Do it yourself: maintenance doesn't have to be difficult.

Following are a few tips from syndicated columnist Gene Austin.

Q. We have a shaky end post on our stairway. How do we tighten it?

A Loose end posts or newel posts on stairs are rather common and, if the post is loose enough, can pose a serious safety hazard. The simplest repair is to buy a couple of metal right-angle brackets at a home center or hardware store and screw the brackets to the stair tread and the sides of the post. If the stair is carpeted, pull back the carpet so the tread legs of the brackets can be placed under the carpet. This is not the most cosmetic repair, but is by far the easiest.

A tricky but better-looking repair is to drive one or two long lag screws through the base of the post and into the stair framing. One carefully placed lag screw will sometimes do the job, so study the post and framing carefully to determine where it will do the most good. Drill a 1-inch or three-quarter-inch starter hole for the screw near the base of the post, angling the hole toward the framing that supports the stairs. Drill this hole only one inch or so deep, using a spade bit in a power drill. Switch to a one-quarter-inch or five-sixteenths-inch bit to drill the rest of the hole through the post and into the framing.

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Use a lag screw with a diameter that matches the smaller hole you drilled and a length that will extend into the framing (usually 4.5 to 5 inches). Put a washer under the head of the lag screw (the washer should sink into the starter hole). Drive the screw into the post and framing with a socket wrench so the head is sunk into the starter hole. Fill the starter hole with a piece of wood cut from a dowel, sanding the protruding end flush with the post. If necessary, repeat the procedure and install a second lag screw.

Q. How do I hide knots on painted woodwork without refinishing the entire piece?

A. I don't know of any practical way to hide the knots permanently without refinishing the piece, unless you are very good at touching up finishes. The knots must not have been sealed when the woodwork was originally painted, so they have "bled" through the paint. If you simply paint over them now, they will bleed through again.

The best treatment is to seal the knots with de-waxed shellac or, better, use B-I-N, a shellac-based stain Miler sold at many home centers and paint stores. Let the sealer dry thoroughly and either repaint or try touching up the sealed areas.

Quick Tip. A gasoline-powered leaf blower can double as a snow-removal tool for light snowfall. The powerful blast of air from the blower can do a quick clean sweep of driveways, sidewalks and other smooth surfaces. A blower works best with dry, powdery snow no more than 2 inches deep; it won't work well in deep snow or wet, slushy snow.

E-mail questions and comments to Gene Austin at [e-mail].