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Family Handyman
Revive Window Screens
Fiberglass window screening gets spotted and discolored after a few seasons in the sun. Bring your screens back to life with an automotive vinyl protectant like Armor All or Son-Of-A-Gun. After cleaning the screen and letting it dry, hold a sponge behind the screen when you spray to catch the spray-through, then wipe over the entire screen on both sides. It’ll make them look like new for several more seasons. — Jim Maurer
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Family Handyman
Power Cord Keeper
To keep power cords out of my way when I’m working with a portable power tool, I usually secure the cord at my side, using a 6-inch loop of Velcro fastener to attach it to my belt loop. — John Simmelink
12 / 45
Family Handyman
Curtain Rod Plant Pole
My all-time favorite poles for supporting plants, both indoors and outdoors, are sections of brass-plated curtain rods. They’re rust-resistant, inexpensive and attractive. — Carol Crump
13 / 45
Family Handyman
Electrical Tape Wrap
When you have to wrap wires with electrical tape in a tight area, pull off a few inches of tape and wrap it loosely on itself around your index finger so the sticky side is out. Then you can just roll the tape around the wire with your thumb, using your middle finger to support it. —Bob Lacivita
14 / 45
Family Handyman
Squeaky Floor Fix
Squeaky floor driving you nuts? If the underside is exposed in the basement, it’s easy to fix. Have someone walk all over the floor while you stand in the basement. When you hear a squeak, mark that joist with chalk. Screw 3-inch L-brackets to the joists so their tops are flush with the tops of the joists. Then drive screws up into both the subfloor and the surface floor, pulling them down tight to the joists. — H.C. DeWaard
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Family Handyman
Door Holder
Here’s a simple way to hold a door on edge when you need to plane it or install hinges or a lock. Just make a “V” from two lengths of scrap wood, joining them with one screw. Then screw each piece of wood to the top or bottom of the door, as shown; the horizontal piece should be slightly longer than the angled piece. It’s quick to build and won’t mar the door’s surface. — Allen Stone
16 / 45
Family Handyman
Sheet-Metal Cuts With a Hacksaw
Cut sheet metal cleanly with a hacksaw by sandwiching the metal between two thin boards. Mark your pattern on the front board, clamp the sandwich in a vise, then saw on the marks through the entire sandwich at once. — Jack Kiser
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Family Handyman
Gutter Cleaner
Clean your one-story-high gutters right from the ground using an old paint roller on an extension handle. It’s angled just right to push leaves and debris out quickly and easily. — Lee Sens
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Family Handyman
Door Bottom Sander
When you need to remove just a bit from the bottom of a door, here’s a way to do it without removing the door: Disassemble your electric drill sanding disc, and reassemble it so the sandpaper faces the drill chuck. Put some cardboard down so you don’t mar the floor, and sand with upward pressure on the door bottom. — Nick Verslect
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Family Handyman
Tree Saver
Keep those young trees in your yard from being damaged and possibly killed by the lawn mower or string trimmer. Cut the top and bottom off a clear 2-liter soda bottle, then slice this cylinder down the middle. It will curl around the tree, stay in place, and be almost invisible. — Louise S. McMillian
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Family Handyman
Stop Those Shifting Studs
How do you hold those studs in place when you’re driving nails at an angle (toenailing) into the soleplate? Just tap the heads of two nails into the soleplate right where the side of the joist is supposed to be. Then do the same on the other side and drive the opposing toenails. — Ron Matthews
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Family Handyman
Stay-Together Vacuum Hose
If your shop vacuum’s hose or rigid tubes come apart while you’re using them, stop cussing and fix them this easy way: Use an awl or other sharp pointed tool to score deep X’s on the ends, both inside and outside, at each offending joint. The added surface friction from the X’s will keep them together. — Richard Dorsey
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