Sheldon shares answers to FAQs from the show
The first Saturday of the month, Sheldon Stewart spends his afternoon over at the WXTK talk radio studio. He joins Larry Egan for the Handyman Hotline – on hand to take questions from callers about all things painting and carpentry. Although there have been lots of different questions over the years, there are a few that come in quite frequently. Inquiring minds want to know! Here are Sheldon’s anwers to the top 5 questions he fields on the show.
1. How do I paint kitchen cabinets?
Painting your kitchen cabinets is a multiple-step process, but taking the time to do it right can produce great results.
1. Clear a space where you you can paint your doors one at a time
2. Take all the doors off
3. Number your hardware (so you know where is goes when it’s time to put it back on)
4. Each door will need to be sanded, wiped with a liquid deglosser, and primed
5. When applying a primer or your Finish coat of Kitchen Cabinet Paint, you should start on the back side, let dry, flip and repeat, 1 prime, 2 finish is recommended
6. Dry each side and repeat
2. How do I wash my deck?
You can use a tank sprayer and use the same solution our trucks go out with. We use a mixture of bleach, water and Jomax, which you can find at a your local hardware store or paint store. Jomax is an additive with three properties: 1) an enhancer, to make the bleach stronger to kill mold on contact, 2) a mildicide, to slow down the reoccurance of mold and mildew, and 3) a neutralizer, which makes it environmentally safe. Once the solution is it’s rinsed off, it neutralizes, so no toxins are left to damage plants, etc.
3.How do I get lichen off my roof?
Using the same low pressure wash you would use to clean your deck, lichen (a combination of an algae and a fungus) will take 6 to 12 months
to fall off. For immediate removal, a hot pressure wash is required – which is more costly. Some insurance companies will cancel a policy if there is untreated lichen on the roof, but homeowners should know that it’s ok if it is still visible – it just needs to be dead. That’s what happens with the low pressure wash – it’s killed on contact but takes 6-12 months to dry up and fall away. You will definitely want to hire a professional to do this, however, since roof work can be dangerous.
4. Some of the seams in my wallpaper are curling. How can I fix this?
This is a tough one. Wallpaper has memory, so once it’s curled (especially if it’s been awhile) it is impossible to get it to lay flat again. will never stay flat. In many cases you will need to re-wallpaper, or live with the curls. Patching is an option if you still have some of the original wallpaper, but in most cases will not be a perfect match.
5. How do I remove a popcorn ceiling?
If you watch HGTV, you know that Joanna Gaines says popcorn ceilings have got to go. Removing a popcorn ceiling can be a DIY project – just know that’s it’s messy and a lot of work. And definitely invest in a pair of safety glasses.
Steps to removing a popcorn ceiling:
1. Clear out the room, cover th efloor with a drop cloth, and use a window fan for ventilation whle you’re working
2. Wet down the ceiling (a basic garden sprayer works well), using hot water or wallpaper remover
3. After waiting about 10 minutes for the moisture to soak in a bit, start scraping with a broad putty knife (use a smaller knife to scrape the corners and crown molding)
4. After all the “popcorn” has been removed and cleaned up, you are ready to sand, spackle and paint.
Tune into The Handyman Hotline on 95 WXTK on Saturdays from 1 pm – 3 pm. Sheldon is live with Larry Egan on the first Saturday of every month to answer all of your painting and carpentry questions!
Missed the show? You can also email Sheldon your question here.
