Finding decent, well-priced outdoor furniture is no easy task. It seems like anything I covet is well above my budget, and anything I can afford looks cheap and uninspired.

Luckily, I’m taken care of for now. When my family and I moved into our current residence, our realtor Nate Cole gave us an outdoor dining set as a house-warming present. We liked it so much that we got two matching loungers, four extra chairs, two side tables, and a rocker.

That may sound over the top, but we use all the furniture on a daily basis and the price was quite reasonable. How did we do it? Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Go vintage.

Nate found a beat up Brown Jordan table and chairs set at a local garage sale. Knowing it would perfectly complement our mid-century house, he had the set powder coated and outfitted with new vinyl straps in a lovely sage green. Then we scoured Xcape on Retro Row in Long Beach for companion pieces and gave them the same makeover treatment.

Refinishing vintage pieces is a great alternative to buying new. To begin with, you can buy the pieces from different sources at different times and not have to worry if they go together. Because you will be applying new colors, finishes, and fabrics, you can think of your amassed collection as a blank slate. Just look at the possibilities.

Second, you know that if the furniture has survived this long, it must be of decent quality. I can testify that our furniture has withstood wine spills, jumping children, and constant rearranging, among other abuses. As long as you find pieces with the basic structure intact, you should be fine. The rest is cosmetic.

Finally, the experience of vintage shopping far exceeds that of conventional. So go out and have some fun looking for outdoor furniture you can enjoy this summer.

A couple weeks ago I had a garage sale. I dreaded the thought of cleaning out my house for the months leading up to the big date but I knew it needed to be done. It had come to the point where everything was bugging me, from my messy T-shirt drawer to our family’s supply of outdated medications. Do you know the feeling?

Truth be told, I’m pretty good at purging, and I actually like it once I get started. I feel a sense of lightness. I can move through my home and my life much more easily. So I’ll share with you my basic plan of attack.

+ First, I make my way through every room in the house including the garage. I write down my goals for the week on a calendar (i.e. Monday – bedrooms and bathrooms; Tuesday – kitchen; Wednesday – office, and so on and so forth). I leave no space untouched, even if it means spending hours going through the one drawer that I dump all those difficult-to-organize items like rubber bands, Altoids, and coupons for my favorite Indian buffet.

+ Second, I try to keep my emotions in check. I’ll be the first to admit that I get attached to seemingly random things. There’s the shirt I know would be great to wear at our mountain retreat (even though we don’t have one), the modern rocking chair that will look perfect in a nursery (even though our kids are now in school), and the stacks of old travel and design magazines that I keep for reference (even though I don’t have time to read them).

I try to reason with myself that an item only has value if it is used and enjoyed. Do you ever find something in the cleaning process and say, “Hey, I forgot I had this … I’m going to start wearing this”? But come now … if you liked it that much in the first place, would it really have been buried in a closet for five years? I don’t think so. It’s time to say goodbye.

+ Third, as I’m cleaning out the house, I separate the goods into three piles: a handpicked selection for friends and family to review, a list of “premium” items to put on Craigslist (recent examples include an Ikea bed frame, a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, and Bose headphones), and the actual stuff for the garage sale.

+ Finally, I organize everything by its specific category – clothing, electronics, toys, etc. – so I can recall what I have and make it easier for the customers.
Now that I’ve sorted through everything, the next task is to choose what will go into the garage sale. You should include everything you want to get rid of (as long as it’s in sellable shape), but there are some secrets to maximizing your yard sale profit. Stay tuned for part two of this series, and in the meantime, feel free to share your own tips for purging–and managing–your household clutter!

As a part of my project-planning build-up, I research my idea to death. My degree is in Sociology (a very research-heavy field), so I get sort of a twisted enjoyment out of searching out information, comparing sources and methods, and divising my own conclusions about the subject at hand. This is no more true than when dealing with my home renovations.

And while the internet is obviously one of the quickest, easiest, and most expansive research tools there is, you have to proceed with caution. Just because a website says adding to existing plumbing is as easy as 1-2-3, doesn’t mean really anything without the experience to back it up.

So here are a few tips on properly researching your next DIY project:

1. Check your information
Is the site you’re looking at a well-respected site (like the one you’re reading here)? Or is it just a Yahoo Questions page where any Joe Schmo can throw in their five cents? Make sure that when you’re pulling from the Internet that some sort of expert or tradesperson is at least consulted on the project you’re looking at.

2. Reference multiple sources
Just because one source says all you need is a caulk gun and a flat-head screwdriver doesn’t mean it’s the gospel. Cross-reference multiple trusted sites to see if that’s actually the general consenus on the proper method, or if in your vain hope of a simple project you end up MacGuyvering something that’ll end up costing you more time and money to fix than it should have.

3. Don’t forget the library!
In our digital age, it’s easy to forget sometimes that there are these concrete places, full of books of information that you can borrow for free for a limited time. It’s kind of fantastic. You can get all kinds of verified resources (including those fancy DIY books they sell at the big box retailers) to peruse at your leisure — and if you’re lucky, those books will have pictures and possibly even directions on how to tackle your project properly.

4. Talk to a real person
Not sure if you can handle your project on your own? See if you can get a licensed professional to give you a free consultation. Make sure you do your research first, though, just so you don’t get taken as a novice. After hearing how a pro would do it, and what it might entail, you’ll be able to make a better decision on how to go about your idea.

5. Attend a workshop or beginner’s class
Many home improvement stores offer weekend classes handling basic DIY projects, and sometimes they’re even free. Or check with your local library or community center to see if they offer any kind of workshop. Giving it a go in a supervised setting, or at least being shown the basics involved in your project should help you when it comes time to get your hands dirty — or it’ll illustrate that perhaps your heart’s desire is best left to a pro with more experience.
After looking at those plumbing books above to figure out how hard it would be to add a master bathroom to our existing plumbing, I found that what I want to do is possible, but probably far beyond my skill set. So before I started hacking into pipes, I took the time to make sure I wasn’t getting in over my head, saving myself and my family a whole lot of heartache and money in the meantime.

What about you — how do you prep for your big DIY project? Any pointers you could share in the comments?

We’ve been pining for a compact generator for awhile now and Ryobi graciously allowed us to test out their new RYi2200 inverter generator that is available at Home Depot.

Southern California has it’s share of natural disasters but nothing like the seasonal flooding, tornados and winter storms that can hit the rest of the country and knock out power for days. This compact home generator isn’t setup to power your home but rather give you power on the go while camping, tailgating or on a jobsite. It offers 2200 starting watts/1800 running watts and if you buy two you can run them in parallel for even more power.

One of the best features on this generator is the idle-down technology that adjusts the engine based on the power used which saves fuel. It weights in at 51 lbs so it’s light enough to put in your truck and there are two handles on each end to lift as well as an extendable handle for pulling just like your luggage.

Starting the Ryobi was a cinch. It’s got an easy pull-start that anyone could use and the three stage running lever keeps things simple.

We wish the unit had a fuel gauge as it already has a helpful oil gauge and the access to the oil refill reservoir could have been easier instead of having to remove a couple screws. Overall this is a solid unit that is priced well below many of it’s competitors. It’s easy to use and runs extremely quiet. With a 3-year warranty it’s tough to beat.

Here’s a quick video showing more features and highlights.

You can enter here to win this inverter generator.

Klein Tools has recently updated their popular non-contact volt tester with the NCVT-2 dual range voltage tester. It’s the same size as the previous version but operates in two modes and can test low and standard voltage.

Klein Tools have been trusted by electricians and contractors for over a 100 years so you can trust that you are buying a quality tool from them. They are now exclusively available at The Home Depot and you can purchase this voltmeter online or in store.

Here’s a quick demo of the tool in action and enter here for your chance to win this tool plus a $50 gift card to Home Depot.

More from Klein

The Non-contact Voltage Tester lets you detect low voltage in security, entertainment, communications, environmental control and irrigation systems. Its CAT IV 1000 Volt rating provides expanded operation and protection. The lightweight, durable polycarbonate plastic resin construction and pocket clip make it convenient for on the job use.

• Automatically detects and indicates both low voltage (12-48V AC) and standard voltage (48-1000V AC) allowing broad application
• Non-contact detection of standard voltage in cables, cords, circuit breakers, lighting fixtures, switches, outlets and wires
• High intensity, bright green LED indicates the tester is operational and aids in illuminating the workspace
• When voltage is detected, a high intensity, bright red LED illuminates and a warning tone sounds

You can often find pallet sheds for free on Craigslist so start searching then get to building!

Upcycling pallets to build projects is a sustainable activity, just make sure your pallets are chemical and nail free before using them.

Butch Bridges built this shed from pallets and there are a lot of people out there who want to save money and recycle and wish to find clean pallets for cheap that they can use in their own home improvement projects. Here is his project with more detailed information on how he built it.

A mini-industry has popped up for anyone with a pickup truck that is willing to find pallets and sell them.

You’ve probably seen the term “brushless motors” proudly displayed on the latest power tools. These tools promise more power, speed and endurance with less wear on the motor. Sounds to good to be true? We’re diving a bit deeper behind the hype of brushless motors and hopefully this article will help you make a more informed decision when buying your next tool.

What are Brushless Motors?
A standard brushed motor is made up of four parts: a ring of magnets, carbon brushes, armature, and a commutator. The magnets and brushes remain stationary, while the armature and commutator rotate together on the motor shaft within the magnets.

A brushless motor strips this down and loses the brushes and the commutator. The locations of the magnets and windings are reversed: The magnets are on the conventional motor shaft and the copper windings of the armature are fixed and surround the shaft. Instead of brushes and a commutator, a circuit board coordinates the electronic transfer of energy within the motor.

In the graphic above, note the red area on the brushed motor and you’ll see those are areas of friction.

The Brushless Advantage
The inherent physical attributes of a brushless motor, lends itself nicely to the demands of a power tool. With the copper windings on the outside of the motor configuration you can make it larger. Friction has always been an issue with traditional motors but because brushless motors don’t have the friction and there are no drops in voltage from dragging brushes, the motor can run much more efficiently and thereby saving battery life.

Brushless motors have created a so-called “smart tool” because an electronic signal communicates directly with the windings and will adjust to the task it is being used for instead of going full-bore all the time. If the motor sense a lack of resistance it will draw less power so it really only takes what it needs in regards to battery power. What you get in power tools with a brushless motor is a tool that is more powerful, more durable and longer lasting.

Here’s a few videos showing a comparison between brushed and brushless hammer drills and impact drivers and cordless drills.

The Brushless Challenge
Amazing as brushless motors are, they aren’t perfect. A major issue is cost. To manufacture a brushless motor it requires a more complex process including the calibration and setup of electronic speed controls and automating to scale the winding process of the motors.

Lithium-ion batteries are so good now and the cost has dropped considerably but they are still more expensive than the Ni-Cad battery cordless tools. Introducing brushless motors has been a risk for manufacturers until now as these tools are even more expensive ~ roughly 30% more.

The increased cost makes brushless motors out of the reach of most DIY types but for the trades and craftsman who rely on contractor grade tools and work with them to make their living, an upgrade to a brushless power tool could make a lot of sense.

Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt – Leading the way in brushless power tool innovation
Makita was the first manufacturer to introduce brushless motors in power tools and began in 2003 with their tools for the aerospace industries and then in 2009 they introduced a brushless impact driver. Last year Milwaukee introduced a brushless impact driver and drill/driver to their popular M18 line and and DeWalt introduced a brushless impact driver.

We predict other tool manufacturers will slowly jump onto the brushless bandwagon and they probably have tools already in development and they may be waiting for the prices to go down. We’ll be pleased to see what Bosch has available and we expect to see even more power tools using a brushless motor by the end of 2013.

Amazon has one of the best selections of brushless power tools including Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee and Hitachi.

Every household needs a step stool but they are of extra importance when you have kids. Our little guy is now of the age to reach above the sink when he’s on a stool and he enjoys washing his hands we we want to encourage.

We’ve always had utility stools that we’ve used around the house but they aren’t quite right for a bathroom or kids setting.

We built this storage step stool that our friend Leo is demonstrating in the above photo and we’ve been gifted a couple of fun step stools with our son’s name on them.

Would you build or buy a step stool? Let us know in the comments.

Need a voltage tester and $50 in your pocket for Home Depot?

Klein Tools has been making tools since 1857 and is the top brand among electrical contractors. They have a few tools that are also perfect for the home DIYer and one of them is the Klein Tools NCVT-2 Dual Range Non-Contact Voltage Tester. This is a must-have for any tool box as it is essential for any light-duty electrical work such as repairing outlets or installing switches.

Klein Tools is now an exclusive partner of The Home Depot so we can almost guarantee there is one near you.

More about the voltage tester:
- Enables safe, non-contact detection of low and standard voltage in security, entertainment, communications, environmental control and irrigation systems.
- Built with lightweight, durable polycarbonate plastic resin, and provided expanded operation and protection with a CAT IV 1000 Volt rating.
- Ensures accuracy with high-intensity, LED indicator lights powerful enough to help illuminate a workspace.

PRIZE
* Klein Tools Non-Contact Voltage Tester
* $50 Gift Card to Home Depot

HOW TO ENTER
You can enter once-per-day by leaving a comment below.

GIVEAWAY DEADLINE
We will select one random winner at 12 midnight EST on Saturday, June 15, 2013.