The Best is Yet to Come

Today Anthony Gilardi of HGTV’s Myles of Style gives advice about choosing the right wall anchors to secure your furniture and keep your family safe from furniture tip-overs.

Ask Anthony your home repair or home improvement questions right now in the comments below! Anthony is here on CafeMom every other week. 

With recent news of furniture tip-overs on the rise, today’s question and Anthony’s answer about wall anchors is quite timely.

Q: What is the best anchor to use for plaster walls? We want to put up some shelving units (the metal adjustable kinds) in our back hallway to utilize the tops of the walls for storage of stuff we don’t want in the attic, but we know we’re going to need anchors to put them up. We don’t know what kind of anchors we’ll need. There are just so many on the market. Actually while you are at it, could you give us an idea of what each anchor is good for? 

—jennmarie77

A: Very good question. I’d be happy to shed some light on this subject.

My personal favorite wall anchor brand is Hilti (no, they do not endorse me, LOL). They are the best in my opinion due to their strength and reliability. They are, however, a little more pricey than other anchors.

You may be able to find an inexpensive version of the anchors below, but if you’re hanging something heavy in a place where safety is an issue, you don’t want to cut corners:

• For hollow plaster walls, you want to use are toggle bolts. Hilti makes a great toggle bolt that is simple to use. This type of anchor should be used when you’re hanging something that could potentially get heavy: shelves, appliances, stereo equipment, etc.     
• For anchoring items on plaster walls that will be holding lightweight items (small pictures, signs, etc.), the best anchor to use is a self drilling, one-step metal anchor. Anthony tip: Don’t bother using the plastic versions of these anchors; get the metal ones.
• For anchoring onto concrete or masonry, you need to use a sleeve anchor. This will take a few extra steps but works very well for both heavy and lightweight items.    

Here are Hilti’s illustrations of the different kinds of wall anchors so you know how to identify them and can learn more about their usage.

Let me know if you need further advice. I could talk all day about wall anchors.

Thanks for writing in.

—Anthony Gilardi

Today Anthony gives guidance about stripping paint from a concrete porch and repainting or restaining it afterward.

Get FREE professional handyman repair advice from Anthony Gilardi of HGTV’sMyles of Style right here on Home & Garden Buzz every other week. Ask Anthonyyour home repair or home improvement questions right now in the comments below!

Q: My painted cement porch is scaling off. What will it take to get the rest of it off? Is there something I can buy to strip it?

—Nonmember irene sparks

A: Hey, Irene. Very funny thing, I recently had to strip and repaint an entire concrete porch. I used a very cool product called: Floor-PaintStrip_250. READ AND FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. SAFETY FIRST! Also, here is some info on paint strippers and removers you may find useful.

—Anthony Gilardi

Sox take it 5 to 4.

Great game!!! Great time!!!

Happy Easter to all my friends!!!!

This week, Anthony shows us how to change a broken light bulb. I hate when that happens!

Q: Anthony, I have a bulb in my ceiling fan that has broken, and I need to know how to get it out.

—loving_mom7

A: Hello loving_mom7. Great question. Thanks for writing in.

As you know, dealing with a broken light bulb in a light socket is a very common problem.

Most common solutions you’ll get:

Use a raw potato.

An onion.

A broomstick.

Etc.

I’m glad I’m getting the chance to clear a few things up today. Although the many repair solutions that you’ve heard may work, there is only one safe and correct way.

And here it is…

Before you do anything, you will need a flashlight, an electrical power tester (every home toolbox should have one; they go for $5 to $10), a pair of lineman’s pliers, and the known whereabouts of your electrical panel or sub panel—oh yeah, and, if necessary, a ladder. Keep everything handy.

First, find the circuit breaker that powers the fixture and turn it off. Your breakers should all be properly labeled. If they are not, take some time to label them.

When reentering the room, you may need the flashlight, be ready.

MOST IMPORTANT STEP: With your electrical power tester, make sure the power to the fixture is OFF.

Now I don’t like to use a needle nose pliers here because they can be pointy and can rip through the very thin metal that was once the base of your light bulb. I like to use lineman’s pliers, which (if you don’t recognize the name) are standard square pliers (also should be in every home toolbox).

You should see at least 1/8 of an inch of the light bulb base sticking out of the socket. Grab it with your pliers and turn counterclockwise.

When the base is out, carefully blow some air into the empty socket to make sure there is no debris remaining.

Replace your light bulb. Then go back to the circuit breaker and turn the fixture back on.

Finito!

After that, if you have time, take the raw potato and raw onion, place them both in a boiling pot of water until cooked, remove from pot, and mash. Buon appetito! LOL.

Don’t forget to have fun and reward yourself for a job well done.

Thank you.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:

What we’re looking for with indoor paints, finishes, or any construction product for that matter, are LOW-VOC or ZERO-VOC  . Remember these two terms. If any construction material or paint supply meets EPA approval it will have a LOW-VOC or ZERO-VOC labeled in its contents. Look for an EPA registration number on paint cans. The EPA only regulates paints that contain toxic ingredients. For the same reason, stay away from paints regulated or restricted by OSHA or DOT.

I found a website for you that contains more info on  NON-TOXIC CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES:  http://purehome.accountsupport.com/index.html and one specifically for NON-TOXIC PAINT SUPPLIES: http://www.pristineplanet.com/non-toxic-biodegradable-paint-environmentally-eco-friendly/paint/1625_a_0.html

Thanks for empowering yourself today, you’ve made me proud.

Anthony Gilardi