When Bad Things Happen To Good Projects

Stirred, Not Shaken

THE MISTAKE

Your bright idea: Paint stores use an agitator to mix paints, blending the pigment, binder and solvent.
You follow their lead and shake a can of varnish.

The dismal result: Shaking varnish or polyurethane creates thousands of tiny bubbles that will be visible
when it dries, says Chris Harding, technical director for Waterlox Coatings. Paint gets bubbles, too,
but has silicone and mineral oil that burst them by reducing surface tension. The action of rolling and
brushing the paint bursts the rest by pushing millions of tiny, but sharp, color pigments against them.

THE SOLUTION

Next time around: Stir your varnish thoroughly, but gently, with a clean paint stick. Save the shaking
for the paint (and certain mixed drinks).

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Hold the Foam

Your bright idea: You choose spray foam insulation over fiberglass because of its higher R-value, or
resistance to heat flow, and its ability to fill nooks and crannies. You apply a liberal dose in the cavity
between your new door and the jamb.

The dismal result: Traditional spray foam insulation expands to as much as 100 times its original size.
This causes the jamb to push against the door; in extreme cases, it can even crack the wood. Your
door is now weather-tight, all right: It can’t be opened.

Next time around: Look for a can labeled as minimally expanding spray foam. There are even foams
designed specifically for window and doorjamb work that expand only 5 percent.

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American Idle

Your bright idea: You are about to embark on an extended trip, leaving your beloved car to languish
in the driveway. You’ve asked a neighbor to periodically idle the engine, hoping to keep it primed for
your return.

The dismal result: Letting a car idle can actually do more harm than good. “Unless the engine is allowed
to warm up fully and run at operating speed, the condensation moisture in the crankcase doesn’t have a
chance to be driven out,” says Philip Reed, coauthor of Strategies for Smart Car Buyers. Your brake
and transmission components fall victim to corrosion.

Next time around: Have your neighbor drive your car to work once a week.

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THE MISTAKE

Your bright idea: You want your new fence to last, so you build it with pressure-treated posts cut to
length.

The dismal result: The cut exposes wood cells not saturated with chemical preservatives, which
protect pressure-treated lumber against damage from insects and fungi. You just provided an entry
point for the rot you were trying to avoid. 
 

THE SOLUTION

Next time around: Go ahead and cut, but dip the end in preservative or apply it with a brush. Use a
product that contains copper naphthenate, such as Cuprinol.

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Hack(saw) Job

Your bright idea: You treat yourself to a new high-tension hacksaw and enthusiastically tighten the frame.

The dismal result: You didn’t know it, but you used an inappropriate ordinary carbon steel hacksaw blade.
The blade snaps during the first cut, sending a shard of sharp metal sailing through the air.

Next time around: Use a bimetal blade, constructed of metals that offer two different properties: A “springy”
steel base provides flexibility under tension while hardened steel teeth supply durability. Electron-beam
welding fuses them into a blade that doesn’t imperil bystanders.

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Case Closed

Your bright idea: To keep your PC from overheating, you leave the case open so that air can flow over its
feverish components.

The dismal result: There are built-in fans to pull air over key components, so “opening the case is like
opening a window in an air-conditioned house,” says Stephen Miller, the ThinkCentre product manager at
Lenovo, maker of IBM computers. Suddenly, the fans have to work a whole lot harder to cool things off.
A central processing unit that’s designed to last for five years burns out in two.

Next time around: Check to ensure that the vents are dustfree. Still think it’s running hot? There are
applications that monitor CPU temperature and warn you if you need to take action, such as installing an
auxiliary cooling system.

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Escape Valve

Your bright idea: It’s autumn and time to shut off the valve to your outdoor tap before the temperature
drops–only you discover it has already frozen. You cut out the valve, splice in new pipe and solder the
unit in place.

The dismal result: The heat from your torch can damage internal components if the valve is shut. Now,
the valve lets water pass through no matter how much you torque down the stem.

Next time around: Make sure it’s open–or remove the guts–before sweating the joints. Also, direct
the torch toward the pipe and away from the valve.

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THE MISTAKE

Your bright idea: To give new life to an overused desk, you refinish it with a water-based varnish,
smoothing between each coat with steel wool.

The dismal result: Slivers of steel wool embedded in the surface start to rust–all they needed was
the water in the finish that you conveniently brushed on.

 THE SOLUTION

Next time around: Reach for fine sandpaper or a synthetic abrasive pad. If in a ventilated area,
you can also opt for an oil-based finish.

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Supersized Ride

Your bright idea: To improve your car’s ride and handling (and maybe gain a little street cred),
you install larger, aftermarket wheels and tires.

The dismal result: “Replacing the standard wheels and tires with a set that’s appreciably taller,
wider and heavier can add a lot of stress to other suspension components,” says John
Rastetter, director of Tire Information Services at the Tire Rack. As a result, the ABS is less
responsive.

Next time around: Pair a slightly larger wheel set with high-performance, low-profile tires to
maintain the diameter, load rating and tire-to-fender clearance.

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A Sealed Deal

Your bright idea: With energy prices rocketing, you decide to apply a layer of unfaced batt
fiberglass over your attic’s existing insulation–even remembering to place it at a right angle
to cover the seam gaps.

The dismal result: The insulation covers the soffit vents, which allow air exchange on the
underside of the eaves. Now instead of escaping, moist air lingers and condenses, causing
the roof framing and sheathing to rot.

Next time around: “When you add insulation, it’s absolutely critical not to cover your
venting,” says Robin Bectel of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association.
She recommends setting up a baffle in front of the vent to preserve a 1-in. air space.

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Creeping Corrosion

Your bright idea: Because steel nails rust, you use an aluminum roofing nail to secure a
loose piece of copper step flashing where roof and sidewall meet.

The dismal result: When two dissimilar metals are brought together in moist conditions,
one rapidly corrodes (the anode–in this case, the nail) while the other does not (the
cathode, or flashing). The problem, known as galvanic corrosion, is made worse because
the cathode is significantly larger than the anode, a phenomenon called area effect.

Next time around: If you must put a nail through flashing, use an aluminum nail on
aluminum flashing and a copper nail on copper flashing. Copper nails are expensive,
but not nearly as costly as replacing the flashing.

Smooth Move

THE MISTAKE

Your bright idea: You pour new concrete to replace a cracked pad, choosing a hot,
sunny day.

The dismal result: “If you don’t cure concrete properly,” says Terry Collins, an
engineer with the Portland Cement Association, “it won’t reach maximum strength.”
Your new pad fractures. 
 

THE SOLUTION

Next time around: Collins recommends placing a wet blanket or burlap over the
fresh concrete and covering that with plastic. If the area is too big, use a hose to
sprinkle it three times a day.

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Computer Clutter

Your bright idea: To free up room on your hard drive, you drag your unwanted
computer programs to the trash.

The dismal result: Tossing a program in the virtual trash doesn’t eliminate all of it.
“When you install software on your computer, it not only puts files in its own
directory, it can also spread hidden pieces of code all over your various hard-drive
folders,” says CNET.com associate editor Rich Brown. “They can gum up
performance in other applications by causing your computer to navigate dead-end code.”

Next time around: Follow uninstall procedures to the letter. But, he warns, “even
a proper uninstall often won’t totally clean up your system. Use multiple detection
and cataloging applications, such as Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware, to track everything that
finds its way onto your PC.”

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Shifting Gears

Your bright idea: Each winter morning, you patiently fend off frostbite while waiting
for your car to warm up–assuming it will then run more efficiently.

The dismal result: “There is not really any advantage to idling your car,” says Scott Sluder,
a development engineer at the Fuels, Engines and Emissions Research Center in Knoxville,
Tenn. In fact, Sluder says, one test shows that cars use three times more gas when idling in
cold weather than when they are driven right away. You end up spending more money at
the pump.

Next time around: As soon as your vehicle settles into a smooth, low idle–signaling that
oil pressure has stabilized–put it in gear. The engine warms up better when it is being
(gently) driven.

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THE MISTAKE

Your bright idea: It’s pruning time, so you trim back trees by making clean cuts
flush with the trunk.

The dismal result: You’ve removed the ridge at the base of the limb known as
the branch collar; its protective cells are uniquely adapted to closing wounds.
Disease soon causes your trees to wither.

THE SOLUTION

Next time around: Look for the swollen ring at the base of the branch and
cut as close to that as possible. To minimize damage on live growth, use bypass pruners.

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THE MISTAKE

Your bright idea: Grime has accumulated on your once-pristine vinyl siding, so you paint a nice
dark red over it.

The dismal result: Dark colors absorb more heat, a phenomenon called thermal pickup. A year
later, the siding
buckles and the paint begins to blister and flake off.

THE SOLUTION

Next time around: Stick close to the siding’s original color when repainting. If your siding is
dark colored to begin with, there’s no harm in following suit.