I know that everyone would love to buy a new home, just maybe not right now.  So why don’t you make your home look new?  I have several ideas that I would like to share with you.  Paint, I know that you know that paint is the most economical way of updating your home both inside and out.  Speaking of inside, light and dark taffy is a great color combination that makes your home feel warm.  Those colors helped me sell a house in 1 day.  Don’t leave the ceiling white, it’s the 5th wall and you need to paint it also.  Painting all the rooms in these colors will make the house seem larger, instead of cutting it up by using all different colors in different rooms.  Paint all the walls and ceilings the light taffy and all the trim and doors dark taffy. (Send a SASE and I will send you samples that you can take to your own paint store) And if you don’t have moldings where the ceiling meets the walls, add a cove or crown moldings and paint it dark taffy.  That bit of trim work really separates a so so house, to a home with character.   

Do you have laminate counter tops?  Would you love to have granite?  Well for right now, use Giani Granite Paint.  It’s the paint that looks like granite, that you can do yourself.  It costs less than $50.  And that’s not all; you could have stainless steel appliances for less than $60.  The people that make the granite paint also make a liquid stainless steel.  They make two kits, one for the refrigerator and one for the dishwasher and cook top.  I have had many people buy the liquid stainless because they want to paint the sides of the appliances, because they are black.  I have never had anyone call me to say they didn’t like the results of their project.  We let them practice in the store before they leave, but the manufacturer of the kits puts a DVD in each one, so you can watch before you start anything. 

The last thing is your bathroom.  Is the tub pink? Or brown? Or blue?  Would you like to just have a nice white?  Use the Bath, Sink, and Tile Epoxy for Dummies.  Just follow the directions.  We did it at our hardware store in a mop sink, and it looks like a new sink.  Just think what it could do for yours?

So look around.  Could the homes of your dreams be right where you are?  Everyone one I know looks great after a makeover- and that goes for houses too.

Now to the e-mail…..

Question:  How can I get a pet urine smell out of a fabric couch?
Answer:  Nothing gets rid of smells like Bio Zapp.  It doesn’t leave a smell behind, it just neutralizes smells.  Just really soak the area.  It’s like water, so it won’t stain. .

Question:  I love your article.   I am looking into new windows.  But I need specifics, can you help?
Answer:  If I were looking for a window, it would be a vinyl window.  It would be double pane with at least ½ “space between the panes.  The panes would have a soft low E coating to keep the cold and heat out.  That’s all you need.  All the rest is fluff, and you don’t need to pay for fluff right now.  Get references when you do decide on your windows for installation.  And then call the references and see how they were treated and how the windows are working.  This is a big investment.  So do your homework.  This kind of update gives back year after year.

Question:  I have several large pieces of copper that need to be cleaned.  I would love to be able to then put something on them that would keep them looking good.  I heard about a clear finish that you spray on cars, could I use that?
Answer:  I have a product called Delete Germ at the hardware store.  We sell it as a toilet bowl cleaner.  It also cleans copper like nobody’s business.  Try a little in an area on the copper that you don’t readily see.   Put the Delete Germ on a soft rag, and then clean the copper – rinse with clear water and polish dry.  Then there is a protective coating called Superior Shield.  It’s a spray. I used it on my grandmother’s pitcher years ago, and it still looks like I just cleaned it.  I know you will be satisfied. 

Got a question for Johnnie? Tune in to Johnnie's radio show Saturday mornings on KKYX from 11-12 or call (21) 341-1573. Reach him on the web at www.happyhandyman.com.