Subfloor Repair Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

You are in the middle of a remodeling project and you have a hole in the floor. The floor does not have access from below, so all the repairs have to be from above. Here are some simple tips to help with that repair.

First thing to do is square up the opening. Use a framing square to mark lines to create a nice square or rectangular opening. Next, cut a piece of flooring to match the opening. Be sure the patch material is the same thickness as the subfloor. If the wood patch is about an 1/8" smaller than the opening, that is okay.

If there is a floor joist available, attach a 1x3 to the joist and flush with the top of the floor joist. After that is attached, take a 2x4 about 6" longer on each end then the opening. Drill two holes in the center of the 2x4. These will be used to hold the board up with your fingers, like a bowling ball. While holding it in place, drive 2" long screws down through the subflooring and into this piece of wood. This 2x4 will hold the patch in place and prevent it from falling down.

Finish the patch by taking the board you cut to fit the opening and screw it into place. The floor is now ready for you to continue with your project.

Cutting Ceramic Tile Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Does your indoor project include a new tile kitchen countertop, a back splash or a powder room floor? Cutting the ceramic tile will be a major part of the project. It is easy if you use the right tools.

The first thing you need is a tile cutter. These are simple to use and make cutting tile easy. They have a carbide wheel that cuts the tile. Place the tile into the cutter at the proper cut location, roll the carbide wheel over the tile to score it. Then apply a little pressure on the handle and the tile snaps perfectly right down the scored line.

You can also use a hack saw with a special carbide tipped blade. These blades and the hack saw allow you to cut "L" shapes in the tile. Use the hack saw to cut one leg of the cut and finish the cut with the tile cutter.

Special hole saws are available for cutting that perfectly round hole in the ceramic tile. You can rent these tools or get them at specialty tile stores. With these proper tools, your ceramic tile project will turn out great.

Preventing Wood Splitting Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Have you gotten a crack in a piece of lumber when driving a nail into it? What causes the split? Most people think it is because the nail is not sharp enough. Actually, the nail is too sharp. That causes the split. The sharp point acts as a wedge and splits the lumber as it is driven.

To prevent this from happening, you need to dull the points of the nails. Make the nail tip blunt, that way the nail will crush the wood fibers out of the way. The wood will not split.

A good example of this is flooring nails. These nails have a very blunt tip. This keeps them from splitting off the tongue as you drive them into the flooring.

Sometimes when nailing very close to the edge of the lumber, blunting a nail may not work. Use a drill to drill a small pilot hole into the pieces of lumber. The pilot hole should be smaller in diameter than the diameter of the nail.

How to you blunt a nail? Place the head of the nail on a solid surface and use your hammer to tap the tip until it has been blunted. Many specialty nails, like nail gun nails, come pre-blunted from the manufacturer.

Splitting wood can be avoided if you use blunt nails or a pivot hole in the lumber. Do that and you will have split-free lumber.

Builders Level Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Your project calls for a level line around the entire room. This line would be needed for crown molding or a suspended ceiling. How do you do this? Using a 4 foot level and drawing a line around the room is time consuming and can lead to errors.

A better method is to rent a builder's transit or builder's level. This tool sets up on a tripod and uses bubble levels to get the instrument level in the room. Sighting through the level, mark the wall at the required height. A helper will be required to make the marks. Once the marks are created around the room, use a chalk line to create your line.

These builder's levels are easy to use and can be rented at most tool rental stores.

Door Hinges Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Do you have a door that closes by itself? Or will not stay open? Well, those problems are easy to diagnose and solve. Start at the top hinge. Check that the screws are tight. Tighten them a half turn or a full turn. That may all that is required to solve your problem.

If that does not solve the problem, look at the middle screw on the jamb side of the top hinge. Remove that screw and replace it with a longer (about 2") screw. This will pull the hinge back into the rough lumber behind the door jamb.

If the door does not close properly, the hinge may not be recessed deep enough in the wood. Remove the hinge and gently remove some of the wood from the door jamb. Use a wood chisel or a razor knife to remove the wood.

What about that door that closes on its own? Remove the hinge pin and strike it with a hammer to put a mild bend in it. Put it back in the door hinge. This increased friction will keep the door open. Start with the middle pin. If that does not work, try it on all three hinge pins. That should provide enough resistance to keep the door open.

Remember, solving door problems is easy. Just look at all the parts and work on each section until the door problem is solved.

Stainless Steel Screws Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Remember that outdoor project you did? That deck or kids swing set? Where you had to fastener two pieces of wood together. You might have used nails as fasteners. That nail might have started pulling out of the wood already. Or started rusting.

There are nails and screws that can be used that hold better and are rust-proof. Galvanized nails with a ring type shank have great holding power. There are galvanized nails with a spiral shank also. If you use galvanized screws, be sure they have a coarse thread. Be sure these nails or screws are hot dipped galvanized.

Another alternative is stainless steel screws. It has several features that make it superior to galvanized nails. First, it has a self-drilling tip. Second at the end of the threads, it features a knurled edge that drills a hold for the screw shank so it does not split the wood. Additionally just under the screw head, it has little teeth that create a countersink for the screw head.

Use stainless steel screws on your project for better holding power and no rust.

Construction Scaffolding Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Construction Scaffolding

Scaffolding is a great tool for certain outdoor projects. It allows you to create a nice wide, flat, stable working platform. Ladders limit your work area width. Scaffolding can provide a wider working area up to 10 feet wide.

The frames and cross braces slip together without the use of tools. Scaffolds must be to set level and plumb. Use large blocks of wood under the legs to accomplish this. Never set a scaffold leg on the soil without the blocks. The weight of the scaffolding and your weight could drive the legs into the soil, causing the scaffolding to tip over.

Stacking sections on top of one another can create a high working platform to reach your chimney and roof. You can rent scaffolding from tool rental stores or from scaffolding specialty shops. Many will delivery it to your project.

If you don't like working on a ladder, get some scaffolding. Safer, stable platform and easy to use.

Wood Cutting Tips Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Cutting a piece of wood to an accurate length is simple if you following these steps. Check your tape measure to ensure that the hook is straight and not bend. Dropping a tape on a hard surface can cause the hook end to bend. Use flat nose pliers to straighten the hook if required.

Mark your cut length with an arrow mark. Then use a framing square to draw your cut line through the center of the arrow tip. Place an "X" on the side that you did not measure. This will indicate the side that the saw should shim. When cutting with your circular saw, be sure the saw blade stays on the side with the "X". Cutting down the center of the line or on the side without the "X", will make your cut piece of lumber too short.

Saw cuts are easy if you have an accurate tape measure and stay on the right side of the line.

Cordless Drill Driver Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Do you have a standard electric drill around the house? And a screw gun? These are usually corded power tools. The electric cords get in the way. There are chuck keys attached to the cords. What a mess!

The new cordless drill drivers eliminate the messy cords and chuck keys. This cordless power tool does the functions of both a drill and a screw gun. These tools feature two speeds and forward and reverse.

The clutch collar allows you to preset the screw driving depth. The lower numbers on the collar means the screw is not driven as deep. There is also a setting for drilling.

With an additional battery, you can switch batteries when the first one dies and continue on with your project. Accessory kits are available with mounted drill bits and screw driver bits. Insert one of the bits into the tool, hold the drill chuck collar and turn on the power. This will tighten the chuck without the use of a chuck key.

These tools come in a variety of power options. The 18 volt or 24 volt models are for the serious do-it-yourselfers or contractors. The smaller and light 14.4 volt models are for those that only do an occasional job or weekend project.

Three Way Switch Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Three way switches allow you to control a light from two different locations. Turn the light on in one part of the room and turn it off from another section of the room.

A 3 way switch is different from an ordinary light switch. A regular light switch has two screw connections on it, plus the green ground screw. A three way light switch has 3 screws plus the grounding screw. The fourth screw is painted black. This is the connection where the power comes into the first switch. In the second switch, the black connector is where the power goes out to the light switch.

Make sure when bending the loops in the wire, you bend the loops in a clockwise direction. When attaching the wire loop to the screw, the loop will close as the screw is tightened.

The wiring circuit shows the incoming cable from the circuit breaker panel. It has 3 wires. The black wire connects to the black screw in the first switch. The brass screw on the first switch gets connected to the red wire going between the two switches. The other brass screw gets the black wire going between the switches. The white wire gets connected to the white wire between the switches, as does the grounding wire.

On the second switch, the red wire gets attached to a brass screw, the black wire gets connected to a brass screw. The black screw connector on the second switch gets the black wire going to the light fixture.

This wiring may seem confusing if you don't do it everyday. If you are not sure, call an electrician.