Home Repair GuideDecember 2007 | ||
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In This Issue...
Sandpaper and AbrasivesThe term sandpaper refers to a number of different types of abrasives which can have several different types of backing materials and come in several different forms. No matter the sanding job you have to do you can find an abrasive product to help. Some sanding products include: sanding belts, tape, discs, sheets and even abrasive sponges that flex to follow the contours of decorative molding and other irregular surfaces. There are a few types of abrasives used to make sandpaper in the US: almandite, a natural mineral that is red in color, aluminum oxide which is a gray–brown color and silicon carbide which is iridescent black and the hardest of the three. Almandite is a red garnet and the sandpaper made with it is sometimes called garnet paper. This type of abrasive is used on soft materials like wood but is not hard enough to cut materials like metal. Use aluminum oxide paper for hard surfaces like metal and silicon carbide for metals, stone and wet/dry sanding. Sandpaper is rated based on the size of the grains of abrasive used. Twenty–two screen sizes, from 12 openings per square inch to 600, are used to sort the grains. The size of the grains determines the coarseness of the sandpaper. These ratings are not always used by the manufacturer to label sandpaper for sale. The terms fine, medium and coarse will often be the only rating used to identify grit density on a sandpaper package. Generally speaking, the term fine is used for abrasives from about 150 to 220 grit, medium from about 80 to 120 grit and coarse for about 36 to 50 or 60 grit. While the grit size is determined by screen size the density of abrasive grains per square inch can vary between open and closed coat. Open coat sandpaper has about 30 to 50 percent open space with no grains of abrasive. This open space decreases the tendency of sanding dust to collect between the grains. Closed coat sandpaper has very little space between grains and will glog or "load" with sanding dust very quickly. Open coat sandpaper is plenty abrasive even with fewer grains and will last thru many more uses than closed coat, so it's the best choice. Fortunately, open coat is the most common type you will find at your paint supplier. Backing materials for abrasives are another consideration when choosing sandpaper. The backing used to make abrasives can be paper, cloth or fiber. Paper is available in four weights: A, C, D and E, with A being the lightest and therefore thinnest. Some sanding discs and floor sanding machine papers are backed with the heaviest, E grade paper. For wood sanding the best paper weight to look for is a C. The A weight is very thin and too fragile for most wood sanding but is well suited for use with silicon carbide abrasives and wet/dry sanding. D is used with very coarse grit paper of about 40 and below as well as sanding discs and industrial grade sanding sheets. Sanding belts are made using a type of fabric backing for flexiblity. You can buy a small package of 10 sheets of sandpaper in varying grits at any home or paint store and these are usually a good choice for the average do–it–yourselfer. If you plan to do a lot of sanding of wood and prep work for painting consider buying a sleeve of 50 sheets of 120 grit paper. This is a good medium grit that will do most jobs around the house. No matter the size of the package you buy you should keep the unused paper in the cardboard container it comes in to help keep it dry and clean. Also be sure you keep the package in a dry place like a wood drawer. Avoid storing in damp basements and other such places where moisture can ruin the sandpaper. Choosing Paint for Your WallsPaint finish and color are two important considerations that will have a significant impact on your paint job. It’s true the prep is the most important part of a paint job, but the choice you make for paint finish will dramatically affect the amount of prep needed to get the professional quality finish you want. Also color, as well as paint quality, will have an impact on the work load with regard to the number of coats required for good coverage. Paint finish will have the most significant impact on surface preparation because shiny paints like eggshell and semi–gloss tend to show flaws in wall surfaces, while flat finishes and some faux finishes tend to hide rough spots. In addition to being a good choice for hiding flaws, flat paint is very easy to touch–up dirt and stains later. If little imperfections in the paint finish will bother you, you will not be happy with a shiny finish unless your walls are already smooth or you are willing to do significant work to smooth them. Color becomes an important consideration if you’re making a radical change to the original color or you plan to use red or yellow as a finish color. A major change of wall color, especially if you are planning a lighter color over a dark shade, will require at least 3 coats and maybe more to cover completely. If you choose to put a red or yellow on your walls plan on multiple coats, up to 8 or more for some of these colors. Red and yellow are relatively transparent due to the lack of pigment in the neutral base required to retain the vibrant quality of these colors. This lack of pigment means red and yellow paint colors don’t cover or hide well. Adding a dark pigment to red or yellow creates earth tones such as rust or olive. These tones will cover much better than the pure, bright red and yellow tones. Caulking Tubs and Showers
The crack that appears between a tub and wall tile or shower stall is caused when the tub or shower floor sinks with the weight of water and bodies. When the tub is empty it returns to its original level. This movement will crack grout and caulk over time. To compensate for this movement use a flexible silicone caulk intended for tubs and showers to recaulk the gap. Start by removing any old, cracking grout and caulk from the joints between tile and tub or shower stall. Loose grout will pop out easily with the edge of a putty knife. Old caulk can be scraped off using a plastic scraper on fiberglass and metal putty knife or razor–blade scraper on ceramic tile and porcelain. Don't use metal on fiberglass, it will damage the finish. Sometimes a putty knife can be slipped under old caulk and the whole bead can be removed at once. If the caulk is loose wedge your knife between the tile and tub and drag it down the length of the gap while pulling the caulk away with your other hand. Scrape repeatedly until all the loose material has been removed. If the old caulk is cracked but not coming off, trim it out with a sharp drywall knife. Cut cleanly thru the caulk but avoid cutting into tile or fiberglass. Pull all the loose caulk free and dust or vacuum the crack. If there's caulk residue on the tub and surrounding surface use steel wool on ceramic and porcelain and a kitchen scrubber on fiberglass. There are no sure fire solvents to dissolve or remove caulk but you can try using a water dampened rag drapped over a putty knife to rub any caulk that resists. On ceramic and porcelain use a razor knife to scrape off tough residue. Clean the gap to be caulked with denatured alcohol and let it dry for about 10 minutes before proceeding. You can buy tub and tile caulk in a tube that resembles a toothpaste tube or a cylinder that will fit into a caulk gun. Cut the applicator tip at a 45 degree angle and pierce the seal inside the cylinder using a long nail or the peircing pin on some caulk guns. Soak an old t–shirt or similar cloth in water and wring out the excess. Don't stand in the tub or shower while recaulking to avoid overfilling the gap. Begin caulking at one corner and fill the gap moving to the next corner. To monitor caulk flow pull the caulk gun along while squeezing to dispense caulk. Go slow enough to allow the caulk to fill the gap but not overfill. Smooth the gap out using the rag drapped over your index finger to push the caulk into the gap and wipe any excess caulk away. For an illustrated caulking tutorial visit Our Caulking Page. Solutions for Stubborn StainsWhen washing doesn't remove grease stains from clothes, saturate the spots with liquid dish detergent and let it soak for a couple days. This works for whites and colors. Let the item soak for a day or so and wash it again. Don't use blue or green detergent, these colors will leave dye in the fabric. — When window glass has a tough film that won't come off with the usual cleaners, rub the surface with a thick paste of whiting and hydrogen peroxide. Use a soft rag to work the paste into the glass and then rinse each pane with clean water and a rag. Let the window dry and then clean the glass again with window cleaner. — When mildew covers your outdoor furniture soak it with a 10% bleach solution. Use a compression sprayer filled with cool water and about 10% laundry bleach. Thoroughly soak all mildew and let the solution sit for half an hour or more and then rinse with a garden hose. If mildew persists, soak it again with a stronger bleach solution. |
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