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Tack an empty tissue box to
the inside of a cabinet door and stuff your
empty plastic grocery bags into the box. This
will hold them secure, organized and also make
for a convenient dispenser.
While working on the interior
of your house, anything that can eliminate as
much of a mess as possible is always a plus.
So, when using a chalk line to mark surfaces-
such as walls and flooring- use a white color.
Red and blue will permanently stain.
When laying tile, use pennies
as spacers instead of store bought plastic ones.
Pennies are easier to handle, more uniform and
cheaper.
Use the sole of a shoe to
clean the sanding belt when it gets clogged,
Do this by clamping the sander upside down,
turning it on and gradually applying the sole
of the shoe to the belt, watch it clean right
up.
In many phases of construction
the staggered joint produces a stronger finished
product. - Horizontal Example- While installing
a hardwood floor, the ends of the boards should
never line up in consecutive rows. Instead,
it is recommended that several rows be installed
before boards line up. - Vertical Example- Boarded
siding needs to be staggered in a similar way
to a hardwood floor- except on a vertical surface.
When cutting crown molding...
place the molding on the mitre saw fence at
the same angle it is to be installed, but turn
it upside down so that the ceiling edge is on
the mitre saw's base and the wall edge is resting
on the saws fence; and then cope the inside
corners.
When digging up sod that is
going to be replaced, skin the sod off in large
sections about 3-4 inches thick- peel back.
Do not cut into little chunks. This will make
replacement and re-rooting clean and effective.
Instead of using 2x4s use
2x6s and cut them in half lengthwise at a 45
degree angle. This will result in 2 stringers
per 2x6 that when installed with the angled
edge on top, will do two things. First, it allows
the stringers to weather and last much longer
since rain and snow will slip off. Second, it
creates a more secure fence, since it removes
the possibility of a step for climbing potential.
If you have a fence post that
is rotted out and the concrete the post is set
in is not broken, you can simply pull the wood
out,,, pound a new post in it's place... and
trim the top flush with the other posts.
Take old or unneeded Venetian
blind slats and cut them into 8-inch strips.
Cut a point on one end for pushing into the
dirt. These are rigid, waterproof and great
for writing the name of each particular flower
or vegetables on.
When sweating copper joints,
clean and flux both copper fittings.
Always try to remember to
bring your handyman cool drinks when it is warm,
and warm drinks when it is cool!
Raise your window well for
increased volume for landscaping material, by
driving heavy-duty lawn edging down between
the edge of the old metal well and the ground.
Drive it as far as needed to accommodate the
required height.
There is a hook on most ceiling
fan boxes that will hold the ceiling fan up
near the ceiling while you are doing the wiring.
When installing wooden floor
molding, remember that all outside corners can
be cut at a 45 degree angle, but all inside
corners must be coped. Coping is done by hand.
Push a straight pin into the
bottom two corners of the picture on the backside,
and then clip off the heads of the pins leaving
about 3/8 of an inch sticking out of the frame.
Hang the picture using a level, when set in
place, gently push the section of the picture
frame with the pins behind it into the drywall
to secure the positioning of the picture.
Are you using a cardboard
box to store items and have to re-tape it each
time you close the box? Next time try covering
the top flaps completely with packaging tape,
then tape onto the layer of packaging tape.
This will allow secure closing and easy opening
again and again.
Wrap sections of foam pipe
insulation around your vehicles luggage rack
to protect them.
Know where and how to shut
off gas and water to your house.
If your door slams shut with
a bang, you can place a couple of short beads
of clear silicone caulk along the jamb at a
few of the contact points. This will soften
the blow. Be sure to prop the door open for
a couple of hours after application, to let
the bead of silicone dry completely.
Glass jars are great because
they are less likely to allow the paint to dry
out and you can always tell the color of the
paint inside. To ensure the paint doesn't seal
the lid on and to further the air tight seal,
run a couple layers of Teflon tape around the
jars threads before putting the lid on.
An electric razor can be a
just as effective as an electronic stud finder.
Turn it on and drag it along the drywall, you
will notice a change in the vibration as you
cross a stud with it.
If you are having difficulty
with a copper joint due to a trickle of water
that won't stop, push a ball of bread up the
pipe to stop the stream of water. **We at Handyman
Matters would prefer wheat- if you have it.**
Don't trim trees in the budding
season (late March or early April) because it
adds additional trauma to the tree.
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