Jennifer in Moose Jaw set in her tip that she unsticks door locks that don't want to work by using a lead pencil. She rubs the led right on her key, and lets the key carry the graphite like lead right into the lock.This got us started, so we surveyed some locksmiths to see what they thought abou...
Ever wandered into the renovation centre looking for something to patch a hole in the wall? Complicated, isn't it with so many choices. Why so many? Some are made to fill large holes or cracks without shrinking, others are made to give you a fine smooth finish and some try to do a bit of both....
Have you ever wondered how much air actually comes out of your hot air floor registers, or how many cubic feet per minute your bathroom fan actually exhausts? Well the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has developed a simple tool that will give you a good approximation.They call it the Gar...
Jason from Auburn, Ontario has found a great way to cut rigid foam insulation.Regular knives are too thick and get stuck in the foam. He sharpens the edge of a putty knife which is strong not by being thick but by being wide. Jason recommends sharpening only one side of the knife to cut better ...
Ever tried to push warped deck boards into place so you can nail them down. It takes about three extra hands and a knee.Well there are various "board benders" on the market. The one in the graphic is called the Bow Wrench. Essentially they grip the joist and allow you to force the board, with ...
Many clear finishes today have what they call "flattening" characteristics which help the material to flow out and let bubbles escape. But depending on the drying conditions, if you put bubbles into your liquid finish, you may have bumps in your dried finish.Two keys to avoiding air bumps in you...
Car polish and powerMary from Sauble Beach, Ontario sent in the tip of cleaning off a heavy build-up of soap scum from her glass shower door with automobile polish and a power buffer. So we tried it.It didn't seem to get down to perfectly clean, but it certainly did remove a lot. Mary just has ...
Robert in High River, Alberta sent us a great idea for those ceiling butt joints that are so hard to hide.Rather than having the butt ends of his drywall meet on a ceiling joist as is standard, Robert has them meet floating in the air right in-between two ceiling joists. Then he puts a plywood s...
Chuck writes: "I replaced some old iron pipes a while ago, but I didn't replace the pipes going from the basement up to the second floor bathroom because the pipes are embedded in the wall."If those vertical pipes are strapped into place, you will have to open the wall, at least part of it to rel...
