Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
Q: I’m painting a burnt adobe red block home that has major cracks in between the bricks. What do I use to fix that before I paint? How do I caulk the cracks that follow the grout joints?
A: Before you start, take a 7-in-1 multipurpose painter’s tool and clean out or V-out the joints first to really clean up the damaged areas. Then blow out the debris with an air compressor to make sure the joints are really clean. Then you need to seal those joints with caulk so that they can withstand weather. I’d use a urethane elastomeric caulk that has some texture to it so that when you put it in with a caulking gun it will match the grout. Put in a bead of caulk in the crack and then feather it out so it spreads into the joint.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
