Easy tips for creating your own island oasis in the kitchen

A kitchen island might not be your idea of paradise, but it could create an oasis in your kitchen, and it can be fairly easy to make.

You could use pre-made cabinets or even furniture. You want to measure the area and make sure that you can easily walk around whatever you want to install in the center of your kitchen.

If you want to be able to move it, just add casters. Use the type that has locks on the wheels so it will be stable when you need it to be.

You also should try to make it the same height as your existing countertops.

Consider what you plan to use it for when choosing cabinets or drawers.

The top of the unit might be the hardest thing to decide on. If you want to match the rest of your countertops, you may have to do some shopping around. Or you could use a different type of material. If you like granite but don't have any yet, this might be a way to add some without a huge expense. Butcher block is another popular option. Most materials can be added to a piece of furniture if you are going that route.

If you really are experienced, you might be able to add plumbing or electricity to the island, but make sure you check your local codes to make your installation safe.

If you have overhead lighting, you may want to upgrade that as well. A standard overhead fixture could be changed to a track-lighting system or pendant lamp to showcase your new island.

The extra storage and work surface could be paradise for you and your family, so dive right in!

Share the load: Ladders are very handy tools that allow you to get to areas you can't reach by standing on your tiptoes. But if your ladder is sinking in your flower bed or wet grass, it can be challenging and even dangerous. A couple of scraps of two-by-four can help you stay on top of things. Just use clamps or screws to attach the lumber, cut a little longer than the width of the rungs, to the bottom of the legs. This will spread the load across the wood, and will take the pressure off the feet and keep you from getting "that sinking feeling."

Cinch it with a belt: When you have to glue a frame back together or repair a chair that needs to be clamped tightly, a set of band clamps or bar clamps sure would come in handy. But many of us don't have these handy tools. You can use a good belt, though - no, not a shot of whiskey, but an actual belt. As tightly as you can, tighten the belt around the object to be held together. You also can place rags, shims or some other item into the belted area to make it even tighter.

Super hints

• I have a set of copper-bottom pans that I've had for almost 25 years. They don't look as good as they once did, but I can shine them up when I take the time. I don't really like polishing, so when I can find an easy way to do that, I'm all over it. Ketchup spread over the copper and allowed to sit for a few minutes before being rinsed off will make your copper look brand-new.

• Store rolls of electrical, duct and other tape on a tabletop paper-towel holder. Keep it handy right on your workbench. These are easy to come by at discount stores or even garage sales.

• Rust is no problem if you have a little vinegar around the house, as most of us do. Just use vinegar straight from the bottle to dissolve rust on many surfaces. Wear gloves to protect your hands.

Q. Our den is open all the way up to the roof of our two-story home. It seems like the room is always cold in the winter, and I am wondering if there is some way to get the heat that is up at the ceiling level down into the living area. Do you have any suggestions?

A. If you have a ceiling fan up there, it really would help: The circulation would move the air back down into the room. Other options would be to add more vents to the room, or even a heated floor.

Q. My patio has some small cracks in the surface, and I want to patch them before they get too much worse. The surface is an exposed aggregate that is going to be hard to match. Do you have any suggestions?

A. Darken the patching compound with lampblack, or lighten it with chalk dust. Concrete dyes also might work. Or, see if you can locate an exterior caulk that will match. A paint store might have a wider selection if you have trouble locating the right one. If you can find matching aggregate and you need to add some to cover the caulk, press it into the caulk before it sets up.

Q. I have found several places where gutters are pulling away from the house. I don't want to have to take them down but would like to add to the supports to keep them up longer. What would you recommend?

A. Just examine your guttering system carefully, then check out your options at the hardware store. There are some hangers that can be installed on existing gutters that won't require you to take the whole run down.

Q. My wet bar needs a new floor. The vinyl flooring still is in good shape - it's just ugly. Can I put a new floor right on top of it?

A. As long as the current flooring is sound, you can put a new surface on top of it. Check with the dealer to see which type can best be laid over an existing floor. The new floor will be at a different level than the adjacent floor, so you may need to install a transition strip of some kind, but that should be fairly simple.

Reader tips

• My wife asked me to install a dozen cup hooks in our hutch to hold all of our coffee cups. What fun. Getting them started was the hard part, but I found a great way to screw them in all the way with little effort (the best way to do things). I placed a short dowel into the center of the hook and used that as a handle to screw the hook all the way in. It was much easier on my hands, and I got them all done in time for the game.

• I see what you mean about removing wallpaper. It was a real chore. Apparently ours had been put up many years ago, and it was really hard to get down. Hot water worked better than anything else, and we added liquid fabric softener to the water and got even better results. My wife explained the chemical reasons why it worked. I was just glad to get some results!

• I found out that you can make a tabletop fountain out of just about anything. If you have a small water or fountain pump, you can place it into a bowl, pot or some other container that won't leak, fill it with rocks, marbles or any other waterproof items, add water to the container and turn on the pump. You can really get creative if you just think about it. I made a great fountain for our sunroom out of an old watering can and some colored marbles. The sound is pleasant, and it looks great.

• When we cleaned out the garage, we had a lot of tools, hardware and even some paint. Some items clearly were donations for resale, but others were not. We did a little research and found a local charity that helps families in need rebuild their homes and make repairs. They were so happy to accept our leftover paint, solvents and home-repair items. We liked working with them so much that we have signed up to help them on a regular basis with actual repairs. I guess we both came out on the winning end of this cleanup!

• A while back, I replaced the shower head in our bathroom, and my husband showed me how to use Teflon tape to help get the best seal on the threads of the pipe. I found out that you also can use it to help seal other threaded joints, like the ones on jars and bottles. You wouldn't want to use it on jars you open every day, but things that are stored away for a long time will stay in better shape if they are sealed with this tape. It helps me save money by allowing me to buy larger quantities of things and then be able to store them safely until I am ready to use them again. I keep a small roll inside the house now so I can have it handy when I need it.

Shop talk

• Expanding foam insulation is a great product, and the easy-to-use dispenser cans make it great for homeowners and do-it-yourselfers. Now you can buy Soy Seal. The soy-based product is very environmentally friendly and uses Agrol, a 96 percent pure bio-polyol, instead of a petroleum product, like most others use. It's great at filling gaps around plumbing and gas lines, small, uninsulated spaces and many other areas around the home, and can really save you money on your energy bills. To learn more about the product or find a dealer near you, call the company at (800) 803-5189 or visit its Web site at www.soyseal.net.

• 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.

© 2009, Cowles Syndicate Inc.