Update the look of your house with new exterior lights

A dated exterior light fixture can give your whole home a dated look. But updating it is fairly easy. Here are the basics.

When choosing a new fixture, design is very important, but there are other things to consider. It would be great if you could find a fixture that is motion- or light-activated so that it would turn off and on automatically. This would save you energy. Also, a fluorescent or LED fixture uses less electricity.

If your new fixture doesn't have these features, you might be able to install them in the form of a light- or motion-sensing bulb base. These are available in a variety of sizes that might fit inside your fixture. Check your home center or hardware store, or a lighting-supply store.

Turn the circuit off at the main breaker box. You can use a circuit tester to make sure the power is off. Remove the mounting hardware. The wiring needs to be removed next. To disconnect the wiring, remove electrical tape that is covering the connections, then unscrew the wiring nuts.

The new fixture goes up in a similar way. Make your wiring connections first. Start with good, clean exposed wires. You can cut off the ends of the old wiring if it is damaged and expose new wires with a wire stripper. Then twist the wires together and secure with a wire nut. To test the wire nut, pull it away from the connection. If it comes off, try again. Wrap all connections with electrical tape for an extra measure of security.

Install the mounting hardware. If the fixture doesn't fit tightly against the side of the house, you may want to run a bead of silicone caulk around the edges. This will prevent moisture from causing problems inside the lamp.

If you are unsure of your skills, hire someone to do this, but knowing how it's done should give you some guidance as to cost and supplies needed.

Foam stops rattles: Have you ever run across a water-supply line that moves within a wall? These can rattle and make other racket. Sometimes they just don't get anchored when they are installed - this is fairly common, especially with shower-supply lines. One easy fix would be to stick the hose of your expanding-foam can into the hole and blow some insulation in. Probably the best-known brand is Great Stuff. It expands when it gets into the wall cavity and will fill the areas around the pipe and keep it from moving. You can do this in your basement, too. It's simple to do and works great!

Flatten your flooring: One of the easiest ways to give your floors a new look is with peel-and-stick vinyl tiles. They come in a wide variety of designs and are extremely easy to install. About the only thing that occasionally happens to them is that a corner might start peeling up. If you heat the tile with a hair dryer or place some aluminum foil over the corner and use a warm iron to heat it, this will reactivate the adhesive, and you just press the flooring back down. Next, set heavy books or bricks on top of it to keep it down for a few hours. This also works on other vinyl flooring and glued carpet floors. Sometimes the adhesive will need to be reapplied, but in many cases, this will do the job.

Super hints

• If you have large planters outdoors on your patio or around your yard, you know that you probably can't move them when they get loaded up with soil and planted. But if you mix some leftover foam packing material in with the soil, they won't be nearly as heavy. It also helps displace some of the soil, which can get costly in an oversize pot.

• When you have a big liquid spill to clean up in a hurry, grab what most moms grab - a diaper. We are told how super-absorbent they are and how they can soak up a lot of liquid, so why not use them for other wet messes? We do.

• I keep circular-saw blades protected simply by placing them between two pieces of cardboard and then wrapping rubber bands around the whole thing. You can cut several pieces of cardboard at one time. I like the corrugated cardboard, but you can use whatever you have. It's also a good idea to write the blade type and the number of teeth on the outside so you don't have to open it up to find the right blade. This keeps the blades from being damaged and from cutting you accidentally.

• If you are tired of trying to pry off a paint-can lid that is stuck with dried paint, try placing a piece of plastic wrap over the rim of the paint can before pushing the lid back down. The plastic won't cake up, and the lid will come off a lot more easily.

Q. I've cleaned out the garage and now want to remove the oil spots on the driveway. What will help me get these spots off?

A. Saturate the stains with mineral-spirits paint thinner to dissolve the oil, and then cover with clay cat litter, sawdust or some other absorbing material. Allow it to soak up the mess overnight, and then sweep or vacuum it away.

Q. I have stock miniblinds around my home, and some are longer than they need to be. Is there a way to shorten them?

A. Many of these blinds can be shortened. Usually the cords run down through the blinds and attach together at the bottom. If you can see where they attach or can expose the area where they connect together, then you might be able to untie them, remove the extra slats and then connect the cords back together again. If you can see the brand name of the blinds, you might be able to call up its Web site and get support for doing this.

Q. What a mess! We bought a new door mat for our front door, but when we pulled the old one up, the concrete was dark and stained. How can we clean this up?

A. If the stains are mold, you should be able to use bleach on them. TSP, or trisodium phosphate, also is a good cleaner for concrete surfaces. A power washer might do the trick. It might be a good idea to apply a clear water seal to the concrete when you do get it clean to help prevent future moisture damage under the mat.

Q. Our basement has metal columns right in the middle of it, and we are trying to convert it to a game room. Can these be removed?

A. These support columns are part of the structure, so they can't be removed. But you can enclose them in a better-looking way. Check your building-supply store for columns that can be placed over the existing columns, or create your own from wood. Enclose the sides, and then trim out the bottom and top.

Reader tips

• I found a super way to clean my oven. You'll love this. I put one-quarter cup of ammonia and 2 cups of water into a large baking pan. Do this just after you have finished baking something and the oven is still hot. Leave it overnight, and the liquid cleaner will condense on the sides of the oven and melt the stuff off. You will be able to easily wipe the walls clean in the morning. It's so much easier than scrubbing, and it's less expensive than the commercial oven cleaners.

• I used angle iron to create some simple shelves in my storage room and had some leftovers. I found a great use for them. I attached one on each side of my workbench and, since it had holes drilled all the way down the side, I just stuck my screwdrivers into the holes. Now they are within easy reach when I am working. It's so convenient.

• I have a toolbox, but it's large and heavy, and I find that I don't use it that much because it's so hard to drag around. I took my son's old gym bag, cleaned it out and use it for a tool bag. It's small enough to carry around easily but holds most of the tools I need to do projects or repairs. It's tough and water-resistant, too.

• My drill came in a great case with extra room for the batteries inside, but that's about all it will accommodate. There is no place for hardware, other tools or even any drill bits or screwdriver bits. I have to keep a separate case for those. My solution is genius, I think. I got some epoxy glue and just glued the drill caddy right to the side of my drill case. Now everything is all together. It's so convenient this way.

Shoptalk

• Those of you with allergies or those who have family members with allergies will appreciate PollenTec allergen-blocking window screens. There is a full line of screens for windows, doors and other applications. The special material that these screens are made of will block a wide variety of pollens, including 90.9 percent of ragweed and 100 percent of grass pollens, yet allow fresh air to freely flow into your rooms. If you are interested in more information, please go to www.pollentec.com and check it out. Ordering is open to both consumers and contractors.

• Safest Stripper from 3M is a super way to remove old paint and varnish from surfaces in and out of your home. It is a nontoxic formula, and it's so safe that you don't even have to wear gloves to use it. It's biodegradable, has no fumes or dangerous chemicals in it, and is safe enough to be washed down your house drain. It also works great, and the thick liquid is perfect for vertical surfaces. It is available in several sizes at your paint store, home center or hardware store. To learn more, visit the company online at www.3m.com.

• 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.