Cash Saving Hacks For The Little Things And Big Things

The perfect place to store small quantities of long, narrow offcuts and mouldings is right over your head.

Build this set of overhead storage racks between the open trusses of your garage.

Use one length of 145 x 45mm timber for the vertical hangers and two layers of 19mm plywood for the lower angled supports.

Secure each 145 x 45mm piece into the framing with two 75 x 10mm cuphead bolts.

Then secure each hanger into the 145 x 45mm timber with two offset 50 x 10mm cuphead bolts.

The angle on the supports keeps the contents from sliding off.

Make the most of garage storage with pivoting boxes that hang between the ceiling joists.

When the box is down, you have easy access to its contents.

Assemble simple butt-joined boxes using 17mm plywood secured with PVA adhesive and 40mm x 8g screws.

Add shelves to suit whatever you need to store, plus retaining rails if there is a risk of objects falling out when you swing the boxes down.

Make them about 10mm narrower than the space between the joists and use 75 x 10mm cuphead bolts with washers and nyloc nuts for the pivot points.

Add plywood cleats that pivot on 75mm x 10g timber screws to keep the boxes closed against the ceiling.

If you take a short break while painting, you needn’t clean the brushes or rollers.

Just wrap the wet bristles in plastic wrap.

To store brushes overnight, wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminium foil and pop them into the freezer.

Remove the brushes about an hour before you resume painting.

To soften a paintbrush that’s stiff with dried water-based acrylic paint, soak it in a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water for 10 minutes.

To measure the outside diameter of a round object, use a G clamp, a pair of vice-grips or an adjustable spanner.

Set the jaws to the width of the object and measure the space between them.

Or, if you have a couple of combination squares, slide both heads onto one ruler, face to face.

Position the heads against the object to be measured, then read the ruler.

Alternatively, use a measuring tape to determine the circumference of a pipe or other cylinder; divide by 3.142 (pi) to find the diameter.

When it comes to watering, slower is better because the water soaks in rather than running off the surface.

There’s a way to soak the soil, without dragging the hose around the backyard and taking forever to sprinkle water on your garden beds.

Drill four 3mm holes in the base of a bucket, fill it with water and position it next to your thirsty plants.

It complies with water restrictions and leaves you free to get on with other jobs around the garden.

Here’s a fix for that squeak in a carpeted area where the underside of the floor is inaccessible.

The trick is to reattach the sheet flooring, holding it tight against the floor joist to stop the rubbing.

Take care that the screwdriver bit doesn’t pull a thread and damage the carpet.

1. Probe with a 65 x 2.8mm nail and hammer to locate the nearest floor joist.

2. Part the carpet fibres and make a small incision in the backing and underlay.

3. Drive in a 65mm plasterboard screw to secure the floor tightly to the joist.

No matter how reliable your timber supplier, a good share of your decking is sure to be bowed.

Straightening bowed boards is a routine part of deck construction.

Set the board, bow in, and nail one end.

Work towards the other end, nailing as you go.

Drive a chisel into the joist and lever the board towards you.

When the board is tight to the spacers, nail the board to the joist.

No more scraping hardened adhesive off your workbench.

Before you set up for gluing, lay a sheet of thin painter’s plastic underneath.

Another tip to avoid rock-hard adhesive on your bench is to glue your piece, then wait two hours and chisel off the excess.

The adhesive is still pliable at this stage, so the job is quick and easy.

Ever paint a chair and have it stick to your newspaper or drop sheet?

Paint hassle-free by driving screws about 10mm in the base of the chair legs.

The extra elevation makes it easier to paint and even lets you coat the base of the legs.