Toilet Wax Ring Review: Bol Wax vs. No Seep

A few weeks ago I wrote about the toilet heck we seemed to be stuck in. We had four serious toilet problems (clogs or leaks) in less than a month. I hate toilet problems. Every one of them required us to pull one of the toilets and reseat it (requiring a new wax ring). The fourth problem was actually caused by a poor wax ring replacement on the third — leading to this post.  Here’s the details:

After I fixed the third problem and reseated the upstairs toilet (see the toilet heck post for details), I decided to go cheap on the wax ring. Home Depot offers Bol Wax as the low-cost ($1.39) alternative to No-Seep. I thought, “one wax ring is as good as another.” I guess I was wrong. The pictures speak for themselves.

This is the toilet I pulled with the Bol Wax ring on the bottom:

You can see that the Bol Wax ring didn’t make a tight seal all the way around the pipe. (Look to the left of the center hole). In this case I think the ring was just too thin and lacked the requisite structural integrity. Water was basically flowing out of the bottom back of the gasket and down into the kitchen!

This is the toilet after I applied the No-Seep ring:

Notice that the No-Seep ring has an integrated black gasket that fits into the drain pipe. This proved essential to making a good seal. Also, this particular No-Seep (a #10) was a little thicker than its Bol Wax counterpart.

Bottom line: since we made the switch we haven’t had any problems.

Now, I don’t think that Bol Wax is a terrible product. In fact, it’s currently in use on my downstairs toilet without any problems. I think it’s more an issue of the range of applications Bol Wax will work for vs. the range No-Seep will work for. The downstairs floor is perfectly uniform and has a small gap between the toilet and the plumbing. The upstairs floor is slightly unlevel with a slightly larger gap. I think the No-Seep just handled the height / level differences better.

The downside is that No-Seep is $3.99, or about 3x as much as Bol Wax. But for me, $2.60 is a small price for added peace of mind.

What do you think? Do you have a wax ring preference?

Outlet / Switch / Wall Plate Sizes Explained

Many folks don’t know that receptacle (aka outlet) and switch plate covers come in three standard sizes. Home Depot, Lowes, and other improvement stores usually offer all three. They are: standard, mid-size (or mid-way), and jumbo.

Most decorative plates will either be standard size, or somewhere between standard and mid-size, while nylon (plastic) plates will generally be available in all sizes.

Which wall plate size is right for you depends on two things:

(1) Most important: how big of a hole you’re trying to cover. Good drywallers won’t leave much gap between the outer edge of electrical boxes and the surrounding wall board. If you’re lucky, the drywall surrounding the box will not only be cut close, it will be undamaged. If this is the case, a standard plate will work just fine. If you’re the victim of a less-than-optimal drywall job, you’ll have to use the mid-grade or jumbo variety. (If the job is really terrible, and a jumbo plate won’t do the job, you’ll need to do a drywall repair).

(2) Personal taste. Some folks, including me, actually like the look of bigger receptacle plates. If you’ve the luxury of choosing which size plates to install, pick the one you like best. I personally like the look of mid-grade white nylon plates with matching white receptacles, especially against darker paint colors (as found in my dining room). I find the standard plates just look too small, and jumbo plates look juvenile, for whatever reason.

Sassy switches offers a dimensional table at the bottom of their site which can save you that trip to the local big box to buy test plates for your job. Of course, there’s no substitute for seeing what you’ll end up with. Sassy also offers a variety of designer switch plates for those of you who need your switch plate covers to make a statement.

What do you think? Do you have a plate size preference? Is it just me, or do the jumbo plates look silly?

Valspar One Coat Primer Review

We recently decided to give several old pieces of furniture a new matching look by repainting them. We selected Valspar Interior High Hiding Primer from Lowes because it claims superior coverage over dark colors and we had not tried this primer before. This brief article summarizes our experience using this product on this furniture and its results.

Valspar One Coat Primer Trial

We have two pieces of hunter green furniture. One dresser and one end table. Both are typical size. We would like to paint both of these pieces white when we’re finished with the job. Valspar High Hiding Primer claims that it will cover dramatic paint colors and dry fast (straight from the website).

Our Simple Test

Following the manufacturers recommendations, we started with a quick sanding to remove any hidden finishing layers on the furniture and to make sure all dirt and dust were removed. This process helps prepare wood for a new coat of paint. We cleaned up the sanding with a dry paper towel.

Tip: Make sure to clean up all surfaces if you sand before painting, as painting where saw dust is present will cause the dust to mix with the paint, reducing the effectiveness of the primer and often leaving streaks.

We then applied the primer with a standard mid-range paint brush and small roller combination, just like we expect any homeowner would.

The Results

One coat primer didn’t hold up to its name. The primer quickly soaked into the wood and dried. But a light green tinge and wood grain could be seen throughout, as shown in the picture below (apologies for the low-res, we did not have the camera set properly for this shot).

It took another full application before we were confident that no green would bleed through in a final top coat of paint (again, apologies for the low-res photo below). We were hoping for a single coverage primer. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t look to be it.

Valspar Responds: (Updated March 15, 2008): After reading this article, a customer service representative from Valspar contacted us to discuss the product’s performance. In general, the representative stood by Valspar’s product. He’s said he’s used his competitors’ products and believes Valspar’s primer is superior. However, he did apologize for the lack of performance and offered a few suggestions for getting better results in the future. In the end, he let us know that we could return the unused primer for a full refund at the store where we purchased it. If the store wouldn’t honor the return, Valspar would refund our money directly.

If you’re considering Valspar paint, that means you’ll be shopping at Lowes. See our Lowes Coupon article for instructions on how to get a 10% off coupon for Lowes.

Before and After: Fireplace Ventilator Restoration

Despite the fact that the pictures are outside, this week’s Before and After is brought to you from our family room, and more specifically, our fireplace. I took the pictures outside because the lighting was much better.

When we bought this house 2 years ago, we inherited this fireplace ventilator (sometimes called a circulator, or heater) along with the house. The ventilator was pretty rough looking – a mixture of rust brown and white. It looked like it may have been painted white, but we really couldn’t tell. The relatively deteriorated look of the unit surprised us, since the POs said they only built one or two fires in their 22 years in the home.

In case you’re wondering, the ventilator works by pulling in air through the vent on the right, and pumping it through the metal tubes and out the front of the heater. It works extremely well, and makes the fireplace much more energy efficient.

We toyed with the idea of getting rid of the unit because it was so ugly, but ultimately decided to restore it using a spray paint designed for high heat situations. We found Rustoleum High Heat black spray paint at Home Depot (the subject of a later review). Needless to say, we’re very happy with the results!

Before:

After:

Now it’s your turn! Link in your own Before and After posts below, and then leave a comment here. Good luck with your projects!

Water Hammer / Noisy Pipes: Cause, Effect, Solution

Water hammer is a tapping or hammering sound in water pipes caused by the pipes knocking into one another or other nearby obstacles (e.g. brick, block, wood, sinks, toilets, fixtures, etc). Copper pipes are most commonly affected/noticed; however, the root causes of water hammer can exist in any pressurized pipe system.

What Causes Water Hammer?

Water hammer is caused by pressure that has rapidly built up in the water line and is looking for a place to go. It usually originates from a valve where the flow of water is quickly turned off. Older pipes can come unanchored, causing even small pressure spikes to create water hammer noises. Less common sources include well water pumps and defective water hammer protection devices.

Effects of Water Hammer

Water Hammer is more dangerous than you may realize. The pressure that originates at your valve is transfered to the entire volume of water in the pipe. These surges travel faster than the speed of sound and exert huge amounts of pressure at any given point. Over time, pipes and joints will weaken and begin leaking.

How to Solve/Stop Water Hammer

Ever wonder what that PVC pipe is on your roof? It’s connected to your water sewer pipes. As water flows out of your house, this open connection releases pressure and allows your water to flow freely. (That’s why you don’t have a water hammer problem on the non-pressurized side of the system). A similar concept applies to solving water hammer problems on the pressurized side: create an outlet for the excessive pressure (or eliminate the higher pressure in the first place).

1. Swap out the valve that is closing too quickly. You can install automatically closing valves that close slowly. These are controlled by the flow of water and do not need electricity to operate. If the water hammer is being caused by a built-in fixture, like a toilet, dishwasher, washing machine, or faucet, you will likely need to replace the valve component in that fixture, or use an alternative method described below.

2. Install an air chamber. These chambers are simply pockets of air. The surge compresses the air and absorbs all the pressure. These chambers are usually seen behind a sink or other appliance where water hammer occurs frequently. They look like upside-down bottles attached to the pipe.

3. Install air valves. These simply allow air in to relieve the pressure. Air valves are effective but at the cost of having unwanted air in your water supply. Also these valves can create noises of their own. Be sure to select the right size valve for your pipe. Typical water main pipe is 3/4 inch. For these, install a 1/2 inch release valve.

What do you think? Water pipes can make lots of noises. What problems have you come across? How’d you solve them?

Home accents: Crown molding and Wainscoting

Decorative accents can really help make a house a home. A few that always catch my eye are crown molding and wainscoting. They are subtle additions that enhance almost any room.

Crown Molding

Crown Molding is installed to hide the corner where walls and ceiling meet. It can really dress up a room. Molding comes in a variety of materials like plaster, wood, PVC and many more each with pros and cons. Be careful to select a size and pattern appropriate for your room, otherwise, it might make a room feel much smaller. Molding templates are a must have for the first time do-it-yourselfer.

If you’re planing on installing crown molding, check out our full installation guide. It’ll walk you through all the different aspects of an install and offer tips for a professional looking result.

Wainscot (wān-skət)

Wainscoting is wood paneling lining the lower portion of a wall. It will make a bold statement and can make a room feel larger. Framed beaded board and raised panels are the best applications. The panels are fixed using nails and adhesive. Beaded board also has a tongue and groove for a snug fit. Wainscoting not only looks great but helps protect your walls. Here is a helpful guide from This Old House for installation.

What do you think? What home accents do you prefer? Ever use a pre-fabbed install kit?

Get Rid of a Squirrel | Rodent Removal Techniques

It all began when Jocie and I realized that an animal was under our roof. I say under our roof because we have no attic. Our second floor has vaulted ceilings and no access of any kind (so we thought). But time and again we would hear scratching.

Enough people in our neighborhood have had squirrel problems that I actually met a squirrel catcher hired by a neighbor. He told me that squirrels typically find holes through siding, especially end caps right below eaves. He makes a living setting traps to capture the squirrels and then driving them at least 50 miles away before releasing them! Apparently, 49 miles away and they’ll find their way back.

But, I didn’t really want to pay a squirrel catcher. So, I began by soaking a rag in ammonium and placing it under my siding by the eaves (a suggestion I found online). The next day I found my rag–and numerous nest makings–thrown down on my deck!

This confirmed the access point, but didn’t solve the problem. Since we were already planing to have the roof replaced, I asked the roofers to seal the gap in the siding. I thought that was the end of it.

And then we heard the familiar scratching sounds above our second bedroom again. It was luck that Jocie and I saw the squirrel entering our house through another gap (on the other side of my house! — they are persistent!) between the siding and our roof. So I turned back to the net for more answers. Here’s what I learned:

How to Keep Squirrels Out

The only effective way to keep squirrels out is to block the entrance. Sounds like an easy task, but squirrels can wriggle and slip through some of the tiniest gaps. Don’t block the entrance with wood or plastic as they will chew right through it. Aluminum siding or a sturdy wire screen proves a good choice. Remember to be sure to block the entrance when they are not there. Otherwise, they will find another exit (and create another entrance), or worse, die in your attic or between two walls. Online resources will point you toward moth balls, ammonium and repellent. These will help for a short period, but ultimately will not keep the squirrels away.

What do you think? Ever had an animal try to turn your home into theirs? What tools and tricks did you use to get them out?

Picture from www.wildlife-traps.com/squirrels.html

Self Leveling Underlayments – Achieving Level

Our basement radiant heated flooring install required us to pour a self-leveling underlayment (aka self-leveling mortar or self-leveling cement) over the ThermoTile radiant heating wire to achieve a level surface for tiling. I’ll say up front, our results were not perfect, but I don’t think it is the fault of the product. Read further for details.

Our Choice: LevelQuik ES

We chose Custom’s LevelQuik ES for the job. LevelQuik ES is an extended-setting SLU that provides 15 minutes of “free flow” time and allows another 15 minutes of “working” time if you rough the surface of the pour. It can be poured up to 2” thick and feather-edged to less than 1/16”, making it ideal for smoothing uneven surfaces.

If you’ve never seen an SLU in action, it is truly amazing. SLUs go on with the consistency of pancake batter, and harden to bear as much as 4000 lbs. per sq. inch. They are truly a marvel of modern technology. That said, they don’t always come out perfectly level — at least, not if you don’t–or can’t–follow the instructions exactly.

How Can You Ensure a Level Pour?

There is a dearth of information available about how to achieve a perfectly flat, level pour with an SLU, particularly if you are pouring over a fragile surface like one covered with heating wire. I was able to find a little bit digging around on the net and I also met with a local concrete contractor to discuss the job. Here’s what I learned:

1. Always follow the directions on the bag. I cannot stress this enough. SLUs that are improperly mixed or installed can delaminate from the surface, cure to an unlevel/uneven surface, or lead to weak bonds with the flooring installed on top of them. (E.g. LevelQuik RS & ES require the use of a latex primer that is essential to a strong bond).

2. Use a gauge spreader. Achieving a very level floor requires dragging a gauge spreader across the pour. Since we are pouring SLU over an electric heating element, a gauge spreader would present risks of either pulling up the wire or accidentally cutting it — both of which are unacceptable in this application.

Update on 6/28/08: Instead, we tried a few ideas and eventually landed on this idea to modify a squeegee to spread the mortar evenly.  The results in subsequent  pours were considerbly better than what you’ll read below.

3. Pour at least 3/8″, and preferably 1/2″ or more. Pours that are less than 1/2” tend to not level as well as pours greater than 1/2”. Pouring SLU into a floor area is similar to pouring pancake batter into a frying pan. Before the batter completely fills the pan, it will be unlevel unless you purposefully spread it out. As the batter fills up the pan completely, the entire surface tends to level out.

Our Method & Pictures

Due to the heating wire and cost constraints, we couldn’t meet #s 2-3 above, but we still decided to use LevelQuik ES for the job. We poured the SLU into the framed area and spread it out with a large squeegee. The results were good, but not perfect, with as much as 5/16” difference over a 4 foot area.

The next two pictures show a 3/16″ gap on the far left of the 4 ft. level. This is primarily caused by a crown in the floor near the middle/right of the level.

These two pictures show a 5/16″ gap in the middle of the level, caused by a depression near the middle of the level and a crown on the left side. Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

What do you think? Do you have any experience with self-leveling underlayments? Did you have better results?

Sylvania and Bright Effects CFL Bulbs Review

We finally made the switch. Over the weekend, I bit the bullet and went to the local big box to purchase several different brands of energy efficient bulbs to replace our “dinosaur incandescents.” We installed the lights in several rooms with various results. As we work over the next few months to “go green” on lighting, we’ll be trying several different brands and styles of lights to see which ones best meet our needs in different rooms. As we do that, I will update this post with my findings, and I’ll periodically post updates in the current day’s post pointing back to this one. (This post is the aggregate).

I know many people across the blogosphere are switching to CFLs and other forms of efficient lights (I’ve chatted with a few of you via your blogs). I hope that you’ll add your experiences here, particularly if your experience differs from mine with one of these products. Feel free to link back, too. Without further ado, here’s my review(s):

Sylvania CFL Review

1. Sylvania 23 Watt (100W Equiv.) Soft White Micro Mini “Instant-On” CFL.

My Rating: OK

Pros: Really, really bright white light. (Seriously, it nearly blinded me!) Lasts forever (12000 hrs). A little smaller than the other 100w equivalent bulbs.

Cons: Too harsh; Requires 1-2 minute warm-up time to reach full glow. Doesn’t really suffice as a traditional incandescent replacement.

My Experience: This CFL’s packaging claims that it is “Instant-On,” so I figured it might work great in our laundry room where we use the light for about 20 minutes each day in small spurts. The bulb definitely comes on immediately, but the light output is only about half the final output. It still takes about 1-2 minutes to warm up to full glow. This proved to be very annoying in a space where you turn the light on and start working immediately. At first, it’s too dim, then there’s an eerie feeling as the the light slowly increases while you’re working. On the plus side, at full brightness the bulb puts out A LOT of light. I decided to use 4 of them as temporary lighting in the basement during my refinishing project. I can afford the warm-up time there and the “harsh” light actually provides good visibility throughout the room.

Bright Effects CFL Review

2. Bright Effects 23 Watt (100w Equiv.) (Item# 153972)

Sorry, I couldn’t find a good picture of this one! I’ll need to upload a pic sometime in the future.

My Rating: Very Good

Pros: Casts a light that looks very similar to an incandescent. Lasts a long time (8000 hours).

Cons: Takes about 2-3 minutes to reach full brightness.

My Experience: We used these bulbs in 5 lamps in the living room and family room. There was certainly some immediate reward in realizing that when all 5 of these lamps are on, we’re using about the same amount of energy as we were on only 1 lamp last week. Better yet, these bulbs don’t make us feel like we’re sacrificing in the way of quality. Other manufacturers could take a lesson from Bright Effects. Of course, there is still the 2-3 minute warm-up time, which can be a bit annoying depending on the task you’re trying to perform, but in rooms where lights stay on for a good amount of time, these are a great substitute for Edison’s invention.

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What do you think? I know many folks out there are making the move to CFLs. What bulbs do you like the best? Which ones are the absolute worst?

Tool Shed – Powder-actuated Nailers

weLast week I wrote about the pneumatic nailer. While that is perhaps the most useful tool I’ve encountered in my home improvement life, there is at least one type of job that the adventurous improver will need more power to complete. That job is fixing framed walls to a concrete slab, or any other job where you must fasten wood tightly to poured concrete or block. For fixing walls to a slab, it’s easy enough to build the framed walls on the ground but how are you going to fix the bottom board to the concrete slab? Attempting to drive the bottom board in place by hand would be very challenging – particularly if you’re working with concrete that has been curing for years.

That’s where a powder actuated tool comes in handy. These tools are made by a few different vendors, with Home Depot carrying the most popular brand: Ramset. There are a number of different calibers and types of tools, including semi-automatic guns with trigger-firing mechanisms, and ones that you must hit with a hammer to drive (the latter is significantly cheaper at the big box stores).

After you buy the tool, you’ll need to select the right powder charge for the job, which depends on what material you’re fastening into what other material. Fortunately, vendors color-code these to make it easy. Most of the tools have a guide on the box you buy the tool in; and I know the Home Depot near here as a whole display set up to help.

In the introduction to my basement finishing project video, you can see the result of using one of these tools to fix the bottom board of my walls to the slab.

More Information: Jeff Krotzer over at Ezine Articles writes even more about these tools; how to select one, and what to look for.

Unrelated note: You may have been expecting to see the planning article I promised as a follow up to last week’s The Mythical Two Day Project. Well, a two-day project got in my way. That article should come tomorrow.