By Mark J. Donovan
In the below video, I review Rockwell’s latest random orbital sander. This is a high powered sander that offers some fantastic features in terms of vibration reduction, noise attenuation, and dust control.
I found the Rk4245K random orbital sander to perform extremely well. With its 2.7 amp motor and 5 inch head, it was able to quickly sand surfaces smooth, and remove old stains quickly. I also did not experience any type of tingling in my hands after using it for an extended period. Rockwell’s new VibraFree Active Canceling Technology does a fantastic job of reducing vibration in the random orbital sander.
If you are in the market for a new random orbital sander, check out the Rockwell RK4245K random orbital sander. It offers state of the art features at an affordable price.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Review of Rockwell’s RK4245K Random Orbital Sander
Removing Fiberglass Shower Pan
A New Video on How to Remove an Old Fiberglass Shower Pan
By Mark J. Donovan
In the below video, I show the third stage in remodeling a custom ceramic tile shower, the removal of the old fiberglass shower pan.
After removing the old ceramic wall tile and backer board from the shower area, I then proceeded to remove the old fiberglass shower pan. This was a simple process. All that was required to remove the fiberglass shower pan was to drill out the rubber seal flange around the perimeter of the shower drain. After drilling enough holes around the perimeter of the shower drain and cutting away some of the rubber flange from the drain I was able to simply lift the fiberglass shower pan off of the existing shower drain.
To prevent putting too much pressure on the shower drain pipe I used a screw driver to hold it in place as I lifted the fiberglass shower pan off of it. I also put a large rag in the drain pipe to prevent any loose rubber flange pieces from falling into the drain.
I also was fortunate in the fact that there were no existing metal flange brackets holding the fiberglass shower pan to the wall studs.
Removing Backer Board from an Old Ceramic Tile Shower
A New Video on the Removal of Backer Board from a Shower Stall Area
By Mark J. Donovan
In the below video, I show the second stage in remodeling a custom ceramic tile shower, the removal of the old backer board.
In the process of removing the old ceramic wall tile from the shower the backer board became significantly beat up, such that it made sense to replace it.
Removing backer board is easy to do, however it takes a little effort to find all of the screws. Some of them were buried under mortar and thus I had to do some scraping to find all of the screws. Fortunately, however, I used screws when applying the backer board 15 years ago. Removing nails would have been much more difficult.
Backer board is constructed out of a cement based material and is therefore quite heavy. I recommend having a spare pair of hands handy when removing backer board. Besides being quite heavy it is also awkward to remove. In addition, it is very messy as the backer board breaks easily. Also make sure to where a pair of leather gloves when removing backer board as it extremely coarse and rough on the hands.
Removing Shower Ceramic Wall Tile
A New Video on the Removal of Ceramic Wall Tile from a Shower Stall
By Mark J. Donovan
In the below video, I show the first stage in remodeling a custom ceramic tile shower, the removal of the shower ceramic wall tile.
When removing shower ceramic wall tile make sure you where safety goggles and leather gloves as chips of ceramic tile fly everywhere. This 3’x3’ shower stall area took about 3 hours to completely remove the ceramic wall tiles. I used a hammer, heavy duty chisel, and a utility knife to remove the ceramic wall tile. It requires some significant hand strength as you will be swinging a hammer for an extensive period of time.
If you plan to replace your shower tile and want to keep the existing shower pan, make sure to lay cardboard in the shower pan prior to removing the ceramic wall tiles. Otherwise you may end up inadvertently destroying your shower pan.
Remodeling Small Master Bedroom Bathroom
New Video Series Coming on Remodeling a Small Master Bedroom Bathroom
By Mark J. Donovan
Last week I kicked off remodeling a small master bedroom bathroom project. The bathroom is only 6’ x 8’ and includes a toilet, small vanity, and a 3’ x 3’ ceramic tile shower. Over the next two months I plan to completely remodel every aspect of the bathroom.
I have already started the process of kicking off the largest effort associated with remodeling the bathroom, the renovation of the ceramic tile shower. I have removed the old ceramic tile, the backer board, and even the fiberglass shower pan. I plan to replace the fiberglass shower pan with a mortar based shower pan so that I can tile both the shower floor and walls.
Once I complete the custom ceramic tile shower project, I plan to move on to the bathroom floor, where I will install ceramic floor tile over the existing linoleum. However, before installing the ceramic floor tile, I will remove the old bathroom vanity and toilet.
After completing the ceramic tile floor I will replace the old bathroom vanity with a new modern bathroom vanity, countertop and sink. I will, however, keep the existing toilet.
Besides the shower, floor and vanity, my small master bedroom bathroom remodeling project will also include replacing the old bathroom window, installing a new bathroom mirror, painting the bathroom walls, installing new baseboard and window trim moulding, and installing new towel bars and rings.
I plan to film all aspects of this small master bedroom bathroom remodeling project so stay tuned in the days and weeks ahead. The videos that I produce will show detailed steps on how to remodel your own small master bedroom bathroom.
