Category: Home Works

Cabinet Pulls And Knobs

plumbwashers_2473_use_MS_webIn some cases, rubber plumbing washers can enhance cabinet pulls and knobs by providing better bearing on the cabinet, provide more finger space, dramatically reduce scratches due to finger nails and add a splash of color.
When used one cannot tell they are plumbing washers.

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Most of the plumbing washers are black but salmon, baby blue and reddish are easily found.
The washers can be flat or beveled, come in different sizes and some of them will easily buff to a luster with a small rag.plumb washers 011 use_web plumb washers 025_A-use_web
Using these washers will require a longer screw to make up for the added depth.plumb washers_0086a use_webplumb washers_0067 use_web
They can be used singly or as a stack of multiple sizes for a pyramidal effect.

Electrical Tip:
These rubber plumbing washers can also be extensively beneficial when used to bring forward a light switch or a plug in the wall so that they can be as flush as possible to the wall surface to receive the decorative plate.
This problem usually happens when the existing wall gets a “new face” and a new thickness added onto it, thus leaving the electrical boxes further back.
Replace the screws on the outlet with longer ones and impale the washers as needed.
It works!

Whimsical Toad

Problem:
A 6” hole in the exterior garage wall due to a clothes dryer vent that was relocated.

Solution:
Behind the stucco there was wood.
A 1x wood board large enough to cover the hole was glued and screwed to the existing 1x from the garage side.

This left a depth of about 1.5” to the edge of the stucco finish on the exterior.

IMG_4817_web_A hollow garden toad this time proved handy. Part of the toad’s back was sawed off with a hack saw. Various tests occurred to see how the toad sat in the hole and then later with an anchor.

A coat hanger was doubled, bent to 90 degrees +- and cut making a 3”x3” +- anchor. A long sheet rock screw was inserted through the hole opening into the wood. This held the anchor.

Some concrete (cement is OK) was placed in the hole followed by a small piece of wire mesh.
More concrete was applied over the mesh as well as inside the toad.

The toad was pushed against the anchor sticking out of the wall and pushed into its seat.
It was an orchestration of movements but it all worked.

IMG_4843_webThe balance of the hole around the toad was filled, smoothed and a light texture applied. At this point a long board, held by a garbage can, was placed against the toad to insure it would not fall.

Later after the toad had cured, Concrete Fix All over the moistened concrete patch helped achieve a finished texture look.
Chinese bristle brushes or a spray water bottle work well to moisten.

The hooked toad was caulked and primed.

The job took about an hour and a half and at the time, the cost of the toad itself was about $3.00.

Dry Rot Repair

Dry rot is one of wood’s and property owner’s eternal and very costly enemies. In researching how to repair dry rot for personal use, we have come across a web site that is almost hard to believe.
http://www.abatron.com
The company sells a solution type A and type B sort of thing and has done extensive work for the U.S. government repairing thousands of windows first by neutralizing the dry rot problem and then by repairing them with their filler.
Below is an excerpt from their awesome project gallery which is a ‘must see’.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture Building was the largest office building in the world until the erection of the Pentagon. LiquidWood® and WoodEpox® were used to restore over 8000 deteriorating windows in the South Building in 1986-1996. The most severely deteriorated windows were on the south end of the building. WoodEpox made possible the preservation of the windows on this side. LiquidWood was used on all of the window sills and 8 inches up on the frames. After restoration, the wood was primed and painted.”

For better understanding, the web site below clearly shows and explains the Abatron product in use.
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/decks/oldporch/framing/rot_repair.htm

All in all this is a solution that depending upon the gravity of the problem, could save some sweet hard earned dollars.