The gardener’s new best gardening tool is the Hori-Hori knife.

This Japanese gardening knife is great for weeding, planting and even cutting sod. It has a very sharp 6–1/2 inch stainless steel blade (an improvement over the original carbon blade) that’s serrated on one side making it an excellent tool for cutting and slicing through heavy roots and garden weeds. And it’s concave shape serves as a trowel for scooping soil and other materials.

The Hori Hori knife is light-weight, durable, and its hardwood handle is sturdy and feels great in the palm of your hand. As you can tell, it’s an indispensable tool for digging in the garden — which is why Master gardener’s love it.

I’ve all but given up all my trowels and weeders and I couldn’t be happier. This is the one tool that will surely make your gardening life easier.

Beware of impostors, GrowTech makes the best quality gardening knife.

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The real truth about tools and their uses.

With the help of almost the entire DIY population here are the seldom revealed, but well know real uses of our common DIY tools. Enjoy!

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER

Normally used to stab a hole in oil cans thus splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used to strip out Phillips screws, while blistering your palm.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER

A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws, and butchering or slotting your palms.

PLIERS

Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

SIDE CUTTERS

Most often used to cut electrical wires resulting in a flash of light, followed by smoke and a breaker being tripped.

VISE-GRIPS

Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

CHISEL

The best tool to create a huge splinter of wood where you only wanted to remove a bit.

HAMMER

Originally employed as a weapon of war. Nowadays the hammer is often used to bend nails, flatten fingers and sometimes destroy anything close to what we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE

Used to slice through the contents of cardboard packages delivered to your front door; such as seats, clothes, liquids in plastic bottles, books, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Also useful in sharpening pencils from 6″ down to 2″ in a matter of seconds.

PRY BAR

Most effective in destroying the wooden trim that you are trying to remove, or putting a hole in the drywall as you try to remove that wooden trim. Also a great to crumple that metal clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER

Simply a tool used to make hoses too short.

THE NAIL SET

By far the best tool for setting nails and splitting trim at the same time.

HACKSAW

One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle… It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

SKILL SAW

A portable cutting tool used to cut studs too short, make incomprehensible miter cuts, and make weaving cuts down the length of a sheet of plywood.

RECIPROCATING SAW

The perfect power tool for breaking blades as soon as you pull the trigger.

BELT SANDER

An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

THE 1/2″ DRILL with two handles

First off, go ahead and remove that side handle. Now proceed with breaking your wrist. Told you so.

JIG SAW

The best power tool for cutting weavy lines on some bizarre angle.

TABLE SAW

A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity, as well as shortening digits.

PALM SANDER

Excellent for sanding the little scratches out of that table top, but resulting in burning through the veneer.

THE COMPOUND MITER SAW

Yes, you guessed it, for cutting those compound miters on crown molding that are always just a bit to short.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK

Used for lifting your car of the ground, but not keeping it there. Also used to test the strength of parts not made for lifting you car off the ground.

DRILL PRESS

A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching whatever you’re drilling out of your hands, so that it smacks you in the chest, flings your beer across the room, and ultimately dents the freshly-painted project you had carefully set in the corner.

WIRE WHEEL

Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, ‘Oh sh –’

OXYACETYLENE TORCH

Used almost exclusively for lighting almost anything in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

BAND SAW

A large stationary power saw primarily used to cut most types of material into smaller pieces that fit more easily into the trash can, due to cutting on the wrong side of the line.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST

A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

THE SON of a B****’ TOOL

The closest tool you grab and throw across the garage while yelling ‘Son of a B****’ at the top of your lungs, just after having used any of the above. It usually turns out to be the next tool you’ll need right after you let it fly.

Essential DIY Fasteners.

Like anyone’s house, there’s always little projects and repairs to be done. You know, replace a deck board, hang a picture, install a ceiling fan… you get the idea. And so many times when you set off to take care of these projects or repairs you come up missing the right fastener for the job.

This can be very frustrating, as we all dislike running to the store for just one item. And it’s especially frustrating and costly if the hardware store or home center is 30 miles away, like it is for me.

So, if we’re missing the essential fastener we need, we end up either putting off those projects and repairs or do them improperly (only to end up having to do them again).

Life can be so much easier if you have right fasteners as well as the right tools for the job at hand. That’s why I’ve created this essential list of Do-It-Yourself Fasteners. You know, the ones you’ll use most often.

Types of Fasteners

Although there are many different types of fasteners; Screws, Nuts, Bolts, Washers, Pins — and available in a range of materials and grades; Metal, Plastic, Stainless, Standard, Industrial and Specialty — these are the fasteners to have on-hand because they’re the ones you will use the most.

Screws

Drywall Screws

Pick up a box (each) of these sizes of drywall screws. (3/4″, 1 1/4″, 2″ and 3″). Drywall screws are the great universal fastener and can be used in so many applications (note: indoor use only).

Torx Head Screws

Torx screws come in various sizes (1 1/4″, 1 3/4″, 2 1/2″ and 3″). These are self-drilling and great for building decks or any outdoor project. Pick up a box of each.

Nails

Finishing Nails

As far as nails go I don’t stock many because screws are definitely the fastener of choice these days. Having said that, I do keep some 1 1/4″ finish nails on hand for projects like hanging pictures and small repairs. I also keep some 16d galvanized finish nails around for deck repairs.

16d Vinyl Sinkers

The reason they’re called sinkers is that they have a vinyl coating, making them easier to drive and once in, hard to remove. 16d vinyl sinkers are the best choice for framing and 8d vinyl sinkers for the smaller jobs.

8d Galvanize Nails

Lastly I recommend having some 8d galvanized nails on hand. These are great for building and repairing smaller outdoor projects.

Nuts and Bolts

Nuts and bolts are a more difficult item to decide what to keep on hand. What I recommend is picking up a combination set. You know, like the ones that come in an organizer. Like this.

Overall, I find the need for nuts and bolts is pretty low and, typically, you’ll know in advance exactly what you’ll need for a particular project.

Wall Anchors

A must have for any DIY’er, wall anchors are invaluable for fastening just about anything to walls and tile. Pick up a couple packs of each of the various sizes and types listed below — and don’t forget to pick up the correct size screws to go with each size anchor.

Plastic Expansion Anchors

Plastic anchors are very popular but are mostly used for smaller jobs and for tile.

EZ-Anchors

EZ-Anchor fasteners (also called threaded drywall anchors) are one of the best inventions ever. Best used for attaching just about anything to drywall as they hold quite well. I find the EZ-Anchors the best wall anchors for mounting LCD and Plasma TV mounts.

These anchors come in several sizes and are easy to install as well as remove. Be sure to pick up some #6 and #8 sheet metal screws to go with them (note that small 3/4″ — 1 1/4″ drywall screws also work with these anchors).

Toggle Bolts

Toggle bolts are mostly used for fastening things to ceilings as they spread the load over a larger surface area. These too are removable.

Having the right fasteners on-hand will save you time, money, and frustration — and you’ll seldom have a problem holding things together.

So consider picking up these essential fasteners at your local home center or hardware store. Believe me, they will last quite a while and be well worth the investment.

Coming up next, a fantastic, lightweight and DIY tool box-organizer to hold all your hand tools or fasteners. This great tool box makes it so convenient to take all your hand tools or fasteners to your project. Also coming up, DIY Essential Supplies.

One more way to succeed with speed from your DIY Answer Guy.

Stop wasting money buying the wrong tools or tools you don’t really need!
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Tool Boxes — the quest for the best.

Here’s the problem. We all have a tool box or two around the house, right? But no matter which cool tool box we buy, it only ends up as a pile of tools in a box. You know, totally disorganized, heavy, taking up too much space and you can’t see what’s at the bottom of the pile. Well, a cardboard box could do just as well.

You may even own one of these popular tool box styles.

Even if you have a multi-drawer tool box that’s well organized, it’s too big and heavy to lug around. Anyway, the fact remains that for the majority of do it yourself projects you only need the essential tools, not every tool you own.

I’ll bet, like me, you hardly ever take your tool box to your project, you just try taking the tools you think you’ll need. Inevitably, you end up running back and forth. What a waste of time!

Here’s the simple solution that will make it easier to; carry your tools to your project, find your tools, and save space and money. I know, sounds like a pie-in-the-sky dream right?

It’s not. And I’m going to reveal to you an amazing tool box you’ll love forever.

So here we go.

One day I was strolling through my local home center looking for a divided box to store my fasteners when I spotted a multi-section plastic organizer.

It was different from others I’d seen before. It was made of heavy duty plastic, had adjustable sections, a locking clear lid, a good strong handle and the lid closed tight against the dividers so nothing can not jump from one section to another — even if dropped.

This tool box is only 18″ W x 12.5″ D x 3″ H, which makes it’s easy to store just about anywhere.

Sensing I found buried treasure, I immediately grabbed the case and started playing with it right then and there on the floor. You may laugh, but hey, I’m a tool guy! So, I bought it and headed home.

When I got home I started thinking, “Hey, I wonder if my hand tools will fit in this case?”

So I got the hand tools I use most often (the same ones in the (Essential Hand Tools PDF) plus a few others, and began arranging them in the case.

I was totally amazed, everything fit (even the extra tools I carry)!

This tool box makes it so easy to actually carry your tools to your project and quickly find the tools you need.

And get this, they’re even stackable! I can’t begin to tell you how much space you’ll save.

But the big bonus is the incredibly low price. This tool box costs only $10 bucks! What an amazing deal.

I can’t imagine how much I would have saved if I’d only found this tool box earlier. I’ll bet I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on tool boxes over the years and none of them have been as good as this one.

Take my advise, the next time you’re at Home Depot, go to the tool organizing isle (generally located next to the power tool section) and buy the Work Force 26 compartment organizer. You won’t be disappointed.

By the way, I went back and bought two more of these incredibly useful tool boxes, one for my fasteners and a second for my electrical gear.

It’s amazing how much less space these three new tool boxes take up versus just one of my old tool boxes.

Just one more do-it-yourself solution to help you succeed with speed!

Important Update

Please see Special Note at the bottom of this post
The Work Force 26 has been replaced with the Stanley 25 Compartment Organizer. It’s the same exact box, only now branded with the Stanley name. See below photo.

Product Information:
Description from Home Depot: Workforce 25 Adjustable Deep Compartment Small Parts Organizer. Built-In Handle With 2 Locking Tabs And Lid Lock So Parts Stay In Place. Ideal Tool And Small Parts Storage And Organizer For Carpenters, Mechanics, Handyman, Toys And Hobbies.

• Stanley 25 Adjustable Deep Compartment Storage Organizer 199-Gray/Yellow
• 25 Deep Adjustable Compartments
• 3 Locking Mechanisms To Prevent Spills
• Removable dividers allow customization
• Extra wide, built-in handle designed for gloved hands
• Dimensions: 18–1/8 x 13–3/16 x 3–7/8 inches
• MFG Brand Name : Stanley
• MFG Model # : 14005
• MFG Part # : 14005
• SKU: 542047
• UPC: 076174932737
• Price: $9.98 (+ shipping)
• Available from Home Depot.

I recommend calling ahead to make sure they have this in stock (they sell very quickly). If not, you can have them order it for you.

I have attempted to locate this online but, so far, have only found it through a Canadian Home Depot for $16.

This is now available through Home Depot website.

SPECIAL NOTICE: As of 3/10/09 Stanley has discontinued this tool box and it is no longer available at Home Depot.

Home Depot has assigned the SKU# from this old box to a new Stanley box. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE OLD BOX, so beware.

I’m currently  investigating a new, available, tool box and will post my finding soon.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Tool Box Update 3/26/09

Good news! After weeks of searching, I believe I have found a replacement tool/parts box. In fact, I found a set of three different size boxes (small, medium and large). I have ordered the boxes and will be testing them shortly.

4/4/09 UPDATE: I have finally received, and am currently testing three new tool boxes, similar to the Stanley. They look and work great so far. I’ll be posting my findings in the DIY Answer Guy newsletter, followed by a new article with all the details and where to purchase, so hang in there, it’ll be worth the wait.
5/5/09 UPDATE:
The new DIY Best Tool Box and Organizers have been tested and are ready for your approval and purchase at DIY Tool Box SIghted and Captured. Thank you once again for your patience.

9/20/09 UPDATE:
Stanley has been in contact in the last couple of months and told me that the Workforce toolbox/organizer with be re-released in October of this year. I’ll let you all know when and
where just a soon as Stanley let me know.
Hang in there, and thanks for your patience.

10/21/09 UPDATE

I have just been advised, by the Stanley product manager, that the original Workforce tool box/organizers (14006) have been re-released and will be available at Target stores to start. Stanley promised to advise me of other locations that the box will be available at ASAP.
Note that the boxes you see on Lowes and Home Depots site are not the original boxes. They are the new ones with the fixed center section.
Thanks for your patience and please let me know if you have any questions.

A few DIY tips on insulation materials and things you should and should not do when insulating your home.

So, here we go.

There are several types of home insulation and different applications for each. I will cover the different types and uses for each and offer a few tips to help keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

The most popular and widely used type of insulation is fiberglass — which is actually made from spun glass. Fiberglass insulation is typically used to insulate floors, walls, ceilings and attics. It comes faced (paper backed) and un-faced, in various widths and R-values.

R-value is simply the measure of thermal resistance (how much the insulation slows the transfer of warm air to cold air). So the higher the R-value the more resistance the insulation offers. Learn more about R-value.

There are many other types of insulation such as;

• Rigid foam (extruded polystyrene), used primarily for exterior applications.
• Cellulose (made from recycled paper), used for insulating walls, ceilings, attics and floors.
• Radiant barriers (closed cell foam faced on both sides with foil) use for insulating floors, walls, ceilings, attics, garage doors, water heaters and metal commercial buildings, and
• Spray foam (a two-part liquid containing a polymer and a foaming agent) used for insulating walls, ceilings and other interior closed spaces.

These products all have different R-values, material cost and installation cost.

Do it Yourself Insulating Do’s and Don’ts.

• Do not crush or stuff fiberglass insulation into a space. Crushing the insulation reduces the effectiveness of the product. More in a space is not better.
• Do wear a mask and protective clothing when working with fiberglass insulation. Who wants to breath spun glass into their lungs.
• Do not block soffit and gable vents when initially insulating or adding insulation to your attic. Good air flow is critical to preventing condensation. Condensation/moisture will ruin most insulation and create an environment for mold to take hold.
• Do install a moisture barrier (plastic/polyethylene) over your insulated walls and seal (tape) all seams as well as the top and bottom of the walls. This will insure that there is no transfer of cold air to the warm air, thus virtually eliminating condensation.
• Do not dispose of any insulation by burning. Burning insulation is toxic, harmful to you and the environment. You can easily dispose of the extra or old insulation by placing it in plastic bags and taking it to your local refuse disposal station (dump).
• Do use radiant barriers to insulate the inside of your garage door and around your water heater. This is a great way to save energy and it is quite inexpensive. Radiant barriers are less expensive than rigid insulation, are far more effective and easier to use. Radiant barriers are also fantastic for use as a moisture barrier/underlayment for laminate floors over concrete. Since the radiant barrier acts as a thermal break the cold and moisture can not move from the concrete up through the flooring. It also adds just a bit of cushion to the floor for comfort, (as it is only 1/4″ thick).

Here’s more energy saving and insulation tips.

Follow these do-it-yourself insulation tips and you will truly succeed with speed.

If you have questions about your DIY projects, just ask your personal DIY consultant. I’m here to help you.

Shedding light on GFI Outlets to help keep you out of the dark.

As you know, running into unforeseen electrical problems can be very intimidating — specially when you’re left in the dark.

If you are like most people, when one of these problems occur you search around looking for a probable cause, even when you may not really know what to look for. Sound familiar?

Then, when you get to the point you know you can’t resolve the problem, you hesitate to call a professional because you know it’s going to cost a bunch of money (electricians generally charge as much as $85 just to show up). Then, if it turns out to be a simple fix, not only does your ego take a hit, but so does your wallet.

Such is the case when a GFI outlet shuts down the power in part of your house. So it’s nice to know which GFI is the culprit and where it’s located.

A Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) is that electrical outlet with two buttons on it. One says “Test” and the other says “Reset”.

GFI’s are used wherever there is the potential for contact between people and an electrical appliance that is near moisture or water. Which is why GFI’s are mostly installed near sinks, tubs, saunas, hot tubs, pools and for outdoor outlets.

GFI outlets protect you from shock by shutting off the electricity the instant the GFI senses most kinds of shorts or changes in current. When this happens, the breaker inside the GFI is triggered and pops the “Reset” button out.

Some homes have a GFI installed in the garage — which has been known to cause a bit of a problem.

You see, back in the day, electricians were famous for running power from the breaker panel to a GFI in the garage and then from the GFI to various parts of the house. This was a cost saving short cut (less GFI’s to install).

This would protect various parts of the house but, when the power went out somewhere in the house, the home owner wouldn’t know it was caused by the GFI in the garage. Many frustrated homeowners ended up calling an electrician to figure this out… and boy was that expensive.

So here’s a tip to save you from what could be a very frustrating, and possibly costly, situation.

Take a few minutes to locate every GFI in your house and garage. When you find one, press the test button. It will shut off the electricity to that outlet and whatever circuit it controls. You can then find out what circuit that GFI controls and make a note of it for the future.

You should also know that if the GFI is tripped (shut off) it can also trip the breaker in your breaker panel that supplies power to that outlet. So if you reset the GFI and the power does not come back on, check your main breaker panel for a tripped breaker switch.

Knowing the basics of your home’s electrical system will keep you safe as well as save you time and money.

If you have questions about your DIY projects, just ask your personal DIY consultant. I’m here to help you succeed with speed.

Avoiding the Flood Waters.

Here’s the problem.

One of the most common causes of flood damage in the home (kitchen, laundry room, garage, or basement) is from a burst washing machine hose.

It’s true.

Which leads me to ask the question, “Have you ever checked the water supply hoses to your washing machine?” No? That’s okay, most home owners never do.

If you haven’t checked the washing machine supply hoses since you’ve lived in your house, or within the last five years, you should replace them as soon as possible.

Believe me, I’ve known many people whose homes have been flooded simply due to an old washing machine hose. And this is not a cheap cleanup — typically around $4,000.

Ironically, washing machine hoses are inexpensive, easy to change and certainly worth the $20-$30 bucks to do so. Plus, the only tool you need is an adjustable pliers/channel locks (well, and some Teflon tape).

By the way, there are two types of washing machine hoses available; standard rubber hoses and braided hoses.

The braided hoses cost a bit more but are a worth the extra money as they are very resistant to any abrasion like moving the washing machine or things falling on the hoses. Six foot hoses are the most common and allow you to pull the washer completely out to perform any service.

Although I don’t do many “how to” articles, I’ve made an exception with this do-it-yourself article, “How to Change A Washing Machine Hose”.

Succeeding with speed through knowledge and preventive maintenance.
If you have questions about your DIY projects, just ask your personal DIY consultant. I’m here to help you.

DIY Tip: Check out “The Complete Guide to Plumbing“

The perfect reference guide for all your DIY plumbing projects.

About $17 from Amazon.com Go to store

Preparing for Water Emergency’s — how and where to shut-off the water and gas.

Knowing the basics of how things work around your home makes dealing with an emergency much easier and less stressful.

If you’re like most homeowners, you may not know where all the water and gas shut-off valves are located in your home, so take a few minutes to educate yourself and avoid the panic that come with an emergency.

How To Find Water Shut-off Valves

There are usually two main water shut-offs for most homes. One inside the house and one outside the house.

The water shut-off valve inside the house is usually located near your water heater, probably on top of the water heater. The outside water shut-off valve is usually located below the hose bib on the front of the house. If it’s not located there, your only outside shut off could be inside the water meter box on the street side of the house.

To shut off the water at the meter, you will need either a crescent wrench or a 4 in 1 tool.

Make sure you keep the shut-off tool where you can get to it quickly. Also, a water meter shut-off valve usually only requires a half turn to shut off the water.

Once you have found these shut-offs you’ll know right where to go if you have an emergency. You might even tag your shut-offs, since you typically don’t use them except in an emergency.

Most homes also have individual shut-offs under each sink and toilet too. Make sure they work. And don’t forget to make sure everyone in the house knows where the shut-off are and how to use them.

While we’re on the subject on shut-off vales, another shut-off I’d like to talk about is your gas shut-off valve.

How To Find Gas Shut-off Valves

If you have natural gas or propane piped into your home you must know where the gas shut-off valve is located.

If you have natural gas, the shut-off is located on your gas meter, usually on the side or your house. It requires a crescent wrench or a 4 in one tool to operate the shut-off, and usually only takes one half-turn to close the valve.

If you have propane, your shut-off valve is on the tank.

Also, any gas appliances will have a shut-off valve on the gas line where it is connected to the appliance (or it should!). Knowing this information is critical in an emergency.

Taking these few minutes to educate yourself will help protect you and give you piece of mind.

Learn More

If you have questions about your DIY projects, just ask your personal DIY consultant. I’m here to help you succeed with speed.

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