The ingeniously simple speed square is the most practical and useful hand tool for any carpenter or do-it-yourself.
Also called a rafter square, this multi-purpose triangular carpenters’ tool packs so many features into such a small tool that at first glance it might be confusing how to use it.
So, we’ve broken down its five uses for you:
Make accurate 90-degree or 45-degree cuts by lining up the saw with the edge of a speed square. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
1. Make accurate cuts. Because of its triangular shape, a speed square is great for making square crosscuts or 45-degree lines. Simply line up the edge to a board to cut the right angle every time.
2. Mark angles. A speed square has a pivot point, so you hold it against the edge of the board and rotate it to mark any angle. For example, let’s say we want to mark a 30-degree angle. Simply hold the edge of the speed square against the edge of a board, then pivot it to line up with the 30-degree mark on the speed square.
Place a pencil in the quarter-inch notch, then slide the speed square along the board to draw a straight line. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
3. Use it as a scribing tool. Let’s say you want to make a parallel line one inch from the edge of a board. A speed square has quarter-inch notches on its inside, so you can put your pencil in the one-inch notch and slide it along the board. Then, you’ll have an even line one inch from the edge.
The diamond cutout is three and a half inches from the edge, the same width as a 2-by-4. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
4. Mark the width of 2-by-4.A speed square has a diamond cutout exactly three and a half inches to the edge of the square, which is exactly the width of a 2-by-4. So if you put your pencil in there and slide it along that line, this will is exactly the width of a two-by-four.
5. Use it as a saw guide. Probably the most useful and obviously practical application of a speed square is as a saw guide. Just take the square, hold it against the board’s edge and guide the saw right against the square. You’ll get a straight cut every time!
We’re helping a couple who aren’t strangers to do-it-yourself projects.
Matt and Lindsey Binion bought their mid-1950s house in the midtown area of Mobile, Ala., a few years ago and have been busy making it their own ever since.
After completely renovating their kitchen because of a water leak, they installed their old kitchen cabinets in the laundry room to give it a bit of a facelift. However, its overall look and functionality need some improvement. So, we’re here to help!
The Projects
The new cabinet configuration works with the room instead of against it. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Rearrange the Cabinets
Matt and Lindsey were on the right path when they repurposed the old kitchen cabinets for storage, but their configuration just wasn’t working for the room.
There were large gaps between the cabinets and the walls, and items ended up being placed all around. The room was treated more like an indoor garage than a laundry room.
So, we reposition them and remove some to create storage that makes sense for what the couple needed from it.
Then we sand, prime and paint the cabinets a fresh new color.
Lindsay won’t have to wash clothes in the kitchen sink now that she has a utility sink in the laundry room. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Add a Utility Sink
In a house with four boys, a laundry room with a utility sink is a must.
Lindsey has been using their new kitchen sink to wash their boys’ muddy clothes after sports practices. And after handwashing, she has no place to hang clothes to dry.
To install the utility sink, we first moved the water and dryer so we could access the plumbing. Unfortunately, we found some water damage behind the wall.
Unbeknownst to the couple, water had been dripping from the cross-linked polyethylene, or PEX, line for a few days. We immediately cap the line with a Sharkbite cap until the plumber arrives to install the sink.
Our plumber uses an oscillating saw to cut the PVC pipe so it can be rerouted to the sink. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
When our plumber arrives, we cut a hole in the drywall so he can access the pipes and reroute them to the spot the sink will be. The plumber then runs the new drain line for the sink and extends the water supply lines from the spot where we capped the leak.
We then replace the drywall around the new pipes and finally install the laundry sink cabinet and sink.
The luxury vinyl tile is the same flooring in the kitchen, so now the two rooms are connected. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Replace Flooring
The tile grout on the laundry room floor is coming loose, so we’re going to replace it with some leftover luxury vinyl tile that the couple used in their kitchen renovation.
Thankfully, we caught the water leak in the hex pipe just in time for us to treat the subfloor with antimicrobial spray and let it dry overnight. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
After we remove the tiles and backer board with a pry bar, we find a wet spot on the subfloor where the PEX pipe was leaking. Because we caught the water leak early, we won’t have to replace the subfloor. We use some dehumidifiers and fans to dry it out overnight, and then treat it with an antimicrobial spray to make sure no mold comes up through the floor.
To level out the subfloor, we mix some floor patch compound that he spreads over the surface to fill in low spots and smooth out the transitions. We then installed the rectangular luxury vinyl tile long-ways in the room to complement the narrow room.
The new cabinet has room for everyone’s laundry basket, plus plenty of countertop space for folding. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Install Countertops and Cubbies
Matt and Lindsey used a piece of plywood as a makeshift countertop for the repurposed kitchen cabinets. But, the plywood wasn’t a prime surface for folding laundry, so the couple was forced to pile laundry in the living room and fold them from their couch.
To make this counter space more functional, we first install 1-by-2 cleats to support a new butcher block countertop as well as a shelf unit that will organize the kids’ laundry baskets.
We use 3/4-inch plywood and 1×2 boards to create the cubbies for the laundry baskets. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
For our shelf unit, we cut our wood pieces on a table saw outside and assemble them with nails and wood glue. We then attach them to the cleat we installed next to the base cabinets.
Polyurethane seals the butcher block countertop so it’s more durable. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Next, Lindsey coats the butcher block with polyurethane. After that’s dry, we install the countertop over the shelving unit and base cabinets.
Matt and Lindsey had a decent-sized laundry room with lots of storage space, but because it had been thrown together with salvage materials from an emergency kitchen renovation, the surfaces all looked a little worse for wear and the room lacked the thoughtful organization and visual appeal they really wanted for the space.
But now, the old recycled cabinets have a clean new look and a simplified layout that works with the room rather than overpowering it. The new luxury vinyl tile flooring has replaced the old cracked ceramic tiles and connects the room to the rest of the house.
The laundry sink makes the family’s everyday chores easier and less stressful, especially with the hanging space directly above it and the new countertop is both attractive and useful for a family with lots of laundry to fold.
Plus. We did it all for less than $2,000 in materials.
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The tile we’re using has a built-in pad so there’s no need to install an underlayment. Start in a corner of the longest wall in the room, placing the tiles with the tongue side out.
The tongue on luxury vinyl tile is the small flat edge on one side of the tile that’s angled to lock into the bottom side of another tile (the groove side).
Cut the outer boards down to ensure you have equal-sized pieces on either side of the room. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
To ensure we have equal-sized cut pieces on either side of the room, we cut our first row of tiles down to 8 and 3/4 inches.
Luxury vinyl tile expands and contracts, so give it some room by spacing it about 3/8 of an inch away from the wall. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Space each piece about 3/8 of an inch from the wall so there’s room for expansion. For this luxury vinyl tile, we’re aligning them with the base molding because it’s a little wider than that measurement.
On the first row, you’ll only need to snap the end joints together. For the next row, align the end joint then tilt the tile down so the longer joint lines up.
Staggering the rows prevents unattractive gaps between the luxury vinyl tile. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Offset each new row by half from the previous one before tapping both joints in place with a rubber mallet.
You don’t have to use a saw to cut luxury vinyl tile. Simply score it with a utility knife and snap it off. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
When you need to cut the tile, simply align the tile and mark the edges at the obstacle, then connect the lines using a speed square. Cuts can be made with a saw or with a utility knife to score and snap the tiles.
Caulking seals cracks, gaps and joints gives bathtubs, baseboards, trim, and molding a polished look. But if you can’t apply the caulk neatly, the messy lines will be all anyone sees. Here’s a quick tip and how to apply caulk neatly.
Cut your caulk tip at a 45-degree angle like you normally would do when opening a new tube of caulk. This angle is perfect for the tip to nest inside the corner of whatever piece you need to be caulked.
Now, here’s the Simple Solution:
Sanding the caulk tube tip inside the wood joint alters the angle to fit perfectly in the joint. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Fold a piece of 120-grit sandpaper in half and crease it very tightly.
Place it in the corner of the 90-degree joint that you’re going to be caulking.
Take the tip and rub it back and forth right against the sandpaper.
Sanding the tip down alters the angle so that it fits perfectly into that 90-degree joint. If you look closely at it, you’ll see that the tip is not just cut at 45 degrees, but it’s also beveled back at 90 degrees, so it’s going to fit perfectly into that joint.
Now, just draw the caulk with nice steady even pressure all the way across the joint and you get a nice neat bead with no wasted caulk. The remaining piece of the tip will act like a putty knife – forcing the caulking deep into the crack – as the tip passes over it.
Today’s Homeowner TV host Danny Lipford and Creative Director Scott Gardner sit down in the audio booth to look back on 25 years of Today’s Homeowner TV. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
In this special “Ask Danny,” Scott Gardner, creative director for Today’s Homeowner TV, joins me to look back on 25 years of producing the show.
Scott Gardner and Danny Lipford in the early days of Today’s Homeowner TV. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
I met Scott about 26 years ago when Today’s Homeowner TV was still Remodeling Today, and he was working for a local production company.
Just as our hair and styles have changed over the years, so has the format of the show. In the early days, there were a lot of two-part episodes. The show featured large-scale, lengthy projects from my construction company, so breaking each one up into two episodes made sense.
Nowadays, we focus on smaller projects so we can complete them in a few days. That way, our viewers can see the project from start to finish in each 30-minute episode.
Scott Gardner checks the TV monitor on the set of a Today’s Homeowner TV project in 2020. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Another thing that’s changed over the years is the focus on the homeowner. Years ago, you would never see the homeowner. We focused on the contractors working on the projects, and I would intermittently pop in to give some explanation on the work being done.
Now, the homeowners work on every project, and oftentimes they’re what makes the show so entertaining. Seeing them successfully complete their projects inspires our audience and gives anyone who’s watching the show a sense of “I can do this too!”
Listen to the full podcast for more behind-the-scenes details and funny stories!
