Alcohol will work. Best is to lightly sand the area and use PVC pipe primer before you tape it.

Hi littlealexa, Considering the age of the chimney and the number of years that it hasnÂt been used, like you, I would want to make sure that it is fit for use. A brick chimney without a liner can easily withstand the temperatures of normal fireplace use. However, the fact that it needs tuckpointing indicates that the mortar is weak and crumbling in places and the chimney structure isnÂt quite as strong as it used to be. The heating and cooling could take itÂs toll on what strength the chimney still has. Now all that is a maybe. I would think that contractor A is being cautious by recommending a liner to alleviate the effects of the heat from the chimney itself or maybe he is just out to make as much as he can. Contractor B on the other hand seems to be confident that the chimney will be OK after the tuckpointing. Why donÂt you ask contractor B for a written guarantee that you will be safe to use the fireplace with his recommendations and that he would be on the hook for any repairs if anything happened. If he balks at that idea, then heÂs not 100% sure. All this does really, is leave between a rock and a hard place on whether you should pay for piece of mind or have a nagging feeling every time you use the fireplace. The difference in costs I agree, is substantial, and before going with the high figure purely for piece of mind, I would get a couple more opinions. In fact it might not be a bad idea to have a Licensed Structural Engineer look at the chimney whereas you will at least get a signed and sealed document certifying that the chimney is structurally sound for use. Good luck, Ontario DIY guy

I've used an underwater epoxy putty to fix some small cracks in my steps. I works well and it sets up underwater so you don't have to drain the pool at all. Just Google underwater epoxy putty.

rosewest- I don't mean to discourage you, but with your lack of skills and tools anything you do is going to be temporary at best. Decent drawer bottoms are never nailed on because the whole thing loosens over time, and the nails rub and catch. Also, if you use thicker material on the bottom, the drawer may not fit. If you want something that is going to last, you need to have a friend with tools, including a table saw and possibly a router, make a rabbeted panel that will fit in the existing grooves.