Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
QUESTION: I own a house built in 1958 that I have been living in since 2001. In the last year, a lot of cracking has developed in linoleum in the great room. You can see a line that goes across the floor. There are cracks in the carport walls, too. What could be causing all this?
ANSWER: When there is cracking like that in an older home, it’s often due to increases in moisture on your lot. Check your water bill to see if water use has risen significantly; that might mean there’s a leak. If not, have a pressure test done on the sewer line to find any leaks. A camera can be put down the pipeline to see if the pipe is cracked and is leaking moisture into your soil. If you find out if that’s the case, you have to eliminate the source of the moisture. You may also need an inspection to see if you have a foundation problem.
Q: I am putting a new storage building on my lot and wondered what kind of windows to use in it. The building will be used to store my motor home, but there will also be a mother-in-law apartment on one side, and that’s where the windows would go. I will insulate the entire structure. Since it’s a steel building, I wondered if I should put in metal-framed windows.
A: You can use any type of windows you want. They could be fiberglass or metal, vinyl or even wood with aluminum cladding.
Q: Can you change a window into a door? And what about changing a group of windows in a bedroom into one big picture window?
A: Changing windows into doors is done in many homes. But remember that you cannot change windows that can be opened into picture windows that cannot be opened. That’s not allowed in a bedroom. Bedroom windows have to be able to open so that they can be used as exits in case of a fire.
Q: How do I dry garlic bulbs once they are harvested? Last year, I planted garlic and was told that after harvest I needed to dry them in the sun for a week or two. I tried that, but they all turned mushy.
A: You can harvest the bulbs once some of the outer leaves on the plant start to dry up. You don’t want the bulbs to stay in the ground too long. Once the bulbs are fairly large, dig them up and leave the skins on the bulbs. Never dry them in the sun; put them in a shady area on a rack or screen on the back patio; make sure the bulbs get ventilation. By the way, the ideal time to plant garlic is in October or November.
Q: I own a home built in 1961 and I think the original cast-iron tub is in the bathroom. Recently, I had some water standing in the tub. When I used a plunger on the drain, white flakes started chipping off the tub. Soon it was peeling off in sheets. I think someone must have used some paint to cover up the original brownish rose color of the tub. Should I strip off all the white coating and recoat the tub again?
A: It’s possible that the tub is very rusty underneath and stripping off the coating would be hard to do. You should call a porcelain repair service for advice. If you like the rose color, you might want it keep it that way and have the tub refinished to the old color. It’s also possible to put a new acrylic liner on top of the old tub.
