Happy Handy Man - December 19, 2007
by Johnnie Chuoke
I hope you had a great Christmas and now
it’s time to make a commitment to start doing something around
the house this next year. And I want to be the one to
encourage you to do just that. So here is a list to get started
– it’s a rating of beginner. Do you have a door that
has loose screws in the jamb? It makes the door sag, and
drag. Take the loose screws out one at a time and stick a tooth
pick back in the hole and tighten back up the screw. Now that is
quick. Now that old chair that wobbles, but you still love it-
here is what to do. Get a product called Locktite (or Chairlock)
and using the dropper provided put the product into the joints of the
chair. In about a minute, the chair will be good as new.
Now what about those cold spots in the house, or maybe you have that
zoned heating and AC in your office at work. Get a Big
Heat. I was writing the article and my office always stays cold-
so I put on the Big Heat for about 5 minutes and a 12 x 20 office got
warm quick. I had them put it on the website so check it
out! So what are you going to try and do this next year?
Write me and we will do it together!
Now to the e-mail…..
Question: What would be
the best stain for our cedar sided house in the Houston area? My
husband had originally stained it with a product called Sikkens Cetol
1. It has lasted for quite a while, but now it’s time to
stain the cedar. Would it be best to go back with this stain or
it there a better product to use?
Answer: You picked a good stain, so stick with it. But
lets’ clean the house first with Jomax. The formulation is
1 pt Jomax, 3 pts Clorox, and fill with water in a 2 or 3 gallon pump
up sprayer. And then spray down the house and rinse with clean
water. No scrubbing required just start at the top and go
down. Then when rinsing if the siding is real rough I would use a
soft broom just to make sure that it is all clean. By the way
this also works on roofing that is mildew stained.
Question: We have a shower
in our master bathroom that has a crack in the floor starting at the
drain hole and going away from it for about 4 in. It is not tile
but is a one piece shower floor that is common in houses in the
area. Our house is 6 years old. There has always been some
crack there but it has gotten longer. Is there anything that we
can do short of replacing it with tile?
Answer: There is a real inexpensive fix it called Goop.
It’s clear and it’s also an adhesive. So put it in
the crack and smooth it out. We do not want water in that
crack.
Question: I’m very
interested in the miracle pen grout cleaner you recommended in the
column. It is available yet? Will Quick Shine be good for
our rough kitchen floor?
Answer: Yes, the pen that will make your grout again is in.
And it is on the website. I have never tried using Quick Shine on
a rough surface floor, but if it’s sealed it should work.
Question: I enjoy reading
your article each week. It seems like you always have a product
to solve someone’s problem. The finish on my front door
needs to be re-done. It was polyurethane, but did not last.
The door faces the south so it gets plenty of sun in the summer.
The finish has turned black in some places. The inside of the
door is beautiful so I know what the outside can look like. What
should I use to strip the door? What do I finish it with? I
need something that will tolerate the sun.
Answer: This is a job that you can do. To remove the poly,
use the Soy Gel. It doesn’t work fast but it is so gentle
and easy to use. Put a thick layer on and let it set on the door
for about 2 hours. Check and see if the poly will just wipe off
down to the wood. (it will not remove the stain). Wipe off
the door with 4/0 steel wool removing the Soy Gel and then use a soft
wet rag to completely remove the Soy Gel from the door. Now you
are ready to stain- Use Old Masters. Wipe down the door with the
stain and let dry. Use 2 coats if you want a deeper color.
Then staying with the Old Masters, use their Spar Varnish in the finish
that you like, 2 coats, and sand and tact cloth between coats.Good
question.