It's time to stop talking and get caulking!

Saving money on heating and cooling your home is more important than ever these days, and it also provides more comfort for your family. Even the tiniest crack around a window or in a wall can cost you money every month, so pay attention and get caulking!

First of all, you need to identify areas that need some work. Walk around the exterior of your home with a pad and pencil, and note areas where you need to caulk or weatherstrip. Look where two building materials join, such as where siding connects to the foundation or where your soffit joins the outside wall. Also check around doors and windows or where utilities enter the walls. If you want to get every spot - and you do - get a helper, and one of you stand inside and the other outside in the same areas. The person inside can use a hair dryer aimed at joints, while the person outside feels for the hot air coming out.

Now you can go to the hardware store or home center and stock up. With these materials, you get what you pay for, so try to at least buy midrange caulk and weatherstripping.

Weatherstripping goes in areas that move, open or close, like doors and windows.

Caulk goes where you want a crack sealed permanently. Most caulk is sold to work with a manual dispenser. It's inexpensive and easy to use. If you have a lot of caulking to do, you might opt for a powered caulking gun. Some caulk comes preformed in a claylike material to be stuffed into larger cracks. Foam products also are available for filling large gaps. Trim can be used to cover large gaps. Combinations of several materials might be needed for problem areas.

Most caulks and weatherstripping work best when applied to clean, dry surfaces. Remove dust, dirt and loose material, and clean the surface. Then just follow the package directions.

Most of the time, your costs in materials will be paid back in one winter or summer, and your family will be more comfortable, too!

Keep your sump pump working

If you have to use a sump pump, then you already have enough troubles. You certainly don't need it to fail because it gets clogged with something. Just set the pump inside a plastic mesh bag, like the type you would get when buying a bag of oranges or onions. Tie it near the top, but be careful not to do anything to prevent it from turning off or on if it has a float or some other automatic on/off device attached. The bag won't keep it completely clear, but at least it will prevent large clogs from happening. Life can sometimes suck, but your pump always should do that!

Recycle CD spindles in the shop

We always try to recycle, and it's fun to find alternative uses for our throwaways. With all of the writing we do on the computer, we use a lot of blank CDs. The large, plastic spindles that they are packaged on have some great uses in the workshop or garage. They come in a variety of sizes and can be used to hold a lot of hardware, or even smaller tools. Most are clear, or at least clear enough to see what's inside. And they close securely, so the contents stay inside. Fill them with shop items and store them on shelves or in drawers upside down, as the top of the container is usually the larger part and will hold the most stuff.

Super hints

• You can clean rust from a saw blade using petroleum jelly. Cover rusty saw blades with petroleum jelly and let them sit overnight. Wipe away the mess in the morning. Put on another thin coat to protect the blade.

• If you want to try your hand at a mosaic but don't want to hassle with cutting glass or tile, you can also use vinyl flooring tiles. They are easier to break and can be glued down with the same tile adhesive and grout that you would use with ceramic tiles.

• If you are looking for inexpensive and unique paneling for a game room, basement or bar, corrugated steel panels might be perfect. They look rustic or modern, and are easy to work with and install. Take a look at your building-supply store and see what it has on hand.

Q. Our front door is dark stained wood that is bleaching out and looks dried. What should we put on the door now to make it look good again?

A. Do a light sanding on the whole surface of the door. Then go back over it with the same dark stain used before. The areas that are bleaching out will absorb more of the stain and will start to match the rest of the door. Use a good-quality stain that is for exterior use and has UV protection built into it.

Q. I have a man-made marble countertop in my bathroom. There is a chip on the top of the counter that is very noticeable. Is there any way to easily fill or patch this chip?

A. If you still have the chip, glue it back in place with an epoxy adhesive. If not, you can at least fill in the chip with any of several two-component casting resins, found at a hobby shop or hardware store. If you want to try mixing some marble dust into this resin mixture, you might be able to match the original color.

Q. Our bricks appear to have mold on them, especially on the north side of the house. How can we clean them? How can we prevent the dark stains from coming back?

A. Mix 50/50 liquid laundry bleach and water, and scrub the surface with this mixture. Be careful not to get it on your plants or clothes, as it is bleach. Once the mold or mildew has been removed, apply a clear water seal to the surface. This will help prevent future growth of this nasty stuff.

Reader tips

• For years we had a wicker table on our patio, and the top finally rotted away. The metal frame was still good, so we made a wooden table top and put a trim lip around the edge. Then we created a really cool mosaic made from broken tiles, glass and pottery. We grouted it and sealed the surface. It looks fantastic! I may even try to make another one to match, although the table frame will look a little different. It was a lot of fun, too. And the kids helped.

• My family gives me a hard time, but I like to be organized. When I have a piece of furniture or an appliance that needs to be disassembled for storage or a move, I have found a great way to keep up with the small, loose parts. I always put all of the pieces in a sealable plastic bag and tape or staple it right to the piece so it doesn't get lost. Make fun all you want, but I have never lost even a small screw.

• I always have had trouble getting the oil into my tiller. The port is on the side and at an odd angle. Sometimes I can prop the tiller up and get it in there without making too much of a mess, but it's always tough to do. I have finally started using a sports bottle to do it. The flexible, thin spout is perfect for getting the oil into the right spot without tilting the tiller or spilling any. I just put a label on the bottle and keep it in the shed with the tiller, where it's handy. It might take me a while to figure these things out, but eventually I do come up with some good ideas.

• I have been working on our outdoor patio, including a large fire pit and planter area. I am now a semipro at working with mortar. I have found that you really need to wet the old or already-dried mortar before connecting new mortar to it. It really helps the wet mortar hold securely to the cured mortar. I use a spray mister to do it.

• I bought a plastic storage container that is made to hold yarn as you knit with it. It has a lid with a hole in the center where the yarn comes through. It works pretty well, so I decided to make a couple more for the house. I put string and twine and even floral wrap into similar containers that I made from old peanut butter jars. My husband loves the one in the shop, and I really like the one I use for gardening. It keeps the dirt out and the string in one place.

Shoptalk

• Shop Vac is a name we all know, and its Air Mover is a super-powerful blower designed to quickly dry wet carpets, floors, walls and rooms, so whether you are cleaning up after yourself or after Mother Nature, you should check out the Shop Vac Air Mover. Several models are available with features like extra-long cords, adjustable blower speeds, handles for easy transporting and a lighter weight. To find out more, visit shopvac.com or your hardware store or home center.

• The new Dremel 4000 Rotary Tool has some super features worth taking a look at. It has a variable speed range of 5,000 to 35,000 rpm, it works with all Dremel attachments, including the MultiSaw and Planer attachments, and it even has an optional Detailer's Grip for precise control. Special electronic feedback control senses workload changes and adjusts to maintain tool speed for consistent power. Look for the new 4000 in stores around the country. To learn more, visit dremel.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.