Re-Painting Metal Grilles and Ornamental Metal.

Gloss paint is the recommended paint for exterior metal grilles and ornamental metal work. This type of paint is a solvent based material that is difficult to work with. Any paint drip is tedious to remove. The same problem goes with cleaning the painting tools.

No paint manufacturer has invented a  water-based gloss paint for metal and wood.  Nippon Paint has just launched a new Hydro-gloss paint for metal and wood. But this is only for interior use.

The metal ornamental pieces removed
 from the grilles to facilitate re-painting.

Diluting gloss paint is another issue. Certain gloss paint can mix with Turpentine only. Turpentine is recommended for diluting most made of gloss paint. It can also be used for removing drips and stains. Thinner is usable only for gloss paint of some manufacturers.  So, it is wise to check with the manufacturer. Thinner is more corrosive than turpentine. It can cause itchiness and burning sensation, if it comes into contact with the skin.

Metal Ornamental pieces fixed,
after re-painting.

In order to avoid the messy cleaning task after each painting,  use a disposable brush or paint roller. Medium quality painting brush or roller is adequate for the job and discarded after application. This is an economical option.

Gate newly re-painted

Before painting or re-painting metal work, ensure that all rust and dirt are removed from the surface. The conventional way of removing rust is using a scrapper and sandpaper. Now, there is a chemical compound that can remove rust easily. This chemical is called “Compound EDE80”. It can be used in concentrated form or dilute with water. 

Removing the rust with a scrapper.

Compound EDE80 is an industrial chemical compound used widely in the metal processing industries.  DIY buff may encounter difficulty in sourcing this compound. 

Apply the Compound EDE80 on the rusted part of the metal with a brush or  a piece of rag. Let it sets in and react with the rust for a day. Thereafter, clean the surface to be painted with a damped cloth. Apply Oxide Anti-rust primer to the rusted areas.The surface must be dry and clean before re-painting.

The gloss paint should be diluted, to reduce the  gummy feel on the brush or roller.

Tools and materials required:

The roller is detachable. Discard and replace after
each painting job.

    1)A short handle  paint roller (small).

      2) Half a dozen roller refill

      3) A pair of cotton gloves

      4) A scrapper.

      5) A small painting brush(the one use by artist)

      6)Gloss paint (quantity depends on the areas to be painted)

      7) A bottle of turpentine.

      8)   A bottle of thinner.

      9)A large plastic sheet (10 ft X 10 ft) to cover the areas from  paint drips

      10)  A stirrer.

1     11)  One liter of Compound EDE 80.

Oxide primer applied on the rusted spot.

Paint the surface with the roller in a gently forward and backward flow or upward and downward direction to ensure a complete and smooth coating. Corners, coves and grooves can be painted and touch-up using an artist brush.

Dipping  the ornamental metal into a can of paint.

The ornamental flower pieces on  my grilles are detachable. For speedier and easier re-painting , these are removed from grilles, cleaned and dipped into the tin of paint.  Let them dry in the sun and fix back a few days later. The paint required about five days  to dry completely, for better adhesion to the metal.

Drying the ornamental metal pieces in the sun.

Painting Concrete Fence Wall

Dull and faded wall with dirt stains

The hot and humid weather plus plenty of rain in Malaysia  accelerated the wear and tear to the exterior wall of building, fencing wall and floor. Fine crack lines appear on the plastered concrete column and brick wall. Fungus growth and the accumulated dirt stain turned the walls dull and ugly.

Remove flakes and stains using a pressure jet.

This is the first time I repaint the fencing wall and column, after eight years.  The thought of painting 165 feet by 5 feet of fencing wall scares me and deters me from doing this. I am also reluctant to engage a contractor. It costs too much. But after reading a motivational message from a friend, I was encouraged. Just set aside one to two hours a day for a specific task, many goals can be achieved.  That spurs me to embark on this task. In order to avoid the hot sun, I spend one hour in the morning from seven to eight a.m. and one hour in the evening from five to six p.m. My wife and my son also joined in occasionally to help. The entire  fencing wall was completely re-painted within a time frame of 16 days. 

Stain on the column, below the crown.

The original substrate was treated with ICI Dulux sealer and Anti-fungus Weathershield paint. This fencing wall started to fade after seven years. There wasn’t any fungus growth but some dirt accumulated beneath the shoulder overhung areas of the wall.

It  is difficult to find a good and diligent painter who can produce good and durable paintwork. Most painting contractors engage low skill Indonesian painters and use cheap and low quality paint. Unless one is very specific in the negotiation, most painting contractors deliver a shoddy job.

One side of the wall re-painted with three colours

Another side re-painted

For lasting exterior paintwork, the substrate surface must be clean and dry before re-painting. Clean the surface thoroughly with a high pressure water jet. Allow a few days for the surface to dry. Plaster crack lines with sealant or grouting cement.

I contacted ICI Dulux and Nippon Paint for some technical assistance before commencing on this task.

ICI Dulux Weathershield is a water-based emulsion paint. There are other equivalent paints, but I have not tried them. Re-painting the wall with emulsion paint does not require lots of skills. Some common sense must prevailed to prevent spillage, staining and dripping. There is nothing to worry about paint stain. Simply wash off with water and soap before it dries. Stain can also be easily removed with a piece of damped cloth.

The paint should be diluted to the preferred viscosity that is smooth and not gummy to the roller and does not drip. Add about 20% of water to the can, stir thoroughly and gently with a stirrer to get an even mixture before applying.

Pour a small portion of the paint into the painting tray, Dip the paint roller into the paint and run  over the tray a few times, until the paint is evenly distributed and absorbed by the roller but without any dripping. Then, gently apply the paint on the surface to be painted. A painter’s pole can be attached to the paint roller for areas beyond the reach of arm.

No matter how experienced a painter is, dripping of the paint cannot be avoided. Always place a large piece of plastic sheet or woven fabric of any kind to cover the floor. For any other areas, such as grilles, ornamental pieces,  not to be in contact with the paint roller, insulate them with paper and masking tape.

Tools and material required:-

1.      Emulsion paint for exterior surface.  (Paint for interior surface is different), Weathershield  comes in 5 liter tin only. One liter of paint can cover 110 sq. feet (10 sq. meters) of substrate with two coats.

2.      Paint roller (two sizes: Big and small)

3.      Painting tray

4.      Painter’s pole

5.      Stirrer

6.      A pair of cotton hand gloves

7.      A large plastic sheet or other woven fabric

8.      A scrapper

9.      A ladder or a stool.

10.   A ½ brush

11.   Some old newspapers.

The tools required for painting job.

After each application, wash and dry the roller and tray with water thoroughly. No remnant of the paint should remain in the roller or tray.  Otherwise, the roller and the tray will be rendered unusable once dried.


The ICI Dulux Weathershield of 5 liters cost RM115.00 (USD35.00) per can. A good paint roller cost RM5.00 (USD1.50) from the hardware shop. The painting tray is available at RM2.50 each. The price of painting brushes range between RM2.00 to RM3.50. The total cost of the materials used is less than RM500.00(USD152.00). 


The painting contractor charge RM6,000.00 (USD1,818.00) for this job. Just see what you can save with DIY.

Three 5liter can of paint was used for the job.

The fence wall has three-colour combination

Replacing the Ball Float Valve of Your Water Tank

Two common causes of  water tank leakage are : 1) faulty ball float valve  and  2) crack.

The water tank is constructed with either Polyethylene, GI mild steel or Stainless steel. Whatever the material used, the condition of the tank will deteriorate and crack will appear due to exposure to sun and rain. Water tank kept in an enclosed area will not be subjected to the hazard of the weather and will last much longer.  But GI mild steel tank will leak  even if it is installed in an enclosed place due to rust. This usually occurs after a life span of about seven years

The most common cause of water tank leakage is due to faulty ball float valve. The valve can malfunction due to various reasons. One common problem is small pebbles trapped at the valve washer. This can be easily resolved by pressing the ball float down to let the water pressure flush out the pebbles. Then push the ball float up to check if it shuts the water inflow.  If not, the valve is faulty and need replacement. The other cause is worn out washer/stopper of the valve. This needs the replacement of the valve.

Another rare problem is the ball float cracked,  resulted in water seeping into the ball and lost the ability to float.

The ball float valve works on the simple physic of water level pushing the ball that is attached to a lever that shuts the valve. When the water level rise, the ball is pushed upwards and shuts the valve. When the water level dropped, the ball is lowered and release the valve, allowing water to flow into the tank (see the diagram).

Diagram downloaded from Google and Valmatic.com,

Replacing the ball float valve can be done DIY, provided the water tank is sited at a place that is within easy to reach and has a place for you to stand and work on. This only involve unlocking and locking three nuts. One needs two pairs of pliers, sealing tape and pair of cotton gloves to do the job. 


My water tank is located on the specially constructed roof top, where I can just walk up from a balcony. Not even a ladder is required.

Remember to turn off the incoming pipe before unlocking the nuts from the faulty valve.

This is a new valve 

The two hexagon nuts at the inlet joint of the valve is to secure the valve to the water tank. One nut inside the tank and the other outside. The end of the inlet joint is fastened to the incoming water pipe with a locking nut at it’s end. Before locking the nuts, ensure the sealing tape is wrap round the thread of the joint to prevent leakage.

The ball float valve in the water tank

The ball float valve is readily available at all hardware shops and DIY stores. Depending on your incoming pipe size, the size must be the same. They come in ½ inch, ¾ inch, 1inch and 1 ¼ inch diameter. These are the common sizes used by Malaysian home.

Old valve was dismantled from the water tank.
The float ball is re-used.

The cost of the 1 inch ball valve(minus the ball float) is RM38.00 (USD11.50).

The ball float can be purchased separately at RM2.00 (USD0.60) each.

A roll of sealing tape is only RM0.60 USD0.18)

Total cost to replace the ball float  valve (excluding tool cost) is RM38.60 (USD11.68). If one were to engage a plumber, the charges for materials and workmanship will be at least RM160.00 (USD48.50).  If one is unfortunate to enlist an unscrupulous plumber, one may get cheated to replace the valve unnecessarily.

Old valve for post mortem 

This whole valve replacement job took only two hours to complete.

This  little washer/stopper is the usual problem creator.

It pays to DIY your home maintenance.

These are the only tools and material required to replace the ball float valve. You can try DIY.

Cleaning Domestic Water Storage Tank.

Most houses will have a water storage tank installed either on the roof top or hiding inside the ceiling. The size of the water tank varies from house to house. The standard tank sizes in Malaysia are in the range of 900 litres to 3,000 litres.

The materials used in the construction of the tank also varies from stainless steel to galvanized iron (GI) and polytank.

This is a stainless steel water tank with fastened
secured lid.

How many house owners will inspect the water storage tank? Some owners never look at their water tank until there is a leakage or visibly contaminated water ran out from their tap.  Some owners will inspect the water tank when the water from the tap smells strange or taste abnormal. A few exceptional owners will inspect the water regularly.

The water storage tank should be inspected regularly for dislodged tank cover. This may sound strange but it happens. Any opening invites creepy crawly creatures from insects to lizards and snails into the tank. Rats can occasionally drown in the water tank. For those water tanks with secured and fastened lid or closure, the tank should also be inspected. You will be surprised to find the kind of dirt accumulated in the water tank. This dirt could be from the main incoming source(mud) or pollutant(dust and other solid particles) entering through the overflow pipe or the ventilation vent(breathing vent).

The two ventilation vents on top of the tank

My water tank is a secured and fastened stainless steel tank. Yet, see the amount of dirt accumulated at the bottom of the tank. This is a combination of mud and dirt. 

See the amount of dirt accumulated at the bottom of the tank, before the cleaning.

The tank should be emptied and washed regularly, preferably every six (6) months.

Using a broom with long pole to reach
the bottom of the tank. Leave some water inside
the tank and sweep gently.
The water will turn coffee brown colour after 
stirring with broom.

For GI tank, there is another problem. The tank may looks perfect from the outside, but the rust can be up to half an inch thick inside the tank. The minute the tank is vibrated, the whole tank breaks up.

The water tank can be cleaned easily by using a soft brush or broom(use a new broom please) with long pole. The dirty water is drained via the outlet valve located at the bottom or near the base of the tank. 

Drain the dirty water via the bottom outlet valve.
See the coffee brown colour water being discharged.

Rinse the tank thorough before refill the tank, with water from the main source via the normal ball float valve intake pipe.

See how a clean water storage tank should be.
Imagine you bathing and drinking the
contaminated water before the cleaning.
Go and inspect your own storage tank now.

Shellac & Varnish Wooden Door/Furniture.

See the faded finishing, especially the
lower portion of the doors.

It is nice to have wooden furniture or doors painted with Shellac to maintain its natural wood grain finishing and enhance its aesthetic quality. But the upkeep of the Shellac surface can be problematic. Shellac  is not resistant to water and UV ray. Prolonged exposure to water and UV ray can damage the Shellac surface finishing.

Close up view of the faded door finishing

My main door is made from Balau wood. Both the door frame and doors are solid Balau wood.  The constant exposure to rain water and sunlight can damage the glossy finishing of the surface. This requires regular Shellacing and Varnishing  every three years,  to protect the wood from fading.

See the damage to the door frame.

Restoring the Shellac finishing of the  door looks simple but required lots of skill and patience. Shellac is a solvent based resin and is quick dry. Therefore, attention to the surrounding heat and humidity level  is crucial at the time of application. This will ensure a smooth and un-encumbered brushing. If the Shellac evaporated too fast, the brush will turn gummy and sticky. A gummy brush does not give you a smooth finishing.  When this happened,  dip  the brush  into some thinner /solvent .

Thinner and Shellac in bottle are readily
available in hardware shop.

A very thin layer of Shellac is applied for each coat, with three coatings preferred.  Between each coat, the dried surface  must  be sandpapered in order to achieve a smooth finishing.

Use waterproof sandpaper to avoid excessive dust during sanding. Dip the sandpaper into water before using. Select a good quality Shellac brush with soft bristles  that does not fall out easily or  stick to the coating.  Apply the Shellac slowing and gently. The brush stroke should preferably moves  in one direction only.

Materials required are:-

1.       One bottle of Shellac (RM4.50, USD1.40)

2.       One bottle of solvent/thinner. RM3.50, USD1.10)

3.       One Shellac brush. RM8.50. USD2.65)

4.       Three sheets of waterproof fine sand paper. (RM0.80, USD0.25/sheet)

5.       One bottle of Varnish (optional)(RM4.50. USD1.40)

6.       One pair of cotton hand glove.RM1.20, USD0.38)

7.       A small container to dilute the  Shellac to the required viscosity and holding the brush.

8.       One roll of masking tape (to insulate non wood area from the brush during painting.)(RM2.50 USD0.80)

Apply Shellac gently and moves the brush
in one direction only.

Do not do Shellacing with the fan on or during windy weather. You should also avoid extremely hot and dry weather during coating.

This job took 3 weeks to complete with an average of two hours per day (42 manhours).

Making your own Garbage Bag Holder.

Completed stand c/w garbage bag

This idea popped up  in my mind while I was clearing my garden of dried leaves and cut grass.  Gathering those dried leaves and grass into a garbage bag is quite a hassle. How to handle  a rack, a dust pan and a soft garbage bag at the same time?  Either I get a helper to hold the garbage  bag while I rack the leaves and grass into the dust pan or I get a large container to hold the bag.  Either way is cumbersome.

Materials and tool required

I made a garbage bag holder using the left over PVC pipe from maintenance job. The large size garbage bag is 75cm X 90cm (2 ½ ft X 3 ft).  The stand should have a top frame to hold the bag. It should be 14 inches X 14 inches by 2 ft height. The bottom frame preferably be 16 inches by 16 inches.

I bought eight pieces of elbow and eight pieces of T-joint plus one can of PVC pipe glue to complete the job. Cut the PVC pipe into four pieces of two feet long, eight pieces of six inches long  and eight pieces of seven inches long.  The elbow and T-joint will add two inches to each side of the perimeter of the frame.

PVC pipe cut to the required lenght

Firstly, fix up the pieces to get the alignment correct without  using PVC glue . The glue is quick dry and cannot be disconnected once applied on.  Fix the two  square frame on a flat surface to get the elbow and T-joint aligment correct.  Finally, join the two square frame with four vertical pipes of 2 feet each..

PVC Elbow

If the elbow alignment is correct, the whole stand would be in balance and sturdy. Otherwise, it will be wobbling.

To  use,  just fix the garbage onto the top frame and secure it by large paper clips.

PVC T-Joint

The total cost of materials are as follow:-

1.     One piece ½” dia PVC pipe (20feet cost RM9.50)   RM0.00 (from left over)

                                                        2.     Eight pieces of PVC elbows @ RM0.50 each    cost     RM4.00

3.     Eight pieces of PVC T-joints @RM0.70 each cost    RM5.60

4.     One can of PVC glue @                                               RM2.40

5.     Two piece of paper clips @RM0.80 each   cost         RM1.60
                                                                                
                  Total Cost for the stand is RM13.60  (USD4.30)                  

       

PVC Glue

Completed Stand without the Garbage bag

Maintaining & Coating Concrete Slab Roof.

What is the best type of roof for Malaysian houses? There is No answer to this question.  Every type of roofing material has its advantages and disadvantages.

Untreated slab with cracks and chipped surface.

The most  commonly used roofing is the concrete roof tile.  Some use clay tile, metal roofing sheet or aluminium roofing sheet.  There are also houses having flat concrete slab roof.  This type of roof is more visible in Europe and USA than in Malaysia.

My house used a combination of concrete slab roof and glazed clay tiles. The Architect  designed and proposed the concrete slab roof due to construction issues.  This portion of the roof is waterproof  and does not leak even during extreme thunderstorm.

Mixing cement with white clay(lime) and sand for plastering

The tropical weather of Malaysia is unkind to concrete roof.  The sudden change in temperature from very hot sun to heavy rain caused fine cracks and chipping of the plastered surface of the concrete slab.  If the cracks and surface chippings are not patch regularly, the waterproof coating will wear off and eventually leakage will appear.

Re-plastered surface

In order to avoid the problem of regular patching, I use a coating of polymer sealant.  This material can grout the cracks  and level the chipped off surface.

This is my biggest DIY project spreading over a period of nine months. I worked in stages and not more than three (3) hours per day.

Partly cleaned slab

First, I water jet the floor slab and the beams to remove dirt and fungus. Then, re-plaster the cracks and the worn out surface with a mixture of cement, white clay (lime) and fine sand.  Let the re-plastering cure and set in for about  a month. Some plaster may not stick well and peeled off. I re-do the peeled off part until the surface is completely even. 

Clean the slab with pressure water jet

The surface must be totally clean and dry before applying the polymer sealant. The re-plastered surface is water jet again and allow to dry for a couple of days.

The “Pentens” polymer sealant can be applied on the surface by using a paint roller or a big broom with soft bristle. This is a water-based sealant. If the compound is too thick, add a bit of water but not more than 20% by content, for easier application.

Pantens Coating Compound. This 20kg pail cost RM250.00.

Coating done in stages
This coated surface is easy to clean with a wet mop. This compound has low absorbent for heat and lower the indoor temperature. Do not use any sharp object or metal on the surface. This is like Epoxy coating. It can scratch the coating easily.

One third of the slab completed with coating

Apply two coats of the sealant with three-hour interval. Do not step on the coated surface, even if you feel it is dry. The sealant takes about twenty four hours to adhere firmly to the concrete surface. Always leave some space, a walking lane, for you to walk while applying the coating without stepping on it.  The space is also required for applying the second coating. The walking lane can be coated later, preferably after three days, by then you can walk on the already coated surface.

The entire concrete slab is coated.

The tools required are:-

Some of the tools required

A pail for water, a pair of cotton gloves, a scrapper, a paint roller, a paint mixing tray, a soft bristle broom, two paint brushes, a big picnic umbrella and a pressure water cleaner.

30 kg of Pentens sealant was used to coat the entire surface. Total cost of the sealant is RM375.00(USD125.00)