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
Patch that screen!
In the summertime, we like to keep the doors open to allow the warm breezes in but the screens still locked to keep the bugs out. Of course, a screen is only effective as long as it's in one piece - and if you have a screen that's patchy or has one glaring hole, it's time to either repair it or replace it. This article will help you understand which option you may need to pursue.
Repairing a Patchy Screen
Believe it or not, repairing a screen isn't a highly complicated affair, involving the stitching of small metal wiring. Actually, you can purchase screen patches that clip on to the rest of your screen at hardware stores and online - but keep in mind that these patches will only fill smaller holes, typically up to three inches in diameter. When you purchase one of these screens patches, you'll need to know how large the hole you're repairing is, and then buy about a half an inch more than that. Make sure to measure the hole you're repairing before you make your purchase.
The patch of screen you're buying will typically have long ends that you can intertwine with the rest of the screen to make it as unnoticeable as possible. Keep in mind that if you have smaller holes in your screening, then you'll be able to use smaller repairs, such as household cementer or even glue.
Replacing a Patchy Screen
Of course, there's a tremendous difference between a screen that has a few tiny holes in it and a screen with one gaping monstrosity of a hole: how you repair it. In the case of these large holes, you're better off simply purchasing a new screen to replace the old one. Install it yourself to save money, and it won't necessarily be a big expense.
To get a good idea of how your screen works, pay attention to how the old screen was put in place. This will help a lot if you're not familiar with household construction at all, as it will give you some context regarding screen installation. Once you've made a couple of notes, prepare the frame for installation and cut down your screen to the right size. Never try to cut a screen to exactly the right size - you're better off overestimating so that any mistakes can be easily corrected with new cuts.
Those are the two most effective ways of fixing your household screen. How much repair does your screen need? Only you can say.
Photo Credits: General Wesc
This post involves:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Fix Handyman on August 12, 2009 in
Handyman, How to Fix, doors, windows
Stumble
Reddit
Digg
Del.icio.us
