Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508220012
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: C-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PETER HOTTON THE BOSTON GLOBE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: If the ink on the leather or vinyl is ball point, it should yield to rubbing alcohol. But before using this, try it on an obscure area of the material to make sure it does not fade or stain the leather or vinyl. Not much alcohol is needed; if a little rubbing with the alcohol reduces the stain somewhat, keep at it. If the ink is from another source, alcohol is still the solvent of choice. If the ink is from a felt pen, try straight ammonia.
If this treatment doesn't work, it's a matter of experimenting with a solvent, just as you did with the hair spray, Clorox and other materials. For instance, try ammonia, paint thinner, a citrus spray cleaner, lacquer thinner, etc., not necessarily in that order. No guarantees, and with each solvent, try it on an obscure area of the material first.
Sometimes an ink eradicator will work; it is sold in office supply stores.
Q: I am trying to find a replacement handle for a shower, the one that turns around to make the water as hot or as cold as you want. The pipes are in the wall, and to change the handle the walls on three sides will have to be come down. The only writing on the fixture is Kohler USA: The house was built in 1944.
A: It sounds like a no-scald one-handle unit, and it really should be readily available; a plumber should be able to locate one. And since it was installed in a pipe that sticks out of the wall, it should come off easily and the new one go on without ripping the place apart. If it is a no-scald unit, it might have been placed more recently than 1944.
Q: I have a wood table that I use outside. It's been painted but it's starting to crack and peel. Maybe I should have used a primer or sealer before painting. What can I do before I repaint? And speaking of paint, what is the difference between a primer and sealer? I never know which to use.
A: For the outdoor wood table, scrape off loose paint and heavily sand to roughen the surface. The more paint you get off the better, especially if you did not use a primer originally. In fact, you should have used a primer. So, apply an oil-based exterior primer and finish with two coats of an oil-based indoor-outdoor enamel. With all paint jobs, thin coats are important; not thinned-down paint but thin coats. Don't try to lay on thick coats; it never works.
The difference between a sealer and primer? Good question, and I think the paint people are overusing the two words, and sometimes interchangeably, adding to everyone's confusion, including mine. Then they talk about primer-sealers, compounding the confusion.
A sealer is anything that seals a surface, such as a porous one. Or, it makes the surface water-resistant, such as Thompson's Water Seal or clear Cuprinol. Often the first coat of paint or varnish is a sealer. A primer is defined as the first coat (of anything), but it does the same thing as a sealer: It seals a porous surface, for example, and primes the surface as well, preparing it to receive finish coats.
Primers are extremely important in both exterior and interior work, and on most surfaces. Omitting a primer is a sure way of ruining a paint job.
On your exterior table, the primer is important, but even that will not prevent cracking and peeling. It will slow the process, and, if you're lucky, a properly primed and enameled table exposed to the weather will be good for three to eight years.
I did just this to two Adirondack chairs two years ago. The one painted orange has stood up nicely. The one painted green peeled like crazy in less than a year. I suppose I did not sand the old finish enough, but why one chair failed and the other didn't beats the heck out of me. But I'm going to try again.
Other, similar wood chairs I have stained with a semitransparent stain, and they are easy to maintain: just restain them every five years. Such a stain must go over bare wood.
by CNB