Building a Beginner’s Tool Kit | Ep. 74
Every homeowner needs to tackle odd jobs around the house from time to time. And eventually, as maintenance bills add up, you realize you don’t have to pay a handyman to fix some of those problems.
Think about a loose doorknob that makes you cringe — what if you didn’t have to rely on someone else to fix it? What if you could just whip out your trusty Phillips head screwdriver and have it working in 20 seconds?
Building a basic tool kit doesn’t have to be expensive — you could start with just $25 for some essential tools and add to it as the need arises. We’ll talk about the simple, must-have tools to immediately become a do-it-yourselfer. Later in the show, we’ll get more advanced, explaining the difference between a drill and an impact driver.
Listen to the Today’s Homeowner Podcast for more home improvement tips!
[2:08] Getting rid of mosquitos — what works and what doesn’t
[10:04] ‘Help! I need a beginner’s tool kit!’
[15:44] ‘My outdoor brick planter is splitting — how can I fix it?’
[19:34] ‘My tub drains slowly. We’ve tried just about everything. What now?’
[22:01] Best New Product: Frigidaire’s Gallery Front-Control Gas Range with Air Fry
[23:52] ‘What’s the difference between a drill and an impact driver?’
[27:30] Simple Solution: Spot-treat weeds with a funnel on a pump-up sprayer
[29:11] Question of the Week: ‘Paint keeps chipping off the basement floor. What can I do about it?’
Simple Solutions
Tub-Stain Remover — Mix equal amounts of cream of tartar and baking soda with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Rub the mixture into the stain, wait a half-hour or so, then rinse with water. This is great for removing stains from tubs, sinks and toilets.
Precision Spraying — A pump-up garden sprayer is great for applying weed-killing herbicides to lawns and flowerbeds, but the wide spray pattern makes it difficult to apply the herbicide with pinpoint accuracy. Solve this problem by attaching a small plastic funnel to the end of the spray wand. That’ll control the overspray and deliver the herbicide to a smaller, more concentrated area.
Question of the Week
Q: “Ten years ago, our basement was flooded a few inches deep. We ended up with some efflorescence. I removed it with a diluted 20% muriatic acid substitute. Then I scrubbed the floor with water and painted it with waterproof paint.
“The efflorescence did not come back, but the paint blistered off. I have done this a couple of times since with the same results. What am I doing wrong — or better still, what should I do?”
A: First, remove as much of the paint that’s blistering off. Then apply Drylok Extreme Masonry Waterproofer. It actually penetrates the masonry’s pores and bonds to it.