How Every Guy Can Be a Handyman
No man is lord of his house if he has to call in the cavalry for every leaky pipe. These 16 DIY tricks will save you money—and earn you bragging rights
BY DENNY WATKINS
Find every stud
Most newer homes are built with studs 16 inches apart on exterior
walls, and 20 inches apart on interior walls. So, starting at the
corner of two walls, place a pencil mark every 16 or 20 inches across
the wall—test the first one by hammering a small nail into the spot,
just to be sure.
Replace a cracked tile
1 Place strips of masking tape along the edges of surrounding tiles to keep them from chipping.
2 Scrape away the grout from around the broken tile.
3 Crack the broken tile into
pieces with a small hammer. Once shattered, the tile should come loose
from the glue holding it down. Scrape the remaining adhesive (it’s
actually called “thinset”) from the surface with a putty knife.
4 Apply a coat of new thinset
with a grooved trowel. “Grooves keep the adhesive at an even thickness,
which helps the tile sit flat,” says Carter Oosterhouse, a professional
handyman and the host of HGTV’s Carter Can. Press the tile into place,
using plastic spacers around the edges
to ensure it’s perfectly aligned. Let it sit overnight.
5 Remove the spacers and use a
“float,” or rubber trowel, to apply premixed grout around the edges.
Don’t worry about being neat—the grout won’t bond to the tile. Wipe off
the excess and repeat until the gaps are filled. Let the tile dry for 4
hours before stepping on it or getting it wet.
Remove the base of a smashed lightbulb
Make sure the lamp is unplugged or, if it’s hardwired, flip off the
circuit breaker. Clean off the bigger shards from the base, then press
the cut side of a half potato down on it. Turn counterclockwise.
Break into your house
Slide the corner of your driver’s license between the door and the
jamb, pressing the edge down on the latch. While maintaining downward
pressure, quickly shake the door back and forth until the card forces
the latch into the door. If it doesn’t work, congratulations: Your home
is protected by a well-made doorknob. Now call a locksmith.
Replace a window screen
All you’ll need is a replacement screen and a length of rubber seal.
“Make sure you pick up a seal that’s the same diameter as what’s
already in the screen,” says Oosterhouse.
1 Gently pry out the old seals and measure the size of the old screen.
2 Cut a new screen that’s around 10 percent bigger than the old one. Lay it square over the frame.
3 Press the new seal into the
grooves in the frame. Proceed slowly along the grooves with a flat-head
screwdriver so you don’t rip the screen.
4 When you’ve finished the perimeter, trim excess screen material with scissors and pop the frame back into the window.
