Getting your lighting on track is easy with these tips

Replacing a ceiling-light fixture can be very easy if you plan to put up a similar style of ceiling fixture. But you do have other options.

You might consider track lighting as an alternative. The advantages are that you can have multiple lamps on one fixture that are directed toward specific areas of the room. Some fixtures allow you to choose a variety of lamps to install on one track, and some fixtures use alternative bulbs that can save you money to operate.

You must turn off the power to that fixture at the circuit-breaker box or electrical panel in your home. Then just loosen the screws that hold the fixture in place so you can get to the wiring first. Use a tester to confirm that the power is off. Then remove the electrical tape and wire nuts, and disconnect the electrical wiring from the old fixture. Remove it completely and set it aside.

Your new track-light fixture normally will hook up to the house wires very easily. The mounting bracket will be installed first, followed by the wiring connections. The individual lamps may already be attached, or in some cases will be installed after the connections are all made.

Before climbing down from your ladder, direct the lights to the proper areas of the room.

This is a good time to add a dimmer switch to this fixture if one is available.

Now turn the power back on and give your new lights a test. Make any adjustments needed, and enjoy the new look in your room.

Toothbrushes to tools

If you run across one of those wall-mounted toothbrush/cup holders, grab it and install it on your stepladder near the top step. The slots for the toothbrushes are perfect for holding a variety of screwdrivers at your fingertips, and with a cup in the holder, you can store hardware and other items, too. If you remove the cup, you might even be able to hang your hammer in the large slot. It's a super add-on for a plain stepladder.

Protect garden hoses

• Storing garden hoses away in the garage or shed for the winter is a good idea. It protects them from freeze damage. If you coil them up for storage, screw the ends together once they are coiled. This will keep pests and debris out of them, and can even help keep them coiled up when stored.

Super hints

• Leftover Bubble Wrap can make a great insulation material for doghouses, sun porches, sheds and even garages. You can wrap outdoor faucets and pipes with it, and even add another layer of insulation to your windows.

• Leftover paint, construction materials and things like this often can be donated to local charities that will use them to help the needy make repairs to their homes. Habitat for Humanity and other similar organizations even have stores where you can buy some of these items.

• Candles add a lot of mood to a room, but having to dig them out of the candleholder when they have burned down to a stub can ruin all of that. There is a quick and easy way to avoid this. If you put a drop of water into your candleholder before putting the candle in, it will not stick and will come out easily.

Q. My neighbor told me to unclog my air vents on the roof to help our sink drain better. What in the world is he talking about? I didn't want to seem like a fool by asking, but now I wish I had. Can you explain this to me?

A. An example of what happens within your plumbing system would be similar to what you would find with a drinking straw and a drink. If you put the straw into the liquid and then put your finger over the top of the straw, cutting off the air to the straw, when you pick the straw up out of the liquid, it stays in the straw. If you remove your finger and allow air into the straw, the liquid will quickly drain out. Your household drain system has a series of vents sticking up through your roof at various locations that allow air into the drain lines to help them drain more efficiently. Leaves, bugs and other debris can get into these stacks and clog them. If they become clogged, then they will no longer drain properly. It's a good idea to clear them once a year or more often. You can do this with a plumbing snake or even a garden hose. Just stick it into the vent and, in the case of the hose, turn the water on to push the clog out.

Q. I try to keep my kitchen clean but am finding a lot of tiny, black gnats there. I have no idea where they are coming from or what I can do to get rid of them. Do you have any suggestions?

A. Usually these small gnats are drawn to excess moisture and food. Make sure you don't store fresh fruit or vegetables out in the open. Another thing to check would be your sink drain. Make sure you keep it clean. Potted plants that are too moist also can be a great place for these pests to hang out, so make sure water isn't standing in the pot or tray on the bottom.

Q. The floor in our basement is damp. I have no idea if the problem is coming from the inside or the outside. How can I tell?

A. There is a very simple test you can do to determine where the problem is originating. Just dry the floor with a hair dryer or wait until a day when it is dry and tape a piece of plastic over the surface, sealing around all the edges. Leave it overnight and check it the next day. If the moisture is under the plastic, then you know it's coming up through the floor. If the moisture is on top of the plastic, then you know you need to try to cut down on the humidity in the room. Good luck.

Reader tips

• I'd been pretty lucky and not gotten stuck in the ice we've had lately. But my luck ran out last weekend on my way home from the grocery store. Fortunately, I had bought a bag of cat litter, and I spread it around my tires to get more traction. It worked, and I made it home. I had only half a bag of cat litter left, but that's enough to last until the ice melts!

• I was sure that our toilet was losing water from the tank into the bowl, but I never could hear or see anything to prove it, just the occasional "phantom" flush. But I wised up and poured a little blue food coloring into the toilet tank to make the water blue. In a very short time, I checked the bowl and could see that the blue water was coming down into the bowl. Once I could tell for sure, I was able to make some adjustments and fix the problem.

• I'm not a super handy mom like you are, but I do have a tip to pass along to you and your readers. I had a bad clog in my shower and was able to get the drain cover off but couldn't loosen the clog, even with my trusty plunger. I got the wet/dry shop vacuum out, put it on "wet" and sucked the clog out of the drain. It was gross but it worked. I've used this same way of unclogging a sink drain as well, and got the same great results.

• Our landscape lights were a breeze to install, and they look great. They came with some wonderful wire-nut connectors for joining the wires together. They were made for exterior use and had a dab of grease or some other gel inside to keep the moisture out once connected. I ran out of the supplied connectors, so I created my own from ordinary wire nuts, with a dab of silicone caulk added to each one. It really does seem to work, and we have had no outages.

• Right before we left, we "customized" our luggage with duct tape. We wrapped a wide strip around each of our matching black suitcases before checking them at the airport. Our plain black luggage easily stood out at baggage claim, and we were the first out the door and easily got a cab, while others probably had to wait. It might look better with another color of tape or some other markings, but at the time, we didn't have anything else to use, and it worked just fine for us.

Shoptalk

• Whether you are vertically challenged, have tall ceilings or are afraid of heights and don't want to climb a stepstool, you'll love the PikStik. The PikStik is an all-purpose reacher that allows you to reach items on tall shelves without stretching or climbing on stools or chairs to get to it. The trigger handle controls a grabber at the end of the tool that securely holds the item you are reaching for. The line also includes the TelescoPik, which extends to reach even farther; the TrashStick, which skewers garbage to be picked up so you don't have to touch it; and the PikStik Pro. The PikStik line is sold at a variety of stores and online, and you can find out more about this clever gadget by visiting the company's Web site, pikstik.com.

• We recently ran across a paint additive that we wanted to tell you about. Koolcoat, available in several different-size containers, easily can be added to paint - interior or exterior - to add an additional insulation value comparable to R-20 to your home. It's a liquid, so your paint will go farther, too. It also reflects up to 98 percent of harmful UV rays. The nontoxic, chemically stable ceramic microspheres easily blend into most paints, and the only way you'll know it's there is when you get your heating or cooling bill. To find out more about this product, how it works and where you can find it, go to the company's Web site at koolcoat.com and check it out.

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

© 2010, Cowles Syndicate Inc.