Q–When I paint my walls with a paint roller, I often have a problem with paint dripping off the roller when it is first applied to the wall. Also, there are often slight ridges in the paint and uneven areas on the wall after it dries. What suggestions can you offer to ensure a smoother paint job?
A–First, buy only good-quality roller covers; poor-quality, inexpensive covers will never give you a smooth job. When you pour paint into the pan, leave the top of the sloping area clear of paint so you can roll off some of the excess paint on this section after dipping the roller into the paint.
Always make your first stroke on the wall in an upward direction, and roll upward at a slight angle. Your next stroke (at a downward angle) should partially cross the first stroke, the idea being to create an “N” or “W” pattern on the wall.
Finish off with straight, parallel strokes without picking up any more paint.
Q–My late husband installed cedar clapboard on the sides of our garage.
After two or three years he decided to paint this siding, and it has been painted several times since then. Now it is peeling badly.
What kind of paint should I use to repaint the siding?
A–You don’t say what kind of paint was used before, but I assume it was probably oil paint.
Before painting again, you should first strip off all of the old paint down to the bare wood–by using a chemical paint remover or by pressure-washing with a suitable stripper.
Then prime with a latex-base sealer or primer, and follow that with one or two coats of a latex-base house paint.
Q–My toilet doesn’t always flush completely, especially when there is solid waste in the bowl. A second flush is often required. What can I do about this?
A–The most likely cause is that the water level is too low inside the toilet tank when the tank is supposedly full.
If the water level in the tank is not high enough, when the tank is flushed the pressure of the water flowing into the bowl will not flush away all of the waste.
To check this, take the lid off the tank after it has filled and see if the water comes up to about 1/2 inch below the top of the overflow tube. (There should be a mark on this tube or on the tank wall to indicate the proper water level.)
If the water level isn’t high enough, adjust the float ball arm by bending it up slightly so that the water will rise higher before it shuts off.
If your tank doesn’t have a float ball, then the ballcock valve must have an adjustment that will enable you to raise the water level inside the tank when it is full.
Q–We get water in our basement when it rains a lot.
A waterproofing contractor recommends installing a drain around the inside by digging a trench next to the foundation, then installing a sump pump to remove the water. What do you think of this solution?
A–This method is often used to solve wet basement problems. It consists of installing drain lines (perforated plastic pipe) in a trench dug around the footing. This carries the water to a sump pump that must then carry the water outside to a safe disposal point at least 10 feet away from the house.
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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.
