Solar power lights your way to lower energy bills

Solar-powered lights have really improved during the past few years, and it makes even more sense than ever to use them today, with our high energy costs. If you are thinking about installing one to light the outside of your home, here are some things you should know about them.

Consider that most solar charging panels need to gain as much solar energy as possible during the daytime hours. They should be placed in an area where sunlight hits them all day long. If this isn't possible, buy a light that offers a remote panel that can be placed nearby where it can get more sun.

Check several sources for your lamps. Most home centers and hardware stores sell a wide variety, but mail-order sources also are plentiful. Take the time to find the best lamp for your money.

For floodlights, you will want to install them where they will light areas where you walk and drive at night.

Landscape lighting can help light your walkways but is more of a decorative lighting than anything else.

You can even buy decorative lighting strands for the holidays that have a collector panel attached. These are great for decorating in areas where no electricity is available.

Solar lighting is a super way to light up the exterior of your home, and most fixtures are easy to install and will last indefinitely, even when the power goes off during a storm!

Super use for garden hose

If your garage is a tight fit, you might ding up the car each time you open the car door against the garage wall. Rather than buy a smaller car, try this idea. You can make some simple rubber bumpers from scraps of old garden hose. To install the bumpers, you just need to poke small holes into the sides of the garden hose and use screws to attach it to the side of the wall, front of the garage or any other areas in your garage that your car door or bumper might hit. If the surface won't accept a screw, you could glue the hose in place.

One-of-a-kind bench

You can create a one-of-a-kind bench from an old wooden headboard in just one afternoon. Of course, you wouldn't want to use a priceless antique for this project. You'll use the headboard as the back of the bench, and the footboard, cut in half, as the arms. Attach all of the pieces together with screws and metal angle brackets. Cut a plywood seat and paint or stain it to match your decor. Add a pillow for the seat, and you are finished with your very creative project and have a real conversation piece!

Super hints

• For years, we have kept a bucket of sand mixed with used motor oil in the garage to clean shovels off. Just jab the blade down into the oily sand, and you can even leave them there for extra protection and a great out-of-the-way storage place.

• Bubble wrap is great for protecting things when you have to ship or move them. That makes it perfect to line shop drawers, too. Place a piece in the bottom of the drawer and put tools on top. They won't rattle around this way.

• Painting a ceiling is hard, even with extension poles. You still have to do the cutting-in. I can't stand paint dripping down my arm while I am trying to work, but if you put a sweatband around your wrist, it will catch the paint before it has a chance to dribble down to your toes. You usually can wash the paint out, also, if you get to it quick enough.

Q. My asphalt driveway is still in pretty good shape, but during the summer it seems to give off a black residue that gets tracked into the house sometimes. How can we avoid this?

A. Well, welcome mats are a first line of defense, but if your driveway hasn't been sealed, you should seal it. Sealer is easy to apply and available at hardware stores and home centers. It should be done every couple of years to protect the driveway and seal in that black stuff.

Q. I noticed during the last bad rainstorm that water was coming in under the front door. What a mess! What can you suggest to keep this from happening?

A. Check your threshold to make sure it's attached firmly to the floor. Tighten it down if it's not. Caulking it on both sides where it attaches to the floor will help seal up even small leaks. Make sure that the door fits tightly against the threshold too. If you don't have a door sweep, that is also a good way to seal up the doorway.

Q. I have adjusted my refrigerator and freezer settings several times throughout the years but would like to set them in the correct ranges to see if they are working properly. Can you tell me what the temperatures should be?

A. The freezer temperature should be between zero and 5 F. The refrigerator part should be around 35 degrees. There usually is only one control for both, but often there is a door that can be opened up between the two to allow more cold air from the freezer into the fridge if you need to do so.

Q. I have heard that you can paint a vinyl floor. I can't afford to replace my older and very ugly kitchen floor, and would like to know how this is done. Can you tell me?

A. High-traffic areas don't really hold up very long, but a rug might help protect them. To do the floor, you need to strip any cleaner or wax away. Then remove the gloss by lightly sanding the entire surface. Use a primer to prepare the surface, then apply your paint. You should apply a couple of coats of polyurethane to protect the finish.

Reader tips

• I know how to change a tire, but it's been ages since I had to. I was traveling last weekend and got a flat tire on the side of the freeway. It was a little scary trying to change it, but it was worse because it was dark outside. I had put the rest of a roll of reflective tape in the trunk, and I was very grateful. I put some right across the back of my coat as well as the back end of my car trunk. I know it alerted drivers to my presence on the side of the road and may have saved my life. Everyone should have a small roll of this tape, because you never know when you might need it. It took only seconds to slap some on me and my car.

• Our vacuum cleaner is older and makes marks where it hits the legs of furniture around the house when it is being used. My wife asked me to see if I could do something about it, so I glued some peel-and-stick foam insulation around the edges of the vac. My wife says it works great.

• I found out that cinnamon is a great deterrent for ants. I have had ants off and on in my home for years. They gather around the pet-food bowls and the containers where I store it. I've tried everything, and nothing ever lasts very long. I just sprinkle a little cinnamon around and even inside the containers, and the ants are gone immediately. I have to reapply when it stops working, but it's not poisonous, so I feel OK about that.

• We bought a new refrigerator and had it delivered. Part of the deal was that they were to haul off the old one the same day. I decided to grab a few parts off the old one before they removed it. I took the shelves and metal drawers. I use the drawers to store things for my workshop. They're great for storing things that need a little extra protection, and I installed the shelves right on the shop wall. I may mount the drawers under the workbench but haven't figured out how to do that just yet. They would be very handy there.

• The wife and I put up wallpaper in a nautical pattern in our son's room. It looks really great, and the new furniture we ordered will look good with it, too. The edges of the paper didn't look that great though, and we looked at some borders but found nothing that would finish it off really well. We opted for some heavy-duty rope. We bought about a thousand yards of it and glued it around the ceiling, doors and windows. Now the room is perfect.

Shop talk

• The Rapid Shark may look like a regular utility knife, but if you look closer you will see that it does a whole lot more. An extra set of "jaws" cuts sheathing from cable, strips wires and acts as a small set of locking pliers. It comes with five serrated Rapid Edge blades, which have three to five cutting edges for reduced friction and longer life. If you are interested in a new and improved utility knife, check out the Rapid Shark at your hardware store or home center. For more information, visit www.rapidtools.net.

• Sanding usually is hard work, so we are always trying to find ways to make it easier. The Zip Sander is more comfortable to hold because of the special foam material it's made of. It's soft and contoured to fit your hand. The abrasive sanding sheets are easy to install because they are pre-cut to fit, and attach with the simple hook-and-loop system. Check them out at your hardware store or home center. You can also check them out online at www.zipsander.com.

• Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrell's Web site at www.thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.