Wall Patch
I was asked to write a little thing on how to do a wall patch by my wife. She says that when her boys were coming up SHE had to know how to do this because the boys used to rough house with their friends and they would end up one way or the other putting a hole in the walls.

So here it is. I know of 3 ways, one of them is the best. One of them is the easiest and the other is quick.
First I have to tell you that there are wall patch kits they sell in you local Ace Hardware or Home Depot. These are very easy and quick. It is made of a wire mesh that has a stickier edge that you put right over the hole and the you mud (taping compound) over them. Let it dry and sand , give another coat and paint.
1. If it is a LARGE hole you have to cut out a piece from the center of one stud (2x4) to the other. Then place a piece of wallboard in cut to fit. Tape it and mud it . That is the best way.
2. One with the patch you can buy in your local hardware.
3 Is done with the tape itself. I was taught this one by a taper named Whitie. First you put a strip of mud on the wall, then place a piece of tape in that mud that will cover the hole then you put mud on the top of the tape . You run your taping knife across the tape so you now have mud on both sides then you take that piece over the hole. You do this til you have covered the hole completely. You can do this a few times but the bigger the hole I would not do this on. But if this is a door knob I guess I would do this on. Then place one of those door knob guards over this after it dries.

Top left: J channel Top right: Starter strip, top view
bottom left: side view starter strip
bottom right: Back side of siding showing bottom that locks into starter strip.

Vinyl Siding
I know all kinds of people that say to me "I wish I could do that." I was that way myself. But after having a guy do my house in NY, I said I am going to do the next one myself. I had bought my mom's house after she passed away. Then, my Sons and myself and some friends ripped off a roof, raised it and they re roofed it. I then went out, looked at the vinyl siding I liked, talked to the local distributor, told him all of the dimensions and we put an order together.

After the delivery truck left, I thought, now what!! I can tell you this, if you can use a ruler and a sheet rock knife you are in business. There are other tools needed too. The one thing to remember, if you can use all of the everyday tools, you can do it too.

My brother Jack told me a long time ago, all you have to remember it that this stuff is hung, not hammered tight to the house. I will tell you that is the key thing to remember. If not, when you are finished and you look down the side of what you have finished, you will see where it was that you sent the nail home. There will be either a dimple or a wave.

Tools:
Snap Line
Tin snips and sheet rock knife
Level and square and a line level
Good hammer
I cheated and used a paper cutter. (you can't believe how nice this works)

First you have to get the measurements of what you are siding. Figure the square foot of each side, add all of these numbers together and that is how many squares you will need to side that job. (siding is sold in squares) If your home needs 2400 feet of coverage this comes out to be 24 square. Siding is sold in 100 square feet.
Now you have to look at the doors and windows. Measure all around the windows,
on the doors you measure the sides and the top of the door. This is where you need to put the J channel. This is what you see when you look at any job that is already done anywhere. This has a 2 fold job. It gives that area a finished look and a clean look. It
also serves as a rain gutter. This happens when the rain runs down the side, then it hits
the J channel, then it is directed away from the window and prevents water from
getting behind the siding, keeping it dry and rot free.

When you gets all these measurements, you bring them to the local dealer and he will help you figure it out. J channel is sold in 8ft strips. So for doors I always just get 3 pieces, with windows I like to use just one whole piece on the sides and top and on the bottom. You can butt them together. I would never butt them on the top or on the sides.
This would allow water behind the siding. Rule of thumb: if there is water going to run off of it then a solid piece is needed.
Then there are corners, they come in 2 types: inside corners and an outside corners.
I have seen guys use J channel butted together on the inside corners. I think it looks tackie, for a difference of under 100 bucks over all on a job. I think it is a no brainer.

These corners come in 10 ft lengths, so if your house is a rectangle that is 20 foot high, you would need eight outside corners of the same corner that you are doing. Now, let's say your home is in a L shape and 20 ft high you would need 8 outside corners and 2 inside corners
Now then, there is the starter strip. This is just what it says. ALSO the most important thing you will do. These are sold in 10 foot lengths. You measure all around the structure and that is what you will need. This is put all around the job all at the same height. This is where you use the snap line for the first time. You figure out right where you want to start, taking a measurement off of the ground. You place a nail there then you pull out the line and have a level on it from corner to corner pulled tight (2 man job), when the bubble is in the middle you snap the line, then you put the nail the adjoining corner at the same level and pull the line down to the opposite corner and repeat the process till you work your way all around the structure.
Next take these strips and nail them to the structure. Not too tight, just about loose or in other words not nailed home. Once you have the starter strip done you can start on the siding. If this is a new structure, you should either use tar paper to cover the walls or the other new coverage they use. This stops all the drafts, as well keeps the dampness off of the wood. Remember, now you have already done the corners and all of the J channel, except for where the sides come to a peak. That can be done when you get up that high. When you get to the top, you will use more J channel there. But anyway when you are ready to start the siding you pull the length up onto the starter strip you will feel it click in. That's why the bottom of the siding is curved in on the bottom and on the top of each piece has another strip on the top on the outside. That is how you will LOCK in each piece as you go along.

Once you have it locked in place you pull up on the piece not too hard but well enough to feel the slack pull out, that is when you take a roofing nail and nail it into the side of the house or structure. I always start in the middle and work my way to the ends. You nail it but you leave about 1/8 of a in or so of room . This is why I say hung not nailed. At both ends, you will leave at least1/4 of a inch of room between the corners or the J channel. This allows for expansion form the heat is the summer. But remember, in the winter these will contract or shrink. This is why you can't leave too much room at the ends

You will notice on the top of each of the siding the lock on the outside. But you will also noticethis dont go all the way to the end and it dont start right on the end either, This is where they will tuck under each other till these 2 strips butt.There is another thing I would like you to rember. when you are doing a side of a home you want to tuck all the pieces the same way. Lets say you start going from left to right. So the one on the roght will tuck under the one on the right. But the way I do it is I go from the street side of the home looking down to the rear of the home. This way when you look from the street you wont see the sideing that is laid in the top.I dont know if you understand but once you start and do about 3-4strips going up you will understand.
As a rule you will always want to overlap on the same side. The other thing you have to remember is to stagger the seams. You never want them to be one on top of the other or even close for that matter. So there will be times you will have to cut a piece in two when it could have been enough. But in that case, you will have 3 pieces, one short, then a full length, then the other half of a sheet. In my home in Brooklyn I used a hammer and nails. In Indiana, I used a nail gun. But if the nail gun is too high of a setting for the air pressure, you will find the nails will go straight to the wood and cause dimples to appear on the siding. I would rather use a hammer.

SNOWBLOWERS

Alright, now is the time we have to get ready to trade the lawnmowers for snow blowers. When you know you are done with the lawn mower and you think its time to put the lawn mower in storage for the winter. I want to point out a thing or two you should do before this.
1. Make sure you run all of the fuel out of the tank. The reason I do this, is the fuel we get today is not as good as the stuff we used to get. It looses it oommph. It used to go stale over a very long time. Now you leave it in over a season, you go to start the machine, you look into the tank and you check the spark plug. All of this is ok now you go to start, NOTHING!! I found out I had to pour out the old stuff, put new in and bingo. So NOW I run it out for the winter storage and put in new next season. Believe me, it is alot better. I also run the mowers or what ever I am putting up for a bit on the rich side. This means with alittle more oil in the mix. This gives the pistons a good cover for the off time.
Now is the time to take out the snow blower and check it out. Put in the new fuel, take the spark plug, make sure it is clean or just replace it. Start the unit and if it is all good then put it to the side till you need it. Because here (Indiana), I have seen snow, and the time you find out that you need a snow blower help is not in the middle of a storm. DUH!!
Also now is a good time for you or your mechanic to change the anti freeze in your car. Have them check all of the hoses at the same time and the belt or belts. As you already know the summer is never the time you find out that the mix of the anti-freeze is weak. Also the first time you hear that the weather is going to down below freezing by a good bit. You might want to think about putting in a can of dry gas . The reason you do this is if there is any water sitting down in your tank ,and there is, you put this in and it breaks the water down so it gets picked up and pulled out while you drive. The good thing about this it can NOT freeze in your lines now.
I know you have anti freeze in your car, BUT it does get weaker over time. I found this out many years ago when I went out to start my car. It started and off I went. Then my high temp light went on. That was because the ice inside was blocking the hose inside my radiator but as it got hotter it did melt the light went off. This is NOT good, it can split the heater coil. I had a friend that had a heated garage, we put it in there for hours then we drained the system and put new anti freeze and I was ok then. A lessen hard learned.

PAINTING AND PAINTING PREP

Well today I started doing the thing I dislike the most, PAINTING. I do this alot for alot of people, but I really do dislike doing it in my own home. I just want to go over a thing or two that will make your life a little easier, if you have to paint. First, if this is a new wall, room or addition, meaning if this wallbord has never been painted before and all of the taping has been done. Make sure you seal this with a good sealer. If not, this "new" wall will soak up all the paint . If you don't want to use a sealer because of cost, use CHEAP paint for use as a sealer.
I. do all of your cutting in first. This is when you paint the corners and the edges and woodwork. Then you let them dry for a half hour or so. I also use the pads that you can cut into the corners and around the light switchs 1, 2, 3. I do caution you that if you use these pads they leave a little too much along the edge. You will be able to see this. All you do is take a paint brush and pull that extra out of it it will blend in when you roll out the rest of the areas
2. I am old school. That is to say that all the woodwork (moldings around the doors and windows and on the floor) I use a semi gloss or a gloss paint. This is because we have a tribe full of grandkids. They leave hand prints every where. This paint is washible. Flat paints (I dont care what you pay for it or what they say) it does not hold up as well in these areas. If you do all these areas first and paint an area about 2-3 inches wide all the way around the room, you can roll out the rest of the walls in a jiffy.
3. Before starting, move all your furniture away from your walls into the center of the room. Take off all wall switch covers and light switch covers. Put them all in a box or coffee can in that room.
OTHERWISE I find I will be making a trip to the hardware store.

4. Buy cheap plastic drop clothes. Cover your furniture and the floor area. You will always have a bit of over spray from a roller and I always drop a brush at least once. I don't have to say I wish I had used a drop any more.

BLACK MOLD

I have just noticed on my blog. A young lady asks me how to tackle a mold problem she has just gotten after a roof leak in her home. She went on to say ripping out the wall/ceiling isn't an option, because of the cost. Then went on to say that Kilz is also expensive and was not effective at any rate.
I will answer the last part first, but first I want to thank her for sending me her question. Now!
Kilz is a product that is in my opinon is very good, but is does not kill the mold. It kills the stain. There are other products like whitealac. This is a paint/shellac product. This does the same thing. Long before this and any other of these products, we in the trade, just used shellac. It will cover any stain whether it be oil, water or mold. Then allow you to paint over it and the stain will disapear.
THIS IS of course, IF the problem that caused it in the first place has been corrected. A water leak is the worst of all. This is because sheetrock/wallboard has just the right make up to allow black mold to fester and flourish. But the things that must be presant for this to happen in the first place is MOISTURE. Not just once, but on going moisture, like a little leak on a pipe or in the roof. TEMPERATURE. Mold grows better in the warmer month or where there is heat.
In this case there is a roof leak, you stop the leak and now you want to paint the stain. You first must have it dry out fully. If there is insulation behind this wallbord. It will act like a sponge. It will take forever to dry out and just give off more mold spores while it is damp, This is the reason that most say cut out the wet part, patch it with new wallbord/sheetrock and mud it and paint. If this is not a option for one reason or another, WAIT for the area to get fully dry and then cover with shellac and paint to match.
To kill the mold in the first place. Mix in a spray bottle a mixture of water and Clorine Bleach, 50/50 and spray it directly on the mold stain. Clorine is the only thing that will KILL mold, When this is completely dry you can paint it with the shellac . Let it dry and paint to match. This is very time consumming and an eyesore to look at. BESIDES not being healthy to have around while waiting to be dealt with. This is another reason most people just cut out the wet area and go from there. Hope this was helpful.

Domestic Hot Water Heaters
If you are like me, and most of the home owners in the US, you still have a hot water heater and dont think about them until they spring a leak or just quit working. There isn't really a lot to a hot water heater. Most guys put them in and say ok till I have to replace it again.
In the US there are a few things that differ from one place to another, or from the city to the rual areas. In the city, for the most part the water is treated. The water is filtered and countless other things. This is good. It will help keep the inside of your heater clean. But, there are still things that go in and settle at the bottom of your heater. This is why once a year you might want to consider putting a garden hose on your heater and draining it. This is done after you let it cool and you put your heater to pilot, if it is that type. If electric cut the power to the unit. This way you aren't heating all of the water you are about to dump, and don't want to do damage if the water gets too low.
When you first start this you have all the water coming in. After a short time: 3-4 minutes, close the water coming into the heater. You will notice the water flow will almost stop. This means it is going to need the little valve opened on the side. Lift the little handle on the top of the valve and you should hear air being pulled in. If you get water this means the valves (supply) is still open and needs closed tighter or it will not close. In this case put things back to the way they were.
But if you get the air and then look at the water flow, it should have started back not with a big amount, just a little. You will have to wait for a while till this stops again, but first you will see some dirt and rust or sediment. These are the things that cause the inside to oxidize and rupture(leak). At this point, open the supply water a little bit and flush the heater until it flows clean . Start to refill. Make sure the valve on the side of the heater is closed . This should be done once a year. Check for leaks and then put back in service

Winterizing Your Home

Winterizing Your Home


Old man winter is right around the corner. The big heating bills will only get bigger. Here are a couple of things you can do to keep them down.
1. If your door is really drafty, check the alignment (see if the door is straight when closed) and look at the bottom to see if there is a gap. Then look at all of the edges and see if they are tight. If you close a door and can see light anywhere top, bottom, sides, then they need weather strip and a door sweep at the bottom. That will ensure that there is a tight seal when closed. You would be shocked at how much money goes out the doors and windows.
2. Windows: First check to see if your windows are wood or alumimum or PVC. If you can feel a draft or if you see your shades move when the wind is blowing you have a problem. I know this isn't the time anyone wants to put in new windows, a 1/4 weather strip can be the answer where the window meets the bottom of the window. If this isn't possible, then there are clear plastis kits that you can put over the whole the window, you take a hair blow dryer and blow it at the plastic, moving it over the entire and keeping it about 10 inchs away from the plastic (as not to melt it). You will see all of the wrinkles and bumps pull tight right before your eyes. Bingo all the drafts are gone!
3. Wall plates if you have ever put you hand near a wall switch or a receptical plate on a cold day, you might feel a heavy draft. They make little fiberglass or foam insulaters. Unscrew the plate and put them right under the plate, screw plate back on. These can be found at your local hardware store.
4. If you have storm windows make sure they are closed tight, make sure the seals are good, and there are no cracks or breaks. This helps a great deal, as do storm doors. If you have them, check them for a fit tight also. Storm door create an area between the outer door and the inner door that keeps the heat loss to a minimum. You have to make sure the chaulking around the windows and doors are intacked
Good luck and hope this helps!

Hot Water Heating Systems

1. There are a few things you can check on you hot water heating system. The one thing that you need the most and is forgotten the most is your pump. They say you need a special oil. (turbine oil) Not the truth. You can buy the cute little bottles the plumbing stores sell or you can buy 3 in 1 oil.
I have used it forever and it does the trick. On the pump you will see 3 or 4 little caps you can pull up. They are on the end of the electric motor and on the punp. Most people dont know about this pump till it starts to squeal. You can put oil on the bearing oil cups but you are probablly too late when the squealing begins. This job then becomes a little steep, because most of us can't do that job. Use oil before the heating season starts and check every month. 2-5 drops and you are good to go!
2. Check the heating system. Start it and see how it does. First move your thermostat until you hear it go on. Check the flame. If it is not being pulled straight up and is licking out from under, you might have a venting problem. If that is ok, then listen for the pump to come on. This will happen when the water inside comes to a temp that is required before the system circulates. Now listem for the water inside the pipes. If it sounds like little things are rolling around inside you have air in the system. This is not good. This means there is air, not the water suppose to be there, and air cools off quickly. On all of the radiators there should be a little vent you can open or depress and let the air out. At first you will get air only, then you will get a little spurts of water. You have to wait till it is all water. Have some rags handy and a small bowl to catch the water and clean up afterwards. This can make a quite a mess if not careful.
3. Make sure the fins are straight and not all bent up or crushed. These insure that the air can go across them and transfer the heat. You might want to vacuum now, because if you don't the will be picked up and go into the air. Then just make sure the covers are open so the heat can come right into the room.
Now just look real close at the pump and all of the connections to see there are no leaks and you are off to the races. A little preventive maintenance can save you a bundle in the long run!!