Ask the Carpenter talks stone patios, split siding, and insulation
Rob Robillard offers tips on home maintenance and energy conservation.
Q. Last year I installed a dry flagstone patio. I used YouTube and other Internet resources to figure out how to prepare the ground and lay the stones. I used 3 inches of stone dust as the final layer, and then put some in between them. Most of the dust between the stones is gone, thanks to rainfall, shoveling snow, and sweeping leaves and other wind-blown detritus off the patio.
Moss has begun to grow between the cracks in a few places, and my wife has tried to transplant some in other spots. But the moss is growing very slowly, and what we do have is quite fragile. Should I just spread more dust between the cracks yearly, or is there another substance that would last longer?
STEVE
A. Bluestone or flagstone? I’ve installed a bunch of bluestone patios, and we use stone dust. Flagstone patios have large spaces between the stones, and the stone dust will definitely wash away. The short answer is yes, adding stone dust is a maintenance issue and one that I do with my patio. I often have to add it after pulling weeds. I keep a 5-gallon bucket of it in my shed.
Q. My 35-year-old house in northern Vermont has vertical cedar siding. The seams are covered by furring strips. Most of the siding is in very good shape, but the south side is heavy weathered. Some of the boards are split. Should the damaged boards be replaced individually, as needed, or should that whole side of the house be redone?
RICHARD BRANDA, Shelburne, Vt.
A. You can definitely replace boards and batten strips as needed. This should be considered regular maintenance. One note of caution, though: The new cedar will look, well, new, while the old will be weathered. If the house is painted or stained, then just paint/stain the entire side to make it look consistent.
Q. I would appreciate your advice on my 1880s Victorian, which has insulation only in the new kitchen. Would it be worth the extra cost to strip the clapboards and shakes off the entire house, wrap it in 3/8-inch green board, and cover with new shakes? What “R’’ value is gained by this? What is the newest blown-in insulation, and is it safe and cost-efficient? Can you add blown-in insulation to a balloon-frame house? Would we need to add fire stops?
PAT, Everett
A. In my opinion, the best return on investment in insulation is always in the roof. To answer your questions, however, I turned to Frank M. Bood at Insulationdoneright.com. Frank?
FRANK: “There is value to stripping and adding a half-inch of foam board if it’s done correctly and taped at the seams to stop air movement in the walls. This is also a great time to install blown-in cellulose if access to the walls is open for the removal.
“Cellulose is not so new, but it has a good R value. When densely packed, it correctly slows the movement of air greatly. This will make the home warmer and much quieter, as well as less drafty.
“Yes, cellulose can be blown in with balloon framing if a few steps are taken. The basement needs to have the band joist blocked/sealed to prevent the cellulose from getting into the basement, and the attic may need blocking as well for the same reason. Doing this will create fire stopping, as the cellulose won’t burn.
“This upgrade is very worthwhile in terms of comfort and energy savings. It can also be more cost effective if done through Mass Save should you qualify.
“Do you need to strip the home to do this project? No. If the wood is in OK-to-good shape, you can simply remove a few pieces and drill for the dense packing of the cellulose. If it were my home and the wood was in good shape, I would not strip it.’’
Thanks, Frank.
Rob Robillard is a general contractor, carpenter, editor of AConcordCarpenter.com, and principal of a carpentry and renovation business. Send your questions to [email protected] or tweet them to @robertrobillard. Subscribe to our free real estate newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.
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