By Mark J. Donovan
Do you have a leaky outdoor water spigot that needs repair? well chances are you may very well be able to fix it yourself with just a couple of basic household tools.
In this video, a frost free outdoor spigot (a.k.a. sillcock) has a slow leak. By simply removing the handle and adjusting a nut behind the handle, I was able to make the repair myself. All I needed for tools was a screwdriver and a crescent wrench.
There is a washer that frequently fails behind the nut that sits on the backside of the handle. By either replacing this washer, or tightening up the nut in my case, you can usually eliminate the leak.
Get a 6IN FROSTPROOF SILLCOCK
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Video on Repairing a Leaky Outdoor Water Spigot
New Video on Installing Carpet Threshold Trim
By Mark J. Donovan
If you have carpeting that is still in great shape, with the exception of some fraying around an entranceway threshold, then you will want to watch this video.
In this video, the carpeting has frayed between the threshold of a bathroom and hallway. The bathroom flooring is vinyl and the hall way is carpeting. The edge strip for the carpet looks a little beat up and the carpet is starting to fray on the tack strip.
Using a new wooden carpet trim piece, you can cover up the old metal strip as well as hide the fraying.
Take a look at this video to learn the specifics for making this small home repair.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Troubleshooting and Fixing a Frost Free Leaky Sillcock
By Mark J. Donovan
Is your outdoor frost free faucet, also known as a Sillcock, leaking? Chances are you can fix it on your own and save yourself a bundle in plumber repair costs.
Determine where the Leak is
To fix a leaky Sillcock it is first necessary to see where the water is leaking from. Check to see if it is leaking out the spout itself.
Also check to see if it is leaking around the top cap that sits just back behind the handle. Sometimes this cap can become loose and all you need to do is simply hand tighten it. Overtime this cap can become loose due to swings in summer and winter temperatures or simply from frequent use of the sillcock.
If the leak is occurring from the spout, even after you have tightened the handle, then chances are you have a faulty washer sitting back beneath the sillcock handle.
Disassembling the Sillcock
To replace the washer, first turn the water off to the sillcock. Usually this valve can be found inside the home, e.g. the basement or utility room.
Next, rotate the handle of the sillcock to the on position to relieve any pressure in it and to drain the water.
Using a screwdriver remove the screw that holds the handle onto the sillcock.
With the screw removed, pull off the handle.
After removing the handle, use a crescent wrench to remove the sillcock nut that sits back behind the handle.
Replace Washer and Clean Internal Sillcock area
The washer that typically fails sits behind the sillcock nut. Remove it and look for damage or wear. If you see either, replace the washer. Also, make sure there are no particulates or sediment/grit inside the sillcock. If there is, flush it out with water.
Re-assemble Sillcock
With the washer replaced and the internal sillcock area free of any particles, reattach the sillcock nut cap, the handle, and the screw that holds the handle onto the sillcock.
Turn Water back on and Test Sillcock
Turn the water back on to the sillcock and observe water flowing freely from the faucet.
Turn the handle to the off position. With any luck there should be no more dribbles or dripping.
Note that with a frost free sillcock, the valve is far back into the home, (approximately 8 inches) so you should expect to see a few drips for a minute or so after closing the faucet handle. After that the sillcock should be drip free.
Is your outdoor frost free faucet, also known as a Sillcock, leaking? Chances are you can fix it on your own and save yourself a bundle in plumber repair costs.
Determine where the Leak is
To fix a leaky Sillcock it is first necessary to see where the water is leaking from. Check to see if it is leaking out the spout itself.
Also check to see if it is leaking around the top cap that sits just back behind the handle. Sometimes this cap can become loose and all you need to do is simply hand tighten it. Overtime this cap can become loose due to swings in summer and winter temperatures or simply from frequent use of the sillcock.
If the leak is occurring from the spout, even after you have tightened the handle, then chances are you have a faulty washer sitting back beneath the sillcock handle.
Disassembling the Sillcock
To replace the washer, first turn the water off to the sillcock. Usually this valve can be found inside the home, e.g. the basement or utility room.
Next, rotate the handle of the sillcock to the on position to relieve any pressure in it and to drain the water.
Using a screwdriver remove the screw that holds the handle onto the sillcock.
With the screw removed, pull off the handle.
After removing the handle, use a crescent wrench to remove the sillcock nut that sits back behind the handle.
Replace Washer and Clean Internal Sillcock area
The washer that typically fails sits behind the sillcock nut. Remove it and look for damage or wear. If you see either, replace the washer. Also, make sure there are no particulates or sediment/grit inside the sillcock. If there is, flush it out with water.
Re-assemble Sillcock
With the washer replaced and the internal sillcock area free of any particles, reattach the sillcock nut cap, the handle, and the screw that holds the handle onto the sillcock.
Turn Water back on and Test Sillcock
Turn the water back on to the sillcock and observe water flowing freely from the faucet.
Turn the handle to the off position. With any luck there should be no more dribbles or dripping.
Note that with a frost free sillcock, the valve is far back into the home, (approximately 8 inches) so you should expect to see a few drips for a minute or so after closing the faucet handle. After that the sillcock should be drip free.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Converting a Kitchen Cabinet into a College Student Dresser
By Mark J. Donovan
With two sons off to college this fall, my wife and I are actively working towards their departure from the nest. This weekend I decided to tackle a small project that converted a kitchen cabinet into a mini student dresser.
Several years ago I received a kitchen cabinet that was slightly damaged during its shipment to a home I was building. The manufacturer sent me a new one, and left the original for me to deal with. It has been sitting in my garage for a couple of years and over the weekend I finally decided it was time to do something with it.
The kitchen cabinet has four drawers and is 18” wide by 24” deep. I decided that if I mounted a top to it, that it could serve as a dresser for storing school supplies and supporting a microwave or printer.
To install a top on the cabinet, I used a ½” sheet of finished plywood. I cut it to the dimensions of 19” x 25 1/5” so that it overhung the sides by ½” and the front by 1 1/2”.
I then attached fastening rails to the inside edges of the top of the cabinet. The rails were approximately 3/4” x 3/4” width and height, and cut to the inside length of the cabinet sides.
I attached the rails to the cabinet side-walls with 1 ¼” screws, from the inside so that no screws showed from the outside of the cabinet.
I then round the front edges of the plywood top using a jigsaw, and then sanded it thoroughly. I sanded it first with a rough (100 grit) sand paper, and then with a finer 400 grit sandpaper.
I then applied a coat of mahogany stain to the top.
Next, I secured the top to the cabinet (dresser) using 1 ½” screws. The screws were applied from the inside of the cabinet, via the freshly installed rails. This enabled a finished top surface that is clean from any screws/nails.
Prior to screwing the top to the cabinet rails, I drilled pilot holes through the bottom of the rails to avoid splitting and to ease in the fastening of the rails.
Finally, I added two coats of polyurethane to the top.
Now, one of my college bound sons has a brand new mini-dresser / night stand for storing school supplies.
With two sons off to college this fall, my wife and I are actively working towards their departure from the nest. This weekend I decided to tackle a small project that converted a kitchen cabinet into a mini student dresser.
Several years ago I received a kitchen cabinet that was slightly damaged during its shipment to a home I was building. The manufacturer sent me a new one, and left the original for me to deal with. It has been sitting in my garage for a couple of years and over the weekend I finally decided it was time to do something with it.
The kitchen cabinet has four drawers and is 18” wide by 24” deep. I decided that if I mounted a top to it, that it could serve as a dresser for storing school supplies and supporting a microwave or printer.
To install a top on the cabinet, I used a ½” sheet of finished plywood. I cut it to the dimensions of 19” x 25 1/5” so that it overhung the sides by ½” and the front by 1 1/2”.
I then attached fastening rails to the inside edges of the top of the cabinet. The rails were approximately 3/4” x 3/4” width and height, and cut to the inside length of the cabinet sides.
I attached the rails to the cabinet side-walls with 1 ¼” screws, from the inside so that no screws showed from the outside of the cabinet.
I then round the front edges of the plywood top using a jigsaw, and then sanded it thoroughly. I sanded it first with a rough (100 grit) sand paper, and then with a finer 400 grit sandpaper.
I then applied a coat of mahogany stain to the top.
Next, I secured the top to the cabinet (dresser) using 1 ½” screws. The screws were applied from the inside of the cabinet, via the freshly installed rails. This enabled a finished top surface that is clean from any screws/nails.
Prior to screwing the top to the cabinet rails, I drilled pilot holes through the bottom of the rails to avoid splitting and to ease in the fastening of the rails.
Finally, I added two coats of polyurethane to the top.
Now, one of my college bound sons has a brand new mini-dresser / night stand for storing school supplies.
Monday, March 24, 2008
With Home Sales Rebounding in February is an Improving Housing Market Right around the Corner
By Mark J. Donovan
There is a sign that the housing market may be beginning to bottom out. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that home sales increased 2.9% in February.
This is certainly a positive sign in the housing market; however the rest of the news with this report was not so good. The report also indicated that housing prices dropped precipitously, with the average medium sale price on existing homes falling to $195,900. The NAR reported this was the biggest year over year price drop in existing home sales since 1999.
Whether or not this is truly the beginning of a recovery of the housing market or not, getting a little positive news in a market that has gone through a major correction over the past couple of years is a good sign of things to eventually come.
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