Five money-saving repairs for home & yard

With more people on summer staycations there's more time for you (and your barbecue guests) to spot eyesores like old paint, a worn deck finish, or the saplings sprouting from your gutters. Here are some smart fixes that could save you enough to help pay for that well-deserved vacation away from home:

Peeling paint

Problem Besides looking ugly, peeling, flaking paint lets in moisture and exposes the wood to structural rot.

Solution Before repainting, scrape and sand off the old paint and carefully power-wash the surface so that the new paint will stick. If the house was built before 1978, any pro you hire must be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and follow safety precautions for lead.

How to save Lowe's Valspar Duramax Flat, $33 per gallon, was among the best in our tests (available to subscribers). It can also save labor costs by eliminating the usual prime coat and easily meets proposed federal limits for toxic volatile organic compounds. A gallon of paint can cover roughly 400 square feet of surface. For big jobs buy paint in 5-gallon containers; the overall bill can be half as much as the tab for the same amount of paint in 1-gallon cans.

Worn deck finish

Problem Worn, flaking finishes no longer protect the wood, leading to mold, fading, cracking, and splinters.

Solution Solid, or opaque, finishes last longest but form a surface coating that might have to be sanded before the new finish can go on. Semitransparent and clear finishes wear sooner but penetrate the wood and usually don't have to be sanded off before refinishing. That's a plus for decks built before 2004, normally made of arsenic-laden CCA lumber.

How to save Behr Solid Color Deck, Fence & Siding Wood Stain, a CR Best Buy at about $27 per gallon, outlasted pricier finishes and topped our scores (available to subscribers) overall. Also consider Sikkens Cetol SRD, $40 per gallon, or Olympic Maximum Deck, Fence & Siding Stain, $35, if you want a semitransparent stain and don't mind refinishing more often.

A grill that ruins the cookout

Problem Steaks, fish, and other fare come out over- or undercooked.

Solution Check that the burners are providing a uniform flame pattern; uneven flames could be a sign of blocked burner tubes or ports. If so, make sure burner is cool and then follow the manufacturer's directions for cleaning. A toothpick can help clear burner holes. Burned-out or corroded ports mandate a new burner, a $30-to-$50 part that could save you the cost of a new grill.

How to save Has the rest of your grill seen better days? Consider the medium-sized Aussie Vantage Series 67C3, a CR Best Buy at just $250. Two others are the large Brinkmann 810-1575-W3, sold at Walmart for $380, and the portable Weber Q 200, $200.

Mess-leaving mower

Problem Dandelion stalks and other tough weeds get left behind, along with clumps of clippings. And cut grass turns brown at the tips because it is being shredded instead of sliced cleanly.

Solution Sharpen the blade at least once each mowing season (about $10 at a repair center) because a dull blade tears grass, invites disease, and causes mowers to guzzle about 20 percent more fuel. And scrape or hose off built-up clippings beneath after each mowing for cleaner cuts and fewer clumps.

How to save If it's time for a new mower, consider the self-propelled Toro Recycler 20332, a CR Best Buy. At $350, it costs roughly half as much as the top-scoring Honda and performs nearly as well.

Clogged gutters

Problem Water flows over the side, collecting near the foundation and raising the risk of seepage into the basement.

Solution Clean gutters at least annually; it will cost $100 or more if you call a pro. Have downspouts hosed out and the entire system checked for corrosion, broken fasteners, improper pitch, and separations between connections and where gutters meet the house. Also make sure that leaders extend at least 5 feet from the house and that soil around the foundation slopes at least 1 inch per foot for 6 feet or more.

How to save Gutter guards (available to subscribers) can greatly reduce gutter cleaning. The Amerimax 85198 screens resisted buildup and controlled even torrential rain impressively in our tests of almost 20 models. And at 30 cents per foot to install yourself, they cost a fraction of what we paid for some systems. Figure on about $100 to $500 extra for professional installation.