Something everyone knows but very seldom do. Sometimes we think it's faster to start painting without preparing the area to be painted. Not true! You will spend probably more time with clean up. 

• Wear old clothes, overalls you don't care about.
• Move everything from the area to be painted.
• Mask off baseboards, stained woods, windows and doors.
• Remove switchplates and outlet coverplates.
• Keep a damp cloth with you for little mistakes.
• Mix paint and pour in a roller pan or a small cup and begin painting.

It seems like we always try to use that leftover screw we have in the garage and what a mistake. It's usually the wrong size or we don't have enough for the new project. So we end up going to the store in the middle of the project.

• Buy the proper size and quanity for the job you are doing. This will save time and aggravation.
• Always use the proper screws for the exterior projects. There are several types depending on your project. Brass, Zinc, Galvinized, and more.
• Never place your hand behind the material in line with the screw. If it happens to sink in too deep it could easily go into your hand or fingers. This I know from experience. Some of us learn the hard way.

Power tools are not toys! Remember that tradesmen make it look easy, like a professional dancer makes dancing look easy.

• Its not a good idea to wear a tie, loose clothing or anything that can get tangled up in a drill motor. Simply be careful.
•  Make sure your bits are sharp. This will make your drilling much easier.
• Safety glasses should be used when operating this tool. Loose materials can get into your eyes and cause irratation, scratch or even burn your eyes depending on the material you are drilling.

This is something that may be obsolete one day in fact they already have lasers that can measure for you. I prefer the tape measure.

• Everyone knows this. Measure twice cut once.