Quick Tips for Around the House

PIPE DREAMS

PVC pipe and fittings are lightweight, inexpensive and easy to cut and assemble. The parts are “welded” together with a simple two-step process that includes a primer and a solvent cement.

There are no special skills or tools required for working with PVC pipe, but alignment of the parts, as with any plumbing material, is critical. Solvent cement sets up almost instantly, and once it does, the joint is permanent. That’s why it’s important to dry-fit all connections before welding them together.

First, slide the fitting onto the pipe end, twist it to the correct position, then draw a line straight across the joint with a permanent marker. Pull off the fitting and spread a coat of primer onto the pipe end and around the inside of the fitting.

Follow up with a coat of solvent cement. Immediately push the fitting back onto the pipe and twist it a quarter turn until the two lines match up.

NAIL STRETCH

When you need to start a nail in a place that’s just slightly out of your reach, try this carpenter’s trick: Insert the nail between the two edges that form the hammer claw. Be sure the nailhead is resting against the base of the hammerhead and that the nail shaft is wedged into the claw.

To start the nail, hold the hammer backward--with the striking face toward you--and firmly swing the hammer to drive the nail point into the work. Turn the hammer around and drive the nail all the way in. Note that this technique only works with curved-claw hammers, not straight-claw framing hammers.

FRESH ROLLER

Next time you’re painting a room and want to take a lunch break--or even knock off for the night--don’t bother rinsing out the roller sleeve.

Instead, roll out as much of the excess paint as possible, then cover the roller sleeve in aluminum foil. Crimp the foil around the ends of the sleeve to seal out air.

If you’re not going to get back to painting for more than 12 hours or so, pull the sleeve off the roller frame, wrap it in foil and pop it into the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for as long as four days.

Take it out of the refrigerator--but don’t unwrap it--at least two hours before you’re ready to resume painting. This warmup period allows the nap to become pliable again and ready for painting.

DRIP DIVERTER

When your roof springs a leak, the wake-up call usually is a wet spot on the ceiling. If you don’t act quickly, that spot will grow and you’ll end up replacing a lot of drywall or plaster.

Don’t respond by climbing up onto your wet roof. Instead go into the attic with a flashlight to find the source of the leak. Water that finds its way in will typically seep under the plywood sheathing, hit a rafter and then run down along the bottom edge of the rafter.

To interrupt the flow of water, nail a small wood block to the underside of the rafter. Twist the block at a slight angle, then place a bucket underneath. As the water runs down the rafter and hits the wood block, it will be diverted into the bucket.

For a really heavy leak, install a second block and bucket farther down on the rafter to catch any water that gets by the first block. With the bucket in place, trace the leak back to its point of origin.

Make note of its exact position so you can locate it from outside once the rain has ended and the roof has dried out.