Archive for March, 2008

Peeling Paint In Bathroom

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

Ted W writes, I repainted our bathroom a few months ago & now the paint is kind of flaking off in areas, what would cause this?

More than likely Ted it is from hairspray on the walls, I have run into this problem myself & this what I did. Scrape any areas that have peeled or look like they are going to peel. Paint over then with an oil based primer like Kilz & when it is dry repair with drywall mud. After these areas have been sanded, prime all of the walls with the same oil based primer & then repaint with 100% acrylic enamel eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss, which will hold up well to moisture. You shouldn’t have any further problems after following these steps. I know from now on I will always prime a bathroom wall with the oil based primer in hopes of eliminating all the additional work that I & now you have experienced. Thank you for sharing your question.

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Choosing The Best Grass Seed For Your Area

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

Growing a healthy lawn involves preparation & maintenance, but regardless of how well you’ve done both if you choose the wrong seed you will fight an uphill battle & the lawn is doomed. Grasses that flourish in an open sunny area may not survive in the shade. Some grasses are more durable than others & are better suited for high-traffic areas.

Grasses are separated into cool & warm season varieties. Cool season grasses including bluegrass, annual & perennial ryegrass, & bent grass should be used in cooler climates. Cool-season grasses are usually blended in a seed mix than can be spread with a broadcast seeder. In warmer climates, use warm-season grasses including St. Augustine, Bermuda, centepede, & buffalo grass. Warm-season grasses are planted as singl-species plugs.

Some seeds need more water than others, but in general you can expect to do more watering if you live in an arid part of the country, (duh). If you live in a mixed climate you may need to blend warm & cool-season grasses for a successful lawn.

Most likely, the seed sold in stores in your area will grow there & will be marked for use in sunny or shaded areas. I have always had good luck with a mixture of rye & fescue in the Clarksville area, but you may want to check with the Co-op extension service or one of the local nurseries for your particular application. You can even take a soil sample to the Co-op for a free analysis to get a better idea of what your lawn may require. It’s getting that time of year so get a game plane together & get to work!

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White Stains On Chimney

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

Pat M writes: My new brick chimney has white streaks down the sides. Both the builder & the mason say the stains are normal & will go away on their own, but I am still concerned. Are they a long-term problem that I will have to worry about when my warranty runs out?

The white stains described are probably either efflorescence or calcium carbonate. Efflorescence occurs when water dissolves salts in brick & mortar, bringing them to the surface & leaving them on the face of the wall, these stains can usually be removed with water & a brush.

Calcium-carbonate stains are also caused by water in the brick which dissolves calcium hydroxide in the mortar & when exposed to carbon dioxide in the air forms calcium carbonate. These stains are thick, hard, crusty, & are not water soluble. Muriatic acid must be used to remove these stains.

Water in the wall is the cause of each case & an initial outbreak is fairly common & not a serious problem. If either persists over time, however, it is an indication that water is entering the brickwork on a regular basis & corrective measures would need to be taken in order to identify & repair the point of entry.

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A Better Asphalt Sealant

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

Evan S says, Temperatures in the 70′s the other day got me to thinking about some spring time projects around the house, one if which will be re-coating my asphalt driveway. Are all asphalt sealants the same?

Funny you should mention that Evan as I found my mind wandering down the spring time “honey-do” list myself that day. many of the driveway sealers sold in retail stores are nothing more than thick paint & can be a waste of money. What you want to do is buy a more professional product that contains more sand, known as “solids content”, which helps to seal the whole thing so that water doesn’t get into & under the asphalt. If there are large cracks in the driveway then these will need to be filled with the appropriate caulk or filler prior to sealing. Most of the retail brands have a solids content of around 24% whereas professionals generally use a sealer with around a 52% solids content

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What Should I Ask A Home Inspector?

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

Owen wrote:
I am thinking about purchasing a house. What questions should I ask when I’m
looking for a home inspector or should I use my Real Estate agents usual home
inspector?

Owen, one of the big questions used to be if they are a member of one of fraternal organizations such as, ASHI, NAHI, or NACHI because these organizations each have their own code of ethics & standards of practice that their members are supposed to follow. But in a state, such as Tennessee or Kentucky, where home inspectors are now required to be licensed that question wouldn’t make it to the top of my list because the State has their own standards of practice, insurance & education requirements. Now I would say the most important question you should ask would be what was their background before becoming a home inspector. I have been involved in home building my entire life with hands on experience & a working knowledge of the trades involved in building a home & a week or two of home inspector classes is just no substitute for that when it comes to helping you make your decision on probably the biggest investment of your life.

On whether or not to use your agents usual inspector, that depends a lot on the agent. There are a lot of good agents out there that genuinely do have their clients best interest in mind & if you have one of those agents then I would say sure go ahead & use their inspector. But, there are also agents out there that only want to get the house closed & get a commission check & if you have one of those agents you are in trouble because they usually have an inspector that will gloss over anything that may “kill the deal”, & unfortunately you may not even know or notice what was not reported until a few years down the road or perhaps when you decide to sell & the buyers inspector reports it & now you get to foot the bill for the repair just like the seller should have when you were buying the home.

Be an educated consumer, do your research, get a qualified home inspector!

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What’s The Difference Between Floor Tile & Shower Tile ?

Monday, March 10th, 2008

I recently helped one of my sister’s with a kitchen/bathroom remodel in her Nashville condo & a question that I thought I would share with you came up. What’s the difference between floor tile & shower tile? Well, ceramic tile makes a durable, low maintenance shower enclosure. But specific types of floor tile can’t be used in wet locations-not because they’ll be damaged by the water, but because they can become dangerously slippery when wet.

Tile manufacturers use a numerical value called a coefficient or friction, or COF, to rank how much traction a tile surface provides & in wet locations that number should be .60 or higher. manufacturers may not print the COF on the cartons & in that case it would be wise to ask about it. (Some building codes may even require a specific COF)

Some types of tile are too porous for use in a shower even if their size & texture seem appropriate. Natural clay pavers would let the water soak right through so they should be limited to dry areas.

Another factor is size, some floor tiles are available in up to 18×18, but that would be too large to conform to the slopes that are in most shower floor pans & would crack. I have seen larger tiles broken up & then laid on the floor in a mosaic fashion or you can use factory sheet mosaics that are flexible, form nicely to the floor pan & are quicker to install. Never use wall tiles in place of floor tile as they are not strong enough & will not last.

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Why Do My Lights Flicker ?

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

Andy Thomas asks, Whenever I turn on an appliance in my house the lights throughout the home flicker, why? Should I be concerned about the safety or condition of the house wiring?

A slight flicker is fairly normal when a big motor load such as an air conditioner or washing machine starts. If all the lights dim, then return to normal when a small appliance is turned on, then it is a system problem & the cause will be somewhere between the breakers in the service panel & the utility pole. If your neighbors are experiencing the same problem when everyone is running their air conditioners the problem could be that the the distribution grid, the transformer or the drop isn’t able to supply enough energy. Another possibility would be a loose connection at the main breaker. A qualified electrician will be able to find & fix your problem, or rule your side out & get your service provider to inspect it’s side. If the problem is in the main panel, someday it will fail catastrophically, so that situation would be urgent.

It’s a different problem if some lights dim & some get brighter, this would indicate a compromised neutral connection between the service panel & the transformer. This is an immediate danger because if the neutral connection is lost higher than normal voltages will destroy or damage appliances & could start a fire. The utility service provider would normally respond immediately if this condition is found.

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Eliminating Ladder Whistle

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

If you haul a ladder on the top of your vehicle on a regular basis you are probably familiar with the ladder whistle that is caused by the air rushing by the holes at each end of the rungs. While this can be a temporary annoyance for a one time project, if you are hauling your ladder every day for work like I do it begins to close in on insanity. Well, here is how I solved my ladder whistle problem. I put the ladder on saw horses & sprayed expanding foam in each rung hole, then when the foam had set up I went back & trimmed it flush with a long razor blade. Even if you don’t haul a ladder on a regular basis this can still be of benefit in preventing things like a wasp nest & the accompanying sting when you drag that ladder out this spring for your projects around the home.

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Reboring A Door

Monday, March 3rd, 2008

Keith D asks? I bought new doorknobs to install in my older home, but the existing holes are too small for the new locks & there is no wood to engage the pilot bit of my hole saw. How do I enlarge the holes?

Keith, there are 2 ways you can go about this, one is to use a hole saw that is the same size as the current hole in the doors & drill a hole through a scrap piece of 2x material. You can now place this plug on the hole saw for the new locks (usually 2-1/8) & it will act as a guide to keep the hole saw steady. The second option would be to drill the 2-1/8 hole in a scrap of plywood or 1x, center it over the hole in the door & clamp it in place as a guide. On both of these methods do not drill all the way through the door, to avoid splintering remove the bit & move to the other side & repeat. There is also a good chance that the hole for the latch in the side of the door will be too small as well. If it is too small it won’t be by much & I have had good luck with using a 1 inch hole saw instead of a paddle bit, start slow & it will work it’s own way in. Good Luck!

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