DIY Network

Jay Baker Interview: Dippng a Door, Fixing a Hole and more From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-211

From kitchen cabinets to painted doors . . . you've sent in the email home-improvement questions and DIY has prepared the answers. Home improvement expert Jay Baker has answers about removing paint from a door, "dressing up" speaker cables and a big hole in the wall.

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Figure A

Q: (Russ in Lufkin, TX): When I pulled out the base cabinets in my kitchen, I found a big hole in the wall. Apparently there was a plumbing problem, and this was access. Do I need to cover it up

Jay: As seen in the photo (figure A), this is a fairly large hole. If it will be concealed by cabinets, you may not want to close it up. You might want to use it at some point for access for such things as running cable lines, re-routing outlets, etc. If leaving it open creates draft problems, insert some insulation to limit air flow. If the area will not be concealed, you can close the hole with a drywall patch. After cutting the drywall to size and installing it, apply drywall mud, let it dry, sand and repaint to match the rest of the wall.

Q: (Mark in Ranch Palo Verdes, CA): I have speaker wires coming through the drywall. How can I keep the wires from being seen.

Jay: To clean up the look of the wires coming through the wall, you can install plastic grommets (figure B) in the drywall that will conceal the hole, and provide a cleaner appearance. For a more professional look, you can use wall-plates that look similar to those used for electrical outlets, but are specially made with speaker hookups (figure C) that are color-coded for easy speaker-wire connection.

Figure B

Figure C

Q: (from Ralph in Tampa, FL): The paint is peeling on an old wooden door and there is some sort of stain underneath. How can I get the paint off without ruining the finish below?

Jay: If you're planning to repaint the door, you may be able to simply rough up the surface with sandpaper and apply a new coat of paint. If there's already too much paint, you could use a paint remover, but the remover is likely to react differently with the exposed or stained wood than it will with the paint. One option is to take the door and have it professionally dipped to remove all of the paint and stain, then you can either re-paint it or stain the wood according to your preference. The cost for having a door dipped will likely run between $30 and $50.

RESOURCES :

HGTV's Complete Fix-It
Author: HGTV