Inexpensive Repairs with
by Pete Youngs
As I travel around the country giving seminars and training classes , I often
get asked if I have a favorite repair technique. The first thing that comes to
mind is “Bondo”. Yes, the same Bondo body filler that mechanics use to repair
dents on wrecked cars. Here’s my favorite story: A man approached me with a
problem on his bay window. The window sill had a rotted area about 18 inches
long and it also went slightly under the sash. He had gotten estimates to
replace his bay window unit for about $2000.00. That included removing the old
bay window, supplying and installing the new one and painting it. He asked me if
I had any ideas to avoid this costly repair and I told him that I could repair
his window for about $10.00 if he would paint the window himself. He was amazed
and immediately asked me to proceed. Here’s how I did it:
I went to a place that sold auto parts and supplies and bought a quart of
“Bondo” body filler for just under $10. Then I took a screwdriver and dugout all
the rotted wood in the area of the window sill. I allowed it to dry (I sped up
the process with a blow dryer) and then mixed the Bondo and hardner as per its
label directions. Then I scooped the bondo mixture up and put it in a one-gallon
ziplock baggy. After squeezing the bondo into the corner of the baggy, I cut the
corner of the baggy and used it like a cake decorator would. I slightly
overfilled the cavity created from scraping out the rotted wood and then took a
paint stir stick (free from anywhere that sells paint) and used it to push the
Bondo into all areas needed. After about 10 minutes, the Bondo dried to solid
form. Then I used a palm sander with 200 grit sandpaper to sand the widow sill
smooth. We took a piece of the window sill that we scraped out that had paint on
it to the paint store and had the color computer matched. The man bought a quart
of the matched paint and painted the window and it looked as good as new, saving
him literally almost $2000.00
Here are a few more things that you can do with Bondo:
Here are a few more things that you can do with Bondo:
- Fill in holes and cracks in plaster walls with Bondo. It’s permanent and drywall
mud sometimes falls out of plaster wall repairs when disturbed or bumped.repairs in handrails, floorboards, steps, seats and seat backs on decks
with Bondo. Then just sand smooth and paint.
- For holes in hollow core doors, just fill the hole with tin foil for a backing,
spread Bondo generously over the hole and let it dry. Then sand it and paint the
door for a permanent fix.
- Bondo can also fill cracks in concrete as long as the concrete surface is to be
painted afterwards. The color won’t match the concrete, therefore you need to
paint it. I will sometimes add sand (regular white play sand) to the paint to
match the texture of some surfaces.
Bio:
Part of Pete Youngs' expertise is teaching people how to rehabilitate properties
for a fraction of the normal estimated cost. His knowledge and ability to get
the highest quality results for the lowest possible price earned his companies
such prestigious renovation contracts as the living quarters at the 1996 Atlanta
Summer Games, Courtyard By Marriott Hotels, two different contracts within
international communications giant MCI, Publix Distribution Center, and hundreds
of single and multi-family homes nationwide.
Pete teaches 101 valuable techniques, which range from minor cosmetics for the
homeowner and new investor, to major rehabs for the seasoned investor.
Pete Youngs is a successful investor, business owner, author, and lecturer
dedicated to helping others become successful as investment and real estate
entrepreneurs.