Tool of the week - Hammer

The hammer is one of the most important tools that you can have in your weekend warrior kit, it is also the oldest tool that was first created back in 2,600,000 BCE. 

Today hammers are made with a steel or titanium head that has a waffle head or a smooth finish.  The handles are made for wood or synthetic materials to help reduce reverberation when driving fasteners.  When you are trying to find the right hammer for you take in to consideration what you are using it for, there are so many different kinds of hammers out there and each has its own specific use.

  For the common weekend warrior projects I suggest a hammer with a synthetic handle with a good rubber grip that will be easy to hold on to even in wet conditions.  Pick one with a smooth face on it so that you reduce the damage it can make on your finish surface as you are driving a nail into it.  There are two different kinds of claws on the back of the hammer, a straight and a curved claw.  A straight claw is great for demo and prying two surfaces apart.  A curved claw is great for pulling nails and the curve helps to give you leverage when pulling nails and reduces the strain on your elbow.  Generally hammers can run anywhere from $10.00 upwards to $250.00 but the hammer in the above picture is great for your everyday home fixes and can be found at almost any hardware store for under $20.00.

If you have any questions on what hammer is right for your specialized job please post any questions you have and I can elaborate on what would be right to fit your needs.

Why Buy A Low VOC paint?

With all the paints avaliable today why should we buy a low VOC paint?  and what is a low VOC paint?!?

In my experience using many different kinds of paint, a low VOC or "volatile organic compounds" is at the front of the line for what we can exspect paint products to be in the world of eco frinedly and less hazordious to our families and our environment.  Lets start with a little back ground info on what is a low VOC paint.

VOCs are unstable, carbon-containing compounds that readily vaporize into the air. When they enter the air, they react with other elements to produce ozone, which causes air pollution and a host of health issues including breathing problems, headache, burning, watery eyes and nausea. Some VOCs also have been linked to cancer, as well as kidney and liver damage.

As paint dries, these harmful VOCs are released into the air at high levels. Indoor VOC levels are routinely 10 times higher than outdoor levels, and up to 1,000 times higher immediately after painting. Although VOC levels are highest during and soon after painting, they continue seeping out for several years. In fact, only 50 percent of the VOCs may be released in the first year.  VOC's were once widely thought to increase the quality of a paint but new methods and products have changed that outlook.   That being said no matter what your situation is, a low VOC paint is what we should all be looking towards in our next weekend warrior project. 

Hollow Wall Anchors

Hollow Wall Anchors are a great way to give you the strength in a wall for attaching or hanging things when there isn't a stud to be found.  Check out this Webisode that I shot with Home Made Simple that will give you a general understanding of what fastener to use and when you use it.  If you have a different situation and have more questions feel free to leave a comment and I will answer any questions you have. Don't forget to go to www.homemadesimple.com where you can find more great webisodes and step by step instructions for your home makeover projects.

New Episode of Home Made Simple tomorrow morning at 9a/8c on OWN!! This is one of my favorites this season. Ken and I makeover a room for a rockin teen and Jesse calls in a favor from Mario Lopez to cook up some amazing food for him as well. Check out this clip to see a preview.

http://bit.ly/TsauoY 

Tools for Distressing Wood

Distressing wood to give it that reclaimed look is a really popular look in the woodworking and designer world right now.  Buying distressed wood or reclaimed wood from a retail store can get very pricy and there are ways you can do this your self to save allot of money and get the perfect look for your project.

The first thing you need to do is prep your wood with a good sanding starting with 100 grit to remove any exsisting finish.

There are many different tools to use to distress the surface of the wood, some you can buy some you have to make but they are very easy to create.

This is a good combo by Varathane that costs around $25 for the set.



  


A wire brush is a good tool to rough up the surface of the wood grain with out gouging it or chipping it.








A small length of chain is good for beating the hell our of a perfectly good peice of wood or a pillow case full of differenct size nuts and bolts.

Once you have the desired disstressed look try staining it by applying a thick coat to the surface of the wood making sure all the disstressed marks are saturated and using a rag to wipe off the exsses from the surface.  The dents, scratches and chips will pick up more stain thean the surface giving it a more worn look

How to update your fire pit with color

The tradition large red lava rock is an outdated look for your fire pit.  There is an easy way to change out the rocks and give it a completely different look.

Make sure you are wearing gloves to protect your hands and start by taking out all your old rocks, sweep out all the old dirt and leaves that has acculated over time and inspect your gas ring for any rust or deterioration.






If you had to take out your gas ring off to get bigger rocks out from under it make sure you put it back on with the gas holes facing down to the ground.  If they are up rain water could make its way into the ring and affect the performance.








 Fill in the bottom of the pit with the smaller grade of lava rocks up to the bottom of the ring.  The smaller grade makes a solid base for your crushed glass finish top.  If you cover the ring with the lava rock it could affect the flow of gas our of the ring and wont give you an even flame pattern on the surface of your glass.

Top off the rest with your color choice of  small crushed glass.  Make sure to clean off any leaves that have fallen in to the glass before lighting it.  They will burn and could discolor the crushed glass.

Quick and Easy BBQ Shrimp

 Cooking is another passion of mine and if its an easy recipe that doesn't take hours to make all the better!! This is a favorite go to for me when making a salad or need a good side with steak or chicken.


Ingredients
-One pound of uncooked fresh shrimp
-One Clove of Garlic
-One Tsp of Italian Seasoning
-One Lime
-One Tbsp Olive Oil



I preffer to use wild caught, uncooked shrimp.  I start by deshelling them which can be a little tricky if you have never done it before.  Start by peeling back the front top of the shell and once you have enough to pinch the front with two fingers press at the base of the tail and push toward the front with your other hand and the whole shell should come off leaving you with nothing but a clean meaty shrimp.

 Prep your fresh squeezed lime juice by first rolling it against your cutting board with allot of pressure.  This will smash the inside of the fruit and you will get every last drop of juice when you cut it in half and squeeze it.





 The easy way to get that shell off of the garlic clove is to smash the clove with the side of the knife.  Don't go karate kid on it and accidentally cut yourself!  This also helps to flatten out the garlic so it is easier to chop up and mince.




I throw all my ingredients in a ziplock bag and shake it up for a minuet to coat all the shrimp.  Skewer them with metal kabobs and heat that BBQ to high.  After 5-10 minuets it should be up to a high heat.  Spray the grill down with a non stick oil and lay em on.  Use long tongs to flip them to keep those hands out of harms way.  For these medium size shrimp I cooked them about 3 minutes on each side.  Enjoy!!