Kathy Zengolewicz

Professional carpet installers like to get in and out of your house as quickly as they can. Installing a new carpet is a process better left for the professional, but removing the carpet isn’t quite as hard.

You will need to have a utility knife, a hammer and crowbar, a flathead screwdriver, sturdy scissors and a heavy pair of gloves. The first thing you will need to do is move all of the furniture to another room, someplace where it can stay for a few days.

The nail strips that hold the carpet in place are usually nailed into the floor, so you will need to use the flathead screwdriver and a hammer to pry up the strips. If the screwdriver doesn’t work, then you’ll need to use a crowbar.

Make sure you use gloves when handling these strips, since they have tiny tack in them and are very sharp. Use a screwdriver to help you lift the carpet and padding, starting at a corner. Rip the carpet up in large pieces. There may be a few spots where it sticks, you’ll need to use a utility knife to slice these spots.

Be sure to roll the strips of carpet and padding and tie them up for easy clean up. When you finish, all that should be left on the floor are a few tack that can be removed with a small pair of pliers.

This is one way to save money and do it yourself.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

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Kathy Zengolewicz

Most times the vinyl will pull off in a clean strip, but thin vinyl will rip, in that case try to pull off as much as possible before it tears. Continue to pull the thin vinyl off until the only thing left on the wall is the backing paper and glue. The backing paper is porous and will soak up the wallpaper stripper for an easy removal.

When you mix the wallpaper stripper, use warm or hot water in a regular compression sprayer. Put the water in first and then the stripper to prevent the mixture from foaming. Cover your floors with a drop cloth to protect them from the spray. Wallpaper stripper has been know to damage certain floors, so take the appropriate steps and be cautious.

Work with small, 3 or 4 foot sections, soaking the paper with the spray from the floor to the sealing. For heavily papered walls you may need to spray a second or third time. When you get all of the paper removed, you’ll need to go over the entire area with a clean rag and warm water to remove the excess paste that will be on the wall.

Once you have your walls cleaned, you can wash the baseboards and floor and you’ll be ready to repaper or paint.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

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Seasonal centerpiece – Turn a large pumpkin or squash into a bowl.  Fill it with ornamental gourds and small pumpkins.

Autumn chandelier – Suspend burnished miniature pumpkins and gilded maple leaves from a chandelier with thread.

Curvaceous container – Turn a narrow-necked gourd into a vase by sawing off the gourd’s tip.

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1. Try to unscrew your shower head yourself.  Many of them can unscrew with your hands.  If this doesn’t work, you’ll need some plyers.
2. Wrap your plyers in tape (this is to keep them from scratching up your shower head).  Remove showerhead.
3. Use a toothpick to remove large clumps of build up.
4. Submerge the showerhead in vinegar.  You can use a bowl, bucket, etc.  Soak the showerhead all day or overnight.  If you don’t want to remove the showerhead from the wall, then you can try filling a bag (maybe a Ziploc) with vinegar and tying the bag around the showerhead with a rubber band or something strong enough to hold the weight of the vinegar.  The vinegar will dissolve the mineral deposits.
5. Remove showerhead from vinegar submersion and reattach to the shower.

Enjoy your clean showerhead!

image sxc.hu

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Hello all! Lou Manfredini here, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man.” I’m excited to share some easy tips on adding curb appeal to your home this summer. Keeping the outside of your home looking great has two purposes: you’re able to see a home you’re proud of every day and it increases your home’s overall value.

One of the most important things you’ll want to do is to keep your home’s exterior paint and caulking in tip-top shape. If you have a painted home and there are areas that could use some TLC, follow this advice:

• Scrape off any loose paint and sand the areas to feather the edges of the scraped paint to the rest of the surface.
• Spot prime the areas with a good exterior, stain-killing primer like Ace Stain Halt, which is low-VOC and easy to apply and clean up.
• Finally, repaint the siding with a satin finish exterior paint to repel moisture.

If the front door is looking a little shabby, consider repainting that as well. After all, it is the first thing people see when walking up to your home. To make your door shine, follow these simple steps:

• Start by using a sanding sponge to level off the old finish of the painted surface.
• Next, prime the entire surface with a durable primer like Ace Stain Halt. It is easy to apply, cost-effective and clean up is a breeze – all you need is soap and water.
• Once the door is fully dry, lightly sand the door before applying at least two coats of a high-quality exterior paint in a semi-gloss finish. Choose a color that complements your home and be sure to use a really good brush – it does make a difference.

Finally, finish off your entryway with new accessories. Replace door handles, doorknockers and house numbers with shiny new versions or simply paint your old ones to get that “brand-new” look. These small changes can really make a big splash!

How have you added curb appeal to your home?

image (c) Karen Weideman

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Better Homes & Gardens always has great do-it-yourself projects and home improvement ideas.  BHG has step by step instructions on how to upholster a headboard.

To make this headboard you’ll need plywood, foam, and about 7 yards of fabric.  Check out BHG’s step by step instructions.

image from Better Homes & Gardens

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image from bhg

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Instructables.com is a site that brings this knowledge to those who need them. It’s the “world’s biggest show and tell”. Users put together their own tutorials on any subject, ranging from simple hacks that take a few minutes to more involved projects. Step-by-step instructions and photos are usually included in each. Categories cover the arts and crafts, food, games, green ideas, home, kids, life, offbeat stuff, pets, photography, ride and tech. You can search instructables per category or by keywords.

Here are some examples of instructables:

* How to make a delicious jello fruit salad

* Twin compost bin

* Magnetic multi-panel mural

* How to refill a “disposable” Brita brand water pitcher filter with activated carbon

* Build a backyard barbecue

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This giveaway is for ONE DiTi Starter Kit in hot pink. The Starter Kit includes 1 reversible apron, 1 utility belt and 1 all-purpose pocket. (Please take note: The hammer holster shown in the photo is not included in this giveaway.) 

So what’s a Diti?

DiTi stands for “Do It To It”, according to founder Melissa Steach.

The DiTi Reversible Apron and Utility Belt are made with a woman’s body in mind, engineered taking her points of balance and leverage into account.

DiTi piles function, durability and style into one fantastic package.  Our products offer all that and the added bonus of customizability.

The interchangeable, multi-functional DiTi attachments give you the choice to mix and match ’til your hearts content.

The Diti is for gardeners, carpenters, cooks, seamstresses, crafters, and Janes of all trades. With the Diti, you’re seriously stylin’ while you’re DIY’n.

To join, just leave one comment and let us know where or how or when you’ll use your Diti, whether it’s in your garden, while painting, etc. Or, if you won’t use it yourself, tell us who the Diti is for!

This giveaway is open for residents of the U.S. and Canada. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 21, 2008. One comment per household please! Good luck!

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