By Mr. Tightwad mrtightwad@southtownstar.com December 27, 2011 7:16AM
Home improvement projects can be intimidating, especially if you’re an untrained Tightwad just trying to save a buck. Just ask Mr. Tightwad.
Years back, a project in his 103-year-old house was only supposed to result in tearing out a cracked plaster ceiling. By the time he was done, the entire first floor was gutted down to the studs — and then he had to figure out how to put it all back together.
It took him some time, but he did it and learned a lot along the way. The bottom line is you’re not as helpless as you think when it comes to home improvement. And doing it yourself will surely help your bottom line, because on average, the cost of a project is split 50/50 between materials and labor.
Follow some of these tips to save some green when you try to be a weekend warrior:
PAINTING: If you’ve ever bought painter’s tape, you know how expensive it can be. But it’s also unnecessary to mask off all that trim in your house. Instead, use a 12-inch drywall knife and place it on top of the trim so the blade end is touching the wall. Use a brush to paint the edge of the wall, then slide the drywall knife over and continue on. A word of warning though … a brush that’s overloaded with paint will give you a sloppy end result. If you’re unsure if you can handle this technique, try it first on an area of the wall and trim that will be hidden behind furniture.
DON’T BUY, RENT: There are projects where you’ll need a special tool, such as a compound miter saw or nail gun. If you don’t think you’ll ever use the tool again, rent it. Rental Max and The Home Depot have a huge selection of tools and will rent them in 4-hour blocks or by the day.
THINK OPPOSITE: Is your furnace on its last leg? Have it replaced in the summer, when you’ll be more likely to score a deal. A/C on the fritz? That’s right, cheapskate, do it in the winter instead of waiting for that summer heat wave to hit. Yes, you won’t be able to swap those suckers out yourself, but you can still score a sweet deal when paying someone else to do it.
EASY 7 PERCENT DISCOUNTS: Mr. T never pays full retail for anything from The Home Depot or Lowe’s. Whether you’re buying one gallon of paint or putting on a new deck, stock up on discounted gift cards from ABCGiftCards.com or PlasticJungle.com. The gift cards there are almost always discounted 7 percent off face value. The sites are secure, your gift card purchase is guaranteed and Mr. T has only had good experiences dealing with them.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORES: These places can be a gold mine — but be forewarned that their inventory rotates out quickly, so what you see one day may not be there the next. From flooring to doors to paint, you can find it there, and cheap. Mr. T picked up a really cool solid-wood door from an old Victorian house for chump change, then refinished it and turned it into a headboard for the oldest Teenie Tightwad. And at the Joliet store, you can’t beat the $5 gallons of paint, as long as you aren’t afraid to try tinting it yourself (it’s actually pretty easy). The two stores in the region to check out are in Chicago Heights (180 W. Joe Orr Road) and Joliet (200 S. Larkin Ave.).
LEARN TO DIY, FOR FREE: The Home Depot regularly runs home improvement workshops on a variety of topics. And guess what? The workshops are free. Whether you want to learn how to caulk that tub or lay down ceramic tile, to name a few, they’ll show you the way. Contact your nearest store to get a schedule of seminars they will be offering.
PAINTING, PART 2: Cleaning those paint brushes and rollers can be a pain in the butt — and Mr. T has known many people who simply throw them away when they’re done. That’s silly. Save that paintbrush and roller and use this trick, especially if your painting project is spanning a few days. Tightly wrap aluminum foil around the roller or brush, then toss it in the freezer to keep it from drying out. Take it out of the freezer a few hours before you need to use it and you’re good to go.
ONLINE HELP: Even Mr. T sometimes gets stumped in the middle of a project. Check out these sites, which are loaded with tutorials:
www.naturalhandyman.com
www.thisoldhouse.com
www.askthebuilder.com