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"
