When puttying to secure a new pane of glass, avoid holding the putty in the palm of the hand, or it will be awkward to work. The right way to tackle the job is to “sit” the knob of putty on the knuckle of the forefinger and, working from the bottom of the frame upwards, push the putty into the groove with the thumb. This requires a little practice, but is quicker than the alternative of rolling the putty into strips and then pressing them into place with a putty knife. To complete the job, cut the excess putty away and brush to seal it.
When puttying the outside glazing bars always keeps the putty 3mm/⅛ in below the line of the inside bars. This means that when the putty is being painted, the paint can be taken over the edge of the putty to provide a concealed weatherproof seal.
When laying concrete, always try and finish the job in one continuous operation. If, however, a job cannot be completed in one day, leave the last section to be laid with its edge as rough as possible. This acts as a “key” to ensure a good hold between new and old work when the job is continued. Before restarting the work brush the rough edge with a thin mixture of cement and water about the consistency of cream.
When varnishing an outside door, give the door at least four coats of varnish for adequate protection against the weather. If the door is particularly exposed, the procedure will have to be repeated every few years.
When gluing to a painted wood surface, make sure that the glue will adhere to the paint. Stick a length of cellophane tape on to the paint and then pull it off sharply. If the paint comes away with the tape, the painted surface will have to be stripped. If the paint remains, smooth the surface with sandpaper and wash and dry it before applying the adhesive.
Hardwoods, such as beech, birch, and sycamore, can be given an ebony-like finish by staining with commercial black dye. The object is to make sure the grain remains visible. Check that the wood is clean and that any holes are filled. Then smooth and finally apply the dye. Finish by lightly applying a matt polyurethane varnish; two coats may be necessary for complete protection, but try not to obscure the grain. Rub down finally with steel wool.
Because lengths of wood are rarely perfectly straight, always look along the edge of each length to see which way the wood is bowed before using it for shelving. Fit the shelf with its concave side facing downwards so that the weight of objects on the shelf will help to straighten it out. If successful, this takes a day or two.
When newly laid vinyl floor tiles have set firmly in position, clean them thoroughly – taking particular care to remove any excess adhesive – and then coat them with a plastic sealant to ensure a long-lasting non-slip finish and to keep out dirt. If a high-gloss finish is required, polish them with a water-based emulsion wax polish.
A nut and bolt so rusted that it cannot be undone, can easily be freed by cutting with a hacksaw and hammering with a cold chisel. Make as deep a cut as possible through the center of the bolt head. Hold a cold chisel over the cut and hammer the chisel down to split the head open. If it is still not possible to split the head completely, hammer the cold chisel from each side of the head. Once the head is severed, the core of the bolt will fall from the hole.
Tackless fittings are a reliable and invisible method of holding wall-to-wall carpeting in place. Nail the fittings 12mm/½in from the baseboard, with the points facing towards the baseboard. This allows the edges of the carpet to be tucked into the gap between fittings and baseboard.