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Friday, May 13, 2005
  Articles on this page: • Quick Fixes: Outdoors Quick Fixes: Outdoors DYI TOOL KIT You're all moved into your first home, and you feel like you’ve arrived after a long trek through the land of mortgages, lenders, real-estate agents, open houses and paperwork. Yes, that part of your journey is over, but now you've entered a new country rife with leaking faucets, loose boards, badly hung doors, broken windows — in other words, the world of do-it-yourself home repairs. Unless you want to spend a fortune on repairs, you'd better learn how to fix those small problems yourself. And to do that, you’re going to need the right tools and materials. Home Depot has compiled a starter list for first-time homeowners that will get you through the first days, months and years of homeownership. In addition to the items shown here, Home Depot suggests you get a utility knife, a pipe wrench, a hacksaw, a square rule, vise grip pliers and a step ladder. Depending on the brand, this tool kit can be put together for about $300 to $350. And don't forget, never do any home repair work without the proper safety equipment. • Extension cord: 25 feet, $16. • Tape measure: Stanley Tools Fatmax, $20. • Pliers: 6 1/2- and 9 1/2-inch channel-lock pliers, $18. • Crescent wrench: 8-inch crescent wrench, $13. • Hammer: Stanley Tools fiberglass-handle hammer, $7. • Toolbox: Husky, 19-inch metal toolbox, $20. • Screwdriver: 4-in-1 includes Phillips and flat head, about $4. • Electrical, masking and duct tape: About $10 total, depending on size of rolls. • Stud sensor: Ryobi Tech Pro, $40. • Cordless drill kit: Ryobi 14.4-volt cordless 3/8-inch drill kit, $80. PRETTY PLASTICS If you have plastic resin patio furniture, flowerpots, toys, doghouses, sprinkling cans, milk-crate bookshelves — you name it — here's some good news: You’ve got color options. Forget those same boring shades of green, white and greige. How about a patio set in French blue and yellow? Or vegetable planters in bright "red pepper" red? Or a playhouse trimmed in a jaunty spring green? Now priced-right plastics can be stylish, too, thanks to a line of spray paint from Krylon. Fusion paints are available in 16 colors ranging from gloss white to honeydew (soft green) and buttercream (pale yellow). And there's more good news — they bond to plastic (ABS, PVC, polypropylene, polyethylene and fiberglass) without peeling and without time-consuming sanding and priming. Just point and spray on a dry, clean surface. (New or unweathered surfaces need to be wiped down with standard paint thinner first.) After 15 minutes of drying, you have clean, durable and even fashionable additions to your interior or exterior decor. If your problem is sun-faded plastics, Krylon Fusion will give them new life, too. By recycling these items with a fresh coat of paint or new color, just think of the load you're taking off landfills that are all too rapidly running out of space. In case you need inspiration, the folks at Krylon suggest using Fusion to stencil designs or letters on patio chairs or tables. Or turn ordinary pink flamingos into a band of patriotic birds by painting them red, white and blue. You can even turn old bias-ply black tires into a colorful swing or planter. Suggested retail price is $3.99 to $4.79 for a 12-ounce aerosol can. WATERING HOLE Finally, there's a pool and spa in your back yard. Now, how do you make them look like the lush tropical oasis of your dreams? You'll find plenty of inspiration in "Pool Scaping" by Catriona Tudor Erler (Storey Books, $21.95). Erler, a resident of Virginia and the author of eight garden titles, has ideas for rejuvenating existing pools as well as tips for features like waterfalls and lighting that will enhance new construction. Plus there are many suggestions for landscaping, whether you're planting a border or confined to containers. Helpful plant lists give options for privacy hedges, windbreaks and all-white gardens that glow at night. An extensive plant list at the end of the book looks at some poolside favorites, ranging from old-fashioned geraniums to trendy ornamental grasses. Erler also devotes chapters to lighting, showing how innovative fiber optic and rope lights can add drama and beauty, and to outdoor kitchens, the latest must-have addition to poolside living. Plenty of practical how-tos on everything from container planting to cushion care make this a valuable addition to the home-improvement bookshelf. NO CRACKED POTS Worried your heavy hanging pots could come tumbling down? With the average empty 8-by-10-inch terra-cotta pot weighing from 3 to 4 pounds, even a small pot can be hefty when filled with dirt and plants. So why not keep the plants, but change to a lightweight foam or fiberglass pot? They're pretty and almost indistinguishable from their heavier cousins, except in weight. An 8-by-10-inch foam or fiberglass pot weighs approximately 12 ounces, making it a much safer substitute for terra-cotta. Or why not keep your plant in the plastic container from the nursery, and put a handmade basket around it? "Making Creative Baskets" by Jane La Ferla (Lark, $12) shows how to make baskets from cereal boxes, ribbon, telephone wire, twigs and other interesting materials. Add an inexpensive macrame hanger and you've got a plant holder and a conversation piece — but a light one!  RETURN TO TOP |
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