Seal It, and Take a Shine to Floor
Q We have a marble agglomerate tile in our kitchen and dining area, which is made up of marble pieces and concrete and has a shiny surface. We’ve found that where food and beverages have fallen, the shine is gone. Is there a way to restore it?
P.B.
Laguna Hills
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A Find out what causes the shine, says tile installer Greg Miller of Fullerton. If it’s from a wax or acrylic sealer, you may have to simply reapply it to the dull areas.
If the pieces of marble are dulled more than the concrete areas, you may need to get a marble polishing kit. Marble can be dulled by acids in food and drinks, and it needs to be restored by polishing it back to its luster. After it’s been restored, apply a sealer to protect it from future spills.
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Q We’re going to be painting our family room, and we have a problem on one wall. We’ve had a dartboard on it, and years of inaccurate darts have left the wall pocked with tiny holes. It’s not practical to fill each one with a spackling patch. Is there a better way?
S.K.
Mission Viejo
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A Your approach will depend on the type of wall it is, says Gene Teramura of California Decorating Center in Santa Ana. If it’s a smooth wall surface, you can get some drywall mud and roll it on to quickly fill in the holes.
If the surface is textured, you can use a spray texture, which is available at most paint and hardware stores and comes in an aerosol can. It sprays globs of texture onto the wall that will dry and fill in the leftover dart holes.
If you plan to put the board up again after you fix the wall, you may want to attach it to a painted piece of plywood to protect the wall.
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Q I have an old maple dining room table with sides that fold down and a split in the middle where you could add an extra piece to make the table bigger. I only use the table in a corner, and I put pictures on it.
The problem is that the split opens easily, just by lightly bumping into the table, and the pictures fall. How can I secure it?
T.E.
Santa Ana
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A The easy way would be to screw a small hook and eye underneath, says woodworker Dave Hisk of Yorba Linda.
Be very careful, though, that the screw not reach the table top. A less intrusive way to secure it may be to attach Velcro strips underneath to hold the pieces together.
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If you have a question about your home or garden, A Helping Hand will help you find the answer. Send questions to John Morell, Home Design, The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
