I don’t know about you but the days to the holidays are really moving fast.  And many of us never notice anything wrong with the house until we have guests that might be coming over.  And what I want to talk to you about is how simple some things are to do around the house to spruce things up.  About 30 years ago paneling was real popular in homes and it usually was dark and in the den.  Well it was like a dungeon.  That was popular, now it’s not.  So the easiest and fastest thing to do is paint it.  But you have to prime it first.  And if you have been reading this article long, you know that the primer to use is Grip and Seal made by Coronado.  I like Grip and Seal because it is latex, and has virtually no smell plus it dries in 20 minutes.  Then after priming you are ready to paint with Tough Walls.  It’s made by Coronado also and after 48 hours it’s completely scubbable.    You will be shocked how dramatic the change can be in the room going from dark to light.  I had a den that we did that to, and then I also changed out the floor to a light tile- I didn’t even have to turn on a light in that room it was so bright.  Most families congregate in the kitchen, have you noticed that?  Do you have natural wood cabinets?  And do they look dull?  So let the cabinets in your kitchen glow by using Feed and Wax made by the Howard Co.  It’s as easy as dusting.  And the results are just short of amazing.  Refinishers have been using both Feed and Wax and the sister product Restore A Finish to make antiques look good and now we know about it.  Do your rooms lack moldings?  Well let’s put up some crown molding.  You will probably have to use a carpenter, but just buying the molding is not expensive.  Just remember the larger the room, the wider the molding can be.  And you want the molding to stand out from the walls so paint it a darker shade than the walls.  I know you see magazines that the molding is lighter, but they do that for the magazine pictures so you can see the molding.  And don’t forget the ceiling- most designers won’t- they paint it the wall color if the walls are neutral, and then the molding is a shade darker.  Bam!! You have dramatic with just paint.  And when they ask- who gave you these ideas- tell them the Happy Handy Man!

Before we go to the mailbag- we have plenty of “The Best of Johnnie Chuoke” in stock now- they make great stocking stuffer or gift for a new neighbor go to our website www.acmelumber.com and shop Johnnie’s favorites.

Now to the mailbag….

Question:  Would like to know how to clean the grout in my ceramic tile floor?

Answer:  Grout Aid is a pen that has a white point that rubs into the grout and bingo white grout in seconds.  This is a new item, and we have been waiting on it and it will be on out website.

Question:  Enjoy reading your column every week.  Keep up the good work.  My question concerns rats.  I believe I might have rats in my attic- is there an easy way to get rid of them or should I just call an exterminator?

Answer:  The best way is through large glue traps.

Question:  My toilet runs slow you recommend a product called Clean Line in your book.  I can’t find it in my area I live in Deer Park can you help me?

Answer:  Just because a toilet runs slow does not mean that the line is stopped up.  And that is what Clean Line is for.  When you flush your toilet, does the water rise in the toilet and then go down slowly, or not at all?  Then the line is clogged.  If when you flush the toilet it just kind of swirls but doesn’t go down the line- then maybe you are not getting enough water in the bowl- and Delete Germ is what you need to clean your toilet from the inside.  And remember don’t ever put chlorine in the tank of your toilet; it will eat up the flapper.

Got a question for Johnnie? Tune in to Johnnie's radio show Saturday mornings on KTSA (5500 AM) from 9-11 or call 828-8907. Reach him on the web at www.AcmeLumber.com.