Home Maintenance For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Carey, James

  To protect your home from a secret attack by termites, do the following:

  Add a layer of sheet metal at the point where the wood and the house intersect.

  Wherever possible, remove dirt away from wood. The general rule is to aim for 6 inches between the wood and the dirt. Remove enough soil to eliminate contact, making it more difficult for termites to penetrate wood structures.

  Treat wood that has been exposed to moisture in dirt with a pesticide (such as zinc napthinate), which can be applied with a brush or sprayed on. Pesticides help deter termites and help prevent rot.

  Dirt is a world filled with tiny little insects (and some big ones, too!) and lots of moisture. Wood and water don’t mix, and wood surrounded by dirt for any length of time simply rots.

  Extending the Life of a Wood Retaining Wall

  A wood retaining wall often doesn’t get noticed until it begins to topple. The first thing we hear when someone calls us about maintenance is “Gee, the Great Wall of China has stood straight and tall for centuries.” Our response is, “Yeah, but the Leaning Tower of Pisa is just about ready to fall over. It all depends on the construction, doesn’t it?”

  Wood retaining walls are considered temporary, but you can improve their life expectancy by keeping the wood as dry as possible. To keep your retaining wall dry, follow these steps:

  1. Dig a 6- to 12-inch-wide trench between the retaining wall and the hill it supports.

  The trench should go to the bottom of the retaining wall.

  2. Line the bottom and both sides of the trench with burlap cloth.

  3. Place 6 inches of drain rock over the burlap in the bottom of the trench.

  4. Install a 4-inch perforated drainpipe (perforations down) over the first layer of rock.

  The drainpipe should daylight (come out of the ground) at some point beyond the end of the retaining wall. If possible, extend the pipe so that it drains directly into the public storm-drain system.

  5. Fill the rest of the trench with drain rock to within 6 inches of the top of the dirt being retained.

  6. Cover the rock with a layer or two of burlap and cover that with 6 inches of soil.

  Make sure that the support posts are not in unnecessary contact with any soil and that the surrounding earth is graded to shed water away from the posts and retaining boards.

  Once a year, clean the wall and post with soap and water, and apply a fresh coat of oil-based wood preservative (see the “Preservative” section, earlier in this chapter).

  Chapter 19

  And Then There Was Rust

  In This Chapter

  Preventing rust

  Removing rust

  Rust, the reddish-brown crust that forms on materials that contain iron, is caused by low-temperature oxidation in the presence of water. To maintain metal over very long periods of time, all you have to do is control rust. Fortunately, rust can be removed from metal year after year, layer after layer, without causing appreciable damage to the structural value of the metal. This is the main reason why metal is such a good buy in the long run.

  Note that although rust can’t be prevented entirely, you sure can slow it down. In this chapter, we tell you how. We also tell you how to remove that layer of rust, should it appear.

  Note: Even though this chapter refers to exterior maintenance, the problems and solutions apply to interior ornamental iron as well.

  Shielding Your Metals with a Protective Coat

  Barbecues, patio furniture, handrails, lawn and garden equipment, steel window frames, rain gutters, and downspouts are just a few of the many metal finishes around the home that are susceptible to damage by rust.

  Aside from its ugly appearance, left untreated, rust can bring any of these finishes to an early demise and lead to other damage. A rain gutter with a rusted joint, for example, can leak and allow water to travel along the wood trim at the roofline, or, perhaps down the wood siding, ultimately resulting in rot, which might cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to repair. Rust also presents a safety issue. A rusted-out screw in a handrail or the rust-ravaged leg of a garden chair could send an unsuspecting guest flying to a nasty fall. Rusty outdoor power equipment leaves the operator particularly vulnerable because a rusted bolt could act as a projectile. Remember Superman and that speeding bullet? That could be you if you let rust have the upper hand.

  Paint and oil are two types of coatings that you can rely on to shield a metal surface, and, therefore, prevent oxygen and water from doing their damage.

  Choosing your primer and topcoat

  Before you get down to painting, you need to know a few things about the primer and paint you choose.

  A good paint job always begins with a high-quality primer. In this case, the primer should be made specifically for metal. Certain pigments contained in paint, such as zinc and iron oxide, adhere to metal much more effectively than other types. Ask the person at the paint store for primer and paint specifically designed for use with metal.

  Whichever primer you decide to use, choose a topcoat that is compatible with the primer. In general, an oil-based finish coat is the most compatible with an oil-based primer. It also offers the greatest abrasion and weather resistance.

  There are, of course, exceptions to the oil-based topcoat rule. For example, you should consider the architecture of gutters and downspouts. A flat-luster, acrylic, water-based topcoat produces a low sheen that tends to hide certain flaws, such as dents and joints. Plus, due to the inaccessibility of gutters and downspouts, more abrasion-resistant oil-based paint becomes unnecessary.

  Grills, fireplaces, wood or coal stoves, heaters, and furnaces generate heat that exceeds 200 degrees. These fixtures should be topcoated with high-heat enamel paint specifically designed for use with items that are “too hot to touch.” (Note that most paints emit a harmless odor the first time they’re heated.)

  Applying the paint

  One coat each of a high-quality primer and a high-quality oil-based topcoat is all that should be required. You can apply the primer and topcoat using a brush, roller, paint pad, or sprayer.

  When brushing an oil-based paint, use a natural-bristle brush. Synthetic brushes made from nylon or polyester work well with latex paints. However, they’re too stiff for use with oil-based paints, often causing brush marks — not to mention loose bristles — to remain in the finished product.

  Spray painting using canned aerosol spray paint or a do-it-yourself spray rig poses several advantages. Spray-painting works well on intricate designs and is smoother (without brush marks). You need to take several precautions when spray-painting:

  Follow the necessary safety precautions. Be sure to wear eye protection and a respirator. And never spray-paint in an area where flames or sparks could ignite volatile vapors.

  Mask off surrounding areas with plastic, paper, or canvas to avoid damage by overspray. Don’t try spray-painting on a windy day unless, of course, your neighbor’s car needs a paint job. Just be sure she’s pleased with the color.

  If you’re using a spray rig, use a tip that’s compatible with the paint to avoid putting too much paint on at once. Tip sizes vary in accordance with the type of paint being used (oil based, water based, lacquer, and so on). Each type of paint has a different viscosity and, therefore, must be sprayed through a different size tip.

  Telling the various tips apart is really difficult. After you’ve purchased a tip for a specific use, if you plan to use it again, mark the tip with the type of paint it’s for — that way, you won’t have to rely on guesswork later.

  Avoid paint runs by applying several thin coats rather than one heavy one.

  Protecting your metal with paint helps prevent rust as much as it can be prevented. However, as paint is chipped or scratched, and as it oxidizes with time and the elements, its effectiveness as a rust barrier diminishes. Eventually, moisture can make its way through the paint to the metal’s surface, and rust results. To extend the life of your paint job and your ornamental iron
, touch up chipped and scratched areas immediately. We keep a container of touch-up paint in the garage for each color in our homes.

  Stripping Off Rust

  The real secret to dealing with rust is to remove as much of it as possible before trying to apply a new finish. (You can read about applying a new finish in the preceding section.) Depending upon the configuration of the item in question, removing rust can be a tedious process that requires lots of elbow grease. In the end, your goal is to remove the rust down to bare metal. The following sections explain how.

  Step 1: Removing rusted fasteners

  When stripping a fixture of rust, you need to remove any rusted screws and fasteners — which is sometimes easier said than done because the rust can act as a bonding agent that can cause the fasteners and the metal structure to “freeze together” and become one.

  Here are some ways you can remove rusted fasteners:

  Saturate the fastener with cutting oil. The cutting oil helps dissolve a small amount of the rust and acts as a lubricant to help free up some frozen connections. In combination with a screwdriver, pliers, or a wrench, cutting oil can be a favorable ally.

  Don’t count on using penetrating oil to remove rust. Penetrating oil breaks down a certain amount of rust, but it isn’t considered a good rust remover.

  Use heat to remove the fastener. A heat gun or propane torch causes a stubborn nut to expand and break loose from the bolt.

  If you plan to use heat to remove a fastener, be sure to first wipe off any lubricant or cutting oil you may have applied because the combination can cause a fire.

  Use a drill and a hacksaw. When all else fails, this usually does the trick.

  Install rust-free replacements after you’ve eliminated the surrounding rust and refinished the object (see the next two sections). You can generally locate difficult-to-find replacement fasteners at machine shops. Either they’ll have the items in inventory or they’ll be able to fabricate a match.

  There are different grades of nuts and bolts. Some are much stronger and, therefore, safer to use. Be sure to specify your use to the sales clerk to be sure that you get one that’s strong enough for the task at hand.

  Step 2: Getting rid of the rust

  The various methods (and tools) you can use to remove rust — sandpaper, flexible sanding sponges, solvents, and so on — fall into two general categories: those that rely on elbow grease and those that rely on chemical reactions. The following sections have the details.

  Whichever method you choose, be sure to wear protective gloves (to prevent metal splinters) and safety goggles (to prevent eye injuries caused by flying metal particles).

  A little bit (or a lot) of elbow grease

  Sandpaper, sanding tape, flexible sanding sponges, steel wool, and nylon scouring pads all work well and can be especially useful when working on tubing or twisted and curved material.

  Sanding cord (industrial-strength dental floss) is a must when working around hard-to-access decorative elements, such as those you might find on a railing. As with sandpaper, sanding cord is available in a variety of grits.

  A preference for plastic?

  It’s an age-old decision: whether to purchase an item made of steel that is strong, solid, and durable or to use a lighter, less expensive material that may be easier to maintain (like aluminum or plastic). Think about it. Would you rather sit on a plastic patio chair or one made of steel?

  Many products made of steel, when properly maintained, far outlast most other materials. The bad news is that, in the short run, products made of steel are more expensive than the alternatives. Remember: We said in the short term. Factoring together the initial cost, the maintenance cost, and how long an item ultimately lasts is the only way to accurately measure the overall cost of anything.

  In some cases, you must use steel for its strength and longevity, despite the short-term cost. Remember that some of the oldest standing structures in the United States were built from steel and continue to stand tall and beautiful after decades of existence. Can you imagine how long the Golden Gate Bridge would have lasted if it were made of wood? Would you want to chance a drive across it if it were made of plastic?

  Some folks think that plastic is the solution to rust. We don’t. In our opinion, plastic is not the last-forever wonder material that many believe it to be — despite the advice that Dustin Hoffman received in The Graduate. Plastic simply deteriorates differently than steel. Although plastic doesn’t rust, it does give off free chlorides, which causes the plastic to become more and more brittle.

  Rust is unsightly, constantly reminding you that metal is capable of deteriorating. With plastic, the process of becoming brittle isn’t so apparent, but it does happen, and the deterioration that occurs is just as damaging. When plastic becomes inflexible, it doesn’t spring back. Instead, it cracks. And unlike steel, “oxidized” plastic can’t be repaired.

  Bottom line: Don’t be misled when people tell you that plastic won’t disintegrate. It will. And there isn’t anything that you can do to prevent it. Fortunately, plastic can be recycled, but so can steel.

  By the way, we aren’t anti-plastic. We both have plastic and steel products in our homes. There’s just so much hype about plastic, we thought we would try to set the record straight.

  In those situations where there is more rust than elbow grease can handle, we recommend the addition of a little power. A wire brush or wire wheel attached to an electric drill can make simple work of stripping rust. A bit of fine finishing with sandpaper or steel wool helps remove any residue that may remain.

  Using chemical removers

  Some rust simply can’t be sanded or scraped without resulting in damage to the fixture. When dealing with this kind of rust, use a chemical rust remover or dissolver. These products contain ingredients that will chemically break down rust.

  Rust-removal products containing gelled phosphoric acid, such as Naval Jelly, work best. You either brush the gel on (with a cheap paintbrush) or spray it on, and leave it there for 15 to 30 minutes for best results. Then simply rinse the chemical off with fresh water and dry it immediately. (Remember: Raw, wet steel begins to rust in minutes.) More than one application may be required, depending upon the severity of the rust.

  Again, safety first. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and safety goggles, and have plenty of fresh ventilation when you’re working with chemical rust removers.

  Step 3: Repairing damage to the surface

  Badly pitted areas can be filled with a patching compound in the same manner that wood is repaired. The difference with metal is that the patching compound must be specifically made for use with metal. Metal expands and contracts at a much different rate than wood does. A metal patch, such as Bondo, is designed to expand and contract the same way that metal does. That’s why it’s more likely to stay in place after you apply it — that is, unless the metal patch is on your car, in which case it’s likely always on the move! You apply metal patch much like you apply spackle to wallboard when you’re filling a nail hole: Simply apply the metal patch using a putty knife, allow it to dry, and sand off the excess.

  After you’ve removed the rust and repaired any surface damage, you’re ready to prime the metal. Do so within 24 hours to prevent the formation of new rust. (See the earlier section “Shielding Your Metals with a Protective Coat” for tips on priming and finishing a metal surface.)

  When All Else Fails: Converting Rust

  Although we recommend removing rust, there may be areas where this is simply impossible. If you can’t dissolve or scrape off rust, then you have another alternative: You can convert it. Come to think of it, there are several converts in our family . . . but that’s another story.

  You apply rust converters directly over rust in the same way that you apply a coat of primer. The converter chemically combines with the rust, changing the rust to an inert byproduct. After the converter has cured (it doesn’t actually dry hard like paint, so industry types call the combining and dryin
g process curing), you can apply a fresh coat of paint directly over the converter.

  One major disadvantage in using a converter in lieu of removing the rust is the likelihood of an uneven finish. The best way to guarantee a top-notch finish is to scrape, grind, patch, and sand the rust until it’s smooth.