Home Related Questions and Answers

Sunday, June 2, 2013

How To Remove Scratch of a Refinished floors?

Q. I recently had my 50+ years old pine hardwood floors refinished with 3 coats of oil based. Looks really nice and shiny. Now I made a light/clear scratch from moving furniture and I can't get it off by using an eraser or water+soap. Any other ways to remove a simple clear scratch/scuff from the top coat? Thank you!

A. Try a little bleach, don't pour it directly on the floor, put some on a towel, or sponge and a little elbow grease.

What do I do to fix a hardwood floor after refinishing problem?

Q. We sanded our hardwood floor to refinish it. All of a sudden, the nails showed up - we couldn't really see them before sanding, now we have black nail heads on nice brown hardwood. How do we fix it so the nails don't show so drastically?

A. All you can do now is use a nail punch and counter sink the nails and then fill the holes with a putty. Use a putty you can stain by using some of the stain you used for the hardwood. Then just touch up with the same urethane.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar. GL

is fine sanding the same as screening a wood floor?

Q. I am tackling a floor refinish on my old oak wood floors soon. I bought a house and found worn (but good shape) old oak wood floors under the carpet. I am planning on screening and re-staining and finishing the floors. will something like 200-grit sandpaper have the same effect as a screening pad? Which option would you suggest?

A. If you were just going to apply another coat of clear finish (polyurethane), then screening is fine. You want to re stain, so you have to remove all the clear finish first. You need to be more aggressive than 200 grit.

Do most youngsters get adequate guidance and discipline training from their parents?

Q. Esp on home-safety, fire-safety, vehicle-safety and other aspects of safety? Isn't this the right time for more family bonding and to nurture kids properly, for a better tomorrow?

Your valuable comments would be much appreciated!

A. From where I am, parents teach, guide and discipline youngsters on the basics of safety, good behavior and manners. We don't even spare the rod, so to speak, if a child does wrong. But we explain to him why he is being spanked - not because we love him less but because we want to instill in his young mind the importance of knowing what is right and what is wrong, that there are certain rules to consider and must be obeyed to make him a better person when he grows up and that includes thinking not only for his own self but to consider others as well.

Can an employer require an employee to take a TB test?

Q. My husband works for a small company doing installations & structural modifications for home safety. His boss is mandating that all his employees get a tuberculosis test so that the company can get some sort of certification. Please note that, as far as we know, there is no indication that anyone has been exposed to TB. Is it reasonable or legal for his boss to require to him to take this test, especially since the company doesn't even provide health care insurance that would cover the treatment of any side effects that resulted from the test? Also, can anyone suggest any good on-line resources that deal with situations like this?

A. The staff is going into people's homes and touching their stuff and cannot be spreading a communicable disease.

How can I keep my house safer from break-ins?

Q. We've had some burglaries lately in our neighborhood. I'm just looking for some ideas on home safety, with or without a security system or alarm.

A. Leaving an inside light on when you are gone makes a thief wonder if someone is there. Not the bathroom light or a porch light.
Leave a radio on low to fool the thief.
Put a recorder on the telephone. If the telephone rings while one is trying to decide if anyone is home the recorder can say something like this, "Will call you in a few minutes."
Don't let the mail or newspapers pile up.
A camera is good to put up.

A sign that says,"Security or dog guard on duty 4 days and nights, pick your night."
Don't let people know when you are going to be gone unless it is a neighbor that you trust.

What lightbulb should I use when photographing clothing?

Q. I recently bought my first SLR camera. A Cannon 60D. I also just purchased a commercial lighting kit that has 2 800 watt bulbs. I am using this camera to photograph clothing for an online store. It doesn't seem as if these 2 lights are enough. Would a different bulb help???? What should I use, I am very new at this!!!
It is my own online store for Ebay. Have always just photographed things in my living room and thought I would take it to the next step. What are the benefits of strobe lighting? That concerns me a bit though as I have a history of seizures...not sure a strobe would be the best thing.

A. I use one 750 watt and one 500 watt bulb whens shooting (key and fill lights) and that is plenty. When shooting fashion, I use shoot through umbrellas to soften the light.

What you really need to assure that the fabric colours match what is recorded on your cameras sensor.

I use the Xrite Colorchecker Passport to establish a custom white balance. Yes, I do set the cameras white balance to incandescent, but when processing the RAW files, I add the custom white balance, keywords, copyright notice and contact information at that time using Adobe Lightroom.

What range of chroma do fluorescent light bulbs come in?

Q. I am talking about regular, commercial light bulbs; not for studio lighting etc....
thanks!

A. check out this web site and for the wave lengths (or spectra) that fluorescent bulbs give off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fluorescent_lighting_spectrum_peaks_labelled.gif

Where to buy commercial fluorescent light fixtures?

Q. Need advice about commercial fluorescent light fixtures - any reliable review site would be great! Thanks!

A. Look in your local yellow page listings for "electrical contractor supply" stores. The most common commercial quality brands are Metalux, Lightolier, Lumax and Hubbell. Many fancy lighting showrooms also have a contractor supply department from which you can purchase commercial lighting and also lighting specifiers and designers who can help you select and lay out what you need for the space.
I worked as a commercial lighting designer for one such store in my city for a couple of years.

Even the home building stores like Home Depot and Lowes can sell you commercial lighting, if that is the only resource in your area. But a contractor supplier will be less expensive and have more in stock.

Buying such items on the internet is not a great idea. Costs of shipping and problems with delivery damages are high with such products. Your simplest and most economical source is local electrical supply dealers.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Where is the wall decor on stardoll?

Q. I am looking for the zebra wall paper on stardoll. I searched wall decor but the zebra print wall decor didn't show up. I am looking for the zebra print one that DOESN'T have the blue stripe on it. Thanks!

.

A. MINISHOP > DIY > Wall treatment > Pg 1 > Zebra Stencil

That's the only one I can find that isn't the one with the blue stripe.

Covering metal kitchen cabinets with window film or wall decor product.?

Q. I painted them a few years back. Stuff was almost toxic, had to leave home for a few days. I've seen window film and wall decor. Has anyone tried this on metal kitchen cabinets? I would like to know before I buy product. I really like some of the designs. Contact paper is out for many reasons! I need to redo all of the cabinets on two walls. Thank you.

A. Wow.. What kind of paint did you use ? They do have low VOC paints that don't fume that badly while drying.

As far as using window films, I'm not sure what type your thinking of. I have seen the "chrome" or mirror films used before, but the results are hit and miss..

You could take the cabinet doors down and bring them outside or into the garage to paint too.. That would help keep the fumes to a minimum.

-- D.

Info on learning how to make wall decor signs with lettering?

Q. I would like to learn how to make those wall decor signs that always have some quote, phrase, name or word on it. For example I have seen some that say "cafe" or "this is where our story begins". Does anyone know if there are places that have classes for this or a book or magazine that teaches you how?

A. I think you need special machines for that. They arent that expensive and I know of a company that can customize what you want and at fairly cheap. You should email them. I had a friend who put cool quotes throughout the ceiling with their vinyls... looked great.

check out http://www.carfacial.com/gallery.html adding decal to your wall would look super cute!!!

What color should I paint my bedroom to compliment whitewashed furniture?

Q. My bedroom set is whitewash in color...like a very light tan, but whitewashed. Unfortunately my walls are a very light brown. To make matters worse I have a tiled floor and the tiles are almost the same color as the furniture. I have to contrast anywhere and the room is VERY boring. I have no idea what wall color would go well with the furniture. Can you please help me?

A. Check out "tempo teal" on bedroom #3 in this link.
http://sherlink.sherwin.com/swapp/color_visualizer/index.jsp
Just click on "paint an interior," then "bedrooms." Then you can type "tempo teal" in the search field, or just start trying on colors. It's fun.

How do you unlock a bedroom door from the outside?

Q. I accidentally locked my bedroom door from the inside. It is one of those doorknobs with the little hole in the middle and the lock on the other side that you push to lock and turn the handle to release. I've tried using wire hangers, and it hasn't worked. Please help.

A. It depends upon the type of lock that is on the door. If it is a passage lock that is commonly used for a bedroom door then a thin screwdriver inserted in the center hole will engage a slot and you will be able turn it 90 deg to unlock the door.

If it is a keyed entry set like an exterior door then there are several possibilities. If the hinges are on your side slide the center pin out and open the door from the hinge side. If not then you might be able to "card" the door if the lock is of inferior quality. If it is of better quality and installed correctly then see the next:

If it is a dead bolt then you will have to break the door, drill out the lock, find the key, or call a locksmith.

Does a bedroom have to have a window in PA?

Q. I live in an apartment that was listed as a 2 bedroom. One of the bedrooms does not have a window. Is there supposed to be a window for emergencies or ventilation? Does anyone know the laws for this sort of thing?

A. You do need to have ventalation in a beedroom. But more important you need egress. At least one window in each bedroom must be of sufficient size to permit the occupants to escape a fire and also to allow a fully outfitted firefighter to enter.

An egress window must satisfy all four Internatioinal Residential Code (IRC) criteria:

Minimum width of opening: 20 in.
Minimum height of opening: 24 in.
Minimum net clear opening: 5.7 sq. ft. (5.0 sq. ft. for ground floor).
Maximum sill height above floor: 44 in.

So if it doesn't ahve this it's not a bedroom. A simple call to your local bulding department can confirm this.

home plan and started drinking heavily and the parole officer arrested him and put in jail .how long in jail?

Q. he has been in jail since beginning of Aug08 this is sept08. how much time will he get for parole violation for drinking?also he left the person who made the home plan with all the bills that he was supposed to help ,etc rent,gas,light ,water. how can my friend get him to pay after he is sentence to jail.can the parole board and probation help the friend get the money from the violator?

A. he will be in jail for as long as he was sentenced or until he gets paroled again ( if he dose not when).as far as the friend who got stuck with all the bills... not much he can do about that. and if i was him i would not help the man again. but i would lie to the guy saying if the bills where paid then he could use them as a home plain again and if he pays it turn around and say no to him. the guy had his chance for freedom and he wasted it and on top of that the pple who helped him got screwed with the bills let him sit in jail.

How much will my interest rate be on a home purchase?

Q. My girlfriend and I are looking to move into a new home come Dec/Jan. She is a 650 credit score, I am a 600. Looking in the price range of a $100-150K home. Planning on putting $2,000 down.

With that being said, what kind of interest rate should I be expecting? Also...I have heard of 80/20 loans. Any feedback on those?

A. I just bought a home about 6 months ago, so I know what your going through. It depends on a few things. Where do you live? How much money do you guys make? What's in your credit history, not just your score!

I can tell you from your credit score that your definitely not going to get the prime rate. You'll probably get a rate a few percents above whatever the best rate is that the mortgage company offers.

An 80/20 loan is two separate loans and the 20% loan's rate is always higher. When you make a down payment on a home that is less than 20% of the sale price then you pay on an 80% loan and also a 20% (both %'s are in respect to the selling price on the home) So therefore, you'll either have to take out a 80/20 or a loan for the sale price and then pay mortgage insurance (PMI) (because your down payment is nowhere near 20%).

I was told not to mess with an 80/20 loan for different reasons but you'll have to do your research in order to make the best decision for you two.

Are there any extra taxes on BSNL 500 home plan?

Q. Last month I was using 250 plan and this month i have brought up 500home plan. Are there any extra taxes on it? Is 500 c better than it ?
I didn't know about the two other plans of rs.500. The officials didn't ask me also.
And they changed it to 500 home plan. Do you think I should change it again?

A. 1) BSNL Dataone plan 250
-- It is not having night free 02:00 - 08:00
2) BSNL Dataone plan 500
--It is having night free 02:00 - 08:00
--2.5 GB FREE/ MONTH /excess will be charged
3) Charges Month / Rs. 500 + Tax nearly 12%
4) Yearly payment Rs.5,000 + Tax Rs.618 = Rs.5,618

Is the Playstation Home aspects of Grand Theft Auto 4 enough to buy the PS3 version over the 360 version?

Q. I'm talking about the Trophies, accessories for your Home avatar, GTA 4 themed Home rooms, etc. (That will come out whenever Playstation Home comes out). Do these features outweigh the 360's achievements and eventual exclusive maps? Also, I do have a Dualshock 3 Rumble controller for the PS3, so rumble is not a contributing factor.

A. PS3 is stronger than 360. Also I heard that PS3 is getting some content too. Home GTA features would be nice too. Yes, I would say PS3 is better.

Living room set with sofa bed in Kansas City?

Q. I am looking for a living room set that includes a sofa bed instead of just the regular kind of sofa. I dont need end tables or lamps or anything else. Just a sofa, chair, and ottoman. I can spend between $1000-2000 on the three items. I live in Kansas City and can't seem to find anything like this at the three places I have been to so far (Nebraska Furniture Mart, Home Rooms Furniture, and Rent-A-Center). I do not need financing.

A. Try these places for your sofa bed: JCPenny, Target, Sofa Express. You might try JC Penny first . They usually got really good quality sofas. You can also go on the web. There are some really good companies out there . The only drawback is that some of the sofas you have to put together yourself.

Can you use a thick heavy curtain for a home theater room?

Q. - If I wanted to divide my home theater room from another room without drywall, could I use a thick heavy curtain?

A. Yes, a lot of people use curtains.
Acoustic room dividers are available in the forms of folding screens also. An optimal acoustic room can be realized via thick carpeting by using the sofas, acoustic wall drapes, cushions and acoustic wall panels.
http://www.checkhometheatre.com/home-theater-room/room-acoustics.html

http://www.minihometheater.org/acoustic-sound-proofing-2/