Keeping
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Previous REPAIR TIPS
August, 2008--HOME ENERGY AUDITS REPAIR TIP OF THE MONTH Home Repair Resource Center offers advice to do-it-yourselfers, through both our Nuts & Bolts newsletter and handouts in our Resource Library. Here is a sample of the information we provide: HOME ENERGY AUDITS Homeowners with high heating costs may wish to consider a professional energy audit. A professional auditor uses various techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of a structure. Before the audit, write down any problems (such as drafty rooms or condensation) and gather your energy bills from the last year. The auditor will measure the house and note doors, windows and other openings. You will also be asked about your lifestyle – the temperature at which the thermostat is set, the number of people in the house during day and evening, which rooms you use, etc. Most professional auditors will use a blower door test to determine how airtight your home is. A blower door is a powerful fan mounted into the frame of an exterior door. When the fan exhausts air out of the house, it lowers the air pressure inside, allowing outside air to flow in through unsealed cracks and openings. The auditor may use a smoke pencil to locate these drafts. The best blower door tests will use a calibrated door with instruments to measure the amount of the air pulled out of the house. This equipment will not only identify the air leaks, but also quantify the overall tightness of any air-sealing job. A second type of test offered by professional energy auditors is thermography--infrared scanning. This test measures variations in temperature to identify heat leaks and areas where insulation is needed. It can also determine if existing insulation has been installed incorrectly or if it has settled. Interior scans are usually more accurate than exterior surveys, because there is less air movement to deal with. The auditor will use special video or still cameras that make images of heat variations in the building’s "skin." Various infrared sensing devices may also be used to measure the tempera-ture of a given spot, but these instruments alone will not provide the necessary detail for a complete home energy audit. Don’t contract with a professional energy auditor, the U.S. Department of Energy suggests, until you have obtained and checked several references; checked with the Better Business Bureau; made sure the auditor uses a calibrated blower door; and made sure they do thermographic inspections (or contract with another company to conduct one). For more information, visit www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11160.
WINDOW GLAZING & GLASS REPLACEMENT When autumn winds start whistling in around your windows, and you get that "rattling bones" sound--it’s time to do some glazing. Glazing is the term used for the putty around the outside of your windows where the glass meets the wooden frame, as well as for the act of replacing that putty. Although glazing is pliable when it is installed (to seal the glass,) over the years it has a tendency to dry, crack, and fall out. Replacing loose or missing glazing is a fairly simple chore that almost anyone can do. First, remove any loose pieces of glazing that are still partly stuck to the glass. A stiff putty knife works well for this. Then, clean the glass, so the putty will stick to it. (You only need to clean a strip as wide as you'll be glazing.) Now, you're ready for the glazing. Glazing compound has a relatively short shelf life--so, if you have a can that’s more than a year old, you should probably get some fresh glazing, no more than you'll need this season. Glazing is easier to use if it's warm, so on cold days leave the can inside to keep the glazing flexible. A heat gun can be used to warm up a can, as well. Take a lump about the size of an average tomato, and knead it in your hand for a couple of minutes to mix it well and make it more pliable. Then, roll this glazing into a long rope about the diameter of your thumb. Gently press it in place where the glass and the wood frame meet. Next, starting from the top down, run a glazing tool or a putty knife held at a 45° angle down the glazing to seat it into the corner. You may need several passes with the tool to get the surface smooth enough. You can wet your finger and lightly rub it up and down the glazing after using the tool, to give the surface an extra-smooth texture. With a little practice, you'll move more quickly, and your results will be neater.
To remove broken glass from the sash, you must first remove the old glazing material. With a heat gun or propane torch, soften the old glazing compound and scrape it out, using an old sharp wood chisel or putty knife. Remove the glazing points, using a putty knife or screwdriver to force them out of the wood. Once you have removed the old glass, continue to scrape the frame until the wood is completely cleaned. This will help the new glazing compound bond to the wood. When ordering replacement glass, measure the inside of the sash to get the glass width and length. Deduct 1/8 inch from each measurement. When you're ready to install the new glass, take a small amount of glazing compound from the can, knead it into a ball as described above, and roll it between your palms to form a narrow snake. Push it with your fingers into the wood to form a bed for the glass (see illustration below). Lay the piece of glass on the bed of glazing compound and secure it by using a putty knife to push the glazing points into the wood. Place the points about 2 inches from each corner, and about 12 inches apart along the sides, top, and bottom of the frame.
Once the glass is secure, form another snake of glazing compound as before. Push this snake into the area where the glass meets the frame on the outside. Run a glazing tool or putty knife held at a 45° angle along the edge, as described above, so that you end up with a smooth wedge of glazing compound that is not visible from inside the window. Many people make window glazing part of each house painting project. (You can paint glazing right away, although it will take a week or two before it sets up completely.) It’s best, however, not to wait until your house needs painting, but instead to check your house annually; once you have caught up--unless you get a baseball through a window--it should take you only about half an hour once a year to maintain your window glazing and end those rattling windows once and for all.(back to top)
PLASTIC WATER LINES With the sharp rise in the cost of copper (as well as the reluctance many homeowners have to solder copper pipe), there has been growing interest in plastic pipe as an alternative for water and drain lines. Plastic pipe made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) has been permitted for DWV (drain-waste-vent) pipe for many years, but it wasn’t until 2007 that the Cleveland Heights Building Department allowed plastic (PEX or CPVC) water supply lines to be installed in residential buildings. PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) is sometimes colored red for hot and blue for cold. CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) is usually beige-colored, to distinguish it from PVC. Neither of these materials should be confused with polybutylene (PB), a grey plastic tubing that came out in the early 1980’s and then fell from usage because it frequently failed under moderate pressure with heat.
Changing the water line requires a plumbing permit. Since the original metal piping is often part of the grounding circuit of your electrical system, if you change to plastic water lines, the city requires that the installer have an electrician certify in writing that there are adequate ground connections to provide safety. Another consideration when installing plastic water lines is water pressure. Many homes have a pressure regulator mounted on the house side of the line, usually just above the water meter, to control water pressure from the street water line. High pressure can be damaging to plumbing fixtures and piping, so a regulator is needed to keep the pressure at a desirable level. The city water department owns the meter, but the homeowner owns the pressure regulator and is responsible for maintaining it. It is suggested that, with plastic piping, the pressure be set between 55 and 75 PSI (pounds-per-square-inch) so that the pressure will not blow out the pipe at the fittings. Ohio Plumbing Code also requires that a thermal expansion tank be installed on the cold water pipe just over the water heater whenever a regulator is present. When people think about the petrochemicals and solvents that are used for the manufacturing and installation of plastic pipe, they may worry about possible contamination of their drinking water. The National Sanitation Foundation (www.nsf.org), tests U.S.-manufactured pipe for any chemicals that could get into potable water; pipe printed with the NSF certification has no trace chemicals, will resist scaling and deposit build-up when used with both hard and soft water, and will not rust. CPVC is frequently chosen over copper pipe to repair an existing galvanized iron water line, because plastic is inexpensive and will not corrode when in contact with old iron pipe--unlike the corrosion that occurs when copper comes in direct contact with iron pipe (dielectric effect). However, repairs using CPVC can be challenging in an occupied house. Most fittings are glued onto the piping after a solvent primer is used to prepare the fittings and pipe for cementing, and a 24-hour curing period is required for the adhesive to set properly. All too often, people start using a repaired system long before the curing period is up, weakening the joints. Eventually the weakened joints let go and flood the house. Self-clamping brass fittings are faster--allowing you to turn on the water immediately, but they are much more expensive for that convenience. Self-clamping brass fitting
PEX tubing can be used in radiant heating systems, as well as plumbing systems. It is gaining in popularity due to its relative ease of installation, flexibility and durability. Because the tubing bends readily, fewer elbows are needed in many situations, and it can be "fished" into existing walls almost as easily as Romex™ wiring. The connecting fittings are brass and require some specialty tools: one to "swage" or "chamfer" (open up) the end of the tubing, and another to "crimp" (clamp) a ring onto the tube once the fitting is slipped into it. While material costs for a PEX plumbing job are higher than a job with glued CPVC, no cement, chemicals or solvents are used in making the connections, and the lines can be used immediately after assembly is completed. No matter which type of plastic tubing you choose to use, secure it to a wall stud or joist with a support clamps every 24 to 36 inches to minimize sagging and damage from movement. Install an air trap on any new line where a supply line branches off to a fixture (to prevent water hammer), and a shutoff valve on each supply line.(back to top)
UNDERSTANDING YOUR PHONE LINE It's hard to believe that, before July 1977, it was illegal to work on the phone service in your home. All wiring and equipment was considered the property of the local phone company. You were not permitted to hook up specialty phones or any device that was not owned by the phone company. Service employees of the phone company were the only people allowed to do any of the installations of equipment and wiring. Things are different now. Most people purchase and install their own phones rather than paying monthly for equipment rental. Any wiring and equipment from the service protector box is now considered the homeowner's responsibility. The cost of a service call to a residence (unless you pay a monthly fee for a maintenance plan) can be quite expensive, so it makes sense to learn to do some simple line work yourself. A single-line telephone system is pretty simple. Two wires, bundled with others in a cable, come from the local exchange building. These wires, whether strung on poles or buried underground, are usually attached to a grounded lightning protector before entering the house. Once inside, the wires are grouped in a thin cable with red, green, yellow and black conductors. The red wire is called the "ring" wire, and the green is called the "tip." The yellow and black wires are not used in a single-line service, unless there is a need to power a dial light on an older phone; then, they are wired to a transformer. The voltage on the line when you pick up the phone and hear the dial tone is 48VDC (direct current voltage). When the phone rings, a low-amperage 90 to 115VAC charge (alternating current voltage) is being sent across the wires. This ring charge can give you a stinging (but non-lethal) shock, so you need to be careful when working on your system. It's a good idea to take a handset off the hook while working on the line or equipment, and ignore the recorded warning message. Extending the phone lines and adding wall jacks are the most common changes that homeowners want to make to their phone system. The easiest way to start is to extend the new wire from an existing wall jack. There is generally a cover over the terminal block (42A) that can be removed with a single screw. Connect the four wires in the new cable to the terminal screws on the block by looping the wire under the appropriate screw (the new red wire to the "R" terminal, the new green wire to the "G" terminal, and so forth.)
The new cable can be run along the top of the baseboard, under the baseboard, between the baseboard and carpet, or through the walls. Connect the new jack to the cable in the same way that you connected the cable to the terminal block. Jacks for desk phones are usually located along the baseboard; to install a wall phone, run the cable to the wall plate up through the stud cavity and bring it through the wall at the appropriate height (approximately four feet). Then, just plug in your new phone. Wall jacks for computer modems are installed much the same way. Two-line phones are a bit more complicated, but are well within the ability of the average person to install. The Resource Library at Home Repair Resource Center contains additional information and wiring diagrams for home telephone systems.(back to top)
HOLIDAY LIGHTING SAFETY To help ensure a safe and happy holiday season, remember these safety tips:
CEILING FANS Whether you’re looking to cool your house in summer or create the look of a tropical plantation, a ceiling fan can add both style and function to your room. There are many different models available--four blades or five, a variety of finishes, and fans with or without light kits. Most offer several speeds and a reversing switch to change the direction of the airflow. More expensive models may include wireless remote controls, dimmer switches, and other features. When selecting a fan, pay attention to the fine print on the carton. If you want a fan with a light, make sure the model you choose has a light kit included. (Trying to purchase a compatible light kit may not be easy.) With ceiling fans, price usually indicates quality; cheaper models are likely to have a noisy motor, wobbly fan blades, and a shorter life span. Make sure, however, that you’re not paying a premium for a designer “look” or features that aren’t important to you. The first step is to determine the size fan you will need. As a general rule, you should get a 36” fan if the longest wall in your room is 12 feet or less; a 42” fan if that wall is 12 to 15 feet; and a 52” fan if the longest wall is 15 to 18 feet. The fans blades should be at least seven feet off the floor, and the blades must be at least 12” from the ceiling (18” is better). You can choose a “ceiling-hugging” model without a down-rod for a room with lower ceilings. Manufacturers generally include assembly and installation instructions specific to the model you have purchased. Regardless of the fan you will be installing, however, you should think about how the fan will be secured to and supported in the ceiling, and how it will be connected to the electrical wiring--especially when installing it in an older home. Before you begin, turn off all power to the circuit by pulling the fuse or tripping the circuit breaker. (Never assume that turning off the switch will guarantee that there is no current; sometimes, switches have been incorrectly installed on a neutral wire, leaving the other wire “hot” even when the switch has been turned off.) If you are not certain that you have shut off the correct circuit, be safe and turn off all power to the house at the service panel. Mounting the Fan If you are replacing an existing light fixture, be aware that most ceiling-mount boxes for lights are not secured to the wood framing; in fact, the box for a lightweight light fixture may only be attached to the ¼” lath behind the plaster. It’s important that you replace the old box with a metal junction box able to support the weight of the motor and the vibration of the moving blades. If your fan weighs 35 pounds or less, you can use a special electrical box approved for ceiling fans or ceiling suspended "paddle" fan installation, nailed to the side of a ceiling joist. For fans heavier than 35 pounds, you’ll need to support the fan independently of the electrical box. If you have access to the attic above, you can add a 2” x 4” wooden header (brace) nailed between two joists, and nail the junction box to it.
Fixture box attached to wooden brace As an alternative, you can install an expandable metal ceiling fan hanger bar through the rough opening. (If your model will have a decorative ceiling cover against the plaster, you can usually enlarge the hole to insert the bar, since the opening will be hidden by the canopy. Metal teeth at either end of the bar secure the bracket in place between the floor joists. An electrical box, which generally comes with the hanger kit, is then attached to the bracket; with most bars, the box can be positioned at any point along its length, so your fan can be located at the desired spot in the ceiling.
Ceiling fan hanger bar If you have a beamed ceiling, you’ll need special mounting hardware to install the fan. There is one type for a horizontal beam, and another type for a sloping beam. You may need an extender to ensure that the fan has sufficient clearance. Connecting the Fan to the House Wiring With old knob-and-tube wiring, you won’t be able to power the fan and the light separately; you will have to use the pull chains on the fixture to turn the light on or off and to change fan speeds. (Some people decide to purchase a fan with remote control for that reason.) If you are not sure which of the existing wires coming into the function box is the "hot" wire and which is the "neutral," turn on the power to the circuit just long enough to use an electrical tester, and then turn the power off again. Attach the black "hot" wire that powers the fan and the "hot" wire that powers the light (usually blue, but sometimes another color) together in a wire nut with the "hot" wire in the junction box. Attach the white "neutral" wire from the fan to the "neutral" wire in the junction box. Because there is no ground wire on the knob-and-tube system, put a wire nut on the end of the ground wire from the fan and coil it up in the junction box. If you wish to operate the fan independently of the light, you will need to run a 3-wire cable between the fixture and the junction box, and mount a double switch in the box. Similarly, if you are installing a fan where there is no existing light fixture, you’ll need to run wires from the service panel or a nearby circuit to the junction box holding the fan and run a switch leg to a wall switch. (If you run a new circuit to the junction box with a ground wire, connect it to the grounding bracket on the fan and to the fan itself, joining all three wires in a wire nut.) Depending upon the way the joists are positioned, and whether the room is on the first or second floor, you may need to cut into your ceiling and/or walls to get the wires where they need to go. (See "Rewiring Old Houses" in the April 1996 issue of the Journal of Light Construction for tips on fishing wire through walls; our separate handout on wall switches may also be helpful.) And, be sure to consider how to protect your family from lead paint dust when old plaster is disturbed. One additional note: If you are utilizing knob-and-tube wiring from an old lighting circuit, the insulation may have deteriorated around the conductors (wires). Wrap some electrical tape around the wire or purchase a length of knob-and-tube insulation fabric and run the wire through it. Be sure to use Romex clamps to secure the wires where they enter the junction box (through knock-out openings). Otherwise, the vibration of the fan can, over time, cut through the surrounding insulation, creating a shock and fire hazard or shorting out the circuit. Assembly Since fan assembly varies from brand to brand, it’s important that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for putting the parts of your fan together. Once you have everything in place, turn the power back on and test the fan. If the fan wobbles when it runs, the blades may need to be balanced. This involves a bit of trial and error. You can interchange two of the blades to see if that solves the problem. If not, you may need to determine if one or more of the blades is lighter in weight than the others and attach a small object to the blade(s) to equalize their weight. Some fans include small weights that can be attached to the blade; if not, try taping a pencil eraser or small amount of modeling clay to the top center of the blade(s) until the fan runs smoothly. (back to top)
CONTRACTING ELECTRICAL REPAIRS These are some areas of discussion which may help you assess the skills of an electrical contractor, or determine the scope of what you want to have done:
GARAGE WALL REPAIR Many older garages were built much like sheds and pole barns. The studs were set into the soil and siding was attached; if you were lucky, there was a bottom plate that sat directly on the dirt. Later, an asphalt or concrete floor may have been poured, covering the bottom plate (if there was one) and the lower portions of the studs. Over time, exposure to ground moisture may cause deterioration of the bottom plates (sill plates) and the bottom portions of the studs. Repairing this part of the framing isn’t a complex project, but there are a few tricks that will make the job easier. The first task is to cut out the lower portion of each stud, so that the new sill plate can be inserted between the bottom edge and the floor. The easiest way to do this is to jack up the roof an inch or so and support it while you’re doing the job. You can use a hydraulic bottle jack along with some posts made by nailing two 2 x 4’s together--one that will fit between the jack and the doubled header (top) plate of the wall, and two long enough to wedge between the floor and the top plate. Position the jack on the garage floor at one end of the wall; using that shorter post, slowly lift up the roof on that side. When it is up about an inch, wedge the longer post in place to support the roof at that height. Move the jack to the other side of the wall, raise the roof there to an equal height, and wedge the second post in place.
While the roof is supported, you can make the necessary repairs to the wall. Lay the new sill plate (a length of 2 x 4 Wolmanized lumber will do) on the floor beside the wall and mark its height along each stud. Then, using a reciprocating saw (Sawzall™), cut along the lines and remove the bottom portion of each stud. (If the stud is buried in concrete or asphalt, a bit of “persuasion” can be exerted with a small sledgehammer.) Once the bottom portions are out, you can insert the Wolmanized board below the remaining studs and lower the wall back into place, atop the new sill plate. Secure the sill plate to the concrete or asphalt floor with masonry anchors or Tapcon™ screws, and then toenail (nail diagonally) through the bottom of each stud into the sill plate. If more than the bottom few inches of the old stud have rotted out, you can insert a small piece to support the rest of the stud; then, you’ll need to “sister” a new full-length board along side the existing one, and nail the two boards together. (Code requires that the studs be all one piece.) This sistering should be done before the wall is lowered back into place. This same procedure can be utilized for other common garage repairs. If you have a bowed-out wall (usually caused by someone backing up just a little too far) that needs to be pulled back onto the foundation, jack it up as described above. Once the wall is swinging freely, thread a screw eye into the sill plate and use a come-along (cable hoist) to pull the wall back into position. Release the jack; the come-along will hold the wall in place while you drive concrete anchors through the bottom plate into the foundation to keep the wall from moving again. You can also jack up a garage wall while you add or replace concrete footers beneath it, if you dig out and pour one side at a time. (back to top)
MASONRY FASTENERS Many homeowners have questions about how to attach something to, or hang something from, a basement foundation wall. Much depends upon the type of foundation wall. The earliest Cleveland Heights homes had foundations of fieldstone and mortar. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, large and heavy sandstone blocks were used for foundation walls. There were many houses with brick foundations, too. Hollow clay (tile) block--lighter and much easier to work with than sandstone, and less expensive than brick--became the most common foundation wall during the WWI era. During the Depression, cement and ground-up coal cinders were mixed to create cement (cinder) blocks. From the mid-1940s to the present, these cement blocks have been the most common construction material for foundation walls, although in the past few decades, poured concrete foundations have also become popular in new construction. Regardless of the foundation material, securing something to a masonry wall can be a bit of a challenge. Drilling into fire-hardened brick and then driving in a screw or an expansive anchor can cause the brick to crack. Clay blocks, on the other hand, are hollow, so they will be damaged by anything that is driven into the walls of the block. It's usually easier to drill and attach something into the mortar joints between the blocks than to drill into the block itself. Clay block walls are found in many basements in our area. In addition to the blocks themselves being hollow, the vertical mortar joints are only 3/4” thick. So, when attaching something to this type of wall, it’s best to drill into the horizontal mortar joints. Screws will be less likely to pull out if you choose screws long enough to pass through the item to be mounted and extend an extra 1-1/2” into the wall. Drill the hole at least 1/4” deeper than the screw length, so that any loose concrete particles will be forced into the back of the hole as you run the screw in. The type of fastener to use will also depend on what you are trying to secure to the wall. To fasten lightweight items to masonry, a variety of nails, screws and anchors are available. Fluted (ribbed) hardened masonry nails are driven in by hand with a hammer. They can be difficult to get started and can bend as you drive them in. It helps to pre-drill a pilot hole (slightly smaller than the nail) with a masonry drill bit. mason's nails Another option is a powder-drive gun that shoots a cement nail (such as a powder-driven stud) into masonry walls. However, if you’re not very experienced with the tool, you can easily overdrive the nail through the item you want to attach to the wall. Another problem is that the nails used with the gun are smooth, and can pull out.
powder-driven studs The most commonly used fastener is a concrete screw, a hardened blue-colored fastener probably better known by the trade name Tapcon™ screw. To install it, drill a pilot hole into the mortar with a masonry drill bit that is smaller than the screw size. (For example, if you are using a ¼" screw, use a 3/16" masonry bit.) Then, drive the screw into the pilot hole with a screw gun or drill, using either a nut driver bit of a Phillips screwdriver bit. The threads of the concrete screw will bite into the sides of the pilot hole. You can also drive this type of screw into a lead or plastic anchor that has been hammered into a pre-drilled hole. Concrete screws are the best choice when you're installing a piece of plywood to a foundation wall (to hang electrical boxes or clamp conduit).
Tapcon™ screws For medium-weight items, use lag bolts and shields that expand in the wall. They grab into the hole better than regular anchors (which tend to be smooth), but require that you drill a hole (at least 1/2" diameter) that will hold the shield snugly. Make sure the bolt is long enough to go through the item being mounted to the wall and extend slightly beyond the end of the shield to expand it fully. The shield should be about 2" to 2-1/2" long.
lag screw & shield For heavyweight applications (such as a wall-mounted weight-lift machine, or a joist for a porch floor on the exterior surface), you may need to punch a hole in the block. Insert a L-shaped foundation bolt (anchor bolt) in the hole and fill the block cavity with anchoring cement. Let the cement cure for a couple of days before applying any pressure on the bolt.
foundation bolt In addition to choosing the right fastener, you should also take care to prevent problems caused by basement moisture. Wall areas below "grade" (that is, below the soil line outside), are much cooler; in summer, water vapor in humid air will condense against the cool walls, leaving the surface damp. Moisture seeping through from the outside can also cause wall areas below grade to be wet. So, if steel or iron items are mounted below grade, they’ll eventually rust and crumble away. There are some ways to minimize this problem. Consider mounting metal items, such as electrical workboxes, onto wood blocks, painted on all sides, that are positioned above grade. Paint the contact area of the metal with a rust-preventing coating (i.e., Rustoleum™.) Mount laundry tub faucets and the hose spigots for the washing machine onto painted wood blocks, as well, if they are below grade; while brass fixtures and copper piping don’t rust, the clamps are often just copper-plated steel, and they will eventually rust if mounted directly to the wall. Outlets and switches should be mounted at least 48" up from the basement floor (as required by the electrical code). You may find other projects where wedge/sleeve fastening "systems" will be helpful (for example, securing a garage wall stud to the concrete footer, or fastening a stud wall to a concrete floor.) If you're not certain which method will work best for your project, the staff at your favorite hardware store should be able to guide you through the options available.
wedge and sleeve anchors"
PORCH FLOORING REPAIR If the wood on your porch landing feels spongy, or if a few of the flooring boards have rotted and deteriorated, you are probably in need of some flooring repair. It’s not always necessary to replace the whole floor; you can often replace only those boards that are rotting. Replacing a section doesn't have to be expensive. 8-foot lengths of 4”-wide porch flooring are available at most lumber yards--though if you have a less common size, you may need to check several lumber yards for availability, and the boards may be more expensive. The really important thing is to get to the repairs early, before they start to do damage to the frame underneath. Once water gets under the floor, the flooring will start to buckle--and the cost and time required to fix the problem increase. Porch flooring is usually not too hard to remove and replace, if you know a couple of simple things about how the flooring is made and put together. The working edges of flooring are called "tongue" and "groove." These ends are made to work together to hold the flooring down, with the tongue of each flooring piece fitting into the groove of the neighboring piece.
tongue-and-groove flooring Use a hammer and wood chisel to remove the first rotten board, being careful not to damage the tongue or groove of the sound board next to it. Once you have the first board out, you can use a cat's paw or pry bar to help take out the other boards to be replaced. Before putting down new pieces to replace the damaged flooring you have removed, take a careful look at the wood frame underneath. The boards to which the flooring is nailed are called joists. In order to have a solid floor, the joists themselves must be solid. Unfortunately, joists are subject to attack from moisture and dry rot. As a rule of thumb, if you can push a nail into a joist by hand to a depth of 1/2”, then it is probably too far deteriorated to work as it should. In most cases, you can repair or replace the joist yourself.
An easy method to strengthen a deteriorating joist is to cut a piece of new wood to length, nail the new joist along one side of the weakened one, and then toe-nail it into the frame at each end. (This process is called sistering.) If the original joist is totally rotten and must be replaced, attach the new joist to the supporting framework using a galvanized joist hanger bracket. In either case, use lumber the same size as the original joist (usually a 2 x 6 or 2 x 8.) Outdoor treated wood is a good choice, as it will withstand moisture.
Once you have made sure the joists are sound, you can begin installing the new flooring. To protect the tongue edge and yet ensure that the floor boards fit tightly together, cut a small piece of flooring (about 6” long), and fit its groove along the tongue of the piece you're installing. Hammer against this small block as you move it along the piece being installed, until the new piece fits snugly against its neighbor. Then, nail diagonally down through the tongue side of the new piece (see illustration); the nail will be hidden by the groove of the next piece you install. With this system, you will have no exposed nails, reducing the chance of the floor warping. If you are patching an area of floor and not replacing the whole thing, then the big question is how to get that last piece of flooring installed, when its tongue sticks out beyond the adjacent board. The answer is simple--you cut the tongue off! You can use a circular saw or a hammer and wood chisel. Then, that last piece can be fit in place and either nailed down through the top or glued down with construction adhesive. Don't try to cut the flooring pieces exactly to length before you install them. Cut them a few inches longer than you'll need, and nail them in place. When you’ve finished installing the last piece, snap a chalk line across all the flooring boards at once, and cut off the ends with a circular saw. Paint the new flooring right away with an oil-base primer and polyurethane deck enamel, to prevent the wood from warping. Then, pour a cool lemonade, settle in your porch chair, and enjoy the firm and solid porch flooring under your feet. (back to top)
EMERGENCY SHUT-OFFS If you suddenly had to turn off the gas, water, or electrical power to your house, would you know how to do it? It’s important that every adult and teenager in your home know where the emergency shut offs are and how to operate them. Gas: The supplier adds a distinctive smell to the natural gas sent to your house, so you can tell if gas is leaking from a gas line or fitting. Since the gas is explosive, if you detect the odor of natural gas, immediately turn off the gas supply to your house and call the emergency phone number for the gas company. They will check for any leaks and let you know what repair work is needed. The valve that shuts off all the gas to your home is usually found at the meter, typically located on an exterior wall near the street. (In addition to measuring how much gas your household uses each month, the meter joins the incoming gas line to the individual gas supply pipes that run to your appliances.) To turn off gas to the whole house, find the main shut-off valve on the gas pipe on the utility side of the meter. When gas is flowing, the lug on the valve will be in line with the pipe. Use an adjustable or open-end wrench to turn the lug perpendicular to (across) the pipe. Some gas will remain in the line (and should be bled before starting repair work), but with the valve closed, no more gas will flow into the house.
main gas shut-off Sometimes it’s necessary to shut off the gas to an individual appliance, as when you change your water heater. In that case, locate the appliance gas shut-off valve and turn the handle 90°, so it is perpendicular to the gas line.
appliance gas shut-off Water: Water lines are typically controlled by several valves, and most people will turn off the one that is least disruptive to water supplied to the rest of the house. If you are lucky, you can find a shut-off valve that controls the water supply to the individual fixture that is leaking--sink faucet, toilet, dishwasher, washing machine, etc. Sometimes, that valve will be on the supply line to the fixture; one or more clockwise turns will usually stop the water. If you don’t find a shut off at the fixture, check in the basement for a “zone valve” that controls water flow to that area of the house (bathroom, kitchen, etc.)
If you can’t shut off the water with a zone valve, you’ll need to shut off all the water to the house. Locate the main water shut-off valve, usually where the water line from the street comes into the house. (If you have an interior meter, you may have two valves, one on the street side of the meter and one on the house side of the meter.) The valve may be operated with a lever, or a with round handle that you’ll have to turn clockwise--often several rotations--to shut off the water flow completely.
main water shut-off valve Failing this, the water can be turned off at the street, but most homeowners won’t have the necessary tools to do so. The valve at the water main is several feet underground, usually near the sidewalk or driveway apron. Representatives from the water department (and many plumbers) have a water meter wrench, shaped like a “T”, that fits over a lug on the valve to turn the water on and off. Electricity: To shut off the electrical power, you’ll need to find the main service panel, usually on an exterior wall near where the electric meter is located on the outside of the house. (Some houses may have additional “subpanels” that route electrical service to other areas where it’s needed.) At the main service panel, large wires coming from the meter enter the box, and the available current is divided among several circuits controlled by fuses or circuit breakers.
main breaker Depending on how your house is wired, you’ll usually find a breaker or fuse block in the main service that will control all the electricity entering your house; tripping the breaker or pulling out the cartridge fuses will shut off all the power. If you want to shut off power to just one circuit, you’ll need to locate the fuse or breaker that controls that circuit and remove that fuse or trip that breaker. An electrical map of your house can be helpful when you need to locate that controlling fuse or breaker in a hurry. CONCLUSION In an emergency, don’t waste time trying to limit the service you shut off. Just go to the main shut off--gas, water, or electrical--and stop the flow before more damage occurs. Once you’ve taken that step, you’ll have time to determine if there are less restrictive measures that will accomplish what you need to do. (back to top)
LADDER SAFETY Each year thousands of people use ladders to work around their homes, and each year there are hundreds of accidents with ladders. A few common sense guidelines should help make your experience a safe one.
Next, look at the area where you'll be using the ladder. Look for tree branches that may be in the way. Look for clearance room to raise the ladder. Look at what might be in your path if the ladder accidentally falls, and move it out of the way. And last, but most importantly, LOOK FOR POWER LINES. An aluminum ladder that contacts overhead power lines can give you a deadly shock. Be careful moving a ladder around them. To erect a ladder, place the base near where you want the ladder to stand. Then, have a helper hold down the base or, if you're working alone, place the base against a house wall. Now, move to the opposite end, lift the top of the ladder above your head, and walk toward the base, moving your hands from rung to rung as you go until you have the ladder standing straight up (see illustration below). To move the ladder into place, keep it balanced upright while lifting it slightly off the ground. If the ladder is too heavy for you to lift in this way, you can hold the ladder in a “bear hug,” put each foot along side a ladder shoe, and "walk" the ladder into position. If the ladder starts to tip or if it becomes off-balance while you're moving it, set it down and start again.
Other safety tips:
When it’s time to lower your extension ladder, again secure the base, and then reverse the actions you used to raise it. Grab the ladder near its base and, holding it overhead, walk toward the top, lowering the ladder as you go. Follow these common sense tips for a safer experience on your ladders. (back to top)
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If you need to replace the glass in a window, the procedure is a bit different. Remember that glazing compound does not hold the glass in place--it only seals out water and air. The glass is really secured by glazing points, small pieces of metal inserted into the wood frame along the edge of the glass.
CPVC water lines
shut-off at fixture
