Quick Tips Repair and Maintenance / Miscellaneous Emergencies Plumbing Rust Security/Safety Miscellaneous Quick Tips Categories Many maintenance and repair jobs involve paying attention to the order in which you disassemble something composed of small parts, bolts, screws and nuts. An empty egg carton can help you do this. Number the compartments with a marker, and as you work simply place each individual part in sequence into the appropriate compartment. That way all the parts are ready to be put back together again in reverse order. When fastening pictures or shelves to the wall it is always preferable to drill or nail into a stud. Studs are the wooden uprights that support the wall. In most homes the distance from the center of one wall stud to the center of the next is 16 inches. You can locate these studs many ways, such as: Studs are next to a window or door edge Electric boxes for lights and outlets are nailed to the side of a stud Center of first stud is about fourteen and one-half inches from a major corner Look for wallboard seams Look for nail holes in baseboard For stained grout between floor tiles, try rubbing the area lightly with folded sandpaper, then reapply a tile sealer to grouted area. Small burns in carpeting can be repaired by cutting the blackened fibers from the hole. Squeeze liquid glue into the hole and fill with fibers trimmed from carpet remnants. To put an ultra smooth surface on wood you want to refinish, use the finest grade of steel wool you can buy instead of sandpaper for the final preparatory sanding. Then remove any minute metal slivers from the wood before refinishing it by slowly running a magnet over the entire surface. To check propane or natural gas line joints and fittings, paint them with liquid laundry/ dish detergent slightly thinned with water. If any gas is escaping, it will create bubbles in the detergent coating. This technique will also help you find the hole in a damaged tire tube. To prevent screws, nuts and washers from falling in your face when you’re installing an overhead fixture, give them a light coating of rubber cement or tacky glue. This will keep them attached to the screwdriver or wrench. Once in place, its easy to wipe the glue from all the affected surface. A recurring problem for any home do-it-yourselfer is trying to put a washer and nut onto a bolt in a blind spot. To eliminate some of the frustration, first bond the washer to the nut with a couple dabs of rubber cement, then you’re ready to put the washer-nut combination onto the bolt. When using a screwdriver, keep this rule of thumb in mind: tight to the right, loose to the left. For squeaky furniture, rub the stub of a candle or a can of paraffin where wood moves against wood. If you have a wooden drawer that won’t open easily, rub a candle over the edges of the drawers and on the runners inside the cabinet. Fix a small leak in a plastic hose by touching it very lightly with the top of a hot ice pick. The plastic will melt and seal the hole. If your handsaw begins to bend as you cut with the grain, insert a screwdriver into the end of the cut to hold it open. When fastening moldings with finishing nails, use a strip of pegboard scrap to shield the wood. Drive nails through one of the holes as far as possible, then set the heads with a nail set. Reinforce a wobbly furniture leg with a metal mending plate or corner brace. Drill pilot holes first to prevent screws from splitting the wood. When pulling nails out with a claw hammer, protect the board beneath the hammer by slipping a scrap of wood or a plastic spatula under the hammer head. The spatula will provide additional leverage too. A small hole in a window screen can be closed with dabs of clear fingernail polish. Keep dabbing until the hole is closed, but use only thin coats to avoid drips. To keep the pores of your hands dirt or grease free, wipe on a thin coat of shaving cream before starting a messy task. If your patio doors tend to stick when you try to open them, vacuum the tracks regularly and coat with a fine layer of sewing machine oil. Or try using an eraser to clean them up and keep them moving smoothly. Tighten a cabinet or dresser knob by dipping its screw or screws into fingernail polish or shellac and reinserting the knob. When the polish or shellac hardens, the screws will be set. If you know the exact width of your hand with thumb and finger spread, you’ll be able to make rough measurements, if necessary, without using a ruler or tape measure. A dollar bill measures 6" by 2 1/2". Knowing this and a little origami, will enable you to have a hand measuring device on hand at all times. Don’t chance hitting your thumb or finger when hammering a small tack or nail. If you slip the fastener between the teeth of a comb, the comb holds the nail while you painlessly hold the comb. You can also use a bobby pin or paper clip. Put the feet of a ladder into empty coffee cans to steady them when the ladder is standing on soft earth. Don’t throw away a mop or a broom before you salvage the handle. They can be used to replace handles on other tools or as garden stakes. Try to save a scratched CD: Gently rub the surface (from the center out rather than in a circular motion) with some toothpaste on a soft, clean, lint-free cloth. Rinse with water and dry well. If you lubricate drill bits with silicone spray before using them, they’ll break less easily and stay sharp longer. Need more light on the spot you are drilling? Tape a penlight to the casing of the drill. 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