Flooded basement, Sink Stains
And More Home Repair Questions
Answered by Beth Hodge

Q. I set a very hot glass pot in the sink and it stained the sink with brown spots. The sink is 20 years old. Any suggestions for removing the stain or, is it hopeless? Thanks

A: There are some solvents to strip stainless steel sinks that will help with your issue. If the sink is cast iron or porcelain you may want to try filling the sink with very hot water and use any of the 'oxy' products that are out currently.

Q. How can I get paint off of the lead on my stained glass curio cabinet? I don't want the lead to get ruined. Thank you.

A: Try using a steel wool pad and rub very lightly to remove the paint, Test in a small area first and be sure it does not injure the glass.

Q. My basement got flooded. We had to pull all of the carpet off and I am amazed at the "bad stuff" underneath. (I would like to call it something else but you might be offended). Anyway - it's like partially broken tile and glue and some places it almost looks like roofing shingles although I'm guessing it's not.

Is there anyway I can be as lazy as the people before me and just put something over this or do I need to get it all out and start from scratch. (You know what I want to hear - please think of something)

A: I know you want to hear 'yes' but you may need to hear 'no'. It may not be as bad as you think, depending on the flooring you plan to recover with, you may only need to remove loose or 'chunky' pieces that would either move or show bumps.