Family Handyman September 2019

“Eyes are the window to the soul.” That saying has prevailed for centuries. But we all know the real window to your soul is your garage. A glimpse into your garage reveals a lot about you—obvious things like whether you like to ski or weld or go fly fishing. But also deeper things: Are you neat or disorganized? Practical or playful? A big spender or a penny pincher? You’ll find clues to all this and more. Much more than a place to park, the garage may be the most versatile part of your home: a storage center, a workshop, a hobby space, a room for your toys. Increasingly, it’s also a place for people to hang out, socialize and watch sports and movies. And that’s the focus of our September issue:…

LEARN MORE. BUILD MORE. Calling DIYers who want to tackle it all! Get unlimited access to Family Handyman’s complete library of quick DIY University online classes. This includes two exciting new projects per month—things you’ve been dreaming about, and projects that may not have occurred to you. Get ready to build a wall-mounted bike rack or your own workshop, add elegant kitchen storage and a tile backsplash, install a sleek USB charging station, and much more! Start your 14-day FREE Trial at DIYUniversity.com SEE MORE STUFF WE LOVE Have you signed up for the new Stuff We Love newsletter yet? Check out more of our favorite tools and gear every week! Go to thfmag.com/signup facebook.com/thefamilyhandyman pinterest.com/family_handyman youtube.com/thefamilyhandyman instagram.com/familyhandyman…

Deck fastening made easy The Camo Drive deck fastening system features a drive attachment you can use with a drill you already own, while standing. The drill attachment uses collated strip screws that automatically advance so the next screw is ready for you right away. The tool comes with three fastening guides to fasten deck boards in three different ways: For solid wood decking, the edge guide lets you hide fasteners on the edge of the board, while the face guide allows you to drive fasteners through the board’s face. The clip guide is used with EdgeClip fasteners to lay grooved composite decking. You can find the Camo Drive tool online for about $175. Fast roller cleaner There are several products for cleaning roller sleeves on the market, but the Roller Ready tool stands…

Finishing Stands When you’re finishing table legs or other furniture parts, cut square 1/4-in. plywood “stands” and screw them onto each end. The table legs stay put as you apply your finish, making the job much easier than it would be if the parts were hung on a hook. And you can stand them vertically to dry. DOUG MacQUEEN CARDBOARD DROP CLOTH Most of our cardboard boxes end up in our recycling bin, but I always make sure to save a couple of the larger ones. They’re perfect for keeping my clothes clean when I crawl under the car. Stored flat, they don’t take up much room. MIKE McNAMARA Fix for Paint Spills on Carpet I used to think dropping a loaded paintbrush on the carpet meant replacing the carpet…until a carpet pro told me this little…

Upgrade Your Garage Door for a Faster Sale The garage door is often your home’s largest architectural element. According to a 2019 study done by Remodeling magazine, a garage door replacement returns on average nearly 100 percent of the project cost at resale. In 2018 a major garage door manufacturer partnered with an independent research firm to conduct a study to “gauge Realtor perceptions” to determine if the garage door’s appearance was a key factor in a home’s listing price. According to the study, if home shoppers don’t like what they see from the street, they won’t even go inside. Seventy percent of the real estate agents surveyed agree that a new garage door sells a home faster, and more than 80 percent believe a new one boosts a home’s value.…

If you’re about to add insulation to your attic and you’ve never heard the term “attic bypasses,” you’re missing the crucial part of insulating your attic. Attic bypasses are air leaks from your living space into your attic. These leaks occur where wires, air ducts or pipes go through the ceiling and into the attic. Bypasses must be sealed before adding insulation. In fact, in many states it’s the law. However, in homes built before 1991, there was probably no attempt to seal bypasses. After that, there’s a good chance some of the larger bypasses were sealed, but likely not all of them. If the leaks aren’t sealed, warm air is getting into your cold attic no matter how much insulation you add. But you’re not just losing heat and increasing…