Home improvement 1-2-3 "plumbing"

Plumbing projects are often unpredictable. failures and leaks can happen at any time and have to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. You do have choices when you're remodelng or upgrading: you can pick projects within your skill level. the key to success is common sense. do your homework. make a good plan. become familiar with the materials and equipment needed for the job. ask yourself: can i do this and do i have the time? If the answer is yes, get started!






A working knowledge of your plumbing system will help you understand why something isn't working properly. make a map showing how the plumbing in your home is installed. know where the water meter and the main shutoff valve are located. find out where water comes into the house and where the drainpipes and traps flow out.





begin with easy projects. most repair and maintenance jobs are fairly simple. check throughout the house to see if repairs are needed. does a faucet drip? is the toilet acting up: Once you've masterd basic skills, you'll be ready to move to more complicated projects such as new installations and remodeling jobs.










real-world situations

MOM there's a swimming pool in the basement!

Plumbers will tell you two things about their trade: water is tricky stuff, and there arent any standard sizes. here are some sure-fire plumbing tips from the professionals:

• leaks happen
• that's why plumbers have jobs. the first rule is that there are no easy fixes. magic powders, pastes , and incatations won't solve the problem. get some advice from a knowledgeable person and do the job right the first time. (that's why i'm here).
• If you are working in plastic, clean and prime it before you cement it. with copper, the only solid joint is a clean joint:Polish the surface with emery cloth, deburr the inside of the fitting with a wire brush, and brush on plent of flux to further clean the surfaces. (you can never apply too much flux.)
• If the joint has a compression fitting_a little metal sleeve that squishes tightly against the fitting to prevent leaks_ you wont need solder. but , you can only use the sleeve once and will have to replace it every time you disconect the fitting. sleeves are cheap and the job is easy, but eventually the pipe will become too short to use.
• Don't apply logic to plumbing sizes. a faucet supply line and a toilet supply line are different diameters, for example kitchen faucets wont fit in a bathroom sink, and toilets are one of three difffeent distances from the wall. there are at least a dozen kinds of toilet flappers and countless faucet washers. when great need of a part take the part to a nearest home depot or lowes. they should be able to give you the correct part.

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painting

wallpaper

Home Improvement 1-2-3 "wallpaper"

The hardest part of papering is being patient. This is not a job you can rush, not a job you can muscle , not a job with any shortcuts.When you're wallpapering. you're better off taking your time until the jobs finished.
Although you can't rush , you can enjoy yourself. Papering is a job that requires only a few basic skills like using a tape measure, a level , scissors, and a knife. it's a bit more expensive than painting, but cheap as home improvement projects go. And more than paint,more than furniture or carpeting, wallpaper sets the tone of your room. Victorian paper, combined with the right moldings, can transfor the plainest tract house into a 19th-century classic. An arts-and -crafts print sets the stage for stained-glass lamps, mission furniture,and early 20th-century America.
But wallpaper does more than take you back in time. While it's dangerous to generalize, designers will tell you, that light colors tend to open up a room and add a feeling of spaciousness. Striped paper pull the eye up and down, adding to the appearance of height. Small prints keep the eyes focused in the room, making it feel cozier. Dark colors can create a feeling of intimacy.
When choosing materials, however, don't decorate for the designer; decorate for the person living in the room.
Real-world situations
Preparation is Key
The truth is that wallpaper you put up will never look beter than the wall it's covering.
Every bump, dimple, ding , dent, and crack will still be there and will still be visible. Paper hugs the wall as much as it covers it. You can paper over old wallpaper, for example, but why would you? The surface will never be as firm as the wall itself, and new paper may actually pull the old paper off. Old seams will be visible under the new paper, especially it they
are crooked or lapped. New liquid wallpaper removers work extremely well.

• After removing the old paper, clean the wall with TSP solution.

Dirt, grease , and grime keep the paper from sticking. When you

are done washing, rinse with clean water until the water runs clear.

• Prepare the wall. Fill small crack with surfacing compound . Buy it premixed, push the compound in place with a putty knife, and then run the knife over it so that the repair is flush with the wall. If the patch shrinks as it dries, repeat until the crack disappears.

Fill larger cracks and holes with spackling paste. Spackling paste has a consistency between that of cake frosting and grade-school paste. apply with a putty knife, filling the hole entirely. Paste contains bubbles , so smooth out the top as you would with frosting.

If you've got big holes or lose plaster, the repair will be more extensive. on drywall, cut away the damage and screw drywall into the hole . Plaster patching compound works well for patching plaster over lath, but it will take a couple of applications. Patching large areas can be a nuisance, but not as annoying as having the wall crumble behind your favorite wallpaper.

When patches are dry, lightly sand them so they are both smooth and level with the wall. make a cleaner job of it by wiping the surfaces down with a damp sponge.

• Seal, prime, and size.

This used to be three operations until paint companies managed to combine the liquids into one. Sealer keeps water, smoke, and other stains from showing through the paper. primer provides a smooth surface for the paper to stick. sizing is thin wallpaper paste that seals the walls pores to prevent paste from soaking into the plaster and provides extra adhension. Primer/sealer can be clear or tinted to match the primary color of the wallpaper.

• Put up the paper.


• If your're using pasteless papers . brush a paste activator on the back. it's neater than soaking makes the paper easy to adjust and align, and provides a better bond.

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Next post is plumbing..

Home improvement 1-2-3 "Painting"

Painting is one of the quickest and cheapest fixes. Your house is going to look better instantly, and if your selling, you'll get back more money than you put into the paint. the question is , what paint to use?

Oil vs. latex. Latex has swept most of the market. I't;s water-based, durable , and easy to clean up. Oil (also called alkyd) is still available in most parts of the country. I't;s a little harder to work with and isn't as easy to clean up or dispose of, but still has it's uses.

sheen (gloss).The glossier the paint, the easier it is to clean. the more flat (or less glossy), the more it hides mistakes. Use flatter sheens on most walls. Use glossier sheen on trim and in kitchens and baths , all of which get a lot of splatters, fingerprints, and other abuse.

Color. white is not the only color, and white on white is not the oly color scheme. it may feel safe, and probably is , but you can do so much more.

Choose a color , buy a quart, and put it on a section of wall. Paint the trim too, and then live with it a few days. If it's a disaster, try again. If it works do the entire room.

Decorative painting.Sponging, dragging, stippling , and texturing add alot to a room and are easy to master. Have some fun before you start: Get a sheet of drywall, Prop it up in the garage, and try different techniques and color schemes. The practice will give you the confidence you need.

Painting Profecionally 1-2-3

Painting will not cover a multitude of sins. It will cover the wall, the door , or the trim , but that's about it. it will change the color of the bumps, nicks, dents, and cracks that are part of the wall, door , or trim, but it wont make the blemishes go away. tha's your job.

Prep work or , to put it more simply, wall repair is the key to painting success. Plan on spending at least as much time repairing as you do painting.

Start by washing the wall.

wipe it down with trisodium phosphate (tsp) or one of its phosphate-free wall cleaning substitutes. then rinse the wall with a sponge and clean water until the water runs clear. Once the wall is dry , look for and repair each and every imperfection you find .

Caulk.

Caulk small cracks, caulk transitions from wall to molding, and run caulk down the corner of the room. Smooth it out with a wet finger so you have a nice transition from one surface to the next.

Once you are ready to paint

protect any surface in the room you dont want stray paint on - specially floors. trim and woodwork.

prime surfaces before you paint.

on the molecular level , at least, primer is really sticky. it sticks to whatever is on the walls , as will as to whatever paint your putting up. if the walls are stained, apply a primer sealer to keep the stain from bleeding through. (water-based sealers may not be adequate- be sure you get the right product)

sand between coats

this doesnt take long, just wipe the walls down with a 120 grit paper. and wipe the dust off with your hand or old paint brush. if you sand , the finished wall, will feel like velvet. dont sand, and the finish wall will feel like sand.

Paint during the day in strong light.

Bare patches, drips, spatter, trapped brush fibers, and insects are easy to avoid when you can see what you're doing.

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