Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Applying proper oil preserves teak furniture
Question: What is the best way to care for teak furniture? — Alton
Answer: Teak furniture is a lifelong investment that requires a minimal amount of care, while still retaining its beauty. Polish teak furniture by applying either teak or coconut oil onto a cloth and wiping wood along the grain. Remove all excess.
Question: How can I remove chewing gum that has been ground into our carpet? I looked on your website but couldn’t find the answer. — Jordan
Answer: Spread smooth peanut butter over the gum; work it around all of the mess. The gum will become oily and easy to remove. After it is gone, clean the carpet with dish soap and water.
Question: I was a guest at a workshop that you spoke at last month. You demonstrated how to make your own microwave popcorn. Can you please tell me the quantities again?
Answer: Just like store-bought popcorn, not every kernel will pop, but this method is cheap, easy and, best of all, tasty.
Into a brown paper bag, mix a ½ cup of un-popped popcorn and one tablespoon vegetable oil. Add a sprinkle of salt.
Fold the bag over two or three times to seal. Microwave 2½ to three minutes or until the popping slows down. Carefully open bag and eat. Butter may be added as desired.
Extra popcorn treat: In a stainless-steel pot, combine ¾ of a cup corn starch, ¼ cup butter or margarine, two teaspoons water, ½ cup of icing sugar and one cup marshmallows. Stir and heat until marshmallows melt. Pour contents over 20 cups of popped popcorn and form into popcorn balls. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
Question: Other than throwing away stale potato chips, do you have any tips of what I can use them for? — Mandy
Answer: Perk up stale potato chips or crackers by spreading them in a single layer onto a microwave safe pan. Heat on high for a few seconds. Tip: Stale potato chips and crackers also work well when crushed and sprinkled onto casseroles.
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website at reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
The gift of presence
We moved from Killarney to St. James back in the fall of 1957, when I was but a tender lad of nine.
I was not happy to leave my beautiful little town of Killarney, where all my friends lived, to reside in the big awful scary city (like Oliver going to London), but it didn’t turn out nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Really missed that lake though...
Christmas was huge for us. My dad particularly loved hunting for just the right tree — it had to be perfectly balanced with no branches missing, so he could meticulously decorate it with family help, coaching all the while on how to hang that tinsel just right.
While writing today’s column, doing a brain search for interesting memories of Christmases past to share with you, I came to a sudden and somewhat surprising revelation: I can’t recall even one of the Christmas gifts I received during all the years we lived there. I have loads of Christmas memories, yes, but none of the gifts received.
I think I’m correct in recalling that when I was a little kid in Killarney, at least two gifts come to mind.
One was a big red fire truck I really wanted, and the other was a Roy Rogers gun and holster set (double, and cap guns at that), which I was absolutely thrilled with.
I got into a bit of trouble with those guns later that summer when I clonked Marilyn Lyons on the head with one of them. Self defence, I swear. I mean, it worked for Roy. No, that didn’t turn out well, and I have no doubt she is still plotting revenge.
The strongest memories from back then are the family gatherings; the big dinners, always a big treat, my brother Bob coming home for Christmas. Then, there’s that memory when Bob had moved back home for a bit, and on Christmas Day, he allowed me to take his 1959 Buick Invicta convertible (white with a red interior) down Douglas Park Road and back — alone (I was probably around 15) — and while turning back into our lane, I rubbed the whole side of it down the bumper of a parked car. Bob was fine with it. I still shudder.
Another strong Christmas memory is our family going across the back lane for our neighbours’ (the Baileys) annual Christmas gathering, where I first, reluctantly, tasted both black olives and smoked oysters. Gah!
Also highly memorable — this from Christmas dinner at home — was grabbing the largest turkey drumstick I could find and taking it to my room to share with my drooly Cocker Spaniel, Skippy. We’d alternate bites until it was gone. Man, was he happy!
My dad had a Christmas tradition that perhaps some of you share, or might want to add to your repertoire. He did not like winter. He loved summer and greenery. As soon as people threw their Christmas trees out, he would go gather as many as possible and freeze them standing in rows between the house and garage so when he looked out the kitchen window, he’d see a forest of green instead of frozen tundra.
Gotta admit, it was pretty. Gave Skippy lots of trees to pee on. A win-win all around.
No question, gifts are nice — and much appreciated — but it was the people, fun, food and love that made those Christmases so memorable. Or... maybe all I got was socks and underwear and who’d want to remember that?
Sincere best wishes for a loving, memorable Christmas to you and yours!
Yes, even you, Marilyn Lyons.
Comments or feedback, love to hear from you!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
Renovation & Design
Preventing gutters, downspouts from icing up helps avoid winter damage
Frozen gutters and downspouts may seem like an inevitable winter-weather concern, but those heavy icicles hanging from your rooftop after a heavy snow or cold snap need not be a foregone conclusion.
You can take steps to prevent them — and should — because they can damage gutters and lead to ice and water backing up on the roof and forming even more damaging ice dams. The weight of ice can sag the gutter or bring it down entirely.
First off, resist the urge to go after the ice with a hammer or axe.
Professional gutter cleaners say they find incredible damage to gutters every spring, and chopping away at ice ends up doing more harm than good.
Once your gutters are already frozen solid, your best bet might be to wait it out.
Thawing out gutters tends to be expensive and short-lived.
You’ll end up paying hundreds of dollars to get a steam system or hot water application to clear the ice, but it’s not a permanent fix.
You might see the same spot frozen just a few days later.
To permanently prevent a future freeze, you can install a heating panel system in which wires or heating elements run the length of the gutter and downspout to warm the metal and prevent ice buildup.
This work will typically cost between US$500 and US$1,000, depending on the size of your home.
Professionals advise against using salt or other chemicals to melt snow off the roof or gutters.
These are corrosive chemicals that can damage the roof, and the runoff is harmful to grass and plants.
If the problem has reached underneath the shingles and water has begun leaking into the house, call a professional immediately.
The best way to unfreeze gutters is to keep them from getting frozen in the first place.
Hire a professional gutter cleaner every six months to clear out debris that leads to water buildup.
Debris in the downspout blocks up the water, gets frozen itself and then adds unnecessary weight.
A clear downspout will allow water to fall right through.
Also, in the off-season, consider hiring a contractor to check your roof and attic insulation and ventilation.
An overly warm attic runs a serious risk of causing rooftop ice dams and frozen gutters.
When working to prevent this, keep in mind that some freezing is inevitable.
But, by taking these steps, you can make it happen less frequently and suffer less damage when it does.
None of these are DIY jobs. Working on the roof and with ladders is dangerous work under the best of circumstances.
And frozen weather and ice-caked roofs are far from ideal.
Whomever you hire, whether to clear out the ice or keep it from coming back, make sure they carry the proper licensing required in your jurisdiction, and verify that they have liability and workers compensation insurance.
If they don’t carry the proper insurance, you could be held liable for injury to workers on your property.
— Tribune News Service
