Home To-Do List: Spring Dreaming, Start Cleaning It's time to get moving on spring-cleaning projects. By Roy Berendsohn advertisement Things sure slow down in the winter, but now that cold season is drawing to a close, it's time to get cracking, especially on outdoor projects. But get your heaviest work out of the way first, well in advance of the hot weather. Outdoors 1. Dig out and remove rotted or damaged fence posts, mailbox posts, overgrown shrubs, or damaged shrubs. 2. Remove winter-worn branches from trees and shrubs. 3. Make your first application of spring fertilizer. Spread seed in southern climates. 4. Schedule small engine tune-ups or perform tune-ups after buying spark plugs, air filter elements, crankcase oil, two-stroke oil, gas stabilizer, fresh gasoline, lawnmower blade, string trimmer blades or line. 5. Sharpen your shears, hoe, and shovel, then pump up that wheelbarrow tire. 6. Repair ice-damaged gutters or downspouts. Indoors 1. As soon as the weather permits, by all means open your windows and start painting inside. 2. Tidy up behind and under the dryer, then clean the dryer vent. 3. Make room to store winter equipment and clothing by taking advantage of wasted spaces in attics, crawlspaces, closets, and the garage. 4. Clean your coffeemaker with vinegar or scale-removal product sold at hardware stores. 5. Tune up that kitchen range: Remove and clean under reflecting pans. Run self-cleaning cycle. Once clean, use an oven thermometer to check your oven's temperature relative to its dial setting. Temperature should conform to high- and low-limit ranges as stated by the manufacturer. If it's not, purchase a service manual and either adjust the thermostat, replace your temperature sensor, or perform other needed repairs. Remove that pots-and-pans drawer and clean under the kitchen range. If need be, clean your drawer runner. Around the Country Southern and Southeastern states: Apply pre-emergent herbicide/fertilizer blend. After the period stated on the bag, apply lawn seed. Middle Atlantic: Check with the agricultural extension office or nursery in your region; this may be your time to prune shrubs that flower in summer and fall. Southern New England: Construct temporary fencing to keep deer from ruining early-budding plants. Pacific Northwest: Apply bulb food when growth begins to push through warming soil. All areas free of snow and frost: Turn over the compost pile, flower beds, and all other beds that do not have bulbs. Quick Home Repair Fixes 14 shortcut repairs to keep your house in shape -- from top to bottom. By Joseph Truini 1 | 2 | Next > advertisement More from Popular Mechanics When Bad Things Happen To Good People Boost Your Curb Appeal Repair A Damaged Screen Door Home Expert Q&A: Help For Sticky Doors, Fix Energy Leaks, a Squeaky Floor and Dirty Ducts More Popular Mechanics Home Improvement Ideas Whether you live in a renovated Victorian or a modern raised ranch, one thing is certain: Maintenance never stops. Of course, you could hire the local handyman to make repairs and put his kids through college. Or, you can tackle problems when they appear--and before they get out of hand. To help out, we've assembled 14 shortcuts for household woes that start at the roof over your head and end at the floor under your feet. They're all quick and easy fixes--and they'll help you keep the pros at bay. 1. Roof Shingle Repair Strong winds and fallen tree branches can crack or rip asphalt roof shingles. If you fix a damaged shingle tab before it tears off the roof, you won't have to replace the entire shingle. To make the repair, you need a tube of roofing cement and a piece of copper or aluminum flashing. Cut the flashing about 1 in. narrower than the ripped tab, and about 4 in. longer, so that it extends under the tabs on either side. Use a flat pry bar to carefully loosen the damaged tab and the tabs to the left and right. Next, apply two or three thick beads of roofing cement to the surface beneath the shingle. Slip the flashing underneath and apply more roofing cement on top of the flashing. Press the tab down to adhere the flashing to the roof. 2. Roof Runoff Remedy The lower edge of a roof should extend beyond the fascia board by at least 3/4 in. That way, when rain runs down the roof it drains into the gutter. If the overhang falls short, water can drip behind the gutter, leading to rotted fascia, peeling paint and stained siding. To fix an overhang that's too short, buy some aluminum drip edge (aka drip-cap flashing). It's typically sold in 8-ft. lengths, and can be cut with tin snips or even poultry shears. Slide the wide, flat flange of the flashing under the first course of shingles and adjust it to extend over the gutter. Secure the drip edge with a few short roofing nails and seal each nailhead with a dollop of roofing cement. 3. Easy-Rinse Rain Gutters No one likes to clean gutters. But you can make the job easier and safer (no ladder required) with a long spray wand made from a 1/2-in.-dia. x 10-ft.-long PVC pipe. Start by cutting two 6-in. lengths of pipe. Then, use PVC cement to join these short sections and two 90-degree elbows with what is now a 9-ft.-long pipe, forming a J-shaped hook. At the short end of the hook, glue on a solid endcap. Drill three 1/8-in.-dia. holes in the cap. Glue a threaded adapter onto the opposite end of the pipe and attach a garden hose. Place the short end of the J-shaped hook inside the gutter, and turn on the hose. As you walk along the house, high-pressure streams of water will rinse the gutter clean. 4. Wood Shingle Switch A typical wood-shingle house is covered with thousands of individual shingles. And over time, it's inevitable that a few will split or become damaged. To replace a shingle, first use a chisel and hammer to split it into several narrow pieces, then yank them out with pliers. Slip a hacksaw blade under the shingle above, and cut through the nails that held the old shingle in place. Next, use a utility knife to trim a new shingle to match the width of the space. Slide the shingle in place and tap it to within 1 in. of its final position. Drive in two galvanized cedar shingle nails, at an upward angle, directly below the butt edge of the shingle above. Then, use a wood block and hammer to tap the new shingle up into place. As the shingle slides in place, it'll pull the nailheads up and behind the shingle above. 5. Fill-'er-Up Tub Trick Most bathtubs are equipped with lever-action stoppers instead of old-fashioned plugs. The problem is, many stoppers don't form a watertight seal against the drain. Fortunately, the fix is easy. First, unscrew the round overflow plate from the end of the tub. Gently pull on the plate until the attached linkage assembly slips out from behind the tub. The linkage is composed of several metal pieces, including a threaded rod. Turn the rod two or three revolutions to lengthen the entire linkage assembly. Replace the linkage and screw the overflow plate to the tub wall. Raise the control lever on the overflow plate and turn on the water. Check to see if the water remains in the tub. If it's still draining out, remove the overflow plate and lengthen the linkage a bit more. 6. Set Your Doors Free If you have a door that binds at one corner, try this fix. Close the door and inspect the clearance along the sides and top to see if it's misaligned in the frame. If so, install a thin cardboard shim or plastic playing card under one of the hinge leaves to adjust the alignment. If necessary, add a second or third shim until the door swings freely. 7. Floppy Backsplash Fix Many kitchen backsplashes aren't nailed or screwed to the countertop, but glued to the wall. In time, they can pull free, exposing the wall behind the counter to water damage. To reattach a loose backsplash, first use a putty knife to scrape off old glue. Apply two beads of construction adhesive to the rear of the backsplash, and a bead of clear silicone sealant along its bottom edge. Set the backsplash in position and press it against the wall and counter. To hold the backsplash while the adhesive cures, wedge 1 x 2 strips diagonally between the top edge of the backsplash and the underside of the upper kitchen wall cabinet. 8. Gaining an Edge Here's a quick trick for gluing table or counter edging back in place. Apply glue to the mating surfaces and tighten a C-clamp at the damaged area. Use pieces of wood under the clamp's jaws to prevent marring the surface. Then, insert two tapered wood shims from opposite directions between the clamp and the edging. Tap in the shims to hold the edge in place while the glue dries. 9. Shower Stabilizer It's not unusual for a shower head to become loose. This typically occurs when the metal strap securing the water-supply pipe pulls free. Here's how to remedy the situation without ripping open the wall. First, pull the round trim ring away from the wall. Next, inject foam sealant into the cavity around the pipe. This stuff expands, so apply it sparingly. Push the trim ring back in place and hold it for a minute or two to contain the foam sealant. The sealant will eventually harden, effectively locking the shower head in position. More from Popular Mechanics When Bad Things Happen To Good People Boost Your Curb Appeal Repair A Damaged Screen Door Home Expert Q&A: Help For Sticky Doors, Fix Energy Leaks, a Squeaky Floor and Dirty Ducts More Popular Mechanics Home Improvement Ideas 10. Cure for Recurring Cracks Hairline wall cracks that reappear, even after repeated spackling and painting, can be fixed for good. First, widen the crack slightly (1) by scraping it with the pointed end of a can opener. Remove all dust (2) and cover the crack with 2-in.-wide adhesive-backed fiberglass mesh drywall tape (3). Cut the tape, if necessary, to follow a zigzagging crack, but don't overlap the pieces. Use a 4-in. drywall knife to apply a thin coat of joint compound over the tape (4). The next day, sand lightly and follow with two wider, thinner coats of compound. 11. Picking on Loose Knobs When a wooden knob comes loose from a door or drawer because the screwhole is stripped, remove the knob and stuff the screwhole with toothpicks and glue. Use a utility knife to trim the toothpicks flush. Then, replace the knob--you don't have to wait for the glue to dry--and carefully tighten the screw. 12. Faulty Dishwasher Tuneup If your dishwasher seems to run perfectly yet leaves your dishes dirty, there may be a simple fix. Open the dishwasher and remove the lower tray to access the spray arms. Gently clean the holes at the ends of the arms with a steel skewer or an awl. Don't use a wooden or plastic instrument that might break and get stuck in a hole. 13. Lifting Damaged Floor Tile When a vinyl floor tile becomes stained or damaged, you can easily remove it with a stiff-blade putty knife and an electric heat gun. Warm the tile until the adhesive softens (between 5 and 10 minutes). Start prying up the tile at a corner, and continue to apply heat above and below the tile until the adhesive releases. Scrape the subfloor clean, creating a smooth surface for a new tile. 14. Silencing Squeaky Wood Floors Wood expands and contracts with changes in the seasons. And although this movement is slight, it can cause annoying squeaks to occur throughout the house, especially if you have hardwood floors. Here's an effective way to silence a squeak--if the space underneath the floor is accessible. First, locate the squeak from below by having someone walk across the floor. Once you've pinpointed the spot, spread glue on both sides of a thin wooden shim, and tap it into the space between the floor joist and plywood subfloor. Be careful not to drive the shim in too far; you don't want to raise the floor. The goal is to fill any voids that allow movement. Must-Do Maintenance Home maintenance isn't restricted to repairs. Here's a checklist of items every homeowner should get to regularly--even if that squeaky floor never gets fixed. 1. Test your garage door opener monthly to ensure that it reverses when it hits an obstruction or when its sensor beam is interrupted. 2. Vacuum out the clothes dryer's exhaust duct at least once a year. If the duct is plastic, replace it. Rigid sheetmetal duct is best. 3. Replace furnace filters quarterly, or as recommended by the furnace manufacturer. 4. Test all GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets monthly. Press the test button and use a voltage tester to make sure the power goes off. 5. Clean leaves and debris from a central air conditioner seasonally. 6. Once a year, vacuum the refrigerator coils at the rear of the appliance. 7. Have the fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned annually. 8. Inspect window and door caulking and weatherstripping yearly. 9. Replace the batteries in smoke detectors yearly. And remember, even hard-wired smoke detectors have batteries that must be replaced. |
