Help Desk - DO it.television

Care for Planers
When you are finished with your plainer – or any tool for that matter – never place the tool on its blade – it will damage the blade and the tool wont work properly.

Safe Use of Power Cords
If you are working outdoors or undercover and it’s raining, make sure your power cords are earthed and up off the ground and away from any wet areas. And always use good quality cords with no nicks or exposed wires.

Water Saving Aerators
Water Aerators are designed to reduce the amount of water flowing through your tape head thus reducing water consumption – they’re easily fitted and you can pick them up from your local Mitre 10 or check out your state’s water providers’ website.

Citrus Trees
Piling up grass clippings around your citrus tree is a no no. It’s good to mulch but not with grass clippings as it could cause a disease called collar rot.

Marks on CDs
Don’t use permanent markers on your CD when you label them because the ink can bleed through the top layer, corrupting your precious information. Use a pen especially designed for disks.

Outdoor Lighting
When installing outdoor lighting use only low voltage cables, which won’t burn plants or harm you if you put a spade through them. Stairs, paths and driveways should be lit so they can be used safely. And it should still feel like night time with the lights on transforming a dark space into an inviting setting.

Makita Boom Box
Working to music from your Makita Boom Box makes the job that much easier and the day go faster. It’s so simple – just use the batteries from your power tools and crank it up!

Termite Prevention
To avoid having termites eat you out of house and home, create a barrier between gardens and walls, keep wood piles and timber away from the house and up off the ground. Have your house inspected at least every six months and if you do find a termite nest don’t disturb it - call in a professional.

Driveway Safety
The statistics on home driveway accidents are alarming – one child is run over in their own driveway every week. So fence your driveway off from the house with an approved safety fence and gate. Keep the kids inside the house or in the car when moving it, and hold your child’s hand when family members or visitors are arriving or leaving.

Pool Safety
Half of all drownings for under five year olds happen in backyard pools, so don’t leave things lying around the fence that kids can climb on – never ever leave them alone even for a few seconds, and make sure your pool gate closes properly and is fitted with a self locking latch

Muscles
If you want to tone up your body or lose a few kilos then try doing some resistance training. The more muscle you develop, the more efficiently your body works. Muscle burns fat so by doing more resistance training your body benefits in several ways.

Compost
Most compost failures are due to poor moisture content – your compost should be damp but not soggy.

Give your compost adequate aeration by turning it regularly and the more shredded the raw material is, the faster it’ll break down.

Picture Hanging
When it comes to hanging a picture on a wall, it all comes down to simple maths.

Know where the bottom of the picture is going to be, measure from the bottom of the frame to where the string stretches. Transfer the measurement on the wall – X marks the spot and it will be spot on all the time.

Breathing
Life is often stressful so make sure you take time to breathe. Just one breath will reconnect you to yourself.

Power Tools
When using percussion drills make sure the drill bit is sharp, let the bit drill the hole, don’t force it and when drilling metal make a pilot hole first.

Fly Wire
When you replace your fly screens check all of the screens in the house and do them all at once if necessary.

Always keep the flywire tight as you go and using soapy water makes it easier to roll the spline into the frame.

Dehydration
If you suffer from headaches, then keep a large bottle of water with you all day. Aim to finish it by the end of the day and you’ll find that your headaches will disappear.

Circular Saw
When using a circular saw, make sure the saw is up to speed before you start cutting the wood.

Let the saw do the work and set the cutting depth to no more than a ¼ of an inch. This will help reduce kick backs and you’ll avoid injuring yourself.

Wireless Home
Going wireless is now easier than ever.

A good tip is to buy the same brand of router and adaptor. Even better – some companies offer bundles.

For a better signal, the router should be on an internal wall and close to the centre of the home.

Lawn Care
To keep your lawn in top condition, feed it regularly with a balanced fertiliser that promotes strong root growth.

Aerate your lawn first with a garden fork to allow good penetration of the fertiliser and always fertiliser after rain.

Packing
Moving house is one of life’s most stressful experiences. To make it a little easier, make sure you shop around for quotes, as there can be a huge variation in prices. Pack lighter items in larger boxes and heavier items in smaller boxes. Use clean white paper for wrapping as newspaper can leave stains on your goods. Most importantly, get insurance.

Paint
Never apply water-based paint over oil, or vice versa, because the paint won’t adhere to the surface, leaving small beads and streak marks. If you’re not sure about what paint you’re covering up then test it first.

Steak
The secret to barbequing perfectly cooked meat is to start with excellent quality meat. Don’t cut off all the fat, and place it on a really hot grill. Sear both sides for a couple of minutes and leave it till the juices come through. Then let it sit in a warm spot for a moment or two before eating.

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