Some Solutions to Everyday Problems That Occur Around Your Home
The holiday season may be here, with thoughts of Christmas Spirit, hopping and tree decorating dancing in heads, but around the house, there are still chores to be done and odds and ends that need to be taken care of.
Santa may inadvertently clean out the chimney for you, but he’s not much help at fixing the garage door, taking burns off your kitchen countertops, or getting oil stains off your driveway.
As you go about putting your house in order for the holidays, here are some tips on how to tackle some common household annoyances:
Driveway Oil Stains
For most folks, attacking ugly oil stains usually means soaking the offending oil up with cat litter and then perhaps a good scrubbing with bleach. However, that’s just one way to alleviate the problem.
“There are a lot of things you can do to get rid of oil stains,” said Dave Shaw of North County Steam Cleaning in Carlsbad. “For the do-it-yourself-er, the best bet is to use detergents or degreasers that can be found at local building supply stores. The most popular ones are Orange Crush or Simple Green, which are safe to use and biodegradable. Some people want to use acid, but it’s not recommended because it can burn your skin and the vapors can be harmful to your lungs.
According to Shaw, a good old fashioned scrubbing is usually the most effective method short of calling in a professional steam cleaning company. “First wet the area down, then pour on your cleaning solution. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, then scrub it down with a wire brush. Then use a hose with a pressure nozzle to hose it down with as hard a spray as you can. If the stain is a tough one, you may have to scrub it and spray it again.
If the stains persist, or continues to be a problem, you may want to stain or color your driveway with a coating that has a bonding agent.
Garage Door Blues
When your automatic garage door suddenly stops working, usually the culprit is the transmitter, which is often dropped on the ground and knocked off frequency, or is shorted out when some of the little wires on the circuit board come loose. Some transmitters, like some people, just get old and burn out.
Many transmitters have a series of tiny buttons inside them that are set to match an identical set inside the receiver that activates the actual opening mechanism. If the transmitter is dropped, it may cause the setting to be altered so that it does not correlate with the receiver.
Of course, the problem may be as simple as dead batteries in the remote transmitter, but if fresh batteries don’t do the trick, you need to consult an expert, which are listed in the phone book under--what else--garage door openers.
“Start with the easy solutions first,” said Rick Bowers of Oceanside Lock & Key, which specializes in garage door openers. “Check the batteries and the transmitter setting first, if it’s still not working, then generally you need to bring in the transmitter to see if it is in fact broken. Also, it’s a good idea to bring in the receiver if possible. That way we can test both and find out where the problem is.”
If you need to replace a remote transmitter, the cost is usually about $35, if the receiver needs replacing, you can generally get a receiver with two transmitters for about $80. If the unit is old or there is a safety question, the best solution may be a new opener altogether, which installed costs several hundred dollars.
Doors That Won’t Slide
Sliding doors commonly come in two varieties, sliding glass doors that lead to an outdoor area, and sliding wooden doors, usually used for closets or to separate rooms inside the house.
When a sliding door stops sliding, it’s usually because the roller is broken. The roller consists of a small wheel and a bracket which fixes it to the door. The roller is set on a track which allows the door to slide to open and close.
Rollers are easy to replace and can be purchased at any hardware store. “There are about a hundred different kinds of rollers and we have about half of them in stock,” said Bob McDaniel of Bauer Lumber in Carlsbad. “If we don’t carry them, then we have a catalogue that has different kinds that we can order for the customer.”
The best way to find the right roller is to remove the broken one and bring it into a hardware store. “You need to take the door off the track by lifting it,” McDaniel said. “Then the roller and the bracket unscrew. Patio doors are a little harder to work with, but it’s basically the same as a closet door. Patio doors are heavier and they have two rollers on the top of the door and two on the bottom. Closet and indoor doors have only two rollers, usually on top of the doors.”
Countertop Burn Marks
Rather than replacing a countertop marred by a burn, homeowners can take the simpler and less expensive route of having them repaired.
“Most people don’t even know it, but repairs can be done on Formica. The first thought is usually, ‘let’s replace it,’ but if you don’t have $800 to replace it, you can get it repaired,” said Rick Madden of Rick’s Refinishing in Vista. “Normally burns in the kitchen occur when you set a hot pot on a counter top, which is usually Formica.”
Typically, the burn makes a bubble in the Formica, which pops and leaves a brown spot.
“We can take out the burned spot and replace it with pre-colored material, or we can repair it by matching the color and design of the counter top with a paint brush or air brush,” Madden said. “We just recreate what was there--it usually comes out perfect.”
Surface top burns may also be a problem in the bathroom, where sink top areas may be damaged by cigarettes or curling irons. If the burns are not too serious, they can usually be taken out by buffing the area with wet steel wool.
“If the burns aren’t too deep they will often come out if you rub them gently with steel wool,” said Madden. “Bathroom sink tops are usually made of cultured marble, so you can buff them out with a little water and some steel wool. You’ll be scratching the surface--sanding it--so you’ll have a dull spot, but usually you can’t tell.”
Broken Shower Doors
Shower doors often end up cracked or broken, but it’s not difficult to have the glass replaced by one of several companies in North County that specialize in shower doors and compartments. “If your shower door is broken, you can replace the glass,” said Karen Mains of Beachside Mirror & Glass Co. of Oceanside. “Tempered glass has to be used, so unless you’re really knowledgeable about measurements--and really handy--you’re better off having it done by a professional. Once the glass is tempered, it can’t be touched. So once you order a certain size, you’re stuck with it.”
Although most companies that specialize in this area will make house calls, it’s always cheaper to bring in the shower door frame, Mains said. “We can measure the glass and order it. Then we can put the glass in the frame and make sure it fits perfectly. The customer only has to take the frame home and pop it in the shower enclosure.”
If the aluminum shower door frame is broken or badly corroded, that may be another story all together. “Usually, you can’t just replace a shower door frame,” Mains said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time you have to get a whole new enclosure--unless you can find the same manufacturer that might have a replacement door. Sometimes there’s just a time where you have to call it shot and get a new enclosure. Nothing lasts forever.”
Prices for glass replacement is based on the size of the shower door, measured in square feet, and depends on the type of tempered glass used. Clear glass is less expensive than obscure glass, with the average price of the glass for a shower door about $50-$75. If you bring in the frame the installation is often only about $10.
Hardwood Floors
Any spill on a wood floor should be cleaned up immediately. “A wood floor is what I call a care-right-now floor,” said Peggy Lewis of Artistic Floors and Interiors in Encinitas. “If you spill something, the floor will soak it right up because the wood is porous. Clean it up immediately. If you’re feeding your baby, and you spill something on the baby and the floor, clean the floor first, then the baby,” she said, only half jokingly.
Lewis also said that vacuuming is better than dust mopping or sweeping hardwood surfaces. “Vacuuming is the recommended maintenance,” she said. “Dust mopping and broom sweeping is useless. Tennis shoes with all their nooks and crannies bring in dirt and gravel which acts like sandpaper. Vacuuming is the best way to get the dirt off.”
“Never, ever use water,” Lewis said. “Water and wood don’t mix. The surface of the floor gets minute scratches and scuffs. Water will seep down into the marks and turn the floor a gray or charcoal color. Then you have to sand and refinish it.”
Hardwood floors generally come with a wax or urethane finish. For wax finishes, there are special cleaners that clean and wax in one step, and then require buffing.
For floors with a urethane finish, there are cleaners and refreshing products that are available from the manufacturers. “All manufacturers make cleaning and floor care products for their wood,” said Lewis, “and it’s always advisable to use those products.”
Manufacturers also provide kits to repair scratches or other damages that your hardwood floor may incur.
Linoleum Floors
Just like with hardwood floors, maintenance is the key to a long lasting, good-looking linoleum floor.
Lewis recommends using a product that is put out by the manufacturer, rather than what she refers to as “grocery store products.” Many of these general floor cleaners are too strong and too soapy for today’s floors and can leave microscopic pits in the linoleum, which will cause your floor to look dull and dirty after a few months.
“All manufacturers make cleaners that are good for their floors. They give it a nice gloss and usually do not require rinsing.” If the manufacturer’s cleaners are not at hand, then there are several home-style cleaners that will keep your linoleum looking new. “Anything you can use on your windows you can use on your floor,” said Lewis. “Ammonia, window cleaner or even vinegar will do the trick. Just mix a mild solution with about a quarter of a cup to a gallon or a gallon and a half of water.”
If the linoleum in your kitchen is damaged or scratched, all is not lost. Each manufacturer makes seam sealers that will repair slices or scratches in their linoleum. “Seam sealers are thick liquid, almost like nail polish, that fuse with the linoleum,” Lewis said. “The seam sealer will bridge the space and seal the edges of the scratch, giving you a smooth surface like the rest of the vinyl. They seal from the top so the area never gets darker or lighter. The key is to know the manufacturer of your floor and what quality the floor is. Some manufacturers have up to seven different types of sealers. Some are high gloss, some are more of a matte finish--which isn’t glossy. You have to make sure you get the right one.”
Torn Screens
Screens can become brittle with age, and become more susceptible to rips and tears. If you have a ripped screen, it will look much better if replaced rather than sewn or patched.
“Sometimes people try to patch a screen or sew it up, but the best thing to do is to rewire, or rescreen, the window or door,” said Joe Orlando of Coast Screen Shop in Encinitas.
“A lot of people try to repair their torn screens themselves to save money,” said Orlando. “But it’s really tough to do. You have to have a table with special clips to hold the screen and frame in place while you wire the screen to the frame. You also need a roller and a spreader bar to tighten the mesh without bending or bowing the frame. When people try to do it themselves, they usually end up tearing the screen, or having the screen look baggy.
“You need to use the right thickness of spline--the rubber gasket that holds the screen in place. One guy tried to use electrical cords to hold the mesh in place. He kept running out of cord and using a different color. It looked pretty tacky.”
Leaky Faucets
“Leaky faucets are a common household problem that is often easy to fix,” said Tammy Brown of Pine Tree Lumber Co. in Vista. “Most people try to ignore it for as long as they can before they finally come in to take care of it.”
When they do come in for advice, most folks are surprised at how simple the solution may be.
“Sometimes the remedy may be as simple as putting a new ‘O’ ring in the faucet,” Brown said. “That’s the first step. If the ‘O’ ring doesn’t do the trick, then there are faucet repair kits you can buy. If that doesn’t work, then you have to replace the faucet.”
Furnace Filters
Although furnace filters should ideally be replaced three times a year, most people replace theirs less often. Changing the filters regularly will help keep the air circulating through the house clean and help keep the heating bill down.
Ready-made filters are available for all types of furnaces, and most cost around $2.