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I grew up on a farm. My dad is a farmer out there in Iowa, and he's well-versed in carpentry and mechanics as well as agriculture. He's added three rooms onto his home by himself and fixes his own tractors and combines with the help of his hired hand. Growing up, I used to assist him in his work. I've scooped my fair share of corn, greased a few wheels, replaced a few radiators and hoed more than a few rows of beans. It's hard, horrible work for not a lot of money. That's why I live in Los Angeles and do internet work.
I busted my back on that farm since I was six years old. I don't know if my parents broke any child labor laws, but they did teach me that even the youngest kids can help their father do home improvement work.
To illustrate this, I've started out with two ways the very young can help dad. After that, I've selected several easy-to-do, eco-friendly projects that can be done with or for dad.
Easy Home Improvement Projects
- Hold a Flashlight
One of the easiest things a kid can do for his or her father is hold the flashlight while he works underneath or inside a car. Even a young kid can do this, but he may have to use step ladder if they are working on the engine. I did this job for my father until I was 24. I'm special. - Find Tools
Another easy task for kids is tool retrieval. When your father asks for a specific tool, you hand it to him from the tool box.
Kids: Memorizing the different tools in the tool box is a very thoughtful and cheap gift for dad.
Dads: Teach your kids proper tool maintenance.
Here's how to Make Your Tools Last:
- Keep your tools dry. Water can cause wooden handles to rot and some metals to rust. Store your tools in a dry place. Proper storage is the best thing that you can do for your tools.
- Keep your tools oiled. Oiling your tools prevents rust. It also ensures that the tools will work properly. If a tool, such as a vice grip, has moving parts. Oil those moving parts.
- Sharpen your blades. There are various methods of sharpening a blade, but a file or a whetstone will take care of most any job.
- Keep your tools clean. Dirt and grime will contribute to rust. Wipe your tools clean before you store them.
- Don't store tools on the floor. Tools should be hung on walls or placed in drawers. Tools on the floor can be run over or stepped on. Rock salt, often used on snowy roads, can get on garage floors and decay metal.
- Sand down handles. The wooden handles can rot faster than the metal. You should sand the handles every now and then to avoid slivers. Another option is to wrap duct tape around the handle to give you more grip. This is great if you wear gloves while you work.
- Caulk
Caulking is a great way to increase the energy efficiency in your home. It's also a great way for a child to learn how to seal his thermal envelope.
Put down tape near the cracks that are to be caulked. If the child makes a mistake, the tape will save the wall from errant caulking.
Here are some caulking tips:
Where to Caulk?
The best place to caulk is where two different types of building materials come in contact, like where the wall meets the window. Caulk in any place where their may be an air leak. Please note: Before you go sealant-crazy, make sure you do not block off any place that provides adequate ventilation.
When To Caulk?
Caulk on a dry, mild days.
How to Get a Smooth Application
Get some masking tape. Run tape on both sides of the crevice that you'll be caulking. Make sure your tape is straight. Apply caulk between the tape. Work slowly and carefully. Use your finger or a Popsicle stick to tool the caulk. Remove the tape. Voila! - Clean the Gutters
A lot of people hate cleaning gutters. It's important to maintain proper water catchment and keep the foundation area free of water.
I've been cleaning the gutters at my grandparents house for years. When I visited my grandparents last summer, they made me clean the gutters. They have a really steep house and everyone worries that my brother and I are going to fall off, so they lash ropes to us and my dad holds on to rope from the other side of the house. Of course, it's always held too tight, and I have to keep shouting for more rope. But, whatever, my grandparents have clean gutters. And I think Dad really gets a kick out of this.
To clean gutters, just dig the gunk out of the gutters and throw it on the ground or in the compost heap. Wear gloves.
Remove all branches and other debris from the roof. - Build a Leaf Composter
A leaf composter is a very simple device. We don't need leaves filling up our landfills. They are supposed to rot underneath trees and add nutrients to the soil. A leaf composter can be built in an afternoon. This will divert untold bushels of leaves from the landfill.
Here are the instructions on how to build a leaf composter:
What You'll Need
1. Chicken Wire
2. Pegs
3. Mallet
4. Twine
5. Time
6. Hay fork
Step One
Find a nice shady spot in your yard. Direct sunlight will cause your compost to dry out. If your lawn is shadeless, make sure to water your compost a couple of times a week to keep it moist.
Step Two
Figure out how much space you are going to need for your yard waste. This will be dependent on the size of your yard. Are you going to compost grass clippings or kitchen waste, too? Consider this information before you choose a perimeter size. Mark the perimeter with the pegs. Knock in the pegs with the mallet.
Step Three
Wrap the chicken wire around the pegs. Use the twine to fasten the chicken wire to itself where the ends meet up. Use the twine to fasten the chicken wire to the pegs.
Step Four
Put your leaves in the inside the chicken-wire perimeter. Feel free to fill it to the top. To speed up the decomposition, you can buy microbes at a most home-and-garden stores.
Step Five
You will need to stir your compost mix once a month. It will take at least six months for the leaves to become compost, depending on whether or not you added microbes or kitchen waste to you mix. A leaf-only mix will take about nine months to become compost.
Step Six
When the leaves have decomposed into a soil-like substance, the compost is ready. Untie the twine. Remove the chicken wire. Set it aside. Use the hay fork to apply the compost to your garden.
Step Seven
Refasten the chicken wire to the pegs with the twine. Get ready for next year. - Build A Worm Composter
A worm composter can cut through that indoor organic garbage. How to build a worm bin:
Find two like-plastic storage bins. One foot of surface area per pound of worms. One pound of worms is able to compost a ½ pound of food per day.
Poke holes in the sides and bottom of one of the bins.
Cover those holes with screen.
Put two bricks on their sides in the tub without holes.
Place the tube with holes on the bricks.
Obtain scrap paper. Use junkmail or newspaper.
Cut ½ to 1 inch strips of paper.
Dampen the paper. Not too wet.
Get worms. You can purchase them off the internet.
Redworms are a great type of worm, because you can fish with them as well. If your compost bin is good and healthy, your worms are going to breed like gangbusters. You'll have to remove some worms when the bin becomes overpopulated.
Add ½ lb of compost per pound of worms. - Plant a Tree
Planting one tree removes one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. Plant twenty trees and you are carbon neutral. Trees also increase energy efficiency inside the home, reduce runoff and act as a windbreak.
How to Plant a Young Tree
Things you will need:
- Tree
- Shovel
- Needle-nose pliers
- Hammer
- 6-Foot Stakes
- 2-inch rubber hose buffers
- Wire
- Soil Nutrients
- Compost
Dig a whole twice the size of the tree's root ball and 1½ times deep.
Mix excavated soil with compost. Your mix should be 1/3 compost, 2/3 soil.
Add nutrients.
Begin to refill hole. You want the part where the tree is sticking out of it's root bag to be even with the ground.
Carefully untie the root ball. Try and keep the soil from the root ball intact.
Finishing filling hole.
Mash down soil around the tree into a bowl-shaped dimple.
Fill dimple with water. Let it soak.
Drive stakes into the ground two feet from the tree. Be careful of the roots.
Attach wire to the hose buffers. Wrap the buffer around the sapling. The stakes will act as anchors for the tree. You will need to leave slack.
Looking for a Father's Day gift? Consult our green gift guides:
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