Jazz up your concrete with patterns or colorful stains
Concrete surfaces are great for a lot of reasons, but looks aren't one of them. You can, however, jazz up a plain concrete surface when you pour it.
Consider some of these ideas, and pour your concrete with a little extra pizazz.
You can add color to your concrete. Ask your supplier if it can accommodate this. If you are mixing it yourself, then you can add it as you do your mixing. Stains and other colorants are available at most home centers and some hardware stores. There also are colorants that can be added to the surface after the concrete has been spread out, and if done properly, it will not wear off as easily as you might think. You even can add color with an acid-based dye after the concrete has cured.
Another option is to imprint the concrete before it has set up. There are stamps you can buy to do this, or you can use a tool of some kind to make your own design. If you can't find a local source, there are several shops online that sell these stamps.
Another option lets you install items directly into the concrete before it has set up - things like tiles, rocks, glass, stones, decorative metal items and just about anything else you can think of. Just make sure that what you install is made to take the weather and pressure of being walked on so that it will last as long as your concrete.
If your slab already is in place and in reasonably good shape, you can paint it. Use paint made for concrete - exterior-grade if your masterpiece will be outdoors. You may want to apply a clear protective coat of sealer as a finishing touch.
Another thing to keep in mind is that should your tastes change down the road, you always can come back over the top of most of these surfaces with a new concrete topper and start with a blank canvas. These are self-leveling and very easy to install. The options are limited only by your imagination.
Customize your ladder
A customized stepladder would be quite a luxury. But most of us have the old standard model. If you could customize your ladder, you might choose to add some great places to hold your tools when you need to set them down. If you just put them on a flat top shelf, they can roll off. If you were to drill a hole or two into the top of the ladder, you would have a great place to stick a screwdriver. A larger hole would accommodate a hammer. Maybe you could drill a few holes of different diameters to fit a good variety of tools, and before you know it, your ladder is customized.
Keep tools handy
If you are painting right out of the can, as we often do, you'll love our paint-can add-on. It's just a simple, metal shower-curtain ring or any other locking metal clip. These small-diameter wire hooks are perfect for holding a putty knife, paintbrush, rag, can opener or all of the above. Anything that has a hole in it can be put on one of these hooks. Attach the hook right to the wire paint-can handle. Talk about handy!
Super hintsbull; Measure twice, cut once! If you don't know this rule, you should. Memorize it, and always do this before cutting into your good material. It could save you time and money, and a lot of headaches!bull; An eraser that is rough (like the type for ink pens) and so strong that it can tear the paper isn't much good in the office, but it's great for erasing rust. Just rub the rust until it's all gone. bull; If you really want to recycle, why not put your old pantyhose to good use? Most don't last very long, so you usually have a steady supply to reuse. They are perfect for corralling long extension cords, power cords and hoses of all types. They are super stretchy and can be a cheap substitute for cable ties in the house and garage.Q. Our driveway has an exposed aggregate/epoxy surface over concrete. We are starting to get some cracks, and want to repair it before they get worse. Some places have deteriorated, with the gravel coming loose. How can we fix it, or should we just try to remove it at this point?A. You should be able to replace the epoxy. Fill in the areas that are cracked with clear epoxy. For the areas where the gravel is loose, mix the gravel into the epoxy and spread it on the bare spots. You can put a whole new layer of epoxy over the top, also. Talk to someone at your hardware store for suggestions on what type of epoxy to use. He or she may be able to help you order a larger quantity if the area is very big, and this could save you some money.Q. I need your advice on an issue. I have a gap between the bricks and siding of my house. I have filled it with caulk, but it always separates, and I have to replace the caulk every year. The gap is about one-half inch wide. Do you have any suggestions for a better way of sealing it?A. Check your hardware store for a foam insert. You can buy solid foam inserts that can be stuffed into the gap, and then you can put caulk over that. You also might consider installing a wood piece of trim to cover your "handiwork."Q. I have a couple of leaks in the metal guttering around my house, and would like to try to mend them without replacing the gutter. What can you suggest?A. There are some easy-to-use spray sealers if the leaks aren't very severe. These work well on lots of different materials, including gutters, and are flexible enough to last a while. There also are sealants available in a caulking tube. They are easy to apply and work even better, and can handle more-difficult leaks. If the problem is even worse, you might be able to cut a piece of metal flashing to cover the damaged area and use a caulking sealer to glue it in place.Reader tipsbull; I chipped our very expensive granite countertop when I was installing it. I didn't want to replace it, so I started looking around, and found some great epoxy patches made for granite. You can mix up the epoxy and put in some color to match your surface, and it cures in just a day. The patch doesn't show much at all, and I doubt anyone ever would notice. I also applied a sealer to the patch to protect it.bull; Right in the middle of my last home-repair project, my cordless drill died. I picked up my older, corded drill to use. At first I was bothered by the cord. But the power is better and more consistent. I did miss the built-in level that my cordless drill had on it, so I taped a small line level to the top of my older drill and used that to help me drill straighter. I have decided to leave the level attached, as it really came in handy and I don't think I need a line level anytime soon. If it weren't taped to the drill, I probably would lose it anyway.bull; I had to hire a company to put in a new fence at our home. The previous owners didn't have much of one, and I wanted a private fence so the kids could play outdoors in the backyard more often. After the builders were finished, I asked them to leave some wood scraps behind for me to use, and they did. I added a simple lean-to storage shed on the inside of the fence, using the fence as one of the walls. It is the perfect place to store the mower and a few other tools, and the fence gave it a lot of support. It was easy for me to do myself.bull; I found an old lamp for sale at an auction and just had to have it. But after getting it home, I discovered a light-bulb base still stuck in the bulb holder. The glass part probably had broken years ago, and the base was rusted into place. I grabbed a wine cork that I found in my kitchen drawer and tried to turn it into the bulb base to remove it. It actually came out. I cleaned off the rust from the lamp and tried a new bulb. The lamp is working fine now and was a steal of a deal.bull; We tried to purchase a custom canvas cover for our old car. The car is small, and all of the covers we could find were too large. So we decided to patch up our old cover. I bought some iron-on patches and brought the ironing board and iron out to the garage to iron on the patches. They don't look too bad, actually, and should last another year. I'm not sure if I can talk my wife into sewing a new cover, but I'm going to have to try. (She made me do the ironing myself.) Wish me luck!Shoptalkbull; Evapo-Rust is an environmentally safe, water-based product that removes rust in minutes with no scrubbing. It's super easy to use, requires no special tools or equipment, and won't harm metal, plastic, PVC or paint. It's nontoxic, noncorrosive, safe for skin, nonflammable, fume-free, biodegradable and contains no acids or solvents. It's available at many hardware stores, auto-supply dealers and home centers. To find out more, visit evapo-rust.com.bull; The Ladder Saddle is like a tool belt for your ladder. It is made to fit over the top of your stepladder, and has a drill holster, tape-measure pouch, three pencil slots, a fastener pouch with a see-through window, a hammer loop, an assortment of bit sleeves and a good variety of pockets for everything else. It's made tough to last a long time, and the adjustable straps will help it fit your ladder like a glove, or at least like a tool belt. It's available from Duluth Trading at duluthtrading.com. It would make a super Father's Day gift for those interested in shopping for Dad.bull; Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells' website at thesuperhandyman.com.#169; 2010, Cowles Syndicate Inc.