Is your house ready for summer? Here's a first aid kit for spring fixes

by | Apr 7, 2014 | 17, 18, Articles

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Is your house ready for summer? Here’s a first aid kit for spring fixes</font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – Are you ready to host all of those summer barbecues and graduation parties that are just around the corner? And the bigger question – is your house ready? Spring ushers in a slew of home repairs that are needed to get ready for summer activities. Whether it’s a broken bird bath, a loose stone on a walkway, or a broken patio chair, there are some things you need to take care of before the warm weather arrives.</span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">The best way to prepare for these upcoming household fixes is to assemble a first-aid kit for your house.<span>  </span>Keeping some quick repair tools together makes you that much more efficient. Below is a list of items that are invaluable for household repairs:</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>1. Gorilla Glue</strong> – This product is 100 percent waterproof and perfect for fixing anything from a broken chair leg to a broken flower pot. You could even use a strong glue like this to fix a loose stone on a walkway. If you’ve never used a polyurethane glue before, be careful, because they expand as they cure – you will only need a very small amount for an indestructible bond. Visit <a href="http://www.gorillatough.com/">www.gorillatough.com</a>  for more information.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>2. Gorilla Tape</strong> – Made by the same company that makes Gorilla Glue, Gorilla Tape is the toughest duct tape that you will ever meet. It has a strong fabric backing and three times the adhesive of other duct tapes and will even stick to impossible surfaces like brick and stucco. Visit <a href="http://www.gorillatough.com/">www.gorillatough.com</a>  for more information.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>3. Simple tools</strong> – Why is it that you can never find a hammer, screwdriver, utility knife, tape measure and pencil when you need one? Keep duplicates of these tools in your first-aid kit, and you won’t have to run around your house or shop looking for them.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/17a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/17a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>4. Sandpaper and a two-part, epoxy-based wood filler</strong> – For outdoor wood repair needs, this is really the way to go. All exterior door and window trim work should be checked every spring because gaps and cracks not only reduce your home’s efficiency, but can also provide an entry location for unwanted insects and rodents. Most of these repairs can easily be taken care of this time of year before the summer rains damage the integrity of the wood.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>5. Cordless drill and variety of high quality screws</strong> – With the diverse weather changes in the winter, screws will loosen over the winter. Tighten up exposed screws on things like your deck, wood railings, etc. before they become a safety hazard.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>6. Touch-up paint and foam applicators</strong> – Avoid having to search the garage for a can of paint by putting a small amount of paint in a disposable airtight container and add it to your kit. As you make your outdoor repairs, you will have the paint on hand for a quick fix. Foam applicators, which you can get very inexpensively from any craft and hobby store, are great for quick touch-ups, and are easy and disposable.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">With your first-aid kit assembled, you are ready to tackle all of your outdoor spring fixes.</p>  <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>