Front door makeover

I have always believed that a front door says a lot about a home. It’s the first thing that people see coming up to your home and it begins telling the story about what’s inside. When I was looking for a new home, I would drive around in the neighborhood and if the front door looked inviting, I wanted to see the rest of the home. And even if you are not selling your home why wouldn’t you want to beautify your front door, since it is easy and affordable. Let me tell you how....

Have you looked at your front door lately? Is it warm and inviting or dull? If your door just looks dry and faded, then you can use SunShield. SunShield is a wax that is a unique blend of carnauba wax, beeswax, and orange oil with an excellent UV inhibitor. Applying SunShield will enhance the color of the wood and deepen the finish. Before applying SunShield make sure your door is free of dust and dirt and then apply SunShield with a soft rag and allow to penetrate for 30 minutes. You may apply twice, but remove any excess with a clean, soft rag. Apply SunShield any time when your door looks dull. And it can also be used on any outdoor wood furniture. It’s especially restoring on teak. If your door faces west, it gets so much sun at the end of the day. If your door is faded, there is no need to strip and refinish the door. To add color back into your door use Restor-a-Finish in the color closest to the original finish. Restore A Finish is a solvent based product that can penetrate the finish of the door and stain the wood underneath. Wearing gloves, add Restore to an old rag and wipe the door following the grain of the wood. Most finishes will require only one coat wipe on and wipe off because your wood door will quickly absorb the product. Now some finishes can be more difficult, and you might need to apply several coats. Just remember to wipe off any excess Restore-A-Finish. It is designed to protect the wood finish and the color of the door, giving you a refinished look.

SunShield and Restor-a-Finish are both made by Howard’s and are USA made, and family owned.  You will find them on our website, www.happyhandyman.com.

Answer: I want you to take a piece of that colored grout and take it to Floor and Decor, or someplace like that and find matching grout. They should have a premixed grout that will be very close. Remove one tile at a time leaving the others taped into place. Remove all the existing thin set on the back of the tile being very careful. Remove the old thin set from where it was on the front of the stove. Then apply thin set on the back of the tile and secure it back securing it with tape (painters' tape) Go slow... tile by tile. Keep a couple of towels and rugs on the floor. After the tile is cured, replace the grout. You can do this!