askjake

Poly on Pine

Rita asks:

We our putting pine log siding on our basement walls to look like the lodge look. Can we put poly on them after we put them up or before or what do you recommend to put on them

Jake's answer:

Rita,

Yes you can put poly on them.  I assume you are talking about a poly-urethane. Benjamin Moore makes a nice line of stains and sealers.  A waterborne sealer might be a little more easy to use, clean up, and have a lot less odor to deal with.  You can enhance the appearance of the wood by sealing it and it will be easier to clean over the years.  

Tile color change

Question from Ron: 

We have granite tile around the fireplace, would like to change the color - is there a way to cover it, either by painting or gluing another tile on top?

Jake's Answer: 

Ron,

We have never painted granite tile.  I would be reluctant to paint granite, especially around the fireplace. We have installed tile over tile.  Sand the existing tile and install tile like you normally would.  If the existing granite is in good shape and firmly set, you should have a nice finished product. 

Priming a temporary fix

Question from Tanya: 

Can using a primer help if the person before did not use a primer on sheet rock? I am trying to do a temporary fix to our kitchen until we can afford to remodel the entire space with new drywall, the works. Can you help me?

Jake's Answer: 

Tanya,

If it is new drywall that you are painting, I would use a primer, even though it wasn’t used originally.  You should come out with a better finish. 

Removing paint from brick

Question from Pam: 

Hi Jake, 

I have a old square 2 storey 1932 brick house. It is a white wash brick and the owners before us had painted it white. It needs to be repainted, can it just be scrapped and left or does it need to be painted? Also do you have any ideas for the interior, do we drywall or expose the brick? I know its a matter of taste.....just would like to hear your opinion. Thank you!! 

Jake's answer: 

Pam, 

Brick usually does not require painting. I have seen some brick that is scaling and a sealer has been recommended as a means to minimize future scaling. However, this is pretty rare. I would say you could go either way, scrape it and leave it like that or scrape and repaint. We used to sandblast painted brick to bring back the original brick look. This is pretty effective. Check out the paint before you blast it to make sure it is lead-free. In regards to your interior, I would leave some of the brick walls exposed, I like that look to a certain extent.

How to handle plastic coated wall paper

Question:  Our mobile home has all the old plastic coated wall paper. How should we treat it to get texturing & paint to adhere?

Jake's Answer:  Get rid of it.  Strip it, prep the walls and paint the walls.  If you don't want to go through all of that, try removing any loose paper, use spackling to "feather" the edges at the removed paper, then lightly sand the walls and prime the walls with Kilz paint.  Check out this product at www.kilz.com. 

Painting a white brick house

Question:  We are in the process of contracting to have a new roof & vinyl siding put on our house. We have a \'tri-level\" split-most of the house is white brick, the mortar is a taupe color and the portion of the house over the garage has some sort of board siding on it. Also white. I would like to put on a siding in a color other than white. But all of the white brick houses I have seen in our area only have white siding/black roof? Any ideas? Or should I just go with the white & paint the doors/shutters another color?

Jake's answer:  One of the most difficult things to do is to try and pick colors for people over the internet.  There are so many factors to consider that I really try to avoid doing it.  Add to the fact that color selections are not my specialty; I have designers that help in that area.  A thought that does come to mind in your case is why not change the color of the brick?  There are so many cool colors out there and many paint stores offer color consultations, usually for free if you use their paints.  I suggest that you don't get stuck on the white color and go for something you really like.  Good luck!

The order of remodeling work

Question:  We have a lot of \"someones\" giving advice.The hardwood floors have been covered with carpeting for 40 years. They are in excellent shape but will need to be refinished. Although we were careful, there are some holes from the tacking boards and staples. What do we fill those holes with? Second, do we paint first or do the floors first? Someone told us to do the ceilings first, then do the floors. Paint the walls and baseboards last.Someone told us to use Kilz primer before we paint. Should we wash the walls first, fill in the nailholes, use the Kilz and then paint? I figure all the closets can be painted first too and get them out of the way. What\'s the proper order so we\'re not wasting time and energy.

Jake's answer:  In regards to the hardwood floors - the floor re-finisher will have filler that they will apply prior to sanding the floor.  This will take care of all the tack board holes. 

In regards to the order of work:  Do the painting first.  This will include prepping the walls and ceiling, which includes filling all holes and imperfections then sanding them smooth.  You should then prep the wood trim, which includes sanding, filling nail holes, caulking cracks then sanding again.   We never wash the walls unless they have a mold on them.  Kilz is a good product for priming and sealing the walls.  You can have it tinted to your wall paint and maybe get by with just two coats.  Your next step is to paint the wood trim, then the ceiling and then the walls.  I would work the closets in with the rest of your work.  Good remodeling to you!

Painting a pine ceiling

Question:  My new T&G pine ceiling was painted four months ago--after being sanded-- and is showing signs of bubbling and seaming. How long does it take for a pine ceiling to acclimate in terms of having it refinished and repainted again?

Jake's answer:  We have had a lot of problems with wood in terms of shrinkage, not so much with paint peeling.  The wood that we get seems to be high in moisture content, but still within acceptable limits.  In most jobs, we are lucky to get more than 7 days of wood setting on the job prior to using it.  In your case, I would suggest you let it set another 8 months before you do anything.   This will let it go through a full year's worth of seasons.  Hopefully, by then it will be ready to sand and repaint.  The bubbling may be a result of poor prep or inadequate paint quality. 

Painting a mobil home

I live in a mobile home and would like to paint my kitchen walls, what kind of paint/technique do you suggest on this type of wall. Thanks

I don't know why a mobile home wall should be any different from any other type of wall.  It really depends on the wall and what kind of material is on the wall.  Is it just paint now over drywall, paint over paneling, paint over wall paper, wall paper?  The paint you want to apply is only as good as the surface you are applying the paint to.  Make sure the surface is clean, no lose pieces and use a good quality interior latex paint. 

Painting basement block walls

Jake

The wall in our basement is cement block.  We live in a very cold climate, -20 degrees in the winter sometimes.  Can a textured paint or something be put on these walls.  We need to do things economically.  Also the bare ceiling with studs is an eyesore.  My husband feels we cannot just paint over them as there is wiring to consider and find if need be and I suppose plumbing also.    Marilyn

Marilyn,

Have you considered moving to a warmer climate?  Just kidding.  I don't think that the cold climate will affect your paint if the paint is applied per the manufacturer's recommendations.  Usually you want to apply the paint when the walls are at least 50 degrees or higher and there is no moisture in the block.  Moisture could be bigger problem than coldness.  You can check for moisture by tightly taping a piece of clear plastic wrap, like Saran Wrap, on to the block and see if any moisture appears on the plastic.  If it does, make certain the paint company is aware of this when you are purchasing the paint.   Good Luck and good remodeling.