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Drain cleaner

You can make your own drain cleaner by pouring 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Let it "boil" for a few minutes, then flush with hot water.
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Rust

To clean rust off tools (or anything else), soak the rusted part in hot vinegar. For large surfaces like a hand saw, wrap the metal in paper towels soaked with vinegar.
6.9 6.9
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Caulking

When you caulk between the tub and the wall, fill the tub with water first. The weight of the water will make the tub drop from the empty level. If you caulk the tub empty, the weight will pull on the caulk when you fill the tub.
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Steps

If you paint your outdoor steps, consider mixing some sand into the paint to increase traction when the steps are wet or snowy.
6.5 6.5
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50 foot level

When you have to match the level of distant points - say, fencing or rock walls - you can make a level of any length you want. Use clear plastic flexible tubing filled with water. Hold one end with the water level at the desired point. The water at the other end will seek the same level no matter how far away.
6.5 6.5
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Foundation finish

Houses with walk-out basements usually have large areas of foundation walls exposed. To improve the appearance, apply a splatter coat of masonry cement with a texture gun before painting.
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Primer

When applying a light color over a dark one, you can help eliminate a second coat by asking the paint store to tint the primer to the color of the finish coat. It doesn´t have to be an exact match, just closer to the finish color.
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Sink cutout

When you install new countertops, keep the cutout for the sink to use as a cutting board. Square the edges on a table saw, round the corners with a router or sander, and you have a matching board.
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Screws

When joining two pieces with screws, rub the screws on a bar of soap to lubricate.
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Windows 2

When painting windows, don´t mask the glass. You can rub petroleum jelly on the glass and paint won´t stick. Wait till it dries, then wipe off the glass.
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Caulking

To get a smooth finish on a bead of caulk, use an old paintbrush dipped in soapy water.
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Keep yourself clean

When you go to the paint store for supplies, buy a set or two of paper coveralls to keep your clothes clean. You can also buy a "paint sock, which is like a ski mask, to keep paint out of your hair.
6.4 6.4
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Sealing

An easy method of applying sealer to your deck is to use a pump-up garden sprayer. Spray all the surfaces including the handrail.
6.3 6.3
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Right hand or left hand?

When you buy a prehung door, you will be asked if you want a right or left hand door. To determine which you want, stand in the doorway facing the direction you want the door to move (into the room or out of the room). Fold your arms in front of you. Make one arm act like the door as you want it to swing. If you swing your left arm, you want a left hand door.
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seal stains

When repainting a water stain, always seal the stained area before painting. A good product is KILZ. If the stain is not sealed, it will leach through the paint eventually.
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Setting nails

When using a nail set to drive finish nails below the surface of your project, set the nails to a depth equal to the thickness of the nail head.
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Shutoff

You should know where the main water shutoff is for your house. After a water line breaks is not the time to try to find it. It is usually in the basement or crawlspace where the water line enters the house.
6.3 6.3
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Fire extinguishers

A fire extinguisher (or three) could be the best gift you will ever give a loved one. Everyone should have one in the kitchen, one in the garage, and one in the basement.
6.3 6.3
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Nails or screws?

When building a deck, always use screws instead of nails for these reasons:
Screws hold better than nails.
Screws are easier to "sink" into the lumber.
Screws don´t back out of the deck boards like nails (no more toe grabbers).
It is easier to pay attention to placement with screws than with nails. Using a nail gun, we tend to nail fast rather than correctly.

Be sure to use the proper screws. Gold colored, zinc-plated deck screws are my choice.
6.3 6.3
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Garbage disposal

You can clean your garbage disposal by running a glassful of ice cubes through it.
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Big jobs

For large painting projects, it is more efficient to rent a paint sprayer from a rental yard than to brush or roll. Once the masking is complete, you can spray a large room in about an hour.
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What does a volt meter measure?

Don´t be fooled into believing that a volt meter measures voltage: it doesn´t. It measures the DIFFERENCE in voltage between the probes. If one probe is on a hot ground or hot neutral, the reading you get is not the actual voltage present, but the difference between the hot lead and the hot neutral. You may need to run a ground wire from a water line to the work area to get correct readings.
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Squeaks

Before you lay a new tile floor (or new carpet), use screws to secure the subfloor to the joists to eliminate squeaks.
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Unbalanced fans

If your ceiling fan wobbles, it is probably because the blades are of different weights. You can balance the blades by taping a coin, usually a nickel, on the back of the lightest blade. It is a trial and error process to find the lightest blade, but worth the effort.
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Cords

Keep two or three extension cords coiled with your generator so you will know where they are when you need them.
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Avoid tracking paint through the house

When you paint an entire room, paint the walls first. Then, with drop cloths on the floor, paint the ceiling last. That way, splatters which land on the floor can be rolled up in the drop cloths, you can remove your shoes, and no paint will be tracked through the rest of the house.
6.2 6.2
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Spackling

It is easier to see defects in walls after the primer is applied. Why not wait until after the primer is applied to spackle holes and cracks?
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Nail pops

If nails pop out of the wall, it is because they were not tight. To repair, put a sheetrock screw above and below each nail pop. Be sure to turn the screws enough to dimple the rock, but not enough to tear the paper. Fill the holes and repaint.
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Filler

You can make your own wood filler by mixing sawdust with carpenter´s glue. It will be paintable, but not stainable.
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Dramatic deck

Accent lighting - Decks 69387
Adding low voltage lighting to your deck makes a dramatic difference. The wiring can be stapled under the deck boards, up the corner posts, or under the handrail. There are many different styles available. It doesn´t take a lot of light to make the deck an elegant outdoor room.

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Storage in kids´ room

To gain storage space in the kids´ room, consider building a loft bed in a corner. A loft bed is raised off the floor about four feet with a ladder. The area under the bed can be used as a closet for clothes or toy storage.
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Easy fix

To repair cracks in sheet rock or plaster before painting, try this: Run a bead of paintable caulk along the crack, then smooth it out with a paint brush dipped in soapy water. It doesn´t take much soap, but the more water you use, the smoother the repair will be. Let it dry well before painting. This is not a permanent repair, but it might get your security deposit back.
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Shaping a tile

To remove a small portion of a tile - too small for a cutter or a saw - use a belt sander with medium grit paper.
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Foyer chandelier

When designing the lighting for your project, think about practicality. If you have a 20´ ceiling in your foyer, a chandelier is beautiful. However, in 6 months when the bulbs burn out, do you have a plan to change the bulbs? It might be better to move the fixture closer to the upstairs railing so you can reach the fixture.
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Time line

When establishing a time line for your bathroom remodel, keep in mind that a standard bathroom (five feet by eight feet) is large enough to accommodate only one or two workers. The amount of work a crew of six can do in a large room will take three times longer in a bathroom.
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Washable paint

The higher the gloss of the finish, the easier the paint is to clean. However, the higher the gloss, the more imperfections show. That is why walls are painted with flat finish. How do you get a flat finish with "washability"? Mix a pint of gloss finish paint into each gallon of flat finish. Your paint store will mix the colors so that the gloss matches the flat.
5.9 5.9
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Patching nail holes

To patch nail holes in sheet rock before painting, try using toothpaste. Put a dab on the hole, wet your finger, and smooth it out. Let it dry a few minutes before painting.
5.9 5.9
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Spice drawer

To save space and add convenience, consider using a drawer for spice storage instead of cabinet space. The small containers will be easier to locate in a drawer, and the smaller space will force you to keep often used spices up to date.
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