Q-I have several lamps and other small items that need repainting.
I want to paint these items solid black with a shiny finish. I tried painting one lamp base with a brush, but I couldn’t avoid getting streaks and brush strokes in the finish.
I was told that spraying was the best way to get the smooth, glossy finish that I want, but I don’t have a paint sprayer. Can I use aerosol spray paints to achieve this effect, and if so, do you have any suggestions?
A-You can get good results with aerosol spray cans of colored enamel, but as with all spraying, it might be best to practice on some scrap surfaces.
Always keep the spray can moving while the nozzle is depressed. Try to move the can in such a way so that you always stay the same distance from the surface being sprayed, even if it’s curved or rounded.
To avoid a mess, set up a “spray booth” by cutting a side out of a large cardboard carton and then set the lamp inside it.
If you set the object being sprayed on top of an inexpensive plastic Lazy Susan, you’ll be able to rotate the object easily to get at all sides without having to move the spray can.
Q-My house has a concrete-slab foundation, and the floors get very cold in the winter. I’ve heard of insulating a slab with foam boards and some type of adhesive, but I can’t seem to find any information on how to do this. Can you help?
A-Most lumber yards and do-it-yourself home centers sell rigid insulation that can be used around the edges of a concrete slab. Some are foam boards and some are made of a thick asphalt-like material.
They’re installed by digging a narrow trench around the perimeter of the concrete slab and then placing lengths of the insulating board flat up against the edge of the concrete. Most heat loss occurs through the edges of the slab.
Sometimes an adhesive is needed. Check with your supplier.
Q-About a year ago, we had a new concrete driveway installed. This past winter we used ice-melting chemicals several times because of repeated accumulations of snow and ice during the severe winter. Now we find that the new concrete has many small pinpoint holes in the surface. How can we repair this damage?
A-You can patch the holes with one of the latex-base patching cements that are fortified with acrylic or vinyl, or with an epoxy-based patching cement.
However, the patches will undoubtedly show. The only thing you can do to get a uniform color is to paint the entire driveway with a concrete stain.
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Write to Bernard Gladstone in care of Your Place, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
