Happy Handyman 
By Johnny Chuoke

A friend of mine was talking to me at the store and told me about his friend who seems to have attracted some skunks around her house. He wanted to know what to tell her so she could get rid of them. You know, send them back where they came from?

I didn’t think trapping them was a good idea. How would you get them out of the trap? Then I thought about NIMBY. That’s short for “Not In My Back Yard.”

This product works great on animals like cats, squirrels or anything that licks its paws. It’s not harmful, but will sure get rid of them. NIMBY is basically a pepper spray, so never spray it into the wind. It comes in quart sizes and we sell it for less than $12. You can find it at most hardware stores or nurseries.

Spray it around your plants or yard and tell those pesky varmints goodbye.

Now to the e-mail:

Q: We have a room with carpet over concrete and our cat had an accident on it. We can’t seem to get the odor out. You have any ideas?

A: No problem.Just spray the area with a product called Bio Zapp, and then put an Air Sponge in the return ducts of the air conditioning unit. In about two hours, the smell will be gone.

Q: We either have a leak around our chimney next to the roof, or the water is coming through the brick of the chimney. I’m pretty handy, so can I fix this myself?

A: Well, you are going to need to get on the roof. If you slip off – it might hurt! But if the height of the roof doesn’t bother you, then the fix is easy.

The product is called “Through the Roof,” and it’s a clear product that you can brush on. It comes in quarts and gallons, but it also comes in a tube that you use like caulking. It comes with a 10-year guarantee.

Use a brush and apply it anywhere the brick meets the roof. Then coat the bricks in the chimney and all around the chimney out about a foot. Since it is clear, you won’t be able to see it. It’s a tremendous product.

Q: We have had so much rain our windows look awful. I sure don’t look forward to taking the screens off and spraying them all down by hand and then replacing the screens. Is there an easier way?

A: There is, and it’s called Rinz EZ. You attach it to your water hose and it will clean the windows through the screens with no spots! Just remember do this project in the cool of the morning before the glass gets hot. I did the whole house in about 20 minutes.

Q: I’m painting the outside of my home and around the windows I’m seeing some soft wood on the window seal outside. I can’t imagine what it would take to replace that whole board. Could I just paint something clear on it? It doesn’t show.

A: Well sort of. MinWax wood hardener and wood dough is what you need to get. Don’t dig out the rotten wood. Instead, paint on the hardener with a brush (use three or four coats) in the areas where the wood is soft, and then put the wood dough in the places where the wood is missing. Then you can paint. There’s no need to prime.

Johnnie Chuoke, “The Happy Handyman,” is the owner of San Antonio’s Ace Acme Hardware, and has been dispensing homeowner advice for more than 25 years. Contact him through his Web site, www.acmelumber.com.