Do It Yourself

Anonymous

Do It Yourself

Anonymous

LOL, I am thinking Marin will come in this thread and think I am talking about solo mojo!

I am talking about being handy around the house.  I do a lot of my own stuff ... or try. I am really good at painting, hanging new fixtures, changing lightbulbs (lol), fixing my computer, moving furniture, staining, etc

But trying to do plumbing?  Well, unless you want the whole toilet swapped out (which I can do), I am an idiot! Oh and roof stuff, no way.

I did learn how to clean cement recently and cleaned the rust spots off the cement!

------

Leaky pipe under the sink, its the one that kinda does a u=turn.  (Trap?) I tightened it but when water runs down the water seems to leak out above the u-turn.  I guess I have to replace it? Or get a gasket or seal? 

carolsd

This is a great thread. I feel kind of ashamed and useless when it comes to handy projects around the home. It's not that I don't think women can do almost anything a man can do ---  they can! But for some reason I am intimidated by anything involving a power tool (except an orbital sander). I don't know that I would ever tackle installing a ceiling fan, for instance. But why shouldn't I? When you're single your choices are limited -- unless you have great male friends who are good at that stuff... or you have money to hire a handy man. My ex was so good at all things handy that I became spoiled. Now I have my boyfriend and he can do almost anything -- the trick is getting him to actually DO it! LOL.

Anonymous

OK....busted! I did think exactly what you said, but I'm sure that we'll continue to address that issue on the MOJO thread since it is most vital to our health.

This is a great idea for a thread, Rockmom....unfortunately, I don't even know where my hot water heater is located! I'm very proud, though, of my ability to change air filters and do it twice a year, if not more often (just for the thrill, ya know?). Also, I love the challenge of changing batteries in my smoke alarms!

I'd really like to install dimmers on my overhead lights (better to not see me with, my dear!). Does anyone know how to do that?

~Marin

Jaybird627

Oh, how timely! and

My toilet is leaking from the back somewhere and I believe it needs to be replaced completely but who to do it??? Moi??? Ha! Like,  when??? And, how??? I work full-time, have my daughter, two dogs (plus my mom's dog for 16 days!) and all the rest of the  house/household chores to deal with so like who is going to fix/replace my one and only toilet??? :-/

I swear, being a single mom is not easy but being a single-mom-homeowner is even harder! UGH!

Jaybird627

Rocktobermom, the seal/gasket probably needs to be replaced or re-set or the joint just needs to be tightened tighter (like by a man???). HTH? Good luck!

Jaybird627

Marin, dimmer switches are easy (and ceiling fans, too) as long as your electrical wiring is current/up to code. I'll do your wiring if you do my plumbing!  I put up my ceiling fans up before my wiring was updated and was that ever confusing! I did it right though!

Do you only change your air filters twice a year??? I change mine every two (or three) months. Oops - forgot to change mine this month!

LisaSDCA

I'm single and I own a 90 year old house. Believe me, you can learn how to do nearly anything! I've installed ceiling fans, dimmer switches and garbage disposals. I even put a new reproduction fixture in my living room and found the original wiring, you know -cloth-covered thick copper wires?

My current project (not progressing very quickly) is to rehab my old wooden window screens. A couple of them need corners rebuilt (dado cuts), others need to be reinforced and they all need paint. Some of the screening has been recently replaced, some can be patched and some has got to be new this year.

Marin, you can put in a dimmer in 15 minutes, tops. You just have to know where to turn off your power to that switch while you are working on it. 

Rocktobermom, did you use a powerwasher on your cement?

Lisa

Anonymous

Dang Im one of the members of this club too!!!!!

I own my home and have learned over the years to do some of the maintenance myself too......

I have 4 brothers, one son & one son in law that sometimes help with the bigger stuff but generally I go to the internet search out what Im looking for then HERE WE GO, Jule's new project....

Last summer a girl friend and I pulled down and replaced the ceiling in my computer room, also changed the light fixture and switch...not as bad as it sounds really...

I call it quits though when it comes to the roof stuff!!! Im scared to death of heights....I discovered a leak last fall and promptly called a friend over to repair it!!!!!!

Im not sure there is much that I wouldnt try to do at my home as long as I have instructions!!!!!! Although the electric stuff I am chicken of a little so ALWAYS turn off the power to the entire house....everyone laughs at me over that one, but hey, I like having straight hair

But mainly what I wanted to say was that even though I have others I could call to help it is always satifying when they are nagging at me about calling , I can always say: it was a job I could do myself.....

I learned along time ago to NOT depend on others if I can do it myself....it has been a lesson WELL learned!!!!

For instance: when I first bought this house there was a screened in yukky front porch...I asked the guy that I was living with at the time to take it off and make it into more of a covered deck......well, the asking went on for about 2 yrs....then I got tired of it, so one day I pulled in the drive and decided it was time for it to go...when he got home 3 hrs later I had cut all the walls out with a chain saw!!!!!!....

Now it was HIS lesson learned!!!!!!!  He figured out in a hurry to do the things I ask or he would just end up fixing my mess ups anyway

Luck with all the chores you all need/want to do to your homes, you really can do them yourselves....

Hugs

Jule

Blinx

Great thread!  I just bought a 50's house, and am having an electrician come over to give me an estimate on changing out a lot of the ceiling lights and switches. I could probably do it myself, but it would just take SO much longer that I just wouldn't get around to it. I'm the type of single that just puts up with drippy faucets instead of fixing them :-)

I did tackle an old garage a few years ago -- pulled off a lot of rotten boards, repaired and replaced them. I was very proud of myself until I fell through (yes, through) an old wooden ladder and broke my leg. I had to stare at the half-painted garage all winter!

snowyday

This is a great thread. I owned my own home way up in the north for many, many years and learned how to fix washers in taps, small electrical problems, fixed my dryer, stove changed the oven elements and when I did that job, all I could think was a women would never have designed the screws that small to hook it up again. I used to burn wood, by furnace was forced air wood, it saved me alot of money but  I learned how to keep the fan going when it broke and the job I hated most was cleaning the chimney once a month.  The books I used were the Reader's Digest books on how do do anything in your home.  I always felt proud and independant when I fixed something I rent now but it's an old house and the land lady is never ever hear so I've taken to do the same thing here. Last winter the furnace went out at -35 and the furnace guy couldn't come back because he starting drinking with his buddies so I made him tell me step by step how to get it going again until the morning and I did it.  It was yucky I had to blow out this plastic piece that filled up with years of gunk and dust, but at least my cats and I didn't freeze.  When I do something like that I like to yell (in the bathroom)  I AM WOMEN, I AM STRONG. Silly but it always makes me feel good, man I'me ebabbling.  Roctobermom your Marin comment made me laugh out loud and Marin your answer was cute.Pearl49

Anonymous

Lisa, there is a bottle at home depot called Concrete cleaner!  LOL ... easy peasy lemon squeezy!  Don't get the etcher one!  Had to end up and do a whole section!

Anonymous

Marin, you really should go and check your water heater.  I have taken to turning it to "Vacation" when I go out of town so it's not heating the water all the up to Hot when I don't need it.  You should check it once a month to make sure it's not leaking.

I have one of those pans under it when I got a new one installed and it really saved me when I saw water in it.  The guy who installed the new water heater didn't tighten a pipe and it was leaking!  Could have ruined stuff in the garage!

Also, Janis, you with a little one, should go and check your temp on your water heater.  People with wee ones are supposed to keep the temp WAAAYYY down so in case she accidently turns on the hot water, she doesn't get scalded.  

Everyone should watch the temp on the water heater and those new wall ones are even better but I couldn't afford it at the time ... but it heats water on an as needed basis.  Saves so much money on the bill.  I think I got a 40 gallon water heater instead of a 50 gallon.... who would need enough for a huge family.  I didn't go too small (30 gal) since who knows if I would need to do sell my house.  But I have lived in an apartment with a roomie with a 20 gal water heater and we were fine. 

Jaybird627

Well, I am not one who enjoys doing-it-herself but can do many things in a pinch. I will not, however, change out my toilet as I only have one bathroom and what happens when I screw it up???

I don't have time for all the stuff that needs to be done anyway. If I didn't have to work for a living, sure, I'd be capable of fixing anything at my house - eventually! Sometimes it's just a matter of an extra pair of hands and I don't have any close friends who want to 'help' me with projects unfortunately.

Anonymous

I just have to say that although I'm a total home improvement idiot, I am so proud of every one of you and you should be just as proud of yourselves! For many of us, it's not always pride that prevents our accepting help or asking for it but, rather, it's just a sense of responsibility that we have towards ourselves and self-care then becomes a matter of integrity. Am I right? You all are soooooo cool!!!!

And Rockmom.....um, I seriously don't know where my hot water heater is! I live in a townhome community that was built over the past 4-5 years and I think that we all have it in the same location. Maybe the storage shed outside..? There's a big tank-looking thing there, with pipes or tubes or whatever coming out of it and it has a guage on the outside too....does that sound like one? I know I could ask my new guy, the architect, because he practically built his own house with his bare hands, but I don't want to look like a "lady in distress," ya know?

~Marin

Anonymous

It probably is your water heater.  Look at the gauge and see if it has temps on it. You should also be able to turn the gauge to Vacation.  You might want to think about turning it down to save some money. I don't keep mine nearly as hot as I used to.  After turning it down when Teryn was born, I've never re-set it higher since I never use it that hot. I mean when I take a shower I never just use hot!

Anonymous

If I turn it down, can I still get a decently hot shower? Those are one of the joys of my existence!

~Marin

nosurrender

Finally! A topic I can contribute to!

I can repair almost anything... and that is because I watch workmen when they fix things and then i learn how to do it.

I also started watching This Old House in the 80s when it was just Bob and Norm and a couple of coping saws.

Leaky sink trap- someone mentioned they tightened it and it still leaks?

Put a bucket underneath it and unscrew the whole thing. You can take that  off and depending on what it is made of you can either replace the trap with a PVC one from Home Depot or make your own gasket. If you want to replace it take it with you so you get the right size. You will see a ton of them in Home Depot and it will probably run you under $10. But no one should be without Teflon tape. It works great. It also can be bought at HD. If you want to seal the connection of the exsisting pipe, unscrew it and wrap some of the Teflon Tape around the part that is raised, what they call the male part, of the connection. Don't worry, it will still screw on with the tape. Just tighten it and it should seal it. However, it wouldn't hurt to add a washer before you do this and then add the tape. Again, take the old washer with you to HD because they come in eight zillion sizes.

Janice? You have a leaky toilet? It is coming out the back?? One test to do is to flush it and then open up the top of the tank. If there is water all over the top of the tank, that means the top of the ballcock mechanism is broken. You can test this with the top off the toilet but hold some plastic or paper towels over it before you flush or you will get a shower. Also look for a hairline crack on the tank. I had one last summer and ignored it. During the night the porcelain broke because the temperature fluctuated making it expand and contract and the toilet kept flushing and flooding my entire den and laundry room. If you have a crack in the tank you need a new toilet. They cost about $150 and the plumber will run about $250 +++.

EVERYONE should know where their main turn off is for their water. It will be in your utility room, near the hot water heater or furnace. Make sure it is loose enough to turn NOW- before you have a raging flood and you can't turn the damn thing when you need to in a hurry.

Dimmer switch is really easy as someone said. Just turn off the mail circuit and follow the colors. Just look at how the switch is connected that you are removing and  copy that. Be sure you close off all connections with a cap- that will come with the kit. ONE NOTE: Dimmers use different switch plates! So if you get the vertical one that slides up and down, get the switch plate at the same time- they make them special for dimmers like that. The round dimmers can usually get by with a regular switchplate, but it is best to get one made for them too.

Anthropology  sells the prettiest switchplates! Check it out if you have one nearby.

Jaybird627

Good reminder about the water main, NS! Yes, I need a new toilet but I don't want to pay a plumber to do it! The drip is only occasional, like a drop every so often. I was going to replace it when the bathroom was remodeled but it seems that is going to have to be put off for a while due to my being broke! :-/

nosurrender

OK - well Janice, I have watched the procedure of changing a toilet- but never done one myself.

First turn off the water at the main! hee hee. 

Then empty all the water out of the back of the tank and keep flushing it until there is nothing left in the bowl.

Then disconnect the water pipe from the wall. Keep alot of paper towels handy! 

Then unscrew the toilet from its mount. This can be hard if the bolt is all rusted and gunked up.

And then TWO people usually carry the toilet out. Do it on junk day so you don't have a toilet sitting at the end of your driveway all month. 

Then put plaster of paris around the mount and place the toilet on the mount and screw it in again. And put more plaster of paris around the edge to smooth it out. Then turn the water back on and hope for the best! 

It isn't that hard when you think about it.  EXCEPT if a pipe breaks. Then you are screwed. That is the only problem with home plumbing... if a pipe breaks then all bets are off- HOWEVER, I think plumbers TELL US THAT  just so we DON'T do stuff ourselves and lose the money!!

We can talk about gutters tomorrow if you want!

Anonymous

When replacing the toilet, I never have used plaster of paris.

Make sure you get a new toilet wax ring, if your toilet is sitting on top of tile, make sure you get two of them or the big ring. I just put the toilet on and then caulk it.

Make sure you tighten the screws little by little on one side then the other, back and forth, back and forth.

My dad was a plumber and had me do all 3 of his toilets at his house.  I keep forgetting to have him help me do the laundry room sink.  I so seldom use it which is why I haven't been crazy to fix it! 

nosurrender

hi Rock,

Aha! That is how I watched my plumber do my toilet!!

He was probably cutting corners I bet.

He used the plaster of paris AS the caulk. So maybe that was the point of it, I don't know.

THANK YOU for the tip about the ring. I did not see him put a ring down.

This is very good info!!

g 

Jaybird627

Hmmm....I just might be inspired to install that new toilet afterall! I knew about the ring but was confused about the plaster of paris - thanks for the clarification, Rock, and I'll be sure to get an extra ring as I do have tile, most likely over some old tile. The 'upgrades' done on this house before I bought it were done very cheaply so every time I try to make my own improvement there is a problem to fix or address first! :-/

FJH

I love this! I always tackle a new job the same way, I ask myself, what's the worst that could happen? The answer is always the same, I would have to call someone in to fix it. This gives me the confidence to start the project, I may as well try to fix things myself and if I find I can't, then call for help. So far I have not failed and I have managed to do some pretty impressive things. I have come to the conclusion that men lead us to believe things are much tougher than they are, I have done things my ex told me would not work, found out he was just using my ignorance to avoid doing things I wanted done!

I removed my toilet to repair the floor where an undetected leak had rotted the floor. I do have two bathrooms so I wasn't without a toilet while I worked on this. Anyway long story short, my son was staying with me at the time. He offered many times to help but I was stubborn, I wanted to do it myself. I ended up redoing the whole bathroom, it took me 2 months but it turned out beautiful! Well, during the 2 months, my toilet was sitting out on my deck waiting for me to reinstall it. After the job was done, toilet back in place my son stood in the door of the bathroom and exclaimed at what a great job I had done and how proud he was of me. As I stood there basking in my pride he said, "I do have one question Mom, aren't you afraid your taxes are going to go up now that the toilet isn't on the deck?" I laughed so hard!

Anonymous

FJH,    THAT is a funny story!!

Janis, when  you see the ring, don't go YUK, like I did, it's only wax. Yellow wax.  If you are going to tackle the toilet, if you have an older house (like mine), when you get the toilet off, I broke the gasket.  So buy a gasket (it goes under the wax ring) JUST IN CASE. 

OH, CLARIFICATION here ... before setting the toilet down, you put PLUMBER'S PUTTY on it, not caulking.  It was in a tub, like a cottage cheese size tub.  And you put it on the bottom of the fixture so the putty is between the toilet base and the floor.  My dad showed me how to use my thumb and  bottom of my hand to put it on...  kinda like snapping the top on tupperware.  I've seen other people take the putty out and roll it, like a big worm and put it on the bottom of the toilet.

Then after you got all the putty on it, then flip it over onto the floor.  Don't cut off the extra, wipe it off with a damp rag and smooth it out like you would do with caulking. 

Anonymous

Ok, Gina, I am going to try and do this p-trap by myself.  Called my dad and he said for me to leave it for him but I said I want to do it alone.

I got plumbers putty for the threads instead of teflon tape since I have a plastic pvc pipe that is leaking (the HD guy recommended it over the teflon tape in this situation cuz I was getting the tape)  I think the reason was because the gasket/washer was a bit broken not really the pipe when I took it apart but sealant will never hurt. I bought a new washer for the pipe.  And I bought a set of channel locks.

I know to hand tighten it then maybe one turn with the channel locks since it's plastic tubing. 

LisaSDCA

Heehee - I do that. Save myself $65 on a plumber's call and decide I deserve a new handtool or three.

Several of my tools seemed to have grown legs while I had workers here hand-plastering my ceilings (I can't do any of that due to an old whiplash injury). Yet another good reason to try to do it yourself.

Good luck with the gasket and pipe!

Lisa

Blinx

I still don't know...I'm tempted to do things myself, but I know I would take eons in the home improvement store picking out the right doo-dads. I have installed ceiling lights and dimmers. My electrician just walked through my new (old) house and will be giving me a quote on what it would take to install/replace many fixtures and fans. I don't know if I'll have him do it, but the most enticing part of the deal was that he could do it all in a day!! These days, I'm still too fatigued to do the physical/mental work it takes to figure out things.

Have you guys read the Sarah Graves mystery books? I just read "Mallets Aforehthought", and it was great! Along with sleuthing, she tells you step by step how to insulate old windows, repair steps, etc.

P.S. When you're installing your own toilet, who lifts the darn thing up and takes it out of the house? Aren't they, like, really heavy??

Anonymous

Oh Blinx, that's hilarious that they have a book series about a female who sleuths and is a handywoman as well! I might just look into those stories and perhaps they'll inspire me to become as proficient as Rockmom, nosurrender and Lisa!

Right on, y'all!

~Marin

Anonymous

Ok, so, I did what I was supposed to do but realized that the NUT was broken off the pipe that comes down from the sink to the p-trap.  Can't get the p trap  pipe off due to that damned plumbers putty I put on the other end of the p-trap!!  LOL  I tried gently with my new channel locks but think I will break it off the wall.

Dad is going to help me next weekend when he comes to visit. 

Jaybird627

Okay, so the one and only toilet I have is still leaking and since I don't have the time to mess with it Dad is coming over sometime this week to look at it!    If the store doesn't have the gasket for my brand then he'll (help) install a new toilet. Yea Dad!

I figure that shoveling out from 8" and then another 3" of snow over the past four days counts as doing-it-myself!