Denver Remodeling Contractor

How to build a fence

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:43:15 +0000

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions.Things You’ll Need:

Cement

Post digger

Shovel

String line

Nail gun

Circular saw

Chop saw

Level

1.1 Lay out your posts preferably 6 feet apart from each other before you begin to build your fence.

2.2 Stick up string line to keep your posts in line.

3.3 Dig holes 18 inches deep using a post hole digger.

4.4 Put the posts in the post holes.

5.5 Mix the cement for the post holes.

6.6 Fill all the post holes with cement to level with the ground.

7.7 Check each post to ensure that they are level and plum.

8.8 Let posts set for 24 hours before continuing to build your fence.

9.9 Cut your top and lower fence rail once the posts have set up. Then nail them 4 feet apart from each other.

10.10 Nail up your pickets maintaining a ¼-inch gap in between them.

11. Trim any excess wood off the top of the post.

How to Install a Daishwahser

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:41:47 +0000

1. Open up your dishwasher installation manual and go through your parts list to make sure you have everything.

2. Locate and connect the hot water line to your dishwasher.

3. Connect your drain line to your dishwasher.

4. Connect your electrical line to your dishwasher. Refer to installation manual for detailed instructions.

5. Carefully guide your water line hose, water drain hose, and electrical line through each hole in your cabinet. Then slide your dishwasher into place.

6.6 Adjust the feet on the bottom of the dishwasher to level off the dishwasher. Use the level to help you level off dishwasher. Once level, secure your dishwasher by screwing it to the underside of the countertop.

7. Refer to installation manual for detailed instructions on how to replace your sink drain pipe with the dishwasher drain pipe. Now connect the dishwasher drain hose to the pipe, using the hose clamp to tighten it.

8. Shut off your hot water line to your sink and connect T connector so that you can run water line from dishwasher. Refer to installation manual for detailed instructions on how to go about hooking up the T connector.

How to Repair a Broken Sprinkler Pipe

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:42:54 +0000

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions.Things You’ll Need:

PVC pipe

PVC sleeve connectors

PVC pipe cutters or hack saw

PVC glue

PVC primer

Safety glasses

1 Turn off the water supply to your sprinkler system. This can usually be done by turning off the water supply to the house at the city meter. Contact the city water department if you are unfamiliar with how this is done. If you have a separate meter or a well, there should be a cutoff valve located near your sprinkler control box.

2 Clear out the area around the broken section so that you have room to work. Make sure you have adequate room to saw if necessary.

3 Cut the pipe on both sides of the leak, approximately 2 to 3 inches from the leak. Remove the broken pipe section.

4 Measure the broken piece and cut a replacement section from the new pipe. Compare your new pipe to make sure that it will fit into the gap. Dry fit the connector sleeves onto the new section and install it on the existing pipe to verify the fit.

5 If everything looks good, take the new pipe section apart and coat all pipe ends and the inside of the connectors with PVC primer. Let dry completely.

6 Once the primer has dried, apply a coat of PVC glue to the inside of the connectors and the outside of the pipe ends. Assemble the new pipe by installing the connectors to the new section and then installing the new section in the gap left in the existing pipe. Push the sections together to ensure a tight fit. You will want to work quickly, as the glue dries in a short amount of time.

7 Allow the glue to dry according to the directions on the package. This is usually a couple of hours, and is a very important step. If you turn on the water before the glue has time to set, the water pressure could cause the new section to come apart.

8 Once the new section is completely dry, turn on the water and check for leaks.

How to Fix a Leaky Bathtub Faucet

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:12:11 +0000

Things You’ll Need:

Screwdriver (flat or Phillips head, depending on the type of screw)
Adjustable wrench
Old bath cloth, hand towel or rag (for protecting the area around the handles and/or wiping up water)
New washer

1

Turn the water supply to the bathtub off. If a cutoff valve for the bathtub is not available, the water supply to the entire house will have to be shut off while the repair is being made.
2

Loosen the handle (or handles, if there are two or more). The screw holding everything together may be easily seen, or it may be under a small decorative plate. If this is the case, simply pry the plate off in order to get to the screw.
Screws come in two types—flat or Phillips head. Each type requires a specific screwdriver in order to loosen it. Since you may not be able to tell which type of screw it is, it is best to have both a flat head and a Phillips head screwdriver available.
3

Remove the handle(s), and determine which size washer will be needed to replace the worn washer (this is usually the main cause of bathtub faucet leaks). The smart handyman will have a package of washers in assorted sizes, so that it can be easily replaced.
4

Remove the old washer, and replace with a new, fresh washer.
5

Replace the handle(s), tighten the screw(s). Do not overtighten. Once the screwdriver starts becoming hard to turn, stop. The handle should be secure.
6

Turn water back on, and operate handle(s). Check to make sure the faucet has stopped leaking when the water is turned. Also check to make sure that no water is coming from around the handle(s). If this is happening, it may be necessary to tighten the handle just a little more.
7

If the washer looks OK, the problem may be that the faucet has loosened with use. If this is the case, the adjustable wrench can be used to slightly tighten the faucet. Again, overtightening is possible. Stop as soon as the wrench will not turn any more.
8

If replacing the washer(s) and/or tightening the faucet do not solve the problem, then it will be necessary to call a plumber.

How to Replace an old electrical outlet

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:47:31 +0000

Instructions. Things You’ll Need:

New electrical outlet

Screwdriver

Needle nose Pliers

Voltmeter or light to test for active current

1.1 Find your circuit breaker panel and turn OFF the power to the outlet. Never work on a HOT circuit! You can use a voltmeter to check that the power is off or simply plug in a known-working light.

2.2 Remove the cover plate from the outlet using a screwdriver. There is usually only one screw located between the two plug receptacles. After removing the screw the cover plate will simply lift off.

3.3 There are two screws attaching the top and bottom of the outlet to the electrical box. Unscrew these until they are loose and then pull the outlet out of the wall. The heavy copper wires are somewhat stiff, so this will require some gentle force.

4.4 Now that you have access to the outlet, simply remove the existing wires from the screw terminals on the old outlet and reattach them to the screw terminals on the new outlet. Do this carefully, bending the stripped ends of the wires as necessary to remove and then securely reattach them to the new outlet. There are a few different configurations of wires on the outlet depending on its circuit placement and functionality, don’t worry about that, just reattach the wires as they were on the old outlet.

5.5 Push the new outlet back into the electrical box, taking care not to twist the wires too much. Again, it will take some gentle force as the wires are stiff. Reattach the outlet to the electrical box with the screws at the top and bottom of the outlet. Place the cover plate back on the outlet and reattach it with the center screw.

6.6 Return to the circuit breaker panel and turn the power to the circuit back on. Test the outlet for proper functionality.

How to Frame a Wall

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:30:56 +0000

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Supply of 2-by-4 inch boards
Tape measure
Pencil
Nails
Hammer
Circular saw
2 saw horses

1

Measure the width and height of the wall to be built. Write these down and then re-measure the dimensions.
2

Take 3 long 2-by-4 inch boards and measure the length of the wall’s width and mark it on the 3 boards. Re-measure the dimension on the 3 boards and check the marking.
3

Set the boards one by one on a pair of sawhorses and cut the boards to length with a circular saw. Once they have all been cut, lay them out on the ground with one board where the bottom of the wall will be and two boards where the top of the wall will be.
4

Measure the height of the room yet again. Now subtract from that the width of three 2-by-4s. Standard 2-by-4 boards are 1.5 inches thick and so the three will add to 4.5 inches. Subtract the 4.5 inches from the overall height the wall is supposed to be and mark each board. Finally check your math and measuring of the board.
5

Cut the two boards as marked. Now place one board at each end of the three boards laying on the ground. Using your hammer, nail the two end boards into the bottom board. Then to the inside of the two boards at the top of the wall.
6

Cut the studs for the wall. The studs that you cut are formed from more of the 2-by-4 boards. Measure the width of the wall you are building from side to side. Divide the result of the measurement by 16 and that is how many studs you need to cut.
7

Install studs along the wall frame. The standard stud spacing is 16 inches. The first stud is placed 16 inches in from the outside edge of the end of the wall. You measure from the outside of the end board 16 inches and the point at which the tape reads 16 inches will be the center of the next stud.
8

Continue to install the studs at 16 inch distances down the entire width of the wall. The space between the last stud and your edge piece may be very short–that is okay.
9

Take the last piece of the long 2-by-4s and line it up with the top of the wall. This forms the header of the wall.
10

Position the new wall in place and nail the wall into the floor joists at the edge of the room.
11

Raise the wall and nail it into place with the mating walls. The nails are driven from the end-cap of the new wall into the mating walls end studs. The end may need to be supported until brace bars have been placed to support the weight of the new wall. Brace bars are simply studs that are nailed to a free end of a wall and angle down towards the ground to support the end that hasn’t been tied in. It keeps the wall upright and keeps the free end from flopping back and forth.

How To Fix a Phone Jack

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:58:34 +0000

The first thing you should do is check the cord on your phone (if it has one) and make sure that the plug is firmly connected to the handset as well as the base. If that is all good and you still have no dial tone, then check the other phones in your home to see if they are also dead. If you have another phone that is working, try plugging the phone that is not working into that jack to make sure that the phone is not broken. If it gets a dial tone, then you know the phone is OK. If all the phones are without dial tones, then there is a bigger issue.

Back at the phone jack that is not working, remove the cord from the phone jack and look inside the terminal. Check the wires that make contact with the phone cord and see if any look bent out of shape or damaged. If a wire looks bent or out of position, use needlenose pliers to try and bend it back into position. Plug the phone back in and check for the dial tone.

Remove the phone jack’s cover plate. On the back side of the plate, you should see where the phone wires are connected to the terminal screws. There are usually four different colors of wires – red, green, black and yellow. Check each of the screw terminals and make sure that they are all tight and that the wires are secured under them.

Since phone wire is extremely thin, it can sometimes break off at the screw. Check each wire to make sure it is not broken. If you find one that is, loosen its screw and remove the broken piece of wire. Then, use the smallest notch on the strippers to remove a new section of insulation from the wire. Wrap the exposed wire around the terminal screw and tighten. Be careful not to over-tighten or the new wire may snap too!

Make sure each screw terminal has the appropriate colored wire connected to it. Before you close everything back up, plug your phone into the jack and check for a dial tone. If you do, close everything back up. If there is still no dial tone, then the problem may be where that phone line branches off from the main line.

To troubleshoot, you will have to find where the main line branches out inside your home. Once you find it, check all of the wiring, terminals and connectors to make sure nothing is loose or broken. If everything looks good, and you still have no dial tone, there may be a break in the line somewhere. You can opt to re-run a new line yourself or have a professional do the job for you.

How to Repair a Running Toilet

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:04:17 +0000

Remove the toilet-tank lid and place it out of the way on the floor.

Investigate the ball cock. It’s a valve attached to the float (which is either a metal or plastic ball on the end of a long rod or a plastic canister that slides up and down a vertical plastic pipe). If you can see or hear water coming from this valve, it may need to be cleaned or replaced.

Reach down into the bottom of the tank and press down on the edges of the tank flap (a black or red rubber cone that fits into the tank’s hole). If the sound of water running into the bowl stops, you know that the flap may be deformed or worn from age and needs to be replaced.

Get ready to work. Turn off the water supply for the toilet (this valve is most often found coming out of the floor or wall near the toilet; turn the handle in a clockwise direction). Flush the toilet to drain some of the water and make the work easier.

If you need to replace the diaphragm or tank flap, take it with you to a hardware store or plumbing supply house to make sure you buy the correct replacement.

Cleaning or Replacing the Ball-Cock Diaphragm

Snap off the cover of the ball cock and put it out of the way.

Remove the four screws holding down the top plate of the ball cock, using a screwdriver. The float-control arm is attached to this and may be spring-loaded. You’ll see a rubber diaphragm.

Remove the diaphragm carefully, noting which side is up, and check its condition. Sometimes a piece of gravel or rust or a hard-water deposit can get lodged under the diaphragm and cause a leak, or the diaphragm can become misshapen or worn through with age.

Replace the diaphragm or clean it by rinsing it in the tank’s water; flush the valve itself by turning on the water supply for the toilet just enough to get a flow of water for a couple of seconds.

Replace the top plate and secure it with its screws.

Turn the water supply back on, allowing the tank to fill, and replace the lid.

Replacing the Tank Flap

Remove the tank flap. Some have a clamp-type assembly, while others hook to short posts that stick out from the overflow pipe; all attachments are fairly easy to remove by hand.

Install a new tank flap.

Turn on the water supply and replace the lid.

Custom Kitchen Cabinets For Kitchen Remodeling In Denver

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:03:17 +0000

Are you planning for a Denver kitchen remodeling? It is a cost effective way of enhancing the value of your kitchen. Regular use, wear and tear makes kitchens lose their charm. To enhance the beauty of the kitchen and to increase its value remodeling is the best possible option. Kitchen remodeling involves the removing and adding of a number of features than in turn change the look of the kitchen for better. Custom kitchen cabinets are one of the items that are considered to be essential for kitchen improvement purposes.

If you wish to install custom cabinets in your kitchen in order to remodel it, do not forget to seek the aid of a Denver Remodeling professional. Professionals possess the expertise and experience needed to design a kitchen and plan its layout. Browsing through books on home remodeling too can be of great aid. Nowadays custom kitchen cabinets are highly preferred by people since they can add great style and beauty to a kitchen. But you cannot just ask the carpenter to get customized cabinets manufactured for your kitchen. You need to think, plan and then proceed.

Prepare a sketch of the designs and items that you would like to add to your kitchen. Having a sketch to work with is always a lot easier. You can also prepare rough drafts from which the interior decorator can work on. If you are aware of your needs and requirements from your kitchen, you can communicate with the interior decorator better. This would enable him/her to plan a remodeling that would fit well in to your concept of a dream kitchen. Do not forget to mention your kitchen remodeling budget since this would help the professional to plan a realistic budget.

When you are installing custom kitchen cabinetry in your kitchen you would expect it to go well with the kitchen decor. Only after the entire decor of the kitchen is planned can the interior designer suggest for you a few cabinet designs that would go hand in hand with the decor. You can always pick up the design that you prefer the most from this collection. Everything from the material used to the size of the custom kitchen cabinets would be planned and designed in accordance to your choice.

Custom kitchen cabinets enable the homeowners to express their personality and choices. Instead of relying on the quintessential wood, you can experiment with glass to metals. You can design them in accordance to your needs and storage necessities. So if you need to store loads of kitchen appliances- do not worry; the custom kitchen cabinets can be built in such a way that they would accommodate as much items as you want to. From roll out to tilt out drawer features- you can have them all in your customized cabinets. Install great looking customized cabinetry for they can truly create a positive impact on the overall design of the kitchen.

How To Fix a Shower Door

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:24:25 +0000

Things You’ll Need:
• Bathroom Cleaner
• Bathroom Cleaner
• Mildewcide Or Bleach
• Nonabrasive Powder Cleaner
• Sponge
• Squeegee
• White Polishing Pad
• Single-edge Razor
• Utility Knife
• Utility Knife
• Caulking Gun
• Clear Caulk
Cleaning a shower door
1. Step 1
To minimize soap-scum buildup, use a squeegee after you shower to clean the glass, especially if it’s clear, and clean the glass regularly with a cleaner designed for bathroom surfaces.
2. Step 2
To avoid unsightly hard-water stains, scrub the glass at least every other month with a nonabrasive powder cleaner and a white polishing pad. Don’t use the green or red ones; they’re too abrasive. To speed up the job, buy white polishing pads that fit palm sanders.
Sealing leaks at the sill and jambs
3. Step 1
Scrape off any old caulk with a single-edge razor held at a very low angle. Work carefully to avoid scratching the surfaces.
4. Step 2
Clean all surfaces with a bathroom cleaner. If you see mildew, use a cleaner that contains a mildewcide, or simply sponge on a 50-50 solution of water and bleach and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse well.
5. Step 3
When the surfaces are dry, cut the tip off a caulking cartridge’s nozzle at a 45-degree angle with a utility knife. Avoid cutting too much off the tip of the caulking cartridge. Too large a hole will deposit too much caulk, making for a messy caulk joint.
6. Step 4
To seal any leaks between the metal sill and the tub or shower pan, apply clear caulk on the exterior side of the track with a caulking gun. (In most cases you must leave the inside joint open to allow water to drain out of the track into the tub or shower.) It’s best to use a caulking gun with a quick-release trigger and lift it away as soon as you reach the end of the joint so the residual pressure won’t deposit excess caulk.
7. Step 5
To seal any leaks between the metal jambs and the walls, apply caulk on the inside where it will be less noticeable.
8. Step 6
Smooth and seal the caulk into each joint in a single pass with a wetted fingertip immediately after application.
Rehanging a bypassing shower panel
9. Step 1
Stand outside the shower for an exterior panel and inside for an interior one. Tilt the bottom of the panel toward you. Lift the panel up into the head so the wheels are suspended above the track. Tilt the bottom inward as you lower it into the lower track or (on some models) the guide.