Posts Tagged ‘Thompson Tips’

1. Spyder Scraper ($13) – this blade turns a reciprocating saw into a power scraper

2. 5-in-1 Screwdriver ($7)

3. 100 pack of Utility Knife Blades ($10) – fresh, sharp blades make projects go quicker and safer

4. Comfortable Safety Glasses (Consider Cheaters  - 1x or 2x magnification) ($15) – if they aren’t comfortable, they won’t be worn but few people naturally spend a lot on them

5. Hearing protection – (1) Ear Muff style ($10) – quick & effective – a must for every woodworker

6. Box of disposable ear plugs ($5-10) – when muffs feel clunky or project helpers are close to loud noises

7. A magnetic feather board ($10-15) – it’s never cool to be a 4-fingered carpenter

8. Plastic push stick ($4-6) – ditto

9. Retractable Carpenter’s Pencil Holder ($5) – you can’t put a pencil in your ear when you’re wearing safety glasses

10. Open mouth tool bag ($15) – load just the tools you’ll need for today’s work into one of these

Where to find these Stocking Stuffers? – Woodcraft of West MI, Lowes, Home Depot, Menards

Ask yourself these questions before buying any tool:

1. Is this tool durable?

2. Is it ergonimically sound, easy to use, and light weight?

3. If it is a power tool, does it have an electronic brake / special safety features?

4. Does it meet my budget?

Glass tile is a beautiful addition to any home, but installing it can be tricky. Follow these tips below to make sure your work is as beautiful as your vision.

1. Each tile needs to be “back-buttered.” Setting material needs to be smoothly applied to the back of each tile for 100% coverage.

2. Cut glass tiles using a high quality diamond wet saw. If you don’t own one… RENT one! The glass is very brittle so cut the tile face down and cut painfully slow. The adage is true, let the saw do the work and don’t force it. Your patience will be rewarded.

3. Use a belt or bench sander to smooth each cut edge of the tile to minimize the appearance of chips.

4. Use tile spacers for vertical applications. Some people bury space in the corners of each tile. We don’t recommend this because it’s too much of a fight and often you’ll have problems grouting. Instead, just stick one leg of the spacer between each course of tile (2 per tile for horizontal joints, 1-2 per vertical joint). Remove the spacers after the tiles set (usually 24 hours) and then grout.

5. Sealing grout is such a pain in the butt. Consider using a grout product like TEC XT Grout that resists staining therefore does not require grout sealer. Remember, when grout joints are <1/16″ use unsanded grout.

Last night at 11:15 Kristin and the kids were asleep and I was sitting in my chair watching TV when all of the detectors in the house went off at once and a none too reassuring voice shouted, “Carbon Monoxide Alert…[repeatedly].”  So what are you supposed to do then?  Here’s what we did.

1. Open the windows to get fresh air / go outside

2. Get a head count – wake the kids up and make sure everyone is conscious

3. Turn off all sources of combustion (furnace, water heater, gas stove/oven, etc). The only apliance running was our water heater so I turned off the gas supply and then turned the second gas control knob off.

4. We were pretty sure we were leaving but I chose to reset the alarm… and 3 minutes later it went off again

5. We confirmed our decision to go to a hotel

6. This morning I called my heating and cooling professional to come find the source

7. I called my plumber to price a new water heater (I’m pretty sure that’s the culprit – the oldest appliance in the house) and we’re due for a new one. Preferably a direct vent water heater.

Now there was one step I didn’t mention.  Step 4B was to go upstairs and google symptoms of CO poisoning.  Wouldn’t you know I instantly got a headache and my stomach felt queezy.  Carbon Monoxide is known as a silent killer.  It is odorless, tasteless, and essentially undetectable.  One possible signal that an appliance is potentially dangerous is that the flame is weak or lazy.

Two action steps that I am requesting of you:

1. Get a carbon monoxide detector and hardwired smoke detectors – all of which I prefer to have a licensed electrician install.

2. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

What is the qualitative value of your guest room?  Quantitatively speaking it allows for 2 more people to “sleep” in your home.

All of us would hope that it is more than just a place to torture our friends and families who love us enough to suffer through a visit with us.  This article gives a practical roadmap to increasing the qualitative value of your guest room.  This blog post is inspired by recently reading some of Sarah Susanka’s design books.

Here are some simple tips to having a fabulous guest room:

1. Stay in your guest room every once in awhile. Is it comfortable in both summer and winter? Is it quiet at night?

2. Many guests are very uuncomforable having to walk through public spaces to get to the bathroom. My family is open about stuff like that. But most people are not as free as we are.

3. The top of the bed doesn’t have to be the place you put the suitcase. The floor is not an appropriate spot for Grandma to dig through her suitcase. A 5 foot desk area could be a perfect place to open up luggage. After all, if you’re only spending 2 nights, who wants to unload all your clothes into the 2 dressers (unnecessary) in most guest rooms?

4. Bedding – my parents and in-laws would die with heat in the summer because we forced them to sleep with our fluffy 3″ thick down comforter we have on the bed. We had overlooked the need for layered bedding. Don’t forget a fan or alternative heat source if it’s not a normally comfortable room.

5. Think like a hotel – what is your favorite hotel to stay in? Do what they do in your home. Yes, now is the perfect time to schedule a trip to do some research.

6. Offer different thickness of pillows in the room and don’t have hand-me-down pillows. Throw out the pillows from the 90s and buy new ones.

7. Two twin beds is roughly the same as a king sized bed so if you have to displace the kiddos for guests consider pushing together twins to make guests comfy.

We love having guests in our home.  These tips will help demonstrate our love more fully to those we invite into our homes.