Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2018 i Family Handyman

Digging is bonehead simple. But as with any other job, a little know-how lets you do it smarter and faster and with less strain. 1. CALL BEFORE YOU DIG Cutting into a buried utility line can kill or cost you—yes, you’re responsible for damage to underground lines on your property. To avoid that risk, call 811 three or four days before you dig. It’s a good idea, though usually not mandatory, to mark the area you plan to excavate with white spray paint before utility lines get marked. 2. SHARPEN YOUR SHOVEL A sharp edge makes all the difference when you’re slicing through hard soil or roots. A file will do the job, but a grinder equipped with a metal-grinding disc is the fastest way to sharpen. A knife-sharp angle will dull…

Acrylic Latex: $2 to $5 Acrylic latex caulks are the easiest to apply and smooth out. They’re also the only sealants that clean up with water. Look for versions labeled “siliconized” or “plus silicone.” Adding silicone to acrylic latex improves adhesion and flexibility. Polyurethane: $6 Poly caulks are generally tougher than other sealants, making them a good choice for driveways and other areas that take a beating. But their gooey consistency makes them hard to work with. Check the label before painting; you may have to wait several days. Solvent-Based: $6 to $9 Many solvent-based caulks are great for roofing because they don’t degrade in direct sunlight and can be applied to wet surfaces. But they’re gooey and hard to apply neatly. Hybrid: $7 and up Most hybrid caulks combine…

In the old days (the ’90s and earlier), changing your vehicle’s coolant was simple. Then cars got more complex and DIYers got intimidated by the precise filling and “air-bleeding” procedures required to eliminate engine air pockets. All it takes to get back in the game is a one-time $90 investment in an air-powered refilling tool. Then you can change your coolant yourself in about an hour. You’ll save about $50 on your very first coolant change, and about $100 on each one after that. This procedure works for any cooling system that’s not contaminated with rust or oil. I’ll show you how to check yours and then how to change the coolant. Start the inspection when your engine is cool. Remove the radiator or coolant reservoir cap and examine the…

CHIMNEY FLUE PLANTERS To make these terra-cotta planters, go to a brick supplier and buy 3-ft. lengths of clay chimney flue liner ($15 each). Cut them to different heights using a circular saw fitted with an abrasive cutting wheel. You can put them on a deck or patio, or accent your yard wherever you like—just pick your spots and bury the ends in the soil a little. Fill the liners with gravel for drainage, leaving 8 in. at the top for potting soil. Since the water can drain, the liners won’t crack if they freeze. Or just set pots on top of the gravel and bring in the plants for the winter. NANCY BELMONT COMPRESSOR CREEPER Air compressors are heavy and cumbersome to haul around a shop or garage, so…

Figure A Bird Feeder OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 21" Tall x 11-1/2" Wide x 7-1/4" Deep Bird-watching lets you enjoy the best of wildlife, and getting started is easy. You can hang a bird feeder and delight in your new visitors as you sit and read a book on your porch or work in the yard. Feeders are available in a wide price range, and you can pay a lot for one that only looks handmade. So why not build your own? With a splash of creativity and a twist of effort, you can have a hangout that will please both you and your hungry guests. Materials You can build this bird feeder from standard pine boards or pressure-treated lumber. Treated lumber will give you long-term rot resistance but also a disadvantage:…

1. CONNECT THE WALL BUTTON WIRES Depress the tab on each terminal of the surge protector and insert the wires from the wall buttons in your garage. 2. CONNECT THE NEW WIRES TO THE OPENER Insert the wall button and photoelectric eye wires into the correct terminals on the opener, paying attention to the polarity. Every garage door opener is vulnerable to power surges and lightning strikes. In energy into the opener, damaging the circuit board and leaving your garage door opener dead. A new circuit board costs $60 or more. Adding a surge protector is a DIY project that takes about 15 minutes and greatly reduces your risk of surge damage. The units cost about $20 each at home centers, and you’ll need one for each opener. We installed…

Most DIYers buy coolant at the auto parts store where the product is labeled “universal,” meaning it works in all cars. The carmakers disagree. Over the past several years, they’ve issued service bulletins warning that “universal” coolants are often incompatible with the newer metal alloys and gaskets and seals used in their vehicles. The carmakers aren’t saying that just to increase sales of their proprietary coolants. They’re seeing real (and expensive) damage caused by these coolants. If you use the wrong coolant, you won’t see the damage for a few years. But when you do, it’ll cost you a bundle. So heed the manufacturer’s warnings and buy coolant right from the dealer. It’ll cost about $6 more per gallon (most vehicles only need 2 gallons), but the peace of mind…

GOT A DIY QUESTION? Finding answers is easy at familyhandyman.com. Just use the search box at the top of the page to get expert step-by-step help with your projects. GOT A HANDY HINT OR TIP FOR US? To share your information with us, submit a copy of your original contribution, including photos and/or sketches, by email to: submissions@familyhandyman.com Or mail to: The Family Handyman, 2915 Commers Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121 Please include your name, mailing address and email address if you have one, and indicate to which department you are submitting. We reserve the right to publish your submission in any appropriate department, or elsewhere. Contributions will not be acknowledged or returned. RIGHTS By submitting material to us, you grant Home Service Publications, Inc., its parent company subsidiaries,…

Fire blocking aims to prevent or at least slow the vertical movement of flames, smoke and gases by sealing off concealed spaces like stud cavities and soffits. Smoke and gases readily travel horizontally as well, so preventing horizontal air movement, such as within a dropped ceiling, has its own name: draft stopping. Code requirements for adding fire blocking and draft stopping apply mainly to new construction. But if you’re finishing a basement, putting on an addition, remodeling a room, or just running pipes or wires through a plate, you’ll need to include fire blocking. We’ll show you the most common fire blocking applications on the following pages so you can apply the principles to your project. Figure A Whole-House Fire Blocking Materials for fire blocking Materials approved for fire blocking are…

This shed stood a long way from any power source, so we opted to use a Honda EU2200i inverter generator for all our electrical needs, along with the EU2200i Companion unit when we needed more power. These small, light and powerful 2,200-watt generators had no problem running our circular and table saws and charging our cordless tool batteries. Because they generate super “clean” power, they could also handle our delicate electronic gear like cameras and computers. After the construction was done, the Honda generators provided the power for the shed itself. For more information on Honda generators, visit gen.honda.com.…

Admit it. You’ve been one of the lost souls standing in the caulk aisle, staring dumbfounded at the magnitude of caulk choices. This article will help you make sense of those ever-expanding choices and choose the right caulk for your project. Exterior siding and trim: Choose a hybrid or polyurethane On your home’s exterior, high-quality caulk is critical—it locks out water, protecting your home against rot and peeling paint. Although some inexpensive acrylic latex caulks are rated for exterior use, we recommend hybrid caulks because they offer better adhesion and flexibility. For matching the appearance of materials like stucco or rough-sawn wood, we like Vulkem, a textured polyurethane. EXPENSIVE CAULK IS WORTH IT The most common reason for using caulk, whether indoors or out, is to prevent water penetration—and serious…

KEEPING CROOKS OUT: THE BASICS MATTER MOST Small security measures are a huge deterrent. Most home break-ins aren’t the work of criminal masterminds; burglars just want to steal stuff with minimal time, effort and risk. Unfortunately, there are lots of easy targets in any neighborhood. But that’s good news for you. If you make your home just a little harder to get into, you greatly increase the odds that crooks will bypass your house and look for an easier job. Focus on windows and doors All the usual security advice (install exterior lighting, ask the neighbors to watch your house, etc.) is worth following. But above all, know this: Most break-ins occur through ground-level windows and doors. So strengthening them is priority one. For help with that, search for “home…