DOCSLIB.ORG

How to Cheat ™ at Home Repair

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How to Cheat ™ at Home Repair HOW TO CHEAT™ AT HOME REPAIR HOW TO CHEAT™ AT HOME REPAIR Time-Slashing, Money-Saving Fixes for Household Hassles and Breakdowns JEFF BREDENBERG New York / London www.sterlingpublishing.com STERLING and the distinctive Sterling logo are re- gistered trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bredenberg, Jeff. How to cheat at home repair : the sneakiest, time-slash- ing fixes for household wear, tear, hassles & breakdowns / Jeff Bredenberg. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-4027-5629-0 1. Dwellings—Maintenance and repair—Amateurs’ manuals. I. Title. TH4817.3.B738 2008 643’.7—dc22 2008007160 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 © 2009 by Jeff Bredenberg Distributed in Canada by Sterling Publishing c/o Canadian Manda Group, 165 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3H6 5/388 Distributed in the United Kingdom by GMC Distribution Services Castle Place, 166 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, Eng- land BN7 1XU Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link (Australia) Pty. Ltd. P.O. Box 704, Windsor, NSW 2756, Australia Book design by Richard Oriolo Printed in China All rights reserved Sterling ISBN: 978-1-4027-5629-0 For information about custom editions, special sales, premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales Department at 800-805-5489 or special- [email protected]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is grateful to the following sources for their generous contribution of time and ideas: Dean Bennett, architect, contractor, builder, Castle Rock, Colorado. Jeff Bishop, technic- al advisor, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, Dothan, Alabama. Paul Bizzarri, vice president of in- novation, TimberTech, Wilmington, Ohio. Scott M. Brown, a.k.a. “Samurai Appliance Repairman,” proprietor of Fixitnow.com, New London, New Hampshire. Richard Bul- lock, owner, Bullock’s Furniture Restoration, 7/388 Odenton, Maryland. Mark Bruley, vice president for accident and forensic investiga- tion, ECRI Institute, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. James Dean of Lewiston, Maine. Dave Donovan, electrician, writer for DoItYourself.com, Atco, New Jersey. Joe Dussich, CEO, JAD Corporation of America, New York, New York. Sara Fisher, profes- sional organizer, Atlanta, Georgia. Doug Gagliardi, office furniture repairer, The Chair-Man, Twin Falls, Idaho. Henry Hendrix, brand manager, Combat In- secticides, Scottsdale, Arizona. Victoria Higgs, inventor, Adelaide, Australia. Mike Kozlowski, director of product quality and support, Sears Home Services, Hoffman Estates, Illinois. “Handyman Scott” Kropnick, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. David Lupberger, home improvement expert for 8/388 ServiceMagic.com, Denver, Colorado. Reg- gie Marston, president, Residential Equity Management Home Inspections, Springfield, Virginia; “House Detective” on Home & Garden Television. Tom McCormick, pres- ident, McCormick Electrical Services, North Liberty, Indiana. Chuck McLaughlin, plumber, Glenside, Pennsylvania. Steve Nearman, furniture restorer, The Master’s Touch, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Paul Pearce, vice president, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, Lon- don, England. Tim Puro, owner, Monroe Furniture Restoration, Bloomington, Indiana. Cheri Russell, wicker restorer, Wicker Fix- er, Ozark, Missouri. Tom Scherphorn, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. David Shapiro, electrical contractor, Colmar Manor, Mary- land. Craig Vetters, furniture repairer, the 9/388 Chair Dr., Evansville, Indiana. Scott Vin- cent, Oreland, Pennsylvania. Raymond VinZant, Roto Rooter’s Ask-the-Plumber, St. Paul, Minnesota. Ed Waller, co-founder, Certa-Pro Painters. The author also is grateful for the contribu- tions of editor Jo Fagan, the rest of the staff at Sterling Publishing, and agent Linda Konner. CONTENTS Introduction: The Repair Book for the Rest of Us 1: The Cheating Frame of Mind When Something “Breaks,” Resist the GULP Response Build a “Sup- port Staff” Know Your Limits—and Don’t Be Ashamed of Them Be Methodical about Your Home and Possessions Don’t Rush an Unfa- miliar Repair Job Embrace Innovative Products 2: Getting the Right Tools in the Right Place Power Up Your Tools with Wise Selection and Storage Are You Prop- erly Equipped to Start Cheating? Sneaky Tool-Specific Tips 3: Furniture: Top-Shelf Shortcuts and Fixes Wood Furniture: When Life Goes against the Grain Upholstery: Splotches, Drips, and Rips—Oh My! Wicker Wisdom When Office Furniture Calls in Sick 4: Home Electricity: Powerful Moves The Big Picture: Your Service and Panel Down to the Wires More Tricks of the Trade Screwing in Light Bulbs: It’s No Joke! 5: Plumbing Repairs: Putting Water in its Place Plunging into Drain Problems Getting a Handle on Faulty Faucets Bubble, Bubble, Toilet Troubles Tricks of the Trade From the “Ounce of Prevention” Department Become a Wise Buyer 11/388 6: Walls, Floors, Doors, and Windows How the Pros Slash Painting Time to a Minimum Flooring: Minimiz- ing Hassles Underfoot Key Strategies for Simple Door Repair Look- ing at Ornery Windows in a New Light 7: Appliances: When the “Household Help” Go on Strike Refrigerators: Keeping Your Cool Whipping Up Solutions for Stoves and Ovens The Cleanup Crew: Dishwashers and Disposals Playing Spin Doctor for Washers and Dryers The Sad Reality of Throwaway Small Appliances 8: Basements and Attics: The Neglected Nooks and Crannies A Sea in Your Basement? A Whole Raft of Solutions Get Peak Per- formance Out of Your Attic 9: A Zillion Other Possessions Need Help, Too 10: Home Exteriors The High Road: Only for the Sure-Footed The Low Road: Easy Fixes—Within Easy Reach 11: Pest Control: Send Those Unwanted “Guests” Packing General Pest-Proofing Pest-Specific Advice 12: Keeping Your Home Safe 1. Inadequate Handrails and Guardrails 2. Deteriorating Garage Door Mechanism 3. Inadequate or Missing Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors 4. Blocked Escape Routes From Bedrooms 5. Improper Electrical Work 6. Breached Fire Separation Walls 7. Flue System Flaws 8. Large Vegetation Close to the House 9. Stoves and Large Furniture without Antitip Brackets 10. Water Temperature Set Too High 13: Getting Help: Finding and Working with the Best Repair People 12/388 Finding a Repairperson The Care—and, Yes, Feeding—of Your Fa- vorite Repair People About the Author INTRODUCTION The Repair Book for the Rest of Us IF YOU HAVE BUILT YOUR OWN TEN-BEDROOM MANSION WITH YOUR BARE HANDS, AND IF YOU WEAR A TOOL BELT TO BED INSTEAD OF PAJAMAS, THEN YOU MIGHT NOT CARE MUCH ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN RESPECT TO KEEPING A HOME IN GOOD REPAIR. THAT’S OK. THIS REPAIR BOOK 14/388 IS FOR THE REST OF US: PEOPLE WHO WANT PRESENTABLE HOMES IN GOOD REPAIR—WITHOUT WORKING TOO HARD FOR IT. Yes, the title is How to Cheat™ at Home Repair, and you might well ask how you could possibly cheat at fixing things. Am I talking about skirting building codes, using chintzy materials, and slapdash techniques? Not at all. Building regulations protect us all, and none of us likes the look of careless work in our homes. Cheating at home repair means using ingenious shortcuts that will save you time, energy, and money—while getting the repair done properly. It means selecting the most durable furnishings and materials for your home so you have to make repairs less often. It means walking away from the myths, mis- conceptions, and counterproductive traditions that sap hours out of your home life. It means stocking your tool- box with simple-but-versatile tools so you’re ready for any mishaps and breakdowns that homeownership throws at you. And it means knowing your limits—when to call in a professional rather than doing a sloppy repair yourself. This book is jam-packed with sneaky tips and tech- niques that any homeowner or apartment-dweller can 15/388 perform with the most common tools and materials. Many of these tips come from professional repair people them- selves. I put this question to each of them: “When you ar- rive at a customer’s home, which are the jobs that cause you to shake your head and say to yourself, ‘They could have taken care of this themselves’?” With their replies in hand, I put together instructions for the simplest, anybody-can-do-it home repairs. Even more tips come from inspectors, architects, professional organizers, in- ventors, and regular folks with clever ideas. Now, the how-to-cheat movement is not confined to one continent, and discussing home repair gets tricky when you consider the differences in building techniques, measuring systems, tools, and product availability. Nevertheless, we’ve done our best to provide tips that can be understood and carried out by the broadest possible audience. That’s why you will find mention of both imperial and metric measure- ments, generic product names alongside specific brand names, and occasional instructions for finding supplies on the Internet. And speaking of regular folks, now that you’re in the “how to cheat” fold, I invite you to join the growing throng of ingenious homeowners who submit their own sneaky ideas about home management for use in future books. Just drop me a note in care of Sterling Publishing, or submit tips electronically by visiting one of my 16/388 websites, HowToCheatBooks.com or JeffBreden- berg.com. Please use common sense when you make repairs, fol- low the appropriate safety precautions, and don’t proceed with any repair you don’t fully understand. Hire your trus- ted professionals to deal with jobs that entail dangerous elements, such as live electricity and heights. As cheaters at home repair, we’re looking for sanity in our home lives—not the added stress, expense, and time loss that come with injuries. And resist the pressure to be a super do-it-yourselfer. Sure, it’s easy to admire the people who have gone through the specialized training and licensing required to do professional-level building, plumbing, electrical work, and such. You may gawk dreamily as a television person- ality remodels a kitchen in twenty-five minutes.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MAKING Artisan CHEESE
    MAKING artisan CHEESE 50 FINE CHEESES THAT YOU CAN MAKE IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN TIM SMITH BEVERLY MASSACHUSETTS Q U A R R Y B O O K S To my patient wife Sharon, my joyful daughter Raya, and all of the friends and family who gave me support and encouragement throughout this project. A special thanks goes out to my photographer, Allan Penn—a man who possesses a keen eye and a wicked sense of humor. CONTENTS Introduction PART 1 HOW TRADITION INFLUENCES MODERN CHEESE CHAPTER ONE A Brief History of Cheese Making Ancient Origins The Middle Ages Colonization The Industrial Revolution The Rebirth of Artisan Cheese CHAPTER TWO Cheese-Making Basics Composition of Milk Types of Animal Milk and Their Influence on Cheese How Grazing, Season, and Geography Affect Milk Forms of Milk Cultures and Rennet: The Other Pieces of the Puzzle Molds and External Bacteria Other Ingredients Salt Ripening PART 2 MAKING CHEESE CHAPTER THREE Basic Cheese Making: Getting Started A Few Words on Sanitation Techniques for Making Fresh, Soft Cheeses Basic Cheese Recipes Paneer Fresh Chèvre Quark Yogurt Yogurt Cheese Cream Cheese Lemon Cheese Mascarpone Crème Fraîche Cottage Cheese CHAPTER FOUR Intermediate Cheese Making Ingredients Starter Cultures: Mother Cultures and Direct-Set Cultures Equipment Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques Intermediate Cheese Recipes Monterey Jack Cotswold Cantal Halloumi Pyrenees Feta Caerphilly Cheddar Cloth-Banded Cheddar Washed-Curd Cheeses Colby Gouda Edam Leiden Cabra al Vino Cooked Cheeses Emmental Gruyère Parmesan Romano Bra Pasta Filata
    [Show full text]
  • Saltern Evaporation Ponds As Model Systems for the Study of Primary Production Processes Under Hypersaline Conditions
    Vol. 56: 193–204, 2009 AQUATIC MICROBIAL ECOLOGY Printed September 2009 doi: 10.3354/ame01297 Aquat Microb Ecol Published online June 30, 2009 Contribution to AME Special 2 ‘Progress and perspectives in aquatic primary productivity’ OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS REVIEW Saltern evaporation ponds as model systems for the study of primary production processes under hypersaline conditions Aharon Oren Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Institute of Life Sciences, and the Moshe Shilo Minerva Center for Marine Biogeochemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel ABSTRACT: Multi-pond solar salterns, which are used worldwide for salt production along tropical and subtropical coastal areas, present an environment with increasing salt concentrations, from sea- water to NaCl saturation. Characteristic salt-adapted microbial communities are found along the salinity gradient. In ponds of intermediate salinity (100 to 250 g l–1), most of the primary production occurs in benthic microbial mats dominated by different types of unicellular and filamentous Cyanobacteria (Aphanothece, Microcoleus, Phormidium and others), sometimes in association with diatoms. In crystallizer ponds, the unicellular green alga Dunaliella is the sole primary producer that lives in association with dense communities of heterotrophic halophilic Archaea that color the brines red. This basic pattern is common to all saltern systems, in spite of local variations in climate and nutrient availability. Photosynthetic activities of benthic cyanobacterial mats in the evaporation ponds and of endoevaporitic microbial communities within the gypsum crust that precipitates at intermediate salinities have been extensively studied in salterns at different locations, using oxygen microelectrodes and other techniques adapted to the study of benthic communities. These environ- ments are generally highly productive, although most of the oxygen produced during daytime by the Cyanobacteria is recycled within the mats rather than exchanged with the overlying water and the atmosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology and Mineral Deposits of Ochoan Rocks in Delaware Basin and Adjacent Areas
    Circular 159 1978 Geology and mineral deposits of Ochoan rocks in Delaware Basin and adjacent areas compiled by George S. Austin New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources A DIVISION OF NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY Circular 159 New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources A DIVISION OF NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY Geology and mineral deposits of Ochoan rocks in Delaware Basin and adjacent areas compiled by George S. Austin in cooperation with 26 other coauthors A symposium on Ochoan rocks of southeast New Mexico and west Texas, held May 4, 1977, in Carlsbad, New Mexico SOCORRO 1978 ii Published by Authority of State of New Mexico, NMSA 1953 Sec. 63-1-4 Printed by University of New Mexico Printing Plant, October, 1978 Available from New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM 87801 Price $6.50 iii Preface Rocks of Upper Permian age in southeastern New Mexico tremendous amount of work by all of the participants, the and west Texas have produced an abundance of hydrocar- chairpersons and workers on the many committees, the authors of bons, potash, and sulfur. Although much geologic literature the papers, and the editors and secretaries; even the general is available on the region in general and on petroleum chairman did some work. geology in particular, relatively little has been published Circular 159, the "Geology and mineral deposits of Ochoan recently on the nonmetallic ores, and there seems to be a rocks in Delaware Basin and adjacent areas," contains 13 ex- paucity of information on southwestern New Mexico. In panded papers from the 18 oral presentations given at the addition the relationships of the petroleum industry to the Ochoan symposium, plus an expanded abstract of one of the potash industry and of mining engineers to geologists have papers from the Upper Guadalupian symposium.
    [Show full text]
  • An Appraisal of Underground Gas Storage Technologies and Incidents
    An appraisal of Underground Gas Storage technologies and incidents, for the development of risk assessment methodology Sustainable and Renewable Energy Programme Open Report OR/07/023 Version 1 Volume One - text This page is blank BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMME OPEN REPORT OR/07/023 Version 1 Volume One - text An appraisal of Underground Gas Storage technologies and incidents, for the development of The National Grid and other Ordnance Survey data are used with the permission of the risk assessment methodology Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Licence No: 100017897/2005. Keywords Keywords: underground gas storage, reservoirs, aquifers, salt caverns, depleted oil/gasfields, natural gas, halite, salt creep, cap rocks. D.J. Evans Bibliographical reference D.J. EVANS. 2007. An appraisal of Underground Gas Storage technologies and incidents, for the development of risk assessment methodology. British Contributor: Geological Survey Open Report, OR/07/023. 287pp. Dr. J.M. West (Microbiology) Copyright in materials derived from the British Geological Survey’s work is owned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and/or the authority that commissioned the work. You may not copy or adapt this publication without first obtaining permission. Contact the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Section, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, e-mail [email protected]. You may quote extracts of a reasonable length without prior permission, provided a full acknowledgement is given of the source of the extract.
    [Show full text]
  • Good Food Ideas from the Folks at the Ignatius Farm CSA
    Good Food Ideas from the folks at the Ignatius Farm CSA Guelph csa good food ideas acknoWledgements Thank you to all the people who worked so hard to make this cook book possible... To Intern Jenn McArthur (Who is the “I” in the recipes) Who compiled the recipes, put them in order and tYped them all up To Theresa McArthur Who shared her familY recipes To The Smith FamilY (Intern Rob McArthur’s familY) for some of their familY recipes To Catherine Chafe Who Wrote the CSA cookbook that inspired this one To The World Food Cafe Cookbook for the inspiration behind some of Jenn’s recipes To Ruth Wiederkehn, Pauline MacDonald, MarY SojcZYnski, AmY ProulX, NancY Britton and Heather LekX for contributing recipes To KerrY DalY and NancY Britton for their careful proofreading and not photocopYing anY recipes before the book came out! To Madeleine Theodore for her amaZing pencil illustrations of the Veggies, and our great and happY organic farmer To Sarah J. Clark for putting it all together into the finished design We hope that You enjoY using and sharing these recipes and that You are inspired to create neW ones to add to future books. Ignatius Farm CSA P.O. BoX 1238, Guelph, ON N1H 6N6 519-824-1250 eXt. 245 Email: [email protected] [email protected] © 2003 1 About Saint Ignatius LoYola Who was Ignatius of Loyola? Also knoWn as Inigo LopeZ de LoYola Memorial 31 JulY Profile Spanish nobilitY. Youngest of tWelVe children. Court page. MilitarY education. Soldier. Wounded in the leg bY a cannonball at the siege of Pampeluna on 20 MaY 1521, an injurY that left him partiallY crippled for life.
    [Show full text]
  • Microfabrics and Deformation Mechanisms of Gorleben Rock Salt
    Microfabrics and deformation mechanisms of Gorleben rock salt Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaen vorgelegt am Fachbereich Geowissenschaen / Geographie der Johann Wolfgang-Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main von Nicolas Thiemeyer aus Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main (2015) (D30) Vom Fachbereich Geowissenschaften / Geographie der Johann Wolfgang Goethe - Universität als Dissertation angenommen Dekan: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Achatz Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Gernold Zulauf Dr. habil. Jörg Hammer Datum der Disputation: 20.5.2016 Dedicated to Tanja Acknowledgements Prof. Gernold Zulauf is sincerely thanked for giving me the opportunity to work in the Gorleben project. I am deeply indebted to his permanent support, critical remarks and his very pleasant nature, which made me feel very comfortable working in his group and the Geoscience department. He was always available for my requests. Most importantly, I am proud and grateful for all his trust in my work over many years. Dr. Jörg Hammer is greatly acknowledged who has finally made this thesis possible with all the support from the BGR and his personal interest and encouragement. It was a pleasure to contribute to such an important subject and to work in a competent team of scientists. Especially his trust in my person and his open-minded attitude for new methods and techniques has significantly increased the meaning of my work and my enthusiasm. His support for my person and for many other scientists is far beyond the normal case. Dr. Jörg Habersetzer essentially influenced my career. His expertise in CT imaging has offered me a new and extremely interesting research direction, which is now a major part in my life.
    [Show full text]