Home Improvement : Mixing Turpentine, Paint Left Him Red
QUESTION: I recently used some so-called odorless paint. It needed thinning, so I mixed a little turpentine into it. After the paint had been applied, there was a distinct odor. Since the paint was supposed to be odorless, could the smell have come from the turpentine?
ANSWER: Exactly right. The smell came from the turpentine as it evaporated. You should never mix odorless paint with turpentine, only with an odorless thinner you could have purchased where you bought the paint. Obviously, you never read or paid attention to the instructions on the container, which advised you what to use if you needed a thinner.
How to Determine If You Have Wood Rot
Q: A wood column holding up one of the ends of our porch roof developed what appeared to be rot. But when I scraped it a bit, I found it was only surface damage. Would it be safe to repair it?
A: Wood rot would have gone deeper. One way to determine if that is the trouble is to sink a knife blade into it. If it goes deep and seems to disintegrate the wood, the chances are it is wood rot. In that case, a new column is in order. If it is only a little surface damage, a repair will be sufficient. However, something caused the wood to be damaged, probably water. Before you make the repair, try to find out what it was to prevent it from happening again.
A Cold Chisel Is Used With a Hammer
Q: My dictionary’s definition of a chisel carries small drawings of different kinds of chisels, including a cold chisel. What I want to know--and what wasn’t there--is what a cold chisel is used for?
A: A cold chisel is used for cutting steel, bricks, stone, blocks etc. It is held against the object and hit with a hammer, usually a small sledge hammer. There are several different varieties of cold chisels, so if you are buying one tell the dealer how it will be used. The conventional cold chisel can be used as an all-purpose chisel, except when you are using it for a specialty task.
There May Be Reason Antique Was Painted
Q: We came into possession of an antique piece of furniture. The only trouble is that it is painted white, while we would like to see and use it in its original color, whatever that was. We can’t see why good wood should be painted. Our plan is to strip off the paint and then give it a couple of coats of clear varnish or some kind of clear finishing material. Could you give us any ideas?
A: Just as you say that you can’t see why good wood should be painted, the chances are that the original makers of the furniture felt the same way. Then why did he paint it? Because the chances are that it was not one of the better hardwoods, but a cheaper, less desirable kind of wood. Painting it disguised the type of wood. Some excellent examples of old furniture styles were painted, but we repeat, the chances are the wood was not the kind generally considered the best.
Of course, you can strip off the paint and then, if it isn’t what you expected, repaint it. You are taking a calculated risk, though, because the value of an antique can be lessened if the finish has been changed. Should you decide to let the paint stay, try cleaning it with a mixture of turpentine and mineral oil. It can be waxed and buffed back to a desirable gloss.
Advantages of Roofing Material With Asphalt
Q: We have to have a reroofing job done soon and have decided to use asphalt shingles, the kind that are on there now. We have seen advertisements for asphalt shingles with a fiberglass base. Are these just as good?
A: Asphalt shingles with a fiberglass base have increased weather and fire resistance.
Can’t Find Drip in the Toilet Tank
Q: There is a dripping into our toilet bowl. I have taken off the cover of the tank and found everything seems to be working correctly. It is one of those old tanks with a horizontal rod and a float at the end of it. The water is not going into the overflow pipe, the metal ball at the end of the rod floats well and nothing seems to be out of line. Even the rubber ball that fits over the valve seat seems to be securely in place. What can be causing the drip?
A: The chances are strong that water is leaking under the rubber ball, which may seem to be OK but is likely to be worn just a tiny bit. Screw off the ball and get a replacement. It can be round or shaped like a pear. When you put it back on the vertical rod, it is likely the leak will stop. To make, sure, rub steel wool around the inside of the valve seat to clean off any rust or grit. Do this before replacing the ball.
The techniques of using varnish, lacquer, shellac, bleach, stain, remover, etc., are detailed in Andy Lang’s booklet, “Wood Finishing in the Home,” which can be obtained by sending $1 and a long, stamped, self-addressed envelope to Know-How, P.O. Box 477, Huntington, N.Y. 11743. Questions of general interest will be answered in the column.
