Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Family Handyman

When we decided to salvage and refinish a vintage console stereo, we didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find the perfect “piece of junk” for the project. A growing number of independent retailers are available to help with that task, whether you want to do the work or purchase finely refinished furniture. Find Furnish is a Minneapolis-based store that sources and sells vintage furniture and more. “At least half of what we do is refinishing and refurbishing furniture,” said Eric Wivinus of Find Furnish. “We have people on our team who specialize in woodworking or refinishing or working with metal. We also sell pieces that are still in the project stage, and people can bring those back to life as they want.” Brian Wilcox, one of the store’s…

I don’t mind cleaning my hard-surface floors by hand occasionally. Sure, it is a chore, but the results are quite good, and I can do it all with simple cleaning liquids and rags. The problem is, it can take a couple of hours to move all the furniture and sweep, clean and dry the wood. So I do it infrequently. The Tineco Floor One S5 is a wet/dry vacuum designed to clean hard-surface floors, and its smart capability adjusts the cleaning power automatically. It has separate tanks for clean water and dirty water, and a soft cloth roller for cleaning. Cordless, this device includes a dock receiver that plugs into a wall outlet for charging. I was hesitant to run the wet cleaner over my wood floors on the first…

Yes, I got a traditional key with this Kwikset Halo Touch door lock. And there is a keyhole for it. But I’m hoping to never use it. (I did use it once during installation so I know it works.) The actual key is my fingerprint. Or my wife’s. Or my son’s. Or my neighbor who has always had a house key. Or that of whomever I want to access my house. This smart lock from Kwikset is a complete replacement for your existing door hardware. Even though I needed to grab a chisel and a drill to make the set’s new strike plate fit my door, the whole installation took about 30 minutes. And that included downloading the Kwikset app, creating an account and scanning some fingerprints. For most installations,…

“One step at a time, you CAN build this.” I repeated that mantra through each phase of this project. I try to stretch the limit of my skills every time I build something new. This round cabinet with revolving shelves stretched, and even bent, my skills. And I had so much fun! If you are up for a challenge and want to learn new skills and create unique furniture, this is for you. Yes, it made my head spin. But once I started, I knew I could build this piece; you can too. Let me show you how. WHAT IT TAKES TIME Several days COST $600 to $900* SKILL LEVEL Advanced TOOLS Table saw or circular saw, router, narrow crown stapler, 18-gauge brad nailer, 23-gauge pin nailer, basic hand tools…

I wanted a wooden floor lamp by my reading chair, but I couldn’t find one at the giant light fixture retailer near me—there were no wooden lamps at all. I saw a sleek cherry lamp online, and it cost nearly $3,000. So I decided to make my own, including the lampshade. This elegant lamp is a simple project, and it gives woodworkers creative flexibility. Make a taller floor lamp, or a table lamp. Go with more dramatic curves. Lampshade fabric opportunities abound. And the lamp cord? I’ll show you how to hide it. WHAT IT TAKES TIME 2 days COST $400 SKILL LEVEL Beginner to Intermediate TOOLS Table saw, jigsaw, handsaw, drill, doweling jig, router/router table, random orbital sander, wire cutter, screwdriver THE LAMP SHADE Make your own lampshade from…

When you’re buying or selling a home, it helps to have an ally. Hiring a home inspector can help you avoid surprises at the closing table. I talked to Chris Meis of Honest Home Inspections to discover the most common issues he finds and what advice he has for buyers and sellers alike. NUISANCE PLUMBING LEAKS Ceiling stains mean there’s a leak somewhere, but it might not be directly above the stain. Sinks, toilets and tubs are all potential sources of water leaks. If not repaired, leaks become water stains, rotten floors and mold. INADEQUATE SMOKE AND CO DETECTORS Chris often finds that houses have inadequate smoke and CO detectors. Your home needs a smoke detector in every bedroom and on every floor of the house. And you must have…

It’s shaped like a “P” and can be found under sinks, tubs and showers. A simple device, a P-trap holds just enough water to create an airtight seal that prevents sewer gas from backing up into your home. As you run water down a drain, you’re continuously refilling that trap. This plumbing masterpiece has been in use for about 250 years. Here’s what you need to know about it. P-trap pipes are available in different materials, but the assemblies are similar. Your P-trap can be polypropylene (white or black), ABS (black), PVC (white) or 18-gauge brass (either chrome-plated or natural). Plastic traps come in inside-diameter sizes of 1-1/4 in. (for a standard bathroom sink), 1-1/2 in. (for a laundry sink, bathtub or standard kitchen sink) and 2 in. (for a shower…

EVER - FLOWING WATER HEATER When the plumber replaced one of the heating elements in my electric water heater, I watched carefully, knowing the other element would eventually need replacing too. Sure enough, a year later the other one went. I checked it with an ohmmeter, confirmed my diagnosis and headed to the plumbing supply store. When I got home, I killed the power supply at the box and at the wall switch. Feeling proud and confident, I dragged the garden hose into the house, connected it to the heater and ran it into the floor drain to empty the heater—just as the plumber had done. Then I sat and waited for the water to stop flowing. After about an hour of a good, steady flow, it occurred to me…

SUPERB SQUARES The Woodpeckers brand is known for its high-quality, accurate tools for woodworkers, and these Mini In-Dexable squares definitely measure up. If you do mostly rough carpentry, you’re likely fine without them. But if you’re venturing into fine woodworking and cabinetmaking, consider upgrading your tools. This Woodpeckers square set is something you should splurge on. You’ll use the squares for accurate assembly of components and layout, as well as machine setup. Each has cutouts every 1/16 in. for parallel marking with a pencil. There’s also a detent at each inch as you slide the head down the blade. The shoulder mechanism slides out of the end of the head to hold the tool perfectly level with your workpiece. A full set of Mini In-Dexable squares (about $250) includes 4-in.,…

Its flickering cry for help caught my attention before it flashed its final light. That was the last incandescent lightbulb in my house, and it went dark. Elated, I quickly screwed in a new smart bulb and now feel as if my home has left the 20th century behind. Dramatic? Maybe, but the shift from heated wire filaments to LED bulbs that we can talk to is as big as it sounds. To replace that last old-school bulb, I twisted in a new Solana smart LED bulb from Bulbrite, a company that has been in the lightbulb business for more than 50 years. Bulbrite’s Solana smart bulb lineup includes standard bulbs in a range of lumens; globe, chandelier and reflector-style bulbs; and Edison-style bulbs with visible filaments. We tried a…

Building a chair is a bit daunting because it needs to look good and feel good. That’s why I based my chair on a timetested 1960s design—and a stunning one at that. Of course, you can build this Selig chair with a shop full of nice power tools, but you can also tackle it with tools you already own or make a minimal investment in a few new ones. I ordered ready-made cushions from Joybird—a company that makes reproductions of this chair. The size of its stock cushions determined some of my chair’s dimensions. You can buy your cushions there and know they will fit. WHAT IT TAKES TIME 4 days COST $600 SKILL LEVEL Advanced TOOLS Table saw, circular saw, jigsaw or band saw, drill/driver, router/router table, doweling jig,…

Live-edge wood has a natural appeal that makes it popular for a variety of woodworking projects—dining room tables, shelving and more. But where do you find beautiful 2-in.-thick slabs of walnut or maple? Certainly not at home centers. Search online for local sawmills and hardwood suppliers to find live-edge wood slabs. At the supplier, you’re sure to find DIYers and pro woodworkers combi ng through stacks of wood slabs looking for that perfect piece. We sourced this walnut from a local hardwood supplier and had it surfaced-planed at a local sawmill. WHAT IT TAKES TIME Full day COST $250 SKILL LEVEL Beginner TOOLS Circular saw, straightedge, miter saw, drill/driver, rubber mallet, orbital sander, wood chisel, safety goggles, dust mask, measuring tape, clear packing tape IMAGINATION The artistic challenge—or opportunity!—of any…

DON’T SKIP THE INSPECTION! Unless you’re a housing professional with the ability to spot and take care of any and all issues yourself, skipping an inspection is a dangerous game. Don’t do it! ASK ABOUT INSURANCE Housing inspectors may not be required to keep Errors and Omissions insurance in your region. If they don’t have insurance and they miss something that turns out to be significant, you may have no recourse. Always ask about this up front and make an informed decision. NO REPAIR? BE READY TO ASK FOR A LOWER PRICE It’s important for buyers to understand that a seller may choose not to fix the problems highlighted in the inspection report. This is the buyer’s opportunity to negotiate a better purchase price for taking on the repairs. WHICH…

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