Question: We have a Pulte Dearborn model. One of the sink bowls in our master bathroom has a hairline crack. As the countertop and sinks are all in one piece, I would like to know if there is any way to repair the crack so that we don’t have to replace the entire countertop. I think the material is some type of cultured marble and appears to be original to the house, but I don’t know anything else about it.
Answer: There is a product available from Amazon called Granite & Marble Acrylic Repair Diy Kit – Light Cure.The reviews are mixed at 3.1/5.0. One Woodchuck has a cultured marble bathroom sink with a hairline crack about 3/4 of an inch long. It is not open so he is not sure if the material would flow into the crack to seal it. His advice is if the crack does not cause the sink to leak, leave it alone. A bad repair could look worse than the crack. Read some of the reviews to see if you want to attempt this repair.
As an alternative, you might check with a dealer in these cultured marble sinks and see if they have someone who repairs cracks.
Question: I live in a PULTE built Savoy unit built in 2007. The guest bathtub has a strange stain that is a rust color which I cannot lighten or remove. I think maybe it was a cat who was temporarily staying at my home and he/she sprayed the tub to “mark” it.
Whatever. It does not matter. My question is about refinishing the tub. What is the material of the “bathtub” and “tile” that Pulte put into our homes in 2007? I think I need to know that in order to research what type of material to use to repaint or refinish it or even to discuss it with someone like Lou Manfredini on WGN. Mine appears to be all one piece…tub and three sides of tile.
It has held up beautifully. The tile is pristine. It’s just the tub portion that has a spray of rust orange along the back and one side.
Answer: It sounds like your tub and surround are fiberglass. You should try CLR or if that doesn’t work try Lime-a-Way. If those don’t remove the stain you probably want to get someone who has done fiberglass repair before. You could find such a person by going to a store that sells fiberglass tubs and ask who they use for repairs.
The repair person will probably start with 220 grit sandpaper and sand lightly, being careful to not cut through the gel coat, just enough to remove the stain. Then to get ready to polish the surface, sand lightly with 400 grit sandpaper, then move up to 600 grit sandpaper, and final use 1000 grit. To restore the glossy surface put automobile polish on the repair and with a power buffer, buff until the gloss matches the rest of the tub.
Question: Our Sun City home was recently struck by a lightning bolt, and the damage done included some damage to our vinyl siding. Is it still possible to secure siding that will match our current siding in terms of color? And can you advise us on where to turn for repair or replacement of the siding? We have a Pulte home (a Potomac model) that was built approximately 12 years ago, and we know the name of the siding color. Will appreciate any help you can provide.
Answer: You need to match both the color and the shape of the clapboards when buying repair siding. Most colors and shapes are still available. Houses along the golf course need siding repairs all the time. Siding is available at ABC Supply in Crystal Lake. They were the original supplier of siding to Sun City.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
