A few household levels can make almost any job look good

Whether you are remodeling your kitchen or just hanging a picture, you should try to get things level. Not only is a crooked appliance noticeable, it might not function properly.

Here are a few tips for how to get perfect results, or at least something that looks perfect.

A basic bubble level is a must-have for most homeowners. This is a small vial of colored liquid that, when placed on a surface, will let you know by marks on the vial whether the surface is level. You can buy one for as little as a dollar. Heck, even some cell phones have a built-in level (we're not sure why).

A larger level would be good, as the longer the level, the more accurate it should be. You can attach a small level to a longer scrap of straight lumber and turn that small level into a long level. It's free!

If you don't have a level, you can use a small bowl or pan of water. Just set the bowl on the flat surface and fill it with water. You will be able to gauge where the water sits against the side of the bowl and see whether the surface is level to some degree.

For leveling a string, you can use a string level. This is a small level that has hooks that attach to the string so that the level hangs on the string and tells you whether it is level.

A hose level is another useful device for leveling larger areas outdoors. It consists of a hose, filled with water, that will help you get outdoor areas just the way you want them.

A plumb bob is simply a string with a weight tied to the end, which is suspended to test the vertical level, or "true." If you don't have a plumb bob, you can make one from a piece of string and a washer or some other weight that can be tied to the end of the string.

These are just the basics. You also can spend a bundle for an electronic level that will beep or speak to you when you reach that perfect level. Keep a level head, and try to do the same with your home as well!

Don't drop your drawers: Pulling a drawer out of a cabinet shouldn't have to be a gambling experience, but that's what can happen when a drawer doesn't have a "stop" in it and comes out too far, spilling the contents all over the floor. There are a couple of easy ways to fix this. A stop could be something as simple as a scrap of wood that is attached at a certain point along the side of the drawer so that it sticks up into the cabinet just enough to prevent the drawer from being pulled out too far. It can be installed with a small screw or a couple of nails. If you can't get around to doing this, you can at least paint a red warning line on the drawer at the point just before the "point of no return!"

Solution full of holes: Working up on a stepladder usually means wearing a tool belt, or else dropping your tools off the top step. But there is an alternative. Drill a few holes of varying sizes in the top step, and you will have a great place to hold your screwdriver, pliers, hammer and other smaller tools. Whether your ladder is fiberglass or wood, you can create this handy tool-storage system in just a few minutes, and it will be there always, right where you need it.

Super hints

• When using more than one can of mixed or tinted paint, mix at least two of the cans together in your paint tray or bucket. That way, if one batch is just slightly different, it won't be noticeable on your walls when you open a new can.

• You don't have to spend a bundle to create a better-looking storage place for your garden hose. Just get a flowerpot large enough to coil the thing in. Stick the end of the hose out through the hole in the bottom of the pot and hook it up to your outdoor faucet. The rest of the hose gets coiled up inside the pot. It will look better and will protect your hose, and it costs much less than a fancy hose-storage system.

• When renovating, extensions can be added to electrical outlets, switch plates and other built-ins. Check your hardware store or home center for these inexpensive and simple solutions.

Q. My tile floors need to be cleaned more than what I seem to be able to do with my regular old sponge mop. We have dogs and kids, and the floors look dirty, especially in the high-traffic areas. The regular sponge mop just doesn't seem to touch this built-up dirt. What should I use?

A. Assuming your tiles are sealed, use a good all-purpose cleaner for tile surfaces and a plastic or gently abrasive scrubbing pad. Go over the surface with a damp sponge mop to finish. There are professional companies you can hire to do this for about the same price as having your carpets cleaned. Fortunately, this thorough a cleaning doesn't have to be done very often.

Q. I need to add some padding on my kitchen floor because of a back problem that has been diagnosed. Can you suggest anything other than carpeting?

A. Actually, there are a lot of alternatives. Many workers use rubber "stress" mats, which are readily available at hardware stores. Bed and bath shops also carry some very decorative mats these days that are made for this very purpose. Just ask for a stress mat when you start your search.

Q. We are trying to keep our swing set for a couple more years and are wondering, with some rust starting near the base of the poles, how to protect it. What do we need to do to help it survive?

A. You must get rid of the rust first. Use an attachment on your drill to get rid of it. Sand, grind and do whatever else you need to do to remove all of it. Apply a rust converter to any areas that you can't get to. Then apply a metal primer that inhibits rust and a topcoat for exterior metal surfaces. Check it and touch it up when you see any rust coming back, and you should be able to get a couple more years out of it.

Reader tips

• We have cable TV, so our old television antenna isn't working any longer. I just left it up on the roof, thinking it would be harder to remove than it was worth. That was wrong. The last storm that blew through our area tore the antenna off the roof, along with the mounting brackets, and made a mess of my roof. I wanted to alert others to the fact that an old antenna could do a lot more damage than you would think, so get it down or have it removed before it causes damage to your home or to your neighbor's.

• We did a really nice job of painting the suede finish on our dining-room walls. We had some helpers and used a variety of brushes and rollers. In order to keep things straight, we had plastic bags with labels on them as to what step each was used for. The bags kept the roller or brush from drying out, and we didn't get them mixed up when we had to switch back and forth between them or for short breaks. The paint finish looks really great, and we had a lot of fun doing it. In fact, we are going to choose another room and do it again soon.

• If you are ever in trouble, use your car alarm as a signal to others that you need help. I had a scare in a parking lot when out shopping and spoke to the police about it. They told me that if I ever found myself in a situation like that again, I should sound my car alarm if I was close enough to push the button on my key ring. I never thought about that before, but even at home, I would be able to trigger that alarm, and it might save my life. I just wanted to pass along that information to others. I hope you never find yourself in that situation, but you do have one way to alert others that you might not have thought of.

• We always have had an unpleasant odor coming from our food disposer in our sink. We just got used to it, but a friend told us to drop some lemon peel down the thing and grind it up. Wow! It smelled great. He also said to grind up some ice cubes, and that would clean it. We now try to do this once a month, and have had no more problems with the bad odor.

• This winter, my son and I started a project, making some planter boxes for our back patio. When we put our first coat of spray paint on the boxes, we didn't think about the overspray, and it got on our car, which we parked in the garage where we worked. I don't need to tell you how hard that was to get off the car. After that fiasco, we built a small "paint booth" by stapling up plastic sheeting in the corner of the room to keep the paint from getting all over the garage. It was easy to do, and we just used dropcloth sheeting.

Shoptalk

• If you are looking for a way to keep leaves out of your gutters, check out the latest "green" solution from Gutter Stuff. The Green Flow Pro is an insert that fits into most all gutters and keeps debris out. It's made from recycled materials and is easy to install. It's brand-new, so visit the company online to find a local source and to learn more. The Web site is greenflowpro.com.

• To get that designer stainless-steel look on a budget, try self-adhesive metal tiles from Interior 51. The 4-inch tiles have a peel-and-stick backing, require no grout and can be cut with regular household tools. They come in brushed aluminum, satin aluminum and a light stainless aluminum. It's a very simple solution for a kitchen upgrade. To learn more or to purchase the tiles, visit the company's Web site at interior51.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.