Make sure duct work not leaking

One of the most common problems with most furnace and air-conditioning ducts is that they leak. In fact, leaking ductwork is the biggest source of energy loss in many homes and can account for as much as 30 percent of your heating and cooling costs. It also can bring attic dust into your home, making it dusty and difficult for people with allergies and breathing issues. We have a few suggestions on how to deal with leaky ductwork.

Whether your ductwork is rigid or flexible, you can test it for leaks by simply turning the blower on and running your hand along the ductwork wherever you can see it. You should be able to feel air flowing out or being sucked into the ducts. Note these areas to be sealed. The most common place for leaks to occur is at joints -- where two sections are joined together or from the unit to the ductwork.

When you locate a leak, seal it with metal tape or mastic. Mastic comes in a tub or bucket and is applied with a putty knife. It's really the best way to seal up a duct. Never use duct tape. It's great for just about everything except ductwork. It will fall off before you get out of the room.

Ductwork also should be insulated. If, in your search, you find areas that are not insulated, you should take care of that. This keeps the hot or cold air moving through the ductwork at a more consistent temperature. This also prevents condensation on these metal ducts, which can drip off and cause moisture problems in areas where ducts are running.

Look for areas that are sagging, and make sure they are inched back up into place with pipe strapping or other means.

If you suspect that you have leaks inside walls that you cannot access, you can have that tested by a professional. He also will let you know if there are other areas that you might have missed. There are products, installed by professionals, that can seal areas inside walls from the inside of the ductwork.

Remember to replace or clean your filters regularly and check those ducts once a year. You should be in good shape with all of that taken care of.

Sharp teeth

Wrenches, pliers and many other gripping and holding tools have the benefit of "teeth" to give them some extra bite. These teeth are not very sharp, but they do bite into the surfaces of the items they are holding. Over time, these teeth can wear down or get clogged with debris, which means they won't work as well. A small file can be used to bring the edge back out on these tools. Rub it down the side of the teeth to clear away dirt and debris and to bring the edge back to its original state. Now when you use it, it will hold on just as tightly as it did when it was new.

Drill bit control

A lot of drills come in a carrying case. This is great because it can help you keep up with the drill and its accessories. Drill bits are a must and should be kept nearby. Of course, most sets of drill bits also come in a carrying case. If you can combine the two, it would be easier to keep things organized. But if your drill's carrying case isn't large enough to hold the drill bits inside, why not attach them to the outside of the case? You can use nuts and bolt or just some strong glue to attach the drill-bit case to the outside of the drill case. They will be handy when you need them, and when working away from the shop, you will only have to carry one item to the work site.

Super hints

• When working on nice wood projects, make sure your hands are clean and free of grease. Freshly sawn or sanded wood is very porous, and those fingerprints that might not show now surely will show up when you apply your finish.

• If you have a leaf blower, you also have a truck dryer, gutter cleaner and driveway sweeper. That's right. Your leaf blower can do a lot more than just blow leaves into your neighbor's yard.

• Blinds are much less expensive to buy if you can use standard sizes. These are mass-produced, and so cost less in most stores. If you have smaller windows and don't want the length, most are easy to shorten. See if you can remove the plugs in the bottom piece of the shade to access the strings. Once you do that, untie the knots, remove the excess slats and then tie the strings back together and put the covers back over the holes. It's pretty easy to do, and it will make your standard-size blinds custom-made for your windows.

Q. When we started to pull down the wallpaper in our guest bathroom, we found another layer underneath it. It's really hard to remove. Do you have any suggestions that would make it easier?

M.N.

A. Water or steam is the best approach. In order to get the liquid behind the paper, you need to poke lots of tiny holes in it. Use a tool called a Paper Tiger to do this. It works fast. Then you can use a stripper steamer to scrape the old stuff off. It won't be fun, and it will be messy, but it should come down.

Q. I plan to paint my dining-room wall. I removed the old wallpaper, but don't know what to do to the wall before painting it. It's very smooth. Should I add texture? How do I do that?

K.N.

A. If you have any imperfections on the wall, you might want to apply a texture, as this will hide them better. This can be done in a variety of ways. Some paint can be textured with additives, and you also can apply drywall texture with a special roller. This method is very easy to do and looks pretty good.

Q. My wife wants to cover a wall in our bedroom with fabric. I want to do it the right way, but I haven't tried this before. I think I can figure out how to get the fabric up by just stapling it in place, but what about the staples? Is there a way to hide them?

I.B.

A. The easier way to do this is to use some braid to hide them. Use glue or a glue gun to install the braid all around the edges. It should cover the staples if you put them in at the edges. Good luck.

Reader tips

• During the winter, I do a lot of my woodworking in my garage. When it comes to painting, I add ventilation the easy way. I open the garage window and set a small fan on the windowsill to direct the inside air to the outdoors. This gets the odors outdoors quickly, and I can close the window again before it gets too cold in there.

H.J.

• I ran out of paint-tray liners and used aluminum foil to line the tray the last time. I wasn't sure it would do a good job, but it worked great and lasted all the way through the job. It was easy to apply, and I just disposed of it with all of the other trash when I was finished with the painting. In fact, because I could wad it up, it was even easier to throw away.

R.V.

• I'm not very strong, and this year I have started to plan my garden. I have used several soil amendments that were only available in large bags that are too hard for me to carry, so I used my fertilizer spreader. I just put the bags into the hopper and rolled them right to the location of my garden. I'm glad I can put it to use, since I only use it a couple of times a year, otherwise. I also find it easier to manage than a wheelbarrow, which always seems to want to tip over.

M.B.

• I put up some pegboard in my shop. It's great. I can keep so much stuff on it, and it's so much easier to find tools when I need them. I have found that there aren't as many hooks and hangers as I had hoped. Maybe my hardware store just doesn't stock them all. I have made some of my own from metal coat hangers. It's easy to do. Just figure out what kind of hook you want, cut the hanger to fit the length and use pliers to bend it into the right shape. I have invented hooks that are perfect for some of my tools.

M.T.

• I had a paint roller and was going to paint my ceilings. I wasn't sure if the paint roller would fit onto my broom handle, but when I tried it, it did. The broom handle was threaded to hold the broom head, and it also held the paint roller. It was just one less thing to buy, which saved me time and money.

F.J.

Shop talk

• Many projects call for precision cutting and measuring, and the ProSite 5-in-1 Protractor from Starrett is a super way to get the job done right. This combination protector is super easy to use and will make compound cuts so much easier to figure. A separate protractor dial helps with angles, and a compound-cut conversion table is built-in, as well as the roof-pitch scale. It's a super addition to your workshop and will make even the hardest angles and cuts look simple and come out perfectly every time. It is available at home centers and lumber dealers. If you would like to learn more about the ProSite 5-in-1 Protractor, visit the company's Web site, www.starrett.com.

• Loctite's Universal T.A.C. adhesive is one of the most versatile adhesives around. It is applied like caulk and is suitable indoors and out. The new technology used to create it makes it possible to use in varying weather conditions. It can be used on a wide variety of materials like marble, glass, concrete, PVC, wood and even on wet surfaces. It is waterproof, UV-resistant and paintable. If you would like to know more, visit its Web site at www.loctite.com or call (800) 321-1733. Universal T.A.C. is available in home centers and hardware stores.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.