A rotary tool is a staple for any toolbox because it’s so handy for small, delicate jobs.
Need to cut a small hole into drywall, sand a tight spot on a piece of furniture, or remove rust from a metal appliance? Grab a rotary tool — specifically the new Ryobi USB Lithium Rotary Tool.
It features a compact design that delivers more power for any application, and its accompanying tool kit has all the parts you need.
This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product from these links, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The Ryobi USB Lithium Rotary Tool has a Quick-Change Collet for four times faster accessory changes, so there’s less downtime when switching between projects.
The collet is just an eighth inch long, so it’s small enough to fit in the tightest of spaces.
This kit comes with 15 accessories for a variety of applications such as carving, sanding, polishing and more, so you’re ready for whatever your next project requires.
The Ryobi USB Lithium battery system provides a compact, portable, rechargeable solution for cordless power and productivity. This gives you maximum portability with minimal downtime.
The USB lithium battery is interchangeable with other Ryobi USB lithium-powered tools because they all use the same battery.
With five variable speed settings, you can adjust the power to as low as 5,000 RPM and up to 25,000 RPM.
What’s Included
The USB Lithium Rotary Tool is backed by the RYOBI 2-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty.
The kit includes a rotary tool, one USB Lithium Battery, 15 accessories, a wrench, an accessory storage case, USB Cable and operator’s manuals.
Watch the video to learn all about this Best New Product!
This week, hear our thoughts on the best spot for a skylight, plus how to fix puddling on a concrete patio. (KM6064/temmuzcan, Getty Images Signature)
Hour 1
In Hour 1, hear how to prevent wasps from swarming around fruit trees, tips for cooling off a hot attic and more.
Controlling Wasps Around Fruit Trees
Wasps are attracted to the sugar in ripe fruit. (TAs3, Getty Images)
Wasps are swarming around the apple and pear trees in Valerie’s front yard.
“Each fallen fruit attracts about five or more wasps, such that I can’t (well, I don’t WANT to) touch the fruit to move it away to cut my grass,” she says.
Valerie wants to know: “What time of day should I pick up the fruit?”
Wasps, as well as bees, are attracted to the sugar in rotten fruit.
Don’t spray any poison around the trees because it won’t just kill the wasps —it will also kill honey bees, precious pollinators that are dying at an alarming rate.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do, other than:
Pick the fruit as soon as it’s ripe.
Don’t let it fall to the ground. We know it’s impossible to prevent every fruit from landing in the dirt but check on the trees frequently.
Rake up the fruit on the ground with a long-handled rake to avoid any stings.
Bees and wasps aren’t as active at night or very early in the morning, so pick up the fallen fruit then.
A renovated attic like this one can be hard to insulate because there’s not much space between the walls and the roof. (chuckcollier, Getty Images Signature)
Leslie Trippe’s 1953 home in Huntsville, Ala., has a finished attic space with two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The ceilings are only seven feet tall and angled in the bedrooms, plus there’s no extra space in between the drywall and the roof.
“When the wall or ceiling is touched the heat can be felt coming through the drywall. We currently use portable air conditioners to keep the space cooler. Is there a way to cool off this space?” she asks.
This is a very common problem in attics that have been converted into living spaces. When people are slowly renovating their home, they forget to take into consideration how hot the attic can get.
Most of the time, it’s almost impossible to add insulation without doing some demolition. Any added insulation in the space between the drywall and the roof will help.
See if any contractors in your area do blow-in cellulose insulation. It’s a mix of wood or paper-based products and glue that’s pumped into the cavities behind walls and ceilings. The contractor would need to cut a small area of drywall to pump it into the small space, but this can easily be repaired.
Besides adding insulation, call an HVAC professional and see if they can set up some zoning for your air conditioning system. This allows you to pump more air conditioning into certain areas.
You can also invest in a ductless air conditioner. This has its own separate system that attaches to the wall.
Hour 2
In Hour 2, hear our thoughts on the best spot for a skylight, keeping water from pooling on a patio, and more.
The Best Spot for a Skylight
Consider two things when installing a skylight: What room that you want it in, and how much sun do you want shining through. (KM6064, Getty Images Signature)
A hotline caller wants to use skylights for ventilation more so than sunlight.
He wants to know: What direction should the skylights face: north, south, east or west?
There’s a lot to consider when placing skylights. Start by asking where do you want the light on the inside.
Then run a plumb line up along the ceiling in the attic and see if you run into any valleys or if the light tunnel will be exceptionally long.
In terms of directional exposure, I don’t think that’s a big deal to worry about if you have a quality skylight with shade capabilities. Just make sure it looks good from the inside and doesn’t affect your home’s structure.
In often cases, people don’t put it on the front of the house for aesthetic purposes. They’re often placed on the north-facing roof plane because it provides the most indirect light, so you won’t get a lot of glare or heat build-up.
If you live in a northern climate, you might want to place them on the south-facing side for some extra heating.
Buy a glass skylight, not an acrylic one. Those can lead to water damage and intense heat if they don’t have the proper curving or seamless flashing.
Stopping Pooling Water on a Patio
Pooling water on an uneven patio can weaken the concrete’s structure. (temmuzcan, Getty Images Signature)
Fifteen years ago, Jane Pierce’s husband used a concrete leveler to correct a low spot on her patio that was collecting water.
“It’s held up very well until now. It is cracking and chipping off. How can I fix this?” she asks.
Here’s how to fix this:
Chip away as much from the surface as you possibly can. You don’t have to be too aggressive with it — just get all of the material that’s separated from the original patio.
Next, get some Quikrete ReCap Concrete Resurfacer. Use Quikrete’s Concrete Calculator to determine how many bags you’ll need.
Then, mix it according to the directions on the package and pour it onto your patio.
Use a large rubber squeegee (about a foot to 16 inches wide) to spread the mix. Cover the entire patio to ensure it’s level.
Before it dries, drag a broom across it to add some texture for a slip-resistant surface
A regular screwdriver can loosen any stuck parts inside a deadbolt. (mokee81, Getty Images)
How do you fix a deadbolt that’s stuck in the locked position? That’s what Marlene Lauer in Neenah, Wisconsin, wants to know.
She says, “We removed the doorknob, but couldn’t move any of the parts to slide the bolt. We tried to take the door off and that did not work. My son wants to saw through the bolt. Is that our only option?”
Usually, a small piece inside the doorknob has broken and is lodged inside, keeping it locked.
Use a hammer to tap a screwdriver or nail punch to the right and left inside the keyhole to loosen the jammed part. Then, try tapping the screwdriver a bit with a hammer to loosen what’s stuck inside.
If this doesn’t fix it, call a locksmith.
Best New Products
Lutron’s Dimmer Switch Starter Kit gives your home lighting a smart upgrade, without competing for a signal with other devices. Learn more >>
Simple Solutions
Attaching a section of downspout to a ceiling joist creates easy storage for long and narrow items. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Easy Overhead Storage — Here’s how to make an overhead rack in your garage workshop, or shed for storing small-diameter pipe, narrow moldings, and even fishing rods.
Cut two 5-in.-long pieces from a length of vinyl downspout.
Then screw the downspout pieces to an overhead ceiling joist, spacing them about 4 feet apart.
Now, simply slide moldings and pipes into the short downspout sections. The parts will be up and out of the way, but easily accessible when you need them.
Have a split chair leg or a tabletop? Here’s how to get the wood glue in tight spaces when you fix it, and coat both sides evenly! (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Gluing Tight Cracks — When fixing a split chair rail, cracked baluster, or similar object, it’s difficult to apply glue because the crack is so tight. Try this:
Wedge open the crack with a small flat-blade screwdriver.
Then, squeeze in some glue and use a length of dental floss to work the glue deep into the crack.
Pull out the screwdriver, wipe away the excess glue and clamp the repair.
It all started in 2015 when a swingset broke in Jeff Headrick’s backyard.
So Jeff, a master carpenter, decided to use his decades’ worth of building experience to construct a new place for his grandchildren to have fun outside.
When asked what kind of playhouse his grandchildren wanted, the kids, aged 1-9, decided on a miniature pirate ship.
Jeff’s wife Debbie says he drew up some rough sketches for the playhouse and constructed and deconstructed parts along the way. He wanted the project to “not only be perfectly square, but safe for his grandsons.”
In this 2017 photo, Jeff and Debbie Headrick had just applied the first coat of stain to the pirate ship playhouse. (Pirate Ship Playhouse Facebook)
Over the years, multiple levels were added and it grew bigger and bigger.
Now, the “miniature” pirate ship is held into the ground by 10 concrete piers, 25,000 screws, and has multiple levels that are large enough for an adult to stand up in.
So, how long did it take to complete this pirate ship? About five years — four years to construct the playhouse, and then another year or so to finish the surrounding features.
The couple is also adding extra details surrounding the ship, like an under-the-sea mural on the fence. Debbie used more than a dozen cans of spray paint and real starfish she got on a trip to the Bahamas.
But, it’s all worth it, they say, because of the enjoyment their grandchildren, and neighbors, get out of the playhouse.
At this point, the “playhouse” in the Headricks’ backyard is more than just a playhouse. They see it as a small second house that they occasionally open to large audiences on special occasions.
The Headricks have opened up their backyard for Halloween for the past two years. In just four hours, 475 people came through to see the pirate ship in 2020 and 600 in 2021.
The family goes all-out for the occasion by dressing up in pirate costumes, providing a stockade for photo ops, treasure chests, spooky music, and more.
The couple has been very firm with keeping the ship private and only open for Halloween fun. However, they will give tours to those who ask and let children play.
“You’d be amazed at how many adults stop and ask if they can see it and take photos,” Debbie says.
Jeff and Debbie say their backyard “Peter Pan/Pirates of the Caribbean theme park” will continue on for future generations. Their five grown children have even bigger plans for the property when they inherit the property.
The wood and everything else will receive the same regular upkeep that it’s had over the past years, but there are plans to convert the backyard, which includes a pool, into a rental Airbnb property.
The children promise they’ll never sell the property and also have plans to convert two other backyard buildings (currently used as Halloween storage and another as a small record studio) into small cabins for renters as well.
The Headricks say there were some regrets after converting their backyard into a theme park, but they’re outweighed by the joy it brings their grandchildren.
Debbie advises that if someone else wants to do this, plan for regular maintenance and have someone else do the building.
There aren’t any blueprints for this pirate playhouse, so if you want to build one yourself, you’ll have to use your imagination.
However, if you do decide to build one, the couple has these words of advice: Be prepared for many people to stop and take pictures.
This week, Jim Peterson with ConcreteNetwork.com answers some of the most-asked questions about concrete. (3 Echoes Content Studio/Jim Peterson)
This week, I’m talking to Jim Peterson, founder and president of The Concrete Network.
Jim started this online resource for homeowners in 1999. It provides useful and easy-to-understand concrete information to millions of people every year, and also connects homeowners to local contractors.
Jim: Concrete is a combination of four things: sand, cement, gravel and water. These are put together in certain proportions, depending on what the project needs. This is done at the ready-mix plant so the homeowner doesn’t worry about getting the right amounts.
It’s often called cement, which is incorrect. Cement is only part of concrete.
Steel rebar provides the best strength for concrete slabs. (BulentGrp, Getty Images)
Rebar vs. Fiber Mesh
Which would you use for a concrete slab: steel reinforcement wire or mesh?
Jim: At my house, or if I’m recommending to a friend, I would use #3 bars at 18 inches on the center.
Wire mesh ends up being stepped on by the placing crew, and dug into the sand, so it’s not in the concrete too often. When they test concrete, they’ll often see the mesh is on the bottom, so it did no good.
Fiber mesh has some finishing issues and won’t provide the strength of steel bars.
Hire a pro to do the job right when laying a concrete slab for a house. (therry, Getty Images)
Advice on Concrete Slabs
Jim: Concrete can be forever — a 40-, 50- or 60-year or more product, so it’s one best to be done right. That’s why so many people hire a contractor to pour a concrete slab. It’s just not something you want to toy with. You can find a contractor near you by searching on The Concrete Network’s website.
It’s not a bad idea to have an expansion joint or a joint map made of the pour to share with the contractor and make sure the person cutting the concrete makes those cuts.
Cuts can go under walls and off of edges to make the job a lot cleaner.
Too much water can weaken the concrete mix, so always follow the recommended ratio. (therry, Getty Images)
Water Content
Is it important to limit the amount of water added to the concrete on the job? It seems to weaken the mix.
Jim: Yes, it does. What happens is the water rises to the top and when the concrete is finished, the top layer is going to be weakened and there will be all sorts of problems.
Each mix has a water-to-cement ratio, and that should be kept to minimum amounts of water added on the job, if any.
Surface cracks like these can be repaired with an overlay topping. (kshushsh, Getty Images)
Surface Damage
What would you recommend for surface damage, like salt damage or gouges? Especially with the challenge of having a patch that blends in.
Jim: I’ll give you the notorious answer: It depends.
First of all, how visible is the area? A lot of time, the patch will look a lot worse than what it was trying to cure.
If the concrete is heaving, that’s a whole different ball game. Any patch is probably not going to stay, it’s going to come loose as the concrete continues to heave.
If it’s an important area, you might need to tear out and replace the concrete, which is a worst-case scenario.
Also, you can sand or grind the surface a bit and do an overlay topping, and it gives you a new surface to work with, as long as the concrete isn’t heaving.
(InCommunicado, Getty Images Signature)
Stained Concrete
We used to see acid-stained slabs all the time inside homes. Do you still see this as a strong trend?
Jim: It’s still popular, and that’s not just my opinion. We get a lot of traffic on The Concrete Network about staining concrete, so that’s sort of a voting machine.
There are two ways to achieve it.
Some people like the look of tile. So, say a homeowner pulls up a tile floor and they can see the outline of the tile from where the glue was. You can prep the surface, stain it, and you can still see the outline of the tile for an industrial look.
If they don’t like that look, they might do a micro-topping. This is preparing the surface, putting on a topping and then staining that new surface, which gives a brand new look.
One thing to consider is the noise requirement with the concrete. It can be louder in the room, so sometimes people will add on noise buffer carpet on the ceiling and walls.
With a little research, anyone can pour their own slab for a trash can. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Small Concrete Projects
What’s your advice for someone considering a small concrete project?
Jim: If you have a very small project and you’re up for it, there’s no reason you can’t do a garbage can pad, A/C pad or a small stoop in the backyard.
Just get a few bags of concrete from The Home Depot and mix it up and pour it. With a little bit of energy, some light research on The Concrete Network, and watching a few videos, your project should come out fine.
I want to emphasize: With small projects like these, a concrete contractor would probably not respond to you anyway, so DIY is the way to go.
Further Reading
Ask a Question! (Podcast)
Ask a question and we could answer it on the “Today’s Homeowner Podcast!” We also may use it on our nationally syndicated radio broadcast or on todayshomeowner.com.
Jim started this online resource for homeowners in 1999. It provides useful and easy-to-understand concrete information to millions of people every year, and also connects homeowners to local contractors.
Jim: Concrete is a combination of four things: sand, cement, gravel and water. These are put together in certain proportions, depending on what the project needs. This is done at the ready-mix plant so the homeowner doesn’t worry about getting the right amounts.
It’s often called cement, which is incorrect. Cement is only part of concrete.
Steel rebar provides the best strength for concrete slabs. (BulentGrp, Getty Images)
Rebar vs. Fiber Mesh
Which would you use for a concrete slab: steel reinforcement wire or mesh?
Jim: At my house, or if I’m recommending to a friend, I would use #3 bars at 18 inches on the center.
Wire mesh ends up being stepped on by the placing crew, and dug into the sand, so it’s not in the concrete too often. When they test concrete, they’ll often see the mesh is on the bottom, so it did no good.
Fiber mesh has some finishing issues and won’t provide the strength of steel bars.
Hire a pro to do the job right when laying a concrete slab for a house. (therry, Getty Images)
Advice on Concrete Slabs
Jim: Concrete can be forever — a 40-, 50- or 60-year or more product, so it’s one best to be done right. That’s why so many people hire a contractor to pour a concrete slab. It’s just not something you want to toy with. You can find a contractor near you by searching on The Concrete Network’s website.
It’s not a bad idea to have an expansion joint or a joint map made of the pour to share with the contractor and make sure the person cutting the concrete makes those cuts.
Cuts can go under walls and off of edges to make the job a lot cleaner.
Too much water can weaken the concrete mix, so always follow the recommended ratio. (therry, Getty Images)
Water Content
Is it important to limit the amount of water added to the concrete on the job? It seems to weaken the mix.
Jim: Yes, it does. What happens is the water rises to the top and when the concrete is finished, the top layer is going to be weakened and there will be all sorts of problems.
Each mix has a water-to-cement ratio, and that should be kept to minimum amounts of water added on the job, if any.
Surface cracks like these can be repaired with an overlay topping. (kshushsh, Getty Images)
Surface Damage
What would you recommend for surface damage, like salt damage or gouges? Especially with the challenge of having a patch that blends in.
Jim: I’ll give you the notorious answer: It depends.
First of all, how visible is the area? A lot of time, the patch will look a lot worse than what it was trying to cure.
If the concrete is heaving, that’s a whole different ball game. Any patch is probably not going to stay, it’s going to come loose as the concrete continues to heave.
If it’s an important area, you might need to tear out and replace the concrete, which is a worst-case scenario.
Also, you can sand or grind the surface a bit and do an overlay topping, and it gives you a new surface to work with, as long as the concrete isn’t heaving.
(InCommunicado, Getty Images Signature)
Stained Concrete
We used to see acid-stained slabs all the time inside homes. Do you still see this as a strong trend?
Jim: It’s still popular, and that’s not just my opinion. We get a lot of traffic on The Concrete Network about staining concrete, so that’s sort of a voting machine.
There are two ways to achieve it.
Some people like the look of tile. So, say a homeowner pulls up a tile floor and they can see the outline of the tile from where the glue was. You can prep the surface, stain it, and you can still see the outline of the tile for an industrial look.
If they don’t like that look, they might do a micro-topping. This is preparing the surface, putting on a topping and then staining that new surface, which gives a brand new look.
One thing to consider is the noise requirement with the concrete. It can be louder in the room, so sometimes people will add on noise buffer carpet on the ceiling and walls.
With a little research, anyone can pour their own slab for a trash can. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Small Concrete Projects
What’s your advice for someone considering a small concrete project?
Jim: If you have a very small project and you’re up for it, there’s no reason you can’t do a garbage can pad, A/C pad or a small stoop in the backyard.
Just get a few bags of concrete from The Home Depot and mix it up and pour it. With a little bit of energy, some light research on The Concrete Network, and watching a few videos, your project should come out fine.
I want to emphasize: With small projects like these, a concrete contractor would probably not respond to you anyway, so DIY is the way to go.
Further Reading
Ask a Question! (Podcast)
Ask a question and we could answer it on the “Today’s Homeowner Podcast!” We also may use it on our nationally syndicated radio broadcast or on todayshomeowner.com.
Homeowners Lloyd and Aimee Meyers and their two kids, Caroline and Landon, love their home, but they’re not so fond of their ’80s kitchen.
So, we’re helping this family with an inexpensive renovation — at just $1,200 in materials — that will leave a big impact!
We’re bringing this ’80s-style kitchen into the 21st century with a special two-part episode. This article covers part two of the project. (Missed part one? Catch up here!)
Don’t want to paint your cabinets? Touch up the stain and re-seal them for a like-new look!
Touching Up the Cabinets
Lloyd and Aimee’s cabinets, overall, are in great shape. However, they have a few unsightly scratches.
The homeowners don’t want to paint these cabinets because they love the rich wood grain. Instead, we’re touching up the stain and giving them a fresh coat of polyurethane.
In part one of this project, we cleaned and prepped the cabinets. In this episode, Chelsea shows Lloyd how to properly apply stain, waiting a few minutes for it to sink into the wood, before removing it.
Refinishing the cabinets and installing new pulls make them look shiny and new.
After the polyurethane has dried, we place the cabinet doors back on the boxes and install new stylish pulls.
It’s such a simple change — adding new hardware — but one thing is certain: these cabinets no longer scream 1980s!
Best of all, Aimee loves how the refinished cabinets and new hardware completely transform her kitchen.
Sticking SimpleMat, from Custom Building Products, onto the walls and then sticking subway tiles on the innovative mat is much easier than the traditional way to install a backsplash.
Replacing the Backsplash
Lloyd and Aimee’s kitchen had just two small backsplashes in the form of dated ceramic tile behind the sink and oven.
We’re replacing those with stylish subway tiles — and this new, sweeping backsplash will cover each wall in the workspace. The result will be a consistent look that leaves a dramatic impact.
We ran into just one stumbling block before starting work on the new backsplash. We removed the old backsplash and realized it removed portions of the wall.
Things don’t always go as planned during home improvements, but in this case, we just replaced the drywall. Simple enough!
This new subway tile backsplash is sleek, modern, and ties the whole kitchen together.
For the backsplash installation, we use SimpleMat from Custom Building Products. It’s basically a double-sided sticker. First, you apply SimpleMat to the wall. Then, remove the adhesive front and apply tiles to the SimpleMat. After that, grout the tiles and remove the excess.
You can learn more about the process in our how-to video.
This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product from these links, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
This plastic laminate countertop is in great shape, but it doesn’t match the homeowners’ current style. So we’re coating it with dark paint mixed with real stones.
Refinishing the Countertops
This kitchen’s countertops are in great shape, but the plastic laminate no longer wows Lloyd and Aimee. And these countertops won’t look good next to the bright white backsplash we’ve installed.
One simple decor trick is to update two adjacent surfaces with contrasting colors. The subway tiles are white, so these countertops will be black.
This product, seen in Volcanic Black, basically mixes dark paint with real stones for a stunning countertop makeover, and the application couldn’t be easier.
First, we sand the countertops to smooth out the laminate and remove any grime. Then we clean the countertop so primer will bond to it.
The countertops’ new dark coating contrasts nicely with the white backsplash.
Once the primer is dry, we apply the stone coating, as directed, and let it dry. Afterward, we sand it so the stone shines through, giving the countertop a gorgeous granite look.
Finally, we finish it off with sealer.
“Today’s Homeowner” hosts Danny Lipford and Chelsea Lipford Wolf, pictured with Lloyd and Aimee Meyers.
By painting over mustard-colored walls, replacing outdated light fixtures and installing a new backsplash, this kitchen is now in the 21st century!
The new wall color is lighter and brighter. The cabinets look new, with a fresh coat of polyurethane and stylish pulls. And the white subway tile backsplash contrasts beautifully with the dark countertops and light fixtures.
