Or, if you really need some strength, put a hole in the drywall, cut a piece of 2x4 as long as the distance between your studs, screw that 2x4 to the studs with it flush to the back of the drywall, and patch the drywall hole. That'll give you a "horizontal stud" with lots of strength, way more than you'll get with even the best toggle bolt.
Question for the TiB BrainTrust™ on double-paned windows that have lost their seal. I have a ton of older, double-paned windows in my dining room. One of the biggest ones, a 5x5, has lost its seal, and a crap-load of condensation and gunk has formed on the inside of the two panes. Basically, the window looks like it's cloudy and dirty now. My understanding is that the windows are sealed, and then an inert gas (Nitrogen?) is used as a filler between the panes. I'm assuming Nitrogen, as it's cheap and it won't hold on to any moisture. I'm guessing that the seal has been broken and now it's normal air between them, and as it warms/cools, the moisture in the air condenses and leaves behind all the crap. I haven't called any window repair guys or anything yet, as I wanted to edumacate myself on the subject a bit first. Anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this?
Sometimes it's as simple as re-caulking the seals around the windows. Strip the old caulk and put new filler in, there's a good chance that can get rid of the cloudiness. If not, you'll have to call a window guy.
You're correct about the void between the panes usually being filled with inert gas. It can be nitrogen, argon or even krypton or xenon in high-end windows. Argon and xenon have better insulating properties than nitrogen because of higher molecular weight. The insulating gas is extremely dry when it's pumped in and there is typically some kind of desiccant added as well which is why you don't get any condensation. If you simply re-sealed the windows the moisture that's in there now would stay in and could still cause condensation and you'd lose the insulating value of the inert gas. I don't know the specifics of how double pane windows are repaired but I've heard of them being repaired so it is possible. You would probably either have to replace the inert gas and re-seal or at least dry the air, maybe by adding new desiccant.
Thanks for the replies. I'll probably end up taking off the inside pane, cleaning the fuck out of the glass, coating both inside surfaces with RAINX a few times, and then re-sealing it. I've got a bottle of Nitrogen that I can try and use to purge the air out of it, but I'm not really sure just how well that will work out. I'm not too worried about the insulation factor of the gas, at this point, as the whole house is more like a 1970's cottage than anything, so there are bigger insulating fish to fry than that.
I've been on a home improvement kick lately and am considering pouring an extra slab in my backyard to expand our patio. I've never dealt with concrete before. Someone tell me if this is too much for an amateur DIYer
It is very easy, just make sure you have a mixer, you don't really want to mix all that by hand. I did like 25 - 50kg bags, something like 10ft^3, by hand 2 at a time in a wheel barrow. That made for a tiring day. Rebar is easy to lay down, and tie together, just make sure it is slight off the ground so the concrete can go all around it.
Depending on the size of it, be sure to do the proper prep work so that it won't settle and crack on you. Also, you may want to look into some of the cool concrete finishes you can get these days that make it look like something other than concrete. Also think about drainage, etc., and be sure to get it properly level with no low-spots so you don't get pooling water. You may even want to introduce a bit of a crown to help with that. And don't underestimate the amount of work... it can be a bitch. Concrete, drywall, and hardwood floors are three things I generally bring in the specialists for, and find that they're worth every penny.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.concreteideas.com/concrete-patios" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.concreteideas.com/concrete-patios</a> Some pretty good ideas of how you can finish concrete to be something other than boring concrete. Their gallery has some nice pics: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.concreteideas.com/image-galleries/patios" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.concreteideas.com/image-galleries/patios</a>
Thanks for the resplies, I think I'll leave it to the professionals. Too many variables, and it's not like building a deck where you can just rip it apart and start over if you fuck up.
Basic concreting is easy. Knock together form work, lay rebar, use a mixer, level it off. Any idiot with a bit of patience can do a 'good enough' job. But the difference between good enough, and what I'd want for my patio is HUGE. Every slab I've ever seen laid by an amateur has water pool points or a bit that crumbles around the edge, or a rough bit that grabs your toes or something. If I needed a slab for a redneck firepit, or for a garden shed to keep the mower - fuck it, I'd probably do it myself. If I actually wanted to enjoy using of the space where it was laid? I'd absolutely get in a professional. Also, if it's near your house, check the position of your sewage pipes and the like. If you need to get access to something under the slab in an emergency - it's going to come with a hell of a price tag. I've seen the plumbers bill when the ruptured pipe they needed access too had been concreted over by an enthusiastic DIY'er - it wasn't far off a phone number.
I'm going to be replacing a ceiling fan in my bedroom. I found this guide: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,453858,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/ ... 58,00.html</a> but it starts you off from the point of having a simple fixture and having to install a lot of support hardware. I haven't taken the fan off or anything, but I'm assuming that there will already be a metal ceiling plate and pancake box up there, and that it will fit the new fan, correct? Or are these things custom to individual model fans? I'm assuming this should be a simple "unscrew, take down, mount and re-screw" kind of thing, but want to make sure I'm not overlooking anything first.
Maybe. Maybe not. No universal fan mount spec as far as I know but you won't know until you take the fan down and compare it to the new one. They also usually have a safety wire that's screwed into something solid, so you'll probably have to undo that before the old fan comes down.
Ceiling fans mount to standard electrical box patterns; they're not custom mounts. If you don't have any problems with your current fan, you should be able to just take down the old one and hang the new one. While you have it down though, check to be sure that it's a steel box that the fan is hung from. If it's a plastic box, be sure it's the type that's reinforced with a steel rod above it for hanging fans. If it's just a plastic box nailed to the side of the joist, you'll want to change it out and do it right.
Does anyone have any plans or a starting point for a nicer outdoor table? I have had the same shitty metal table for years and it can't be painted anymore. I have all of the woodworking tools one could ever need but I am unable to find anything beyond a picnic table. Thanks
Mounts can vary, but some are the same. If you are going to do this yourself, take the extra precaution to make sure the switch is off and it STAYS OFF. All it takes is a slight force of habit or another person coming in to see how you're doing and then a wonderful, warm and unseen force will throw you across your room faster than you can say "Indiana Jones" and leaving you feeling afterwards like Lucifer ripped open your head and removed your soul with an ice cream scoop. It's not really THAT unsafe and most people can do it. Remember: power off, cover the switch with tape as a reminder, and steady hands.
That might be a good project for the DIY Project thread we created a few days ago. I don't have anything myself, but I always drop in to the local Lee Valley to see what they have, and have picked up quite a few table books from them. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=46105&cat=1,46096" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... at=1,46096</a> I'm planning on making a huge cedar plank (6" thick) dining room table in a couple of weeks, and used a few of their books to get ideas from. Especially some of the old joining techniques and leg options in some of the old-school books they have. If you have one around you, might be worth dropping into and flipping through some pages. Not sure what specific outdoor plans/ideas they have though.
Depends. How sharp are the blades? Is it over a bed? There are lots of potential reasons for setting up a video camera and leaving the power connected.
I guess I should have the first day I was kissed by Lady Electric. I was changing a simple lightbulb, holding myself on the chair steady by keeping a light grip on the cold water pipe and unscrewing the bulb with my other hand. My fingers touched the metal threaded part of the bulb and threw me backpeddling uncontrollably across the entire room into a gigantic pile of beer cases filled with empties. UN-FOR-GETTABLE. Like a gigantic hand just slapped me across the width of the house. I think I mumbled "whutthefuckhappened" about 600 times before I finally stood up.