Tips to Prevent Plumbing Problems in Your House

Did you know that you can completely safeguard your house and save money on repairs by making a few upgrades and small changes? Some parts of your home can cause a rather significant damage if you let a small problem turn into a big one, and that’s precisely the case with plumbing.

Plumbing related issues can result in blocked drains, low or high water pressure and even house flooding, and you should do your best to avoid all of them. Because of that, stop fixing the problem when it occurs and instead start working on the prevention of all potential plumbing problems in your home.

Leaky faucets

Leaky faucets can be a main cause of water loss and they can also cause other serious plumbing issues. An unchecked leak can put a significant amount of stress on your plumbing, and it can even cause clogging and overflows.

If you live in an area with hard water, leaky faucets might even create a water stain in your sink, and sometimes cleaning that stain is almost impossible.

If you have the necessary tools you can fix the leaks yourself, just make sure not to damage the faucet in the process.

Main valve

The main valve is obviously the most important valve in your home since it regulates water flow.The maintenance of this valve doesn’t require much skill or even time. All you really need to do is check if it’s working as intended every now and then, and turn it off if you see that a problem has occurred.

If you’re not sure which valve is the main valve in your home, find it right now. You need to know which one is it in case you need to turn off the water because of any other water-related problems in your house. The surest way to avoid any problems while you’re not at home is to completely turn off the main valve until you come back.

Disposal

Most people make one seemingly small mistake – they treat a garbage disposal as a trash can. Throwing every possible material down the garbage disposal can severely damage it, whichwill lead to clogged drains. You can easily avoid this scenario by being picky about what you throw into the disposal. If you want to avoid problems, don’t throw these types of foods into it:

·         Rice

·         Potato peels

·         Onion skins

·         Nuts

·         Pasta

·         Grease

·         Bones

Toilet

Toilets are frequently used in every home, and because of that toilet leaks and clogs are two of the most common plumbing issues. Most people with leaky toilet tanks don’t even know that their toilet tanksare leaking, but as any experienced plumber in Sydneywould tell you, this is surprisingly easy to detect. Pour food dye into the tank before you go to sleep. In the morning check if there’s dye in the bowl. If there is, you’ll know you have a leaky tank.

Clogged toilets are, unfortunately, a much bigger problem, and that’s exactly why you should be careful about what you flush. In general, you shouldn’t flush anything that’s not toilet paper if you want to avoid clogging the toilet.

Unclogging the toilet is easy, and you can do it yourself. Use a plungerto resolve the problem, but if you notice that it’s starting to overflow, shut off the main valve immediately and call the professionals to help you.

Emergencies

Unfortunately, some problems can occur seemingly overnight, but you can be prepared for that. What you will need is an emergency toolkit and a phone number of an emergency plumber in case the Aquaman decides not to lend a helping hand.

It’s always better being safe than sorry. You can avoid spending a huge amount of money on plumbing repairs by simply being careful and responsible.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/07/prevent-plumbing-problems.html

How to Choose the Right Paint for Your Surface

It’s true that you can probably paint anything. But should you paint everything with the same brush? Or the same paint? Absolutely not. Update your metal door, your brick walls, your drywall and more — but do it the right way. And with the right tools. Give the surfaces in and around your home new life by choosing the right paint, brushes, and methods.

Metal

The key to a successfully-painted metal surface is in the prep work.

Before You Paint: Use a wire brush to strip the surface. Your aim here is to remove rust and flaking. Wipe all the dust away with a damp cloth. Use a new, clean cloth to thoroughly rub the surface down to create a spotless surface. Sand with 220-grit sandpaper until it’s smooth so you can get a long life out of your paint job. Rinse with water, or wipe down with a damp cloth, and let dry.

The Paint and Process: First, apply an exterior-grade primer that is formulated for metal. It’s smart to do two coats of primer for metal. Once that has dried, apply an exterior-grade paint formulated for metal with a brush or sprayer. You’ll likely need to do at least two coats.

Wood

The methods for painting wood are different, depending on if you’re painting bare or painted wood.

Before You Paint: If you’re working with bare wood, sand with fine sandpaper until the surface is smooth. If the wood is already painted, use a non-residue cleaner on it. You can also remove paint with a putty knife. Fill in any dings with wood putty. Sand the wood, and wipe down the surface.

The Painting and Process: Use a paint brush, rather than a foam brush. For bare wood, use a stain-blocking primer first, and finish with latex or oil-based paint. If you need to use more than one coat, sand in between coats. For painted wood, you’ll also want to use a stain-blocking primer. Then finish with latex paint.

Fiberglass Exterior Doors

To do a really good job, this takes a bit of heavy lifting. But the results will be worth it.

Before You Paint: Remove the door and lay it across a pair of saw horses. Remove all hardware, and then sand lightly with sandpaper. There will be dust, and you can get rid of it with a rag that has been dampened with acetone. Let the door dry, and then wash with a mild detergent. Let it dry again.

The Paint and Process: First, prime the surface with an acrylic latex primer. Allow it to dry. Then, using a brush, apply a coat of exterior-grade latex paint with smooth strokes. Lightly sand the surface once it has dried, and then apply a second coat.

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How to Mix Paints (and Love the Color)

Maybe you can’t find a color you absolutely love at the paint store. Maybe you have plenty of paints lying around after other projects in your house, and you want to use them again — but in a new way. Maybe you just like to create. There’s no wrong reason to mix paints, and doing so can be a lot of fun. However, because the end result is never fully guaranteed, you do run the risk of hating your final color (and wasting a lot of paint in the process). Follow these tips for mixing paint so you can love the end result.

Supplies and Setup

White paint will come in very handy when you’re mixing your own paints as it helps to lighten colors, and fortunately, it’s often inexpensive. You’ll also need some buckets where you’ll mix your paints. 5-gallon buckets with lids are a good option. Once you begin, make sure you have these items with you:

• A stick for stirring the paint — it needs to reach down to the bottom of the bucket
• Absorbent paper towels
• Something to protect the floor (like a dropcloth, newspaper, etc.)
• All the paints you intend to use for mixing
• A paint can opener
• Paint brushes

Color Wheel

Before you begin, get a basic understanding of the color wheel. This will help you get a good idea of how certain colors are derived. Remember that all colors start from one of the three primary colors — red, yellow, and blue. From these colors, you create secondary colors. For example, red and blue will make purple. When you have secondary colors, you can make intermediate paint colors by mixing a primary color with a secondary color (red and violet will be red violet).

When mixing your own paint, you may not begin with true primary colors, but if you understand how colors on the color wheel interact, you’ll be better equipped to work with what you have.

How to Lighten, Darken, Intensify, and More

Use these tips to lighten, darken, intensify, and tone down the paints you’re mixing.

Lighten

Remember when we said you’d want some white paint? That’s because white is the way to lighten colors. If you add white to a color, you’ll need quite a bit of white. It’s smarter to begin with white and add your color to it. A few cups is a safe starting point. You can always add more if you want the color to be darker.

Darken

Black or gray are your friends when you want to go darker. In this case, add the black or gray to the color, rather than adding the color to the black or gray. Black is better when the color is already a deep color, and gray is ideal when you’re beginning with a lighter color. It’s best if you don’t try to go more than two shades darker than the starting color.

Intensify

Hoping for a more vivid look to your color? Add more of the base color.

Tone Down

Here’s where the color wheel comes into play again. If you want to tone down a color, add a complementary color to the paint. This means using the color that is found directly across your paint color on the color wheel.

Types of Paint

Keep in mind that you must only mix the same types of paint with each other. Oil-based should only be mixed with oil-based, and water-based should only be mixed with water-based. However, you can mix different sheens. Flat paint and glossy paint are fine to mix together. Your end result will be more flat if you use more flat paint, and more glossy if you use more glossy paint.

Mix, Mix, Mix

Remember that you need to have a stick that reaches all the way to the bottom. Use it to thoroughly mix any paint you intend to use. If the paint has been sitting around for a while, the pigments may have become separated. Mix it well before you add it to another paint.

Always remember to start with your lightest color first because it’s harder to lighten a dark color than it is to darken a light color. Work slowly, and add your color in increments until you get the color you want.

And most importantly — have fun! Creating your own color is a lot of fun and can give you a one-of-a-kind look.

 

Guest Post by Josh Abramson. The chief solutionist of ALLBRiGHT 1-800-PAINTING, a residential and commercial painting company serving the Greater Los Angeles Area.

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How to Restore Deck Paint

I found out how to restore deck paint, and now I’m going to share the secret with you.

I had just bought a house, and the previous owners had allowed the deck paint to become chipped. It looked awful, and I was beside myself. We had really wanted an outdoor deck, but not one that got splinters in our feet and looked shabby. With summer coming up, we didn’t want to use a deck that looked this bad.

Not to worry. You can not only remove old deck paint, you can restore your deck to be as good as new.

Here’s how.

1. Remove the Old Deck Paint 

Your first task is to remove the existing deck paint. If a deck looks bad and has splinters, you can’t simply paint over it. Existing paint can be removed with boiling water and a scraper. Pour the boiling water on a section of the paint and then use the scraper to  get the paint off. You can use chemical peelers but as homeowners who like to live as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible we decided to go a more natural route. Afterwards, use a good pressure washer to spray down your deck.

2. Choose the Product to Restore Your Deck

You can use either paint, stain or a Restore brand product to renovate your deck.

Paint

Paint will require more work from you in filling in cracks and holes. You will also need to caulk. That said, some paints are specially formulated to repair wood. Paint also offers more color choices.

Restore Products

Restore deck products are made of heavy-duty acrylic. They have been developed specifically to restore decks. They offer convenience in restoration, because the product itself is up to 10 times thicker than paint, and will fill in cracks and holes for a smoother surface. Supposedly, restore products will last as long as 13 years. However, I’ve used restore paint on a deck and it looked awful the next year and I had to painstakingly remove the paint and then I reapplied stain.

Stain

Stains come in a variety of neutral colors. For old wood, it’s recommended to use a semi-transparent stain.

Preparation

All deck products require the same basic preparation:

1. Remove the old paint.
2. Power wash and let dry.
3. Remove any loose nails.
4. Repair splinters and holes, if necessary.
5. If some areas have been protected by the sun, sandpaper them.
6. Mask any areas of adjacent walls or non-deck areas, so they don’t get the product on them.
7. Apply the product with the appropriate equipment. Most products will need several coats. The first coat acts as a primer for most products, including Restore products.

Be Sure to Get the Correct Equipment

Not all brushes and rollers for applying your deck product are created equal. Make sure you get the correct equipment for your deck and your product.

• Only use brushes close to adjacent walls and non-deck areas.
• Use a roller to apply paint or acrylic to the body of the deck.
• If you have a rough surface, your roller should have approximately a three-quarter-inch
• If you have a medium surface, your roller needs to have a three-eighths to one-quarter-inch nap.
• If your deck is smooth, you can use a foam roller.
• Be sure to get a roller extension, too. It’ll make the job much easier.

And that’s it! You can complete this project over a few weekends, and you’ll be enjoying iced tea and sunshine on your deck before you know it.

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How to Fix a Yard Full of Weeds

Are you inviting weeds to live on your lawn? If you’re not practicing good lawn care, you are!

You can fix a weedy, thin or even patchy lawn just by providing good care and giving the lawn what it needs. While it takes some effort on your part, a beautiful lawn is well worth it.

What Causes Weedy Lawns?

Lawn weeds appear because the grass lacks proper care. If you’re not providing good, necessary lawn maintenance, you can’t expect to grow a lush, healthy lawn.

Thin lawns are an open invitation for weeds. Mowing your lawn correctly and at the right height keeps the lawn dense and helps prevent some weed growth.

Lawn weeds are usually in one of three broad categories:

1. Annual weeds: Produce seeds in one season. Grasses, like crabgrass and witchgrass, are good examples.
2. Biennial weeds: Produce seeds in one season. Wild carrot and thistle are good examples.
3. Perennial weeds: Emerge, grow and produce roots that allow them to overwinter, become dormant and begin growing again the next spring. Dandelions are a good example.

You can take a little time to learn more about various types of lawn weeds and their control.

What Can You Do?

Proper care means doing a few things for your lawn during the growing season.

Dethatching and Aerating  

Thatch is the layer of dead grass, roots and stems that build up lawn soil. A thin layer of thatch isn’t a big deal, but if you allow it to build up to 1/2 inch or thicker, it can block water from absorbing into the soil and reaching grass roots. Causes of thatch can include excess nitrogen or even too much water, but you can take care of thatch by using a cavex rake for small lawns. Larger lawns require you to use a vertical mower to cut through the thatch. Proper aeration also helps prevent thatch.

Aerating the soil means using hand or power tools to push a narrow tube into the soil, remove a short column of soil and leave an open hole. This process is particularly necessary on high-traffic lawns or certain soil types, like clay. How often you aerate and dethatch depend on your soil and other factors.

Applying Fertilizers

Timing is important when fertilizing your lawn because lawn fertilizers are applied to warm-season and cool-season grasses depending on their growth cycles. You can apply fertilizer to warm-season grasses in mid-spring through summer and cool-season grasses in late summer or fall.

Fertilizing at the appropriate times ensures your lawn gets the nutrients it needs. You can set up your own program for fertilizing your lawn based on your location and the type of grass growing on your property.

Watering  

When and how to water your lawn depends on several factors, such the type of soil and grass that make up your lawn and the climate where you live.

You can use a few tests to determine if you lawn needs watered.

• Screwdriver test: If you can easily push a long screwdriver at least 6 inches into your lawn, it is most likely moist enough.
• Rolled grass: Look closely at your grass. If the leaf blades are rolled and grayish in color, then your soil is too dry.

Most lawns need about 1 ½ inches of water per week, but this can vary based on the factors above, so you need to learn more about proper watering practices to maintain a healthy lawn.

Once you understand proper lawn care, you can snuff out most of the weeds. While you might not be completely weed-free, a lush lawn is achievable!

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A Pluming DIY: How to Fix a Clogged Toilet

Clogged toilets can be a scary inconvenience, but in most cases, it’s an easy problem to fix. This process is less complex than replacing a toilet altogether or even fixing the components inside the tank. Clogs can happen suddenly when a user attempts to flush an object that’s too large, or they can build up over time and happen unexpectedly. Learn how to unclog a toilet with this quick tutorial.

Step 1: Shut off the water supply by turning the knob at the base of the tank where the plumbing connects to the wall. You should hear the water stop running; if you still hear it, tighten the knob. This will prevent the toilet from overflowing.

Step 2: Gently position the plunger at the base of the toilet bowl with the plunger centered over the opening. Press in gently to begin as the air in the plunger can cause the contents of the bowl to spray if you push in too vigorously.

Tip: Use a bell-shaped rubber plunger with an extension flange at the base. These may be a bit more expensive than the basic rubber domed shaped plungers, but they work better and are worth the cost.

Step 3: Maintain a constant position with the plunger to avoid breaking the seal over the toilet bowl opening. Press the plunger up and down quite vigorously for about 30 seconds.

Step 4: Check to see if the clog has cleared by taking the lid off the toilet tank and lifting the flapper valve. The water should flow down from the bowl into the pipes easily. If it does not, your toilet is still clogged. DO NOT FLUSH until you are certain the clog has cleared. Use the flapper valve until then.

Tip: If repeated plunging forces all the water out of the bowl and your toilet tank is empty, open up the water supply valve long enough to let the tank refill, then close it again. It’s important to keep water in the bowl to maintain pressure and indicate whether the clog has cleared.

Step 5: Continue plunging and testing (alternating between steps 3 and 4) until the clog is clear. You’ll know the clog is clear either when the blocked material in the bowl drains easily and rapidly. A slow-emptying bowl indicates that some blockage is likely still intact.

Step 6: Your toilet bowl should be empty when the clog is clear. You can turn the water supply back on and push the handle to refill the bowl, then flush again to test. Turn off the water supply to the tank after this test flush just in case the blockage hasn’t actually cleared. This will help prevent overflowing. If flushing does not proceed as normal, your toilet is still blocked.

Step 7: When plunging doesn’t work, you may need to use a plumbing snake or toilet auger to get the job done. You can also call a qualified local emergency plumbing company to diagnose the issue and fix your clogged toilet.

Author Bio:

Leo is the owner of Northridge-based plumbing company Rooters On-Time of Northridge. On his free time, he enjoys writing how-to articles and tutorials to help others.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/05/how-to-fix-clogged-toilet-diy.html

Basic Water Well Maintenance Guide

We’ve asked SimpleWater to share their knowledge about well maintenance and their new product Tap Score. Enjoy, DIY Folks

While we’ve come a long way since the hand-dug wells of Egypt and other ancient civilizations, modern wells are still susceptible to a range of issues that may affect the quality of your home’s drinking water.

Thirty-eight percent of America’s population relies on groundwater for its drinking supply.  Private wells must be properly installed, inspected, and tested on a regular basis in order to ensure groundwater quality. And the thing is… you are responsible for the maintenance and care of your private well system.

If you’re one of the 38%, what can you do to ensure your well water is safe and contaminant-free?

Answer: Quite a lot, actually. The following is a quick and simple how-to guide:

1. Check your well for proper construction and installation.

While you’ll surely be in a pickle if your well was originally constructed in a poor fashion, it’s important to first determine whether you’re at risk of water woes due to the nature of your well’s installation.

There are a few matters to check for here. First, the casing of your well should be capped off by a sanitary seal/concrete cover that stands approximately 12” above ground. This keeps unwanted pests and surface water out. Second, you’ll want to make sure that your well was installed a minimum of 50 feet from your septic tank and at least 100 feet from the septic system’s drainage field, although these distances can vary depending upon state regulations. Finally, the ground surrounding your well should slope away from the well in order to prevent water pooling.

2. Clear the area around your well.

It’s important to keep the area surrounding your well free of undesirable elements, including fertilizers, pesticides, motor oil, and general debris. Any of these examples—including other forms of waste—can contaminate your well if used or stored  in close proximity.

3. Perform regular well inspections.

You should give your well a close look at least once a year, even if you know your well was properly constructed. Over time, cracks and other forms of corrosion can occur that compromise the integrity of your well and the quality of your home’s drinking water. If you observe that there may be an issue, or if it has been over three years since a professional has inspected your well, contact a contractor licensed to perform well inspections.

4. Close off wells no longer in use.

Improperly abandoned wells pose a threat. Those that have not been sealed off can act  as a surface water conduit that might contaminate groundwater. Wells no longer in use can be correctly sealed by a licensed well contractor before they are abandoned.

5. Have your water tested yearly.

Even if your well has been properly built, placed, and has passed all inspections, it is still important to test your drinking water. Off-the-shelf at-home water tests are not usually complete, but they can be useful initial screens, especially if you know what to test for. Tap Score, powered by SimpleWater, is developed with private well owners in mind. Tap Score tests for lead, arsenic, nitrate, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and other known well-water contaminants. We test for over 100 contaminants and then provide you with a personalized water quality report, complete with actionable recommendations.

 

Note from the caring folks at SimpleWater —

SimpleWater is a science and health services company educating you to improve your drinking water. We offer the only water testing service with Personalized Health Analysis and Treatment Recommendations

We serve homes, families and businesses asking: “what’s in my water, what does it mean, and how do I ensure the safety of what I’m drinking?”

SimpleWater’s national team of certified laboratory scientists, engineers, health experts and designers provide each customer with a personalized Tap Score Water Quality Report. SimpleWater’s Tap Score is the Nation’s First Smart Water Testing Service for affordable and informative contaminant screening and personalized treatment recommendations.

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Learn more about Tap Score and Find Out What’s In Your Water at MyTapScore.Com

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