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Miscellaneous
Tips
Non-stick vegetable spray can be used to lubricate squeaky
hinges, sticky locks, bicycle chains, etc.
On door hinges,
lubricate the pin with petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly won't
drip on the floor like oil.
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Putty
Preserver
Wood putty tends to harden before you can use it up. Preserve
wood putty, glazing compound or any similar product indefinitely
by rolling it into a ball and sealing it in a sandwich bag before
placing it back in the can. |
Miscellaneous
Tips
On colored walls after patching nail holes, color with water
color paints to blend in with wall color. |
Sanding
Tips
For sanding small hard-to-get places, use sandpaper on a popsicle
stick or use an emery board. |
Disappearing
Marks
When you're hanging a group of pictures or marking the stud
locations on a wall, you usually have to go back and get rid of
your marks. Make it easier to erase your tracks by using a disappearing-ink
fabric marker. A damp cloth (or even air) will remove the marks. |
New
Bottom for Hollow-Core Doors
The next time you have to shorten a hollow-core door, try replacing
the bottom rail with expanding foam instead of wood. Cut the door
to the right length, clamp stiffboards to both sides of the bottom,
and fill the bottom with expanding foam insulation. After the foam
dries, trim off the excess with a utility knife, and rehang the
door. |
Ceramic
Tile Repair
To repair a chip in a tile without replacing the tile. Go to your
local cosmetic counter and find a fingernail polish that matches
the tile and color in the chip. Fingernail polish comes in a wide
variety of colors and has a small applicator brush with it. |
Tips
on Screws & Bolts
Store separated nails, screws, bolts, etc. in baby food jars.
Jar lids can be nailed to a board or under a shelf for hanging. |
Painting
Tips
If your paint is lumpy, cut a circle from an old screen slightly
smaller than the can. Place the screen in the can and let it settle
to the bottom. Lumps will be at the bottom of the can. |
Painting
Tips
Add a tablespoon of ammonia in a pan of water and leave overnight
to rid paint smell. |
Miscellaneous
Tips
Wrap masking tape (sticky side out) around toothpicks, then
place near the bottom back side of frame. This is another way to
keep pictures in place. |
Painting
Tips
Store left over latex paint in clean plastic milk jugs. Shake
jug before using the next time. Label color, brand and store obtained
from. |
Wood
Tips
Find wall studs by running an electric razor along the wall.
The razor tone will change at studs. |
Miscellaneous
Tips
When taking an item apart that has many small parts, lay the
parts on double tape to avoid losing them. |
Electrical-box
Mounting Jig
Mount a roomful of electrical boxes at the same height by creating
a box-mounting jig. Cut a notch (sized to the depth of the electrical
boxes you're using) in a 2x4, 8-1/2 in. from the bottom of the board.
To position electrical boxes, place the jig on the baseplate of
the wall with the notch facing forward. Set the electrical box in
the notch and nail it in place. (This jig only works for uniformly
sized boxes). |
Ladder
Tips
Attach a rubber strip from an old tire to the top of a ladder to
insert tools. Nail the strip to make pockets. Tools can be inserted
before raising the ladder. |
Miscellaneous
Tips
Store leftover scraps of wallpaper by stapling them to your
attic wall. If you ever need to make a repair, the wallpaper should
have faded the same as the paper on the wall that needs the repair. |
Recycling
Zip Ties
Whenever I buy something that's wrapped with zip ties, I don't cut
them off and toss them. Instead, I remove the ties by inserting
the tip of my pocketknife under the ratcheting mechanism of the
ties and pulling the end out. I can reuse the ties and never worry
about overtightening one because I can reposition it. |
How
to Find Carpet Pad Staples
After removing old carpeting, you've got the tough job of: spotting
and pulling the scads of staples left from the padding. Scrape a
metal dustpan or wide putty knife across the floor. It'll stop or
make a metallic "click" every time you encounter a missed
staple. |
Fast
Fishing through Insulated Walls
When you have to fish wire through wall exterior cavities that
are filled with insulation, use a "leader" of soft copper
tubing. It'll burrow its way through the insulation to the box opening.
Then use electrical tape to fasten the wire to the end of the copper
and pull the whole works right through the insulation. You're sure
to catch a 25-footer! |
Dust-free
Drywall Sanding
Sanding drywall doesn't have to mean choking on a cloud of dust
or dragging out a vacuum cleaner. Here's a low-tech, low-mess way
to smooth small patches: Use a damp sponge encased in nylon mesh
as a flexible sanding block. Just wet the sponge and squeeze it
nearly dry. The abrasive mesh helps level the patch, and the flexibility
makes it possible to dig out extra mud from surrounding texture,
so it's easier to blend the patch. This type of sponge is available
at grocery stores. |
Recycled
Spreader
Save those Parmesan cheese containers when they've completed
their dinner duty. Load them up with grass seed, ice melting chemicals,
fertilizer and other products for spreading. Just make sure the
can is clearly marked and out of the reach of children. |
Tips
on Screws & Bolts
For a wobbly drawer knob, paint the screw with fingernail polish
before inserting it. |
Chip
Terminator
When you're cutting off the bottom of an interior veneered door
with a circular saw, it's difficult to get a clean line because
the wood veneer chips very easily. Eliminate chipping by first scoring
the cutting line with a sharp utility knife. Make your saw cut 1/16
in. from the line on the waste side, and ease the edge with sandpaper.
The wood will chip up to the line, but not past it. |
Anti-Fog
Bathroom Mirrors
I sprayed heartshaped design on the bathroom mirror with aerosol
shaving cream for my wife on our anniversary. After it was wiped
off, and after a long, hot steamy shower, I noticed that where the
heart shape was, the mirror was clear as a bell! Now I just clean
the mirror with a little shaving cream--no fogging!
P.S. It even works well on eyeglasses. |
Painting
Tips
Remove paint spatters from woodwork with very fine dry steel
wool. Better yet, before painting apply a coat of lemon oil on woodwork.
Paint speckles will wipe up easily. |
Hanging
mini blinds
Marking the pilot holes for miniblind or other small brackets can
be painstaking work.Transfer the pilot holes to a piece of masking
tape, (use blue masking tape for best results) and stick the tape
where the bracket is to be fastened. Drill the pilot holes, remove
the tape and install the bracket. |
Miscellaneous
Tips
Sticky dresser drawers will slide easier if you rub candle wax
or soap on the runner on the side of the drawers. |
Ladder
Tips:
Keep ladders from moving by driving spikes through the bottom
of small cans, into the ground. Then insert the ladder feet in the
cans. |
Tips
on Screws & Bolts
You can wind a few stands of steel wool around the threads of
the screw before screwing it in to keep it tight. |
Painting
Tips
Before pouring paint from a can, line the edge with masking
tape. When finished, remove the tape and rim will be clean for replacing
the lid. |
Miscellaneous
Tips
Unfinished picture frames can be stained with shoe polish. Use
two coats, and after drying, wax with a good paste wax. Brown shoe
polish will have a walnut glow, oxblood emulates a mahogany, and
tan will appear as a light maple color. |
