Joseph Flynn, Athlone

A I ran this one past a few painters I know and they all came up with a similar reply. This red staining is known as red moss. The way to test for this is to lightly wet the wall and rub it with your "nger. Your "ngers will turn a shade of yellow . . . don't worry it will wash off! The way to remove the stains is to apply a moss repellent to the walls (following the manufacturer's instructions) leave it for 24 hours and then wash it off with water and a stiff brush. It would be advisable to then apply a sealer to prevent any possible further staining. Then apply a good quality masonry paint. Yes, chloride can damage concrete but you do not need to worry with this method.

Q I live in a Victorian house with granite steps at my front door. On match days people like to have their picnic on these steps and I have got tired of the mess they leave behind and would like to rail the steps in. Do I need planning permission and where can I get railing made that matches the railing around the front garden?

A I'm not sure whether you need planning or not . . . you'll have to check that out with your local authority. Any good welder/fabricator will be able to reproduce the existing garden railing you have. While you are doing this it would be advisable to redecorate the complete railed-in sections so the garden rails and the new gated railing will look as if they have been made and fitted at the same time. You don't want the new gate laughing at the garden rails! Why not 'Post a Job' on my website www. tradsmenireland. com in the welder/fabricator section or preview the adverts in that section where you will find the contact details for each fabricator and you can read a personally written description of their services.

Q We recently purchased a former county-council two-storey terraced house, built in the late 1950s/ early1960s. We noticed that sound and smells (cigarette smoke, cooking odours) pass into our house from the neighbours on both sides, although the party walls between the houses appear very thick and solid. We lifted some of the floor boards upstairs and found wide gaps in the concrete surrounding the joists at the party walls. Is this the source of the incoming noise and smell and if so, how would we go about filling them? Or can you recommend any other measures we should take?

AP

A Obviously, without seeing the situation in your house I cannot say yes or no to your question but from your investigations I would say that you are probably on the right track. Please bear the following in mind: if you are getting your neighbours smells into your property then they are getting your smells into theirs! I would suggest you approach both of your neighbours and explain to them the problems you are having and see if they have the same problem. I am presuming again that you were originally going to undertake the repairs yourself or get a contractor in to do it. This is going to cost you some money! I would suggest that you approach the two neighbours and if they have the same problem, get a builder in and divide the cost of the repairs between the three of you thereby reducing your outlay.

If this does not bear fruit, the next problem you have is how to fill the holes. I would suggest you remove any loose material and replace it with sand and cement mortar. Be careful that you do not let any material fall into the neighbouring properties. Mortar is a tricky material if you have not used it before and getting the right consistency is key. I would suggest that you be bold and if there are building works going on near you, arm yourself with a couple of buckets and approach the builders and ask to purchase a few buckets of cement from them. This will be mixed at the right consistency for the job. Back to the house, dampen the area to be "lled to help the mortar stick and bed in stones or bricks, depending on the size of the holes. Good luck with the neighbours!

WRITE TO US If you have a building- or renovation-related query that you'd like Steve to help you with, email doorstepdoctor@tribune. ie Steve Guerin is managing director of www. tradesmenireland. com, the onestop website that will help you find a tradesman, a site for sale, a property to rent or buy and all the plant hire and machinery you need to complete your house-build or renovation