Super Handyman: Doing renovations in stages makes them more manageable

Upgrading your home can get expensive. Most of us have a long list of things we would love to do, but we just don’t have the bucks to do it all at once. Make a list of these improvements, and then do them in stages.

For example, renovating your kitchen could cost thousands of dollars, but a new ceiling fixture is a weekend project and would cost a fraction of the price. It might be as simple as taking down the old one and installing the replacement in the same spot.

Next month you could replace the kitchen faucet — another weekend project that won’t cost too much. It really can make a difference in the look and function of your kitchen.

Perhaps the next month you might be ready to paint your kitchen cabinets. This might take you a little longer, but it won’t cost much more, if any. If you have any extra money in the budget, you also might replace the hardware on the cabinets and drawers.

Flooring might be upgraded by just refinishing it. If you have wood floors, stripping them and staining them might make them look a whole lot better. Tile floors can be re-grouted and sealed for a freshened look. Replacing your floor will take time, but if you do the work yourself, it can be very rewarding and could be another small step toward a total renovation.

At this point, you have very little to do except replace your appliances. These can be purchased one at a time to save money while still getting the job done, or you might be able to find a dealer with a good payment schedule.

It might take you a little time, but you eventually can do the job, and when you do the work yourself, you will save money and gain valuable experience along the way. There’s nothing more rewarding than stepping back from a project and realizing you’ve paid for it and done the work yourself.

Squeeze bottle trickThe nickname #147;Super Flush#148; for the Super Handyman came about because of my expertise on toilet repairs. I don#146;t know everything there is to know about toilet repair, but I#146;ve done more than my fair share of it and feel like I#146;ve earned the name honestly. When making repairs to a toilet, many times you need to drain the tank. It#146;s easy to do by turning off the water supply and holding the flush handle down to allow most of the water to drain into the bowl. The rest can be removed with an empty squeeze bottle, like the type dishwashing soap or shampoo comes in. Squeeze the air out, put the top of the bottle into the leftover water in the tank and let go. It sucks the water up easily, and in no time at all, you are ready to go to work.Two are better than oneWe are used to a lone light bulb in the garage, shed, basement and other dungeon-type spots. But what do you do when it burns out? Instead of replacing it with another lone bulb, install a dual socket and a couple of light bulbs. These dual sockets cost about a buck, and you know what they say #133; #147;two light bulbs are better than one.#148; Use CFL or LED bulbs, and you actually will save money. More importantly, you#146;ll probably never be without light again, especially with the latter bulbs.Super hintsŸ Installing vinyl flooring usually is easy and inexpensive, and is a great update for kitchens and bathrooms. If it#146;s a little stiff or hard to work with, try warming it with a hair dryer. It will become more pliable and easier to handle.Ÿ I have small closets, so I try to pack up my winter sweaters every summer. I bought a small scrap of real cedar from my home center and cut it into smaller scraps. I put a piece of it into each plastic storage box, and it acts as a repellent for bugs all summer long. My clothes come out smelling fresh each fall, too.Ÿ Our favorite way to lubricate small parts also is the cleanest way to do it. Put the parts into a plastic bag, squirt in some oil and then close the bag. Move the parts around the bag from the outside, distributing the oil at the same time. Done, without a mess.Q. I have decided to spruce up my guest bathroom. I pulled all of the old wallpaper down, and the walls are bare now. They have no texture to them, and I want to paint. Do I leave them alone or add texture? How do you add texture, anyway?A. Most people like a little texture under painted walls. It helps hide slight imperfections, and seems to look better in general. You can apply texture with a paint roller. Some textures can be added to the paint, too. If you don#146;t have any primer on the walls yet, and it sounds like you don#146;t, you really need to add texture, prime and then paint. The few extra steps won#146;t be very hard, and you should get the best results.Q. I have older laminate countertops. They still are in good shape, except for some dark streaks on the surface. I believe these came from the rubber feet on the bottom of my toaster oven. I can#146;t get the marks off, though, and don#146;t want to damage the laminate. What would you suggest?A. Try WD-40 and see if that removes them. This is a pretty good solvent for marks left from rubber and adhesives. Spray #145;N Wash pre-treater also works well for things like this. Don#146;t use any abrasives or harsh cleaners, and don#146;t leave the solvents on for too long. Good luck.Q. My bathroom is always very humid. Between the shower, sinks and toilet, I guess there#146;s just too much water in the room. I have a small table fan, but clearly it#146;s not doing enough to keep the moisture level down. Do you have any other suggestions?A. Leaving the fan on and directing it to draw the moisture out of the room is the best approach. There are some fans that can be mounted on the wall or ceiling, or even on the door frame, to remove the air. Check improvementscatalog.com for the latter. The next best thing would be to install a built-in ventilator. These might not cost as much as you think, and would be so much more convenient. You are doing the right thing in trying to deal with this situation, as it can cause a lot of problems if not managed properly.Reader tipsŸ Family road trips are a tradition with us, and even with the price of gas going up, we still prefer this form of travel to flying. The time spent together is always fun. We keep the trash under control in the car with empty coffee cans. We put our garbage in the cans and then replace the plastic lid. It keeps the drips and smells in the can, and it#146;s easy to dump when we stop for more gas or more food.Ÿ When I switched out my old hacksaw blade, I discovered that the old blade wasn#146;t nearly as bad as I thought it was. I#146;ll bet it still would work pretty well for most projects. I don#146;t like to waste supplies, so I decided to turn it into a cutting blade that I mounted directly on my workbench. It is nailed right to the side of the bench frame, with the teeth just barely exposed along the side. It#146;s a great place to cut twine, tape, sandpaper and lots of other things. It#146;s very handy.Ÿ We have a gazebo that has a canvas roof. The roof flaps around and gets torn up, and we have to replace it every year. This year, my wife sewed some extra Velcro strips on the cover and then glued some to the frame. The canvas top isn#146;t flapping around nearly as much, and I am thinking we may get it through a couple of years before it starts falling apart. The Velcro costs a whole lot less than a new top!Ÿ I still have my dad#146;s old metal toolbox. It#146;s really better than anything else I#146;ve run across today. I like to clean it out periodically, but with the metal, I always worry about rust. I run a coating of paste wax, inside and out, on the toolbox. This seems to keep it looking good and prevents rust. I hope I will be able to keep it for a very long time.Ÿ You#146;ll appreciate this idea. I still change my own oil in the car. It#146;s not very hard, and I like to do it myself. Sometimes the filter is a little tough to remove, and I#146;ve found that I can put a piece of sandpaper between the filter and the filter wrench and get a little extra grip on it to free it up.ShoptalkŸ DIY electrical projects should be done with great caution. The 100R Electrical Test Kit from Amprobe has everything you need to do just that. You can troubleshoot appliances, electrical systems and even your HVAC. You get a noncontact voltage detector, receptacle tester and digital multimeter. All three compact tools come in one package, and are built tough to last. To find out more, visit www.amprobe.com or your local Lowes store. You also can call (877) 267-7623.Ÿ Composting is a #147;green#148; way to recycle yard clippings and kitchen discards. The Eco Bin Composter by Fiskars has some really neat features. It#146;s collapsible for easy storage, has an open bottom, providing access to worms and microbes, puncture-resistant mesh sides for plenty of air flow, and a large, open mouth for you to easily dump your grass clippings from the mower into. It has a windproof lid to keep the critters out and a large, 75-gallon capacity. Check it out at www.fiskars.com and at your favorite hardware store or home center.Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells#146; website at thesuperhandyman.com.$PHOTOCREDIT_ON$© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.$PHOTOCREDIT_OFF$