Primer Will Help Get the Knots Out of Night Stand Made of Fresh Pine

Question: I bought a small pine night stand this summer that had apparently been built with freshly cut lumber. I coated it with a primer and then painted it with a white latex, and now some of the knots in the wood are leaking sap that is showing through the paint. How do I fix this?

G.G.

Lake Forest

Answer: “The first step is removing the paint and primer around the knots, then with a paint thinner rub out any sap that’s leaking out,” says Harold Brobst of Hal’s Paint and Decorating in Fullerton.

“Wait a few weeks and see if any more sap is coming out. If not, you’ll have to sand it down to smooth it out, then put an oil-based primer-sealer over the knots, which is good at hiding problems in a surface. You may want to put a couple of coats of primer on it, then apply your top coat.”

Q: I have chrome hubcaps on my car that have some dents in them. Is there a way to punch these out without damaging them? They’re too expensive to replace.

S.H.

La Palma

A: “Try getting a soft mallet at the hardware store and a sandbag,” says machinist Bill Wightman of Laguna Hills. “Put the cap face down on the sandbag, then tap lightly on the inside of the dent. Don’t strike too hard; you could dent it in the opposite direction. Depending on how badly they’re dented, you may not make them perfect, but they’ll look better than they did.”

Q: We recently bought some redwood patio furniture as well as a large plastic table.

It would seem to me that we should store the furniture in the garage to protect in in colder weather, but a neighbor says that’s not necessary with redwood. Is that the case?

R.Y.

Brea

A: “Normally, you can leave redwood furniture on an outdoor patio year round without any problems,” says Jim Montgomery of Anaheim Patio & Fireside in Huntington Beach.

“You should put a coat of outdoor varnish on the furniture to protect it against the elements. But remember to check the finish, since it usually needs to be reapplied about every two years.

“Some people like to leave the redwood unfinished, since over time that gives it a darkened, rustic look, but then you may need a cover. As for your table, you may want to get a cover for it, since plastic acts like a magnet with dirt and dust.”

Q: We need to do something about the bathtub in our 25-year-old house. Is it more practical to have it re-glazed or have it relined with a fiberglass liner?

J.L.

Huntington Beach

A: “How you approach the problem is going to depend on how much you use the tub,” says Dennis Rysdam of Faucets N’ Fixtures in Orange. “The re-glazing that’s usually done on old tubs isn’t true glazing. Usually what’s done is the tub is washed with acid to etch it, then an epoxy is painted on. Doing it this way will make it look fine as long as the tub isn’t used very often.

“Otherwise, you’ll have a problem with paint chipping. The fiberglass liner may work a little better, but I don’t know if it will be as nice as your original porcelain tub. If it’s going to get a lot of use, you’re probably better off replacing the tub entirely.”

Q: After a party last week, we found the ultimate horror: a mustard stain on our beige pile carpeting. Soap and water didn’t work; should we try anything else?

R.W.

Seal Beach

A: “Unfortunately, the key to getting a stain out is quickly acting after it’s just happened,” says carpet cleaner Dave Miller of Anaheim.

“Try using some dry cleaning solvent with a cloth, then some soapy water with a little vinegar. If that does nothing, you can put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on the stain and dab it with a wet cloth.”