Home Improvement Timesavers (NAPSA)—Like many people with lots of home repair and improvement projects to tackle, you probably have other things you would prefer to do. James and Morris Carey, hosts of the nationally syndicated “On the House” radio show, share a few shortcuts to get those jobs done quickly and easily so you can maximize your leisure time: Prioritize. Sometimes the “todo” list can be overwhelming, so makea plan. Prioritize and group similar projects together, breaking them down into small increments that can be accomplished in one work session. For example, you may decide to hang pictures and shelves one weekend and saveall plumbing chores for another work session. Hanging Shelves & Pictures. Quickly finding studs and keeping everything level is the key to success here. Zircon’s StudSensor™ i65 OneStep”™finds stud centers with just one pass. Other stud finders make you search for each stud edge and figure out the center for yourself. To make sure everything is straight, try the LaserBall 360”. A little bigger than a golf ball, it can shoot a straight line in any direction and includes a unique four-way bubble level to project level and plumb lines in a snap. * Quick and Easy Caulking. For a quick, professional caulking job, run a strip of masking tape next to each side of the area you plan to seal. Apply the caulk, wet your finger and drag it down the caulk, feathering it out to the masking tape. Remove the tape and you have a perfectly straight caulk line. Tame your to-do list with a specific plan. Electrical Jobs. Thefirst step in any electrical job is cutting power to the circuit. Sounds simple, but identifying the right circuit can be time-consuming. A simple tool that will do the work for you quickly is the CF 12 Circuit Breaker Finder by Zircon. Just plug the transmitter into the electrical outlet, scan the breakers with the receiver and the proper breakerwill be identified. * Loose Showerhead Pipes. For loose gooseneck pipes in shower stalls, use an expanded foam sealant. It will lock the pipe in place in less than five minutes. The Carey Bros. are nationally recognized experts on home building and renovation. For moretips and information about their “On the House” radio program, visit www.onthehouse.com. The Zircon tools mentioned are widely available at hardware and home centers. For more information about these and other cutting-edge electronic hand tools, call 800-245-9265 or visit www.zircon.com.
