Certain caulks work better in bathrooms
Q. We recently had a bathroom remodeled in our home. The entire bathroom was gutted and has new walls, floors, shower, toilet and sink. We also had new fans installed and were told they were good fans for getting the moisture out of the bathroom. The shower is a three-piece stall and was caulked with clear caulking. We run the fan after all our showers. In less than a year, the caulk is mildewed and covered with black discolorations. We are afraid to scrub it too hard for fear that we will damage the caulking. Do we need to remove all the old caulking and caulk again? And will we need to do this once a year as ongoing maintenance? I had not expected this problem in a brand new bathroom.
A. Even the best bathroom fans will not prevent moisture accumulation when hot showers are taken. It sounds as though the caulking used is silicone, a product highly susceptible to mildewing and grossly overrated. Your best solution is to remove it and use a different type, such as DAP Kwik Seal 3.0, which contains a mildewcide. It should last a long time.
Q. I have an old Vermont farmhouse, and the trim around the south windows may be too old to hold paint. After 10 or more years since I last painted the wall, the paint on the trim comes off in sheets, and the bottom of a sheet isn't the white of the primer but gray like the wood was. Should I use an oil-based primer that will sink into the wood and act more like what a primer should be? The wood must have been unpainted for a time in the past, as it has weather-beaten grooves in it. Paint covers most of this, if it would stick to the job. What works better to remove the paint: power-washing or regular scraping?
A. Power-washing will do two things for you. It will remove any unsound paint and will also remove all the dead wood fibers that you see when you inspect the underside of the peeling paint. It will work better than scraping since the wood has weathered grooves. Be careful using the power-washer. Use the minimum strength on the jet so you don't damage the old wood. Allow the wood to dry thoroughly and apply a coat of oil-based primer followed by a quality latex paint within a couple of days. Considering that the wood is old, use a moisture meter to make sure that it is safe to apply the primer. Old wood may take quite a while to dry, and oil-based primers or paint must not be applied over damp wood.
Q. I have black mold spots appearing on my white cedar stained deck railing. It appears to be mold. How can I clean this so that staining again will not bring the same problem? I used Sikkens solid white deck stain (oil-based).
A. Mildew should be removed before applying or it will come through the new finish. Wash the deck railing with a solution made of equal parts fresh Clorox and warm water; it should remove the black mildew spots in a few minutes. If it does not completely remove the mold, do it again, perhaps increasing the proportions of the bleach to the water. When you stain again, have the paint store add a mildewcide to the stain.
Q. We recently built a room in my basement for my daughter. It was already insulated, so we added four walls and a ceiling. We also put down indoor/outdoor carpeting in the room. A couple of days ago, she noticed white paste-like spots on her bed frame. She has wooden slats on the underside of her bed only on one side. My father is unfamiliar with it. He says it might be mold from the carpeting. Is this possible? And, if so, is there a place I can send a carpet sample to? Should I get a dehumidifier? The rest of the basement is also finished but has no carpeting. I cannot see this white stuff anywhere else.
A. If the bed is against an outside wall, and the affected slats are on the wall side and close to the floor, it is possible that mold is developing from poor circulation. Any carpeting is likely to hold more moisture than bare floors. Try wiping it off with a mixture of equal parts bleach and water. If it comes off easily, check it regularly for recurrence. During the summer, use a dehumidifier. A fan circulating air under the bed should also help. Now that the heating season is upon us, you may find that these spots may not recur.
Q. I have a couple of small problems that you may be able to help with. I have an electric outlet that is very difficult to plug in and to pull out. I am wondering whether there is something that I can do to loosen the plug. I have the opposite problem with another outlet. The appliance that I plug into will fall out without any effort at all.
The second problem is probably less of a problem for most people. When my driveway started breaking up, I had a new driveway, poured and my wife wanted to have a design put in the driveway. It was stained in parts with a brick colored agent that was thrown on the concrete and then troweled in. They then sprayed something on the colored parts that enhanced the color. Now it is starting to bleach out or at least fade fairly significantly. The contractor said that he would be back to reapply the agent, but he has moved away. I could probably do it if I knew what to use.
A. If you have tried several plugs in the receptacle and they are all hard to plug in, the problem is with the receptacle. The solution is to replace the receptacle. If the problem is with only one particular plug, replace the plug. Do the same for the other receptacle and plug. All these parts are inexpensive and available in all hardware stores. If you are not familiar with simple wiring and working safely with electrical outlets, you should hire an electrician.
As to the concrete coloring agent, go to a masonry supply store and see whether they can sell you the right coloring agent and tell you how to apply it. A concrete or masonry contractor may be the safest way to go.
Q. I have a Feather River fiberglass door with two sidelights that were prestained at the factory. I noticed yesterday that the lower portion of the door and the lower portion of the sidelights, have a milky haze over the stain. A piece of clear polyurethane was on the steps in front of the door, which revealed the stained medium oak beneath the polyurethane. I called Feather River, and they explained that the polyurethane is starting to break down from the sun and that I need to remove the old layer all over the entire door, including the sidelights that don't have the milky haze. I'm supposed to use mineral spirits, employing quick wipes on and quick wipes off then wait until it is thoroughly dry and apply a thin coat of new polyurethane with a UV inhibitor. They told me that this should be done every two years, and that the old polyurethane should be wiped off before the new layer is applied. I told them I've had it only a little over a year, but that it's in direct sunlight from sunrise to sunset. They said that I would probably have to take off the old polyurethane and apply a new coat almost every two years.
I called Home Depot, where I purchased the door, and they said that mineral spirits would take off the stain underneath the polyurethane and it would make a mess of the door, since the stain was done at the factory and it would be hard to match up with products on the market. I stopped in a paint store to get their suggestions, and they warned me about mineral spirits and said to try a gentle pad that is used on the kitchen dishes to loosen up the old milky urethane and leave the rest of the door alone. The paint-store owner said to apply a thin coat of polyurethane with UV inhibitor to the entire door and sidelights and not to worry about going over the old urethane that is in good condition.
Please let me know what to purchase to loosen up the old polyurethane so I won't do damage to the stain underneath. What is the best polyurethane product with UV inhibitor that holds up the longest in intense sun? Also let me know if it necessary to remove all the old polyurethane that isn't breaking down when I apply the new coat of polyurethane and if this must be done in this process every two years.
A. Googling "Feather River Fiberglass Doors" led me to the Village Garden Web, where I found a number of comments from people who had bought these doors from Home Depot and were very disappointed in the quality, the service and the follow-through from both Feather River and Home Depot. It seems that each blamed the other and passed the buck back and forth. It also seems strange that a manufacturer would use a varnish without a UV-inhibitor on exterior doors that are obviously going to be exposed to some sun exposure. Checking their Web site, I could find no mention that the doors had to be revarnished every two years. From the negative experiences of other homeowners who have bought these doors, it seems that it is better to buy other brands. Although I have not had any experience with the problem you have, I tend to agree with the advice from the paint-store owner. He or she can advise you on the best UV-inhibitor varnish - usually a marine-type varnish.
• Henri de Marne's column appears Sundays. He was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
© 2008, United Feature Syndicate Inc.