Tired of concrete? Here are fun fixes for garage floors.

A standard garage floor usually is just plain concrete, and this is fine for most folks. But if the dust and dirt bothers you, or you don't like the look of it, you might want to upgrade yours. Here are some super ideas that might be worth a try.

Thoroughly clean the floor before doing anything else. You can use whatever cleaners you need to, but make sure it's very clean and free of grease before continuing. Then measure the area so you will know exactly how large it is when you go to purchase materials.

You can paint it, and this will give it a clean look as well as preventing the constant dusting that comes from concrete. It also will make it less likely to absorb future stains. Use an epoxy paint that is made for garage floors. This paint is very tough and can stand up to the heat of your car tires, as well as most automotive and shop chemicals. You can get your paint ready-mixed or even custom tinted in a variety of colors. Read and follow the package directions for the best results. Don't forget the prep, as it is very important.

You can buy roll flooring for garages, too. It is easy to install and comes in a variety of colors as well. You can place mats under the cars or do the whole garage floor. Some even collect fluids that might leak or drip onto your floor from your car, preventing messes. It is also a good solution for a cracked or stained floor.

Plastic and rubber flooring tiles are another good flooring material. These are very strong and last a long time and, because they are tiles, if one becomes damaged or stained, it easily can be replaced. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, too.

You can decide which system will work best for you. Check paint stores, auto-supply dealers or online sources for these products and more. This upgrade can even add some real value to your property if done right.

Raise Fido's food

When we had a Great Dane, Max, we learned that having raised food bowls was a must. For large dogs, and even some smaller dogs, having a food bowl that is raised up off the floor makes it easier for them to eat (and less mess for you to pick up, too). You can buy these raised bowls at most pet stores, but you also can make one easily from an ordinary footstool. You can use any wooden footstool as your base. It just needs to be large enough to accommodate a food and water bowl. Place the bowls on the wood and trace around them. The holes should be small enough to prevent the bowls from slipping all the way through. Then use a jigsaw to cut the holes out. The bowls should just fit into the holes, and your dog will love his new dining set!

Paper patches

Wallpapering is easy once you get the hang of it. It can add drama to just about any room. But damaged wallpaper can add more drama than you are looking for! A scratch or tear in wallpaper is pretty hard to miss, and some repairs are just as obvious as the damage itself. But you can repair it by making a small patch to fit over the damaged spot. Just tear a patch from some leftover wallpaper to fit over the area, making sure to match the pattern exactly. Use wallpaper paste as your adhesive. The torn edges will make your repair practically invisible, too.

Super hints

• Sweat bands that are worn for sports are also great for preventing paint from running down your arm when painting walls or ceilings. They can be washed out easily, too.

• I found a great way to recycle plastic trash bags. You can cut the bags into strips and use them to knit or crochet a reusable grocery bag that will last a very long time. I made one and even used colored bags to make a design on it. Everyone notices it.

• Place ice over chewing gum to harden it before trying to remove it from a surface. This works well on most surfaces, and it's one of the few ways to get it off a rug or carpeting.

Q. Our garden is raised now, and we used old railroad ties around the edges. They look great and seem like they will last a long time, but they aren't very sturdy. They seem to be leaning already, and I'm afraid they might collapse. Please tell me how to fix them so they will last.

A. Purchase an extra-long drill bit that is the same size as rebar and then drill down through the layers of wood and into the ground below. Then you can use a sledgehammer to drive the rebar through the wood and into the ground. Do this on all four corners and at other places along the sides as needed. Fill the holes with caulk. This will help stabilize the ties, and your raised beds should last a good long time.

Q. Our front door needs help. It is wood and has stain on it. It also used to have a shine to it, but not anymore. What can we do to bring the shine back? Can we also touch up the stain?

A. Yes, you can touch up the stain. Just make sure you apply one that matches your existing stains. If you can't match it, do the whole door. Then use polyurethane to apply a "shine" to it. Make sure to use one that is resistant to UV rays, and it will last longer. It will be best if you can remove the door and apply your finish while it is flat.

Q. My front porch has stains on it, and I would like to clean it up and make it look better. What do you recommend?

A. If the stains are oil or grease stains, try mineral-spirits paint thinner to clean them up. TSP, or trisodium phosphate, is also a good cleaner for tough stains. Bleach works well on mildew stains. Once you get them clean, you can seal the area with clear concrete sealer or paint it with concrete paint.

Reader tips

• I hung a lot of hooks around the front porch to hold flower baskets for my wife. I tried a new way to install the hooks that worked pretty well. I chucked the hook into my variable speed drill and then, very slowly and carefully, turned them into the wooden porch roof. I got them up in record time, and my wife was very happy.

• I accidentally got fiberglass splinters on my arm while working in our attic. They really hurt and are hard to remove - even with my wife's help. I remembered a trick my kids used to do all the time with white school glue and decided to give it a try. I put some white glue on the splinters on my arms and let it dry. Then I started peeling it off. Sure enough, the splinters came out with the glue. (Don't tell the kids, but it really is fun to do, too!)

• Here's my secret weapon against fiberglass. I work with cable installations, so I actually have to spend a lot of time in attics. Fiberglass is a booger to deal with. It's sharp, it sticks to your skin and clothes, and it can be quite painful when it gets in your skin. But if you sprinkle baby powder over your skin, it prevents the fiberglass from sticking. Try it. I promise it will work for you as well as it works for me.

• Years ago, I had a large chain lying around and I hung it across my garage wall and used it to hang tools and hardware from. It was very strong and did a great job. My daughter used a similar system for storing her earrings. She strung a chain belt along her wall and hung earrings in the links. I never thought about this idea, but it worked great for her. Now I wonder if my wife could use this idea for her craft room.

• In the past few years, I have become an expert on unclogging a shower drain. I have tried lots of different ways, but I find that removing the hair that is causing the clog is the best approach. I stick a small saw blade, like the type that comes on a hacksaw or even a jigsaw, down the drain just enough to grab the hair inside the drain and pull it out. It's gross, but it works better than anything else I have tried. I do it once a week, and I rarely have clogs anymore.

Shop talk

• Petroleum jelly is an incredibly useful concoction. It's perfect in the shop and super in the home. We bet you would love a list that we have put together of some of the many uses that we have found for this stuff in and around the house. Some you may have tried but, hopefully, others will be new to you. Heck, you might have some clever uses that we didn't list. If so, let us know, and we will add them to our list, which is available online.

• The One Shot Shovel makes gardening a whole lot easier. The specially designed shovel is made to handle larger quantities with its built-up sides. The extra-large foot support is easier on your feet and gives you more power when digging. It's manufactured with the highest-quality materials and workmanship to last a long time. It even comes with a limited lifetime warranty. You'll get more work done with less effort and in less time than ever before. Check the One Shot Shovel out at www.oneshotshovel.com and locate a dealer near you.

• 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.

© 2010, Cowles Syndicate Inc.