Drilling out screws in Window -- D.A. prior owner!

[Ringo Langly]

Hi all,

The person who owned my home before I did had a daughter who liked to sneak out, so he put 7 screws into her window to prevent it from opening. Now this room is my office and I'd like to open the room. The problem is the screws are rusted over and when I try to drill them out all it does is make a small dimple and the drill goes maybe a milimeter and stops. I've tried to get a screwdriver or something under the head, but nogo since there's no leverage. I've also tried to make my own notches to get into the screws with a power screwdriver or screwdriver bit on my drill, but the screws just turn since they're just in a piece of aluminum and not in anything like wood.

Suggestions? I thought about getting a drimmel to see if I can saw the screwhead off then drill from that point, but I was wondering if anyone had other suggestions. I'm SO cussing the prior owner since he did TONs of dumbass things like this (like leaving about 15 spent oil filters with TONS of oil on the ground in backyard behind shed).

The screws from what I can tell are about #8x1 inch philips screws.

Thanks for any suggestions or ideas. Now that it's getting cooler I am anxious to get some breeze into this part of the house :) Take care, and happy holidays.

Ringo

[willshak]

On 11/28/2004 3:36 PM US(ET), Ringo Langly took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

A pair of regular or visegrip pliers to turn and pull the screws at the same time?

[zxcvbob]

Go to a good hardware store and ask for a left-handed drill bit. Probably about a 3/32. Drill it out *slowly* with a variable speed reversable drill, and the bit should catch and back out the screw.

Bob

[Art]

If you live in the US and the EPA hears about the burried oil, they will make you and if your are lucky, the previous owner, pay to clean it up.

[Dugie]

Wow! How long ago did you buy the house? If it's recent (a realtor can advise you), you have recourse over that "...15 spent oil filters with TONS of oil on the ground in backyard behind shed."

This sounds like non-disclosure by the person who sold to you, and can be big trouble for that seller; and hopefully, not you. This is not to mention environmental damage being done.

- Dugie

[RBM]

[xrongor]

if you had dremeled it, it would be done by now.

randy

[Ringo Langly]

you have recourse over that

trouble for that seller; and

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the great replies. After working with the window for almost 2 hours i finally did get all 7 screws out -- though it nicked the hell out of the window. I used a flathead screwdriver and hammer to bend-up the head of each screw then used some plyers to turn the screw while using the screwdriver to seperate the inside of the window frame and the window itself. Generally when trying to turn the screw by hand either it didn't turn or just kept turning withotu coming out. At anyrate the window is open and the room feels GREAT!

As for the oil I mentioned, yes I should've said something about this after buying the house. I purcahsed this house two years ago when it was winter -- so i didn't notice the oil until I started doing yardwork about 4 months later. I found out by the neighbor that the guy would drain his boat and 4-wheeler oil directly on the ground and just pitch the oil filters in the corner of the yard. Luckily it's between the shed and fence, so I won't be using this area for anything other then storage, but I'm planning on digging-up the soil about 6-12 inches deep, digging-up deeper soil not contaminated, and burying the oily soil with good soil on top. I still won't probably ever be able to grow anything here, but at least it'll have a cleaner area for storage. The oil cans I took to a local place the recycles them.

Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas on the stuck screws though. I'm just now starting some major home repairs, so I'm sure they'll be put to good use soon :)

Ringo

[G. Morgan]

On 28 Nov 2004 21:55:42 -0800 "Ringo Langly" used 39 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair

I think you're missing the point Ringo. The petrochemicals contaminate ground water, you'll be helping the process along by digging it deeper. The oil also is a danger to kids and animals. It's best to dig it up and dispose of properly.

[Stormin Mormon]

And what would be proper?

[zxcvbob]

If you dig up the contaminated soil, you need to burn it rather than bury it. You're actually better off having it hauled away and let someone else burn it.

You really ought to go after the previous owner for not disclosing an illegal toxic waste dump when you bought the property. It's gonna be expensive to clean up if he actually dumped oil there rather than just a few old filters.

Bob

[default]

Call they guy's daughter, and ask her how to open the window...

[G. Morgan]

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 16:04:03 GMT "Stormin Mormon" used 26 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair

I don't know. But I'm sure burying it deeper is not the solution.

Try these guys:

Environmental Protection Agency Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20460 [phone]

[Tekkie]

Ringo Langly posted for all of us....

you), you have recourse over that

trouble for that seller; and

Like zxc & G Morgan says. You now have a home and property worth ZERO $ nada, nothing. You MUST disclose this to future buyers. You better get your lawyer on the phone because the realtor, previous owner didn't disclose it and it will be mucho $$$ to properly remediate. Hope it's only oil, not heavy metals, etc.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

There are special landfills for contaminated soil.

[David]

Ringo, Your idea sounds like the common sense approach, however you must tread very carefully here. I don't know what state you live in, but here in washington, and federally under CERCLA (the federal toxic cleanup law), if you dig up and rebury or move the contaminated soil in any way, you are actually "disposing" of the hazardous substance (oil) and then becomming personally liable for the damage. While the contaminated site sounds small, cleanups can easily run into the six figure range for larger sites. If you remove the soil ( wouldn't recommend it personally), have it disposed of at a proper facility and KEEP THE DOCUMENTATION showing you disposed of it properly. The prior owner is liable both for the latent defect, which you should be able to sue as a misrepresentation under the sale contract, or liable under an enviornmental statute as a liable party who disposed of a hazardous substance. You should be under the applicable statute of limitations in either case. Write him a letter and make him pay for the cleanup or better yet, contact a lawyer to do it for you saying that you are going to have an environmental consultant clean it up. Most state statutes allow you to recover your attorney's fees for bringing a "private right of action" so it shouldn't cost you anything. Good luck, David

[default]

generally, you incinerate it, in small batches. That way, you pollute the air, instead of the groundwater.

[Jeff Cochran]

Locally, you call the solid waste department who provides a hazardous materials barrel, at a significant cost. Alternatively, twice a year they have a hazardous household waste disposal drop-off and you bring it in a non-permeable container such as a 5 gallon pail with a lid.

Jeff