Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Family Handyman

NEW LIFE FOR OLD GLOVES Typically, not all the fingers on a pair of gloves wear out at the same time. So after a couple fingers get holes, snip off the remaining good ones. Now, when a finger starts to wear out on a newer pair of gloves, just slip a spare inside. D. TYNJALA Long-reach nozzle When you need to caulk a hard-to-reach area, like the base of a vessel sink, for example, try this: Cut the end of a drinking straw at an angle and duct tape the other end to the nozzle of the caulk tube. TERRY THORKELSON EASY ANGLE CUTS Here’s a quick and reliable way to cut 45-degree angles on a band saw. Just use the lip on a Speed square as a guide against…

HOVER YOUR CAMERA HERE To watch how this wall came together, scan this code with your smartphone Garage or mudroom organizers all have a similar design: tall, narrow cubbies, hooks on the wall, maybe a built-in bench. In my home, this arrangement ends up looking like a pile of jackets and bags hung on top of one another. Another problem is that people’s storage needs change over time. But most organizers don’t. I wanted to break the mold and create a more versatile and less cluttered solution. What I came up with was inspired by the versatility of pegboard. The 1-in. pegs support a ton of weight, and making a new shelf or moving a crowded peg is simple. You don’t need to know how to build cabinets to build…

There are hundreds of ways to deal with yard pests. But what works and what doesn’t? For expert guidance, we talked with Derrick Benz, who battles pests every day, all day (and wins!). He told us that few solutions work every time. Sometimes, small deterrents are enough. If you just make food or shelter a little harder to find, critters will often move to friendlier areas. But if animals are especially hungry or stubborn, you may have to try several solutions. Here are some of the strategies that have worked the best for Derrick. 1 Lock down your trash Raccoons are especially good at opening trash cans, but a bungee cord is usually enough to foil them. Also deal with trash odor. Garbage may smell bad to you, but to…

PROTECT & RENEW STAMPED CONCRETE Stamped concrete should be sealed every two to three years to protect it from the elements, make it last longer and keep it looking new. My stamped sidewalk was looking dull and faded with a whitish film on it, so it was time to reseal. Sealers are either water- or solvent-based, and it’s best to use what was previously used on your patio. If you apply solvent-based over water-based, you’ll likely end up with an uneven, blotchy finish. That’s because solvent-based sealer will darken areas where the old sealer has worn off, but not areas where it’s still visible. If you put water-based sealer over solvent-based, you’re likely to get a poor bond. I didn’t know what the existing sealer was, so I did this…

Like many homeowners, I hang a tennis ball in my garage to help me stop before I bump into the wall. But I wondered if there was a better way. So I did some research and discovered everything from lasers to sensors to bumpers, proving that many companies have been thinking about this problem. But does any of it beat the tennis ball? To find out, I bought one of each type and put them to the test. GoodChief Universal Laser Parking Assist ($28) With this system, you position lasers that tell you when to stop and also help you center the vehicle. The lasers are powered by your garage door opener, so they’re not constantly on. Setting it up took longer than with the other options (about 30 minutes),…

HOVER YOUR CAMERA HERE Scan this code with your smartphone to see how the dog spa comes together and watch the stairs in action! WHAT IT TAKES TIME 3 days COST $500–$1,200 SKILL LEVEL Intermediate TOOLS Table saw, or circular saw and cutting guide; miter saw; tiling tools; drill/driver; finish nailer; jigsaw; router; plumbing tools Our dog frequently returns from her outdoor romps with a big helping of dirt. Sure, I could haul her to the bathtub, getting my clothes and the floor filthy. But now that I’ve built a dog wash station in the garage, the mess never has to come inside. A pull-out staircase makes it easy for my dog to step up to a comfortable working height, so I don’t have to stoop to wash those dirty paws. And all my…

One of the best ways to encourage a greener, fuller and healthier lawn is to sharpen your lawn mower blade. A dull blade rips and pulls the grass blades, leaving ragged tears that weaken the plant and promote fungal growth and other grass diseases. A sharp blade, on the other hand, cuts cleanly, allowing the plant to recover quickly. Sharp blades also let you complete your lawn-cutting chore faster and with less stress on the mower. Sharpening is a simple task, even for a novice. It’ll take a few sharpenings to master the technique. After that, the task will take less than 10 minutes. Plan to do it twice every mowing season. We show here the steps that will work for just about any walk-behind mower. Riding mowers require different…

Instant blade changes With the Bosch X-Lock angle grinder, you don’t need to fuss with a spanner tool. To attach a disc or blade, just snap it on. To remove it, simply lift the lever and it pops right off. Bosch and other manufacturers offer a ton of accessories compatible with the X-Lock system, from diamond blades to wire cups. But there are a couple downsides: X-Lock accessories cost slightly more and aren’t as widely available in stores. The X-Lock comes on an entire line of grinders, including corded to cordless, starting at about $100. BILL BERGMANN, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Garage door control—from anywhere Chamberlain’s myQ Hub lets you control your garage door with your phone. So, for example, you can let your neighbor in while you’re on vacation. Or you…

Lots of garages, including mine, are crammed full of stuff—every inch of storage space within arm’s reach is used up. But chances are, they have plenty of empty space near the ceiling. High shelving is a great option for taking advantage of that space, but I wanted something convenient to access. I didn’t want to be lugging heavy bins up a ladder. I set out to design a contraption that would do that work for me. For lifting power, I chose a “linear actuator.” Since I’d never used one before, I built a prototype to see whether my idea would work. I pushed the button on the remote. Success! This shelf glides down for easy loading, and pushing the other button lifts the shelf up and out of the way.…

GET A GLASS-SMOOTH FINISH My early wood-finishing results weren’t pretty: I refinished musical instruments I had no business even touching and ruined some valuable furniture. I’ve learned a lot since then, working with some of this country’s top experts in wood finishing. Now I’d like to share some of that knowledge with you. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about wood finishing, it’s that patience is always rewarded; there are very few shortcuts to achieving great results. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, I find that it’s really enjoyable to slow down and pace myself. When I get in a hurry and cut corners, I always regret it. MEET THE EXPERT Jay Cork is an associate editor at Family Handyman. He began his wood-finishing career as a teenager.…

SUNROOF DISASTER I finally got around to replacing the flashing on one of our dormers. My extension ladder was too short to let me work comfortably at the peak of the dormer, so I drove my pickup into the front yard and placed the ladder in the bed, propping the bottom against the tailgate. It worked perfectly, giving me the extra height I needed. I climbed up the ladder and went to work. No sooner had I gotten down to business than the hammer slipped out of my hand, ricocheted off the ladder rungs and smashed through the sunroof of my truck. A one in a million shot. To look on the bright side, at least it didn’t go through my windshield. But from now on, I’ll use scaffolding to…