Concrete Patio May Lighten With Exposure to Sunlight
Question: In October, 1992, we had our concrete patio replaced. One corner of the new concrete doesn’t seem to be dry, and there are some very dark areas near the border of each slab. The man who did the work said the area will probably lighten as it ages, and we could also put bricks along the borders if it doesn’t lighten. Is he right?
B.L.
Yorba Linda
Answer: “Whether it will lighten up depends on how much sun it gets,” says Ken Newland of Tustin Block and Building Supply. “If those areas get full sun, I’d wait until after summer before making a decision on it. Color differences in concrete are caused by moisture differences in the concrete, or one patch may have more sand or cement than another. Adding bricks along the border makes a nice looking trim if you want to get rid of the dark areas, or, remove the patio roof (if that’s what’s covering it) to allow the sun to lighten the concrete.”
Q: We have an old pine sideboard in our den. We’d like to move it to an upstairs hallway, but it’s too big to go up the stairway. We’ve heard that big furniture can be hauled up through a window, if necessary, or taken apart and reassembled. Is a procedure like that prohibitively expensive?
J.G.
Fountain Valley
A: “Depending on the size of the piece and where it has to be moved, that kind of procedure can be expensive,” says Ford Higgens of A Carolina Craftsmen in Anaheim. “You might want to have a piano mover take a look at the piece and your house to give you an idea of what needs to be done to get it where you want. Many large pieces of furniture are assembled with screws and bolts simply because they’re easier to move around when parts are taken off.
“You might want to look around the top and back for screws or bolts. You can then disassemble it yourself or have a furniture repairman do the job and put it back together upstairs.”
Q: I know I’ll never be a plumber, but I want to learn how to clear my sinks with a plunger. Whenever they get clogged, I’m often pumping that plunger for an hour or more getting little results. What am I doing wrong?
R.R.
Dana Point
A: “One mistake people often make when using a plunger is they don’t have any water in the sink,” says Steve Johnson of Familian Pipe and Supply in Costa Mesa. “Fill up the sink so that the water covers at least to the top of the rubber cup. In plunging, you’re forcing water down to push through the clog. When there’s not enough water you’re forcing air down there, which won’t do the job. Also, on a double-side sink you’ll need to block the air hole with your hand or a wet rag to create enough suction.”
Q: We recently moved into a condo, and the previous owner left us a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink. It has no date on it, and it’s pretty dusty. I’m afraid to test it because I might release all the air, but if I don’t I won’t know if it’s still good. How can I tell if it still works?
H.D.
Santa Ana
A: “If there’s no date and no meter on the extinguisher, I’d throw it out and get a new one,” says Tim Ganci of Dickenson Lumber and Hardware in La Habra. “It’s best to invest a little more in an extinguisher with a meter that tells you if there’s enough pressure in there. Otherwise, just to be safe you should probably replace an extinguisher after about a year.”
Got a question about your home or garden? Write to: John Morell, Handyman, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.
