No, I'm not the handyman, but I'm sure we've got one or two here, anybody want to volunteer?

Here's a screening question:

Anybody ever replace a broiler element in an oven? How difficult is it?

If we get a handyman volunteer, this thread could save some of us "pay to have someone else do it" guys a lot of cash.

Awesome idea. My fiancee and I just bought our first house and there are some small projects we'll be working on here and there. Hopefully there will be a handyman or two here to run some ideas by. I'm an idea man, but don't always have the technical know-how to do it the easiest way.

I co-owned a home improvement business (not a handyman business) before I went to college. Never replaced broiler in an oven though.

No, I'm not the handyman, but I'm sure we've got one or two here, anybody want to volunteer?

Here's a screening question:

Anybody ever replace a broiler element in an oven? How difficult is it?

If we get a handyman volunteer, this thread could save some of us "pay to have someone else do it" guys a lot of cash.

I've replaced a broiler element. It wasn't hard at all. I just wrote a check to the repair man when he was done with the job.

Does this mean I can be the handyman volunteer????

Fool sounds like our guy (sorry giffman).

As far as the broiler element, it looks like it connects just like a typical electric rangetop burner, could it be that easy?

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/how-to-repair-an-oven-9.jpg

Congrats on the house defrocked. How old is it?

I can't run a radio program on Sunday about it or anything, but I've replaced and installed and rebuilt a thing or two around the house.

Glenn is really Glenn Hagey and this is a shameless plug for him. J/k.

I've done a lot of my own little repairs that I've had to look up here and there and can help with a lot of hints. Never done that particular repair.

Great idea for a thread though!

<-- Fuck that was quick.

Any good suggestions for heading off basement flooding when all of this snow melts?

moving. If you have a leeky basement, good luck. My parent's basement used to leak and they tried sealing the walls with some junk you paint on the concrete. It never worked. That stuff just cracked and leaked. A sump pump works, but might be costly to put in. I suggest shoveling your yard and throwing it into your neighbor's. How much snow can you have? Where do you live? i only have about 6-8 inches in my yard.

Moving not an option, but funny. We have an old house (the wife thought it had "charm" but that's a whole different story), and we get some minor amount of water along one wall in the basement each year, just when the snow melts. The other 51 weeks of the year, it's completely dry.

I say "minor" because it's usually 2-3 inches of snow that melts, but this year it's around 2 feet (Kalamazoo area). A bunch of it melted yesterday with temps in the mid-40's, but there still is well over 1 foot outside now.

I took a shovel and shoveled it away from the perimeter of the house, hopefully that helps.

If it isn't costly, the sump pump would work. It basically collects the water along the outside of your house, and pumps it away. In my parents house we simply squeeged the water down a drain, as theirs always came in the same wall as well.

Do you know where the water comes in at on the wall in your basement (top of the wall, bottom of the wall)? It sounds like the water just ends up as a wet spot/area on the floor and not a "don't go into the basement this week" problem.

I have a general idea where it's coming in, but it's hard to tell unless you happen to be standing there when it happens. But you're right, it's not gallons were talking about here, at worst, probably a gallon (singular), and that's just because of the larger volume of melting snow than normal.

I've tried to pinpoint the highest wet spot on the wall, but by the time I check, the wall is usually dry already, and the water is in a puddle on the floor.

And I do have the waterseal on the walls already (previous owner did that).

Are you sure you didn't pee there in a drunken stupor the night before?

For minor basement leaks, there is a process of digging down a certain amount and using something called "Perf Tile" (sp?)
Also, try grading the dirt or grass that leads up to your house in a downward slope AWAY from the house.
Or, do what I do, get a new cardboard box. Spring is coming, many women will be nagging their husbands for new refrigerators and furniture, and it's a veritable "Finder's Market" for us box dwellers.

problem: squeaky second level floors. the floor is carpeted, and i'd rather not rip out the carpeting. no access to the underneath from the first floor. i heard something about long screws that have break off heads. any suggestions?

Also, try grading the dirt or grass that leads up to your house in a downward slope AWAY from the house.

I did that a few years ago after it leaked a little bit after some heavy, heavy rain. It seemed to work for that (rain) but not snow.

problem: squeaky second level floors. the floor is carpeted, and i'd rather not rip out the carpeting. no access to the underneath from the first floor. i heard something about long screws that have break off heads. any suggestions?

Not sure about that problem. i've fixed first floor squeaks (shims in basement ceiling), and also second floor squeaks when I have the carpet out (with wood screws), but never what you are talking about. I wonder what someone would charge to simply re-stretch your carpet. It's easy to pull out, but you need that stupid stretcher to put it back right. Maybe you could get someone to simply re-stretch it for 20 bucks.

Glenn:
Then I'd look into the "Perf Tile", and do it now, cuz the water coming in is only further weakening the spot, and it will spread.
You're fortunate in that it seems to be one spot, and only with snow melt, it's fixable, and probably not going to be too much.
Do you have a poured basement or block basement?

Glenn:
Then I'd look into the "Perf Tile", and do it now, cuz the water coming in is only further weakening the spot, and it will spread.
You're fortunate in that it seems to be one spot, and only with snow melt, it's fixable, and probably not going to be too much.
Do you have a poured basement or block basement?


Block.

So you're saying that I should dig up my yard along that wall and apply some sort of tiling to the outer surface?

Maybe I'll move after all.

Well, with the Perf Tile, you don't have to dig too muc, assuming of course the crack is nearer to the surface.
Let me put it to you this way: If I know of it, and if I've done it, it couldn't be any more complicated than for the average retarded four year old.

One more point:
YOu have a block formation, sounds like you may just need some "tuck pointing", maybe the mortar in one or two places is rotted out.

Zip is vying for the Co-WTF Handyman title it appears, lol

(And yes, I'm trying not to picture what "tuck pointing" is all about).

You've never heard of "tuck pointing"?
The title of WTF Handyman I'd have to concede to my wife. She's the one who I ask when these questions come up.

Can you have your wife help Matt with his floors then?

I've got no help for him on that one.

I have ripped out a drop ceiling with my teeth - nothing to do with this, but I like to brag.

Absolutely. She says the carpeting has to come up, though.

I'll ask her as soon as she comes down from the roof, where she is presently busy reshingling the damn thing.
That is, if she has time before I get her going on putting in some exterior cleanouts and re piping our main sewer line to get rid of the tree root problem.
Meanwhile, I've GOT to take a nap.

Tell her to watch the ice on the driveway when she comes down from the ladder. Better yet, leave the scraper next to the ladder so she can clean the driveway.

28 responses in 3 hours? This thread is hot!

[smilie=firedevil.g:


I haven't read a single post in it...

problem: squeaky second level floors. the floor is carpeted, and i'd rather not rip out the carpeting. no access to the underneath from the first floor. i heard something about long screws that have break off heads. any suggestions?

Matt, you can nail through the carpet you can't screw through it though as the screwing tears your carpet up. I've never tried a stud finder on carpetted floors however.

Would you be up to rolling your carpet back (rather than tearing it out and replacing it)? If you have floor moldings you'll probably have to loosen a couple to get the carpet off the tack strip (carpet is only secured at the wall edges of a room) but after that its just a matter of moving all the furniture out of the way and then laying the carpet back onto the strip (hammering it back down) and possibly tightening your floor molding back up. Unless your carpet is rather new, you shouldn't need a knee kicker (the thing the carpet installers use to stretch your carpet) to reach the tack strip again.

If the noises are small squeaks you might just need to lube the floorboards (where they meet each other) with talkum powder rather than nailing them down. But that requires getting under the carpet as well.

^a tru professional

That's what I'm talking aboot.

Glenn, I've never heard of perf tile (and googling it didn't help me) but if Zip has the 411 on it and it doesn't involve a lot of digging then more power to you.

All I know about basement leaks are that if they are from a crack big enough that you can see it, you seal the crack with hydraulic cement (expanding cement) and then coat the area with something like Drylock (double coat it). Here's a nice little guide. (http://www.creativehomeowner.com/index.php?pane=project&projectid=chmas101) If you suspect a wall seepage that you can't see, the drylock is supposed to handle it alone.

If its not from a crack and you've already tried regrading the soil, you might have a drain tile problem. Drain tiles are supposed to collect the water below your basement and carry it to the storm drain. It might be something as simple as a clog, which still requires Roto Rooter to clear since it could be anywhere between your house and the storm drain, but that's still a minor fix (though not do-it-yourself). A real break down in the drain itself means making a new drainage system either from inside or out (i.e. calling a waterproofer).

Since you say its a small amount of water in only the more extreme conditions, I would imagine a "do-it-yourself" fix would be fine. I have to say that Matt's problem, carpentry and cosmetic home changes, are more of what I used to do. I did take care of a few small apartment buildings (like 4 tenet buildings), rental properties and some very light comercial stuff (fixing up local Pizza Huts and what not). But the latter was generally a "sure I can do that" and then figure it out as I went kind of thing.

This thread is really helping people and bettering lives.

I can feel it.

I have a good Roto Rooter story (horror story avoided, actually) but I'll save that for a different day, maybe a real shitty one.

I'm with you Glenn: This thread, and this website, can and will have a positive impact on those lucky sould who venture into it.
WTF Detroit: Not Just Saving Lives, Making Them Better

I think if we can work together to get Matt's floors from squeaking, progress in the Middle East can't be far behind.



28 responses in 3 hours? This thread is hot!

[smilie=firedevil.g:


I haven't read a single post in it...
Unfortunately, most of us don't have perfect lives.

We need home repair salvation.

This thread is a huge change for me. Now I get to "Ask the WTF handyman" instead of "Ask the handyman, WTF?".

Basement leak sounds like water table rising? When was the house built? Cause if they didn't do much then, you'll prolly just chase the problem from spot to spot. Do the easiest first. Wait till summer or when walls are the most dry, put a heater on it, buy some good sealer for concrete and apply. Also, it is a good thing to have your grade slope away from your foundation for 10' like someone else said. If you can't see bed joint probs then tuck pointing won't do anything imo, and it won't stop water either, imo. Locating the spot where its coming in from might help or might not. This one customer had a basement that was not living space so I dusted the wall with colored chalk (with their consent) and then when I came back you could see right where it entered. But finding the spot doesn't mean you can fix it.

The floor thing is hard too, but what type of construction is it? TJs or dimensional? Sheeting or T&G? It could be a hanger issue, or decking issue? Hard to tell from here. Hopefully just a nail has pulled loose or the head broke off and maybe you can refasten. If you attempt refastening, use ring shanks, not screws, imo. You might be able to hit the squeaky spot with a hammer. If you hear a clap then the decking prolly came loose from the joist...good news. If it sounds really solid then you joist might be causing the prob.

Funny, I swear I almost started the same thread last night.

My toilet has been running, and I know its either the flapper or the part the flapper sits on. First I cleaned the flapper and piece it sits on but that didnt help. Then I bought a new flapper and that didnt help. Last night I bought the part it sits on and it came with a flapper, I replaced the whole thing, and its still running. It definitely leaks through the flapper because if I push down on it at all it stops. Im pretty much pulling my hair out. I have replaced the innards on toilets before probably five times with no issues, but I cant get a freakin flapper to stop leaking now.

Funny, I swear I almost started the same thread last night.

My toilet has been running, and I know its either the flapper or the part the flapper sits on. First I cleaned the flapper and piece it sits on but that didnt help. Then I bought a new flapper and that didnt help. Last night I bought the part it sits on and it came with a flapper, I replaced the whole thing, and its still running. It definitely leaks through the flapper because if I push down on it at all it stops. Im pretty much pulling my hair out. I have replaced the innards on toilets before probably five times with no issues, but I cant get a freakin flapper to stop leaking now.

Don't shit yulelogs. Drink more water, so your poop is soft and won't clog the pipes.

Just saying....

My toilet has been running, and I know its either the flapper or the part the flapper sits on. First I cleaned the flapper and piece it sits on but that didnt help. Then I bought a new flapper and that didnt help. Last night I bought the part it sits on and it came with a flapper, I replaced the whole thing, and its still running. It definitely leaks through the flapper because if I push down on it at all it stops. Im pretty much pulling my hair out. I have replaced the innards on toilets before probably five times with no issues, but I cant get a freakin flapper to stop leaking now.
Heh... been there, done that. I concluded that it had to be something about the toilet handle that wasn't doing the right thing, because wiggling the handle would sometimes make the problem go away and I'd replaced everything else. I went to Lowe's, acquired a decent toilet tank for $29.99, and the bitch has worked ever since.

At what point do you just have to say, "Fuck it. I'll buy a new toilet". I'd say right about now, UxKa.

Yeah Im about to go the new toilet route. It just pisses me off because I know what the problem is, its a cheap fix, but its not getting fixed. Although after a day of 'settling' in the running has come down to a slight drip. So Im thinking (telling myself) that after another day of settling in it will be all good. And thanks Denny, I will make an effort to produce softer poop as well as preach that to the gf. In fact, I will institute a new household rule to just poop in plastic bags and put it in the garbage LOL

And thanks Denny, I will make an effort to produce softer poop as well as preach that to the gf.

Anytime, UxKaKa.

UXKA...just for shits and grins set the water level lower. It doesn't sound like that it from what you described but it always a good last resort.

Here's one:
Spring is coming. Birds are returning, trees are budding. My lawn looks like shit.
When can I seed it?

UXKA...just for shits and grins set the water level lower. It doesn't sound like that it from what you described but it always a good last resort.

I played with the water level already, thanks though.

Nobody gives a fuck about my lawn?

When my toilet wouldn't stop running I figured out (after plenty of frustration) that the gasket that the ball was supposed to seal when the water rose high enough had deteriorated to a point that it just wouldn't seal anyore. So the ball was fine, the arm it was attached to was fine, the rubber stopper over the whole leading to the toilet bowl was fine but I had to replace the shaft in the tank since I coudn't get a gasket by itself. I ended up getting a "ball-less" system. It looks cool (not that anyone sees it) and it seems to be quieter than the old ball one (probably just wishful thinking). Ended up taking aboout 20 minutes to replace and maybe $15 dollars for the kit that pretty much replaced everything in the tank.

Man, the concern for UxKa's shitter is going to be on CNN before morning. Nobody has been talking about a shitter this much since George Brett had a hemmorhoid attack in the world series 20 years ago.
Meanwhile, my lawn looks like crap.

That one's easy to look up Zip. I think you can seed either early Spring or late Summer (but not in between, but look it up cuz I'm not positive). Cover the seed with hay to keep the soil warm and help trap moisture. It also keeps the birds from eating the seed. Cover the hay with a wire mesh that you can buy at any lawn and garden outlet to keep the hay in place.

The hay and wire is generally for an area or a whole lawn that you've dug completely up. If you are just throwing some seed down to thicken some sparse areas it might not be needed.

Thanks Fool!
THAT'S what I'm talking about. Hard core knowledge on WTF Detroit.
I actually do have to re seed the whole goddam lawn. I've been renovating the inside of the house, and painted and roofed the exterior last summer, but my neighbors are giving me "The Look" as they walk by my house. They won't even let their dogs shit on my lawn, it's that bad.
It's one of those "lumpy" and sparsely patched lawns. If you walk on it with barefeet, your feet bleed.
I haven't watered it in the two years I've been here, because I was planning for THIS to be the year of "The Lawn of Goshboots".

Fool: I have the 'ball-less' system in my basement that I put in about a year ago and I just dont trust it. Ive seen the plastic part that is supposed to float get stuck well under water enough times without lifting to shut the water. They say to clean it and whatnot, but for me it has been a shitty system. I think the ol ball-on-the-arm is more reliable. Im not sure what you mean as far as the gasket... Ive replaced the whole system that sits around the connection from the tank to the bowl. The only part I havent replaced is the tube comimg up from the water intake, and the ball-on-arm.

Zip: Thank you for noticing my toilet attention. I have passed on the info and the toilet appreciates it too lol. My house had a shitty lawn when I moved in about four years ago. For the most part I seeded over what was there and have had success. It is still lumpy, but atleast I have decent grass cover. I have a HELLA thick maple tree in the front yard and its literally bare under it. I have tried every seed made for shade I can find with no luck. They grow for a month, then die. I could use some advice on that.

We have big ASH trees in our front yard, one on each side:same problem. What we are going to do is put a rock wall type of thing around 'em and plant some sort of thing called "Hasta's", which like shade.
Personally, a lawn is a waste of time if you ax me. Fertilizing and wasting a valuable resource like water for what? I'm thinking some form of astroturf is what I really want.
As for the back yard, the WHOLE thing is going to be a deck within a year or two. We put in a pool and a hot tub, and it's going to be Partyville, so the grass back there can stay shitty.

My mom has a ton of hastas, they do well with no light. I hate wasting time on my yard too. I never minded yardwork growing up, and spent a lot of time on it the first summer I lived here, then I realized I just dont care. It kind of sucks for me though because the two houses across the street have retired people and you would think the Wrigley Field guys do their yards. It makes mine look that much worse.

The guy that live across the street from me is very similar. Owns two lots, has a riding lawn mower, a flag pole jutting from his house, and a flag for EVERY holiday (I'm talking Easter, St.Pat's Day, Columbus Day). Dude loves to work on his "estate".

I'm thinking about a new lawnmower.

I used to have two, one with a bagger attachment, and one with no bag but a killer mulching blade.

The mulcher died two years ago, and last year was hell using just the bagger, especially in the fall when the leaves made it necessary to empty the bag about every two minutes.

What are you guys mowing with?

I have a Honda self-propelled mulcher/bagger/shoot-it-out-the-sider. Was about $300 last year. I give it a thumbs up.

Bagless mulching Briggs and Stratton something-or-other, bought cheap from Sears as it was a "last year's floor model" special. It just works. Once it gets to October-ish and serious leaf time, I stop mowing and wait for enough mostly-neighbors leaves to blow my way then dig out the leafblower.

I'm thinking about a new lawnmower.

I used to have two, one with a bagger attachment, and one with no bag but a killer mulching blade.

The mulcher died two years ago, and last year was hell using just the bagger, especially in the fall when the leaves made it necessary to empty the bag about every two minutes.

What are you guys mowing with?
I've got a Troy Built from Lowe's. Cost about 200 bucks. Starts easy, mulches, bags or blows. Not self propelled (I had those when you have a city lot because they are harder to back up and turn). Does a great job for the cost.

I think it is this one (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=97712-270-11A-542Q711&lpage=none), but I'm not sure since I got it 2 years ago.
(http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=97712-270-11A-542Q711&lpage=none)

I had a John Deere, but I felt sill mowing a city lot with it, so I traded it for an arcade machine, now I have a Honda that I beat the shit out of and it runs like a top. I bought a $40 mulching blade for it, and I don't bag a damn thing.

What kind of store takes lawnmowers in on trade for arcade machines?

Pawn shop?

Gamestop.

Sorry mine is a Honda powered Troy-Built. Similar to WTFChris' but self-propelled.

Herm,

Who initiated that transaction?

Trying to picture how that conversation went.

I was talking to the manager at the Grandville Mall GS about how I would love to get my hands on an arcade box that I could run an old console though. He said he knew a guy who was moving and wanted to get rid of one. I called the guy and using my jewyness figured out that since he was moving up north from an apartment he would need a mower and the deal was done. I would assume financially he got the better end of the deal, but he arranged the delivery/pickup so I let it wash.

I bought my lawnmower at a garage sale two years ago for 15 bucks. Rear bagger, works like a charm.

Know how I posted that I have a retired guy across the street with the perfect yard? He actually just had the gaul to bitch at me for mine. I wont go into detail, but after the words that flew out of my mouth I dont think he will ever have a nice word to say to me again.

Why did you not jjust go shit on his lawn while he yelled at you?

Why did you not jjust go shit on his lawn while he yelled at you?

The tacos from last night hadnt fermented enough yet. Glad to know we think alike though. I think Im going to have a herd of alpacas eat his yard [smilie=alpaca.gif]

taking a dump on his lawnmower would be even better. shovels take care of shit on grass too easily.

2 year old MTD snowblower, won't start.

I put in fresh gas and filled oil to "full" on dipstick and also put in a new spark plug.

Ideas? Only thing I haven't tried is cleaning the carburetor.

Probably already saw this, but:

http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/fixing-a-snow-blower-that-wont-start/

Yes, but thanks.

Maybe you should poop in it.

Does it try to turn over at all (make noises)? If it does, than the spark plug is probably trying to ignite the fuel but can't. Does it have an air filter? If so, check it. If you turned the thing on it's side you might have gotten oil all over the filter (especially if it's "full"). That happens a lot to lawnmowers and snowblowers. People fill that shit high and then swing those fuckers around their heads like drunk monkeys with their own feces.

Does it take a fuel + oil mix and you filled it with the same oil you put in your car? It should run with a bad mix but it will eventually fuck the engine.

It takes straight gas and has a separate oil tank that takes 5w30.

Doesn't turn over at all, used to start on the first pull (last year).

I'm having hard time believing that the carburetor is gunked up after only 2 years, the thing still looks to be in mint shape, but it's possible, I suppose.

No air filter.

But I did tip it forward a bit when I added oil, which would be almost impossible not to do, since the place where you add it sits almost level to the ground.

It's possible I may have overfilled it with oil, I suppose, but the dipstick reads smack dab in the middle of the "full" range.

Authorized repair place wants $70 just to look at it, and won't even do so for 3 days from now.

Gonna have to do this myself, which could be a problem.

Spray some starting fluid in the carb first, then try to start. If starting fluid doesn't even get it to fire, I'd look at the electrical system.

You'd probably have to lay the blower on its side in order to internally spill the oil. The dipstick would show if it's over-full. So I'd assume neither of those situations is the issue.

If it's not making any sound then I would guess there's no juice getting to the spark plug. Does it have a belt? If so, is it in one piece?

What about simple operational errors - Does it have a choke? Are you using it? (Though it should try to turn over even without using the choke).

Dead battery?

I'll check the belt out when I get home, but I'm guessing that since it's only been used for parts of two seasons that it's probably intact.

They recommend having the choke fully open to start, and that is what I have been doing (worked well last year, too).

Priming 6-8x as recommended, although I got frustrated when it didn't start and started priming it more, and then you hit that certain point when you have to start assuming that it's flooded.

And then I give up.

Trying to avoid having to remove the carburetor, hoping that I can get at it with some spray product.

As I remember it, so much of it is self-contained, it's hard to get to a lot of it.

I think this is the same model that I have


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ermja7ehG7g

So it is a pull start, correct? And when you pull it, the engine turns over, but doesn't even attempt to fire, correct?

A couple things you can do is simply take the spark plug out and see if its drenched in gas, its obviously flooded. If its dry, you are prolly not getting gas.

Another thing you can do is take the spark plug out, hook it back up to the spark plug wire and rest it on a part of the engine that is metal and pull the starter and watch carefully for spark. Obviously you can't rest it on plastic or a painted surface. Do that in a dark garage.

So from that you should be to tell whats going on at least.

If you don't want to go through all that crap, Starting fluid is super simple and trouble shoots without having to wrench on it.

Success!

SeaFoam, FTW!

thanks for the input, fellas

Suddenly, have to hold handle down on toilet to get it to flush completely. Worked fine up until two days ago. Flapper is only about one year old, have tried various chain lengths, but again it worked fine until two days ago. At Home Depot right now buying new flapper, but I have a feeling that it's a different problem. Any ideas?

Buy a new house. Problem solved.

I don't think that advice is appropriate.

Guess they don't make flappers the way they used to.

FIXED - $3.68