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Family Handyman
What Is Forced Air Heating?
When you turn on the thermostat in your home, adjust it to a comfortable setting and feel warm air blowing from the vents, you’re utilizing the forced air heating system in your home. Not all homes have forced air heating; many have heat supplied by radiators, baseboard heaters or hot water pipes embedded in the floors or wall.
How To Choose a New Water Heater
When I was new to the trades, water heaters were the first mechanical system I became comfortable with. They’re relatively easy to understand (if you’ve ever boiled a pot of water on a stove, you understand the basic idea), and they’re replaced often enough that I soon had well over a dozen change-outs in the bag.
How To Set Up a Surround Sound System for Any Space
A surround sound system can really elevate game day and movie night. Here's how to set it up in your house. Recreate the movie theater experience at home with an immersive sound system. Tools Required. Needle-nose pliers. Wire crimper. Materials Required. HDMI eARC cable. Speaker stands. Speaker wire. Surround sound...
Lovesac Sactional Review: This Is the Last Couch I Will Ever Buy
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases. Throughout college and early adulthood, my partner and I never got too attached to our furniture. After all, we were moving a lot. We bounced from apartment to apartment—never quite sure where we would settle down. And, thanks to the budget-friendly buys we were scoring from IKEA or Facebook Marketplace, it often made more sense to replace a piece rather than pay to move it.
How to Make a Clothes Rack on Wheels
Why should you choose function over form when building a clothes rack? Here is how to make a clothes rack that can do its job, look stylish, and be moved easily. Create extra space for your clothing while keeping them looking nice and organized with this easy to build clothes rack on wheels.
Husqvarna Combi Switch 330iK Review: It’s Official, I’m Breaking Up With My String Trimmer and Chain Saw
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases. If you’re like me, your garage or storage shed is riddled with various tools used to do various jobs—a cordless string trimmer, a corded hedge trimmer and a gas power chain saw. Each tool requires its own maintenance and some are used so seldom that it becomes challenging to find them (not to mention remember how to use them).
24 DIY Garage Storage Projects That Save Space and Money
You don’t need a lot of extra space (or a lot of extra cash) to build these simple DIY garage storage projects. Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases. 1 / 24. DIY Garage Storage for Cords and Hoses.
6 Tips for Perfect Routed Edges Every Time
Tips and techniques for pro-quality profiles. Safety always comes first when using a router. Eye protection is a must, as is dust collection. You don’t want to damage your eyesight or your lungs while making furniture. Attention to your blades is also crucial. Dull blades are dangerous and are more likely to cause damage to the wood you’re working with.
Pull a Nail That Won’t Budge with These 6 Tips
Stubborn nail got you stumped? Try these tricks for pulling the toughest nails. Back when I was a rookie garage-builder, the lead carpenter warned me that driving a nail near a knot is a waste of time for three reasons: First, the nail will bend in the dense wood surrounding the knot before you can drive it home. Second, it’ll be solidly wedged in the wood and tough to pull out. And third, you could break a hammer handle tugging at it.
Skil Miter Saw Review: I Tried a SKIL Miter Saw and It’s Worth the Hype
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases. When it was time to replace my old hand-me-down miter saw, I kept coming back to the Skil 10-inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Saw . More versatile and powerful than my old 7 1/2-inch miter saw, it’s also roughly half the price of similar miter saws by competitors like Dewalt or Ridgid.
How To Identify Lead Paint
If your home was built before 1978, it is important to know how to identify lead paint. Exposure to lead paint by ingesting or inhaling can have serious health implications, particularly for children and developing fetuses. I have had lead paint identified and removed in several homes I have lived in or rented to ensure the health and safety of my family and tenants. Here to help you learn how to identify lead paint and what to do if you find it are Bill Carroll, Ph.D. from Indiana University and Shayne Pancione from Pancione Painting Plus.
Wood Movement 101: How It Works and How to Control It
If your plans don’t accommodate wood movement, you’ll end up with trouble. Wood moves as its moisture content changes. Wood doesn’t move much lengthwise, so you don’t have to worry a lot about boards getting shorter. But a board can move quite a bit across its width. A board that’s 6 in. wide during a humid summer might shrink by 1/32 in. in winter. That’s not much, but it’s enough to cause a crack in a tabletop or gaps between floorboards.
How to Recharge a Car’s AC
Complete a car AC recharge in just 30 minutes with a special recharging kit. Plus, find out the environmental impact of charging a car's AC. Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases. 30 minutes. Intermediate. $50-75 Introduction. Improve the cooling...
How To Sharpen Scissors Effectively
From fabric scissors and kitchen shears to the plastic-handled snips stuffed in a junk drawer, scissors are often the best way to make quick work of cutting tasks around the house. But dull scissors take longer to get the job done, can damage the material being cut and create a safety hazard as you use excessive force with each snip.
When Was Lead Paint Banned?
If you live in a home built before 1978, it’s important to understand the history of lead paint regulation. Exposure to lead paint during renovation and repainting projects carries serious health implications. As a homeowner and landlord in New England, I know firsthand the seriousness of lead paint exposure. I had it removed from several properties to keep my family and tenants safe.
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The Family Handyman empowers DIYers to maintain and improve their homes, with inspiring projects, expert advice and clear, step-by-step instructions.
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