Do you have a love-hate relationship with your caulk tubes? I know I do. There is a whole shelf in the garage filled with multiples of the same caulk. Inevitably, trying to use a previously used tube results in a messy battle between me, the caulk tube, and some sort of sharp implement like a nail or coat hanger. I usually lose and have to tap a new tube. Apparently I am not the first person to struggle with Caulk woes. Enter Caulk Savers. Designed to puncture the membrane of caulk at the base of the neck of the caulk tube container and then seal the neck of the container to preserve the caulk for the next use. It is a handy tool that promises to save countless tubes of caulk, and, it can be re-used. Available in six packs (minimum order of two packs), for about $9/pack, direct from CaulkSavers.com

For the last two years a couple of my geekier friends have been bugging me to get a headlamp. After feeling wrong about holding my flashlight in my mouth on a some electrical projects around the house I started thinking they might be onto something. I went out and bought a Petzl LED headlamp and now wear it when I go to bed because I love it so much. The batteries, just three AAA’s on mine, last forever. The headlamp is comfortable, light, easy to aim, and gives you light exactly where you need it, which is typically wherever you are looking. Thankfully you will no longer need to hold the light in your mouth or between your ear and shoulder. Petzl has a great selection online. I got mine for about $40 at REI.

This is more a public service announcement than a product review posting. Attention all tradesmen! Please do yourself and your clients a favor by heeding this product announcement. Few situations match the indignity of walking into a room, only to be accosted by the view of a tradesman and his butt crack. Please people! Much to the relief of homeowners everywhere Duluth Trading offers a Longtail T-Shirt specifically designed to remedy “Plumber’s Crack.” And they actually package some of the shirts in a bucket with “Crack Spackle” on the exterior. It is truly a gift that keeps giving.
Check them out at Duluth Trading.
They even have on online game called Plumber’s Butt Pandemonium in case you’re really bored.

After one or two crawls through our crawl space I realized I was in desperate need of some coveralls. My first step was to get a white tyvek coverall suit from Home Depot. This solution made me look like the Stay Puff Marshmallow-man in Ghostbusters. In combination with my respirator, I frightened a number of neighbors who thought there might have been some sort of nuclear incident in our yard. Just so you don’t think I’m totally vain (just moderately vain), the Tyvek suit also began to disintigrate after a couple uses. My next step was to order some serious coveralls from Duluth Trading. Not only do these look sweet (I’m sure I’d pick up lots of fighter pilot groupies if I ever left the house), but they are infinitely practical and well made. Lots of great pockets and very comfortable. Plus they keep out lots of dirt, spiders, and creepy-crawlies.
Check them out on Duluth’s website.