October 4, 2025 • 32 mins
Dean answers callers questions about; LED lamps with lights that are making the lamp shades really hot, whether sodium borate good as a wood preserver, how to fix the problem of tree roots that are raising the sidewalk, can you move vents from the traditional over the door area in bedrooms and advice on cabinet door front replacement.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
You're listening to Dean Sharp, the House Whisperer on demand.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
On the iHeart Radio app.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
CAFI AM six forty and live streaming in HD everywhere
on the iHeartRadio App.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Hey, welcome to home where. Every week we.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Help you better understand that place where you live. I
am Dean Sharp, the house whisper, custom home builder, custom
home designer. Most importantly, today, your guide to turning your
ordinary house into something truly extraordinary. I tell you what
we're doing today. It's an all calls day. It is it.
(00:40):
You set the agenda. Anything that is going on with
your home, whether it be construction issues, DIY questions, design concerns,
anything at all. The phone lines are open. I am
here to help you sort it all out. We'll put
our heads together and we'll get it sorted. I promised.
(01:01):
Here is the number to reach me, and these lines
are open now. The number to reach me eight three
three two Ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean.
You see, it just rolls off the tongue on that note.
How about we go to it. We're going to take
some calls anything you want to talk about, So let's
get to it.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Hey, Kathy, Welcome home.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Hi Dean, thanks so much for taking my call and
I appreciate your show. I have a question about some
LED gimmable clear light bulbs that I put in a
metal floor lamp and I thought they would be good
because LED isn't supposed to get hot, and within about
(01:47):
five minutes the metal shade was super hot.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
I'm just during why that might be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
So it's in a floor lamp, and the floor lamp
has its own dimmer switch, like a rolling dimmer switch
on it.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Uh not yet, I was going to plug it into
a dimmer switch. It's for a Airbnb and the original lamp, the.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Base fell apart the I guess it's.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Called a loader, the weighted part. So until I repair that,
I put this other lamp in there, and I wanted
to eventually attach it to a dimmer but right now
it's just three individual bulbs and they just turn on turnoff.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Really just individual bulbs that are turning on turning off,
and there's no dimmer switch attached to them right now
at all.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
No, So it's a pole lamp with one shade and
then a little further up another shade, and then a
little further up another shade. Yeah, they're just either on
or off individually. So I thought, well, because airbnb people
don't always they're not always mindful of when they turn
(03:04):
things off and on.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yeah, well, okay, so I can tell you this, Kathy.
I'm not sure it's a problem because a clear led bulbs,
they tend to even though they're led based clear bulbs,
because they're trying to give off this attractive kind of
vintage look to them. They don't have the same kind
(03:29):
of cooling mechanisms that other bulbs, frosted bulbs that are
back cooled have, So sometimes a clear decorator bulb will
in fact, well always a clear decorator bulb will in
fact always give off a little bit more heat even
an LED bulb. I was thinking at first that maybe
you had an incompatible dimmer switch attached to them and
(03:53):
as a result that they were kind of fighting with
the dimmer switch. But you're just talking about on and off.
So if they're in a relatively height little metal shade,
then yeah, so you might want to consider instead of
going with the clear bulb, because a clear bulb its
real purpose is to be seen, and you know, like
the whole thing exposed. If it's in a metal shade
(04:16):
and we're just talking about light coming out from the
front of the bulb, you might want to consider switching
those out to just a standard kind of frosted LED.
They will definitely be cooler than the clear wins that
you've got there. And when the time comes to actually
put a dimmer switch controlling that lamp, make sure that
(04:37):
you are going to be using an LED compatible dimmer switch,
Otherwise the lights will start to strobe out on you,
they'll start to flash, they'll start to have all these
weird behaviors because LEDs require a different kind of dimmer
switch than an old standard incandescent dimmer switch, which are
still being sold out there unfortunately. So make sure that
(05:01):
your dimmer is LED compatible and you won't have a
problem with that. But as far as them being in
a tight little metal housing with those hoods on a
three stack floor lamp, I would probably change it out
to a either a spot bulb that's coming out of
those directed or a standard frosted bulb as opposed to
(05:23):
the clear, because I'm not sure you really need the
clear if you're not going to be seeing the entire
bulb from every angle.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Okay, I appreciate that. Yeah, it had a bigger frosted
bulb and it didn't get hot at that point. Let
me ask you this. I always use one of those
slider dimmers, and I just wonder do they make those
that are good for LED bulbs. I didn't even realize
I needed a dimmer that was compatible.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, yeah, no, they make every imaginable kind. Well, you
know what, I take that back, because I'm not sure
I've seen the big knob dimmers that are LED compatible.
I'm sure they are, but yes, slider dimmers totally common.
(06:13):
They make just about every kind of dimmer that you're
used to for LEDs now. Because of the big changeover
that happened a few years back and so everything is
LED based now. But the point is there are still
standard dimmers out there, so don't make the mistake of
just grabbing a dimmer switch off the shelf. Make sure
it says LED compatible and you're gonna be use that
(06:36):
with dimmable LED bulbs. That's the other thing too. Some
people have LED compatible dimmers and they just buy standard
LED bulbs. The bulbs have to say dimmable and the
dimmer has to say LED compatible. Then they'll made up
just fine and you'll get everything you.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Want out of it.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Otherwise you're gonna get like a disco strobe effect happening
in the room and you're like, this is not right.
So uh yeah, just make sure they're made it up
properly and you're good to go.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Kathy, if I've never if I have a dimmer that
I think probably is not LED compatible, and I've used
it for years and never had the strobing, is that okay?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It probably is LED compatible. Then if you've used it
with LED dimmable bulbs and you've never seen any strobing,
then it is compatible.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Well I bought it way before they even had LED bulbs,
so I better switch out because I'm pretty sure it's
not okay. Thanks so much, Dean. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
You're so welcome, Kathy. Thanks for the call and for
your chipper attitude. I appreciate that too. How about some
more of your calls when we return. You are listening
to Home with Dean Sharp the House Whisper. Welcome to home,
where every week we help you better understand that place
where you live. I'm Dean Sharp, the house Whisper here
with you live like I am every weekend, or whether
(07:59):
you are listening listening to the local broadcast right here
in southern California, or you're streaming us live from across
the country, or if you have joined in for another
episode of the House Whisper podcast. I am just glad
that you are here with us. Good morning to you,
and welcome home. We are doing an all calls weekend, Dan,
(08:21):
welcome home.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Good morning, Dean.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I'm well, sir. How you doing very good?
Speaker 6 (08:29):
Very good.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
I'm curious about sodium borate as a wood preservative on
new construction or remodels. I'm going through a little bit
of a remodel and my contractor recommended a borate preservative,
and I'm just curious on if you've heard of it,
if you've got any thoughts.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Well, bor rates are actually a common preservative for wood,
and they also bear the advantage of being an anti
moisture and an anti insect.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Oh, you got a.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Little bit of background noise there, Dan, You must be
in the car traveling there. I'm just gonna I'm gonna
pop you on hold real quick so we get that
background noise out of there. Uh. Borates are They're they're
just everybody knows sodium borate is a natural mineral and
there's nothing weird about it. But it's got a lot
(09:28):
of pretty magical properties. As I said, we use it
in cellulose insulation all the time and it is a
great expeller of moisture. As a result, it works well
on wood. It's friendly to wood long term. And also
(09:49):
did I just say I did that it has a
lot of anti insect anti termite properties as well. Termites
do not enjoy ingesting borates. It's toxic to them. It's
not toxic to I mean, I don't want you to
eating borates, but the point is you can come into
contact with it no problem for for termites, it is
a no go. The same with rodents as well, and
(10:13):
so it has a lot of just generally good properties.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
Dan.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Now, some people don't want to invest in treating their
framing with borates before they cover it up. That's, of course,
a totally independent decision for you to make. But we've
had you know, I don't want to say a lot
of good luck with them, because you know, we've had
certain wood framing members on houses treated with borates, and
(10:42):
officially nothing has happened. I mean, that's the thing. It's
the herd. It's hard to prove a negative where it's like, yeah,
you put this stuff on your wood and well, nothing happens,
nothing bad happens, And that's the good news.
Speaker 6 (10:59):
I appreciate.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
I really appreciate the input. I've been doing a little
research myself, and it looks like it's got some fire
properties as well, which is really curious to me.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
And you know why, I don't know why it has
you know why it has fire properties. This is weird,
this weird bit. But sodium borate has a has Like
I said, it has a moisture issue. It has moisture.
How do I put it. I'll just I'll explain it
this way. In cellulose insulation, sodium borate, once it gets
(11:33):
heat eated up and exposed a high heat, it actually
expels moisture. It'll draw moisture out of the wood and
actually bring it to the surface. And so yeah, it's
the same way it works in cellulose insulation. Whatever moisture
is in the material, as the sodium borate heats up,
it actually brings that moisture to the surface, which actually
(11:54):
gives it some fire retardant capability.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
So it is. It is pre the outstanding stuff.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I really appreciate. Yeah, it seems like a no brainer
to me, with the costs not being very expensive at all,
and trying to be proactive, it just seems like a
good idea. But I want to just get your view
on it. I appreciate your time, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
My friend, I appreciate the call and the question. Let's
talk to Robbie. Hey, Robbie, welcome home.
Speaker 7 (12:20):
My problem there are two large trees I'm taking over
my grandmother's property. They are two large trees in the
front yard. The roots are exposed. I believe they're causing
the sidewalk in front to crack. I want to know,
can it be corrected or must I remove the trees?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Well, I hope you don't remove the trees, especially if
they're big, beautiful trees and they are contributing to the
overall aesthetic and look of the home, and most southern
California homes, in my opinion, need more trees. So surface roots.
This is the question. Surface roots. If these are really old,
well established trees, Robbie, then they get a lot of
(13:03):
roots going all over the place, down out everywhere. So
whatever roots are starting to cause uplift of the sidewalk itself,
those roots could be cut, cut those at the sidewalk
line and repair the sidewalk so it doesn't do any
more damage to the sidewalk. Don't worry about cutting that
root is somehow going to kill the tree, an old
(13:24):
established tree that is just one of you know, five
hundred roots that it's got going on, and it can
do without the one that's uplifting the sidewalk.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
The key is we don't want to encourage any more.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Surface roots growth and root growth, and so the principle
is very simple. Trees that are watered and dependent upon
surface water, those trees are the ones who are always
going to be growing roots on the surface. Okay, Old
trees like what you've got right there have undoubtedly have
(13:59):
far more than just surface roots. And so what we
want to do to keep it from spreading any further
is we want to make sure that these trees are
not in an area where we're exposing them to lawn
sprinklers or surface water. Okay, we want to make sure
that we rework the irrigation system so that we keep
water away from them. Because number one, an old established tree,
(14:21):
it doesn't need any more surface watering. It has its
own sources of water deep beneath us in the earth.
But number two, it will still keep giving us surface
root growth if it still keeps finding surface water to
feed off of. And so we simply want to get
rid of any surface water in the area of the
(14:43):
canopy of these trees as much as possible. And when
we plant new trees, new trees need to be irrigated
at the base of the root, not up on the surface.
So trees that grow as the result of sprinkler water
will always have surface roots. Trees that have deep water
will grow deep roots. And that's how it works. Now,
(15:05):
there's no getting rid of the surface roots at this point,
but start feeding it deep and keep the surface water
away and you should be good to go. Thanks Robbie,
appreciate the call. You are listening to Home with Dean
Sharp the House Whisper.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
KFI Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Welcome home. All calls.
Weekends are great because we can kind of catch up
with everybody and just have fun listening to what's going
on with your home. If you didn't get through today
or I didn't get to you, then just stick with us.
Give me a call next Saturday, next Sunday. You'll get through.
(15:49):
Persistence matters, you will make it through. Hey Scott, welcome home.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
Hi Dean, I've got it. Nineteen eighty six house and
I living Riverside and it's starting to get a little hot.
Two story downfair stays pindigrees cooler than the upstairs. My
question is when it was built, they put the vent
above the doors for the beardrooms. Can I move those
vent to like the center or should I move them?
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Okay, so your concern is that the vents are too
high and they're not getting the job done, like the.
Speaker 6 (16:18):
Airflow I feel would be better in the middle of
the room or not a buve.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Vents over entry doors are
really a hilarious thing. Well, it's not hilarious when you're
the one suffering with it. It's such a common tract home,
and you've got to understand that they weren't put there scientifically.
They were put there economically. You know, you would think
in one house a little bit more ducting. It's no
big deal. Right, It isn't. When you take a look
(16:45):
at your entire tract and the thousand or so houses
that went into the entire tract, then everything that's just
a little bit more is something that the builders, generally
speaking cut back on the developers so that they didn't
have that one larger line item. And for those of
you who are like, why is he making such a
(17:06):
big deal about vents over doors? I kind of like
my vent over my door in the bedroom because when
I walk in, I don't see a vent anywhere, you know,
because it's back behind me and everything looks pristine. Well,
you're right, one way to hide e vent so that
as you walk into the room there's no view of
it anywhere. However, if somebody likes Scott, my house is
(17:31):
not staying cool the way it needs to. Especially if
I've got a two story home, there's a very very good.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Reason not to have the vent over the entry door.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And maybe your house is working for you in your situation,
just fine, But it's got a two story home, but
there are events. You know, it's hotter upstairs than it
is downstairs. Classic situation. You know, it's called science because
heat rises and cold air descends these days, brand new
HVAC systems, there are ways to resolve that issue. Scott's
(18:06):
real issue though, right now, is he's staring at the
fact that in a typical tract home built in the eighties,
you've got vents above the entry doors, right up above
the door, blown into the room. And it seems at
first like that's kind of a cool place to place
a vent. You don't see it when you walk into
the room. It's back behind you, it's up over your head. Esthetically,
(18:27):
as a designer, hey, if the science worked, if the
physics of it worked, I'd be all in favor of
all vents above doors when you walk in. I'm in
favor of putting you know, smoke detectors right up there
for the exact same reason, so we don't have to
see them out on the ceiling or the you know,
the far wall of the room. Why don't I want
(18:48):
to have the vent there. It's a very very simple idea. Guys,
want you to think of your home, your air conditioning system.
You've got to realize that it's a recirculating system for
all of those small vents that are blowing into rooms, bedrooms,
family rooms, living rooms, kitchens, so on. There is also,
depending on the size of the home, maybe more than one.
(19:10):
There are some large, much larger vents which are the
return air vent. Okay, the ducks that are blowing into
the house, into the room where you feel air coming
out of them, those are supply vents supplying air into
a space, and then there is a return vent is
literally sucking air out of the room, okay, and that's
(19:33):
what is creating the current of air flowing in your house.
If you were to take a sheet of paper while
the AC is running and go over to the return
air vents or large vents usually found in ceilings of hallways,
or if your AC unit is located inside the house,
like it's a vertical unit inside a closet where the
(19:54):
furnace closet is, then quite often and very likely the
big vent right underneath that closet door is the return
air vent. Anyway, they're huge compared to the other vents
because they have to take in as much air as
all the other vents in their little system are putting out.
If you were to take a piece of paper while
it's running and put it over that vent, you will
(20:16):
find out that the paper just sucks right up to
it because it is sucking air out of the room,
all right. The point being this, all central HVAC systems
with forced air are operating on a recirculation principle. That
means if we were to put a fog or a
gas that's visible in the room, you could see that
(20:37):
coming out of the vents eventually turning around and heading
towards the return air. That would be so illustrative to
most homeowners. To drive my point home, and it's simply this,
in order to cool a room, we need to get
that cool air crossing the majority of the airspace in
the room. The best place to put a v to
(21:00):
cool and or heat a room is as far away
from the exit point of that room as possible. Like
I said, most tracked homes, there's going to be a
return air vent out in the hallway. And your HVAC
system is not some high pressure system where it's fire
hosing air into a space. So what's happening is if
(21:23):
that bedroom door is open, for the system to work optimally,
it should be air is popping out of the vent
over the door. It's getting maybe a quarter of the
way into the room before the suction that the return
air vent is creating in the hallway, pulls it back
out and into the hallway. So this is the case,
(21:46):
and people will notice this, Scott, You will notice this.
People who have doortop vents for their HVAC system have
very very cool hallways. That's because the hallway is getting
the benefit of all of that cold air, not the rooms.
If we were to imagine the air flowing into that room,
it's only going, in maybe best case scenario, fifty percent
(22:09):
of the way in before it turns and is being
pulled back out again down the drain as it were.
So yeah, you're absolutely one hundred percent correct. If you've
got attic space, if you've got room, even if you know,
if you're serious about downstairs rooms, if you want to
open up some dry wall and run ducting as far
into the other side of the room as possible, it's
(22:31):
just a few more feet and it's not that expensive
for the homeowner to pay for because it's a one off.
It was expensive for the developer to pay for a
thousand times over, and that's why they chinched on the
HVAC system. So, yes, knowing that the air that's in
the room is going to be sucked out of the
room by the return air. We want that air on
(22:53):
the far side of the room, so as it's being
sucked out, it's passing through all the air space in
the room and doing it.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
It's damn job. Does that make sense, Scott?
Speaker 6 (23:02):
Thank you, Dean, That's what I was thinking. But you're
the best. You and Tin are both the best. How's that?
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Well, she will very much appreciate hearing that she actually
is the best. I am her sidekick in life and
happy to be number two in that woman's life. But
thank you very much, Scott. Good luck on that. Usually,
especially for those upstairs rooms which are so critical for you,
you've got attic space above it, and so moving those
events from over the door you have a little drywall
(23:29):
patch there. But moving them from over the door to
the far side of those bedrooms shouldn't be that big
of a deal and really kind of a minimal expense,
and you will see a massive difference. Not going to
solve the whole upstairs downstairs temperature deferential, but at least
the upstairs rooms will have a fighting chance. More of
your calls to come. You're listening to Home with Dean
(23:50):
Sharp the house whisper. Thanks for joining us on the
program today. Dean Sharp the house whisper with you. It
is an all calls weekend. We are just go into
the phone. You're setting the agenda today. The number to
reach me eight three three two ask Dean Laura, good
morning and welcome home.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Hi Deane. I'm looking to replace my cabinet on door
fronts and drawer fronts in my kitchen and I know
to paint them use Benjamin More cabinet paint based on
your show, and I'm how to paint them cabinets right
now or stand our spain? So I know I have
(24:31):
to stand it, crimate painted any best tricks? Placed the
buy cabinet front doors and drawer fronts, and then I
had this edging around my countertops that kind of looks
like would but it feels like plastic and I don't
know if it's the mirror or what it is. But
how to paint that because I don't know of standing
(24:52):
it and it's I'm hoping standing permanent and painting it
it will last with this cabinet paint, okay. Question where
to sign stuff?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Okay, So so you haven't actually selected the the the
doors yet.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
No, I'm looking online for places, but mixed reviews of
every place I'm looking, and I know, you know, everyone
has their own opinions of places, so take them how
you want them. But do you have any recommendations of
where to purchase door fronts and drawer fronts? And then
(25:30):
that's catching around the count of time.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Yeah, yeah, okay, So first of all, where to purchase.
You know, if you don't find exactly what you're looking
for online, then get some advice from the people at
the kitchen store. Honestly, you should call them up and say, okay,
here's my situation. Especially if you've got any odd sized doors,
they can definitely help you out with that because they've
(25:54):
got the they got the line on multiple different brands
and multiple different and lines of cabinet doors. Uh, the
cab the cabinet door that you're looking to replace your
existing ones with. Is it a raised panel door? Is
it like a flat shaker door? What do you what
are you thinking? What's the planet?
Speaker 4 (26:13):
It's the house is built in ninety three, so it
and it used to be like a honey oak, and
I stand in a little bit darker so it's not
so yucky looking. So it's kind of raised ish has
some detail on it that we don't like anymore. But
we are looking at going war playing as a Shaker
(26:35):
style cabinet doorfront and doorfronts.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So well.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
The reason I yeah, the reason I asked is because
one of the big things about cabinet doors that a
lot of people aren't really aware of. If you're using
now you if you're going for a shaker, which is
a framed exterior and a flat panel in the center,
then you're good. You're good with you know, you don't
have to follow this particular piece of advice because that
(27:05):
center shaker panel is some in almost every shaker door
you would buy. It's some form of a piece of
vineyard plywood, which is a good thing. That's a good thing,
not a bad thing. Some cabinet doors these days that
have raised panels, some people think, oh, well, I got
(27:25):
to go with the stain grade door because that's the
solid wood panel, and that must be the best, because
all these other doors that are paint grade have an
MDF panel, like a medium density fiberboard panel, even with
a wood frame around them, and that doesn't seem right.
And yet that's exactly right. For those of you who
are thinking about doing this because when it comes to
(27:47):
a paint grade cabinet, we always use an MDF fiberboard
center panel because it won't split and they're notorious of
solid wood interior raised panels are notorious for sometimes cracking
and splitting along the grain line.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
But that doesn't apply to you, Laura.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I'm just laying that out there for everybody else who's
thinking about replacing their cabinet doors. There are so many
good suppliers of Shaker style cabinet doors that I'm sure
you're gonna be able to find one, But you know,
give the kitchen store ring too and get some advice
along those lines, because there are multiple sources to find them.
Some of them are put together better than others, and
(28:26):
so that's what yeah, yeah, And that's that's what you
want to be looking for for sure. And if you
if there's anywhere where you can get either a sample
or get hands on or eyes on, I would always
recommend that first before committing to it, because even though
you're not replacing all your cabinets, it's still it's still
a big pull to replace all of the doors and
(28:48):
drawerfronts in the kitchen. Now, let's talk about the the
stuff that you've got left over. If you're replacing doors
and drawerfronts, Okay, then you don't have to worry about
much prep on the new ones because they're coming in
raw and ready to rock and roll for your paint.
Just I assume that, And the best thing to do
(29:10):
is to order them either raw and or pre primed,
and that's always.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
A great primed Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Yeah, pre primed from the factory is just a fantastic
way to go because they're basically paint ready for you. Okay,
you just make sure they're clean and dust free and
they're paint ready and ready to go. Now, as far
as the existing face frame of your cabinet, when we
say sanding, okay, I just want to make it really
clear you're not restaining these cabinets, you're painting them.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
So when we say sand, we do not need to
sand these cabinets all the way down to bear wood.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
What we're looking to do is number one, we want
to make sure those frames are cleaned up, nice and clean,
and we want to basically sand them just enough to
open up the porosity of the finish the it's on there. Okay,
So we want to dull the finish, and if you've
successfully dulled the finish and then wipe them down super
clean and ready, then chances are they are ready for
(30:11):
paint at that point, because you know, the cabinets have
got paint or stain on them, and then they've got
a polyurethane finish on them that may or may not
be in great shape after the years have gone by.
You want to get to the point where you've opened
up the porosity simply so that the paint is going
to grab onto that surface and not peel and ship away.
(30:33):
And the same is true with that little strip around
the edge of the countertop. I hope it's not plastic,
because that would be weird. First of all, chances are
it's probably a highly because it's an edge piece. It's
probably a piece of wood with a lot of polyurethane
(30:54):
on it.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
So again we're talking about a very a very fine,
a relatively fine grit of sand paper. And again, because
you're painting it, you're not really worried about messing up.
You know, even if it is plastic, I'm messing up
you know some veneer that's printed on it. Okay, So
we're talking about very, very light, very very small grit
(31:21):
sand paper to again take off sort of burnish, take
off the shine of that edge piece without changing its
form or digging into it. And I think chances are
very very likely, maybe ninety eight percent chance. You just
take off any kind of shine that it's got, clean
it up real good, it'll be ready for paint.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
And can I use the same cabinet paint for that
edging of the countertop?
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Yeah, I would say so.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
I mean, if you've got a cabin quality paint, Yeah,
then that's where you should go with that edging piece,
because if that's part of the color scheme, then then
use that there as well.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Great? Thank you so much for your hop. I really
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
You're so welcome, Lauren. Thank you for the call, really
really great question. More of your calls to come. You're
listening to Home with Dean Sharp the House Whisper on KFI.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
You're listening to Dean Sharp, the House Whisperer on demand.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
On the iHeart Radio app.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
CAFI AM six forty and live streaming in HD everywhere
on the iHeartRadio App.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Hey, welcome to home where. Every week we.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Help you better understand that place where you live. I
am Dean Sharp, the house whisper, custom home builder, custom
home designer. Most importantly, today, your guide to turning your
ordinary house into something truly extraordinary. I tell you what
we're doing today. It's an all calls day. It is it.
(00:40):
You set the agenda. Anything that is going on with
your home, whether it be construction issues, DIY questions, design concerns,
anything at all. The phone lines are open. I am
here to help you sort it all out. We'll put
our heads together and we'll get it sorted. I promised.
(01:01):
Here is the number to reach me, and these lines
are open now. The number to reach me eight three
three two Ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean.
You see, it just rolls off the tongue on that note.
How about we go to it. We're going to take
some calls anything you want to talk about, So let's
get to it.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Hey, Kathy, Welcome home.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Hi Dean, thanks so much for taking my call and
I appreciate your show. I have a question about some
LED gimmable clear light bulbs that I put in a
metal floor lamp and I thought they would be good
because LED isn't supposed to get hot, and within about
(01:47):
five minutes the metal shade was super hot.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
I'm just during why that might be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
So it's in a floor lamp, and the floor lamp
has its own dimmer switch, like a rolling dimmer switch
on it.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Uh not yet, I was going to plug it into
a dimmer switch. It's for a Airbnb and the original lamp, the.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Base fell apart the I guess it's.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Called a loader, the weighted part. So until I repair that,
I put this other lamp in there, and I wanted
to eventually attach it to a dimmer but right now
it's just three individual bulbs and they just turn on turnoff.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Really just individual bulbs that are turning on turning off,
and there's no dimmer switch attached to them right now
at all.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
No, So it's a pole lamp with one shade and
then a little further up another shade, and then a
little further up another shade. Yeah, they're just either on
or off individually. So I thought, well, because airbnb people
don't always they're not always mindful of when they turn
(03:04):
things off and on.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yeah, well, okay, so I can tell you this, Kathy.
I'm not sure it's a problem because a clear led bulbs,
they tend to even though they're led based clear bulbs,
because they're trying to give off this attractive kind of
vintage look to them. They don't have the same kind
(03:29):
of cooling mechanisms that other bulbs, frosted bulbs that are
back cooled have, So sometimes a clear decorator bulb will
in fact, well always a clear decorator bulb will in
fact always give off a little bit more heat even
an LED bulb. I was thinking at first that maybe
you had an incompatible dimmer switch attached to them and
(03:53):
as a result that they were kind of fighting with
the dimmer switch. But you're just talking about on and off.
So if they're in a relatively height little metal shade,
then yeah, so you might want to consider instead of
going with the clear bulb, because a clear bulb its
real purpose is to be seen, and you know, like
the whole thing exposed. If it's in a metal shade
(04:16):
and we're just talking about light coming out from the
front of the bulb, you might want to consider switching
those out to just a standard kind of frosted LED.
They will definitely be cooler than the clear wins that
you've got there. And when the time comes to actually
put a dimmer switch controlling that lamp, make sure that
(04:37):
you are going to be using an LED compatible dimmer switch,
Otherwise the lights will start to strobe out on you,
they'll start to flash, they'll start to have all these
weird behaviors because LEDs require a different kind of dimmer
switch than an old standard incandescent dimmer switch, which are
still being sold out there unfortunately. So make sure that
(05:01):
your dimmer is LED compatible and you won't have a
problem with that. But as far as them being in
a tight little metal housing with those hoods on a
three stack floor lamp, I would probably change it out
to a either a spot bulb that's coming out of
those directed or a standard frosted bulb as opposed to
(05:23):
the clear, because I'm not sure you really need the
clear if you're not going to be seeing the entire
bulb from every angle.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Okay, I appreciate that. Yeah, it had a bigger frosted
bulb and it didn't get hot at that point. Let
me ask you this. I always use one of those
slider dimmers, and I just wonder do they make those
that are good for LED bulbs. I didn't even realize
I needed a dimmer that was compatible.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, yeah, no, they make every imaginable kind. Well, you
know what, I take that back, because I'm not sure
I've seen the big knob dimmers that are LED compatible.
I'm sure they are, but yes, slider dimmers totally common.
(06:13):
They make just about every kind of dimmer that you're
used to for LEDs now. Because of the big changeover
that happened a few years back and so everything is
LED based now. But the point is there are still
standard dimmers out there, so don't make the mistake of
just grabbing a dimmer switch off the shelf. Make sure
it says LED compatible and you're gonna be use that
(06:36):
with dimmable LED bulbs. That's the other thing too. Some
people have LED compatible dimmers and they just buy standard
LED bulbs. The bulbs have to say dimmable and the
dimmer has to say LED compatible. Then they'll made up
just fine and you'll get everything you.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Want out of it.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Otherwise you're gonna get like a disco strobe effect happening
in the room and you're like, this is not right.
So uh yeah, just make sure they're made it up
properly and you're good to go.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Kathy, if I've never if I have a dimmer that
I think probably is not LED compatible, and I've used
it for years and never had the strobing, is that okay?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It probably is LED compatible. Then if you've used it
with LED dimmable bulbs and you've never seen any strobing,
then it is compatible.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Well I bought it way before they even had LED bulbs,
so I better switch out because I'm pretty sure it's
not okay. Thanks so much, Dean. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
You're so welcome, Kathy. Thanks for the call and for
your chipper attitude. I appreciate that too. How about some
more of your calls when we return. You are listening
to Home with Dean Sharp the House Whisper. Welcome to home,
where every week we help you better understand that place
where you live. I'm Dean Sharp, the house Whisper here
with you live like I am every weekend, or whether
(07:59):
you are listening listening to the local broadcast right here
in southern California, or you're streaming us live from across
the country, or if you have joined in for another
episode of the House Whisper podcast. I am just glad
that you are here with us. Good morning to you,
and welcome home. We are doing an all calls weekend, Dan,
(08:21):
welcome home.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Good morning, Dean.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I'm well, sir. How you doing very good?
Speaker 6 (08:29):
Very good.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
I'm curious about sodium borate as a wood preservative on
new construction or remodels. I'm going through a little bit
of a remodel and my contractor recommended a borate preservative,
and I'm just curious on if you've heard of it,
if you've got any thoughts.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Well, bor rates are actually a common preservative for wood,
and they also bear the advantage of being an anti
moisture and an anti insect.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Oh, you got a.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Little bit of background noise there, Dan, You must be
in the car traveling there. I'm just gonna I'm gonna
pop you on hold real quick so we get that
background noise out of there. Uh. Borates are They're they're
just everybody knows sodium borate is a natural mineral and
there's nothing weird about it. But it's got a lot
(09:28):
of pretty magical properties. As I said, we use it
in cellulose insulation all the time and it is a
great expeller of moisture. As a result, it works well
on wood. It's friendly to wood long term. And also
(09:49):
did I just say I did that it has a
lot of anti insect anti termite properties as well. Termites
do not enjoy ingesting borates. It's toxic to them. It's
not toxic to I mean, I don't want you to
eating borates, but the point is you can come into
contact with it no problem for for termites, it is
a no go. The same with rodents as well, and
(10:13):
so it has a lot of just generally good properties.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
Dan.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Now, some people don't want to invest in treating their
framing with borates before they cover it up. That's, of course,
a totally independent decision for you to make. But we've
had you know, I don't want to say a lot
of good luck with them, because you know, we've had
certain wood framing members on houses treated with borates, and
(10:42):
officially nothing has happened. I mean, that's the thing. It's
the herd. It's hard to prove a negative where it's like, yeah,
you put this stuff on your wood and well, nothing happens,
nothing bad happens, And that's the good news.
Speaker 6 (10:59):
I appreciate.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
I really appreciate the input. I've been doing a little
research myself, and it looks like it's got some fire
properties as well, which is really curious to me.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
And you know why, I don't know why it has
you know why it has fire properties. This is weird,
this weird bit. But sodium borate has a has Like
I said, it has a moisture issue. It has moisture.
How do I put it. I'll just I'll explain it
this way. In cellulose insulation, sodium borate, once it gets
(11:33):
heat eated up and exposed a high heat, it actually
expels moisture. It'll draw moisture out of the wood and
actually bring it to the surface. And so yeah, it's
the same way it works in cellulose insulation. Whatever moisture
is in the material, as the sodium borate heats up,
it actually brings that moisture to the surface, which actually
(11:54):
gives it some fire retardant capability.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
So it is. It is pre the outstanding stuff.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I really appreciate. Yeah, it seems like a no brainer
to me, with the costs not being very expensive at all,
and trying to be proactive, it just seems like a
good idea. But I want to just get your view
on it. I appreciate your time, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
My friend, I appreciate the call and the question. Let's
talk to Robbie. Hey, Robbie, welcome home.
Speaker 7 (12:20):
My problem there are two large trees I'm taking over
my grandmother's property. They are two large trees in the
front yard. The roots are exposed. I believe they're causing
the sidewalk in front to crack. I want to know,
can it be corrected or must I remove the trees?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Well, I hope you don't remove the trees, especially if
they're big, beautiful trees and they are contributing to the
overall aesthetic and look of the home, and most southern
California homes, in my opinion, need more trees. So surface roots.
This is the question. Surface roots. If these are really old,
well established trees, Robbie, then they get a lot of
(13:03):
roots going all over the place, down out everywhere. So
whatever roots are starting to cause uplift of the sidewalk itself,
those roots could be cut, cut those at the sidewalk
line and repair the sidewalk so it doesn't do any
more damage to the sidewalk. Don't worry about cutting that
root is somehow going to kill the tree, an old
(13:24):
established tree that is just one of you know, five
hundred roots that it's got going on, and it can
do without the one that's uplifting the sidewalk.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
The key is we don't want to encourage any more.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Surface roots growth and root growth, and so the principle
is very simple. Trees that are watered and dependent upon
surface water, those trees are the ones who are always
going to be growing roots on the surface. Okay, Old
trees like what you've got right there have undoubtedly have
(13:59):
far more than just surface roots. And so what we
want to do to keep it from spreading any further
is we want to make sure that these trees are
not in an area where we're exposing them to lawn
sprinklers or surface water. Okay, we want to make sure
that we rework the irrigation system so that we keep
water away from them. Because number one, an old established tree,
(14:21):
it doesn't need any more surface watering. It has its
own sources of water deep beneath us in the earth.
But number two, it will still keep giving us surface
root growth if it still keeps finding surface water to
feed off of. And so we simply want to get
rid of any surface water in the area of the
(14:43):
canopy of these trees as much as possible. And when
we plant new trees, new trees need to be irrigated
at the base of the root, not up on the surface.
So trees that grow as the result of sprinkler water
will always have surface roots. Trees that have deep water
will grow deep roots. And that's how it works. Now,
(15:05):
there's no getting rid of the surface roots at this point,
but start feeding it deep and keep the surface water
away and you should be good to go. Thanks Robbie,
appreciate the call. You are listening to Home with Dean
Sharp the House Whisper.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
KFI Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Welcome home. All calls.
Weekends are great because we can kind of catch up
with everybody and just have fun listening to what's going
on with your home. If you didn't get through today
or I didn't get to you, then just stick with us.
Give me a call next Saturday, next Sunday. You'll get through.
(15:49):
Persistence matters, you will make it through. Hey Scott, welcome home.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
Hi Dean, I've got it. Nineteen eighty six house and
I living Riverside and it's starting to get a little hot.
Two story downfair stays pindigrees cooler than the upstairs. My
question is when it was built, they put the vent
above the doors for the beardrooms. Can I move those
vent to like the center or should I move them?
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Okay, so your concern is that the vents are too
high and they're not getting the job done, like the.
Speaker 6 (16:18):
Airflow I feel would be better in the middle of
the room or not a buve.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Vents over entry doors are
really a hilarious thing. Well, it's not hilarious when you're
the one suffering with it. It's such a common tract home,
and you've got to understand that they weren't put there scientifically.
They were put there economically. You know, you would think
in one house a little bit more ducting. It's no
big deal. Right, It isn't. When you take a look
(16:45):
at your entire tract and the thousand or so houses
that went into the entire tract, then everything that's just
a little bit more is something that the builders, generally
speaking cut back on the developers so that they didn't
have that one larger line item. And for those of
you who are like, why is he making such a
(17:06):
big deal about vents over doors? I kind of like
my vent over my door in the bedroom because when
I walk in, I don't see a vent anywhere, you know,
because it's back behind me and everything looks pristine. Well,
you're right, one way to hide e vent so that
as you walk into the room there's no view of
it anywhere. However, if somebody likes Scott, my house is
(17:31):
not staying cool the way it needs to. Especially if
I've got a two story home, there's a very very good.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Reason not to have the vent over the entry door.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And maybe your house is working for you in your situation,
just fine, But it's got a two story home, but
there are events. You know, it's hotter upstairs than it
is downstairs. Classic situation. You know, it's called science because
heat rises and cold air descends these days, brand new
HVAC systems, there are ways to resolve that issue. Scott's
(18:06):
real issue though, right now, is he's staring at the
fact that in a typical tract home built in the eighties,
you've got vents above the entry doors, right up above
the door, blown into the room. And it seems at
first like that's kind of a cool place to place
a vent. You don't see it when you walk into
the room. It's back behind you, it's up over your head. Esthetically,
(18:27):
as a designer, hey, if the science worked, if the
physics of it worked, I'd be all in favor of
all vents above doors when you walk in. I'm in
favor of putting you know, smoke detectors right up there
for the exact same reason, so we don't have to
see them out on the ceiling or the you know,
the far wall of the room. Why don't I want
(18:48):
to have the vent there. It's a very very simple idea. Guys,
want you to think of your home, your air conditioning system.
You've got to realize that it's a recirculating system for
all of those small vents that are blowing into rooms, bedrooms,
family rooms, living rooms, kitchens, so on. There is also,
depending on the size of the home, maybe more than one.
(19:10):
There are some large, much larger vents which are the
return air vent. Okay, the ducks that are blowing into
the house, into the room where you feel air coming
out of them, those are supply vents supplying air into
a space, and then there is a return vent is
literally sucking air out of the room, okay, and that's
(19:33):
what is creating the current of air flowing in your house.
If you were to take a sheet of paper while
the AC is running and go over to the return
air vents or large vents usually found in ceilings of hallways,
or if your AC unit is located inside the house,
like it's a vertical unit inside a closet where the
(19:54):
furnace closet is, then quite often and very likely the
big vent right underneath that closet door is the return
air vent. Anyway, they're huge compared to the other vents
because they have to take in as much air as
all the other vents in their little system are putting out.
If you were to take a piece of paper while
it's running and put it over that vent, you will
(20:16):
find out that the paper just sucks right up to
it because it is sucking air out of the room,
all right. The point being this, all central HVAC systems
with forced air are operating on a recirculation principle. That
means if we were to put a fog or a
gas that's visible in the room, you could see that
(20:37):
coming out of the vents eventually turning around and heading
towards the return air. That would be so illustrative to
most homeowners. To drive my point home, and it's simply this,
in order to cool a room, we need to get
that cool air crossing the majority of the airspace in
the room. The best place to put a v to
(21:00):
cool and or heat a room is as far away
from the exit point of that room as possible. Like
I said, most tracked homes, there's going to be a
return air vent out in the hallway. And your HVAC
system is not some high pressure system where it's fire
hosing air into a space. So what's happening is if
(21:23):
that bedroom door is open, for the system to work optimally,
it should be air is popping out of the vent
over the door. It's getting maybe a quarter of the
way into the room before the suction that the return
air vent is creating in the hallway, pulls it back
out and into the hallway. So this is the case,
(21:46):
and people will notice this, Scott, You will notice this.
People who have doortop vents for their HVAC system have
very very cool hallways. That's because the hallway is getting
the benefit of all of that cold air, not the rooms.
If we were to imagine the air flowing into that room,
it's only going, in maybe best case scenario, fifty percent
(22:09):
of the way in before it turns and is being
pulled back out again down the drain as it were.
So yeah, you're absolutely one hundred percent correct. If you've
got attic space, if you've got room, even if you know,
if you're serious about downstairs rooms, if you want to
open up some dry wall and run ducting as far
into the other side of the room as possible, it's
(22:31):
just a few more feet and it's not that expensive
for the homeowner to pay for because it's a one off.
It was expensive for the developer to pay for a
thousand times over, and that's why they chinched on the
HVAC system. So, yes, knowing that the air that's in
the room is going to be sucked out of the
room by the return air. We want that air on
(22:53):
the far side of the room, so as it's being
sucked out, it's passing through all the air space in
the room and doing it.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
It's damn job. Does that make sense, Scott?
Speaker 6 (23:02):
Thank you, Dean, That's what I was thinking. But you're
the best. You and Tin are both the best. How's that?
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Well, she will very much appreciate hearing that she actually
is the best. I am her sidekick in life and
happy to be number two in that woman's life. But
thank you very much, Scott. Good luck on that. Usually,
especially for those upstairs rooms which are so critical for you,
you've got attic space above it, and so moving those
events from over the door you have a little drywall
(23:29):
patch there. But moving them from over the door to
the far side of those bedrooms shouldn't be that big
of a deal and really kind of a minimal expense,
and you will see a massive difference. Not going to
solve the whole upstairs downstairs temperature deferential, but at least
the upstairs rooms will have a fighting chance. More of
your calls to come. You're listening to Home with Dean
(23:50):
Sharp the house whisper. Thanks for joining us on the
program today. Dean Sharp the house whisper with you. It
is an all calls weekend. We are just go into
the phone. You're setting the agenda today. The number to
reach me eight three three two ask Dean Laura, good
morning and welcome home.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Hi Deane. I'm looking to replace my cabinet on door
fronts and drawer fronts in my kitchen and I know
to paint them use Benjamin More cabinet paint based on
your show, and I'm how to paint them cabinets right
now or stand our spain? So I know I have
(24:31):
to stand it, crimate painted any best tricks? Placed the
buy cabinet front doors and drawer fronts, and then I
had this edging around my countertops that kind of looks
like would but it feels like plastic and I don't
know if it's the mirror or what it is. But
how to paint that because I don't know of standing
(24:52):
it and it's I'm hoping standing permanent and painting it
it will last with this cabinet paint, okay. Question where
to sign stuff?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Okay, So so you haven't actually selected the the the
doors yet.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
No, I'm looking online for places, but mixed reviews of
every place I'm looking, and I know, you know, everyone
has their own opinions of places, so take them how
you want them. But do you have any recommendations of
where to purchase door fronts and drawer fronts? And then
(25:30):
that's catching around the count of time.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Yeah, yeah, okay, So first of all, where to purchase.
You know, if you don't find exactly what you're looking
for online, then get some advice from the people at
the kitchen store. Honestly, you should call them up and say, okay,
here's my situation. Especially if you've got any odd sized doors,
they can definitely help you out with that because they've
(25:54):
got the they got the line on multiple different brands
and multiple different and lines of cabinet doors. Uh, the
cab the cabinet door that you're looking to replace your
existing ones with. Is it a raised panel door? Is
it like a flat shaker door? What do you what
are you thinking? What's the planet?
Speaker 4 (26:13):
It's the house is built in ninety three, so it
and it used to be like a honey oak, and
I stand in a little bit darker so it's not
so yucky looking. So it's kind of raised ish has
some detail on it that we don't like anymore. But
we are looking at going war playing as a Shaker
(26:35):
style cabinet doorfront and doorfronts.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So well.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
The reason I yeah, the reason I asked is because
one of the big things about cabinet doors that a
lot of people aren't really aware of. If you're using
now you if you're going for a shaker, which is
a framed exterior and a flat panel in the center,
then you're good. You're good with you know, you don't
have to follow this particular piece of advice because that
(27:05):
center shaker panel is some in almost every shaker door
you would buy. It's some form of a piece of
vineyard plywood, which is a good thing. That's a good thing,
not a bad thing. Some cabinet doors these days that
have raised panels, some people think, oh, well, I got
(27:25):
to go with the stain grade door because that's the
solid wood panel, and that must be the best, because
all these other doors that are paint grade have an
MDF panel, like a medium density fiberboard panel, even with
a wood frame around them, and that doesn't seem right.
And yet that's exactly right. For those of you who
are thinking about doing this because when it comes to
(27:47):
a paint grade cabinet, we always use an MDF fiberboard
center panel because it won't split and they're notorious of
solid wood interior raised panels are notorious for sometimes cracking
and splitting along the grain line.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
But that doesn't apply to you, Laura.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I'm just laying that out there for everybody else who's
thinking about replacing their cabinet doors. There are so many
good suppliers of Shaker style cabinet doors that I'm sure
you're gonna be able to find one, But you know,
give the kitchen store ring too and get some advice
along those lines, because there are multiple sources to find them.
Some of them are put together better than others, and
(28:26):
so that's what yeah, yeah, And that's that's what you
want to be looking for for sure. And if you
if there's anywhere where you can get either a sample
or get hands on or eyes on, I would always
recommend that first before committing to it, because even though
you're not replacing all your cabinets, it's still it's still
a big pull to replace all of the doors and
(28:48):
drawerfronts in the kitchen. Now, let's talk about the the
stuff that you've got left over. If you're replacing doors
and drawerfronts, Okay, then you don't have to worry about
much prep on the new ones because they're coming in
raw and ready to rock and roll for your paint.
Just I assume that, And the best thing to do
(29:10):
is to order them either raw and or pre primed,
and that's always.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
A great primed Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Yeah, pre primed from the factory is just a fantastic
way to go because they're basically paint ready for you. Okay,
you just make sure they're clean and dust free and
they're paint ready and ready to go. Now, as far
as the existing face frame of your cabinet, when we
say sanding, okay, I just want to make it really
clear you're not restaining these cabinets, you're painting them.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
So when we say sand, we do not need to
sand these cabinets all the way down to bear wood.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
What we're looking to do is number one, we want
to make sure those frames are cleaned up, nice and clean,
and we want to basically sand them just enough to
open up the porosity of the finish the it's on there. Okay,
So we want to dull the finish, and if you've
successfully dulled the finish and then wipe them down super
clean and ready, then chances are they are ready for
(30:11):
paint at that point, because you know, the cabinets have
got paint or stain on them, and then they've got
a polyurethane finish on them that may or may not
be in great shape after the years have gone by.
You want to get to the point where you've opened
up the porosity simply so that the paint is going
to grab onto that surface and not peel and ship away.
(30:33):
And the same is true with that little strip around
the edge of the countertop. I hope it's not plastic,
because that would be weird. First of all, chances are
it's probably a highly because it's an edge piece. It's
probably a piece of wood with a lot of polyurethane
(30:54):
on it.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
So again we're talking about a very a very fine,
a relatively fine grit of sand paper. And again, because
you're painting it, you're not really worried about messing up.
You know, even if it is plastic, I'm messing up
you know some veneer that's printed on it. Okay, So
we're talking about very, very light, very very small grit
(31:21):
sand paper to again take off sort of burnish, take
off the shine of that edge piece without changing its
form or digging into it. And I think chances are
very very likely, maybe ninety eight percent chance. You just
take off any kind of shine that it's got, clean
it up real good, it'll be ready for paint.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
And can I use the same cabinet paint for that
edging of the countertop?
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Yeah, I would say so.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
I mean, if you've got a cabin quality paint, Yeah,
then that's where you should go with that edging piece,
because if that's part of the color scheme, then then
use that there as well.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Great? Thank you so much for your hop. I really
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
You're so welcome, Lauren. Thank you for the call, really
really great question. More of your calls to come. You're
listening to Home with Dean Sharp the House Whisper on KFI.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
Home with Dean Sharp News
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