HomeSpot HQ Blog

DIY Gifts under $25

Posted by Derek Smith on December 10th, 2011

With just a few critical shopping days left before Christmas, we thought it would be fun to compile a list of great affordable gifts for the Do-it-yourselfer in your household. So resist the temptation to get another sweater or pair of pajamas, and get prepared for tackling those projects around your home in 2012.

All of these gift ideas are immediately available online at www.AceHardware.com.

	Dewalt 24in 2-in-1 Power Tool Tote This is more than a tool box. The heavy duty Power Tool Tote has a removable top case for power tools and accessories. The reinforced metal handle is easy to grip and will handle up to 70 pounds of cargo. $19.99 (was $27.99)
	Dewalt 16 pc. Gold Ferrous Pilot Point Drill Bit set It’s easy to just say “I’ve already got drill bits” and pass over this item. But settling for old, dull bits is no way to make your projects go smoothly. This handy kit contains bits from 1/16″ all the way to 3/8″, and includes a magnetic bit driver guide with philips bit. The bright Dewalt yellow plastic case is compact and easy to find in your tool bag. $9.99 (was $20.99)
	Cooper Lighting Halogen Work Light (500 watt) Let’s admit it, sometimes that project we think will be done before kickoff ends up taking us well in to the night. And nothing is more frustrating than fumbling through the dark to try to find where to drive a nail or drill a hole. Enter the Cooper Lighting 500 watt Halogen Work Light! This awesomely bright work light will stand tall on its 46″ tripod, or stoop low with its quick release detach. $17.99 (was $29.99)
	Stanley Professional Top Read Aluminum Level Level and square. Two ideas that seem simple, but prove over and over again to be rare and elusive. Using this Professional Aluminum Level from Stanley will help keep your projects and pictures hanging straight. The 360 degree vials are accurate, and can be replaced if necessary. 24in – $6.99 (was $17.49) 48in – $21.99 (was $31.99)

Act now to get these great items before Christmas, but even if you miss it, these prices are good until January 1, 2012. And all orders on AceHardware.com can be shipped to your local Ace Hardware store for Free!

All of us at HomeSpot hope you have a great holiday season, and thank you for helping us in the process of improving or maintaining your home. Merry Christmas!

Critical November Home Maintenance Items

Posted by Derek Smith on November 5th, 2011

With November upon us, in many parts of the United States, homeowners have a critical window of opportunity to get their homes prepared for the colder winter months ahead. And while working on your home can so easily take a back seat to enjoying a college football game on a Saturday afternoon, these few items can be achieved quickly, but can make a big impact how comfortable your home stays this winter.

1. Check and seal drafts. An easy test to find drafts in your home is to use a “smoke test”. Using a stick of incense, trace around the inside of your doors and windows to see if and where a draft blows the smoke into your home. As you locate cracks, gaps and other points of air infiltration, mark them with painter’s tape or a small pencil mark. Then you can focus on reinforcing the seals and weatherstripping around these problem areas.

2. Schedule an HVAC checkup. The switchover from warm weather to cool weather represents a pretty significant change in how your home’s heating and air conditioning systems function. Before you get deep in to winter and have a major issue, schedule a routine check of your systems to ensure they are ready to perform through the colder months. Many HVAC contractors will offer annual maintenance programs that include both summer and winter checkups for one annual fee. I can assure you that annual fee will be far less than the cost of a service call or worse, a replacement system.

3. Reschedule your programmable thermostat. You do have a programmable thermostat, right? With the switch to heating mode, it is important to review and reset your daily program to make sure that you are not over- or under-heating your home, especially during times when you are at work or otherwise out of the house.

4. Store away hoses and tuck in faucets. Outside water spigots are highly susceptible to freezing when not prepared. Many homes (particularly in Northern climates) are equipped with specific shut-off valves just for the exterior spigot. Also, adding pipe insulation and insulated covers will help prevent freezing.

A few hours spent in November will help your home to stay warm and comfortable through the winter. As with all home maintenance items, your HomeSpot HQ account can help you keep track of your completed maintenance tasks, and remind you of what is upcoming.

How to Remove Wallpaper

Posted by ErieConstruction on October 21st, 2011

Homeowners make a lot of excuses when it comes to tearing down wallpaper. I’m tired…It will take too long…I need a bunch of stuff…What if I mess it up? For all of these reasons, people will live with old, ugly wallpaper in their homes for years! The truth is removing wallpaper isn’t so bad if you know what you’re doing. Here is my wallpaper removal strategy.

Wallpaper can be tricky business. Depending on how old the paper is and how it was applied, you may have to vary the technique. Older paper tends to be more stubborn and takes a little more elbow grease. However, you should never need to bring in any equipment, like a steamer to remove the paper. Steamers are expensive and can damage the drywall behind the paper. Not to mention, steam burns hurt!

What You Need

Tarp or sheet
Step-stool
Broad knife
Garden sprayer
DIF Ultra Concentrate
Perforator
A friend to help (This is optional, but it really speeds up the process)

Steps

This first thing you’ll want to do is spread out your tarp to protect your floors and furniture from the mess.
Use your perforator to puncture tiny holes through the wallpaper. The small holes allow the solution to soak through the paper and access the glue keeping it stuck to the wall. Run over the walls once. If you over-perforate, the wallpaper will come off in little tiny pieces that will be very hard to remove. A quick onceover will allow the wallpaper to come off in bigger sheets for quick and easy removal.
Mix the solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I prefer using DIF Ultra Concentrate. Its non-toxic, has no odor, and is VOC-free. Mix the DIF with warm water and transfer it to a garden sprayer.
Spray the solution liberally on a small section of wall (4×4). Let it hang out for 10 minutes, giving the solution time to set into the paper. Don’t get too excited and start trying to remove it before. If it doesn’t have enough time to absorb, you’ll end up fighting with the paper.
After 10 minutes, lightly spray the section again and start scraping using a broad knife. Be careful not to gouge the drywall. The paper should come off easily; you may have to put a little more effort into removing the backing paper if it doesn’t come up right away. Just give it another spray.
Repeat the process working in manageable sections until all of the wallpaper is removed. Once the paper is off, repeat the process to remove any excess glue or spots.
Wipe the walls down with a damp sponge and allow the walls to dry completely before priming.

Lining your oven can void the warranty

Posted by Derek Smith on October 11th, 2011

Consumer Reports carried an interesting story today about how
lining your oven can void the warranty.

From the article,

Lining the oven bottom with foil can void your warranty if the manufacturer advises against it in the manual or has stamped the warning on the oven cavity. This applies to gas and electric ranges. So even though reading the owner’s manual can be a snooze, we recommend it.

It is important to recognize how a seemingly simple approach to save a few minutes cleaning up after baking can have significant long term impact on the warranty coverage of your costly appliances. Most modern ovens have ‘self-cleaning’ features that eliminate the need to provide your own method for reducing the cleanup effort.

If you are baking something that you are concerned may spill over, Consumer Reports suggests putting a baking sheet on the rack under your baked item.