Have Paint Going to Waste?

Most of us have many cans of paint sitting in storage going to waste. I know, I know! You think you will use it for touch up here and there. But in the end we seldom touch up and the paint spoils. So, now you have to buy hardener to harden the paint so you can dispose of it. I have a partial solution for your extra paint. Paint the interior of your garage!

Sitting in my garage I had a full gallon and a partial gallon of house paint that I had used on other houses. I knew the paint was going to just sit there and take up space until I disposed of it. The colors were mauve and white. The interior of my garage was already white. Dirty white, as in dirt on white. So I decided to clean it up with a fresh coat of paint. That led me to these left overs of paint. I decided that it was only the inside of the garage and that mauve wouldn't be too bad of a color.

Man, you should see the garage now! It looks so good that I feel like leaving the overhead door open so the neighbors can see. Not only did I clean up the garage with paint, but it also forced me to clean up my junk and organize. I guarantee you, it looks nicer than a lot of houses I've been inside of. And guess what? Zero cost.

I feel so good about it I think I'll buy myself a Starbucks! Or, maybe a new car to put in my showroom. Just don't tell Audrey these evil thoughts. Please! :)

Does Your Table Rock?

One of my biggest pet peeves is a table that rocks back and forth. You know, like the ones they have at Starbucks. That is so irritating! But it just happened to be the only table available.... and for a good reason.

Well, there is a simple temporary fix. You can go get enough napkins and fold them over until they are thick enough to stuff under the table leg. I've done that. Or you can carry some small wooden shims in your purse or computer bag. One simple push and your table doesn't rock.

But speaking of rocking tables, these small round tables could be made slightly different and become more stable. Instead of four points of contact, they could have three points. There will be no rocking there. No rocking means less spilt coffee, which means fewer ruined computers. And, there will be more satisfied customers. I think that's what every business wants.

Outside Lights

Do you have outside lights that you like to have on at night but you have to remember to flip the switch? I'll bet most of the time they are never on. To solve this some people have bought those sensors that you screw into the bulb socket. These work most of the time but your light bulb is no longer in the correct position. There is a better way.

Go to Home Depot or another hardware store and buy a sensor for about $12. Also buy an electric gang box with wings for $1.50. Twenty-five feet of 3 strand wire will do it. That would be 12-3 gage wire.

The switch to your exterior light beside the front door should be located in the interior side directly below the exterior light. Remove the exterior light to reveal the wiring. Next, you need to cut a rectangular hole on the exterior side the size of the gang box insert. Now install the gang box making sure it is secure. Fish your wire through from the gang box to the light box and wire it according to the instructions included with the sensor. Re-install your light. Finally, test the sensor by putting black tape over the sensor eye. Turn on the light switch. Wait a couple of minutes. If the light comes on then your sensor works.

Now all you have to do is to remember to leave your light switch on at all times. Let the sensor do the rest.

Fix the Squeaky Floor

Two of the most irritating things I know of are squeaky shoes and a squeaky floor. Fixing squeaky shoes is easy.... discard them. Fixing a squeaking floor is a little more difficult.

There are basically two reasons a floor may squeak. The most common reason is that it was improperly nailed to the joists and over time some of the nailing has worked loose. The squeaking is caused by the floor moving up and down again the nails. Simply tapping the nails down will not fix the squeak, that will be only a temporary fix. A proper and lasting fix will require removing the loose nails then installing new fasteners. The fasteners I prefer are the trapeze type deck screws one and five-eighths inches in length. Whereas other screws actually created separation between the joists and the plywood, these screws actually suck the plywood down tight. That is what eliminates the squeaks.

The other problem causing squeaking is the edges of the plywood rubbing together when they move. This can happen between floor joists as plywood flexes. The fix for this is to us a circular saw and cut along the seam between sheets if plywood to create space. Set the depth of your saw blade for only the thickness of the plywood to prevent cutting into the joists.

There are key times to fix the squeaks. One is when you are changing carpet of floor coverings. At this time the floor decking is open and joists are readily findable. These squeaks must be fixed before installing hardwood or tile. Covering them up will not fix the problem. In fact, your tile may crack if the squeaks are not repaired.

If you have any questions you may contact me in the comments area.

Repair Your Own Tub

Do you have one of those PVC bathtubs that looks great when it is new, but over time dulls to to scratching? Well, there is hope for you.

Get a fine gritted rubbing compound and and rub out those scratches. You finish will be dull at this point. Now go to Walmart and get a scratch remover and rub that in. some of them actually shine up the finish. Now to really shine the finish us a paste car wax. If the scratches are not completely gone they will be greatly diminished.

Let me know how it works for you.

Stain it Fast!

In the home repair business, getting things done quickly is the key to making a profit. However, there are some things that tend to slow a guy down. One of them is staining and finishing wood materials. Have you ever noticed how long it take stain to dry? And the urethane is even worse.

There are a couple of products that will help you to overcome this. Minwax makes a water based stain that dries in minutes. If it is applied on a warm day in the sun, it dries even faster. Then there are also quick drying varnishes with several different sheens. The key to using these is that you must be fast in order to get an even and uniform finish. But you will finish your job hours quicker.... in some instances, days quicker.

Driveway Repair

One of the big issues in Colorado is the soil. Bentonite expands and contracts with moisture content which can cause a lot of damage to homes if the foundation is not properly installed. It also affects our roads causing bulges and dips. One of the most common problems it causes is our sidewalks rise or fall and there is separation between concrete sections.

Separation between concrete section is what I want to deal with in this column. I currently have a gap between my sidewalk and driveway that is about two inches deep and three-quarters inch wide. Here's the fix: 1) fill the gap with dry mortar so the gap is only one inch deep. 2) insert three-quarter inch foam backer rod pushing it down so the top is only one-quarter inch deep. 3) Now install Sicaflex to cover the backer rod and and to fill the gap. It will self level and you will have a nice looking repair.

If you also want to repair hairline cracks that are down in the grooves of you concrete, this is what you do: 1) power wash out all debris. 2) Install grey caulking to cover the crack. Use your finger to remove excess. 3) Install the Sicaflex. You now have a nice looking repair.

Note: Sicaflex comes in a tube like caulking and can be purchased at a Home Depot in the concrete aisle.

Now go to Starbucks, which is where I'm headed right now.