Tips
Interior vs. Exterior Paint
One of the most important things to be aware of is that paint is formulated for either interior use or exterior use, and they have different properties: Interior paint is formulated for: Scrubbability and stain resistance; Good hiding ability; Splatter resistance; Easy touch-up. Exterior paint is formulated for: Color retention; Resistance to fading; Flexibility to withstand expansion and contraction due to weather; To provide a mildew resistant coating; Resistance to tannin bleed. Don’t think that you should use exterior paints indoors on the assumption that it is “tougher”. In fact, some of the highest-grade exterior paints can be worse to use indoors than a lower-quality interior paint.
Register Cleaning
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed. Make sure they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
School Value
When looking for a house, be sure to check out the local schools, even if you don’t have school-age children. Research has shown that properties near good schools appreciate faster in strong markets and hold their values better during weak markets.
Taller Walls
To make a room appear taller, paint the ceiling the same color as the walls. This eliminates any break between the two and gives the illusion of height.
Deck Cleaning
Chlorine bleach is excellent for removal of mold, mildew and algae, but it also can cause premature failure of the coating. Try using a non-chlorine bleach cleaner instead.
Sawdust Collection System
As a practical matter, workshops can be set up just about anywhere space is available. But if you set up in a basement, consider adding a sawdust collection system. While new tools are designed to control sawdust as much as possible, central collection systems are effective and economical to install.
Colored Shades
As in all aspects of decor, the color of a lamp and its shade will affect the atmosphere and style of a room. Use strongly contrasting colors to make a localized decorative statement.
Pesticide Alternatives
When used incorrectly, pesticides can pollute water. They also kill beneficial as well as harmful insects. Natural alternatives prevent both of these events from occurring and save you money. Consider using natural alternatives for chemical pesticides: Non-detergent insecticidal soaps, garlic, hot pepper sprays, 1 teaspoon of liquid soap in a gallon of water, used dishwater, or forceful stream of water to dislodge insects.
Stripping Ventilation
Use paint strippers outdoors if possible. If you must use them indoors, cross-ventilate by opening all doors and windows. Make sure there is fresh air movement throughout the room. Ventilate the area before, during, and after applying and stripping. Never use any paint stripper in a poorly ventilated area. If work must be done indoors under low ventilation conditions, consider having the work done professionally instead of attempting it yourself.
Time to Refinish
Properly maintained, hardwood floors can last a lifetime. The key to preserving your investment is assuring that the finish on your floor is still doing its job. You can test this by going to a high-traffic area where the finish is likely to be most worn, pour a tablespoon or two of water onto the floor. Does the water:
Bead up so that you can wipe it up without a trace? Congratulations! Your floor’s finish is doing its job!
Soak into the wood after a few minutes, darkening the floor only slightly? Don’t panic, your floor’s finish is only partially worn. Immediate refinishing probably isn’t necessary, but keep a close eye on the floor.
Immediately disappear into the wood leaving a dark spot? If so your floor’s finish is seriously worn and it’s probably time to recoat or refinish.
Hardening Off
Before placing young plants in the garden they should be hardened off. Plants taken directly from the house to the garden almost always scorch from exposure to direct sunlight and wind. Scorched plants turn white or brown. Plants not killed will certainly be set back. Harden off seedlings by placing them outdoors for several hours on mild days. Select a shady, sheltered area at first. After several days provide some sun in gradually increasing amounts. Plants may be left outside at if temperatures are mild. Begin this process at least two weeks before the plants are to be set out in the garden.
Barriers Against Floodwaters
More extensive flood prevention means constructing barriers to prevent floodwaters from entering your home. This process involves building a levee out of compacted earthen structure or engineering a structure out of concrete or masonry.
The advantages of a flood barrier include: No significant changes to your home. The home can be occupied during construction. Levees or floodwalls reduce the risk of flood damage to your home.
Assembly Photos
If you plan to refurbish a major shop tool or other equipment, take some photos before you start. They possibly can save you some head-scratching during the reassembly process. Take pictures from a number of angles, and take close-ups of areas where you think you might have some questions later. The more complex the machine, the more photos you should take.
Workshop Cabinets
Small cabinets with plastic drawers are easier to use if you mount them at eye level in your shop. That way items are easier to see without pulling out all of the drawers to get what you need.
DIY Molding
If you are frustrated with the choices of molding styles at the lumberyard, make your own. A 15-piece molding head set for radial or tablesaws costing less than $60 can provide endless options. If the stock cutters don’t meet your needs, you can easily re-grind a new profile. Hone the edge and within minutes you can produce customized molding for new projects or to match molding no longer available.
Decorative Molding
A way to get a good fit when installing decorative molding is to install the first piece with a square end. Then cut the second piece at a 45-degree angle in a miter box or saw to expose the profile. Use a coping saw and follow the edge of the profile, under-cutting it about 3 degrees. This lets you get a good fit, even if the corner is not perfectly square.
Hanging Squares
To store a carpenter’s square, nail either a 13-in. or 22-in. length of tongue-and-groove flooring to your shop wall, groove side up. Then, to hang your square, just drop one leg of the square into the groove of the flooring piece. The length depends on which leg you want to be horizontal.
Loose Screws
One way to fix a loose screw in wood is to remove it and then insert toothpicks or burned wooden matches with a coating of wood glue into the hole. Allow the glue to cure, then cut flush and re-drive the screw. You can also insert a plastic wall anchor into the screw hole. When you put the screw back in, it will expand the anchor and will hold solidly.
Non-Cupping Floors
To resist cupping, install wood flooring with the growth ring’s arc highest in the center and lowest at each edge.
Plumber’s Bread
Water trickling in copper pipe can make soldering a joint almost impossible because you can’t get the fitting hot enough. Stuffing a wad of bread into the pipe will absorb the water and you can get done before it dissolves. But use white bread; whole grains can get caught in valves. Before turning water back on, temporarily remove faucet aerator.
Removing Glue
Warm vinegar will generally soften the most stubborn old glue on old furniture. Dipping the parts to be reglued in warm water, and then letting them dry out completely, will help to open up the wood pores and allow the new glue to enter the wood more freely. Warming the parts on top of a heater or in the sun will also help open up the pores of the old wood before regluing.
Shingle Installation
When installing roof shingles, do not nail above the sealant strips or the mid-section of the shingle.
Stretch Sanding
Tape a sanding sheet around the head of a sponge mop. This will give you the reach you’ll need to smooth out hard to reach walls and ceilings before you paint or during construction.
Toenailing
Toenailing styles can vary. Some pros like to drive three or four nails into a stud, toenailing from both sides at about a 30-degree angle. The job is easier if you first drive a holding nail on one side of the stud, then drive two nails on the opposite side. Remove the holding nail, then toenail the second side. You can also make up a 2×4 spacer to place between the studs.
Sawing Wood
When sawing wood, take time to consider which side of the material to having facing up. Keep the good side up when you are using hand saws, scroll saws, bandsaws, tablesaws and radial-arm saws. Keep the good side down when using a portable circular saws or sabersaws. The principle is to have the tooth of the blade first break through the rough side of the board or panel.
Insurance Requirement
A paid homeowner’s insurance policy (or a paid receipt for one) is required at closing, so arrangements will have to be made prior to that day. Plus, involving the insurance agent early in the home buying process can save you money. Insurance agents are a great resource for information on home safety and they can give tips on how to keep insurance premiums low.
Loan Origination Fees
When you turn in your application, you’ll be required to pay a loan application fee to cover the costs of underwriting the loan. This fee pays for the home appraisal, a copy of your credit report, and any additional charges that may be necessary. The application fee is generally non-refundable.
Factory Settings
Lower the thermostat on your new water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 115°F provides comfortable hot water for most uses.
Air Dry
Let your dishes air dry; if you don’t have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.
Paint Storage Temperature
Never store paint where it will be subjected to subfreezing cold or extreme heat (over 100 F/ 37.78 C). Although most paints are formulated to withstand several freeze-thaw cycles, these conditions can ruin coatings by causing then to solidify.
