News of the Blog move

Hello readers,
  I have moved the blog to my company server to kind of consolidate things a bit.
  All new posting will be done there. Please stop by and adjust your favorites accordingly. The new address is.
http://www.MinichillosConstruction.com/wordpress/

Caulking

There are many types of caulk and many projects that require it. Lets look at some basic types and their uses.

Painters caulk.

• Used to fill the joints like baseboard to wall, crown molding to wall and ceiling etc.
• Paintable
• Water based and water cleanup.
• Easy to remove and reapply.
• Shrinks so don’t use it to fill nail holes. A solvent based filler should be used for nail holes It doesn’t shrink.

Silicone based Painter caulk.

• More durable
• Paintable
• Water based and water cleanup.
• Easy to remove and reapply.
• Shrinks.
• Dries a little soft. Good for movement as it won’t fail as easy.

Pure 100% Silicone

• Water proof when cured
• Good for permanent work like shower walls.
• Solvent based. Solvent cleanup.
• Messy to work with.
• NOT paintable.

  There are many more caulks available lets stick to these basic ones for now.

  Some tips on applying these.

  I believe in not seeing caulk so I apply as little as possible. I see too many jobs where the caulk is so noticeable that it takes away from the product. Like a shower wall with 1/2” bead of caulk that looks like molding. Take your time and make it look nice. It will be there for some time.

  Clean the area to be caulked and allow it to dry before starting.

  I start by cutting the tube at an angle and only cutting the tube for a small bead. Say 1/8” or so. The object of caulk is to fill the voids not crate an unsightly blob.

  When using the water based I will run a small bead on the piece and with my rag in a bucket with water in the bucket I then take a wet finger and remove the caulk a couple or three inches at a time. You won’t have any extra doing it this way. Running your finger down the whole wall at once will make a mess. So do little sections at a time and clean your finger on the rag. Experience will help knowing how much to put on in the first place. But the point is to smooth the bead and remove all that is not required. Leave no voids. Add more to fill any voids and smooth the same way.

  When using pure silicone the only real difference is that you want to be 100% sure you remove the excess. Once this is dry is will be very hard to remove. The water and rag can be used but thinner is better.

  When caulking a tub wall joint. I will clean the area, fill the tub with water about half way and then caulk the seam. The water sets the tub down like when you will be standing in it. The movement is very small and not noticeable but it allows the caulk to set at the lowest point helping to avoid stretching later. This little step can add years to the job.

  I will try to add some more caulking tips as time permits. Look for updates as always.

Min

More painting tips

The need for proper preparation will be discussed once again.

New unpainted work whether on drywall, wood, stucco or anything else you will be painting needs to be cleaned with the proper method, primed and then painted.

New drywall should be primed with what is called a PVA primer this seals the paper on the drywall and locks in the mud making it ready to accept paint. Also when patching you will want to prime the patches or they will shine through the paint.

New wood needs to be sealed and a good wood primer will do the job. Sealing the wood and allowing the paint to bond to the primer.

Stucco should be sealed with a stucco should be primed with a stucco primer. This will seal out moisture and again allow the paint to bond to the primer.

All these examples will need to be clean before priming. Dust, dirt, and any contaminates will undermine the primer. Think of what the primer will be bonding to. If it bonds to a section of dirt it will not be binging to the material under that dirt. This is a cause for failure. While painting can be fun you don’t want to do it more often than necessary.

If there are any questions on painting or any other topic covered in the blog feel free to comment on them.

Min

Mounting an over the stove Microwave.

Today were going to install a Microwave with exhause fan built in. The type that mounts under the cabinet over your stove. Whil this may seem like a easy project to some you wouldn't believe what I've seen in DIY installs. So here is some tips.
I will take for granted there is no other exhause fan in this position. If so remove it after turning the power off and disconnecting the electrical wiring. Also there must be an outlet in the cabinet and this will not be vented out doors.

• Most new Microwaves will be shipped with the mounting bracket attached to the rear of the oven. Remove it and set aside. DO NOT bend this bracket.
• Mark a perfect center line on the wall.
• You MUST find the stud or studs. Mark them with a pencil line from top to the bottom of the mounting bracket so you won't see the pencil line after we hang the Microwave.
• There will be a paper pattern for marking two holes into the cabinet for 2 bolts that hold the front top of the oven. carefully position the pattern on the bottom of the cabinet and with the line against the wall. Centered also. There will also be a hole mark for the power cord. Mark and drill this using the recommended size drill. (One that will allow the power plug to go through.
• Mark the two hole positions where noted. These are critical so take your time.
• Drill these holes using the recommended size drill. They will go through your cabinet and into the inside of it.
• Place the mounting bracket in position tight up to the cabinet and centered in the opening.
• Mark the holes where your stud line is. You must have at least one stud connection or you're oven may come falling down at some point.
• You will also need to secure at least 4 total screws. Some will require butter fly bolts. These should also be in with the oven packaging. There will be moarked holes in the bracket for these. Use these holes.
• You will need to drill a fairly large hole for these butter fly bolts to go through. The drections should tell you the size drill needed. If not line up the smallest drill with the bolt wing size and use this.
• Screw the butter fly bolts through the bracket in the positions they will be used. Just start the screws in the wings.
• Drill starter holes for the stud holes. Size the drill the same as the the shaft of the screw not the threads. Smaller than the threads.
• Now replace the bracket on the wall inserting the wings into the holes, and install the screws provided into the stud or studs. Do not tighten all the way.
• Finish attaching the butterfly bolts keeping the bracket centered and tight to the cabinet.
• Now you can tighten the stud bolts.
• These ovens are fairly heavy so have a helper and place the oven on the bracket then tilt it up in place. You will need to work the power cord through the hole you drilled prior.
• Attach the bolts through the cabinet into the oven and tighten these down.
• You're Microwave can now be plugged in and making popcorn.
• If any of these instruction seem complex please hire someone with experience to do the installation. You have spent a bit of $$ on the oven and stove under it. We don't want them to become one.

IKEA

While this is not really a tip I am compelled to mention this.
My wife and I visited a new IKEA store today. A first for me. She had been in one in Toronto many times.
I was impressed with the function and layout of the store. It was unlike the normal everyday place to shop.
I was most interested in the cabinetry as this is my business. The kitchens were well build, well designed and very functional. Full extension drawers, self losing doors and drawers. Fine finish and sturdy. While these are still built out of particle board mostly they were stunning. Having to put them together and hang them. It made me think.
I have no issue with the DIY market but kitchen cabinets are not for the faint hearted. If put together and hung properly they will last for many years. But how does the DIYer know what is proper without the experience. So I would recommend anyone that is not truly experienced in this sort of work does not take the DIY route. Hire a professional to do the assembly and installation of your new kitchen.
The rest of the products shown in the store were of very good quality. If you need something for your home this is a store to checkout.
Pricing is very reasonable.
Min

Fixya.com

I had an issue with out GE washing machine and found this site that solved it. So I just had to post a link to the site. No affiliation with it just a coodos for the help.
The site is called fixya.com

I'll explain the issue maybe it will help some visitor.

Washing machine is a GE Front loader Model WCVH6260F. It recently has not been spinning the clothes dry and restarting the cycles on its own. Seems the trouble is in the trap. I had to take the bottom front panel off with 3 screws, and unscrew the white cap inside for the trap. Allot of water came out so place a bucket there to catch it. This is what I found.
39 pennys
17 nickels
22 dimes
12 quarters
Total $ 6.44
2 buttons
2 keys
1 bolt
2 nuts
1 allen wrench
1 tip plastic tip from a caulking tube
3 unknown pieces of plastic
full blown lint ball.
Min

Hanging a picture.

Here's a simple project that many people have trouble with. Say you have a nice picture or maybe a mirror and it has 2 hooks on it to hang from the wall. How do you get them to be both level and in the correct place?
We will take for granted that they hooks were placed properly on the frame and proceed from there.
First take out your trusty level. Remember we learned that awhile back. See Checking a level. Lay the level across the back of the picture frame by horizontally just under the hooks. Make a pencil mark on the level right where the two hooks are. Take the level to the wall lay it on the wall at the desired height and make it level. Mark the wall with a dot in line with the marks you made on the level. Use these two dots to place your nails in. If your using some sort of hanger with more than one hole each use these dots for the holes in the center or top. Same holes on both hangers.
Set the picture on the hangers and enjoy your level picture or mirror.
Min