Browse Category: Handyman

Classic Handyman Tips and Tricks

More and more people are starting to realize that you don’t have to hire a handyman Mesa AZ to fix every little problem you have in your house. Whether you’re an avid DIYer or an amateur handyman, we’ve got you covered with a list of top handy tips that you can use for a variety of home remodeling and repair jobs.

Use Hand Screws

Contrary to popular belief, hand screws are still very relevant and in some cases, more versatile and useful than fast-action metal clamps. The good thing with hand screws is that you can use them for jobs that involve tapered parts or parts that are dissimilar, which would pose a challenge for fast-action metal clamps.  

Instant Saw Support

T-blocks are a must-have implement for any handyman in Mesa AZ that regularly works on home repairs. They’re viable for a number of uses, from providing a drying rack for projects that are in their finishing stages to elevating assemblies so that you can slip your clamps under them. They even enable you to work more comfortably by raising projects off your workbench. The great news is that you construct several T-blocks from pieces of scrap wood and enjoy even more convenience.  

Perfect Worktable

Do you have an old hollow core door that you’re not using? Well, don’t throw it away yet, because when placed on a couple of sawhorses, it transforms into a lightweight, strong, and perfectly flat work table.

Recharge Station

The different chargers from your cordless tools can cause a disorganized mess on your workstation, but there’s a solution. Create a little ‘charging station’ by horizontally mounting a  piece of plywood on the wall next to a power strip, so that you can charge them all at the same place, for better organization and surge protection.

Magnetize a Screwdriver

Don’t you just hate it when a screw just drops while you’re still working with it? Thankfully, we’ve got a solution to this problem, and it involves magnetizing your screwdriver. All you have to do is rub a magnet along the shaft of the screwdriver in one direction for about a dozen times. This process won’t take you longer than 10 seconds.

Two-Stage Speed Painting

As any good handyman Mesa knows, a paint brush is ideal to use when you want to get a smooth finish, whereas the roller lays the paint on fast, which is important when you’re working in dry conditions when paint tends to dry quickly. Now you can get the best of both worlds by using the two-stage painting technique, where you brush on a layer of paint and then finish it off with an easy brush stroke.

Stop a Wandering Bit

Give sharp bits a softer landing like thin cardboard to prevent them from skating across surfaces such as metal, glass or tile.

Final Paint-Prep Step

According to the pros, proper preparation is the key to a solid paint job. You start by patching the walls and then sand them down using 100-grit sandpaper. Vacuum away all the dust and debris residue with a wide floor brush, and use a smaller vacuum for the corners and edges. After that, you’ll be all set to get a smooth paint job with a vibrant and textured finish.

Tips to Prevent Car Lockout Situations

We all know how frustrating car lockout situations can be. Standing next to your locked vehicle, which is in perfect working condition, but you’re unable to start and drive it off because you forgot the key will leave you stressed out and confused on what to do. There can be lots of reasons as to why car lockouts happen. You may have misplaced your keys, your car’s central locking system may have malfunctioned, or the key broke inside the door lock. Either way, you need a reliable handyman Anaheim to help you fix the situation.

But before this unfortunate thing happens to you, keep in mind the tips that we have listed below:

How to Secure Your Car Key

Lost car keys are the most common reason for car lockouts. You may get distracted and forget or drop your car key somewhere. In order to reduce the chance of you losing your key, consider implementing a specific measure that’ll allow you to form a habit when it comes to using and keeping your key. One good example is to have a special place in your bag or briefcase that’s only for your car key. You can also attach your key to your handbag or belt.

What a Anaheim handyman would recommend for you to do is to have a single key ring. You should attach objects to the key ring that will make it impossible to lose. It can be a cumbersome object, anything that rattles, or something that’s important to you.

Have a Spare Set of Your Car Keys

Having a spare set of your car keys will not prevent you from getting locked out but it will make the entire situation easier to solve. It’s an excellent idea to leave a spare set in your home or office. Once you find that you have somehow put yourself in a lockout situation, all you have to do is call someone to grab the spare set from where you hid it and bring it over.

Another excellent idea is to provide someone you trust, may it be a close friend or a family member, an additional spare set of your car keys. There are people who are using magnetized key devices that can be attached to their cars. This is not a good idea as it leaves the vehicle vulnerable to tech-savvy car thieves.

Tech at Your Service

There are many types of gadgets available today that are designed to prevent you from losing your keys. Most of them are beepers that will set off using a mobile phone or a remote. Once your key is misplaced and is near you, it’ll be much easier to find. A tip that a handyman Anaheim CA would usually give to car owners is to attach an identification card to the car key chain. If somebody finds it, they will your mobile number on the plate.

How To Repair Mortar Joints

Learning to repair mortar joints will help you prevent water and structural damage to your home. With the right tools, you can repair mortar joints faster. When masonry joints start crumbling, things get ugly fast, and before you know it, the bricks are too loose and the water starts seeping behind your handyman Mesa.

Tuck pointing is an easy way of repairing the joints on your own. If you do not do this, the joints will keep deteriorating and you will even have bees making a home in the mortar holes. This is not an expensive process. Simply find some free time and get the handyman in Mesa AZ repairs done.

The following are some steps that will help you repair retaining walls, chimneys and brick walls. However, take note that in the case of a shifting foundation, tuckpointing will not fix the wall cracks or crumbling bricks. For those, you might need to hire an expert.

Get The Required Tools And Materials

You must have a 4 – inch or a 4 ¼ inch diamond blade. While you can get one of these on a lease, it’s better to buy one since it only costs a few dollars. Visit the nearest home center and get some specialty hand tools like a tuck pointer and a brick trowel.

You will also need a masonry jointer in case your mortar joints are concave or a joint raker for flat joints, and a cold chisel, hammer, mortar mix and a rotary hammer drill.

Getting Started

With only a few joints to deal with, it’s easy to get things done. However, if the damage is extensive, you must start with a small section so you know the level and extent of damage before you start chopping off the entire wall. Remember that after mixing mortar, you have between 30 and 60 minutes to work on a section.

Dealing With Dust

This is a project that’s very dirty and dusty, especially when grinding the joints. Have a drop cloth on site and you will only have to spend a few minutes to clean-up after the work is done. Without the drop cloth, you will spend hours. Make sure that you alert your neighbors of the project and keep the windows closed.

Grinding The Joints

For horizontal joints, grind along the bottom and the top. Make sure you grind as close to the bricks as possible. The damaged material must be completely cut and removed before you can add new mortar in the joints.

It’s recommended that you start from the corners and then work your way inwards. This way, you will not heap unnecessary pressure on the bricks at the corner, which can easily knock them off the wall.

Hammering The Mortar

While chiseling the mortar out, move the rotary hammer drill along the joints. Carefully pound the mortar from the joints. It’s easier to remove the mortar with a drill but you must be very careful not to knock the bricks out because the drill is a powerful tool.

In case you accidentally knock off the bricks, just use the chisel to remove all the mortar, refill the joints and then reset the bricks.

With mortar flying all over the place, this can be a dangerous process. Therefore, make sure you have the right eye and ear protection gear.