How to avoid burst pipes

Recent cold snaps around the country have caused a lot of DIY'ers to have to deal with frozen pipes and flooding due to burst pipes. If your pipes are insulated, you can't do much about frozen pipes, but oftentimes, burst pipes can be prevented. Here are a few tips to help keep you from becoming another victim.

If you can beef up your pipe insulation, do so. Maybe what you have in place could be better. UL-approved heat tapes might be in order, at least until you can come up with a more permanent solution.

It might sound silly, but it's still true -- if you leave a faucet dripping, the pipes won't freeze. Sure, you are wasting a little water, but you could be wasting a lot more if your pipes freeze and then burst, so maybe on those really cold nights, you could let the faucet drip in order to prevent a freeze-up.

The reason pipes burst when the water is thawing is that the pressure builds up as the ice melts, and a weak pipe just can't take the pressure. This gets even worse when you are trying to thaw a pipe out, because you usually are applying some heat, which is making the ice melt faster. Taking your time is the best approach. You should also make sure to relieve the pressure by opening the nearest faucet.

Since most of our fixes require a heat source, be very careful not to endanger yourself when using electricity near a water source. Use a ground fault circuit interrupter -- also known as a GFCI -- power source.

To warm up a frozen pipe, you can do several different things, remembering to take it slowly. If you can safely use a heating pad, wrap the pipe in that and set it on "low" to begin thawing a frozen pipe.

You could put a heat lamp near the frozen pipe to give it a chance to warm up slowly.

If you are careful, you can use a hair dryer set on a medium or low heat setting.

You can wrap the pipe in heat tape but, again, keep it on a low setting or turn it off periodically to keep it from overheating.

You can pour heated water over the frozen pipe. Set a bucket underneath to catch the water as you pour it.

These are just a few things you can try. Be careful and cautious, and add preventive measures when you get a chance.

Smooth laminates

Here's a trick to solve a sticky situation. Gluing laminates is a little tricky because the contact cement you usually use needs to be applied to both surfaces and has to set up for a specific time before the surfaces are actually pressed together. You have to make sure when you are ready to put them together that you do it right, because after contact is made, adjusting it is practically impossible. One way to make this a little easier is to lay some plastic rope back and forth over the underlayment and then set the laminate on top. You will be able to get it lined up perfectly without the two surfaces touching. Then, when the time is right, you can start pulling the rope out, pressing the laminate in place as you go. Use a roller to smooth it out and prevent air bubbles.

Joint repair

Have you ever had a wooden joint that you just can't seem to put back together? Chairs are the worst, because of the pressure of usage. When you have a joint that won't stay glued or pinned back together, it's time to add some reinforcements. Dowels are the best way to do this. Try to drill into the joint at an angle that will go through both pieces to be joined. Use a drill bit that is the same size as the dowel, which should be about half the width of the joint. Put some wood glue into the hole and drive a dowel in. Use clamps to hold the joint for at least 24 hours. After the glue has set up, you can trim the dowel, sand it smooth and paint or stain. Most repairs should be barely noticeable and should last a long time. Some will be stronger than they were to begin with.

Super hints

• When you bring a box of powdered shop compound of some kind home, you should put it in a sealable plastic bag. You can store the plastic bag back in the original box if you want, but it will stay fresh longer in a sealed bag.

• An old flashlight is a great place to store emergency supplies for your home or car. Most are waterproof and, with the batteries removed, can hold matches, a candle and other emergency supplies.

• If you have some leftover upholstery webbing, try weaving it to create a new throw rug for your hallway. Just use a basic woven pattern and use glue or machine-baste to create a nice-looking, custom rug. This stuff doesn't cost much, and it comes in a few different colors and sizes if you don't have scraps. Check it out at your upholstery supply store.

Q. The ductwork for our heater runs through our basement. We are getting ready to insulate the area and were wondering how to deal with the ducts. Should they be insulated?

L.K.

A. Your ductwork should be insulated, whether your basement is or not. Fiberglass is the best insulation unless you are considering foam insulation. If you are doing the whole basement and have access to the inside of the walls, foam is a good product to consider.

Q. I am having trouble with my scroll saw. The blades keep breaking. I don't know what I am doing wrong. Is there a trick to using it, or am I doing something wrong?

D.M.

A. Do you still have the owner's manual? Take a look at it and make sure that you are installing the blades correctly. It also might contain some troubleshooting advice. It might be that you just need a little practice. Don't force the turns.

Q. We moved into a house that had decals on the tub floor. They have been removed, but I can't get the old adhesive off. I can still see the marks. What will remove this?

R.L.

A. Spray the marks with WD-40 and let it sit for about 30 minutes. See if the lubricant doesn't soften up the old adhesive. Then try rubbing them off with your fingers. You might have to reapply the WD-40, but it usually does a pretty good job. You can try other scrubbers, but make sure they don't scratch the surface. The plastic mesh scrubbers used in the kitchen seem to work OK too. Clean the smooth surface with soap and water to remove the WD-40.

Reader tips

• When my toilet needed work, I knew I had to drain the tank and bowl to get started. I cut the water off and flushed a couple of times to empty the tank, but plunging just wouldn't get all the water out of the bowl. I used my wet/dry shop vacuum to get the rest of the water out of the bowl and the tank too. It was fast and worked well. I even used it to clean up after I had finished working. What a great helper it was.

G.J.

• We created a storage closet for some off-season clothes. To make the closet rod, I used a section of thick-walled PVC pipe. I drilled several holes in the rod and stuffed it with cedar wood chips before putting it on the hooks. The holes let the cedar smell come out, and the whole closet smells of cedar. That should help protect our clothes in storage.

J.B.

• We have a wood-burning fireplace, and it is nice but makes quite a mess. I have to clean it out once a week, and there seems to be a lot of wasted wood that falls through the grate. I bought some heavy-duty wire mesh and have placed it over the grate for the logs to sit on. I figure that it might catch some of the larger pieces that are falling through the grate. I've only used it a couple of times so far, but it does seem to be working. More of the wood is getting burned before the ashes fall down.

L.T.

• My mud boots are OK but not insulated or very comfortable. I decided to try something a little different to improve them, and it worked. I got a foam tray that was part of the packaging of some produce I bought at the grocery store. I washed it and cut it in half and cut the pieces to fit inside the boots as inner soles. Well they really work. They are more comfortable and warmer. I like the price too!

W.N.

• My wife and I just did some work on our kitchen. We wanted to change the look without much of a budget, so we took the center wood out of the cabinet doors. Then we replaced it with screen wire for a more casual look. We replaced the old hardware with some inexpensive screen-door handles. It looks really neat, and it didn't cost us much money at all.

A.S.

Shop talk

• The Vertex Int'l Sno-Dozer Rolling Snow Shovel is a super way to shovel your walks and drives. It makes fast work of what can seem to be a never-ending chore. It's easy to use and is built tough to last. The handle is adjustable for more control, and it's almost fun to use. Look for it at home centers and hardware stores. For more information, visit www.backyardstyle.com.

• Mixing cement just got easier and a lot more fun with the Cement Solution Reusable Mixing System. Just put ready-mix cement mix and water in the heavy-duty plastic bag, close it up and rock it back and forth for a minute or so -- and you are ready to pour it out. There's no dust, no mess and not much cleanup, since you can dispose of the leftovers in the bag. The Cement Solution is widely available at a variety of stores. To learn more or to find a dealer near you, visit it online at www.thecementsolution.com.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.