Home Improvement on a Budget

Thinking about sprucing up the house? It doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. These tips from The Home Depot will cut costs on your next home improvement project.

Here’s the tip of the day:

Lynn Thomas, a paint associate at The Home Depot on Bobby Jones Expressway, spends her days advising people on painting their homes. She offers these tips to reduce painting expenses:

1. Use a broom handle. It’s the same size as normal rollers and can be used instead of buying a pole.
2. Cover wooden floors or carpet, tile and furniture with old bed sheets or beach towels instead of buying plastic or tarps.
3. If you use water-based paint, simply use dish detergent and water to remove paint from brushes.
4. Paint can last for a long time. Seal opened paint cans in a bag to maintain the moisture in the can.
5. Use hairspray to remove paint from clothing.
6. For clean-up, use old T-shirts for rags.
7. Leftover paint can be used as primer or a basecoat for new projects.

The Home Depot also offers free, in-store clinics on various topics, such as glazing or sponging walls or installing tile.

Also, the store holds workshops for kids on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. Children participate in a special project and receive an apron, pin and certificate of completion. Those in attendance also receive a light snack.

Do you have any painting or home improvement tips? Write in to The Pinch to let me know.