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DIY Home Improvement Thread..


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Painted Beadboard: Does this stuff look cheap in real life execution? I saw some nice examples online (Houzz.com)

 

I will explore the floor issue at some point in the garage but it gets really muddy in the winter as we have a gravel driveway. Once we get the driveway done, then I'll probably spend some money on the flooring otherwise the nice floor will get beat up with grit and mud and salt.

Depends. It can be okay in a playroom or something but I wouldn't do it in a formal living or dining space.

Honestly though, simple chair rail with white paint below and different room color above looks much better than bead board IMO

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Depends. It can be okay in a playroom or something but I wouldn't do it in a formal living or dining space.

Honestly though, simple chair rail with white paint below and different room color above looks much better than bead board IMO

I was talking for the garage wall. Like below.

 

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dammit. The guy at Lowe's today made it sound super easy. Lies!!

They always do

Keep in mind there is no "mud" involved to hide imperfections and mistakes

A single piece involving outlets etc can be a real ****, no margin for error as it lines up with the next piece

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Haven't fired up my wood stove since I bought my house.  Pipes still in great shape.  Slightly discolored at the top (black piping) before it goes through ceiling out the roof, but quality does not feel/look like it is compromised.  My issue is where the pipe connects to the stove.  It goes inside the stove and 3 screws around secure the pipe inside.  What has me worried is it I shine a flashlight (inside the stove) up the pipe, I can see the light flaring out the sides.  Should I high temp silicone this, fire cement, or am I just overly worried over nothing?  Thank You.

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The real thing is to control the dust when you're working the drywall, but that doesn't help now, does it? The stuff can be a PITA, it's everywhere and just clingy and fine enough that you have to get each and every particle. I feel for ya Major.

 

Been there, did this....

 

 

swiffer.jpg

 

Just damp enough to "grab" dust, doesn't mess up walls/ceilings getting them too wet, flip 'em over/inside out to get max use, reach top of walls and ceilings. Not saying it's the best way but it's what I had handy and it worked fairly well.

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yeah, this was kind of learn as you go.  i got good towards the end, learning that less is more when mudding.  but i  had to sand way more than a pro would've, and i have dust everywhere.

 

Sometimes I'll use a large sponge (a real sponge, not the imitation crap) and a bucket of water. Get the sponge damp and use it to knock down the mud before I paint, rinsing the sponge as needed. I almost always use this approach when patching small picture nail holes and other small/medium areas. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I just became a homeowner a few months ago and am gutting the hall bath as a test of my DIY skills and the strength of my marriage. Today I was busting out the ceramic tile and making quick work of it with a 4 lb hammer and a wrecking bar. The room is about 7x5 and I removed most of the tile in about 2 hours. Issue is getting the mortar off. Any suggestions other than chipping it away by hand with a cold chisel? I did a little of that and it took forever. Can I leave the mortar and apply a floor leveler over it and tile right to that? We plan on putting in travertine tiles. I'll try to attach a picture so you can kinda see what I mean. (Notice the rockstar trash can.)

post-202230-0-97033100-1419648004_thumb.

Edited by TheGreatBuzz
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Ugh, that's not a job to do by hand.

 

A hammer drill w/ a wide bit like this

 

3236.jpg

 

Make quick work of it, take it down far enough that your thinset + tile come to the right height, check for level so you know what will need to be built up a tad to get an even plane.

 

Sure your subfloor is good enough to retile on top of?

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The tile was all right on top of the concrete foundation.  I figured I should be able to tile right back on top of that.  I have an air compressor and air hammer but my wife says its to loud in the house so I'm looking for other options.

 

Hand your wife some money & send her out shopping. Then use the air hammer. 

 

Putting the tile on top of the concrete foundation sounds right, but someone more experienced might have a different opinion. 

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^^ What he said, send the missus somewhere and fire it up. With a good bit you can strip that down in an hour, and it ought to shear right off of concrete. Doing it by hand w/ hammer and chisel is just self-abuse.

 

Laying tile onto concrete is maybe the best case, no grout cracking flexing, good surface for thinset to grab.

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Someone posted about this stuff earlier and I was planning on putting it down.  Thoughts?

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-RedGard-1-gal-Waterproofing-and-Crack-Prevention-Membrane-LQWAF1/100169081

 

So if I can't get all the mortar off and the floor completely smooth, can I just put a floor leveling compound down over it and call it good?

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Get a can of this stuff. Just be careful when spraying it as it will really expand (a little bit goes a long way). You might want to spray some on a piece of cardboard to see how little you actually need to spray to fill a gap/hole. 

 

Also, wear disposable gloves. The stuff is impossible to get off your skin. 

 

Dow Chemical Co. Gaps & Cracks Insulating Foam Sealant

 

Just remember there is three versions of this expanding foam, it is important around windows and doors to use the lower expansion product and not bow the frames, also don't over use it, let the stuff fill the gaps before you spray too much of it. Otherwise you have a large mess to clean up. Helps to put oil on your hands before using. I think I remember lacquer thinner cleans it up, but it burns on cuts really bad. 

Someone posted about this stuff earlier and I was planning on putting it down.  Thoughts?

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-RedGard-1-gal-Waterproofing-and-Crack-Prevention-Membrane-LQWAF1/100169081

 

So if I can't get all the mortar off and the floor completely smooth, can I just put a floor leveling compound down over it and call it good?

Where are you using this? This is meant for water tight applications, such as shower walls. Don't recommend it for floors as they need to breath, unless you are talking wood underlayment? 

The tile was all right on top of the concrete foundation.  I figured I should be able to tile right back on top of that.  I have an air compressor and air hammer but my wife says its to loud in the house so I'm looking for other options.

 

If you hand chisel this up it will take 5 times longer, air or rotary hammer chisel is the only way to go. Plus you can get all the thin set up.....over concrete you don't need to a water guard. 

What's the easiest way to measure out recessed lighting for cuts before applying drywall?

 

Wax marker, furniture touch up stick. 

So I just became a homeowner a few months ago and am gutting the hall bath as a test of my DIY skills and the strength of my marriage. Today I was busting out the ceramic tile and making quick work of it with a 4 lb hammer and a wrecking bar. The room is about 7x5 and I removed most of the tile in about 2 hours. Issue is getting the mortar off. Any suggestions other than chipping it away by hand with a cold chisel? I did a little of that and it took forever. Can I leave the mortar and apply a floor leveler over it and tile right to that? We plan on putting in travertine tiles. I'll try to attach a picture so you can kinda see what I mean. (Notice the rockstar trash can.)

You can rent a chipping hammer, will be done in 1/2 hour, saving time and money, put a mask on and cover that door way with plastic. Wish I could lend you my Bosch rotary hammer...with a wide blade. 

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Thanks for the info.  That helps a lot.  I have an air hammer with a 1" chisel bit.  I think I will bring that in and send my wife out.  How important that I get every little scrap of thin set up?  Should I rent something to "sand" the floors to make sure they are perfectly smooth or is "pretty flat" good enough and the mortar will cover up tiny bits?

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Thanks for the info.  That helps a lot.  I have an air hammer with a 1" chisel bit.  I think I will bring that in and send my wife out.  How important that I get every little scrap of thin set up?  Should I rent something to "sand" the floors to make sure they are perfectly smooth or is "pretty flat" good enough and the mortar will cover up tiny bits?

 

In my opinion, it should be "pretty smooth" and not "perfectly smooth". The notch in the trowel should compensate for slight bumps/imperfections on the floor. Use a level that spans multiple tiles to make sure the tiles are level as you apply them. Once you're done, you'll never know there were slight imperfections on the existing concrete. 

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Thanks for the info.  That helps a lot.  I have an air hammer with a 1" chisel bit.  I think I will bring that in and send my wife out.  How important that I get every little scrap of thin set up?  Should I rent something to "sand" the floors to make sure they are perfectly smooth or is "pretty flat" good enough and the mortar will cover up tiny bits?

Not perfectly smooth, flat is good, even if you have gouges.  Now if you have cracks running, you can use the Red guard to isolate them from transferring to tile, mostly used in newer construction, but won't hurt for any cracks. Make sure when you are setting the tile..don't use the cheap thin set, use the proper trowel-it matters, don't press the tile into the mud. 

 

Most people don't know it but it is suction that holds the tile down, the contraction of the air pocket between the troweled channels creates a vacuum when the cement cures and shrinks. 

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Water heater question . . .

 

noticed a trickle of a leak coming just underneath from my water heater's T&P valve. Next step? Do I need to call a pro in? or is there a possible simple fix? 

 

 

 

Found this:

 

"Temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valves used on residential water heaters are typically designed and manufactured to relieve on pressure at 150 psig and on temperature at 210 degrees F. These ASME, ANSI and CSA (AGA) approved relief valves protect the water heater from excess pressures and temperatures by discharging water.

 

In normal operation of the water heater and T&P valve, no water should be discharged from the valve. A T&P valve that discharges is an indication of an abnormal condition in the system and by discharging, the T&P valve is meeting its designed safety purpose. The causes of discharge can be thermal expansion, excess system pressure, low temperature relief, too high a setting on the water heater, or something in the water heater causing excess temperatures in the heater.

 

Thermal Expansion: When water is heated it expands. In a 40 gallon water heater, water being heated to its thermostat setting will end up expanding by approximately 1/2 gallon. The extra volume created by this expansion has to go somewhere or pressure will dramatically increase, such as when water is heated in a closed system.

A good indication of thermal expansion is when the T&P valve releases about one cup of water for each 10 gallons of heater capacity with each heating cycle. The T&P valve is functioning properly when it relieves pressure caused by thermal expansion, but frequent relief can build up natural mineral deposits on the valve seat, rendering the valve inoperative. This condition can be addressed by the installation of a Watts thermal expansion tank or other Watts thermal expansion device to protect your system from overpressure caused by thermal expansion. If there is no discharge from the valve, there is no need to replace the valve.

System Pressure: If installation of a thermal expansion device does not relieve occasional dripping from the T&P valve, then the system pressure should be checked. If system pressure is excessive (typically more than 75 PSI), a Watts pressure regulator should be installed on the incoming water line.

Warning: The discharge from a T&P valve can be very hot. It is very important that all T&P valves be installed properly with a discharge line piped downward to an adequate drain to avoid property damage and to minimize possible human contact. Please read and follow the instructions on the warning tag attached to your T&P valve."

http://www.watts.com/pages/support/tp.asp?catId=64

Edited by GoSkins0721
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