There are so many folks now that have natural stone in their kitchen and baths (granite, terrazzo, etc.) or they have ceramic tile. Many years ago we all put cultured marble in the baths, but not so much now. And so now we are all looking for a simple way to take care of natural stone and tile. Because we are all busy, simple is what we have time for. And I don’t know about you, but I like simple. And the question below is what sparked this article.

Question: We have lots of marble in our bathrooms, it’s starting to loose its luster…I’m afraid that it may have been damaged by some harsh cleaning products. First what do you recommend for cleaning marble? Secondly what can we use to revive the luster to that marble?
Answer: There is a company that most people don’t know about to clean and protect marble and other natural stone and tile. Most professionals do, and you see it mostly at wholesale granite and tile outlets. But when JoNell wanted granite in the kitchen for the 1st time I set out to find what would keep it looking good. Most people think that natural stone and granite is bullet proof, but it takes some maintenance to keep it looking good. Stone Tech (www.stonetechpro.com) is the best thing I have found. It’s simple, and it works. After you have your stone installed, use a product called “Revitalizer”. It comes in a canister, and looks like baby wipes. Use it at the end of the day, when cleaning up the kitchen, and just wipe down the stone. It will keep it looking new, because it cleans and protects at the same time. However, if the stone gets abused or neglected there is another product to help you. It is called “Stone and Tile Cleaner” and it will clean all natural stone, like marble, granite, limestone, travertine, slate and terrazzo. The last step is to polish the stone and that product is called “Stone Polish”. It is so important to take care of your stone because the next step is to have people come and repair the stone. And you really don’t want that expense. Now for man made marble aka cultured marble- use the “Stone Polish”, it’s the best thing that I know of. This was a great question!

Question: We have had a problem with one of our bathroom faucets, starting soon after a plumber installed a new faucet. When you use the cold water, you get a smell. It’s strong. The odor goes away quickly. The plumber says it’s not his fault, the water heater company says it’s not their fault, another plumber (second opinion) says it could be sediments in the heater (it’s only 2 years old), and then I was told to pour a ½ of gallon of bleach down the drain, and don’t use it until morning. I am at my wits end- have you ever heard of this?
Answer: That odor is coming from your water heater. It could be 2 things, one the heater isn’t used often, or the anoid rod is bad in the heater. You can change out the rod by yourself, and the plumber should have known this. Call the plumber, and have him walk you through the process. I do a radio show in SA, called “The Happy Handy Man Show”, and I get this question about once a year.

Question: Wonder if you can settle a energy efficiency debate between my wife and I. One of us believes that it’s more energy efficient to leave ceiling fans on when no one is in the room keeping the air circulating and reduce the demand on AC. And the other believes it’s more efficient to turn them off when no one is in the room, saving the electricity. And the answer is????
Answer: Wind chill produced by the fan against your skin is what makes a room feel cool, so if you are not in the room…who cares? Certainly not the drapes, haha… So turn off the fan when you leave the room.

Question: I have a long L shaped sink in my laundry room and it’s a man made product. There is a crack from the center across the bottom about five inches long – it does not go up the side. What can I use to cover the crack – it does not leak.
Answer: Clean first with soap and water, fill the crack with “Plumbers Goop” (www.eclecticproducts.com) Then use “Superior Shield” (www.shieldproducts.com), and go across the crack, it will protect the surface.

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.