Handyman Sydney

Home Improvement, Home Repair And Home Renovation

You Can Create An Artificial Brick Wall…yes you can

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best handyman sydneyWith the fashion for renovating old houses has come an appreciation of the decorative value of traditional surfaces like brick and sandstone. But stripping a wall back to its original brick is fraught with hazards. As well as the fuss and mess, there is the risk of disappointment if the wall is made of odd or unattractive bricks – after all, it was never intended to be seen without its plaster covering. The best way to have an exposed brick wall or room is by using artificial brick tiles. These come in an attractive array of brick finishes and can be used on almost any clean surface, indoor or out. Wallpaper surfaces should be stripped before the brick tiles are applied and unsealed surfaces need a coat of sealer. Gloss surfaces should be sanded back or treated with de-glossing liquid. Once the surface is clean, dry and free of dust, grease and wax, you can apply brick tiles.

For realism, use full wall heights and consider using more than one wall face. When measuring, allow for waste by measuring each wall in full meters. Each carton of tiles specifies how many square meters it will cover and your supplier will tell you how much mortar and adhesive to use with your quantity of tiles.

The tools you require are a spreader for the adhesive, a mortar brush, a sharp knife for cutting heated tiles, plus a small sheet of metal about 1m x 2m. You’ll also need something to heat the bricks up with,

To curve bricks or bend them around corners, heat them on the metal plate suspended about 30Omm over a small electric radiator turned on its back. This softens the tiles making them easy to cut with a sharp knife, a little like cutting bread dough. Be very careful when carrying out this operation- A portable type gas torch is recommended for heat melding any external corners.

To apply the bricks, lay them out as directed by the manufacturers, adjusting the mortar joints (distance between each brick) so you end up with an even course -of bricks at top and bottom-. Use a stick, cut to the width of the joint required, to help keep joints evenly spaced.

Use a notched spreader or putty knife to spread a thin coat of adhesive along the top of the wall, covering enough space to accommodate two rows of bricks (called courses). Also spread adhesives down the left hand side of the wall and one brick width.

Spread adhesive on the back of several bricks. Press them firmly into place where you have applied the adhesive to the wall. Wiggle the brick slightly in the adhesive to bed it firmly. Use your stick to check the joints between bricks. Work all the way across the top then do the second row, starting with a half brick on the left-hand side so the tiles alternate like real brickwork. When the second row is complete come back and alternate with a full brick and half brick down the left hand side where you have spread the adhesive. When you have these vertical and horizontal rows completed, check that the rows will come out even and adjust the mortar joints if necessary white the bricks will still slide. Covering about 1 to 2 square meters at a time with adhesive continue working under the top courses, adding three or four courses at a time then spreading more adhesive and so on.

If the wall is a long one you can keep the courses level by stretching a string line across the area, attaching it to nails driven into the wall, and hooking a line level onto it. When the bubble is centred on the level, you know the string is level and you can then line up courses of bricks with the string.

Once the bricks are all fixed to the wall and evenly spaced you can apply the mortar. Refer to your manufacturer’s instructions as to how long you should wait for adhesive to dry before proceeding.

If the mortar joints need smoothing, crease along them with a wet finger or mortar brush to even them out. See the Bricks & Masonry section for how to rake your joints if this is the effect you want.

In extreme conditions, such as commercial premises or where there is a lot of grime and pollution, the surface may be sealed with a low-glaze sealer, sprayed or brushed onto the surface.

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Bathroom Carpet Rug Do-It-Yourself lil Project

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Photo: calfinder.com

Bathroom carpet has quite a few advantages. It is warm underfoot, softer if you drop anything and is quieter than tiles. It is also about the only way to change the look of a bathroom floor without the mess and expense of taking up old tiles and putting down new ones, so bathroom carpet can solve a lot of problems, even in rented accommodation, as it can be taken up easily if you move.

You should only use carpet intended for bathrooms. The backing must be non-slip and water resistant You can also use kitchen carpet and indoor-outdoor carpets including artificial grass carpeting. Here is how to carpet your bathroom.

1. Mark out a full sized pattern of your bathroom floor from wrapping paper or other large sheets of paper. Tape the paper together with adhesive tape, overlapping the seams about 2 cm.

2. To mark around fixtures such as toilet bowls, cut a slit in the pattern from the wall to the front edge of the fixture, and another slit the width of the fixture. Fit the paper around the fixture and score with the blunt edge of a pair of scissors, following the shape where it meets the floor. Cut the shape made by the score and test against the fixture to ensure you have a good fit.

3. Lay the paper floor plan upside down on the carpet. Secure it with adhesive tape or pins so it won’t slip while cutting.

4. Cut the carpet out following the floor plan. Use a sharp knife, razor blade or similar, trying not to cut the pile. If necessary, trim the carpet for more precise fit around fixtures.

If your bathroom has any heavy traffic areas, it is a good idea to fit small rugs around fixtures to protect the carpet from excess wear. It can normally be vacuum cleaned, or taken up and draped over a clothes line then hosed clean and left to dry.

Materials you’ll need:

• Bathroom carpet
• Brown paper or newspaper
• Adhesive tape
• Marking pen

Tools you’ll need:

• Tape measure or ruler
• Scissors
• Single edged razor blade or sharp knife

Best Ways to Keep Your Carpets Clean

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Photo: sydneywidecarpetcleaning.com.au

The best way to keep carpet looking good is with regular care and attention. Don’t allow the carpet to get too dirty before you take steps to freshen it up as some discolouration can become permanent. There are two stages to good carpet care regular maintenance and emergency treatment for spills and stains.

New carpet tends to shed fluff just after it has been laid. Vacuum clean initially then pick up fluff with a carpet sweeper or hand brush. After a week or two the carpet will have settled and you can vacuum clean it regularly.

All your carpets will benefit from a quick daily once-over with the carpet sweeper. The exercise is great for the operator and saves time later on weekly vacuum. Once or twice a week, vacuum cleans the carpet thoroughly. Make several passes over each section to remove embedded dirt and grit as well as surface dust.

Shampoo carpets at least once a year. You can buy a good carpet shampoo or rent an electric one. The main objective is to spread the foam shampoo evenly, working it well into the carpet without soaking it through. There are several very good carpet shampoos on the market, all used in a similar way.

1. Vacuum clean the carpet to remove all surface dirt. Some shampoos also suggest you pre-clean any really heavily soiled spots before doing the larger area.

2. Remove furniture from the room or place lunch wrap or tinfoil under the legs to stop them from getting wet.

3. Read the directions on the product fully. Apply the foam either from the spray can or with a shampoo as directed.

4. Allow remaining on the carpet for the time specified then vacuum away. This will remove all the hard-to-dislodge dirt along with the dried foam residue.

Most shampoos also recommend you test your carpet for colour fastness by using a small amount of the shampoo on an inconspicuous area. Any carpet product you use for the first time should be checked in this way. Always attend to spills as soon as they happen. If the spill is liquid, blot up as much as you can before it soaks into the carpet. Use white paper towels or tissues. Apply spot remover to the carpet and leave it on for a few minutes then blot or sponge the stain working from the edge to the centre of the area. Dry the affected area as fast as practicable, say by directing air from a hand held hair dryer, fan or small radiator at the spot. Lightly brush the pile when dry. Alternatively, use a dry carpet cleaner, a powdery substance that is sprinkled on the stain and sponged in then vacuum out.

Treating common stains

• Wines and spirits are removed by ‘dry cleaning”. Sponge the stain with dry cleaning fluid, refolding the cloth and moistening it with more fluid until the stain is removed.

• Most of the “sweet stain’s” such as fruit, soft drink, chocolate and sugar can be treated with a solution of 1 tablespoon of mild detergent in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Sponge onto the area and blot with a clean damp sponge or damp cloth. Repeat until stain is gone. 1/4 cup of white vinegar mixed with 3/4 cup of lukewarm water is sometimes effective on these stains. Sponge onto the mark, leave 2-3 minutes then sponge with clean water. Repeat as necessary then dry thoroughly.

• Oils such as fat, butter and lipstick should have the excess scraped off then the residue treated with a cloth soaked in cleaning fluid, blotting from the edges to the centre of the stain. After applying cleaning fluid, treat with carpet shampoo, foamed in water and sponged onto the area. Wipe off the foam and blot, and then sponge with clean water. Repeat as required. Do not soak the carpet.

• Chewing gum and candle wax can be rubbed with an ice cube to make them go hard. Scrape off with the back of a knife and sponge with cleaning fluid.

Remember that what works well on one kind of fibre may harm another so test any new cleaner or treatment on an inconspicuous part of the carpet. For impossible to remove stains, call in a professional cleaner and tell him what caused the stain and which treatments you have tried to get rid of it.

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Fixing A Dripping Tap

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Photo: howtoaustralia.com.au
Photo: howtoaustralia.com.au

Few things can be more irritating than the drip-drip-drip of a leaking tap, usually in the middle of the night. A constant drip also wastes many litres of water and will stain a sink or bath after a time. All you need to fix the drip is a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench, plus a replacement washer. For most baths and mixer taps you need 118mm washers and 12mm fits most sink and basin taps. The most common household taps are classified under bib-cock, pillar-cock, recess or flange stop, hose-cock and stopcock fittings. Basic operation is similar in all types. First shut off the water either at the tap on the rising main for mains-fed taps or at the appropriate stop tap. If your water system has no stop taps turn the water off at the main and open all the cold taps to drain the water from the pipes. Make sure the heating is turned off before you drain water from a water heater.

Once you have turned off the water supply, open the tap fully. If there is a cap, screw it out or if it is just clipped in, prize it out with a thin screwdriver. The tap may have a shield or cover which should be removed. If using a wrench, wrap a piece of rag or tape around the part of the tap being unscrewed to avoid damaging it. This applies to a bib-cock assembly as in Diagram (A), where the barrel assembly screws out in one piece.

Some taps have a combined handle and cover with a nut holding the cover to the spindle. This has to be undone before you can lift off the cover. If the tap has no nut, open tap fully and continue unscrewing to release the cover. Once you have unscrewed the top portion (which contains the handle spindle), you will see a hexagonal shaped head on which the washer sits. The washer usually drops out into the tap body as the top portion is unscrewed. This can then be replaced with a new washer of the same size. In many taps, the washer is secured to the jumper by a nut or screw. Remove the nut or screw and replace the washer. The washer can be of leather, fibre, or plastic, the most common being neoprene. You can also buy a washer that is fixed to the jumper permanently. This is called a jumper valve. If you are fitting a new washer only and not a complete washer assembly, the burring on the thread of the washer assembly must be carefully filed off (The burring is there to prevent accidental unscrewing). Once the new washer is in place on the old washer assembly or jumper body, replace the retaining nut firmly but do not over tighten it. Then reassemble the tap but before tightening everything well, smear the thread with Vaseline or petroleum jelly. Tighten with hand pressure only. The water supply can then be turned back on and the repaired tap allowed to run gently for a while to remove any air trapped in the water pipes.

Reseating a tap Diagram (B).

If the tap continues to drip even after you replace the washer, the seating is probably worn. A plumber can regrind the washer seating for you or you can purchase a tap reseating tool to reface the seat yourself. This tool has cutting teeth. You insert the tool in the tap and install the packing nut over it then turn the handle to screw the tool down against the tap seat. The cutting teeth then grind the seat smooth. Cheek that it is smooth and shiny before reassembling the tap. There is also available a special seating washer that simply fits into the original seat and gives a smooth seat for the washer to sit on See Diagram (A).

Replacing an “O-Ring” or a jumper valve.

If the water leaks from around the handle of the tap, you’ll probably find that the “O-Ring” needs replacing Just follow the steps in Diagram (C), from 1-8, and you’ll find it a rather simple process Remember to wrap the tap in rag or tape to protect the chrome if you are using a wrench.

However, some older style taps have a “gland nut” positioned just below the spindle (see Diagram (C) step 6), and this could also be the cause of the “handle leak”. Try tightening the nut about a quarter turn with an adjustable wrench.

Put the tap back together and turn it on. If it still leaks you’ll have to replace the “0-Ring”.

Sometimes the tap will leak from the spout. This is probably caused by a worn washer commonly called a jumper valve (see Diagram (C) step 7). It is easily replaced, just follow the steps to remove the barrel assembly and the washer will simply drop out. Replace it and reassemble the tap.

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Fix a Leaking Pipe

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Photo: sjaplumbing.com.au
Photo: sjaplumbing.com.au

Leaks in drain pipes and water supply pipes can be stopped up with epoxy glue. If possible, shut of the water to that section of the pipe either at the stop, or at the mains. Then clean around the leak and allow it to dry before applying the epoxy. Thorough drying is essential to get a good repair. If using a 2-part epoxy, mix it very thoroughly and paste on to a section of absorbent material such as cotton. Bandage the leak with this glue-soaked fabric. If using ordinary epoxy, wrap several layers of cloth soaked in plenty of glue, around the pipe. If water is still in the pipe you will have to wrap it securely to stop the leak until the epoxy has a chance to set. Same leaks may need to be reinforced with a C-clamp while they set. Bandage as described, then wrap a piece of rubber or other non-porous material around the repair and fix the clamp to the rubber. (This stops the clamp becoming glued to the repair.)

If you have no epoxy handy, a temporary measure is to wrap the crack or hole with several layers of rubber (even cut from a child’s balloon will do) and clamp tightly until a more permanent repair can be made. Use a block of timber to hold the rubber in place. Splitting a length of rubber house and clamping it in place with hose clamps, also helps. A small leak can be stopped for the time by bandaging the effected part with waterproof tape. Ensure that the tape covers several centimeters each side of the hole or crack.

Epoxy repairs cannot be used in joints, where leaks frequently occur. Sometimes the threads on galvanized pipe joints can work loose, allowing water to seep out. Wrap some Teflon tape around the treads of the pipe. This will tighten up the joint and may stop the leak.

Start to screw the pipes together by hand to ensure that the joint goes together freely and not cross-threaded. Use a pair of stilsons to tighten up the joint, one turned in each direction. If this doesn’t stop the leak, there is a special pipe sealing compound witch you can buy to reseal this joint. The compound helps form a water-tight seal and stops the fittings “freezing” together so they can be removed later on if required. A leaking joint should be gently loosened with a pipe wrench or stillsons, the compound applied and the joint re tightened. Also check any connections each side of the repair, as you work may have loosened other joints. A compression fitting may only need a slight tightening to stop a leak. However, if copper tubing leaks at a joint, the joint usually has to be re-soldered.
This involves shutting off the water supply, draining the pipe completely (this is very important as an explosion can occur if the steam is generated in the pipes), and cleaning away the old solder before applying new solder. Steel wool is good material to use, to insure the pipes are thoroughly clean.  Always apply a flux to the pipe to ensure a good bound between solder and pipe. apply heat to the joint until the solder melts, ensuring the solder runs freely around the joint.  Always fit the joint before heat is applied. Unless you are skilled at soldering, this probably best left to a plumber.

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