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This may be better suited in the plumbing thread, but I'll try here first. Anyone have experience with Culligan water softeners? I think our softener has had it, and saw that Culligan has a rental option, which we might prefer. Otherwise, are there brands to recommend/stay away from?
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Jan 10, 2011 18:11
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alkanphel posted:I sanded and revarnished an old table but after a few days of drying, some of the varnish didn't completely dry out and there are still some slightly tacky patches on the surface. Any suggestions on what's the best way to fix or remove these patches? Thanks! If the wood you're using is an oily type, some varnishes won't finish well on it and will always be tacky. The easiest solution is to use shellac as the initial coat, then cover that with whatever you want.
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Jan 11, 2011 17:01
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My basement toilet got clogged the other day. I managed to partially unclog it with a snake that I found in the garage, but the toilet still drains slowly and not completely. How can I fix this? Getting to a hardware store is a pain in the rear end for me, so I figured I'd ask here first: Are there longer snakes that are also cheap (the snake I used is short, maybe 1 metre long)? Do they rent these things? Is there something I can pour into the toilet to make all my problems dissolve away? Finally, Is this a job for a plumber?
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Jan 11, 2011 17:14
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Newf posted:The hot water from the taps at my place has a bit of a brown tint to it - both sinks, shower. The cold is fine. I guess this is probably a problem within the hot water tank? Any ideas?
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Jan 11, 2011 17:36
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I'd like to block up some floor vents to increase the airflow to the ceiling vents in the rooms below. They're already on the closed setting, but that doesn't really do the job. Is there any reason this might be a bad idea? Can you suggest anything to use or not to use for this?
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Jan 11, 2011 21:35
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GWBBQ posted:Unless you're sure all plumbing from the water heater to the sink is new and all solder is 100% lead-free (certified lead-free can have up to 8% lead in solder,) you shouldn't be drinking hot water from the tap. I've had two hot water tanks rust out on me in my life. Chances are he's seeing something similar. They're made really poorly these days. He's probably safe, but still the landlord should flush the rust or replace the tank.
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Jan 12, 2011 04:29
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sund posted:I've had two hot water tanks rust out on me in my life. Chances are he's seeing something similar. They're made really poorly these days. He's probably safe, but still the landlord should flush the rust or replace the tank. All water heaters don't rust out. It all depends on the type of water you have. Ive seen tanks last 13 years and the gas valve is what finally kills them.
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Jan 12, 2011 19:22
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Does anyone know a website that explains the best way to measure your house in order to create your own set of floor plans? I don't want to go through the trouble to find the plans to my 30+ year old house and want to measure myself. I have software to build the plans, but if there are methods, tips, tricks, that I can be using in the process I'd probably save myself some time. Or should I just pull out the tape measure and go to work? I'll be using these plans to re-layout my house for future renovations, 1 story only.
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Jan 13, 2011 01:45
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Hey DIYers, hoping I can get some help on a repair I need to make. I have a glass figurine of an elephant and the head has broken off. It is a very clean break and extremely smooth, should I clean it thoroughly with alcohol what would the best adhesive be to ensure the head stays attached?
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Jan 13, 2011 02:39
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dokmo posted:My basement toilet got clogged the other day. I managed to partially unclog it with a snake that I found in the garage, but the toilet still drains slowly and not completely. How can I fix this? Getting to a hardware store is a pain in the rear end for me, so I figured I'd ask here first: Are there longer snakes that are also cheap (the snake I used is short, maybe 1 metre long)? Do they rent these things? Is there something I can pour into the toilet to make all my problems dissolve away? Finally, Is this a job for a plumber? Pull the toilet out. Drain the tank, turn off the water supply at the wall, disconnect water supply, undo two bolts per side, lift straight up carefully so you don't damage the ring (you can also take the tank off the commode to make everything lighter). See if you can see the clog down the pipe. Use your snake then if you can reach the clog. You can also get a bucket full of water and pour it down the pipe to see if you can get it to back up -- if you can't, the answer might be in the toilet bowl pipe itself. You can rent 50' snakes w/ bits for cheap if the clog is aways down.
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Jan 13, 2011 04:54
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VeRT MaN posted:Hey DIYers, hoping I can get some help on a repair I need to make. I have a glass figurine of an elephant and the head has broken off. It is a very clean break and extremely smooth, should I clean it thoroughly with alcohol what would the best adhesive be to ensure the head stays attached? You need to get hold of a uv curing adhesive such as loctite 358 and a strong uv light source. Clean the break as you describe, with alcohol etc, apply a small submit of the glue, bring the 2 pieces together & start to cure. Have a razor blade handy to scrape the excess away before it hardens too far.
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Jan 13, 2011 08:43
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Flay Minion posted:Pull the toilet out. Drain the tank, turn off the water supply at the wall, disconnect water supply, undo two bolts per side, lift straight up carefully so you don't damage the ring (you can also take the tank off the commode to make everything lighter). See if you can see the clog down the pipe. Use your snake then if you can reach the clog. You can also get a bucket full of water and pour it down the pipe to see if you can get it to back up -- if you can't, the answer might be in the toilet bowl pipe itself. Thanks. I'm going to try this. I've been meaning to replace that toilet for years, this is a good opportunity to get that done as well.
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Jan 13, 2011 14:41
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dokmo posted:Thanks. I'm going to try this. I've been meaning to replace that toilet for years, this is a good opportunity to get that done as well. If you're going to do this, go ahead and buy another wax ring at the hardware store. The old one is quite likely to get trashed during removal, even if you're quite careful. They only cost a dollar or so, so it's worth the peace of mind in my opinion knowing you won't have to make a second trip to the store.* *You will always have to make a second trip; it is inevitable.
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Jan 13, 2011 17:29
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The Wormy Guy posted:Or should I just pull out the tape measure and go to work? I'll be using these plans to re-layout my house for future renovations, 1 story only. Pull out the tape measure. Even if you did find plans, they may be off, either from last minute building changes, or actual errors. It was using this method that I found out my house's bathroom wasn't square, to the tune of 4" or so. Fairly significant in terms of explaining why furniture didn't fit against the adjacent wall as planned!
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Jan 13, 2011 18:59
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My washing machine seems to get out of center during its spin cycle very, very easily. There could be a pair of boxers in there and it would sound like a jackhammer. It's usually only made worse by trying to redistribute the load. Before I pull it out and start screwing with it, any ideas what could be causing this? I'm imagining four springs in an X at the bottom of the tub, or something, and one could have slipped off? Or should I just ask the rental company to send someone to look at it?
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Jan 13, 2011 22:21
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Is it level?
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Jan 13, 2011 23:03
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Yep, it started doing this a couple months ago, and I haven't moved the thing
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Jan 14, 2011 00:10
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slap me silly posted:Is it level? Did you put a level on it? Or are you just assuming?
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Jan 14, 2011 01:47
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My fiance's father recently painted our nursery and we think he put the paint on too thick, because in the corners, the paint dripped down and ended up drying in big gobs. We have to go back and fix the entire paint job, so we are wondering what the quickest/best way to remove these is? Is it better to go at it with sandpaper, or just take a scraper to them? I can provide pictures if I'm not being clear enough.
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Jan 14, 2011 04:38
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zombie duck v2.0 posted:My fiance's father recently painted our nursery and we think he put the paint on too thick, because in the corners, the paint dripped down and ended up drying in big gobs. Use a scraper to get off the big globs, then sand it to make it smooth with the rest of the wall. Re-prime the area, then paint again. If the paint is new enough, you might not have to repaint the entire wall.
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Jan 14, 2011 17:29
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Fun with termites: we are in the process of selling our house and had pest control companies come by showing us all the places that need fixing. One inspector recommended injecting their chemicals and then having a carpenter replace the damaged lumber. This has me confused; if the lumber will be thrown out anyway, why bother with the injection first ? Is it customary for termite companies to only do their fumigation? That sounds like it only fixes half the problem.. at rates that made me go  nonetheless.
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Jan 15, 2011 01:03
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The drain on my bathroom sink is dirty, dirty, dirty. It's been giving me a lot of problems with persistent clogging and slow draining, and I've gotten pretty sick of it. I've tried Liquid Plumr foam, but it doesn't seem to help very much at all. High-strength gel gets rid of clogs but doesn't really clean the gunk off the sides of the pipe, so it slowly clogs again and again. I have no idea how far down the gunk goes, either. Is there a better way to clean this? I have basically zero experience with this kind of thing, but I also can't really afford a plumber.
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Jan 15, 2011 18:16
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What is the appropriate way to deal with this? Click here for the full 1944x1296 image. There are no signs of a leak, it's just splashback from the sink that is causing rot. How bad would just painting over it be?
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Jan 17, 2011 05:03
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Papercut posted:What is the appropriate way to deal with this? Is the wall plaster or drywall?
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Jan 17, 2011 05:06
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Grave $avings posted:Is the wall plaster or drywall? Pretty sure it's drywall, the house was built in 1914 but the whole kitchen was remodeled in 2007 and I can stick a pin into the wall easily.
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Jan 17, 2011 05:43
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Well in that case I'd wash the wall thoroughly, seal up the joint with clear caulking or bathtub cement, prime the wall with Kilz or a similar waterproof paint then paint your final color on top. That should solve any rot problems.
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Jan 17, 2011 05:45
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Grave $avings posted:Well in that case I'd wash the wall thoroughly, seal up the joint with clear caulking or bathtub cement, prime the wall with Kilz or a similar waterproof paint then paint your final color on top. That should solve any rot problems. Cool, thanks. That's simple enough.
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Jan 17, 2011 07:05
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Some paints don't adhere well to some caulkings, check the labels to figure out if you should paint last.
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Jan 17, 2011 23:06
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Cakefool posted:You need to get hold of a uv curing adhesive such as loctite 358 and a strong uv light source. Clean the break as you describe, with alcohol etc, apply a small submit of the glue, bring the 2 pieces together & start to cure. Have a razor blade handy to scrape the excess away before it hardens too far. Thanks Cakefool, much appreciated! I have no doubts this will work 
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Jan 18, 2011 02:44
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Did DIY&H ever have a metal milling/machining thread? Is there anyone around this forum that likes to play with mills and lathes and such?
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Jan 18, 2011 04:00
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My ~15x20 foot room is (poorly) lit by three 25w spot lights, all sitting in one ~5 foot strip stuck to the middle of the ceiling. How feasible is replacing this lovely setup, by myself, with 1-3 fluorescent lamp fixtures - the kind they normally have in schools and workplaces - to provide some actual omnidirectional soft light? Or would some other setup work better?
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Jan 18, 2011 20:07
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Welmu posted:My ~15x20 foot room is (poorly) lit by three 25w spot lights, all sitting in one ~5 foot strip stuck to the middle of the ceiling. Take a picture. Institutional fluorescents can be fatiguing and I wouldn't want to live under them, but there's probably something better.
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Jan 18, 2011 20:11
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Welmu posted:My ~15x20 foot room is (poorly) lit by three 25w spot lights, all sitting in one ~5 foot strip stuck to the middle of the ceiling. The key is going to be what is above your ceiling. If you have an attic above then you're on easy street. Otherwise, you're likely going to be tearing up drywall to add more fixtures, finding a brighter single fixture, or installing track lightning.
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Jan 18, 2011 20:57
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dinozaur posted:track lightning I want this
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Jan 18, 2011 21:18
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Hellwuzzat posted:Did DIY&H ever have a metal milling/machining thread? Is there anyone around this forum that likes to play with mills and lathes and such? There is a general metalworking/welding/blacksmithing thread here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2905844
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Jan 18, 2011 22:24
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dinozaur posted:The key is going to be what is above your ceiling. If you have an attic above then you're on easy street. Otherwise, you're likely going to be tearing up drywall to add more fixtures, finding a brighter single fixture, or installing track lightning.
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Jan 19, 2011 03:55
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eddiewalker posted:Institutional fluorescents can be fatiguing and I wouldn't want to live under them, but there's probably something better.
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Jan 19, 2011 03:59
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I'm looking to raise my desk about 6 inches. What's the strongest and cheapest material I can get so I can stack my desk on it? My desk only gets about 25lb tops on it so the material doesn't have to be anything too fancy.
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Jan 19, 2011 04:42
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Dr. Video Games 0089 posted:I'm looking to raise my desk about 6 inches. What's the strongest and cheapest material I can get so I can stack my desk on it? My desk only gets about 25lb tops on it so the material doesn't have to be anything too fancy. Largish rocks? Seems like the standard solution: This might be kinda tippy
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Jan 19, 2011 04:52
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Dr. Video Games 0089 posted:I'm looking to raise my desk about 6 inches. What's the strongest and cheapest material I can get so I can stack my desk on it? My desk only gets about 25lb tops on it so the material doesn't have to be anything too fancy. Concrete blocks are 8". Bricks are 2.25". Go by a lumber yard and inquire about 6x6 beam scraps which would be 5.25".
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Jan 19, 2011 05:05
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