Studs will help sturdy shelves

Q. I want to install some shelves on my walls to hold books and other heavy objects. The walls are drywall attached to wood studs, and I want to screw the shelf brackets directly to studs. How do I find the studs?

A. There are several ways to locate wall studs so that heavy-duty shelves, heavy pictures and wall hangings, and similar weighty objects can be safely supported.

One of the quickest ways to find studs is to use a special tool. Electronic stud finders are available, but they are relatively expensive.

A much less expensive alternative is a magnetic stud finder, sold at many home centers and hardware stores. These work well on drywall walls.

The tool is simply moved over the wall until the magnet reacts to the head of a drywall screw or nail, indicating a point where the drywall is attached to a stud. When you locate one stud, it is easy to find others, since they are usually spaced on 16-inch centers (occasionally on 24-inch centers).

You can verify the location of a stud by drilling a small hole just under the point where the magnet reacted. If the bit hits solid wood, it is a stud.

Before you do any drilling, however, keep in mind that many walls contain electrical wiring and/or plumbing pipes. Check in the basement and attic to see if you can determine the routes of wiring and pipes. As an extra precaution, turn off the electricity and water supply before you drill.

Some do-it-yourselfers don’t use stud finders, but find studs by drilling a few 1/16-inch holes into the drywall just above the baseboard until a stud is encountered. The holes can be sealed with spackling and are virtually invisible in most walls.

Other clues to finding studs: Junction boxes for electrical outlets and switches are generally attached to studs, and so are heating and cooling registers.

Another method is to shine a light beam along the wall; shadows indicating slight bulges usually mark where drywall joints have been attached to studs.

Q. My house has many single-pane windows, and the outside window trim has rotted in places. I’ve called four replacement-window contractors, and they all want to install new windows and just cover up the rotten wood with aluminum or vinyl. The prices quoted are astronomical. I’d rather just repair the rotted trim and keep my old windows. Does that make sense, and how can it be done?

A. It does make sense, but stop calling replacement-window contractors and get prices from a couple of carpenters. There is no reason why the rotted trim cannot be replaced or repaired, then painted or covered (clad) with aluminum or vinyl if you want to reduce maintenance.

What’s more, if you are satisfied with the existing windows, you can still save a great deal of energy costs by having storm windows installed instead of replacement windows. Top-quality storm windows compare well with replacement windows in energy efficiency, and they cost much less.

Q. I recently moved into an apartment where the previous occupant apparently did not flush the toilet very often. There is a build-up of hard material on the surface of the bottom of the toilet bowl. How can I remove this thick layer of crud?

A. The material in the bowl might well be mineral deposits from so-called hard water. There are a lot of treatments for removing this crud.

Start by turning off the water to the toilet, using the valve underneath it, and flush so most of the water leaves the bowl. Then fill the bowl to above the stained area with full-strength white vinegar. Let the vinegar stand overnight, if possible, or at least for several hours. Then scrub vigorously with a toilet brush, leaving the vinegar in place.

When you have removed some or all of the stain, flush the toilet. If some stain remains, repeat the treatment until you have a clean toilet.

If this treatment fails, several excellent toilet-bowl cleaners are sold at supermarkets and home centers. Lysol Power Toilet-Bowl Cleaner and Zud are two good candidates.

Another treatment that is often used for removing difficult toilet-bowl rings is a pumice stick, which is a very fine abrasive.

One source is Vermont Country Store (www.vermont countrystore.com). Type Ring Eraser in the search space.