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DIY Home Improvement Thread..


PleaseBlitz

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I just moved, so i have a pretty good list. This week im dumping all the **** i dont need anymore at the new place, then hanging a TV on the wall, hanging some other **** on the walls, refurbishing a grill (thoughts on this project welcome), and hopefully installing a pull up bar.

When's the first kegger?

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OK, this spring I plan on doing some serious fixing up of the homestead. Im pretty handy, but i dont have any specific training in most of the things I want to get done, besides painting.

I know lots of people on ES either do this stuff for a living or have experience fixing up their own homes.

Feel free to ask for advice in this thread.

My first project:

Fixing a leaky fridge. For some reason, about once a week, i find a puddle around my fridge. Anyone know what the deal is and how to fix it? Preferably without buying a new fridge.

Also, I have some mold on the wall in my upstairs bathroom. What should I use to clean this off?

I see your post is a little old but,most likely your problem is when the drail tube that goes from freezer to drain pain it is most likely clogged.

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ok, here's my latest project:

DSCN0265.jpg

DSCN0264-1.jpg

These are the steps going up to my front porch. They have settled and are not level (the pic w/the level doesn't show but the bubble is pinned to the left) and they are actually causing bricks to be pulled from the side of the house. (that's what tried to show in the 2nd pic. about mid-way up the downspout, you can see the gap where the brick is being pulled out)

Anywho,,,,,the only two ideas I have to fix this are:

1 - dig a trench under the whole mess and attempt to jack it up and then pour a foundation underneath it.

or

2 - blow the entire mess up and put a wrap-around porch in it's place. However, this option would entail mucho work b/c this thing is solid.

any other ideas?

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Anywho,,,,,the only two ideas I have to fix this are:

1 - dig a trench under the whole mess and attempt to jack it up and then pour a foundation underneath it.

or

2 - blow the entire mess up and put a wrap-around porch in it's place. However, this option would entail mucho work b/c this thing is solid.

any other ideas?

That looks like a major job!

-I doubt you'll have a lot of success jacking it up. Mortar tends to crack and buckle very easily. But maybe worth a shot? :whoknows:

-If you decide to take it down I'd use a diamond blade with a circ saw... and make one cut where it meets the porch. Then take a sledgehammer to the entire thing. You can make other cuts to help with the sledge work. Or you could rent a pneumatic hammer. I've done that kind of work before... it's back breaking, no real way around it unless you can rent a bobcat for a day. Might be worth it.

Honestly... they look pretty good, you might even consider leaving them.

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As for my projects... I plan on laying low this summer. The only thing I need to do is stain my deck. If the rain will hold off long enough next week I'll do it then.

My major project (annual) was in the spring. I bought 8 Yards of mulch... roughly 60 wheelbarrow loads full. Pain in the ass :( , but it looks great when you get it done

I also replaced a few perennials that the drought got last year

IMG_1268.jpg

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i need to do some serious work on my gutters. i don't think they were hung with enough slant, and there aren't enough down spouts (too many turns and long runs), so water weighs them down and the start to pull away from the house. i'm thinking of just taking them all down, cleaning them up and re-hanging them. what joy,

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i need to do some serious work on my gutters. i don't think they were hung with enough slant, and there aren't enough down spouts (too many turns and long runs), so water weighs them down and the start to pull away from the house. i'm thinking of just taking them all down, cleaning them up and re-hanging them. what joy,

Major, I'd look pretty close at having it done. They can hang gutters so fast and cheap nowadays, I think its one of the few projects thats not worth doing yourself.

I had my garage done at my other house... they were done in 45 minutes. I would have been out there for a week bending those dam things

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Major, I'd look pretty close at having it done. They can hang gutters so fast and cheap nowadays, I think its one of the few projects thats not worth doing yourself.

I had my garage done at my other house... they were done in 45 minutes. I would have been out there for a week bending those dam things

i don't think i need new gutters, they just need to be re-hung. and my neighbor is a jack of all handyman trades and will help me.

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Started my projects,(definitely plural), around March. Started by re-organizing the walk in closet,(added a closetmaid system in there,wood, and it really helped). Then put hardware, (stainless steel lookin, middle of the road priced),on my kitchen cabinets. Installed one of those flip out storage deals in front of the kitchen sink as well. Still have alot of work to do. Going to sand off the stain on the kitchen and bathroom cabinets,(the old lacquer is yellowing bad), and stain them something a bit more rich in color. After that it's tile the front entry,(15 square feet), hardwood or tile in the kitchen, and tile in the bathroom. Going to install a ceiling fan in the living area of my small but comfortable condo, trim out a part of the ceiling in the kitchen, (the old lighting stuff hid a about a 4'x8'x12" "vault in the ceiling), and put in either a new light or some track light. Installing some under the counter lights in there as well. Possibly some LED rope lights to accent the light in the living area as well,(no lighting in the ceiling and I am not ripping out drywall and putting in wire).

*

:whew:

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  • 2 weeks later...
2 questions:

#1, how do you hook a laptop up to a HDTV?

#2, i need to hang a mirror that weighs about 75lbs, and i have metal studs. Ive never hung anything using metal studs before. Wtf do i do?

1- I dunno, I've asked before too.

2- Just go to Lowes/Depot or local hardware, ask the hardware guy what he's got. Probably want to use a self-tapping sheet metal screw. DON'T use drywall screws. They don't have the sheer-strength to support that type of weight.

Probably if I had to guess, you'll end up using a cabinet screw designed for metal studs. But just go ask. Actually, you'll probably have a better answer if you go to a mom & pop hardware store.

Good luck, metal studs suck royal ass.

....

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  • 5 months later...

I need to do some work on the washer/dryer in my condo. It has a slow leak into the basin, and fills very slowly when running. I think it may just be a bad o-ring, so the previous owner just turned the water way down, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions?

Also, should I even bother looking at it myself? How expensive is a repairman for this sort of thing? Anyone have any recommendations for repairmen in the area?

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2 questions:

#1, how do you hook a laptop up to a HDTV?

#2, i need to hang a mirror that weighs about 75lbs, and i have metal studs. Ive never hung anything using metal studs before. Wtf do i do?

PB, if this is the same LCD that you purchased from me then in the back of your TV should be a blue port labeled either VGA or PC INPUT. Get a standard monitor cable and run that from the laptop to the back of your TV. For audio you may have an audio port back there which looks like a headphone port in which case run an audio cable from your laptops headphone port to that port. If not, get a y-splitter for an MP3 player and run that to the red and white audio ports in the back.

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  • 1 year later...

Somewhat of a random bump. Okay. With my extra time these past 10 months,I've been doing some long over due work on the condo,(along lots of pics and driving folks on ES nuts that is). Finally stained the bulk of the base and case and such I put up a few years ago. Needless to say,the knotty alder acted like a sponge for the stuff after being on the walls that long. Also refinished the bathroom cabinets. Doing the same for the kitchen,though in this case I'm going back to my art days and mixing colors right on the wood,(a cheaper oak). I've already got the new hardware,(cabinets didn't have any). Looks pretty cool. Next up after that is to paint the laundry room cabinets and finish the trim work on the kitchen ceiling. I took out the light covers and that added about 12 inches worth of ceiling space in much of the kitchen. Also installed a clothes rod in the laundry room for hanging stuff in. Still have to put tile down in the entry way and do something with the flooring in the bathroom and kitchen.

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Somewhat of a random bump. Okay. With my extra time these past 10 months,I've been doing some long over due work on the condo,(along lots of pics and driving folks on ES nuts that is). Finally stained the bulk of the base and case and such I put up a few years ago. Needless to say,the knotty alder acted like a sponge for the stuff after being on the walls that long. Also refinished the bathroom cabinets. Doing the same for the kitchen,though in this case I'm going back to my art days and mixing colors right on the wood,(a cheaper oak). I've already got the new hardware,(cabinets didn't have any). Looks pretty cool. Next up after that is to paint the laundry room cabinets and finish the trim work on the kitchen ceiling. I took out the light covers and that added about 12 inches worth of ceiling space in much of the kitchen. Also installed a clothes rod in the laundry room for hanging stuff in. Still have to put tile down in the entry way and do something with the flooring in the bathroom and kitchen.

Good on ya. How did you refinish the bathroom cabinets? Sand or chemical stripper?

If you wouldn't mind- I'd be interested in learning a bit about refinishing. I know nothing about it.

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I took a week's vacation after Christmas and finally finished my detached garage.

Lowes had 7/16 plywood for under $7/sheet... so I thought it would be a great opportunity. Insulated the walls with R13 and R19 in the ceiling. Finished out the entire interior with plywood... and added a few additional light fixtures.

Now my shop is insulated, which is definitely nice :). However- I had NO IDEA how much work I was getting into. Wow that was a major ass-kicking... especially the ceiling. Some of the plywood cuts I made had to go around windows and light switches and electrical outlets and fuse panel... I think I spent as much as 1 hour on a single sheet- getting it to fit just right. :doh1:

It took me every bit of an entire week... 8-10 hours / day between the insulation, wiring, and plywood.

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Both actually. Though the lacquer on the cabinets was old,turning yellow,and beginning to flake just a little,it was still in there pretty good. I started off by using some stuff called Citrus strip. Then used a scraper to get that off. After that,used some 100 and some 80 grit sandpaper to take off whatever was left and prep it for stain. Used an orbital sander for most of it,but for some of the stuff that's in there as well as for softer woods,I'd recommend a palm sander and for final sanding,some 180 or higher grit paper. Otherwise you can leave some spiral marks in the wood. For the kitchen,the old stuff seems to be in there a bit more,so I started off by using some miniwax antique refinisher. It's definitely got some odor to it and you need to wear some gloves,but it does work. Followed that with the Citrisstrip and sanding deal. Now I did start off by finding a spot to experiment on. That's how I discovered I needed to use a chemical stripper.

After that it was a matter of using a few coats of stain then about 8 coats of rub on poly,(that's alot,but it was the bathroom and because of steam and such,I wanted extra protection). I like that because it's cost effective and goes on better. That's the quick explanation right there.

Edited by Park City Skins
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Both actually. Though the lacquer on the cabinets was old,turning yellow,and beginning to flake just a little,it was still in there pretty good. I started off by using some stuff called Citrus strip. Then used a scraper to get that off. After that,used some 100 and some 80 grit sandpaper to take off whatever was left and prep it for stain. Used an orbital sander for most of it,but for some of the stuff that's in there as well as for softer woods,I'd recommend a palm sander and for final sanding,some 180 or higher grit paper. Otherwise you can leave some spiral marks in the wood.

After that it was a matter of using a few coats of stain then about 8 coats of rub on poly. I like that because it's cost effective and goes on better. That's the quick explanation right there.

We're currently putting granite in the kitchen and I noticed some of the lacquer on our kitchen cabinets is starting to peel (over the exhaust vent on the stove)

Any recommendations?

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We're currently putting granite in the kitchen and I noticed some of the lacquer on our kitchen cabinets is starting to peel (over the exhaust vent on the stove)

Any recommendations?

That's what got me started on mine. Depends really what you want to do. You could gently sand away the flaking lacquer,then work outside of that for a bit. Feathering if you will. Then use a clear wood oil on it then apply some of that rub on poly. That's if you don't want to end up refinishing the whole thing. Problem with that it is that it can be a bit spotty looking and when the rest of the lacquer starts to go..well.

Edited by Park City Skins
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That's what got me started on mine. Depends really what you want to do. You could gently sand away the flaking lacquer,then work outside of that for a bit. Feathering if you will. Then use a clear wood oil on it then apply some of that rub on poly. That's if you don't want to end up refinishing the whole thing.

what grit sandpaper to start?

And what is rub-on poly?

(sorry, dumb questions I'm sure)

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Anyone know where I could find directions for a fool (me) on how to replace the stop (the metal part that sits in the drain hole that is attached to the lever) for a bathroom sink?

One of the stops broke off and is no longer attached to the lever that you push down or pull up to drop/raise the stop......

Edited by The Evil Genius
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