Replacing Cracked Tile

Replacing a cracked tile is a lot easier than you may think and could make your home look beautiful again. With just a few steps you can have that cracked tile looking new again.

Tools Needed

1) Chisel or Flat head screwdriver

2) Hammer

3) Trowel

4) Grout sponge

Materials Needed
1) Replacement tile
2) Mastic (tile adhesive)
3) Grout
4) Tile

The first step that you must do is carefully start chiseling out the damaged tile by starting at the grout line and working your way towards the center. The tile should come out easily with a few taps around the edges.

After you removed the damaged tile it is time to remove the adhesive that holds the tile in place. It is important to make sure that you have a flat surface for your new tile to be able to lay flush. 

Once you have removed all the adhesive it is time to lay the mastic out on the cleaned surface and simply lay your tile into place. Make sure that your grout lines even on all sides, you can use the tile spacers if you have some extras laying around.

Allow the new tile to dry for 24 hours and then fill the grout lines with matching grout. Use the grout sponge to clean the tile and waalaa!!!! That's how you easily replace a damaged tile. See you next time.

Replacing Rollers on Sliding Glass Door

Anyone that has a sliding glass door knows how horrible it can be if the door stops sliding and you have to practically pry it open because the rollers are shot. Although you may believe that the door itself is broken it is simply the set of rollers on the bottom track that need to be replaced. Below I am going to show you the easiest way to replace the damaged rollers.

Tools Needed
1) Screwdriver
2) Needle Nose Pliers

Materials Needed
1) Replacement Rollers

The first step that you must do is remove the sliding glass door from the track by firmly holding on to each side of the slider and lifting the glass door up and sliding the bottom out of the track. I recommend you having someone help lifting the door out of the track because it is heavy. It is possible to use the suction grips to grab onto the glass but if you hold onto the actual track it makes it a little easier.

Next lay the slider on its side and remove the bottom frame by unscrewing the one screw on each side of the frame that holds the framing together. 

Now you have to carefully remove the actual frame by pulling it away from the slider.

Once you got to bottom frame out you can simply remove the roller from the frame and take to the roller with me to the local hardware store and match the damaged roller with the correct model. They make quite a bit of different types of rollers so you want to make sure that it matches exactly the one you have.

Once you have the correct roller simply repeat the above steps backwards and reinstall the new rollers and place you door back on the track. You just replaced your damaged rollers! Good luck ask me any questions you may have.

Replacing a Toilet Fill Valve

If your toilet is starts sounding like a tug boat when it is filling the water holding tank you have to replace to "toilet fill valve". Replacing the fill valve will eliminate the loud sounds the toilet makes when it is filling and ensure a peaceful toilet experience. I recommend going to your local hardware store and purchasing a universal fill valve from the plumbing section, you are able to adjust a universal fill valve to fit your specific toilet. Below is a picture of the fill valve.


Tools Needed
Wrench


Supplies Needed
Replacement Universal Fill Valve

The first step to replace the toilet fill valve is to turn off the water supply line to the toilet and flush the toilet so the holding tank empties. Remove the supply line from the fill valve and use the wrench to remove the nut that holds the fill valve in place, it is located under the holding tank as seen on the diagram below.

 

Disconnect the refill tube from the overflow tube and remove the damaged fill valve from the holding tank. Install the new universal fill valve and make that the nut and the supply line are tightened; they usually make the nut that holds the fill valve plastic to prevent you from breaking the tank. You just successfully replaced your fill valve, enjoy endless flushes with quiet refills. Please enjoy the sounds below.