Fans Can Add Breath of Fresh Air to Condo
Question: We recently moved into a condo that has very few windows, and there’s a lack of fresh air in some of the rooms. How can this be fixed?
S.D.
Laguna Hills
Answer: “If you owned a house, I’d recommend looking into a built-in air circulation system,” says Rod Albright of Albright Plumbing and Heating Supply in Los Alamitos. “However, that often means breaking into walls or the ceiling, which isn’t easy or possible when you have a condo. I’d suggest finding some small fans for the problem areas. There Are many available that are quiet and effective at moving the air around in the room.”
Q: Recently we had our exterior trim painted, and our doorbell button was also painted. After it dried, the button stuck. I used pliers to turn the button to free it and now it works but the button and the area around it are scratched. I’d like to repaint it, but I don’t want it to stick. How should I do it?
R.R.
Costa Mesa
A: “Anytime you paint a moving part, you risk problems,” says Harold Brobst of Hal’s Paint & Decorating in Fullerton.
“You might want to take some fine steel wool and use it to remove the paint around the button and on its sides. You could then paint the top of the button, taking care to keep the sides free of paint, since that’s the area that’s probably causing the sticking. Or you may just want to get a new button and cover, which will probably look good with your newly painted trim.”
Q: I’ve seen some padded wallpaper in model homes, and I like the look. Is this hard for a do-it-yourselfer to install?
S.D.
Anaheim Hills
A: “Most of the ‘padded’ wallpaper you see is actually a puffed or expanded vinyl,” says Joe Ragsdale of Color Center in La Mirada. “This allows the vinyl to have some give when it’s touched, creating a padded feel. It’s hung like any other vinyl paper; you just have to make sure you use a heavy-duty paste, since this kind of vinyl is heavier than most.”
Q: We have a 16-year-old house, and we’re having problems with our downstairs shower. It seems to drain very slowly, and even though we’ve tried different types of drain cleaners and even run a snake down it, nothing makes it run faster. There’s also no trap access to the drain. Any suggestions?
T.Y.
Yorba Linda
A: “Drains without some type of access can be hard to clear,” says Manny Gwartz of B.J. Discount Plumbing and Heating in Garden Grove. “If you’ve used a lye-based drain cleaner and it’s settled in the drain for awhile, it may have created a soap-like coating around the pipe, making the problem worse.
“An acid-based cleaner might work better, but it probably shouldn’t be added if you’ve already used a lye cleaner due to the chemical reaction that might result. It may be time to bring in a professional who will use an electric snake to break up deep clogs and who can tell you the condition of your drain.”
Q: While painting the interior of my house, as a paint can would get to be three-fourths to one-half full, I wouldn’t stir the paint and instead I’d just shake the can vigorously. A friend said this isn’t a good way to mix paint after it’s been sitting for awhile, but I can’t believe that’s true. Who’s right?
G.G.
Anaheim
A: “You should always mix paint with a stirrer,” says painter Frank Verone of Mission Viejo. “The problem with shaking is you’re not going to mix the pigments and chemicals in the paint well enough. Stir sticks are often available free from paint stores; you just have to stir the paint from the bottom and mix it together. It may take a little longer than shaking, but you’ll have a job that has come out more uniform.”
