DIY Round-Up: Suit Fabric Pillow Edition

Alright, got your coffee in hand? Here’s a few things going on around the Home Improvement Blogosphere we’d thought you be interested in this fine Saturday morning.

Kate @ Centsational Girl headlines this DIY Round-up with detailed instructions for making pillows from suit fabrics. She found the old suit fabrics on discount at JoAnn’s. How cool is that? Kate’s working on decorating her brother’s bachelor pad. If any of my sisters are reading–I don’t recall you gals decorating my bachelor pad! What gives? All I had was a Value City couch!

This Old House recently S.O.S.’d (Sprayed-on-Site) foam insulation into the house they’re working on. Since we’re about to do this project in 7 days, we were interested to learn the team recommended they vacate the premises for 24 hours! I guess we’ll make plans to stay with parents or friends (after, of course, we video the installation so we can tell you all about it).

Speaking of insulation, we’ve been meaning to share with you Home Construction Improvement’s basement insulation instructions. Todd explains how to install rigid foam board to create a vapor seal and cover it over with fiberglass. We considered it for our basement, but decided on closed-cell spray foam for the higher R-value it offers. Also, we had already put up the studs, so getting foam board back there would have been hard!

House and Home gives us detailed instructions for installing glass fronts into kitchen cabinets. This is a very cool project that we’d love to try. Unfortunately, our cabinets are too dated and we’re eventually planning on replacing them anyway, potentially installing a few with glass fronts. Hat tip to Charles and Hudson for letting us know about the article.

Slightly off-topic: Peter over at Bible Money Matters is running a series on how to make money with a blog that is worth a look if you’re interested in starting a blog to make a little cash on the side.

Finally, we wanted to let you know that we continue to update our Sears Coupon page with the latest online Sears deals.  It’s a good resource if you’re thinking about purchasing a new appliance… you can watch the sales for a few weeks and them jump on a good deal.  Best deal we’ve seen so far is 20% off Kenmore with an additional 10% off the sales price (a.k.a 28% off).  Happens about 3 times a year for 12 hours each…

Alright, that’s all for this week’s installment! If you see something worth a mention on the DIY web, send us an e-mail at diyroundup@oneprojectcloser.com.

Contractor Kudos: MG Mechanical Services, Baltimore, MD | HVAC Contractor Review

In our on-going basement finishing project, we hit a place a couple weeks ago where we needed the lines between our indoor fan unit and outdoor compressor unit to our HVAC system moved around so that we could insulate and then hang drywall.  Unlike many new projects, this wasn’t one we were willing to try to do ourselves.  Fortunately, we “know a guy” and he and his business partner re-ran the lines for us last Saturday morning.  It cost us $400 total, including the copper tubing and other supplies – a great deal.

And so I write this first OPC Contractor Kudos for Mike Smith from MG Mechanical Services in Baltimore, Maryland. 

He and Nelson have done a number of jobs for us over the years.  They replaced our whole HVAC system in our last house when ours died suddenly, even making room in their schedule to prioritize our house immediately, since they knew we didn’t have heat.  Then in this house, Mike’s been out a couple of times to make repairs on our system and actually helped me resolve an ice issue on our outdoor unit over the phone, free of charge since he didn’t need to make a trip out.

It’s rare in this area to get such personal service and the quality work these guys provide at their competitive price.  They’re happy to take the time to explain what they’re doing (and tolerated Fred’s following them around with our camera for a future post of his own, during this last visit).

So if anyone in the Baltimore area needs a great HVAC contact, we recommend MG Mechanical Services happily!  Tell him Kim & Fred from One Project Closer sent you.  Contact info:

Mike Smith (443) 865-6021

 Heating/A/C, Gas Fitting Installations, Furnaces, Boilers, Water Heaters, Chimney Liners, Duct Cleaning

 MD Master GasFitter #69257

MD HVAC #13502

Licensed and Insured

Visual Guide to Lock Picking Book Review

Jerry writes, “I’ve read your lock picking tutorial but wanted more information. Do you know a good resource that describes lock picking in more detail? Can you point me toward an easy guide with good illustrations?

Jerry, great question and you’ve come to the right place.

Visual Guide to Lock Picking 3rd Edition

If you’re looking for a great guide to lock picking, the Visual Guide to Lock Picking 3rd Edition is an excellent choice. It’s an inexpensive purchase, $24.95 with free shipping. I keep this guide with my lock picking set for easy reference.

Warded Locks

The first chapter focuses on warded locks and warded padlocks. Warded locks are some of the oldest locks around. They are easy to pick and a good place to begin practicing your lock picking skills. This chapter begins with identifying warded locks and how they function. It goes on to describe how to overcome these locks and best tools for the job.

Pin Tumblers

Most locks you find in the United States are pin tumbler locks. Knowing how pin tumblers work is crucial to understanding how to pick these types of locks. Chapter two describes in detail all the different parts of tumbler locks and how they operate. Learn about raking the pins, shimming a padlock and more. This chapter also reviews the different tools available ranging from picks to an electric pick gun.

Advanced Pin Tumblers

Locks are constantly updating. Advanced pin tumblers feature modified pins or beveled plug holes making them even more difficult to bypass. Chapter three focuses on some of the advanced locks and the sort of obstacles your up against – mushroom pins, modified holes, false sets, etc. It also reviews the necessary tools like spring-loaded tensioners, and plug spinners. I haven’t attempted any of these locks yet, but I’d review this chapter before I started.

Wafer Locks

Wafer locks are common on desks, filing cabinets and car doors. They are not difficult to pick but require some specific torque wrenches. Chapter four explains how wafer locks work and some cool tools like double-sided jigglers. It’s surprising how often people misplace file cabinet keys. This chapter is very handy.

Tubular Locks

Tubular locks are very difficult to pick. They are more advanced than traditional pin tumblers but have some of the same principles, and fortunately, have some similar weaknesses. Chapter five puts quite a few pages into picking tubular locks with several different methods. I especially enjoyed the part about improvised tools. It describes how to fashion picking tools from pens or even cardboard.

Lever Locks

Lever locks also go way back and can be found all around the world, especially in the UK. Modern lever locks have slits cut at different heights. The key lifts the lever to the correct height, letting the bolt side in and out. Chapter six shows you exactly how to pick this style of lock.

Impressioning Tumblers

Impressioning is the art of crafting an actual key. It’s an extremely difficult skill, but if you can master it, results in a working key. Make sure you stock up on blank keys before you begin practicing impressioning. You should also purchase a few different files (for shaping the key). Although this is a very difficult technique, pages 145 – 149 has a great step-by-step guide.

Combination Locks

The last chapter focuses on combination locks. Combination locks are everywhere because they are so convenient. This chapter covers one, two and three wheel combination locks. It describes different notch wheels and how to detect a false notch.

Overall Review

The Visual Guide to Lock Picking describes lots of different lock types and everything you need to know about how they work and the tools to exploit weaknesses. It’s a great book for someone learning about locks and lock picking- including lots of pictures. This guide is also good to keep on hand as a reference before attempting a lock. I highly recommend it.

What do you think? Do you have a lock picking guide?

How to Maintain a Lawnmower – 1 Hour Maintenance

Well, Fall is upon us in full force here in the Free State. About a week ago we passed the peak fall foliage mark, and recent storms have already started to blow leaves down from the trees. We’ll be firing up our mulching mower to take care of some of them, but once the dozen oaks that surround our property start their daily barrage, we’ll turn to bagging them. We usually make a day of it on Black Friday… it’s quite a bit calmer than hitting the sales.

Fall Lawnmower Maintenance

With Fall comes an an excellent time to maintain your lawnmower. While most would put off this activity for the Spring, by doing it now, you’ll be ready to fire up that mower first thing next cutting season… Imagine the feeling of heading out to your garage or shed, adding gas, and starting up a mower that’s ready to rock.

Here’s the few steps you can take now to get a jump on next Season (with links to articles explaining each step in detail). Maintenance should take you less than an hour after you pick-up the necessary parts (oil, spark plug, and air filter, and potentially a new blade). The only significant tool is a grinder, which you’ll either need to purchase or borrow from a friend.

Simple Lawnmower Maintenance Steps

Review: Ryobi 7″ Tile Saw

Ryobi is known for affordable power tools paired with professional features. These tools are a great choice for homeowners, hobbyists, and do-it-yourselfers. Plus, all Ryobi power tools are backed by a 30-day guarantee and a 2-year limited warranty. We were pretty excited when they decided to send us their 7″ Tile Saw. It’s packed with great features enabling you to achieve professional quality and amazing tile work.

Where to Buy Ryobi Tile Saw

If you’re in the market for a tile saw or have a big tile project coming up, the Ryobi 7″ Tile Saw is an excellent choice. It’s equipped with a full set of features – overhead blade, continuous water, bevel block for 45° edges, and more. Also, consider that a tile saw costs about $40 / day to rent. At $199, the Ryobi 7″ Tile Saw is a real value. Here’s the link:

• 7 In. Tile Saw

Ryobi Tile Saw Review

The Right Price
This tile saw isn’t designed to replace a professional, daily-use tile saw. It’s designed for the consumer who wants to tile his/her bathroom or kitchen without rushing because daily rental fees are stacking up. So, one of the biggest benefits of this saw is the price. You get a quality tile saw that can handle a variety of projects, like tiling the kitchen back splash or re-tiling the bathroom, all without a major investment.

Continuous Clean Water
This saw features the Pumpless Flow System™ that provides clean, fresh water to the blade keeping the work piece cool and free from debris. Other saws recycle the water and become clogged as sediment builds up. It’s a big hassle to stop mid-project to clean little bits of tile so the Pumpless Flow is a real advantage. Pumpless saws require a connection to the tap. If that’s not an option, Ryobi provides a pump attachment (sold separately).

Gliding Table
The gliding table enables you to slide the tile through the blade. It requires minimal effort and results in better cuts because it’s a smooth motion. The Easy Glide™ table also features curved water channels that direct debris away from the workspace.

Bevel Block and Rip Guide
The bevel block and rip guide clamp securely in place. They make it easy to achieve consistent and accurate cuts. You’ll really appreciate the bevel block for cutting professional looking corners and the rip guide for making the same cut over and over again.

1-3/4 HP motor
The 7″ tile saw features a 1-3/4 HP motor – strong enough to handle just about any DIY project.

What do you think? What’s your experience with this tile saw?

Self Leveling Cement Delaminating, Crumbling, and Creating Dust

Between six and twelve months ago, we poured four separate 250 sq. ft. quadrants of self-leveling cement (a.k.a. self-leveling mortar, or self-leveling underlayment) onto our basement concrete slab. We selected LevelQuik ES for the job and followed the instructions to the letter… Or so we thought…

Much to my dismay, last week I noticed that a small 3 foot x 8 foot area of the underlayment had an issue. The top 1/16″ of the self leveler was partially crumbling and delaminating from the surface. There was a significant amount of dust in the area and loose cement bits. The issue isn’t systematic across the whole floor. In fact, this section is in the most recent quadrant poured, while other areas over 12 months old are working out just perfectly.  We’re getting ready to insulate the basement and soon after, lay Schluter Ditra and stone tile.

What Causes Self-leveler to Fail?

Before we started the project, we googled extensively for advice on using self leveler on a concrete slab, unfortunately finding little. We’ve subsequently written a great deal about our own experience with self leveler (much of it at that link). Even though information was a bit sparse, we heard repeatedly from tile experts that you must follow subfloor preparation instructions, you must mix the self leveler to the consistency on the package, and you must follow application instructions. We did all that, so what caused the issue?

Unfortunately, we’re not sure. Perhaps one of the last batches of self leveler wasn’t completely mixed, or some contaminate got into the batch, or the water/powder ratio wasn’t quite right. Any of these could have caused the problem. We’re pretty sure the subfloor isn’t part of the problem, since the delamination is limited to the top 1/16″ layer.

Our Solution: Prime the Area with LevelQuik Primer

LevelQuik Primer is a latex-based primer designed to prepare a surface for pouring LevelQuik on top. We noticed in using this primer on other sections of the subfloor and existing SLU that it tends to bind up any loose dust on the LevelQuik and create a smoother surface. We applied full strength primer to the 24 square foot area and, for now, all is well. This solution seems to have worked. The surface layer appears to be stable, and we’ve noticed no further delamination.

Other Self Leveler Problems & Solutions

We’re lucky that this problem isn’t systematic across the floor, or all the way to the slab. If that were the case, the only solution would be to remove the SLU as much as possible, correct the issue (if it is subfloor related), and re-pour the area. Since we’ve got radiant heating wire in the way, that would prove very, very difficult.

For those of you out there considering this project, remember: subfloor preparation and following application instructions is absolutely essential.

What do you think? Ever had a problem with self-leveler, or looking for advice on working with the material? Leave a comment here, and don’t forget to use the site’s search function. There’s a lot of good information available.

Lowes Black Friday 2009 Deals – The Teasers Are Out Early This Year

Lowes is at it early this year… working to get a little buzz about their Black Friday specials with this little guy hanging out on the left of their web page. The big reveal: November 3, at 12:01am Eastern.

We’ll certainly be checking out the deals when they pop up. While you’re waiting for the reveal, make sure to pickup a Lowes Coupon, and… even though big orange isn’t out with their specials, can’t hurt to pickup a Home Depot Coupon early too.

DIY Round Up – Fall Container Garden Edition

Just getting your weekend started?  Here’s a few good reads with your morning coffee:

Green Gardenista headlines this DIY round-up with another cute fall container garden (pictured right!) Better hurry and follow her instructions.  Fall will be a passing memory in just two months… and this would look great out front of your house for Thanksgiving.

Charles and Hudson gives us their 10 Favorite DIY / Home Improvement iPhone Apps.  All four of us here at OPC are iPhone junkies… Couldn’t resist a link back to this one.

Home Construction Improvement gives us very detailed instructions for building an attic stair cover.  Get this done before the Winter hits for some great savings on your heating bill.

Young House Love gives us a few tips for going green this Winter, courtesy of ‘almost Dr. Dan’… My favorite: boiling water is boiling water… no need to get it to a roaring boil… You’re just wasting electricity converting water to steam at that point.

Centsational Girl wants to get your best harvest or holiday craft idea or a recipe… She’s got 10 spots open to guest blog on her site; all you have to do is send some pics and a write-up. Maybe we’ll share our gingerbread recipe!

And finally from yours truly… still have an uninsulated basement?  Re-read our article on basement insulation and hop to it already!  This Winter’s looking to be a cold one — getting the insulation done now will save you a boatload on energy costs.  Trust us, we know how bad it can be without it.

And there you have it… Happy Saturday!

P.S. Our little site crossed over 1,000,000 unique visitors last week!  Thanks so much for making One Project Closer a success.

Insulate Hot Water Pipes to Save Energy

We know that insulating your water heater can improve your homes energy efficiency but what about hot water pipes? Insulated pipes retain heat better thereby lowering energy consumption and benefiting the environment. Insulating exposed pipe is inexpensive, quick, and easy – the perfect DIY job.

Benefits of Insulated Pipes

Insulated pipes can keep water 2 – 4 degrees hotter than uninsulated pipes. That means you can turn down your water heater temperature but take the same shower you always have. Also, hot water arrives faster and takes less time to reach the desired temperature meaning less water is wasted.

Most people do not have access to all their pipes making it difficult to retrofit insulation, so you may be wondering if this is really beneficial. However, most people do have access to their water heater and insulating the first 3 feet of pipe can have the biggest impact.

Heat Loss from Uninsulated Pipe

This is a tough question to answer quantitatively because your heat loss depends on many different factors.

• Pipe size and length
• Water temperature, and ambient air temperature
• Type of heat loss – conduction, convection, radiation
• etc.

If you’re interested in running the numbers yourself, here’s a resource to calculate heat loss. If you’re not interested in running the numbers, just remember this simple rule of thumb.

If the pipe, water-heater, etc. is warm to the touch, you are losing heat.

Pipe Insulation Costs, Comparison

There are several different ways to insulate your pipes. Here’s a list of the most common insulation types and associated costs (prices from Big Orange).

Foam Pipe Insulation
Foam insulation features a lengthwise slit allowing you to wrap it around the pipe. It’s easy to install as you just cut each segment to length with a utility knife. Secure each piece with zip-ties and cover all junctions with duct-tape. R values vary because of materials and thicknesses but usually range from 2-4. Rubber foam prices are about $0.90 per linear foot while the regular polyethylene foam costs about $0.20 per linear foot. Self-seal polyethylene foam runs about $0.27 per linear foot.

Pipe Wrap Insulation
You can also choose a pipe wrap insulation. This is also easy to install but rather time consuming. You wrap the insulation around the pipe in a spiral fashion allowing the tape some overlap. You can pickup fiberglass wrap but R-value is only 1 – 2. A better option is a foam and foil tape wrap with a claimed R-value of 3. Fiberglass wrap costs about $0.14 per linear foot while foam and foil wrap is $0.32 per linear foot.

Fiberglass Roll
Fiberglass batting can also be secured around pipes. It’s a bit cumbersome to work with and there’s the typical itchiness afterward, but you can achieve a good R-value (depends on thickness). The price I found was $1.48 per linear foot (15″ wide x 3.5″ thick).

Fiberglass Pipe Cover
These covers are similar to the foam insulators in that it’s a self-sealing tube, but there are some key differences. These tubes feature fiberglass insulation with a foil and paper jacket. They are designed to be used near furnaces and water heaters where foam pipe might not be appropriate. They have an R-value of about 2 and cost $2.06 per linear foot.

What do you think? Are your pipes insulated?
Image courtesy of johncarljohnson

UtiliTech Tripod Work Light Review: High Output Work Lights

We’re just about finished the electrical rough-in of our basement game room.  One of the final steps is to remove the original lighting circuit that powers four ceramic keyless overhead fixtures that the builder installed in the original unfinished basement.  We’ve run Romex drops for can lights to be installed post-drywall, so once the existing circuit is removed, we’ll be in the dark.

We decided to head to our local Lowes and pick-up the closest thing we could find to good temporary work lighting.  Our choice: two UtiliTech 1000 watt, halogen dual-lamp work lights.  Now, to be sure, these lamps are a bit overkill for our basement project.  You don’t need 2000 watts of light for a 1000 sq. foot work area. But at $45 each, we figured we could use them in the basement now, and for any future projects (including outdoor and garage remodeling projects).  Plus, we thought it’d be fun to review them for you all…

UtiliTech 1000 watt Halogen Tripod Work Light Review

The UtiliTech 1000 watt tripod work lights are part of a family of work lighting that also includes single 500 watt ground-based lights and a more powerful 1300 watt dual-lamp version similar to the version we purchased.  We opted for the 1000 watt tripods for their directional flexibility and height adjustment.  Also, 1300 watts just seemed a little too overkill, even for us.  Here’s what you need to know:

Light Output: At 500 watts of halogen light per lamp, these lights are very bright.  The bulbs are encased in a plastic/metal combination box that directs the light to the work area. The result is a lighting range of about 145 degrees wide and 145 degrees high (estimates, not measured numbers). In fact, the lamps are so bright that you definitely do not want to look directly into them, and there’s a warning in the instruction manual about this. We ended up directing the light at the ceiling in the basement so that the bulb could not be seen directly.  This provided ample indirect light for about 700 square feet of work area.

Heat & Energy Efficiency: Of the 1000 watts these lights consume, our guess is that a good 75% of it is converted to heat. In other words, these lamps get very hot. You cannot touch the lamp boxes during operation, and they require a cool-down period of about 5 minutes after they’re turned off before handling. You also must be careful not to aim the lamp at an object closer than 3 feet away, especially a flammable object.  The lights put out enough energy to start a fire.

Lamp Stand Stability: One of the most important factors in a good tripod work lamp is the stability of the lamp stand.  We opted to purchase the newer version of the 1000 watt UtiliTech lamps for $45 (there was an older model at Lowes for $30). The tripod construction looked more sturdy on the newer version (better adjustment mechanism, larger-diameter shaft, thicker gauge plastics).

It’s still not quite as sturdy as we’d prefer, but it is acceptable. In particular, we found the connection between the upper metal structure and the top and the shaft to be a little loose.  The stand feels reasonably stable, but it isn’t hard to knock the whole thing over if you get snagged on the cord. You’ll want to setup the tripod in a place where you’re unlikely to hit the cord, and potentially duct tape the cord to the floor to avoid accidents. If the lamps get jarred, especially while they’re on and hot, you’ll likely lose a bulb (see below).

Stand and Directional Adjustment: One of the best features of the UtiliTech tripod lamps are their easy-to-use height adjustment clamps (pictured right).  The stand can be adjusted from 2.5′ to 6′ with very little effort, and the unique squeeze-style adjustment mechanism outperforms the traditional twist-lock style common to this genre that is slightly harder to master. The individual lamps can be rotated 360 degrees on the tripod and can be aimed up or down with easy adjustment knobs that hold the lamps in place well.  You’ll have no trouble pointing the light where you want it and keeping it there.

Halogen Bulb Life: During the first week of working with these lamps, we failed to tighten one of the vertical directional adjustment clamps on the lamp. The lamp case fell backwards onto the upper section of the metal stand structure and instantly burned out the bulb.  Replacement cost is not too expensive at about $3.50/per, but we’d have preferred a little more resilience. We’ll take the blame for that early bulb burn-out. If we experience any other early burn outs, we’ll update this post.

Also, it’s worth noting that during installation, you must be careful not to touch the bulbs with bare hands as oil from your hands can actually shorten the bulb’s life.

Summary: We’ve had a good experience with our two UtiliTech tripod work lights, despite the few drawbacks we’ve cited here.  If you’re in need of high-output, reasonably stable work lamps, these UtiliTech lamps might be right for you.  We maintain a list of places you can find a 10% off Lowes Coupons that might be worth a look if you’re planning a large purchase along with these lamps.

What do you think? Got a question for us about these lamps, feel free to post it in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer.  Always feel free to weigh in with your own experience!

Note: This review was not sponsored by Lowes, Utilitech, or any advertiser. UtiliTech Lamps Photo credit: lowes.com.

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