Wise buys

No-hassle wallpaper: DIY decorators who have lost the battle with pasting and applying wallpaper will welcome Paperez from Eisenhart. With Paperez, the paste is applied to the wall, not the paper, with a conventional paint roller. You still have to match seams and patterns and hang it straight, but the messy water, trays, folding or "booking" are eliminated. The adhesive, which goes on blue, dries clearly and slowly, allowing for repositioning. And if the process is interrupted, just apply more paste. Paperez can be easily stripped without chemicals or messy spraying. Eisenhart products are sold at Wallpaper Hangup Inc., Wallcoverings Preferred, Al Smith Paint, Bill Brothers Paint, Cover-Ups Inc., Walton Creek Interiors and Miller Bros.

Cordless trimmer: Nothing finishes off a freshly cut lawn like the precise edges from a string trimmer. But nothing is more maddening than the noise and weight of a gas-powered trimmer or wrestling with the cord on an electric model. The new generation of cordless trimmers, powered by a removable, rechargeable battery, lets you go anywhere, quietly, without tugging a heavy-duty coil with you. Most are pretty basic, but the 12-volt Black & Decker Grass Hog (who can resist the name?) can handle 1/2-acre on a single charge with a 12-inch swath and a 180-degree rotating head for lawn edging. Just make sure you wear pants and goggles to protect eyes and legs from tiny things trimmers whip up. About $80 and up.

Yard cart: A wheelbarrow is a gardener's best friend, but there are some tasks, like lifting rocks, shrubs, balled trees and raking leaves, that are made easier by Wheel Easy, a canvas, collapsible, steel-framed carrier than can bear up to 350 pounds. It's best selling point is its lower center of gravity for lifting. It can also be laid flush with the ground for direct raking and rolling heavy objects. $129.99 at Costco, Smith & Hawken, Brookstone and Frontgate.

Kid- and pet-proof screen: Improvements, the Quick & Clever Problem-Solver catalog, is out to prolong the life of your screen doors with flexible rayon replacement screen that resists tearing, sagging, clawing and impact from dogs and kids with other things on their minds than opening a door. The $29.99 kit includes screening, universal spline, mounting corners and enough screen for up to a 36-by-84-inch door. At www.improvementscatalog.com or (800) 642-2112.

Contact Joy Kraft by phone: 768-8467; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: jkraft@enquirer.com.