Archive for the ‘Handyman’ Category
Water in the Basement?
One of the first things new homeowners realize about their home is that nothing happens automatically. That is to say, nothing will get cleaned unless you clean it up, and nothing will get maintained or repaired unless you take actions toward those ends. One of the frequent problem that pops up? A wet or exceedingly moist basement that smells stuffy. If you want a clean, dry basement that any guest would love to visit, here are a few tips.
First, if you don't have a dehumidifier, you'll need to get one. You'd be amazed at how much water a dehumidifier can remove from the air in your basement - you might find yourself emptying gallons and gallons of water that essentially came from "thin air." When you have a dehumidifier, you realize how things like air quality can really effect the rest of your home, not to mention the general mustiness of a moist basement. Make sure you have a dehumidifer up and running before you try some other solutions for a musty basement.
A dehumidifier can also solve other problems with a wet basement. For example, condensation appearing on your basement walls or on windows can mean that there's a lot of moisture in the air in your basement. A dehumidifier will also work to help solve this problem. If that's not enough, try using a vapor barrier. Remember that temperature differences also can make for humidity and condensation, so make sure that your basement walls are insulated.
For water seepage, there can be more problems with your basement that a simple dehumidifier can't fix. For example, rain water might be able to seap through the ground and enter your basement. If you have water seepage like this, you'll want to identify the source and then do further research to find out how you can remedy this kind of problem. If you're in doubt, try asking a professional for their advice.
Water damage can be among the most serious threats to your property, especially if you've got a basement full of sentimental items and useful trinkets and supplies. Make sure to guard your basement effectively by understanding insulation, air humidity, and how you can seal your basement off from potential water harm. The more you know about a wet basement, the better you'll be able to fix it.
Photo Credits: Loozrboy
Originally posted 2009-10-16 03:37:48.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 15, 2010 in
Basement, Handyman, How to Fix
How to Refinish Wood on an Antique
It's easy to look at a wooden antique and dismiss it as an old chunk of junk that looks bad because it hasn't been used for over fifty years. But if you're a real do it yourself-er who enjoys restoring old items to near-modern quality, you might look at that "chunk of junk" as an opportunity for a total restoration. At the very least, you can look at that antique as a challenge: it's up to you to put new life into that antique. Even if you aren't able to restore the entire antique, refinishing the wood can help the antique to look much like it did when it was new. Here are some tips to learn how to refinishing wood in an antique.
First, consider the antique's value. If it's a valuable item, you won't want to do much to it at all - the more you keep it in its original condition, the more value you'll be able to keep in it. This doesn't mean that you can refurbish the wood, however, and help restore it to its original finish and gloss. But, in general, the more valuable an antique, the less you'll want to do to it. If you believe that you might have a truly valuable antique on your hands, then a good way to approach your restoration would simply be to consult someone first.
Once you've decided that you're going to refinish the wood, you'll have to take on some common problems, like wood cracks. Wood fillers are available for filling up wood cracks, as they might also include instructions for the first-time wood restorer. You'll probably want to fill a crack with a healthy amount of filler - so much that you actually have a little bit of overflow. This overflow can be wiped away or patted down so that the filler can be stronger and more solid.
Water stains are also a frequent problem with old wood. Depending on the severity of the stain, this is a problem that can have a variety of difficulties. For simpler stains, simply spraying furniture polish and leaving it overnight can help remove the stain and help the wood look new again in the morning.
For more set-in stains, you'll have to look up more intense solvents and see which will work best with your wood - these can include alcohol and lacquer thinners. Again, be sure that you know what wood you're restoring before you try these solvents, as they can actually do damage to the finish.
Photo Credits: firepile
Originally posted 2009-07-29 08:00:58.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 14, 2010 in
Handyman, How to Fix
The Secrets to Maintaining a Great Roof On Your House
If you've ever looked at your roof and wondered how it got into the condition that it's in, this article is probably for you. It's easy to look at a neighbor's roof and admire the condition that which they've maintained it, but it's harder to take responsibility for your own roof. What kinds of actions can you take on a regular basis to either restore your roof or prevent it from looking poor or even cluttered? How can you repair roof damage? What kind of habits will help you maintain a great roof? Let's look at a few of them.
- First, make sure your roof is properly sealed and laid out.
The first key to maintaining a great roof is actually making sure that you have a great roof to maintain in the first place. If your roof is old and in serious need of repair, it might be time to hire some contractors to totally re-do it. If you don't have the money for that, you can at least ask a contractor for a little bit of work and even some tips for making some key improvements. For new homeowners, this is not usually a consideration, as the home will probably have a modernized roof that will be in great condition for a few years to come. At the very least, check your starting point and work your way towards a great roof from there.
- Second, make sure that your drainage is flawless.
If a roof is capturing water and not removing it from the environment, you've definitely got a problem. Captured water can lead to wood rot and even make repairs extremely difficult. You'll want to not only make sure that your roof is totally waterproof, but that the rain falling on your roof is totally removed and directed where it needs to go. This means installing or maintaining a good gutter system that puts water in the right places. Don't only make sure that your gutters can handle a sturdy rainstorm, but that the water ends up harmlessly flowing out somewhere on your property. Use a rainstorm as an opportunity to inspect this system and show where you might need some changes.
- Third, install a leaf guard on your roof if you have trees nearby.
One of the most annoying things to maintain on a great roof is clear gutters. Many gutters will collect not only rain, but the debris that falls onto your roof, clogging them and backing up your drainage system. That's why a leaf guard on your gutters will collect only water and leave debris somewhere else, making your roof easier to maintain.
Photo Credits: vm2827
Originally posted 2009-08-11 05:16:25.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 13, 2010 in
Handyman, How to Fix
Get those dents out!
Aluminum is one of the most valuable metals we have for use around the house: light, strong, cheap, and durable. It's useful enough that many people use aluminum siding as the exoskeleton of their house, using it to protect them from the elements and seal off as much of the environment as possible. But there is one disadvantage to aluminum: it can dent. When it does dent, especially in your home siding, what exactly can you do?
You're about to find out some of the best dent removal tricks out there. What will you need? Start with a drill, a sheet metal screw, a flat washer, a pair of pliers, metal filler, sand paper, and metal primer.
It's a tall order, but you should be able to retrieve many of these items at a relatively low price at a local hardware store. Once you have your tools and supplies ready, it's time to get down to business.
The process of removing a dent in aluminum siding is essentially to drill a hole, use that hole to pull back the dent, and then cover up the hole so that it looks like nothing was ever there. You can begin by drilling a couple of small holes (one-eight of an inch in diameter) and screwing in the sheet metal screw you have with a sheet metal washer partially into the hole. This will give you some leverage with which to pull the aluminum dent out. Pull on the screw with the pliers, protecting your hands. The washer will protect the rest of the aluminum on your siding from the pliers.
Once you've pulled out the dent, remove everything and take a look at the holes you drilled. It's time to fill them up with metal or body filler, also making sure to fill up any of the residual dent so that everything is relatively smooth. It will probably take a couple of coats of body filler in order to make sure that everything is smooth.
After those coats have dried, sand everything even. Clean out the scrapings so that the area is dry, and then apply a metal primer. After this primer has dried, apply some metal paint to the area - everything should look properly covered, as if the dent and the holes were never there.
Voila! You've fixed your own aluminum siding. Now you'll have a couple of extra supplies and tools around the house if you need to make similar repairs somewhere else.
Photo Credits: D. Bjorn
Originally posted 2009-08-05 06:00:34.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 12, 2010 in
Handyman, House, How to Fix
Grab your paintbrush!
Let's face it: using paint to cover up dings and scratches around the house doesn't exactly sound like advanced home improvement work. But the fact remains that you probably didn't learn how to use a paint brush properly in school, unless you were making watercolors! Using a paint brush around the house can be a very useful skill, particularly if you notice that there are areas of your home that can be fixed with a little "cosmetic surgery." So how do you become an ace surgeon? Simple. Keep reading.
When it comes to using a paint brush around the home, you might hear that it's "instinctive." Don't believe it. It might seem instinctive to people with a lot of home improvement experience, but unless you learn the proper techniques, you could end up wondering why your paint jobs look so different from everyone else's. With that in mind, here are some crucial tips and techniques to remember:
- "Load" the brush effectively. When you start painting (by the way, you made sure to cover surrounding areas, right?), you'll first have to "load" the brush with paint, which simply refers to dipping the paint brush into a bucket or puddle of paint so that you can apply it to the surface you want. There are some things to keep in mind here: first, only load the paint on the brush up to about a third on the bristles. Don't "scrape" the brushes on the side of the paint can, instead tapping it out to get rid of some of the dripping. Scraping the brush will lead to less paint being used on each application.
- As you apply the paint, try to work from side to side, starting on the left if you're right-handed, and vice versa for lefties. Try to cover the corners first so that you don't have to worry about them; one handy trick to remember is to have the dark edges cover the lighter-colored edges. This is because covering a dark edge with a light edge can mean that the dark coat of paint underneath shows, and it won't look very attractive.
Now that you've got a better understanding of how household paint works, you should find it easier to do the right job the first time. This means you won't have to worry about a poor paint job after your most recent coat dries. Remember that home improvement starts with self-improvement!
Photo Credits: FFX © florbelas fotographix
Originally posted 2009-10-05 03:59:58.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 11, 2010 in
Handyman, How to Fix, paint
How to Fix the Moisture Problem in Your Basement
For many people - especially those with certain allergies - the basement is the least appealing place in the house. Even if you've got carpeting and have remodeled your basement to look like another great room, it won't necessarily be pleasant if you've got too much moisture built up. Moisture build-up in basements is a common problem, and with some common sense tips, you'll be able to make a lot of progress against moisture in your basement.
A dehumidifier is one of the most popular ways to reduce moisture. Even by its own name, the role of a dehumidifier is simply to take water out of the air and concentrate it back into liquid form: many people are surprised when they see just how much moisture was in their air. It's not uncommon for people to see gallons of water gathered in their dehumidifier after just a short time of running it. If you aren't running a dehumidifier - especially in the summer - it is a great addition to your basement. But remember that even though a dehumidifier removes moisture, it doesn't necessarily take the dampness out of your entire basement.
You can take a very natural approach to reducing basement moisture by employing a rain barrel to collect the rain that hits your roof and comes down through your gutter system. If you don't have a need to let all of that rain collect on your lawn or other places around the house, you can simply collect that water. This will avoid letting the water seep into the ground, where it can then find its way via moisture into your basement. Instead, you can use the rain barrel for practical applications such as watering plants on dryer days. You'd be surprised at how much rain you can collect if you really can find a way to put all of the rain from your roof into one source.
You can also look into waterproofing your walls - either by a waterproofing material installed along your walls or by choosing waterproofing paint when you paint your basement. Waterproofing your walls might seem like it traps moisture in your basement, but it's also keeping moisture out of the basement. When you have a dehumidifier running in your basement, it will then be simple to remove the rest of the moisture that's been trapped in your basement, keeping moisture levels stable and dry.
Knowing how to keep your basement dry means you also know how to keep it comfortable. If you plan on getting a lot of use out of your basement, make sure that you understand how to maintain clean, dry air.
Photo Credits: Photos by Mavis
Originally posted 2009-07-23 03:30:59.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 10, 2010 in
Basement, Handyman, How to Fix
How to Fix Chipped, Broken Plaster
Plaster can be a great material to use in construction because of its flexibility, but it also has some downsides. One downside? It can easily become chipped or cracked, which is why the do-it-yourselfer in your home will want to make sure to understand some quick, easy ways to fix and smoothen out that plaster. If that's what you want to learn today, you've come to the right place: let's explore some quick steps to restoring a plaster finish.
- First, get your tools ready.
What will you need when you're fixing up some plaster? A good utility knife, a plaster compound (such as plaster of paris), brushes, a scraper, a wood block, sandpaper, primer, and paint are some general items you'll either find in your tool shed or at the local hardware store. Once you have these items ready, you're ready to take a better look at the chip in your plaster.
- Treat the chip first.
This usually includes cutting away loose chunks of plaster with your knife while making sure that you don't do anything to cause further damage to the surrounding plaster. Once you've cleared the debris, shake off smaller particles with a towel and use your vacuum cleaner to get the hard-to-reach dust and plaster bits.
- Next, get out your plaster compound.
Mix it up into a hearty paste - try to make it less flexible rather than erring on the side of making it too thin. Before you apply the plaster, moisten the area by using your brush - this will help when applying the plaster of paris. Next, apply your plaster compound, making sure that it is well-set into the chip. Smoothen out the surface with your scraper and then take 24 hours off while your plaster compound hardens.
- Sand down the area after 24 hours.
Once your 24 hours have passed, it's time to take another look at your chip repair. Chances are that it doesn't look that good yet - but that's why you're going to want to sand down the area and smoothen it out. You can also re-plaster any areas that haven't been fixed yet, but remember that you'll want to give it 24 hours to dry.
- After sanding, apply primer and then your paint.
After you've sanded out the area smooth, it's time to apply your primer. Your primer is crucial for creating a smooth, durable coat of paint. Once your primer has dried (this might take a considerable amount of time), you can then apply your paint and let it try. Voila!
Photo Credits: amarette.
Originally posted 2009-07-23 08:00:37.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on March 9, 2010 in
Handyman, How to Fix
Measure the hole before starting repair.
When you own your own home, seeing a hole in your drywall can be really frustrating. You've went through all the work to attain a mortgage loan, work forty hours a week to make the payments, and still everything seems to take time and money! But what if you had another option that didn't take nearly as much of your time and money? That solution is known as skillful home improvement. Even if you've never fancied yourself a do-it-yourselfer, with this article, you may just find yourself inspired.
First, repairing a small hole in your drywall will mean finding some necessary tools. In addition to primer and properly-colored paint, you'll want to find a wallboard taping knife at least half a foot wide, a drywall sanding block, wallboard joint compound, and a metal drywall patch with adhesive mesh. Note: you're going to want to measure the drywall hole size before buying the metal drywall patch.
Measure the hole in your drywall - since we describe it as a "small" hole, there's a good chance it's somewhere up to 8 inches. Once you've got it measured, go to your hardware store and buy the drywall patch mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Once you have this patch, you can simply peel it and apply it to the part of the wall with the hole in it.
Take your wallboard taping knife and apply the wallboard joint compound to the patch, being sure to fill all of the holes in the area. Give it a good two or three coats to make sure the entire area is well-covered and relatively smooth (if it's not perfect, don't worry; you'll be sanding it down once it dries).
After waiting for it to dry, take your sanding block and sand off the area so that it's smooth and consistent with the rest of the drywall. Don't worry about making mistakes, because you can simply fill those in and begin the process of filling in and sanding over again. It's frustrating, sure, but that doesn't mean you can't get past it.
With the area properly sanded and dried, you should be ready to apply the primer. Now you can put the primer on the area and wait for it to dry. Once it's dried, roll the paint on (much like how you would apply the paint on the rest of the wall) and voila! You have a fixed drywall hole.
Photo Credits: soxophone player
Originally posted 2009-09-30 03:55:55.
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on January 26, 2010 in
Drywall, Handyman, How to Fix
Rock Wool Insulation
With winter here - as well as the heating bills - it's important to understand how a home uses its energy. In particular, it helps to understand how
your home uses its energy. Essentially, there are two different ways: efficiently and inefficiently. If your home isn't up to snuff in its energy efficiency, you'll want to keep reading this article. It won't only save you headaches, it will save you money.
One of the first principles in energy efficiency is keeping the energy you're producing, and this is often done through insulation. Much of the energy your home is using is for generating heat. If you're losing heat to the outside world all the time, then your energy bills are going to stay sky-high. You'll essentially be using more energy to keep the same amount of heat other people have. If your home is old, it will help to check the insulation you have in your walls, learn about crucial points in which you can save much of your heat, and learn ways to test for "heat leaks."
Consider installing more energy-efficient windows and doors to amp up your home's ability to insulate, as well. If you're buying a home, ask about having these installed right off the bat.
Another way to change how energy efficient you keep your home is to purchase equipment that will simply use less energy off the bat. New, modern heaters, air conditioners, and washers/dryers will be able to do much of the same job using less energy, helping you save on your monthly bills. Of course, these appliances can cost a heavy sum upfront, so it might take a keen eye for shopping and perhaps a bit of sacrifice in order to make your home energy-efficient. Key appliances like refrigerators, washers/dryers, water heaters, and dishwashers are some of the appliances to think about. If you want to upgrade to a more energy-efficient appliance, you might consider selling the old one, as well, in order to offset the costs.
Optimizing your home's insulation and the equipment that use energy are great places to focus on reducing your energy uses. You can also use conservation as a way to stave off your energy usage, but if you want to maintain your lifestyle with less energy, you can do that, as well. For many people, simply utilizing both strategies reduces the most energy use possible.
Photo Credits: iLoveButter
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on January 26, 2010 in
Energy, Handyman, House, How to Fix
Box of Drywall Nails
Drywall can make a great surface for your home, but if you don't know how to work with it, it can be just as frustrating as most materials. This is particularly the case if you've got some annoying drywall nails on your hands. As drywall gets older and the wood changes, nails can sometimes change position, leading them to make bumps in the wall or even crack them open. If you want to fix those annoying drywall nails, this article will help you get started.
First, consult this article on "How Stuff Works" in order to check out the equipment you might be needing. A nail set will come in handy, as well as some basic tools like a hammer and sandpaper.
Next, you'll want to drive the popped nails back to where they were. If one is sticking out too far, simply remove it so that you can drive it back in again. You can use your nail set at this point. Remember that you're using your nail set, so the nail might go deeper than you originally thought it would be.
One of the reasons this nail might have popped out in the first place is that the change in the wood put pressure on it, squeezing it out of place. You can relieve some of this pressure by driving in a new nail about two inches above the old one onto the same stud in the drywall.
At this point, your drywall won't look very good - in fact, you will probably have two holes with nails in them. That's why it's important to be ready to cover up the drywall again. Clean out the area and then fill in the holes with a spackling compound. You can use your putty knife for this. Make sure the area is even with the rest of the drywall. After this spackle has dried, sand down the area and then apply primer and paint to match the rest of the drywall. Make sure that you touch up this area as needed, but allow it time to dry.
After these repairs, your drywall should look good as new, and hopefully with the repairs you've made, you won't have to worry about that drywall nail popping out again for a while. Doing these quick repairs should help you better understand how drywall works, as well.
Photo Credits: Bistrosavage
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on January 21, 2010 in
Drywall, Handyman, How to Fix, Walls
Stumble
Reddit
Digg
Del.icio.us
