Patching a Hole in Drywall

When you have a hole in your drywall and can't just cover it up with a picture the next best thing is to fix it. Depending on the size of the hole determines what you need to do to fix it. For small holes like nail holes you can simply fill them with drywall spackling, if your hole is smaller than two inches square you are able to cover the hole with fiberglass self adhesive joint tape and fill it with spackling. Now comes the hard part, what do you do with holes that are two big to fill? Below is a detailed description for each scenario.

Materials Needed:
Drywall (usually 1/2" thick on most homes)
1 1/4" Drywall Screws
Self Adhesive Thin Fiberglass Joint Tape
Spackling
Medium and Fine Grit Sandpaper

Tools Needed:
Spackling Knife
Measuring Tape
Utlity knife or drywall saw
Wood Saw

Drill

Holes that are smaller than 10" square:

The first step to do is to cut a square around the perimeter of the existing hole, make sure that no electrical wires are running behind the drywall. I always use a utility knife and make the length of the blade long enough to only cut through the drywall.

The second step you need to do is cut two pieces of wood that are about 3 inches wider than the hole so you can use it as a back support for the new piece of drywall, I always attach the wood at the top and bottom of the hole unless its to wide so you need to attach them at the left and right side. You can use any scrap wood you have laying around as long as it fits behind the drywall, I've even used the wood paint mixers they give you at the local store just grab a few extras if you're doing a patch repair.

The third step is to measure the dimensions of the hole and to cut a piece of drywall the size that you measured. Once you have the piece cut to size, just pop it right into the hole and screw it to the back support you just installed. Don't get to close with the screws to the edge of the drywall because it can crack the drywall easily.

The last and final step is to apply a thin layer of spackling compound to fill any cracks between the existing and new piece of drywall, then you apply the thin joint tape to all the edges and go over it again with the spackling compound. You want to make sure that you cover the tape entirely and I always taped out away from the hole so it makes it easier when sanding. Make sure not to glob it on because this will cause you more work when it comes time to sand. Use the medium grit sand paper to start and finish with the fine grit sand paper. It may take up to three applications to completely cover the tape and make it look smooth; let the spackling dry between each application.



For Holes Larger than 10" Square:

The only step that changes if you are covering holes larger than 10" square is step one. You must cut the existing hole large enough to reach from stud to stud behind the wall. Then you can install the back support in between the wood studs as shown below.

Repeat the steps starting from step three and you can successfully repair a hole in your drywall. I hope you learned something and feel free to leave any comments and questions.

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Replacing Toilet Bowl Wax Ring

Does you bathroom sometimes have a funny smell in it? You might have to replace your wax ring. Your wax ring is located under your toilet bowl and is meant to prevent water, smells, and gases from coming up from your underground septic tank and plumbing and into your lovely bathroom. You must remove your toilet bowl to get to the wax ring, before you remove your toilet seat make sure to shut off all the water and disconnect the water feed to the toilet. You need to flush your toilet once the water is disconnected to be able to clear the toilet of any water.

Once you removed the toilet carefully place it to the side and clean off any existing wax residue that is left from the previous wax ring. Make sure you remove all the old wax from the bottom of the toilet and from the plumbing pipe in the floor. You can purchase a wax ring at your local hardware store for about $5. I recommend buying the wax ring that is made for industrial/ commercial use, they carry a higher percentage of wax and cost about the same as smaller household ones. Once you have the old wax removed simply place the new wax ring on the bottom of the toilet and carefully place it back into its place, you may have to push it down to have it sit firmly in place. Tighten the nuts that hold the toilet in place and replace your water line and turn your water on, you are ready to enjoy your bathroom without those horrible smells!

How to Replace an Electrical Breaker

When working with electricity it is very important to understand that electricity can kill you. The first and most important step when deciding to change an electrical breaker that keeps tripping off is to be absolutely sure that the main power on the breaker box is turned off. Most homes have their main breaker box in the garage, but some condominiums or apartments have a breaker box in the condo/ apartment but the main shut off switch will be in an electrical room usually on the side of the entire apartment/ condo building and each unit will be labeled (make sure not to shut off your neighbors electricity).

Once you have located your main breaker switch shut it to the off position, you must then remove the screws that hold the cover to the breaker box. I always use a voltage meter to double check that the electricity is completely shut off although I shut off the main. Remove the screws that hold the wires to the breaker and make sure you know which one goes where (usually black on top and white on bottom), next simply pry off the damaged breaker and replace it with the new one, it is important to make sure you replace the breaker with the same type of breaker (amps, volts, and clamps on back). Do not turn your main switch back on until you have installed the new breaker and replaced the wires you removed.

Replacing Bathroom Sink Faucet

Replacing the faucet in the bathroom is an easy way to update your bathroom without spending a fortune. Maybe you have to replace the faucet because you have a slow leak and the valve won't shut off completely.
The first step you must do is shut the water valves off under the sink that supplies the hot and cold water to your faucet. Once you shut the water off under the sink you must disconnect the supply line that feeds the water to your faucet, on the new models there is usually a threaded connection at the supply line and the faucet it self and in this case you only have to remove the connection at the faucet and replace the faucet itself. To remove the faucet itself there are nuts that hold the hot and cold water handles in place, use a wrench to remove the nuts (if they are in a hard to reach area and you can't get a typical wrench in there you may have to purchase a basin wrench from your local hardware store, see picture below)





To make it easier for you, I recommend removing the existing faucet and bringing it with you when you purchase the new faucet to make sure that the hot and cold water pipes on the old faucet match with the new one you will purchase. Some of the faucets have a different distance between the hot and cold water pipes.

On some of the older models you will have a direct connection to the faucet and a threaded connection at the water supply; in this case you will remove the connection at the water supply and have to buy supply lines that are long enough to go from the water supply to your new faucet. I recommend using the stainless steel supply lines they come in sizes from 12" and up (see picture below).

 
Once you purchased all the needed materials all you have to do is connect the supply lines to your water supply valve and install the faucet the same way you uninstalled it and connect the supply line to your faucet and you have completed the task of replacing your bathroom sink faucet. Keep me posted with any questions and good luck with your project.

Pressure Cleaning Painted Pool Deck

Pressure washing a painted pool deck can be fun and easy as long as you do it the right way and don't use to powerful of a machine. It is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to turn an existing floor that has mold, mildew, dirt or just filth that has accumulated throughout the years into a nice floor that you will get complemented on as soon as others see the miraculous (but inexpensive) change. If you are looking to use the pressure washer to wash you painted pool deck or even siding on your house I recommend you go to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, or even Wal-Mart and take a look at a pressure washer that is between 1600 to 2000 PSI (aprox. $135.00 - $225.00). They sell gas and electric pressure washers, I prefer the gas pressure washer because you don't have the extra cords that plug into the electrical outlet (they tend to get tangled and cause a hassle) and to be honest I don't like playing with water and electricity at the same time. They do make pressure washers that are much more powerful for commercial use or heavy duty use but you will not need one so strong if you are just working around the house. I have had a customer tell me they bought a 6,000 PSI pressure washer and ended up peeling paint off their patio floor and it cost them more money in the long run.

Once you have your pressure washer and you are ready to clean the painted patio floor it is important that you test the strength of the pressure washer in one of the filthier areas to see how much pressure you need. To adjust the strength of the pressure washer there is a nozzle at the front of the wand where the water comes out of and you can twist it to make a jet stream of water which is the most powerful or you can twist the nozzle the other way to for more of a fan spray that is less powerful, the wider the spray becomes the less pressure you are using. You want enough pressure to clean the surface but not peel any paint, the wider the stream of water the more area you will cover with each pass. You don't want a single jet stream of water because this will take you a long time to complete the job. I usually like to break the area down into sections and work one area at a time, if you look at the entire job it may seem overwhelming but it’s not as hard as it looks. If you have areas that have a lot of mildew and mold, I recommend using a product called Krud Kutter; it is a non toxic environmentally friendly product. It won't kill your plants or hurt your animals, here's the link http://www.krudkutter.com/ to see what the product looks like, it is sold at Home Depot or Lowes.
Good luck with your pressure washing project and keep checking back for more handy man tips.

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