alexrussell

alexrussell
I'm a construction professional and freelance writer--a knucklehead with a brain. My...
27 posts

alexrussell's Blog


Save tons of money on paint, if the color doesn't really mattter

By: Alexrussell Feb 05, 2007

Have a closet or garage that needs a coat of paint, but you don't want to shell out the $20 for it? There's a couple easy ways to find paint for pennies on the dollar, and they're closer than you might think.

The first place to look is the same place you'd go to pay full price. Any paint store will have cans of paint leftover from mistakes in the mixing process. When a customer comes in with a swatch of fabric or a flower petal to… Continue Reading

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Help your new plumbing pay for itself

By: Alexrussell Jan 23, 2007

 

The price of copper has skyrocketed, and it's not an all bad thing. There are great alternatives to copper when it comes to re-piping your home, so there's no real need to pay any premiums there. But why not take advantage with the old copper pipe you're going to replace?

Scrap metal recyclers in Seattle, where I am, are paying upwards of $1.75 or so per pound for scrap copper. This is what they'll pay you for what you'll probably… Continue Reading

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How the pros paint doors two sides at a time

By: Alexrussell Jan 23, 2007

 

Painting a door can be a chore, but there's an easier way to do it than painting one side at a time. Some pros I've worked with have a great way to keep doors upright, so they can paint both sides of a door in one go. Here's what they do.

The only tools you'll need aside from painting materials are a cordless drill or screwdriver, and a hammer. The extra materials are a scrap board and a few finish nails… Continue Reading

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Not your mother's beaded curtain

By: Alexrussell Jan 16, 2007

 

Remember those cheap plastic things that used to hang in the doorways of every card-carrying hippy back in the day? They're still around, just much cooler. And you don't need to wear tea shades to rock them properly.

The Beaded Curtain brings back these free love relics for every hip home, and their beads are anything but cheap plastic. They come in acrylic, wood, feathers, fabric and shells. They can add a lot to any neo-hipster's… Continue Reading

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How to keep your computer wires in line

By: Alexrussell Jan 16, 2007

Not everybody has gone completely wireless. It's these poor souls who are destined to trip in the mess of wires dangling in bundles behind the desk. But there's a quick and easy way to straighten things up.

Zip ties!

The lowly zip tie isn't just for cops to keep unruly folks in line. They're also great for putting those unruly computer wires in their place. Zip ties are cheap and come in all different colors. Just one zip and… Continue Reading

8508 views | Comments (6)

A space of her own: how I built Angel an indoor doghouse

By: Alexrussell Jan 08, 2007

 

Every bed we’ve ever bought for our Rat Terrier Angel, our American Staffordshire Ana has managed to squeeze herself into by morning. What Angel needed was a space of her own. I just happened to have a cardboard box lying around the house.

The box I had was a lot bigger than the house would be, so I cut it down and used the extra for the roof. If you have a box big enough for the house as is, have a second box for the roof. Total time… Continue Reading

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Anybody else growing an avocado?

By: Alexrussell Jan 06, 2007

 

About a year and a half ago I left an avocado pit in a bowl of water for no reason in particular. A few weeks later I noticed it had cracked open and a shoot was poking out. I let it grow and kept the bowl full of water until it was a couple inches out of the pit. Then I planted it in a pot and let it grow.

Since then it has died and been resurrected twice. Once through the violent actions of a squirrel, and once through neglect. I like my… Continue Reading

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Beaded Curtains...on a bathroom sink?

By: Alexrussell Jan 06, 2007

 

I can't tell if the Moxie wall-mounted lavatory from Kohler is cool or just weird. Hanging beaded curtains along the edges of a wall-mouned lav is definitely a new idea. A sink is a wonderful thing, but there's always functionality right at the throat of aesthetics. People want dirty water to go away but almost nobody wants to see a sink's p-trap underneath, even if it's chrome and flawlessly… Continue Reading

19737 views | Comments (3)

Wheelbarrow, bucket, or mixer: how to mix up a batch of concrete

By: Alexrussell Dec 30, 2006

You don't really need an industrial mixer like this one to mix up a batch of concrete. Or mortar. Or tile grout. When it comes to mixing any cement-like material, the process is essentially the same. If you'd like the thrill of renting a big mixer, I don't blame you. They're bad ass. But there are other ways to do it.

A couple things to remember before getting started:

Wear gloves. Cement will dry out your hands like nothing else.

Wear eye… Continue Reading

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Save money this winter on your electric heating: get rid of that ugly baseboard heater

By: Alexrussell Dec 30, 2006

The trouble with baseboard heaters is complex. They are both ugly and they use a lot of electricity to keep a room warm. You really need a heater that moves the air and heats a room quickly. The answer is to replace that baseboard heater with an electric wall heater, and you'd be surprised how easy it can be to do this job yourself.  

A wall heater is a single unit that sits inside the wall and forces hot air throughout the… Continue Reading

6759 views | Comments (5)