Budget DIY

148 Pages·33.436 MB·English

by  The Family Handyman.

54 Venetian plaster wa[[s 7t Quick fix for dirty dryer vents
58 Space-saving wa[[ niche 72 Repair a drippy shower
61 Mud-busting boot scraper 73 Quiet a noisy fan
62 Regrout a shower 74 Garage ceit'ing storage
66 Get a weed-free yard
Pocket hote jig Dual-use wire stripper
Versatite vise Single-squeeze cautk gun
Palm-sized screwdriver packs a punch Best rolter cleaner ever
Back pocket square Stripped screw remover
Multiuse tool that reatty works 10-use paint tool
Three tools in one Big-grip spring ctamps
80 Make over a room with trim 90 Super-si mpte box shelves
82 Panel a wa[[ in one weekend 93 Steppingstone path
87 Transform a room with 94 Paint your kitchen cabinets
painted rectangles 97 Under-bed ro[[-out
98 9 ways to save etectricity 104 Cover leaky windows
103 Save $150 with CFLs
106 Textured walts in one day 118 Bathroom cabinet
110 Cast a concrete fountain 122 Custom closet organizer
115 Ti[e your backsplash
728 Summer sanctuary 134 Elegant and easy bookcase
133 Insta[[ kitchen cabinet crown molding 138 Attractive barbecue cart
Install open basket units 747
Wallpaper one watl
t42 Cut your home insurance bi[[

6
10 simple cabinet repairs
10
Super-simpte DVD hotder
77
Scum-proof your shower doors
Replace a broken dryer vent cap
12 Speed-ctean for cheap
13 Fix seams in watlpaper
Clean chandetiers quickty
Better traction on concrete
74 Stabitize a wobbl"y bookcase
75 Repair smatt holes in walts
Quick fix for a wobbly table leg
76 Patch watls with aluminum
77 Balance a ceiting fan
Reclaim crusty paint
18 Cautk cracked concrete
t9 Ftoor-friendty feet for furniture
Repair otd extensjon cords
SPECIAL SECTION:
1O-minute plumbing fixes
20
Unclog a tub drain without
chemica[s
27
Replace a [eaky water valve
22
Fast fix for a slow-filting
washer
23
Qujet ctanking pipes
Fix a slow-running faucet
24
Keep your washing machine
fresh
A trick for splicing in plastic
drainpipe

Replace worn-out
drawer slides
Ifyou find that slides are bent, rollers are broken or rollers won't
turn even after lubricating, replacement is the best solution. To
keep the project simple, buy new slides that are identical (or
almost identical) to the old ones. That way, replacement is an easy
matter of unscrewing the old and screwing on the new. Remove a
drawer track and a cabinet track and take them shopping with
you. Whether you have pairs of side-mounted slides (as shown
here) or single, center-mount slides, there's a good chance you'll
find very similar slides at a home center for $5 to $15 per drawer.
If you can't find them, check with a cabinet materiais supplier (in
the yellow pages under "Cabinets, Equipment and Supplies").
Lubricate
sticking drawers
A few minutes of cleaning and lubricating can
make drawer slides glide almost like new. Start
by removing the drawers so you can inspect the
slides. You can remove most drawers by pulling
them all the way out, then either lifting or
lowering the front of the drawer until the
wheels come out of the track. Wipe the tracks
clean and coat them with a light spray lubri-
cant. Also lubricate the rollers and make sure
they spin easily.
g
lrff:labroken
Don't put up with a bro
corner joint on a drawer
Fix it before the whole
drawer comes apart.
Remove the drawer
and then remove
the drawer front
from the drawer
box if possible. Most
fronts are fastened by
a couple of screws
inside the box. Wood
glue will make a strong
repair if there's wood-to-
wood contact at the joint. If
the wood at the joint is '-t*$. sRteamploevse onra sitcsr,ews from the
coated, use epoxy instead of loose joint and scrape away !\" Predritl 1/16-in. holes for nails, apply wood glue to the joint
wood glue. old glue with a utitity knife. s-, and naiI it together with 1-1/2-in. finish nails.
PROJECTS UNDER $1 O