Local businesses are the lifeblood of the economy.  They are a great part of the community and I always support them as much as I can because I would much rather help a local family to eat than support some rich CEO any day.  I’m going to go over some of the advantages of buying local.

Local Experience and Expertise

A lot of the people running these businesses have years of experience and expertise in the field and know the area very well.  For example lets say that you need a carpet cleaning company in Cornelius NC.  I would rather hire the company in the link, than some huge mcdonalds style chain that might not clean as thoroughly because they have a ton of jobs that they have to do that day.  Most local companies that specialize in one industry have years of experience and know not to take on more jobs than they can handle.  I’ve had all kinds of companies that say they’ll show up at a certain time and end up being hours late which can be extremely annoying when you have stuff to do.

Community Relationships

When you use a good local company over and over you start to develop a good relationship with them and could even end up getting a discount down the road.  They’ll also be more motivated to give you free tips and pointers if needed.

Convenience

A lot of the time the item or service that you need to purchase is closer than you think.  It can be way more convenient to go to a local stand or shop that’s just down the road than getting in the truck and driving all the way down to the big department style store.  I have a small hardware store that is right down the road that I go to all the time instead of the huge local brands that are farther away and sometimes more expensive.

The Environment

It’s no big secret that huge companies have a big carbon footprint and use a lot of natural resources.  When you use local companies this is drastically reduced.  Given how many problems there are with the environment I think it’s time that everybody plays a part to reduce carbon and other environmental problems before it’s too late.

Jobs

I’ve read that for every $100 that is spent on local business, upwards of $65 will stay with the community.  This is a pretty significant statistic!  Not to mention that small business accounts for 65% of all new jobs.

Some food for thought.  The next time that you go to the store of hire a service, pick the local one and the community will be better off for it.

With so many different tools on the market today it can be very difficult to filter out all the scams and garbage.  In this post I’m going to give my honest opinion on what I think are the 10 must have tools for any handyman.  I’ve left out some of the most obvious ones because we all know that we need a hammer, screwdrivers, etc..

Cordless Drill

There’s no power tool more versatile than a good cordless drill.  I prefer the Dewalt brand as I’ve used they’re tools for years and never had any problems.  My buddies use other brands like Makita and Ryobi which are also fine.

Table Saw

If you plan on doing any serious carpentry projects then a table saw is a must.  They can get quite expensive but as long as it’s put to good use the investment will repay itself many times over.  Just be careful not to cut your fingers off!

Nail Gun

Nail guns are a great tool for speeding up jobs.  Stop driving every nail in by hand and get a nail gun! Then have a beer later when the job is finished hours ahead of schedule.

Shop Vac

Sigh… The dreaded part of every project.  The cleanup.  Sadly any time you use power tools there  is bound to be a mess, so save yourself some time and use a shop vac.

Miter Saw

For those cuts that don’t require a table saw there’s no better option than a good old miter saw.  I personally like the Hitachi brand but to each their own.

Palm Sander

For those of you that still sand by hand give your heads a shake!   End the torture and pick up a decent palm sander.  They are great for smoothing out roughness and refinishing surfaces.

Sawzall

If you don’t already know what a sawzall is then read up on it because it’s an underutilized tool of demolition.  It can cut pretty much anything and has a ton of different blades that can be used.

Air Compressor

Not just for filling tires, air compressors can also help with drain cleaning, caulking and powering a lot of your tools.

Laser Level

A very necessary tool for all the carpenters but also for anybody that wants to mount or hang something and have it be straight.  A good laser level is well worth the investment.  My Dewalt one has lasted years.

Needle Nose Pliers

These will come in handy for a variety of things.  If you ever lose something in the wall then you know how hard it can be to get out.  Luckily needle nose pliers can wedge into the smallest spaces and make your life a hell of a lot easier.

Here’s a really cool video I saw that gives some awesome tips on things you can do in your workshop to make it better.  I’ve got another few of my own handyman skills that I’d like to share with you guys.

How To Hammer A Nail Perfectly Every Time

It takes a lot of skill to be able to hammer a nail perfectly. There’s a learning curve for sure. I remember many times I’ve accidentally hit my hand with the hammer after a long day of work. To stop your fear of hitting your hands while smashing a nail into a material that requires strength such as a hard board, first put the nail in place and hold it there with pliers as you drive it in.

If you don’t have any pliers don’t worry cause you can even use a plastic hair comb or anything that will hold the nail steady at least until you get it part way in. If you’re working with a few nails that are close together make sure you’re extra careful not to pinch your hand. I’ve done this too many times to count and does it ever hurt!

How To Find Studs Without A Stud Finder

If you ever want to mount a new flat-screen TV on the wall, here’s a tip that can save you some money and time if you don’t have many tools.

It would be really nice if we were able to just hang stuff on the wall without the need for a lot of tools and expertise, but this is reality and it doesn’t work that way. A lot of people find themselves lost when needing to mount heavy and expensive equipment.

One of the most important skills that any beginner handyman can have is to be able to find studs quickly and effectively (not that type of stud lol). Luckily this can be done without expensive tools with just a little know how.

There’s a couple methods to do this. One is the very old school method of knocking on the wall and listening for a change of pitch. This is effective but requires a lot of experience. The other and my most favorite involves just a magnet and a piece of string.

What you do is tie the string to the magnet and then simply drag it along the wall. Since drywall is usually quite thin the magnet will cling to the metal stud behind the drywall, allowing you to easily find it.

How To Clean Your Paintbrushes Your Self

How many times have you found yourself getting ready to start painting on a new project only to find out that your paintbrushes are all caked in old dried paint? Never fear because it’s an easy fix to make them new again.

Find an old saucepan that you don’t care about much and fill it with just enough white vinegar to submerge the bristles. Then boil the vinegar for a few minutes. The paint won’t instantly disappear but once the vinegar cools and you wash off the brushes the paint will fall right off.

Another little trick that you can do is to line your paint tray with a plastic bag for easier cleanup.

Hope you enjoyed these tips and can use them in your own projects!