I want to continue with some easy projects to start the year with.  Surely some of you tackled a couple of the easy projects we talked about last week, and since you are on a roll- let’s continue.  Do you have a sliding glass door that just is a pain to open?  It drags or literally jumps when you push the door open or closed.  Most people think that the rollers are to blame, but most of the time it’s not.  First thing is to clean the track.  The cheapest, excuse me, most economical product to use is paint thinner.  Get a clean rag and wipe down the track, vacuum if you need to.  Now with a clean track, spray the track with “Tri –Flow” it’s a lubricate that is like liquid ball bearings.  It will not attract dust.  Any hardware store will carry it.  WD 40 is not the same.  It attracts dirt and will make your problem worse.  Now try the door- if you are still having problems there is a stainless steel track that you can purchase to slip right over the old track.  It retails for under $8, it’s made by C.R. Laurence Co.  Now let’s move on to the bathroom.  When you look around the tub or shower- is the caulking mildewed and stained?  Are you tired of constantly cleaning it?  Remove the caulking with a product called Painter’s Pal if it’s silicone.  If you have a regular grout, remove it with a grout saw.  Then use a product called “Poly Seam Seal”.  It’s a caulking and adhesive all in one.  And the best part about it – it never mildews.  So no more constantly cleaning mildew.  If moisture is a problem in your bathroom and you have no window or vent.  You can remove moisture in a room with a product call “Damp Rid”.  Just pop the lid of the tub and put it behind the toilet.  It’s the little pebbles in a tub that remove moisture from the air and keep it in the tub.  When the tub is full of water, just pour it off and reuse.  Keeping your shower clean from lime and soap scum is easy with Delete Germ.  It’s a mild acid so use your gloves.  When you clean the tile shower or glass doors on the shower, just work in a small area at a time and rinse immediately.  Don’t go answer the phone or watch a TV program while cleaning the shower, because the acid in the Delete Germ will etch the glass, if you just leave it.  But using the Delete Germ correctly will make your shower and glass doors look polished.  Now if you have a project that you want to start, I am just a click away. 

All these products are available at an Ace Hardware, except for the Delete Germ.  It is on our website and can be delivered to you doorstep.  Go to www.acmelumber.com and shop Johnnie’s favorites.

Now to the mailbag……

Question:  Johnnie I have a 1939 bungalow that I am remodeling.  I would like to maintain the look and feel of the white hex tile on the kitchen counter top when I redo the kitchen.  However I do not like all of the grout joints and the maintenance associated with it.  Is there a product that can be poured on top of the tile to create smooth service that would not scratch easy or is there a product that mimics the hex tile but has a smooth surface? 

Answer:  No there is not anything that you can pour on top of the tile to make it a solid surface.  However if you like the look of the hex tile (I had an apartment once that had that in the bathroom) then the best way to take care of the grout is to seal it.  “Stone Tech” makes a great sealer that’s heavy duty and will make the grout stay cleaner longer.  To find the retailer close to you go to www.stonetechpro.com and put in your zip code.  They make a whole line of granite cleaners that work miracles on old granite. 

Question:  Johnnie my regrigerator’s icemaker has a large plastic container in which the ice is stored and dispensed.  It has a “freezer odor” that I have not been able to get rid of.  I’ve tried detergent, vinegar, and putting it outside in the sun, but still the odor remains and it affects the taste of the ice.  What do you recommend?

Answer:  There is a product called Bio-Zapp.  Just remove the container and spray it inside and out.  You don’t even have to rinse it.  The smell will be gone.  I have never seen anything like “Bio-Zapp”.  You can buy it on our website. 

Got a question for Johnnie? Tune in to Johnnie's radio show Saturday mornings on KTSA (5500 AM) from 9-11 or call 828-8907. Reach him on the web at www.AcmeLumber.com.