HOME HANDYMAN
Aluminum frames shed paint
By Glenn Haege
Q. We are having a problem with the paint peeling off our aluminum window frames. It actually began when the house was only 5 years old. It is now 13. I know I can scrape the old paint off and refinish the frames, but I am hoping that you will have an easier solution. Also, how do I ensure that the problem doesn't happen again after I have done all that work?
A. You will love this fix. Scrape peeling paint frames, and then wash the surface with Krud Kutter by Supreme Chemicals, www.wellspent.org. Then apply Zinsser Peel Stop, (www.zinsser.com) to only the raw aluminum areas. Even after surfaces have been painted, tiny cracks appear in the painted areas. Peel Stop seeps into these areas and "glues" them down so they do not cause a problem later.
After two hours, apply a coat of Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 Primer Sealer to the entire frame. Let dry one hour then finish with your house paint.
Q: I had two oak doors stripped of the old varnish finish. Now I have to sand and refinish them. They are beautiful 100-year-old doors with full-bevel glass. Unfortunately, the wood has black streaks that are not natural to the oak. I have several questions. How do I prepare the doors for refinishing? They have a rough feel to the wood. Is there some way to remove the black streaks? We would like to have a clear finish. What brand do you recommend?
A: After you stripped the old finish off the doors, you have to sand them. Remember that all doors have six sides (all four edges and back and front). All six sides have to be stripped, sanded and refinished.
After sanding, wash the wood with wood bleach. Buy the powdered product at your local hardware, paint or wood workers store. Mix the powdered product with water and scrub the wood until the black stains have been removed and the wood is the desired color.
When the wood is the right color, stop the bleaching action by wiping the wood with a rag soaked in clean water. When dry, sand the surface with 120 grit sandpaper and remove the dust with a tack rag. Give all six sides of the door three coats of Akzo Nobel Sikkens Cetol (www.akzonobel.com).
Q. We have a 28-foot-square brick paver patio located on the north side of the house. The patio was built primarily on sandy soil. We have experienced a constant buildup of moss growing on the sand in the cracks between the bricks and have not been able to find anything to kill the growth. Not even pure bleach seems to affect it. What can I do?
A. Get copper sulphate crystals from the plumbing department of your local hardware store. They call this compound blue stone in the plumbing trade. Mix 12 ounces dry measure of the crystals to a gallon of hot, hot, hot water. Pour on the moss in the cracks and let dry. After 72-hours spray the dead moss with Krud Kutter and wash off with water.
Q. Over a recent rainy weekend, water came into our house through a bedroom window on the second floor. We have old windows, but the water was just streaming down. I don't know if it is a roof, gutter or window problem. The gutters are only a few years old.
A. It sounds like a combination of soft wood (wood rot) and hard caulk (old). Call in a professional window repair company.
Glenn Haege writes for the Detroit News. Reach him at Ask Glenn, Master Handyman Press, P.O. Box 1498, Royal Oak, MI 48068-1498 or at askglenn@masterhandyman.com.
