INSIDE & OUT : Painting to Avoid ‘Holidays’
Q. I was recently frustrated in painting a bedroom. I was careful, but after the paint dried I found that I had missed a number of spots. After I put the furniture back in place, I found even more. Before I paint another room, I want to find out if there’s a trick that professionals use to make sure they don’t have to keep touching up a job.
N.Y.
Anaheim
A. Pro painters have the same problem with missed spots; they call them “holidays,” says Angel Miranda of Homestead Paint & Wallcovering in Mission Viejo. It’s especially a problem when you’re painting a room a color that’s similar to the old paint. Make sure you’re consistent while painting. Start by the door from the bottom and work your way up and to the right. After you’ve finished the room, look over the walls carefully to see if any holidays are exposed. If your wall is in need of primer, have the primer tinted to match the new paint.
Q. We have a flagstone fireplace that has become stained from soot and smoke over the years. What can be used to restore it?
M.M.
La Habra
A. Most stores that specialize in fireplace supplies have a fireplace cleaner, says George Moelter of Anaheim Patio and Fireside in Brea. Starting from the top of the stone and using rubber gloves, you spray the cleaner on and brush it off. You should be able to get most of the soot off as well as the accumulated dirt. It’s effective on the stone as well as on the grout.
Q. We bought an old home that has wood siding. I’ve noticed that some of the nails have popped out and need to be re-hammered. How can I hammer them without damaging the paint and wood?
E.M.
Santa Ana
A. You can use a common wood punch and set the nails back in place, says Frank Eckert of Arrow Hardware in Orange. If you can set it in far enough, the nail goes past the outer skin of the wood and the wood swells in around it. When this occurs with wood decks, you can soak the wood, punch the nails in and, as the wood dries, it more effectively keeps the nail in place. Try this in a small area first and see how effective it is before doing it to the entire surface.
Q. We have two large trees in our front and back yards and have been cutting roots that extend to the house and driveway whenever we’ve detected them. We are concerned, however, about deeper roots that we can’t see. Is there anything we can do to prevent damage from them?
H.H.
Irvine
A. The roots just below the surface are the ones you need to worry about, says Steve Sink of Angelus Quarries in Santa Ana. As long as you’ve been cutting those, you should be OK. Tree roots can do a great deal of damage to driveways and foundations. Roots can crack the slabs on which houses are built, so it’s an issue to take seriously, especially with large trees close to the house. If the roots are too numerous, consider removing the tree.
Q. I have a Queen palm that is approximately 30 feet tall. It’s healthy, but it needs to be moved. Is there any service that will remove and transplant it for free?
C.B.
Laguna Niguel
A. Transplanting a large, heavy tree like that is a major operation, says Dennis Huddleston of Loma Vista Nursery in Fullerton. It’s not likely that anyone would want to do that for free. Several tree removal companies are listed in the Yellow Pages; check with them to get an estimate.
