TOOLS SIMPLIFY PAINTING YOUR HOME
Special rollers provide better access to corners and tricky-to-reach spots
PAINTING PLASTIC SURFACES
Q How can I paint a plastic door sweep? It doesn’t match the door colour and regular paint just rubs off.
A It used to be that plastic couldn’t be painted reliably, but that’s not true any more. At least one spray paint does a great job on plastics. I’ve used Krylon a number of times on plastic surfaces and it covers well and resists scratching. It’s not quite as durable on plastic as it is on metal, but it’s still quite serviceable. Take the door sweep off, clean it right back to bare plastic, then give it two light coats of Krylon. The nozzle on Krylon cans does a better job at atomizing paint than standard nozzles. Let the paint dry for two days before putting the sweep back on. Even “dry” paint remains soft for a few days after application.
ROLLING PAINT INTO CORNERS
Q How can I paint better into corners? Over the years I always have light coloured or see-through areas where I use a brush in the corners and a roller on the rest of the wall. It’s especially noticeable where ceilings meet walls.
A The solution is to use a roller as close as you can in the corners. This is where small rollers can help. I tackle corners first with a brush, up to about 3 inches from the point of the corner itself. Next, I roll as close as I can to the adjoining wall with a regular roller, then finish up the transition between the two using a small roller. The thing about brushes is that they don’t leave the same texture behind as a roller. That’s one reason you want as little brushed area as possible showing when you’re done. Small rollers make this goal easier. As you work, do your best to apply the same amount of paint in the corners as surrounding areas. Light or see through spots are always an indication of too little paint.
CLEANING WOODWORKING BLADES AND BITS
Q What’s the best stuff to use for cleaning saw blades and router bits? The Internet says denatured alcohol, but I can’t find any.
A Denatured alcohol is a term that describes several types of alcohol that have been made poisonous or inedible on purpose. That said, even if you found some, it wouldn’t work all that well to clean woodworking blades and bits. I’ve found that oven cleaner works well and you can get it at any grocery store or hardware store. Household ammonia (also widely available) works well, too. Different companies also sell specialty cleaners especially for blades and bits. These are more expensive than generic options, but are usually more pleasant to use. Either way, keeping resin off blades and bits is important so they cut well.
HOW TO SPEND LESS ON HEAT
Q Are programmable thermostats for electric baseboard heaters worth the effort to install? What’s the payback period?
A Programmable thermostats do reduce electricity consumption by allowing you to automatically reduce heat in rooms not being used. They’re definitely worthwhile, but only after more important upgrades are in place.
Your best bet to reduce heating costs is to bring insulation levels up to current minimum standards or beyond. About 80 per cent of Canadian homes have 7 1/2-inch less attic insulation than they should. If you don’t have 22 inches of insulation in the attic, get that fixed first, before considering smaller improvements.
If you do eventually decide to go with programmable thermostats, the easiest option is to install a wireless system. The new baseboard heaters still need to be connected to main power cables, but the thermostats controlling those heaters operate wirelessly.
There’s no need to cut into your walls to run new cables for the thermostats.