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Your best course? Other than learning to love polka-dots?
Seriously, this should be pretty easy if the teak does not have a film finish on it. Just sand it again using a non-woven abrasive pad like 3M’s Scotch-Brite pads. The ultra fine grit (#7448) would be best. This product is getting into most home centers and tool sources so it shouldn’t be hard to find if you ask. It’s similar to steel wool but made of nylon so it will not rust.
If you have a film finish, polyurethane or similar, on it, you will have to remove the finish to get to the rusty material with the Scotch-Brite. Unless this was really bad, and I’d be surprised if it would be as the colors evened out over time, I would not go through the mess of stripping it.
Henry in MI
Susie, you can change the color by sponge painting, rag rolling or other faux technique. You will probably want to use a glaze rather than a paint for this. You might want to try going to a local paint specialty store for this. There are some really good people and products at the big box home improvement stores and there are some people without a clue. The people at the local stores have to depend on getting it right. The big boxes also have other products and prices to sell you to stay in business.
Henry in MI
No, oil based paint would not have done that. I would have peeled right off. It doesn’t like moisture behind it either.
It sounds to me like you need to remove the plaster and build a stud wall inside the building with a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the wall and the inside sealed with Drylox or similar. Also you will want to tuck point the outside of the bricks and seal those or find any leaks that you have and seal those.
Henry in MI
First, figure out how you are going to clamp a guide strip to guide whatever tool you choose. If you can’t do this, you can’t reasonable expect to make a straight cut, no matter what tool you elect to use. If you can’t figure out how to attach a guide strip, call a pro.
Henry in MI
Warm air can hold more water than cold air. If air with a lot of humidity/water in it gets cold, the water has to come out. It comes out on the coldest thing around and that’s your windows.
The “cure” for condensation it to do one of 2 things. The first is to get water out of the air. You can do that by adding a dehumidifier. The water gets in the air in your house by either coming in with outside air or from things like baths, showers, washing dishes or other large water using activities so eliminating these things could also help.
The second thing is to keep surfaces warmer. More insulation will help this. The “dead air space” between the 2 panes of glass in most modern window units will help condensation from forming. The “dead air space” really isnot that. It is full of an inert gas like argon. If the seals of the sealed panes leaked during insulation, regular air can take the place of the argon and condensation can occur between the panes and on the out pane. You cannot reseal the space or replace the argon. If this is what is happening, you should contact the window manufacturer for replacements.
Henry in MI
You have to go all the way into the framing of your walls to make this change. One or both of the stud sets will have to be moved and a new header fabricated, and probably some electrical wiring moved as well. You will want to shore up the ceiling while you have the studs removed. You may be able to get by with just a little cutting of the outside walls and siding. This will be a pretty involved job for someone with little experience with this type of thing. Weather may be a major issue, depending on where you live. I suggest that you start by doing your homework in the library and read all you can about framing and reframing a house. The work is not all that difficult but a lot of knowledge and planning will make the job go a lot easier and safer.
Henry in MI
I suggest that you start by trying to find a saw repair place in your area. Sears didn’t actually make the saws they sold and the same saws, or very similar, were also sold under other names. Most old saw repair shops have a grumpy old guy in the back that can take a look at your old part and tell you what else it was used on.
If he points you in the right direction, having him sharpen all your blades or bringing donuts the next time you go there is a good idea.
Henry in MI
Any oil based polyurethane will offer about as much protection as you can get with a reasonably usable finish. They will all darken a bit, as would a water based poly. The difference between a marine poly and other oil based polys is that the marine poly has more UV protection to protect the wood and the finish from the damaging sunlight that a boat can be subjected to.
Henry in MI
You can paint after cleaning, slightly roughening the surface of, and priming. I’ve never been there but BobF, who posts here often, probably has pretty good instructions for this on his site. You will want to use an oil based enamel.
But before you take this road, you might want to consider that a smooth white finish will show every discoloration, defect, mar and dirty fingerprint. A smooth surface shows defects more than a matte finish. The smooth finish can be easier to clean but it will need to be with the white color. Because there are so many variations of “off white”, depending on what color is used to mute the stark white of a pure titanium white, everything else that you have in your kitchen will be a different white and not match or look like it’s a little dirty. If you are going to be brush painting, drips and runs that don’t look like much will be much more visible with a little use.
There is a solution to this that you might want to consider. Back in the 1950’s and 60’s, metal cabinets were popular. Now the old ones are collectible and you occasionally see posts here either offering them for sale or requesting sources. Youngstown is one of the brand names but there are others. If they are in reasonable condition to begin with, the metal cabinets can be a lot easier to refinish to a smooth, white look. You just use the same techniques that automotive body shop people use on cars of that era. You will want to spray the finish on, or have it sprayed, but a finish that is good for 10 years or so outside should last a while even with kids in the kitchen.
Henry in MI
The one who is supposed to keep track of the instructions for things like stoves spent some time searching the Fridigaire site and found the instructions for a similar stove. We thought that the model number was on the back of the stove which is pretty much impossible to get to. But in cleaning before starting the self-cleaning oven cycle, we found the plate with the model number, checked again at the site and had a very successful oven cleaning session. Thanks for your comments, Mike and DanO.
Henry in MI
You can try acetone or the super glue/Krazy glue remover that’s available at most places where the glue is sold. My experience is that usually the hard, stiff fabric will actually crack sometime before you get the glue out and the exersize will be a waste of time. The crack will become a hole and problems will go on from there.
Henry in MI
You can repair it with Bondo in the same way that you fix automotive fiberglass bodies. Because both the car body and the door skin are going to move around in use, there will always be a question about how long the repair will hold up. One other issue is that when you stain, put another coat of paint over the fiberglass. This will hide the color difference between the paint base that’s on the door now and the Bondo.
You use a gel-type stain on fiberglass or metal surfaces and the paint department of your home center should have the instructions and tools for doing this job.
Personally, I would take a long look at the cost of the door and the finishing materials before doing the repair. The repair could last a lifetime or could fall out the first time the wind grabs the door and bangs it or someone slams the door.
Henry in MI
Sheet mica splittings are available from Van Dyke’s Restorers, 800-558-1234, http://www.vandykes.com. My catalog is getting a little old and out-of-date but it is available in an 18″ x 36″ x.015″ size and an 18″ x 18″ x .015 size. It is a bit pricy.
It’s used as a shade material in arts and crafts style lamps, among other things.
Henry in MI
BobF is right on but his answer is correct for those parts of the country that have significant heating seasons. Those with temperatures that require significant cooling, and the bills for that can be much higher than heating bills in some parts of the country, will find that those cool wood floors feel pretty nice.
Henry in MI
That’s almost an impossible question. With variations of heat and humidity, there can be a lot of variation in how long the odor lingers and at what level. Can you open windows? How much? Will you be sealing off heat ducts as you should? Sealing the door with sheet plastic and blue duct tape and with or without an open window. How much square footage do you have in your house and how much will be polied?
My teenage did his room a couple of years ago, opened a screened window in the summertime and kept the door closed. We practically never noticed the odor. A local store put poly on a small wine rack in the store where there was little air exchange and it stunk for 2 days.
Henry in MI
