I have never seen so many days without rain this summer. Nor do I remember it being this hot for so long. There has only been one thing good about it. My water bill went from 180.00 to 75.00 because I am hand watering. When you water by hand you water where you need it. So even though I’ve watered by hand and used less water my grass is dark green and lush. A sprinkler system puts the water everywhere and in a lot of places it doesn’t even need to (like the street). Now that I’m hand watering, I needed a 50’ 5/8 never kink water hose. Then I replaced my outside faucet that I have to turn and turn to get the volume of water I need with a American brass ¼ turn lever ball valve that opens up to let more water into the garden hose. Since I get more volume of water, I needed a new nozzle. I bought an Orbit Magnum Fire nozzle that lets you water about twice as fast than with other nozzle. So now I am saving money and I have a green yard. You can get all these things at your local hardware store, if they don’t have them they can order them.

Now to the e mail….

Question: The corners of my foundation below the brick mortar are split or broken. No cracks are seen elsewhere. How do I repair them?
Answer: Dap makes an all purpose stucco patch just fill the cracks and spaces.

Question: Outside caulk around my doors and windows is pulling away from, the wall and is mildewed. Can I re caulk over the old caulk if it is cleaned first? What should I use to clean the caulk and what exterior caulk do you recommend for the Houston area? And what paint do you recommend for Houston, do I need an extra mildecide in the paint?
Answer: Clean the caulk with Zepp No Scrub mold and mildew Remover. Dap makes a great caulk that is a premium elastomeric. It is a top of the line. I recommend Coronado Crylicote with an extra mildecide in it for Houston.

Question: We have a 35 yr old house with a fireplace made of red Mexican brick the same as the exterior of the house. We like the old brick look and don’t want to change it. However the problem is with the hearth. It is faded and dry looking. Is there something we can put on it to bring the life back into it and seal it? I’ve tried oils, washing it and etc. but nothing lasts. I need something that will liven and seal the deep red look.
Answer: Quikcrete makes a clear sealer that will give you a nice wet look that should bring the color back. This is the patio and stone sealer I am recommending from now on.

Question: I know that you have written about this before but I can not find anything. How do I clean the outside windows – they have ugly water spots.
Answer: For cleaning the windows nothing works better than Rinse EZ. It will clean windows right through the screens. But for lime spots it takes a product called Delete Germ. Use rubber gloves and a rag, wet the rag with Delete Germ and wipe a small area of the window. Rinse right away. The Delete Germ will remove all the lime. Don’t leave the Delete Germ on the window, for more than a few seconds because it will etch the glass.

Question: My aunt owns a 2 story condo and the upstairs floor squeaks when you walk across it. I mean really loudly. We thought we remembered an article in the paper a couple of years back regarding a certain type of nail that you recommended to fix this problem? I believe you could nail it through the carpet, does this sound familiar?
Answer: You have a good memory; it’s called Squeek No More.

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.