Dear Maintenance Men:

By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

May 2001 

Dear Maintenance Men:

I own a two-story condo in Anaheim.  I recently had a minor plumbing problem in the upstairs bathroom. As a result, I now have a small water stain on the living room ceiling that is driving me nuts.  I don’t want to call in the painters for such a small job nor do I want to paint the entire ceiling.  What can I do?

On the spot in Anaheim

Dear On The spot:

Yes there is a simple solution to you problem. I will assume you have an acoustic texture type ceiling finish or some food-related descriptions many people use:  Popcorn ceiling & cottage cheese, to name a few.  For minor stains on ceiling.

1.      Visit your laundry room.

2.      Use  (3 parts) Clorox bleach and (one) part water in a mist type spray bottle.

3.      Cover all stainable furnishings & carpet

4.      Wear safety goggle eye protection, gloves, and respirator.

5.      Now taking your spray bottle, being careful not to saturate, spray an even amount of bleach over the spotted area.

6.      Wait 15 to 20 minutes for results.  You may need 1 to 4 separate applications depending on the stain.

Good luck!

Dear Maintenance Man:

I have two units in Garden Grove that have commercial grade carpet.  The seams in my door way are starting to shred or run.  The rest of the carpet is in good shape, how can I save this floor?

Shredding the moment

Dear shredding the moment:

If your carpet seams at your doorways are beyond stretching and re-seaming, visit your nearest hardware store and purchase aluminum seam binders.  These seam binders can be purchased in a variety of widths and lengths and are ideal repair solutions for your type of carpet. If you have wood floors, nail them in and go.  Concrete floors on the other hand need more prep work before you install the seam binders.  Cut your seam binder to length; mark the location of the nail holes.  Drill holes in the concrete using a ¼ or 3/8 inch concrete drill bit.  Insert a concrete anchor of wood or plastic and proceed with the installation.    

Dear Maintenance Man:

I have four units in Westminster and would like to re-caulk the tubs. Unfortunately every time I caulk something I feel like I’m icing a cake. Please help me achieve a professional finish.

The Baker

Dear Baker:

Yes, we’ve all struggled with our caulking nightmares.  Here is a simple solution;  First always remove the old caulk and clean before installing new caulk, then:

1.      Check the size of bead you will need, smaller is better than larger.

2.      Cut the nozzle of your tube to the desired size. It is best to cut the nozzle at a 45-degree angle and again, the smaller the opening (within reason) the easier it will be to apply.

3.      (If you are new at this, it is best to use a water-based product. The clean up is easy.)

Apply your caulk in a slow and even continuous fashion. Do not stop or worry about defects at this time. Your caulking gun should be at a 45-degree angle to your work. If you don’t have enough caulk the first time, you can go over it again. 

4.      Now using your damp finger wipe away excess caulk from your desired location. Some basics to keep in mind; keep a damp rag with you to wipe off your nozzle and fingers from time to time. Don’t let the caulk build-up too much. Position your finger between a 30 to 45 degree angle to the work, pull your finger along the caulk, gently pushing the material into the corner. 98 percent of the material should glide under your finger and not be pushed in front of your finger.  If you have a big gob of caulk on your finger, you may be pushing to hard on the caulk and not letting enough glide through or you have used too much caulk. 

5.      Now taking a damp square sponge wipe in a slow continuous fashion along your new caulk. Being careful to not wipe too much away. You should see a noticeable difference in your finish. 

Bio:

 Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Buffalo Maintenance.  He is currently on the Board of Directors and First Vice President for the Apartment Association of Orange County.  Frank Alvarez is the Operations Director for Buffalo Maintenance. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988 and can be reached at (714) 778-0480. Frank can be reach at (714) 956-8371 or visit the office at, 202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805. Please visit our web site at: WWW.JLE1.COM