Q–Every time I try to pour a small quantity of paint out of a full can, I have a tough time trying to do it neatly, especially when trying to pour some into a roller pan. The paint tends to pour out too fast in a thick stream that is hard to control, and then a lot drips or runs down the outside of the can, creating a mess. Any idea how this can be avoided?
A–When pouring paint out of a full can, do it with a quick tilt, rather than gradually tipping it over. This should prevent, or at least minimize, the amount that drips down on the outside. When finished pouring, again tip the can upright quickly, almost with a snap, to minimize the amount that runs down on the outside. The excess that does drip down on the outside can be wiped off neatly with a dry paint brush.
Another trick to eliminate dripping or splashing is to use a long pencil or length of sharpened dowel as a stream guide. Simply hold the pencil in place as you tip the can so the paint will run down the length of the pencil and drip off the point in a controlled stream.
Q–We are in the process of updating the kitchen in our 30-year-old home and I am doing a lot of the work myself–especially the cabinets. These cabinets are birch and have copper hardware. I have taken the doors off, and have cleaned all the hardware. Now what is the best way to refinish both the cabinets and the hardware?
A–Assuming the original clear finish on the cabinets is merely dull and needs freshening, after cleaning off all wax, polish and grime, sand down the finish with fine grit (220) sandpaper. Then dust thoroughly and apply two coats of a clear gloss or satin gloss varnish.
If the old finish is really bad, you will have to remove all of it with a paint-and-varnish remover, then apply two or three coats of new finish.
The copper hardware can sometimes be polished with fine steel wool and then recoated with a clear lacquer, but in most such cases it is quicker and easier to simply replace the hardware with new pieces of about the same size and style.
Q–When we had our new house built a short while ago, we had vinyl siding installed on the outside by a separate contractor. Our builder put something he called “house wrap” around the whole outside of the house and he told the vinyl siding man not to put on the insulation that came with the vinyl siding, claiming that the “wrapping” he installed had the same R-value as the vinyl siding insulation. Do you feel this was done correctly?
A–It’s not clear whether adding the vinyl insulation would have cost you extra, or whether it was included in the price as part of the siding’s cost. I don’t doubt that the R-values were equivalent, but if adding this insulation was included in the cost of the siding job, then I’m not sure why the extra insulation was not installed anyway. The additional layer would have made the total R-value even higher. However, if this did involve an added cost, then it is possible that the extra insulation would not have saved enough to make the additional expenditure worthwhile.
Q–Our house has aluminum windows and we have a terrible problem during cold weather with mildew forming on the inside of these window frames, even though there are storm windows on the outside. Although I clean this mildew off with a bleach solution regularly, the mildew comes back in a week or less. Can you suggest what I can do to solve this problem?
A–It sounds as though the humidity inside your house is very high. Turn off your furnace humidifier (if you have one) and make sure that exhaust fans are used in the kitchen and all baths when these rooms are in use.
More ventilation in the house will also help. It’s also possible that the storm windows on the outside do not fit as well as they should, or that additional caulking is needed to keep cold air from seeping in. Another likely cause is that the aluminum window frames do not have a built-in thermal barrier that will keep the insides from getting quite so cold.
If all else fails, put up interior plastic “storm windows” on the inside of those windows during cold weather (kits are sold in most home centers). Just make sure when putting up the plastic that the plastic doesn’t touch the metal window frame surfaces.
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Have a question about home repair problems? Write to Bernard Gladstone in care of Your Place, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. Sorry, letters cannot be answered personally.
