Get your deck ready for summer fun

Yeah! Summer will be here soon, and you'll have lots of fun with your family on your deck! Is it ready for family fun? Well, let's make sure it is. Here are a few things you can do to spruce it up without spending a lot of money or time doing so.

Cleaning it is a good way to give it a close inspection. Remove all of the furniture, pots, grill, etc. Use trisodium phosphate, TSP, to clean the surface. Just follow the label directions. A good scrub brush will do wonders. Once the surface is clean, note any areas that need to be repaired, replaced or cleaned further. Spots may need to be treated with specialized cleaners, depending upon the type of stain you are dealing with. Bleach is still the best way to remove mold or mildew stains. You can use a chemical deck brightener if you want. These make the deck look new again.

Areas that are damaged or rotting should be pulled up and replaced with matching lumber. Any screws or nails that are sticking up should be driven down into the wood.

Check under the deck, if you can, to make sure support members are still in good shape.

Also check railings and tighten them if they are loose. Make sure steps are still strong. Metal brackets can be added to these areas to give them more support. They are easy to use and don't cost much.

Get started now, and you can have your next family get-together on your deck!

Storing long boards

It can be hard to find a good place to store long boards or trim in your garage. They should be placed where they will remain dry and flat. One easy solution is to store them up against a wall. To keep them in place, attach a couple of round tubes along the wall, a couple of feet apart. The tubes can be scraps of PVC pipe, empty soda bottles with the tops and bottoms cut away or plastic plant pots with the bottoms removed. Screw them into the wall and slide the lumber in place. They will take up little room this way, and will stay safe and sound until you are ready to use them.

Ice the caulk line

Caulking is very important in many areas of the home. It can prevent air and water from leaking into and out of spaces. Putting down a bead of caulk isn't hard, but getting it to look neat does take a little practice. One way to do it is to push the caulk out of the tube into position and then smooth it out. You can use your finger, or better yet, an ice cube. The ice cube is wet, so it slides down the caulk evenly and without making a huge mess. It has a nice edge to give it a uniform appearance, and it can be thrown away -- if there's any left -- when you are finished with it.

Super hints

• When using putty on wood that you plan to stain to match, you can add the stain to the putty first. Just stir it in, or put both materials into a plastic bag and knead them together to mix. It's a faster and neater way to get the job done.

• If you hate watching paint or drywall compound dry, try using your blow dryer to speed up the drying time a little bit. Don't get it too hot or try to dry it too fast, but a little bit of air will get the job done a lot faster.

• Rust is "in." That is, a lot of rusty metal objects are being used as decorative items in the home. But rust can make a big mess in your home, so if you have a rusty piece of metal sculpture that you want to use as decor, just spray it with a couple of coats of matte-finish clear polyurethane. This won't hide the rust, but it will seal the rust and keep it from rubbing off on your tables, walls, carpeting or YOU.

Q. A large shade tree sits right over my roof and drops a lot of tree debris on my roof and house. It's sticky and messy. What can I use to remove this sticky mess that won't come off with soap and water?

J.W.

A. If it's like sap, use a solvent such as paint thinner. You really should try to cut the branches back to prevent further damage, especially over your roof area.

Q. I had a leak behind my washing machine. I didn't know for a long time and, even though it's fixed now, the sheet rock there might be damaged. How can I tell?

V.N.

A. If it's wavy, rounded or soft to the touch, it should be replaced. Mold can be a big issue, and also, insects will try to nest there. If you have any doubts, just cut the damaged area out and replace it. You don't have to do a lot of extra work since it's behind the washer, but a clean, fresh sheet of water-resistant or "green board" should be installed.

Q. My bathroom vanity is very nice, but the marble looks dull after many years of wear and tear. Is there a good way to clean it and bring the shine back to it?

R.E.

A. Check your local marble dealer for a cleaner/polish, or try a paste wax. This will remove some of the stains and bring back the shine, as well as protect the surface from future stains. Just don't use anything very abrasive on the surface.

Q. I have a large rust stain on my garage floor. It looks like it came from my car. What can I use to remove it from the concrete floor?

V.R.

A. The best cleaner for rust on concrete is oxalic acid. You can buy this at your hardware store or home center. In fact, you might look at your local grocery store and see if it carries Zud or Barkeeper's Friend. Both of these cleaners contain the same oxalic-acid compound and will work just as well. Good luck.

Reader tips

• We learned the hard way last year about overflowing air conditioners. Now we have new carpets. We put bleach down the air conditioner drain lines every month during the summer when the unit is running. I have a watering can with a long, thin spout that I use to get the bleach right into the drain line without spilling any of it. I keep it right next to the AC unit, so it's always handy, and it doesn't accidentally get used on our plants.

T.J.

• We bought a metal dolly for our last move. It was a huge help, especially since we are getting older and can't carry as much weight as we used to. The metal rails on the sides were scratching furniture though, so we fixed that. We wrapped the metal bars with foam pipe insulation. It's easy to install, and a little electrical tape is all you need to keep it in place. No more scratches, and I think the foam actually helps steady things and keep them from sliding, too.

M.N.

• Our metal patio furniture looks just as good on the new deck as it did on the old one. I cleaned it, removed the rust and gave it a fresh coat of paint. Then I looked around and finally found some rubber feet to fit onto the bottom of all of the chair legs and the table. This will protect the new deck from scratches and will keep the metal from rusting. It's like having all new patio furniture!

S.G.

• The wallpaper in our dining room looks like it is pulling apart at the seams. It's been up for about a month and looked good at first, or maybe I just didn't notice the gaps. Anyway, I sure didn't want to take it down and redo it, so I found a paint that matched the background color and just put that into the gap. Now you don't really notice the seams. It was a super-fast fix for not much cost.

N.T.

• My garage is small. We can put both cars into it, but there is no room whatsoever for any storage anywhere. I built a super shelf that is large enough to store everything, and it doesn't get in the way of the cars at all. With the car in the garage, I made a mark on the wall just above the hoods of the cars on the back wall, and that's where the shelves start. They are higher than the front of the cars and extend out over the cars' hoods. I can store my lawn equipment, tools and other items on these shelves.

P.B.

Shop talk

• Buzz Off Insect Shield Repellent Apparel and Gear is a super line of products that protect you from insects. The odorless permethrin formula is built into the fabric, and it lasts through 70 washings. It repels mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies, and comes in a very wide variety of items -- from hats to shirts to pants and even dog apparel! You can learn more about the products at its main Web site, www.insectshield.com or from many sporting-goods dealers. Check camping- and hunting-supply dealers also.

• Rubberized caulk is great for long-lasting, watertight seals, but it can have a strong, pungent odor. DAP's new Silicone Plus Premium Silicone Rubber Sealant has several advantages over regular caulk, including a low-odor, low-VOC formula. When cured, it is resistant to mold and mildew, and will not crack or shrink. Several formulas are available for kitchens and baths, windows and doors, and concrete and masonry to work with a variety of materials. You can find it at many hardware stores, paint dealers and home centers. If you would like to learn more about the products in the line, visit DAP's Web site, www.dap.com or call (888) 327-8477.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.