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Ultimate IY boy toy p epair a gara garage ge door door opener
TABLE OF O N T E N T S
SEPTEMBER 2011 VOLUME 61 NO.8 521st EDITION
Features
22 Magn1t1cent man caves
Need to ge gett in to tou u ch with yo ur inner Neanderthal? Lot those
readers be your gui d
e
40 Tile without trouble
Eight expo exporr t tips to take th o frustration o ut o f setting til e.
44 Space saving garage storage Sliding shelf units for the little stuff, and gian t sh e lv lves es overh over h ead.
56 Truck bed toolboxes
What matters, what d o es n ' t -an d h ow to pick the best box for you.
64
Woodworking bench
An easy-to-build b ench, perfect for master crafts m en and weekend woodworl.ors t oo.
The Pro Section Pro tools & gear
72
pi vo votin ting g nozzle for pressure washers; kn oo pads for every trade. A
74 Pro tips for hanging drywall
Ilow to savo time and money- and ma k e taping a whol e lot ea eass ier.
epartments 7
7
The Stuff We Love
92 Shop Rat
Handy Hints
106 Wordless Workshop W
4 wheels of fu n , a folding work li g ht , faster basement finishing
Time to put the fishing rods away? Store thorn on the garage door.
30 Home Care & Repair
How to rebuild a garage door opener, repair a water-damaged cabine t and s li p-proof your steps.
82 Car & Garage
Need power? 1\J.rn yo u r tr u c k
in t o a rolling
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p t ~ t m b e r 2011
AC
genera t or.
I a m II y h a n d y m a n • c o m
Backward jigsawing; long-lasting outdoor furniture.
f your tools are a moss. maybe it s time to make your own pegboard tool locker.
108 Great Goofs
So many crashes, you'd think you were atlndy .. but it was just an average day in tho land of DIY.
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Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T SUBSCRI P TI ON S 7 or ee-m m a il Ull a t FHMserviceOrd.co FHMservi ceOrd.com m.
Call (800 (800)) 285-4961 285-4961
Edllor In Chief
Sen ior Edito Editorrs Aa.ocla te Editors
Senior Copy Editor
An Directors
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f acaboelc:
f cebook • Links t o our best DIY DI Y projects • Clever tips and hints • Swap ideas with fellow DIVers
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Spike Carl1en. Rick Mu1coplat, M n k Petersen Allee Garrett
St·even e ven Charbonneau Roxl• Flllpkowslcl Judy Rodriguez
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Eagan. MN 55121; 651·454·9200
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Power Coping
Financial
Mary Schwend er Tom Fenenga
EDITORIAL OFFICE
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Vice Prmldenl, lnlesrated Solutions A Digita Digitall Develop ment Anoclate Publisher
Director, Home a Carden Digital Director of BmioON Oeve1opment Execut i ve Oi r&e t o r.
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Orond Mark Marketing A.uociate Director. Brand MM k eting Mark.otlna Coordinator Advertialna Ftnance Director Advortlolna Coordinator
What s new o n the Web Cabinet Door Inserts
Office Admlnlttrative Ma.nager Admin. Edllorlal Asslstanl Production Manager
Jeff Gorton Do nn a Bierbae:h Vern J o hnson. Becky Pfluger, Marc i e Roepke
Su ite 700 The Family Handyman. 2915 Commors Drive. Su
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Contribu ting Edito rs
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Production Artist Pholognpher
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Ken Collier Travis larson, Gary Wentt Ellaa Bernick. Mery Flenagan,
Dan Meehan Chr l o Dolen Andrew Augustine
Ryan Hezelton Le ah W u t Klmb•rly Siebel Emlty Moore l o n l 0 ' Am ico Barbara Berezowskl
ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES Main Office, 750 Third Avenu e, Th ir d Floor, No Now w York, NY 1001 7 New York Gr eg Messina John Oyckmen Sabrina Ng
One-Day Reta ining Wall
Aohley Schmi tt IAoolotant Aoolotantll Phone: 6411-293-6150
Midwett Monica Kamradt, Cerl Benson, Julie Stuber (Sal eo Aoolstant) Phone: 312·540·482 4 n 312 · 540·4824 W Coasl Cotherin e Morcu Soulhorn Stales Don Kellner 972·529·9687 Avelon Media Sa lu lit Morketlng Detroit Linda Ooneldoon 248·933·3378
Cla,.lfied and Small Oioploy Advertisi.na Tho McNeill Group, Inc Inc.. Don S erfeu, Sal es OU.Cior, 215·321·9662
GOT A DIY QUESTION? Finding answers is ouy at familyhaodyman.com. just use the search box at the top of the page to get expert step·by·step help with your project. Or register on the si s ite an a n d join our DIY Forum Forum,, where wh ere you can ask q u es esti tio o ns or or give advi adv i ce.
CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES We pay $100 for Handy Hints•, Great Goofs•, Shop Rat and Wordless o r k s h o p ~ submissions that we publish. Submit your original contribution, along with photos or ske tches ches,, by by e-m e-mai l t o: han ha n dy dyhint hintss@tb efa mi milyhandyman.c lyhandyman.co om
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[email protected] yhandyman.com m
[email protected] [email protected]
or mail to: The Family Handyman 2915 Com Co mmers Dri ve, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121
Please incl ud e yo yo ur name, ma mailin iling ad ad dress and e-mail address i you have one, and indica indicatt e to which department you are submitting. We reserve the right to publish your submission In any appropriate department. lf we receive similar submissions, we will pay the person who submitt ed the item we actually use. By submitti subm itting materi al (text (text , photos an and d Illus Ill ustr tratio ation ns) fo r publication, you grant Home Service Publications, lnc. and Its parent company. subsidiaries, affili affiliates, ates, partners and licensees unlimited use of the material and your name, and the right to rewrite or modify, reproduce and distribute the material in any and all modla and in any manner or app ropriate placa. We may contact you via pho ne, a-m a-m ai aill or mail regard regardin ing g yo yo ur su bmission. If w e select your su bmission for print , you will receiv receivee $1 00 .
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READER SE RV I CES QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS ?
For new and gift subscriptions, a change of address, or help with a subscription problem, write to: The Family Handy andym man Subscr Subscriiber Servic Servicee Dept. , Box 6099, Harl Har lan, lA 51593·15 99, or ca call ll (800) 28 5· 4961. Or se nd us an or
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THE FAMILY HANDYMAN DIGITAL GROUP Senior Dir ecto ectorr Jennifer Smith Seniorr Manage Senio Managerr, Di gi ta l Joseph Gholi Senior Web Ana lyst Brand on Van Epps Projocl Manager Pottl lrlah Auoelate Editor Mary Flanagan ~ n l o r Web Designer C.thy Zoul•k Community Manager Erik Bergstrom Director, lnternol Technology Bruce Schmidt CO NSUMER MARKETING . Vice President, President , Cenerel Manager. Lia iaaa Karpinski RD Milwaukee VP, Circulalion Marketing
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BECOME A FIELD EDITOR Piold Edi Ed itors contribute ideas and experience to ever eve ry issu iss ue of of The m il ~ ~ , . , . , ilyy Handyman. To join o ur crew of vol volu untee nteers rs , e· e· ma il us ~ \ at ed i
[email protected]. \
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Dave F Fll eg•l
U . S . AFFIN ITIES Ajey Singh
Chief Financial Officer, Norrth Ame ri can Affi No ffinities nities
c o a ~ r
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VP. Creative Director
Ellubeth 11ghe
Paul llvorna
PUBLISHED IV HOME SERV ICE 'U8LICAT ION S , INC ., a oub oi dlary o f T HE READER READER'' S DIGEST ASSOCIATION SSOCIATION.. IN C. Presideot, Chief Executive Officer Officer Pr os osttdon t , North America
Tom Wllllomo Dan Laganl
The Family Handymane (ISSN: 0014·7230) (USPS: 515·930). Vol· w o e 61, No . 8 , 52111 Edition. Publiohod monthly (except bimonthly In July/A113UJI, July/A113UJI, O.Comber/Januuyl by Homo Serv oe Publica iona , Inc., 5400 60th Sl., Greendale. WI 53120. Periodicals pootoso paid at Greeodale Greeodale,, WI, and 11 additional molllna offices. POST MASTER: Send a d d r e u chango• lo The Family Haodyman Subscriber Service Dopl ., Box 6090, Harlan, lA lA 5 1 593·1599: 80 8 00·2 85 ·4961 . Subacrip · tions: In tho U.S U.S..A., its ter te rrito ritori ries es ond p OlUIOSJ i ons. $24 ror o ne year (IO issues). For countries outside tho U.S.A . subscription• are S28.97
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per year ln Amerl can currency. Canadian CS number CST T Prinled registration R123771891 . CPM·lcan R123771891. 08feoment number4006 693. In the U.S.A. Copyright 02011 Homo r v c o Publlc:ellono, Inc. All rishta ,...rved. Unaulhorited reproduction, In any manner, Ia prohibited . Tho Fomily Handyman, Handy Hinto and Greot Goo fa are regislered tro.demorka of RD Publicatlon o, Inc . Wordi&Ss Workohop, Workohop Tips and 1.1 oro tradema rk a ofRD Publication•, I nc. Subocrlbora: Subocrlbora : It ho U.S U.S.. Poata Poataii Se r· vice alert s us that you r magazine is undelive rable. we h ave n o fur furtt h er obligation unleu we receive a new addren withln one year. year.
Future - proof Futured imme r switch
computer and folds up like one too. Picture 8 0 LED
Your ol o ld di d immer switch may have served you well years,, but it probably for years wo n ' t in the near fu t ure. Here's wh y : The bulbs that will rep repllace Edison' Edison's incandescent-halogens, CFLs,, LEDs-each work CFLs
lights illuminating your task for t wo hours before need ing a recha rge . You've just p ictured the Might
best with a slightly d i ffe r ent dimmer circuitry circuitry.. And
O-Ught by Cooper Lighting . Once the battery's
chances ar a re, the bulbs you choose in the future won't be a good match for your existing dimmer. At a low dimmer setting , your lights may flicker, go complete ly dark or not turn on a t all. Lutron's C-L line o f d im mers will eliminate- or
Notebook work
light
Picture a work light that's the size o f a notebook
dead , plug i t into the wall or your car's cigarette lighter. The beauty o f the design is that you can unfold i t and bend It to aim the light exactly where you need it. Or use the built- i n magnet to stick it to any steel surface, such as the hood o f your car. It's a heck of a light for 43, from amazon .com.
a t east minimize-those future f rustrations. The dial
hidden behind the cover plate adjusts the dimmer to suit various vers versions ions o f 0
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requires lots of blade changes. But have you ever tried a snap-blade utility kn i fe and ended up throwing it away? I have No doubt it was a cheap Olfa knockoff. Olfa knives are super-sturdy and have been the go - to cutting tool for paper hangers and painters for years.. And they can sub for a standard utility knife for years
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other trades and tasks too. So give one o f these knives a shot. No more changing blades; just snap off the dull one and you're ready for more cutting. You can buy the kn ives ( 8
to
20) or fi nd a dealer a t olfa.com/UtilityKnives.aspx.
incandescent, halogen, CFL and LED bulbs . When you sw itch to a new type or brand of bulb, you simply remove the cover plate and turn the dial until you find
the setting that works best. At 15 to
45, Lutron C- L
dimmers cost about the same a s other dimmers. So if you're installing a new
dimmer or you've al a l ready had trouble, choosing a dimmer from the C-L line is a smart move To learn more and see available
styles and a list o f bulbs that work best with the C- L dimmer, go to lutron.com.
Gary Went z
fa m II y h a n d y m a n . com
September 2 11
I
aster b asemen t
finishing
Got a foundation to fi n ish? You prob ably k n ow the drill. Choose between
2x4 wa lls filled w ith fibe rglass or the hassle of 2x2 furring strips and foam .
Here Her e's an ea sier, faster alternative . Order a basement's worth of lnSoFast In su la t io n pa n els. The 2 x 4-ft. expan d ed polystyrene panels are 2 in. thick and have tongue- and-groove edges that lock together. Vertical plast ic st rips f unct ion both as a gluing strip on the back and as an anchor for drywall on the front . Channels on the back are for dr a ining any condensat ion
You'' ll get and ro uting electrical cables. You a resp res p ectable R-va R-vall ue o f 8.5 w ithout fooling with concrete screws. fram ing , fiberglass and a l l that other messy business. Expect to pay about $1.50 pe r sq. ft. Including shipping; less for bigger orders. Check out the product and get a quote a t lnSoFast.co m .
Bee n stung or bitten by a Been fire a nt, b ee ee,, wasp, mosquito or be db ug? Rub on a li ttle Stop s the St i ng and you can greatly reduce the itch ing , burning and swelling. 1 tr ied It on a wasp st ing and it st o pped the pain. Th is is n' t s nake oil Do n' t be li eve It? Go to stopthesting.com and watch the video of a news reporter sticking her hand s in a bee colony. And while yo u 're there, buy a tube or t wo for $5 each. Vern Johnson
Go tta
drill holes in tile
If you have to drill holes for pipes in ceramic, granite or marble tile, go to Ho m e ceramic, Depot and buy a Brutus 1-3/8-in. tile hole saw sa w (model No. 10569; $21). Put a self st ick gasket on the bottom (it comes with six ) , stick the guide to the tile, sp s p lash In a little water and d rill away. In about 3 0 sec sec o nd s, you'll have a perfect hole. The water keeps the d iamond - embedded drill bit c ool and eliminates any dust so you can righ ht in i n the bath room where drill t he hole rig u' yo re workin g . I've drilled six holes with t his th in g - i t' fabulous. t 's fabulous. Travis Larson
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agelessroller frame
Purdy Corp. has a g reat new roller frame that uses a dog bone-s haped f oam pad inste ad o f a wi re ca g e to hold the sleeve on. That's a bette r idea because: (a) It keeps the sleeve from slipping off while you paint, (b) it doesn't thump and skip as you roll, and (c) you get one o f the best-constructed handles in the biz. Find one fo r about 12 a t Sherwin-Will ia m s and other stores. The same design is available for 4-112-the mini roller ($6 to $7), which will handle 4-112 and 6-1/2-in. sleeve sizes. Learn more and find a dealer at purdycorp.com.
Squeegee knives
Unless you're a pro, drywall taping is hard, espec ia lly butt joints. He re's a way t o cheat. Go to a paint pain t eegee e (o r store and pick up a sq u eege knockdown ) knife for about $2 5. (Or search either term to find one online.) Sl S lathe r the mud ove r the j oint relat ively eve evenly w ith a wide putty knife and d rag the squeegee over the joint. With very little prac tice, your oints will look every bit as good as a pro's.
he baddest wheelbarrow on the bl o ck Your neighbors will have wheelbarrow envy when they see you with this w ide-tired b ea u ty. Take a rock- solid Jackson contrac tor w h ee lb a rr ow and stic k a wide tu rf t i re o n it and yo u 've got the ultimate heavy-load hauler. The wide tire won't sink into the lawn, and it's super stable. You won't find one a t the local home
center, though. You'll have to go where landscaping contractors shop. For buying information, go to j ac ks o n professlonal.com (800-807-2589). Prices va ry, but ex pect to pay $ 150 t o $226.
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famllyhandyman com
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