I know that we have had more water in the last 6 month than I can ever remember.  But that is no reason to waste water in the home.  Test your flapper and see is it is leaking.  Put a drop of food coloring in the tank, does is show up in the bowl?  Then your flapper is leaking.  Get a new flapper and make sure it’s a frugal flush flapper.  They are the best that you can buy and it’s adjustable.  Now for all those rocking toilets that when you sit down you need a seat belt here is the answer.  They make plastic shims that fit under the toilet that keep it from rocking.  The cost to fix a rocking commode is less than a couple of bucks and you can do both of these jobs- because you know how!

Now to the e-mail….

Question: A few weeks ago you mentioned a product that helps with chairs that have loose joints.  Can you tell me what that product is please?

Answer:  The product is called “Wonder lok em” or “Chair Lok”.  It has a fine point that you can squirt into each joint.  And it works fast, 10 seconds and your chair is like new.

Question:  Johnnie I bought one of the Allergy4 air conditioning filters from you.  I have since heard that these filters restrict the air flow to the point of damaging the AC unit.  Is that true? 

Answer:  The only people who want you to use the cheap filters might be the AC people who want to clean your coil every year or so because of the dust that goes through the cheap glass filters right into your wet coil.  This causes the unit not to perform as well as it could using a Merv7 or Merv8 pleated filter. The one you have is the one I have used for many years.  Now if you leave any good pleated filter in after it gets dirty well you will restrict air movement too much.  When the people sanded my floors at the lake the dust blocked by filter so I had to change it quicker but no dust went into the coil.

Question:  My husband sat on our leather sofa that is only 15 months old after he had sprayed his legs with Deep Woods Off.  This caused the leather to change colors.  It now looks like the color has been scratched off.  Is there anything out there for this kind of repair that I could do myself or should I call a professional? 

Answer:  This is the time for a professional.  Check with your local furniture co. that sells leather products, or maybe the people that you bought it from can recommend someone reputable. 

Question:  Good Morning, the glass door and wall around by shower is bordered with brass that has some white powdery stuff and some black corroded looking edges.  Is there anything that I can do to make it look better?  Can I use the Delete Germ on my cultured marble?

Answer:  Use the Delete Germ to clean glass and the rest of the door but clean and rinse all the same time.  Try a small spot first.  Nothing works better on cultured marble than Stone Tech Stone Polish.

Question:  I have an area around the drain in my bathtub that is rusting and seems to be eating away the white porcelain.  What product should I try?

Answer:  There is one product that works every time, Rust Cure.  Clean the surface first with Delete Germ.  Then rinse, immediately. (your tub with look great) Do a good job of rinsing because the Delete Germ is a mild acid and will etch the tub if you leave it on.  Wipe the tub dry.  Spray the rusty area with the Rust Cure.  Wait 15 minutes and wipe off the oily residue.  Let it cure for 7 days.  Now it will have turned gun metal grey.  Get a product called Porc A Fix and touch up the spot where the Rust Cure is.  Now you have a new looking tub, and you did it yourself!

Question:  We spilled liquid shoe polish on a concrete floor and have been unable to find anything that will remove it.  Can you suggest a way to take care of this?

Answer:  Bix regular paint and stain remover will do the job.  Put a little on the spot and let it work.  When you can take your finger and wipe away the stain, remove the Bix with a wet rag.  Now make sure that you wet the area completely to stop the action of the stripper(Bix) and wear protective clothing, because this is strong stuff.

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.