Wow we are coming up on a brand new year – are you ready?  Are you making a list of New Year Resolutions?  Well just throw it away and make one decision.  E-mail the Happy Handy Man before starting any little job around the house.  I will e-mail you back with the right product and the right way to do it right – the first time.  And you will save money by doing it yourself, plus you will feel like a million dollars.  Remember everything is easy if you know how to do it.  I have one New Years Resolution- to answer all your e-mail and go to 6 hardware shows this year.  I will be a fountain of information.  Trust me, no matter what anyone says, 2010- will be great!  Keep the e-mail coming!

Now to the questions…

Question:  One of the properties I manage sprung a pinpoint hole in one of the water lines that carries water to the hot water heater in the attic.  The same thing happened last year in another line on the first floor.  At that time nobody was home and there was a lot of damage” this time the tenant caught it fairly quickly.  The town house was built in 1974, and has metal water lines.  Is there any way to avoid this from happening?  I was told that they can blow the lines and coat with something on the inside.
Answer:  There are companies that can re-coat the inside of the pipes, but I don’t know how reliable it is.  There is a product called Magic Wrap that wraps around the pipe and fixes the leak and last for years.  This is a great and easy fix.

Question:  I have a problem about the floor in my garage.  There appears a line some short and some maybe 12 or 14 inches long chalky white powdery looking stuff.  Do you know what is causing this?
Answer:  The white lines are caused by water pressure coming up through the ground due to lack of a barrier in the slap to keep the water from coming through, and what you’re seeing is actually lime being pushed up through the cement due to pressure.  But you can clean the lime off with a product called Safe Solutions and then seal the floor with another product called Valspar Premium Water Sealer. 

Question:  I have a screened in outside room attached to my home.  Above the room is a balcony off our second bedroom.  The balcony is about a 24’ x 15’ long.  The room below leaks badly.  The balcony was extended out from the house with beam from work and they filled it somehow with concrete for the balcony floor.  It leaks, and I was wondering if the product that you called “Through the Roof” would work?
Answer:  Through the Roof is the right product where you have leaks.  Apply it with a brush and give it a heavy coat where you believe it is leaking.  This should be a permanent fix.

Question:  A few months ago you had mentioned a product that you can spray on your bathtub to help prevent slipping rather than using a nasty old mat.  I have looked everywhere – no one knows about that product.  What was the name?
Answer:  The product is called Grip On and it’s an anti-slip solution.  It works on porcelain bathtubs as well as tile, concrete and terrazzo.  You can find it on our website.

Question:  We plan to help our daughter refinish her coffee tale and end table. These tables were purchased 15 years ago. They were not inexpensive tables and I am not sure what they are made of.  The finish is dark.  Our plan is to sand and stain.  What kind of stain?  And then what should we do?
Answer:  Why do you try and use the Restore a Finish before going to all that trouble.  Use the Dark Walnut.  Apply the Restore, and then use the Feed and Wax. 

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.