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    Family Handyman Ultimate Weekend Improvements
    Family Handyman Ultimate Weekend Improvements
    Family Handyman Ultimate Weekend Improvements
    Ebook513 pages5 hours

    Family Handyman Ultimate Weekend Improvements

    By Editors at Family Handyman

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    About this ebook

    Some projects give you high impact on a low budget and major improvements with only a minor time commitment. Weekend Improvements is packed with those kinds of projects. From saving energy and maximizing storage space to quick makeovers and money-saving repairs, this book is filled with great ideas for any home, indoors and out. Whether you are a DIY veteran or just getting started, our step-by-step instructions and detailed how-to photos make projects easy. Plus, every project includes tips from hands-on pros to help you get it done faster and better.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTrusted Media Brands
    Release dateOct 6, 2015
    ISBN9781621452645
    Family Handyman Ultimate Weekend Improvements
    Author

    Editors at Family Handyman

    Family Handyman is the #1 brand for DIY homeowners, offering step-by-step projects, timesaving tips from the pros and money-saving consumer trends. Family Handyman magazine has an enormous circulation throughout North America and also publishes numerous best-selling books. The streaming channel, “At Home with Family Handyman,” offers the informative and must-see shows today’s DIYers request most. The Family Handyman website is a top destination for today’s homeowners where they spotlight strategies regarding home and tool maintenance, lawn and garden care, and storage in addition to how-to videos and easy-to-follow projects. Family Handyman has more than 1.5 million fans on Facebook, 2 million followers on Instagram, 2.2 million Pinterest followers.

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      Book preview

      Family Handyman Ultimate Weekend Improvements - Editors at Family Handyman

      Contents

      Wire shelving

      Room divider

      Mini shed

      Remote garden storage

      Insulate rim joists

      Install smarter switches

      Organize your garage

      Organize your kitchen

      Hang it high

      Lifetime sawhorse

      Bomb-proof woodworking bench

      Upgrade your gas grill to electronic ignition

      Epoxy floor

      Stain or seal a concrete floor

      Install a floating wood floor

      Tile over a vinyl floor

      Mosaic tile backsplash

      Bathroom makeover

      Weekend wainscoting

      Transform a room with painted rectangles

      Replace your trim with a classic look

      Install a new interior door

      An organized closet

      Tie, scarf and belt organizer

      Under-sink storage

      Pegboard and bin

      Circular saw jigs

      Super simple bookcase

      Rustic shelf

      Storage cabinet

      Stone waterfall

      Path in a wheelbarrow

      Pebble mosaic steppers

      Garden rock sifter

      Island deck

      Backyard spring

      Add a faucet anywhere in your yard

      Run power anywhere in your yard

      Apply heat-reducing window film

      Energy-saving weekend projects

      Fix your central A/C

      Super-insulate your attic

      Cut down a tree

      Ultimate wall system

      Garden storage closet

      A NOTE TO OUR READERS: All do-it-yourself activities involve a degree of risk. Skills, materials, tools and site conditions vary widely. Although the editors have made every effort to ensure accuracy, the reader remains responsible for the selection and use of tools, materials and methods. Always obey local codes and laws, follow manufacturer instructions and observe safety precautions.

      Wire shelving

      WHAT IT TAKES

      Time: 1–4 hours

      Skill level: Beginner

      Wire shelving is popular because of its price, flexibility and ease of installation. Wire shelving can be designed to meet almost any need at a fraction of the cost of a custom built-in system. And while installing wire shelving isn’t quite a no-brainer, you don’t need to be a master carpenter or own a fully equipped cabinet shop to get it done. We picked the brain of a pro for these tips to help you on your next installation.

      Buy extra pieces

      Even if you’re just planning to build one closet shelf, have extra parts on hand. It takes a lot less time to return a few wall clips than it does to stop working to make a special trip to the store for just one. And plans change, so if you decide to add a section of shelving, you’ll be prepared.

      Leave the heavy stuff for the garage

      For residential jobs, standard wire shelving sold at home centers works fine. Most manufacturers make a heavier-duty product for garage storage, but the regular stuff is plenty strong for the average bedroom, pantry or hall closet. However, if you’re going to store a bowling ball collection, you may want to consider upgrading.

      Lay it out with a bubble stick

      Use a bubble stick rather than a level. A bubble stick is like a ruler and a level rolled into one. Holding a level against the wall with one hand can be frustrating. Levels are rigid, and they pivot out of place when resting on a stud that’s bowed out a bit. A bubble stick has a little flex, so it can ride the imperfections of the wall yet still deliver a straight line. You can get one online.

      Avoid upheaval

      Back wall clips are designed to support the shelf, but if there are a bunch of clothes hanging on the front of the shelf with nothing on top to weigh them down, the back of the shelf can lift. To keep the shelf in place, install a retaining clip in a stud near the middle of the shelf. One clip toward the middle of an 8-ft. shelf is plenty.

      Use a template on the end brackets

      The pro template used here has a built-in level and allows you to drill the holes without marking them first. At about $200, this is for people who do lots of closet shelving. But if that’s you, it’s a great investment. You can order one from your local shelving dealer.

      Measure an inch short

      When cutting the shelf, measure wall to wall, and subtract an inch. This allows for the thickness of the end brackets plus a little wiggle room. It’s the top, thinner wire that actually supports the shelf, and one wire per end is enough. Cutting exact lengths will only earn you wall scratches and a trip back to the cutting station.

      A bolt cutter works best

      Cut your shelving with a bolt cutter. It’s quick and easy, and it makes a clean cut. To make room for the cutter, use your feet to hold the shelving off the ground.

      Space the angle brackets evenly

      Consider aesthetics when installing angle brackets. If a shelf only needs one bracket, find the stud closest to the center. If two or three brackets are required, try to space them evenly, making sure that at least one bracket toward the center is hitting a stud.

      Pegboard prevents tipping

      When installing wire shelving in pantries, it’s a good idea to cap the top of the shelves with white 1/4-in. pegboard. This stops the skinnier items from tipping over. Use white zip ties to hold the pegboard in place. Find 4 x 8-ft. sheets at home centers.

      Hanger sliding freedom

      One common complaint about wire shelving is that it restricts the movement of the hangers because the hangers are stuck between the shelves. To avoid that, upgrade to a hanger rod. Most manufacturers make some version of one. A hanger rod allows clothes to slide from one end of the closet to the other, even past an inside corner. This upgrade will add about 30 percent to the cost of the materials on a standard shelf design. Make sure the type of shelving you buy will work with the hanging rod hardware you plan to use.

      Back wall clips don’t need to hit studs

      It may go against your every instinct, but hitting a stud when you’re installing the back wall clips slows the process down and isn’t necessary. After marking locations, drill a 1/4-in. hole and pop the preloaded pushpin in with a push tool. The push tool has a little indentation in the tip that won’t slip off the pin when it’s being set in the drywall. The occasional wall clips that do land on studs need to be fastened with a screw instead of a pin. You can order a push tool from your local shelving dealer.

      Room divider

      WHAT IT TAKES

      Time: 1 weekend

      Skill level: Advanced

      This room divider has three sections, but you can join as many sections as you like. We used white oak and chose really expensive wallpaper to cover the plywood panel, so our materials bill was about $400. You could build it for less using red oak and more reasonable wallpaper. You’ll also need a dado blade for your table saw.

      Thicker looks better

      You could make a divider from standard 3/4-in.-thick boards. But we used 1-1/16-in. stock to give it extra heft and stability. This thicker wood is called five-quarter because it’s 1-1/4 in. thick before it’s planed smooth. You won’t find it at home centers, but if you have a hardwood lumberyard in your area, it’s sure to have it. You may have to pay extra to have it planed. You can also order online.

      Make all the parts

      Each of the frames has two stiles (A) and two rails (B and C). These parts are held together with tenons that fit snugly into grooves, or dadoes, cut into the rails and stiles. Before you can cut the grooves, you need to choose the panel materials so you can get the width of the grooves just right. Take a scrap of 1/4-in. plywood and cover both sides with wallpaper to make a sample block to check the groove width. The perfect groove width for the panels was just a skosh over 1/4 in.

      To cut grooves, use an adjustable dado blade in the table saw (also called a wobble blade). Plan to spend about a half hour adjusting the width of the cut to get it just right. Depending on the throat plate in your saw, you may need a zero-clearance plate.

      Cut grooves in the edges of the rails and stiles (Photo 2). Then mortise the ends of the rails (Photo 3). If you’ve ever made upright cuts like this, you already know how hard—and dangerous—it is without some kind of support. To steady the rails, make a carriage that straddles the saw fence. Don’t forget to adjust the saw fence so that the end grooves will align perfectly with the others. Complete the bottom rail with an arch (Photo 4). Complete the stiles by gluing fillets into the grooves.

      Next, make the plywood tenons that hold the frame together. Using the same carriage as before, shave down scraps of plywood until they fit snugly into the grooves. (You should be able to pull the tenon out with your fingers; if you can’t, it’s too tight.) After shaving the tenon material to the right thickness, cut it to size (see Figure A).

      Rip the muntin material on your table saw. The thickness of the muntins depends on the panel material you choose. You can cut the muntins from oak 1x4s and make them 7/16 in. thick so they will be flush with the rails and stiles.

      An adjustable dado blade wobbles as it spins. Turn the center cam to adjust the amount of wobble and the width of the dado, that is, the groove. You have to remove your saw’s blade guard to use a dado blade, so be extra careful.

      Finishing and assembly

      Prefinish the parts to avoid slopping stain or varnish on the panels. Be careful to keep finish out of the grooves; it will weaken the glue bond.

      Here’s the assembly process we followed: Glue the tenons to one stile (A) and then apply glue to the rails, tap these pieces together and carefully insert the panel. Next glue the tenons to the opposite ends of the rails, then align the remaining stile. Carefully persuade the panel into the groove and then draw the joints together with clamps. While the glue is setting, cut the muntin strips and glue them to the face of the panel (Photo 7).

      Mark the hinge locations and chisel the mortises to the depth of the hinge plate thickness. Pay attention to the direction of the hinges; they’re opposite from the left section to the right section. Once the hinges are screwed in place, apply felt strips to the bottoms of the rails and you’re ready to set up your room divider.

      THE GOLDEN RULE OF GLUE-UP

      Before you grab the glue bottle, test-assemble the whole project. You don’t want to discover mistakes or misfits after glue is applied.

      Figure A

      Room divider

      Cutting list

      Materials list

      Use the Cutting List as a guide to buying lumber. You’ll also need four 3 x 3-in. butt hinges. We finished the wood with Minwax Early American stain and two coats of satin Minwax Wipe-On Poly. The Nasturtium pattern wall-paper is available online.

      1   Set up the dado blade. Set the height of the blade using a 3/4-in. block of wood. Set the width of the cut by adjusting the blade, making a test cut and then readjusting. Then position the fence so the cut is centered on the board and test again.

      2   Cut grooves in the rails and stiles. Mark one side of each part and always cut with the mark facing away from the fence. That way, the grooves will match up perfectly, even if the cut is a hair off center. A featherboard holds the board tight to the fence. Outfeed support is a must.

      3   Mark the arch. Build a carriage that rides along the fence to hold the rails upright. You’ll need to reposition the fence for this step, but don’t change the blade settings.

      4   Mortise the rails. Drill a pencil hole near one end of a stick and nail the other end to a wood scrap. Draw an arch across the lower rail, cut, and then sand the arch smooth.

      5   Wallpaper the panels. Cut the plywood panels to size and prime both sides. When you paste on the wallpaper, let it overhang the panel and trim off the excess.

      6   Put it all together. Glue both rails to one stile, then insert the panel. Work the panel into the dadoes carefully to prevent wallpaper roll back. Finally, add the other stile, make sure the whole assembly is square and clamp it together.

      7   Add the muntins. Glue decorative muntins to the panel. For longer muntins, you may need a weight to hold them down until the glue sets. Don’t distort the panel with too much weight.

      PANEL POSSIBILITIES

      Each section of the divider is simply a wood frame that encloses a panel. We covered our plywood panel with wallpaper, but there are lots of other options:

      WOOD ON WOOD

      The simplest panel option is 1/4-in. plywood, finished to match the frame. You could also choose a contrasting wood finish.

      FABRIC

      Cover the panel with fabric to match upholstery or curtains. Lightly coat 1/8-in. hardboard with spray adhesive (3M Super 77 is one brand) and then carefully lay the fabric over it.

      WINDOW FILM

      Apply decorative window film to clear acrylic panels. You’ll find both at home centers. For a

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