August 17th, 2010
Light sockets come in many shapes and sizes. Most lamps use 120 volts, but some specialty lamps require 240 volts to operate properly. The light socket’s purpose is to hold a bulb in place and to provide voltage needed to turn the light on. A wall switch usually controls the light. Three wires connect to the socket. Two are hot wires and one is a ground wire.
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Turn off power at the main panel. The breaker supplying the socket is double thick. Single breakers are for 120 volt circuits and double breakers are for 240 volt circuits. Use a volt meter to verify there is no voltage at the socket. If you cannot locate the correct breaker, turn off the main.
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Strip the wires back about 1/2-inch on the ends and twist the wire strands together with your fingers. The ground wire is a solid copper wire. It may have green insulation or it may be a bare wire.
- Connect the ground wire to the green screw that is located on the socket. Twist the wire around the screw in a clockwise direction. Tighten the screw securely.
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Connect the remaining two wires to the two gold colored terminals on the light socket. If the insulation on one of the wires is colored white, wrap a piece of black electrical tape around the end near the socket terminal. This is to inform someone working on the fixture in the future that the wire is not a neutral wire and that it is part of a 240 volt circuit.
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Turn the power back on and carefully use a meter to confirm that the voltage is correct. Make sure that the wall switch is turned on.
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Insert a 240 volt bulb into the socket, to verify that it is working.
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August 17th, 2010
Clean any oil, grease, dirt, wax or loose rust from the handle of the tool.
Open the can of liquid vinyl and stir it gently, being careful not to work any air bubbles into it.
Dip the handle into the liquid vinyl. Work slowly, submerging the handle at the rate of about 1 inch every five seconds.
Slowly draw the tool handle out of the liquid, at a rate of 1 inch every five seconds.
Place the tool in a clamp or vice so that the dipped portion is not touching another surface.
After 30 to 40 minutes, you can re-dip the tool to get a thicker vinyl coating.
Allow the coating to dry overnight before using the tool.
Tags: Electrical repairs
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August 17th, 2010
You can easily find the degree of these angles to cut accurate, well fitting pieces of wood flooring for a professional, seamless look.
Cut a piece of paper the length and width of each of the wood flooring pieces with scissors.
Press one of the papers against the angle where the wood needs to fit making a sharp crease to indicate the angle.
Lay all of the pieces of paper on the floor, creasing the papers at the angles until you have covered the floor.
Cut off the excess paper above each of the creased lines on the papers. The papers should all fit against the angled portions on the walls, without any paper sticking up.
Lay each piece of paper on top of a piece of flooring and trace the shapes of the angled ends of the papers with a pencil. Mark the wood clearly where you need to make the angled cuts.
Cut each piece of wood flooring along the marked lines with a table saw. Test fit each piece after you cut it to make sure you are cutting them appropriately.
Tags: Carpentry
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July 19th, 2010
Scratches or small gouges in pre-finished hardwood floors can ruin the look of the whole floor, and allow moisture to get down into the wood, causing rot. It’s usually best not to try to refinish a pre-finished floor as part of the repair process because you probably won’t be able to match the existing finish.
Soak a cotton cloth in rubbing alcohol. Use it to clean and buff the scratched area of the surface.
Scoop up wax putty with a plastic putty knife. Spread it over the scratches, running the edge of the knife perpendicular to the scratches, so the putty is forced into them.
Run the flat edge of the putty knife over the scratches lengthwise, to flatten and smooth the putty. It should come off the surface of the floor but remain within the scratches.
Fold a dry cotton cloth into a square, lay it flat against the floor and buff the area, rubbing vigorously to take up any residual putty from the surface. Use only the flat span of the cloth, not the edges, so you don’t dig the putty out of the scratches. Let the putty set for a day.
Tags: Floor repairs
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July 19th, 2010
Epoxy glue is an excellent filler for chipped tiles, as it dries rock-hard and can be painted to the color of the tile. Floor-grade polyurethane gloss with keep the paint from coming up.
- Open the epoxy glue. If the glue come in two separate tubes that have to be mixed, mix them according to the instructions on the packaging.
- Put a dab of the epoxy over the chipped area. Use the end of a toothpick to work it down into the fissure and smooth it along the top, so it’s flat. Let the glue dry overnight.
- Buff the dried epoxy very gently with extra-fine sandpaper, getting it completely smooth. Wipe away the dust.
- Paint over the epoxy with paint the same color as the tile, using a small paintbrush. Apply the paint only over the dried glue, not the surrounding tile. Let the paint dry for eight hours.
- Brush a thin layer of polyurethane gloss onto the painted area. Let it dry to the touch. Lightly buff the polyurethane with extra-fine sandpaper. Apply a second layer of polyurethane. Let it dry overnight.
Tags: Interior home repair
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July 12th, 2010
Tiling the walls around your tub is the classic approach, and still arguably the best, in terms of attractiveness and wall protection.
Here is how you do it.
Draw a vertical line through the middle of one wall behind the tub, using a pencil. Spread thinset mortar over the bottom section of the wall, using a notched trowel. Make the mortar come up about two feet from the top of the tub, measuring with a tape measure.
Hang the first row of tiles along the top of the tub, starting at the center line that you drew and working your way out sideways toward the edges. Put tile spacers between the tiles as you hang them, and below them, to separate them from the tub. Cut the tiles at the ends of the wall as needed, using a tile saw.
Hang the next rows of tiles, building up the wall row by row, starting each row at the middle line and working outward. Spread more mortar on the upper parts of the wall as you build up. Tile the entire wall, using a tile saw to cut around plumbing fixtures as needed. Repeat for each of the walls around the tub. Let the tiles set for a day and remove the spacers.
Apply grout to the walls with a grout float, starting at the top areas and working down. Press the grout into the spaces between the tiles, while squeezing it off the tile surface. Wipe up the excess grout with a damp sponge. Grout everything except the space between the bottom row of tiles and the top edge of the tub. Let the grout set for a day.
Caulk the line between the top of the tub and the bottom of the first row of tiles.
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July 12th, 2010
Turn off the water supply for the bathtub faucet. This will help prevent accidents while your working in case you bump the faucet. On newer homes, the water supply valves are close to the faucet, usually behind an access panel. Turn these clockwise to turn off. In an older home, turn off the water supply for the whole house, usually located near the street.
Remove the bathtub stopper. The two major types of stopper are the twist-and-lock models and the toe-tap type. In a twist-and-lock model, remove the stopper by unscrewing the round handle on top of the stopper counterclockwise, either with your hands or with a pair of pliers if the cap is stuck. Pull up on the stopper to remove. On a toe-tap type, simply twist the drain counterclockwise to remove.
Remove the drain flange. Insert two screwdrivers into the drain flange so that they catch on the tines in the bottom. Use these as a handle for a pair of pliers to twist out the drain flange.
Clean off the drain opening. Remove all traces of putty and caulk.
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July 12th, 2010
The easiest way to repair cracked, crumbling, or otherwise damaged plaster is with more plaster. The proper procedure to ensure a strong, flat repair job is to fill the hole or crack with plaster, lay drywall tape over it, then plaster over the tape in layers, sanding each layer as you go. Plan on repainting the whole area after you’re done.
Tags: Home Maintenance
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December 4th, 2008
Well a temporary solution would be to rub down and paint over the area with a water blocking paint, something oil based usually works, or tile the area. Temporary solutions are unfortunatley just that and the only way to cure the problem satisfactorily is to damp proof, or in your case I think ‘tank’ the room.
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