The Handyguys Podcast
The Handyguys
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Brian explains how he solves his shop (or Garage?) lighting problems with just a few high bay LED Shop Lights.
Brian used lights from Hyperlight https://amzn.to/33NmcrN
For his very high ceilings, Brian chose to deploy 6 of the 250 watt (equivalent) lights https://amzn.to/3FfP0XP
The post Best LED Shop Lighting appeared first on The Handyguys.
Before selling our home last year, a realtor told us our home would qualify as a smart home because of all the technology installed. “Smart” additions included Lutron Caseta light switches in our basement to turn off lights by voice command or app, an Echobee thermostat for remote temperature control, and an app-based video camera for the driveway so we knew when package deliveries arrived. We also used Google Echo Dots around the house to set alarms, ask silly questions, and broadcast messages like a two-way radio. If you have them in two different rooms, try saying “Broadcast Good Morning.”
According to Coldwell Banker and CNET, a “smart home” is a “home that is equipped with network-connected products (i.e., “smart products” connected via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or similar protocols) for controlling, automating and optimizing functions such as temperature, lighting, security, safety or entertainment, either remotely by a phone, tablet, computer or a separate system within the home itself.”
It’s one thing to install the devices and make sure they are working correctly and quite another to leave the home ready for the next homeowner. To install them, see our video on Echobee thermostats and our video series on the Lutron Caseta Smart Home Lighting including an introduction, installation of its Smart Bridge, and using the app. On our Handyguys YouTube channel are a number of other videos on integrating smart devices and installation tips.
If you are looking to buy an Echobee thermostat for your home, Amazon is currently selling ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control, SmartSensor Included, Alexa Built-In. Yes, you can directly order more paper towels from Amazon through your thermostat using the Alexa connection. Pretty cool, huh? Well, until random music starts playing through your house and you can’t find it until you stand close to the thermostat and realize where it’s coming from. You can turn off these feature if it creeps you out too much.
But, seriously, what do you do when it’s time to sell? It depends on what is included in you agreement of sale. You do need to exclude things that are attached to the house if you are taking them with you, even like brackets for surround-sound speakers. We excluded the video cameras but are leaving the Echobee thermostat and Lutron switches. Each has their own reset and “Set to Move” features. Check the instructions from each manufacturer to make sure you leave it in the proper setting for the next owner to set-up themselves.
For resetting Lutron Caseta Smart Light Switches to their original factory setting, check our post detailing the process step-by step.
The post Moving Out of a Smart Home first appeared on The Handyguys.
The post Moving Out of a Smart Home appeared first on The Handyguys.
When you are prepping your house for sale, there’s always several big debates for chronic DIYers like us: how much to paint, how much to do oneself, how much to hire out, and who to hire. For a recent project, hiring college kids on Spring Break worked well and gave them some needed spending money but we did have to do some finishing details afterward, like going over the quarter inch of bright green paint that showed above the realtor’s favorite “Amazing Gray” when our good-hearted amateurs taped just shy of the ceiling.
Once you have decided to do what you can yourself (because paint is cheap and labor is not), there are decisions like whether or not to use painter’s tape, what nap of roll to pick, which drop cloth to use (versus an old sheet which either leaks through to the floor or an outdoor tarp which can be slippery) and of course, which length and brand of paintbrush. We are a bit of brush snobs because a little extra money on brushes goes a long way in keeping bristles from being painted into your walls. Soooo many choices, so little time. Oh, and let’s not even begin to mention the paint itself.
Fortunately for you, we did mention paint and painting tools in our podcast on How to Paint Like a Pro. You can also read about picking paint colors in Picking Paint Colors with a professional.
As all good product manufacturers, we found a few new items on the shelves when prepping our house for sale this year. FrogTape now has a yellow Delicate Surface Painter’s Tape with PaintBlock, 1.88″ wide. This is especially helpful when you are trying to get your painting done in a tight time frame and you are painting the wall soon after the trim is dry. You heard me right. Pros told us to paint the trim, especially complicated trim, first. We’ve done it both ways – wall, then trim, but it worked out surprisingly well to do the baseboard first this last go around.
Leave us comments about your favorite story of painting “challenges”. What worked? What didn’t?
Click on the image below to buy your own yellow painter’s tape and any other painting supplies you need!
The post Painting to Sell first appeared on The Handyguys.
The post Painting to Sell appeared first on The Handyguys.
When you’re hanging something heavy, a simple nail probably won’t do the job. Whether it’s an heirloom family mirror or a large painting, you want to be confident it will hang securely on your wall for years to come.
The right method for hanging your object depends on the type of wall you have and where you want to hang it. There are several ways to approach this task, depending on whether your wall is plaster, drywall or brick.
If your home was built before World War II, it likely has plaster walls, BobVila.com says. Most newer homes are made with drywall, though homeowners may opt for plaster if they’re looking for a textured or glossy finish. If you’re unsure, you can try pinning a tack into an unobtrusive portion of your wall. If it’s easy to push the tack into the wall to hang up a picture or a poster, it’s likely drywall, BobVila.com says. Plaster is brittle and can’t usually be pierced in this way.
Before trying any of the following methods, check the guidelines on the hardware you purchase to make sure it will be able to withstand the weight of the object you’re trying to hang. If you’re unsure, you may want to hire a professional handyman to hang your picture or mirror.
Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring this show.
The post How to Hang Heavy Objects on a Wall first appeared on The Handyguys.
The post How to Hang Heavy Objects on a Wall appeared first on The Handyguys.