David L. Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord
GFCI and AFCI are both safety measures, but they are distinct and not interchangeable. Let’s compare and contract GFCI vs AFCI so you can be sure you’re getting the right thing.
If you don’t know, buying combination GFCI/AFCI outlets or breakers is an option, and it’s not a bad idea. But if you can’t afford the higher price for a combo unit, or want to maximize convenience, knowing GFCI vs AFCI is important so you get the right safety feature for your application.
Power strips are a necessity when you don’t have enough outlets, but they can be unwieldy. One way to get them to stay where you want is to mount them to your wall, desk, workbench, or entertainment center to keep them out of the way. Here’s how to mount a power strip.
I used this trick to mount a power strip to my train table, my desk for my work computer, and to a monitor stand I made for one of my retro computers. It works well. This allows me to keep it where I want it, whether that means completely in reach in the case of a workbench, or out of sight but very easy to reach, in the case of my retro computer monitor stand.
I needed some shelves for my office. Most of the ready made shelves I could find wouldn’t fit in the space I had. So I made some myself using cheap wooden crates. Here’s how I make DIY wood crate shelves that are attractive, functional, and reasonably durable.
You can buy three wooden crates for $36 and they will make a shelf that’s equivalent to a $40 particle board shelf in terms of storage space. But the crates give you more options in terms of versatility, both in the way they look and the way they work. And while I wouldn’t call them super strong, they’re at least as durable as particle board.
Surge protectors cost a lot less now than they did when I was a kid. That’s probably a good thing. But buying one today is no less confusing than it was in 1985. Here’s what to look for in a surge protector, so you’re getting the protection you think you are, and without sacrificing convenience.
A good surge protector offers an indicator light that tells you it’s working, enough plugs to be useful to you, and at least 1,000 joules of protection. Be sure to look for at least those three things.
Can you paint drywall without texture? Absolutely you can. I think it’s easier to paint without texture, as long as you prime it first. But texture can save you time in the long run.
There’s no reason you have to texture drywall. Texture is for making the wall look more traditional or to cover flaws, not to make the paint work better.
My home office doubles as the home for most of my retro computers. That means at any given time I have up to five computers set up in there. These means I need lots of power strips. Or is it surge protectors I need? Let’s look at the question of surge protector vs power strip, because there really is a difference. And that difference can cost you money. Sometimes a lot of money.
A power strip just extends your outlet so you can plug more stuff into it. A surge protector lets you plug in more stuff, but it also provides protection for what you plug into it, though the amount of protection varies.
It’s inevitable. You’re painting, and you reach a point where you have to let the paint dry, or you’re just out of time for the day. And cleaning your paint roller and tray is a pain. It makes the painting go much faster than using a brush, but it takes a lot longer to clean, too. Here’s how to save time and paint, cut down on how many times you have to clean the roller, and keep paint rollers from drying out until the end of the project.
Paint is expensive. And no matter how well you plan, it always seems like you have a significant part of a gallon left over at the end of a project. How do you keep paint from drying out so you’ll have it for touch-ups, or your next project? Here’s a trick an old-timer taught me.
Hanging drywall is a pain, so it’s absolutely tempting to try to skip steps when you can. So can you paint drywall without primer? It seems like an unnecessary step, but is it?
It’s inevitable. You’re painting, and you reach a point where you have to let the paint dry, or you’re just out of time for the day. But you’re going to have to come back and paint again, so it seems like a waste to clean the brush, only to load it up with the same color paint again. Here’s how to keep paint brushes from drying out. Both during a project and at the end of the project.