Ventless fireplaces add warmth and romance to your life

If you need a little more romance in your life, why not install a fireplace? You don't have to remodel your home to do so with the new "ventless" fireplaces on the market.

These fireplaces can be put just about anywhere, even on a wall or in a corner. Here is what we found out about adding one to your home.

You have several choices as to your "flame source." Some are better than others. The electric models use a standard wall outlet power source, making it easy to install just about anywhere. You can turn the "fire" off and on easily, and adjust the flames as needed.

The "ventless" gas fireplaces use a gas source for their flames. They use the air inside the room as an oxygen source, so they don't require a flue and vent. You need to make sure that the one you are looking to buy has an oxygen-depletion sensor to automatically shut it off should the oxygen in the room get down to a low level.

Your third choice is a gel-flame fireplace. The gel comes in a can and burns for about two hours per can. It can be shut off if you want the fire to stop burning. No other power source is needed for this unit.

The gas fireplaces will give off more heat and a more natural look, but they are the priciest of the three. The electric models give off less heat but cost less, and they are certainly easy to use. The gel fireplaces are mainly just for looks, as they give off little heat but can be put just about anywhere. Some even can be used without any "logs."

When you start shopping, you will see that these fireplace options can be a great addition to your home, because they don't burn wood and can be installed easily in many different locations to give you and your family a warm and cozy feel as well as some additional heat this winter. Now you can have that fireplace without renovating your whole house, and you can have it in one shopping trip!

Make sure your choice is OK with the local building code and is installed with safety in mind.

Reuse old antennas

If you have old TV antennas lying around, we have found some great uses for them, especially the telescoping kind. If you glue a magnet onto the end, you can use it to retrieve tools and hardware that fall behind your workbench or someplace else that is hard to reach. You can attach a rag to the end and use this to clean under the refrigerator or stove. This same duster also can be used to reach into ceiling corners to catch cobwebs. You can even use them to grow your tomatoes on; just raise them as the vines grow taller. Use your imagination to reuse an old antenna to reach its full potential.

Velcro keeps it together

Velcro is a super shop aid. Put a piece on the back of your drill-bit box and the other half of the Velcro on your drill storage case. The bits will be super handy when you need them. Put one half of another piece on your tape measure and the other on your ladder. Now you won't lose your tape when you set it down after measuring. Keep small hardware boxes right on your toolbox. You'll be able to keep it all together with just one small package of Velcro.

Super hints

• If your plastic trash bags slip down inside of the can and make a mess, try using this trick. Use 3-inch scraps of garden hose, slit down the side and slipped over the trash bags on the top edge of the trash can to hold them up.

• To save time on drywall repairs, make sure to smooth down the final coat with a sponge before it dries. If the top coat is smooth like the rest of the wall, then there will be much less sanding to do when it does dry. Then you can get to the painting.

• When my favorite mud boots developed holes in the bottom, I was heartbroken. I finally found a new pair, but created a neat planter from the old ones. I put rocks in the bottom for extra drainage (the holes added even more) and then planted ivy in the boots. They sit on my back porch next to the door, and they are a real conversation piece!

Q. I am getting ready to try tiling my bathroom. I have bought the tiles but am going to have to make some cuts to fit them in. What is the best method for cutting them, that will cost me the least and be the easiest to use?

A. A tile-cutting saw or wet saw is the best and fastest way to cut tiles without wasting a lot. You can rent them from a tool rental store, and they don't cost much if you plan ahead. Get everything else down except for the cutting, and try to do it all in one day so you can return the tool quickly so the rental fee will be less.

Q. I noticed a draft coming from inside my cabinet and found that there is a large gap around where the gas line comes into the kitchen. Is it OK to seal around this pipe, and what will work best?

A. As long as you are not sealing up a valve in the wall, you can seal the gap. The easier way is to use expanding foam insulation. It comes in a can and will fill in even large gaps and seal them from air and moisture. One can will be more than enough to fix that hole. You might as well look for more and seal them while you are at it.

Q. I put new drapes up, and they are heavier than the old ones. Now the curtain rods are pulling out of the wall. What can I do?

A. You can install stronger wall anchors, like molly bolts or toggle bolts, to hold heavier items on a wall. These are inexpensive, easy to install and will solve your problem.

Reader tips

• My front-door lock had started to stick. It caused a lot of problems for our house sitter while we were out of town. As soon as I got back, I went to the hardware store to get some graphite lubricant, but it was sold out. I just came home and rubbed a pencil over my front door key and worked it in and out of the lock a few times, turning it each time to distribute the graphite. It seems to have worked just as well as the stuff in the can, so I thought I would let you know in case you ever run low on the real thing.

• We have a custom-made foot scraper out at the family farm. Since we've been working around our yard at home, I've sure missed it, so I designed a simple one for the house, too. I used the two license plates that I just switched out on the car and attached them to each other for extra strength. Then I attached them to the side of the deck next to the steps. It's the perfect spot to scrape off the mud before heading up to the back door.

• When we had our roof inspected for damage, the man who did it found a clogged downspout on our guttering. I'm glad he spotted it, because I had no idea it wasn't working right. I went up on the roof and tried using a snake but couldn't break up the clog. Out of desperation, I stuffed the garden hose up into the downspout and turned the water on. That clog blasted out the top and rained down all over me. What a big mess. But the clog was out of the way, and in a short time, too!

• We have a couple of compost piles. They really do help our garden and yard look great. I have a lot of leaves in the fall and put as many as I can into the pile, but I like to grind them smaller first. I put them in a big pile and run back and forth over them with the mower until they are in really small pieces. Then they are ready for the compost pile. They break down much faster this way, and take up less room.

Shoptalk

• Staining wood can give it a rich, classical finish, but it also can be very time-consuming. Krylon has made this job a whole lot faster and easier, though, with its Spray Wood Stain. The exterior wood stain is durable, goes on smooth and will hold up to all types of weather conditions. It's water-repellent and has built-in UV protection. Because it's a spray, it dries to the touch quickly, in only 15 minutes, and it comes in four different wood tones. Check it out at your paint dealer or online at www.krylon.com.

• Ace Hardware Products has a super Window Insulation Kit that will help keep you warm this winter and save money on your heating bills. The crystal-clear window film easily installs with double-sided tape and shrinks to fit with your portable hair dryer. You end up with a very energy-efficient extra layer of insulation on your window that is completely see-through. One kit contains a 42-by-62-inch sheet of vinyl and 225 feet of the tape for only $3.99. Check it out at your Ace Hardware store or online at www.acehardware.com, and start saving money today.

• 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.