Super Handyman: Disappearing stairway will give you access to attic

Attics are a great place to store off-season or rarely used items. Of course, you need a way to access the space. If you don't have one of the fold-up, or “disappearing,” stairways, pay attention. They are a little heavy, but can be installed by the average do-it-yourselfer. Here's how it's done.

Locate the area where you want the stairs to be installed. Typically, they are installed between two ceiling joists, so you will need to locate these first. Kits are available, already put together and ready to be installed. Check your hardware store or home center. Make sure you read the directions carefully, as your kit may differ slightly. The stairs need to extend all the way to the floor below and should not interfere with walls or other structures in the area.

Once you mark the joists, you can cut out the hole. Use a square and chalk line to mark your access hole. Make sure to avoid wires or other things that may be running across the bottom of your existing attic as you make your cuts. You can start your hole with a drill and then use a saber saw, reciprocating saw or keyhole saw to cut away the ceiling.

You then will need to install header boards on both sides of the hole across the joists to support the stairway. Use two-by-six lumber for this.

The next part is a little tricky. Since the stairway is heavy, you need to install some temporary supports at the ends to create a lip for it to sit on while you finish the installation. These can be just scraps of one-by-four, attached to the opening, that will stick into the opening about one-quarter inch. Get up in the attic, and then get your friends to lift up the stairs and set them on the lip to rest while you work from the attic side to attach them. You can extend the stairs just enough to swing out of the way of the hinges while you work. Use shims between the stairs and the framework if you need to.

Now you can extend and adjust the ladder's feet. Come on down, raise a glass — and your storage boxes — to your new storage area!

Hammer helper

Most times, a standard hammer will pull a nail from wood, but what do you do if the head of the nail is damaged? Sometimes when you get the nail started, the head won't hold up to the constant pulling of the hammer. One little trick you can try is to put the nail between the claws of the hammer as if to pull it, but then use your other hand to grab the head of the nail with some pliers. Now you can use both tools to finish the job!

From gutter to clutter

With a two-story home, it takes more than a couple of sections of downspout to drain your gutters. Well, if you have leftover pieces, you can use them to help organize things in your garage, shed or workshop. Small sections can be screwed directly to a wall to corral pieces of molding, pipe, insulation and other materials. Install them vertically or horizontally, whichever works best for you. Installed vertically, they also can hold some of your long-handled garden tools.

Super hints

Ÿ Granite countertops are super, and since they cost a pretty penny, you want to take good care of them. Make sure your surface is professionally sealed, and then use only cleaners made for granite surfaces to remove messes.

Ÿ I replaced several older garden tools, and I had them all out in the yard one afternoon. I also had some spray paint handy, a lovely shade of hot pink, and painted them all, top to bottom. My reasoning was that they would be easy to spot in the garage, which is overcrowded with lots of stuff, and wouldn't get left in the yard for long looking like that!

Ÿ If you've ever had a screw that has become loosened because the hole is too large, you can shove a few wooden toothpicks into the hole and reinstall the screw. This works almost every time.

Q. We have been using our back patio as an entry more often since the snow started falling. It's plain concrete, and we are tracking in a lot of concrete dust with the water. Is there any way to prevent this?

A. Use welcome mats at that door, maybe one outside and another one inside. You also can put epoxy paint over the floor to seal it. The dust is just part of the deal with concrete floors.

Q. I had a leak at my bathtub drain and had to pull off the front panel to take a look and make repairs. I noticed that the tub wasn't insulated very well. It's a large tub and does get cold while you are bathing. I want to add insulation, but what type should I use?

A. The easiest type to use would be batt insulation. It would be easy to fill up the area with this material and have it stay in place for a long time. If the tub has jets, it still will be possible to service them if you need to. Foam also would be a good choice, but you must have access to the foam and make sure you don't miss any spots. It would make getting to the jets much harder, though.

Q. I would love to get rid of my popcorn ceiling. Can it be scraped off, or does it need to be sanded or what?

A. The easiest way is to spray a fine mist of water on it and scrape it off with a plastic putty knife. You then can go back over it with traditional texture and paint it. I don't blame you for hating it. It's hard to think that we used to like this stuff.

Q. I want to put up solar-blocking window film, but my husband says it's too hard to work with, putting it up and removing it later. What do you say?

A. This stuff can be difficult to use, but if you are patient and start practicing on a bathroom window first, you can do it. It comes off with a spray the manufacturer sells. The same folks also make a film that sticks using static electricity that might work better for you. Check it out at your home center.

Reader tips

Ÿ As a surprise for my wife, I painted our bathroom. She had picked out the color but had never done anything else. She works so hard and was out of town on business for three days, so she had a big surprise when she came home. She loves it and already has gone shopping for the rest of the stuff she needs to finish it. I guess she just needed me to get the ball rolling. She deserves it!

Ÿ My husband and son helped me paint our den. It turned out great. We used my son's old red wagon as our “paint caddy.” We put a dry-cleaner bag in the wagon to keep it from getting too much paint on it and added two paint-tray liners to it, and two people were able to use them instead of just one. The wagon was easy to roll around, and we were able to get all of the paint up in one day.

Ÿ We buy suet from our butcher and make our own bird-food cakes. The suet comes in a bag, and you melt it down in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Then you put birdseed into it and mix it up. I pour mine into empty cardboard milk cartons and set them in the fridge to cool. When it's cool, you can take it out and slice through it with a sharp knife and then peel off the carton. It's the perfect size for the pre-made suet feeders, or you can just set the block in another feeder for the birds to eat from. It's really fun to watch. Plus, they stay for the spring and keep the insects away from my garden!

Ÿ My wife and her sisters used to make these neat fire starters when they were kids. She has our kids making them now. She puts a couple of inches of warm water in the bathtub and then puts in a bunch of shredded newspaper. Then the kids start wadding the wet newspaper into balls. They set these outside on the back patio to dry. She keeps the dry balls of paper in a basket by the fireplace, and we put them in when starting a fire. They really work, and it's a great way to keep the kids busy on a snow day.

Ÿ You're going to love this. I got a large bottle of wine for Christmas, and after we finished it off, I used my bottle cutter to remove the bottom of the bottle. Then I smoothed it off with sandpaper. I got a length of plastic string and tied a shell to the end of it. I drilled a hole into the cork, ran the string through it and then put it back into the bottle top. The string hanging down with the shell on the end is up inside the bottle, and when the wind blows, it rings like a bell. It was fun to make!

Shop talk

Ÿ Bondera Tile MatSet makes tiling a wall or countertop a one-day job. The mat rolls out and instantly adheres to flat surfaces. Then you peel off the top layer and stick your tiles in place. It holds them without any other help. Then you can grout right over that. It's safe because there are no VOCs and no dust or odor to deal with. It's moisture-resistant, so it's great for kitchens and bathrooms. Its microbial design resists mold, too. You can double up the tape on areas where you are trying to match different tile thicknesses. It's so easy to use, and very forgiving. It comes in a variety of sizes and is easy to cut to fit the area you are working on. You can buy it at most large home centers and hardware stores. To find out more about it and see a video, visit the company's website at www.bonderatilematset.com.

Ÿ If you have recessed lights, you have the option of easily transforming them into pendant lights with the Portfolio Recessed Light Conversion Kits. All you have to do is unscrew the old light bulb and screw in the conversion kit with lamp and cover plate. They come in a variety of styles and start at less than $20. Check them out at Lowes stores and several online sources.

Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or visit the Carrells' website at thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.