Fixing steps heaved awry by the frost

Q. I have some nice wood steps leading to a front stoop. After anumber of years, frost heaves have displaced the steps (there arejust two) that are set on concrete pillars in the ground. The stepsare 6 feet wide and 13 inches deep, each made up of two 7-inch by 11/2-inch-thick boards. The steps have raised 1 1/2 to 2 inches andgo downhill toward the house. How can I get them back into positionand, more important, keep them that way? S.M., Boxborough

A. Steps are the most critical part of any walking surface, andmust be the right size and shape to be safe and comfortable. Thesteps must be consistent with each other; that is, they must be thesame. Otherwise anyone going up or down the steps could be thrownoff stride and go tumbling. The inward sloping steps make ituncomfortable, awkward and hazardous for the walker.

Those concrete pillars under the stair are a correct procedure,but are not deep enough to go below the frost line (about 3 feet deepin Southern New England). Ground freezes under the pillars andexpands, pushing the steps out of position. You cannot stop or evenfight against the pressure of expanding earth. Going below the frostline, there will be no chance of heaving.To correct this, take off the stairs, take out the old pillarsand put in new concrete pillars 3 feet into the ground.An alternative to the pillars are Post-Ups!, which are steel,cross-shaped spikes that are driven into the ground by a sledgehammer. The cross shape allows straight and true driving.Those spikes, which come in 24-, 30- and 36-inch lengths, have asquare steel box on their tops; fit a short 4-by-4 into the box anduse it as a base for hammering. While the points of the Post-Ups!are not below 36 inches in the ground, they seem to resist moving byfrost heaves. Drive them where necessary, insert new 4-by-4 postsand set the steps on the posts.Q. My daughter bought a 1960s house in Connecticut that has darkred and blue slate floors. Can they be whitewashed? A.M., CantonA. No. No paint, varnish, stain or any thing else can be put onslate without quick, disastrous results, such as peeling, and in thecase of varnish, discoloration. To change the color, replace thematerial.The only thing that should be put on slate is a masonry sealer,which may darken but brighten the colors. Yes, there is one morething. Some people have had good luck applying Future, the acryliclinoleum finish, which will provide a shine and also may darken andbrighten the colors.Q. You wrote something about replacing the long spikes barelyholding up gutters with long screws, which will hold better than thespikes. My brother-in-law in New Jersey asked me to ask you aboutthem. Where can he get them and do they really work better than thespikes? D.S., West RoxburyA. Those long screws are sold in the Improvements catalog; call1-800-642-2112. Yes, they will hold better because they are screws,and they come with ferrules, metal tubes inserted in the gutter tokeep the screw from squeezing the gutter as it is driven. Make surethe fascia behind the gutter is sound and not punky. The screws willhold better if they are driven through the fascia and into the endsof the rafters. Call in your questions to 617-929-2930. GlobeHandyman on Call Peter Hotton is available from 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdaysto answer telephone questions on house repair. Hotton will chat online about house matters from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursdays. Toparticipate, point your Internet browser to www.boston.com and usethe keyword, chat.