Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to water leaks

Ever come home to a water leak or found one in a closet or somewhere you don't check regularly? Fun, isn't it?

Well, it might be impossible to prevent all leaks, but you can have some specific items on hand to at least plug and clean up the mess quickly.

If the leak is in a supply line, shut off the water off, either at the appliance or at the main shut off valve. By the way, if you don't have a "key" to access your main cutoff and shut it off, buy one. You also can usually find them at a local hardware store, or ask your water utility where you can get one.

A wet/dry shop vac set to "wet" is a quick way to get the mess up. You can also place newspapers or diapers on the water to soak it up.

It's a good idea to have a few supplies on hand to plug leaks temporarily, until a plumber can get there to make repairs.

There are a lot of good tapes you can use, including a new silicone tape that sticks to itself and is very flexible to fit around joints and other odd-shaped areas to seal up leaks quickly.

Clamps also come in handy. A worm gear clamp, placed over a rubber patch, can seal up a leaky pipe for a while.

Plumber's epoxy putty is easy to work with and will easily mold around pipes and even joints to seal up a leak until the plumber can get there.

Depending upon what type of pipe you have in your home, keep extra pieces on hand for repairs.

There are some small, battery-operated alarms that can be placed in vulnerable areas, like near a water heater, washing machine or basement, to alert you to water leaks, and this might be something you want to start using. Check your home center for these devices, or search online.

Keep in mind that most of these tips are just temporary repairs, so give your plumber a call to make permanent repairs as soon as possible.

Use your noodle

We probably all worry about other car doors hitting our car in a parking lot, and of course we are careful not to hit other cars with our own doors. But some of us also need to worry about hitting objects in our garage when we open our car doors. So, you should use your noodle to help prevent dings in your own garage. I'm talking about a pool noodle. Before the stores are all sold out for the season, grab a couple. You can use screws or nails to attach the noodle horizontally to your garage wall, right at the spot where you door could hit it. Now you'll be safe even if you park a little too close to the wall.

Overnight handling

At the end of a day of painting, there are some things you need to do in order to protect your paint and brushes from being ruined overnight while you get some sleep. One way to cover a small can of paint without having to deal with a messy lid is to pull off your rubber glove (inside out) and stretch it over the top of the paint can to seal it up for the night. If you get any paint on the glove, it's OK, because it will be on the outside once you turn it right-side-out in order to finish your project.

Super hints

• If you've ever needed to square up the corner of a frame, tile or piece of wood for a project and you don't have an actual square to use, use the corner of a table, cabinet door or some other known 90-degree angled object.

• One way to customize your stairs is to stencil the risers. You can use a pre-made stencil, or get creative and make your own. Use good paint and consider a clear coat to protect it and make it last. Another thing you can do is wallpaper these small areas. It really can jazz up a plain, boring area, especially in an entryway.

• A clogged drain can be a hassle to unclog, especially if the water isn't draining. One way to start removing the water, and eventually, the clog, is to use your wet/dry shop vacuum. It works great!

Q. I have a porch column that has some rot on the base. I have heard about a hardener that can be applied to the wood to rebuild it. Does this stuff work? Is there anything else I need to know about using it?

A. It sounds like you might be referring to the wood epoxy that you mix and mold to a wooden surface. This stuff works pretty well and can be a lot easier than trying to repair something like a wooden column. Just remove any wet, loose wood and follow the directions for mixing and applying the material. It can be sanded and painted to match the existing column and usually will look good and last a long time.

Q. The circuit-breaker that my microwave is on keeps tripping. I replaced the microwave with another one to test it, and it still trips. I then tested it with my toaster and it tripped again. I had an electrician come and check it, and he just replaced the breaker. Is that OK?

A. It is very possible that the breaker is faulty. They do weaken over time and do need to be replaced sometimes. As long as you don't have any wiring issues, you should be OK.

Q. My bathroom faucets aren't new, but I'm not much of a handyman. The problem is that when you turn off the hot water faucet handle, it will come back on again, by itself. It seems to be getting worse all the time, and I feel like I'm wasting a lot of water. How can I fix this?

A. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds like you probably will need a new faucet set. If you are inexperienced, then you probably will need to hire a plumber to do the replacement. You might be able to have him or her replace the faucet stem, but it's just a matter of time before the other handle starts to do the same thing.

Reader tips

• I remember in my first apartment, I had a piece of wood that was cut to fit between the back of the sliding door and the frame it was set into. I always felt safer with it set into the track to prevent someone from sliding it open. Well, my new apartment has a sliding glass patio door, and I cut a piece of PVC pipe to fit into the track to do the same thing. I didn't have a piece of wood, but I got a scrap of PVC pipe at the home center and had them cut it to fit exactly. It doesn't show, either, since it's white and matches the door frame and track.

• I used to have a special rubber square that helped me unscrew jar lids. Unfortunately, I can't find it, but I did come up with a good substitute that works pretty well. I use a thick rubber band to do the same thing. You can wrap the rubber band around the jar lid and it gives you more power to unscrew the lids. It works quite well.

• I don't mind masking around something before painting it. I have a nice dispenser that makes it a little easier. But I have finally found a better way to mask around things like wall sconces, doorknobs and other things you can't remove and that don't mask easily with tape. I use aluminum foil. It's easy to mold around irregularly shaped things and stays put until you are finished painting.

• I always tune up my lawn mower in the fall. The repair shops are never crowded at this time of the year, and they get it back to me quickly. I get the blade sharpened but keep it inside the house, well-greased, so it doesn't rust over the winter in the garage. I pull the sparkplug and mount it in the spring before I'm ready to start cutting the yard, and it's always ready to go, while some of my neighbors are still trying to start theirs.

• I've hurt my back and have trouble doing some things that I used to find easy. One thing that I used to struggle with is pulling a heavy kitchen trash bag up and out of the trash can. I took my drill and drilled a few holes around the sides, near the bottom to allow air in. This prevents the suction that makes the bag so hard to pull out of the can.

Shoptalk

• You can control a lot of things with a smartphone, and Kwikset has a neat new smart lock called the Kevo. The lock is controlled with a phone app and/or the fob that comes with it. It installs much like a standard lock with just a few distinctions, including a battery pack. Once programmed, it can be as easy to unlock the door as just the touch of a finger. This is a fantastic solution for active families or homes with heavy traffic where keys might need to be reassigned or access tracked. It's the wave of the future, and you can have it today. To find out more and see an informative video, go to www.kwikset.com.

• Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to prep before painting, you can get some peeling. Peel Stop Clear Binding Sealer by Zinsser is a low-odor, water-based formula that will seal paint cracks, bind chalky residue and other imperfections like this. It will literally glue down peeling paint before you put your new paint on top. It can be brushed or rolled on, and will really give you more professional results. To find out more, visit www.rustoleum.com and search for the product line. It's available at paint stores, home centers and hardware stores.

• Write to Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit online at thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2014, Cowles Syndicate Inc.