Tips on how to perform do-it-yourself work at your community.
Q.The entry hall in one of our apartments has a ceramic-tile floor, and there is a step down to enter the rooms beyond the entrance. The problem is that the tiles and the carpet in the adjoining rooms are basically the same color, and many people entering don’t notice the step down. Can you suggest a practical solution?
A. I’m sure you have seen the brightly colored tapes and paint often used to mark step-downs and step-ups in some public places, but I doubt that you would want to use something like that in your entry. A more attractive solution would be to remove the last row or two of tiles at the edge of the step and replace them with tiles that contrast with the other tiles and the carpet. I would also make sure that the entry is well lit. Of course, you will want to warn people you greet at the door about the step.
Q.The plaster walls and ceilings at my community have several small cracks, which I have patched. I don’t think regular paint will work well to remedy this. Can you offer ideas on methods that are fast and inexpensive to repair the cracks?
A.Texture paint, a heavy-bodied paint with excellent covering ability, could give good results. I used a sand-textured paint more than 25 years ago to finish a problem ceiling, and it still looks good. Of course, there is no guarantee that some cracks won’t reopen or that new cracks won’t appear in time. My suggestion is to paint just one wall or one small room to see how you like the results before proceeding. This will also sharpen your application skills. Sand-textured paint is sometimes available in coarse and regular versions. Both give a so-called stipple finish, with many tiny peaks on the surface. Check paint stores and home centers to get an overview of possibilities. A typical sand-textured paint is applied with a roller or brush; read the directions carefully before buying to see what tools are needed. Special texture rollers are sometimes available. Keep in mind that texture paint will cover much less area per gallon than conventional paint; rough-texture paint may cover only 50 or 60 square feet per gallon. When mixed, the typical sand-texture paint has the consistency of a thick milkshake. The usual procedure is to start by priming the wall or ceiling with a latex primer. After the paint is applied, it can be “tooled” with implements such as a sponge, trowel or stiff-bristled brush to give special effects such as the whirl finish, featuring many overlapping swirls, that was once trendy. Since texture paint can be difficult to clean, many decorators let it dry thoroughly before finally applying a coat of regular satin-finish wall paint.
Q.My concrete patio isn’t level and puddles form on it in the middle area when it rains. How can this be fixed without much money or effort?
A.If the patio is in good condition, you could have an overlay or topping poured to give it the proper slope and eliminate puddles. This could be expensive. There are also special concrete-patching mixes that can be applied in very thin coats; one could be used to level the depressed area in the patio.
However, I have tried these products several times and all cracked or loosened within a few years. Another option is inexpensive and, with a little effort, will eliminate puddles. Use an ordinary broom to sweep the water out of the puddle after a rain and move it off the edge of the patio. For faster sweeping, get a long-handled brush-squeegee tool that is used to apply blacktop sealer; you can buy one at a home center or hardware store. Still another inexpensive option is to use a wet-dry vacuum cleaner to suck out the water in the puddle. When working with an electric appliance on a wet surface, make sure the outlet you use is protected with a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) to prevent shocks.
Questions and comments should be e-mailed to Gene Austin at gaus17@aol.com.