Problem: Article: Shift the tiles, if needed, so any cuts that must be made by the wall are against the least noticeable wall. You also don't want cut tiles at the entrance to the bathroom, so adjust the tiles so cuts are against the far wall. You can snap additional chalk reference lines, once the tile layout is finalized, if you wish. You won't want to step on the newly laid tile before the mortar has a chance to dry. Work on laying the tile in small sections at a time. Mix up a small batch of thin-set mortar and spread a thin layer on the cement board with the notched trowel. Lay several pieces of tile with tile spacers to establish even grout lines. Firmly press the tile into the mortar so there are no air bubbles underneath. Set a level across the top of the tiles to make sure they are perfectly flat. As you work toward the walls, you may not be able to use a perfect number of tiles. You may also need to make cuts for tiles that sit around toilets and other rounded objects in the floor. Follow the instructions recommended by the manufacturer before grouting.
Summary: Lay out a single horizontal and vertical row of tiles across the floor along the chalk reference lines. Set the first tile in the far corner of the room and work towards the doorway. Cut tiles with a tile cutter or wet saw, if necessary, to fit along the wall. Allow the thin-set to dry for at least a day.

Problem: Article: Using a single pine board, you're going to make a simple shelf hanging from leather straps. The board can be as long or short as you like, though for the purposes of providing a guided example, a length of 12" (30.5 cm) is used. All said, you'll need: Chisel (approximately " (.64 cm) wide) Clamps Hammer & nails Leather punch Leather strap (x2; each 20" (50.8 cm) long) Level Pencil Pine board (1-1/8 (2.86 cm) thick, 12" (30.5 cm) long) Ruler/tape measure Sandpaper (optional; recommended) Saw (optional) You'll need a flat, stable surface to work efficiently and safely. Clear any obstacles or tripping hazards, like electrical cords and unused equipment, out of the way. You may want to work somewhere with hard floor, like your garage, where it'll be easy to clean up wood dust and shavings. Lay your board flat on its long, wide face. With your pencil and ruler, measure and mark a line a " (.64 cm) in from one of the long edges so the line extends completely from one end of the board to the other. This line is where you will remove some wood to create a notch in which your pictures will be held. Clamp your wood to your work surface so the wood is firmly held in place. Take your chisel and place it on your notch-line. There should be at least " (.64) of wood between the edge of your notch and the edge of the board. Then: Angle the chisel low with respect to the board, with the slanted part of the chisel facing up. Slowly and carefully tap your chisel with a hammer to remove shavings and form your notch. Follow your notch-line with your chisel and hammer from end to end, longways, to create a shallow notch. Generally, your notch doesn't have to be very deep to effectively hold your pictures in place. If you plan on putting unframed pictures on this shelf, you'll only need a very thin notch that's not very deep. Pictures with thick frames will require thicker notches. If you are a little more familiar with woodworking and have the tool available, you may find it quicker and easier to use a wood router to cut your notch. In some cases, if the frame of a picture is too large, it may not fit easily or stably on this kind of shelf. After chiseling out the notch in your board, you may have burs, splinters, or rough spots that remain in the wood. This can give your wood an unfinished look. Run a medium (60 - 100) grit sandpaper over your notch until it's smooth. If necessary, cut your strap material so you have two straps each measuring 20" (50.8 cm). Use a leather punch to create holes in both ends of both strips. A nail will fasten the ends of each strap to the wall. Depending on your home and space restrictions, you may want a low hanging shelf, or you may want one that doesn't hang much at all. It's always safest and most reliable to hang things on studs, but this small shelf will likely hang on most sturdy walls without causing damage even without a stud. To attach your hanging shelf: Mark and measure two points about 10" (25.4 cm) apart, where each strap will attach to the wall. Use a level to make sure the line between the marks is flat. Slide a nail through both punched holes of each leather strap so the strap forms a closed loop. Then use your hammer to hang the strap at the first mark on your wall, then do the same with the second strap. Slide your wooden board, notched side facing up, into the loops formed by your leather straps. Slot pictures into the notch and enjoy your handiwork.
Summary: Gather your supplies and equipment. Ready your work area. Draw a notch-line on your pine board. Chisel out the notch. Sand the board. Prepare the leather straps. Attach the leather straps and shelf to the wall.

Problem: Article: About 30 percent of unwanted heat comes from windows. Close your window coverings to prevent direct sunlight from heating up the room. If you don't already have blinds or curtains in the room, invest in some, especially if you have any south or west-facing windows. By using window coverings, you can reduce indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees. Try to keep the window coverings closed from morning until late afternoon when the sun is at its peak. If heat is a persistent problem in the room, consider purchasing thermal insulated blackout curtains. Any device that is powered on is currently contributing to the heat in the room. Unplug or turn off everything you're not using. Computers and televisions, in particular, generate a lot of heat. Incandescent lightbulbs are big heat-generators, too. If possible, turn the lights off in the room. It's not always feasible to turn out all the lights. At the very least, dim them as much as you can. Consider replacing your incandescent lights with compact fluorescent lamps, or better yet, light-emitting diodes which generate far less heat. CFLs and LEDs are more environmentally-friendly, as well. Piles of clothing and other kinds of clutter absorb heat and keep it trapped in the room. The less clutter you have in the room, the more available space there is for the heat to disperse and the faster it will cool down. A lot of clutter can also restrict airflow, making it feel even hotter in the room. Toss any piles of clothing you have on the floor into your closet and shut the door behind them. Do a quick survey of the remaining clutter and quickly eliminate what you can. If it's hotter inside the room than it is outside, the walls have probably absorbed a lot of heat from sunlight throughout the day. Remove this trapped heat and push it outdoors by opening the windows in the room. Close off any spaces in the house that you currently aren't using, too. This will help to cool down the room you're in more quickly. Once it cools off a bit, be sure to close the windows.
Summary:
Close your blinds/curtains. Turn off all unnecessary heat-producing devices, appliances, and lights. Pick up the clutter. Open a window and close off other rooms in the house.