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, by Trudy Chuoke Author Article title
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, by Trudy Chuoke Author Article title
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, by Trudy Chuoke Author Article title
Saltillo Tile Easy
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
Last week I told you I would walk you through fixing the rotting wood at the bottom of my door trim. I forgot that I was preparing for a trip to the Do It Best Show in Indianapolis. That takes precedence. And to be honest with you, when I was really looking at the trim failure, it is going to be more of a job than I thought. I want to do a video to help you understand how to apply the hardener and mix the wood dough. Using Minwax is an easy way to fix wood rot, and you don’t have to be a pro. And it is more economical that other wood rot fixes that are on the market. So let me write about that next week.
A few days ago a customer came into the store wanting a solution for the odor associated with cat urine. And that is an easy fix. Bio Zapp makes a product called Kitty Stop that is purrfect (sorry) for any cat urine odor. Regular Bio Zapp would work, after repeated uses, but Kitty Stop works much quicker.
Then they told me they wanted to hire someone to seal the Saltillo tile, and I asked why? I told them there is something simpler and more economical. Quick Shine original green bottle formula is a great floor finish. Varnish is what a pro will want to use to protect the floors. And it is a good answer, but the labor is expensive. And you will have to have it sealed again years down the road. But if you can mop…..then you can apply Quick Shine. It will give you a beautiful shine and deepen the color of Saltillo tile. It will seal the grout lines between the tile and give your tile protection from surface scratches. Surface scratches happen as easily as dirt and dust on the bottom of your shoes. Dirt and dust are like sandpaper to floors, whether your floors be tile or wood.
Your Quick Shine finish should last you several months. But when your floor is not as shiny as it was, just mop on another coat of Quick Shine. Quick Shine dries in 20 minutes and has a clean, fresh fragrance. It will give you an immediate shine with one coat. And you never have to strip off Quick Shine. It is not wax, it is a polymer finish. And the next coat you apply will just melt into the first coat. It is amazing. Quick Shine is one of those products that never disappoints. I do not care what condition your floor is in, Quick Shine will make it look better. If you have questions, call me at the store.
Now to the email…..
Question: We just had a new fence installed. It is cedar and beautiful. I know we probably need to seal it. The contractor says we must wait a month, but what do you think? Can we just put a clear seal, or a stain? How long will this last and should we have to seal it every year? Is this something we can do ourselves? He wants a fair amount, and since the weather is cooling a bit, maybe it is something we could do ourselves. But to be honest, we never have tackled anything like that.
Answer: First, yes, your contractor is correct about waiting a month or so to put a stain on the fence. This month will allow the wood to dry out. That way your stain will penetrate deeper into the wood. The deeper the penetration, the better the protection. Now as far as a clear finish vs a stain, go with a stain. I know you love the color of wood right now, but in a few months, it will start turning gray. And that gray is damage. A stain has solids that will protect your fence and keep it looking fresher longer. And as far as you doing it yourself? Go for it! Use Ready Seal. They make a Natural Cedar that is light and close to the color of the wood. It is the best for the DIYer’s because it shows no lap marks. If you have a 6 ft. fence, you should get about twenty running feet. Combine the gallons together to get a consistent color. And you can either brush or use a pump-up sprayer.