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April 11, 2010

If you're new, welcome to the I Can Fix Up My Home newsletter! If not, welcome back. In particular, welcome to my twin sister! We've got some interesting things to cover this week! Right now is one of my favorite times of the year. We've got this 1 - 1.5 month window where we don't have to run the heater or the air conditioner. You've got to love not paying the utility companies!

In the last newsletter I mentioned my series of deck-building articles. Well, since this is the time of year when those of you that are so inclined will likely be building one, I have since beefed up the series with 2 more articles. The first new one discusses your choice in types of decking. It really boils down to price, aesthetics, and how much maintenance will be required. Personally, I'd go with the Trex composite.

The next article discusses how to actually install the decking and the 3 most popular patterns. There's actually many more patterns because you can mix and match them. I'm not done whipping this particular dead horse though; I think there's room for a couple more topics about things like railings and seating, etc.

Tool of the week:

If you're not familiar with this jig, it's used to make pocket joints. That is, it accurately lets you set up to guide your drill to drill at a precise angle to make "blind" joints connecting 2 pieces of wood without messing with glue and clamps. No more waiting overnight to continue your project while the glue dries. It's perfect for cabinets, chair repair, and more. Here's an in-depth review I wrote after I got mine last year.

Another popular spring topic is lawn mowers. Many homeowners are finding that they need a new one. There are more choices today than there ever was. At a minimum though, an annual tuneup is always a good idea. Here are a few ideas:

• Install a mulching blade and do away with the bag. It will chop the grass so fine that it sifts down to the dirt and becomes mulch. 
• Change or clean the spark plug.
• Change the oil. I like Mobil 1 fully synthetic. Your motor will thank you and you can go twice as long between changes.
• Clean or replace the oil filter.

That's all for now; we'll talk more next week. I would consider it an honor if you would forward this newsletter to any friends you think would enjoy it and they can click on the link above to sign up. What the heck; it's free! And if you would like to opt-out, just send an email to listserv@icanfixupmyhome.com with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.