Let's clean a gutter...

Cleaning a guttr(s) is not difficult. You must have a steady ladder and a helper. The helper simply needs to hold the ladder for safety.

Have a bucket and a scraper or scoop, so you can clean out the gutter. Most of the time the only things you will find inside the gutter are leaves and bird nest. I have run across a gutter which was full of dirt to the point weeds were growing there. This should never happen. When your gutters are clogged you risk having water go back into your house causing damage to your walls. In the cold weather these dirty gutters create ice dams which then cause leaking into the house. So, save yourself a whole lot of trouble by cleaning your gutters.

Place the ladder securely under the area of the gutter where you are going to begin. While your helper is holding on to the ladder, go up the ladder with your bucket and scoop. Look into the gutter and clean as needed. Move across the gutter until done. Once you have finished, place ladder close to the downspout, with a garden hose, run water down the downspout to insure it is flowing freely.

Now you can relax since you know water will run down the gutter into the downspout and away from your house.

If you are afraid of going up a ladder, then don't do it, hire someone, or find a willing friend to help.

Using a screwdriver vs. a power drill/driver...

I really enjoy using my drill/driver. It has saved me a lot of time and saved my hands from using a standard or phillips screwdriver. There are times however when it is not a good idea to use a power driver. Some finished wood or hardboard furniture, the type you assemble at home, should not be assembled using a power driver, unless you can adjust the torque so that it will not split the wood. Many of the makers of such furniture will void the warranty if they suspect you used this method to assemble the product and thereby ruined it. On solid wood you can easily make use of these tools. Be mindful however, that if you are screwing the screw at a very high rate the screw may travel further than required and perhaps ruining the board. So be patient, let the power of the screwgun do the job. Don't add too much pressure once the screw has caught. I always recommend drilling a pilot hole slightly smaller in diameter than the screw you are going to use. You will find that doing this really makes the job easier and cleaner. Remember when drilling, also let the power of the drill do the job. Adding extra pressure only causes the drill to heat up and the bit has a greater chance of breaking, which can cause injury. When not sure if a cabinet or whatever you are assembling is wood or particle board, use the old fashin screwdriver, it will take a little more work and time, but chances of ruining the item are reduced. As a side note: when using particle board I always like to apply a bead of wood glue to all the joints, this seems to make the finished product a little more sturdy.

So, enjoy using your cordless drill/driver, and take all precautions and your projects will look great.

Replacing a door...

It sounds like a big job, but it really is not. Let me tell you how I changed my service doors on my garage. Yes, I did say doors, I don't know why but when this garage was built, they installed two 30'' doors as service doors. In case you have not heard them called by this name, that is how I learned to call the doors or door of a garage which are meant to be used by the humans, as you know the other door is the overhead door. Well, the doors on my garage had seen better days. They were beyond repair. So I decided I would replace them. I originally thought of using metal doors but then when i went to the Homedepot, I saw these man-made fiberglass doors with the raised panel design. I figured I would give them a shot. Instead of the old cardboard or particle board core, these have a foam core. The doors are super lightweight. So I bought these. I first took a good look at the existing doors to make sure they opened and closed properly and then I removed the hinge pins from one of the doors. I put the new door on it's side and then placed the old door next to it. I wanted to check the width and length of both doors. The new doors were about 1 inch longer. So I marked it and had my son cut the excess off. I then marked where the hinges would go on the new door by placing the doors next to each other where the hinge would go. I marked the section and then I removed the hinge which was on the old door and since it was in excellent condition I installed it on the new door. I did this for both hinges and since I had just removed the pins from the other part of the hinge, the other half of each hinge was still on the existing door jamb. I carried the door to the jamb and fit the hinges into place and placed the pins back in. This door was hung. Now I proceeded to remove the other door and do the same as with the previous one, My son cut the excess length off and then I placed the hinges on the new door. I carried this door to the door jamb and installed the hinges and pins in place. This door was now hung also, but it was about 1/2'' to wide. I did not want to shave this much wood off with a wood plane. So I marked the door and had my son cut the excess width from the door. As you may have figured out I did remove the door to do this procedure. Now I carried the door back and hung it on the jamb. Both doors were done. They looked pretty good. A far cry from the old ones. Since these doors meet at the center, I placed a one inch by 3/4 inch board on the outside of the door which was not going to have the door knob to seal the gap between the doors when closed. Since I have never used this type of door outdoors before, I decided to coat all the sides and corners with a pol-acrylic clear spray to protect the doors from the rain and snow. I then painted the doors the same color as the overhead door. Just as a security measure I sprayed the painted surface with the same protectant. It is clear so you can't even tell it is there. I think they will hold up well. I will speak on installing the lock in another post.

Get 'er done...

If there is anything you need to get done outside of your house or in the garage or even on the car, do it now. The weather is very pleasant and you can do much without breaking a sweat. But, not for long, before you know it, it will be cold and you are going to wish you had gotten all those little things done.

Look around and you will find something to do. I.E. replace missing caulk around doors and windows, replace weatherstrip wherever needed, paint any area that needs it and put away all the summer items such as your picnic table, umbrella, chairs and other things you will not need for the winter. If and when we have nice days in the months of October and November, you can always bring out a folding chair or two. Give your outdoor grill a good cleaning even though this doesn't mean you can't cook outside in the cold weather, we always do.

Make sure the car is ready for the cold. If you don't know how, or just don't want to get dirty, then stop in to your oil change store and have the full service performed. This should include changing the oil and oil filter, topping off all fluids and changing the air filter. The wipers should also be checked. Keep in mind that having these replaced by them will cost a little more than if you purchased the items yourself at Walmart, but you are paying for the convenience of not getting your hands dirty. many of these places will also look at all your lights and make sure they are all working as required. Even though this full service is a little expensive, you will probably not spend over $100 including filters and wiper blades. Another option is to go to your local auto parts store and buy your air filter and wiper blades from them and most of them will install them for free. (Don't forget to tip a couple of dollars). This might sound like too much money for just a couple of things, but believe me it will save you plenty of pain and suffering in the middle of winter. You might also consider replacing your battery if it is over the months of reccommended use. you can figure this out by looking ant the top of the battery and it will say a number from 24 to 72 months. this number subtracted by the number of months you have had this battery or this vehicle will tell you how many months are left on this battery. If you find that you only have 6 months or less of life on this battery, I would strongly consider replacing it. This you can also purchase at an auto parts store or at a large department store. Make sure they have free installation. Oh, before I forget, at the oil change store have them rotate your tires and check the air pressure on all tires including the spare. At this time of the year some muffler shops have a sale going on where they change the oil and oil filter, inspect your brakes and rotate your tires for under $50. Keep in mind that many of these places suggest other work which may not be necessary, just say no thanks.

These are just a few ideas to keep you happy in those cold Chicago days...