The real estate market in San Antonio is finally looking up.  And if your house is on the market, you know how important first impressions are.  People will just drive off, if the front of home doesn’t just grab them.  And the front door can be the most exciting way to make an impression on new buyers.  And the great part about that is that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.  Anyone can paint the front door.  And I am going to walk you through that.  First you want to remove all the old paint and varnish off by using Soy Gel.  It’s a safe remover that is 100% biodegradable.  I know you won’t believe this but it’s made out of 100% American grown soy beans.  It will easily remove lead based paint, latex paint, enamel, varnish, urethane and polyurethanes.  Most people wonder how long to leave on the remover?  And the easy way to figure it out is to apply it in a small area and then see how long it takes to remove the paint- then you know how long it will take to do the whole door.  When the paint is ready to be removed, get a plastic scraper and just scoop off the paint, or varnish.  You can even reuse the Soy Gel if you happen to run out.    After removing the Soy Gel, take off the residue with water and a rag or a scrub pad.  Then let the surface dry.  Most removers then require that you sand the surface afterward- but not Soy Gel.  That’s another reason that I like Soy Gel.  Now you are ready to paint.  The paint I like to recommend is Coronado Paint.  They make a paint called Rust Scat Enamel, which comes in a semi gloss and a high gloss.  It is a oil paint that is a great primer, it’s also the color that you want, and also great for the finish coat.  So one quart of paint does everything.  Rust Scat can also be used on metal, and on a concrete floor.  Now the only thing that you need to know is the kind of brush to use.  Use a synthetic bristle brush.    So now you have no excuse- get to painting!

Now to the email…..

Question:  Johnnie I just read your article in the paper.  I am curious about the product you mentioned called Quick Shine – is a cleaner or sealer?  Also can it be used on laminates? How do you remove it?
Answer:  Ouick Shine is like a new floor in a bottle, never needs to be taken off- gives your floors an instant deep rich glow – quick and easy.  It is a premium product developed from advanced polymer technology.  It protects and shines hardwood, tile, vinyl, marble, linoleum, and most other hard surface flooring.  The cleaner that you would use first is called Quick Shine No Bucket- never needs rinsing- then use Quick Shine Floor Finish to give a deep shine.  There is also a mop that is made for the Quick Shine, that comes with 2 pads- one for cleaning and one for the floor shine.

Question:  I have bleached pine cabinets.  Does Feed and Wax work well on that surface or is there something else to give it a face lift?
Answer:  It will work great!  If your cabinets need cleaning first, a new item I have found to work well is Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. 

Question:  I have some cabinets that have been in storage for a long time.  They smelled awful when I brought them home and nothing seems to help get rid of the odor, except maybe throwing them in the trash.  Can you help me?
Answer:  You can use the Bio Zapp.  Spray the cabinets with the product inside and out.  You may have to do this a couple of times- letting dry between coats.  Bio-Zapp gets rid of all pet odors also. 

Question:  The ceramic floor tile in the bathroom has years of hairspray buildup.  Nothing I have done cuts through it- it just makes it sticky.  Any suggestions on what I can use to clean it and not damage the tile? 
Answer:  Use the Quick Shine Heavy Duty Wax Remover- Mix 1 cup to 1 gallon of very hot water- let it sit for a while and then use a scrubby to clean it off.

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.happyhandyman.com.