Sinking, cracked sidewalk bears closer examination

Most homes are located in neighborhoods with sidewalks in front of them. It's considered an asset, in most cases. But if your sidewalk is sinking, cracked or has other problems, it could be more of a liability, and you should fix it soon.

See if your sidewalks are something you are responsible for fixing, or if they "belong" to the city. Then you will know if you are allowed to work on them, or if you need a permit to do so.

Take a look at the whole area and see if you can determine the cause. Is there a large tree nearby that may have sent roots under the walk that are pushing it up? Do you have water standing after a rain, which may have caused the foundation to fail? Once you have an idea of the cause, you can go about trying to fix it.

If a nearby tree is the cause, you may need to call an arborist to come out and remove some of the large roots that have caused the problem. You can do this yourself if you do a little research. You don't want to kill the tree!

If the walkway is cracked, you could just use concrete repair from a caulking tube to seal the crack. You'll want to clean the area to remove loose concrete, wash it out and let it dry before making the repair.

If the sidewalk is just slightly unlevel, you may be able to put a concrete "topper" over the existing walk. This will help level it by adding a thin layer of concrete to the uneven surface.

If the sidewalk is seriously uneven, with one end being higher than the other, try digging some of the dirt out from under the high side. Then you can drive a piece of sturdy wood or a metal pole under the low end and see if you can pry it up and into place. Force concrete or gravel under the walk to help give it a more level foundation to sit on.

If all else fails, you can have the old concrete removed and new walkways installed. Once the old concrete is removed, it's just a matter of putting in wooden forms, some rebar and concrete.

Quick strainer

Funnels are great to use when transferring liquids. They allow you to pour from one container into another without making a mess, especially if the liquid is going into a container with a smaller opening. But if you are pouring a liquid that needs to be strained, you should add a strainer of some type. A small piece of screen can be folded in half and then in half again, like a greeting card, and then set into the funnel, opened up along one side and used to strain things like solvent and other liquids that might contain debris that should be strained out. It's quick, easy and it works!

Organizing wrenches

Combination wrenches usually are sold in sets. Some even come in nice storage boxes. But eventually you end up with a box or drawer full of assorted wrenches, and it can be tough to find the one you need. One way to keep them organized is by putting them all on one ring. The ring could be a large key chain, a small-linked chain, a cable tie or even a metal shower-curtain ring. Each of these rings will keep your wrenches all in one easy-to-sort-through bundle. You could even hang these rings on your pegboard wall, or just on a nail next to your workbench. You could have one ring for standard sizes and another for metric sizes.

Super hints

• If you are trying to sand a ceiling with a sanding block and it will accept a screw-in extension pole, see if you can substitute a mop or broom handle for a more expensive professional pole.

• Reuse old motor oil by mixing one part oil to two parts kerosene. It's great for removing rust from metal surfaces, and is less expensive than other rust removers. Old oil will also keep metal tools from rusting in the future.

• If you have pets that you want to keep out of certain rooms but don't want to close the doors against air conditioning, you could add a screen door instead. One of my friends did this on her son's room to keep the cat from going into the room and shedding all over the place. The screen door went up in place of the regular door and allowed air into the room but not the cat. As an added bonus, my friend was able to check on her child without having to sneak in and out of the room, possibly waking him up in the process.

Q. I have a window air conditioner, and it dripped water into my house and onto the floor. Before I use it again this year, I would like to know how to fix it. Can you help?

K.E.

A. Your air conditioner will drain into a shallow pan under the unit, and it should drip outside. Check the level of the base and see that it is slanted just a little bit away from the house. Most are adjustable where they attach to the house.

Q. I want to add some decorative decals to my bathroom shower wall. It is tile, and these would stick right to the surface. Should I seal them somehow?

G.A.

A. It probably wouldn't hurt. You can apply a water-based sealer that will dry to a waterproof finish to protect the decal from moisture problems. Just be sure not to scrub too hard when cleaning the shower walls.

Q. Our home has wooden trim over red brick. The trim appears to be "bleeding" white paint onto the brick surface. I need to know how to clean the brick off and prevent this from happening again. Can you help?

N.J.

A. The trim is probably painted with a "chalking" paint. This is a normal self-cleaning process that some paints employ. Clean the bricks with trisodium phosphate (available at paint stores). When it's time to paint next, use a primer and paint that won't "chalk."

Q. I need to do some work on the inside of my toilet tank but can't turn the shut-off valves to do it. What should I do?

R.M.

A. If a wrench won't do it, then try some penetrating oil to loosen the threads and try it again. Give it some time to work. If that doesn't work, shut the water off at the main and try to force it. You may end up having to replace the valve. It would be better to go ahead and do that, though, in case there is an emergency later.

Reader tips

• I accidentally dropped one of our phones when working outside, and the top broke off. I wanted to glue it back into place, so I applied the glue but quickly realized that since the bottom of the phone is round, I had no place to put it down so it could set up. I grabbed the potted plant on the counter and set the phone in the soil to hold it. I pulled it out the next morning, and the piece that I had glued back on was set. I know it sounds crazy, but the idea worked well for me, and I probably will do it again if something like this comes up.

D.G.

• My wife asked me to cut some foam-rubber pads that she needed to use for a project she was working on. It was hard to do and the sides were crooked, which didn't please my wife at all. I tried a utility knife and a saw. I finally tried the electric knife we usually use on the Thanksgiving turkey. It cut right through the material and left smooth, sharp edges. Finally, I did something right!

D.Z.

• A candle left burning on one of our tables dripped wax on the surface and made a huge mess. I was able to get most of it off with a plastic putty knife, but some remained. I got an ice pack and placed it over the surface to get the remaining wax really hard. Then it chipped off really easily. I can't believe I got it all off. I polished the table, and it looks fine now.

V.T.

• I used a dust mask to strain some paint thinner the other day. I was pouring it back into the can because I didn't want to waste it and decided to strain it clean first. I just put a dust mask over the can and poured the liquid. It was slow, but it did strain out all of the paint as I poured it through.

T.E.

• Now that the children are older, I have taken some of the plastic covers from the power outlets inside the house and placed them over the outlets in my garage. I figure they will keep the spiders, bugs and even moisture out of the receptacles. So far, so good.

P.S.

Shop talk

• Cordless tools are now dual-powered. Ridgid Tools uses a dual-voltage system to provide plenty of power for its cordless line of tools. This means you can use the 18-volt or 24-volt lithium-ion batteries to power the tools. The extra power, extra speed and longer-lasting power supply can make a real difference on your projects. The batteries even have a built-in "fuel gauge" so you know before you run out of power. If you already have the older 18-volt NiCad batteries, you can still use those on the tools. Check them out at your local Ridgid Tool dealer, or visit www.ridgid.com.

• If you've ever thought of hanging extension cords or garden tools from your rafters, you need to see the Lumb R Grip by Duluth Trading Company. This clever gadget is made to easily attach to any two-by-four or two-by-six and has a hook on the end to allow you to hang such tools. All you need to install it are your hands -- no tools required. And you can remove it just as easily. It's great for storing holiday decorations, and using two side by side and a rod between them, you can create an additional storage closet. To find out more about the product or to purchase it, visit the company online at www.duluthtrading.com or call (800) 505-8888.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.