Upgrade Device

Air purifiers can be expensive and you've probably seen articles recommending to just put a 20" x 20" x 1" furnace filter on a cheap 20" box fan and POOF! instant cleaner air for not a lot of money. It really does clean the air pretty cheap.

There's a problem with this though. These fans weren't designed to be run with a filter. The filter will restrict air flow which will put a higher strain on the motor causing it to use more electricity and in worse cases could be a fire hazard. The higher the MERV rating (cleaning efficiency) of the filter the more stress it will put on the fan.

Don't worry! You can still have your cheap air purifier as long as the filter area is increased to decrease the effect of air resistance. Instead of using one 20x20x1 filter we'll use two 20x25x1 filters which increases the filter surface area over 250%. It's a little more expensive because you're using two filters instead of one but the increased filter surface area also helps the filter last longer before it gets clogged up and we're saving on energy use compared to a single filter.

I can't take credit for the design, I found it via Marshall Hansen Design but I'm using different filters.

I recently remodeled my basement and there's a lot of dust (including drywall dust and sawdust) and fumes from paint, cleaners and other building materials. It's an underground basement and mold has to always be a conern too. Because part of the space will be my home theater in the future I plan to get a more expensive air purifier that's smaller and quieter such as this Fellowes Quiet Air Purifier AP-300PH with True HEPA Filter because it has great reviews, is reasonably priced and the replacement filters aren't that expensive or a Sharp Plasmacluster True HEPA Air Purifier or Blueair HepaSilent Air-Purification System if I find some extra Benjamins in the couch cushions. But I don't want to put that in the dusty environment right away because I'll have to replace the more expensive filters fairly quickly because the air is so bad. I also don't want to spend the money right now but I do want cleaner air now.

So I decided to get things going with a homemade air purifier that has filters that not only clean the air of particulates but also reduce VOCs and odors. Even after I purchase an air purifier I'll still have an air purifier I can use for other purposes like when I'm painting or cutting wood.

Also, don't forget to add more plants to your home. They're natures air purifiers. Not only do they convert carbon dioxide to oxygen but houseplants filter toxins and emit negative ions too!

What You'll Need

Materials

Step 4: Cut and Attach the Cardboard

Free woodworking plans to build 2-tier attic shelving system.

I was browsing online for something unrelated for my attic when I came across this AtticMaxx Shelving System. It's a pretty ingenious system for attics that can't have wide shelves because they either use engineered roof trusses or include purlin bracing in the framing which can get in the way of regular shelves. The problem though with the AtticMaxx is the price. For 8 shelves it's currently $169. Yikes! And it doesn't include the totes.

Below you'll find plans to build an attic shelving system that solves some of the same problems the AtticMax does but at a fraction of the cost. I also made the bottom shelves a little longer which will allow you to slide out the bottom tote so you can access the contents after you spin it sideways.
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Sadly, that's an actual picture of what's lurking under my desk. What's even sadder is that's just one small portion of the mess and it repeats itself in other parts of my home. (I won't mention the peanut I had to crop out so you don't think I'm a complete slob!)

I need a lot of different peripherals and even though I have good WiFi equipment as more people in the area use WiFi it's difficult to maintain speeds good enough to stream full HD video to other computers and TVs. I've bought new access points, built antenna boosters and still have to scan and switch channels from time to time. Wired ain't tired! (fake TM)

It's one of the big reasons I'm trying to plan a structured home wiring project. It would get a lot of the cables I have by my computer, and other areas, moved to a central location.

Probably the worst part of the photo is all the dust and pet hair. It's dark down there so I normally can't even tell. I try and vacuum but it's just so hard with that mess. There is definitely no 5-second rule if I drop a snack while at the computer! Partly because it just disappears into the void.

When I have to replace a cord, upgrade a device or try to plug something new in it takes me more time than it should. Over the years I've tried improving my cable management by using different things I had laying around but now it's time to do things right and this is how I'm going about it.
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Over the years I've been redoing many of the closets in my home. The closets previously contained a single rod and shelf which didn't provide efficient use of space. These plans were inspired by the ClosetMaid Selectives 25 in. White Custom Closet Organizer which I have installed in a couple of closets.

I was planning on making some modifications to the closets and wanted to see what I could come up with if I built everything myself. Depending on the plywood I used I could either save significant money and or come up with a more attractive and better quality closet organizer.

Dimensions

What You'll Need

Materials

Tools

Cut List

Cut Plan

Why Install A Closet Organizer?

Why Build When You can Buy?

What Type Of Plywood To use?

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Reader Closets

Eric Bahor used my closet organizer plans to convert his home office into a walk in closet. He built it with his dad and it came out looking great! What do you think?