May 17, 2014 5 min read

Q. I have a slate roof that is probably approaching 100 years old. I had one roofer tell me it is at the end of its life and should be replaced with asphalt. The cost to repair the area affected is $4,000. Full replacement is $13,000. Winter was rough on the roof because snow that usually avalanches off stayed on and chipped some of the slate. I will be getting a few more estimates. Can you give me some suggestions of questions to ask to determine whether the best investment is to go asphalt? I am retired and hope to stay in the house for at least five to 10 years. My slate is gray, not real thick, and may be Vermont.

A. Average thickness for slate is 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. Also, Vermont slate is considered top grade. I suggest you get another opinion. Perhaps slate roof repairer O’Lyn Contractors of Norwood, www.olynroofing.com. Cost to repair what? Replacement of what? A few chips is not necessarily critical to a roof. Replacement is to take off slate and put in asphalt? If so, pretty expensive. Again, get a second opinion. That slate may be good for another 100 years.

Q. Last October a worker stained (exterior semitransparent) my pressure-treated wood 10-foot-by-10-foot deck. It had been power-washed before he stained. Deck came out a nice brown-red color – “Yankee Barn” Sherwin Williams. In the winter, I went outside on the deck to clean the cat’s litter box. Perhaps chemical (from litter) or something else spilled. Now there’s a light white-colored stain on four boards. I tried a mix of one part bleach and two or three parts water to remove, but the white didn’t come out. I have leftover stain, but before I apply it, what can I use to remove the white? I think the deck requires a bit of sanding because shoveling scratched the surface here and there.

A. I don’t think it’s a bleach stain, where water has stood on the wood for a goodly time. Try rubbing with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. If that doesn’t work, sand the stain to the bare wood, then restain lightly.

Q. We live in a 30-year-old Colonial. For whatever reason our house has always had an unpleasant odor. It is especially bad in the winter and after rainstorms. I can describe what we have for ventilation and also other aspects that might help give some indication of why we have this odor. In the attic, we have a ridge vent and also small soffit vents. The insulation is blown in throughout the whole home with additional batting on the attic floor. In the basement, we have had water come in the bulkhead over the years and have tried many remedies for this. Currently, it comes in that area only during downpours (we put down towels). The basement is mostly finished and definitely has a musty odor. We try to open the small windows as much as possible to let in fresh air. We also use a dehumidifier in the spring and summer, particularly after rainstorms. I don’t see any other leaks, but we do have many finished walls as well as carpeting. The home has gutters leading water away from the house except for a couple of the corners where the gutters lead into drywells (whatever they’re called). Whenever we ­enter through the front door, the odor seems the worst to me. We also have central air conditioning, which we use all summer long. I know there are home ventilation and dehumidifying systems, and I am wondering whether one would help this situation.

A. It’s an odor problem caused by a water problem. The water comes into the cellar through the floor and walls, causing mold to grow. You must stop it with more drainage, such as a sump and a pump. You need a basement water control, by a pro. Also, you need proper venting. Your new ridge vent is good, but the small soffit vents are way, way too small. You must install a 2-inch-wide screened strip going the full length of each soffit. Open cellar windows all year long. The basement windows of my 1768 Colonial are always open, and I have a good screened soffit vent on all four sides of the hipped roof.

Q. You recently responded to a reader’s question about vinyl tiles with asbestos. I have what I assume are those that were installed by my late dad 35 years ago. A couple of years ago when everyone’s cellar flooded with the spring rains, our cellar also flooded for the first time. The tiles are located on the playroom side of the cellar plus a small laundry area. During the flood, a contractor put a sump pump in the laundry area to draw out the water. (That didn’t work. He later took out the pump.) He drilled through the tiles to get to the cement floor. Many of those tiles were also damaged by the flooding. One tile in the playroom area was damaged. I never bothered replacing any of them because it is just a laundry area and playroom. Now I wonder if I do need to have them removed.

A. Those are vinyl-asbestos tiles and are typically 9-by-9 inches. They do contain limited amounts of ­asbestos. Intact tiles are safe. If you are concerned, then have a qualified company remove all. Then you can install ceramic tiles or vinyl tiles (sans asbestos).