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How To Fix A Squeaky Door

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

One of the biggest questions that DIYer’s ask is how to fix a squeaky door. A person could go down and buy a new door and/or hinges, but this could end up costing a lot of money. There are several methods to getting rid of those squeaks and it can be done with products that you’ve probably got around the house already.

A squeaky door is due to the hinges becoming stiff and maybe even rusted. Usually, simply lubricating the squeaky hinges will take care of the problem. The thing is that there are a lot of different products that can be used, and many of these products can be found in your own home. Not just things you might find in your garage, but in your bathroom or kitchen as well.

Most people will tell you the best thing to use is WD-40. This is a fix-all product and will do the job within minutes. This can probably be found in just about any garage or tool shed. Something else you might use is graphite. Graphite comes in small tubes and is a gritty material that helps metal objects move against other materials in smoother motion.

However, you don’t even have to leave your house in order to find something to fix that squeak. A little vegetable oil or cooking spray can do the exact same thing. You can either place a few drops of cooking oil on either side of the door hinge, or spray it directly onto the hinge. If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, you can remove the pins from the hinges and coat them in the cooking oil.

Tired of hearing that bathroom door squeak each time you go in? Fix the problem by spraying a bit of hair spray onto the door hinges. Another bathroom door fix is by using a little Vaseline onto the pins. This makes hinges move easier and will get rid of those squeaks for months to come. No hair spray or Vaseline? No problem. A few drops of liquid soap will do the same thing.

If you’re plagued with squeaky doors, you don’t have spend hundreds of dollars to fix a squeaky door. Look around the house and you’re sure to find a ton of products lying around that will help you rid yourself of those nasty squeaks. You’ll save time and money, and you’re doors will remain quiet for a long time to come.

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How To Fix A Crack In The Ceiling

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

When you live in a house for awhile, you may begin to notice cracks forming in your ceilings. These can happen for a number of reasons, from the fact that the house is settling and the frame has moved, to the types of materials used in the construction of your ceiling when the house was built. Before taking steps to fix the crack, you’ve got to determine what materials your ceiling is made from. Is your ceiling made from sheet rock or plaster?

If your ceiling happens to be made from sheet rock, or drywall, fixing the crack my be as simple as re-taping and re-pasting the crack. Simply fill the crack with drywall paste, cover with drywall tape, and repaint. It’s a good idea to completely repaint the entire ceiling to ensure everything matches. If you find that your fixes are beginning to show signs of cracking again, it could be due to the braces in the ceiling. If this is the case, it may be more beneficial to have a professional come in and conduct proper repairs.

If your ceiling happens to be plaster, you can fix minor cracks with plaster spackling compound. Fill the crack, allow it to completely dry, then sand down and paint. If the cracks are due to water damage, be sure to deal with that problem as quickly as possible as it could cause your ceiling to collapse. Again, if the problem is extensive, it might be best to call in a professional.

One thing all homeowners should think about is when your house was built. Older homes, built before the 1970′s, may have asbestos in the ceilings. This is not something you’ll want to come into contact with and it’s important to have a professional check into this before you start any type of repair work. If asbestos is found in your ceilings, you need to allow professionals to remove it for the safety of you and your family.

Minor cracks in your ceilings can be a relatively easy fix. Once you’ve determined the type of materials used in construction, it’s basically a matter of using the right compounds to make repairs. Within a day, you can have a great looking ceiling without much hassle.

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How To Replace A Broken Tile

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

You don’t have to hire a contractor to repair or replace broken tiles in your home. It’s actually very basic and something you can do on your own. Most of the tools required for the job are probably tools you already have around the house. Here are a few tips on How To Replace A Broken Tile in your bathroom or kitchen.

First of all, you’re going to need to find a replacement tile that matches your existing tiles. The best way to do this is by taking a small piece of the broken tile with you in your search. Once you’ve found a matching tile, you’re going to need a hammer and chisel, a tile saw or a utility knife, a notched trowel, and tile grout and adhesive.

To begin with, use the tile saw or utility knife to score further cuts in the tile. Use the hammer and chisel to break through the cuts, and to help remove the smaller pieces of tile. This will make it easier to keep from damaging the surrounding tiles. Once the tile is completely removed, use the chisel to clean out the older grout and adhesive from the wall.

One thing to keep in mind is to check the wall behind the tile before replacing the new one. If the tiles are set against drywall, you may find that it needs to be replaced before continuing. This is also true when replacing floor tiles. Skipping over this step may cause you to have to replace the tile sooner than you’d planned.

Once you’ve completed this task, it’s time to set your new tile into place. Begin by spreading your adhesive on the back of the tile with your notched trowel. The pattern left by this tool helps the tile to adhere to the wall, more so than a smoother spread. Once you’ve set the new tile in its place, press it firmly down and allow the adhesive to dry thoroughly before moving on.

Once the adhesive is dry, grout around the tile. Make sure to get the grout into all the corners and crevasses. There will be excess on your new tile and the surrounding tiles, but this will all dry. Allow the grout to dry for about half an hour, then wipe away the excess. Allow the entire tile to set for about 24 hours to ensure the tile is well set. Once you’ve finished this, it’s a good idea to finish with a waterproof sealant.

A broken tile can be replaced in no time at all, and can be done without a lot of cost. When it comes to learning How To Replace A Broken Tile, you only need to a few basic tools and a little extra time. And before you know it, you kitchen or bathroom will look good as new.

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De-Winterizing Question

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Chaney B says, I am about to head over to the home we are buying to clean. It has already been de-winterized once for the inspection, but was re-winterized to wait for closing. I was told and have read on your page online to just run the water and it would flush it all out, but I want clarification on the water heater part. When I turn the water on, will it automatically start filling it up? Do I turn it on at the heater? How do I know when it is full enough to turn the heater on? How long will all of this take?
I can’t find good information on this and you seem to know more than anyone I’ve seen on here… I appreciate any help you can give me…

Open up the hot side at one of the sink or tub faucets, the valve at the water heater may or may not be turned off, if it is turned off turn it on & begin to fill it up, having one of the sink or tub fixtures hot water side turned on will allow the air out of the water heater & you will know the water heater is full when the water starts coming out of the faucet. I usually go around & let the air out of the other lines at this time as well. Now you can tyrn on power to the water heater if it is electric, if you turn on the power to an empty water heater it will blow the elements & they will have to be replaced.

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Mortar Joints Failing

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Roberta H writes, I have been living in my new home for some time now & have been asking for the contractor to clean the brick because it is obvious that they never were. Well, last week they finally sent someone to clean the brick with a pressure washer & not long after beginning the guys stopped to come & show me that the mortar joints were being blown out from between the bricks. Needless to say, I told them to stop. What would cause this?

That doesn’t sound good Roberta, one thing that could cause it with a pressure washer would be if they were using the “0″ tip instead of one of the fan tips, & it would also damage the bricks, but if they were using the regular fan tips & it was blowing the mortar out of the joints there is a good chance that it was a bad batch of mortar, & if that is the case then the question becomes was that bad batch of mortar isolated & just used in that area or is this going to be a problem for the whole house. Being new construction, have the general & masonry contractor take a look at it & see what they say, if your not getting straight answers or get the run around give me a call & we’ll do what we can to help.

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Lukewarm Shower Water

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Dan H writes: We recently moved into a new home & although the showers get warm enough for me to take a shower, my wife would like to be able to take a “hot” shower or bath. The water at the bathroom & kitchen faucets is considerably hotter, what would be the cause of this & can it be fixed.

Dan, it sounds like you have the anti-scald guard fixtures. A lot of plumbers will not adjust those off of the factory settings for liability reasons. You should be able to pull the handle off & see a plastic adjustment ring that you can adjust to allow for hotter water at the fixture. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, & since you are in a new home, contact the builder & see if he would ask the plumbers to adjust it for you or at least stop by & show you how to make the adjustments.

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Rusty Hot Water

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Ben D asks, We had a hot water recirculating system installed recently & now we are having rusty looking water on the hot side. Do you have any idea of what would be causing this?

It sounds like someone installed a recirculating pump meant for a hydronic heating system instead of one that is intended for potable water use. The pumps used on the hydronic systems look the same & are cheaper, but they do not have the stainless steel recirculating blades & as you have found out, will leave a rusty residue in the water. You will need to swap out the recirculating pump.

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“Crackly” Sound In Laminate Flooring

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

Rhonda L writes:
My laminate floor suddenly started making a “crackly” sound when we walk on it.
The only things we can think that caused it are using too much cleaner, (our
housekeeper may have used something other than the made-for-laminate cleaner),
the temperature got very hot outside (but our home inside is not that hot), but
the humidity has been much dryer, or our dogs tracking in pollen, which has been
prolific.  Which do you think caused it, and do you think it will it go away by
itself?  Thank you.

If it has just started making the sound then too much cleaner could lead to
swelling & result in what you are hearing. It seems 2 of the most common
things are lack of an underlayment underneath, but that it usually more of a
squeaking sound (wood rubbing against wood). The other wood be inadequate
spacing at the perimeter. There should be 1/4 inch gap left at the perimeter
to allow for expansion. If there is no room for expansion then the floor
will try to buckle & could also result in the crackly sound you are hearing.
Tell your cleaning lady not to use anything but the recommend cleaner on it
& not much of that. Monitor & see if it gets any better. If it does not then
it could possibly be an installation issue?
How long has the floor been down?

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Bathtub Surround Preparation

Saturday, April 26th, 2008

Donnie J says, my bathroom is gutted to the studs, & I’ll be tiling the bathtub surround. Should I drywall this area & then put up cement backer-board, or dose the backerboard go directly over the studs? Do I need felt paper?

Don’t put up drywall under the backerboard. I am a believer in the felt behind the cement backerboard practice, but there are a lot of professionals that question the need for it & install without it. Your tub should fit snugly to the studs & have a support ledger under the long side. You should fur out the studs so that the backer board comes down over the lip of the tub leaving a space between the bottom of the backerboard & the top of the tub to prevent moisture wicking of the backerboard. Also make sure you tape the backerboard corners & joints with fiberglass sheetrock tape & mud them with thinset & you should be ready to start tiling.

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Polarity Matters

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

Mike L writes, On old fashioned lamp plugs, both prongs on the plug are the same size & the lamp works any way you plug it in. On new plugs the prongs are different sizes. I’ve been told this is to keep the polarity constant. What is polarity & why does it matter.

Polarity refers to the two conductors of an electrical circuit. These conductors are called poles, as in the poles of a magnet. One pole is a supply & the other is a return. The supply is the black or “hot” wire & the return is the white or “neutral”.

In modern receptacle outlets one slot is taller than the other. The tall slot should be connected to the neutral conductor & the short slot to the hot. That’s normal polarity.

Modern plugs match these receptacles & correspond to wiring in lamps, appliances & tools. A lamp is wired such that the neutral wire goes to the casing of the lamp socket & the hot wire goes to the tab or button at the bottom of the socket. The routing path is an important safety feature. If your installing a bulb without unplugging the lamp, you’re more likely to accidentally touch the socket casing than the socket tab. For a tool or appliance, the hot wire is fed through the switch. That means there’s only an inch or two of energized wire in the case of the tool or appliance. If the polarity is reversed, virtually all the wiring in the case (including all the motor windings if there’s a motor) is energized when it’s plugged in. Damaged insulation on a wire or a motor winding could energize a metal tool case, creating an electrocution hazard. Correct polarity is another way of putting the odds in your favor.

When replacing the cord or plug on an appliance, be sure to get the connections right: The neutral wire is the “identified” conductor. It may have ridges running along it’s length or a colored thread between the wire & insulation.

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