Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2015 i Family Handyman

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com A BETTER WORK LIGHT You’ve probably used halogen work lights. And you’ve also probably burned your fingers on them, cussed the fragile bulbs and sweated from the heat they generated. Now there’s an alternative. The Husky Portable LED Work Light is cool to the touch, can take abuse, won’t heat up a tight work space and costs only $35 at The Home Depot. I’ve been using it for various small projects, and I love it. Especially the fact that I can knock it around a bit. And since it’s got an LED, its power use is minimal. All that is great. But one thing you need to know: It can’t match the brightness of your typical halogen work light. A traditional halogen work light might produce 8,000 lumens, 10…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com I designed this pergola with simplicity and economy in mind, but not at the expense of good looks. The pergola is made from standard dimensional lumber, so you just cut the parts and screw them together—no special skills required. To keep the cost down, I used pressure-treated lumber, which looked great with two coats of semitransparent stain. I sized the pergola for small gatherings of family and friends. With an eye toward daytime comfort, I spaced the roof slats to block some sun but still let in enough rays for warmth. You can build this project in about two weekends if you have an agreeable helper. I spent just under $1,300 on materials. The concrete floor, which is optional, added another $500. Your floor could be flagstones, paver bricks…

greatgoofs@thefamilyhandyman.com DOMESTIC SITUATION Nighttime is no time for exterior repairs, but I couldn’t sleep with that loose piece of trim slapping against the house. So despite the wind and rain, I grabbed a hammer and crawled out the window onto the roof—wearing only my tighty-whitey underwear. Before I could even begin the repair, my wife woke up and closed the window. As soon as I heard it shut, I scurried back to the window and tapped. No response, so I whispered, no response, louder, no response …. A light went on next door and I could hear our phone ringing. It was the neighbor calling and sheepishly asking if we were having marital problems. (Why else would I be on the roof in my underwear, begging to be let in?)…

handyhints@thefamilyhandyman.com SAVING HARDWOOD SCRAPS Short scraps of hardwood are too good to throw away but hard to store neatly. So I bought a 4-ft. tube form made for concrete footings, cut it in half (the cardboardlike material cuts easily) and set the tubes on end. I tack the tubes to a wall or a bench leg so they don’t fall over. With the wood scraps stored upright, it’s easy to find a piece just the right length. Tube forms are available in various diameters for $5 and up at home centers. Bill Wells Fix for noisy floors Here’s a simple fix for squeaking floor joists: Screw a 1-1/2-in. corner bracket to the joist about 1/8 in. below the subfloor. Then when you drive a screw up into the subfloor, it’s…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com HEARING PROTECTION: WHICH ONE SHOULD I USE? Sure, the risk of hearing damage is highest for those who use loud equipment every day. But if you use a shop vacuum, leaf blower or circular saw without hearing protection, you’re doing permanent damage every time. And that’s just dumb because protecting your ears is so easy. The goal is to reduce noise levels to 90 decibels. All forms of hearing protection—earmuffs, disposable foam earplugs, reusable plugs—are adequate for most noise. With super-loud equipment like framing nailers and chain saws, it’s smart to use both plugs and earmuffs. Of the carpenters we talked to, some preferred earmuffs, others liked plugs, but they all said the same thing: “I hated them at first—uncomfortable, inconvenient, a #&%* nuisance. But after a day or…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Laminate floors Laminate flooring is one of the great developments in home improvement of the past 50 years. It’s inexpensive, durable and prefinished, but best of all, an intermediate DIYer can install it with just a few tools. Most of the various styles are installed by just snapping together the planks—no glue or fasteners required. In fact, the trickiest part is choosing the product! That’s what we’ll tell you about. TWO STYLES: Engineered wood and plastic laminate There are two types of laminate flooring. Both come in packages of snap-together planks about 1/4 in. thick. But here’s the difference. Engineered wood is made from layers of real wood glued together with each layer perpendicular to the one below and above it for better stability. The top layer is a…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Buying a used ATV can save you thousands over the price of a new model. But a low price is a good price only if the entire rig checks out. Skip the inspection and you could be in for some pricey repair bills before logging your first 100 miles. We asked our expert, Josh Fischer, owner of Unlimited Motorsports, New Prague, MN, to walk us through all the pre-purchase inspection steps he performs for his customers. Josh charges $110 to do the full inspection in his shop. It sure helps to get the unit up on a lift, but you can do most of the checks yourself in the seller’s driveway. Take along a flashlight, rags, socket set, Torx and hex bits, mirror, and screwdrivers to remove covers and…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Most homeowners overapply pesticides and fertilizer to their lawns. Coming from a guy who sells lawn supplies, that may sound strange, but it’s true: Homeowners tend to look for a chemical solution to lawn problems when they should be thinking about healthy grass instead. When a lawn is healthy, it resists disease. If it isn’t sick, it doesn’t need “drugs” and extra care. Here are 10 tips to help you keep your lawn healthy. Whether you want to reduce chemical use or eliminate it altogether, following these tips will help your grass, your wallet and the environment. 1 Adjust your expectations Lawn chemicals do work, and it’s difficult to get that flawless “golf course look” without them. So if you plan to eliminate or drastically reduce chemical use, you…

1. True. High temperatures and direct sunlight shorten the working time of deck stain, which can result in a blotchy finish (and a miserable worker). Shoot for a cloudy day with temps in the 70s. 2. (A & B) If you don’t have a stud finder ($15 at home centers), remove a cover plate and look for the two spacing knobs that are located on the side of plastic boxes. The knobs will be on the side of the box that’s attached to the stud. The center of the stud will be 3/4 in. away from the side of the box. In stairwells, you can pull measurements from existing handrail brackets to find other studs. 3. False. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends testing your smoke alarms once a month. Change…