Do it yourself | Help, my drawers are showing!
Q: A couple of cabinet drawer fronts came off and I repaired them with wood glue, but they have come off again. The cabinets are good - just the drawers are falling apart. What do you suggest?
A: Regluing any old wood won’t work well unless the old glue is removed first. This lets the glue form a strong bond with the wood surfaces, not a weak bond with the old glue. I suspect your drawer fronts might hold well if you scrape or sand the joints to remove as much old glue as possible. If you must remove glue from recesses, a narrow wood chisel is a good tool for the job.
It is also important to use good-quality wood glue. I have had good results with Titebond, a yellow glue sold at many home centers.
Other gluing tips:
Use glue sparingly. A thin layer of glue will form a stronger bond than a thick glob of it. Wipe off any excess glue immediately with a damp cloth.
Use clamps or other means to hold the parts firmly together while the glue dries. If you don’t have clamps to hold the drawer fronts in place, set them on end and put bricks or stones on the fronts (protect the wood with cardboard or newspapers).
Let the glue dry for the time specified in the directions before attempting to use the drawers.
Q: I want to paint a brick fireplace in my living room. The bricks have some soot stains and a few other stains. What is the best procedure to paint it?
A: This question comes in periodically, and each time I try to discourage painting brick fireplaces. If you or someone else has a change of heart, the paint will be extremely difficult to remove.
If the soot bothers you, you should be able to remove it with one of the special cleaners sold at fireplace-equipment stores. Washing the bricks with TSP (trisodium phosphate, sold at paint stores) will also remove soot. Follow directions and cautions on the cleaner container.
If you do decide to paint, paint only the outer surface, not the firebox. Spread plastic sheets on the floor to catch dirt and paint spatters. Clean the surface with a wire brush and vacuum. Apply a masonry sealer, sold at most home centers, as a primer. The sealer will help keep the bricks from soaking up much of the paint.
Let the sealer dry and apply a high-quality latex paint, preferably with a flat finish. Use a brush to work the paint into the pores of the bricks. Apply the second (and third coat if needed) with a roller.
Quick tip
A new line of cleaners called Wonder Tablitz should interest environmentally conscious consumers. Each of the four types of cleaners comes in an empty, 32-ounce spray bottle with three tablets attached. Fill the bottle with water, drop in a tablet and let it dissolve and you are ready to clean. Refills don’t require more bottles - just add another tablet to more water (refill packages of three tablets are available for each cleaner).
I got good results using the glass and multi-surface cleaner on automobile glass and windows. Also available are an all-purpose cleaner with bleach, a citrus all-purpose cleaner and a fabric refresher and odor eliminator. Environmentally friendly ingredients are used in the cleaners, the manufacturer says.
The cleaners are sold at some home centers and hardware stores or can be bought online at www.wondertablitz.com.
Questions may be sent to Gene Austin at doit861@aol.com or 1730 Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422. Sorry, no personal replies.