Here's a list of reminders, with a few tips attached, to get you on your way to completing annual chores:
- Cleaning gutters
Although this should be a quarterly project, spring is the time we most often feel compelled to clean and check out gutters. Make sure the ladder does not damage the guttering. Place a wood 2x4 that is longer than the ladder is wide inside the gutter to keep the ladder from crushing the metal or breaking the plastic. Use a bucket to place waste in. Waste scattered on the ground will damage new plants or grass. Never ever use a ladder near an electrical line.
- Painting
Wood siding and trim need to be scraped, repaired and painted to prevent damage from the summer sun and winter's dampness. Don't forget about the treated wood fence or deck. Clean and seal treated lumber with a high quality sealer. Never use a sealer that contains paraffin as a waterproofing agent. Paraffin builds up in the wood grain and can't be cleaned out. When cleaning brushes or resealing paint cans do so inside a large paper sack. The sack prevents spills and splashes from getting on everything else.
- Hammering
A nail, when struck by a hammer, vibrates back and forth in between blows. Hitting a moving target is difficult. This, along with not being very accurate, is why most nails get bent when we hit them. To prevent the vibrating nail syndrome, strike the nail with every other beat. Strike the nail head and let the hammer head lay on the nail for a split second before striking again. The pause, with the hammer touching the nail, helps stop the vibration. It is not a good idea to wear gloves while hammering. Gloves make you grip the handle harder and you'll end up with sore muscles.
- Handy nail holder
When using small nails or brads it's really easy to hit your thumb when trying to get the nail started. So instead of holding the nail between the first finger and the thumb, turn your hand over, palm side up, and hold the nail between the first and second fingers. If you accidentally hit the soft tissue of the fingers it will not hurt as badly and the chances of breaking a bone or causing a bruise are greatly reduced.
- Cricket killer
Cave crickets, also known as camel crickets, invade the home all year long, but are really prevalent in the spring. Use the following recipe to get rid of these pesky creatures.
8 oz. boric acid (powder)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 small onion
1/4 cup bacon drippings
a few drops water
Mix flour and boric acid and stir in chopped onions. Blend into creamed bacon grease and sugar. Add just enough water to form soft dough. Shape into small balls. This concoction will eat its way through waxed paper and leave a greasy residue behind, so place balls on plastic coffee can lids, aluminum foil or discarded saucers, etc. If you get the bait too thin to make balls, which is easy to do, just spoon some onto the dish. It will still work.
Place bait where crickets are likely to appear--usually in the garage, on patios, in storage barns and buildings (and sometimes they even find their way into kitchens and bathrooms). But keep bait away from pets and small children. If working bait dries out, continue to replace it with fresh bait until crickets are gone. Store excess in labeled plastic or glass container in refrigerator or freezer.
(Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home-improvement questions at PO Box 268, Evansville, IN 47702 or send him e-mail at d.barnett@insightbb.com.)
Resources American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
To locate an American Society of Home Inspectors inspector near you, call or visit the website of ASHI.
American Society of Home Inspectors
Website:
www.ashi.org
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