Archive for the 'Home Repairs' Category
How to Spray Paint Glass, Metal and More
Blogger Anie Packman uses glossy white spray paint to transform a clear glass into an antique milk-glass replica. Photo: Marry You Me
Instructions for painting several common surfaces, including glass, metal, plastic, porcelain, ceramic, and wood.
Spray painting is one of the easiest ways to …
Home Ec: Remove Tannin-Based Stains
It’s time for the fourth and final installment of our stain-removal series: tackling tannin-based stains.
Tannins are naturally occurring vegetable dyes found in many plants, especially grape skin, tea leaves, and coffee beans. They’re responsible for that bitter, astringent taste in red w…
The Daily Fix: Remove a Broken Light Bulb
What’s worse than a broken light bulb? A broken light bulb that’s still stuck in its socket!
This happen to me just the other day. I flipped the switch on my lamp and the bulb blew. Then when I tried to unscrew the bulb, it shattered. At that point, reaching for the broken bulb with my bare h…
How to Pour Concrete
Let’s face it: concrete takes a beating. Between weather, oil leaks from the car, kids, garbage trucks and the like, eventually you will need to make a repair.
Concrete is made of cement (usually Portland cement) and other forms of crushed rock, gravel and sand. Mixed with water, concrete can…
Home Ec: How to Remove Dye-Based Stains
It’s time for our third installment in DIY Life’s stain removal series — tackling dye-based stains.
Although dye-based stains can be tricky, they’re not impossible.
Common Dye-Based Stains
Fruits and berries
Condiments (mustard, ketchup)
Ink
Jelly or jam
Color bleeding (in the was…
Moth Control, Treatment and Prevention
Getty Images
It’s frustrating to pull a favorite sweater out of your closet only to find that a moth has had a piece of it for dinner.
More accurately, an adult moth was not the culprit but its larvae — a worm-like creature not more than 1/2-inch long. Larvae require nutrition — and wool, f…
Eco-Lingo: Wastewater
From wastewater to a flourishing garden. Photos: styler*, Flickr; edible office, Flickr.
Eco-lingo is being tossed around left and right these days. We’re demystifying common terms to help you figure out which words are the real deal… and which are just green jargon.
Today’s word: Wastewate…