Mold & Mildew: How To Clean Black Spots In the Bathroo
13Jun
03Jun
Tips for Painting Kitchen Cabinets
DIY KITCHEN CABINETS
The best choices for cabinet paints
Paint options for painting kitchen cabinets
Painting kitchen cabinets brightens a shabby kitchen. Choose an oil-based paint or a water-borne acrylic enamel. Both create tough, durable surfaces.
Prime before painting
If you want to give new life to old wooden kitchen cabinets, painting is a great choice. You have several good paint options. Before painting, a careful sanding and good primer set the stage for a smooth, durable top coat for painting kitchen cabinets. For the best adhesion and a harder, more durable finish, an oil-based (alkyd) paint is tough to beat. But you must be willing to put up with the strong odor and solvent cleanup, along with a longer drying and curing time than you’d get if you used an ordinary water-based paint. Plus, the color may yellow over time. The best paint for cabinets solution to avoid the hassle of oil-based paint is a new-technology waterborne acrylic enamel paint. This type of paint delivers:- Good flow
- Leveling
- Hardening characteristics of oil-based paint without the odor and long drying time.
- These new paints dry fast and clean up with soap and water.
- Surface preparation (degreasing, cleaning and sanding)
- Priming (use a top-quality primer)
- Brushing (use the best-quality brush for the type of paint)
- Drying (follow label directions).
13May
SIDING How to Replace Vinyl Siding
Cracked or broken vinyl siding is no reason for despair. A simple $5 tool gets the job done in 15-minutes. This article also includes some useful tips on how to get the best match possible for your original siding.
15-minute vinyl siding repair with a zip tool
Photo 1: A zip tool is the key
Slide the zip tool along the bottom edge to release the vinyl siding from the piece below it. This vinyl siding repair tip will save you loads of time.How Do You Replace Vinyl Siding?
Vinyl siding repair is tough, but not indestructible. If a falling branch or a well-hit baseball has cracked a piece of your siding, you can make it as good as new in about 15 minutes with a zip tool and a replacement piece. It’s as simple as unzipping the damaged piece and snapping in a new one. Get this vinyl siding repair kit zip tool on Amazon. Starting at one end of the damaged piece, push the end of the zip siding removal tool up under the siding until you feel it hook the bottom lip (Photo 1). Pull the zip tool downward and out to unhook the bottom lip, then slide it along the edge, pulling the siding out as you go. Then unzip any pieces above the damaged piece. Hold them out of the way with your elbow while you pry out the nails that hold the damaged piece in place (Photo 2). Slide the replacement piece up into place, pushing up until the lower lip locks into the piece below it. Drive 1-1/4-in. roofing nails through the nailing flange. Space them about every 16 in. (near the old nail holes). Nail in the center of the nailing slot and leave about 1/32 in. of space between the nail head and the siding so the vinyl can move freely. Don’t nail the heads tightly or the siding will buckle when it warms up. With the new piece nailed, use the zip tool to lock the upper piece down over it. Start at one end and pull the lip down, twisting the siding removal tool slightly to force the leading edge down (Photo 3). Slide the zip tool along, pushing in on the vinyl just behind the siding removal tool with your other hand so it snaps into place. It’s best to repair vinyl in warm weather. In temperatures below freezing, it becomes less flexible and may crack. The downside of replacing older vinyl siding is that it can be hard to match the style and color, and siding rarely has any identifying marks. The best way to get a replacement piece is to take the broken piece to vinyl siding distributors in your area and find the closest match. If the old vinyl has faded or you can’t find the right color, take the broken piece to a paint store and have the color matched. Paint the replacement piece with one coat of top-quality acrylic primer followed by acrylic house paint—acrylic paint will flex with the movement of the vinyl.Required Tools for this How to Remove Vinyl Siding Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY how to remove vinyl siding project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.- Pry bar
Required Materials for this How to Remove Vinyl Siding Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s a list.- Zip tool
01May
How to Build a Rustic Headboard By Thomas Baker of This Old House magazine
SKILL: MODERATE
While the mattress is the key to a bed’s comfort, the headboard is what defines its style. Case in point: this handsome planked headboard, which evokes the warmth and historical character of a stable in an old barn.
This is an easy, straightforward project to build. Working together, TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O’Connor managed to complete it in just a few hours, using materials readily available at many home centers. The base is a sheet of ½-inch birch plywood backed by 2x4s, and the rough-sawn boards covering the plywood are stained, kiln-dried poplar from Weaber Lumber. Conveniently packed in boxes, these weathered wallboards are free of the bugs, fungi, and peeling paint that you might find in boards actually salvaged from abandoned barns. Because the poplar pieces don’t line up perfectly edge to edge, Tom painted the plywood black to make any gaps look like shadows.
Overview
ILLUSTRATION BY DOUG ADAMS
Tom and Kevin take you step-by-step through the entire building process. If you like what you see, consider giving it a shot. You may soon find yourself dozing off beneath your own handmade headboard.
05Apr
How to Build a DIY Fire Pit in One Day By Angie Bersin April 4, 2019
Adding a DIY fire pit to your backyard is an excellent way to keep the fun going long after dark.
Instead of an unsightly dirt fire pit, spend a day making a new statement piece for your yard. If you’re wondering how to build a fire pit — we’ll show you how!
When selecting and building your DIY fire pit, make sure you avoid using wet stones. If you are using river rocks, be sure to give them several days of direct sunlight to properly dry.
1. In-Ground DIY Fire Pit
- First, want to create a bottom layer of gravel, then cover it with the “bottom” of your fire pit — larger stones or bricks or an even covering such as quick drying cement.
- Be sure to have drainage or it will turn into a mosquito pond.
- Create your top rim by making small cutouts in the dirt for your bricks or stones.
- Finally, dry stack your desired additional layers, or create a small wall using fire resistant adhesives or quick drying cement.
2. Overlaid Stone DIY Fire Pit
- If the stones do not feel secure, add in some non-flammable masonry adhesive, landscape adhesive or Liquid Nails.
- For the center, line the bottom of your fire pit with one or two inches of sand.
- The outside of your fire pit should be lined as well, and no grass or other yard matter should be within two feet of your pit.
3. Tin DIY Fire Pit
4. Gravel DIY Fire Pit
5. Raised DIY Fire Pit with Fire Bowl
6. Grate Drum DIY Fire Pit
For a less formal, down-home fire pit look, simply add a smoker fire basket (sometimes also called a vertical drum) to the mix. You can either buy one pre-made, or you can craft one yourself using flexible metal grating from the hardware store and a few bolts to fasten it into a circle. Quite a few Hometalk DIYers like to use old washing machine drums, which cost about $10 from used appliance stores. Then insert your drum into the center of your fire pit. If you choose to build a solid wall design like the fire pit pictures, make sure you leave a drainage route for rainwater.
Whichever style you choose, just make sure you enjoy responsibly. Hometalk breaks down all the necessary safety precautions before, during, and after building your fire pit in “Stop! Your Must Have Handbook for Building DIY Fire Pits.”
01Apr
How to Change a Furnace Filter
Family Handyman
When to change a furnace filter
If you’re thinking that you only have to change your filter once a year, you may well be shortening the life of your furnace. Actually, you should check your filter monthly and often change it monthly, depending on the type of filter you use. To determine if it’s too dirty, remove the filter and hold it up to the light. If you can no longer clearly see light, change the filter (see photo). Many costly repairs can be avoided with regular filter changing. If you don’t change the filter, lack of airflow through the furnace will cause it to overheat and shut down. Similarly, a dirty filter can cause an air conditioner to shut down because the coils freeze up when airflow is inadequate. Both events stress the system. Filters are designed to protect the blower motor from dirt. When buying filters for this task, an inexpensive glass fiber filter will do the job. But if you want to reduce airborne dust in your home, you could start with the best of the inexpensive 1-in. disposable filters—the standard pleated filter—which costs a bit more. Better yet, to remove even more small particles, install an inexpensive, electrostatically charged fiber filter. 3M Filtrete is one common brand.. Just make sure to check the filter monthly and change it when it’s dirty (not just every three months as recommended). All other options, from a 4-in. thick mechanical air filter to an electronic filter plate system, involve electrical or ductwork changes by heating/cooling contractors. They remove more particles, last longer and cost more. Finally, whatever filter you use, make sure you reinstall it correctly, with the arrow on the filter edge pointing toward the blower motor. Putting it in backward decreases the filter’s efficiency.
01Apr
10 Vintage Home Hacks That are Still Brilliant Today-Handyman Magazine
.jpg){kind=link}
These tips and tricks for the home have been passed down from generation to generation, but do they still hold up today? You better believe it!
Floor Ruler
No need to scramble for a ruler every time you have to measure something big. Draw a ruler on your shop floor with a permanent-ink, felt-tip marker. It won’t be accurate enough for precise measurements, but for rough cutting it will save you time and effort. When the markings start to wear off, just redo them. — Christine Smith
Trapeze Clothes Hanger
Here’s a quick way to add another clothes rod in a closet. It’s especially useful in a child’s closet, because you can easily adjust the height to accommodate a changing wardrobe and a growing child. Use lightweight chain, attached to both the upper and lower rods with screw hooks. Squeeze the screw hooks closed with a pliers. — Jim Shephard. Find out these amazing additional ways to find more closet space you can do yourself.
Lawn Fertilizer Markers
So you fertilized your lawn last week, and now you’ve got some streaks of pale grass where you missed, and some really dark streaks where you hit twice. To prevent this, use two short lengths of wood as markers. Whenever you start a new row from either end of your run, drop a marker at the edge of the line of the fertilizer. Aim for the marker as you proceed, and move the marker at each end every time you make a turn. It works with a broadcast spreader as well. — Jim Carabetta. If you want a lusher lawn, then pull up these 11 tips for a lawn that will make your neighbors green with envy.
Help For Losers
Doesn’t it drive you nuts when you drop a small part on the floor and you can’t find it? Here’s help. Lay a flashlight on the floor, and beam the light slowly in a circle so it just skims the floor surface. The shadow cast by the lost part will help you spot it. — Gary Stewart
Think that’s helpful? Well, you love these 45 hugely helpful handy hints that will keep cash in your pocket.
Vacuum Accessory Keeper
Here’s my quick and simple method for keeping shop vacuum accessories handy: Use an ordinary wire clothes hanger for each accessory. Bend the horizontal bar into an inverted “V,” squeeze the arms together and insert them into the open end of the accessory. The tension will hold the accessory in place. Then mount a row of hooks or screw eyes on the wall and hang the accessories in place. — Richard Siegel
Storing vacuum accessories and other tough-to-store items can be difficult but we’ve got 24 solutions for hard-to-store stuff.
Hollow Door Fixer
If you have a sizable hole in a painted hollow-core door, here’s a quick way to fix it: Completely fill the hole with spray foam insulation (a can costs about $4 at home centers) so the foam is about level with the door surface. Allow it to dry overnight. The foam will expand slightly as it dries, forming a slight mound. Slice off the mound with a razor knife so the foam is slightly lower than the door surface. Apply one or two coats of drywall compound, sand it smooth when dry, and paint. — Richard Loeb Jr.
That spray foam fix is great but it’s not as brilliant as these 15 uses for spray foam you never knew.
Roof Gutter Tool Trays
Here’s my solution to workbench clutter: I mounted vinyl gutters along both ends of my workbench to hold small tools and other items that usually end up buried on the work surface. The gutters are durable, inexpensive, and it’s easy to find things in them. An added benefit is that small items that get knocked off the workbench no longer fall on the floor. Use an end cap at each end. — Scott Wright. Gutters aren’t only great for a workbench, see how they’re great in a kitchen too.
Splashblock Anchor
Do those plastic downspout splashblocks tend to wander away from the foundation of your house, allowing water to seep into the basement? To prevent this, drill two holes through the hefty corners of the plastic at the back end. To anchor it, drive two large spikes through the holes into the ground. — Joseph Perrone
If you’ve got gutter issues of any kind, be sure to check out these 25 hints for fixing gutter problems.
SPONSORED CONTENT
How to Easily Kill 98% of All Odor & Mold in Your Home
By Home&Garden — Americans are going crazy over this new simple trick that magically kills odors, mold, bacteria and fungus growing in your home
Plastic Bag Storage
If those empty plastic grocery bags are threatening to take over your kitchen, here’s help: Stuff them into an empty paper towel tube. It’s quick and easy, and a dozen or so bags take up hardly any space. Keep the stuffed tube handy in a drawer. — Joan Hill
Paper towel tubes are great for storing items. We’ve got 10 more incredible ways to reuse paper towel tubes for storing things.
Blade Life Extender
When the blade in your utility knife gets dull, it’s usually only the point and the first 1/4 in. or so that’s bad. You can get additional life from your blade by snapping off the point with a pliers (wear safety glasses). It won’t cut quite as well as a fresh blade, but a lot better than the dull one. — Dennis Feldpausch
Check out some brilliant uses for razor blades that you can use around the house.
28Mar
Well Water Safety: DO’s and DON’Ts
If your home uses well water, then there are some very important “do`s”, “don`ts” and other considerations for which you need to pay particular attention. This article will help you keep your well water supply safe for your family.
DO's AND DON'Ts IN YOUR YARD
Let's start first with the area of the yard where your well sits, and the part of your well that is above ground. When landscaping around your wellhead, be sure to keep the top of your well at least 12” above the ground around the casing, so that surface water can never enter your well. And you will want to ensure the area around your wellhead slopes away from the well to prevent surface water from pooling around the casing, which can cause contamination and damage to your system. Keep the area around your well accessible and clean of leaves, grass, other debris, and piled snow. And take care when working or mowing around your well, as a damaged casing can jeopardize the sanitary protection of your well. And anytime there’s been flooding near your well, do not use water from your well until it has been tested for bacteria contamination (helpful accessory: water quality testers). Your well should be at least 100 feet away from potential contaminants sources such as oil tanks, septic tanks, or chemical storage tanks. Avoid using, mixing or storing hazardous chemicals, such as paint, fertilizer, pesticides, motor oil, gas, weed killer or other pollutants near your well. Do not dump waste near your well or near sinkholes, as this may contaminate your water supply. And if you have a septic tank, be sure to have it pumped regularly to prevent possible contamination of your groundwater from it overflowing. You should routinely conduct a thorough check of your wellhead. Make sure that the well cap is not broken and is free from any holes or corrosion, and it is at least 12" above the ground with a watertight seal (see costs and reviews of well caps). If it doesn’t already have one, you should install a sealed sanitary cap to prevent contamination from insects, small animals, and other surface contamination. And if you have an abandoned well on or near your property, it should be sealed. Abandoned wells can be sources of potentially polluted groundwater, which could make water from your working well unsafe to drink.OTHER DO's & DON'Ts
If you have infants in your home, you should have your well especially tested for nitrates. Most wells will test for high concentrations of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. So to improve doing laundry, bathing and the taste of your water, you should consider adding the appropriate water softener system. And if your well water has too much iron in it, then you should NOT use bleach when laundering, because it will cause a chemical reaction that will stain your clothes. Instead of laundering with bleach, you can use hydrogen peroxide, borax, Iron Out, or pre-soaking and rinsing your laundry in store-bought water and bleach. You should regularly disinfect your well once an inspection has determined that your water system is free from any sources of apparent contamination. Disinfection not only cleans your well, but also helps maintain its production capability. But be careful not to over-chlorinate your well. And whenever you are uncertain about the safety of your water supply you should have your well tested for bacteria. Be sure to install backflow prevention devices on all outside faucets with hose connections, as this will help keep pollutants from being siphoned back into the hose and into your water supply. And when using a hose to add water to pesticides, fertilizers or other chemicals, you should never put the hose inside the tank or container, as this can potentially result in these very dangerous chemicals being siphoned back into your water supply. Always use a licensed water well driller and pump installer for any service done on your well or pump. You will want to keep careful records of your well installation, any maintenance or inspections, repairs, and all water test results and disinfections. And keep your well records in a safe place.TESTING
At least once a year, you should have your well tested for total coliform bacteria, which will give an indication of whether there is a likelihood of more dangerous bacteria present. And every three years have your well tested for pH, TDS, nitrate, and other contaminants of local concern. In addition to ensuring the safety of your drinking water, you can also use the results of your well tests to make the appropriate water filtration decisions for your home. While waiting for your well test results, to ensure safe drinking water for your family, you should only drink bottled water or water from a known, safe, source. Or if necessary, you can make water safe to drink by boiling the water for five minutes. All water tests should be conducted by a certified lab. After you receive your results, compare them to the drinking water standards for public systems by the EPA. And you might want to consider having a downhole inspection done of your well, by a contractor who uses an underwater camera. This can help ensure that you well still has tight construction and that the downhole equipment is working properly.WHAT TO WATCH FOR
If you ever notice any changes in your water (odors, color, laundry problems etc.), You should have your well immediately tested. And if your sinks and toilets are a reddish color, or if you notice your clothes look dingy or slightly orange over time, or develop an odor even after laundering, then your well water may have too much iron in it. And most important of all, if your water is ever cloudy, smelly or discolored, DO NOT drink the water.
28Mar
You have lived in your home for many years, Now it time to sell.
You have lived in your home for many years now you are thinking of selling your home. Do you know what type of repairs are needed to sell your home and streamline the real estate process? Home Detective of Minnesota will do a home maintenance review of your property. It is a Visual only review of your property. We will go through your property and point out items that are needing repairs or upgrading. You will need to write the items down and you may want to take some pictures. As the homeowner you can then make the repairs yourself, hire a contractor or just leave the item along. The Visual only review is $150.00 and takes about two hours to complete. Once you have completed the repairs you are going to make, we will come back to your home and review the items that were repairs plus do a complete home inspection, we will provide a written report that you can share with prospective buyers showing the repairs made. This proactive approach will get more buyers in the door with higher offers for your property. This written report will take about three and one-half hour to complete, you will have the report the same day. We will also offer you warranty protections for your property. If you wish to have the home maintenance review and full home inspection report with FREE warranties we offer a two for one promotion. Visual only review $100.00 Home Inspection with written report and warranty program $350.00. Contact Home Detective of Minnesota at 763-434-3155.
28Mar
Protecting and Cleaning Your Vinyl Siding
Since vinyl siding never needs painting, it might be easy to assume that this means that your vinyl siding is indestructible and requires “no maintenance.” Unfortunately, this is not the case, and in this article, we discuss what you should do to protect and clean your vinyl siding.
PROTECTING
Concentrated solar reflection from nearby energy-efficient glass windows, roofing, pavement, etc. Can cause heat distortion to your vinyl siding. This can be prevented by blocking the path of this reflected sunlight with trees, shrubs, or fences (helpful accessory: window screens). Or in the case of reflections from nearby energy-efficient windows, these windows should have screens or awnings added to them. Vinyl siding has a relatively low melting point, so you will want to be sure to keep heat sources (such as barbecue grills) and combustible materials (such as dry leaves, mulch, and trash) away from your vinyl siding. And when doing home projects that involve stains, sealants, and wet concrete, you should cover your vinyl siding to prevent these products from damaging your siding. Also, certain insecticides or herbicides can potentially stain your vinyl siding, and you should be carefully research and test in a small area before applying any of these products near your vinyl siding (helpful accessory: vinyl siding cleaners). You should trim any shrubbery or trees which are near your house, so they don’t rub against and mar your vinyl siding. You should also inspect your siding to be sure that all areas are firmly attached, otherwise strong winds can use these loose areas to pull entire sections off of your home. Also inspect for areas which are damaged, cracked or punctured and need to be replaced to maintain water and pest protection for your home. And be sure to consult with your vinyl siding manufacturer before painting vinyl siding. Many manufacturers void their warranties if their siding is painted. However, vinyl siding should never be painted a dark, heat-absorbing color, as it will cause your siding to tend to warp and sag when exposed to strong sunlight.CLEANING
To keep your vinyl siding looking good, you should wash and clean it using a cleaner that is approved by your manufacturer. Small spots of mold and mildew can be removed with cleaners such as Fantastik or Windex. For larger sections, a solution of vinegar (30%) and water (70%) is usually effective, and is environmentally more friendly than using household cleaners and bleach. Do NOT use cleaners containing organic solvents, undiluted chlorine bleach, liquid grease remover, nail polish remover, or furniture polish or cleaners, as these can affect the surface of your vinyl siding. Power washers should only be used if allowed by your particular manufacturer. If you do use a power washer, be careful not to etch the siding with too strong of a stream. And be sure to spray the water on a downward angle and away from any window edges or corners, so as to keep water from getting under your siding. When washing and cleaning your vinyl siding, use a soft cloth or a long-handled soft-bristle brush (which works well for textured vinyl surfaces), and start at the bottom of your house and work up. If you go top to bottom, the cleaner and dirt that flows downwards can sit on the lower boards for too long and damage them. And be sure to thoroughly rinse the cleaning solution away completely before it dries.Compliments of
Reed M. Herman
Home Detective of Minnesota
763-434-3155
Rherman@HomeDetectivemn.com
www.homedetectivemn.com