I sorta had to. The cold water at the faucet in the bathroom has been doing some bizarro stuff - not just dripping but spontaneously slowly running at random times and could only be stopped at the shut-off valve under the vanity. The work-around was a pain, but effectively motivational.
And the shower head had a slow drip. Last time Dad visited, he stopped the drip at the faucet in the tub. I've since noticed this leak while standing on the side of the tub to remove some tape gunk left behind from recent painting. I didn't even realize my head was under the shower head... until...
So, I educated myself. I have little to no interest in plumbing, so it wasn't by any means a fun adventure. And after helping hook up the gas stove and being near by during the frustrating bathroom sink plumbing experience, I actually dreaded it.
I HAD NO IDEA that to repair a leaky faucet, usually all you have to do is replace a washer (or o-ring, depending on the faucet style). Of course, getting to it and putting everything back together again isn't quite so simple (even for DIY inclined, tool lovin' chicks like me).
I also learned a handy trick for protecting finishes from your tools- wrap tape around your wrenches. Brilliant! Much easier to see what's going on than my old "throw a washcloth around the shiny stuff" method.
And today, well, I love the shiny teapot style faucet and my vanity with drawers a little less than I did before. BUT *today* the faucet isn't leaking.
I need to run out for the washer needed for the shower head that's been soaking in vinegar all night. It's totally worth it to clean all this stuff while it's dismantled- it's MUCH easier!
And productivity begets more productivity- I also braved the attic (sorta- I went halfway up and poked the boxes down with the mop) and am a few steps further along in getting the guest room whipped into shape. AND I came up with an idea for window treatments that will be FANTASTIC and relatively inexpensive since I have almost everything on hand. YAY!
It's nice in the midst of all this butchy sense of accomplishment to have silly little reminders that I am, indeed, a girl. :)
Showing posts with label resource. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resource. Show all posts
18 October 2009
30 September 2009
Two things that are brilliant
- Those Scandanavians are so clever and I adore them for it. I don't know how I lived without Ikea's STABIL pot strainer. (Well, I do. I made a mess.)
- My love of Quickie isn't so consistent because they change their products so often it's hard or impossible to find refills... and not very green_ly left with a useless mop as a result. And while this isn't the exact model I have (the refill will fit mine), and the irony that they've declared it "green" isn't lost on me, I present the microfiber hardwood floor mop. I love the large head and how swivel-y it is, and that the elasticized microfiber cover is washable and reusable. I am a bit more hopeful about the company's greener focus, at least. They do have a lot of new products made of bamboo, recycled materials and microfiber. I'm curious to see how this progresses, and plan to watch the styles' longevity. Quickie products are usually found at DIY/hardware stores.
19 September 2009
18 August 2009
Project: stripping paint
In today's episode, I'm not very green. I'm rather anti-green since I use icky solvents and such.
This morning (before coffee, even!) I slapped a coat of stripper on a small bookcase/room divider thingey with which my mom grew up. It's been in my possession for years and I've meant to undo that unfortunate paint job I gave it in the late 80's.
Apparently, today was the day.
Let me tell you I LOATHE this type of work. It's not fun. It's not pretty. It's not the fun sorta messy. Unfortunately, it's rather necessary.
After fetching a cuppa and while the stripper did its thing, I did a bit of sanding on an old desk/vanity I picked up somewhere along the way (some yard sale in Birmingham) that's also needed love for quite some time.
Until something happens to make me reconsider, both these items will get a stain finish rather than my usual mess around with paint until something interesting happens treatment. Gah- am I getting boring? Surely not...
There's tons of helpful stripper how-to info out there, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. Helpful links:
And I always forget to take "before" photos, but here's a "during" after giving up on the icky chemicals (aka: I ran out of icky chemicals and didn't want to buy more because it's icky and I have plenty of sandpaper):
As a bonus, I stumbled across this cool tip for removing paint from hardware sans chemicals at youtube while googling for helpful linkage. It has nothing to do with these projects, but I wanted to save it for posterity just the same.
This morning (before coffee, even!) I slapped a coat of stripper on a small bookcase/room divider thingey with which my mom grew up. It's been in my possession for years and I've meant to undo that unfortunate paint job I gave it in the late 80's.
Apparently, today was the day.
Let me tell you I LOATHE this type of work. It's not fun. It's not pretty. It's not the fun sorta messy. Unfortunately, it's rather necessary.
After fetching a cuppa and while the stripper did its thing, I did a bit of sanding on an old desk/vanity I picked up somewhere along the way (some yard sale in Birmingham) that's also needed love for quite some time.
Until something happens to make me reconsider, both these items will get a stain finish rather than my usual mess around with paint until something interesting happens treatment. Gah- am I getting boring? Surely not...
There's tons of helpful stripper how-to info out there, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. Helpful links:
- Paint stripping: the site isn't very pretty, but it is quite informative
- How stuff works "how to strip wooden furniture"
And I always forget to take "before" photos, but here's a "during" after giving up on the icky chemicals (aka: I ran out of icky chemicals and didn't want to buy more because it's icky and I have plenty of sandpaper):As a bonus, I stumbled across this cool tip for removing paint from hardware sans chemicals at youtube while googling for helpful linkage. It has nothing to do with these projects, but I wanted to save it for posterity just the same.
Resource: vacuum cleaner bags
Discovery of the week: the vacuum cleaner bag compatibility list.
I was able to run out and buy a bag to fit my vacuum just when I was beginning to lose hope.
Of course I know practically anything can be bought on the 'net, but I was rather desperate...
I was able to run out and buy a bag to fit my vacuum just when I was beginning to lose hope.
Of course I know practically anything can be bought on the 'net, but I was rather desperate...
17 August 2009
Insert product info here:
The bathroom vanity (a project from 8 years ago) needed love. So, it got love. Now it's back! (Oh, how I missed having a bathroom sink!) Note: I posted about the project here.
Plumbing it all up again proved to be complicated, as has most everything related to the house (somehow nothing at all is standard). As a result, research ensued. Then I did some hardware related stuff as I want to replace the door knob and deadbolts that were damaged and since lost.
This entry serves as a means of documenting said "stuff".
Bath Faucet: Delta Teapot Series 3577 Series (white handles) - style discontinued (drain assembly purchased- yay!)
Baldwin door hardware*:
(keyed-alike replacements purchased- from this site)
*NOTE: need remaining lock's key info in order to match
Plumbing it all up again proved to be complicated, as has most everything related to the house (somehow nothing at all is standard). As a result, research ensued. Then I did some hardware related stuff as I want to replace the door knob and deadbolts that were damaged and since lost.
This entry serves as a means of documenting said "stuff".
Bath Faucet: Delta Teapot Series 3577 Series (white handles) - style discontinued (drain assembly purchased- yay!)Delta RP23103 (lift rod assembly) here and here
Delta RP5651 Chrome (drain assembly) Google, site offering free shipping (the most likely option- there seems to be an issue with the drain, which isn't the original drain...)
Baldwin door hardware*:
(keyed-alike replacements purchased- from this site)
Baldwin egg knob keyed entry (1)Deadbolt (2)
09 August 2009
my accidental discovery of not-so-ancient OxiClean not-so-secret
Sodium percarbonate, which is essentially powdered hydrogen peroxide, gives OxiClean it's magical cleaning powah apparently.
I came across this info via some article about something else on a friend's page at facebook earlier, and was reminded by this today when I lost my mind googling for suggestions on how to deal with my bathroom's was-once-white tile floor. (See also: original. See also: 60+ years old. See also: bleach makes me wanna die.)
And so far with the floor? Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda FTW. The in-the-corner-and-behind- the-toilet_ness is just taking forever. Empty houses get dirtier than I ever imagined possible, especially in those hardest to reach but plainly visible spots.
Some informatively helpful links:
And I since have an empty spray bottle Imma mix up some hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (/soda ash... or washing soda) for something sorta like liquid OxiClean (an alternate recipe using baking soda can be found here). Note: I've yet to try the baking soda/second recipe, so I can't vouch for it. I DO always have a spray bottle on hand with the hydrogen peroxide + washing soda mixture, though and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. A lot.
The least expensive sodium percarbonate online sources I've discovered thus far:
Another note: we're working with pounds of a raw material here, so expect shipping to cost more than the actual product.
I've not yet had a chance to seek it out locally, but it's on my to do list. Also, if anyone finds a great source for this stuff, please gimme a shout!
I came across this info via some article about something else on a friend's page at facebook earlier, and was reminded by this today when I lost my mind googling for suggestions on how to deal with my bathroom's was-once-white tile floor. (See also: original. See also: 60+ years old. See also: bleach makes me wanna die.)
And so far with the floor? Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda FTW. The in-the-corner-and-behind- the-toilet_ness is just taking forever. Empty houses get dirtier than I ever imagined possible, especially in those hardest to reach but plainly visible spots.
Some informatively helpful links:
And I since have an empty spray bottle Imma mix up some hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (/soda ash... or washing soda) for something sorta like liquid OxiClean (an alternate recipe using baking soda can be found here). Note: I've yet to try the baking soda/second recipe, so I can't vouch for it. I DO always have a spray bottle on hand with the hydrogen peroxide + washing soda mixture, though and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. A lot.
The least expensive sodium percarbonate online sources I've discovered thus far:
Another note: we're working with pounds of a raw material here, so expect shipping to cost more than the actual product.
I've not yet had a chance to seek it out locally, but it's on my to do list. Also, if anyone finds a great source for this stuff, please gimme a shout!
UPDATE: Not much luck in a local search until discovering Ecover's Non-Chlorine Bleach is 100% sodium percarbonate. In Atlanta, it's available at Whole Foods and many independent natural/health food type places. I have yet to check prices, but I love the option to avoid the big "raw materials" shipping fees!
UPDATE to the UPDATE: I've discovered Green Cleaners USA, who carries sodium percarbonate. While the product price is a bit higher than other online sources, the price per pound decreases the more you buy AND they offer FREE SHIPPING.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: (JAN 2012) The awesome source above stopped offering consumer sized portions. I'll re-look into the Ecover product as well as the discount store option, Sun Oxygen Cleaner (sodium carbonate peroxide, which is sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, which is soda ash, which is washing soda).
So... I bought 2 lbs for a trial run and had no problems with the purchase what so ever.
One label on the [inner] (there are 2) bag identifies the product and another contains words of caution and the url for mixing instructions. OMG I can clean anything (well... except silk, wool or redwood).
*Squee*! I'm completely geeking out on this now... even though I should be prepping to go camping this weekend...
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: (JAN 2012) The awesome source above stopped offering consumer sized portions. I'll re-look into the Ecover product as well as the discount store option, Sun Oxygen Cleaner (sodium carbonate peroxide, which is sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, which is soda ash, which is washing soda).
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