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Ugh, so our toilet clogged we think due to flushable kitty litter, however it's been like 12 hours or so and I've plunged the hell out of the toilet and even gone through the trap portion with a little auger thing. It previously was not flushing at all, now it flushes very slowly. I've tried plunging, augering, letting some grease-busting soap with warm water sit in the pipes for a while... any other household cures I can try in the meantime? I'm calling the landlord tomorrow but figure I might as well keep trying in the meantime. At this point I don't think it's the litter, that stuff breaks up in about 1 minute of contact with the water, so maybe it just grouped a bunch of non-soluable stuff together before it dissolved which is now the source of the clog.
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Oct 12, 2012 04:51
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| # ? Jun 11, 2024 22:04 |
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You can try a longer snake that you can attach to a drill, but if you used a closet auger and it didn't help, you're probably out of luck unless there's a cleanout fitting you can get to downstairs (if you're opening the cleanout below a clogged toilet, cut a neck hole and arm holes in a garbage bag and wear it to reduce the risk of being covered with poop.)
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Oct 13, 2012 01:44
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My doorknob's lock has been sticking recently when getting the key in and out. Previously, our pet-sitters had used powdered graphite on it to get things moving smoothly. I just hosed it all down with a silicone lubricant and now it works like a dream. I'm okay with purchasing new hardware for the front and back doors if this fix has broken anything, so I'm just curious if silicone lube will ruin/break my doorknob locks.
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Oct 13, 2012 22:51
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Nah, it should be fine. But if you want a permanent fix, you might just be able to get away with taking it to a locksmith and getting it re-set. It might just need new pins and springs. That should only cost you a few bucks.
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Oct 14, 2012 17:51
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I installed a pre-hung interior door recently, and I need some help with the casing. The frame is slightly less deep than the rough opening, maybe a quarter inch inside and outside. Enough that nailing the casing to the frame will leave a sizeable gap on the outside edge, too wide to caulk effectively anyway. What should I use to shim that? Screen bead i think might be too thick, and I'm not sure what I could use that would be thinner.
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Oct 15, 2012 17:53
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Is this door frame going to be painted or stained? There's always wood putty... Even if you're staining, I've gotten pretty good results from Minwax stainable wood filler before.
kid sinister fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Oct 15, 2012 |
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Oct 15, 2012 19:28
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kid sinister posted:Is this door frame going to be painted or stained? There's always wood putty... Even if you're staining, I've gotten pretty good results from Minwax stainable wood filler before. Yes, painted most likely. The casing I have is pre-primed, as is the door and frame. So I'm guessing the idea is to shim every few feet along the frame for nail support, and fill in the gap with filler? I have some variety of filler that I used on a previous project that was quite gritty even after sanding, is there a specific variety I should look for?
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Oct 15, 2012 19:43
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stubblyhead posted:I installed a pre-hung interior door recently, and I need some help with the casing. The frame is slightly less deep than the rough opening, maybe a quarter inch inside and outside. Enough that nailing the casing to the frame will leave a sizeable gap on the outside edge, too wide to caulk effectively anyway. What should I use to shim that? Screen bead i think might be too thick, and I'm not sure what I could use that would be thinner. Ideally the door jamb depth is sized exactly but if its not, you can put on a sufficiently sized strip to extend the jamb. 
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Oct 16, 2012 04:32
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So I just bought a trailer house and the back bedroom has some soft spots in the floor here and there (its just straight plywood). Would I be ok to put down some hardibacker over the plywood or should I tear the entire floor up before putting it down? This might be a dumb question, I'm not too keen on home repair stuff. I kinda just bought this house for 1500 bucks because it was cheap, and in decent condition.
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Oct 17, 2012 06:15
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You should replace it but be prepared to find further damage once you start opening things up
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Oct 17, 2012 18:11
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I'm planning on building a fence and buying 8' prefab shadowbox panels to nail to the posts and I can't seem to find a conclusive method of attaching them. So far I've seen 2 approaches: Use joist hangers on the post to support the stringers Since I don't want to knock the outer 2 pickets off the panel, I can't use double-shear hangers; I'd have to use angle iron or toe-nail them in. Attach panels to the side of the posts I'll have to adjusting my post spacing from 96" to 92.5" to accomodate. Also, because the pickets on these particular panels alternate sides -- in other words, if a picket is outward-facing on the left, it will be inward-facing on the right of the panel --, I'd need to buy an extra picket or some other 5/8" spacer to keep the panels straight. I think there's maybe just something fundamental that I'm missing. Big Nubbins fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Oct 17, 2012 |
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Oct 17, 2012 19:25
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Untrustable posted:So I just bought a trailer house and the back bedroom has some soft spots in the floor here and there (its just straight plywood). Would I be ok to put down some hardibacker over the plywood or should I tear the entire floor up before putting it down? This might be a dumb question, I'm not too keen on home repair stuff. I kinda just bought this house for 1500 bucks because it was cheap, and in decent condition. Replace it. It'll require it eventually, you may as well do it now vs. a couple years down the line when your heavy expensive furniture/large relative goes through the floor.
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Oct 17, 2012 23:20
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Untrustable posted:So I just bought a trailer house and the back bedroom has some soft spots in the floor here and there (its just straight plywood). Would I be ok to put down some hardibacker over the plywood or should I tear the entire floor up before putting it down? This might be a dumb question, I'm not too keen on home repair stuff. I kinda just bought this house for 1500 bucks because it was cheap, and in decent condition. In the alternative, if you don't want to rip up carpeting, you can do what I did at my brother-in-law's doublewide: cut plywood to just fit between the floor joists, also cut some 2x4, crawl underneath the thing; slam the plywood up against the soft spot, and sister in the two pieces of 2x4 to the adjacent floor joists with nails or screws to hold it in place. His problems were mostly in traffic areas & doorways. His floor material was Masonite, which is like a thick, compressed cardboard  His home is on a concrete slab, and it was free of nasties and dead critters, so YMMV.
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Oct 18, 2012 01:17
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My home flooring problem solved itself. When the movers put the wheels on the trailer, it ripped in half.
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Oct 18, 2012 08:51
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PainterofCrap posted:His home is on a concrete slab, and it was free of nasties and dead critters, so YMMV. It's on a concrete slab, but also has a crawlspace? Untrustable posted:My home flooring problem solved itself. When the movers put the wheels on the trailer, it ripped in half. Are you familiar with the expression "a blessing in disguise?"
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Oct 18, 2012 09:07
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stubblyhead posted:
Yeah, so instead I'll just use the brand new windows, doors, and other assorted bits cannibalized from the now ruined trailer to add six feet of width to my current 12X50 trailer. I might make a thread to chronicle myself, and my family full of contractors tearing apart my 1500 dollar mistake and using it to improve the other trailer I own.
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Oct 18, 2012 09:28
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Untrustable posted:Yeah, so instead I'll just use the brand new windows, doors, and other assorted bits cannibalized from the now ruined trailer to add six feet of width to my current 12X50 trailer. I might make a thread to chronicle myself, and my family full of contractors tearing apart my 1500 dollar mistake and using it to improve the other trailer I own. Do this, it sounds
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Oct 18, 2012 10:50
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stubblyhead posted:It's on a concrete slab, but also has a crawlspace? It's a trailer...It's rolled in on wheels, then jacked off the axles onto deadmen, so there's a crawlspace on the slab, under the trailer. So It's sitting on a slab. As opposed to sitting on dirt.
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Oct 18, 2012 22:17
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I've got my basement torn down to the studs for a remodel. I am going to have drywall installed. 2 questions: 1. Does the orangepeel texture traditionally sprayed on drywall do anything besides make it easier to hide blemishes? Acoustic dampening? My plan is to have it done smooth, without the texture. 2. What country of origin is best for drywall? Should I simply specify 'not Chinese' in the contract, or what? Does the U.S. even manufacture drywall anymore?
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Oct 19, 2012 00:26
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There are different "levels" of drywall finish http://nationalgypsum.com/resources/tech-talk-revisiting.htm Lower levels are suitable for texture (spray, skip trowel, etc). Takes less time/money. Smoothwall (level 5) is rather time consuming to do it right but leaves a smooth finish National Gypsum (what you'll find at the big box) is made in the US. I don't think you'll be able to find Chinese drywall anywhere
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Oct 19, 2012 01:27
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My door-handle seems to have broken spectacularly. At least I can't get back in if I end up outdoors somehow. The locksmith costs a bazillion to hire for fixing it. The handle can rotate 360 degrees without opening the door, and I'm kinda annoyed by the fact that I basically can't leave my apartment now. Any hobby-locksmith who knows how to fix a doorhandle that rotates without opening the door?
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Oct 19, 2012 14:42
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Remove your door handle, get a friend to watch your place for an hour, and go get a replacement at the hardware store (take the old one with you). On the other hand if it's an apartment, this isn't your problem. Call the landlord.
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Oct 19, 2012 16:05
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Vim Fuego posted:I've got my basement torn down to the studs for a remodel. I am going to have drywall installed. 2 questions: There are two ways to finish drywall: plaster and mud & tape. In both cases, it takes a lot of effort to make drywall smooth and still hide the joints. For plastering in particular, textured coats are a lot cheaper because they're quicker to do. Not a big difference, mind you, but it will cost you a little more for smooth. Smooth coats are required by code in kitchens and bathrooms, but you can do whatever you want in your basement. DoD writes exhaustive guidespecs for construction, but it's all public so you can unabashedly steal it for your own use: Some contract posted:3.2 APPLICATION OF GYPSUM BOARD grover fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Oct 19, 2012 |
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Oct 19, 2012 17:05
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Any way to get glue/tape remains from windows? I left them up far, far too long and I have difficulty getting them off again. Right now I'm using water to wetten the stuff and a razor to scrape it off but it is slow and costs a lot of effort so I'm hoping there's an easier way.
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Oct 19, 2012 17:55
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Get a window razor, they're a big handle that the razor mounts on and it cuts the worktime by about a billion minutes. A little Goo Gone will help too (get the gel so it doesn't run if you're working on vertical surfaces like a window), or acetone if you don't value your nervous system or the stuff around the glass.
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Oct 19, 2012 20:00
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Thanks for the replies. Very helpful.
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Oct 19, 2012 20:17
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Namarrgon posted:Any way to get glue/tape remains from windows? I left them up far, far too long and I have difficulty getting them off again. Right now I'm using water to wetten the stuff and a razor to scrape it off but it is slow and costs a lot of effort so I'm hoping there's an easier way. I've had luck with lighter fluid, but Goo Gone is the better option as far as being sure you'll get it off/not choking on fumes.
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Oct 19, 2012 20:37
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Namarrgon posted:Any way to get glue/tape remains from windows? I left them up far, far too long and I have difficulty getting them off again. Right now I'm using water to wetten the stuff and a razor to scrape it off but it is slow and costs a lot of effort so I'm hoping there's an easier way. WD-40 works great too.
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Oct 20, 2012 02:23
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I just noticed that my water heater has a very slight leak around a panel about 1/3 of the way down. We knew it was getting older when we bought the house, so I assume its in the process of giving up the ghost. The one we have now is electric, does anyone have any recommendations on models or brands, or any sort of advice about what to look for in a replacement?
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Oct 20, 2012 03:17
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For any kind of sticker or tape, naphtha will remove it nearly instantly.
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Oct 20, 2012 08:06
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I had some water intrusion in the ceiling and wall above a window a couple years ago. The leak was fixed, but I've never gotten around to doing anything about the fact that the leak spot looks like poo poo. I want to fix this: The walls are lathe-backed plaster, but this is an exterior wall so it's probably brick. I have no idea what's behind the ceiling, as it sucks rear end to get into the attic. I patched a hole in a wall a while ago by busting out the broken stuff, cleaning up the hole and the lathing, and filling with some plaster patch and it looks great. Can I do this same basic thing here, or does the fact that it's a ceiling/exterior wall and water damage make a difference? I did some reading online, and it recommends sealing it. Is that necessary in this case?
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Oct 20, 2012 21:12
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If not the wall but the ceiling leak caused that problem and it has been properly patched, then sealing it shouldn't be necessary. Don't bother getting up in the attic. If the roof is only a few inches above that crack, then there wouldn't be any room for you to even get a close look at it. You got the right idea: chip out all of the loose stuff (you may have to take down the window trim if it goes behind it) and patch it up. The thing that sucks about textured walls and ceilings is that they're a bitch to match.
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Oct 20, 2012 21:54
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How do you get oil-based primer off of glass, i.e windows?
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Oct 21, 2012 01:05
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CadavericSpasm posted:How do you get oil-based primer off of glass, i.e windows? Utility knife blade used as a scraper.
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Oct 21, 2012 01:31
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Glass scraper
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Oct 21, 2012 03:20
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I just finished a 21x21 cross stitch piece and want to hang it on the wall. I am broke, but want it to look at least semi presentable. Frames at that size are pretty expensive, but I wouldn't use the glass or anything. Is there any way I could rig up a frame on the cheap? Any other methods of hanging a tapestry-like thing that I'm not thinking of? There are rough edges, but I suppose I could fold them back somehow.
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Oct 21, 2012 05:49
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Can someone tell me what the appropriate uses of electrical tape actually are? It seems like all the things a MacGyver type would want to use it for would be unsafe.
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Oct 21, 2012 08:12
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wrapping electrical wire i guess, but heatshrink insulation is better if you have it. I can't stand electrical tape, leaves nasty residue all over poo poo.
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Oct 21, 2012 09:05
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NancyPants posted:Can someone tell me what the appropriate uses of electrical tape actually are? It seems like all the things a MacGyver type would want to use it for would be unsafe. Here's a good example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tsx6im7qng
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Oct 21, 2012 10:59
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| # ? Jun 11, 2024 22:04 |
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I have a quick question that I hope has a quick and easy answer. I recently borrowed a friends Craftsman 33cc Trimmer. It started up fine a few times, then the pull string got caught and wouldn't retract. I took the back off, fixed the string issue and placed it back on, but now the engine won't start. I have absolutely no experience with this, so if anyone knows how to fix it, please pretend I'm 6 years old when explaining. I just don't want to return it and say, "Oh yeah it won't start because I hosed it up." Thanks in advance.
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Oct 21, 2012 15:13
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