Ask This Old House

Repairing an uneven stone patio

Roger helped a homeowner repair an uneven stone patio. The patio stones had become uneven due to years of water freezing and thawing underneath the pavers, causing some to lift and others to sink. To fix the problem, Roger removed each of the stone pavers and reinstalled them level with each other, using string lines as guides. For added stability, Roger set each paver in a bed of wet stone dust mixed with a little portland cement. Once all of the pavers were level, Roger locked them together by sweeping polymeric sand into the joints.

Where to find it?

Bluestone pavers, cement, stone dust, and polymeric sand are available at home and landscape supply centers and masonry yards.

What is it?

The guys try to guess the intended purpose of an unusual-looking product.

Where to find it?

Richard showed a "Titus FlexRight Duct Brace" which can be used to prevent kinking in flexible HVAC supply ducts. It is manufactured by:

Titus
972-212-4800

Repainting a rusty cellar door

Kevin and painter Mauro Henrique helped a homeowner repaint a rusty metal bulkhead door leading to her basement. Mauro first removed the mildew by spraying it with a biodegradable mildew cleaner. After letting the detergent sit for a few minutes, he scrubbed the bulkhead with stiff-bristled brush and rinsed it off with water. Next, Mauro scraped and sanded the entire bulkhead smooth and applied primer to all of the bare and rusty metal areas. Once the primer was dry, he applied latex paint to the entire bulkhead using an "airless" sprayer.

Mauro used an "airless" sprayer to paint the bulkhead. These can be purchased at specialty paint supply stores or rented at your local rental or home center.

The mildew cleaner he used is:

D/2 Biological Solution Cleaner
Cathedral Stone
800-684-0901

Mauro used Benjamin Moore "IronClad® Latex Low Lustre Metal & Wood Enamel 363/C363" paint. This product is also called D.T.M. (direct-to-metal) paint. It is available from Benjamin Moore.

He added "M-1 Advanced Mildewcide" to the paint. It is manufactured by:

Jomaps Cleaning Products
770-442-8808