WHP 580 presents Hornung's Helpful Hardware Man with Bill Hornung and RJ Harris Saturday mornings at 11am. If you have any questions about Home Improvement or related topics Click Here to send Bill an email.
Bill Hornung, WHP’s Helpful Hardware Man was born and raised in Harrisburg. He received his degree in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University and attended MBA School at Loyola College. Bill can help you with anything around the house. Before starting Hornung’s Ace Hardware in Linglestown in 1985, he worked in construction, owned a home repair business, and a painting business. Bill loves using his vast experience to help solve people’s home repair and improvement problems.
Bill also serves on the board for the Bethesda Mission and has been a Lower Paxton Township supervisor for over 13 years.
1000 Peters Mtn Rd. Dauphin, PA 17108 717-896-2275
3811 Peters Mtn Rd. Dauphin, PA 17032 717-921-3552
Hornung's Ace Hardware: corner of Bluebird Ave. and Mountain Rd. Linglestown, PA 17112 717-545-1222
4039373
Woodpeckers
Q: Dear Bill, I live on Blue Mountain and I love it. However, the woodpeckers have drilled several large and small holes in the side of my wood storage shed. I have screwed plywood on the interior to close them and have tried several products to patch the holes on the exterior, but the mixture has collapsed and fallen out. I think I need something other than the normal woodfiller used for nail holes and will be stiff enough to fill holes 1" without collapsing. I will be painting them with exterior stain after they have completely dried.
Thanks for your help. Pat
A: Woodpeckers are going after bugs so if you kill the bugs with a good insecticide like 365 it will stop the woodpeckers. Second to fill the holes use Durhams rock hard wood putty. It is very cheap and does a great job.. short work time---several minutes but is a great product.
4025185
Roof Mold
Q: Bill, I live in New Bloomfield but I have seen this problem across the northeast, ROOF MOLD! Are you familar with it, will it shorten the life of my roof and if so can you suggest how to get rid of it?
Thank You, Bob
A: Actually we did discuss this in one of the shows which I am realizing that I need to do repeats. I have been struggling with how much repeat I should do. Anyway, the black streaks are from mold also and can be cleaned using a mild clorox solution and a scrub brush, being careful to rinse well and not do it on a hot day as you can damage the shingles when walking on them. Zinc, strips which you can buy at a roofing supply, can stop it from coming back. We also sell a product that is made for this problem and is to prevent re-occurance.
-Bill Hornung
3953205
Dark Water Stain
Q: I’m refinishing an old oak table. It has a deep, dark water stain right in the middle of it. I’ve tried to lift the stain with bleach, and I’ve tried to “blend it in” with stain. Nothing has worked. What do you suggest?
A: Try oxalic acid (wood bleach) --we carry it if you can't find it. Thanks for your question.
-Bill the "Helpful Hardware Man"
3907437
Squeaky Floors
Q: What is the best way to fix a squeaky floor with carpet or linoleum?
A: The approach is different for each. For carpeted floors #8 finish nails work well. Find the floor joist by pounding on the floor listening where the less hollow sound occurs. If you are lucky and the squeak is in a room that boarders one of the outside walls of the narrow side of the house, you can measure in 9 inches from the inside wall and then in 16 inch intervals until you get the area of the squeak, should put you on a joist. keep in mind the joist are only 1 1/2 inch wide and run parallel to the shorter side of the house(usually front to back). Sink the nails slightly below the surface with a nail set to avoid detection. it is usually necessary to nail on two or three joists and 6 inch apart along the joist and for 1 or 2 feet.
For linoleum and also an alternative to the above for carpet, you will need access to the subfloor from the ceiling in the lower floor. Using wooden or small metal wedges drive them between the joist and the subfloor. be careful not to separate the two but just insert a small amount of the wedge into the space being careful not to lift the floor up. We also carry a kit for carpet floors. it is ace number 5106125 and you can see it on www.acehardware.com.
-Bill the "Helpful Hardware Man"
3902413
Attic Insulation
Q: Our attic has fiberglass insulation with cellulose insulation blown over top. I would like to cover the blown insulation with a thin, breathable/perforated plastic to keep the dust down. Is there a product you could recommend?
Thanks, Harold
A: I would recommend the landscape fabric that looks like screening but not the real cheap plastic kind with holes punched in it because it might restrict the air flow causing mildew to form. Also be very careful not to compress the insulation otherwise you will kill its insulating value.
-Bill the "Helpful Hardware Man"
3715793
Mower Setting for Grass Cutting
Q: Last Saturday on Hornung's Helpful Hardware Man, the question was how high or low should the mower setting be for cutting grass. The answer included reasons for a higher setting. I checked the website but did not find the audio of the program. Could you provide the answer?
Thanks, Tom
A: 3 to 3.5 inches is ideal as it reduce moisture loss from the ground and reduces weeds from germinating. this usually means adjusting the mower to the 3rd or 2nd from the highest setting.
-Bill the "Helpful Hardware Man"
3310240
Refinishing A Table
Q: I have a dining room table I want to refinish. I want to restain it and put a polyurethane finish on it. Could you give me the steps and the best products I should use? Is it better to use a water base polyurethane or a non water base for the most durable finish?
Thank you, M. Manchon
A: Restaining requires patience and work to get a professional job. Start with sanding using typically a hand held vibrating or random orbital sander using a course grit if there is a lot of finish on it or if it is a hardwood like oak. Reduce grit size if the table is made of a softwood or not much finish on it. Once you get the finish and the stain removed (this may take time and effort, if you are going with a dark stain you do not have to remove all of the old stain but it cant be blotchy) sand with a fine sand paper or if you are to use an oil base poly you can use 0000 steel wool (which is what I like). Tack cloth the table and then stain using a rag and rubbing the stain in for consistency. Tack cloth the table just before using the poly. Apply the poly with a natural bristle brush if using the oil base product or a good latex brush if a water base. In between coats use 220 grit sand paper if working with the water base and 0000 steel wool with oil base, to smooth out brush marks and any dust or raised grain. Then tack cloth before each coat. 2 to 3 coats will give good protection. After the last coat using again 220 sandpaper or steel wool, lightly sand, then tack cloth, and then using a 4 part paint thinner to 1 part oil base poly or 3 part water to 1 part water base poly, wipe on table with a dust free rag and enjoy. Any questions call my store at 545-1222.
-Bill the "helpful hardware man"
3256762
Mirror Finish Formula
Q: I missed the formula you gave for a mirror finish to the polyurthene discussion you had on Sat. It was 4 or 5 parts water? to what? Could you give it to me again. I will say I know more about urthene & poly than I did before. Thanks for the discussion.
-Paul
A: The formula, so to speak, is if oil base use 4 parts paint thinner to 1 part polyurethane and if it is water based use 3 parts polyurethane ( I have never tried it with water base but based on the chemical nature of urethane that should work well). put both on with a rag after you have rubbed down with 0000 steel wool for oil base and 220 sand paper for water base. Make sure you tack cloth after the rub down.
-Bill the "helpful hardware man"
3137274
Backfeed From Generator
Q: Quick question about backfeeding from a generator. If I go from a 220 generator to my dryer power source do I need to reverse the breaker? How does it know which way the power is coming from? Is it like a Thermos?
Thanks Marty
A: No, the breaker will work just the way it is as AC current which is what your supply is from PPL, pulses back and forth, so that 60 times per second it reverses and travels in the opposite direction. Just be very careful that you have the main breaker off when you activate the generator breaker. If you have both on at the same time and when the electricity comes back on from PPL you will have fireworks. Be very careful to make sure that you turn the main breaker off before(the main breaker is the one at the top or bottom and usually much larger) you activate the breaker (dryer breaker) on from the generator (even if it is not running but hooked up) and that you turn the generator breaker (dryer breaker) off before you turn on the main breaker----this is very important! we sell switches that do it for you but require some wiring. Thanks for listening and for your question.
3096707
Loose Dry Wall Tape
Q: I'm going to repaint a room. The dry wall tape is loose at the ceiling at several spots. What is the best way to secure this tape?
- Robert Snyder
A: I have found this to be the best but not easy. First cut out the loose area assuming it is not a big area. Then paint the area with product like kilz(must be oil base) then re-spackle, sand and paint.
I have tried to cut out and re-spackle but only causes more of it to loosen up.
Thanks "Your Helpful Hardware Man"
3044991
Rain Gutter Downspouts
Q: We have a 24' long shed with rain gutter downspouts. I would like to connect the two downspouts as one of the two drains to an underground pipe. I have seen the "funnel like" adaptor that joins the two downspouts on barns, older houses, etc..
Bill, where can I find this "funnel" gizmo?
A: Fagars on the west shore has 2 of them for $7.50 each.
Bill Hornung, WHP’s Helpful Hardware Man was born and raised in Harrisburg. He received his degree in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University and attended MBA School at Loyola College. Bill can help you with anything around the house. Before starting Hornung’s Ace Hardware in Linglestown in 1985, he worked in construction, owned a home repair business, and a painting business. Bill loves using his vast experience to help solve people’s home repair and improvement problems.
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