Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2020 i Family Handyman

Got plans to hang a mirror or a large painting? Consider using the stud cavity behind it for handy, secret storage. I installed this mirror cabinet in the bathroom—like a giant medicine cabinet. The mirror glides on ball-bearing drawer slides to open and close the cabinet. When the mirror is in place, nobody knows the cabinet is even there! Getting started Including the frame, my mirror was 21-¼ in. wide, so I needed about 23 in. of open wall space to the left of the mirror for it to slide left. You can mount the drawer slides to go either direction. I bought a frameless beveled mirror for $125. I could have purchased a framed mirror to save some work, but I decided to build my own frame. The mirror…

PLAN YOUR LAYOUT The last thing you want when you’re tiling is to reach the end of the course and have a sliver of a space to fill. To avoid this, measure and mock up a row of tile to determine your layout. Doing this bit of layout planning will make setting the tile the easy part. Remember to add spacers between the tiles if you’ll be using them to create grout lines. Use this mock-up to determine whether you should shift the layout to get a wider tile in the corner or along a wall. START OUT LEVEL ON A WALL Laying your first course of tile on baseboard or a tub surround will lead to trouble. That first course of tile will likely be unlevel, which will force…

Fast Wi-Fi is about as essential as electricity these days. We need it more than ever, whether to work from home, pay bills, figure out how to fix a toilet or just stream our favorite movies. But depending where you are in your home or backyard, you might experience dead spots and slow speeds. Sometimes called a “meshnet,” a mesh network, which consists of a router plus “nodes” that relay signals, is a great solution. But prices vary; Google Nest Wifi is $269 with one node, while TP-Link, a comparable product with two nodes, is only $110. Is one faster than the other? To find out, I installed both in the homeLAB and compared them. How do mesh networks work? The nodes in a mesh network are basically radio transmitters.…

The instructions in the box with a new faucet tell you everything you need to know for a normal installation. Trouble is, there’s no such thing as a normal installation. Every job has its complications. To get the solutions to the most common problems, I sat down with a pro plumber who faces these faucet situations every day. Use these expert tips to make your faucet replacement an easy half-day job instead of an all-day ordeal. LOW-FLOW PROBLEMS? If your faucet has weak pressure or flow, a new faucet probably isn’t the solution. Here’s how Joe tracks down the source of the trouble: ■ If both the hot and the cold are weak, the aerator is probably clogged. Simply remove it and clean it to solve the problem. ■ If…

Installing tile in a kitchen or bathroom is hard work. And for lasting results, the installation needs to be done right. I sat down with Josh Risberg, our resident tile expert, to talk about his favorite tools and his approach to setting tile. Josh, our lead carpenter, has more than 16 years of tiling experience. This collection of tips will help you avoid the most common mistakes. BACK-BUTTER FOR A BETTER BOND Because larger tiles (12 x 12 in. or bigger) have more surface area, it’s critical that you “back-butter” the tile to ensure a strong bond. It takes only a few extra seconds for each tile. Before setting it, trowel a thin layer of thin-set on the back of the tile by placing the flat edge of the loaded…

Carpet deodorizers can kill your vacuum Many carpet deodorizers contain baking soda because it’s a good odor absorber. But a vacuum repair technician tells us that baking soda is harmful to your carpet as well as to your vacuum’s performance and longevity. Here’s how it can damage your carpet and your vacuum: n Baking soda particles, which are abrasive, work their way under the carpet where your vacuum can’t suck them out. In heavy traffic areas, the resulting abrasion breaks down the carpet backing. ■ Baking soda gets into the vacuum’s motor, gears and bearings, gradually destroying them. ■ Baking soda can quickly clog a vacuum cleaner filter. A clogged filter makes the vacuum work harder, wearing it out much sooner. Better solutions To remove odors, you need to clean…

OUT-THE-WINDOW A/C Fall had arrived, and it was time to remove the air conditioner from our second-floor window for the winter. It was a job my husband usually did, but my son and I decided to handle it ourselves this time. We removed the screws and tried to open the window, but it wouldn’t budge. So we looked for more screws and pounded on the window sash to make sure it wasn’t stuck. No dice. I told my son to step back as I pried up on the window sash with a big crowbar. The window shot open and the now unfettered A/C unit tipped out of the opening, bounced down the entry roof, flew over the gutter and smashed into several pieces on the ground. I guess removing it…

Low-cost laser level Years ago, my first self-leveling laser set me back almost $400. Today, you can get the same accuracy and convenience for a whole lot less. The Skil Red Cross Line Laser Level kit (only $60!) projects a cross pattern, up to 50 ft. away, that’s level and plumb, so you can hang pictures, install shelves or set backsplash tile without holding a level in your hand. The locking switch protects the laser during transport and lets you tip the laser to achieve a straight-line reference at any angle. You can find the kit, which comes with an adjustable clamp arm, at home centers and online. MIKE BERNER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR SUPER-FAST SPRAY PAINTING Tired of juggling multiple cans of spray paint for larger projects? Go out and get…

The humble bath fan does more than prevent a foggy mirror after a hot shower. It gets moisture out of your house. Without it, excess humidity can cause mold growth and peeling paint, or bigger problems like rotted window frames, damaged drywall and wood decay inside walls. Repair costs can easily reach thousands of dollars. On the other hand, a fan that isn’t installed properly can actually cause more damage than no fan at all. But here’s the good news: Bath fans aren’t complicated. If you understand a few basics, you can recognize and correct almost any problem. The fan is running but not working If your fan seems to run just fine but doesn’t seem to be expelling air and moisture, light an incense stick and hold it near…