All this week, woodworking and DIY expert Vic Tesolin will be sharing tips and techniques for aspiring home-handy-people. Check back all this week for his blog entries...

Friday, July 24: Take care of your furniture

Taking care of your wood furniture may not be as easy as you think. There are plenty of companies that offer sprays, oils or pastes that claim to 'nourish' and 'feed' the wood. I can assure you that the act of cutting the tree down and making it into furniture has ensured the wood's death; there is no need to nourish or feed it any longer. These claims can lead to confusion and indecision about how to take care of your furniture.

When dusting furniture, I always recommend to my clients that you dry dust using a microfiber cloth. This technique doesn't scratch the finished surfaces and does a great job at removing dust. If there is a surface stain, a rag dampened with water should do the trick. The problem with most furniture sprays is that they contain silicon. The silicon is what gives the furniture that glossy, almost wet look. The silicon actually attracts dust which means you have to dust more often. Also, if you ever have to get a piece of furniture refinished, the silicon that was in the spray will contaminate the wood during the refinishing process and will make it difficult for the new finish to adhere.

An easy way to revitalize a piece of furniture is to use a furniture wax made from bees wax. The bees wax does a great job at hiding minor scratches and giving the wood an even sheen. Simply apply the wax in a circular motion with a soft cloth and let the wax set for a few minutes. Then rub out the finish with a piece of 0000 steel wool (available at leevalley.com), moving the steel wool back and forth with the direction of the grain.

Check out my segment on Canada AM for a complete demonstration on using bees wax to give your tired looking furniture a revitalized glow.

Thursday, July 23: Do-it-yourself doorknobs

Changing the fixtures in your home is a great way to update your space while potentially adding value.

 Replacing door knobs is one of the easiest ways to give a fresh look to your home. The price per door knob ranges anywhere from $5 to over $100, depending on the type and style you choose. So there is something available at every price point, for every home.

Swapping out the door knobs is quite easy. Remove the screws that hold the knob plate and both halves of the door knob should come off of the door. Remove the two screws holding the latch bolt and it will simply slide out of the door. Your new knob gets installed in reverse order of the removal. Install the latch bolt assembly and secure it with the included screws. Assemble both halves of the door knob into the door and secure the two halves with the screws included with the kit.

The whole job should take about five minutes. This is just another quick DIY fix that can add value to your home and give your space an updated look. Watch my segment on Canada AM to see just how easy it is.

Wednesday, July 22: How to repair a sticky drawer

Wood is a material that is constantly moving. If you have a solid wood door or drawer in your house, chances are that it will be a little sticky during the summer months and work effortlessly in the winter months. This is because the wood expands in higher humidity and in the case of a door, fills the space between the jambs, causing it to stick.

The fix is quite simple. It should be very apparent where the door is rubbing. You will see rub marks on either the door or the frame. Mark the rubbed area on the door with a pencil to easily identify the area.

Now it is as simple as removing that little bit of wood to stop the door from sticking. I typically use a hand plane because I'm very comfortable with using hand tools. You could also use a belt sander, but I advise you to go lightly with it. A belt sander can remove a lot of material in a short amount of time. You will want to remove only the bare minimum of material. Once you have removed the pencil marks, test the door to see if it sticks. If it still sticks, repeat the same process again, removing a bit more material. If the door works fine, simply apply clear finish or paint over the area that you worked on and you're done.

A sticky door is a simple fix that can save you a lot of money. Most contractors will charge a minimum of 1-2 hours for this simple fix that you can do yourself in just a few minutes.

Tuesday, July 21: Fixing a hole in a screen door

Sometimes accidents happen. Like the time I put a hockey ball through the screen of one of my parents' basement windows. I had a pretty good wrist shot for a 10-year-old. So at the age of 10 I learned how to replace a damaged screen and if I could do it then, you can do it now.

Supplies:

• new screen
• spline material
• a utility knife
• a spline roller

Directions:

Simply remove the old spline from the retaining groove around the screen and the old screen will come out. Inspect the spline; if it is dried out and brittle, toss it and replace it with some new spline. Cut a new piece of screen approximately 1/2" larger on all sides than is required. I cut back the corners at 45 degrees to prevent the corners of the screen from bunching. While keeping the screen taut, lay in the spline and set it in place with the spline roller. Travel all the way around the screen laying the spline in and keeping the screen tight. Once you get all the way around the screen frame, cut the spline using a utility knife if necessary. Trim the excess screen and voila! You have a new target for a wayward hockey ball.

My segment on the 21st of July will have some additional tips and tricks to getting this simple task completed in no time.

Monday, July 20: Revive an old friend:

It's a shame to see really. Perfectly good chairs ending up on the side of the road or the land fill all because of a loose wrung or rail. The fix is so simple that I wonder why so many chairs end up in this situation. I have repaired many chairs over the years and it's really quite simple. Many of them with a single lose wrung; others handed to me in a small box. One of these chairs was even an heirloom piece that belonged to my mother-in-law. If I was willing to take on that responsibility, anything you have is doable. Here are some ideas for taking that loose, broken-down chair and repairing it back to its original glory.

• Sometimes it's as easy as applying some glue to those loosened areas. Lee Valley has a product called Chair Doctor that swells the loose joint and provides adhesion to ensure a good, solid connection. The product is very easy to use and comes with detailed instructions to lead you through.
• In some cases, it's as simple as drilling a pilot hole in the underside of the loose joint and using a wood screw to draw the joint tight again. Ensure that you drill from the underside so only the cat knows it's there.
• When working with relatively thin chair spindles and screws, make sure that you don't drive the screws in with a power driver. Doing this may result in splitting the wood or driving the screw in too far; having the screw tip protrude on the other side.

My July 20th segment features detailed instructions and demonstrations on how to accomplish these fixes. Check it out and you'll learn many useful tips for almost guaranteed success with your less-than-new chairs. If the chair is already falling apart, what do you have to lose? A couple of simple steps may be all there is in the way from restoring an old favourite or a family heirloom.