How Do I Repair A Dresser With A Marble Top?

Q: I have a 2'X4' dresser/credenza that has been in my husbands family for years. It is a darkly stained wood with a marble (I think) top on it. It looks like the previous owners have drilled some holes in the marble top and filled them with something white. I want this furniture piece to have a home behind my sofa. It is the perfect size for there but the top needs to be painted or refinished in some way (actually the whole piece needs re-finishing). Any ideas?

A: Marble is a natural stone and to my knowledge there is no way to fill a hole and not have it noticeable. That being said, my only suggestion would be to visit a marble company and talk to one of their experts. I would think that there are epoxy fills that might be able to be tinted to provide a reasonable match - of course, for you, they will always stand out!

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Repairing Holes In Drywall

Q: I'm renting a house where the previous tenants had an entertainment center bolted to plaster walls. When we removed the piece of furniture we discovered that they were secured by nickel-sized butterfly hook bolts. They left substantial holes in the wall that needed repairing.

We used wall patching (plaster sheets that you wet and apply, sand when dry). Unfortunately they are extremely noticeable because it's another layer on top of the wall.

Any suggestions on how we can make it more flush and less noticeable? I realize it'll never be perfect, but the condition it's in now concerns me.

A: If it is a large hole you need to install a piece of drywall and then use mudd to do the repair. Install a piece of wood (just wide enough to hold the piece of drywall), a couple of inches should be more than suitable on the backside of the wall, using screws through the front of the wall and attach the piece of drywall to it using screws.

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Plaster Wall Patch‏

Q: I'm renting a house where the previous tenants had an entertainment center bolted to plaster walls. When we removed the piece of furniture we discovered that they were secured by nickel-sized butterfly hook bolts. They left substantial holes in the wall that needed repairing.

We used wall patching (plaster sheets that you wet and apply, sand when dry). Unfortunately they are extremely noticeable because it's another layer on top of the wall.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can make it more flush and less noticeable? I realize it'll never be perfect, but the condition it's in now concerns me.

A: You should be able to make it "perfect". You need to fill the hole, rather than cover it, with anyone of the plaster/drywall fillers such as DAP.

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How to Repair Baseball-Sized Hole in Drywall

Q: Someone threw something and it poked a hole right through the drywall. It's about baseball-sized, and I'm wondering what the best repair method is going to be. I want something that looks decent, since we're just renting this place.

My wife bought this wire mesh patch-thing that has instructions and all that for fixing it. Is that a good way to go?

A: The mesh works, but it requires practice, to get a seamless finish. I would suspect that the hole has pushed the drywall in, rather than having an open hole. There should be enough meat of drywall to do a repair using spackling compound and then a cover layer of drywall joint compound. If necessary fill the hole with the spackle using multiple layers, as an example the first amount may only reduce the hole by a 1/2" once that is dry apply some more and it will fill in another 1/2" to 1" do this until it is filled, sand to remove any spots that are higher than the drywall. Then using drywall compound joint filler, put a covering layer over the spackle, and feather over the drywall, sand and if necessary apply another coat until smooth.

The problem with the mesh is that it has to be higher than the drywall and requires that you feather it out at least 12" to create a smooth finish, which is not easy if you haven't done it before.

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Tearing Out Part Of A Plaster Wall

Q: How can I be sure there are no wires back there until I start tearing the wall down? I don't think there is but I can't be sure that no wires were run in the walls there. Also there is no plumbing around that area so I wouldn't think there are any pipes back there. I am really looking forward to doing this and the change it is going to make. I am just worried I will get started and find problems so I want to try to cover everything that could go wrong before starting.

A: You can never be 100% sure until you take off the drywall, that is why I suggest that you take off a layer instead of cutting through both walls at the same time.

Things to check are - electrical outlets on that wall - if you take the covers off the outlets, pull the outlets out and check to see how many wires are in the boxes. There should be a max of 2 sets of wires - coming in to
the outlet and going to the next outlet. If there are more than 2 sets, the question is where is the other wire running to? Same with switches - look at the direction of the light fixture that a switch controls - if you were
running the wire would you run it through the space you want to remove.

If you have a basement see if any unaccounted for wires seem to run up that wall.

If you have an attic see if any wires are coming through from the top plate of that wall into the attic. If you are reasonably sure that there are no wires or pipes, then take off one side of the drywall.

The worst thing that can happen is that you have to replace that piece of drywall and paint!

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Drilling Ceramic & Porcelain Tile

Q: How do I drill a hole in ceramic tile?

A: If it is truly ceramic tile, you can use a standard masonry drill bit. Place a piece of duct tape over the area that you wish to drill (this will prevent the drill from slipping when you start and scratching the tile). Use a variable speed drill set for between 200 and 300 rpm. Dip the drill bit in cutting oil, if you do not have any cutting oil, then use a sponge to add water above the hole, allowing the water to trickle down into the hole, while you are drilling. This will reduce the friction, flush out the ceramic dust and cool the bit.

Do not apply a lot of pressure, allow the bit to do the work, if you apply to much pressure you will burn out the drill bit.

This will only work on ceramic tile. If you have porcelain or natural stone such as granite or marble you must use a diamond tipped drill bit.

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