19 Yard Tool Hacks That’ll Make Your Life Easier

Lawn Mower Grass Chute Saver

To avoid a lot of string trimmer work, I like to mow as close as possible to trees and buildings. But the grass chute on my riding mower prevents it. So I drilled a hole in the chute and tied a rope from the chute to a handle on the side of the tractor. Now I can lift up the chute without missing a beat, and cut way down on string trimmer work. — Travis Larson

Accessorize Your Mower

If you keep a few tools handy while you mow, you can deal with stray weeds as you notice them—no need to hunt for them later. Short sections of PVC pipe taped to the mower’s handle will hold tools and other necessities.

I-Spy Rain Gutter

Here’s a quick and easy way to eyeball rain gutters for possible clogs—before the next downpour causes an overflow. Cut a 60-degree angle on the end of a piece of PVC pipe and tape a hand mirror to the angled end. Hoist the mirror above the gutter to spot leaves and mini jams.

Grass Seed Broadcaster

When it’s time to clean out the refrigerator, be sure to save those plastic berry containers for repurposing ideas. You can toss the mushy raspberries, but wash and dry the container—it’s perfect for spreading grass seed on your lawn!

Easy Mulch Spreading

Getting mulch up close to flowers and bushes is easier if the mulch is in a small container. So I place buckets and pails in my wheelbarrow and fill them up with mulch. It doesn’t matter much if the mulch misses the bucket and lands in the wheelbarrow. Once you’re done dumping the buckets, dump what’s left in the wheelbarrow in an open area and spread it out. — Eric Swartz

Slick Shovel Hack

Working with heavy, clay-packed soil? Keep your shovel clean and make your job easier by spraying it with silicone. The light coating will prevent dirt from sticking, so you can work fast. Be sure to use a lubricant that contains silicone or Teflon and recoat the shovel occasionally.

New Use for Old Backyard Game Pieces

We spend a ton of time planting, fertilizing and watering our flowers. Once, while dragging the hose across the yard, I inadvertently raked it across the garden and destroyed a bunch of flowers. My solution was to make a path for the hose using the wickets from my croquet set. As I’m watering, I feed the hose through the wickets, keeping my flowers safe. — Ryne Rover

Mix Concrete with a Rake

Try a garden rake instead of a hoe the next time you have to mix concrete. The rake won’t splash as much water over the edge, and the tines do a good job of combining the water with the powder. With a hoe, you waste a lot of time just pushing powder around the tub. A medium mixing tub like the one shown costs $7 at home centers.

Turn an Empty Milk Jug Into a Watering Can

I only own one watering can, so I need to refill it four or five times to water all of the plants on my patio. Instead of buying more overpriced watering cans, I use old milk jugs. I drill a few holes in the caps, fill up the jugs with water and I’m good to go. — Harrison Berg

Long-Handled Tool Rack

This compact rack is strong and simple to build. You can store shovels, rakes, a sledgehammer—any long-handled tools—conveniently up and out of the way. The unit holds up to 14 items, giving you more flexibility and storage capacity than nails pounded in the wall.

Makeshift Trench Tool

I had to dig a 2″ wide x 6″ deep x 50′ trench for low voltage wire between my rock walkway and landscape rock planting area, about 4-6″ wide area to work in. I started with a trowel and then moved to 2″ wide x 12″ long pry bar on my hands and knees, not great for my old knees and slow. An idea came to mind: why not mount the pry bar on an old hoe handle I had in the garage? It worked great.

Easy Apple Spear

Picking up unwanted fallen fruit under a tree can be a chore, but this tool will make the job much easier on your back. Attach a frog spearhead to the end of a broom handle or extension pole. Slightly mashing smaller apples with your foot first makes spearing them a bit easier.

Laundry Jug Watering Can

Instead of throwing away empty laundry detergent containers, rinse them out thoroughly and then recycle them for watering plants. Drill 1/8-in. holes in the top of the cap, and a 1/2-in. hole just above the handle to relieve pressure so the water flows freely.

Roll It

You’d be amazed how easy it is to move heavy or awkward objects with three pieces of PVC pipe. Move playhouses, yard sheds, empty hot tubs and rocks weighing well over a ton with this trick. Use 4-in.-diameter ‘Schedule 40’ PVC, which is available from home centers. Here’s how to do it:

• Lift the front edge of the stone with a pry bar and slip two pipes underneath. Place one near the front and one about midway so the stone rests on the pipes.
• Position the third pipe a foot or two in front of the stone.
• Roll the stone forward onto the third pipe until the rear pipe comes free. Then move the rear pipe to the front and repeat.

This technique works best on relatively flat ground. On mild slopes, you’ll need a helper to shift pipes while you stabilize the load. Don’t use this method on steeper slopes.

Tin Can Water Bottle Holder

Keep cold water within reach when mowing the lawn on hot days. Simply attach an empty (and clean) tin can to the handle of your walk-behind mower using zip ties. Be sure to select a can that is large enough to fit your water bottle!

Vacuum Attachment Holder

Take one of your shop vacuum attachments to the home center and find a PVC tee that fits. Drill a hole in the tee large enough to accept a screwdriver, place a small plywood spacer behind it and screw it to the wall.

Sprinkle Grass Seed Like Grated Cheese

Reuse your grated cheese container to shake grass seed on bare spots in your lawn. The holes in the container are the perfect size for dispensing just the right amount without overdoing it.

Tarp Cement Mixer

No need to rent a cement mixer, you can whip up a large batch of concrete with a heavy-duty tarp and a helper. Just pour the concrete mix in the center of the tarp, make a well and add the recommended amount of water. Then you and a friend each lift two corners of the tarp, churning the ingredients until the concrete is the perfect consistency. Pour it directly from the tarp into the form.

Sharpen Your Shovels

Flat-edged shovels usually don’t need much sharpening, but shovels with a curved edge depend on the sharpness of the edge to easily penetrate tough soil, roots, ice and other materials. Keep this edge crisp by periodically cleaning and sharpening the blade. A large file can help add a new edge, but if the shovel has some serious dings and nicks, you will need a grinder to really buff out the edge.

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7 Clever Ways to Repurpose Household Items

Pool Noodles and Pipe Insulation

Why let extra pipe insulation and unused pool noodles go to waste? They’re great options for keeping your space safe and organized. These repurposed items will save you money and time; you won’t have to find specialty made options for each individual problem.

Baby-Proofing

Use foam pipe insulation or pool noodles to baby-proof your home. Cut the tube to length and slip it onto edges and corners that could be dangerous to a small child. The pressure of the curved foam will keep it in place for an easy-to-remove baby-proofing solution. Or, use the adhesive strip to hold the insulation in place for a more permanent safety fix.

Silverware Drawer Stabilizer

Silverware is a notoriously difficult part of kitchen storage and organization, especially in small kitchens with oddly sized drawers. Reader Roy Allison found a solution for keeping his silverware drawer organizer from moving around each time he opened or closed the drawer: a pool noodle! He cut the noodle to size, so that it fits snugly between the back of the organizer and the back of the drawer.

String-Dispensing CD Bins

Here’s a great way to reuse empty CD bins. Drill a hole in the top of the bin for the string to slide through, then screw the lid under a shelf and snap on the string-loaded bin. Pull down and snip off the desired length and never worry that your ball of string will roll away across the floor dragging its tail behind it!

Power Cord Coilers

Got a shelf loaded with drills, saws, sanders and routers but can’t untangle the cords to safely pull one off the shelf? There are plenty of ways to utilize repurposed items in your workshop.

Pony Tail Holders

Hunt down extra elastic ponytail holders and use them to keep the cords neatly coiled while the tools are stored. Snugly loop the ponytail holder around the cord so it stays on the cord while you’re using the tool.

Light-Duty Extension Cord Storage

To keep light-duty extension cords organized, slide them into toilet paper or paper towel tubes. Write the length of the cord on the tubes before you put them in a drawer or bin. You’ll be able to find the right cord easily, plus you’ve made good use of the tubes.

Double-Lid Cord Reel

Make a handy cord reel using extra bucket lids. Cut a 5-in. length of 4×4 and then cut a groove in the side the same width as your cord. Fasten the lids to the 4×4 with 1/4 x 2-in. lag screws. Make handles from an old 1-1/8 in. diameter broom handle and drill a 1/2-in. hole through the center. Fasten the crank to the lid with bolts, nuts and washers, and apply Loctite sealant to the end nut. Fasten the handle to the 4×4 through the lid with a 6-1/2 in. lag screw. Just insert your cord and reel it in.

Milk Jug Scoop

When we talk about repurposed items we mean all kinds of items. Instead of tossing empty milk jugs, consider turning them into kitchen tools. Cut off the top of an empty gallon or half-gallon milk jug with sharp scissors. It helps to draw the cut line with a marker first. Clean up the cut to make sure there are no sharp or rough edges. Replace the jug cap and you have a handy (and pretty much free) scoop for pet food, potting soil, etc. Remove the cap and you can use the scoop as a funnel!

Pie Plate Storage Pockets

Screw cut-in-half pie tins and heavy-duty paper plates to a shop wall and you’ve got space-saving storage for the sanding discs, circular saw blades and abrasive discs that like to hide in a drawer. Be sure to tape the sharp edges on the cut pie plates to protect your fingers!

DIY Planters

You can make planters out of just about any repurposed items you can think of. Just take stock of what you have lying around and mix and match them with these ideas to create a lovely and sustainable garden.

Pallet Wall

This is a great way to reuse an old wooden pallet. You’ll need some landscape fabric to attach to the back side of the pallet, then fill with soil and plant your flowers. Prop the planted pallet up against a wall or fence.

Wine Bottle

If you’re up for cutting glass, try using empty wine bottles as planters. You’ll need to cut either the side or the top, depending on the look you’re going for.

Coffee Cup

Try using an old coffee mug or tea cup to grow some small plants. Then use an oversized mug to hold the cut flowers on your dining table.

Plastic Jugs

Those plastic milk jugs can be cut and used as planters. Try hanging them from a fence with wire coat hangers.

Cardboard Carton

Instead of tossing that cardboard milk or orange juice carton in the recycling bin, cut off the top, wrap it with fabric and use it as a planter for herbs or flowers.

Greenhouses from the Salad Bar

Reuse a plastic clamshell container from the salad bar as a mini greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring. After washing the container, punch a few holes in the top. Fill the bottom with potting soil and plant your seeds. Close the lid and place the container in a sunny spot. It acts like a mini greenhouse, allowing the sun to reach the plants while holding in moisture.

Repurpose a Dresser

Repurposed items can also be large furniture pieces that you no longer need. In this case, an old dresser can be turned into a printing station. Keep wire baskets near for printer discards and store ink and paper supplies in the drawers for easy access. Drawers also make for a sturdy storage solution for extra notebooks, binders and books.

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Tips for Finishing Basements

Inspect Plumbing and Wiring

Before you implement any of our tips for finishing basements, you need to take stock of your space. You will likely need to add plumbing and wiring to your basement, including a separate bathroom. Check on existing systems to see what expansions and upgrades need to be done. Remember, you’ll need a permit for this work.

Make Your Insulation Count

It’s all well and good to take some of these tips for finishing basements and run with them, but if you don’t insulate your space properly all your hard work will be for naught.

Seal the Rim Joists

Uninsulated rim joists are huge energy losers. Now’s the time to insulate and seal your rim joists. One option is to seal the rim joists with rigid insulation cut to fit. We recommend a minimum of 2-in.-thick extruded polystyrene, but check your local codes to see what’s required. If you have a table saw, use it to cut strips equal to the depth of your joists. Then use a fine-tooth handsaw, utility knife or miter saw to cut the strips to length. Fill small gaps with caulk, and larger ones with expanding spray foam from a can.

Seal Around Pipes and Wires

Seal small cracks around pipes and wires with special “red” high-temperature silicone caulk. Fill larger openings with flame-resistant expanding foam. Close openings around chimney flues or other large openings by nailing sheet metal over them and sealing the edges with caulk. Sealing between the basement and upstairs will help prevent the spread of fire from the basement to the upstairs. It will also save energy and prevent sound transfer from the basement to the upstairs.

Install Proper Egress Windows

One of the most important aspects of those basement building codes we mentioned earlier are egress windows. These are basement windows that let in light and give people an escape route in case of an emergency. A live-in basement requires egress windows, so be prepared to expand existing windows and renovate your foundation to make room for them.

Don’t Forget About Your Walls

When it comes to listing out tips for finishing basements, we’d be remiss to not include ways to prepare your walls. They need to be able to keep the elements out and keep the space inside habitable.

Waterproof the Walls

Waterproofing materials that go on like paint fill the pores in the concrete or masonry walls and prevent water from leaking in. To be effective, these coatings must be applied to bare concrete or masonry walls. Start by removing loose material with a wire brush. Then clean off any white powdery “efflorescence” with masonry cleaner. Follow the safety and application instructions carefully. A common mistake when using masonry waterproofing products is to spread them too thin. The goal is to fill every pinhole to create a continuous waterproofing membrane. Brush the coating in all directions to completely fill every pinhole. Add a second coat after the first dries.

Insulate Walls

Insulate exterior walls to prevent condensation. In cold climates, wall insulation in the basement also saves energy and reduces your heating bill. But don’t cover the walls with insulation if water is leaking in from outside; you’ll just create a potential mold problem.

Use Warm Colors

Once you’ve insulated and waterproofed your walls, it’s time to think about color. Basements tend to be cool and lacking in natural light. You can make them feel cozier and more inviting by using warm colors.

Photo: Courtesy Finished Basement Company

Vary Your Lighting Choices

No list of tips for finishing basements would be complete without suggestions for lighting. For the most interesting space, include several kinds of lighting in your plan. Start with good general illumination for times when you want a brightly lit room. Plan to add a dimmer switch to control the amount of light. Recessed can lights, ceiling fixtures and fluorescent “pillow” lights are a few types of general lighting. If you’re worried about noise traveling upstairs, don’t use recessed can lights.

Frame Soffits With OSB

Most basements have ducting or plumbing mounted below the joists that needs to be boxed in. The most common method is to build a wooden frame around them that can be covered with drywall. Here’s a pro tip for building these soffits. Rather than frame the sides with 2x2s or some other lumber, simply cut strips of plywood or OSB (oriented strand board) for the sides.

Pick Your Flooring Wisely

Choosing material for a basement floor is tricky. Carpet is warm and soft but susceptible to moisture damage. Tile is good for areas that might get wet, but it’s hard and cold underfoot. Still, there are a few choices that strike a good compromise.

Cork

Consider cork flooring for your basement. Interlocking cork flooring is easy to install, sustainably harvested and warm underfoot.

Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring

Another good basement flooring choice is luxury vinyl tile or planks. Luxury vinyl is waterproof and virtually indestructible. It’s also easy to install and looks great. It’s available in a plank form that looks like wood, and squares that look like tile. Floating luxury vinyl floors connect with self-adhesive tabs or interlocking edges.

Install Drainage Mats

Plastic drainage mats, or dimple mats, allow air to circulate under the flooring and provide a moisture barrier. They also provide an insulating layer of air that separates the floor from cold concrete, reducing the potential for moisture damage from condensation or water vapor migrating through the concrete.

Warm Up Cold Floors With Heating Cables

You can warm up your basement floor with electric heating cables or mats. This type of heat doesn’t warm the room much, but it makes floors much more comfortable. The downside is that heating cables are expensive to install and expensive to run. You can buy a loose cable system or mats with the cable attached. Loose cables are more work to install but cost less than mats. The more area you cover with cables or mats, the lower the cost per square foot.

Quiet the Ceiling

To quiet footsteps from the floor above, consider adding fiberglass batts to the joist spaces. You can add a 3-1/2-in. layer, or better yet, fill the joist spaces with fiberglass. For even more noise reduction, isolate the ceiling drywall from the joists with resilient channels. Screw the channels to the joists, spacing them 12 or 16 in. apart (ask your building inspector what’s required). Then screw the drywall to the channels, being careful not to drive screws into the joists. This creates a “floating ceiling” that reduces sound transmission. You may have to visit a drywall supplier to find resilient channels.

Add a Gas Fireplace

Consider adding a gas fireplace to your basement remodeling plans. In addition to the obvious benefit—everybody loves fireplaces—a fireplace can be a great source of extra heat to warm up a room fast on cold winter days. One advantage of gas fireplaces is that you may not need to run a chimney through the roof. In some situations, you can run the flue directly through the side wall.

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Tips and Tricks For Cooling Your Home Without Breaking the Bank

Insulate and Air-Seal Your Home

“Adding insulation (or upgrading old stuff) can help lower energy bills and keep your home more consistently comfortable,” states Pearl. Heat pump specialist Phil Bickel elaborates: “Many of the things that help keep your home warmer in the winter also help keep your home cooler in the summer. If you feel the temperature extremes in both seasons, consider a weatherization project.”

By itself, insulation won’t keep the house cool in the summer, so you’ll also have to employ some of the other tips we present here. Insulation will reduce heat exchange at walls, windows and ceilings and make those extra measures more effective.

Use Fans to Circulate Air

Install ceiling fans and run them in a counterclockwise direction, which is the reverse of the direction they should run in the winter. That will push air toward the floor and create a cooling breeze.

In addition, Pearl suggests other ways to use fans to keep the house cool in the summers: “Use bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans after cooking or showering to push hot air out. At night, you can point box fans out the windows to suck the warm air out and pull cooler air in from other parts of the house. This actually works surprisingly well!”

Don’t Cook During the Day

Large appliances give off significant amounts of heat. Bickel suggests waiting to turn on your oven, range, dishwasher, and clothes washer until evening hours when temperatures are cooler. “Also, consider hanging laundry outside to dry. You’ll save the cost of running the clothes dryer while reducing heat and moisture in the house.”

Can’t wait for dinner until the sun goes down? Fire up the grill and cook outdoors. Isn’t that what summer is for?

Open Windows at Night

Take advantage of cooler summer evenings and open your windows to promote a cross-breeze, advises Bickel. “Bonus: This can also help you sleep better! The cooler air will circulate all night, allowing you to start fresh with a cool home in the morning. In building science, this is referred to as night-flush ventilation.”

Worried about bugs? Put screens on the windows or deploy fans that face outdoors to keep them away. If you can’t do either, avoid attracting bugs by keeping the area around the windows dark.

Block Direct Sunlight

Have you ever been inside a greenhouse during the day? It becomes a hothouse, and the same thing happens to your house if you leave south- and west-facing windows uncovered when the sun is out.

“Summer sun delivers heat right through your windows,” says Bickel. “Block the heat with shades or blinds during the sunniest hours to keep your home cool without AC. This is a passive, or “natural” cooling method that is one of the cheapest and simplest way to keep your home cool in summer.”

Grow Plants Indoors and Outdoors

This tip comes from longtime HVAC pro Richie Drew: “Plants are a strategic and attractive way to keep the room’s temperature down. Trees or other greenery can block some of the sun and keep rooms cooler throughout the day.”

Both indoor and outdoor plants can provide shade to keep the house cool in the summer. For example, an old oak tree shades a large portion of the house in which I live, and the temperature indoors is consistently five to ten degrees cooler than outdoors.

Planting trees and bushes outdoors may not be an instant solution, but if you get them in the ground this year, you can look forward to cooler temperatures a few years down the road.

Use Air Conditioning Wisely

If you have an air conditioner, follow these energy-saving tips from Drew to keep your cooling costs down:

• Set the thermostat to a constant, moderate temperature (around 75 degrees) and leave it there. “Many people think they will save money by turning off their AC when they aren’t home during day, however this is not the case. They come home to an 80-degree house and blast their AC in attempt to cool the home down quickly.” That make the AC unit work harder and consume more energy.
• Invest in a smart thermostat. “It’s well worth the money, as your HVAC unit will start to run more efficiently thus using less energy and lowering the monthly bill – especially during peak summer and winter months.”
• Upgrade your HVAC system. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, that can reduce your cooling (and heating) costs from 20 to 50 percent.

Keep Interior Doors Open

This creates a balanced airflow, according to HVAC pro Elizabeth Shavers. “Open doors throughout the home to allow for more even air circulation, helping the system cool rooms efficiently without overcompensating for hot zones.”

This is a money-saving strategy for homes with air conditioning, but even homes without central cooling can benefit. Keep the doors open and use fans to circulate cooler air from the lower floors (particularly the basement) to the upper floors, which tend to get uncomfortably warm on hot days.

Maintain Your A/C System

You HVAC system needs periodic maintenance to keep it running efficiently and keep the house cool in the summer. The following maintenance essentials recommended by Shavers are DIY tasks that take little time:

• Replace air filters regularly: Dirty or clogged filters restrict airflow, reducing efficiency and increasing strain on the system.
• Check that vents are unobstructed: Furniture, rugs, or clutter can block air vents, which limits airflow and forces the AC to work harder.
• Clear space around the outdoor unit: At least two feet of clearance around the condenser (outdoor AC unit) is recommended. Trim back plants, remove debris, and make sure there’s no obstruction to airflow.

Install an ERV

An Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is a standalone piece of HVAC equipment, and Panasonic Eco Systems representative Leon Van Oostende explains that it’s one of the most economical and overlooked ways to keep a home cooler in the summer

“ERVs work by bringing fresh outdoor air into your home, tempering it, and exhausting the stale indoor air. By transferring heat and moisture between these two air flows, ERVs reduce the temperature and humidity of the incoming air before it reaches your living space.”

When installed in line with your HVAC system, an ERV saves energy by reducing the load on your AC system. Designed to maintain air circulation in well-sealed houses, an ERV can have a cooling effect even when not used in conjunction with a central cooling system.

Use a Swamp Cooler

People living in arid regions west of the Rockies have the option of cooling with an evaporative cooler, also known as a swamp cooler. It works by blowing air through a mesh kept constantly wet by a stream of water to cool the air by water evaporation and circulate it. If you live in a region with low humidity, you can install one on the roof to keep your whole house cool, or you can use portable units to cool individual rooms.

Not ready to invest in another appliance? Try this hack to make a swamp cooler out of inexpensive materials you might already have around the house.

FAQ

What temperature should you set your AC in the summer?

That depends on how cool you like it, but as a rule of thumb, 75 degrees is an energy-efficient setting that should keep you comfortable.

Is it better to leave your AC on or turn it off when you leave the house?

Unless you’re going away for longer than a day or two, it’s better to leave the AC running while you’re away. It consumes less energy to maintain a constant temperature than it does to cool down a room that has become uncomfortably hot.

What direction should my fan spin if I have AC on?

Your fan should spin counterclockwise (leading edges of the blades higher than the trailing edges) even if the air conditioning is on. That way, the blades will help circulate conditioned air down into the room, and the AC unit won’t have to work as hard.

About the Experts

• Uri Pearl is the owner of Nealon Insulation, based in Clinton, CT.
• Phil Bickel is the heat pump program manager at Efficiency Vermont.
• Richie Drew is the VP of Operations at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning.
• Elizabeth Shavers is the General Manager for HVAC and Plumbing at Oncourse Home Solutions.
• Leon Van Oostende is the Group Sales Manager at Panasonic Eco Systems North America.

Sources

• Urban Health Collaborative: Extreme Heat and Disasters: The Climate Emergency Is Impacting Lasrge U.S. Cities; (2024)
• U.S. Energy Information Administration: U.S. electricity prices continue steady increase; (2025)
• U.S. Department of Energy: Why Energy Efficiency Matters; (2025)

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5 Spray Can Tips for Perfect Spray Paint

Apply the Right Kinds of Coats

You can’t just crack open a spray can, start spray painting haphazardly and expect your paint job to turn out well. One of the most important parts of a good paint job is mastering the right technique.

Start With a Tack Coat

If you’re spraying a vertical surface, it’s always smart to apply a “tack” coat before applying the first full coat. A tack coat is a light mist that you allow to set for five minutes. The texture of the tack coat will help hold the paint in place and reduce runs.

Apply Coats in Different Directions

To achieve the most even coverage as you paint, it’s a good idea to put on subsequent coats in different directions. Changing directions will help you get into all those nooks and crannies and reduce the chance of zebra stripes.

Many Light Coats

It is common knowledge that you should apply several light coats rather than one or two heavy ones. But few have the discipline to follow this simple advice. When you’re spraying, resist the temptation to fill in thinner areas on one pass to completely cover the surface. Otherwise you’ll find yourself dealing with runs—yet again.

Always Clean Out the Nozzle

Even though nozzle-cleaning directions are on every single can of spray paint, it’s an easy step to skip. After use, hold the can upside down and press the nozzle until no more pigment shows in the spray, and then wipe the tip with a rag or paper towel. If you skip this step, you could end up with a nozzle completely clogged with dried paint or a partial clog that’ll affect the spray pattern next time.

Swap Plugged Nozzles

If you do end up with a plugged spray can nozzle, don’t panic. Most nozzles have a universal fit. If you end up with a plugged nozzle and have other cans of spray paint with good nozzles, just swap the bad one for the new one. They lift right off and push on. If you don’t have any good nozzles, remove the plugged one and soak it in nail polish remover, acetone or even mineral spirits.

Protect Your Project from Dust

For a flawless finish on small parts, paint them inside a cardboard box. If you have larger projects, create a poly booth. In basements, dust will shake down from the floor joists, especially if someone is stomping around upstairs, so staple painter’s plastic to the ceiling. Damp-mopping the floor with keep your feet from stirring up dust. Don’t use a fan to speed up drying time. Wear clean clothes and a hat to keep your hair out of the finish. An hour or so before you paint, shut off furnaces, the A/C and ceiling fans to let the dust settle.

Need a Custom-Color Spray Paint?

If you want to paint radiators, electrical cover plates, a shelf or anything else to match your wall or trim color, go online and search for “custom spray paint.” You’ll find many companies that can custom-mix just about any color you want, provided you know the paint manufacturer and color name. If you want a different shade of an existing color, choose one of the other shades from the paint swatch you got at the home center or paint store and have that color custom-mixed.

Hang ‘Em High

If the project parts are small enough, you can suspend them for painting. You’ll be able to paint all sides at the same time and have everything at eye level. Use coat hangers, wires, thumbtacks, screws—whatever you have on hand. Wear an activated carbon respirator when you spray-paint, especially if you’re painting indoors.

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