Hour 1
Siding Solution
Maria’s home is 20 years old and wrapped in pale blue vinyl siding. The siding is in good shape, but it does appear somewhat sun-bleached. She wants to know what she can do to refresh the look of the siding.
The first step is cleaning with a solution of TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water. Cleaning will bring back some of the siding’s color, but you may also want to try a siding renewal product like Vinyl Renu or Vinyl Brite to restore the luster of the vinyl and make it look more like new.
Pea Gravel Control
Ron wants to expand his patio by adding a combination of flagstones and pea gravel around the perimeter. It adds texture, character, and square footage, but he’s concerned that the pea gravel may spill out into the yard and want to know if there’s a solution.
Adding a landscape border made of metal, vinyl or wood is a good start to contain the gravel. Another good way to keep it in place is to treat the gravel with “mulch glue” which is sprayed over the surface to bond the individual pebbles together so they stay in place. The mulch glue lasts up to two years and is non-toxic.
Hour 2
Super Sealant
The perfect sealant to fill gaps and cracks around the outside of a house needs to be flexible and able to fill large gaps. Titebond has a new sealant called TiteShield that is a game changer for these chores because it can expand and contract by up to 50% of the joint size.
Titeshield can fill gaps up to two-inches wide, but continues to remain flexible, so it won’t crack over time, making it ideal for use around window and door openings. It adheres to a wide variety of materials from wood and metal to concrete and glass. Titeshield is also paintable with latex paint but it comes in a variety of common colors so you may not even need to get out the brush.
Which Contractor Comes First?
Karen needs to replace the plumbing in her main bathroom and because of some rotten wood, she also needs to replace the floor and sub-floor. She wants to know which contractor she should have start work first.
The ideal situation is to have them coordinate with each other. Have the plumber remove the existing fixtures before the carpenter removes the rotten wood. Then let the plumber rough in the new supply and drain lines before the carpenter installs the ne sub floor. Then have the finished flooring installed before the plumber re-installs the toilet
Best New Products
 | Trafficmaster Solves Common Residential Vinyl Sheet Flooring Problems Learn more>> |
Simple Solutions
Dishwasher Tips—You can save electricity by using the air-dry-only or energy-saving mode, instead of the heat-dry setting. You can save water by only running full loads, and by scraping, not rinsing, dishes clean prior to loading them into the dishwasher.Check the owner’s manual about proper placement of dishes, cups, and silverware. This will prevent you from blocking the soap dispenser or telescopic wash tower from fully expanding.
Rescue Worn-Out Wire Brush—Because of the way most of us use a wire brush, the bristles near the very end of the brush wear out prematurely, rendering the brush almost useless.
To rescue a badly worn wire brush: Cut off the damaged section from the end of the brush with a hacksaw. This will shorten the brush slightly but exposes a set of barely used bristles at the brush end.
