Dear Donny
Q
My home was insulated from the outside and then painted with polyurethane paint about 14 years ago and looks a bit tired. Can I use masonry paint to freshen it up? Derek Knight, by email
A
I doubt it, I have painted wood before with masonry paint but I prepped the wood beforehand. I would stick to polyurethane paint as it’s good practice to use the same type of paint on a painted surface. That way they will bond, like oil-based paints on oil-based paints, acrylic on acrylic. Q
I have a mahogany bureau and wondered if you can suggest anything l could use to update it to match my light oak furniture.
Sheila Bibby, by email
A
It’s difficult to match different species of wood, mahogany is dark red and oak is a light brown, so it would be hard to make them the same.
DONNY’S TOP TIP
For a colour match for paint, take a picture of the colour on your phone and take it to a decorating centre for a colour match.
QIs there any way to remove black discolouration (mould?) once it appears around a bath? It was only installed last year and is in a well-ventilated bathroom, but black patches have begun to appear where the bath meets the tiles, and there is a thin strip of what appears to be plastic sealant. Is the only answer to slice out a section of sealant and reapply it? No ordinary household product seems to have any effect. R Kerr, by email
I would use sugar soap and then to remove anything that’s left you could use Polycell 3-in-1 Mould Killer which kills, removes and protects. However, it sounds like the silicone might have a dip in it which allows water to sit, and that’s why the mould appears. Where the wall tiles meet the bath, the silicone sealant should be smooth, flat and at an angle to allow water to run off the wall tiles and into the bath. No water should sit on the silicone or it will go mouldy, and it is key to dry the silicone after you use the bath/shower.
ASEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: diy.donny@trinitymirror.com
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Rust-oleum Painters Touch This is a great craft paint and can be used to paint children’s toys and furniture – from Homebase.