Tips: A “Plantly” Reminder & Other Tips – On the House
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Tips: A “Plantly” Reminder & Other Tips

By on November 23, 2016
poinsettias dangers

UNDECORATING — SAFELY

As you wind down from the holiday season and your thoughts turn to taking down all of your holiday decorations, and as you begin preparing for what next year has to hold, don’t forget “safety first”. While holiday flowers and plants are both seasonal and beautiful danger lurks within. For example: with poinsettias a white milky substance soon appears after a stem is broken.

Keep in mind that this fluid can cause skin irritation and even internal distress. So, use caution when moving these beautiful live plants out to the garden or trash. Like poinsettias, mistletoe, holly and the Christmas rose also are poisonous and should be handled with care. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling these plants whether or not you notice a dripping liquid.

SCREWEY NEWS THAT WILL LEAVE YOU HANGING

If you got a new tool for Christmas, and you need a place to store it, you will want to read on. Screws make great pegs for hanging things on the wall. They’re quick and easy to drive into a garage stud and they’re strong and inexpensive. Unlike a nail a screw can be easily removed and reused (or relocated). Unfortunately, a screw by itself can scratch a neat new tool. So, to enjoy the simplicity, speed and cost effectiveness of a screw, without the potential damage, you need to add a layer of protection. We suggest a little plastic or rubber tubing. With plastic tubing you get all the advantages of a screw plus the protection of plastic or rubber. Here’s how. Keep in mind that our example uses a two-inch screw and one-inch tubing, but the size can vary depending on your needs.

  • First, you will want to use a two-inch drywall screw (the standard kind has a flared flat head). They also are black in color and have heavy threads and very sharp points that make them really easy to drive.
  • Next, you will need a one-inch length of plastic or rubber tubing. Clear, colored, black – you choose. We cut the tubing to one-inch in length so that the left over portion of the screw will penetrate into the wall at least one-inch. In this example one-inch is half the length of the screw. However, the relationship between screw and cover will vary based on screw length and what weight it will be expected to hold. Begin with 3/16” tubing if you can find it or experiment with other sizes. Home centers and auto parts stores carry a myriad of tubing types and styles.
  • Next, slip the screw into the tubing.
  • Finally, drive the screw in until the end of the tube rides snugly against the wall and until the flared screw-head seats just inside the other end of the tube.

Do-it-yourself cushioned pegs work great anywhere. Take a look around the house (not just the garage) and put left-over screws and tubing to good use.

For more home improvement tips and information visit our web site at www.onthehouse.com. And, good luck!

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