Spruce up your bathroom with a new vanity

One way to make a big change in your bathroom is to replace the vanity and sink. If you find a good deal on one and have some basic skills, you can install it yourself and save a bundle.

Here are some things to consider for a successful update of your bathroom.

Take a close look at what you have in place now. Locate the drainpipe and water-supply lines. You also should check out the flooring, wallpaper or paint around the existing vanity or sink. If these materials don't cover the floor and walls completely, then you will have two choices: You can add more if you have it, or you can look for a vanity that will cover the unfinished areas.

Consider salvaging the old countertop and sink on the new vanity. It might save you a lot of money if it's worth reusing. If not, consider donating the whole thing, or even selling it to help pay for your new sink. It might not be a prize to you anymore, but someone else might fall in love with it.

Cut off the water supply and disconnect the faucet and drainpipes. Remove the old cabinet or sink and clean up the surrounding area.

Carefully move the new cabinet into place. If you need to cut holes in the bottom or back to accommodate pipes, do so before you get it into place. Remember to measure twice and cut once.

Check the level of the cabinet and use wooden shims to raise the low spots. Then install screws through the back of the cabinet into the wall studs and trim off the shims.

If the top is separate and sits on top of the vanity, apply a thick bead of construction adhesive like Liquid Nails to the top of the cabinet and set the top in place.

Now you can hook up your supply lines and drain line to the sink and faucets. If you do a good job, you can expect to increase the value of your home, not to mention impress your friends and family.

Contain your messes: Some repairs create sawdust, sanding mess or paint fumes. If you are trying to live in a house with this going on, you need to find a way to keep the debris separated from your living space. You can tape a plastic dropcloth over the doorways, and you still will get some light, but no sanding dust or fumes will be able to get into the rest of the house. Also, close off ducts, especially the return air ducts to the construction zone. It's easy to do and will help you maintain some sanity while you are working.

A bright idea: Want your lights to multiply? It's easy. All you need is a double socket. This is a type of socket that screws into a lamp receptacle and has places for two bulbs instead of one. You can get really creative with these and put a bunch of them together from one socket to have about 15 bulbs! Of course, you will want to use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save energy, but it's a fun way to get some light and creativity into your life! It could be just the thing for a dark basement or garage.

Super hints

• If you need to strain paint thinner to save it - or any other shop liquid - use a coffee filter. Most are large enough to fit inside a funnel, and they work great. They are inexpensive to use, too.

• Spray bottles are great dispensers, but when they get down to the bottom, it can be hard to get anything else out. Drop a few marbles into the bottle and they will displace the liquid and make it easier for the sprayer to take it up.

• Those drying racks for sweaters work great but can be very expensive. You can make your own. Just find some flat racks that stack to lay sweaters out on. If the racks you find have large holes, cover them with nylon mesh to avoid marks on the fabric. Then set up a box fan next to the rack so that it blows air through the rack to dry your sweaters. You can create a setup like this for only a few bucks and save yourself a bundle, not to mention protect your nice clothes and save yourself some time.

Q. I have a chip in my kitchen sink. It's plain white porcelain. I know I need to cover the chip with something, but the fingernail polish I put on there doesn't look too good. What can I use?

A. You will find porcelain touch-up kits in your hardware store or home center. If you know what brand of sink you have, that would be helpful. There are several different colors of white. Remove the fingernail polish completely and let the sink dry. Then follow the package directions, and you should get great results. If the chip is deep, you may have to apply several coats.

Q. We had to replace the back part of our cedar fence. The older part is gray, while the newer part is, well, new-looking. I am wondering if we can keep the "new" look? Can we make the old part look new also?

A. You can wash your older fence sections with a fence cleaner and brightener. Then you can decide if they are close enough to the same color to work with. To keep them new-looking, use a penetrating stain and sealer. To allow them to age naturally yet last longer, apply a water seal. Both will need to be reapplied in a year or so.

Q. Our backyard patio has a nice terra cotta tile floor. The shiny finish looks nice in most areas, but there are some places where pots have sat and left stains. How can we clean it up and make it look good again?

A. Use bleach to try to lift the stains. Perhaps a mild abrasive like baking soda would help. Sometimes stains are caused by mineral deposits, so warm vinegar also could be tried. Once you get the surface clean again, apply a water seal to help protect it. You should do this every year to keep it looking nice. Plant trays or planter feet can help prevent these stains.

Reader tips

• I found an easy way to remove popcorn ceiling. I noticed that it would come off easily in my bathroom because of the humidity, so when we decided to remove it from the dining room before painting, I thought about adding humidity to the area to loosen it. I misted the ceiling with a spray bottle and then used a wide, plastic putty knife to scrape it off. It was sooo easy. Finally, I don't have to look at that mess anymore!

• Our driveway had some hairline cracks running across it. I started using caulk to patch over them but realized that it was much lighter in color than the existing driveway. It really didn't look good at all. I ended up buying a small batch of premixed concrete repair in a bucket, and then I fiddled around with some stains until I found a better match to our existing driveway. It's not perfect, but it's much less noticeable than the first batch I used. I hope I don't have to do it again for a long time, but it looks OK, and I'm sure it will prevent further damage.

• I was trying to see if the water line on the back of my refrigerator was leaking, and I couldn't get a good enough look at it. My wife used her hand mirror to reflect the picture to me. Then it was easy to see and, fortunately, was not leaking. I bought another small mirror, and I keep it in my toolbox. I'm sure it will come in handy again. If nothing else, I will look better when I'm working, right?

• I created a garden sign that all of my friends really think is cute. I had an old shovel blade because the handle broke in half years ago. I cleaned it up, turned it upside down and painted the blade. It says "Margie's Garden." I used bright colors and even painted the handle. Then I stuck the handle into a pot filled with plaster of Paris to act as a base. It sits right at the entrance to the garden. Hey, I'm recycling!

• Our dog, Bucky, is a big part of our family. Of course, he weighs 80 pounds. He has a bad habit of cutting the corners too close in our hallway and has made dark marks on the corners where he runs. I used to paint over these areas every year, but I found some great clear plastic corner protectors at my hardware store. I painted the corners again to make them look nice, and then I installed these corner protectors. They attach with screws, and look just fine. A wipe-down with a damp rag is all we need to do now, and the corners are holding up just fine. I had never seen these before and thought others might want to try them.

Shop talk

• The Rapid Edge Utility Knife is a good knife. What makes it great is the LED light that comes on automatically when the blade is extracted to help you see where you are cutting. This also will remind you that the blade is exposed. Replacement blades store neatly in the handle for easy access, and it will use any standard blades. The anti-rust engagement button and lock has nine different lockable blade lengths, and it's designed to last a long time. It's great for most home repairs and projects. Look for it at your home center or hardware store. To learn more, visit rapidtools.net.

• Scraping and sanding old, peeling paint off a surface is hard work, but the Wagner PaintEater makes it a lot easier. The combination tool removes paint and smooths the surface all at once. It works on wood, concrete and metal, and it is a real timesaver. Check it out at hardware stores and home centers, and online at wagnerspraytech.com.

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

© 2009, Cowles Syndicate Inc.