Family Handyman October/November 2022

Our kitchens are the hearts of our homes. This is where we cook and eat, but also where we laugh, create, connect and even work remotely now too. Though kitchens are ever-evolving, one thing remains unchanged: They’re the hub. The heart. And I couldn’t be more excited to share with you Family Handyman’s remodeled kitchen, where our heart is on full display in every single detail of these beautiful, useful projects. I’m just as equally thrilled to introduce myself to you as Family Handyman’s first female content leader—a huge honor for this lifelong content creator and DIYer. Growing up, I learned a lot about how to build, clean or fix things around the house from the two very resourceful women who raised my siblings and me: my mom and my grandma. Whether…

FAMILY HANDYMAN IS STREAMING NOW We started as a magazine, launched a website and social media channels and, starting this fall, we’re launching At Home with Family Handyman on streaming TV services. Original series you can look forward to are: Best Builds Countdown. You’ll see the best from DIYers around the globe. Saturday Morning Projects. Looking to DIY your way through the weekend? This is a one-stop shop for easy plans. The Before & After Show. If you love seeing a has-been home become a gem, check out these transformations. The Outdoor Show. From patios and pergolas to decks and outdoor sanctuaries, this is a celebration of welcoming backyard spaces. You can even see your favorite editors behind the scenes at our backyard build. Find out how to watch by visiting Familyhandyman.TV. 850…

RECHARGEABLE HAND VAC Living with kids and pets, I’ve become numb to never-ending messes. But I’ve found a solution for a quick tidy-up. The Black+Decker 20-volt Max Pivot Vac is a lightweight, battery-powered handheld vacuum. It features a 180-degree pivoting and telescoping nozzle that reaches into tight spaces, an upholstery brush, a bagless debris canister, a 20-volt rechargeable lithium battery and a three-stage air filtration system to prevent clogs. Ten minutes after I started vacuuming (on a full charge), the battery died. While this doesn’t seem like a long run-time, I had cleaned all the hard-to-reach spots on my lower level. Cordless handheld vacuums range from $40 to nearly $200, which puts the $90 Black+Decker Pivot Vac in the mid-range. The potent sucking power and easy-to-use, bagless design justify this vacuum’s price.…

A BETTER GRIP FOR LONG TOOLS To save your back when raking mulch or shoveling heaps of dirt, add a second handle to your long-handle tools. A section of PVC pipe with a T-fitting and cap works perfectly. Add a screw through the T-fitting and into the handle for won’t-budge stability. DALE WHITMAN PLASTER TO GO To simplify cleanup when you’re drilling holes in plaster or drywall, tape a bag to the wall, then drill through the tape. Dust and chunks will fall directly into the bag, and the bag can then be reused or tossed. JOE FRYER SOFTER PAINT BRUSHES No matter how thoroughly you clean, wash and rinse paintbrushes after a painting project, the bristles are usually stiff the next time you use the brushes. Prevent this by washing the brushes as usual and then…

WHAT IT TAKES TIME 2 days COST < $300 SKILL LEVEL Beginner TOOLS 6- and 10-in. taping knives, putty knife, mud pan, 9-in. paint roller, 3-in. taping knife, Venetian plaster trowel, sponge, drill/driver, basic hand tools Venetian plaster, a beautiful and durable texture that mimics natural stone, is believed to date back to fourth-century Rome. Creating it is a skill that takes years to master; however, there’s room for artistic license. Modern tools and materials put the technique within the grasp of a DIYer. Venetian plaster is a great choice for a kitchen backsplash. It may seem as though it would be difficult to clean, but when the texture is burnished and sealed, cleaning it is no more difficult than cleaning grouted tile. Of all the projects the Family Handyman team completed in our kitchen remodel, this Venetian plaster wall…

If you can’t find an off-the-shelf range hood that suits your kitchen, you can build your own from scratch—or you can take an easier route, as we did. Archways & Ceilings offers many range hood designs that you can size perfectly for your space. Once you have chosen your design and have supplied dimensions (following the instructions on its website), Archways & Ceilings cuts all the parts for your range hood kit and ships it to your door. You assemble the hood and then finish it as you wish. On the following pages, we’ll walk you through the steps to install it. WHAT IT TAKES TIME 3 days COST $500 to $1,500 SKILL LEVEL Beginner TOOLS Drill/driver, level, drywall tools 1 ASSEMBLE THE BOTTOM BOX Gather your parts and assemble the hood’s bottom box with construction screws. All the parts have precut…