Q I live in one of four condos in a complex that just had its roof redone by a roofer whose bid was the lowest of several. The rubber roof on my condo's widow's walk is lifting about an inch, and one section was installed in several pieces, resulting in numerous seams.

Are those numerous sections a proper job, and can the wrinkled roof be fixed? I am not a member of the condo board, so I don't have much to do with the job. What can I do?

A From the slipshod installation, it's obvious that rubber roof has to be taken off and a new one put down without wrinkles, lifting or in many sections.

What to do? Persuade the board to order repairs to be properly made, and if the roofer refuses, fire him and find another roofer who knows what he's doing and will make the proper repairs for a reasonable price.

Q Can I paint plastic flower pots? They are a good terra cotta color, but I'd like something brighter.

A You could paint them, but terra cotta and black are the best colors for a pot. If you like, find some attractive ceramic pots or other containers to hold those crummy old plastic ones and keep them nicely concealed.

Q I put in a new wood threshold in my bathroom, but it left a gap between tiles and threshold. How can I fill that gap?

A That should be easy to figure out. Buy some ceramic tile pieces that match the tile on the floor, or take samples from leftover tiles. Cut them to the width of the gap or slightly less to allow you to put in some grout.


Or, fill the space with grout or mortar and then buy a wider threshold and cut it so it covers the gap.

Q I am having some trouble unlocking my exterior doors. They seem to stick. I and the house were born in 1928.

A Sometimes, a door may be loose from its hinges, and the door, being heavy, may be pressing on the dead bolt or latch where it's in the hole in the jamb called the keeper, making it hard to turn. So, checking the looseness is worth a try. If that and any other tricks fail, call a locksmith.


A Try using Citristrip, a brand of citrus-based, water-based paint stripper. It will soften the paint enough to so it can be wiped off with a cloth, washed off with a damp sponge or scraped off with a wood spatula.


A The boards are quite loose, having shrunk from drying out over the years. When stepped on, the boards move, and the wood squeaks on the nails. Have a friend walk slowly in the room while you look for movement of the boards underneath. Where there is movement, drive shims (cedar shingles or plastic wedges between joist and boards, stopping the movement and squeaks.

Q I called a replacement window company to see what it could do to replace my old windows that are 20 to 25 years old. I stopped looking when one company offered 14 windows for $27,000. I gasped at that, and the company went "down" to 14 windows for $19,600. Where can I find replacement windows at a reasonable price and at a reasonable quality?


Do the math: The first offer comes to $1,928 per window. The second offer came way down to $1,400 each.

Several years ago, I had eight Harvey replacement all-vinyl windows installed for $3,200. It was a good price for a quality window, and in four years they have done yeoman service.

Yours may be a little higher because of the time between mine and yours. Call Harvey.


A I think it's possible, and I know of two paints for solid vinyl. One is by Cabot, called the Finish. Another is Flashe vinyl paint.