Safety:
Always use the correct Personal protective equipment when working in
buildings especially older premises. Falling off ladders is not a
laughing matter, when working at heights do not take chances.
Asbestos
is already the second cause of death after - smoking, and ahead of road
deaths in some European countries and is likely to take the same
position in the US. So when doing DIY or working in old buildings use a
dust mask that will be effective for very fine particles.
Easy Sawing. Use a candle
to lubricate your saw, rub on both faces and you will find cutting a
lot easier D.E.
Artex removal.
You can remove it yourself with a preparation available from some DIY
outlets, it is called X-Tex and you apply it, allow it to soak in and
then scrape it off. Please note that some older Artex contains Asbestos
so it is always a good idea to get a sample checked out by your local
council. Ray Watkinson Canterbury England.
Caution with this
material and under no circumstances should it be sanded off without a
check to see if it contains asbestos. Asbestos is a deadly substance
which can, in most people cause an incurable cancer called Mesothelioma
-- Ed
Wallpapering Tip Don't
throw away excess wallpaper when your room is finished. When it comes
to your next job, this can be used to cover the pasting table, allowing
you to rip it off when you're done, and no gooey mess to scrape off.
Definitely makes a difference. --
Lorraine McCloud
Patching Walls: Use Baking soda and white glue; mix some white glue with baking soda to
make a paste but not too thin or too thick just enough so it is
spreadable consistency. This will harden in a few hours depending on
the heat and humidity in your home, when hardened it can be repainted;
works Great! -- Darrel
Clean Cuts. If, when cutting
fibreboard you want a
splinter-free finish then use masking tape and cut thru the tape - a
better
cut will result. -- Amin Newton. Birmingham England
Mixing Epoxy. Keep your
lollipop sticks, they make excellent spatulas - for mixing two part
compounds
etc. -- Xavier Lorrimer London England
Taps wrap
your pliers with electrical tape to avoid scratches -- "Sacknoff"15 Oct 2002
When painting and decorating put old socks over the
ends of the ladder --Vanessa Echols
Plastering. I find that plaster will set much
quicker when I use warm water to make it. -- Barry Taylor
Sawing. To stop plywood splitting when I saw it I
lay masking tape on the area I am about to cut. -- P.B.,
Atlanta.
Hinges: Use Vaseline rather than oil as it will not
run and dirty the paintwork. – Anon
Window Putty. To stop birds from eating freshly set
window putty I find that some black pepper mixed into it does the
trick. I store unused putty wrapped up in foil and in a tub so it lasts
longer as well. -- N.T.K. Shaw
Cleaning power saw blades. For woodworkers who need to clean
their stains off power saw blades, use Easy Off Oven Cleaner. No need
to pay for an expensive product. --- Fred Minner Delavan,
Illinois
Safety 
Building sites can be very dangerous
places. Never allow your children loose on
one. Holes in the ground are to be avoided. Our
teenage son was found buried up to his neck when an excavation
collapsed. Fortunately he survived almost unhurt - - Sam
Catkin - Denver - Colorado
Electrics Always use a qualified
electrician for any electrical work. Not a DIY subject. --
"Dawn Parsons"
Use RCD's or Residual Current Devices when using
dangerous appliances such as lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws,
drills and sanders. These cut the mains electricity connection when a
cable or flex is cut, or an electrical tool malfunctions, reducing the
risk of electrocution. -- Kevin Albertson
Ladders Safety: The ladder rule is - the foot of the
ladder should be one measure out for every four measures in height.
Ladders should be placed on a firm level surface, and the top should be
resting on something solid, and not on guttering or a window-sill.
Scaffolding: Scaffolding towers must be erected on
firm ground. If the tower is more than 3.25 meters high for a 1.3 meter
square base it must be tied to the building. -- Anon (UK
Regulations - Ed)
Cleaning
Oil Base Paint spills. When you use oil base paint, and you
get as much on you as what you are painting. Instead of using paint
thinner. Try using baby oil. -- Bonnie Smith,
Removing Dry Paint From Skin Before painting major projects, coat your hands & forearms with
Vaseline. To easily remove dry paint from skin:
Simply wash with a foaming brillo pad. Quick, cheap, simple & safe. They are softer than you would think.
Mask eye areas with medial cloth tape or similar. Sam from The Hoosier State, USA.
18 Nov 2003
A piece of string tied across a paint tin can
support the wet brush and it can also be used to wipe off excess paint
- - Davie
No film on the surface of paint. I find that if you store partially
empty paint cans upside down...the film that inevitably forms on the
surface of the paint is then on the bottom when the paint is used
again, making it much easier to keep film particles off of your
finished project. -- "Shelia R. Heidel"
Loosening rusted screws, soak overnight in lemon
juice. A tissue wrapped round the area keeps the juice where
it can do its work - - Davie
The bag of silica gel that you get with your next
consumer electronics purchase should not be thrown
out. Put it in your tool box and keep them shiny --
Andy Baxter London England
Rusty Bolts. Try Coca-Cola, the phosphoric acid in
it eats away the rust. -- BB W New Mexico. .
Rusty Screws. If you are trying to remove a very
rusty screw, use the tip of a very holt soldering iron to heat the head
of the screw. The heat should expand the screw head and loosen the rust.
-- Andy Baxter, London England
Stuck Screws. If a screw was too tight and the slot
gets ruined don't worry, because there is a little trick to rectify
this. If the screw head is above the surface use a junior hacksaw blade
to cut a new groove. -- J.R. Tippins, Springfield.
Rusty Bolts If you are trying to
remove a very rusty bolt, and you don't have wd-40 or anything like
that to loosen it, then you can use Tabasco sauce. Just shake a small
amount on the bolt and wait for a few minutes then you should have no
problem taking it off. -- Gerry
Glass jars - Storage. The ones with with metal screw tops make excellent
storage for screws and other small parts. Drill a hole in the
top and screw it to the underside of a shelf, the jar is then screwed
up in to the lid, Voila! -- Davie,
Try not to run a line of nails along the same wood
grain, otherwise the wood could split. -- Anon.
If you have to then I
suggest that you drill several guide holes in advance -- Davina Martin
To stop nails from splitting wood drill a small
guide hole beforehand. -- H Corbett
Nails. To help stop a nail from splitting the wood
drill a pilot hole or turn the nail over and tap it with a hammer
putting a blunt point on it. This helps collapse the wood rather than
split it. -- Theresa & Jim Grace
The
blunted point works well but if you are really near the edge of the
piece of wood you should drill pilot holes before hammering in the nail
-- S Dust
Woodworking. Hammering in
a nail? avoid bruised fingers by putting the nail in to a piece of
cardboard first. -- Richard Burchill Detroit
Stripping Wallpaper. Don't bother using expensive
stripping agents, I find that using a small amount of wallpaper paste
mixed with warm water, and a bit of washing-up liquid works just as
well. Soak the paper in this for a while, the washing-up liquid acts as
a wetting agent, and the paste holds it in place. -- A
Kaviani
Wallpapering: An angled nail in the end of the
paste brush will stop it falling all the way in to the paste can -- Ian
Richards
Reading
the tip about how to stop the brush falling in the can I thought I
would give you my tip. Tie a piece of string through the middle of the
can from handle base to handle base so that it is across the can
through the middle. This way you can place the handle on the side of
the can and rest the brushes on the string support you have just made.
-- Declan Keegan - Kent, England -- "Signe"
When papering over old wallpaper, I find that I
have to add varnish or lacquer over any greasy spots to stop them
coming through to the new paper. -- S
Clarke
A cheap and easy way to strip wallpaper is to add
vinegar to warm water, the acid in the vinegar reacts with the
wallpaper paste making it easier to scrape off. -- SAM
"Gareth Price"
If you need to apply a patch of wallpaper, tear the
paper rather than cutting it. The join will be much less
noticeable that way -- Sam Clark London
England.
If you want to
remove old wallpaper try this. Use a squirt bottle and fill it with 3/4
warm water and 1/4 fabric softener and it will not hurt the paint. Let
it soak for about five minutes and don't let it dry, you have to use a
plastic scrapper to just peel the wallpaper away. To remove some glue
off of some surfaces use Windex with ammonia and that will do the job.
Let it soak. If you have a Window and it was tinted this excellent to
use for the glue just wiped off with a paper towel.-- Margaret :) ;)
Drilling. To help judge how deep you are drilling I
find that you can mark the drill bit so that the exposed part is the
size of the desired depth of hole. You can mark the drill with pen or
crayon, or use a bit of masking tape. -- Jim McIlroy
Yardley-Gobion England
If you are drilling ceramic tiles or other glazed
surfaces I find that it is best to mark the spot to be drilled with
clear adhesive tape. This helps hold the drill in place. Never use a
hammer action drill. -- Robert H Fahey, Ohio
Drilling Masonry: When drilling masonry always withdraw the
tip every 5 seconds or so to stop it overheating. If you don't keep the
tip cool it damages the drill. -- Mat Hyde, Georgia.
It is even better if you can squirt water in the
hole. As well as cooling the drill the water actually helps the drilling process -- Ed
Drilling sheet glass/mirrors Mark your spot with a
felt tip, then make a small well from putty over the marked spot. Fill
this well with a touch of light oil. Drill slowly using a carbide
tipped drill bit. The oil keeps the drill bit cool and makes the job
that little bit easier. If you are drilling through glazed tiles it
helps if you use a masonry nail to score the point of drilling. The bit
will not slip off the glazed surface. Finally, if you have drilled a
hole through a glazed tile and inserted a rawlplug, make sure the plug
passes through the tile before you insert the screw. This way the tile
will not crack. Happy DIYing -- Alan Brighton"
