For a DIY enthusiast, home improvement is a daunting task once in a while, you’ll run into complex work that’ll require some high-level brain power to work around. Fortunately, there are hacks around some of the challenges you’re likely to encounter during your home improvement project.
Removing Stubborn Nails
During a home renovation project, you’re likely to run into a stubborn nail that’s proving difficult to remove. Even worse, the head of the nail may have broken off or it’s tiny, making it even more difficult to pull out. A neat trick you can use is to double-tag against the stubborn nail with two efficient pieces of equipment. For this, you’ll need locking pliers and a pry bar. The locking pliers will help you grab the nail shank while the prey bar finishes off the work by pulling the nail.
Catch Drilling Debris with a Sticky Note
You’ll need a drilling tool if you want to make holes in woodwork, plastic, or other materials. However, unless you have a protective layer on the floor, drilling will leave wood particles on the ground that you’ll have to clean up with a vacuum. For small projects like a single hole in the wall, you don’t have to go through all that trouble. All you have to do is attach a strip of sticky note to the wall under the drill, this will catch any debris released during the drilling. There are options for drilling tool hire rather than owning a drill outright, especially if it’s a one-off project.
Gentle-Grip Pliers
Plumbing tools are essential parts of many home renovation projects. While using pliers on delicate plumbing fittings and fixtures, there’s the risk of damage to the surface you’re working on. You can dampen the effect of the plier on the surface by softening the jaws of the plier with pieces of garden hose. Any other type of tubing can work too. Simply cut the hose to the size of the plier and slid them over the jaws before using them on the surface you’re working on to minimise damage.
Rubber Band Clamps
During woodworking projects, you may need to hold hardwood edging in place for the glue to set. Most people get woodworking clamps for this specifically. However, you can cost save on buying clamps by simply modifying your spring clamp. All you need is a few rubber bands and presto, you can convert your spring clamp to an edge clamp instantly.
PVC Sanding Files for Curved Edges
One of the most complex parts of woodworking projects is sanding curved surfaces. A simple hack you can use for this is to make specialised sanding files for surfaces like this. All you need is a PVC pipe and pieces of sandpaper. You’ll need a cordless mitre saw hire to cut the PVC pipe into the right size. Spray the sandpaper and the pipe with a generous amount of adhesive and stick them together. Wait for both surfaces to dry. You can use this curved sanding file to finish curved wood corners and other surfaces that are difficult to reach by regular sanding.
No-Ladder Gutter Cleaner
Unless you’re ridiculously tall, the only way to clean the gutters on your roof is to get a ladder. That’s unless you know this simple and inexpensive hack! Instead of getting a ladder, you can make yourself an efficient no-ladder gutter clever using nothing more than a PVC pipe, elbows, a cap, and a garden hose coupling. These items are readily available at a home centre near you. Cement these parts together using PVC glue. This should make the handle long enough to reach the gutters with no stress.
Magnetise A Screwdriver
On many projects, it’s difficult to hold the screw in place while you turn the screwdriver with one hand. Many screwdrivers are magnetic for this reason. However, if you have a regular screwdriver, you can convert it to a magnetised variety by placing a small magnet on one hand of the screwdriver. This will help pick up and hold screws in place while you work.
Hammer Cushion
There are instances where you need to hit a surface gently without causing a dent in the wood. For tasks like this, a hammer would not work. A rubber mallet is a more ideal tool in this situation. However, if you do not have one, you can simply convert your hammer into a mallet. All you need is a rubber cap that fits over your hammer. The regular rubber leg cap for your chair works just great for this. You can remove one from an old chair or get one for a few dollars at a hardware store.
Old Trainers As Ladder Bumpers
Safety is important when you’re working on ladders and one of the ways to keep yourself safe is by using ladder bumpers. The bumpers will keep the ladders from sliding over the wall. If you do not have one and you need to work on your ladder right away, you can improvise by using a pair of old sneakers as bumpers. All you need to do is attach the old sneakers to the ladder with duct tape and it should hold just fine.
Convert Milk Jug to Furniture Movers
When you need to move heavy furniture around during renovation projects, carrying it or dragging it on the carpet can be inefficient. One simple hack that you may find helpful is to put moving pads under the furniture legs. You can make your moving pads by cutting the bottoms off plastic milk jugs with a utility knife. Once this is done, you can rest the furniture legs on the sliders you have made and move them around with relative ease.
Conclusion
Simple hacks like these combined with the right tools will make your renovation work easier. You can get concrete floor saw hire, heavy duty post hole borer and other tools for your renovation projects from easyToolhire then follow the hacks highlighted above to work smarter and more effectively.
