Super Handyman: Get creative with concrete stains
There are a lot of flooring choices these days. Stained concrete is one that has gone through a lot of changes in the past few years. Instead of the old concrete paint, the stains you can buy today really allow you to get creative, and you can come up with some unique looks. Here's what we have learned about the process. It might be just what you have been looking for.
Do some shopping for supplies first. Check your hardware store as well as your home center and even flooring centers to see what they have to offer. You also can buy supplies online.
The most important thing you need to take care of is the cleaning of the concrete surface. Use trisodium phosphate, also known as TSP, available in the paint department at your hardware store. Follow precautions and get the surface completely clean. Make sure to remove all grease, oil and loose material.
Most of the stains are acid-based, so you will need to read and follow all label precautions. Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask. You also will need to protect adjacent surfaces. Masking tape should be used on walls, too.
The colors and patterns will be varied, so be prepared to get a little creative, and be open-minded. You may have to apply several colors in order to get the desired look. Make sure to allow enough drying time, and keep traffic off the floor. Some stains will require the use of a neutralizer once you get the look you want.
It's also a good idea to apply a sealer to protect your “work of art.” Good luck!
Super hints
We fill our old soda machine with bottled drinks. These still come in the cardboard cartons that hold six drinks and have a handle. The cardboard carrying cases are perfect for holding a variety of spray paints, cleaners or hot-tub chemicals. It's a neat way to keep these items all together and ready to take to the work site. They also can be used to organize tools in the shop. Put on your thinking cap and learn to reuse things destined for the trash heap. That's what being “green” is all about!
Super hints
Sawhorses are great when working with long or large building materials. Of course, if you don't have one, you need to come up with something else, which we like to call “Plan B.” A stepladder can be used in some cases. Open it up and lay it down on the ground on its side. Now you have a decent surface to work on, with your material propped up off the ground. Most ladders are sturdy enough to use in this way. If yours isn't, then borrow your neighbor's. Just make sure you don't cut your ladder in half!
Super hints
Ÿ Magnetic screwdrivers are great. They hold screws while you get the screws in place to make installing them on a vertical or hard-to-reach surface much easier. Choose magnetic tools when you have the option.
Ÿ I still wax my own car. It takes a lot of muscle, but I really like to do it myself. Thank goodness I have a very small one! I use the waxy rags to wipe down my good metal tools and other shop metals to give them a little extra protection against rust and corrosion. Then I throw them in the wash.
Ÿ Most do-it-yourselfers have to work on their projects in the garage unless they have a workbench inside the house. But you do if you have a good wooden cutting board. You can do all kinds of tough work right on top of it. Then wash it off, and nobody will ever know.
Q. Our home has an asphalt driveway in the front. We had it replaced a few years ago, and it is starting to get a few cracks in it. What is the best way to patch over these cracks?
A. You can buy asphalt repair in a caulking tube. It's easy to apply with a caulking gun. For larger areas, you can buy the patch in a bucket. It takes a little practice to work with the stuff, but it does make a long-lasting patch if done right.
Q. I have created a new vegetable garden around the back of my house. It has been very productive, and I love working in it. Now I want to install a water line for a new faucet there as well. What type of pipe would be the best to use?
A. First, check your local building code to see what it requires. If acceptable, PVC pipe is the easiest to use, and it should be sufficient for your needs. You can find it at home centers, and it's very inexpensive. You can cut it with a hacksaw, and you only need to primer and glue the joints — no soldering required. Make sure it is buried in the ground and that it will be protected from frost and excessive weight.
Q. I like the green color we had our pergola painted. It had started to deteriorate, and we power-washed it clean, primed it and painted the whole thing. Now I am worried that the paint I accidentally dripped onto my patio won't come off. I guess we were a little sloppy. How can we get the drips off our concrete patio?
A. Try a paint stripper, placed only on the drips. Give it a little time to work, and then try scraping it off with a putty knife, paint scraper or razor blade. Be very careful, and wear gloves and eye protection. Hopefully this will take care of the problem. What you need to watch out for is that the paint may have soaked into the concrete surface — concrete is very porous. If that has happened, there's probably no way to get rid of it.
Reader tips
Ÿ I can't believe my wife wanted me to throw away my old speakers. I know they are kind of big, but they still work some of the time. Well, I decided to take them apart and recycle the parts rather than just throw them away. I know I can find a use for the wood, maybe to make some shelves. The magnets are perfect for the shop. They are great for holding notes, plans and receipts right where I need them.
Ÿ I always had heard that grease will prevent paint from sticking to some surfaces. When we got ready to paint our bathroom, I ran out of dropcloths, so I sprayed the bathroom counter with cooking spray, hoping the “grease trick” would work in this situation, too. I only dripped paint once, but with the grease on the countertop, it wiped right up. I just used bathroom cleaner to clean off the grease when I was ready to clean up. It worked great.
Ÿ Our front door faces west. The door has a glass panel in it, and although we like the way it looks, it always has let in a lot of heat during the summer. My wife is so clever; she came up with the great idea of hanging curtains over the door. She put up a small curtain over the door, and it stops a lot of the heat, not to mention gives us more privacy.
Ÿ I try to make it easy for my wife to light the fire pit on our patio. A wife with singed hair is not a good thing. I don't like her to have to use kerosene to start the fire, so I have found that I can soak a brick in kerosene and she can just light that. The brick stays lit long enough to get the wood going. I just soak it after each use so it's ready for the next time.
Ÿ My brother-in-law gave me some new perfume. Unfortunately, I didn't like it at all. I thought if it was that offensive to me, maybe it would chase the critters away from my garbage. I sprayed it around the compost bin and trash cans to keep out the critters. It seems to be working. I've not had to chase the dogs out of my garbage once this month! Buy the smelly stuff whenever it's on sale, or maybe a good friend will give you some!
Shoptalk
Ÿ SandFast is a super peel-and-stick sanding system. The backer handles come in a variety of styles for pole sanders, hand sanding and even detail sanding. The patented composite film/foam layer on the base allows for even pressure for the smoothest finishes. The ergonomic design makes them easy to work with, even on longer jobs, and with the peel-and-stick paper, they couldn't be easier to load. Check the SandFast line of products, made by Red Devil, at your hardware store or home center. For additional information, check them out at www. Reddevil.com.
Ÿ The new washers are great for lots of reasons. They save water and energy, and really do a super job on most clothes. But they can develop a bad odor. It's very common, so if your washer smells bad, you are not alone. Smelly Washer Cleaner is a neat way to take care of the problem, and it's simple to use. Once every couple of weeks, you just add some to your washer, run it through a load and the sour smell goes away. It's all-natural and can be used in the dishwasher, too. To find out more about Smelly Washer, go to www.smellywasher.com.
Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells' website at thesuperhandyman.com.
© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.