Take care of garden tools before putting them away for winter

It takes an arsenal of tools to take care of the average yard -- clippers, rakes, trimmers and hoes, just to mention a few. Most of these tools will work better if you spend a little bit of time during the winter cleaning, sharpening and lubricating them. Here are a few basics to consider.

Check out your tools. If the handles are split or damaged in some way, most can be replaced. The handles are usually held in place with a nail, screw or rivet of some kind. See if you can find a replacement and install it yourself. If not, it might be time to replace the tool.

Cleaning your tools is also very important and easy to do in most cases. Soap and water work on most tools. For rust and debris on metal tools, try some sandpaper or a steel brush.

If the tool has a blade, it should be sharpened. A Dremel or rotary tool with a sharpening blade is a super tool for putting a fresh, sharp edge on just about any tool. They are easy to use and do a great job. If you don't have one, it would be a good tool for lots of projects around the house. To get the right angle, just duplicate what's left of the existing edge. It will be helpful to clamp the tool into a bench vise, too.

If you don't want to sharpen the blades yourself, many garden centers have people they deal with on a regular basis to help you. Some blades are replaceable, so ask your tool dealer.

Don't forget to sharpen shovels. A sharp shovel blade will get the job done a lot faster.

Lubricate springs and other moving parts.

Spray all metal surfaces with a lubricant to protect them, and store all tools in a dry area where they will be protected in the off-season.

Your garden tools will last a lot longer and work a lot better when you spend a little bit of time taking care of them like this.

A little lift

You've spent the past two weekends stripping, sanding and painting the old desk and it looks great. But when you try to lift it off the dropcloth, you find that it has stuck. Has this ever happened to you? It's a common problem that has a super-simple solution. Before starting any of the "fun," drive a tack or brad into the bottom of each foot on the piece of furniture. Don't drive it all the way in -- just about halfway. Now you have small "feet" that the piece will stand on that are a little above the dropcloth. Even when you paint all the way down to the bottom of the leg, it won't stick to the dropcloth. It's a simple thing to do, takes very little time and will save you the hassle of having to touch up the paint when you peel your project off the dropcloth.

Blasting leaves

Gutter downspouts don't do much good if they get clogged with leaves and other debris. It's important to clean them out often. Of course, this is not a lot of fun, especially if you have to climb up a ladder and work from the top. One of our readers came up with the brilliant idea of using his leaf blower to blast the leaves up and out the top of the downspout. We tried it, and it worked pretty well. We forgot to pull out the strainer at the top, so we had to climb up and put it back in. If you have a strainer, remove it first. Most strainers will keep the leaves out anyway. The blast from the leaf blower was stout enough to clean ours out, and it just might work for you too.

Super hints

• Storing hoses, tools, cords and many other items can be made a lot easier with the use of cable ties. Use the cable ties to hold bunches of things together, and they will stay together until you are ready to use them again.

• It's smart to clean and store your mower away for the winter, but if you need to sharpen the blade, either wait until spring or plan to coat it heavily with grease to avoid rust in the off season.

• If you have extra stick-on address labels, apply them to tools, gadgets and other items that you lend to people. It will make it easier for the borrower to remember who to return them to later on.

Q. We have just replaced our old water heater, and it seems a lot hotter. I see that there is a setting on it, but am not sure if it should be on high or medium. How hot should our water heater be set?

P.L.

A. It's whatever feels right to you. If you can live with a lower setting, especially if you have young children and want to prevent scalding, do so. It also means that your water heater will be using less electricity or gas to heat the water at the lower setting. If your water heater is in an unheated area, like most are, you should install an insulation blanket around it.

Q. We really are tired of trying to decorate around the old pink tiles in our bathroom. Is there any way at all to paint them?

R.E.

A. It's tough, and once you do it, you can't really go back. The best stuff to use is a two-part epoxy. Klenk's Tub and Sink Epoxy is one we have used with good results. There is some acid etching required, so read and follow the package directions for the best results. The alternative is removing the tiles and replacing them, so it's worth a try.

Q. Our storm door has been in place for many years, and the screws have come loose from the door jamb. Is there any way to secure them again, or do you have any other suggestions?

V.M.

A. The best way to make a permanent repair is to replace the jamb. If you want to try to do a less drastic repair, drill out the holes and glue dowel rods into place. Once this has set up, you can drill new holes and install the hinges again.

Q. My patio is enclosed, and I am ready to put down vinyl flooring. I want to use the peel-and-stick tiles but wonder about putting them directly on the slab. Do I need to seal the slab or anything else before doing so?

H.G.

A. If the slab gets wet, either from poor drainage or condensation in the room, you will want to try to remedy that problem first. Correct the drainage or add ventilation to the room. Then you can use an adhesive made for these tiles and follow the label directions. You should be fine as long as these problems don't recur.

Reader tips

• I was carrying my third load of leaves around to the compost pile when I spotted my son's wading pool, which I had stood up against the side of the house to drain. I grabbed it and filled it with leaves, and I pulled it around to the compost pile. It held about three loads of leaves in just one trip, plus it was easy to haul. It was easy to rinse out again and store away, too.

C.T.

• I started to cut a large stir stick down to size for the smaller can of paint I was mixing when I realized that I could just as easily use a plastic knife. I always save them, and I now have a box of them in the shop. They come in handy for stirring paint and for lots of other things as well.

M.J.

• I don't have a lot of tools, but I manage to get the repairs and projects around my home done. I was trying to fix my kitchen chair and needed a mallet rather than my hammer, so I created one. I took the rubber tip off of the step stool and fit it over the face of the hammer. It was a little loose, but I wedged a scrap of cardboard between the two and got it to stay on while I hammered the chair back together. I put the rubber tip back on the stool, but I know where to find my mallet if I need it again.

J.T.

• I had a big flashlight that we took camping all the time, and I hated to replace it but had to after it stopped working. One of the things that made it so great was the fact that it was waterproof. So rather than throw it away, I took the battery and some of the other parts that were inside of it out and filled the cavity back up with some small hand tools and hardware. It's now a super handy, compact tool kit that still goes on campouts with us.

T.W.

• We have had a lot of fun this summer playing volleyball in the yard. Of course, we have taken down the net for the season, but we did something neat to make it easy to put back up again next spring. We installed some metal tubing down into the ground so it's level with the soil. We put a little concrete around the edges to hold it steady. The poles for the net slide right into the pipes. When we removed them, the pipes don't show and the yard is flat and easy to mow again. We can put it back up on a nice day too, if we ever have one!

N.H.

Shop talk

• Garbage disposals don't usually smell nice. Of course, you can clean them periodically and try to get the bad odors out, but it's not fun and the odors usually come back. Plink Garbage Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer is an easy solution, though. Just drop one ball into the disposer and let it do all the work. It was actually invented by a plumber, and it's biodegradable and safe for pipes. Look for it at discount stores, hardware dealers and home centers.

• Concrobium Mold Control is the latest product to control mold in the home. The non-toxic solution physically encapsulates the mold and fungi to stop growth. It leaves an invisible antimicrobial shield on surfaces to prevent new growth and is safe to use in the home. There is no bleach, ammonia, alcohol or acid in the formula, and it's especially effective after flooding or water damage. It can be applied with a fogger, which means you can get very good, even coverage, and it can be easily applied to many areas, including basements and garages. Look for it at your local hardware store or home center. For additional information, learn more at www.concrobium.com.

© 2007, Cowles Syndicate Inc.