When I go to the Hardware Show in May, I look for products that are the answer for questions that you ask me. One question that keeps coming up is how to reface your laminate counter tops. There has never been a good answer. Until now!! In May we come across a company that has made a product that you can cover up your old laminate counter tops and make them look like granite. Really! And it’s easy. You don’t have to be artistic; you just have to know how to count to 5. Last Saturday at the store we had the Giani Granite representative, Tim Haas in the store demonstrating and holding classes in how to apply the Giani Granite Paint. People that had never used a sponge before were amazed at the way that they could paint the laminate, and it looked great. The Giani products comes in 2 colors, a Scician Sand, and a Bombay Black. It comes with a video, and all the paint and sponges and rollers that you need to cover 35 ft of counter top. Which is what the average kitchen is. It even comes with a top coat (that is a tough as a car coating) that adds protection for your counter top after you have applied the Giani Paint and the whole kit only costs $49.99. I know, how can you go wrong? So if you have asked the question, “what can I do to my laminate counter tops that won’t cost a fortune?” Here is the answer, Giani Granite Paint. By the way, do you know why they invented Giani Granite Paint- Tim and his wife were redoing their kitchen, and wanted granite, and didn’t have the money to do so. And now you get the benefit too. They saw it in San Antonio, and now you have heard about it in Houston! It will be available on our website, www.acmelumber.com – shop Johnnie’s favorites.

Now to the e-mail….

Question: A year or so ago we bought the NoSlip product for out tub and have been well pleased. It’s time to buy again, and I can’t find it on the web. Help would be appreciated.
Answer: It’s a special product that I write about and it is on our web site, it’s called Grip On. It will make ceramic tile and your porcelain tub non slip. Also it makes the tub easier to clean.

Question: I was interested in the clear product seal called MD referred to in your article. But what does MD stand for?
Answer: Ask any hardware store, and they will tell you, Macklanburg Duncan.

Question: My house is about 6 years old. Part of the roof looks like it has streaks on it. The roof is black. What can on do to get rid of the streaks? Can one pressure wash a roof?
Answer: Please no pressure washer on the roof. You might loose the shingles. Just use a product called JoMax and here is how you use it. One pt of JoMax to 3 pts of Clorox and fill the rest of a 2 gal pump up sprayer with water. Apply it to the roof. It will not hurt grass or shrubs. Clean a small area at a time, and then rinse with clear water. Be careful about getting on the roof, the Happy Handy Man stays on the ground now.

Question: I enjoy your column so much and have tried many of the products that you endorse with much success. We have flagstone around our pool and with the drought conditions that we have been having in Texas, I have noticed some cracks in the flagstone. Is there a product like Quikcrete that I can use on flagstone?
Answer: Yes, and it’s called Mor-Flex. It comes in the mortar colors and cleans up with soap and water.

Question: Regarding your column suggesting the use of a product for window tinting called “ClingView”, and I can not find it on the web. I went the Gila website, but they did not have ClingView. Any help you can provide would be great.
Answer: It is sometimes called Peel and Cling. There # is 800-528-4481.

Question: You wrote an article about a product to use on spacers on the driveway. You said you found a new self leveling sealant made by Quikcrete, but you never gave the name or where to buy it-help.
Answer: Sorry about that, it is called Quikcrete Polyurethane Sealant and it comes in a caulking tube.

Got a question for Johnnie? Tune in to Johnnie's radio show Saturday mornings on KKYX from 11-12 or call (21) 341-1573. Reach him on the web at www.AcmeLumber.com.