When it comes to home improvement, you need information you can trust. Inside each issue of The Family Handyman, you’ll find see-and-solve expert repair techniques, a variety of projects for every room and step-by-step, do-it-yourself photos.
WHAT DUST? Universal Router Hood I have a love-hate relationship with my routers. I love that they can take a chunk of wood or a ho-hum project and turn it into something polished and classy looking. I hate that they scatter dust and debris to all four corners of my shop. That’s why I was intrigued when a box emblazoned with “UNIVERSAL DUST-FREE ROUTER HOOD” landed on my workbench. Could it really eliminate dust? And would it really fit my router without a lot of hassle? The answers are yes and yes. Let’s be clear: This router hood isn’t something you just clip on and use. It requires removing your router’s original base plate and replacing it with the two-part universal base plate with a dust collection dome pinched in…
Easy apple cleanup Bending over to pick up fallen fruit from my apple tree was hard on my back, but I found a solution that works really well. I bought a three-tine frog spear ($3 at Cabela’s) and fastened it to the end of a broom handle. Now I just spear the apples. If I’m careful, I can spear more than one at a time. Mashing small apples with my foot makes them easier to spear. DAN ZAMBON TRASH-BAG DISPENSER You can build a simple dispenser for your trash bags using 1/2-in. pipe and a few fittings. Screw a floor flange to the cabinet, thread in a 3-in.-long pipe nipple, and then thread a 90-degree elbow onto the nipple. Cut the vertical pipe so it’s a bit longer than the…
We’re exposed to mold spores in the air every day, both indoors and out, and most of the time that’s no cause for concern. But given moderate temperatures, a food source (nearly any building material) and moisture, mold can grow on almost any surface inside our homes. Left unchecked, that can mean real trouble. Mold can harm health and destroy the building materials it feasts on. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation about mold and how to handle it. So let’s separate myth from fact and look at solutions that work. Myth #1 MOLD TESTING IS CRITICAL. Surprisingly, this isn’t the case. Testing gives you a snapshot of the quantity and type of mold present. But all types of mold (there are more than 100,000!) need to be removed, so it’s…
Moisture is the essential ingredient for mold to thrive, and it can come from many sources. If an area has gotten wet for any reason, dry it within 24 to 48 hours, before mold has a chance to grow. The most common sources of moisture are plumbing leaks, roof leaks, wet basements, poor yard drainage, window condensation and high humidity. Search for each topic at familyhandyman.com to learn how to deal with it. If porous surfaces such as carpet, drywall or ceiling tiles have gotten moldy, remove and replace them. Your house’s humidity should be 30 to 60 percent from spring to fall, and about 20 to 30 percent in the winter. If it’s high, use air conditioners or dehumidifiers. Use an exhaust fan ducted to the outside when you’re…
◾ If you can smell mold, but you can’t find the mold or moisture problem. ◾ If there is so much mold that you can’t remedy the problem easily. ◾ If there are highly susceptible individuals in your home. This could include those with respiratory conditions such as severe asthma or allergies, and those with a weakened immune system caused by HIV, chemotherapy or an organ transplant. Young children and elderly persons may also be more susceptible to mold-related health issues. ◾ If there are other hazardous materials present, like asbestos or lead, that will be disturbed or removed along with the mold. Hire a contractor who is licensed for those hazards. ◾ If moisture has created structural problems. Consult a qualified contractor to do the repairs or a structural…
Installing an irrigation system is a great way to keep a lawn green through even the doggiest days of summer. We spent a day with pro installers, who taught us how to pull pipe, make solid connections faster and get it done safely. The result: a well designed irrigation system that sips water instead of guzzling it. We don’t show how to connect an irrigation system to a home’s water supply or install a vacuum breaker/backflow preventer in this story. This crew hires a licensed plumber for those steps. A good plan saves water It takes a lot of know-how to figure out how many zones to install and which sprinkler head goes where. A poorly designed system will waste water—a lot of it! Luckily, irrigation product manufacturers such as…
