Home repair: Contractors differ on how to stabilize basement cracks

Q. Halfway up one of our 30-foot cinder-block basement walls are two horizontal cracks extending most of the wall’s length. There is some stair-step cracking at either end of the wall. Where the cracks are most severe, one contractor measured the vertical deflection at about 1 inch. I have attached four photos of the cracks.

Three “basement specialists” have inspected the wall, and each has proposed a different method of stabilizing it. Here are their proposals:

Ÿ Seven approximately 8-foot vertical steel braces spaced evenly against the wall at a cost of $3,150.

Ÿ Five wall anchors spaced evenly against the wall at a cost of $2,520.

Ÿ Five 7-foot-long carbon fiber wall stabilization strips glued vertically to the wall, as well as some 1- or 2-foot-wide strips glued horizontally to the wall at a cost of $1,500. This person will add four steel braces, identical to those in the first proposal for an additional $1,400, but adds in an email message, “Given the small amount of deflection, carbon fiber ‘FiberLock’ will stop any and all future deflection.”

The first option has a lifetime-of-the-house warranty; the second has a 25-year warranty; and the third, without the steel beams, has a 20-year warranty. Each warranty is transferable. Each contractor says his competitors’ solutions are ineffective or inferior to his.

Please let me know if I have been unclear or if you need more information before making a recommendation.

A. I have concerns about all three proposals. Block foundations are built with masonry units that are 16 inches long and 8 inches high. Spacing steel posts, anchors or carbon fiber strips several feet apart leaves the sections of blocks in between vulnerable to continuing frost or hydraulic pressure while the narrow stabilized sections are held firm.

The best system would be either carbon fiber strips applied 2 feet from each end of the wall and approximately 2 feet on center in the field, or a fiberglass-reinforced coating of the entire wall such as QUIKWALL Surface Bonding Cement.

The manufacturer of carbon fiber strips recommends they be installed much closer to one another than proposal “c” you received. There should be nine of them instead of five on a 30-foot wall.

Moreover, the proposal to add four steel braces in addition to the carbon fiber strips would indicate that the installer does not thoroughly trust the carbon fibers — a poor recommendation for his work.

Q. We have a problem in my daughter’s two-story house with basement. Two bedrooms on the top floor have an odor that emits especially when the warm sun shines in the room. We have checked the heat vents — no odor. It seems to have a slight bacon smell. The area is located somewhat above the kitchen; however, the kitchen has no smell. We have replaced the carpet in the above bedroom and the plywood subfloor under that carpet. Any suggestions?

A. I assume that replacing the subfloor and carpet did not solve the odor problem. Does your daughter have fiberglass window screens? That may be the problem, as some of them have been known to emit an unpleasant odor, although one might argue that a bacon smell is not unpleasant. The key here is that you say the odor occurs when the sun shines in the room, therefore on the screens.

Suggest that she remove the screens and see if that eliminates the odor. If it does, she can have a hardware store replace the screens with metal (brass, galvanized steel) or perhaps with fiberglass, hoping it will not have the same effect.

Q. I am a real estate agent, and a client just purchased a home with a large composite deck. Regular cleaning had not been done for at least four years, and it is covered (rails and floor) with a mildewlike, greenish growth. Can this type of deck be gently power washed?

A. Power washing may be sufficient, but it should be done using either an electric power washer or the low setting of a gas-powered washer to avoid damage to the deck and railing. (Gas-powered washers have about twice the pressure of electric ones.)

If power washing does not do the job, the deck and rails can be scrubbed with OXY-Boost or EXTERIOR PROx Nontoxic Deck & Patio Cleaner, followed by power washing or a thorough rinsing with a garden hose. Both products can be purchased online at www.ecogeeks.com, and either should do a great job for your clients.

Q. After I have removed a brown stain from my fiberglass tub, should I add a water filter or water softener to prevent this water stain from coming back in the future?

Also, what would you recommend I use to prepare a cellar concrete floor prior to painting it gray?

A. You should consider having a water treatment specialist analyze your water and suggest what should be done, if anything.

I do not recommend painting concrete floors, although I know it has been done successfully. Success depends on a number of factors, such as the porosity of the slab and the construction of its substrate. It is best to use a concrete stain instead, as stains are not prone to the peeling that is so often a problem with paints.

Q. My raised ranch has asphalt roof shingles that are more than 20 years old and in need of replacement. I would like to know the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of roof material, i.e., metal, asphalt, etc. Also, can you recommend a reputable installer to do the job for me?

A. Here is a repeat of my recent answer to another reader, with added information.

There are a number of choices for other roofing materials. The problem is the cost. Asphalt/fiberglass shingles are the most economical roof covering, unless you are considering screw-on metal panels, which any carpenter can install.

Twenty-four-gauge, double-lock standing seam metal roofing is a premium roof that should be installed by experienced contractors. Avoid those trying to sell you a 26-gauge, single-lock standing seam roof at a more affordable cost, as it may come back to haunt you. The problems these cheaper roofs develop are “oil-canning” (clunking) in strong winds and leaking at the seams under certain snow and ice conditions.

Slates are also a premium roofing material and costly, and they require a stronger roof structure because of their weight. Even plastic slates are not inexpensive.

Several manufacturers make aluminum shingles, but they require installation by trained workers, as they take a lot of care and are time-consuming to install. Trained workers are not available everywhere.

The choice of a contractor depends on which roofing material you choose, as some contractors are good with one or more materials but are not qualified to install others.

Q. I have been told I need a new roof. It is a large expense for a 2,000-square-foot, single-story house. Estimates are coming in from $15,000 to $21,000. It has been suggested that, to save costs, we don’t tear off the old shingles, which are about 10 years old, and just shingle over them. Doesn’t sound too good to me, but I am 80 and have never had these questions!

Since we (my husband is 89) plan to sell this house this fall, should we just tell the buyers it needs a new roof and let them pick what they want? Also, I have been told there is an “ideal” time to put on roofing — roughly June and early July.

Also, I have washed windows all my life and get so discouraged. They look beautifully clean until the sun hits them, and then they still seem to be clouded and streaked, despite what I thought was a good job. Any ideas?

A. Who said you needed a new roof, and why? I know many asphalt and fiberglass shingles have a history of early failure, but I have not seen it happen in only 10 years — 14-plus is usually the case. I suggest you get a second opinion from a reputable contractor.

I would not recommend putting a second roof over the old one in Vermont’s climate because of the additional weight on roofs that may get several feet of snow, which can turn into ice. Roofing over an existing layer can be done in milder climates as long as one is sure the rafters can take the additional load. However, it needs to be done by experienced installers so the old shingles are not telegraphed through the new ones.

Since you plan on selling your house in a few months, I suggest you do nothing and say nothing. It is very likely that any prospective buyers will have the house inspected. It will be the home inspector’s job to determine whether your roof needs replacing, and he or she would so advise the clients. If it does need to be replaced, negotiations will determine who should take care of the replacement. If the buyers select to have it done themselves, as I would always recommend so they can select the brand and color, the cost is likely to be deducted from the sale price.

As for the windows, you did not say what you used to clean them, but it is best to use newspapers to wipe the glass clean after washing it with white vinegar or an ammonia solution. An alternative is to hire professional window washers.

Q. We live in a newer 6½-year-old home. Along the way, our handyman put in a new biscuit-colored sink and biscuit Delta faucet with all the gadgets.

It is just the two of us here, and the faucet is basically falling apart. Where it sits in the pipe, I would assume you call it, and where the faucet would rotate, the paint on the faucet is wearing away, as is the screen assembly.

I called Delta, which won’t do anything about it. We’ve looked at various hardware stores for another biscuit color, and there is none.

I have checked online, and all biscuit-color faucets have been discontinued by every maker of faucets. Now I have to have our handyman rip out the sink and install one in white, and I’m going to have to get a white faucet. Then when my 5-year-old biscuit refrigerator goes, I can get that in white.

Why do manufacturers do this to us consumers, and have you any idea if and where I can purchase a biscuit faucet?

A. I have no idea why manufacturers do this or where you can buy another biscuit faucet. Instead of changing your sink, would you consider replacing the faucet with a stainless steel one? And since you are so disappointed in Delta’s quality, look into Moen or Price Pfister.

Ÿ Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via email at henridemarne@gmavt.net.

© 2012, United Feature Syndicate Inc.