Home Renovation Tips and Links

 

Stuck windows

For double hung windows there are a number of different things that can be tried-

 

1.     Try using a small hammer and block of wood and gently tap around the bottom inside face and sides to break the sash loose form the frame. Remember to tap lightly as you are near the glass.

 

2.     You can also try a thin putty knife between the sash stop (The trim that is against the window itself) and slide this in the gap between the sash and trim and run it around the sash and the trim along both sides and across the bottom to remove any paint or debris preventing the sash from opening, you can also try using a block of wood against the inside top of the lower sash and gently tap upwards to try and free the sash and allow it to move, usually once you get it started it will continue with the normal operation of opening or raising the sash. Remember be gentle…

 

3.     Use paraffin wax or bowling alley on the inside of the area of where the sash sits in the frame when it is closed to help lubricate the sash for easier opening and closing

 

4.     If none of the above work and you have easy and safe access to the exterior of the window try all the above on the exterior of the sash to break it loose.

 

These problems usually stem from improper painting (I.E. not allowing the sash to completely dry before closing it) Also debris build-up in the sash track area, broken sash cords that have become stuck between the sash and frame. Sometimes it’s even a swollen sash.

  

Gutters and downspouts

 

1.     Clean or have cleaned your gutters at least twice per year. This helps to eliminate the wet basements, drainage issues and roof and eave damage from over flows.

 

2.     Make sure that your downspouts direct water away from your foundation and that the water does not run back toward the house, if it does you can extend the downspout with a flexible section to direct water away from the house and/ or adjust the grade around your house to allow the water to drain away from the house.

 

Pet Urine stains on carpet and hardwood floors

 

1.     For carpet
Immediately blot up as much urine as possible before it dries. Then dab at the Stain with a solution of distilled white vinegar and water. Blot after each dab and let it dry (a hair dryer will speed things up). Then apply a mixture of liquid detergent and cool water, blotting frequently. Finally, dab with clear water and blot thoroughly. Doggy spots: Blot up as much moisture as possible. Rub with a solution of vinegar or lemon juice and warm sudsy water. Blot and blot some more. Then pour straight club soda over the spot. Blot again. Place a dry towel over the stain and put a heavy book on top of it. If the towel becomes soggy, immediately replace with a clean, dry one. Cat spots: Follow doggy procedure above, but once the spot has dried, rub with a cloth dampened in ammonia. This will take the offensive odor away and will also prevent the cat from ever doing it again in the same spot.

 

2.     For hardwood
Rub first with a hot damp cloth with scouring powder after this has been done soak a rag that fits the stained area with hydrogen peroxide and place over stain, then cover with plastic and weight down, let sit for at least 24 hours and then remove and check to see if all of the stain and smell have been removed if not repeat until the stain has been satisfactorily removed.

 

3.     Another way is to make a poultice or paste of baking soda or Bon Ami and hot water to a consistency of peanut butter, apply this about a ¼ inch thick to the area stained and cover with a damp rag and then plastic ( to keep paste damp) and weigh down , leave for 24 hours . Scrape residual paste (Should be dry after 24 hours) then wash with a clean rag or sponge and assess, if stain is still present or not reduced apply paste again and let sit for 24 hours. Clean with a clean rag/sponge between treatments. You might have to apply this 3-6 times depending on the age and depth of the stain. When the removal has reached an acceptable point. Wet a rag with Hydrogen peroxide and clean the area thoroughly, then rinse with a clean, damp rag.

You will very possibly have to re stain the area and apply whatever finish was there prior to the stain.
 

4.     To remove the pet urine stains,  pour hydrogen peroxide directly on the stain, covered it with a hydrogen peroxide-soaked rag, and then covered that with plastic wrap and let everything sit overnight. In the morning, the black stains and odor were gone, and I was able to sand and refinish my floors.

For smaller or lighter pet urine stains, you may not need to refinish all of the flooring in the room. In this case, make sure to pour the peroxide only on the stain, check the progress of the peroxide every ten minutes, and wipe up the excess as soon as the stain has disappeared. You can then sand if needed and apply touch up wood floor stain using a paint brush. Remember to go with the grain of the wood. Then apply the appropriate finish-Poly, lacquer, wax.
 

      These types of stains can be quite difficult to remove as you have found out. The product I have found best at removing such stains is OxiClean. I like to make a heavy paste out of it and apply it to the stain. Let it sit until it dries. Wet the area and remove the OxiClean. Most of the stain will be gone and any left will lighten within hours. In very hard to remove stains a second application may be needed. I have never found an organic stain this would not remove but there may be a possibility that the wood was actually burned by the uric acid in the urine. If that is the case refinishing or replacement is the only option.

Do not use ammonia, this sets the stain and attracts the animals to do the same thing again as ammonia is a part of urine.


Note: I have tried a couple of these and results are mixed, although more often than not they work to some extent and a lot cheaper than having your floor torn up and replaced. No guarantee’s that these will work in your situation.


Those pesky dryer vents

Remember to clean your dryer vents of lint every year. You can buy a lint cleaning kit at Lowe’s or Home Depot for cleaning the dryer vent.

A number of house fires every year are caused by lint build-up in the dryer vent.

It is especially easy to clean, usually doesn’t involve removing and ductwork or difficult work.

All you need is a dryer brush or kit, a vacuum and some mechanical ability.

You first locate your dryer lint screen location and run the brush down into the screen area, making sure to get all areas as free of lint as possible.

If you can remove the section of flexible hose or hard pipe that connects to the outdoor vent you should clean and vacuum this as well. It will also make your dryer operate more efficiently.

Below are 2 links for dryer vent brushes and dryer vent cleaning kits.

 http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/181744/181744000195md.jpg

 http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100550192


General Home Improvement Sites

 http://www.letsrenovate.com/

 http://www.doityourself.com/

 http://www.naturalhandyman.com/linkslibrary/linkslibrary.html

 http://homerepair.about.com/

 http://www.411homerepair.com/about-us/site-map.php

 http://www.housetask.com/

 http://doityourself.com/

 http://www.refdesk.com/doitself.html

 http://www.howtocleananything.com/

 http://www.soyouwanna.com/

 http://www.doityourself.com/

 http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/

 http://www.hometips.com/

 http://www.homeinspectorlocator.com/resources/Costtorepair.htm

 http://www.repairclinic.com/

 http://www.easy2diy.com/index.asp

 http://www.homedoctor.net/

 http://www.wannalearn.com/Home_and_Garden/Home_Repair/

 http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?catref=cat10002

 http://www.homeimprove.com/

 http://www.household-helper.com/

 http://www.dannylipford.com/

 http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=topicSelect&topic=buyGuide

 http://www.startremodeling.com/exterior_showcase.htm

 http://www.renovation101.com/

 

Older Homes –Repair & Suppliers

 http://www.oldhouseweb.com/

 http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/

 http://architecture.about.com/od/restoration/Repair_and_Restoration_Solutions.htm

 http://www.renovators.com/

 http://ezinearticles.com/?Old-Home-Foundation-Repair&id=405850

 http://restorationandbuildingservices.com/

 http://www.oldhouses.com.au/

 http://www.rensup.com/

 http://www.shop4classics.com/

 http://www.signaturehardware.com/

 http://www.vandykes.com/

 http://www.vintagetub.com/images/holiday_home2.jpg

 http://www.contractor-books.com/Remodeling.htm

 http://daveosborne.com/dave/index.php

 http://homeimprovement.lovetoknow.com/Historic_Renovation:_Windows

 http://www.oldhouseauthority.com/

 http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/

 http://www.barryeatonhealth.org/EH/Lead/Lead2.htm

 http://www.historicproperties.com/resources.htm

 http://www.oldhouses.com/old-house-suppliers-services.htm

 http://www.siewers.com

 http://houseofantiquehardware.com/site/st/landingpage_4.html?

 http://www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/

 http://www.buildingconservation.com/

 http://www.traditional-building.com/

 http://houseofantiquehardware.com/

 http://www.antiquehardware.com/

 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/

 http://www.crowncityhardware.com/ie7.html

 http://www.guthriehill.com/

 http://www.islandgirlsalvage.com/index.aspx

 http://www.materialsunlimited.com/

 http://www.oldhouseparts.com/

 http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/index.jsp

 http://www.thehistoricinterior.com/TheHistoricInterior/Home.html

 http://www.renovators.com/

 http://www.oldhouseweb.com/

 http://www.oldhousejournal.com/

 http://www.hometime.com/home.html

 http://www.historichouseparts.com/

 http://www.historicproperties.com/resources.htm

 http://www.oldhousejournal.com/restoration_directory/rd_home.shtml

 http://www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/index.htm

 http://www.preservationdirectory.com/HistoricalPreservation/Home.aspx

 http://www.oldhouseguy.com/intro.html

 http://historicbldgs.com/howto.htm

 http://www.oldhouseauthority.com/about/

 http://www.housetask.com/Plaster_Wall_Repair_Primer.htm

 http://houserenovationguide.net/home-renovation-tips/

 

 Lawn and Garden

 http://www.vagardensupply.com/

 http://www.davey.com/dcm/elements/h_season_3.jpg

 http://www.gardenseeker.com/tree_services_usa/virginia_tree_surgeons_services.htm

 http://www.theturfstoreusa.com/ourcompany.shtml

 http://www.greatbiggreenhouse.com/

 http://www.southernstates.com/articles/lg/falllawn.jsp

 http://www.virginiagardening.com/grdnsoc.htm

 http://www.bartlett.com/residential-tree-services.cfm

 http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/category/lawns.html 

 
Lawn mower maintenance


1. Change or have changed the oil every year. I do this at the end of the season

2. Clean or Change the spark plug every year. I do this at the end of the season

3. Remove and Sharpen and balance the blade once to twice per year.

4. Remove and clean / replace the air filter twice every year.

5. Keep your mower clean, wash the underside after every time you mow, once every couple of years turn your mower on its side and scrape the grass buildup from the underside of the mower deck, this will increase the efficiency of the cutting as well as allow your mower to last longer.

6. Probably the most important and overlooked item is to either run all the fuel out of the mower at the end of the season or to add a fuel additive to the gasoline used in the mower such as STABIL FUEL STABILIZER. This one item has caused more issues with mowers that won’t start because of gummed up carburetors and high repair costs for something that is relatively simple to do.

Stabil costs a few bucks and can save your mower. Do this at the end of the season before you store your mower for the winter.