Q–One of my old dining room chairs has a loose leg and rung, making the chair slightly wobbly, so I decided to fix it myself. After pulling the rung far enough out of its hole in the side of the chair leg to permit scraping off most of the old glue, I applied new glue and then reassembled the joint. The leg still seemed kind of loose, so I injected more glue and clamped the joint tight by wrapping the legs with rope and letting them sit overnight. Unfortunately, the joint is still loose and the chair is still wobbly. What did I do wrong?
A–It sounds like the end of the rung is too loose a fit inside its hole. Because most wood glues can bond satisfactorily only when the joint is a snug fit, you’ll have to take the joint apart again and scrape off as much of the old glue as possible. Take care not to scrape any wood off in the process because this would make the fit even looser.
Scrape the old, dry glue out of the hole in the chair leg and then wrap the end of the rung with fine cord or thread, adding enough layers to make it a snug fit inside its hole. Coat this liberally with glue and then force the rung end into its hole. Finally, clamp the leg tightly in place until the glue sets.
Q–When we noticed our wood deck fading a few years after we moved into our new home, we repainted it with an exterior-grade oil paint–under the mistaken impression that it had originally been painted instead of stained. We power-washed the deck and allowed it to dry thoroughly before painting it. Now the paint is peeling off the horizontal surfaces. Is there any way we can go back to stain?
A–You’ll have to strip all of the paint off first. You can do this yourself with a semipaste, heavy duty paint remover or you can hire a contractor to use a power-washer with a special chemical additive that strips off old paint. After removing the paint, allow the wood to dry thoroughly, then apply two coats of a deck stain that contains a water-repellent sealer.
Q–I have a continual problem with moss forming on the brick steps leading up to my back door. What should I do?
A–To get rid of the moss, use a solution consisting of one part fresh liquid bleach mixed with three parts water. Mop on, let dry, then rinse off with lots of water. To prevent the moss from coming back, you’ll have to provide more sunlight (if there are trees or large bushes nearby that can be pruned) and better drainage for the stoop. It will also help if you coat the bricks with a waterproofing sealer after they are clean and dry. This will help them shed water, so moss will be less likely to form.
Q–We have a problem with our shower faucet. When someone is taking a shower and someone else in another part of the house turns on either the hot or cold water, the shower instantly gets too hot or too cold. Can you suggest a cause for this?
A–Two common causes for a problem of this type are:
1. The supply pipes leading to the shower are too small or they are partially clogged due to corrosion or a buildup of sediment inside the pipes, or
2. Inadequate pressure in your water supply system.
A good solution to both these problems is to have a new temperature-controlled shower faucet installed. These faucets ensure a constant temperature regardless of how much the pressure varies.
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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.
