If you live in an area with a moderate climate, you can save a bundle on utility bills by using a heat pump rather than a conventional central A/C.
On the other hand, if you reside in the arid desert, you’ll be better off with a swamp cooler. Heat pumps and central or window units remove humidity from the air while swamp coolers add it in. Having the right amount of moisture in the air is the key to comfort.
We might get some welcome rain today. That would be nice since the temps have been going over a hundred degrees F. Whew. It was so hot yesterday that my dog was chasing a rabbit and they were both walking. Ha!
Modern heat pumps have been made even more efficient by incorporating things like dual-speed compressors and blowers, desuperheaters (love that word), and scroll compressors.
I’m not due for a new unit yet, but you can bet I’ll be looking into these when it’s time.
You’re probably familiar with many different wood joinery techniques like as tongue in groove, biscuits, dowels, dovetail joints, etc. The more complex the joinery technique is, the snugger the joining pieces of wood will interlock. In almost all cases, woodworking glue is used to further strengthen the joint.
One interesting exception to the glue step is some forms of Japanese joinery. I like to think that the complexity of these joints reflects patience, artistry, and respect for technique. But, the flip side is that the time it takes can make its application impractical for many craftsmen (and women).
But when you’re using glued techniques, he strength of the finished joint depends on the degree of contact on open grain surfaces.
I guess it goes without saying that it’s important to always dry-fit your project before even cracking the cap on your glue bottle. True, no matter how confident you are, grasshopper.
In many cases, it’s simple enough to get a good spread because the surfaces are narrow. Just squiggle a bit of glue on both pieces, mate them, and that act will naturally distribute the glue evenly. Then just wipe off the squeeze-out.
But what if the pieces are wider? This is a bit more problematic. But a tip I read in Woodworker’s Journal illustrates a very slick method to remedy the situation. Simply apply the glue in the typical snake pattern, and then use a threaded rod to roll it out to evenly coat the entire piece of stock evenly. Then mate, clamp it up, and let it dry.
If you’re like me, this is the day you live for. Relax, kick back, and be adored for who you are - Dad. That’s right, with a capital ‘D’. I’m very fortunate to have such a great family.
I was just presented with my gifts, shorts and a shirt. Even though I’ve written recently about tools for Father’s Day, I’ve pretty much got it all. Unless I get a bigger wood shop, that is. Don’t see that happening any time soon.
My wife was going to get me some new running shorts at Sports Authority, but not at $30 a pair. The days when they were reasonably priced are behind us, I’m afraid. I see two issues. First, running clothes have become trendy.
Yes, I know they’re made of technical fabrics, but they’re still assembled by eight year old children in third world countries for about $0.25 a day. Give me one very large break, Nike.
The second reason is that these companies sponsor professional athletes and this cost gets passed down to us, the weekend warriors. I don’t mind it when it goes to runners, because that’s how they eat, but I balk when it comes to paying for Tiger Woods.
I was doing some research on him for an article a few years ago. Did you know he has an accountant just to handle his Nike endorsements? That doesn’t count the endorsements from other sporting goods companies.
Running shoes are expensive too, but they’re a bit different. They are technical and a lot of money goes into research and development. It has to; shoes are the only thing that stand between us and sports injuries like illiotibial band syndrome and shin splints.
But I digress. Or ramble. I’m not sure which. If you’re a dad, happy Father’s Day! If you’re the family component, thanks for being supportive!
We haven’t heard that slogan much lately, although we should. With the instability engulfing that wonderful country of Iran, I hate to think about how much control that monkey Ahmadinejad has over oil transport.
Of course, I’m sure you loyal readers are thinking you clicked on the wrong blog. ICanFixUpMyHome is supposed to be about home improvement and repairs, not international politics and Fred Flintstone-like petro-tyrants.
The subject of drills came to mind yesterday morning, when I was lounging in the dentist’s chair on the business end of a root canal. Luckily, Dr. Blanchard has been my dentist for about 20 years, and he’s the best in the business.
Root Canals and Carpentry. Coincidence?
But boy, he wields a mean drill! Ever have a root canal? First the center of the tooth gets drilled out. I don’t think he used a DeWalt cordless drill, but that would have been cool. Next, he uses a series of little files to clean out and shape the hole. Again, just like a DIY project.
Finally, he packs the hole with a filler. Kind of like applying wood putty. Again, like a DIY project.
Back to Electric Drills…
What kind of drill do you favor? This is not like the old days when the choice was either the manual “egg-beater” model so popular in wood shop (Fond memories of Balboa High School in the Canal Zone) or that corded electric solid steel model that weighed about 25 pounds.
No, today we have high quality cordless models with lightweight plastic bodies. And we’re no longer restricted to low voltage batteries with narrow windows between recharges. No more running around with extension cords.
Even powerful hammer drills abound for masonry work. I can’t tell you how many times my Makita hammer drill and a handfull of Tapcon screws have saved the day.
Anyhow, just to round out the topic and come full circle, call your representatives and Nancy Pelosi and here band of boneheads, and tell them, “Drill Here, Drill Now.”
If they won’t do it, let’s fire them. Who’s with me?
I’ve written articles about parquet floor maintenance in the past. These are interesting finish floors. They range from the basic tiles to the custom jobs that will really bend your mind. Since parquet tiles are made up of strips of hardwood, the options are open on creativity.
Keeping your floors looking good is basically the same ritual as with a plank type hardwood floor. Just sweep regularly, damp mop, and perform touch ups regularly.
In my parquet floor maintenance article, that’s what I focused on. But as I’ve found out from the emails I’ve received, what people really want to know about is more extensive repair.
Specifically, how to fix an area where it’s better to just replace a tile than to repair the tile that’s damaged. I found this concise instruction on replacing a parquet tile. This is just another DIY task that most of us like to tackle; give me a goal, hand me my tool box, and take the phone off the hook. Arg.
From the feedback I’ve gotten (thank you LDIYR (Loyal DIY Readers)), this usually happens when someone buys a home and discovers that some hipster in the 70s covered up some quality floors with tacky shag carpeting.
The damage is usually water damage or pet urine. Either way, hardwood is worth salvaging. So if you’re in the market for a new floor, think parquet. Any woodworker that wants to take his/her time can totally send home equity through the roof.
Just be sure to amend the homeowners insurance policy. Don’t be “too bad, so sad, day late and a dollar short.”
Father’s day is one of my favorite holidays to be a dad. With just the one kid, it makes it all that much more special. It’s not so much getting the gift; it’s what the gift represents. Tool gifts are really symbolic of Father’s Day. Let me explain…
In these modern times with an incredible number of single-parent families or “domestic units” with same-gender partners, society is missing the picture. By giving a wink and a nod to social equivalence and a philosophical extension to the term equality, kids are getting short-changed in their upbringing.
No, this is not a diatribe against same gender marriage. Not my call to make. But it takes a family of an opposite gender couple to raise a kid. Women provide qualities such as nurturing and care-giving while men provide the qualities of discipline and building/fixing.
Hence, Mother’s Day = flowers and perfume; Father’s Day = tools and fishing gear. Like I said, it’s symbolic.
Types of Gift Tools
So, what kind of tools are appropriate? It depends on what the old man likes to tinker with. If he’s a woodworker that has everything, a Rockler gift card can’t be beat.
If he’s into fixing up the exterior of the home with painting, fixing the siding, cleaning out the rain gutters and such, the one thing that can’t be beat is a Little Giant ladder. You’ve probably seen them on TV.
They’re super versatile, have multiple accessories, and are like Transformers you played with as a kid. Free shipping too.
Let’s not leave anyone out though. If tools just aren’t in the picture, but he’s a runner or into any other type of sport, why not get him a Road ID? This is awesome; I just got one myself. See, I’m a kayaker, fly fisherman and a long-distance runner and I don’t always run with a group.
They make several models but I bought the wrist band. It’s a velcro strap with an engraved metal tag. Mine has my name, the town I live in, two phone numbers, and the fact that I take meds for high blood pressure.
If I get hit by a car on the road, or mauled by a bear during a trail run, at least there won’t be any confusion about who I am.
As I always say, “It’s so they know where to send the body.” Gallows humor? Perhaps. But I’m also an organ doner and time is of the essence, as they say…
One of the buzzwords that’s been going around the home energy saving aficionado crowd is “tight envelope”. What’s this? Basically, making the home’s exterior surface (interface to the outside world) as air-tight as possible.
It minimizes the transfer of hot/cold air to and from the home’s living space. Interestingly, or perhaps not, this way of saving money dovetails with green building and LEED certification, hopefully.
The Exterior Walls is Where it all Begins
The exterior walls are a major surface area, and it only increases when the home goes over one story high. One problem with homes over 30 years old or so is that they weren’t always built with insulation. Retro-fitting with loose-fill and spray insulation is possible but intrusive.
But for new construction, there are three great approaches:
Conventional wood framing. Framing with wood studs is very economical. Once the sheathing, vapor barrier, and even siding have been installed, the walls can be insulated with spray foam or fiberglass batts before hanging sheetrock.
Metal stud framing. The same as wood framing without the warping potential and fire hazard.
Insulated concrete forms. ICFs are green and sustainable and work well in areas that suffer from wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
Structural insulated panels. SIPS are also a green building option. They offer all the economy of labor and energy efficiency of ICFs without the concrete. SIPs are sandwiches of OSB and rigid insulation that are building blocks for modular construction.
Most of the current green building measures focus on energy saving items like creating a tight envelope, using the recommended amount of wall and attic insulation, using salvaged and sustainable construction materials, and outfitting with Energy Star appliances. But is there more to it? Sure there is.
Consider Water Conservation
Lately there has been a great deal of concern over the availability of clean, potable water. It’s always an issue in third-world developing countries, but there’s the occasional fluster in the Western US over water rights. Other parts of the country have their own woes during droughts when water rationing takes effect. No car washing, no lawn watering, no vegetable garden action, etc.
Now the folks that make water delivery in the home both possible and attractive are getting into the green business.
John Fitzgerald, who is the Director of Marketing of the Chicago Faucet Company, puts it this way, “We regard sustainability as an opportunity to travel down new roads with our customers. Sustainability and social responsibility are closely interrelated and are important subjects for Chicago Faucets in thinking and acting in research and development and in production.”
Of course, we’ve had it up to here with low flow this and low flow that. It works well when shower heads have flow restricters installed, but toilets don’t make the grade unless they are properly designed or have some kind of turbo accelerator to take care of business.
In any event, look for your plumber to become a more caring, sensitive, politically correct person.
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