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.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.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.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.
