Outdoor landscape lighting is a great project, and here's how to do it yourself

Low-voltage lighting is a great do-it-yourself project that will give your landscape a very classy look, not to mention add more security and curb appeal.

It's easy to do, so what's stopping you?

Before shopping for the lights, do some homework. Take a look at your yard and decide where you want to put lights. How many lights will you need, and what types? The number of lights will determine what size control box you will need. It needs to be powerful enough to handle all of your needs. Otherwise, the lights may be too dim or may burn out quickly.

If you are unsure of the type of lights you need, check your store for a display or look online to get some ideas.

The box needs to be mounted outside and hooked up to an electrical outlet. Once this is established, you will know how much wire you need to reach each fixture. The wires will be buried or concealed later, so don't worry about them just yet.

Place the lamps where you want them, and try to keep them near enough to the wiring to make good connections. Try to stay away from the "landing-light" approach that many people take.

Before making connections, consider any obstacles the wires will need to work around, such as landscape edging or walkways. If you need to run the wires under or around, do that before making the connections. The connections vary between manufacturers, but most are easy to do with a minimum of tools.

To bury the cable, just use a sharp spade to open up the soil and push the cable down. Put mulch over it in beds, and secure it where needed. Be careful not to damage the wiring as you work. If you are making connections on the wire, use special exterior wire connectors that are weatherproof. Don't forget that the lines are there, should you need to alter your landscaping at a later date.

Now you can sit back and enjoy your lights. The best lights are the ones you barely notice. They just make your yard look super!

Label maker keeps things organized: A label-maker machine is a handy invention. It lets you type in the letters you want on your label and spits it out on a peel-and-stick label. They come in a variety of styles and sizes, and they come in handy all around the house. In the shop, they are especially useful for labeling hardware bins, drill bits, sockets and other tools that have sizes that are hard to read. Inside the house, one of our favorite uses is to label light, fan and food-disposer switches. That way, you don't accidentally turn on the food disposer when you are trying to sneak that midnight snack.

Use funnel for liquid safety: One way to protect our environment is to be careful when using gasoline, oil and other combustible solvents that we all use in our shop and home. Make a simple funnel that will allow you to transfer these liquids from one container to another without a hazardous spill - use recyclable plastic jugs. Choose one that has a small opening at the mouth to fit your destination vessel. Cut the bottom half away and use the top, inverted, to act as a simple funnel. It will help you get the job done without a big mess.

Super hints

• If you ever have problems removing price stickers or other manufacturer's labels, just spray a little WD-40 on the label and allow it some time to soak in. It should peel right off.

• If your dryer opens in the wrong direction and you have to reach around it, switch the hinges. With many models, it's easy. Just remove the door and the hinges along with the door catch, if you need to, and attach it to the other side of the dryer. Voila - it's just that simple.

• If you are going to put in your own vinyl flooring, you might consider creating a template first. This way, you can make the exact pattern of the room and then place it over the vinyl and cut it out. Leave a little extra on each side, which you can trim off later. Use old paper sacks, cut open to fit the room perfectly and taped together. This is especially helpful in tight quarters, where it would be hard to get the flooring in to fit it properly.

Q. I have an old dresser with a mirror on the top. There are some scratches on the mirror, and I would like to see if I can hide them. I have priced the restoration and cannot afford it. Can you give me any tips on how to disguise it?

A. You can use silver paint or aluminum foil glued over the scratches to conceal them. If they are much larger, you can glue a small mirror to the back of the large one. These are the least-expensive options.

Q. We have some black marks on our laminate countertops. I think they are from an appliance that we use every month or so. The rubber feet on the bottom are the culprits. I can't find anything that will remove the marks. Can you suggest something?

A. Try a couple of squirts of pre-wash on the stains. WD-40 is another product that might work. Just be careful not to scratch the surface, and make sure to remove these cleaners before preparing food on the counter. Replace worn or missing pads to prevent future damage to your counters.

Q. I have a couple of sections of guttering that are a little loose. I would like to find a good way to secure them. What would you suggest?

A. Each guttering system has specialized connectors to hold the pieces together. You can add more of these if you need to. Gutter hangers also will add to the stability of the system. To join sections together in another way, you can also use sheet-metal screws or rivets. Caulk joints if they leak.

Reader tips

• My gutters have been up for a while, and there are a couple of places that have started to leak. I priced replacements and thought about how hard they were to hang in the first place, so I decided to try to patch them. I used roofing patch in a caulking tube. I spread some out over the hole and then used a putty knife to spread it around. It has worked for several months now. I think they will last another year before I have to REALLY fix them.

• I love working with acrylic sheets. I have made a couple of tables, a shelf and some desk accessories. It's fun to work with and doesn't require a lot of special tools. The edges are sharp after cutting, so it's always good to smooth them down. I tried filing them but found a better way. I just run my torch flame over the edge, and it melts them smooth. You have to be careful not to hold it there too long, but it does a nice job, and it's quick, too.

• I have a large bulletin board in my workshop. I keep things like shopping lists, photos, ideas for projects and plans on it. Sometimes I have to hang things on it that are heavy, and the pins don't hold very long. I made some heavy-duty clips to hold these items. I just glued two pins to the back of a clothespin. The clothespin is large enough to hold the heavier items, and two pins will hold it all just fine.

• I had no idea that the dent in my car fender could be removed so easily, but my brother showed me a neat trick. He put the toilet plunger over the dent and gently pushed it in to get some suction. Then he pulled it out, along with the dent. It took just one pull, and the dent is almost totally gone. No further bodywork is needed, in my opinion. I'm sure it wouldn't work on every dent I have, but the latest one on the fender did pop right out. So I guess the plumber's friend could be considered a mechanic's best friend, too.

• Our old coffee table has a leather inlaid top. It's very nice but is also very old and has some stains and other slight damage. I was afraid to use any type of cleaner on it, or even any type of scrubber; I didn't want to harm the leather. I finally asked my shoe repairman, and he suggested I try saddle soap, which he sells to clean leather. It really worked well. It got most of the stains off and removed a lot of grease and grime that I didn't even realize was discoloring the surface. It looks soft and supple now, and it's also protected.

Shoptalk

• Trex, the leader in wood-alternative decking materials, also has fencing products. Trex Surroundings railing and fencing components will soon be available at your Trex dealer. Trex is easy to install, will take on winds over 100 mph, rain, hail, snow and just about anything else Mother Nature can throw at it. It won't warp, fade or rot, and it comes with a 25-year warranty. Check it out at Trex dealers or online at www.trex.com.

• Black & Decker's new 36-Volt Cordless String Trimmer gives you the power of gas in a cordless, rechargeable system. The dual-line cutting system takes down even small trees, and it's fully adjustable for your comfort. A specially designed, super-efficient motor with patented gear-drive transmission has tons of power, operates smoothly and quietly, and is a real pleasure to use. The only thing that comes close to the performance level of this string trimmer is a messy, smelly gas model. To learn more, visit blackanddecker.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.