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How To: Make your own solid pipe clamp hold-down

In this video "A better way" presenter Chuck Miller demonstrates a method of how to create a job site pipe holder (clamp hold-down) as opposed to a c-clamp, bar clamp or blocks of wood. It involves use of a pipe flange of the same diameter as the pipe being held. It shows you how to drill a hole into the top of your workbench and install the pipe flange. The video finally demonstrates how to use the pipe clamp in order to install a work-piece and clear the clutter from your work bench. The ti...

How To: Lay tile in the bathroom

This video is from DannyLipford and covers the proper technique to lay tile in the bathroom. The first step is to lay some chalk lines to find the exact center spot of the room. The first tile will be put down diagonally so that the corners sit on the four chalk lines. Next the mastic is put down on the floor for the first tile and the tile is set into place. The process repeats itself until the tiles reach the toilet where some cuts are required. The presenter is using a portable wet saw tha...

How To: Caulk your bathroom tub

Joe explains how to caulk the bathroom tub using a caulk gun. You need: - a latex based caulk designed for bathrooms- a damp cloth. Steps: 1. When you start caulking, gently squeeze and move the gun at the same rate as you apply pressure to the trigger. 2. After you've applied the caulk , wipe your finger on the damp cloth and smooth out the caulk with your damp finger. 3. Stop every 12 or 18 inches and wipe your finger on the cloth. 4. Continue smoothing the caulk until you're done.

How To: Install your garage door safely

This video is from FusionNW and discusses Garage Door safety. First, the presenter disconnects the garage door from the lifting mechanism. He then moves the door up and down to check for balance and any rough areas. Next, the presenter moves on to test the reversing mechanism. Place a 2x4 underneath the door and lower the garage door. If the mechanism is working correctly, the door will reverse and raise up after it hits the board. You will then want to test the sensitivity of the reversing m...

How To: Install a toilet for your home

To install the new toilet you will need a putty knife, hacksaw, tape measure, adjustable wrench, level, sponge, and replacement wax seal. Before you begin removing the old toilet, turn off and disconnect the water supply to the toilet. Then flush the toilet to get the water out of it. Use a sponge to remove any remaining water in the bowl or tank.

How To: Salvage a clogged caulk tube

How do you salvage a clogged caulk tube? In this Quick Tips with Chuck Miller video, you will see there is an ingenious and simple way to salvage a clogged caulk tube. Take a utility knife and simply make a slice on the side of the caulk tube nozzle. Probably the entire length of the nozzle is clogged and you may not be able to clear it with a wire or nail. After slicing it, take a sharp tool and remove the clogged material from the nozzle and clean it up. Then wrap the nozzle with electrical...

How To: Use Dap Foam sealant and 3.0 Weather seal caulk

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to seal gaps in houses using DAP foam sealant DAP 3.0 Weather seal caulk. The DAP products are designed to meet the tough standards demanded for professional window & door installations while effectively sealing large cracks, gaps and voids. Users learn to use the foam sealant to seal in gaps from inside the house. The gaps found behind wall trims. The seal caulk is used outside around windows. This video will benefit those users who want to learn how...

How To: Remove an acrylic scratch

To remove the scratch in acrylic you need to first use Silicon Carbide water proof paper of 600CW grade. Turn over the paper and rub the scratched area of acrylic in a circular motion. You will see the scratch disappears after few minutes. Thereafter use the Silicon Carbide water proof paper of 1200CW grade which is more fine. Again rub over the scratched area in circular motion. Then wipe off the area and you can see after some time of rubbing the scratch is completely disappeared. But it le...

How To: Make a bicycle rack out of repurposed closet racks

Danny Lipford and Joe demonstrate how to make a bicycle rack out of repurposed closet racks. Closet brackets can be used to store bicycles. Instead of hanging the bicycle on the ceiling for long term storage, fasten closet brackets to your garage wall to more practically easily access your bicycles on an everyday basis. First, drive drywall screws into the wall studs. Space the brackets about 16 inches apart. Hang the bike right on its crossbar from the brackets. This method only works with b...

How To: Stack cut lumber

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to stack cut lumber. This process if very simple to do. It will save the worker a lot of time, instead of measuring and cutting each piece individually. The stack cut will cut a number of lumber into the same length. This can be used to cut a single stack or an entire unit. Begin by squaring up one end of the stack. Mark your measurement on top. When you cut, it will leave a mark on the next board. Continue to cut through all the lumber. This video wi...

How To: Install a glass tile backspash

This video is to show how to install a glass tile backsplash. Because installing glass is a little different then installing ceramic, knowing what to do is important. Use painter's tape to protect your surroundings wherever you are installing your glass and use only a white thin set mortar recommended from the glass manufacturer to adhere your tiles. Since the glass is see through, unlike ceramic tiles, you need to make sure there is no discoloration and smooth out the ridges on the mortar fo...

How To: Repair a chip in a procelain sink

You can buy a porcelain patch kit to fix chips in your porcelain sink. You used to have to take two steps to repair it starting with a filler followed by a glaze to make it shiny. The video teaches how to use patch kits that you paint on like nail polish. To apply the patch you want to put on several thin coats and let each coat dry. When you apply the coats the key is to get the patch level with the rest of the sink. Then you can sand it with 220 grit sandpaper. After you have sanded the are...

How To: Fix a crack or gouge in your hardwood floor

Start by putting tape around the area that you want to patch. This will keep the wood filler from getting all over the rest of the floor. If there is anything down in the floor like dog hair or crumbs make sure you get that stuff out before you put the wood filler in the area. Then take some wood filler in a plastic tube and put a line of filler in the hole. Use a putty knife to force it down into the area you are filling and then scrap the excess off. Do this until the hole is completely fil...

How To: Lay ceramic tile with drywall spackle

Tree Climbing Man demonstrates how to lay ceramic tile with drywall spackle. You don't need to rip up your existing floor and put down plywood or a sub floor to lay down a new floor. You can put ceramic tile right over existing linoleum with less work, less heartache and less problems. First, spackle the back of each tile and lay it down. You can also use a stapler and tape to fix problem areas. You don't need to go crazy with the adhesive. Spend your money on quality tile. You can use clay f...

How To: Pay your contractor

Ilyce Glink with ExpertRealEstateTips tells us about how often home owners ask her "How much should I pay a contractor before he or she starts the job?". The one who will be answering this question is Line Epstein, Vice President of Baker Construction Group. "You should never pay your contractor in full before the entire job is completed" -he says. "Not that he's going to run off with your money, but you want to keep some incentive to get the job done right. You should give a deposit of 5 to ...

How To: Weather strip your house

The hosts, Robin Burke and David Musial, show how to install weather stripping to keep the heat in your home and the cold out. David demonstrates how to remove old, worn weather stripping. He shows the new weather stripping and makes a cut, demonstrating what to do if a new piece of stripping doesn't fit your door. Robin then shows us how to install weather stripping on windows, demonstrating how easy it is to attach the material. Using these techniques, you can further insulate your home fro...

How To: Repair a wash machine lid switch

This Home and Garden video tutorial shows how to repair a wash machine lid switch. This video is on a GE Prodigy machine. Looking inside the machine under the switch, she finds that two wires are broken. Take a screwdriver and press down the clip of the switch from underneath. One end will come out. Then, pull out the switch. After that it is very simple. Cut off a bit of the plastic coating from the ends of the wires, connect them to the switch and put some electrical tape around them. Now y...

How To: Cut floor joists to length quickly and accurately

Fine Homebuilding with Jim Anderson demonstrates how to cut floor joists to length. Inspect the rim line to know where to set the joists. Set the joists to the layout on the rim line using a two man team. Tap a nail into the joist to keep it from moving around. Instead of standing the joists up to square them, cut them on both ends. Line the chalk line up with the rim line and snap the line across the joists to mark them. This will simultaneously measure and square them. Finally, line the joi...

How To: Build storage shelves

Nine inch storage shelves are spaced and constructed in a practical way. It shows the right screws. This requires a drill some wood. The viewer is shown how to make a good back brace for the shelves. It shows how to make the shelving unit level. You learn the screw head must be flat. You are also shown how to put in a good support for underneath the shelves. It shows the center support being constructed. He shows how to set the shelves up so there is support from all sides and to make the she...

How To: Build makeshift outdoor stairs

In this video, Andy Bell shows different ways of how to build temporary makeshift stairs for use during construction or remodeling projects. He will teach you how you can easily measure your own stringers (the sides of the stairs, that the steps rest on to cut them on your own, or, as he tells viewers, you can also build stair building kits that come with the stringers precut and ready for use. Learn about the variations of precut stringers, as well as their affordability! Then, the procedure...

How To: Sew a blind hem stitch to make Roman shades

This video demonstrates how to sew a blind hem stitch to make Roman shades. This stitch is very easy to do. You need a sewing machine that has a blind hem stitch already programmed in it and a blind hem foot. The video shows two different kinds of blind hem foot for two different sewing machines. The one for Viking machines is used here. Fold and pin a one inch hem on your panel, making sure that the pins are pointing off the edge of the panel. Lay your panel on the machine with the hem side ...

How To: Find a leak in the roof of your house

You might notice a brown water stain on a wall in your house and the source of the stain may be a leak in your roof. So, it's good to go up into the attic and look around to see if you can find the source of the leak. When you get up in the attic take a flashlight and look around at the boards that make up the roof. If you see any brown rings that is a sign that you have a roof leak. Water can leak through the roof and run down the rafter and into the wall. The best time to check for a roof l...

How To: Prep for painting

Expert Real Estate Tips and Andy Sjostrom with The Good Handyman demonstrate how to prep for painting. A good handyman will handle your items with care. Be sure to remove light fixtures. Before you begin to tape off an area, take a damp rag and clean the areas that will be taped so the tape will adhere to them. Use latex gloves to keep yourself clean during the painting process. Then, tape off the area needing painting and put down a drop cloth. If you get your paint from a big box store, mak...

How To: Install mosaic tiles in your bathroom vanity

In this Home and Garden video you will see how to install mosaic tiles in your bathroom vanity using mesh pack sheets of 1 inch mosaic tiles and cap edge tiles. Hold a cap tile against the edge of the vanity and draw a line along the edge of the vanity. This will be the first joint line. Lay off the mesh pack mosaic sheets over the vanity top. The edges should be aligned with the line you drew. Mark the line near the joint on the last full sheet near the back splash. Also draw reference lines...

How To: Repair a self-closing door

This video is about fixing self-closing doors. Doors close by themselves when they're not hung plumb, and gravity closes the door. The solution is to remove the hinge-pins and to roughen the bottom of the hinge-pins to create friction, keeping the door open. One removes the hinge-pin with a hammer and small screwdriver. Tap the bottom of the hinge-pin against a cinder block or rough, hard surface. If using this "friction-ized" hinge-pin does not solve your problem, try repeating this process ...

How To: Build a simple miter clamp

In this Home and Garden video tutorial you will learn how to build a simple miter clamp. Chuck Miller in this video explains how simple and easy it is. When you glue in two parts together, you need to hold them in place so they join firmly. A simple way of doing this is by a miter clamp. Take a spring clamp, remove the protective seals from the end of the clamp, put some oil and drill a hole through it. Using a wooden block hold the jaws apart and screw in a fine threaded screw on both the ja...

How To: Set up a generator for a home or business

This video details how to set up a generator to provide back-up power for a home or business. Generators are the ideal emergency power solution for a home or business, generators can automatically transfer the power load from the utility power line to the generator when an outage occurs. To make sure the generator is always ready, generators can self run weekly and perform self diagnostics so maintenance issues are minimized or eliminated. When planning to use a portable generator, it should ...

How To: Repair damage around wall elements such as outlets

This Home and Garden video tutorial is going to show you how to repair damage around wall elements such as outlets. The video demonstrates how to repair a gap around a socket that was created due to a miscalculation on the part of the mason. The simplest way of repairing this would be to take the cover off, get a patch which is pre cut to the correct dimensions, peel it off, place it correctly over the opening in the wall and press it on. You could paint the area with matching color. Then put...

How To: Seal your outdoor deck

This is the demo showing how to seal your deck. The first thing you should need to do is to wash the deck. Most people prefer to use a pressure washer for that. You should be careful while using a pressure washer. The components needed for this are Armor All E-Z Deck Wash. It’s a good bleach and a good cleaning product. You should be careful while using it because it can stain your clothes. Another product is the Sun Frog Deck Cleaner. This is a product which you should mix with water. Before...

How To: Turn an old door into a small computer desk

This step by step tutorial will show you how an old door can be turned into a beautiful desk. Danny Lipford explains how an old door can be used to make a headboard, room divider or even as art. He then gives you basic instructions on revamping your door to become a desk. He starts off by removing all the elements that make a door a door, like hinges and door knobs. By filling in the holes left from the missing hardware with bondo you are left with a smooth surface ready to be cut and shaped ...

How To: Inspect your roof

There are a number of things that users must check on their roof to insure safety and prevent any leaking. For example, users should check that the roof vent is fastened and ensure that there are washers or caulk under the nails. On the chimney, make sure the flashing is fastened tightly and downwards. Users should also inspect the condition of the chimney. Remove any tree branches and clean the roof. This video will benefit those viewers who want to learn how to secure their roof from proble...

How To: Fix a leaky toilet

FusionGuy09 tells us how to fix a leaky toilet. You should be able to hear the leaking toilet. First thing you want to do is turn the water off. You can do this by reaching behind toilet and turning a lever. Next, flush the toilet to remove the water from the tank. Remove the flapper and check for wear with your finger (don't worry about the water back here, it's sanitary). Look out for cracks or pieces coming off. Also check the valve seat for spots without a seal. If you find parts that are...

How To: Build a storage rack for muddy shoes out of buckets

If you have a lot of spare buckets lying around your home, it's time to finally put them to use. Join Danny Lipford from dannylipford.com as he walks us through a useful storage method. Danny will be teaching us how to create a simple rack for storing muddy or dirty shoes, using only spare buckets. In his walk through, you will learn how to cut and shape your buckets, as well as the kind of tools you will need to build your shoe rack. You'll definitely save a lot of money on storage supplies ...