Old Concrete Will Need Extra Paint
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Question: I have a 50-year-old concrete patio thatâs badly pitted and marked. Would using one of those tough floor paints be much of an improvement, or does the concrete have to be torn out and redone?
D.W.
Santa Ana
Answer: âOld cement can be very porous, which causes problems when you try to paint it,â says Joe Ragsdale of Color Center in La Mirada. âIf youâre going to paint it, make sure you get a few extra gallons because youâre probably going to be doing some touch-up work over time. First, clean the surface off with a mixture of muriatic acid and water and let it dry out as much as possible. You donât want any moisture in the cement. After itâs dry, apply the paint and let that dry fully before walking on it. A better but more expensive option would be to have colored cement poured over the old surface.â
Q: We have a two-story house with two gas furnaces that serve the upstairs and downstairs. Weâve found that we really only need to run the downstairs furnace during winter, and weâve turned the gas off to the upstairs unit. When weâve had overnight guests, theyâve mistakenly turned the upstairs thermostat on. Is turning the furnace on with the gas off a hazard?
N.C.
Villa Park
A: âIf youâre worried that somehow an igniter will come on and remain on, thatâs not going to happen,â says Rod Albright of Albright Plumbing & Heating Supply in Los Alamitos. âThereâs generally a safety valve that keeps problems like that from occurring. On units with pilot lights, if the pilot should go out for any reason, the gas line shuts down.
âAlso, many people blow their pilot light out before summer to save energy, and they may be having problems restarting their furnace. What often happens is spiders will nest inside the area where the pilot is during summer and clog it, which can be a big repair job. Youâre better off leaving your pilot on all year-round. The gas used is very minimal, and it will be easier to start it up in the winter.â
Q: Weâve had periodic problems with a bathroom sink backing up, and I had an idea to prevent the clogging. On kitchen sinks, thereâs usually a strainer/stopper at the drain. Can I get something like that to fit my bathroom drain?
R.A.
San Juan Capistrano
A: âYou can put a strainer in there, but you have to remember that youâll no longer have the pop-up stopper,â says Rich Haagsma of Faucets ân Fixtures in Orange. âYouâll have to use the basket stopper, and you can find stoppers with very fine screens, which will help your problem, although it probably wonât be 100% effective. Youâll be trading the convenience of the pop-up for an improvement in keeping your drain clear.â
Q: I removed a wall mirror, 8 feet by 12 feet, and now I want to dispose of it. Whatâs the safest way to break it up?
D.D.
Newport Beach
A: âYou always have to take great care when working with a large piece of glass or mirror,â says Debbie Mundt of College Glass & Mirror in Fullerton. âA professional generally uses a glass cutter to break it into movable pieces. When doing this, youâll need to use a good cutter and make sure youâre wearing good eye wear and heavy-duty gloves.â
Q: We have a 100-year-old picture that used to hang on a wall with the hanging wire visible above the picture. Weâd like to use it in our home, but I want to hide the wire. Also, how do I know the wireâs still strong enough to support the picture?
S.W.
Yorba Linda
A: âThe key is to find out how strong the frame is,â says framer Art Munson of Santa Ana. âOn old frames, the hanging hardware may be strained from years of use, and the frame may be bent in some way. If the picture and frame is valuable to you, it wouldnât hurt to have a professional examine it and maybe install a new wire.â
Got a question about your home or garden? Write to: John Morell, Handyman, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.
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