THE WASHINGTON POST • THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010
GALLERY ST. ELMO
4 DC
District
L OCAL LIVING how to home by Jeanne Huber
We have a two-story colonial that’s 30-plus years old. It has a finished basement with a
cinder-block wall that is finished with painted paneling. When we moved in 10 years ago, we carpeted the concrete, tiled floor. As the years have gone on, we noted a musty, damp smell. One side of the basement, close to the crawl space, is not carpeted or paneled. The smell is not originating on that side. It’s coming from the larger portion of the basement, with the paneling and carpeting. What can we do to fix this most embarrassing problem?
Rockville A
You might start by checking the basement drain system to see whether roots have
plugged it up; this might explain the change you’ve noticed. The problem also could be the
carpet, particularly if it has jute backing or if the pad supports mildew growth. Even if no moisture is coming up through the tile on top of the concrete floor, warm, moist basement air can still work its way down through the carpet and come in
contact with the cold tile. The moisture condenses there, creating an environment for mildew to grow. Area rugs or even indoor-outdoor carpet with no padding are much safer in a basement than wall-to-wall carpeting. If you don’t find mildew in or under the carpet, it might be growing under the paneling. If there is a wall separating the carpeted and non-carpeted areas, check it first, especially if you heat the carpeted area but not the one
Plantation Shutters 15%OFF Interior Shutters
Hardwood Construction Free Installation
Custom Paint & Stain LifetimeWarranty
$
Canadel 5-piece setting including special orders
500 off
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Offer expires 7-14-10.
Mon.-Fri. 10:30-9 • Sat. 10-9 • Sun. 12-7 703-938-0917
Free In-Home Estimate
www.shuttersbydesign.info
www.Shuttersbydesign.net
11301 Rockville Pike • White Flint Mall North Bethesda • 301-230-9747
www.tablesandchairsva.com •
TC1008@aol.com
4938 ST. ELMO AVENUE BETHESDA, MD 20814
WWW.GALLERYSTELMO.COM
6 WEEK DELIVERY
close to the crawl space. A home inspector with a moisture meter might be able to pinpoint the problem. If that doesn’t work, carefully pry up part of the paneling, or if there is drywall, cut away a strip close to the floor. The Environmental Protection
Agency’s “A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home,” which you can download by searching the Web for the title, tells you precautions to take when cleaning up mold. For tips on how to insulate basement walls without
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY “Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home” is helpful. They’re not local, but you can
contact restoration people listed on the Web sites of two organizations that focus on collecting and repairing antique telephones. See the member page of the Antique Telephone Collectors Association, at www.
atcaonline.com/member, or the Phone Collector Dealers page for Telephone Collectors International, at
www.telephone
collectors.org/links/coldeal.htm.
Have a problem in your home? Send questions to
localliving@washpost.com. Please put “How To” in the subject line and tell us where you live.
BIGSTOCKPHOTO
Operator, could you help me find an antique telephone restorer?
Home Furnishings Consignments
6more online
Chat Thursday at 11 a.m. Barbara Jacksier, author “Waterside Cottages,” joins Local Living editor Liz Seymour for our weekly live Q&A about decorating and household advice. Submit questions at www.
washingtonpost.com/home.
Follow @jurakoncius on Twitter.
On your musty-do list: Track down basement odor’s source Q
causing mildew problems, go to
www.energysavers.gov and click on “Insulation,” then “Where to Insulate” and “Basements.”
I have an old wooden wall phone from the days when you picked up the receiver and asked the operator to connect you to the number you wanted. Unfortunately, all the metal pieces are missing, including the working parts: earphone, microphone, etc. Do you have any idea where I can get it restored? Of course, I don’t expect it to work, but I would like it to look authentic.
Damascus
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70