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Did you feel that? I think oxygen returned to the air when the humidity broke. We might just be able to go back outside to enjoy the patio again!
What? Your porch is in shambles? Your patio is a pass? With the cooler temperatures that have moved into Southwestern Ontario and swept away the heat wave that gripped much of the Eastern US and Canada last week, we can all look forward to breathing a little easier again. Perhaps it’s high-time that you get a little work done outside the house now.
Porch Problems
If you have stayed away from the porch due to rotten boards, peeling paint or just a general state of ill-repair, take the bull by the horns and move this outdoor project to the top of the list. Take a good hard look at what you’ve got and assess whether this is a job for Superman You or whether you need to call in a professional. If construction is more than you can normally shake a stick at, then don’t add to your pocket book’s woes by taking on a project that might cost you far more when a contractor has to come dig you out of a mess farther down the road. Look at the extent of your project and estimate what it would cost to tackle the job yourself. Is it just a matter of slapping on a fresh coat of paint or stain? Then go for it! Does it look like you might have to rebuild stairs, railings or support structures? Perhaps an estimate from the pros might be in order.
Wondering what to look for? Check for loose or punky boards. Watch out for nails that are ready to cause a trip hazard. Assess the shape of your surface (is it peeling, fading, streaked, rough?). How solid is your porch as a whole (are you in need of new support columns to keep it level)? Is mold, rot or animal infestation an issue? Is it too hot to sit on (solution – thinks shades or umbrellas)? Are your railings to code (you need a guard railing if your deck is 60 cm or 24″ above the ground and they should be a maximum of 100 mm or 4″ apart)? Is this all more than you can wrap your head around? Call in the professionals when in doubt. If you are feeling brave, ask the folks at your local hardware store for some pointers. And remember that the internet is a great place for how-to articles and videos to make any DIY project a breeze.
Party on the Patio?
If you can’t remember the last time you partied on your patio, why is that? Is there insufficient seating? Are you lacking in lighting? Does your patio’s surface look like Great Aunt Elsa’s spider veins? It’s time to tackle the patio repairs.
Patios may equate to more or less effort in the home repair department. If you don’t go out to your patio due to overbearing sun, than a simple umbrella might be the solution to your woes. Of course an awning, pergola, or some sort of permanent roof structure would offer shade on a larger scale too. Seating is often as simple as picking up chairs at a local department store, but have you thought of built-in benches, or adding a swing to the mix? You could light the night with anything from citronella candles, to solar lights, to custom lanterns that offer a cozy glow after dark. The choice is yours! Maybe you crave some heat after dark. Does a fire pit fill you with wonder or would a gas heater in the corner do? Sadly, the patio’s actual surface is often the biggest culprit to a lack of time spent on it. Patio bricks are only as good as the prep work done before they are installed. Sinking stones make for an uneven surface and trip hazard. Weeds, molds, or moss make for an unattractive finish. Can you fix that yourself, or is it worth the money to call in contractor?
If you aren’t using your patio, isn’t it worth it to add the extra space to your real estate?
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There are a wide variety of tools out there available to the homeowner. There are drills, hammers, saws, screwdrivers, clamps and more, but there is one tool that is indispensable to almost anyone’s workshop. Ask Red Green what his favourite tool to work with is and you’ll get only one response – the mighty Duct Tape!
While duck tape has a history going back to the early 1900s, in uses such as bridge construction, insulating power cables and medical adhesives, these early tapes were made of cloth tape. During WWII, the US military, with the help of Johnson & Johnson, invented a new cloth adhesive that was coated in waterproof polyethylene to quickly repair military equipment, such as vehicles and weapons. It was easy to use and quickly developed a foothold in the household market after the war. Today, this sticky substance is used in millions of households wherever a strong, flexible tape is required. It really is a miraculous product, but I wonder if you have ever thought to use it for these uses?
TOP TEN USES FOR DUCT TAPE
- Making Wallets – I’ve seen them in flea markets and made by a kid or two in my day. A waste of duct tape? That depends upon who’s asking. Not to the little girl who know has someplace to store her quarters! And not to these guys who pride themselves on their duct tape wallet-making skills.
- Fixing holes in Pools – I know of a certain someone who ran out of the supplied patch kit with their Fast-Set Pool this past season. It was late in the season and instead of going to the store to pick up another (expensive) patch kit, they turned to good ole duct tape to do the job. No more leaks!
- Waterproofing Shoes – I know of someone else that wrapped their runners in the silver stuff back in high school. I suppose its cheaper than a new pair of shoes and it harkens back to the early days of duck tape! What will they think of next?
Car Repairs – While it has been used in Motorsports for years to repair fibreglass body work, I have seen many another vehicle sporting duct tape around town that doesn’t look like it would survive the 401, let alone the Indy 500. Maybe you should leave auto body repairs to the professional?
- Furniture Repair – Who needs glue, when duct tape will do? It is highly adhesive and comes in a variety of colours, so why not reach for the duct tape the next time you need to repair your furniture?! Heck, you can even make brand new pieces to decorate your room with, like
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Making an iPod Case– What is this world coming to when we feel the need to wrap duct tape around our expensive gadgets? I suppose it has been used for stranger things…
- Securing Wires – Now we have a use that is handy! Instead of getting tangled in the spaghetti pile of wires that run all over our wired-in worlds, collect them all into nice bundles with duct tape. You can even tape them to the floor, to prevent tripping over them. Goodbye zip ties!
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Making Dresses/Clothes – Thank the folks at Duck Brands for this one! They sponsor an annual scholarship competition for the best prom dress made with Duck Tape. Not sure my daughter will be sold on this money-saving idea, but it does come in a wide variety of colours, so why not?!
- Wart Removal – Forget the Compound W, get out your duct tape! Cover it up and watch it disappear. (Don’t quote me on this one folks! I am FAR from a Dr, but I don’t suppose it would hurt you any.)
- Give Your Sweetie a Rose – Now this is an idea that anyone would love. Real flowers just die, but a duct tape rose lasts forever – just like your love! Make sure to duck just in case though, as that frying pan that you fixed last week with duct tape might come flying at your head, with a comment about being a cheap so and so following!
What other uses for duct tape do you know of? What works and what doesn’t? Share your stories here!
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While we don’t all aspire to be the next Holmes on Homes or Bryan Baeumler, most of us want to be able to handle at least a few simple DIY projects by ourselves. That might involve hanging a picture, putting up a shelf or tightening a loose screw or two. Where do you start though? It doesn’t always have to be the Yellow Pages.
Don’t let the experts scare you. With the right tools, many DIY projects can be handled by yourself with ease. The trick is to have the right tool for the right job though. And what tools are those?
10 Essential Tools For A DIY Tool Kit
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Hammer:
Forget your high heel shoe, the end of the tool box or the heel of your hand. You need a hammer in that tool box for almost every project you can think of. From hammering nails to removing them, a hammer is one of those tools that every good handyman or woman must have.
Screwdriver:
A screwdriver is almost as important as a hammer when it comes to essential tools. The thing with screwdrivers though, is that you must have the right one for the right job. My suggestion to you is to pick up one of every kind; slotted (flat head), Robertson (square head) and Phillips (star head). Remember that screws come in different sizes too, so spend a bit more to invest in different sizes of screwdrivers. The wrong size might find you spinning your wheels with nothing to show for it (or stripping the screw and creating a bigger problem to deal with)!
Level:
If you are hanging a picture or adjusting the height of a table, you will need a level to ensure that you are on an even keel. Eyeballs might seem to do the trick at times, but I wouldn’t be too sure. Just wait until the pencil you place on your “flat” surface refuses to stay put and then tell me how “level” your surface really is.
Measuring Tape:
The standard rule of thumb is to always measure twice and cut once. If you need to measure three or four times though, a measuring tape will be your best friend. It ultimately save you time, materials and money, when you don’t have to keep running back to the store to pick up a little more lumber after cutting it too short. Again.
Pliers:
I am not talking tweezers here, ladies (kidding!). You should probably invest in needle-nose pliers (for small spaces, wiring and more), as well as vise-grip pliers (to hold something in place or just as easily used as an adjustable wrench, pipe wrench or ratchet) . Pliers are your go-to tool for tightening and/or loosening that which you wish was otherwise.
Cordless Drill:
I am including the cordless drill here, as I use it all the time. Don’t just think of it as a souped up screwdriver. You can use it on 2x4s, drywall or to scare away the cat when she is wondering what new fool project you are starting. It can drill in a screw a heck of a lot faster and tighter than with your hand-powered model, thus making it worth its weight in gold. You won’t regret getting one. I promise you.