Broken Water Meter

Imagine water gushing from a small round access plate in your sidewalk. The water is surging up from this plate, and streaming past your house, eventually to a drain. And this has been going on for about 36 hours.

This is a true scenario that occurred mid-summer. I walked out to my car one morning and had to cross a small river. It was still going strong the next morning and well into the day. Jocie made sure the water company was aware and took pictures. She even chatted with the utility worker to get the details.

A Broken Water Meter

Our townhouse community has small round access panels in front of each house. A water meter sits behind each panel measuring a homes intake. The utility worker said these meters typically last around 25 years. And you get a nice little river when they fail.

The utility worker replaced the meter and reset the water usage. I imagine the water company will determine that homes average water intake and use that for billing purposes.

There isn’t much a homeowner can do in these situations except call it in. For anyone else in Baltimore County, the phone number for the Department of Public Works is 410-887-3300.

What do you think? Have you ever seen something like this?

Home Depot Tool Rental Review

Updated 6/30/2011: It’s been some time since I wrote this post, and I’ve been back to this same HD tool rental shop several times. All my other experiences have been positive with great customer service. I think it’s tough for big box stores to get it right every time, and that’s where locally owned shops really have the upper hand.

I had a bad experience with Home Depot Tool Rental. I attempted to rent a tool and ended up sacrificing about 4 hours of my life. Perhaps this short post will give me some perspective.

The Problem

Monday’s post was about fixing a jammed floor nailer. Just before that, I decided to rent a nailer from Home Depot. I only had a small area left and I really wanted to finish. So I called the local HD Tool Rental and sure enough, they had a cleat nailer. I was there bright an early, picked it up, and was on my way.

At home, I connected it to my compressor and began working. But the nailer didn’t work. Everything was connected correctly but the nailer didn’t load cleats properly. I called HD Tool Rental. They asked me to bring it back. I was already frustrated and they offered me a 10% discount for my wasted time.

They worked hard to get the nailer functioning. At one point it was completely disassembled. HD didn’t have any other cleat nailers, so I waited. They never got it working despite a thorough effort. They refunded my money. And then things got a little strange.

The Solution

I asked how my discount would work. The tool rental supervisor seemed confused. I reiterated that she had promised me a discount for my wasted morning. I don’t think she counted on me holding her to that promise. She offered to discount a tool rental, but they didn’t have anything I needed (like another cleat nailer). I asked if the discount could be applied to a future purchase in HD. That was fine. All I had to do was “find her when I make my next purchase”. This seemed a bit shady so I asked to get something in writing. At this point, she let me know that: 1) she couldn’t give me anything in writing, 2) she couldn’t give me any kind of coupon, 3) she couldn’t give me any kind of store credit, and 4) she wouldn’t give me her full name. But she did provide the Home Depot Customer Care phone number (1-800-553-3199).

I called the Customer Care line from the Tool Rental Department. I spent some time on the phone explaining what had happened. They were sympathetic and sent me a gift card in lieu of the promised discount. Do I feel compensated? Sure. I’d rather the whole thing never happened.

Leason Learned

The real frustration lies in my expectations. I’m OK with spending some money to rent a tool. I’m even OK with that tool failing. But what I’m not OK with is that Home Depot doesn’t have a mechanism to deal with these situations. Instead, I get vague promises and passed along to their Customer Care line. Maybe I’ll try ABC Rental next time.

What do you think? Was I unreasonable?
Image courtesy of Zach Klein

Level an Uneven Subfloor for Vinyl Tile

The following question on leveling a subfloor for vinyl tile was sent in by Roman:

I want to put vinyl tiles in my living room and bedroom, and this requires that the floor is smooth and horizontal enough. The subfloor is not too bad, I think. It is largely pretty smooth; however, it is too uneven for me to be able to place a chair or table so that they wouldn’t bounce. I hope there is a cheaper method to level the floor than to use a self-leveling compound, but so far I think it is the most appropriate one.
Here’s my issue. I’ll deal with each room separately.

The smallest one is not big (about 225 sq. ft) but, I think, is big enough for me not to be able to level the whole floor in one shot because the SLC hardens quickly. I imagine I’ll have patches of the floor that I need to work on while I’ll have other patches with already hardened concrete. I’m afraid I will have wavy surface because of this. Is this really a problem? Will this happen? If so, how should I deal with this? I would like to keep costs down by doing all this by myself. Is it practical or will I have to get a helper.

Roman, thanks for sending in the question.  There are a number of DIYers and professionals who read here.  This will probably get their attention as well.

You are correct that to properly lay vinyl tile you’re going to want a smooth, flat, structurally sound surface.  That surface should not be the plywood subfloor; it will be too rough and wavy and isn’t designed to be a subtrate for vinyl.  It sounds like you know that since you’re already considering a self leveling underlayment (SLU) that would create a smooth surface to work on and also fix your level problem.

The problem with an SLU is that it’s expensive, complicated, time consuming, heavy, and possibly unnecessary.  Instead, take a look at SurePly from Patriot Timbers.  It’s a simple, staple down backer for Vinyl.  It won’t solve a floor leveling problem (I’ve written some ideas on that below), but it will save dozens of hours over the SLU alternative.

If you decide to go with the SLU, the This Old House instructions I cite below discuss use of a mortar bed as a subtrate for vinyl. I’d start there for this method, taking into account the articles written about it on this site that I include further down.  I’ve tried to address each of your questions in the sections below.  Feel free to comment if there’s something that’s still unclear.

What Causes an Uneven Subfloor?

Uneven floors are generally caused by one of three things: settling of the foundation of the house such that one load bearing wall is higher than another, sagging / crowning wood joists supporting the subfloor, or sagging plywood / oriented strand board (OSB) sitting across the joists (most likely because an undersized plywood was used for the span).  The most common that I’ve seen is crowning/sagging joists.  Here’s some thoughts on each:

Settling Foundation: If the room is not level all the way from one side to the other but it otherwise in good shape, it’s probably because the foundation has settled.  If the foundation is now stable (e.g. is no longer moving) you can address a slightly uneven floor with an SLU, but you might consider just settling for a slightly uneven floor.  I wouldn’t try to use an SLU unless the floor is uneven by <= 1/2 inch due to the weight it will place on the floor.

For extremely unlevel floors, you’ll likely want to get the foundation fixed by a professional.  This isn’t the problem I think you’re facing, but I thought I’d discuss it in case another finds this article in the future.  Other than moving the foundation, I can’t see any other solution besides a self-leveling product that will help achieve a level floor in this case.

Sagging Plywood / OSB: If the house has real exterior-grade plywood, you’ll probably be OK in using a self-leveling product over the floor without ripping up the plywood and re-laying it.  If the plywood appears weak or has excessive spring in it, you’ll want to either rip it up and replace it with a thicker, higher grade wood, or you’ll want to glue and screw another 5/8″+ sheet of plywood to it first.  You might also consider blocking from underneath (running beams perpendicular to the joists.

The downside to the extra plywood is that this raises the floor considerably.  A product like SurePly won’t provide you the extra strength needed to achieve this, either, so you’d be stuck doing two layers.  Regardless, you should tightly fasten the plywood down to the existing joists with screws.   If the house has OSB, you’ll need to at least glue and screw 5/8″ exterior-grade plywood to the floor prior to using a self-leveling product.  Again, this will raise the floor, so it might be better just to replace it.

Sagging / Crowning Joists: This is by far the most common reason subfloors are uneven, and probably the situation you’re facing.  You have a few options here.  If you have access to an open joist structure underneath the floor, you can shim the plywood between the joists using standard cedar shims, then screw down through the plywood and shims into the joists.  This will be MUCH CHEAPER than using a self leveling product.  If you have no access, you should screw screw the plywood down tightly and then use a self-leveling product on top.

Basics of Laying Vinyl Tile

Before getting into the self-leveling questions you asked, I thought it would be good to at least mention the basics of vinyl.  There’s so much good information on the web about this, I don’t think it’s necessary to repeat.  Note that many of these sites don’t address a plywood subfloor well.  If you decide to go with SurePly, read their installation instructions and follow them closely.

• Ask the Builder on Laying Vinyl Tile
• This Old House on Laying Vinyl Tile [Good Graphic with a Mortar Bed Example on this one]

There are a few different subfloor prep methods discussed in these links.  In all the houses we’ve owned, a sheet of very thin, smooth plywood, similar to SurePly, is fastened to the subfloor plywood using a pneumatic/electric stapler.  The SurePly provides a very smooth surface for the vinyl tile and is by far the easiest acceptable installation method.

Using a Self Leveling Product to Level the Floor

Without looking at the floor, its hard to know whether an SLU is really the right move here.  If possible, I would simply stick with the SurePly and avoid this entire step.  As I said, it’s expensive, complicated, and time consuming.  If you decide its the best route, here’s some thoughts to help:

Plan How Much SLU You Will Need

Consider the amount of SLU you will need.  Remember, you must have enough to cover the highest point on the floor.  A standard back of SLU will cover approximately 50 sq. ft. at 1/8″.  For a 225 sq. ft. room you may need as many as a dozen bags to get a sufficient cover.

Prepare the Plywood Subfloor

Follow all of the subfloor prep instructions included with the self leveling product.  This will include, at a minimum, a primer, and will also probably require a metal lathe on the floor.  You should also ensure the subfloor is tightly fastened to the joists.  (Use screws whereever there is bounce in the floor).  Note that self levelers can’t be used on OSB.

Dealing with a Large Area

If you want to lay a large area of self-leveling underlayment, you’ll need to:

1. Follow ALL of the floor-prep instructions of the self leveler you select.
2. Have a group of able-bodied helpers lined up for a Saturday – probably around 5 people for 225 sq. ft.
   Use an extended-setting SLU like LevelQuik ES that will give you 15 minutes of flow time.  LevelQuik RS (sold at Home Depot) only gives 5 minutes.  You WILL NOT be successful if you use a rapid-setting product like this.
3. Have at least 3 electric drills and mixing paddles, along with at least 8 five-gallon buckets.
   You will create a pipeline of people pouring, mixing, and spreading the self-leveling underlayment.
4. Set up each of the five gallon buckets with the amount of water needed for the mix, then have 3 people serve as mixers, 1 person pouring the powder from the bags into the buckets, and 1 person pouring and spreading the mortar on the floor.

Obviously, to do a large area, you must be pouring and spreading quickly.  Take a look at all of the articles I list below for ideas on how to make the project a success.

Related Resources

I’ve written a number of articles on this site about SLU that will be of some help to you in planning / executing this route if you decide to take it.  Take a look at these, and feel free to comment below with additional questions.  Good luck!

• Building Temporary Barriers for a Self Leveling Mortar Pour
• Use a Slotted Squeegee to Spread Self Leveling Mortar
• Video on How to Mix Self Leveling Underlayments to the Right Consistency
• Achieving a Level Floor with Self Leveling Underlayments

What do you think? Feel free to weigh in with additional questions and advice.  That’s what makes the web wonderful.

Before and After: Bathroom (& Towel Rail!) Remodel By Jane @ Beach House

This week’s Before and After is brought to you by Jane (aka ModerneMama) over at Beach House.  Jane and Hubby just remodeled their bathroom in a fresh modern style…  It’s quite the improvement.  Jane’s also the first blogger to submit an article with its own name, and a good one at that.

As a result of Jane’s submission, OPC will make a $25.00 donation to Habitat for Humanity.  Jane is also entered into our end-of-summer contest for a $50 gift card to the home improvement store of her choice!  We’ll be voting on a winner in the last week of September.

Read on, leave a comment, then visit Beach House for more great material.

“How we Fought a Towel Rail and Won” by Jane

Bathroom Before

It started on Thanksgiving weekend nearly two years ago and with the simplest thing – a leaky faucet. Which we fixed. We fixed it so well that by the time we’d finished it leaked from the bottom rather than the top and both hot and cold water.  Unfortunately, we didn’t notice this until, oh, irony, April Fool’s Day the following year, by which time the laminate was peeling off the vanity and water was pooling on the floor.  We didn’t want to do any renovations in this room, we liked the floor, the shower worked (after many visits by many plumbers) and the tile work was in great shape. Plus, we simply didn’t have the budget for it.  But we couldn’t leave it the way it was so we began a piece-by-piece renovation: new faucet, new vanity and countertop, new backsplash. It looked great. Unfortunately the toilet now looked old and quite gross next to the shiny new fixtures so we opted to replace that, too.

Bathroom – Nearly Complete

But by July 2007 everything was in and we were ready to declare the room done, except for one teensy-weensy little issue. We could not get the nasty plastic towel rail off the wall.

Towel Rail Before

We tried and tried but we couldn’t work out how we could get the towel rail off the wall without doing some major damage to the tiles. We really thought about this, believe me. We removed three of the screws holding the towel rail to the wall six times before I was convinced it would be worse to install the new rail than leave the hideous old one. But it was no good, it wasn’t going to come off without a fight and it wouldn’t be pretty when it did. So we left it. For an entire year.

Towel Rail After

By August this year I was determined to get this thing done. We had the towel rail, after all, we just lacked a solution for the holes. The holes in the tiles that wouldn’t be covered up by the new towel bar. I couldn’t let myself be defeated by 18″ of plastic, could I? Then I had an “aha” moment and ordered a sample pack of stick on stainless steel tiles from the awesome. I documented what happened next here.  It is a painful story but what I didn’t say was that we actually ended up ordering a total of five sample packs at $9 each before the thing was finished.  See the after photos here.

Twelve months, plus a few days, at least six “tries” at fixing the problem, an extra $45 and a lot of sweat and cursing to swap out one towel rail.  Sometimes renovation projects are simple and sometimes the littlest things take the longest time, cost you money than you ever imagined and drive you nuts. But the “Before and After” towel rail was, in retrospect, one of the best parts of the bathroom renovation and it’s certainly my favorite hack.

Thanks from OPC!

Jane, thanks so much for your submission to OPC. Your bathroom (and towel rail!) look fantastic – a great transformation to a very modern look.

Habitat Quick Fact

Check out Habitat’s Women Build Program that trains women from around the world to build homes! From Habitat’s site:

Women Build is a Habitat for Humanity International program that trains women to make a difference by building homes and communities.

Thousands of houses have been built by women crews around the world – by the end of 2008, more than 1,400 homes since Women Build’s official creation in 1998. Each year, hundreds more homes are added as affiliates, donors and sponsors discover the impact of women volunteers and their resources.

If Jane’s story about inspired you, consider matching our $25.00 donation to Habitat by visiting their online donation page.

Submit Your Own Entry

The Summer is quickly coming to an end; schools have opened up across much of the nation. Summer officially ends on September 22 this year, leaving only a few more weekends for you to submit your project for our event.

E-mail submissions in just about any format to oneprojectcloser@gmail.com.  Best of luck with your projects!

What do you think? Leave a comment below and then click on over to Beach House to see Jane’s other fantastic reno work.

Insurance Policy Coverages and Limits of Liability: Are Yours Sufficient?

We just received a notice from Allstate on the Landlord’s Policy on our rental townhome. Apparently, Allstate made a mistake on our policy, omitting a Home and Auto Discount we are entitled to receive for having our cars, primary residence, and rental property home insured with them.  Allstate gets two thumbs up for being honest about their mistake (I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that some court didn’t order them to do this).  They claimed the mistake was due to an inadvertant processing error.  Having been a programmer in a previous life, I can certainly cut them a break if there’s a few bugs in their system.

But that’s not the subject of this article.  On Page 2 of their notice, Allstate lists the policy coverages and limits of liability on our policy.  Those coverages are:

• Dwelling Protection: $151,900.
• Other Structures Protection: $15,190.
• Personal Property Protection – Reimbursement Provision: $7,595.

When Kim bought the house in 2001, she paid a mere $95,000.  That was quite the deal, even in those days.  The neighborhood hadn’t risen with the housing tide despite neighboring counties’ prices soaring at 20+ percent.  In 2003, when we converted the home to a rental, $151,900 seemed pretty reasonable.  Similar houses were selling in the $135k-$145k range, so this gave us some breathing room in case a fire destroyed the entire house.  (Remember, insurance only has to cover the house, not the land, which is included in comparable resale prices).

Spring forward to 2006.  By the time December rolled around, houses were selling in the $195k-$200k range.  We didn’t even think about the insurance implications.  Spring forward once more to 2008.  While a housing depression plagues much of the U.S., the neighborhoods surrounding ours, mostly propped up by federal government jobs, haven’t waned nearly has much as the rest of the country.  In fact, the house immediately next to ours is listed today for $220,000.  We doubt they’ll get that price, but $210,000 is very possible in this neighborhood.

Of course, property values aren’t the only thing that has skyrocketed in the last 5 years.  Building costs have risen too.  Our $151,900 insurance policy that was sufficiently cushioned in 2003 is now woefully inadequate.  Fortunately, we already planned to switch to another insurance company because of Allstate’s rediculous Tropical Cyclone Deductible; so we’ll get this corrected when we make the move, which is now more urgent than ever.

What do you think? Have you updated your policy coverage limits in the last few years?  Has your insurance company raised your rates despite no increase in coverage?

Installing a Toilet on a Hardwood Floor

I’m slowly but surely making progress on the new floor. It’s looking really good and I’m excited to see it come together. Soon I’ll be starting the baseboard and quarter-round. I took a slight detour from the floor to get our half bathroom back in “usable” condition. Not having it available was becoming a real problem.

After installing the new floor, the drainpipe flange was about a ¼” lower than the floor. One side of the flange had been broken and the P.O. had used a metal repair slot to fix it.

Tools and Materials to Install the Toilet

• Adjustable wrench
• Grinder or hack saw
• Putty knife
• Caulk & caulk gun
• Extended “No-Seep” wax bowl ring
• Hold down bolts, nuts, plastic “keepers” and washers

How to Install a Toilet over Hardwood Floor

1. Scrape away the old wax ring with the putty knife. The old wax ring will be disgusting. And so will your putty knife when you’re done. If you’re reinstalling an old toilet, check the underside for any wax ring and remove it.

2. Remove the old bolts. They are too short to reuse and many wax ring kits include new bolts. One of my bolts was wedged between the floor and the metal repair slot. I used my trusty grinder to cut the bolt and get it out of the way. Check out my review for information about my grinder.

3. Place the new bolts on opposite sides standing straight up. These will act as guides when you lower the toilet over them. Use the plastic “keepers” to hold the bolts in place.

4. Secure the new extended wax ring. I’ve seen the ring placed on the bottom of the toilet (over the horn) or placed over the toilet flange. Placing it under the toilet is best. That way it is positioned correctly. Remove any packaging and firmly press the new ring to the toilet. Make sure the black, gasket points away from the toilet (and ultimately down the drain).

5. Set your toilet over the flange using the bolts to ensure everything aligns. Gently, press the toilet down to make a tight seal.

6. Put a bolt cover bottom and washer on each bolt and hand tighten both hold-down nuts. Next, use a wrench to tighten them further but be careful not to crack the porcelain base.

7. I used my trusty grinder to cut the bolts and snapped on the bolt covers. You can also use a hack saw.

8. Use some white, silicon caulk where the toilet base meets the floor. This will increase stability. (edited 8/19/2008) This step is somewhat controversial. Some argue that caulking the base means you’ll never know when the toilet is leaking. A good compromise is to caulk the base leaving a gap on the back. Check local code to be sure what is appropriate for you area.

9. Connect the water supply. I use plumbers tape to make sure everything is tight.

The Toilet Flange is ½” – ¾” Lower than the Floor

I was fortunate that my toilet flange was relatively close to the new floor height. For ½” – ¾” differences, use two “No-Seep” wax rings stacked together. I’ve only heard / read about this method, but never actually used it. For larger differences, it’s probably time to call a plumber. The plumber will be able to move the drain to wherever you need.

What do you think? Ever stack two wax rings?

Video: Mix a Self Leveling Underlayment to the Right Consistency (Example: LevelQuik ES)

Check out our first One Project Closer video!  We decided on this topic for our first video because I couldn’t find good information on this when we were considering a self leveling underlayment for our basement.

The reality is that getting the right consistency from an SLU is pretty easy if you follow the instructions with the product you select.

We hope the video is helpful to folks thinking about using an self leveling product in their projects.  If you like the video, consider visiting it on YouTube and rating it.

For those reading via RSS and e-mail, you may need to visit the page to see the video.

Tools Required for Mixing Self Leveling Underlayment

The most important part of getting the right consistency in the SLU is having a good mixing paddle and a reasonably powerful electric drill.  We do not recommend using a battery powered drill/driver unless you have a newer lithium ion system.  Even in this case, if you’re pouring a large area and will be mixing one batch immediately after another, you should consider an electric model.

The 24″ mixing paddle shown in the video can be found at Home Depot in the drywall section (labeled as a drywall compound mixing paddle).  Amazon sells Roberts #61210 Univ Heavy Duty Mixing Paddle, an 18″ alternative that will work fine for this application as well.  You should not use light duty paint mixing blades or they will gum-up during mixing.  With SLU running as high as $30/bag, its not worth risking.

If you don’t own an electric drill and don’t have access to borrow one,  this is a good opportunity to pick up one for all your future projects.  Electric drills are essential in applications that require repeated, high-intensity drilling, like drilling through studs to run Romex wires throughout a room.  At OPC, we’re a big fan of Dewalt tools.  Amazon also sells a DEWALT DW235G Heavy-Duty 7.8 Amp 1/2-Inch Drill for a decent price with free shipping.

What do you think? Let us know how we can improve for videos on the future… and whether this topic helped you with your project.

Thanks to Victor L., Josh V., and Brian S. for helping with the mixing, pouring, and videography.

Before and After: Rancher Bathroom Remodel by Jon @ Tales from the Eye

This week’s Before and After is a fantastic bathroom transformation sent in by Jon at Tales from the Eye.  Jon, wife, family friends, and a few contractors worked together to transform their 1964 Ranch-style home’s bathroom to a more modern look.

Renovating a bathroom is a great way to add value to your house, particularly if you DIY or serve as your own general contractor.  Jon’s bathroom upgrade will certainly add value to their home, and make it a little easier on the eyes while they live there.

As a result of Jon’s entry into our contest, One Project Closer will make a $25.00 donation to Habitat for Humanity in his honor.  Jon’s also entered into our contest for a $50.00 gift card to the home improvement store of his choice!

Read below Jon’s post for this week’s Habitat Quick Fact, and for a link where you can match our financial donation.  Without further ado…

Rancher Bathroom Remodel by Jon

We started the demo in March. So the elapsed time was five months. But the time we put in was significantly less. I took a very long break after the demo in order to plan out everything and research options on what I could do myself versus contracting somebody to do it.

Demo of the fixtures took two of us half a day. We only needed a wrench, a Stanley FatMax Fubar, and a sledge hammer. (My buddy Kim is in one of the BEFORE pictures, undoing the pipes in the vanity.)

Demo of the tile (walls and floor) took two of us two whole days. We used a rented demo hammer, the FatMax Fubar, a shovel, wheelbarrow, broom, and dust pan. It took one day just to do the walls, and another day to cleanup the mess and jack up the floor.  This was probably the most exhausting part and I’m going to hire somebody to do it on the next bathroom.

Replacing all the pipes took a professional about six hours. This part of the project took a while because the first guy quoted me $1700 to do the work. I was pretty furious about that because I know the high price came from the fact that my wife was here and he gave her the quote. So I keep searching until I found a more reasonable offer (a quarter of the first price!) I don’t know what tools he used, but it was definitely something for a professional. When he removed the old tub drainpipe, it crumbled in his hands. I was very happy with my decision to sub out this phase, as well as happy with the work, the quick performance, and the low price. The key here was to keep shopping around until I found the right contractor.

Two days for two people (my father and I) to do the electrical. I re-routed the previous vanity lights. Installed a new GFI outlet to the right of the future vanity. Put in a new quiet fan/light combo in a new location. Patched up the old vent hole. And added all new switches. Aside from material costs, I only paid in sweat, most of it while in the attic mounting the new vent.

Putting up the walls too two guys three days. I sub’ed this out, too. It would have taken me three weekends to do what they did in three days. They insulated the walls, hung the greenboard, hung the concrete backer-board around the shower/tub, taped, mudded and sanded everything. $450 for their labor. Considering that was $150/day for two guys, I think it was a good deal. And they freed me up to do other things.

Tiling the floor took me and a buddy half a day. I really lucked out because the guy works with me, and he owns a tile saw. So I didn’t have to pay anything other than material costs. Grouting the floor took another half day. And sealing the floor took 15 minutes.

Tiling the walls was much harder. The wall opposite the showerhead is not perfectly square. And the tub along that wall is not absolutely level. I got a friend of a friend to help. She charged me $75 for about 6hours of work. Half of that time was spent on the woonky wall. It was especially difficult for me because I’m used to measuring everything multiple times and working off measurements. But if we went by the measurements, the lines on the tile LOOKED crooked. So we had to eyeball every tile several times and make sure it LOOKED perfectly straight. All in all, tiling the wall took three days of manpower. The girl and I worked one night for 6+ hours. And I wrapped up by myself another night.  Grouting the walls took me two nights, four hours per night. Sealing the wall tiles took fifteen minutes. For extra caution, I used a clear silicone epoxy around the bottom tiles. Another 30 minutes there.

I used tile as a baseboard-like trim and also around the outside edges of the wall tiles. A day of work to cut and paste them. A couple of hours the next day to grout them. And 15 minutes to seal them.

Putting in the new fixtures took a professional (same guy that swapped out the pipes and installed the tub) about four hours. His price was included above. Again, great work done very quickly. Extremely happy with him. Oh! It would have been quicker, but I had tiled too closely to the shower handle. The plumber had to whip out a power grinder with a diamond-edge wheel and cut out the extra. My fault, though. I didn’t read the instructions!

I spent two days getting crown molding up, then spakling everything and grouting everything else.

My wife had the whole room primed in one day and painted the next.

Then I went to mount the medicine cabinet and discovered I’d put the GFI outlet too high. Waaaay too high. I had to cut the nice, clean dry wall, and remount the outlet eight inches lower. Then I proceeded to completely screw up the taping and muding of the cuts in the drywall. I did a horrible job and burned up two days to get it barely acceptable and painted. Next time, I’ll pay somebody to do it nicer and faster.

Today I mounted the cabinet and discovered it was incredibly heavy. I actually had to use four drywall anchors and some Gorilla Glue to keep it solidly against the wall. Close to half a days work just on this one thing!

Except for some touchup paint and accessorizing, it is all done! At last.

I hope the pictures express the time and efforts we put into it.

Before Pictures

After Pictures

Thanks from OPC

Jon, your bathroom remodel is fantastic!  The pictures definitely show the improvement over the 1960s space you used to live with.  Congrats…

Habitat Quick Fact

From Habitat’s web site:

What does a Habitat house cost?
Throughout the world, the cost of houses varies from as little as $800 in some developing countries to an average of nearly $60,000 in the United States.

Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price. Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years.

If you’re inspired by this post, consider matching our donation to Habitat for Humanity.  If you do, let us know, so we can honor you in a future post.

Framing A Basement: Use a Separate Pressure Treated Bottom Board on the Slab

Installing framing members on a slab requires use of a pressure treated bottom board to avoid wood rot.  Concrete slabs will wick moisture between the underlying dirt base and the wood members sitting on top of the slab.  If untreated wood is used for the bottom board, the high moisture level will promote rapid decay.

The obvious way to incorporate a pressure treated base board is to use one in lieu of a regular untreated board for the bottom member of the wall.  This method is the least expensive because you only need to swap out the untreated bottom board for a pressure treated board, and build the wall just as you would using all regular studs.

An alternative to this method is to fasten a pressure treated board on the slab first using a powder actuated nailer, then build the walls using all untreated members and sit them on top of the pressure treated board.   This method has several advantages and a few disadvantages.  Overall, if offers a good solution for DIYers because, even though it costs a little more time and money, it simplifies the installation.  A picture of a section of wall built in this manner is shown in the upper right of this article.

Advantages of a Separate Pressure Treated Bottom Board

1. Easier Visualization. Fastening the pressure treated boards around the room first will allow you to better visualize the final room before you’ve built out the walls.  If you decide to change anything about the room at this point, it is relatively simple to remove the bottom board and you haven’t wasted much wood.
2. Easier Baseboard Installation. A separate pressure treated bottom board increases the nailing surface for baseboard installation.  This is particularly helpful if you plan to install a floor with significant depth (like a radiant heated floor with a stone tile, which could be as tall a 1-1/4″.
3. Walls are easier to move around the room before installation. Since the wall can be 1-1/2″ shorter than the height of the room, walls are easier to “scooch” around the room to their final location without worrying about hitting the ceiling.  This is particularly valuable in rooms where the distance between the floor and ceiling varies by more than 1/4″ or so.  This is also helpful if you don’t want to move your wall building station around the floor.
4. Ease of Installation. It is easier to fasten the individual pressure treated boards using a powder actuated nailer than to do the same with an entire wall.  If you misfire one of the nails using the powder nailer, or split the board, you need not worry about rebuilding the wall.

Disadvantges of a Separate Pressure Treated Bottom Board

1. Increased Cost. The cost of the job is increased by the total cost of the additional untreated bottom board required for the walls.  Lumber yeards are getting about $0.22 per linear foot at the time of this writing.  This means an additional $22.00 / 100 feet of wall.
2. Increased Installation Time. Fastening the pressure treated board first requires additional time because you must address each portion of the wall twice.  There is some time savings that offsets this increased time, particularly if mistakes are avoided using the two-board method.

Tools Required to Fasten the Board

Fastening the pressure treated bottom board to the slab is simple.  For the DIYer, a hammer drive powder actuated tool is your best bet.  The Ramset Hammer Drive Tool is Available at the local Big Boxes for a decent price, as are the charges and nails you’ll need for this job.

You should buy approximately 1 nail and charge for every 2.5 feet of length of wall for the average room.  (e.g. if you have 250 linear feet of wall, you should get 100 nails).  You may also want to have 10-20 charges and nails spare in case of misfires/splits.  Note that the charges required for the job vary by the type of surface your nailing into.

A Good Book on All Things Basement

Finally, if you’re looking for a great basement finishing book that provides more information on this topic and many more in great detail, check out Stanley’s Complete Basement Finishing Book. You can find it at the library or most online book stores.

We’re a big fan of Stanley books for their ease of use, clarity, and their step-by-step approach to projects.  (It was just a cooincidence that the cover of the book shows this very topic using the single-board approach).

What do you think? Have you ever used this technique to frame on a slab?  Leave a comment below and let us know if this helped!

Changing Brake Pads Tutorial

Taking care of basic maintenance on your car can really save money. Recently, my brake pads starting squealing so I took my car to Midas for an estimate. That was my first mistake. Midas will charge $25.00 for the inspection unless you have the work done. Other places won’t charge for the inspection at all. Midas wanted to change the brake pads, rotors, brake shoes and drums for a whopping $930 give or take some change.

I took my car to a family member and we did the job in an hour for the low, low cost of $133 (materials only). Plus we found that Midas wanted to do more work than was actually necessary. We changed the pads, rotors, and a little brake fluid piston. The shoes and drums were still within specification. These are the steps we followed to change the brake pads.

Changing Brake Pads (98 Saturn SL1 example)

I have a 98 Saturn SL1 and changing the brake pads was straight forward. Other models may be slightly different but the basic principals stay the same. Don’t try this unless you’re up for the challenge. It’s very important that your car stops when you apply the brakes.

Tools and Materials Needed

You’ll need a few tools but nothing out of the ordinary. Most of these items are available on online. Here’s what you need (linked to either Amazon.com or Autobarn.com below):

• Car jack – Lots of cars come with a basic jack.
• Jack stands – Place these under your car once it’s high enough.
• Tire iron – To remove the lug nuts. This can also be the appropriate sized socket. Some vehicles require a key to remove the wheels.
• Caliper piston compressor – This tool will push the brake piston back before you replace it over the new pads. You can also use a C – clamp and the old brake pad.
• New brake pads – Check AutoBarn.com or pick them up at a local automotive shop. They can help you find the appropriate pads.
• Brake Grease – For greasing caliper bolts. You can also apply grease to the pads.

Changing Brake Pads

Step 1: The brake pads are located on the front two wheels. Park your car and set the parking brake. This will keep it from moving while you’re working. Position your jack on a flat part of the axle. Pump up your car enough to place the jack stands.

Step 2: Take off any hub cap / wheel cover. Remove the wheel by taking out all the lug nuts. Keep these someplace safe. You don’t want to loose any of them.

Step 3: Next, remove the brake caliper. There will be two bolts on the far side holding it in place. If your using pneumatic tools take care the caliper doesn’t fly up. Loosen both bolts and then remove them. This should expose the brake pads.

Step 4: My brake pads didn’t have any bolts holding them in place. Note any specific orientation and make sure the new pads go in the same way. Some people will grease the back of the new pads (not in between the pad and rotor) to prevent squeaking.

Step 5: Now it’s time to push the caliper piston back so it will fit over the new pads. Use the old pad to protect the piston and the caliper piston rewind or a large c-clamp to push the piston back. Make sure not to pinch the boot (rubber covering around piston).

Step 6: Fit the caliper back over the brake pads. Thoroughly grease the two bolts and replace them.

Step 7: Replace the wheel and tighten the lug nuts. Be sure to tighten them equally to prevent uneven ware (which can ultimately damage your car). Don’t forget the wheel cover.

Step 8: Repeat for the other front wheel.

Step 9: Get in the car and pump the brakes! This step will tighten the brake piston. Don’t forget. Otherwise, your brakes won’t do anything the first couple times you try them.

It’s better to Buy Auto Parts Online

Before shopping locally, we highly recommend checking out a place like AutoBarn.com for your auto parts.  Most items are in stock, ship at low cost or for free, and autobarn doesn’t require sales tax in most places.  Check them out…

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What do you think? Ever change your brake pads? Any tips to pass along?

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