Behind the Scenes with Handyman’s Corner
You won’t be surprised that it is more than a corner Canada’s Handyman Shawn Monteith has to take care of. We’re pumped that we got the chance to grab some tips & tricks from him while he was repairing small fixes around the house! Here’s a snippet of what we learned.
Want more? He will be at the GTA Home & Reno Feb. 16 – 19 sharing even more tips and tricks for the DIY’er.
What are your favourite tips for renovating?
The most important tip is don’t cut corners! It’s not worth it! I also always say don’t go for the cheap material to just save money, you’ll regret it in 6 months.
What advice do you have for a avid DIYer?
If you’re unsure of how to do something, it’s best to bring in the pro’s. Especially with electrical. When you’re in the process of starting a job, do the entire thing start to finish in your head. This little exercise will help you to figure out a plan in advance and tell you so much. Once you’ve actually started the project keep in mind to always do the best you can since you’re the one who has to look at it when it’s finished.
What are your favourite 5 tools and why?
That’s a tough one! My favourite five tools are:
1.Zip grinder – I take this tool on pretty much every job. A zip grinder has a thin metal cutting blade and goes through metal like nothing. I use this anytime I have to cut any metal. A very dangerous tool but if you don’t have one on hand it sometimes can hold up a job.
2. Sliding Compound Mitre Saw – With the right blade, this saw will take hours off any major wood working job. Set up the proper jigs and reduce your cutting time in half again.
3. A Reciprocating Saw – This is one of those tools that you’re glad you have it when in a difficult situation. With the proper blade this tool can reach in and cut either wood or metal in a wall or structure that otherwise you can’t get a saw into.
4. Hand Pull Saw – This is a simple hand held saw but can cut through wood in seconds. I like to have this tool with me when I can’t get power. If I need to cut some 2×4’s I can pull out this saw and cut through a few of them in no time. Faster than getting out a cord and finding power. My wife saw how easy I cut through some branches in the yard and well, now that saw is hers. I ended up buying another one for my tool box.
5. Cordless drill – Without a doubt one of the best tools. Goes to every job with me.
Do you have a favourite renovation project you always love working on?
I always enjoy working on bathrooms. Doing a full renovation of a bathroom brings out many different trade skills. Everything from carpentry, plumbing, tile setting, painting and electrical even a couple others at times. Finishing a full bathroom Reno is challenging but definitely rewarding.
What is one project you learned the most from?
When reading this question my two answers might not be what you expect to read but they are what came to my mind first.
I was 24 and working in Toronto. A bunch of us were packing up tools at the end of the day. We had to get a heavy machine on the back of the pickup truck. Someone said no way can we lift that on the truck. I went over and started to lift it, struggling with it, a friend grabbed the other side and we managed to get it on the back of the truck. In the first couple of steps holding this machine i felt my knee give me a sharp pain. Ever since that day my knee gives out every so often. I learned from that job don’t over do yourself, it doesn’t pay off in the long run.
My other learning experience was from another project that I had to make thousands of kids wood kits. I spent hundreds of hours in front of a chop saw (sliding compound saw) without hearing protection because I wanted to hear the radio while I was cutting. Now I am hard of hearing in my right ear because when I was at the chop saw I stood on its left side because I’m right handed. I learned always use hearing protection when around loud noise. You can never get the same level of hearing back.
