Choosing the proper live tree for holidays

The days are growing shorter and the shopping lines longer. That can only mean one thing: Christmas is near. The holiday season usually means family gatherings and celebrations, as well as a long-standing tradition -- the Christmas tree. Many people have switched to the faux variety, but if you are into the real thing, here are some tips to help you choose the perfect specimen.

Keep in mind that the trees you see in lots are grown just for this reason, like any other crop, so it's OK to buy one. You also should keep in mind that these trees must be cut down, cleaned, packaged and shipped to your local lot, and special care is required to keep them fresh.

One thing that happens as these trees dry out is that the needles start to fall off. To see if the perfect tree is still fresh, hold it up off the ground a few inches and then bring it down sharply. If needles rain down, look for a fresher one.

Next, check out the branches. The thinner ones should still be supple and should bend when gently pulled down. If the branch snaps, keep looking.

The tissue under the bark should still be green. Use your thumbnail to scrape just a little bit of the bark off and see if the trunk is still green inside.

When you get your tree home, cut off ˆ¨ to 1 inch of the bottom of the trunk and stick it in a bucket of fresh water. Make sure it stays in the water or preservative until the day you remove it from the house. Even if you store it in the garage for the first few days, keep it in water. When you bring it indoors, place it in the stand and immediately fill the stand with water. Check it several times a day, and refill it when necessary. A dry tree is a fire hazard.

You might want to use tree preservative instead of water to help keep your tree fresher longer. The store-bought versions work well, but you can make your own if you can't find one. The ingredients you need are:

1 gallon warm water

4 tablespoons of horticultural iron powder (from the garden center)

4 teaspoons of liquid laundry bleach

2 cups of crystal-clear corn syrup

Mix these together and use this instead of water. Pour it directly into the reservoir in the tree stand, and add more when it runs low. Protect floors from this or from plain water, and don't let your pets drink either.

Make sure heat registers are directed away from the tree, or it will dry out even faster. Never leave the lights on when you are not there to keep an eye on it. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby for all of your holiday events.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Lighting tight spots:

When you are working in a dark spot where lighting isn't readily available, you will need to supply your own. A powered lamp would be best, but it probably needs to be small if you are working in tight quarters. Why not just run an extension cord to the spot and plug a night light into the cord? If it has a cover and you can remove it, that would be best. The night light usually gives you more light than a flashlight does, and you won't have to hold it. You can tape the cord or just drape it over something to make placement more versatile. These lights don't weigh much, so it will be easier to manage than a lamp.

Painting trim:

Here's a way to take some of the "pain" out of painting. Actually, painting walls is fun, but the prep work is not as much fun to do. Masking off trim molding can be a very time-consuming task. But there is a way to make painting around it much easier. Use a pry bar or putty knife to pull the trim away from the wall just enough to get a piece of waxed paper in behind it. Just slip the paper behind the trim and let it fall over the front of the trim. When you paint the wall, you can go right up to the edge and, if you slop on the waxed paper, it's OK. When the paint has dried, remove the waxed paper and tack the trim back into place. Talk about a time-saver!

Super hints

• If you really want to save time, money and space when packing for a move, use your clothes as packing material in your boxes. When you get to the new location, there will be much less packing material to get rid of and less boxes to unpack also.

• If you have a closet or room that is hard to access because the door is too big for the space, switch to a folding door. You can get anything from a wooden bifold door to a vinyl accordion door, and it will allow you access without having to open and close a large, standard door.

• Recently I was covering a chair seat with some vinyl-covered fabric and having a hard time working with it. That plastic material was so stiff and didn't want to fold over easily. I used a hair dryer to warm it up. This softened it enough to make it more pliable and easier to fold under and staple into place. This works on most plastics and vinyls.

Q. The windows in my kitchen are casements with cranks. They are really hard to operate, and I like to open the windows when I am cooking. Is there a way to correct this, or should I try to replace the cranks?

M.M.

A. We would suggest trying to lubricate the mechanism before replacing it. If that doesn't do it, it is possible to replace the mechanism -- unless is it a really old model. Try to contact the manufacturer, and if that doesn't work, do an online search for an aftermarket dealer.

Q. I have a lamp in the basement, but there isn't a lamp, or even a switch, on the stairs, so I have to get down there with very little light. How can I add more light to the stairs without having to hire an electrician?

M.G.

A. There are a couple of things you could do. It might be possible to add a motion detector to activate the light down in the basement. That way, it would light up when you started down the stairs. Or, how about having a clap-on light? Another approach would be to add a wireless switch at the top of the stairs. These are found at electrical-supply stores and are fairly easy to install. The last resort would be just to install one of those inexpensive, battery-operated lamps at the top of the stairs. These are small and can be put just about anywhere.

Reader tips

• Last month I checked my smoke detectors and changed out the batteries, as I do every six months. I was very surprised to find that three of them were not functioning. The batteries were bad in two of them, and I'm not sure what was wrong with the third. I have replaced the batteries now in all of them, and I replaced the bad smoke detector, too. I just wanted to remind everyone to inspect theirs. I have been very diligent and still had some that didn't work. Please take the time to check yours. It could save your life!

K.G.

• I broke a light bulb in my kitchen pantry and had a hard time getting it out. I made sure the power was turned off and then tried to grab the base of the bulb that was left with some pliers, but I couldn't get a good enough grip on it. I jammed a wine cork into the socket and was able to twist the bulb base out. The cork wasn't a snug fit, but it managed to grab some of the inner works of the bulb and held on to them. I could then turn the base out.

W.T.

• I had to make a trip up on my roof to secure the chimney cap last weekend. I had to take several tools with me and didn't want to have to make more than one trip, so I used my backpack to carry everything up with me. With it strapped on my back, I was able to haul everything up with me safely in one trip. I still had the use of my hands, a good thing when climbing a ladder and moving around on a roof. I tightened the cap back down and hauled all of my tools, and me, back down the ladder without a hitch.

B.M.

• I've helped out in the concession stand at my kid's school and had to use these inexpensive plastic gloves to serve the food. You can buy a whole box of them for only a couple of bucks. I bought my own box and keep them in my shop. They are great to use when working with greasy, grimy, dirty projects, and I can just throw them away when I'm finished.

A.L.

• When I am using nails for a project and am pulling them out of my nail apron, I sprinkle a little laundry powder into the pouch along with the nails. The powder coats them and acts as a lubricant to make it easier for them to go into the wood. Old-time carpenters used to drag the nails over a bar of soap, but my way is faster and works just as well.

N.J.

Shop talk

• A Home Depot Gift Card is a must for the do-it-yourselfer, and this year's "model" comes in the form of a DVD mini disc. Playable on any DVD player, it has instructions for several projects, like replacing a toilet, faucet, thermostat, garbage disposal, ceiling fan, sink, basics on painting, electrical work and plumbing. Load the DVD gift card with any amount from $5 on up. Buy one at your local Home Depot store. See it online at www.homedepot.com.

• The new Dyson Root 6 looks more like a power tool than a vacuum cleaner, but it's a super little handheld vacuum. It has twice the suction of an ordinary handheld, in fact. It's perfect for quick cleanups around the house and has a couple of very handy accessory tools on board. The battery recharges three times faster than most, and the filter is easy to clean, requiring no replacement. It comes with a two-year warranty for parts and labor. It's made by Dyson, and if you want to learn more about it, visit its Web site, www.dyson.com.

• Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrell's Web site at www.thesuperhandyman.com.

ˆ© 2007, Cowles Syndicate Inc.