How many of you have ornamental iron work, corrugated metal roof, trailers, metal fence?  You have rust – especially those of you with extreme humidity in your area.  I am going to tell you a simple way to get rid of it.  First get a wire brush with a scraper on one side and wire bristles on the other.  Use the scraper to get the bumpy rust off and then use the wire brush side to smooth out the finish.  And smooth is good when it comes to a paint finish.  Now you have 2 ways to go – you can choose to kill the rust so it never comes back.  “Rust Cure” is that product.  It comes in a spray bottle.  Just spray the metal and let it set for one hour, and then wipe off the oily residue.  Now let the project sit for 7 days.  It will turn gun metal grey and be ready to paint, or not if you don’t want to.  Use Coronado’s Rust Scat Enamel to paint and use 2 coats.   I have never seen rust re occur after treating it with “Rust Cure”.  Now if you want to paint – you don’t have to treat with “Rust Cure” you can just paint with a new product called “Rust Cap”.  That’s right you don’t even have to treat the rust because “Rust Cap” will encapsulate the rust and you won’t have a rust problem after that.  Always do the surface prep first (because you want a smooth painting surface) and then all you have to do it spray.  It makes easy work of ornamental iron furniture or railings.  Use two coats, always.  “Rust Cap” comes in a spray or in a quart or a gallon.

Now to the mailbag…..

Question:  I dropped a heavy crystal bowl on the divider of my kitchen sink and it chipped it in two places.  One is very small; the other is probably an inch long and half inch wide.  Is there anything I can go to fix it?

Answer:  This is an easy one.  The name of the product is called Porc A Fix.  It comes in white and almond.  The bottle looks like a bottle of finger nail polish with a small brush inside.  If you can paint your nails you can fix your sink. 

Question:  Johnnie we have two Victorian chairs one is cast aluminum and the other is cast iron.  Each year I need to wire brush those hard to get oxidized areas in the filigree that slough off the pro grade Rustolium paint.  Is there some product that will neutralize these troublesome areas prior to repainting?

Answer:  The answer is easy and the reason for the problem is the paint you used.  Wire brush the area and then paint with “Rust Scat Enamel” by Coronado Paint- use the latex not the oil and remember 2 coats!

Question:  Johnnie I was wondering where I could buy some cleaning solution to remove hard water and mineral deposit stains on my windows outside.  I just bought an older home and the windows are covered in these hard water stains. 

Answer:  The best product to use to remove mineral stains on glass is a product called Delete Germ or as we call it D-Germ.  I had a shower at Lake McQueeney that was not turned off all the way and the mineral stains were so thick that you couldn’t even see thru the glass.  I knew I had never used D-Germ for this job but I used it on the shower tile and it works great.  So I put a little on a wet soft rag and wiped it on and right away it took it off.  I rinsed it right away.  And then it looked like it was polished.  I know this product is hard to find in Houston – but check our website www.acmelumber.com and its available there. 

Question:  In my brothers house in Richmond, MO we have an increasing problem with bats coming in one or two places high up in the eave right under the roof.  We need to get them shut out.  I have read in the paper that here a cloth or fabric that can be placed across the crack to keep them out.  Where would we get that and what is it called- or do you have a better solution?

Answer:  A small piece of screen wire will do the job.  Or just put some “Bye Bye Birdie” up there and if they land on it they won’t come back.  This will also work on birds for outside furniture, on decks or windows sills.         

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.