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Carpentry Tips

Concrete Tips

Masonry Tips

Floor Tiling Tips

Plumbing Tips

Electrical Tips

Carpentry Tips:

1. Sawing Boards

Cut your board 1/8” longer, you can always take more off if needed

2. Holding power for floor boards (plywood, etc.)

Use ring shanked or spiral nails, they are less likely to loosen

3. How to keep wood from splitting

Tap the point of the nail with a hammer to blunt it and don’t hammer too close to the edge.

4. How to save your back

When doing floor trim such as baseboard and quarter round, build an incline box. Put it on the floor, place your boards on it to saw and you won’t have to bend up and down. Wear your knee pads and you’re set.

5. Save time when doing trim work

When nailing up trim nail only halfway into boards. If you have to take the board out for an adjustment it will be a lot easier.

6. Hanging door jambs

Use screws, if you have to make adjustments just unscrew and reset.

7. Putting up ceiling trim

Drop your board 1/4” from the ceiling and draw a level line as a guide. Your ceiling is probably not level, you can caulk opening above molding.

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Concrete Tips -- How to repair a crack in concrete;

With a masonry hammer and chisel, chisel away any loose concrete around the perimeter of the crack, slightly undercut the crack so that the depth is about 1 inch lower and wider at the bottom then the top.
Brush away all loose debris and flush out with water. Wait until the area is dry or damp and then coat the edges with latex.
Mix your ready made mortar to a consistency of mayonnaise and trowel into crack. Press deeply into the crack to remove any air pockets and then level with a square trowel

Masonry Tips -- How to replace a broken brick:

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Tools needed: A good masonry chisel, hammer, and drill bit.
Drill out surrounding mortar joints and drill a few holes into the brick. this will weaken the brick and now you can start to chisel it out. Go easy at first so as not to damage surrounding brick.
Continue until all mortar is removed ,then dust away any loose particles and dampen the hole and brick as well to receive new mortar. If these areas are not damp the mortar won't stick.
Continue until all mortar is removed ,then dust away any loose particles and dampen the hole and brick as well to receive new mortar. If these areas are not damp the mortar won't stick.
Butter the back and sides of the brick with new mortar and insert into the opening. When mortar is almost dry, clean the joints.

Floor Tile Tips:

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Keep work area clean, you will be able to locate your tools faster and your workmanship will be neater.
Anticipate where your cuts will go, set your tile next to those areas and dry cut, placing them into position. If you need to trim the tile now is the time to do it, then apply glue or mortar.
Keep an empty box handy to throw your tile cuts into.
Always have a damp sponge handy, you'll save time and energy.
Use a layout stick, a two inch wide piece of lattice is good. Mark your tiles on the lattice board, don't forget to mark your grout line spaces as well. Your layout stick will tell you what your end cuts will look like, try not to make them less then two inches wide for appearance.

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Plumbing Tips:

1. Water valve/water meter

Know where your main water shut off valve is located.
The dials located on the water meter reveals your water usage.
Locations are usually in basement or laundry room.
Should a leak come to your attention simply turn off the valve handle allowing time to repair the leak?

2. Pipe Protection

If your pipes are on an outside wall make sure you insulate them.
Insulation should be placed between the studs and then wrap the pipes.Insulation materials can be purchased through your local Home Center.
Pipes can be defrosted by carefully using a propane torch or a hair dryer.
One of the best products on the market to keep your pipes from freezing is a special tape that you wrap around the pipe and plus into the wall.
The electric heating cable has a built-in thermostat and can be permanently connected.

3. Emergency pipe repair

The material needed is a pipe repair sleeve.
Measure the outside diameter of the pipe and then spread the flanges of the sleeve over the leaky section and tighten with a screw driver.

4. Removing a rusty section of pipe

General household oil may be applied to the area where pipe goes into fitting.
Wait a few hours and gently tap the fitting to loosen any rust that may be holding the pipe in place.
While holding fitting with your wrench gently turn pipe with the other hand.

5. How to use a plunger

Spread petroleum jelly on the plunger cup’s rim and lower the cup over the opening.
Without lifting the cup, pump the plunger up and down several times, then release the plunger quickly.

6. Detecting a leak in a gas pipe

Prepare a mixture of soap with water, or use shampoo.
Apply the mixture around pipe fittings; if bubbles form you have a leak.
Shut off supply valve and repair.

7. Tips to save water

Toilet leaksPlace a few drops of food coloring into the tank.
Wait 10-20 minutesIf the water in the bowl tints, replace the flapper ball.
Showering requires less water than a tubRun water intermittently when washing hands or brushing teeth.

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Electrical Safety Tips:

Turn off power in the circuit you are working on.
Don’t stand on a damp floor or touch anything wet.
Don’t touch any plumbing pipes or appliances.
If you have fuses remove the fuse where you are working.
Unplug any appliance when working on it.
Don’t keep an electrical appliance in the bathroom. If you drop it into the water and reach for it, it could kill you.
Don’t use a fuse with a higher rating. If your fuse blows it could cause a fire by over heating the wires. You will need to add a new circuit.
Use GFI in wet areas

Energy saving Tips:

Use a dimmer switch
Use fluorescent - less energy
A timer can be used for appliances such as your air conditioner and outdoor lights.
Use 1 light bulb of 100 watts rather than 2 bulbs at 60 watts each.

Exhaust fans:

When remodeling your bathroom you may want an exhaust fan.
Spend a few more dollars for a quality fan because the cheap ones seem to hum.
Also, the less expensive fans don’t seem to exchange the air as often.
Have your electrician install a GFI fault interrupter.
This is a switch receptacle that cuts off its power if it detects the slightest amount of dampness.

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