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How To Fix An Accordian Type Window Blind

 Here's a problem I had twice with the same blind..

 



Fixing an accordion type blind may seem off limits to most, but there's no reason a DIYer can't fix them and save $$$$ over buying a new one..

I actually had to fix this one twice, our cat got hold of it both times.   %^#$&* cats!




 

Does your blind look like this?


I'll show you how to fix it..



First, take the blind down off its' brackets.
Next, you have to find where the broken string goes into the top rail. When you compress the blind up toward the top rail, the affected string should be loose and noticible.


Pull the broken string out of the blind all the way. (It has a small knot on the end so it MAY feel a little like it is ripping through the blind...that's ok.)


Pull on it and get enough loose string to work with to be able to re-thread it back down into the blind.

The string is spring loaded into the roller mechanism in the top rail. therefore you will need to hold onto it tightly in order to maintain a length suitable to work with. The first time I did it, I had my helper hold it for me, this time I clamped a pair of vise-grips onto it to hold it.

 



Now you want to find a needle big enough to be able to thread the string into.

You probably don't own one, so you may need to go to a craft store and purchase one. We happen to have one that worked because my woman does knitting and crafts.

Ideally, your needle will be long enough to go all the way through the blind so you can grab it and pull the string through...If not, (Mine was not ) you have to play with getting the string through part way, manipulating the needle through the pleats, and continuing to thread the string through to the bottom.



So start threading the needle and thread down into the hole where the string came out of.

This in my case was the larger of several holes in the same area.
(If you look at the bottom rail, you can see where the string should be, as there are only two holes [or 3 on a larger blind] where the strings come through the bottom rail. Line up the top and bottom rails to make sure you are inserting the needle into the correct hole.




Start working the needle through the pleats, feeling your way through the existing holes where the string went through originally.



Be careful not to poke a hole in the side of the blind and make sure you are going through all the old holes. (Trust me, the holes are there as that's where the string went through in the beginning.)

You could conceivably make the blind work with the string out of place, but, you don't want the string to show when you are done.


 




Your goal is to have the needle and then the string to come the original hole in the bottom rail like this.

There was a plastic grommet in the hole that I had to remove so I could get the needle thru the hole.








So, if you take the grommet out, be sure to thread the needle back through it before proceeding to final step.








Now, to prevent this all from happening again, tie the string onto something big enough that it will not pull back through the hole in the bottom rail.







Carefully, remove what ever is holding your string on the top rail (Or let go ) . Allow the spring mechanisms to do their balancing act, rehang your blind, and your done. (Till the next animal does it's thing)

Wala! 

 




Suggestions or Advice? - Enter your comments below!

Hiding A Tear in Vinyl Flooring

Ya  just never know when you're gonna need to improvise...I recently was asked what to do about some ugly rips / tears in a piece of vinyl flooring. Luckily, it ran close to an existing piece of carpet trim so I was able to hide it quite nicely.


Don't want to guess how the rips appeared...
The first pic shows the rips nicely, but is a little out of focus.

This pic shows the original carpet trim that was used. (The rip is there but may be hard to see.)

I ended up using trim that was designed for use with laminate floors. It fit nicely over the old trim so I didn't have to remove it and it hid the ugly rip we wanted to hide.
 


 

 

A few tips for those who may ever use this type of trim..

  • In order to get nice mitered corners - it cuts nicely with a small chop-saw with a carbide blade.
  • When you measure, make sure you allow for the width of the piece it will but up to.
  • When you drill the holes for the fasteners, ream them out just a little. (Be careful not to break the drill bit, like I did - twice..)
  • If you get the hole too big, you can put some adhesive caulk in the hole first before you install the fasteners..Then you'll need to plan on putting some weight on top of the trim piece until the caulking dries.
  • MAKE SURE  the holes are deep enough for the fastener to go all the way down in.
  • Insert the fasteners into the slots in the back of the trim BEFORE you put them into the drilled holes. (The heads of the fasteners are square and if they twist going into the drilled holes, you'll have a really hard time getting them lined up to go into the slot in the trim.
  • You'll need to be sure to push STRAIT DOWN on the fasteners, (Have the pressure directly over each one as you do it.) They are flexible and like to bend the wrong way..


  • You'll need to be sure to push STRAIT DOWN on the fasteners, (Have the pressure directly over each one as you do it.) They are flexible and like to bend the wrong way..


And The Finished Product!

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

A Few More How To Paint Tips

Don't Waste Time!
I was always taught that 2 thin coats are better than one thick one.

Now, in all my years of work, I’ve never really been able to confirm the reasoning behind that notion.

However, I have found that in only, maybe, 5% of the time, have I actually been able to get only one coat to cover well. Even with what they profess to be “one coat coverage” paint.
So here's todays how to paint tip...
So, although there are a few times when you’ll want to “put it on thick”, when you see that one coat of paint just isn’t gonna do the trick,  don’t even waste your time trying to make it work. Just save your time on that 1st coat and “git r done”. Then go ahead and plan on applying that 2nd coat of paint after the 1st is dry. It’ll save you a lot of time and frustration trying to “do it right the first time” when it isn’t going to look right anyway without the 2nd coat.

If you're planning on using a primer coat first, keep two things in mind;
    1. Most paint companies now offer paint with paint & primer all in one.
    2. Many times, primers can be tinted to a color close to your finish color. When using          this kind of primer, your one finish coat will probably cover.

 



I think most people think that using an expensive brush will give them a better job.

In my experience, about the only thing a “better” brush does is that it may hold more paint, so maybe, you wont’ have to reload the brush as often.




BUT, I’ve found 2 ways to make it much faster to load the brush so that won’t be much of an issue.




1. Use a roller tray to put your paint in.


Then after you dip your paintbrush, brush the excess off one side of the paintbrush by sliding it up across the ribs of the tray. You just need to “clean” one side of the brush and you’re ready to apply paint to your project. This is a lot faster than brushing the paint brush against the rim of the paint can as you pull it out because you just don’t have to be as careful about doing it. –


The thing about dipping directly into the can...even tho you don't think about it..., it takes longer because you actually have to be careful not to dip too far into the can trying to keep the paintbrush somewhat clean and then, it does take time to brush off the extra paint.


.
2. Sometimes, you don’t have to dip into the can at all.
   
If you’re painting a pretty good size flat surface, you can actually just pour some paint onto the surface and then spread it around where you need it with the paintbrush. After all, you don’t have to be neat about getting paint onto the work surface, you just want to make sure the finish film looks nice. Usually, you’ll want to be sure all the final brush strikes are going in the same direction. This leads me to another thought…
To avoid what I’ll call “start marks” in your job, it helps if you apply your finish strokes starting from where you’re at and going towards where you’ve been. (From dry to wet paint).

.

Wondering About Lead Based Paint?   Read More

.

Painted With a Cheap Brush!

.And back to using a “good” paint brush…

A good brush may be able to be cleaned a few more times than the cheaper ones. Although that would take some scientific research to confirm.

It can take a good amount of time to clean a brush thoroughly, so depending on how valuable your time is, it may be cheaper in the long run, to use a cheaper brush and then just throw it away when you’r done. This is especially true for small jobs.

This being said, I do like using brushes with short handles, sometimes known as shortys. Here's my favorite!

One More Piece of Advice...

Don’t start too close with a full brush.

I’ve seen it a lot over the years…first time painters take a paintbrush full of paint and start painting right up against the point where they want the finish line of the job to be. (up against something that you don’t want to get paint on.)

This ends up with a big glob of paint or heavy line of paint right along that line and you can’t get rid of it..

Always make your first pass a short distance away from where you want your finish line to be. This lets your loaded paint brush unload the overload near where you need it without getting too much where you don’t want it. – Then gradually, work your brush strokes closer to your finish line applying just the amount of paint you want or need at those points where you do want them.

And, of course, for the bigger jobs, there are power rollers and power sprayers that really save time. Just remember, it will take at least 20 minutes to clean power equipment properly when done..

Happy Painting!

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Repairing A Toilet - The Water Fill Valve

Replacing The Toilet Water Fill Valve.

Two  common problems with toilets are;
  1. The water does not come all the way up to the "water line" marked on the inside of the tank making for an incomplete flush. 
  2. The water level is too high and water keeps running long after you've flushed the toilet.



Most, if not all, tanks have a mark inside them to show how high the water should be in the tank to allow optimum performance.

This pic shows the water level a little above the water mark



If your tank does not have a "water line", just fill the tank to about an inch below the top of the overflow tube as shown here.

If the water level is too high, it may allow the water to overflow into the overflow tube. This would be one reason a toilet would run continuously.

The pic above shows a spring clip adjustment instead of an adjusting screw.





If your toilet tank water fill valve does not have an adjusting screw, or if it is corroded or otherwise not able to be adjusted, you may need to replace the whole valve.



Replacing the toilet tank water fill valve is something any DIY er can do.

First, shut off the water to the toilet.
Before you remove the water line going to the tank, be sure to have a small bucket and a rag to catch any water that may run out of the tank or the water line.

Next, flush the toilet and hold down the flush handle down to allow as much water as possible to escape the tank into the bowl.

Now you have two choices, either remove all the water from inside the tank, or be ready to catch the water as it flows out of the tank when you remove the fill valve. (If you do this, make sure your bucket is large enough.
Now you're ready to remove the water line going to the water fill valve.


Be prepared for the very real possibility that the shut off valve may not work, or will only partially shut off the water as needed. (You may find that you have to shut off additional valves thru out the system to get the water to shut off to the toilet.) This then would be a good time to also replace the shut off valve if needed.

With the water shut off to the tank, now remove the water line going to the fill valve and then remove the nut under the tank that holds the fill valve in place. Remove the fill valve. (Slowly, if you've elected to just let the water drain out of the tank at this time.)




The new fill valve will have a new rubber washer with it that may look a little confusing. They come with a center piece that needs to be punched out and thrown away, leaving a round rubber washer that will obviously fit around the body of the valve.




The washer ready to install onto the valve.



This rubber washer will be installed onto the fill valve body before you place it into the hole in the tank. (The washer seals the water from leaking out from inside the tank.)

The top of the fill valve should be as high as possible to allow for proper water level. The lower part of most valves actually turn and may need to be turned right or left to make this adjustment. If your valve looks like it has large threads on the base, it actually can be screwed in or out to make this adjustment. (It may sound and feel like it's breaking when you do this - it will sort of "click" as it turns...) (In the end, you may need to even get a different model in order to get the proper water level.)



Position the valve in the tank so as to allow the little rubber tube (supplied) to be able to extend and drop into the overflow tube inside the tank.

After positioning the valve into the hole in the tank, screw the nut onto the bottom of the valve from under the tank and hand tighten as tight as possible. You should not need to do more than hand tightening, but a small amount of additional tightening can be applied with pliers, if needed, if you see some leakage when the tank is filled with water. Either way, hold the valve with your hands so it does not turn while tightening the nut.

Now, reattach the water supply line to the bottom of the fill valve and slowly turn on the water. Watch to see that the water fills to the proper level using the adjusting screw to achieve desired results.

(A word of caution -- if your water supply line is one of those hard chrome metal lines, replace it with a metal wrapped flexible line made for toilets. If you try to reuse the old metal line, you'll have a hard time getting it to seal tightly.) Use the metal wrapped instead of plain to help prevent future blowout.

That's it, you just saved at least $80.00 over calling a plumber!
What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Problem - Loose Toilet Flange

I posted info about a normal toilet repair situation in another post which you can view  here.

This post will address an unusual situation I ran into recently.

After trying a couple times to stop this toilet leak, I finally figured out what to do...

This was an installation that was installed over 50 years ago in which they used a 4"+ solid lead pipe for the drain pipe.

As it turns out, the lead pipe had lost its' seal with the steel toilet mounting flange. (The pics below try to show the gap between the pipe and the flange.)


Original Photo



Trying to Label Identifying Parts

This broken seal was below the level of the toilet horn and the wax seal so, even if the wax seal was holding, the water running downward was leaking out of that broken pipe to flange seal.

The owner didn't want to spend $400.00 to have a plumber redo everything, so I performed my magic....

The first thing I tried was to seal the gap with some of the wax from a regular wax seal.

 



You can see how the wax did a good job of sealing the gap.

My concern was that the wax seal would break if the toilet rocked too much.



At this point, I knew the flange was a little loose too, so I added some screws to help hold it tight to the floor. The problem is, after leaking for some time, it turns out, the floor had started to deteriorate and lose its' ability to hold a screw.

The owner planned on redoing the whole floor in the near future so I set the toilet hoping for the best.

I wanted to use a fernco toilet seal like the one on the left, because it would drop the toilet water out into the pipe below the point of the broken seal.

However the drainpipe was unusually large so that this type of seal was not going to seal out the sewer gasses.




So I decided to try the one pictured here.

Things seemed to be OK for a couple days, then I got a call again.After taking everything apart again, it turns out the wax I applied the the gap was holding good but, but this "waxless seal" had water on both the top and bottom of it indicating that it did not seal much of anything as it was supposed to do.

The toilet had probably been rocking some on the flange since I couldn't get the screws to hold very well.

I knew what I had to do...





I happened to find, in my workshop, a couple bolts that looked like they were made for this purpuse, just the perfect length to go through the floor to fasten underneith and long enough on top to anchor the toilet.


So, I installed metal straps under the floor, screwing them to the under side of the floor. Then, I ran the bolts through the toilet flange, down through the floor and through the metal plates creating a nice tight flange installation.

Now I could anchor the toilet to the flange and get a tight installation.

Since I had bad luck using the "wax-less seal", I tried something else.

Since the wax I applied to the pipe to flange joint was holding,  and the flange was now secured tightly to the floor, I wasn't concerned with the wax breaking loose and water or sewer gas getting through it.

I still wanted to use the "fernco toilet seal" so I could make sure the waste water would drop into the drain pipe at a point well below the flange and the problem joint. 

Since I didn't feel like it was fitting tightly into the drain pipe, I was concerned about sewer gasses escaping around the seal. The soluton to this dilemma was to also use a plain wax seal under the fernco seal. (Between it and the toilet flange.)  I did have some trouble getting the fernco to stick to the toilet so I also used some silicon to help make it stick. Using the plain wax seal also helps assure that the fernco seal will remain tight to the bottom of the toilet.

Hurray, another set of problems solved...
and now it's been over a year with no leaks. (Yes, I checked.)

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

A Place For Food Wrap Containers

Looking back now, It seems the long narrow boxes that hold wax paper, plastic wrap, tin foil, etc. always seemed to take up a lot of space and ended up being stored in places that made them just kinda in the way or hard to get at.
When we moved, our new kitchen didn't have as much cabinet space as our old kitchen.

I solved that problem by recycling an old computer desk top & creating an extra shelf.

It turns out, 1 x 4s are just the right height to use as supports for the shelf. I had been hanging on to a finished desk top piece, knowing I would find a good use for it at some point.

I ran the 1 x 4s on both ends and also across the back to make sure the boxes didn't get pushed too far in. The shelf it's self, overhangs the back 1 x 4 support so I didn't actually loose any shelf space.

Window Repair

Vinyl Replacement Window Repair

It never ceases to amaze me how little some people know about how things work.

Today I was called upon to see what I could do about getting some windows to work.

The first one was a real cheap vinyl replacement window. I say cheap because I've never seen so many things wrong with one window unit.
Some how, it seemed like the top sash was too small for the frame. (Looking back now, as I have already left the job, I don't think this was a "welded unit" so it is possible that the frame was stretched apart when installed which would cause it to appear large.)

Anyway, the sash does not fit very tight in the frame which makes it not open and close very cleanly.

Whoever worked on it last, did not have either of the  sash mounting pins in the top sash engaged with their respective holders in the balances. One pin was actually broken off so I couldn't get the window fixed completely.

Engaging the pin on one side did allow the window to stay in what ever position I placed the sash in. Before, it would not stay up at all.


I hadn't watched any videos on Youtube, so I didn't know how easy it would be to replace the balance. (If I had the right tool.)

The bottom sash would not stay up when lifted and I would of liked to see if I could twist the balance springs system to see if I could get more lifting tension. I didn't do it because, since I didn't have the balance installation tool, I was afraid the spring might slip out of my control and mess everything up.

I'll have to mention replacing the balances to the landlord. 

Search For Replacemant Balances Here.





The only problem with the other windows was they were painted shut.

This is a common occurrence that is easily prevented if the painters would be more careful and take the time to make sure the windows operate before during and after the paint dries.

All ya need to do is use a utility knife or putty knife to cut the paint line and "break" the window loose from paint's grip.

In the pic above, you can see that the window is completely painted shut..no wonder it wouldn't open!


So, I used a putty knife to pry the window and jamb apart...


You can prevent  the window being painted shut by moving the sashes up and down a few times as the paint is drying.

Even professional painters don't like to do this because it takes time to go back and check ea window during and after the painting process. But, if you're paying top dollor for a paint job, they certainly should do it!

That's it for this time.
Happy Repairing,
Brian

Search For Replacement Balances Here

Toilet Repairs - The Wax Seal

There are only a few working parts in a toilet.

A recent call I was on, actually afforded me the opportunity to be able to make comments on all of these.

One problem was that there was water on the floor around the base of the toilet. It was observed that the water only appeared after using the toilet a few times.

There are several things that could cause this.

1. The wax seal could be leaking.
2. The rubber seal between the tank and the toilet could be leaking.
3. The bowel could be cracked.
4. The water supply line might be leaking.

I had checked for leaking around the tank so that left #1,#3 and #4. All required removing the whole toilet.

Replacing The Wax Ring.

  • Turn off the water to the tank.Flsuh the toilet to get most of the water out of the tank.
  • Bail out the water from the bowl.
  • If you take a bucket of water and quickly pour it into the bowl, it will usually make almost all the water empty out from the bowl sso you don't have to bail as much out by hand.
  • Now, use a small Dixie cup or something similar, to get a s much water as you can out of the bottom of the bowl.
  • You don't have to get ALL the water out, as long as the water level is below the level of the built in trap of the toilet bowl. But, the more you get out now, the less chance of water spilling out of the trap as you move it around. (And, of course, if you know you're gonna be tipping the toilet on it's side, you will want to get all the water out.)
  • Remove the water supply line going to the tank. (Be careful, sometimes the shut off valve doesn't work properly and you may still have pressure in the line. - You may have to shut the water off to the entire house just to get the toilet water turned off.) If you do that, it would be a good time to replace the shut off valve so it will work next time.
  • Remove the nuts on the two anchor bolts holding the bowel to the floor.
  • Lift off the tank.
  • Be careful, the bowel will probably have wax on the bottm, so set the toilet on something or be prepared to clean wax off your floor.
  • When the toilet is removed, you can fully inspect inside and out for cracks.
  • While it's off, you can make sure nothing is blockking the trap inside the toilet also.

If There Are No Cracks or Blockages

Finding nothing wrong, (This toilet was a little loose to the floor to start with, so I assumed it was just the wax seal leaking. I guess I could of just tried tightening the anchor bolts, but I wanted to check to see if the "toilet flange" was OK)

Everything looked good so --

You may find that someone before you had raised the floor level when reduing the floor. Often, new tile and or underlayment is installed over the old floor which makes the toilet flange not stick up above the floor enough to allow the wax seal to crush and form a tight seal between the toilet bowl and the toilet flange. Toilet flanges are about 1/4" thick. Therefore, the top of the toilet flange should be about this same distance above the finished floor level.

A flange shim can be purchased to lay on top of the original flange so as to allow the proper compression of the wax ring you're going to be installing.

Now's the time to make sure the anchor bolts are going to be long enough to poke up thru the base of the bowel when you reinstall it. If you've done any reworking of the toilet flange or floor, the old bolts may not be long enough any more. You can buy wax ring kits that come with anchor bolts, or just buy the bolts seperately. They are a special design made just for this purpose.(The head is elongated and thin so as to be able to slide into the slots in the toilet flange and not turn when attaching the nuts.) Ask for them specifically.

Be sure to scrape as much of the old wax as possible off the toilet and flange.

Push and twist to get the new wax seal to stick to the bottom of the bowl. Then reinstall the toilet over the floor flange, carefully aligning the anchor holes over the bolts as you go.

I always use the wax seals that have a plastic insert built into them. This helps insure the water leaving the bowl will flow into the sewer line and helps eliminate the possibility of water getting on top of the wax seal and then leaking out onto the floor.
 Be sure to push down hard on the toilet to get it set onto the new wax seal. I actually sit on the toilet at this point to make sure it gets settled tightly into place  If you don't get the excess wax pushed out, the toilet will end up being loose after a few uses and your troubles will start all over.

New Style Toilet Seals

In all cases, it is impossible to know for sure if the wax seal is properly compressed and sealing as intended.They could be not compressed enough or they could actually be compressed in such a way that some of the wax squeezes towards the inside of the drain line causing water to flow over the top of the seal and out onto the floor.
Here's a relatively new product that I'm sure I will be using in most future repairs.

UPDATE 4/14/2013
I recently used this product on 2 different toilets and boy are they nice! No messy wax and you can be sure the toilet is ccentered properly over the hole so there is no chance of leaks.

Upon using this product, it appears that having the floor level or higher than the toilet flange will not be a problem any more as this seal sticks directly to the toilet and is long enough to extend down into the drain with room to spare.

Since I didn't know what size drain pipe I was working with until after I removed the toilet, I just purchased one of each size (3" & 4") and took back the one I didn't need.

I don't expect there will ever be any call-backs using this product...thanks Fernco.
5 Stars!

More About The Fernco Seal...



Must Have Gifts For The DIYer

Need Something for the DIYer who has everything ?

Want to get a big hug from your DIY er ?

You won't go wrong with these ideas...


 









































Click Here For More Gift Ideas.

Framing In A Porch

My first concern when asked to frame in a porch was whether or not the existing framing (deck and roof) were built to code and strong enough to support the added weight of a set of finished walls.

The owner assured me they had pulled a permit originally and that the structure was built adequately to handle it all.

So moving ahead, our first mission was to remove the vinyl siding corner piece so we could know for sure where to set the new wall so it lined up with the existing structure.   We had to determine how the house wall was built so we could match the thicknesses to allow the finished siding to be flush all the way through from the old house wall to the new porch wall.

The house wall, as per normal, had 1/2" plywood over the studs and the vinyl siding was attached directly over the plywood. (Over the house-wrap) This is normal, but I wasn't going to assume it to be so as someone could of used thicker or thinner sheathing than I was planning on using.

We located the house wall stud framing and lined up our new wall with it as we were going to use the same system as the original builder did. ( vinyl siding applied over a layer of   Lowes house-wrap over 1/2" sheathing over the studs with insulation installed between the studs)

The next  mission was to get the walls straight.

Since the 16' top and bottom plates I was gonna use were bowed, we couldn't just set them up and go...(I only had to use a single top plate because the roof/ceiling was all ready in place)

The distance between the floor and ceiling was not uniform at all, so, I had to install the top  and bottom plates first and then install the studs one at a time, cutting each one to fit.

I snapped a chalk line top and bottom and started at one end with the new wall nailing the top plate every 16" and lining it up with the chalk lines as I went along. This is almost always easier than nailing the two ends and trying to push or pull the middles to  the  lines. Then I did the same with the bottom plate.

The next part involved framing in walls for windows and a door. The thing to know about this is that the rough opening for doors is always 2" wider and 2 1/2" - 3" higher than the nominal door size.  This sizing allows for the thicknesses of the frames and the thickness of the finished floor under the door.
  •        Example;     3-0 x 6-8 door RO would be 38" x 82 1/2 or 83"
       Typically, if you're building with pre-cut studs (92 5/8") with a double top plate (3"), a 2x12 header (11 1/2") will leave the correct height for your door. (82  5/8")

Even if you thought you're door was going to be a little lower for some reason, like maybe you're gonna set the door on the sub-floor instead of on the finished floor, it's a lot easier to add a piece to the top than it it is to have to chop some of the header out of the way. So, if you're not quite sure how you're gonna set the door yet, frame it high.

NOTE: Interior doors are framed the same way.

When I framed in the windows.. 

I would never assume what the rough opening needs to be.
Either follow the manufacturer's recommendations or measure the windows and add 1/2" to the height and width for the rough (framed) opening. This allows 1/4" on each side for shimming in case things aren't level, plumb and square.

The window height is typically framed at the same height as the doors to make things look symmetrical. There's no law that I know of that adresses window height. But, again, using a 2x12 header with pre-cut studs makes for a good height and is the standard in the industry.

The final issue was attaching our new wall to the mid section of an existing wall.Once again, we used one of my favorite tools, the Rockwell SonicCrafter. Using the HSS Segment Sawblade, we cut through the vinyl siding to expose the wall board behind.

In order to keep the cut lines straight, we put up a temporary stud against the wall and ran the saw along it. (The stud had to be 1/2" off the mark to allow for the thickness of the nut and washer which attaches the saw to the tool)

One more tip about framing  jobs...

95% of all lumber is bowed. (Known as a crown) Make sure all the studs are crowned in the same direction, either inward or outward. Generally, you build the walls laying down on the slab or floor so it's best then to have the crowns up so you can get the top and bottom plates on easily. This will usually make the walls bow out rather than in as you tip the walls up in place although it doesn't matter which way they bow. The thing is, if one stud bows one way and the one next to it bows the other opposite way, you're gonna end up with a pretty crooked wall.....just saying....Do the same for interior walls.

Happy Framing!
 

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Repairing Floors Under Toilets.

Sagging floors under toilets don't always require replacing rotted wood.

I've repaired a bunch of floors where the toilets had been leaking for some time.
In most cases, the leak had been going on for so long that some of the floor had started to rot.
 
In these cases, the rotted wood has to be removed first. After that, in the worst cases, the wood has to be replaced. If your lucky and the damage isn't too severe, you can just scrape away the top layer of rotted stuff and use a floor leveling compound the smooth out the area.

The thing to be concerned about is whether there is enough good wood left so you can make sure the toilet flange can be screwed down and held tightly in place.
The toilet has to be anchored securely. If the toilet later starts to "rock" because the flange is loose, your troubles will start all over.

In most, but not all cases, you will want to install a layer of "underlayment" over the whole floor to help insure a smooth surface throughout.

 

If the leak hasn't been going on for too long, the wood may not have to be repaired.

Sometimes, the wood hasn't started to rot yet and has only gotten soft enough to allow the toilet to sink a little into the floor. Again, in these cases, a little floor leveling compound is all that is needed.

My most recent case was precipitated when a replaced water supply line had not been tightened enough and water soaked the wood (Partical Board) floor enough to make it start to lose it's strength. The weight of a person sitting on the toilet, then caused the floor to sag.

It only took 2-3 days for this "sinking" to take place.

It was in a 2nd bath in my own home so I procrastinated several months before getting around to fixing it.

As it turned out, the waiting time allowed the particle board flooring to dry out completely.


Sagging Floor Under a Toilet Flange.
I'd say, I got lucky.
I thought I was going to have to add some bracing and replace some of the particle board. That would of meant adding 2x4s and fitting two individual pieces of particle board - one on each side of the toilet flange - so they would continue to support the flange and toilet.

When I went to bust out the "rotted wood", I found that the strength of the particle board had not been affected. After "drying out
completely", it was still so strong that I couldn't even bust it with a hammer.





In this pic, the amount of floor sagging is indicated by the thickness of the utility knife that I managed to shove under the flange. (About 1/2 - 3/4 inch)


Level Best



I like using "Level Best" or something similar.

This stuff starts setting up in about 5 minutes so, you have to work fast and don't mix too much. Because it sets so fast, you can easily mix more when you need it.
I mixed probably 5 -6 small batches so I could get it placed as I needed it in position, making sure to get enough under the flange to support itself when done.


Work with small batches.
This allows you to manipulate the leveling paste into, around, and under the flange as needed, making sure to keep it low enough that your final coat(s) can be level with your finished old floor.(Your new floor will go right over this.)

The 1st batches were made about the thickness of peanut butter. The final coats are more like mayonnaise to make it easy to manipulate and level out.

I did have plenty of good wood under all this, so I was able to tighten the toilet flange securely in place.


 


To remove the door trim.

A sharp chisel easily slid under the edge of the metal trim so I could remove it without damage.

Use the chisel to start the old nails lifting upword.








Finish removing the trim nails with a hammer.



A new level toilet!


This job took me a total of about 4 hours, and cost a total of $55.00 (With the new vinyl and floor molding.)

Normally, one can't wait months for the floor to dry out and get hard again. In that case, you'd have to replace some of the particle board and probably put in some bracing to hold the new smaller pieces. You couldn't just cut a piece of flooring to go over and around the flange because the flange has to set on top of the floor in order to be supported. Add a couple hours if you need to do that.
(This was in a mobil home - Most regular houses are built with double layered floors so replacing the top layer is usually all that is needed. But then again, sometimes......)


Good Luck,
Brian
What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Working With Downspouts.

Any time you buy a piece of downspout, you'll notice that one end is made smaller than the other.

The idea is to put the small end of one length into the large end of another piece.
Elbows, and gutter drops are also built with this in mind.

The thing to remember is that, since water runs downhill, the larger end needs to be the lower of the two pieces so the water runs from the smaller end of the upper piece down into the larger end of the lower piece.

Although you could install it the other way, water will tend to run out of the joint as it clings to the inside of the downspout and runs down it's length.



 

Now, what happens when you are using a cut off piece that may not have the small end available to use?

 
Simply make a small end out of a large one by "crimping" it smaller.

The pic on the left shows how I used a pair of needle nose pliers to accomplish this feat. In this case, I was working on a piece of dryer vent pipe but. this works anytime you're working with soft enough material and you need to make a smaller end out of a larger one.


In the past, I have used many other types of pliers as well. Just grab the piece and twist. Work your way around the pipe twisting in opposite directions with every other twist.

Adjusting Door Hinges

Often times, as a house ages and settles, entrance doors and even doors leading into each of the rooms of the house start to rub on the tops, bottoms, and or sides of their frames.


I've been called upon many times over the years to fix this problem.
Most people have no idea that the fix in many cases is so simple.

In the worst cases, the doors have to be taken down and then cut to fit the new shape of the opening, but....

Very often, the only problem is that the screws holding the hinges in place have loosened up.This can usually be corrected by inserting a larger screw.


This can also be corrected by shoving a piece of wood or 1/8 wooden dowel rod into the screw hole and reinserting the screws. This should be the first choice over using a larger screw as larger screws sometimes actually interfere with the hinge operation. (Never use a lag screw as the head on lag screws will definitely interfere with the hinge operation.)


In homes where the settling is a little more severe, the rubbing can be corrected by adjusting the hinges.


The first thing to do is make some narrow shims to slide behind the hinges. These need to be narrow enough to fit beside the screws and the edge of the routed out hinge area. (About 1/4 - 3/8 ")

Make the shims out of thin cardboard. You'll almost always need at least 2 thicknesses and often 3 or 4 depending on how much you need to "tip" the hinge.



You could cut your 2 or 3 or 4 pieces individually, but then you have to be able to keep them all together as you put them in place..

It's easier to make them all one piece...use your utility knife and score every other piece on opposite sides so you can fold them like an accordion. (Sorry no pic.) The reason you need to score the cardboard is that scoring makes the cardboard fold much more easily. The thicker your cardboard, the more important this becomes...


The next thing to do is loosen the hinge screws (or remove them) so you can slide the shim behind either the inside or outside edge of the hinge. (Note in the pic that the shim will fit between the screws and the routed out part of the jamb.)


The whole purpose of this is to move the hinge pin right or left. Working on the top or bottom hinge will move the door accordingly. You can move the pin towards the hinge side or the latch side as needed to fix your problem.


Click on the next four drawings to get a better idea of how shimming the hinge will move the hinge pin and thus the door.

 


(Click to enlarge.)



(Click to enlarge.)



(Click to enlarge.)


                                        Shimming the hinge plate moves the hinge pin...






adjusting doors by shimming the hinges


 Moving the hinge pin moves the door in the jamb accordingly.
You can either work on the frame hinge plate or the door hinge plate. (Or both.) In the two pics in this post, I am working on the same hinge of the same door to get the desired pin movement. In this pic, the shimming (on the right side of hinge plate.) will cause the door to move in the jamb toward the hinge pin.




(The screws have not been re-tightened yet in the pics.)

This is not full proof, but it works 90% of the time.

Sometimes you have to shim all the hinges in opposite directions to get the desired movement.


Happy Repairing
Brian