I know that in the winter time a lot of home owner climb up on their roofs and cover the turbines to keep dampness and cold air out of the attic.  That all sounds like it would work but in all truth, it’s just the opposite.  Covering up the turbines produces moisture in the attic and then it drips on the insulation which in turn cuts the R value.  Then if that wasn’t bad enough moisture building up causes the turbines to rust and then squeak.  And if you ever had a neighbor that had a squeaky turbine…Most new turbines today are “Life Time” turbines with ball bearings so they never squeak.  Did you know that you can replace just the head of the turbine?  Just unscrew the head and slide the new head down and use about 3 pan head screws to secure it.  You won’t need a roofer for that.  When you are on the roof take time to look around.  There is a product that I have written about called “Through the Roof”.  It’s for pipes that penetrate the roof and it has a 10 year warranty.  It’s perfect for the roof and its clear- no more black tar!  So when you put the new turbine head on use the “Through the Roof” around the turbine where there is probably black roof tar, and then put it around the fireplace or any vent pipes coming through the roof.    Go to www.sashco.com and find the retailer closest to you.  It’s also great for corrugated roof systems so if you have a barn, or shed with a metal roof, it will work on that also. 

Now to the mailbag….

Question:  Johnnie, over the years I have enjoyed your helpful comments.  I recently had a new roof put on.  I have awnings which are fairly new but the old roof left black stains on them.  Do you know of anything that will remove the stains?

Answer:  That stain is tar that came from the roof and there is a great product to remove tar.  It’s name is “Desolve It”  and not only will it remove tar, it will remove silicone caulk and also oil.  Try it in an inconspicuous spot first.  Most hardware stores carry it. 

Question:  Johnnie when the weather turned cold we noticed that we were not getting enough hot water.  So we bought a new  50 gallon hot water heater.  We still don’t have enough hot water.  Any ideas on what is going on?

Answer:  First you should have a faucet at the bottom of the water heater.  Turn it on and see just how hot it is.  If it isn’t real hot and you have turned it as high as it will go, then have your thermostat checked.  It’s easy to replace.   But if your water is hot at the heater but not at the faucets will it could be the cartridges in the faucets.  They are not expensive.  Just change out the cartridges.  If after doing this, you are still having problems- call me. 

Question:  I am interested in your help with a dryer venting  problem.  The dryer vents into the garage and boy does it leave a mess.  I have heard that it can be vented into the attic.  I have friends that have a dryer in the middle of the house that vents into the attic.  So is this possible ?

Answer:  People that have the dryer in the middle of the house and vent in the attic, their house was build to accommodate that.  It’s not the best situation.  They get clogged up and cause problems with the dryer, at least it did for me.  The thing that you need to do is use the flexible vent and run it to the outside.  You might have to enclose it with some 1x6’s but it really is the best situation. 

Question:  I have battery acid stain on my driveway that I have tried everything possible to remove.   Do you know what I might use in order to remove this stain? 

Answer:  The only thing that I know of is “Clean Crete”.  Just sprinkle it on, let it foam up and scrub with an old broom and rinse with water.  There is only one problem – you have to come to SA to get it.

Got a question for Johnnie? Tune in to Johnnie's radio show Saturday mornings on KTSA (5500 AM) from 9-11 or call 828-8907. Reach him on the web at www.AcmeLumber.com.