With the infallible tricks of the DIY experts and their tactics to always have the tools ready, there are no more excuses for not repairing or fixing things around the house yourself. In fact, it will be so easy and simple that it does not surprise you that DIY ends up becoming one of your favorite hobbies.
The best kept secrets of the professionals
- Loosen a screw. If you cannot remove a poorly fitted screw, wet its head with hydrogen peroxide; and in case of being rusty, with turpentine or cola. Leave it to act for a few minutes and you can loosen it without difficulty.
- Screw effortlessly. Screws sometimes resist going where they should. Smear them with Vaseline and you will introduce them without problems. The same trick works with nails.
- Fix the screwdriver. To prevent the screwdriver from slipping, as it usually does, rub the tip with chalk before you get to work.
- Nail without cracks. Before hanging a mirror or heavy painting, mark the spot with a cross of masking tape. Place the nail in the center of the mark, then slowly remove the tape. And if you want it not to move, drill through the hole in a spool of thread leaning against the wall.
- To drill a tile. Holes right in the center of the tile: this is where they take the cement; the rest could be hollow and break right away.
- Nail in plaster. The walls of this material usually chip when putting a nail. You will avoid this if you first immerse it in boiling water and stick it while still hot.
- Mark the position of a square. Wet the tip of a finger and press the place on the wall that you have chosen to hang the painting. The wet fingerprint marks the exact spot to put the nail. It dries and disappears without a trace.
Clara trick
So that no dust falls when drilling
Tape an open envelope just below where you will drive the drill so that the powder falls inside.
- Stationary pictures. To achieve this, simply wrap some adhesive tape in the center of the nail that holds the painting or in the four corners of it, then pressing it against the wall.
- Fill without a trace. To fix holes in veneer doors or cracks in walls, it is best to fill them with newspaper before placing the plaster or putty.
- Polish the sanding. Put a nylon stocking on your hand and gently rub the surface. It will be the most effective formula to detect the areas that have been rough.
- Saw effectively. Run the edge of the saw through a bar of dry soap. The tool will slide easily and the cut will be more uniform.
- Cut veneered wood. Plywood or hollow wood splinters easily. To avoid this, stick an adhesive tape on the part where you will begin to saw.
- Revarnish or polish the parquet. If you just want to shine and cover scratches, use a varnished parquet renovator (it does not need stabbing, that is, the varnish layer does not have to be removed first). But if you are going to varnish the room, you do have to sand with fine sandpaper and clean the dust. Then give a primer; dilute it with 5-10% water: it will penetrate better and there will be fewer bubbles. Let it dry for 20 hours and pass a fine sandpaper in the direction of the grain. Vacuum and apply 2 or 3 coats of varnish, leaving 24 hours between one and the other.
- Eliminate dripping from a faucet. Remove the handle (close the stopcock first) and clean the cartridge filters and the aerator (the part where the water comes out) with a brush and water. They may have been clogged by lime. If the cartridge is clogged inside, it pays to change the tap.
Clara trick
varnish stains
If your wall gets stained when you varnish doors and windows, you can remove the varnish by applying a glass-ceramic cleaner. Wait 5 minutes and wipe.
Tools and materials always ready
- Tools that do not open. When we have not used pliers, tongs or garden shears for a long time, it is sometimes difficult to open them again. If you soak the stuck tool in a container of vinegar overnight, you can open it the next morning without any problem.
- Fight rust. We usually store tools in damp places. To keep them in perfect condition and protect them from rust, it is best to hang them on a nail on a wooden board and smear them every six months with cooked linseed oil.
- Pliers and pliers in good condition. Grease, accumulated dust or rust can damage them. To restore their appearance and look like new, clean them with a toothbrush dipped in alcohol and lubricate them by leaving them in olive oil for one night.
- Hammer like new. Avoid getting covered in rust by soaking a frosted cloth in oil and rubbing it until it regains shine. If the iron head does not fit well, put it in cold water for about 10 minutes and you will see how it is solved.
- Perfect brushes. Before using a brush, ensure its resistance by immersing it for 1 or 2 hours in a container with vinegar.
- Keep the sandpaper. Lightly moisten the back and wrap it around a wooden dowel or cardboard tube. This way it will last much longer and sand better.
