Painting
Tips
Place roller pan in a large plastic bag before adding paint. When
your painting job is finished, throw the bag away and your pan will be clean. |
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. |
Wood
Tips
When installing paneling, paint a one-inch strip the same color
as the paneling between joints. If joints come apart, they won't be as noticeable. |
A
rusty bolt often can be loosened by applying a cloth soaked in any carbonated
beverage. Non-stick
vegetable spray can be used to lubricate squeaky hinges, sticky locks, bicycle
chains, etc. Place
adhesive tape around the center of the picture wires to keep pictures from sliding
on hanger. |
Vaseline
Seal for Caulk Tubes
When you cap that tube of caulk (a wire connector
works well), get a near-factory seal by putting Vaseline in the cap before sealing
the tube. You'll waste a dab of caulk when you use it again, but that's better
than wasting a whole tube. |
|
Bolts & Screws Tips
Apply soap or wax on screws for easier screwing. Longer
screwdrivers have more leverage. Dip
screws in glue or putty and it will hold tight. 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
A
small amount of paint can be stored in small glass jars (baby jars work good).
Save for touch ups. For
tiny touchups use a Q-tip instead of a paint brush. |
Sanding
Tips
After sanding wood, pull an old nylon stocking over your hand and
rub the wood lightly. You will be able to locate the slightest rough spots. |
Tips
on Screws & Bolts
A rusty bolt often can be loosened by applying a
cloth soaked in any carbonated beverage. |
Painting
Tips
Rid paint smell from a room by placing a large cut onion in a pan
of water in the middle of the room. The onion will absorb the odor in a short
time. |
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. |
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. |
