January 18, 2010
Dear Ken: We have a garage problem. My husband came running into the house to report that we had water dripping form the ceiling and frost on the walls. What can we do to counteract this? Joan
This is quite common. In fact, if you look at garage walls in older homes-especially if they are still raw drywall--you'll see brownish circular stains on the ceiling and walls. That's condensation from extra high, overnight humidity as snow and slush melt and drip off of your cars.
It's not that hard to fix; insulation is the key here. The garage attic is often overlooked because it doesn't interface with any of the interior house space--and so isn't perceived to affect heat loss. But its' a good idea to roll out some fiberglass bats up there, or better yet, blow in some loose material. How much? I'd choose 9-inch fiberglass bats or about 6 inches of blown-in cellulose.
Don't overlook the walls, either. Use some plastic-wrapped 3 1/2 inch bats. They are every easy to install because there's no exposed fiberglass to get on your skin. Follow up with a layer of ½ inch drywall. Insulating walls and ceilings will trap engine block heat inside the garage space, and that will retard condensation.
Finally, there is less opportunity for staining if the drywall surfaces are painted with some interior semi-gloss latex paint.
Dear Ken: What do you think of renting a carpet cleaner versus hiring someone to do it? It will save a lot of money. Gene
This is one of those jobs-along with drywall finishing and laying concrete-that I know how to do, but don't actually want to do. You'll save money all right, but the job most likely won't end up the way you hope. You'll probably use too much soap-which can contribute to premature aging of the carpet-- and may leave the carpet wetter than it should be, so it will take far too long to dry.
Professionals use equipment with more "oomph", and they have just the right chemicals to spot treat and steam clean the carpet.
One exception to this leave-it-to-others recommendation is the use of portable cleaners. I bought a Eureka Atlantis model for about $65; it's hand held, easy to fire up, and is the perfect tool for small pet spots and food spills.
Dear Ken: We have a problem with our furnace. We installed central air last summer, and now the bedrooms don't heat very well. Also, I need to have someone fix my pocket door. John O.
When you add air conditioning to an existing furnace, you install coils that transfer the heat to the outside. These coils-epically in older furnaces with small ducting-can restricting the air flow substantially. Have the HVAC company come back and set the furnace fan to the next higher speed. That will help heat the bedrooms.
I've had contactors tell me that most furnaces only get about 60% or so of the air flow throughput they were designed for. That's why upper rooms are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. There are technicians who specialize in fixing this, and it's not very costly. They can add transfer and return air grilles, cut off the bottom of doors, install duct booster fans, and rearrange filter placement to let more air through the furnace. That means it will last longer and make rooms warmer in the winter and cooler next summer.
Dear Ken: What's the best way to heat my garage? I'm not out there all the time, but I would like to have it warm when I toil at the workbench. C.N.
I like the idea of a ceiling mounted heater-like you see in tire shops-because they are up and out of the way; you can buy electric and gas versions. Gas is cheaper to operate, but, if the nearest gas pipe is on the other side of the house, I'd do the electric to save installation costs.
