L OCAL LIVING
District how to
Before adding flagstones, get down to basics Q
by Jeanne Huber
I want to improve the look of my home’s front stoop. It is a raised con- crete slab and was
painted gray about 10 years ago. It looks bad. Can I put down some mortar and place flagstones on it? If I can do this, what mixture should the mortar be? I made a stone wall once but pieces are crumbling. Maybe I didn’t have the mortar mix correct.
Gaithersburg
a few practical issues to resolve before you proceed. First make sure you can raise the height of the stoop by the thickness of the stone and a mortar bed at least a quarter- inch thick. You might need to adjust the door threshold. And if the stoop has multiple steps, you may need to cover them with the same stone and build up the bot- tom landing to keep the differ- ence in step height under three- eighths of an inch. Most build- ing codes set that as the maxi-
A
A concrete pad does make a good base for flagstones set in mortar, but there are
BIGSTOCKPHOTO A concrete pad makes a good base for flagstones set in mortar.
mum variation so people don’t trip.
If you decide to proceed, you need to get rid of the paint or the mortar won’t stick. Peeling paint might come off with a pressure-washer. Rent one rated for 4,000 pounds per square inch for less than $100 a day. If the paint is intact, you’ll need to grind it off. If your pad is at least 5 by 5 feet, use a walk-behind concrete grinder ($105 a day at Gaithersburg Rental Center, 301- 926-0044) and hook up a shop
Using reusable bags
protects the Anacostia River, reduces carbon footprint, and saves energy.
vacuum to it. On a smaller stoop or steps, use a hand-held grinder with a wire brush ($20 a day). Wear goggles and ear and eye protection. Once you’re down to bare con-
crete, covering it with stones is fairly straightforward. Irwin Stone in Rockville and Frederick has instructions on its Web site,
www.irwinstone.com. For greater durability and resistance to frost damage, replace some of the water in the mortar mix with concrete bonding adhesive. It
looks like thin, white glue and is sold in home centers and build- ing-supply stores near bagged concrete mixes.
We are buying a house that has a mauve-colored tile back- splash in the kitchen. The tiles are relatively new and in good condition, so I would rather paint than replace them. How would you recommend doing this?
Rockville
Buy paint formulated for this purpose, such as Rustoleum tub and tile paint. Follow the prepa- ration steps listed on the label, and wait the required time be- tween coats. You can paint over the tiles and grout and call it quits. Or, if you want grout lines to contrast with the tiles, you have two options: Tape off the grout at the beginning and paint only the tiles. Or paint every- thing, then mask the tiles and paint the grout lines a different color.
Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@
washpost.com. Please put “How To” in the subject line and tell us where you live.
KLMNO
local living STAFF Editor Liz Seymour Deputy editor Angie Wu Community editor Chanda Washington Art director Tippi Thole Deputy art director Brad Walters Layout editors Lindsay Minnema, Mike Plunkett, J.C. Reed, Mari-Jane Williams Staff writers Melissa Bell, Mark Berman, Jennifer Buske, Christy Goodman, Jura Koncius, Terri Sapienza Columnists Lenny Bernstein, Vicky Hallett, Adrian Higgins, Jennifer LaRue Huget, Jay Mathews, Robert Thomson Editorial assistants Akeya Dickson, C. Woodrow Irvin, Emily Langer, Tim Wilson News aide Terence McArdle Bureau managers Lisa Bolton, Carrie Donovan, Sarah Lane, Jean Mack, Ria Manglapus, Gerri Marmer, Sandy Mauck, Bonnie Smith, Jillian Sowah
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THE WASHINGTON POST • THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2010
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