Ask Doctor Hill
When you own a home or rental property, something’s always in need of repair or replacement. Whether the problem is rotting window sills, a damp basement, a kitchen that needs remodeling, or not knowing how to change a fuse, Doctor Hill is prepared to help. Post your question here and expect a response in a week’s time. He’ll provide an answer or point you in the right direction for a solution. Photos are welcome (preferably as jpegs and 250kb or less; 500kb max.). Doctor Hill lives in Baltimore (and of course makes house calls), but questions from all locales are welcome. You can reach him at: drhill@federalhill.com.
Dear Doctor Hill:
I have water pouring off my roof in one particular spot whenever it rains hard. There’s a gutter there and I’ve checked—it’s not clogged. Do I need a bigger gutter? Is there such a thing?
Thanks
Pam in Syracuse
Dear Pam:
I visited Syracuse once and I remember it raining all of the time. You must be drowning! It sounds to me like your gutter has a case of "big gulp-itis" That means it's either sagging, doesn't have enough "fall" or it gets too much water for the downspout to handle. You either have to straighten the gutter, repitch it, replace the downspout with a larger one or even add another downspout where it's overflowing. Ask your neighbors for the name of a trusted roofer or contractor. Let them propose the solution, then get a couple of estimates. Either that or move to New Mexico.
Dr. Hill
Dear Doctor Hill:
The front door of my house is wood and has areas of rot and cracks, which I keep filling with wood putty. The wood door sill is full of holes. I think we need a new door and maybe a fiberglass sill. With the current economy, my partner wants to continue the repair regimen. What do you recommend? And why is the door in such bad shape? It’s only 15 years old and I’ve kept it painted.
Albert in Baltimore
Dear Albert
Sounds like your partner needs a kick in the pants. Replace that door pronto! Sadly many wood doors from the recent past were not very well made. It has to do with the type of wood that's available. It's very prone to rot and cracking. Once a wood door starts to rot or crack it's very hard to fix. If the door were several decades old I'd recommend repairing it with an epoxy based wood repair system. Being newer, it's probably best to replace it with a good exterior wood door. Make sure it's well primed and painted. Don't let bare wood show anywhere. As for sills, I recommend either bronze or aluminum. Both will last a very long time. Oh and while you're at it - replace the wheatherstripping. It's usually very easy and should be done every ten years or so.
Dr. Hill
Dear House Doctor:
My house is 15 or so years old. There are places in the drywall where the nails look like they’re about to pop out. Some rooms are worse than others. What can I do about this?
Sherm in New Jersey
Dear House Doctor:
Are you related to Doctor House? If so, would you tell him I want to have his baby? I hope this isn’t asking too much.
Much obliged,
Blanche in Glen Burnie
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