Q. I've enjoyed reading your column ever since I bought my house. Recently, you recommended against painting cinder blocks unless one is absolutely sure that there is no chance of water penetration.

Experts share the most common ways insects and rodents make their way inside, such as foundation cracks, gaps under the garage door, vents, and ducts.

Q. My house was built in the ’40s and has a cinder-block foundation. On the inside, it has paint that’s peeling. Some of the blocks are crumbling, but the problem is not deep, less than an inch. In ...

Q: My house was built in the '40s and has a cinder-block foundation. On the inside, it has paint that's peeling. Some of the blocks are crumbling, but the problem is not deep, less than an inch. In ...