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mdf posted:I've got an electric shower that drips. It's one of those ones with a button you press to turn it on, and I'm guessing there's some kind of solenoid affair inside that turns the water on and off, but the washer is going. It could be a couple of things, the solenoid valve might need to be replaced, which is doable on most models, but some are more tricky than others. If it is a model with a dial for temperature control then sometimes the washer on the dial gets worn, which you can also replace yourself. Generally speaking, it's doable, but you might have to order the part from the manufacturers or a large plumbing-supply place, because most hardware stores only carry standard shower parts. It's hard to give better advice without knowing the model of the shower you have.
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Feb 19, 2008 04:53
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Xanderg posted:I'm not sure if the air plunger will work because of the way my drain is designed. You should still be able to remove the plug in the centre if you want to use an air plunger or a snake on it. Generally you have to twist then pull.
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Feb 22, 2008 03:18
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Annakie posted:I bought an awesome used China Hutch at a swap meet last Friday (Canton First Mondays for you Texans) but the problem is, the hutch is stained a VERY Cherry red and my dining room furniture is a dark brown Oak color, including the paneling along the bottom half of my living room. It also has a few bumps, bruises and scratches so it really doesn't look its best right now, so no matter what I want to do something to fix it No matter whether you decide to paint it or restain it, you will need to remove the existing varnish and stain. If you paint over the top of varnish, even with a primer, it will adhere poorly, and look terrible. If you just remove the varnish and then repaint, then the stain will most likely bleed through the paint. It looks like a fairly simple design, so you should be able to sand it all back without too much trouble. You will basically need to sand back to as close to bare timber as you can get it to get the best finish, be it restained or painted.
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Apr 7, 2008 17:54
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I'll repost my post int he weed thread about weedkillers, in case you get the money, but if you don't have any to spend, Sapper is right that probably burning would be the cheapest way to go, and plastic would be the safest. But yeah, a lot of it depends on what sort of weeds they are and how big the area is. Pictures would be helpful. Weedkiller post follows- I won't give names of brands, because I have no doubt Aussie products won't be available in the US, but I can tell you what sort of stuff you should be using. For most everyday stuff, anything with the active ingredient of glyphosate as isopropalymine salts should do the trick. If you buy it as a concentrate it should come at either 360 or 450g/l strength. Glyphosate will enter a plants circulatory system and should wipe out the roots too. For most weeds, dilute it at 15mLs per litre of water, and you should be golden. If that isn't doing the trick, you need to cut the plant near the base, and paint on the concentrate undiluted within 30 seconds. This is to prevent the plant from releasing a protective sap, which a lot of Australian plants do, and may be the case with your desert weeds. Glyphosate is a broad spectrum killer, and is effectively a scorched-earth policy if used right. You will probably have to do it twice in order to wipe out any plants that have germinated after the first spraying. Make sure you keep your pets away from the area while you are spraying and for a day or two afterwards. It isn't bio-accumulative and shouldn't stay in the soil longer than a couple of weeks. Then, like other posters have said, lay down some weedmat, only cutting holes for what you want, then mulch or turf over the rest. For woody weeds, use something with the active ingredient Triclopyr - at least 60g/l concentration. You generally hack at the plant a bit to open some wounds, mix the poison with kero or diesel and paint it on. If the thistle is in the lawn, use a weedkiller with the active ingredient Bromxoynil - it is only absorbed into plants with broad leaves, and should leave your grass intact, including buffalo grass which is normally killed by "weed'n'feed" type products. Concentration is generally about 200g/L before you dilute it for use. If you are sure your lawn isn't buffalo, you can also use products with the acitve ingredient of Dicamba at 25ish g/L. Both of these products will also use MCPA at about 150-250g/L concentration. Edit: For long term control of broadleaf weeds you should be able to get a product with DAS in it. DAS is an acronym for 3 chemicals - simazine, amitrole 2-dichloropropionic acid. They generally market it as a "once a year" product. Basically unlike the other killers it will stick around in your soil and wipe out anything that comes back until it disperses in a year or so. Which is good if the stuff keeps germinating. Also, anything with Amitrole as the active ingredient is pretty good stuff, if you don't think the gyphosate is cutting the mustard. I use it to kill bamboo and wandering jew, both of which are pretty indestructible to normal herbicides.
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Apr 25, 2008 05:50
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Alloyed posted:Quick aircon question. My through-wall air conditioner sat unused for the winter. When turned on for the first time in several months, the fan initially failed to work. I pushed it free with my hand, the fan began to spin. Now the fan is extremely noisy. What sort of a noise is it? If it's a squeaky noise it might need lubricating. If it is a rattling noise, it might be that the bearings are shot and need to be replaced.
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Apr 26, 2008 13:02
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Klams Jam posted:This is a bit of a daft question - what is the best way to get superglue off of plastic? Acetone will remove superglue. You should be able to get it any hardware store, and if you don't want to buy it, then pinch your girlfriend/wife/captive locked in the basement's nail polish remover, which are usually acetone based.
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May 3, 2008 14:38
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Klams Jam posted:Or... I could use my own! Acetone will dissolve some plastics. Your best bet is to just try a bit on part of it before you go soaking the whole lot.
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May 4, 2008 07:54
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Yeah, go for it. Post a thread with some pictures of the room as it is, dimensions etc, and what you want doing. It's probably easier if you have some major thematic ideas or whatever, and ask how to do specific things, because otherwise there are just too many variables to post helpful advice.
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May 4, 2008 10:42
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JoeWindetc posted:I'm painting my kitchen walls. Just plain sheet-rock with white paint on them currently, but we're going to go with an ox-blood red color. So, as for paint: enamel? oil? gloss? flat? semi-gloss? eggshell? latex? oil? Generally interior walls are low sheen (which I guess you Yanks call eggshell), but for areas that get a lot of steam, or need cleaning often (like kitchens or bathrooms) semi-gloss will give you a better wearing surface. Enamel (oil based) paint will be a pain in the arse, so use an acrylic (water based) one. Generally speaking these days in terms of house painting enamel is only used on things like skirting board, doors, and window frames, as the quality of acrylic paint has got considerably better. While SynMoo is right that you won't need a primer, you may still need an undercoat. Because you are going from white to (what I assume) is a fairly deep colour, you may need to use a tinted undercoat to prevent the topcoat from looking washed out. When you get the paint mixed, the book or computer with the formula in it should tell the guy mixing it whether it requires a tinted undercoat or not. Before painting, make sure you clean the walls well, because kitchen walls can often accumulate little particles of grease all over them which will mean your new paint will adhere poorly. A bit of sugar soap and water will do the job just fine.
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May 7, 2008 04:40
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Depends on how the break is. If it's clean enough, you should just be able to just push the two halves together, and the clamp will hold it together while you make the cut. I've done it plenty of times. This is the sort of machine I use - two little clamps that hold the key in place while the jig moves the blank over the cutting wheel. Admittedly, mine is a lot older and crappier than this picture, but the principle it works on is the same.  Locksmiths will cry and tell you that you should take it to them to have it done properly using the numbers to cut an accurate copy, but they will charge you through the nose for it. Theoretically a poorly cut key will give you increased wear on the lock, but realistically, it's not much more than the wear it will get from people just being rough with their locks anyway. In short, yes it's entirely possible, it just might take a couple of goes if the break isn't clean.
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May 12, 2008 16:40
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Yeah, give it a whirl for sure. Worst case scenario you're out one blank. With the break you described, I would have cut it in two parts. Hard to describe, but I would have started with the head half of the key and cut it until I reached the end of that half, then - leaving the blank clamped in position - line up the broken tip with the the tip of the blank and cut the remainder of it, and cleaned up any burrs where the two cuts started and stopped with a file. It won't be the neatest key ever made, but it ought to work well enough that the guy can get into his house where he hopefully has a better copy to work from.
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May 13, 2008 15:46
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warwick5s posted:Has anyone ever had someone replace an old tub with a new tub for them? I have the new tub already, but I'm thinking it might be better for me to have someone that has done it before and can get it done in a day do the tub replacement, leaving me able to finish the rest of the bathroom. Out of all the plans I have for my house, it's the only thing that I question my ability to get it done well. I've replaced a couple of tubs myself. If it's one of the polycarbonate inset ones, they are relatively easy to install. It's simply a matter of having a sufficiently sturdy frame, then fixing it in place with construction adhesive and tiling around it. The plumbing is pretty simple, especially if you are replacing an existing tub, all the hard work will have been done for you, all you should have to do is reattach the taps and waste outlet to the tub itself. If you were going to get someone else to do it, a handyman would be fine. There is no really tough plumbing involved, and nothing that (in Australia) would require certification by a licensed plumber. SnackinStarfish posted:How might I remove stained glass color from a cheap, hard, laminate floor? Without knowing what sort of spray it is (Krylon isn't a brand available in Australia) it's hard to say. "Lacquer thinner" could be a couple of different formulations depending on the type of lacquer used. I would start off with mineral turps, then if that didn't work perhaps try acetone. If you can give a picture of the ingredient list of the can, and of the discolouration I might be able to offer more advice, but those two chemicals would definitely be my starting point.
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May 22, 2008 09:35
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I haven't tried it myself, but I think my mother used to use vegetable oil and salt mixed up and rubbed into the ring then wiped off. I'm going on memory here though, so I may well be wrong. I also seem to recall some concoction of mayonnaise and ash, although this seems a bit unlikely. Edit: Well, curiosity got the better of me and I googled my mother's bizarre recipes and it turns out that both of them seem to be pretty popular. I must admit I'm a bit surprised. The mayo one in particular seems tog et good reviews. Take it as you will tho, I haven't used either. Haikeeba! fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Jun 2, 2008 |
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Jun 2, 2008 04:46
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FogHelmut posted:Anyone know where I can get a digital timer to plug into the outlet for a 240v wall AC unit? Is it 15amp or 10amp? 10amp timers you should be able to get from any hardware store. 15amp I haven't seen, but I would try an electrical wholesaler. If you are in Australia, Cetnaj is the chain I would recommend.
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Jun 5, 2008 17:39
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Never having done masonry before, do I essentially just stick rocks/bricks together with generic mortar, or are there specific ways of doing this? I've a mind to build a few planters walls and paths in my garden, you see. Depends how much weight the planters and walls will be taking. Paths are dead easy, and personally I wouldn't be bothered to mortar the component bricks/pavers together unless you are going for a look with large mortar joins between them. Generally, for a garden paver path you want to put down weedmatting, lay about a 30-50mm bed of packed sand on top of that, lay the pavers/bricks on top tightly, and sweep sand or sand/cement mix between them with a rough broom. This will give you a level and reasonably solid bedding and a tight fit between the blocks. The sand or sand/cement mix is really just there to give a tiny bit of cohesion between each block and fill any small gaps. If you want visible mortar lines you need to be a bit more thorough, and you may need to lay a concrete bed first so as to ensure the bricks don't move and crack the mortar. Walls and planters are a bit more tricky. Do you want to use brick or stone? Because the technique and requirements differ between the two.
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Jun 9, 2008 14:03
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Mr. Wiggles posted:With the planters I plan on using desert stone and a bunch of old bricks from an abandoned smelter that are mostly broken in half, so they're just like squarish red stones. I'll be doing the garden walls later when I have a bit more experience, but I was thinking of doing those in proper brick. Well, it sounds like you're using relatively even stone, which will make things easier. For your planters, you want to mark out your lines, then along those lines dig a trench about 25cm wide by 10cm deep. For your first layer, choose the largest, flattest rocks you have, put them in the trench and tamp them down hard. After that simply build your courses up as usual, remembering to offset each course slightly so that the joins between the stones don't line up vertically. For the first 3 or 4 courses, mortar only when you really have to to ensure stability. You want to leave a certain amount of gaps in the bottom few courses so your planter doesn't turn into a swimming pool after the first big storm. After you've left those courses unmortared continue to build up the wall to whatever height you want. Depending on what you want the wall to look like, mortaring techniques vary. If you want a natural stone wall type look, then only mortar the back side of the course, if you want a full mortar look, or the planter is taking a lot of weight, then mortar the whole course. Basically you just continue building your wall up until the top layer, when you want to use long, flat stones to give yourself a nice surface. Depending on how good you are at mortarwork you should fill the gaps between the stones on the top layer with a pointing trowel or a mortar bag (basically like a big icing bag full of mortar mix). If you are using red stone, you might want to consider adding an oxide to your mortar to colour it something other than grey. Also, I would add Bondcrete (I hope you guys have this in the US) to the mortar in order to give it better grip and better wearing capabilities. You can also use bondcrete to seal the wall if you want to protect it from the elements, rather than having it weather naturally. If you seal the wall the mortar joins will last longer, and be resistant to cracking, but it may not be the look you are after. Lastly, this sort of wall is only good up to about 70 or 80cm or so in height. Taller than that and you really need to start considering reinforcing it because of the weight that will be behind it.
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Jun 10, 2008 02:25
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Really great advice. Thanks. My pleasure. You are pretty much on the mark with your idea. If you have the space to double wall it, that's the way I'd do it, perhaps run a few rods between the walls as well, say one a metre or so mortared into both walls. If you wanted to do it with just one wall you'd need to lay a solid concrete slab, into which you'd insert rebar rod or mesh, which you'd then build the wall around as per described before. Similarly, if you were going much higher, I would go mortar the whole thing, not just the back side. For larger walls you also want to angle them back into the slope. For small walls you can get away going vertical, but for larger ones a good rule of thumb is about 2 inches back per foot of height (this is only a rough conversion from a rough guide in metric, so you have some leeway either way). To a certain extent, the rebar etc, is overkill. Back in the day they didn't use any of this stuff, and there wasn't any shortage of walls in the middle ages or what-have-you, but if you have the materials, it will certainly make it last longer and shift less. One good technique that hasn't changed in millenia and I haven't mentioned yet is the use of "deadman" stones. Essentially, when you are building a wall that will be taking weight, you want something to anchor the wall into the mass behind it, and these stones fulfill that purpose. Basically they are long stones that are laid perpendicular to the wall, they should span the width of the wall and extend out into the area behind the wall as far as possible, they are generally placed at a middling height. In crappy ascii diagram if your normal wall is like so ========== with deadmen it should look like code:My final points would be: Don't use anything I've said to build a wall above a metre high. At that sort of height, the pressure from the earth behind is pretty massive, and your wall has got to the stage where you really ought to be engineering it and not just building it. Secondly, depending on what the climate is like in your area, you may need to account for frost. Being in Australia, it isn't a problem here and I can only give you basic advice - dig the foundation below the frostline, and backfill the wall a bit with gravel to avoid frost heave. Other than that, go to it. You can make a very nice wall or planter quite easily and cheaply if you do it yourself, so don't be put off by my (probably overstated) concerns.
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Jun 10, 2008 17:56
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Spectacular advice! Thank you. No worries mate! Please let us know how it turns out.
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Jun 13, 2008 03:28
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Briantist posted:Based on previous painting with this color, I figured we'd have to do two coats anyway (maybe we're crappy painters?). Is the second coat what you're referring to as a top coat? How often is a second coat of primer needed? Is that SOP for new walls? Topcoat in this case is simply the name for the "proper" paint - that is, the paint that isn't sealer, primer or undercoat. For new gyprock or plaster walls the SOP is one coat of a sealer/primer, and then your colour. If you were using a deep colour, particularly a red one, I would say prime it, then give it a grey undercoat before the topcoat, but for a light colour you should be able to paint it straight on. I would give it two coats of topcoat, it will give you a more even colour. Doing an additional coat of sealer/primer would really only be necessary if the first coat was patchy.
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Jun 15, 2008 11:28
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tempo502 posted:I'm trying to clean out a filthy workshop/maintenance room at work, but the company is run by people who hate throwing anything away. There's a shelf full of random electrical wiring, and a lot of it probably dates back to the 70's or earlier. I want to scrap anything that isn't rated at least THHN/TWHN but I know I'll have to justify it to my supervisor. Is wiring rated TW or TH still up to code (for commercial building use)? How much is insulated copper wiring worth as scrap? I have no idea about US safety codes, but I do know you are sitting on a goldmine with that copper. Copper is ludicrously expensive at the moment, so take as much as you can and sell it to a scrap metal dealer. inkwell posted:I just took off a bunch of wall paper at my parent's house, and it took off the finishing on the drywall underneath. How should I go about re-finishing it, or do I need to put up new drywall? Depends what you are doing over the top of it, and how badly the surface is messed up. If you are putting new wallpaper, and the surface is still relatively smooth, you might get away with putting a skim coat on over the top, same with painting - but be prepared to do extra sanding and priming. If it's very lumpy, then scrap it and just put up new drywall.
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Jun 21, 2008 12:53
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inkwell posted:Well, my dad's a cheapass, so I guess I'm stuck re-skimming it. Do I just slather the stuff on, sand and hope for the best? If you are using joint compound you are going to need to do a lot of sanding to get it smooth. Generally you would use top coat, or skim coat, or mirror finish (the names differ according to brands and localities). Joint compound will work, but it will be much grainier.
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Jun 26, 2008 05:17
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Yep, that's pretty much it. Depending on the table you may not need to take it apart.
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Jun 27, 2008 04:36
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Just install a door closer. You can adjust them to what speed you want the door to close, usually just with a screw at the end. One of these jobbies: 
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Jul 11, 2008 12:11
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Yeah, it needs adjusting. At the end of it, there should be either one screw, or two screws marked S and L depending on the model of closer. If it's just one screw, turn it clockwise a few turns until the door slows down to a good speed. If it's the two screws, turn them both. S is sweep and L is latch. Sweep is the first swing of the door closing, and L is the final bit that pulls it shut. Again, turn them clockwise to adjust them. If your closer doesn`t have any adjustment screws, ditch it and buy a new one. They are only about ten dollars.
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Jul 11, 2008 23:44
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Asking for an estimate is fine, you aren't expected to know how much everything will cost without one, but they will charge you (at least they do in Australia). It shouldn't take more than half an hour in house time, but he may need to look up some prices before giving you a figure. Honestly though, for the sort of work you're describing, do it yourself. It's all eminently doable, and even if you decide to pay someone to do the installation, you can save some money by doing the removal of the old stuff yourself. So far nothing you've described has any legal requirements for a contractor (again from an Australian viewpoint), as you aren't looking to run new electrics or change the structure of the house, it's all cosmetic. Get together some mates, and do it over a few weekends. My estimate: a couple of cartons of beer + materials.
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Jul 20, 2008 21:10
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Whoops, I missed that one too. If I understand the question correctly, you're asking what would happen if you just left the primer bare, and didn't put a topcoat on. The answer is, it would probably look ok for a while, if a bit flat, but it will get dirty very quickly, and won't be very hardwearing. This goes double if it is in a bathroom or kitchen where it will get steam or grease. Primer is designed to make other paint adhere to it. It does the same with dirt. If you don't put the topcoat on it will look crap within a few months.
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Jul 29, 2008 04:59
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Delivery McGee posted:What's the best way to strip paint off concrete? Personally, I think that taking it back to bare concrete is excessive. Remove what loose paint and dirt etc you can with a pressure hose, followed by scrubbing the whole floor with sugar soap (I think the equivalent in the US is called TSP) and a stiff brush. Rinse it off, let it dry, then whack down a couple of coats of primer and repaint. Angle grinder back to bare concrete will take you loving ages and ruin your back.
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Aug 16, 2008 11:12
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Since it appears to be leaking out of the handles, my money is on the o-ring inside one of the spindles. Unscrew the spindle entirely, and inside there will be a small o-ring that is (in Australia) usually 8.5mm. Replace that and you should be golden. If it isn't leaking out of the spout, I don't think it is the washer itself or the seat. Mind you, if you're opening up the tap anyway, you should be able to get a set of all the washers and o-rings for fairly cheap, so you might as well just replace the lot.
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Aug 19, 2008 01:05
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Wapp posted:The concrete walkway to my house is filthy. I have a multipurpose detergent for my pressure washer that I plan on using to get it cleaned up. Will the concrete need to be sealed afterwards? If so, what and how do I do it? Thanks! The short answer? Probably not. The long answer? It really depends on how much traffic and what sort aesthetic you're going for as to whether you want to seal it or not. Personally, for a garden path, I wouldn't bother. Sealing concrete is really only necessary in my opinion when you are going to paint over the top of it, or it is in an application where it is important that moisture doesn't move through it - e.g. shower, basement floor. My advice would be to just blow all the dirt and poo poo away with the pressure washer and leave it at that. Internet Overlord posted:So my friends just moved into an apartment with a yard and they have this sort of shed/storage building in the back of the yard. THe yard has a vine(i believe its ivy but not sure) growing all over the front of it. Can anyone recommend a way of removing the vine from the building? Thanks a ton in advance. Honestly, I would just cut it off at the base, and pull it down. There isn't really any special technique required other than to wear gloves. The only other thing is to keep an eye out in case it has got itself caught around guttering or something like that when you are pulling it down. If it has, just snip it with secateurs and pull the little bits off afterwards. EssOEss posted:Can I splash-proof my bathroom door and doorstop somehow? Right now, the water from showering hits them and there's a nice puddle outside. I'd like to avoid installing a shower curtain since the showering area is pretty small. I can't think of any reasonable alternative, though... am I just going to have to put up a curtain? How big is the gap, and is the water getting around the side of the door or just the bottom? If it's not a sliding door I would install some weatherproofing strip around the edges. If the gap at the bottom is too big for just stripping, you could put in one of the sealers they usually use for exterior doors to stop rain. Just in case they're called something else in the US, for reference I'm talking about : Stripping:  and Sealer:  Soup Dragon posted:I have 16 aluminum lever door handles that have some white gloss paint around the edges due to crappy painting, any advice on how to remove the paint please? Just use paint stripper. Apply it carefully with a little brush so it only goes on the paint and not on the bare metal, wait for the stuff to do its job (don't leave it on too long) then scrape off the paint with a plastic scraper so it doesn't scratch the metal, and finally give the metal a quick clean down to remove any residue. BulimicGoat posted:I'm studying abroad this upcoming term and I want to lock my bedroom door so my housemates can't gently caress poo poo up. We rent the house, so I was wondering if there's anything I can use that would cause the least amount of damage to the door. If it matters, the door swings in. I would agree with Soup Dragon on this one. Most door handles these days are standard size, so if the house is reasonably recent, then you should be able to simply buy a handle that incorporates a lock, take off the old handle and slip the new one in without any alterations. ashgromnies posted:I have a new couch and chair that are pretty light and they have these little 1" plastic nubs on the bottom that hold them up that love to slide all over my wood floor. Take off the plastic caps and put rubber ones on would definitely be the simplest way to do it. Otherwise you could try castor cups. They're normally used for castor wheels, but there's no reason they wouldn't work for you.
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Aug 24, 2008 00:54
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disgraceful posted:Thank you guys for your earlier help No worries, how did it all turn out?
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Aug 25, 2008 13:57
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Wapp posted:Thanks, Haikeeba. Washed the walkway yesterday and it looks great. No worries. Pleased to hear it turned out well. IOwnCalculus posted:Quick plumbing question: The shower in my master bathroom is one of those shower/tub things with the little stick on the tub faucet that you pull up to switch it over to a shower. I think that valve is wearing out / out of adjustment, because no matter how much you yank on it now you still get a spray at reasonably high pressure coming out of the tub faucet, even though the showerhead does have pretty good flow. You need to either replace the valve, or replace the washers inside it. How easy it will be depends if the valve is on the spout itself, or in the sort of housing thing. I'm not explaining this well, so I'll steal some pictures: is it like this:  Or like this:  ? In my experience, the type with the knobs attached to it are easier to fix, as although it can be a bugger to get off the wall, once you have, it's normally possible to access the diverter valve, and then it's normally just a couple of O-rings to replace. The second type is dead easy to get off - you basically just unscrew them, but a lot of the time they are sealed units inside, and you can't replace the washers, meaning you have to get a new one. BUT your mileage may vary. The best advice I can offer is to take off the fitting (making sure you remember to turn off the water beforehand) and have a butchers at the innards. If you can get the valve out, the parts generally aren't expensive or rare. It's definitely DIYable at any rate.
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Aug 26, 2008 02:16
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IOwnCalculus posted:It's the second type. I'm not afraid to dig into this kind of thing, it's just that I haven't dealt with any plumbing in roughly a decade so it's a bit foreign to me, and what little I have done has all been bathroom sinks where you can easily get at both sides of the issue, not showers. Well, the good news is that type is easy to get off the wall. So unscrew it, have a bit of a gander at the insides and see if you get lucky. It shouldn't be too hard, so don't stress about it, just remember to turn off both the hot and cold water first, and have some teflon tape for when you put it back on. Let us know how it turns out.
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Aug 27, 2008 00:12
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FYAD KNIGHT posted:Hi there, I have a question for those with brick laying experience. This is a copy of a post I made in the last thread where someone asked about bricklaying, it should be mostly relevant. Yeah, it's pretty simple to do. If the bricks are still in good condition, it's simply a matter of buying some mortar, a trowel, and going to work. First, pull all the old crap off, and scrape it clean. Run a string line, so you know where the top of your wall will sit, and this will ensure a level top course. Then mix up your mortar, and lay down a base layer. The mix should be about the consistency of a thick cake mix. It should slowly gloop, not run, but it should still be wet. If you make a little mound with your trowel, it should stay standing and not slump or run down. Don't try and do the entire wall in one go, the mortar will go off before you get to it. Do half a metre or so at a time if you haven't layed brick before, or a metre if you have. Put a furrow in the middle of the layer - it should look something like this (although I usually furrow it a bit more shallow than this):  This will ensure the brick sits nicely. The mortar should cover right to the edges of the bricks and when you lay the brick into it, it should bed properly. Before laying the brick however, you need to spread mortar onto one end, to form the vertical mortar between it and the previous brick. This is called buttering the brick, and if you are a brickie, or do a lot, you will pick up technique. There is a certain flow of moves that makes it fast and efficient, but the amount you are doing you won't learn it. (No offense intended) Your best bet is just to make sure there is an even and consistent amount on the end of each brick, and that it covers the entire end. It will look something like this lovely diagram I pulled from google image search:  When it comes to finishing the joints, there are a few different styles, which can be seen in this lovely image I pinched from another site:  I won't go into all the different methods. If you look at your wall and tell me which style is used on the rest of it, I'll tell you how to do that style. And that's your basics for laying brick. There are different additives for mortar, but you probably don't need any. Mortar mix you buy from a hardware store or landscaping place should have lime in it, but if you can't get mortar ready mixed, mix your own with proportions of 1:3.25:0.25 cement:sand:hydrated lime. You shouldn't need additives like bondcrete or whathaveyou. If you need to match coloured grout, you can buy coloured oxides you mix in, but be careful because its easy to put too much in. Also the bastard stuff stains like buggery, so don't get it on anything you don't want coloured. Basically, it's perfectly DIY-able, but depending on the regulation wherever you live there may be restrictions on who is allowed to do load-bearing walls or supports. If you have any other questions, ask away.
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Sep 2, 2008 00:51
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Ah. Bugger, I knew there was something that wasn't going to be useful, and you've hit on it. Raked joints are used on interior walls, but they aren't weatherproof. your choices are flush, concave, V, or extruded. Flush is exactly what it sounds like, the mortar is flush (flat) against the brickwork. Concave is again as it sounds a slightly concave finish - you basically compress the mortar with a rounded tool, it's a very good joint as it's waterproof, and holds the bricks well. Extruded joints is very easy - you use extra mortar when laying the bricks, and squish them down tightly so the mortar is forced slightly outwards. V is the hardest joint, and not really worth doing in my opinion. It basically looks like a pointy triangle of mortar coming out from the joints. Personally, I think it looks butt-ugly though. If you pick one of those styles I'll give you more details.
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Sep 2, 2008 13:05
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No worries.
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Sep 2, 2008 15:09
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Encryptic posted:Is there a good way to get black scuff marks off white paint? We just moved into a new apartment and managed to get some scuff marks on the walls in the process. I had this happen at our old place and never figured out a good way that didn't gently caress up the paint and leave its own mark instead. A melamine foam eraser should do it. According to wiki in the US "the name-brand "Magic Eraser" is made by Mr. Clean (Procter & Gamble)". In Australia they're called "white magic" which I personally think is hilariously politically incorrect. The picture i found of magic eraser confirms they are indeed the same thing: 
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Sep 4, 2008 00:39
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It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks pretty pitted. If so, you might be hard pressed to clean it up. Autosol and Nevr-Dull are two brands that I have used that are pretty good on chrome, and I think they are both imported from the US, so you might look into those. Use one of them and hit it with a cotton buffing wheel. But if it's very pitted you will need to get it re-plated professionally.
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Sep 8, 2008 03:44
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Encryptic posted:Just reporting back to say that I got a hold of a pack of these bad boys the other night and it does indeed work very well. Oh good stuff. I'm pleased it worked out. Thanks for the update.
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Sep 21, 2008 13:37
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It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like the wood or the lacquer has just cracked over time. It should be fairly easy to fix. Give it a very light sand, and then use a bit of silicon spray or graphite powder for added smooth action. If you can't find them in the shop, or are cheap, just rub a pencil over the top of the drawer edges and the runners, as pencil lead is graphite.
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Sep 23, 2008 05:57
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mr.belowaverage posted:I'd like to paint my kitchen cabinets is a high-gloss red, like some of the modern european kitchens sometimes advertised. Depends how much effort you want to put in, and how good you want the finish to be. For the best finish, sand them down till the fake woodgrain isn't shiny, then use a good quality oil based primer (I always recommend Zinnser), before painting it with two coats of gloss enamel paint. If you want to do it faster, use a product like ESP (Easy Surface Prep) which is a wipe on, wipe off, surface primer. It will make your paint stick to any gloss surface other than plastic (including glass), but won't have the durability of sanding it and priming it. If you are in Australia I can recommend brands for paint, if you are in the US, the only brand I know that I will recommend is the Zinnser primer. You will need two coats of topcoat to get a good finish, and for reds it is important to use a tinted primer, otherwise the topcoat will lack punch and look washed out - which is another reason to do the job properly and not the quick way. Edit: Also, spend the money and buy a good brush. Cheap ones will lose bristles and give you a crappy finish in general. And as I always say in these threads, preparation is the key. Good prep work will save a poor job, poor prep work will doom even the best topcoat. Clean it, sand it, prime it. Cleaning is especially important for kitchen stuff, because they will accumulate grease or cleaning product residue or the general day to day detritus associated with kitchens, so give it a wash down with sugar soap (TSP in the US) first. Haikeeba! fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Oct 17, 2008 |
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Oct 17, 2008 03:25
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