When water seeps into places it shouldn't, things can get creepy

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When water seeps into places it shouldn't, things can get creepy

Q: I have wood French doors that open into my back yard. I've noticed

condensation between some of the lower panes of glass. Now the wood is damp

and getting soft. Will these doors need to be replaced? Is there any way to

ensure that water will not be able to seep in again?

A: The condensation you see is a failed hermetic seal between the double

panes - a problem with the glass. The rot is a situation with the door.

While they may be tangentially related, they are children of different

mothers. The fogged glass simply needs to be replaced. Water damage to the

door may have hastened the glass seal failure, but it is not likely the

direct cause.

The rot is occurring because the door did not get stained or painted on all

six edges, and because the opening for the glass was not sealed completely

with glazing putty or silicone. The whole works undoubtedly had rainwater

running over it.

No, you don't necessarily need to replace the entire door, as it's probably

fixable with wood putties, fillers, new glass and borate treatments, but

that's a lot of work. If the door is rotting, the frame is likely in similar

condition. After all is said and done, a new door may be the best way to go.

Also, consider why you have so much water running down the door. Can you

lessen that impact, with a covering of some kind, like an awning, for

example?

Q: I was recently up in my attic when I noticed the rafters, roofing and

trusses were covered with mold, mildew, etc. The insulation was very damp,

and all the items that I had stored up there were damp and damaged.

The structure was covered with a dark black mold, with quite a bit of " white

fuzzy " mold. It reminded me of the fungi growing in the forests along the

Hoh River. I think my roofing is so weak in areas that I would be afraid to

walk on the roof.

I wake up sneezing my head off. I have been doing this for 15 years. I

sprayed a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water on some areas, but it was

overwhelming. I think I killed some of it, however. In spite of this meager

attempt, it is still very scary up there.

I realize I have poor air flow, but why? I have vents on each end of the

house, plus the soffits are all ventilated. There are no blockages of vents,

including the soffits. The insulation is back far enough not to impede flow.

Was this a building flaw or just bad luck? What is the next step? How do I

fix the existing problem, and how do I provide for more flow?

A: You have a serious problem that has been ongoing for many years. In

addition to the very serious structural deficiencies caused by mold and rot,

the house could be very unhealthy to people inside, " toxic mold " or not. You

likely have mold spread throughout the house, in the walls, draperies,

carpeting and elsewhere. Going up in the attic and spraying bleach where you

happen to catch a breath is like handing out Band-Aids in a war zone - too

little too late.

Many attics don't have any venting and get no mold. Airflow is not the

problem here. The surrounding environment is. You have leakage of warm

and/or moist air from the crawlspace, from the living area, roof and

plumbing leaks, and likely many other things, feeding the mold.

These sources of moisture need to be stopped, the mold removed, and

structural repairs performed. This is not a do-it-yourself project after all

these years. You need to call an environmental cleanup firm. Now. Before you

get sick.

Heater-recall deadline

Cadet and Encore forced-air electric wall heaters (models FW, RW, FX, LX,

TK, ZA, Z, RA, RK, RLX, RX, and ZC) have been the subject of two separate

federally mandated recalls within the past five years, due to safety

concerns. (Flames and hot metal occasionally spewing out of household

heaters tend to get the attention of the authorities.)

These heaters had a huge market share in our area (1.9 million total). Today

happens to be the deadline for reduced-cost replacements available through

the manufacturer.

This next bit is so sad, it is almost funny. Cadet has released a safety

bulletin regarding a problem with their replacement heaters. It says:

" When a model RM or ZM heatbox (replacing a ZA or RA heatbox) is inserted

into a ZAC wall can and wired through a fitting in a specific wall-can

knock-out, the RM or ZM model has the potential for continuous heater

operation, regardless of thermostat settings or room temperature. This can

cause the heater to overheat and create a risk to nearby flammables.

" If you determine that your RM or ZM model meets these conditions, please

discontinue use of the heater by turning it off at the electrical panel

board and contact Cadet at 800-567-2613. A qualified technician will be sent

to your home to perform a quick and simple remedy, at no expense. "

This Web page has instructions to determine if your heater has this problem:

www.cadetco.com/recall/rmwarning.htm

Darrell Hay answers readers' questions. Call 206-464-8514 to record your

question, or e-mail dhay@.... Sorry, no personal replies. More

columns and a message board at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.