Simple Solutions
Quick Fix for Broken Self-Closing Hinge – Most modern cabinet doors have self-closing hinges. But over time, the small leaf spring inside the hinge can break, and then the door won’t stay closed. Here’s a quick fix: Hold door closed with inexpensive roller catch. Mount the roller mechanism inside the cabinet and attach the latch to the door.
What to Do with Old Paint – Donate partially filled paint cans to a school’s art department, drama department, or the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Or, drop them off at your town’s Hazardous Waste Day. If you must dispose of the paint, fill the can with cat litter or sawdust. Leave the lid off until all the paint has been absorbed, then toss it out with your household trash.
Straight from the Pros
We welcomed Nick Slavik of Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration Co., in Minnesota, for our Straight from the Pros segment. Eva in Louisiana asked: “I really want to paint my kitchen cabinets, but they are wood laminate. Is it possible to paint them, and what steps do I need to take to make sure I do it right?” Listen to Nick’s answer in hour 2.
Checking in with Chelsea
Chelsea joined us in studio to talk about her latest Checking in with Chelsea episode, sponsored by Titebond. Check it out: DIY Lighted Mirror.
Hour 1
Lisa in TN
We have a bath tub that was painted by a previous owner. What’s the best way to strip that?
Keith in FL
We live in Florida and own a house in Maine that we close for the winter. It can get really cold inside – so cold that mice don’t even want to live there! Anyway, we want to do some interior painting in the spring and wondered if we would be better off using exterior paint because of the cold conditions there in the winter? And what about VOC’s?
Helen in NH
After removing our Christmas tree we found that water had leaked onto our antique pine floors. We now have several large black stains. I’ve heard that hydrogen peroxide can be used to remove stains on hardwood floors. Can it also be used on softwood flooring?
Steve & Grace in MN
We own a vacation home in Maine that has been in our family for many years. The house is closed during the winter, but when we open it in the spring, the dirt crawlspace underneath is very wet. We usually just open up the crawl space and within a few days the moisture is gone. Is there any way to alleviate this moisture problem? Also, we insulated between the floor joists in the crawlspace, and stapled up plastic sheeting to hold the insulation in place. A local contractor told us that the sheeting is a bad idea because it may be retaining moisture. Should we remove plastic sheeting, and if we do, how can we keep the insulation from falling down?
Cara in OR
We have tiled kitchen counters, which makes it impossible to roll out pie crust because the surface is very uneven. Some of the tiles are cracked and the grout is crumbling in places. There’s hardwood trim on the edges of the counter that matches our shaker-style cabinets. Is there a way to cover the tiles to create a flat surface or must we install all new countertops?
Steve in CA
We applied rose oil to our knotty-cedar siding. Now when the sun hits it, the house looks as if it has chicken pox where the knots are. What gives?
Hour 2
Tommy in TX
My wife and I bought our current home in 97. It had foundation problems and I was aware the problem existed but had worked for a foundation company before and I have an extensive back ground in construction. I intended to fix it myself but life got in the way and now the middle is down about 6″ to 8″. We are pier and beam with concrete skirt. I had the skirt leveled and stabilized years ago, due to issues that prevented the foundation company from finishing the middle of the house the interior was never raised. The neighborhood is not what it used to be and now we want to move but I don’t know where to begin on these repairs so we can sell this house. The house itself is older and has a lot of issues. It was moved here in 1960 from another location, and in fact was an old duplex that they knocked the center divider wall out of. There is 1X8 lattice covering all interior walls but 1 Red multi shade red brick in fairly good shape needs work, and much more windows need to be replaced painted the detached garage is dilapidated and probably way more than I know. We don’t know the first thing or even where to start. What should even be my first call? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Rebecca in IL
We have a well that is 437 ft deep into the limestone. I deal w/crusted faucets, etc and can handle that. But since I built the house in 1998 two of my 4 toilets are constantly stained brownish-yellow. I used to drain them-scrub with ZAP and that worked. Now I find that ZEP acidic bowl cleaner works in one but not the other. Why the difference in the toilets and how can I solve this problem?
Paula in WA
I recently bought a home with beautiful engineered-wood floors. But I don’t think they were installed properly. There are spaces between the floorboards; they’re not tight together. As a result dust, dirt and food crumbs fall between the cracks. Is there a way to close the gaps?
Jessica in NY
We recently had foam insulation sprayed into our attic. The contractor recommended that we also apply intumescent paint to the spray foam. But that’ll cost an additional $2,800! Is that really necessary?
