Home Q&A: Fixing cedar fence posts
Toolbox
By PETER HOTTON - Published: June 27, 2009
Q. Cedar fence posts professionally installed eight years ago are breaking down. The original contractor suggested cementing 5 posts on the line, for $1,000. Is this the right call?
A. Even if I don't understand quite what the contractor means, I think it is the wrong call, especially for $1,000. When the word cement is used, I get suspicious, because the posts probably rotted out prematurely because they were set in concrete. So instead, replace the posts with 4x4 pressure-treated posts. Heck, you can do this yourself. Such posts should go about 2 feet into the ground, not into concrete. You could have the contractor do it for big bucks, but why use him on a project that he screwed up in the first place?
Why do posts set into concrete fail after just eight years? Because you cannot seal against water going into the joint between wood and concrete, and that part of the post is always wet. If the post is set into the ground, water will flow along the sides of the post, and if there is good drainage, will not puddle under the post, and, between soakings, will dry out some.
Q. My wife was enthusiastic when she cleaned the shower. She bought Clorox Disinfectant with bleach; the instructions said to spray and leave it on for two minutes. But she left it on for two hours. Now the shower reeks of bleach, which I am allergic to. How can I get rid of that stinging odor?
MISERABLE in Stoneham, Mass.
A. Two nonsecrets: Dilution and airing. Keep washing the shower sides, and run the exhaust fan as much as practicable. If there is no exhaust fan, put a small fan in the window, blowing out.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is available 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call (617) 929-2930. Hotton also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.
Q. I have some roof shingles that partly broke off in the wind. There are no leaks so far. Should these shingles be replaced?
BILL MORAN, in Hotton's chat room
A. Yes, replace those shingles, and it is easy, depending on the slope of the roof. Buy a bundle of shingles to match the old. There are about 20 shingles in the bundle, but it cannot be helped. Or, you might find old ones in the basement. Pull or lift out the rest of the shingle, and slip a new one in place, lining up the bottom with the bottoms of its neighbors. Cut if necessary to make a loose, not too tight a fit. Pull all old nails. Nail through the slots of the shingle above, and cover all nailheads with roofing cement.
If you are afraid of the height and slope of the roof, the heck with it. Let a pro do it.
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