LESLIE: Ray in Rhode Island finds The Money Pit on WPRO. And you’ve got something going on with your concrete stairs. Tell us about it.
RAY: Yes. Well, I’ve got a poured concrete front step. It’s about four steps going up. And I’ve got a crack right down the middle. It’s probably – you know, over the last few years, I’ve been kind of procrastinating on …
TOM: OK.
RAY: … fixing it. It’s getting pretty wide. And I was wondering what’s probably the best way to alleviate that problem. Or is it going to keep cracking or should I just blow it up and try to get the whole thing out … (chuckling)
TOM: Well, don’t do anything quite that drastic, Ray. The best way to repair that crack is with a silicone caulk. But I can give you a trick of the trade to help you hide the appearance of the crack. And that is – what you could do is if you had a masonry drill bit and you found an inconspicuous place – like say on the side of that stair or someplace where you’re not going to see this – if you were to drill a couple of holes into the side of the stair and collect the concrete dust that comes out as you do that, what you do is then you put the caulk into the crack and then you take some of that dust and you cover the top of the caulk while it’s wet – with the concrete dust.
RAY: Ah.
TOM: And it’ll blend in perfectly with the step around it.
RAY: Very good.
TOM: Alright? There you go, Ray. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974.
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