Carpet Stain Can Be Moved if Not Removed
Q. We have pile carpeting that’s about 5 years old throughout our house. It’s in great condition except for the upstairs hallway, where our kids accidentally spilled a bottle of ink in a small area. The ink can’t be cleaned up, but I’m wondering if i couldn’t use a square from some other part of the house and patch it. How is this done?
F.G.
Brea
*
A. In this situation, people take a piece of carpeting from under a bed and use it to replace the stained portion, says Gidon Adlan of Bob’s Shades & Linoleum in Orange. The problem with that is the unused carpeting hasn’t been walked on and looks newer, so it may not blend in with the rest of the hallway.
You may be better off taking your patch from a walk-in closet or another area where you get some foot traffic. You can even take a piece from an area that gets a similar amount of traffic, then cover it with a table or chair.
Getting the patch in right is usually a job best left for a professional. The patch is generally fused into place using a special tool that makes it permanently adhere to the rest of the carpeting.
*
Q. We have a urethane-finished wood floor in our kitchen that is about 3 years old. We’ve been using the recommended cleaner for it, but it’s lost some of its luster in places. I know we can’t use wax on the floor, but is there anything else we can put on it to restore it?
H.P.B.
Santa Ana
*
A. You can use the recommended cleaner along with an electric buffer, says Steve Guenther of Wood Floor Wholesalers in Orange. Under the buffer, use a white polishing pad or a lambs-wool bonnet. This isn’t difficult to do, and it can bring back the floor’s luster if you use it with the cleaner.
Many times, the floor doesn’t get completely clean when you use a mop or rag. When you go over it with a buffer, you can really pull off a lot of dirt.
If the finish is worn down, you can use a sanding or abrasive screen with the buffer, then apply another coat of urethane on top. You’re not resanding or refinishing, but you’re removing old surface scratches and recovering the finish.
*
Q. I’m going to be baby-proofing our two-story house, and I’ll have to cover the stairway with something because of the wide spaces between the spindles on the handrail. I’d like to use plexiglass, but I’m not sure how to cut it. Any ideas?
M.K.
Fountain Valley
*
A. It’s best to use a table saw, since a handsaw will be very inefficient and a circular saw may not have the control you need, says Pete Gorman of Rancho Lumber in Westminster.
Start with a new, fine, 60-tooth carbide blade, and cut through the acrylic as smoothly as possible without stopping. If you slow down or stop, you could cause it to fuse because of the heat that’s generated. You may find that the cut edges are a little rough, but that can be corrected by sanding.
*
Q. Our master bedroom has a large window that faces the south, and in warmer months this makes the room awfully hot. What can we do, short of blocking off the window, to get some relief?
M.M.
Irvine
*
A. You may want to have the window coated with a Low-E film, says Katy Jackson of Maley’s Glass & Mirror in Anaheim. Low-E allows in a maximum amount of light while keeping ultraviolet rays out, which helps keep the room cooler. It’s usually best to have this professionally done, since if it’s put on incorrectly, the film can wrinkle, affecting its ultraviolet protection and actually making the room warmer.
It’s also possible to damage the glass if you make a mistake.
Besides having the film applied, make sure the weatherstripping on the window is in good condition, and use a good, thick shade or blinds to control the amount of light entering the room.
