On the Wire - Snuff Out Smoke Odors
Every year, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout® by smoking less or quitting for the day on the third Thursday of November, falling this year on November 16th. The event challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good. When taking a look at your home, there are several things you should consider "extinguishing" as well to make your healthy new habits stick.
• Wash clothes, drapes and rugs to eliminate smoky odors
• Get rid of all ashtrays, lighters and cigarettes
• Have carpeting professionally cleaned
• Change air filters
• To eliminate odors in the walls, prime your walls with an oil-based primer to eliminate the smoky smell throughout your home before you paint
If you take the deep cleaning route, make sure you choose products designed to address tough odors, like smoke. Primer can be a former smoker's secret weapon. An oil-based primer, like KILZ Original, can kill the smell of smoke with just one coat, where regular paint or water-based primer doesn't have the ability seal in the odor. Check out www.kilz.com for more info.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Cheap Tricks for Cool Kitchens
This week’s question comes to us Patti in Greenfield, Indiana. “My husband and I live in this old brick home that was built in 1950. I love this old house but boy do we have a lot fixing up to do and very little cash. In my kitchen I have pine cabinets which are fine but the counter top is not. We can not afford a new one. Do you have a trick for me that came give it a lift?”
There are lots of things you can do to update the look of a kitchen that won’t involve a lot of cost. If your top is laminate, it can be re-laminated with a new layer. To do so, you’d first have to remove the top and probably disassembled the backsplash. We did this some time ago to a kitchen in a condo and it came out great. You’d have to be a pretty handy person to handle this on your own, but it is not terribly difficult. Another possibility might be to tile over the old top. Again, not difficult or costly with a little know how and the right tools. For a good overview of other ways to spruce up a kitchen without breaking the bank, read our column Cheap Tricks for Cool Kitchens.
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
- Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.
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On the Air - Generator Safety
If you have a back-up generator to help you outlast winter’s worst storms, you are being smart. BUT, are you using your generator safely? On the Money Pit radio show, we’ll hear from one of the testers at Consumer Reports about generator safety, along with his pick for which back-up generators passed the CR test. To find out where you can listen to The Money Pit, click here.
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Dot Common Sense - Don't Nail It!
Here’s a quick tip from the folks at Simonton Windows. Never insert nails or screws in the interior or exterior of a window frame to hold up holiday decorations or lights. Window frames should never be tampered with or they can lose their ability to function properly. There’s also the chance that something inserted in the frame could compromise the energy efficiency of the window or even puncture the waterproof channel of the frame.
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Fun Fact - Watch Your Step
Getting ready to put up holiday lights? Just watch your step. Worn or improperly used ladders cause more than 150,000 emergency room visits each year. To stay safe, make sure your ladder has slip-resistant rungs and feet. Inspect it for cracked uprights, split rungs or loose rivets. When using an extension ladder, make sure the bottom is pulled away from the wall by at least one quarter of the height you need to work at and never stand on the top rung of any type of ladder.
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Short Cuts - Strip Tease
So you're raring to repaint outside woodwork, but have several layers of old paint to deal with first? It's no problem to strip that paint without getting caught in the cold. Stripping old paint from woodwork gives best start for a smooth finish. But strippers are caustic and smelly right? Wrong! New water-based strippers are much easier to work with and effective. After applying, cover the area you're working on with plastic sheeting. This prevents the stripper from evaporating too quickly and helps do a better job removing the paint.
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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