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Learn How to Use A Circular Saw Perfectly

Last Updated: June 10, 2019 | Joshua Houtson

Did you know that it is possible to cut a 2×4 wood using a circular saw? Not only does it save time, but also give precise cuts while using less effort cutting as compared to cutting the material manually or using a jigsaw.

The only downside to using a circular saw is that it is noisy, more powerful sawdust spewer that if not properly handled can inflict serious injuries. It is for this reason that a novice might opt for a relatively safe and quiet jigsaw or drill, but with these instructions and practice, you can use the circular saw safely and with ease.

Precautions

Before cutting the wood using a circular in is important to check the following for safety and precision of the cut.

Batteries and power should be disconnected before examining or doing any maintenance on the blade.
Check for damage on the saw and blade, any damage might ruin the lumber with a poor quality cut. The user should check for any cracks and chips on the blade, and if any are spotted, the blade should be replaced.
In the event a cordless circular saw is to be used, the batteries should be checked for a smooth workflow till the end of the project.
The circular saw’s mechanism should be also checked, the lower blade guard should snap into place if released and also retract seamlessly.

Setting the Blade

It is important to set the appropriate depth of the saw, if the blade is set too deep it might get stuck in the wood and also suspect the user to injuries, therefore, the blade should be exposed as little as possible.

Before setting the blade, unplug the saw or remove batteries then retract the blade.

The correct depth of the blade should not be more than a half inch below the 2 by 4 wood. To do this, hold the saw against the wood while adjusting it.

Fasten the blade upon getting the desired length.

Wood Support

For a steady and accurate workflow, do not support the wood on both ends as the presents a problem when approaching the end of the cut.

Supporting the wood on one end ensures that the cutoff-piece falls away from the secured section to prevent the wood from bending which cause the saw to buck suddenly if the wood is supported on both ends.

How to Cut A Straight Line

Using a circular saw for the first time can be difficult to maintain a straight cut due to increased power offered by the saw, however, the following instructions can make the cutting easier.

Using a pencil and a straight edge draw a straight line for guidance and an accurate cut, use a speed square tool to help you in mapping out a straight line.

While cutting the 2×4 wood edge, guide it steadily against the speed square fence to achieve an accurate cut.

Should the saw veer off-course, stop the saw immediately to stop the blade rotation then realign it to your desired direction following the line made.

Do You Know What to Put Around Foundation of House?

Last Updated: June 10, 2019 | Joshua Houtson

Apart from aesthetic purposes, effective landscaping around the foundation of a house can help your house last longer by adding to it more years. The immediate query is how to perform landscaping around your house. There are numerous landscaping ideas to help protect your foundation and still keep your yard attractive, but in this article, we will review the top-notch tips. Let’s dive to the heart of the matter.

Grade Your Landscape Perfectly

Apparently, water is the most challenger to the house foundation. It is good to pay close attention to the runoff water from the rain or during the tending of your flower buds. Proper sloping of land will help safeguard your foundation. Still, stormwater can contribute to all these issues, but if the runoff water flows towards the foundation, then know how to fix it instantly.

Locate Large Trees Away from the Foundation

While trees offer great benefits to us, they can be a great enemy to a foundation. Trees, as well as shrubs, offer us shade, prevent erosion of soil and maintain the beauty of the environment. Nevertheless, deeprooted and spreading trees don’t match with a foundation at all. To add on that, foundation assessment involves a number of considerations.

First, get to know the species of the tree around. Second, the soil structure of the property and lastly, the distance between the foundation and the tree. Before planting trees around your house, take into consideration the type of the tree as some of them have damaging effects while others lack.

Revamp Your Gutter System, As Well As Extensions

Gutter extensions, help push water some feet away from your foundation. Installing downspouts help carry the runoff water further which can erode your slope. Still, rain barrels are a better choice for collecting rainwater. In addition to protecting your foundation, the collected rainwater can be preserved and used for other purposes such as irrigation. With this, the monthly water bill is reduced as well.

Landscape Each Side of the House

Landscaping one side of your yard results in foundation problems. Why? This is because the rainwater collects in that area. As a consequence, the soil expands pushing the water against the foundation causing a lot of problems. Because of this, try to landscape every side of your house to avoid soil expansion and destruction of structures.

Cover the Flower Beds

Mulching is simply covering your beds for the purpose of retaining water during excessive heat. Dry soil causes water movement to a greater extent which can damage your foundation. Mulching is packed with a lot of benefits other than protecting your foundation. It enriches the soil by providing necessary nutrients for plant growth.

Create Swales

These are drainage troughs that are easiest to install to protect your damage. However, a swale should have these features; Along the sloping banks’ add plants to improve drainage and water absorption. Yet, try to use fast moving draining soil to absorb the water draining.

To keep your house, maintaining your house foundation is a vital practice. I hope you find this information helpful which answers the query,” what to put around foundation of house.” Implementing these tips will help avoid structural problems which are certainly costly.

How to Choose a Perfect Rake for Pine Needles

Last Updated: April 26, 2019 | Joshua Houtson

One of the best ways of beating meddlesome pine needles is by raking them to oblivion. For a small yard, this calls for the best rake for pine needles.

Problem is, every Tom, Dick, and Harry is marketing his rake as the best for pine needles. So, how do you tell the best?

Check The Tines

In general, your pine needles rake head can be metallic (steel), plastic (poly or resin), or made of bamboo.

Metal tines (also called spring rakes because of the bounce) outlast the rest because they don’t bend even with heavy piles.

Bamboo rakes are extremely lightweight, but the tines are notorious for breaking too easily while plastic tines are so-so -if they don’t break they will fail to provide adequate flexibility.

Investigate the Handle

Your pine rake handles will either come out of fiberglass, aluminum, or wood.

Fiberglass is strong, lightweight, waterproof, does not shrink, and doesn’t crack and for some people, it’s the way to go. But fiberglass is harder to replace if it shatters.

Its greatest rival is hardwood. It holds fairly well, can last, be molded for a personalized grip, and it’s easier to repair/replace.

But wood rots in damp conditions and expand/shrinks with changes in humidity.

Moving on, although metal last for many seasons, they may bend or warp over time or with heavy use in addition to being problematic to handle during chilly weather- unless you wear gloves.

The worst is plastic. They impact the environment since they’re not reusable and can break under little provocation.

Test It For Comfort

Your rake needs to have suitable ergonomics to avoid soreness, proper dimensions to avoid back pain, and be generally less straining when in use.

You can either look for a fitting rake for every member of your family or buy a lightweight pine needles rake with, if possible, an adjustable handle plus adjustable tines.

That way, each user can set the rake to their most comfortable dimensions.

That being said, rake heads that are between 22 to 24 inches seem to pick up more pine needles in a sweep while remaining fairly comfortable.

In comparison, an 18 inches wide head could slow you down when faced with lots of pine needles while a 30-inch-wide pine rake is more stressful though pretty quick.

Still there, the best handle length depends on your height but should be long enough to allow you to clear more ground quickly and without bending.

Overall Construction

Don’t read too much in some of the fancy design features.

For example, although some rake heads may be curved and come in a plethora of pleasing designs, there’s little evidence to prove that such variations improve performance.

What matters is that it’s well-built in its entirety.

Check that the tines are securely attached to the handle. Also, verify that they’re not overly brittle as to break or bend when moving leaves. Springy tines are actually preferable as they stretch out when raking under pressure.

On handles, make sure that the grip is fine and that it’s firmly connected to the head.

Final Word

To rake pine needles, you need the perfect rake and to get this rake, you need to check factors such as your comfort, the construction, rake handles, and the tines.

If you get it right, your landscaping efforts will never again be messed by the invasive pine needles.

How to Build Up Dirt Around Foundation?

Last Updated: April 5, 2019 | Joshua Houtson

It’s never a good thing to have water flowing into your foundation. It either sits there and gradually weakens the structure or leaks in through existing holes or cracks to cause moisture problems in your basement.

Now, one of the best drainage improvement methods is to grade the soil around your house using dirt.

By grading the landscape around the home, water will find it easier to flow away from your house saving you from potential disaster.

Here is how to use dirt to grade your home foundation:

Requirements:

10-foot wood board
A level
Tape measure
Writing paper/pen
Dirt

Step 1: Measure The Current Slope

Measure the current slope as determined by the soil surrounding the house to assess the amount by which the soil grade requires to be raised.

Take your 10-foot wood board and set its first end on the ground immediately next to your house’s foundation.

Now place the level at an ideal spot on top of your board. Next, lift the other end of the 10-foot board until your level reads that the board is evenly positioned.

To complete, measure the distance from where the board ends to the ground and record the findings.

Step 2: Decide On the Amount of Sloping Desired

Now you need to make the crucial decision: how much sloping do you want for your house?

Here is the tricky bit:

The minimum recommendations regarding the soil grading around homes vary depending on location. However, it’s generally agreed that the more sloping away your home is, the better it is as far as reducing moisture problems is concerned.

To move forward, let’s take an example:

Assuming you got a 2-inch distance from the edge of the board to the ground in the previous step, you would definitely want to raise the grade so perhaps the new distance should be 4”, 5” or even 6-inches.

Tip: You can consult a local grading professional for advice on the ideal grading if everything else fails.

Step 3: Build Up The Foundation Soil Grade To The Desired Distance

Now start building up the prevailing soil grade around the house by dumping soil dirt right up to against the foundation. You will add adequate soil to the ground right by the foundation so as to establish a good base before measuring the distance from the base, still with your 10-foot board to check the new difference in the sloping.

If you’re not satisfied, add some more dirt then repeat the measurements.

When okay with your new soil grade, proceed to build the dirt up around the whole foundation to the new height.

Step 4: Fill The Remaining Area

Now fill in the remaining area around your house’s foundation to about 10-feet out from where the perimeter of your house is. Add dirt to the lower heights while moving out away from your house to build a steady but gradual slope.

Step 5: Check For Consistency

Once you complete, lay the 10-foot board once more over the ground and measure the slope.

You should ensure that the board is sloped down flat without any drips or holes beneath it as you do this.

Check the slope all round at 1-foot intervals so as to be sure of a consistent slope around the entire home.

Conclusion

There go the steps on how to use dirt to grade your home’s foundation. As you can see, it’s pretty straightforward.

It’s however always good to consult a professional if stuck.

11 Tips to Choose Good Saw in the Market

Last Updated: April 5, 2019 | Joshua Houtson

Whether you are hunting for a chain, circular, jig, or any other saw, the following tips will help you land a saw that knows how to cut.

Tips to Choose A Good Saw

Here are 11 easy tips to choose a good saw. So we hope, if you read these tips carefully, you can get your perfect saw for cutting 2×4.

1. The Right Blade

One of the most common mistakes is picking a saw with an incorrect cutting blade for your tasks.

First, investigate whether the accompanying blade can cut your material then how well they stand up against such materials.

Also check that it has the right width, tension, and cutting depth.

2. The Grip and a User-Friendly Design

A perfect saw will have a handle that perfectly matches the size and shape of your hands. Otherwise, extremely large handles means lost force and reduced precision.

Rubber-coated handles guarantee awesome grip even when wet.

3. Purpose

How are you planning to be using your saw? If, for example, you require a saw for the occasional light pruning tasks around the yard, a small saw would be fine.

If, in contrast, you want a saw to cut 2x4s, you’ll need the best saw for cutting 2x4s. Similarly, bigger projects will need larger sized saws.

Some saw types are also suited for specific needs. For example, scrolls saws are great for decorative cutting.

4. Brand/ Manufacturer

Buying an established brand increases your chances of acquiring a proper tool as such manufacturers’ stand behind their products and go out of the way to ensure your satisfaction in the long run.

Listening to what other buyers are saying can help you gauge a company’s reputation.

5. Tooth Geometry

The saw’s teeth should be sharp and secondly have the geometry that serves your needs. This will give you a cutting edge.

6. Portability

Cordless and lighter saws can be easily transported to any working location since you don’t need a power source. You are also spared from the hassle of carrying heavy extension cords or generators.

7. Safety Features

To boost your odds for landing a productive saw, check that the overall design is safe for the user. For instance, protection on the blade making it safer for use. Flesh detection technology could also be a welcome addition.

8. Price

You could be one of those DIY guys who believe that the price is a quality indicator.

Now, the risk is that you may end up splashing out hundreds of bucks on a saw that’s all bells and whistles only to discover that you only need just one of the many features.

First, know the features you need then match these to your budget.

9. Your Experiences and Abilities

You skillset, experience with saws, age, and general fitness matter.

So, can you comfortably handle an 11lbs.-rated saw? Then, which saws do you traditionally feel confident using? If you pick a saw which is tough to handle due to advanced age or weaker body, chances are that you’ll soon start hating it.

10. Maintenance and Durability

It may not represent value for money if you’ll soon be back to the shop because your saw is constantly breaking down.

Check that the overall saw construction is strong and potentially long lasting by evaluating the used materials and the saw’s engineering.

Also, research its maintenance requirements lest you end up spending bucket loads of money on inconveniencing maintenance routines.

11. Extras

Some saws come with useful additions and can make your work easier. Examples include “headlights” that help you make a straight cut in low-lighting, saw dust attachments, and more.

Wrap Up

Landing a saw that cuts like a champ require that you ask the right questions. From the maintenance, blades, tooth geometry and all the way to your safety, get all the answers.

That’s how to get a saw that cuts it.