Don't let your windows drive up your energy costs

If your windows are not properly weatherstripped or insulated, you might as well leave them wide open, as far as energy usage. Here are some tips for saving energy in and around your windows.

First of all, insulated windows are a great thing. They will cost more but really will make a difference in energy savings. If you don't have energy-efficient windows, you can add a layer of insulation in the form of a storm window or even a layer of plastic stretched over your existing window.

Screens are great for stopping bugs from getting into your home when the windows are open, but solar screens can help block heat and light from coming into your home and can cut down on solar gain through your windows.

Weatherstripping comes in a variety of forms. The easiest to install might be the peel-and-stick foam type. For best results, make sure the surface is clean before applying it.

Vinyl V-strip weatherstripping also is a popular choice, and works pretty well. More-permanent types are available as well, and will really help cut down on air infiltration around your windows.

Window coverings can help make a difference, too. Thermal curtains can help keep so much sun from coming into your home and heating it up. Shutters and blinds also can help. Keep all of these closed during the hot parts of the season to help block out the sun.

Overhangs, awnings and even vegetation outside your windows can help block the sun's heat from coming in.

Be cool!

Handy blade hangers

With a circular saw, a variety of blades might be needed for a variety of cutting jobs. And most of the blades you use are not cheap to buy, either. So storing them safely is important. You can make a storage rack that will hang on your shop wall or pegboard from an ordinary wire clothes hanger. Hold the hanger from the hook at the top and pull the hanger down from the center of the bottom crosspiece. This will give you a "diamond" shape. Now fold the bottom of the diamond out and upward at the middle. This will give you a nice rack to set your blades into. You can turn the hook or close it up, or whatever you need to do to make it easier to hang on your shop or pegboard wall. Your blades will be easy to get to and safe from damage if stored this way.

Put wall studs to work

For fooling around in the garden, your tools are vital if you want your yard to look good. But storing a bunch of them can get a little messy. One very simple way to hang them on a garage wall is to use the exposed studs you might have along the walls to create storage racks. Just use two scraps of two-by-four lumber, cut to about 12-inch lengths. Attach them to either side of wall stud, parallel to each other, perpendicular to the wall stud. This way, they stick out from the wall, sort of like shelf brackets without a shelf. You just put your tool handles between them, and the shovel or rake head sits on top of the two-by-fours and stays put. Your tools are up off the ground, and you will have more room to store other items in your garage.

Super hints

• Rain barrels are in again. Find a barrel, set it up on blocks, cut a hole in the top for the gutter to drain into, install a tap near the bottom and attach a hose to it.

• If you want to add some stars to your outdoor entertaining areas but don't want to add electricity, use the ones sold in toy stores that are made to stick on the ceiling. The rigid, plastic type works best. Just glue them with epoxy onto your fence, trees, arbor or any other surface that gets some sun during the day. They will give off a warm glow after dark and give your outdoor space some unexpected whimsy.

• To keep from hitting your fingers when driving in brads, stick them through a piece of window screen and hold the screen rather than the brad while hammering it in.

Q. I have had trouble drilling into metal before, and need to do it again. How can I keep the drill bit in place when I am trying to start making a hole on a metal surface?

A. You can try putting a piece of masking tape over the drilling area and mark your spot, then drill. This can help prevent the bit from skating across the surface. Another trick is to put a nail in the drill to make a small pilot hole. Sometimes this is enough to help you get started with your drill bit.

Q. I have a fiberglass tub that has a small crack in the corner. I would like to know if it is possible to repair it before it spreads. What do you think?

A. Check out an auto-parts store for a fiberglass repair kit. Depending upon how large the crack is, it might be easy to repair. If it does spread, you will have to replace the tub. You don't want to have water leaking underneath it, as this will cause even more problems.

Q. For some reason, my dishwasher has stopped working. It does all cycles but the drain cycle. What should I do?

A. It sounds like the pump is out, but check the drain hose first to make sure it's not kinked. Also check the bottom inside the unit to make sure food or debris isn't blocking the drain access. Disconnect the power and expose the pump to see if something might be clogging it up on the inside. If none of these things works, then remove the pump and replace it.

Q. My shop vacuum hose is clogged up with something. I cannot get to it. What can I do?

A. If you can, straighten the hose out and push a pole, dowel, broomstick or toilet auger into the hose and push or pull the clog out. Cutting into the hose is not a good idea, but if all else fails, it might be worth it. Just make sure you close it back up well. You might have to replace the hose.

Reader tips

• I created a special area in one of my wife's kitchen cabinets for her trays. She was always complaining that there was no place for them, so I made one. I just cut a thin piece of plywood to fit into the cabinet standing up, and then installed some small wood pieces along the top and bottom to nail it to. It's about 6 inches wide, and she can stand all of her trays up in this area and they are easy to get in and out of the cabinet. I'm a hero again - for the time being, anyway!

• Our card table and chairs looked OK to me, but the wife didn't like them. I guess they did look kind of shabby. She wanted to re-cover them, so I took them apart for her. She took the seats and table top inside and covered them with new material, and then I put them back together again. They look brand new, and really do look a lot better than before. She's a miracle worker.

• I try to keep paintbrush's as long as I can, especially when I buy the "good" ones. I make sure they are super clean, and then I dip them into some liquid fabric softener and let them dry. The fabric softener keeps them from drying hard. You can just wash it off before you use them next, and they will be just like a new brush - soft and pliable.

• My daughter is off to college now, and I was throwing away some of her old stuff. She had a whole drawer full of miscellaneous hair bands and things, and was throwing them all away. I grabbed them, went through them and saved some of them for my shop. Some of the bands, I thought, would be great to bind extension cords and things like that in the shop. They may be pink, but they do a heck of a job. In fact, I can remember, by color, which are the long cords and which are shorter.

• I found a Styrofoam head at a secondhand store. It was used as a display for hats or wigs or something. I turned it into a jewelry stand. I painted it to match my bathroom, and I use straight pins to store earrings and necklaces on it. It looks really neat and works great. I easily can see everything I need to.

Shoptalk

• The Leatherman Expanse looks like most other large pocketknives but, like other Leatherman tools, it's much more. The 154-centimeter stainless-steel drop-point knife has both a straight and a serrated blade. The tool also has a bit driver with bit storage in the handle, a bottle opener, carabiner clip and pocket clip. Accessories include extra driver bits, sheaths, sharpening tools and matching T-shirts and caps. It's built to last a long time, and carries a 25-year warranty. If you want to see its features, visit leatherman.com and view the details. It's available wherever Leatherman tools are sold.

• The Zip Sand-Block gives you the versatility of a sanding sponge with the performance of sandpaper. It's made with a premium-quality grit and backing to give you faster sanding and a longer sponge life. It's both durable and comfortable to use. You even can rinse it out to remove built-up gunk and reuse it. It's great for wet and dry sanding, and it works on fiberglass, drywall, paint, wood and metal. It can be put in the sponge holder for even more rigid sanding projects. Check it out at your hardware store or home center, or online at zipsander.com. Or contact the company at (800) 255-4748.

• 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.