Since 1988 we have answered thousands of questions from homeowners. Many of them have been asked multiple times in different ways. However, there are 10 questions that don’t get asked often enough that should be asked. This week we are covering Nos. one through five and why they should be asked.
1. Is it safe to power wash a wood deck?
This issue has exposed some controversy within the Rosie On The House staff, which we will get to, but first a little background.
To the untrained homeowner, power washers are an easy tool to rent and use. The tricky part comes with being too aggressive. That usually means setting the pressure too high and holding the wand too close to the cleaning surface. Wood is soft and the soft pith, (the wood between the gain lines), can “crater,” leaving the wood more difficult to treat and walk on. Mechanically scraping and sanding is a better method to remove debris, loose paint, or sealant. Rinsing with a hose is acceptable, just leave a few days for the wood to dry before applying a finishing product.
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Now for the controversy: Don Brees — of Rosie Right Design. Build. Remodel. — is quite emphatic that wood should not be power washed, ever. There was no room for discussion. Rosie says he would power wash his deck and make every effort to be cautious about how he deployed the power washer. Rosie is not a fan of scraping and sanding the wood surfaces around his house, “Nope, just won’t do that.”
Don says, “Rosie is a top-notch Cajun carpenter for sure, but he ain’t no painter.”
2. What do I need to know about choosing the right caulking?
This one surprised us all. While caulking usually doesn’t rank high on anyone’s list of exciting topics, it is important to choose the right product for your project. Having researched caulking and sealants quite extensively Rosie’s article (tucne.ws/1ly0) can really help you navigate the caulking aisle. Noting the difference between a caulk and a sealant, sanded or unsanded, silicone, foams, butyl, and more specialty caulks, this guide will help you apply Rosie’s knowledge to your caulking choice.
3. Should I replace or refinish my cabinets?
The typical wait time as of last month is more than four months to get new cabinets. So, start the process early.
Rosie suggests starting by looking at the cabinet boxes themselves. Look for sagging shelves and cabinet bottoms. Do this for the upper and lower cabinets. Install a floor drain pan in all wet cabinets, (those are the ones not only with a sink but may have a water dispensing appliance as well). If they are structurally sound, and the surface finish is only slightly worn, refinishing might be an option. If at all possible, this option will save both your hard-earned dollars and your precious time.
This is the perfect time to add roll-out shelves and soft-close hardware on doors and drawers. Install light strips underneath the cabinets. This constitutes a real upgrade that will bring your cabinets up to date with the new packages.
4. How can I protect myself from “traveler” contractors?
Travelers are typically people who are not licensed to work as a contractor or are not local. We are sure you have heard the tales of homeowners being ripped off to shoddy workmanship where the person doing the work is nowhere to be found. These travelling contractors have a habit of showing up in communities after a disaster has struck. After a damaging storm rolls through your neighborhood tearing up roof systems, you might find “salespeople” going door to door to solicit the repair work. When legitimate companies, like Rosie Certified Partners, are many months out from being able to replace the roof, these itinerant contractors might make promises of quick response times. This may sound like a great alternative to the wait. Remember though, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
5. I heard Rosie cooks a killer steak, what is the recipe?
Well, y’all heard correct. Rosie does cook a killer steak. However, we have it on sound authority from within the Romero family that Rosie’s culinary skills come from his parents.
His parents learned this cooking method when his father was in medical school at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. When they would opt for a steak, they would go to Chris’s Steak House on Fulton Street in downtown. The steak house was purchased by Ruth Fertel in the 1960s. After it burned down it was relocated and renamed Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a name many of us are familiar with.
From choosing the right cut of meat, the items to be diced, and the various cooking techniques, this recipe is sure to please.
Stay tuned until next week when we cover Nos. six through 10 of least asked questions that should be asked.
An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert since 1988, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio broadcast, heard locally from 10 to 11 a.m. on KNST (790-AM) in Tucson and from 8 to 11 a.m. on KGVY (1080-AM) and (100.7-FM) in Green Valley.
