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Do-It-Yourself Projects
Repairing a Hole in Sheetrock
For those smaller holes that may occur from your
kids accidentally throwing a toy or what have you, you'll be
happy to know that it's relatively simple to fix yourself.
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Take an adhesive drywall repair patch over the area (6x6)
should do it.
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Use a wide-blade wallboard knife to spread a
thin layer of spackling compound on top.
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Let the compound
dry, (you can speed the process with a fan), then smooth it
with a damp sponge.
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If necessary, go once over with your
wallboard knife.
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Now apply a second coat.
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When everything
is dry, sand down any bumps with fine sandpaper.
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Before
repainting, don't forget to apply a primer coat: it will
help hide the repair, and the paint will stick better.
Fixing a Sticky Door
Over time, gravity pulls a door out of plumb
causing it to catch against the jamb.
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Instead of removing,
planning and repainting the door, try nudging it back with a
shim (carpenter lingo for something used to fill gaps,
separate surfaces, and generally make things fit right).
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First, unscrew the lowest hinge on the side attached to the
jamb (not the door itself), exposing a carved slot called
mortise.
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Trim a piece of cardboard to the size of the
mortise, screw the hinge into place over the shim, and try
the door.
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If it still sticks, you'll have to break out the
chisel. Unscrew the top hinge on the jamb side, and use the
chisel to deepen the mortise by 1/16 inch.
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Screw the hinge
back on the repeat if necessary.
Used Paint?
For those of you who like to tackle those
little projects, here is something that you might find of
value. If you have a need to paint something, clean up a
basement floor etc, you may like to know that Hennepin
County residents can get FREE slightly or partially used
paints, glues, cleaners, adhesives, automobile oil & more.
Simply bring your drivers license to
Environmental Services @ 1400 West 96th St. in Bloomington
or 8100 Jefferson Hwy in Brooklyn Park during the hours of
10am-6pm on Tuesdays and 8am-4pm on Saturdays. For more information, call 612-348-3777 |
