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GIFT
IDEAS
FOR THE DIY
HOMEOWNER
PLUS:
ARTIFICIAL STONE
UP CLOSE
WOOD BURNING 101
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48
F E ATU R E S
COLUMNS
6 Q&A
10 Do-It-Yourself
Fantastic, Fun, Furniture Finishes
D E PA R T M E N T S
58 Material Market
Grid Guidelines for a Great Look
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QA
&
Got
a
Q:
A:
Fiber-cement contains silica, considered a carcinogen, so you should avoid breathing the dust generated
by cutting the material. The most dust-free method is to cut with powered handheld shears, or to score
and snap the siding. If you must use a high-speed power tool (circ saw, grinder, etc.), then you should work outdoors, preferably with a HEPA vacuum extraction and definitely with a dust mask. Make the cuts with a special
fiber-cement blade, which has fewer teeth to create larger dust particles, reducing the amount of smaller, breathable particles.
Q:
A:
I'd like to rebuild the rectangular entrance to our kitchen with an arched top, but how do I bend the
drywall for the arch?
Remove the drywall above the pass-through from each side of the wall. Cut two replacement panels from
1/4in. plywood with matching curves at the bottom. Screw them to the framing above the entrance, and
add short cripple studs between the curved panels. You can then cover the plywood panels with 1/4- or 3/8-in.
drywall to match the adjacent walls. To finish the curved area between the two plywood panels, you have three
options: (1) Use a special flexible drywall. (2) Create your own flexible drywall by scoring the back of 1/2-in. drywall
every 1/2 or 1 inch. (3) Or, for the look of wood trim on the curve, you can use thin, bendable plywood.
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ExtremeHowTo.com
QA
&
Got
a
Q:
A:
Fiberglass doors are built with two fiberglass panels with wood blocking and insulation at the core, which you
can drill though to install the peephole. Most peepholes require 1/2 in. hole. Locate the hole in the center of
the door approximately 58 in. from the bottom. Start with a 1/8-in. spiral bit at the peephole location, drill at full speed
and press lightly to bore through the fiberglass and into the inner foam core. Drill through the insulating core and
through the fiberglass panel on the other side. Switch to a 1/2-in. spade bit. On the inside of the door, insert the tip
of the spade (or hole saw) into the pilot hole and drill your peephole. To reduce chipping the exterior, stop drilling when
the tip begins to penetrate the outer fiberglass panel. Then, from the other side, place the drill tip into the pilot hole
and drill through the panel, completing the hole. Dab the drilled holes with sealant or epoxy. Insert the sections of the
two-part peep-hole assembly into each side of the hole. Twist the pieces together to tighten.
Q:
A:
Roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof. The pitch is the vertical rise measurement
divided by the horizontal span or run. It is the same thing as what is called slope in geometry. In the
United States, slope is typically given in inches per 1 foot, or as a ratio of inches per 12 inches, commonly
referred to with units of pitch. For a roof slope of 1/3, a 4 pitch roof indicates 4 inches of rise over 1 foot
of run. Similarly, a 4:12 pitch is 4 inches of rise over 12 inches of run. EHT
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DO IT YOURSELF
By Monte Burch
CRACKLE
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DO IT YOURSELF
The crackle glaze technique
using brush-on or roll-on latex
paint requires first applying a
smooth base coat of the desired
color with a roller or brush, making
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DO IT YOURSELF
Color Glaze to the surface with a
dry rag or brush. Remove excess
glaze before it dries and then
apply a coat of Valspar Clear
Protector.
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DO IT YOURSELF
applied evenly, but do not overwork. Allow the glaze coating to
dry 2 to 4 hours. Then, using a
roller or brush, apply a top coat of
interior flat paint. The paint must
CREATE A
RUBBED FINISH
www.VampireTools.com
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SPIRAL STAIRS
AND MODULAR
STAIR CASE KITS
AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE USA, ARKE
SPIRAL AND MODULAR STAIRCASE KITS
CAN BE BUILT IN A DAY BY THE AVERAGE
DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME ENTHUSIAST.
www.arkestairs.com
DO IT YOURSELF
Simple in design but handy during a painting job, the Magnetic Paintbrush Holder
available from Lee Valley Tools does just what it sounds like. The EHT staff put the
gadget to use on some recent paint projects, and it conveniently clips to the rim of a
paint can so the metal ferrule of the brush can adhere to the magnets, vertically or
horizontally. This helps prevent the bad habit of laying a wet brush just any old
place, where it usually collects dirt or debris and/or leaves a drippy mess. The downward angle of the brush also allows paint to flow from the bristles back into the can,
making brush cleanup much easier. Plus, the clip includes a metal tab for opening
paint cans. The Magnetic Paintbrush Holder sells for only $3.90 at
www.leevalley.com.
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DO IT YOURSELF
sand the corners and edges. As
you can guess, this technique
works best with furniture designs
with lots of edges, such as frame
and panel.
An alternative method is to
apply a base coat of one color,
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While still wet, the paint is lightly rubbed off the surface with a soft
cloth to create a smooth, streak-free finish, while leaving white in
the oak grain.
allow it to dry and then apply several top coats of another color.
Sand down through the top coat to
the base coat in selected areas.
This technique is great for matching a furniture piece to room
dcor, using either the base or top
coat as the match and the other
coat as a complementary color.
ANTIQUE FINISH
SPRAY PAINTS
LIMED OAK
HANDSOME HARDWARE
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DO IT YOURSELF
allow the surface to dry thoroughly. The use of a metal primer can
also help the paint adhere and
provide a longer lasting finish.
Spray paints should only be
used outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, such as an open
garage. Do not apply in windy
conditions. For the best drying,
apply in temperatures between
50 and 90 degrees and with
humidity less than 85 percent.
Shake the can thoroughly then
apply the paint in smooth even
strokes approximately 12 inches
from the surface, overlapping the
strokes and keeping the spray
nozzle the same distance from
the surface at all times. Its best
to apply in several medium coats,
rather than one heavy coat to
lessen the chances of runs and
drips. In good conditions the paint
should dry in 15 minutes, to the
touch in 90 minutes, and should
cure thoroughly within 48 hours.
A number of other faux paint
finishes, designed primarily for
covering walls can also be used
to create unusual finishes on
furniture. The Valspar products
FAUX FINISHES
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WOOD
BURNING
101
W
by Monte Burch
WOOD AS FUEL
n3rd-artphoto.com
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WOOD
BURNING
101
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4
4
Firewood is commonly sold by the
cord, which is a stack of logs
4x4x8 feet, or a face cord, a
stack 4x8 feet, but the length of
the firewood is usually 16.
WOOD
BURNING
101
DIY APPROACH
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Maul or
wedge
Splitting logs is
easier if you follow the natural
split of the end grain.
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YOUR
HOUSE
IS
A
SYSTEM
By Larry Zarker
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The HVAC provides comfort conditioning intended to make the living space enjoyable. It provides
heat in winter, and for those who
have air conditioning, cool in summer. It also circulates fresh air
and regulates humidity levels.
The third systemthe occupantscan affect the performance
of the home by their behavior. Just
living in the house has an impact,
although some habits have more
effect than others.
Unless you live in the most temperate and consistent of climates,
the envelope will not keep you comfortable on its own. And if there is a
problem with the building envelope,
the HVAC cannot properly perform
its comfort conditioning function.
Additionally, if the occupants crank
the thermostat and then leave
the windows wide open, or place
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A comprehensive whole-home
assessment is best performed by
a trained and qualified technician
for two reasons:
1) Properly diagnosing home
performance problems and prescribing solutions requires a
background in specialist building science that most DIYers
just do not have.
2) The job requires specialist
(and often expensive) diagnostic
toolssuch as a pressurization
blower door and infrared camera
that are not likely to be found in
the average DIY tool kit.
What you can do to prepare for
the comprehensive assessment
is conduct an initial audit of your
own. Start by writing down all the
symptoms, including when and
where in the house you notice
them most. Make a list of any
work thats been done and when
it was donefor example, you
might note that you installed new
insulation last fall, or converted
the deck to a sunroom three summers ago, or changed from a
window A/C to central air five
years ago.
Pull together all your energy
bills for the last year (the farther
back you can go, the better)
and look for usage patterns or
changes that correspond with
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HOLIDAY
GIFTS FOR THE
DIY HOMEOWNER
T
he holidays seem to arrive sooner every year, so there's no time like the present to organize
your shopping list for friends and family. This year, consider the type of gifts that keep on
giving: new tools! The EHT staff has compiled our annual list of workshop gadgetssome big,
some smallto brighten the face of your favorite DIYer. Make your list, check it twice, and have
a wonderful holiday season.
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WERNER PODIUM
LADDER
CHANNELLOCK
PROFESSIONAL
SCREWDRIVERS
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VAMPLIERS
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TREEMOTE
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GENERAL CORDLESS
PRECISION ENGRAVER
(505)
Generals Cordless Precision
Engraver features a 3/32-in.
diamond-tipped engraving
bit and a 20,000-rpm motor.
It is powerful enough to
engrave glass, metal,
ceramic, plastic and wood.
The engravers improved
gearing boosts torque to
facilitate smoother, more
consistent scribing.
Additionally, the tools
aluminum body offers
superior durability while
the unique tri-lobe ergonomic grip provides the
ultimate in comfort and
ease of use. Visit
www.generaltools.com.
GENERAL LIGHTED
PRECISION
SCREWDRIVER
(75108)
RYOBI P2170
HYBRID BLOWER
BOSCH VAC120
HANDHELD VACUUM
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GENERAL CIRCUIT
BREAKER FINDER (BF20)
HYDE 17-IN-1
PAINTER'S TOOL
POWERCUBE
HYDE QUICKLY
CLEAN GLOVE
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ARTIFICIAL
STONE
UP CLOSE
By Monte Burch
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ARTIFICIAL
STONE
UP CLOSE
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The product chosen for this chimney project is Dutch Quality Stone
in Pennsylvania Field Stone to
match the natural stone fireplace.
The proper mortar mix is extremely important for a good masonry
job. If using mortar components,
first measure out and mix the dry
materials. Then add water a little
at a time, mixing the dry materials
into the water and wet mix. A
wheelbarrow and masons hoe
can be used.
ARTIFICIAL
STONE
UP CLOSE
the water barrier. All exterior surfaces must have flashing installed
at water entrances, and the finished edge of applied stone must
be a minimum of 4 inches above
an earth grade or 2 inches above
concrete. Before applying the
stones, read and make sure you
INSTALLATION BASICS
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ARTIFICIAL
STONE
UP CLOSE
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ARTIFICIAL
STONE
UP CLOSE
to alternate the faces of the corner stones with the long and
short legs running opposite directions. After the corner stones are
applied, work toward the center
of the wall with the flat stones.
FINISHING TOUCHES
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Shown is the
completed project.
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MATERIAL MARKET
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MATERIAL MARKET
also provides a visual break in
the lines of the windowbasically
between the top and bottom sash.
This meeting rail acts as a horizontal grid in these types of windows.
Tip #4 Understand your grid
locations. Grids are defined within
the sash of a window. For example, a Casement window has only
one sash, while a Double Hung
window has both a top and bottom
sash. On the Double Hung, you
may choose to have grids on both
sash, on the top sash only, or on
the bottom sash and not the top.
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HELPFUL HINTS
Hint #4 Check out the neighborhood. Drive around and look at different windows in the homes of your
neighbors. This can help you determine the difference grids can make to
the overall appearance of a home and
how you like different styles of grids.
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