I saw a headboard in a Lowe’s sales magazine about five years ago and decided that it would look good in my child’s room. It was a made from picket fence sold right there in lowe’s (of course it was an add). It was fairly simple to build and finish, so here is what you are going to need. First you want to pick out the type of picket that you would like on the back of the head board (Gothic, dog ear, flat etc.) Then you are going to need 2 – 1×4s that are the length of the bed you will be putting the headboard on. The screws that you will use to fasten the pickets to the 1×4s need to be 1 1/4″ galvanized (pickets are usually Yellow wood) because you want a length that is not too long to go through the pickets and not too short so the pickets fall off.

-Measure your universal bed frame and make your two outside pickets this far apart. Attach the outside pickets to the 1×4s (cut to the width of the frame also). Take the remaining pickets and space them out evenly attach these pickets also (attach all of your pickets from behind so you wont see the screws on your finished headboard.

- Finish the headboard with 2 coats of primer, then as much paint that is necessarily to get your desired finish..

- Attach the Headboard with 4 – 1 1/2 inch bolts trough the outside pickets into the bedframe – be sure to use washers on the wood and frame side of the bolt to prevent the bolt from pulling through.

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Make A Headboard Out of an Old Door

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Do you have a picture that for some reason leans to the left or right even after being leveled just a day earlier. I have a couple easy fixes you can use to get the ‘ghost’ out of your house. I tried a new trick on a particularly determined crooked picture, I put a little piece of duct tape on the wire were the wire meets the hook. I folded the duct tape over the wire so that the tape was completely folded over itself. The tape makes a soft unyielding surface on the wire that makes it very difficult for the Ghost of Christmas Past to lean your paintings.

If you have a painting/picture that either does not have a wire or you don’t want to use duct tape, use sticky tack poster hanger. You can find this at any teacher store or Wal-mart. Roll-up a piece of sticky tack about the size of a dime, then place it on the middle-bottom area of the picture that touches the wall. Sticky tack is a convenience adhesive made for teachers. It is usually used to hang posters in the classroom (they are usually changed frequently) without thumb tacks. The sticky tack will act as a second fastener for your picture, and will hold it in place…

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Do you have limited space in your laundry room? Space in our house is a high price commodity that is used to the best of our ability (not really but I like to think so:). I saw a hang-on-your door ironing board at my local home improvement warehouse, and thought I could do some magic with this thing. It was a fold up board with metal J pieces to support it to the top of the door. I decided I could make a plywood box and insert it into the wall and then attach the ironing board to that box. First what I did was found an area between two studs that would lend enough space for the ironing board and the box that would encase it. Finding an area for the box was an easy project because I was in the process of building the closet for the washer/dryer and the drywall was not up yet. If I had to do it again I would have to use a stud finder. I built the box with 1/2″ birch plywood and trim nails, then installed it between the two studs with a nail gun from the inside. Then I trimmed it up with regular door casing. I installed the ironing board with two copper 3/4″ pipe braces w/sheetrock screws this took the place of the J bracing for installation on the top of the door. Once I made sure everything worked the way that I had planned I removed the ironing board and painted the box and trim.

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Fortunately most home repairs we will work on will not include an extension ladder. This post is for the exception, and written intentionally during the Christmas light hanging season. Extension ladders are probably the most deadly tool you have in your possession. The CPSC says that misuse of ladders cause 164,000 emergency room visits per year. Here are some quick tips to keep you safe during the holidays.
1. Always inspect your ladder before you use it for loose bolts, cracks, breaks, missing parts, etc….
2. Inspect the area you will be placing the ladder footing and where it will land on the house. Remove all loose rocks, boards, and other trash from the ground in the area where the ladder feet will be. Make sure the area where the ladder will be landing on the house will be level and secure.
3. Make sure you will not be lifting the ladder into any electrical wires connected to the house or anywhere you will be using the ladder.
4. The distance between the foot of the latter and the object you are scaling (your house) should be one quarter the length of the height you are climbing. This will cause the ladder to make a 75 degree angle. ** Tip** Place your feet at the foot of the ladder, raise your hands strait out to the ladder you should be able to just barley grab the ladder. (This too should make the ladder at approx. 75 degree angle).
5. When working on the ladder, keep your belt buckle within the outside braces of the ladder when reaching with your hands.
6. Do not stand on the top three rungs of the ladder. Stepping on the top few rungs can make the bottom of the ladder jump out.
7. If you need to level the the ground, use sturdy bracing to shim the ladder legs like; 2×4s, 2×6s, or plywood.
8. Attempt to have someone holding the bottom of your ladder at all times while you are on it. If this is not possible, you can get a sand bag and place it on at the feet of the ladder. When you are working over grass, use the grass spikes on the feet of the extension ladder (most new ladders have these).
9. Make sure the braces that hold the two extension pieces together are completely engaged and functioning properly.
10. If you are working in front of a door, make sure to block it off in some way (lock it, put a sign on it, or put a chair in front of it).
11. When you are going onto the roof, make sure you pass the edge of the roof by at least 3 feet (or anything you are climbing onto).

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Ever reached break time with no good light to read your book? When I designed this bathroom I did not envision that it would need as much light as it does. I put the toilet in and thought a hanging light would make this area seem a little warmer…hopefully the light would make it feel like you were not sitting in a closet. I found this light at the Habitat ReStore for $5, which was a bargain because it is made of stainless steel (it will not corrode). It was fairly easy to install. I used a pancake box mounted directly to a 2×6 joist. I connected the wire in series to the vanity light (black to black, white to white, ground to ground), so when the vanity light is turned on the bathroom light comes on. I also used a low wattage light to reduce the strain the light may cause on the circuit… ***As a little design tip, check out your local building restore for things you can add to your house. This is a way to show personality and originality in your house. As an example: It is common to find old chest of drawers and make up cabinets in these stores. You can make an original sink vanity with a little ingenuity and plumbing parts. Be creative and make your house your own.
Here is a picture of a Lowe’s version of a side table vanity that is supposed to look like old furniture (your original will be better).

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I was in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore a while back and saw an old 7ft oak door for sale and thought “I could make something out of that”. I purchased the door for $10, they had a door special that day. I ended up deciding to make a head board for my bead out of it…it was a very nice door. It was unfinished and very dirty. I think whoever had it last must have kept it in some warehouse collecting dust. If you find an old door and would like do the same, here’s how to do it. First you are going to want to find a door that will look nice when it is cut to the size of the bed. The door that I used needed some carpentry magic but not too much…If you have a little carpentry skills and creativity you can do the same. I had to cross cut the door through the fourth panel. I pulled out the trim and thin piece of wood that made the panel and replaced it with a ripped piece of the scrap I just made from shortening the door. Each door will be different so be creative with yours. If you will be painting or varnishing it, you will need to sand it. Follow the rules on the tack cloth page to get a nice finish on your headboard. You will then need an 8′ 1×8 to attach the head board to the bed. The 1×8 board will need to be attached to the back of the headboard on the left and right side aligning with the bed frame headboard attachment bracket (see picture).
Attach the board with 4 – 6 1-1/2″ screws, pre-drilling each hole to prevent splitting. make sure the 1×8 is completely hidden behind the head board and stained or painted the same color. Attach the headboard to the bed frame with 4 1/4″ bolts. Run the bolts through the 1×8s and make sure to put washers on both sides with lock washers and nuts on the bracket side. Be creative and enjoy.

Luke

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I recently had someone ask me about a broken humming doorbell.  The doorbell was making an a constant humming sound that sounded like an old oven buzzer.  If you have this problem, here are the steps to fix it:

1. Turn off the breaker to the doorbell.   This can be a pain if the breaker is not marked.  You will most likely be looking for a 15 – 20Amp breaker.   Caution: If you are flipping through the breakers you will reset all the clocks and electronic what-nots in your house.  When the buzzing has stopped, you have most likely found your breaker.

2. When you are confident you have found the breaker (the light on the button will no longer be illuminated), remove the doorbell button from the front of your house.  Carefully separate the doorbell wires and tape each end with electrical tape to prevent electrical shock.  Turn the breaker on, and listen for the buzz.  If the unit is no longer buzzing, you can most likely fix your problem with a new doorbell button.  If it is still buzzing, turn off the breaker and go to step 3.

3.  This is always an irritating place to be…The wires have most likely been compromised (shorted out on the button side of the doorbell).  You now have three options : 1) most adventurous – replace the wire to the button (almost impossible if you do not have an attic near your front door). 2)get someone else to fix it for you. 3) disconnect the wired unit and replace with a wireless unit from your local building store.  **sometimes the transformer in the attic is the problem…you can also try replacing it along with the button to see if the buzz stops **

**Safety Note** working with electricity can be dangerous.  If you are not comfortable with electricity,  you should not participate in this post…Get a professional electrician.

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