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I've got a door that is hanging crooked. On the latch side there's about a quarter inch gap at the bottom, and the door actually strikes at the top. If I lift on the knob while closing it I can close it smoothly. Without doing this It needs a hefty shove to close it. Can I put a small shim under one of the hinge plates to solve this, or is there a more clever way? Also, can I make a shim from wood, or do I want something that will hold up a little better?
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Jul 6, 2009 03:01
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Shims are the way to go, and yes, using wood is a normal way of fixing the problem. However I've found that one can use little bits of folded up paper and it'll work just fine.
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Jul 6, 2009 03:16
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kid sinister posted:Get yourself some cardboard, the non-corrugated kind, like from a cereal or soda can box. Unscrew the bottom hinge from the jamb, then cut yourself 5 or 6 spacers from the cardboard to fit that gap where the hinge was. It's usually easier to cut one to fit, then use it as a template. Once you got a few of these together, you should be able to fit them in between the hinge plate and the doobjamb. This should tilt out the bottom of the door enough, raising the latch high enough to catch. Add or remove spacers as necessary. Very clever, will definitely give that a shot, thanks!
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Jul 6, 2009 09:48
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Local Yokel posted:Can I put a small shim under one of the hinge plates to solve this, or is there a more clever way? Also, can I make a shim from wood, or do I want something that will hold up a little better? You sure can. I like my cardboard method better as it's usually hard to cut a small shim out of wood without it breaking in half.
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Jul 6, 2009 15:49
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The floor in the kitchen of my house is sagging quite deeply under the fridge (it's a tremendous fridge). I'm considering hiring someone to add another support in the basement (it's right by the main beam). What kind of professional would deal with this type of thing, just a general contractor? Does anyone have an experience with this sort of thing and the costs associated?
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Jul 7, 2009 17:32
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Removed for privacy
Cerebellum fucked around with this message at 06:51 on Feb 6, 2010 |
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Jul 8, 2009 06:07
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Mistress Mouse posted:I was thinking about sanding as much of it down as possible, then priming with Kilz, and painting with latex paint. Then I wonder, should I use latex Kilz or oil Kilz? The Kilz latex should work, as long as the paint that's on there isn't cracking or peeling. Just scrub the walls with some warm soapy water first to remove any grime. I would only go with oil-based primer or paint if if you have major water stains to seal in since it's such a hassle to clean up. Edit: I should say that you'll probably find some varying answers on this if you look around. I can only tell you that I've used a flat latex over oil-based primer with great results, and also painted over some outdoor woodwork on two different houses with latex-based primer after scraping off patchy areas of old oil-based paint. There may be certain combinations that don't work as well. gross fucked around with this message at 19:54 on Jul 8, 2009 |
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Jul 8, 2009 19:41
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My current wall-mount mailbox is just fashioned to a railing on my landing using zip ties. Aside from looking trashy, it's not convenient for the mailman or me. Everyone in the neighborhood looks like they've just fastened them onto the siding (aluminum for me). I'm not sure how it's gone 40 years with the mailbox like this. I'd like to do something similar but I'm not sure what would be the best way to mount it securely and not damage the siding. edit: I should say attach to the siding or attach to a mounting block screwed through the siding (I'd rather do something like the latter). Helado fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Jul 9, 2009 |
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Jul 9, 2009 02:47
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I've recently purchased a house, and the bathroom had a manky carpet we pulled up, revealing a okay wooden floor. I've been looking into getting it tiled, but it looks like it would involve removing the toilet and sink, putting down plywood, tiling on top of that, and putting the toilet and sink back in, all of which seems like it'll be beyond my budget, and beyond my skill if I try to do it myself. My wife is fairly insistant we have a tile floor, but as that's not going to happen for a while what's a good alternative that'll look good and not cost the earth? I was looking at vinyl, but I don't really know what's involved in putting that onto a wood floor.
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Jul 9, 2009 11:01
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Brown Moses posted:My wife is fairly insistant we have a tile floor, but as that's not going to happen for a while what's a good alternative that'll look good and not cost the earth? I was looking at vinyl, but I don't really know what's involved in putting that onto a wood floor. Have you considered self-adhesive vinyl tiles? These are pretty cheap (<$1/sq. ft), pretty easy to install (and remove later) and don't look too bad. Also they're a lot easier to cut to shape than sheet vinyl, and a lot more forgiving of mistakes.
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Jul 9, 2009 18:05
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Hobnob posted:Have you considered self-adhesive vinyl tiles? These are pretty cheap (<$1/sq. ft), pretty easy to install (and remove later) and don't look too bad. Also they're a lot easier to cut to shape than sheet vinyl, and a lot more forgiving of mistakes. Stick-on tiles don't work too well in wet environments, like bathrooms and kitchens. They aren't water tight and their glue isn't very strong, so any water that gets in the cracks will pop them up right away. I've seen linoleum with a raised tile pattern in it, in both sheet and precut tile forms. You might want to look into that.
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Jul 9, 2009 18:30
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Lino isn't that hard to put down. My first encounter with it was helping clean up an elderly relatives house 'We've got to leave in 20 minutes, can you do the bathroom floor?' gets handed stanley knife Cut it big, trim bits off, silicone sealant to seal the edges/cover any mistakes.
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Jul 9, 2009 18:54
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OK, so, I just got my appliances in, and I've hit a couple snags. 1. I was going to install the gas dryer, and laid everything out ready to run the gas line to it, and went to take off the gas cap... and then I found that the cap is in the shut-off valve so tight, that the whole valve wants to unscrew from the line before the cap comes off. Something about a highly combustible colorless gas makes me want to not proceed without asking questions, so tell me: am I loving something up here? Do I just need to use force, and maybe hold the shut-off valve in place while I try to rotate the cap? 2. I went to run the water line to the icemaker in my fridge, and once I got everything hooked up, I opened the valve and found that there is no water coming out. This is a newer house (2006), and we haven't had any other plumbing problems, so I'm guessing there's something stupid I'm missing. Any ideas? Wuhao fucked around with this message at 01:00 on Jul 10, 2009 |
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Jul 10, 2009 00:52
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Wuhao posted:OK, so, I just got my appliances in, and I've hit a couple snags. 1. The guy that installed it was also afraid of an explosive, colorless gas, so he used two wrenches to tighten the cap. You should do the same. 2. Follow the plumbing all the way back to where you do have running water. Something's not turned on or connected, or there's a blockage in the line/valve/etc.
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Jul 10, 2009 03:10
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I've been stripping the wallpaper from my house, and because it's about 30+ years old it's taken the thin top layer for plaster (about 1-2mm thick) with it in some areas. How difficult would it to be patch these areas up and paint over them? Is it something I could pick up fairly quickly, as it looks like if I start I'll have plenty of little patches to cover up, so I'll get the practise I need.
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Jul 10, 2009 09:52
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Can anyone recommend a good commercial pipe degreaser? I just had to have a plumber come out and roto-root the poo poo out of my drains from the room access valve and I was just wondering if there's a cheaper alternative to the poo poo he is pitching ($50 for a half gallon). "Drain Care" pops up on Google and is stocked at HD and Lowes, but I was wondering if there are any personal recommendations. (I already know not to pour grease down the drain and whatnot.) Thanks!
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Jul 10, 2009 19:25
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Brown Moses posted:I've been stripping the wallpaper from my house, and because it's about 30+ years old it's taken the thin top layer for plaster (about 1-2mm thick) with it in some areas. How difficult would it to be patch these areas up and paint over them? Is it something I could pick up fairly quickly, as it looks like if I start I'll have plenty of little patches to cover up, so I'll get the practise I need. Yep, just buy some drywall joint compound and patch it up. If you're only doing small patches on flat surfaces (no corners or anything like that), a tub of premixed compound, a ~3"-wide putty knife, and a sanding sponge or paper should be all you need. Just make sure to buy sanding-type compound (some cannot be sanded), and prime everything before you paint it. If you have larger areas to patch, you might want to consider buying a wide taping knife as well. The smoother you can apply the joint compound, the less sanding you'll have to do to make it look nice. gross fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Jul 10, 2009 |
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Jul 10, 2009 20:30
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My parents have just given me their old computer desk - it is in fantastic condition except for the main surface (the shelves/other surfaces are all fine). Somehow the finish has disintergrated, revealing the fibreboard underneath. As it is still (somehow) perfectly smooth I was wondering if there was a cheap and easy way to resurface the desktop without removing the desktop itself.
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Jul 11, 2009 18:46
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Teenagers posted:My parents have just given me their old computer desk - it is in fantastic condition except for the main surface (the shelves/other surfaces are all fine). Somehow the finish has disintergrated, revealing the fibreboard underneath. I've made decent looking desk surfaces on fiberboard before by simply getting some Formica and gluing it directly on the surface. I remember Formica being fairly cheap, but to install it correctly, you're going to need a router or Dremel tool to precisely cut down the edges.
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Jul 11, 2009 21:35
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Here's something a little out of left field for the DIY crowd. I was the best man at my cousin's wedding last week, and I ended up buying a flask so that all us groomsmen and he could take a ceremonial pull. That being said, I'm realizing now that it would be a cool gift if I got the thing engraved and then gave it to him when he gets back from his honeymoon in a week. However having not thought of this beforehand, I had purchased a Concord flask that is bound in a thin layer of leather as shown below. That being said, can I walk into an engraving shop and have them burn some lettering on to the thing, or do I need to go to someone that works more with leather? Or is this even possible?
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Jul 11, 2009 21:38
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I'd like to be able to use some neobdynium magnets that I have to hold things closed. The magnets are small and I'd like to find a metal of small thickness (say under 5mm) and in circles of varying size. Can anyone point me to the right place? Will it be something I'll need to have done custom?
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Jul 11, 2009 22:52
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Is there a standard size bolt for affixing a lampshade to a lamp? If so, does anyone have an idea what size it is?
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Jul 12, 2009 02:33
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Comrade Milton posted:I'd like to be able to use some neobdynium magnets that I have to hold things closed. The magnets are small and I'd like to find a metal of small thickness (say under 5mm) and in circles of varying size. Can anyone point me to the right place? Will it be something I'll need to have done custom? Worst case, order: http://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp Jake Gittes posted:That being said, can I walk into an engraving shop and have them burn some lettering on to the thing, or do I need to go to someone that works more with leather? Or is this even possible? ABSOLUTE worst case, you can do it with a soldering iron, but my guess someone can do it for you. OH! Laser engraving would work FABULOUSLY on this, and there is likely someone around you offering those services.
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Jul 12, 2009 06:55
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Reed posted:Is there a standard size bolt for affixing a lampshade to a lamp? If so, does anyone have an idea what size it is? The lamp harp I just looked at appears to use a 1/4-20 bolt and decorative cap nut.
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Jul 12, 2009 07:16
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Fire Storm posted:Worst case, order: http://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp That's actually where I got a good deal of the magnets. I was really after just discs of metal I could use like how some home entertainment centers use a magnet and a piece of steel to hold together their glass door. You're right in that matching magnets would work, but I would ideally prefer for the bond not to be so strong so it's a bit easier to open.
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Jul 12, 2009 12:50
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Reed posted:Is there a standard size bolt for affixing a lampshade to a lamp? If so, does anyone have an idea what size it is? 1/4-20 is a pretty standard size. Why not measure the hole/rod and buy a variety of bolts/nuts around that size? They're pretty cheap and it saves you multiple trips to the hardware store.
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Jul 12, 2009 16:40
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Comrade Milton posted:I was really after just discs of metal I could use
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Jul 12, 2009 19:12
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Fire Storm posted:Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you wanted magnets. Pre-cut metal... don't know about that, but you could always get a piece of sheet metal and cut it with sheers or something, or find someone that could cut some steel rod or something steel. IF you really want pre-bought parts, you can go to Lowes/Home Depot, go to the screw isle and check the small component bins/cabinets. I think he's(or she) after a disk of metal the size of the magnet, which would be a nightmare to cut by hand. See if you can find a local metalworking place, see if they have any kind of a punch (hydraulic etc) and ask for coin scrap of the right size - this will be the bits of metal punched out when they need to make a small neat hole.
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Jul 12, 2009 21:58
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I've been making my own board games as an excuse to learn some new skills and one of my latest endevours has been to make a go set. The board was easy enough but the pieces present more of a challenge, they are simple biconvex counters made from stone and clam, I don't intend to use clam because that seems like a great deal effort but the stone actually sounds like an inviting opportunity to learn something new. Where would a complete beginner to rock shaping start with this?
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Jul 12, 2009 23:19
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Picture this: There is a bathroom with a shower/tub combo, a toilet and a separate shower stall. Everything drains fine except for the shower stall. When the shower stall is used, the water pools in the shower pan, backs up into the shower/tub combo and the toilet won't send water down. If the shower stall is used and the water backs up as described above, would removing all the water from the shower pan and vacuuming as much of the water out of the drainpipe as possible restore flow to the toilet and the shower/tub combo? Ed: Oh, goons, if you have mercy in you you'll help me; I am housesitting for my aunt and have used the FORBIDDEN SHOWER OF DOOM.  Ed2: Never mind, the water drained on its own and everything works again. All I have to do now is scrub things down and never use the FORBIDDEN SHOWER OF DOOM ever again. Yay providence. lemonlime fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Jul 13, 2009 |
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Jul 13, 2009 18:48
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Are the fittings that attach a disposal to a sink universal? I can't remove the combination of rings and the collar that suspends the unit from the current sink, but would like to avoid buying another disposal just for the sink fittings themselves. I know I've seen disposal installation kits at Home Depot & Lowe's, what are the chances these will have all the guts I need to install on the new sink?
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Jul 13, 2009 19:41
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lemonlime posted:Picture this: There is a bathroom with a shower/tub combo, a toilet and a separate shower stall. Everything drains fine except for the shower stall. When the shower stall is used, the water pools in the shower pan, backs up into the shower/tub combo and the toilet won't send water down. Wait, so if you use the bath everything drains fine, but if you use the shower water backs up into the bath and toiler? Is there... stuff in the water?
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Jul 13, 2009 21:25
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Nothing backed up into the toilet, happily. It just wouldn't flush when I was trying to bail water from the shower pan, and when I bailed the extra water from the toilet into the sink (using my bare hands and a cup, dammit) it still wouldn't flush. I thought that if I could get the shower's drain all airfilled again the drainage might return to normal. The water that backed up into the bathtub did have a lot of particles of something that smells foul, though I've avoided thinking too much about it since I still have to clean it up. The shower isn't as bad as I feared since it seems that the water sitting in the pan prevented any backwash. Water's all gone now, the toilet flushes and the tub drains. It seems like the shower's drain somehow blocks the big wastepipe (I assume there must be one) that runs from the bathroom. Maybe it's not vented properly and that causes the water to just sit there. Yet if that is the case I don't see how the sinks would still be able to drain.  Or maybe whoever built the bathroom linked the shower drainpipe==>toilet drainpipe==>bathtub drainpipe==>main drainpipe and the toilet has some sort of anti-reflux valve. That sounds retarded and harder than just linking each drain to the main waste pipe separately, but some stupid mistake must have happened to result in such poor function.
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Jul 13, 2009 22:34
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Do I need to install a panel between a dishwasher and electric stove? The counter I'm renovating had a jury-rigged quarter inch piece of plywood there as what I assume is a firewall, but is it required? The counter is supported on that end, so I assume the only purpose of the panel would be protective.
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Jul 14, 2009 01:57
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STFU Pumpkinhead posted:Do I need to install a panel between a dishwasher and electric stove? The counter I'm renovating had a jury-rigged quarter inch piece of plywood there as what I assume is a firewall, but is it required? The counter is supported on that end, so I assume the only purpose of the panel would be protective. Yes, you would need something there to act as insulation in between the two. Dishwashers are built to handle very hot water, but only on the inside and the pumps. Even then, they still can't handle the heat an oven can put out. You said that the counter was supported, but I would imagine that you could still use that board to help shore up the counter moreso.
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Jul 14, 2009 17:39
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lemonlime posted:Nothing backed up into the toilet, happily. It just wouldn't flush when I was trying to bail water from the shower pan, and when I bailed the extra water from the toilet into the sink (using my bare hands and a cup, dammit) it still wouldn't flush. I thought that if I could get the shower's drain all airfilled again the drainage might return to normal. You have a partial blockage somewhere in the drains that is making them drain slower than the fixtures can take on water. It's possible that those sinks are hooked into the drain before the blockage and everything else after the blockage.
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Jul 14, 2009 17:44
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kid sinister posted:You have a partial blockage somewhere in the drains that is making them drain slower than the fixtures can take on water. It's possible that those sinks are hooked into the drain before the blockage and everything else after the blockage. Wouldn't it be the other way around? The sinks are hooked after the blockage, enabling them to drain, while the toilet, tub, and shower are hooked beforehand? Would a drain cleaner take care of this problem?
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Jul 14, 2009 18:12
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I've never had much luck with drain cleaner...better to just by a short, cheap snake, and run it through the pipes a few times. Rotty poo poo and hair build up in sink drains over time; if you've ever pulled the stopper out of your bathroom sink and looked down there, or pulled the p-trap, you'll know. If there wasn't so many outlets in this run, I'd say get one of those power snakes that you hook a garden hose to, and blast water down the pipe at decent pressure, but I don't know how effective that would be (I'm picturing a poo poo fountain shooting out of the other sink). STFU Pumpkinhead posted:Are the fittings that attach a disposal to a sink universal? I can't remove the combination of rings and the collar that suspends the unit from the current sink, but would like to avoid buying another disposal just for the sink fittings themselves. I know I've seen disposal installation kits at Home Depot & Lowe's, what are the chances these will have all the guts I need to install on the new sink? Have you tried getting a flathead screwdriver/chisel on to one of grips on the collar at a right angle, and tapping it with a hammer? Those things tend to lock into place pretty often, you wind up having to break it loose with a hammer before it'll turn freely. Hell, just take the old sink out, disposal and all, flip the bitch over in the yard and tap the offending fittings with a hammer...much easier than trying to work under the counter. You shouldn't have any problems disconnecting the drain pipe and the electrical feed to the disposal. Sapper fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Jul 14, 2009 |
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Jul 14, 2009 20:42
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Sapper posted:I've never had much luck with drain cleaner...better to just by a short, cheap snake, and run it through the pipes a few times. Rotty poo poo and hair build up in sink drains over time; if you've ever pulled the stopper out of your bathroom sink and looked down there, or pulled the p-trap, you'll know. While the possibility of poo poo fountains is almost tempting enough to get me to buy a power snake at the store (I hate turning down a chance for  ) I'm pretty sure that my dad has a smaller snake that he'd let me borrow. If it fixes the shower that'll be totally cool, and if it doesn't, well, it's my aunt's shower and she's known the drain is messed up for years. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Jul 14, 2009 23:44
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This is probably a longshot but does anyone know how to fix a noisy fridge? It vibrates a lot and sounds like a drat mac truck. I have no idea where to start and can't afford a pro to look at it. I don't even know how to describe the noise properly or what other information to provide.
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Jul 15, 2009 17:10
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