Improvisation is the key.

Sometimes things just don’t go the way their supposed to and then you have to improvise.

When I was installing this wall light, one of the pre drilled mounting holes was located in a bad place

I wasn’t able to just screw a screw in thru that hole because there was something really hard in the way.

My first guess was that the wall box used to mount the light had a metal mounting bracket nailed to the face of the stud.

But, the other possibility was that a “nail plate” was installed on the stud to protect some wiring going somewhere. (Probably to the light)

I was going to try to drill a hole thru the “hard stuff”, but ended up just drilling a new hole in the light housing in a place that would not interfere with the wiring that might be going thru the stud at that point.

A 5 minute job ended up taking about ½ hour after not being able to drill thru the hard spot and then realizing I probably better not drill there anyway.

Since I couldn’t screw into a stud, I had to put a plastic anchor in the wall to hold the screw.

There are, of course, several types of anchors that could of been used. Since there won't be much pressure or weight applied to these anchors, I just used the simple conical  plastic ones that came with the light.

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

A Few Tips About Laminate Flooring

When installing laminate flooring, follow the manufacturer’s instructions 

I recently was called to fix a couple spots in a floor that had started to “heave” at a couple of the joints because there was not ANY space for expansion. (I can’t be sure if any space was left originally, but it sure needed more at this point).

It was a rental unit, so the owner didn’t want to spend a fortune, so I only replaced the worst section, hoping that after I took the pressure off the edges, the raised joints might shrink down at least a little over time,,,

A close look at this photo shows what a nice tight joint the previous installer made between the laminate floor and the door's thresh hold.

The problem is, that is the wrong thing to do.  

Here, if you can see it, I've used my Bosch Power Miter Saw to cut back the flooring so there is now a 3/8" gap to allow the floor to expand.

Then, I used the metal trim intended for these types of installation.

 In this case, there was a gap between the subfloor and the thresh hold and wall beneath. This meant there wasn't much for the provided anchors to grab hold of. I ended up having to drill a hole in each end of the trim piece and install it with small spiral nails intended for metal carpet strips.

Near the front door, a joint had popped, probably because of the moisture from everyone's feet.

I would advise to keep joints to a minimal where there is a good chance of water or other liquids getting on the floor.

This joint may of had a chance if there had been room for the floor to expand on the ends.

I figured it would be easier to rip the new pieces to fit instead of trying to cut the 12' long run with the miter saw. So, I had to remove the rest of the pieces along this run...

Since the pieces were tight against the wall, (the reason for all the trouble to begin with) I couldn't just lift them out.

The fix - screw a screw part way into the piece being removed, then, use a claw hammer to "pry" the pieces out .

When I got ready to put the last narrow piece into place, it was a little bowed, so in order to keep it tight next to it's partner, I drove a small finish nail into it, hoping it will still be able to move with expansion, if neccessary.

Since it was so close to the edge, I had to find a way to get it nailed in without hitting the trim - see how I did it...

 

If you need to replace a piece in the middle of the floor, here’s what you do;

Use a skill saw set to the depth of the boards, (or a power miter box saw, or power trim saw) to make 1 or 2 cuts down the length of the board. Pry out the cut pieces being careful not to damage the lap joints in the remaining, surrounding pieces.

Vacuum out the area to make sure no splinters are left so as to not allow the new piece to lay flat.

When you put the new pieces in, you won’t be able to get all the lap joints to “engage.

Not being there to see what kind of joints you have, I have to give you some general advice here…

On the double edged lap joints, cut the bottom edge off so the new piece actually only lays on top of the old pieces. Fully engage whatever lap joints you can. To hold everything together, apply wood glue on the joints that have been modified.

Not an impossible job, right?  Good Luck.

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Cutting Off A Hollow Core Door.

  A little extra work is involved in cutting a hollow core door than is needed with solid core doors.

 

When working with hollow core doors, you’ll find that the top and bottom rails (styles) are usually only about 1 ¼” wide. So, if you have to cut more than this amount off, you’ll find you’ll be left with something like this. 

You’ll need to fill in the gap left in the door when you cut the rail off.

The cut off piece will be able to be ripped apart to get the original rail piece apart so you can use it to reinstall into the door. If you leave the bottom rail out, moisture may get into the door and cause all kinds of trouble, besides that, the door will just not seem as sturdy with out it

Use a block plane to “scrape” off the old glue so the style (rail) fits back in between the door skins. A belt sander would also work well to get the piece cleas and ready to reinstall.

After you have the old glue cleaned off the bottom rail, apply wood glue to each side of the door skin to help hold the rail in place after it is inserted.

Use a clamp, or two, to hold things in place until the glue dries.

When done, apply paint, primer, or other appropriate sealer to increase the moisture barrier properties

An alternative to cutting everything off the bottom, is to cut a little off both the top and bottom. You wouldn't be working with replacing the rails and then you would not have to wait for the glue to dry. - BUT - you can't cut any off the top if the hinges are already in place...cause you'll then have a gap at the top of the door.

                    

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!