These 8 Exterior Renovation Projects Add the Most Value

When it comes to selling a home, the first impression is everything. The way the exterior looks and functions can play a big role in its overall value. But not all exterior renovations are created equal. The 2019 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Association of Realtors analyzed the eight most common exterior renovation projects and found these are the ones likely to add the most value to a home at resale.

A New Roof

Replacing a roof is expensive, but the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report concludes that a new roof is the top exterior renovation project to tackle in terms of value. Realtors estimate homeowners can recover 107 percent of their original cost. For example, if a new roof costs $7,500, the estimated value gained at resale is $8,000!

Garage Door

Replacing a garage door not only improves curb appeal, but the project also generates some of the best return-on-investment (ROI) numbers when it comes to recouping the cost at resale. The report estimates homeowners can get 95 percent of their money back on a new garage door at resale.

Fiber-Cement Siding

If homeowners are wondering whether fiber-cement siding is a good investment for their home, the answer is yes. Homeowners can recover as much as 76 percent of the upfront cost, making fiber-cement siding the third best exterior renovation project for adding value at resale.

Steel Front Door

The front door is one of the most important elements for curb appeal and first impressions. According to the report, replacing your existing door with a steel door averages a 75 percent return on investment. For example, if a homeowner spent $2,000 for a new steel door, they could expect to recoup as much as $1,500 when it comes time to sell the house.

Fiberglass Front Door

Fiberglass front doors are long-lasting, energy-efficient and great for curb appeal. But are they good for improving the value of a home? The 2019 Home Remodeling Impact Report shows adding a fiberglass door helps homeowners recoup 74 percent of the estimated project cost when they sell.

Vinyl Windows

It’s important for homeowners to consider the return on investment when prioritizing exterior renovation projects. Does replacing windows add value? Yes, replacing worn out windows with vinyl ones does boost a home’s value, as long as the window installation is done the right way. When they sell, homeowners can recover as much as 71 percent of the upfront remodeling cost of new windows.

Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding helps increase a home’s value by adding a fresh appearance, durability, low maintenance and energy efficiency. According to the 2019 Home Remodeling Impact Report, a vinyl siding upgrade will increase a home’s value by 63 percent of the project’s cost.

Wood Windows

Any type of replacement windows can add value to a home, including installing wood windows. Realtors estimate homeowners can recover 57 percent of what they spent (for example, if they spend $35,000, they’ll recover about $20,000) when it comes times to sell the home.

The post Which Exterior Renovation Adds the Most Value to a House? appeared first on Family Handyman.

Wind and Hail Damage

Severe weather poses all kinds of risks for homeowners, but wind and hail damage caused the most insurance claims between the years 2014 and 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

If you live in a place prone to hurricanes, the risk is especially pronounced. Tornadoes are another severe weather risk homeowners need to be aware of if they live in parts of the country where that’s common. But you don’t need to live in Tornado Alley or along the coast to be at risk, thunderstorms lead to widespread wind-related claims. The average claim came in at $11,200.

Fire and Lightning Damage

Damage from fire and lightning ranks second for frequency but account for the most expensive claims, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The average claim for fire and lightning damage is a whopping $79,785.

One of the most important things you can do is to asses your home for risks and take steps to eliminate them to help prevent home fires.

Water Damage

Water damage can result from rain or snowmelt, along with interior issues such as a burst pipe or leaking plumbing. Travelers Insurance analyzed eight years of insurance claim coverage data and found water accounted for 31 percent of its claims. If you live somewhere that’s at risk for flooding, it’s important to have flood insurance as well.

Non-Theft Property Damage

The Insurance Information Institute puts property damage, such as a tree falling on the roof or a utility truck that backs into your garage, as one of its top reasons for homeowner’s insurance claims. While this type of claim can take a number of forms, the average claim cost $6,598.

Break-ins and Theft

Travelers notes that break-ins and theft of personal property account for six percent of its insurance claims. Surprisingly, the average cost of these claims doesn’t even break the top five.  You can do a lot to prevent break-ins and theft at your home. Simple additions like outdoor lights on a motion sensor or adding a deadbolt to your door can improve your home security without much cost.

Other Insurance Claims

Wonder where dog bites and trampoline accidents fall? Well, the Insurance Information Institute says liability insurance claims made up just two percent of total claims. Liability refers to your duty toward other people, such as when a guest suffers injury or property damage while visiting your home. Although infrequent, these claims can be expensive — averaging a hefty $26,872.

The post What Are the Most Common Home Insurance Claims? appeared first on Family Handyman.

Add Paint

Choose a paint color and give a room a fresh look. Be sure to choose a high-quality paint, which will cost you $30 to $60 a gallon, but is totally worth it. While you have the painting supplies out, brighten trim with a light-colored, high-gloss paint.

Give the Kitchen a Simple Update

You don’t have to go big when it comes to kitchen projects. Install new kitchen cabinets or give current cabinets a refresh. Upgrade old kitchen countertops and add a kitchen backsplash for a new look.

Update the Bathroom

When it comes to projects with a great return when you sell your home, look no further than a minor bathroom remodel. Give your bathroom vanity a makeover, replace the toilet and faucet if needed, update the showerhead for a better shower experience and re-caulk the bathroom tub.

Upgrade Flooring

If the carpet in your living room is looking worn, remove it and install hardwood flooring. Quality hardwood flooring can cost anywhere from $3 to $8 per square foot and you can save some money by installing it yourself. Try tile in the mudroom and give bedroom carpet a good cleaning.

Finish the Attic

If you have an accessible attic that is unfinished, try turning it into a bedroom or an awesome man cave. If the attic is connected through a stairway and has a ceiling height of at least 7 feet, it is one way to add livable space to your home without breaking the bank.

Improve the Landscape

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to outdoor projects, here are simple landscaping ideas. Build a wooden planter box to add some color to the front of your home, plant some strikingly colorful shrubs and add some bee-friendly plants to your yard.

Replace Windows

When it comes to home improvement projects, window replacement will help your home’s energy efficiency throughout the year. In addition, if you live in a colder climate, you’ll recoup nearly all your costs when it’s time to sell your home.

Update Your Decor

Take a good look around—could some of your fixtures use an update? Hang a new light fixture, replace electrical outlets and covers, install crown molding for a classic look and upgrade any outdated window treatments.

Make Exterior Improvements

One of the easiest projects you can do is paint your front door. Also, replace vinyl siding that is cracked or broken, paint exterior trim and window shutters and fix any sidewalks that are chipped or pitted.

Add a Deck or Patio

Build a deck with these modern deck building tips and shortcuts or build a stone or brick patio quick and easy. A DIY fire pit will give you a great place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

Add Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting projects don’t have to be complicated. Try some solar lights along a path or add some smart security lights.

Remodel the Basement

Consider finishing the basement (if it’s not already), or you can always go with remodeling your basement entirely which will add living space. If your basement is finished, build a DIY bar!

The post 12 Most-Bang-for-Your-Buck Home Improvement Projects appeared first on Family Handyman.

Enhance Decks with Lighting

Landscape lighting may seem like a complicated DIY project, but low-voltage lighting systems are actually a job any beginner can tackle. And if you make your deck the focus, the extra visibility will even add a certain level of safety. Low-voltage systems are much less dangerous than standard household wiring because the system relies on a transformer plugged into a standard GFCI receptacle. That converts power from 120 volts to 12 volts, then the current travels through outdoor cables to supply power to the fixtures.

Install a Kitchen Backsplash

The kitchen is full of big-ticket items, but the backsplash doesn’t have to be one. In fact, you can comfortably install a backsplash in just one weekend. Plan on installing the backsplash tiles on Saturday and grouting and sealing them Sunday.

Upgrade Kitchen Lighting

Kitchens are the new multi-purpose room. Not only do they need to accommodate the cook, they also serve as a workstation for kids and adults, a gathering space for family meals and dinner parties — the list goes on. While kitchen lighting plays a big role in setting the mood for these tasks, it’s easy to come up with a custom solution to suit your family’s needs and the restraints of the existing wiring.

The Biggest Bang for your Buck

A fresh coat of paint instantly updates and transforms the entire interior of your home, and when you consider that the average price tag of a gallon of one-coat coverage paint is around $38, that’s about the biggest bang for your buck you can get. “Grays are back in vogue, and create a neutral palette that lets your decor really pop,” says Steve Frellick, licensed contractor and founder of Yonder Luxury Vacation Rentals.

Loose Fill Attic Insulation

Adding attic insulation is one of the best best home investments, often times recouping its entire cost in added value to the home. Insulating an attic will also save money on energy costs.

Steel Door Replacement for Entryway

Installing a steel entry door will add to your home’s resale value. It makes a statement right when potential homebuyers go into your home.

Manufactured Stone Veneer

A manufactured stone veneer project remains high on the list of valuable home updates as well. It provides a modern look at an acceptable price whether you’re hiring out the work or going DIY.

Minor Kitchen Remodel

People can go wild with kitchen remodeling projects, but it’s not necessary. A minor kitchen remodeling project recoups more of the cost than a major one.

Garage Door Replacement

Replacing a garage door is big for curb appeal, and it’s also big for recouping the cost of the project.

Fiberglass Entry Door Replacement

On the list of upscale remodeling projects, a fiberglass entry door replacement recouped 85 percent of the cost.

Siding Replacement

Appraisers typically look at the structural elements of a home as part of their process and siding usually plays a part in that. Replacing siding increases value instantly.

Window Replacement

Addressing your windows isn’t just window dressing. Potential buyers will notice them and so do appraisers. Vinyl and wood have comparable recoup rates but wood has a higher average cost and nearly one percent less recoup rate. If you’ve got questions about buying new windows, get the answer to them before you buy. Read about how much window replacements cost.

Universal Design

Aging-in-place or universal design is gaining traction among baby boomers who’d rather continue to live in their homes than have to move later in life. Universal design involves reworking a home so it functions for wheelchair mobility and adds safety features like grab bars in convenient places.

Roof Replacement

The roof is one of the most important parts of a home, so fixing roof problems and replacing when needed is an important project that home buyers will notice. It also turns out to be a pretty good investment.

Deck Addition

A wood deck addition falls on the inexpensive side of remodeling projects, but it’s one of the more valuable.

Smart Home Technology

Smart devices are infiltrating homes at increasing rates. Statista, a market research firm, found 33 percent of homes have one connected device and that number could rise to 60 percent by 2021. These smart devices can even detect leaks in your water heater.

Simple Fixes and Details

Simple fixes like working on the lighting of a home not only cast a new light on the home but also show the level of care given to the home. Buyers notice the little items and it’s important to show those. Washing windows can spruce up the house in a hurry.

Cover Up Wear by Repainting Walls

The paint on walls gets chipped through the years or maybe you’ve got crayon marks from kids you’ve wanted to clean up. Replace those holes in the wall from hanging items by painting. Experts suggest using neutral colors when painting rooms. For tips on painting check out our resources. Or update an old popcorn ceiling.

A Finished Basement Increases Value

An unfinished basement can save money on buying a house but a finished basement instantly adds value to the home. The amount of added useable square footage comes at a lower cost usually than an addition. Plus, the space can be reimagined for uses by the buyers.

Rip up Carpeting and Install Hardwood or Laminate

Hardwood and laminate flooring is comparable in price to luxury carpets but comes without the hassle of continual vacuuming. Plus, these types of flooring are durable and you don’t have to worry about stains as much. It’s fairly simple to install as well.

The post 20 Home Renovations That Instantly Increase Your Home Value appeared first on Family Handyman.

Home Equity Has Risen, Expanding Opportunities

The Commute is Too Long

Important Educational Opportunities are Available

A Better Neighborhood for Your Kids

Mold or Bugs

Relocating for a Job

It Could be Your Last Chance

A Place for Pets

A Major Relationship Change

You Have the Chance to Build a Custom House

A Place in the Sun

Local Activities No Longer Match Your Interests

The Market Allows You to Buy More House with Less

Friends and Family

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Too Many Hassles

Your Health

You Just Prefer a Fixer-Upper

The post 18 Reasons Why It Might Be Time for You to Move appeared first on Family Handyman.

How to Cut Perfect Miter Joints: Use a Sharp Saw Blade

Closing the Gap in a Miter Joint: Tweak the Cut

Glue and Sand for a Seamless Fit

How to Fix Bad Miters: Burnish the Corner

How to Measure Miter Cuts: Fit One Miter at a Time

Guess and Test

Mark, Don’t Measure

Use a Shim to Cut a Back Bevel

Smash Protruding Drywall

Use a Brad Gun for Best Results

Don’t Nail Too Close to Ends or Edges

Pin the Miter Before Nailing the Outside

Shim Behind the Miter

Brad Nailer Helper

The post 14 Pro-Approved Tips for Achieving Tight Miters Every Time appeared first on Family Handyman.

Maximize Your Truck’s Storage Potential

A pro’s truck is their castle. And as king of the castle, everyone rigs up their truck to fit their unique needs. I’ll show you how I keep my everyday tools handy and secure while still being able to haul around lumber and sheet goods. It’s good to be king!

About the author:

David Radtke is a trim carpenter, custom cabinetmaker, woodworker, freelance editor, and design consultant living in Minneapolis, MN. In the off hours you can find him enjoying archery, bow making, guitar playing and canoeing.

How I Built It

I modified my truck bed to keep tools secure. The cover is made from 2×4’s skinned with 1/2-inch plywood. I bolted angle iron to the sides of the cover and secured the whole thing with eyebolts located in the stake pockets. That way I can take it off easily, if need be. The whole platform is sealed against the truck bed with a rubber gasket to help divert rain.

Homemade Tailgate Lock

A piece of hinged plywood covered with aluminum diamond plate acts as a security flap. It extends down and prevents the tailgate from opening unless unlocked. An eye screw is fastened to the 2×4 frame, and a slot in the security flap allows a padlock to slip into the eye screw. The underside of the security flap has plastic furniture glides near the bottom to protect the painted surface of the tailgate.

Super-Strut Tie-Downs

Instead of installing just a couple individual tie-down anchors, I installed super-struts. They’re secured with strut clamps that are lagged through the plywood into the 2×4 frame. Now I can attach bungees or straps in any number of locations.

Help Hauling Extra-Long Items

I secure longer loads with a load extender that fits into the truck’s receiver hitch. The product I use is called the Tricam EZ Load Extender. The extender by itself is designed to haul long loads that are level with the bottom of the bed, but I bought an 18-inch hitch extender to bring it level with the top of the bed. It comes apart for easy transport.

Easy Access

I keep my hand tools and fasteners near the tailgate for easy access. The big stuff and tools I don’t use as often, I keep up towards the cab. I grab hold of them with a homemade hook I made from rebar scraps fitted with a wooden handle.

Fast and Easy Workshop

At the jobsite, my portable workshop sets up in minutes, even if I need to pull out every tool in my arsenal.

The post How To Build Your Own Truck Storage System appeared first on Family Handyman.

Don’t Drill too Close to Edges

Two mistakes you really want to avoid are busting off a chunk of a concrete stair step and cracking the corner of a patio slab. To avoid these disasters, don’t drill any closer than 4 in. from the edge. If there’s no other option, turn off the hammering action on the drill. Also, avoid wedge-type anchors. They exert a ton of outward pressure, which could literally “wedge” the concrete apart.

Blow Out the Dust

If drilling dust is left in the hole, it can prevent the fasteners from being driven all the way in. So remove it with a vacuum or blower. A baby’s ear syringe (about $5 at any drugstore) works great for this and doesn’t take up much room in a toolbox. Just shove it into the hole and puff out the dust.

Drill Right Through the Wood

Masonry drill bits will also plow through wood, so don’t be afraid to drill right through the wood and into the wall or slab. That makes it a lot easier to get the furring strip, or whatever you’re working with, exactly where you want it. Drill one hole and install that fastener first. (You’ll have better luck holding the board in place if you drill the first hole toward the middle.) Then go back and drill the rest of the holes and install those fasteners.

Use Panel Adhesive on Foam Insulation

When you’re fastening foam boards to a concrete or block wall, make sure you use a construction adhesive that’s specially designed for foam. Regular construction adhesive can melt through the foam, causing your panels to fall off 10 minutes after you put them up.

Note: You may want to waterproof the walls first, and if so, your local building codes may require you to seal all the seams. Check with a local building official for those details.

Minimize Masonry Fastening

Fastening to masonry isn’t all that difficult, but fastening to wood is easier; that’s why we attach drywall to furring strips instead of directly to concrete walls. For projects that require a bunch of fasteners, like a column of shelving, install strips of pressure-treated wood with a couple of fasteners, and attach the shelf brackets to that. You’ll save the expense and drudgery of all those extra masonry fasteners.

Don’t Drill Into Brick

Whenever you install a lightweight item like a downspout on brick, always drill into the mortar joints instead of the brick face. The brick is more likely to crack, and if the downspout ever needs to be moved, patching a hole in gray mortar is a lot easier than trying to match the color of the brick. Also, always install plastic anchors because metal anchors are more likely to crack the mortar when they expand.

Pound on the nut

We recommend sleeve anchors for heavy-duty projects. To install them, all you need to do is drill a hole, tap them in and then tighten the nut. Don’t tap directly on the bolt or you could damage the threads, making the nut nearly impossible to remove and reinstall. Loosen the nut so it extends slightly beyond the bolt to protect the threads, and then tap on the nut instead.

What You Should Know About Concrete Screws

Using concrete screws is fast and easy—you just drill a hole and screw them in the same as a wood screw. They work great for light- to medium-duty tasks like fastening shelving brackets, plumbing straps, electrical boxes and furring strips. Concrete screws don’t work well on old, crumbling concrete. And they lose much, if not all, of their holding power when they’re removed and reused in the same hole, so if you do have to pull one out, try to drill a new hole in another location.

Hydraulic Cement Prevents Cracking

When you’re fastening posts, poles, large bolts or rebar to concrete, drill an oversize hole and fill it with hydraulic cement. Hydraulic cement creates an extremely strong and weatherproof bond. It also holds up to repeated movement, which is why professional metal railing installers use it to anchor posts.

Hydraulic cement comes in a powder form and needs to be mixed with water. Soak (but don’t fill) the hole with water from a spray bottle; otherwise moisture will be sucked out of the mix by the surrounding concrete. And be sure you’re ready to go before you mix the cement—it dries in three to five minutes.

Hex vs. Flathead Screws

Hex-head screws are less likely to strip out, so use them when the screw head can sit proud of the surface, as it can on sill plates and plumbing straps. Flathead screws are the way to go when the screw head needs to be flush, such as with furring strips that will be clad with drywall or plywood.

Drill/Bit Combo Speeds Up the Process

Installing concrete screws is even faster with a drill bit/driver combination set like this one. The drill bit is covered by the removable sleeve that contains the driver. That way you don’t need to have two drills on hand, or to keep switching between drill bit and driver.

Drill 1/4 in. Deeper than the Length of the Screw

Set the depth gauge on your drill so the hole is 1/4 in. deeper than the length of the screw, keeping in mind the thickness of the material you’re working with. If your drill doesn’t have a depth gauge, wrap a little tape around the bit so you’ll know when to stop. Always drill the proper diameter hole. The container the screws come in will indicate which size bit to use. A bit is included in some larger containers.

Fasten Bottom Plates with a Powder-Actuated Tool

Many pro framers say the fastest way to attach bottom plates to a slab is with a powder-actuated tool (PAT). Most residential-grade PATs are powered by .22 caliber blank cartridges, which drive in nail-like fasteners. Place the fasteners about 5 ft. apart and within 6 in. of the end of a wall. Also, add a little construction adhesive for more holding power.

The PATs that require a hammer blow to fire the load and those that have a trigger are both available at home centers. Buy 2-1/2-in. fasteners so they will penetrate the concrete about 1 in. to 1-1/4 in. Wear safety glasses as well as hearing protection—these tools are loud.

The post Tips for Concrete Fasteners and Masonry Screws appeared first on Family Handyman.

How to Cut Outside Drywall Corners

It’s tempting to cut the first piece of an outside corner flush with the framing and run the perpendicular piece flush with the first. Don’t do it. If you run the first piece just a little too long, the second piece will flare out. If you cut the second piece a bit too long, it will have to be shaved down to accommodate the corner bead. A good-quality metal corner bead will cover a gap and hold up as well as a perfectly flush corner—without the fuss.

Hang it, Then Cut it

You can save time and be guaranteed a perfect fit if you cut out the door opening after you hang the sheet. Once the sheet is up, score the back of the piece, pull the scrap forward and finish it off by cutting the paper on the front side.

Inside Corners: Measure Exact, Then Subtract

When you’re working in a smaller area like a closet and have to cut a piece that’s going to fit between two perpendicular walls, don’t try to cut exactly. Precision is a worthy goal, but you’re not building a piano. All the inside corners are going to receive mud and tape anyway. If the piece is too big and you try to force it into place (which you will do), besides scraping up the drywall on an adjacent wall, you’re more than likely going to damage the piece you’re trying to install.

Spiral Saws: A Drywall Hanger’s Best Friend

Spiral saws save time and money if they’re used properly. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of this important drywall tool:

• Make sure you’re using a sharp bit, and have extra bits handy because they will break.
• Don’t insert the bit too far into the spiral saw. About 1/8 in. of the bit’s shank should be exposed. This allows the bit to flex and reduces the chance of breaking.
• Make sure the bit is adjusted to the proper depth. If the bit extends too far, you may cut right through an electrical box or nip a wire inside it. If the bit doesn’t extend far enough, the tip of the bit may hop right over an electrical box or recessed light and head off in the wrong direction.
• Cut in the proper direction. Go clockwise when cutting freehand. When cutting around an electrical box or recessed light, move the spiral saw in a counterclockwise direction. The spinning motion of the bit should pull toward the object that’s being cut around.
• Never over tighten the drywall or drive screws too close to the cutting area. The pressure will crack and tear the drywall as you’re finishing the cut.

Use Heavy Boxes and Watch Out for the Wires

If you have any control over which electrical boxes are going to be used on the job, suggest the ones made from hard plastic. A spiral saw can cut right through boxes made from soft plastic (usually blue) sending the saw off on an unfortunate path.

Make sure wires are tucked in far enough so the spiral saw won’t cut them. Fishing new wire can be an expensive inconvenience, but cutting a live wire could be worse.

Don’t Hang Drywall too Close to Door Jambs

Window and door jambs are not always straight. Often, the jamb has to be adjusted when you install the casing. This can’t be done if the drywall is cut too close to the jamb. When you’re using a spiral saw, guide it with the wood that makes up the rough opening, not the window jamb itself.

Gaps Mean Extra Work

All tear-outs and gaps that won’t be completely covered by a cover plate have to be taped and feathered out—more work. So use your spiral saw carefully. If a gap around an electrical box is just filled with mud and the cover plate is overtightened, the mud will crack and crumble out of the gap. The areas around outlets are particularly vulnerable because of the pressure of plugging in and unplugging electrical cords.

Back-Beveling Gives You Wiggle Room

Even in a world of spiral saws and screw guns, two classic tools—handsaws and keyhole saws—are still essential on any job site. One advantage of hand-sawing is the ability to create a back bevel. This allows for a little more leeway when you’re sliding a piece into place, because if you need to trim, you won’t have to remove as much material.

Avoid a Large Gap at the Floor

When you’re dealing with a wall that is a few inches over 8 ft., two sheets of 4-ft. drywall will leave you with a large gap at the floor. While most base trim will cover that gap, the tapered edge on the bottom sheet will have to be filled with mud or it will show above the trim line, and that’s a lot of extra work (and bending over!) for the taper. Instead of leaving a gap at the bottom, leave a gap in the center of the wall, and fill it with 3/8-in. drywall. The thinner drywall is a snap to tape over smoothly. Your taper will thank you.

Invisible Butt Joint

A butt joint in drywall will result in a raised layer of tape and mud because the edges aren’t tapered. A good taper can minimize the ridge over a butt joint, but it’s hard to eliminate it altogether. If you’re installing drywall by yourself or installing in a space where it’s impossible to deliver 12-ft. sheets, butt joints are going to be unavoidable. And if you’re dealing with wall sconces or areas where raking light means a truly flat wall is imperative, a butt joint backer may be the answer.

A butt joint backer is basically a 4-ft.-long, 5- or 6-in.-wide board with 1/16-in. to 1/8-in. spacers added along the edges. You can purchase them at a drywall supply store or make your own. You could use an inexpensive 1×6 pine board and either glue or staple strips of ripped-down wood to the outside edges.

Installing the backer is easy. First, install the sheet of drywall, making sure the end doesn’t land on a stud. Next, attach the butt joint backer to the back of that piece. Finally, fasten the second piece of drywall to the backer. When installed properly, the butt joint backer will cause the ends of each piece to suck in, resulting in a recess similar to the recess created by two tapered edges.

The post How to Hang Drywall: Pro Tips for Cutting and Installing appeared first on Family Handyman.

Consider Maintenance as an Investment

Keeping tools and equipment clean and performing recommended maintenance can add years to their useful lifespan and prevent on-site surprises. Sudden failure of critical tools costs your business downtime and reduces the earning potential of your workforce. According to Don Barrows of Roto-Rooter in Stoughton, Massachusetts, performing regular maintenance and paying attention to the operation of equipment is just common sense.

After more than a decade in the field as a Roto-Rooter technician, Barrows has seen a lot, and recommends taking several steps to keep your drain-clearing equipment in top shape.

Protect the Cable

As the business end of drain-clearing equipment, the cable is exposed to everything in the drainpipe. It may require replacement after a couple of months of use, or it may last up to a year—it all depends upon the technician using the snake. Barrows recommends a product called Snakeoil to protect cables. It inhibits rust, cuts through moisture and covers odors from being in a filthy drain. He applies the oil generously to a new cable with a rag, then once the cable is wound, he sprays more into the drum to ensure full coverage. After the new cable goes into use, he typically applies oil once each week as it’s being retrieved.

Buy Snakeoil now on Amazon.

Wipe the Snake Clean

The process of clearing a drain provides snake cables with an initial rinse, as the clean water used to flush the drain after breaking up a clog cleans everything in the drainpipe. Rarely, however, does this rinse remove all of the gunk, and water clinging to the cable can pool in the drum and cause the snake to rust. Aside from shortening the life of the cable, rust scale creates messes in customers’ homes that you must clean up, lengthening the duration of the call. Barrows says that holding a rag loosely around the cable with a leather glove while retrieving the snake prevents that water from entering the drum and keeps your cable in top shape.

Look for Wear While Operating Snake

The lifespan of the cable on drain-cleaning equipment varies greatly, and Barrows says that the technician must feel the degree of wear and make the call on replacement. A cable is usually coiled inside a drum or extended into a drainpipe, preventing opportunities for visual inspection. He advises new technicians to watch the spin of the cable: Fluctuations in the cable of up to an inch represent normal operation; more than that indicates wear. When the wave reaches 2 to 3 inches of movement, it’s time to replace.

Clean the Snake Retriever Semi-Annually

If the snake has a retriever device attached, Barrows recommends removing it and breaking it down twice a year. Use a parts washer to remove the grime from wheels and bearings, then reassemble and reinstall. His retrievers have three ports that then get a generous dose of fresh grease, as well as a maintenance shot once a month in between cleanings.

Perform Routine and Basic Maintenance

Although the rest of a drain-cleaning machine does not require the same maintenance frequency that the cable does, don’t forget to do the basics, says Barrows. Every few months, inspect the drive belts (and replace when worn), test the GFI switch in the power cord and if the unit has stair-roller tracks, check that they move freely.

Teach and Promote Maintenance Routines

Taking the time to prevent rust on your cable and doing routine cleaning and maintenance of the machine’s moving parts keeps you moving from job to job smoothly. Barrows’ company rolls much of this process into van inspections that occur every other month. This ensures that the entire fleet keeps their equipment in top condition and helps new technicians learn the process. A small investment in time can significantly affect your company’s bottom line.

About the expert:

Don Barrows is the operations manager at Roto-Rooter in Stoughton, Massachusetts. He began his career in plumbing with 12 years of service on Roto-Rooter’s front lines as a drain technician and worked his way up the ladder. Overall, he has more than 17 years in the field.

About the author:

Craig Gustafson is a writer and editor based on the East Side of St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent several formative years working on a construction crew and enjoys home-improvement projects of many types. His family has recently purchased a small property in Northern Wisconsin with a shell standing on it, which they look forward to finishing themselves.

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Shim and shave miters

How many times have you set your miter saw exactly on 45 degrees and cut miters on a pair of moldings, only to discover they don’t fit? Well, don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with your saw or your technique. Miters almost always have to be shaved to fit perfectly.

One method is to simply adjust the angle slightly on your miter saw and recut both moldings. The trouble is that making tiny adjustments to the cutting angle is difficult on many saws. A quicker and easier method is to place a shim against the miter saw fence to slightly change the angle. Move the shim away from the blade for smaller adjustments and closer for larger ones, or vary the thickness of the shim. Remember, both pieces need the exact same cut to fit precisely.

Step 1. Micro-adjust a miter

Close a gap on the top of a miter by placing a skinny shim (1/16 in. or less) against the portion of the fence farthest from the blade. Slide the molding tight to the shim and against the fence near the blade. Hold it in this position while you make the cut. Caution: Keep your fingers at least 6 in. from the path of the blade.

Step 2. Treat both sides the same

Trim the other half of the miter using the same technique. Use the same shim and place it the same distance from the blade. Drop the blade slowly through the wood to shave thin slices.

Tilt trim on inset jambs

Occasionally you’ll run into a door or window jamb that isn’t quite flush with the wall. On a protruding jamb, you can nail the trim to the jamb, slip a shim between the trim and the drywall, and then nail the trim to the wall. Caulk and paint will hide the gap.

An inset jamb demands a different approach. First remove enough drywall so the trim can span the jamb and wall without rocking (Photo 2). This solves half the problem. But even now a regular 45-degree miter won’t fit because the molding has to tilt down to meet the jamb. Correct this problem by tilting the trim on the bed of the miter box to match the angle at which it rests against the wall. Then make standard 45-degree miter cuts. Photo 1 shows how to determine the correct thickness for the shim used in Photo 3 to tilt the molding.

Step 1. Custom-cut a shim

Cut a shim just thick enough to slip under a straightedge spanning the drywall corner. Use this shim to elevate the outside edge of your molding (Photo 3) before cutting it.

Step 2. Slice the drywall

Trim back the drywall with a sharp utility knife until the molding no longer rocks when it’s set in place against the jamb and drywall. Use a hammer to mash and flatten the drywall if necessary.

Step 3. Tilt the trim with a shim

Raise the outside edge of the molding with the shim and cut the 45-degree miter. Repeat the process for the opposite miter.

Cope baseboard faster

Coping is better than mitering at inside corners. But on tall baseboards, cutting the long, straight section of the cope with a coping saw is difficult, and the cut is usually wavy. Instead, start the cope as usual (Photo 1). Then tip the molding upside down in the miter saw and saw straight down to the profiled section. Finally, complete the cope by sawing out the profile (Photo 3).

Step 1. Start with a miter cut

As with any coped joint, begin by cutting a 45-degree miter on the baseboard. The miter cut provides a profile to guide your cope cut.

Step 2. Make the straight cut

Turn the mitered baseboard upside down. Adjust the angle to about 15 degrees and saw down along the straight section of the beveled cut. Keep the blade slightly to the outside of the line. Let the blade stop before lifting it from the cut.

Step 3. Cut the curves

Saw out the remaining profiled section with a coping saw. Tilt the saw to at least a 30-degree angle to create a back bevel for easier fitting.

Close gaps at inside corners

Uneven walls or floors that are out of level can cause even perfectly coped inside corners to look lousy. Check the fit of your cope before you fasten either base molding. That way you’ll still have the option to shim out the bottom of the square-cut (uncoped) piece to close a gap at the bottom of the cope (Photo 2). Photo 3 shows marking a cope that’s open at the top. You then file or plane to the line.

Step 1. Check the fit

Check the fit against the square-cut piece of base before nailing either of the two baseboards. The straight sections rarely fit perfectly.

Step 2. Add a screw

Close a gap at the bottom by removing the square-cut base and driving a drywall screw into the wall about 1/2 in. from the floor. Test the cope and adjust the screw in or out until the cope fits tight.

Step 3. Scribe and trim

Close a gap at the top by scribing the gap with a small compass to mark the wood to be removed. Then file to the line.

Overcut outside corners

Getting outside corners to fit tight is trickier than it looks. The key is to make accurate marks with the baseboard in place rather than relying on measurements. And then cut the piece a little long so you still have the option to shave a little from the angle if it doesn’t fit. Since gaps on the back (wall side) of the corner are barely noticeable, while gaps on the front (room side) are glaring, it’s a good idea to start by cutting slightly steeper 45-1/2-degree angles first. Then if there’s still a gap in the front, cut a slightly steeper angle on both pieces. You’ll need a compound miter saw or sliding compound miter saw to easily cut tight-fitting miters on wide baseboard.

Step 1. Mark with a knife

Mark outside corners with a sharp utility knife. It’s far more precise than a pencil mark. Repeat the marking process on the opposite baseboard. Cut 45-1/2-degree angles on both boards, leaving each an extra 1/8 in. long.

Step 2. Check the fit

If the miter is open on the front, increase the cutting angle to about 46 degrees and recut both sides. Be careful to remove only a hair’s width from each board. Reduce the angle if the cut is open at the back. When the angle is correct, recut each board just to the outside of the marks before nailing them into place.

Make dead ends look good

When trim comes to a dead end—on window aprons or chair rail, for example—some trim carpenters just chop it off and nail it up. But there’s a better way: Add a mitered “return” for a finished look.

Step 1. Leave the cut incomplete

Cut the angle for a small mitered return on your miter saw, but don’t completely cut it off from the trim stock. Instead, cut through the remaining sliver of wood with a utility knife. That way there will be no tear-out and the tiny piece won’t get launched across the room.

Step 2. Glue in the return

Choose a fast-acting cyanoacrylate glue like Krazy Glue formulated for wood.

The post Tips for Tighter Miters and Better Coped Joints appeared first on Family Handyman.

Boost the Airflow

The coldest room in the basement is usually the room farthest from the furnace. Boost the airflow on long duct runs with an in-line duct fan. These fans are easy to install, but they do require a power supply. Some are hardwired and some plug into an outlet, but either way you’ll need to leave access to the junction box, which can be accomplished with a panel or a cover plate. In-line fans can run 24/7 or be installed with an optional thermostat or be wired to turn on when the furnace fan turns on.

Build Walls on the Floor

If you have enough space, it’s easier to build the walls on the floor and then tip them up into place, but you need to plan ahead. Build and install all the perimeter walls first, and then build all the interior walls, stacking them in some out-of-the-way corner as you go. Don’t install any interior walls until they’ve all been built; that way you won’t frame yourself out of open floor space.

Run Pipes Behind Walls

It’s a lot easier to run plumbing behind a new wall before it’s nailed into place. That way you don’t have to drill a bunch of holes through studs. Assemble the pipes and tape them to the foam insulation temporarily. Tip the new wall up and hang the pipes on studs before nailing the wall permanently into place. That will make it easier to attach the hangers. The downside of this method is that you do lose a little floor space.

Plane Down Sagging Joists

Hold a straightedge across joists to make sure they form a flat surface for the ceiling. If any joist sags 1/4-in. more than the one next to it, you’ll end up with a noticeable bump in your basement ceiling. Snap a line from the bottom edge of one end of the joist to the other and use a power planer to shave the board straight. Learn how to soundproof your basement ceiling to cut down on the noise.

Before you start, make sure there are no nails or screws embedded in the wood. Make several passes, each shorter than the next, until you cut down to the line. Power planers are loud, so wear hearing protection along with a dust mask and safety glasses. Here are a few tips to soundproof your basement ceiling.

Straighten Bowed Studs

Use a 4-ft. level or some other straightedge to check for bowed studs. Even if you personally checked every stud in every wall when you built it, new lumber can twist and bow as it dries. If a stud is bowed in, fill the gap with drywall shims made from paperboard (think cereal box) like the ones shown here. (Bundles of shims are available at home centers.) Start with longer strips and add layers of shorter strips until the gap is filled.

If the stud is bowed out and you can get to the backside of it, use a reciprocating saw to slice into the side that’s bowed in. Cut far enough so the backside opens up when you press on the front side. Insert a shim in the kerf to hold the stud where you want it. Drive a nail through the separated area to keep the shim in place and add a little strength to the stud.

Test the Airflow

It’s a lot easier to troubleshoot what’s causing poor airflow before the drywall is up. Use an anemometer to check the airflow at each register before you install the drywall. This anemometer is made by Yellow Jacket and connects to the headset jack on your smartphone. You can find this instrument online. After downloading the free app, all you do is answer a few simple questions about your ducts and hold the anenometer in front of the register box. The numbers, which tell volume and velocity, will depend on the size of the room and the size of the ducts.

Don’t Insulate Over a Heated Floor

In-floor heating systems are great for heating a basement, but installing thick, heavy carpet and heat-resistant padding over them is a sure way to reduce their efficiency. High R-values are a good thing for walls and attics, but when you’re covering in-floor heating, lower is better.

Most carpeting is made of similar materials, so the type isn’t as important as the thickness—thinner is better. Carpet padding, however, is made up of different materials with different insulating properties. Waffle rubber padding is a good choice, with an R-value of 1 for a 3/8-in. pad. Urethane is a poor choice, with an R-value of 1.62 for a 3/8-in.-thick pad.

Glue Down the Tack Strip

Ready to install carpet in your basement? You can buy a tack strip made specifically for concrete, but it’s always hit-or-miss whether the nails in the strip will penetrate. For a guaranteed solid connection, pull out the nails and glue down the strip with epoxy.

It’s rare for both the floor and the strips to be perfectly straight, so cut the strips into halves or thirds (pruning shears work well). It’s easier to get smaller pieces to lie flat. Wipe the floor clean before you start. Construction adhesive will also work, but you’ll need to wait a couple days before installing the carpet.

Raise a Beam

If it’s in the budget, removing any and all dangerously low beams in a basement is a doable project. You’ll need an engineer to tell you whether you can reuse the existing beam or need a bigger one. A lumberyard will be able to refer you to an engineer. Build temporary walls to support the joists before you remove the existing beam. Cut out a space in the joists for the new beam. Slide in the new beam and support each end. Finish by attaching the floor joists to the beam with hangers.

Use Screws on Hard Lumber

Old lumber gets hard and brittle, so nailing into it can be extremely frustrating, even for the pros. A pneumatic nail gun will penetrate old wood, but it also tends to split it. If you need to connect new walls to old existing walls or attach soffits to old floor joists, make sure you have some self-tapping construction screws on hand before you start. Screws work better on old wood and create a super-strong connection. However, you might still have to pre-drill screw holes when you’re working with really brittle wood- or even grab the nearest tube of chapstick.

Install Skinny Lights

Many basements have low ceilings, which is why recessed lights work so well. But sometimes ducts, pipes or beams get in the way, leaving no room for the cans that house the lights. That’s where LEDs come in. You can buy low-profile LED recessed lights that look like typical recessed lights but fit into standard round electrical boxes

Fill the Low Spots

No matter what type of flooring you choose, the floor underneath must be smooth and flat. You don’t want to feel bumps under the carpet or hollow spots under plank flooring. And an uneven surface is a common cause of cracked tiles, especially large tiles. Holes deeper than 1-in. and large cracks need to be patched, but uneven sections and low spots can be filled with self-leveling underlayment.

Vacuum and then mop the floor first; let it dry, and then roll out the recommended primer. Unless you have less than 10-sq. ft. to fill, get a helper so you have one person to mix the underlayment and the other to work it around with a squeegee. Don’t do the mixing right next to the area you’re working on; the dust could interfere with adhesion.

Quiet Noisy Pipes

If you’ve never spent much time in your unfinished basement (why would you?), you may have really noisy drainpipes but not even know it. Before you bury them behind drywall, have a helper run water, drain bathtubs, empty a washing machine, and flush toilets while you hang out and listen for loud swooshing noises. If you do have a noisy pipe, wrap it with carpet padding. Use quality duct tape or zip ties to hold it in place. If the home center near you doesn’t sell carpet padding by the foot, stop by your local carpet store, which may be able to give you some free scraps.

Form a Flat Ceiling

The bottom edges of floor joists are not always on the same plane, especially in older houses. You could spend two days trying to plane them all into alignment, or you could sister new lumber onto the existing joists. Make sure the flooring system is structurally sound and doesn’t need additional bracing before establishing the new basement ceiling height (learn more about structural repairs).

Install a straight 2×4 on the worst joist, and use that as a reference to snap lines on walls. Nail on new, straight boards to the sides of the joists even with the lines on the wall. To work in large rooms, pull a string tight and use it as a guide. It’s easier to avoid ducts, plumbing pipes and electrical wires if you nail up 2x4s. Use larger-dimension lumber if the joist spaces are relatively uncluttered and you want a stiffer floor on the first level.

Pump Waste Water Away

Running supply lines to a basement wet bar is easy, but sometimes there’s not an easy way to install a drainpipe. The solution: Get a gray-water pump and direct sink water wherever you want. These pumps are easy to install and small enough to fit inside a cabinet. They will work for dishwashers and laundry sinks as well. But they’re not made for solids, so always keep a strainer in the basin. The one shown here is a Saniswift residential gray water pump made by Saniflo.

The post Pro Tips for Basement Finishing appeared first on Family Handyman.

Taper Both Sides of the Room

When you set about figuring out the size of your starter row you also have to make sure the walls are parallel. You may find yourself installing laminate in a room that is 6-in. narrower at one end than at the other. That means you’ll have to rip a severely tapered last row and it’ll look ugly. Unless one side of the room will be forever covered with furniture, you’re better off splitting the difference and tapering both the first and the last rows so neither side will be so noticeable.

Which Tape Should You Use?

All underlayment seams need to be taped. It’s tempting to use whatever tape you find in the pickup, but don’t do it. Some packing tapes and house wrap tapes are too rigid and may cause an annoying crinkling noise when they’re stepped on. Use whatever tape is recommended by the underlayment manufacturer, or buy an underlayment that has built-in seam tape.

Our flooring pro recommends installing underlayment perpendicular to the way the planks will be installed. The underlayment will be less likely to “bubble” as you lay the flooring. He also suggests installing only a few rows of underlayment at a time to avoid tearing it up with your boots.

Start With a Smooth Subfloor

Laminate floor systems do not function well on uneven surfaces. Before starting any flooring work, inspect the subfloor. Crawl around with a straightedge to find any areas that are more than 1/8-inch high or low. Subfloor seams are the usual suspects.

A belt sander sporting a coarse-grit belt will knock down seams pretty fast, but you may have to rent a commercial floor sander to grind down severe peaks.

A dip in the floor will cause a soft, spongy section in the laminate floor. Most dips can be taken care of with a trowel and vinyl floor patch. Buy a fast-drying variety if you want to start laying the floor the same day.

“Avoid self-leveling floor compounds, especially on older homes,” says Jay, our flooring pro. “An out-of-level floor could take a whole truckload of self-leveling compound to flatten out. And oh, yeah—this is the time to screw the plywood to the joists anywhere there’s a squeak.”

How To Cut Laminate Flooring

Cutting laminate with a miter saw gets pretty noisy and dusty pretty quickly, and walking back and forth to your miter saw isn’t very efficient. Instead, cut the planks with a laminate shear quietly and cleanly right where they’re going to be installed.

Where To Start Floor Installations

Installing flooring around doorways is one of the thorniest issues you’ll deal with. Simplify it by starting on the wall that has the most doorways. Of course, you’ll still have to undercut jambs and trim, but it’s a lot easier starting at a doorway than ending up at one.

Installing Laminate Wood Flooring

It’s tempting to find the longest, straightest wall and start slapping down planks. The problem is that when you get to the opposite wall, you may end up ripping down a sliver-thin row of flooring. That won’t look good and is tough to install.

Plan ahead by snapping together a section of four or five pieces, put it against one wall and make a pencil line on the outside of the connected piece, then slide the section toward the opposite wall, lining it up with the pencil line. Walk your way across the room like this to determine whether you should start with a ripped row and how wide it should be. It’s not an exact science, but it’s a quick way to get a good idea of how wide that last row is going to be without doing a bunch of math.

Use a Sacrificial Scrap With a Tapping Block

Occasionally it’ll be necessary to tap a plank into place or snug together an uncooperative one. Yes, you should use a tapping block, but to avoid damaging your brand new floor, snap in a sacrificial scrap, and tap on that to prevent wrecking the edge of the new flooring.

Snap in a Whole Row of Laminate Flooring at Once

If you actually read the instructions on most laminate flooring, the pieces are supposed to be snapped in consecutively. Some flooring (usually the cheap stuff) is almost impossible to install that way without damaging the planks. If you’re having problems, snap the butt ends of a whole row together, then snap it in as if it were one long piece.

Use Transition Strips Under Doors

If you’re installing flooring that continues through a doorway, you’ll be better off leaving a gap (rather than snapping together the flooring) to receive a transition strip between rows. Position the gap directly under the door so the transition strip will make visual sense. A transition strip lets you treat each room as a separate project. This allows for greater flexibility in your design and layout.

How To End Flooring at a Doorway

Often, there’s no avoiding ending up at a doorway. When that happens, it’s a bit tricky because you have to slide the flooring under both jambs. Here’s how to handle it with just a little bit of trim carpentry:

Step 1. Lift to Fit

Plan on a seam in the middle of the doorway. Notch and cut the first piece to fit and then slide it completely under the jamb. Notch the second piece so it’ll be just short of the doorstop when it’s in place. Lift the flooring to get it around the corner and under the casing, then snap it in.

Step 2. Slide Both Pieces Over

Once the two pieces are connected, slide them both over just far enough so that both jambs cover the flooring ends.

Beware of Heavy Furniture on Laminate Flooring

Laminate floors expand and contract with variations in humidity and temperature. So before starting any laminate job, pay attention to the furniture in the room. Heavy furniture like a pool table or a fully loaded bookshelf can pin down the laminate, causing it to either push up as it expands or separate as it contracts. The trouble really starts when you have two heavy pieces of furniture directly across from each other, which traps the floor. You’ll have to either lose one of the furniture pieces or go with a different flooring material to avoid trouble. How much weight will trap a floor? A good rule of thumb is that a typical laminate floor can still move properly under a fully stocked refrigerator

Protect Your Knees During Floor Installation

The hard-shell knee pads you wear for roofing and landscaping are not the knee pads you should wear to install a floor. There’s no question about it: Flooring is hard on the knees and the wrong knee pads will scratch laminate floors. Flooring installation calls for pads that have a cloth, foam or soft rubber material on the business end. Gel-filled pads are the most comfortable because the gel helps distribute the weight.

The post Pro Tips and Tricks for Installing Laminate Flooring appeared first on Family Handyman.

The Right Floor Leveler Choice for in-Floor Heat

Self-leveling underlayment is a great choice under any tiled floor, but it’s the absolute best choice when installing tile over an in-floor heating system. Installing cement board won’t work, and if you choose to lay down a mortar bed it takes longer, it’s harder to achieve an even surface, and the screeding process can damage the heating cables or mats.

Clean the Floor

Thoroughly sweep and vacuum the entire floor. The floor needs to be primed before adding the floor leveler and you’ll want the primer to soak into the floor, not the dirt and dust sitting on top of it. Keep a marker or roll of tape in your pocket while you’re vacuuming, and mark all the holes or cracks in the wood that will need to be sealed up.

Caulk and Tape Over Holes and Seams

If the liquid leveler is not totally contained, you will end up with a big mess on your hands and probably have to re-pour the floor leveler. Seal all holes and seams in the plywood with caulk. The leveler will drain through an opening as small as a nail hole, so be thorough. A good choice for filling those holes and cracks is the type of caulk that goes on white but turns clear when it dries because you can tell when it is done setting up.

Taping over the caulk isn’t required but it’s a terrific way to avoid stepping in a glob and tracking it around the rest of the house. When working on an older house with floor planks instead of plywood, cover the whole floor in self-adhering roofing underlayment. Looking for more ideas? Check out the benefits of synthetic underlayment over asphalt felts.

Install Sill Sealer at the Walls

Sill sealer is a foam gasket that framers use to seal the connection between a foundation and the bottom wall plate. Sill sealer also makes a great barrier to keep the liquid underlayment from escaping into other rooms or into the basement on exterior walls. Hold it in place with staples. Keep the staples low enough so the staple holes will be hidden by the base trim. Either 3-1/2-in. or 5-1/2-in.-wide sill sealer will work, but the taller it is, the more protection it provides painted walls from floor leveler splashes.

Caulk the Sill Sealer To the Floor

Smear the caulk with your finger to make sure it adheres to both surfaces. Once the pour is complete the sill sealer can easily be cut flush with a razor. The small void near the wall won’t negatively affect the tile installation.

Install Cardboard Around Vents and Drains

Large holes like heating vents and floor drains can be isolated with cardboard before pouring your floor leveler. Just shape the cardboard to the hole, tape it in place, and then caulk it o the floor. The boxes that hold the flooring are often a convenient source of cardboard.

Build Dams in Doorways

Dam up doorways with strips of wood. Make sure you seal the wood to the floor with caulk as well as the area where the wood strip meets the sill sealer.

Prime the Wood

Wood floors need to be primed before covering them with self leveler. The floor will be covered with water-saturated leveler, which will cause the wood to swell. It will shrink back down when it dries, which could cause cracks in the underlayment and tiles above. The primer prevents the wood from absorbing water. Primer can be rolled, brushed, or even sprayed on with a bottle.

Install the Lathe

Lathe adds strength to the underlayment like rebar adds strength to concrete. Avoid metal lathe when working with in-floor heating. Check with the manufacturer of the heating system whether the lathe should be installed over or under the mat/cables.

• Overlap the lathe at least three inches, and secure it with a tacker hammer stapler.
• Keep the lathe 1-in. or so away from the walls so it doesn’t poke through the sill sealer when installing it.
• Try to keep the lathe as flat as possible so it doesn’t rise higher than the depth of your pour.
• Always check the continuity of the heating cables or mats before you start mixing. If you accidentally sever or nick a cable, it’s a lot easier to repair it before the underlayment is poured.

Order More Floor Leveler Than You Need

Running out of leveler before a pour is finished is kind of a big deal, so don’t do it! Buy 20 percent more floor leveler than you think you need. A large room poured even 1/16-in. thicker than anticipated can gobble up several additional bags of floor leveling compound. Also, bags of leveler can be ruined by wicking up moisture from the ground. Keep your bags dry by setting them on a pallet or a sheet of plywood resting on scrap 2x4s, the same way you would protect bags of concrete mix.

Fill the Mixer Bucket

Keep a bucket on hand to place the mixer in when you’re not using it. Fill the bucket 3/4 full of water. That way the floor leveling compound won’t stick to the paddle and the bucket won’t tip over when you stick the heavy mixer in it.

Prep the Floor Leveler Bags

Most bags filled with dry cementitious mixes have a vent in the top. It’s there so the bags don’t bust open when they’re handled. Minimize the mess produced by floor leveling compound by keeping the vent side up. Line the open bags up next to the buckets. Mixing is a messy business, so do it outdoors whenever possible. Extreme temperatures can affect the time it takes the leveler to set up, so never mix up super cold leveler or work in the blistering hot sun.

Make a Fill Bucket

Make a bucket that can be filled quickly. Fill a clear bucket with the proper amount of water and draw a fill-line with a marker on the outside of the bucket. Another option is to drill holes at the fill-line so the bucket will drain to the proper level. Dipping a bucket into a barrel filled with water is a lot faster than filling it with a garden hose over and over again.

Mix a Bunch of Floor Leveler at Once

Fill all the buckets with the recommended amount of water before you start mixing. Keep the buckets close to each other to reduce the mess when moving the mixer from one bucket to another. Keep all of the bucket handles facing out so they’re easier to grab (every second counts).

Once you’ve mixed all the buckets of floor leveler, go back to the first and mix it up again for a few seconds in order to stir up the sand that settled. Pull the mixer out and set it in the next bucket to be hauled in. After dumping each bucket, fluff up the sand in the next one before hauling it in.

NOTE: Five-gallon buckets are not big enough for mixing self-leveler. Get yourself as many 6-gallon buckets as you can.

Spread as You Pour

Move the bucket along the floor as you pour. Keep the bucket low to minimize splashing. If you do splash on the wall, try to resist the temptation of wiping it off right away because small drops can quickly become large smudges. You’ll have better luck letting it dry and scraping it off.

Completely cover the heating cables/mats with floor leveler to avoid damaging them with a trowel while installing the thin set. The thickness of your pour may vary depending on your project but shoot for a thickness between 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. Anything over 3/4 in. will likely require two pours, but confirm that by reading the instructions printed on the bag of the product your using. Check the thickness with a gauge rake, a junky tape measure or just a Popsicle stick with the desired thickness marked on it.

Move Floor Leveler With a Gauge Rake

A gauge rake is a metal squeegee that rides on two adjustable depth guides. This tool isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does work well at spreading the leveler around, and it helps to “gauge” how thick the self-leveler is. Be careful to work the rake very gently near the heating cables or mat.

Pour Your Way Out

Start at the far end of the room and work your way to the door. If you pass other entry points along the way, make sure to lock the doors and hang “keep out” signs so no one gets stuck in floor leveling compound.

Wash Buckets Right Away

Wash your buckets as soon as you’re done pouring the floor leveler and never dump the dirty water down a drain.

The post Tips and Techniques for Pouring Self-Leveling Underlayment appeared first on Family Handyman.

How To Find the Best Cordless Circular Saw for You

Tools with brushless motors and lithium batteries with monster amp hours have more power and longer runtimes. This increase in performance has led to more and more construction pros choosing cordless tools over their traditionally more powerful corded counterparts. But once the decision to cut the cord has been made, the next decision is which brand and model to choose. If you are in the market for a new cordless circular saw, you have come to the right place.

As with any tool, we always recommend you actually pick it up and see how it feels in your hand. Better yet, try out a buddy’s or a coworker’s saw to see how it works in action. Everyone has different preferences, and there‘s no better way to make a decision than taking one for a test drive. But that’s not always possible, so we’ve compared the many different features and the pros and cons of a handful of different models from top tool brands to help you decide.

Note the Blade Side

Left or right? The circular saw blade on most corded saws is on the right as you push the saw forward; on many cordless saws, it’s on the left. Either way is OK with us on a cordless circular saw—you just adapt.

Bare Tool or Kit?

Cordless circular saws sold as “bare tools” don’t come with a battery or charger. If you already have a cordless tool, you may find a bare saw that uses the same battery. That cost savings alone might determine which brand you should buy. Some brands offer more than one model that can take the same battery, so look at all the features before you decide which saw to buy.

Work Lights Are Handy

We thought it was a gimmick but soon came to love “headlights” on saws. They make it easier to follow the cutting line in low-light conditions.

20V = 18V

Some saws carry a 20-volt label, which might lead you to believe that they’re more powerful than 18-volt saws. They’re not. The 20-volt rating is for their “initial battery voltage,” measured without a workload. Their actual rating is 18 volts.

The Bottom Line on Cordless Circular Saw Performance

While there’s still a performance gap between corded and cordless circular saws, most cordless models now have the cutting power to handle just about any job. We even found one (Makita’s XSR01) whose power rivals that of a corded saw. Next, we’ll give you more information on the cordless circular saws we got our hands on including price, blade size and what we liked or did not like about each model.

Milwaukee 2731-20

Blade size: 7-1/4″

This saw has all the features we like plus the extra capacity of a 7-1/4-inch blade. And if you’re used to a corded circular saw, the blade is on the usual side—the right.

$193.99 at Amazon

Ryobi P507

Blade size: 6-1/2″

This is one of the lightest saws we tried, weighing in at only 6.5 pounds. It was easy to control with either hand and easy to handle on a vertical surface. Its shoe is not very large, but that is what you’d expect from such a super-compact saw. Lightweight tools are worth splurging on.

$130 at Amazon

DeWalt DCS575B

Blade size: 7-1/4″

This circular saw has plenty of power. Equipped with a 60V battery (won’t work with 20V max batteries), it also has a long run-time—which you may need, because this saw will perform well on virtually any job. The blade is on the right, the same side as on most corded saws, so you’ll feel right at home when you use it.

$259 at Amazon

Makita XSR01

Blade size: 7-1/4″

This saw differs from the others in several ways. It takes two 18V batteries and delivers awesome power and exceptional run-time. Of all the saws we tried, it performed most like a corded saw. It’s also large and heavy, making it a great tool for big, tough jobs, but maybe not the best choice for standard duty.

$310 at Amazon

DeWalt DC390B

Blade size: 6-1/2″

This circular saw is light in weight, so it’s easy to maneuver, and it has a relatively large shoe. The battery we used has a short run-time, though, and the motor is on the slow side.

$263.80 at Amazon

Bosch CCS180B

Blade size: 6-1/2″

Featuring a heavy-duty aluminum shoe and a dust blower, this saw performs well in cutting 3/4-inch plywood and miters. You have to remove the battery to check its charge, however.

$129 at Amazon

Milwaukee 2630-20

Blade size: 6-1/2″

This saw has a larger shoe than you’ll find on less-expensive models, which is great for better balance and circular saw cuts. Its motor spins relatively slowly, however.

$131.99 at Amazon

Ridgid R8652, R8653

Blade size: 7-1/4″

The 52 has a brush motor and weighs 1-1/2 pounds more than the brushless 53. These are the least expensive 7-1/4-inch saws that have a fuel gauge, a work light and an easy-to-read depth scale. Both models have plenty of power. Their two handles are offset, which can feel awkward if you’re a lefty.

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Milwaukee 2730-20

Blade size: 6-1/2″

This saw is 1 lb. lighter than 7-1/4-inch saws with the same power and features—brushless motor, fuel gauge, work light and nice depth scale. It’s the best 6-1/2-inch model we tested. The blade is on the left side, like on all the other 6-1/2-inch saws.

$193.99 at Amazon

DeWalt DCS391B

Blade size: 6-1/2″

Equipped with a fast motor and an extra-large 20V battery, this saw cruised through our 3/4-inch plywood and 45-degree miter tests. The battery has an extra-long run-time, but the larger size makes the tool heavier than most other 6-1/2-inch saws.

159.0038% OFF$99 at Amazon

The post The Best Cordless Circular Saws of 2024-24 – A Handyman’s Buying Guide appeared first on Family Handyman.

Seal the Wall

Start by rolling on a masonry waterproofing product. This step is only to help prevent water that naturally migrates through concrete through a capillary effect, not a permanent solution to a bulk water infiltration problem. If the walls are damp from condensation, dry them out with a humidifier before using the product. Are you looking for more options? Check out our guide to waterproofing basement walls.

Install Foam Board

After your waterproofing has dried, install 2-in. extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam board insulation. Be sure you use XPS—other types of foam board are not as moisture resistant. Stick the foam board to the wall with a construction adhesive that’s specifically designed for foam—regular construction adhesives will melt the foam.

Apply the adhesive in vertical strips in the middle of the wall. If some water does get behind the foam, adhesive applied horizontally could cause the water to pool up and lengthen the time it takes to dry up. Run a continuous bead of adhesive at the top and bottom of the wall, and tape all the seams. This will help keep warm air in the room from getting behind the foam and condensing on the cool concrete walls. To ensure a good seal, caulk the bottom after the foam is installed.

Install Blocking Between Joists

When the floor joists run parallel to the wall you’re building, you’ll need to install blocking for attaching the top wall plate. Screw or nail one side of the block through the joist, and secure the other side to the sill plate. Use treated lumber if the brace will come in direct contact with bare concrete. It may be easier to install the braces before you install the foam board on the walls and insulate your rim joist. It’s a smart idea to places blocks 2-ft. apart so they work as drywall backers down the line.

Snap Lines on the Floor

Snap a line on the floor 4-in. away from the foam as a guide for the bottom plate. This will leave a 1/2-in. gap between the bottom of the new wall and the foam. That’ll allow a bit of wiggle room if the foundation walls aren’t perfectly plumb or straight.

Assemble the Wall on the Ground

If you have the space for it, it’s much faster and easier to assemble a wall on the ground. Sight every stud for a “crown” (a slight curve on the narrow side of the board), and mark an “X” on the crown. Have all the crowns face the same direction. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a wavy wall.

It’s easier to assemble your wall with the crowns up; that way both ends of the studs are solidly on the ground when you attach the top and bottom plates, instead of acting like rockers on a rocking chair. Build the wall so it can be tipped right up; there’s usually not enough room to swing the whole wall around if you don’t.

Tip the Walls Up

It’s usually easier to tip a wall up with the bottom plate against the wall, but if the floor joists are sagging or there’s ductwork in the way, you may have to lift the top of the wall in first and slide the bottom plate into place. If you’re working alone, don’t build a wall that’s too heavy to lift. Save your back by building smaller sections and tying them together after you set them in place.

Build the Walls Short

If you need to pound the walls into place with a sledgehammer, you’ve built your walls too tall. There’s no reason that the top plate has to be tight against the joists—that’s what shims are for. Measure the distance from the floor to the joists at several locations and build your wall at least 1/4-in. shorter than the shortest measurement. Trying to force a wall into place can raise the joists, which could wreak havoc with drywall joints and flooring on the rooms above.

Fasten the Bottom Plate

Fasten the walls to the floor with construction adhesive and a powder-actuated tool (PAT). Space fasteners every 6-ft. and within 6-in. of each end. Wear safety glasses and hearing protection because PAT’s are usually very loud. Tapcon screws work great as well.

Plumb and Secure the Top Plate

Instead of snapping a line for the top plate, plumb the wall about every 4-ft. using an adjustable level that reaches from the bottom plate up to the top. If you don’t own a $300 plate level, use at least a 4-ft. level, and try to find the straightest studs to use as a guide. You need shims only about every third joist, but nail the top plate to every joist. It’s not necessary to align the studs directly under floor joists, but it’s a good idea if you plan to run ductwork or plumbing in the walls.

Build In Place When Necessary

If your floor is horribly out of level, or if you’re framing around a window, it may be best to “stick frame”— nailing one stud at a time instead of building the wall on the floor. Start by fastening your bottom plate, and then use a straight stud and a level to plumb up to find the location for your top plate. After you snap a line and fasten your top plate, plumb up again and mark the location of your first stud on both plates. Mark the rest of the stud locations on the plates using those marks. Toenail each stud into place with two nails on one side of the stud and one on the other.

Inside Corners

When framing inside corners, turn the last board on the first wall sideways and overlap it about halfway past the connecting wall. This way you can fasten the two walls together and still have a surface for attaching the drywall.

Build Out Around Windows

Windows set in a block or concrete wall will need wood around them in order to attach the drywall or jamb extensions. If there’s room, use foam under the boards, and tape the seams to the foam you’ve installed on the wall. If there’s no room for foam, make sure to use treated lumber, but still tape the seams. Construction adhesive and concrete screws work best to attach these boards. Install the wood around the window before you build your wall. That way you’ll know exactly where the new wall framing needs to be.

Don’t Forget Drywall Backers

It’s a lot easier to add drywall backers while you still have all your framing tools out and before you fill the wall cavities. So before you pack it up, walk around the entire work area and make sure the ceiling and all walls have a sufficient nailing surface for the drywall. The top of outside corners, perpendicular intersections, and walls that run parallel to the joists are three of the most common areas where you’ll need to add backers.

The post A Pro Carpenter’s Guide to Framing Basement Walls appeared first on Family Handyman.

Clean, Safe Miter Saw Cuts

Dropping the miter saw blade into the workpiece too fast is dangerous and will likely result in a rough cut or splintered wood. This is especially true when you’re cutting thin, narrow pieces. Give the motor a few extra milliseconds to reach full speed, then lower the blade slowly as you cut.

Use a Sacrificial Fence

To avoid launching small pieces across the room, use a sacrificial fence. Build a two-piece fence for tiny material like this cove molding (left). Or just use a scrap board to back up small cutoffs (right). Hold the saw down at the end of the cut and let the blade come to a complete stop.

Carry a Miter Saw by the Base

Miter saws are heavy and awkward to carry. Some saws have handles near the top so you can lug them like a suitcase, but get into the habit of carrying them by the base instead. It’s easier on your back and won’t beat up the side of your leg. It’s also easier to get through door openings without banging up the trim.

Send Miter Saw Dust Down

Controlling dust created by a miter saw is notoriously difficult. The collection bags do little, and even if you hook up a vacuum, dust is still going to fly. Our expert replaced his bag with an ABS plumbing elbow that fit snugly onto the dust chute. It doesn’t control all the dust, but it sends a good portion of it to the floor instead of all over. Dust chutes vary in size, so measure yours before heading to the hardware store. The only surefire way to completely avoid dust indoors is to do your cutting outside.

Mark a Guideline on a Miter Saw Base

Here’s a fast way to cut a bunch of parts to the same length: Position the first one and then mark the location of the end on the saw base with a pencil. Now you have a guideline for the rest of your parts. This method may not be as accurate as a stop block, but sometimes perfection is unnecessary. The pencil mark easily rubs off when you’re done.

Always Wear Hearing Protection

If you asked our pro why he never wore hearing protection when he was younger, he would probably give you a blank stare unless he’s wearing his hearing aids. Miter saws are loud and will damage your ears unless you protect them. Our pro would be the first to tell you that hearing loss is no joke!

Make Micro-Adjustments

Here’s a tip when you need to shave off just a tiny bit: Lower the blade while it’s not spinning, and push the material tight up against the body of the blade. Get a firm grip on the material and raise the blade. Next, fire up the saw and lower the blade again. Because the teeth of the blade are slightly wider than the body, you’ll end up shaving off just a hair.

Screw Guides Onto the Miter Saw Base

Clamping down a temporary guide makes cutting crown molding a lot easier, but sometimes the clamps are difficult to install because of the irregular shape of most miter saw bases. Clamps can also get in the way when you’re changing the angle of a cut. Don’t be afraid to screw down a guide right into the base of your saw. A small hole is not going to affect the way the saw performs. Self-tapping screws work great in bases made of aluminum: Just make sure you position the stop so it doesn’t interfere when you’re changing angles. Install a couple screws on each side if the guide will get cut in half, and save your guides so you can use the same screw holes next time.

Never Cross Your Arms

Sorry, lefties, but most miter saws are designed for right-handed users, meaning the saw is operated with the right hand and the material held down with the left. But sometimes the material will have to be held down on the right side of the blade. On those occasions, it’s tempting to still use your right hand to operate the saw, but doing so will cause your left hand to cross in front of the path of the blade—that’s bad. It will feel weird, but in this situation, use your left hand to operate the saw and your right to secure the material. Our expert knows carpenters who have ignored this advice and have the scars on their arms to prove it.

Cut Wide Boards With the Best Side Down

Splinters and tear-outs occur where the blade breaks through the wood. That’s the bottom side when plunge-cutting narrow boards, so it’s best to cut narrow boards with the “show” side face up. But when you’re cutting wider material on a sliding saw, you’ll pull the blade toward you, lower the blade and then push it forward as you cut. In that process, splintering will occur on the top of the board, so cut with the board face down.

The post How to Make Safer, Better Cuts on a Miter Saw appeared first on Family Handyman.

Finishing Trim

We asked a 40-plus year painting veteran to show us his best practices for perfection. Here are a few of his favorite staining, sanding and finishing tips to help you create rich, silky-smooth trim.

Test Stain Colors First

Try out the stain on a sample of the same wood you plan to finish. You can create your own custom color by mixing two or three stains (of the same type) together. If you go this route, it’s important to mix up a batch big enough to finish all the wood. The odds of achieving identical results on the second batch are slim. Keep a little extra on hand for touch-ups and repairs.

Sand Wood for Even Finishes

The trim you bought may look perfect, but it likely has imperfections from the milling process that won’t show up until you stain it. Sand every contour and flat area in the direction of the grain with a combination of medium-grit sanding sponges and pads. When necessary, fold 120-grit paper to get into tight cracks and grooves.

Clean the Room First

If possible, work on your sanding and finishing in different rooms. All that sanding dust will affect the clear coats. If you have to sand and finish in the same area, do whatever you can to clean the room before applying the sanding sealer and clear coat. If you’re in a garage, open the overhead door and use a leaf blower to blow dust outside. Use a shop vacuum on the floor, and damp-mop it so your feet don’t stir up dust.

Stain One Piece at a Time

Saturate the wood with a liberal coat of stain using a natural-bristle brush. Wipe off the stain with clean cotton rags in the same order you put it on. That will enable the stain to soak into all areas of the wood for about the same amount of time. Wipe with light, even pressure. Refold the wiping rags frequently so you have a dry cloth for most of the strokes, and grab a new rag whenever one gets soaked. Work on one piece of trim at a time to keep the stain from drying before wiping.

Dry-Brush Crevices

Stain will pool in cracks. Use a dry paintbrush to remove it from each piece after it’s been completely wiped. Wipe the brush on a clean rag or brush it on newspaper to clean off the stain between strokes.

Dispose of the Rags

Rags soaked with oil-based products can spontaneously combust and burn down your house. Spread out stain-soaked rags away from other combustible items, and let them dry before disposing of them.

Apply Sanding Sealer First

Sanding sealer is the perfect foundation for the clear coat. It’s formulated to dry quickly and has more solids than conventional clear coats, making it very easy to sand. And varnish adheres better to a well-sanded, sealed surface. Pick a sealer that’s designed for the overlying finish, preferably the same brand. After the sanding sealer dries, sand it with fine-grit sandpaper and sanding sponges. Remove dust with a tack cloth.

Don’t Skimp on the Brush

Buy a 2-in. or 2-1/2-in. brush, and don’t buy the cheapest option. If you take care of it and clean it well, a top-quality brush will last a long time. A cheap brush is more likely to leave brush marks and shed bristles that could get stuck in the finish. China (natural) bristle brushes are the choice for oil-based products; synthetic for water-based.

Long Strokes Create a Smooth Finish

If you can, arrange your trim boards in such a way that after you brush on the desired amount of finish, you can make your last couple strokes in one continuous pass. That will ensure no overlap marks. If you do end up with imperfections after the finish dries, sand them out when you sand before the next coat.

Oil vs. Water-Based Topcoats

Oil-based finishes are a little more durable than water-based, but the difference isn’t nearly as great as it was 10 years ago. Oil will yellow unstained wood more than water-based products will, which can be good or bad depending on the look you’re after. Yellowing isn’t an issue with stained wood. Water-based products dry faster, which helps keep dust from settling into the finish, but fast drying may be a disadvantage for slower, meticulous workers. Cleanup is easier with water-based products, and the odor isn’t nearly as strong.

Polyurethane vs. Varnish

What’s the difference between polyurethane and varnish? The quick-and-dirty answer: Varnish contains a resin and a solvent (oil or water). Once varnish is applied to wood, the solvent evaporates and the protective resin is left behind. Varnish can contain one of a few different resins, and polyurethane is one of them. Varnish that contains polyurethane just goes by the name polyurethane. The upside to polyurethane is that it’s tougher (like a plastic coating) than the other varnishes. The downside is that it can appear cloudy when it’s applied too thick, and it’s harder to sand between coats.

The post Tips and Techniques for Finishing Trim appeared first on Family Handyman.

Practice On Test Pieces for the Perfect Miter

Fine-tuning a miter for a perfect fit is often a trial-and-error process. Practice on smaller test pieces and work on eliminating imperfections until you get your miter saw set to exactly the right angle, then cut the actual parts.

Use This Formula to Order Framing Materials

You don’t need a math degree to estimate framing materials for walls. Here’s a formula that works every time, no matter how many doors, windows or corners your walls have:

• One stud per linear foot of wall.
• Five linear feet of plate material (bottoms, tops and ties) per linear foot of wall.

It’ll look like too much lumber when it arrives, but you’ll need the extra stuff for corners, blocking, braces, and frames for windows and doors. Set aside any crooked material for short pieces.

Buy a Trim Gun

Many carpenters likely haven’t hand-nailed a piece of interior trim in 25 years. Why? Because air-powered trim guns make the results so much faster, better and neater. No splits, no pre-drilling, no knocking the piece out of place as you hammer, and only small, barely noticeable holes to fill.  If you’re going to buy just one size, the most versatile choice is one that shoots 5/8- to 2-inch 18-gauge brads.

Write Measurements Down

Stick masking tape to your tape measure or sand down the side for a convenient “notepad” perfect for jotting down shapes and numbers. That way you won’t forget your measurement on the way to the saw.

Use the Toenail Trick to Position Lumber

Travis Larson, a longtime woodworker, carpenter, and former Family Handyman editor, learned a handy trick on one of his first days in the field.

“On my first job as a framing carpenter, I was beating on a stud to try to coax it into position,” said Larson. “The stud just bounced back. A veteran framing carpenter walked over and drove a big nail at an angle through the edge of the stud. The last two hammer blows moved the stud into position, where it stayed. Now I use the toenail trick whenever I need to adjust stubborn lumber.”

Mark, Don’t Measure

Holding trim in place and marking it is always more accurate than measuring, often faster and it eliminates mistakes. This is good advice for other types of carpentry work too, like installing siding, laying shingles, and even framing.

Use Nippers to Pull Nails

Keep a pair of ‘nippers’ in your pouch whenever you’re doing trim carpentry or removing trim from a wall. When you pull trim from the wall, use them for pulling the nails through the back of the trim.

Carry A Multi-Purpose Hammer

Whether you’re doing rough construction or fine finish work, the best all-around hammer is a smooth-faced 20-oz. with a straight claw. You can use the claw to drive under walls for easier lifting, embed it in framing, and even to do extremely crude chiseling. But best of all, it’s a better shape for pulling nails than the curved claw style.

The post 8 Carpentry Tips and Advice From Actual Professionals appeared first on Family Handyman.

Avoid Cheap House Wrap

“Perm rate” is the rate at which a house wrap allows water vapor to pass through it. Bargain house wraps often have low perm rates and they should be avoided. In cold climates, this is especially true for older homes with little or no moisture barriers. Moisture will escape through the wall cavity and sheathing, and if the house wrap doesn’t allow it to pass through fast enough, it will condense and accumulate in the form of frost and ice. When the ice thaws, you’ll end up with wet sheathing and/or wall cavities—not good.

Bargain house wraps have perm ratings in the 8 to 12 range. Instead, choose a quality house wrap like Tyvek, with a perm rating of 54.

Why You Need to Use Cap Nails Now

The days of using a hammer tacker to install house wrap are gone forever. Today, most house wrap manufacturers require their product to be installed with cap nails or cap staples. This change definitely slows down the process, but on the upside, capped fasteners hold house wrap to the wall up to 25 times better than staples.

Using capped fasteners will ensure a good night’s sleep on those windy nights knowing the house wrap you installed last week is not blowing all over the neighborhood.

Install Capped Fasteners With the “Stinger”

Yes, you can hand-nail capped fasteners when installing house wrap, but it’ll take you forever. We recommend a Stinger Cap Staple Hammer instead. It works like a hammer tacker, only it sinks capped nails instead of staples. There is a learning curve to using the Stinger, and the caps and staples aren’t cheap, but it beats the heck out of hand-nailing cap nails.

Save Time—Buy 3-inch Tape

Years ago, only vertical seams in house wrap required tape, but no longer. Now every seam must be taped, and most manufacturers recommend that a minimum of 1 in. of the tape be sealed to each side of the seam—that’s hard to accomplish using 2-in. tape! Instead, buy 3-in. rolls. If your house wrap supplier doesn’t stock 3-in. tape, it should be able to order it. If not, like practically everything else, it’s available online.

Cut House Wrap to Workable Sizes

A windy day can make house wrap installation a frustrating experience at best. So cut full rolls down to more manageable sizes with a circular saw. Most saws won’t cut all the way through a full roll, so cut as deep as you can, then twist the roll until the cut is complete. Smaller rolls means more tape on the horizontal seams, but the labor saving is worth the extra trouble and expense.

Prime Wood Siding Before Installing House Wrap

Water tends to condense on house wrap, much more so than it would if there was just wood sheathing behind the siding. That water will penetrate wood siding and lift off the finish. So it’s more important than ever to prime the back side of wood siding before it’s installed.

Talk to Subcontractors About Installing House Wrap

If you’re the general contractor, make sure there’s an extra roll of house wrap at the job site for the framers, electricians and any other sub who’s going to be attaching objects to the wall. (Include instructions for installing it!) Soffit stringers, trim boards and electrical meters all need house wrap behind them.

Tack, Straighten, Fasten

When starting a new row, don’t fasten the whole vertical length of the wrap right away. Get the roll into position, and attach a few fasteners in the center of the paper. This will allow you to roll out several feet and still be able to adjust the roll up and down without creating wrinkles. Wrinkles don’t just look sloppy- they can also become traps for water.

Don’t Cut Out Window Openings

The way we used to deal with window openings was to roll house wrap right over them, cut them out, then move on down the wall. It was quick, but there’s a much better way.

After the opening is covered, make one cut with your knife straight up and down in the center. Next, cut the house wrap flush at the top and bottom of the opening, creating two flaps. Wrap the flaps inside the building, past the jack stud, before cutting off the excess. At the top, slice several inches up and away at an angle, and hold the flap up with a piece of tape (it will be folded back down and taped after the window is installed).

The opening is now ready for pan flashing and a window. This method will meet the requirements of most window manufacturers, and best of all, the inspector will be happy.

For more information on this step, read our story on window installation.

Overlap 6 Inches or More

Overlap all house wrap seams at least 6 inches. Make sure to think like you’re shingling: work from the bottom up so that higher rows overlap lower ones.

Seal Existing Windows and Doors With Tape

If you’re installing house wrap around existing windows and doors, most building inspectors require those windows and doors to be sealed directly to the house wrap. This means you have to roll a butyl-style tape up onto the edge of the brick mold or window itself. This can be a tedious operation, especially if you’re working with a super-sticky tape. Here’s a suggestion: Don’t peel off the window tape backing all at once; do just one section at a time.

Every Wall Penetration Needs Tape

It’s not only seams that need taping—everything that penetrates a wall needs it too! Regular house wrap tape is usually sufficient.

Here’s how to deal with a pipe. Cut out around it as closely as you can, then make two angled cuts up and away from the top of the pipe. Tape the flap up to keep it out of the way and then, starting at the bottom, tape the pipe to the wall. Finally, fold down the flap and tape it up.

Simple Trick for Cutting House Wrap

House wrap is easy enough to cut with a sharp utility knife, but cutting a smaller piece off the roll can be a pain. Cutting the first half always goes slick, but when you get to the last little bit, it tends to crumple up. You can avoid this by starting in the middle and cutting one half, then the other. Leave a small section of wrap intact, and cut off the other half. Then simply tear the piece away from the roll.

How to Patch Large Holes and Tears

Inevitably you’ll have to deal with a tear in your beautiful handiwork. Small holes and tears can be repaired with tape, but larger ones require a patch. Here’s how to do it. Make a horizontal slice in the house wrap just above the damaged area and slide in a patch, making sure to cover the hole by 2 in. in every direction. Tape up the seams and get back to making money.

The post 14 House Wrap Installation Tips You Need to Know appeared first on Family Handyman.

We asked Jerome Worm, an experienced installer, to show us what it takes to install basic box cabinets successfully. His tips can save you time and help you avoid costly mistakes on your next installation.

Mark Up the Wall First

Every good cabinet installation starts with a good layout. Jerome calls it “blueprinting” the wall. Here’s how to do it:

• Measure from the highest point in the floor and draw a level line marking the top of the base cabinets.
• Measure up 19-1/2 in. from that line and draw another line for the bottom of the upper cabinets.
• Label the location of the cabinets and appliances on the wall.
• Draw a vertical line to line up the edge of the first cabinet to be installed.
• Finally, mark the stud locations.

Remove the Doors and Drawers

Removing shelves, doors and drawers makes installation easier and prevents damage. Mark the location of the doors on painter’s tape, and make a pencil mark at the top of the hinges so you have a good starting point when you reinstall them. Remember that many upper box cabinets have no designated top or bottom. They can be hung in either direction depending on which way you want the doors to swing, so decide that before you mark the hinges.

Shim Extreme Bows

Most of the time you can shim the cabinets as you go, but if there’s an extreme bow in the wall (more than 3/8-in.), shim it out before you hang the cabinet. If you don’t, you may accidentally pull the back off the cabinet while fastening it into place. Hold a level across the wall, and slide a shim up from the bottom (go in from the top when you’re doing the top side) until it’s snug. Then pin or tape it into place.

Start with the Upper Cabinets

It’s easier to hang the uppers when you’re not leaning way over the base cabinets. Rest the uppers on a ledger board—it’ll ensure a nice, straight alignment and eliminate the frustration of holding the cabinets in place while screwing them to the wall.

Clamp, Drill, Fasten

When connecting two cabinets to each other, line up the face frames and clamp them together. Both cabinets should be fastened to the wall at this point, but you may have to loosen one cabinet or the other to get the frames to line up perfectly. Jerome prefers hand-screw clamps because they don’t flex, and less flex means a tighter grip. Predrill a 1/8-in. hole before screwing them together with a 2-1/2-in. screw. Choose the less noticeable cabinet of the two for drilling and placing the screw head.

Use a Block of Wood for Scribing

Find the largest distance between the outside of the cabinet and the wall. Take that measurement and make a pencil mark on your filler strip (measure over right to left in this case). Clamp the filler onto the cabinet flush with the inside of the vertical rail. Measure over from the wall to your pencil mark, and make a scribing block that size. Use your block to trace a pencil line down the filler strip. Masking tape on the filler strip helps the pencil line show up better and protects the finish from the saw table.

Use Good Screws

Jerome prefers GRK’s R4 self-countersinking screw, which he calls “the Cadillac of screws.” You’ll pay accordingly, but why scrimp on screws when you’re spending thousands of dollars on cabinets? Whatever you do, don’t use drywall screws—they’ll just snap off and you’ll end up with an extra hole. Learn more about the R4 screws at grkfasteners.com.

Fasten the Back, Then Shim

Line up the base cabinets with the level line on the wall. Fasten the back of the cabinets to that line. Once the backs of the cabinets are level, use shims to level the sides. Take your time on this step—nobody likes to have eggs roll off a slanted countertop.

Use 2x2s to Secure Cabinets to the Floor

Cabinets that make up islands and peninsulas need to be secured to the floor. Join the island cabinets and set them in place. Trace an outline of the cabinets on the floor. Screw 2x2s to the floor 1/2-in. on the inside of the line to account for the thickness of the cabinets. Anchor the island cabinets to the 2x2s with screws. If needed, place flooring blocks under the 2x2s.

Raise the Cabinets For Flooring

If the kitchen flooring is going to be hardwood or tile, and you are installing it after the cabinets, you’ll have to raise the cabinets off the floor or the dishwasher won’t fit under the countertop. Use blocks to represent the finished floor height, and add those distances to the guideline for the base cabinet tops. Hold the blocks back a bit from the front so the flooring can tuck underneath. Your flooring guys will love you for this.

Cut Oversized Holes

Cutting exact size holes for water lines and drainpipes might impress your customer, but such precision is likely to result in unnecessary headaches for you. Cutting larger holes makes it easier to slide the cabinet into place and provides wiggle room for minor adjustments. No one’s going to notice the oversize holes once the cabinet is filled with dish soaps, scrubbers and recycling bins.

The post 11 Kitchen Cabinet Installation Tips From a Professional appeared first on Family Handyman.

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Skid Steer vs. Hiring a Pro?

A medium-size skid steer costs about $200 to rent for one day (not including the trailer or delivery fees), or about $600 per week. A pro operator will charge $65 to $95 per hour. So think it through. It may cost less to hire a pro than to rent a machine and operate it yourself. If all you have to do is smooth out some black dirt in a customers suburban backyard, hire a pro. Achieving a smooth, dip-free grade is trickier than it looks, and it will likely take you much longer than a pro and end up costing more. And it takes many hours of practice to become proficient at complex jobs like working on slopes or building boulder walls.

Digging and moving dirt are relatively easy, and you can get the hang of them pretty quickly, so renting a skid steer makes sense for those jobs where you have to move copious amounts of soil from point A to point B. Renting also makes sense if there will be a lot of downtime between uses of the skid steer, like intermittently hauling sand and pavers for a large patio or other landscaping projects. Renting isn’t cheap, so make sure everything is ready to go the minute you get the machine to the site.

Which Skid Steer Is the Best to Rent?

Bigger isn’t always better: Smaller machines work great in tight areas (to backfill inside basements, for example), and in wooded areas where the trees are fairly close together. Smaller machines also do less damage to finished lawns. Bigger machines often have bigger buckets and can obviously lift heavier stuff.

Skid steers with tracks are often called compact track loaders. Tracked machines are gentler on lawns and less likely to get stuck, but they will cost about 25 percent more to rent.

You use levers to steer a skid steer, and either hand joysticks or foot pedals to control the bucket and lift arm. You’ll find pros that prefer one over the other, but the learning curve on both is similar. Go with the hand controls if you’re still bothered by that old high school knee injury, or do the opposite if you have trouble with your wrist.

Skid steers are available at some rental centers, and most heavy-equipment dealers rent them as well.

How to Safely Haul a Skid Steer

Make sure you know the weight of the equipment you’re hauling and whether you have an adequate, truck, trailer and trailer hitch to safely haul it. Trailers typically list tow capacities on the tongue, and trucks display it on the inside of the driver’s doorjamb. The bulk of the weight should be over, and just in front of, the trailer tires. You want more weight toward the front of the trailer, but not so much that the front truck tires lose traction. You should see the rear truck bumper drop several inches when you drive forward on the trailer. The straps or chains should be pulling the machine toward both the front and the back (kind of like the old torture rack).

If you’ve never pulled a trailer before, hauling a skid steer is probably not the place to start. Ask the folks at the rental center to deliver it.

Protect Landscaping from a Skid Steer with Plywood

Skid steers are heavy—really heavy. Protect sidewalks, walkways and patios with a piece of plywood. And don’t drive over septic mounds, tanks or drain fields.

Avoid Skid Steer Accidents

The first thing you might notice when you climb into a skid steer is that it’s almost impossible to see behind you. The blind spots on the sides can also be severely restrictive, depending on the height of the lift arms.

Caution: Tell everyone in and around the work area not to approach the skid steer unless they get a clear and recognizable signal, like thumbs up

Handpick Stubborn Rocks Before Grading with a Skid Steer

Rocks are a headache when you’re trying to grade a surface smooth. They create a trench as you drag them. It’s tempting to try to pick them up and move them with the skid steer bucket, but it’s rarely that easy. You can waste a whole bunch of time messing around trying to grab hold of one stubborn rock. You’ll get lucky sometimes, but your best bet is to get out and physically throw them aside. Even top-tier skid steer handlers get out of the machine every once in a while.

Keep the Work Area Smooth

Skid steers are notoriously tough on the terrain. It’s easy to tear up the ground in very little time. Skid steers don’t have a suspension, so holes and ruts in the ground make for an extremely rough ride. Take the time to occasionally smooth out your work area—your back will thank you.

Tight Skid Steer Turns Wreck the Grass

Skid steers turn when the set of tires on one side spin at a different speed than the ones on the other side. This causes a “skid,” which wreaks havoc on the ground. Make long, wide turns to reduce the damage to lawns, driveways or any ground surface you don’t want to destroy. Smaller machines with rubber tracks will do less damage, but they’ll still rip up the turf if you sit in one spot and spin in a circle. Also, wet soil is more susceptible to ruts, so if possible, carry out your project when the ground is relatively dry.

Fill a Skid Steer Bucket Before Tipping it Back

Push the bucket straight into the dirt pile before tipping it back or the bucket will act like a plow and stop all forward movement. Sometimes it helps to wiggle the bucket up and down in order to worm your way into the pile.

Tilt the Skid Steer Bucket as You Lift

Whenever you lift a load high in the air, tilt the bucket down as you lift. If you don’t, the load will spill over the back side of the bucket and end up right on top of the machine. It’s a messy rookie mistake, and unless you enjoy the taste of dirt (some of that dirt will end up in the cab), it’s one you’ll want to avoid. Many higher-end machines have a self-leveling bucket feature.

Carry Skid Steer Loads Low and Uphill

A short wheel base makes skid steers super maneuverable, but it also makes them unstable, especially with the arms raised high. Whenever you’re transporting a load, keep it low—just high enough so you don’t bottom out on the ground. When working on hills, the heavy side of the machine should always face uphill. If the bucket is full, the front side is the heavy side; the opposite is true if the bucket is empty. That means you’ll occasionally have to back up or down a steep grade. Avoid traversing hills sideways; keep the machine facing either up or down the hill.

Shake a Skid Steer Bucket Clean

Wet or heavy soils can stick to the inside of the skid steer bucket. When you dump a load, tap the controls to shake the bucket back and forth to free up the more stubborn chunks. Occasionally get out and check to make sure the bucket is clean. A half-full bucket is an inefficient way to move dirt around. Keep a shovel nearby to scrape it out. Dirt is more likely to get stuck in a rusty, pitted bucket, so if you get to choose your rental machine, get one with a well-maintained bucket.

Use a Skid Steer Bucket to Get Unstuck

It’s not hard to get stuck in slippery clay or loose, sandy soil, but it’s easy to get unstuck by using the bucket to push your way out. It only works one way—you can’t get unstuck by pulling yourself out. When you’re backfilling the inside of a basement or foundation, always drive straight in and back straight out. If you get stuck with your back up against a wall, you’re in trouble. If you know the soil conditions are going to be dicey, rent a skid steer with tracks; tracked machines are much less likely to get stuck.

Skid Steer Safety Tips

Keep these tips in mind when you’re operating a skid steer.

• Get familiar with the controls. Practice at half speed for a while before loading the bucket.
• Shut off the engine before exiting the machine.
• Never walk under raised arms.
• Always wear hearing protection.
• Never lift or transport passengers on any part of the skid steer.
• A seat belt will keep you in the machine in case of a rollover, and it will also prevent your body from slamming against the bar if you come to a sudden stop.
• Call 811 to have the utilities located (before you dig!)

The post How to Operate a Skid Steer appeared first on Family Handyman.

Tools for Drywall Taping

Day 1

On the first day of taping and mudding drywall, have these tools on hand:

• • 6-inch taping knife
  • Staple gun with 1-inch staples

Tack on Outside Corner Bead

Our pro installs the outside corner beads with a staple gun that shoots 1-inch, 18-gauge staples with a 1/4-inch crown. Drywall nails will also do the job, but using a staple gun frees up one hand to get the bead exactly where you want it before tacking it into place. Outside corners take a lot of abuse, so make sure the corner beads are securely fastened to the framing. Nail or staple each side of the bead every 10 to 12 inches.

How to Roll Out Fiber Mesh

Installing fiber mesh saves time because it’s self-adhering. And unlike paper tape, fiber mesh allows mud to pass right through it, so you don’t need to fill cracks and gaps in the drywall before you install the tape. All you need to do is roll it onto the wall and trim it off with a 6-inch taping knife. Tape over all the joints, large gaps, holes larger than 1/8 inch, and both sides of the outside corner beads. On inside corners, only areas with a gap larger than 1/8 inch need mesh. The rest of the inside corners will get covered on Day 2 with paper tape.

Drywall Compound

Setting compound shrinks less than regular joint compound, and it dries rock hard. This makes it ideal for day one, which is all about filling the big holes and gaps. But setting compound doesn’t sand nearly as easily as joint compound, so thinner coats are better. It comes in powder form, and the number on the bag indicates how many minutes it takes to set up. The bigger the job, the longer the working time you’ll want. Our pro mixes his with a mixing paddle bit in a 1/2-inch. drill. He keeps a bucket of water standing by so he can clean the paddle right away. Setting compound sets up like concrete—even under water! Here’s what you should do with your leftover drywall compound.

How to Tape Drywall

Taping a drywall can be tricky. Cover all the tape with setting compound using a 6-inch taping knife. Apply enough mud to fill the gaps under the tape, but remember, setting compound is much harder than the two coats of joint compound you’re going to apply the next two days, so you want to end up with just a thin coat covering the tape. If you sand through the joint compound into the setting compound, the result could be noticeably different textures on the two surfaces.

Tools for Drywall Taping

Day 2

On the second day of taping and mudding drywall, have these tools on hand:

• 14-inch knife
• Corner trowel
• 6-inch knife
• 10-inch trowel
• BANJO

Coat Butt Joints With a Knife

Use a lightweight joint compound on Day 2. Knock off any crumbs or ridges left over from the day before with a clean 6-inch taping knife—our pro always has one in his back pocket. Spread a thin coat of joint compound on the butt joints with a 14-inch taping knife.

How to Mud Drywall

Each of the long sides of drywall is tapered to allow room for the mud. The goal is to fill this recessed area with mud so the wall ends up smooth. Taping knives are flat but flexible. If you press one too hard against a tapered joint in the wall, it could bend into the recess, and you could squeeze too much mud out, creating a trough. Taping trowels have a little bend in them, so when you press them against the wall, they flatten out to form a straight bridge across the tapered joint. Our pro uses a 10-inch trowel on Day 2. Be careful when you buy one: A taping trowel might look like a concrete trowel but it’s not—a concrete trowel is bent in the opposite direction.

Tape the Inside Corners

Paper tape is more flexible than fiber mesh and has a crease in it, which makes it easier to push into the corners. Our pro uses a banjo to install paper tape on all the inside corners. He holds the tape secure with one hand as he moves the banjo along the corner. Once a long section of tape is pulled out, he pushes it into the corner with a corner trowel.

If you don’t own a banjo, lay down a thin coat of mud and push the tape into the mud. Make sure there’s mud under every square inch of the tape or you’ll end up with bubbles. Banjos do a great job of applying the proper amount of mud to the tape, but regular joint compound will have to be watered down when you’re using one. This will require about 1 cup of water for every gallon of mud, but it depends on the moisture content of the mud you’re working with, so just keep adding a little water until it’s roughly the consistency of yogurt.

Top-coat the Corner Tape

A banjo applies mud only on the bottom of the tape, so once the tape is laid down, it will need to be top-coated. Our pro uses a corner trowel. Corner trowels can be tricky to work with—the secret (as with much of taping) is to not lay down too much mud. This is especially true where inside corners meet the ceiling and floor. Too much mud will round out the corners, making it difficult to install trim and moldings.

Start at the top of an inside corner an inch or so down from the ceiling because a lot of mud will ooze out the top side of the trowel when you first press it to the walls. Then go back for another pass and smooth out the excess left behind. Once the tape has been covered, go back with the 6-inch knife and clean up each side of the tape. This step takes skill and practice. An easier (but more time-consuming) method is to top-coat one side of the tape, and do the other side after the first side has dried.

Fill the Screw Holes

Make two passes over every screw hole with a 6-inch taping knife. Hit all the screws that line up vertically in the field of each panel of drywall at the same time. To eliminate voids, each pass should come from a different direction. One efficient method is to lay out a thick coat in an upward motion, and then come back down, scraping off the excess as you go. Don’t forget about the screws on the ceiling. Save yourself a lot of walking around by covering all the joints, corners and screw holes in one area of a room at a time. It’s time to set up some fans and call it a day.

Mud Management

Our pro’s tools are caked with mud, but he works mostly on new homes where water is usually unavailable. He also burns through most of his tools in months, not years, so he focuses only on keeping the edges clean—a must for smooth mud lines. Here are some tips for managing your mud:

• Scrape and wipe out the bucket sides to remove mud before it dries and crumbles into the good mud.
• Clean lids after opening new buckets for the same reason.
• Never return unused mud to the bucket. Throw it away.
• Keep a wet rag or sponge on hand to clean tools and buckets with.
• Add a little water to the top of your mud between jobs to keep a crust from forming.

Tools for Drywall Taping

Day 3

On the third day of taping and mudding drywall, have these tools on hand:

• • 24-inch knife
  • 12-inch trowel
  • 6-inch knife
  • Corner trowel
  • 14-inch knife

Make Your Own Topping Compound

The same lightweight joint compound you used on Day 2 will also work for your final coat on Day 3, but topping compound works better. Topping compound is easier to sand and doesn’t leave behind as many tiny air pockets. You could buy a bucket of topping compound or you could make your own. Our pro pours in about 1/2 cup of dish soap (any brand will do) into a 4-1/2 gallon pail of lightweight joint compound. He’s found that this concoction works every bit as well and is cheaper and a lot more convenient.

How to Finish Drywall

Now apply the final coat on the inside corners the same way you did on Day 2, laying down the mud with a corner trowel and smoothing each side with a 6-inch knife. Cover all the recessed joints with a 12-inch trowel (2 inches larger than the one used on Day 2). The farther the mud is feathered out, the less noticeable the joint will be, especially on butt joints. That’s why after our expert lays down a layer of mud on the butt joints with his 14-inch knife, he immediately follows with a monster 2-foot knife—no need to add more mud on the second pass. That’s it. You’re done. Now set up some fans so you can move on to sanding.

The post Create Smooth Walls: A Mudslinger’s Guide appeared first on Family Handyman.

Give your tools an ugly makeover

Used tool buyers gauge the value of a power tool by its appearance. That means they look for the familiar “Milwaukee red”, “DeWalt yellow,” “Ridgid orange”, “Makita blue,” and “Bosch blue” brand color as well as name plates and the visual condition of the tool. Your new job is to rough up your tools’ appearance, making it far less valuable to the crook and their buyers.

Start by removing the brand name plate (but leave the plate containing the tool’s serial number). Next, buy a can of bright neon colored green or pink spray paint,  and spray the entire tool with that neon color. Finish the job with clear coat to protect the paint, and take pictures of your unique works of art to help police track them down if they’re stolen.

Bottom line: Thieves don’t steal tools they can’t fence and they certainly don’t want ugly tools that can be traced because of their unique look. Mark tools to prevent theft!

Engrave personal information right on the tools for added security

The only thing worse for thieves than an ugly tool is one that has some personally identifying marks permanently engraved into the tool. Find a prominent spot on the tool and add something like: “Stolen from Joe’s Plumbing, Scranton, PA Call (507) 456-XXXX for REWARD.” Just like an ugly paint job, marking and engraving a tool lowers the tools’ resale value and increases the risk of arrest to the thief.

Remove batteries and charger to deter thieves

Used battery-powered tools sell for much less if they don’t include the battery and charger. If you’ve done your homework by defacing the look of the tool and engraving it with your personal information and you remove the battery and charger, the tool definitely isn’t worth stealing.

Lock them up in a secure cabinet or attached locked toolbox

Tool thieves know they have a limited about of time to break in and scoop up your tools. Your job is to make them spend more time, make more noise and break a sweat if they want to get their mitts on your tools.

If you store your tools in your work truck, have the truck outfitter install a locking cabinet with heavy-duty hinges and locks to store your power tools (while you’re at it, invest in the right truck tool box, too). If you store them in your shop or garage, buy a secure storage cabinet and several carrying bins. Load your tools into the bins so you can move them easily into and out of your work truck.

Lock them up with security chain

A bolt cutter can easily defeat cheap padlocks and aircraft cable locks. But hardened-steel security chain and high-quality padlocks provide much better protection. Thieves can cut through them with a grinder, but cutting hardened-steel chain takes a long time and burns up several grinding wheels. Thieves don’t have that much time or battery power. Use hardened-steel security chain and padlocks to protect your ladders and all heavy-duty electric and gasoline-powered equipment. If you drive a truck consider using a truck tool box mounting kit to attach them directly to the vehicle itself.

Invest in lockable power tools with apps

The newest professional power tools can be disabled though a smartphone app. Once locked, the tool is worthless. But it’s not enough to buy those tools, you must advertise that fact by posting warnings on your work truck and trailer that you’ve disabled all your tools. Find trackable and locking features on Milwaukee, DeWalt and other professional tool brands.

Add GPS trackers to your tools for additional security

Several companies make GPS tracking devices. They attach to your power tools with epoxy, screws or rivets. Once you notice your tools are missing, activate the app from your phone and find their location. Tool trackers are visible deterrents and once the thieves realize your tools have them, they’re more likely to leave them and find another target. Thieves can’t afford to spend the extra time to pry off the trackers while they’re at the scene of the crime. And they don’t want to take the risk of being tracked while they head home with the “goods.”

Add interior deadbolts to your work truck

Factory door lock cylinders attach to the door sheet metal with just a spring clip. Even a novice crook can pop those out in a few seconds. But interior sliding deadbolts make the job much harder to defeat. You can buy manual or electric sliding deadbolts to fit your truck. The electric versions cost more, but since they connect to your vehicle’s remote keyless entry system they lock and unlock with just a button push from your key fob.

Install a truck alarm system

According to contractingbusiness.com, “an estimated 90% of work truck break-ins and power tool thefts take place between 6 p.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Monday.” Since you can’t babysit your work truck 24/7, protect it with an alarm system. You can buy alarm systems for less than $100, but the better models sell for around $400 installed. Those systems offer 2-way communication that confirm the system is armed. And they send alerts to your smartphone if the doors are opened. You can even add sensing modules to detect glass breakage and report if someone is trying to jack up the vehicle to remove expensive components or enter it from below.

Prevent trailer theft

Many contractors store their tools in a work trailer and use a hitch lock when they leave it on-site. But tool thieves can cut off a hitch lock in seconds using a battery-powered grinder. Then, the thieves hook up your trailer and drive it to a remote location so they can break in without being caught. Make their job much harder by lowering the trailer as far as it will go and then removing the trailer jack handle. Next, slap on two trailer wheel locks. If you’re parking your trailer at the job site, jack it up and place it on blocks so you can remove the wheels.

Add exterior puck locks to your work truck doors

Puck locks provide a strong visual deterrence to less skilled thieves. And they cost much less than electric sliding door locks. They’re not as convenient as electric sliding door locks because they require a key. Plus, you have to keep track of the puck lock every time you remove it. But they provide much better security than factory locks.

Some puck locks and hasps require drilling, while others, like Slick Locks, install right onto the door latch fasteners. Order multiple puck lock kits “keyed alike” so you can open all of them with a single key.

Invest in a heavy-duty job box

A heavy-duty job box is perfect for storing tools at the job site. Load in the tools and lock it up. But don’t buy a cheap unit, as thieves can get into those in just a few minutes. The better units are built with 14- or 16-gauge steel, so they can’t be opened with tin snips. Buy casters to roll the job box into position next to a pole. Loop the chain around a metal pole and thread the ends through the slots in the back of the box. Secure the chain ends inside the job box with a heavy-duty padlock. Remove the casters and set the box on the ground. That way thieves can’t roll it away if they compromise the pole or the chain.

Add stickers and warning signs

Invest in warning signs and stickers to let thieves know that your tools and vehicles are protected by GPS trackers and alarm systems and the entire area is being monitored with surveillance cameras. Thieves generally move on to lower risk opportunities if yours appears too intimidating.

Get a truck bed toolbox to keep your tools safe

Never leave your tools in the back seat of your car or truck; they’ll be gone in an instant. Instead, lock them in the trunk or protect them with a heavy-duty truck bed tool box. Truck bed tool boxes mount on the rails right behind the cab. The best units are built with heavier gauge metal and can’t be pried open with a crow bar. They’re also fitted with better locks. Yes they’re pricey, but they protect your tools better than the cheaper units and the nice ones often come with mounting kits included for secure fitment.

Park in a well-lit area away from buildings

Tool thieves work in the dark and avoid well-lit areas. If you have a choice of parking your work truck next to a dark building or blocks away in a well-lit parking lot, choose the lot! Never park your work truck so the side or rear doors are shielded by a building.

Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The post 15 Tips to Prevent Tools From Getting Stolen appeared first on Family Handyman.

Building Face Frame Cabinets

A classic way to make cabinets is to build plywood boxes (aka carcasses) and cover the front with a hardwood face frame. Cabinets like this are strong and handsome and relatively easy to build, granted you get your face frame dimensions and overhang measured correctly. Here’s a list of tips that we felt could help experienced cabinetmakers as well as those just starting their first one.

How to Make a Cabinet Frame

Dry-fit face frame parts so the best side of all the boards will be seen, avoiding stark grain color variations at joints. Label all the pieces with a pencil so the frame goes back together the same way you laid it out. The pencil marks also come in handy when you’re ready to sand the assembled frame. You’ll know you have flat joints when the pencil marks disappear.

Assemble the Face Frame With Pocket Hole Screws

Pocket hole screws are a fast and easy way to join a face frame. You don’t need a lot of clamps or wood glue. A mortise-and-tenon joint may make you feel like a true craftsman, but only you will know you spent all that extra time.

Leave Off the Back Until You Apply Finish

If you plan to finish your project before you install it, leave the back off until after you’ve applied the finish. It makes getting into all those nooks and crannies a lot easier, especially in deeper cabinets. Wood glue won’t stick to finishes, so if you want to glue on the back, use polyurethane glue.

Trim Some Face Frames Flush

Face frames on some furniture look best when they’re flush with the cabinet sides. But it’s still better to build the face frame a little bigger (about 1/16 in.), and trim off any overhang later with a flush trim router bit. Adjust the bit depth so the cutting edges are only slightly deeper than the face frame.

Gang Up on Your Components

Even with a high-end table saw, it’s difficult to reset the fence to exactly replicate previous cuts, so plan ahead and cut all your face frame parts at the same time. Gang-planing your stiles and rails will save time and ensure all the parts are exactly the same width and thickness. Gang-sand board edges by clamping them together. That not only speeds up sanding but also keeps you from rounding over edges. And always make more parts than you need. It’s better to have a couple of pieces left over than to have to cut, plane and sand one replacement board if you make a miscut. Also, having extra allows you to choose the best boards of the lot.

Leave the End Stile Off to Scribe

Leave one end stile off when you install cabinets that butt against walls at both ends. With a complete face frame, you won’t be able to push the cabinet into place or scribe and adjust the stile to fit. Cut that last stile a bit oversize to leave room for scribing, and rip a 45-degree back bevel for easier planing to your scribed line. The bevel also makes it easier to twist the stile into place.  Assemble the whole face frame on your workbench with pocket screws, then remove the last stile. That way you’ll be guaranteed a perfect fit when you reattach it after planing. Or attach it with a bit of glue and a few brads.

Nail the Face Frame to Boxes

One of the easiest ways to attach face frames to carcasses is with a thin bead of wood glue and an 18-gauge brad nailer with 2-in. brads. Be sparing with brads; their main duty is to hold the frame in place while the glue dries. A couple per side and wherever there’s a void should do the trick. A little putty will make the brad holes almost invisible.

Build Face Frames Larger

A main function of a face frame is to hide the exposed plywood laminations. A face frame does a better job of this if it overlaps the box edges a bit. Making the face frame run past all the plywood edges provides a little wiggle room and hides not-so-perfect saw cuts on the plywood. Face frames on sides of kitchen cabinets should overlap 1/4 in. on the outside edge. This makes room for adjustments when installing them next to one another. Build the face frame so that the bottom rail (“rails” are horizontal boards and “stiles” are vertical boards) projects 1/16 in. above the bottom shelf of the cabinet.

Don’t Cut Rabbets if They’re Not Needed

It’s common practice to cut a rabbet (a notch to receive the 1/4-in. back panel) on the back edge of cabinet carcasses so the back panel will be recessed. But that’s not necessary if the cabinet sides won’t be visible—the back panel edges won’t be either. Save yourself some time and just tack on the back panel with a brad nailer. Make sure to take into account the overall depth of your cabinets—they’ll be 1/4 in. deeper if you go this route.

Build a Separate Base

Most factory-built cabinets have a recessed “toe-kick” that’s typically about 4 in. high and deep. But you can also make a separate base that’s the total length of the cabinet assembly and build shorter cabinets to make up the difference. With this method, you won’t have to mess around with figuring out and cutting toe-kick profiles on your cabinets. This is also a handy technique when you have an uneven floor because you need to level and shim only one base instead of several individual cabinets. It’s important to use dead-straight wood for bases so it’ll be flat for setting the cabinets. Once your cabinets are installed, finish off the base front with a strip of 1/4-in. plywood that matches the cabinets.

Build Individual Boxes

Moving and installing long one-piece cabinets can be a tough job, and it may not even be possible to get the assembly into the room. Instead of creating such a monster, build individual cabinet carcasses. Add the face frame after they’re all in place.

Cap End Cabinets

If you cap the end cabinet with 1/4-in. plywood, you don’t have to hide the fasteners you used to build your boxes. That means you can use large, sturdy screws without worrying about ugly putty-filled holes. You’ll also need an end cap if you choose to build a separate base. Use construction adhesive and a few small brads to fasten the panel in place, and make sure you extend the outside face frame stile an additional 1/4 in. to account for the thickness of the plywood. This is the reason you want to have a little face frame overhang; to account for the added dimensions of any end cap material applied in the end of the construction process.

The post Face Frame Cabinet Building Tips appeared first on Family Handyman.

Pick the right paint

Stumped by the wide variety of paints on the store shelf? You’re not alone. Whether you’re out to paint your whole house or simply touch up the back fence, selecting the best exterior paint or stain for the job can be confusing. No one type of paint or stain is best for all surfaces, especially on the exterior where it takes a beating from the weather. (Check out the best temperature to paint outside.)

We’ll list the common exterior painting tasks and then recommend the best exterior paint or finish for the job. But keep in mind that certain materials or weather conditions may warrant different choices, especially when painting over old coatings. Talk to the staff at a local full-service paint store for additional advice or use an exterior paint calculator. Like the look of worn, antique wood? Check out our guide to outdoor wood stain.

Bare wood

Primers fill the pores in wood and form a good adhesion base for topcoats. They’re lightly pigmented to help the topcoats cover better. Here’s more on how to pick primers and how to use primer.

Oil-based (alkyd) primers are the old favorite, but high-quality acrylic latex primers are now available and a popular choice of many pros. Both work well. In either case, be sure to buy a quality product and spread it to the proper thickness. Better primers are more expensive. Read the directions on the label to determine the ideal application thickness. A common mistake is applying it too thinly, like a wash, rather than as a regular coat.

When priming cedar or redwood, use an alkyd primer or a stain-blocking acrylic latex primer. Cedar and redwood have water-soluble tannins in their heartwood that, when moist, will leach out and “bleed” through the topcoats, leaving dark, ugly stains. Alkyds and stain-blocking acrylics bind the tannins and hold them in the primer. Buy a brand from a dealer who will guarantee the product’s performance.

Knots can also bleed through the topcoats. To prevent this problem, double-prime them. First prime just the knots with the alkyd or stain-blocking acrylic primer or pigmented shellac (such as BIN). Let the primer dry, and then prime the entire wood surface.

TIP: Choose your paint first, then read the label and buy the primer recommended by the manufacturer. Some paints perform best when used with the same brand of primer.

Fences

In this category, we’re including any smooth or rough surface wood that’s fully exposed to the weather, like exterior railings, gazebos and arbors. The trade-offs between paints and stains are the same for fences as for decks (see “Decks,” below). Film-forming finishes like paint and solid stains last longer and have stronger colors, but will inevitably peel and require more effort to renew. Semi-transparent oil stains won’t last as long. However, if you apply them properly, they don’t form a film, so they won’t peel and they’re easier to recoat when they weather and fade. Make sure you know these paint pre trick before you star your next paint job.

What is the best exterior house paint?

Acrylic latex resists the corrosive effects of sunlight better than oil-based paint. It lasts longer too. The labels on latex paints can be confusing. Top grades will say 100 percent acrylic latex to distinguish them from other types like acrylic latex or vinyl acrylic latex, which usually cost less and don’t perform as well.

Siding paint has a flat, non-reflective finish, so your house won’t shine like a brand new automobile. In addition, flat paint hides chips, dents and other siding imperfections; higher-sheen paints highlight them. “Eggshell” paint has also become popular. It has a flat appearance too, but also a smoother, easy-to-clean surface.

The few extra dollars spent for high-quality paint will pay off. High-quality paints have a higher volume of better pigments for more thorough coverage and better resins for superior adhesion. They also contain additives that make the paint brush out smoother without dripping or sagging. All these factors save time and money in the long run.

Latex paints are more temperature sensitive than oil-based paints. Unless the label says otherwise, avoid using latex paints in temperatures below 50 degrees F or in direct sunlight, which can cause them to dry too fast. Here’s how to make your paint job last longer.

Smooth trim

Painting exterior trim involves a lot of time-consuming prep work and brush work, so choose a premium paint for the longest-lasting protection—gloss or semigloss 100 percent acrylic latex. They’re more durable than flat latex because they have a higher resin content. The additional resin also delivers that glossy sheen, but because the trim covers a relatively small area, the shine isn’t prominent.

Some painters prefer oil-based trim paints because they have slightly higher initial gloss and brush out smoother. However, they’ll dull and fade within a few years if the sun hits them. Glossy paints highlight surface flaws, so if your trim is worn, stick to the semigloss or even a satin sheen in highly visible areas.

TIP: If the old coat is oil-based, you can paint latex over it. However, you must sand the old surface to ensure good adhesion. Check out the painting tools the pros use.

Porch paint for floors and stair treads

Exterior wood floors that are exposed to rain and sun always take a beating. Foot traffic wears away the finish. And the simple fact that paint slows the drying process once the wood gets wet will compound the problem by encouraging rot. No protective coating will be low-maintenance.

A specially formulated exterior floor and porch paint usually works best. Floor deck paints usually contain harder resins to withstand abrasion. (Some manufacturers also call this paint an enamel, which simply means that it has a high resin content for maximum adhesion.) Still, expect to scrape and renew peeling areas every few years. TIP: One way to extend paint life is to prime all sides of the flooring before laying it.

These paints will be glossy, and sometimes slippery when wet. Gritty additives can provide good traction in the short run but may soon wear off in high-traffic areas. We’re applying a non-skid surface coat that contains grit. Look for anti-slip paint at full-service paint stores. Try these tips on painting your outdoor furniture to color coordinate.

New hardboard or cementboard

Hardboard has a factory-applied finish, and each brand has specific painting instructions. Painting methods vary, so read those instructions. Usually a primer and two coats of 100 percent acrylic latex will do the job. Think about your paint colors after looking at the 19 most popular exterior paint colors.

TIP: Prime well any cut ends and nailheads driven through the surface. Hardboard can deteriorate where the raw fiber is exposed.

Rough siding

Semi-transparent oil stains work best. They soak into the rough fiber and protect the wood from weathering, but they don’t form a surface film and therefore won’t peel. They contain enough pigment to color the wood and partially shield it from the sun, but not so much as to hide the texture and grain. Weathering, especially sunlight, causes stains to break down, erode and fade. They typically last only three to six years on the sunny side of the house. But renewal requires only a thorough cleaning and recoating.

Solid stains contain more pigment and deliver stronger colors. They’ll often last a year or two longer than semi-transparent oil stains. However, they tend to form a thin film and often peel, requiring more time-consuming prep work before you can apply a new coat. This is especially true of solid acrylic latex stains.

Semi-transparent stains that contain a combination of oil-based resins in a water solution also perform well.

Paint usually doesn’t adhere well to rough wood, and it’s tough to scrape and sand off loose paint once peeling begins. So avoid using film-forming finishes like paint and varnish.

Do you know the paint color that will increase your home’s value $6,000?

Decks

To slow rot and other deterioration and keep the deck paints in good condition with the least effort, simply apply a water repellent preservative every year or two. If the deck wood is damp much of the year, clean it and kill the mildew every few years with a deck cleaner (sold at home centers).

For a more attractive appearance, apply a semi-transparent oil stain. Use lighter stains for deck boards; heavier pigmented types show wear faster and are more difficult to renew. You’ll have to strip the deck paints and renew the stain every two to four years.

Clear exterior finishes, intended to preserve the natural color of the wood, will last only a year or two before they peel and the wood begins to turn gray.

Check out these 14 seriously cool deck add-ons you’ll want for your deck.

Concrete, concrete block, stucco and brick walls

Sound and clean concrete, stucco and masonry accept paint well. But beware. Moisture that gets under the surface will eventually cause the paint to peel, especially on horizontal surfaces. And you’ll have a tough job scraping and prepping the rough surfaces.

For best results on vertical exterior surfaces, select 100 percent acrylics. They breathe, meaning water vapor can move through them, which allows any low level of moisture that gets inside to evaporate without lifting the paint. Avoid oil-based paint because surfaces that contain cement typically are strongly alkaline and can soon shed the paint.

If the wall has a lot of small cracks, a better option is often an acrylic elastomeric paint, which is a thicker, more flexible version of regular acrylic paint. But always discuss options and warranties with an experienced paint dealer before trying an elastomeric. It costs about 15 percent more per gallon but has a lower coverage rate. In the end, it’ll cost two to three times as much as standard acrylic paint.

Concrete stain is a better choice for sprucing up horizontal surfaces. It wears more slowly than paint and is easier to renew.

Galvanized steel and aluminum

Let new galvanized steel and aluminum weather for six months, or wash the bare surfaces with an all-purpose household cleaner or TSP to remove oily residues. Then apply 100 percent acrylic latex. You won’t need a primer. However, if galvanized steel has rust spots, sand off the rust and apply a rust-inhibiting metal primer to those spots first.

The post Pro Tips For Selecting the Best Outdoor Paint or Stain appeared first on Family Handyman.

Attach Laminated Procedure Cards to the Paint Sprayer

Let’s face it, good help can be hard to find and getting new employees up to speed takes time. Slavik protects his investment by printing cards that list his step-by-step procedure for cleaning out a paint sprayer. After laminating them, he attaches one to each device with a zip tie.

Recovering Coating Left in a Paint Sprayer Is Like Finding Money

When you shut off your paint sprayer at the end of the day, nearly a quart of material may be left in the lines. Recognizing and recapturing this material can save you from having to buy an extra gallon for touching up wall paint, according to Slavik. Over the course of a year, that can lead to substantial savings for a professional painter.

Water Required to Clean a Paint Sprayer

You can clean a paint sprayer with as little as one gallon of water. Clean water is becoming a precious resource, and slop water from cleaning out your paint sprayer is now considered hazardous material that must be collected and waste-streamed properly.

States such as Minnesota have instituted a tax based on gallons of paint sold, and sellers collecting the tax must also collect leftover paint and slop contaminated with paint. Slavik recommends saving yourself some of the hassle by restricting the water used in clean-out to between one and two gallons.

Don’t Forget the Filters

After an initial flush out with water through both the prime and spray-gun lines, remove the filters from your airless sprayer, dip them in water, and agitate to clear them out. Material trapped in the filters takes more water to clear. Which results in more wastewater and extra cost and effort in the long run, says Slavik.

How Clean Is Clean?

Staying with the theme of limiting waste to benefit the environment and your bottom line, Slavik says that 96% clean is clean enough. Any more than that just wastes solvent (water or paint thinner) and creates more work to dispose of the slop. An initial flush, followed by clearing the filters and a final flush, cleans your paint sprayer to the point where even vivid colors will not taint your next painting project.

Paint Gun Tips

Cleaning out a spray gun tip clogged with dried coating takes time and creates wear on the tip. Slavik stores his paint sprayer tips in a jar of thinner fitted with a basket to lift them out, although he admits that a Mason jar does the job just fine. When it is time to paint, the tips are always ready to go.

A Minimal Investment That Pays Dividends

The procedure of cleaning and maintaining a paint sprayer offers a professional painter the opportunity to extend the life of his equipment, reclaim usable material, reduce waste, and minimize down time—all of which add up to cost savings and increased profitability. Once you become familiar with it, the entire process takes little time and keeps you moving smoothly from job to job. With the proper care your paint sprayer can last 20 years or more.

About the author and expert:

Nick Slavik is the owner of Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration Co. in New Prague, Minnesota. He has more than 25 years experience as a professional painter, has served his country through two tours of duty in the Middle East, is a contributor to “This Old House”. He also produces a weekly Facebook show called “Ask A Painter.” www.nickslavik.com.

Craig Gustafson is a writer and editor based on the East Side of St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent several formative years working on a construction crew and enjoys home-improvement projects of many types. His family has recently purchased a small property in Northern Wisconsin with a shell standing on it, which they look forward to finishing themselves.

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Miters: Use a Sharp Saw Blade

Try out the table saw miter sled in the video below to get started.

Miters: Tweak the Cut

Glue and Sand Miters for a Seamless Fit

Burnish the Corner

Miters: Fit One Miter at a Time

Miters: Guess and Test

Mark, Don't Measure

Miters: Use a Shim to Cut a Back Bevel

Smash Protruding Drywall

Use a Brad Gun for Best Results

Don't Nail Too Close to Ends or Edges

Pin the Miter Before Nailing the Outside

Shim Behind the Miter

Brad Nailer Helper

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When you make something out of wood, whether it’s an interior piece or one that’s going to live outside, you’ll give it a longer life and prevent its natural colors from fading by giving it a finish. That’s also true for wood pieces that come in contact with food, such as countertops, tabletops and cutting boards.

Many wood finishes are toxic before you apply them, and in that state, you wouldn’t think of combining them with food. However, once a finish has settled onto the surface of the wood or penetrated the fibers and hardened, it’s a different story. Here’s our take on what constitutes a food-safe wood finish.

Which Finishes are Food-Safe?

The short answer is, all of them, but with a caveat. They have to fully cure, which can take up to 30 days for some products. Some wood finishes used to contain lead as a drier, and that would definitely make them toxic, but lead was banned years ago.

There are essentially two types of finish: oil, which penetrates the wood, and films, which lie on top of the wood. Check how to choose the right oil to finish wood.

FAQs

Can I use regular polyurethane or varnish on food prep surfaces like cutting boards?

It’s fine to use a film finish like polyurethane, varnish or lacquer for an item that isn’t used for cutting. Film finishes develop cracks with heavy use. These cracks allow water to get into the wood but don’t allow it to escape, and that degrades and discolors the wood. Refinishing is a big job that involves sanding the whole piece back to bare wood, so you probably want to avoid that.

If your wooden bowl or cutting board gets rough treatment with knives and utensils, use an oil finish like tung, mineral, linseed, or even an edible oil, such as olive or walnut oil. Just refresh the finish as needed with another coat of oil, and if you don’t use an edible oil, be sure to give it lots of time to cure before using it.

Is linseed oil food-safe?

According to the Safety Data Sheet for Sunnyside Boiled Linseed Oil, the product is not considered hazardous, although there is a warning that it may be harmful if ingested. That’s a weak warning, and it applies to the oil before you apply it. After it has cured and hardened, there’s even less chance of ill effects.

Source

Sunnyside Boiled Linseed Oil: Material Safety Data Sheet; 2010.

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Get a bigger saw for deeper cuts

Cut—flip—cut again. That’s how you have to cut a thick post or beam with a regular circular saw. Maybe the cuts line up, maybe they don’t. With the new 10-1/4-in. worm-drive saw from Skilsaw, you can cut through thick materials in one clean pass. The saw has a cutting capacity of 3-11/16 in., and it weighs only 16.45 lbs. (less than some 7-1/4-in. worm drive saws). The motor is powerful enough to plow through the toughest laminated veneer lumber. This beast of a saw is called “the Sawsquatch”.

Table-saw-quality rips with a circular saw

Even if you own a table saw, sometimes it’s easier to rip large sheets of plywood with a circular saw. The trick to a perfectly straight cut is to clamp a straightedge to the plywood and use it as a guide for your saw. On most circular saws, the distance between the edge of the saw’s base and the blade is 1-1/2 in., so you can simply position the straightedge 1-1/2 in. from your cutting line. But measure this distance on your saw to be sure.

You can buy a straightedge or use the factory edge of a plywood sheet. If your straightedge only has one straight edge, be sure to mark it to avoid using the crooked side.

Avoid circular saw blade binding

Cutting the end off a board is usually simple. The short cutoff end simply falls away. But cutting a long board in half is different. You can hold one end, but the other must be free to drop or the blade will bind. The trick is to allow the cutoff end to drop slightly, but not so much that it completely snaps off before the cut is complete. One method is to support the board with strips of wood as shown here. You can also support the board continuously by stacking it on an equal-length sacrificial board. Set your blade to cut about 1/4 in. deeper than the wood’s thickness. Hold or clamp the keeper side and allow the other side to move freely.

Make Plunge Cuts Safely

Plunge cutting is a useful method for starting a cut when you can’t start from an edge. One example is cutting a window opening in a sheet of plywood. But if done with poor technique, this cut is dangerous. The saw will kick back and run back toward you.

Since you can’t see what’s under the sheet you’re cutting, check before you start to be sure the path of the blade is clear. Never back the saw toward you while it’s running. And stand to the side, not directly behind the saw.

• Set the blade to cut about 1/4 in. deeper than the wood thickness.
• Hold the front edge of your saw bed down firmly. Lift the blade guard with one hand and sight down the blade to align it with your line.
• Start the saw and let it come up to full speed. Gradually pivot the saw down to start the cut. Hold the saw firmly so it doesn’t jump back.

When the saw bed contacts the work surface, release the blade guard and cut forward. Let the blade fully stop before lifting it from the cut.

Buy a Vinyl-Siding Blade

Pushing through vinyl siding with a wood blade in your circular saw will cause the siding to shatter, which is both frustrating and dangerous. Buy a blade made to cut vinyl siding. They’re cheap and available at any home center. If you’re using a sliding miter saw, and the siding is still chipping, try slowly pulling the saw backward through the siding.

Cut Heavy Boards Without a Sawhorse

When you’re cutting joists or other heavy pieces of lumber, it’s often easier to cut them where they lie rather than hoist them onto sawhorses. An easy way to do this is to simply rest the board on your toe and lean it against your shin. Then align the saw with your mark and let gravity help pull the saw through the cut. Do be careful to keep the saw cut at least 12 in. from your toe.

Avoid scratching with your circular saw

Here’s how to cut an inch off a nicely finished door or workpiece when you don’t want to risk dinging up the surface with that scratched-up shoe on your circular
saw. Apply painter’s masking tape to the shoe and you’ll saw scratch-free every time.

Secure the Boards for Rip Cuts

In most cases, a table saw is a better choice for ripping lumber than a circular saw. But if you don’t have a table saw handy, and the rip cut doesn’t have to be precise, then a circular saw works fine. The trick is to hold the board in place while you rip it. Unless the board you’re ripping is very wide, clamps will get in the way. So a good alternative to clamping is to tack the board down to your sawhorses. We let the nails protrude here because they don’t interfere with the saw bed. But you can drive the nails (or screws) flush and still easily pull the board off when you’re done. To reduce damage to better-quality boards, use finish nails, and pull them through the back side when you’re done.

We’d Love to Hear From You

Do you have a jobsite or tool tip that makes your work-life easier, safer, or just more fun?  Why not share it with your construction comrades? Plus, you can show off your professional prowess to your family and friends.

Click the image below to send us your Pro Tips! Please include an image if you can. We will contact you if we run your submission on the site.

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