Weekend Warrior Projects – On the House
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Weekend Warrior Projects

By on August 22, 2020
Weekend Warrior Projects

 Are you a weekend warrior? Well then we have the projects for you this weekend!

Got an Hour? Do a Weekend Water Test!

Invisible home maintenance tasks are some of the most important ones to check off your list. Take having your dryer vent cleaned out: Not doing it won’t cause any additional visible dirt in your home, but leaving it undone causes energy inefficiency at best, and is a fire hazard at worst. It helps to tie these jobs to certain times of the year—such as making it a habit to change your fire alarm batteries when you change your clocks. 

Doing these more hidden chores around the house doesn’t always have an immediate perceptible payoff. But the peace of mind of knowing that you’re properly taking care of the items and people in your house feels good.  

This weekend’s project involves seeing if it’s time to perform one such less-noticeable maintenance job: sealing your granite countertops, or other natural stone surfaces. Leaving your granite counters unsealed leaves them susceptible to both etching, which dulls the overall luster of your granite, and staining, especially from dark-colored or greasy spills.  

The water test is super simple: Drip a small amount of water on your surface and check on it in half an hour. If the water is still beaded up, your counters are sealed and safe. On the other hand, if the water stays splotchy or seeps into the granite (you’ll know if there’s a dark spot on the counter), it’s definitely time to seal. 

Sealing them, on the other hand, not only protects your counters, but also gives them a reflective sheen that will elevate the look of your whole kitchen.  

Sealing counters sounds involved, but it’s the same amount of work as just wiping them down. Instead of a granite cleaner, you’ll use a liquid or spray granite sealer. Remove all the items from your counter (work in one section at a time.) Then spray or wipe the sealant, wait a minute or two, and buff it into the counter with a soft lint, free rag.  It creates a barrier to protect all natural stone against staining, etching and soil buildup. 

  

Quick Zip Tie Tricks 

Every homeowner should have a stash of these tiny, versatile straps on hand. Zip ties can help you conquer clutter, work hands-free and even see in the dark. Here’s how: 

No More Flying Garbage Can Lids 

Are you tired of losing your garbage can lid? “Hinge” it to the barrel with zip ties. Drill 1/4-in. holes for the ties and double them for extra strength. The lid will flip open and stay attached to the barrel. You’ll never have to search for your lid again! Smart, right?!  

Secure Moving Bins 

Moving is always a pain, but using plastic containers that don’t stay closed adds even more frustration. Zip ties to the rescue! After putting on a container lid, drill a small hole through the lid and handles. Run a zip tie through the holes and you’re on the road. 

Simple Bathroom Sink Drain Cleaner 

Next time your bathroom sink gets clogged, use a long zip tie. Cut several notches on the end of the zip tie. It’ll hook the hair clog, allowing you to pull it out. Problem solved. The size of the eye of the zip tie should prevent you from inadvertently pushing the tie past the stopper. 

Stay-Put Cord 

Zip ties are great to have on hand for quick repairs and fastening jobs around the shop. Use a zip tie on one end of an electrical cord so it stays with the cord reel. Just keep the connection loose enough that will allow you to pull out enough cord to reach an outlet. 

Control Your Climbing Plants with Zip Ties 

Getting your vines to run up just how you want can be tricky. To direct the vines, fasten zip ties around the stalks, strapping them to anything stable. Don’t strap the vines too tightly. They need to be able to move and grow. 

Fix a Screwy Electrical Box 

If you find a loose receptacle inside a plastic electrical box due to stripped screw holes, you can fix it with zip ties. Just slip small zip ties into the stripped holes, which will allow you to tighten the screws until snug. 

Keep Round Tools from Rolling 

To keep X-Acto knives from rolling off the table and stabbing you in the foot, put zip ties around them. This trick also works great for preventing short pencils from getting stuck down in narrow tool belt pockets, and carpenter’s pencils from falling through the cracks when used as spacers between deck boards 

Zip Tie Your Decorations 

Zip ties are a simple way to string holiday lights on banisters and fences without marring the railing with nail marks. They are sold at home centers. You’ll find them in the electrical supplies aisle. After the holidays, snip the ties off with scissors.  

 

Best New Home Remodel Features for Pets 

Pets are part of the family. Their needs are often considered when a pet owner remodels their home. Check out these easy home upgrades that you and your pets will adore. 

Pet Friendly Kitchen Ideas 

Usually when upgrading a kitchen you’re looking into new paint, countertops, backsplashes, flooring, and even brand new appliances. When you have a home with pets usually dog and cat storage does not match your current decor, but if you’re remodeling your kitchen and installing new cabinets consider a pet feeder station cabinet . It hides the food bowls and holds 33 pounds of dog food discreetly and stylishly.  

Pet Friendly Bathroom Ideas 

Bathing a dog is always a battle, so consider that when remodeling your bathroom. Replacing your old tub/shower combo with a walk-in shower or an open concept shower, which will help getting your dog in and out of the bath much easier. If your remodeling your bathroom on a budget look into installing a handheld shower faucet closer to the ground. 

For the cat lovers out there, having a litter box is always a pain to maintain. The bathroom is a good place to keep a litter box, sort of an out of sight out – of mind concept. If you’re replacing your cabinets you can leave a small space to slide the litter box under the cabinets. Designing cabinets for storing kitty litter near the area to keep all of your cats supplies in one central location. 

Pet Friendly Landscaping Ideas 

Landscaping is always the most expensive part in remodeling a home, behind remodeling a kitchen of course. The obvious upgrade to your landscape is a new fence. Installing a fence window at your dogs eye level, it will let your dog look out without the worry of them getting out. Another landscaping upgrade is to install a dog run. A dog run closes off an area in your yard for your dog to run freely in their own world and it leaves their “waste” in one area instead through out the entire yard. 

 

Last Day to Enter 

Ugliest Concrete Surface in America Sweepstakes 

Everyone loves a giveaway. If you have the ugliest concrete surface in America you can get a chance to be one of three winners in our latest sweepstakes… 

The Ugliest Concrete Surfaces in America Sweepstakes 

Winners will be chosen at random to receive cash prizes and a Daich Coatings on-line shopping spree. 

First Place 

$500 VISA® Gift Card and $500 shopping spree on Daich Coatings Online Store.
Total value $1,000.00 

Second Place 

$250 VISA® Gift Card and $250 shopping spree on Daich Coatings Online Store.
Total value $500.00 

Third Place 

$100 VISA® Gift Card and $100 shopping spree on Daich Coatings Online Store.
Total value $200.00 

The sweepstakes ending at 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 22, 2020. 

 

Installing a New Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm  

If have a smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector and they both have batteries, it’s time to upgrade to a 10-Year Worry Free Sealed Battery Smoke and CO Detector with or with out intelligent wire-free voice interconnect 

And by the way, this is a great project to get your home ready for winter! 

Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can detect smoke or dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home and sound an alarm to alert you, just like traditional detectors. But unlike traditional detectors, they send alerts to your phone so you’ll know of dangerous conditions even if you’re not home. These smart detectors also may come with nifty extra features like voice control through Alexa, music streaming, nightlights and more. 

 

A combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm — also known as a smoke and carbon monoxide detector — can warn you when either threat is present and help protect you and your family as well as your home. They’re available as battery-powered, plug-in or hard-wired. A hard-wired device requires electrical connections at an available junction box. 

Detectors can come with two types of sensors: 

  • Ionization Sensors: register a flaming fire more quickly 
  • Photoelectric Sensors: provide a faster response to smoldering fires 

 

Where to Install a Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm 

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.  

Locations include: 

  • On each floor of the home 
  • In each bedroom 
  • In each hallway close to sleeping areas; if a hallway is longer than 40 feet, place devices at both ends 
  • At the top of stairways going to an upper floor 
  • At the bottom of stairways going to a basement 
  • In your living area 
  • At least 10 feet away from your stove or furnace 

They should be mounted on the ceiling at least 6 inches from the wall or on the wall at least 6 inches below the ceiling. 

Check your manual for installation locations to avoid and information on how far to install the alarms from furnaces, heaters, stoves, water heaters and other devices. 

Some smoke and carbon monoxide alarms allow you to wirelessly connect compatible units so all linked units sound an alarm when one detects a threat. This functionality can warn of hazards in remote areas of the house. If you install linkable units, pay attention to the range and placement restrictions for the linking feature.       

Mentioned Links 

~ Thank you to our guest~ 

Sean Watkins of Powersnap

The newest product is Snappower Connectlight which just launched on Kickstarted! 

A very special thank you to all of our callers! We live to answer your questions, so keep them coming! 

Thank you to our Technical Support: 

  • Danny Bringer – Chief Engineer  
  • Carol “Remodeling Babe” Carey – Executive Producer  
  • Sam Reed – Associate Producer  
  • Rico Figliolini – Digital Master 

 

Thank you for tuning in to learn about this Weekend’s Warrior Projects! And check in next week for more cool tips! 

“Weekend Warrior Projects” Show Notes for On The House with the Carey Brothers aired August 22, 2020. 

Missed our live show? Don’t worry! We have a podcast of the show. It’s the same thing we aired on the radio, but ready for you whenever and wherever you are! Check it out here. 

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