Kit Makes Patching Drywall a Hole Lot Easier
Question: In one of our bedrooms we have a four-inch hole in the drywall that’s been hidden by a large dresser. Now that we’ve moved the furniture around, I’d like to patch it. Is it possible to make it look good enough for painting?
C.A.
Fountain Valley
Answer: “It’s relatively easy to patch a drywall hole with one of the many kits that are available,” says Pete Gorman of Rancho Lumber in Westminster. “There’s a kit made by Homax that comes with a metal backing plate that has an adhesive screen on the face. It’s very thin and it sticks onto the wall covering the hole. You would then take joint compound and feather it over the top, then sand it. It should then be strong enough to withstand more abuse if the wall’s hit again, and it can be painted over.
“If the hole is too big for a simple patch, you may need to enlarge the hole out to the studs, cut a piece of drywall that can be inlaid, then patch around it.”
Q: We had a urethane-finish wood floor laid down in our kitchen last year and we’ve run out of the alcohol-based cleaner that came with it. We picked up some cleaner from the hardware store that says it’s for urethane-finish floors, but it contains water. We were told never to use water on the wood. Is it safe to use?
E.E.
Anaheim Hills
A: “I would play it safe and contact the dealer or manufacturer to see what they would recommend,” says John Monnig of Monnig’s Floor Coverings. “There are a lot of products out there that might be advertised as being safe for all surfaces, but they’re not. You may put something on the floor that could have a chemical reaction to the finish. Also, with many pre-finished floors, the cracks aren’t protected by the urethane. If you get water in them, it could cause some damage.”
Q: I’m getting ready to paint our three bedrooms and I’ve been told by neighbors that I should get a mixer attachment for my drill, which will save lots of time and mix the paint better than I can do by hand. Is that true?
S.V.
Brea
A: “Before you get one, check your drill,” says Charlie K. of Tustin Paint Mart. “You need to have one with variable speeds. Otherwise, when you stick the attachment in a gallon of paint and turn it on, you’ll spend the rest of the day cleaning up the mess. You need to run it very slowly at first and keep the mixer near the bottom. If you plan on doing a lot of painting over a long period, it might be a good idea. Otherwise, I think the plain old wooden paint sticks work just fine.”
Q: We have recessed lighting in our foyer and hallways and we’re having problems with some of the bulbs. One will go out suddenly then come back on a few minutes later, then another will go off and on. I’ve changed the bulbs but that doesn’t make any difference. Could there be a short in the system?
A.S.
San Clemente
A: “The problem could be that you have the wrong bulbs,” says Tom Becker of Harbor Lites in Costa Mesa. “If you’re using a bulb that’s over what’s recommended by the light’s manufacturer, a thermal cut-off kicks in and shuts off the light when it gets too hot. After turning off the circuit breaker, remove the bulb and trim kit from one of the fixtures.
“There should be something stamped inside the can that tells you what size bulb is recommended. If you’re using 100-watt bulbs in a can that’s designed for 75 watts, you need to make a change.”
Q: I’ve got a rusty old hose bib in the back yard that needs to be replaced. What’s the best way to do it?
S.B.
Westminster
A: “Shut off the water to that outlet and spray some penetrating rust remover all around the threads,” says plumber Jerry Shipp of La Habra. “With a hammer, tap the bib all around to get it vibrating; this will help the lubricant get inside. After that, you’ll need a good large plumbing wrench to get enough leverage to make it turn. If that won’t work, plan on cutting the pipe just below the bib, tapping new threads and installing a new bib.”
Got a question about your home or garden? Write to: John Morell, Handyman, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.