furnace 24/7 to humidify the air, test the theory yourself by turning them off.

            Otherwise, my standard recommendation to accommodate these birds is to build a nesting box high up in the eaves.   It seems to calm them down-apparently because it's easier to find a mate when you've got your own real estate.

            Tim has a dirty dryer:  What's the best way to cleanout the vent pipe?  We can't get to it behind a wall.

            A listener attached the output of a leaf blower to his pipe on the inside.   He took the outside vent cap off and turned-on the switch.  He said he was amazed how much lint scattered around his yard.  Try it.  You could also get the same effect by using the blower end of a shop vac.

            Janet's worried about her TV:  I have a gas fireplace, and it gets extremely hot.  I'm afraid it's going to cook my TV/DVD above it.  What can I do?

            Most builders will fashion some drywall "step-outs" above the firebox to deflect hot air away from the front of the fireplace and out into the room.  I hope that's the case with you.  Otherwise, there are a couple of rearrangements here that will help.  First, make sure the devices are pushed as far back into the hole as possible.  Then, elevate the TV and DVD to allow air to circulate under each piece.

            You should also purchase a fan from a fireplace store to install deep under the firebox.  It will cool everything down-and you'll also get an added cost benefit.  The fan makes the gas log fireplace more efficient by keeping the warm air in the house, instead of letting it run out the chimney.

            M.J. has painted the cabinets:  I added and primed them, then put a high gloss paint on.  There are brush stroke marks all over the place.  What did I do wrong?

            Did you lay them down on a saw horse?  That helps because then gravity isn't fighting you by tugging on the paint.  Also, it helps to dip the brush only half way into the paint bucket and then stroke in one direction only.   Let the doors sit flat for 24 hours to allow the paint to relax and merge into itself.  Temperature is also very important.  Paint in an environment that is at least 60 degrees.

            With hindsight, it would probably have been better to spray them for a more uniform finish.

            Speaking of paining, R.D. wants to refinish the kitchen table:  What kind of finish would be best, semi or  high gloss or polyurethane?

            I like the idea of good-old oil based paint.  Actually, we don't use the linseed oil formulation like we did years ago;  it's now a polymer resin mix that is quite rugged.  It takes 12 or more hours to cure, but once it hardens it's pretty durable.  Again, apply it in a warm environment, ad you'll be happy with the results.   Check in with a name brand point store for more help from their specialists.

            PS:  Polyurethane varnish is not a good choice because it tends to yellow over time.