Archive for the ‘Kitchens’ Category

If you’ve never sliced the top of your thumb cutting open the edge of a tube of caulk, you have greater dexterity than most part-time home handy workers. I grew up around ratchet-rod caulk guns and cursed a few. Today’s drip-free caulking guns operate by a spring-loaded pressure rod that works smoothly off of the pressure of your finger.  A quick trip to the hardware or home improvement store will convince you that there’s a wider selection of caulks and guns than you’ve seen before.

You’ll need the right caulk for your project-at-hand. Shop wisely and ask a clerk for help. Generally speaking, you’re probably looking for:

•    Silicone Caulk: for a premium-grade, waterproofing job. Great for kitchens and baths.
•    Vinyl Latex Caulk: for a water-resistant, quick adhesive job in wet areas of the bath.
•    Butyl Rubber Caulk: for sealing outdoor gutter seams, storm doors and windows.

Caulking, Simplified

Do you have the caulk in the gun and are ready to spread? Hold on, turbo! Even the best-quality caulk may have trouble adhering to a dirty surface or crease filled with remnants of old caulk. It won’t adhere to soap, either, so clean the surface with plain, warm water.  For rooting out old caulk, you’ll need anything from a sharp blade (for silicone) to a heat gun, screwdriver, or caulk softener (for latex or acrylic).

The tip of the caulk cartridge at the business end of the gun should be cut to match the depth of your job. Use steady pressure on the trigger as you work the tip at a 45-degree angle to area you’re filling. And here’s a tip you might otherwise overlook: always caulk a bathtub when it’s filled with water.  Otherwise the tub will ride high and when it’s filled for the first time, the weight of water and bather can crack the new caulk.

It’s best to work at the careful, steady pace to get the caulk applied during a single repair. It can try your patience to match up your tracks and at the same time lay down a seamless, protective sealant.  Caulk, like other adhesives, cures as it sets.

If you’re caulking cracks in your exterior concrete, be sure to buy siliconized latex concrete caulk. Again, your success will depend on how well you clean the cracks of debris and old patching compounds or sealants.

It’s neither fun, nor cheap to repair and replace burst pipes in the winter.  If you live where outside temperatures drop below freezing, you can spare yourself money and heartache by wrapping your exposed pipes with insulation. The process is straight-forward, and you should be able to complete it yourself.

There is a wide range of insulating tape and wraps in materials that should meet your requirements.  They come packaged as:

• Self-adhering tape
• Sleeves of foam
• Sponge-felt wraps
• Fiberglass jackets
• Cork wrapping
• Wool felt

You should wrap insulation wherever pipes run in unheated indoor rooms and crawlspaces, outside walls, and at junctures where the water supply enters the house.

Winterize Your Plumbing

For outside pipes in cold climes, you may want to try caulking pipes at wall openings and closing all vents along the foundation.  Turn off unnecessary outdoor faucets, disconnect the hoses and store them in your garage.  During a deep freeze, open your kitchen cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate at the drain and basin. Many homeowners leave a small trickle of water running in the bath or kitchen during frigid days and nights to keep the pipes open.

In consistently freezing conditions, you might invest in heat wrap or heat tape.  These products are not recommended for plastic pipes. They’re plugged into an electrical outlet and work like a heating blanket to keep your pipes toasty. They can be an expensive option.

Repairing Leaks or Breaks

If you end up with a burst pipe, act fast to avoid flooding or a blocked water supply.  If you see a leak, you need to repair the pipe before trying to defrost it.  You need to turn off the main supply first, then open a few faucets along the line to promote drainage.  Then you can use a hair dryer or heat blanket directly on the pipe to thaw the line.

Home improvement stores sell joiners that can be used to couple plastic or copper tubing. They can even join threaded and unthreaded pipe together. Measure the section of broken pipe to determine size and materials, then cut out the part and take it to the store to buy replacements.

If the damage is excessive to the point you need clamps or soldering gear, you may want to call in a plumber. Then you may have to explain why you never wrapped your pipes.

Years ago I was visiting a friend in Tokyo and was astonished that she took water from the tap for tea, and it was too hot to drink. This was way back in 1979. I was amazed that all the hot water for the home’s kitchen and bath came from a heat-on-demand water tank powered by natural gas. Later that year, I saw passive solar water heating systems on the roofs of homes just outside of Tel Aviv. Thirty years later I’ve yet to see these systesm in widespread adoption around the states.

Then you consider that tank-less, heat-on-demand systems are available—with models that just heat your teapot, while others power the shower—they’re still a ways off from popular use around the states.  You’ll probably remember (or still have) one of those tea elements for plugging in and using electrical power to heat coffee. That’s as far as most of us go.

The Savings?

You might save a hundred dollars a year in energy bills from an on-demand system. But if you’re considering buying an on-demand heater to cover all your hot water needs, be sure to consider the size of your family, the cost of installing a system, the tank capacity, and the amount of hot water you need every day. The Department of Energy says a majority of systems can generate 2-5 gallons a minute, depending on the fuel source. From your own experience you know that gas-fired heaters are quicker to raise your water to the right temperature than electric ones.

Tax Credits for Tank-less  Water Heaters

You can read up on the 2009-2010 tax credit at the Alliance to Save Energy website.  In essence, your potential credit for installing a tank-less unit for the credit depends on your finding a system that can heat the water to efficiency standards based on source (electric, gas, oil, propane). An acceptable energy factor may be hard to find. The credit may only be $300, but pennies saved by energy efficiency can add up.

According to the Department of Energy, the energy factor is determined by  fuel consumption and the speed of recovery,  and how much heat is lost in the cycle of briefly storing and pumping out the water. When shopping around, examine units for a high-number energy factor, meaning the most-efficient for home use.

Dedicating a tank-less heater to appliances, spas, or as a secondary power source can prove a wise choice if there’s no constant or huge demand.

There’s a wrench to fit every home-improvement nut. It’s an old joke, but true enough. Tools, sadly, are pricey if you’re after quality. Most contractors I know build up their tool collection over a period of years. They pack their trucks with the essential items, and carry indispensable tools in their belt.  As the adage goes, you need the tool the matches the job.

If you’re just putting together your tool set, look for used tools online or sales at home improvement stores. The exact tools you need vary by the jobs you intend to perform on your own. If you get in over your head, you can do more damage than it costs to call in a professional.

Essential Tools for Home Repair or Renovation

Experts at Popular Mechanics say a sledgehammer is the most-important tool, followed by a center punch, putty knife, adjustable wrench, socket wrench set, metal file, combination square, and combination wrench. I think you might survive without the sledgehammer if you’re doing home repair work on your own.

You can find this initial group of tools reasonably priced and put them together in short order. The power tools, of course, cost more and require stands, power cords and supply, and workshop space. Some of us are lucky enough to inherit tools from our parents or relatives, or have them around for myriad quick fixes around the house.

The second tier of tools, says Popular Mechanics, consists of a bow saw, jigsaw, coping saw, side-cutting pliers, crosscut saw, snips, roundhouse shovel, needle-nose pliers, and a cordless drill. The trio of indispensable tools for plumbing repairs include a pipe wrench, pliers of all sizes and adjustable models, and an adjustable and crescent wrench.

Squaring Away Your Repair Tools

Organizing your repair tools so they are there when you need them can be a project unto itself.  If you plan on doing work off property, you might want a toolbox for your truck.  In the garage, you can thrive with a well organized peg boards and hooks, shelves, and storage cabinets. Put each family of tools together in their own shelf, slot, or see-through plastic container.

While you’re building up your toolbox, consider whether you have duplicates and which tools are in need of oiling, repair, or replacements.  Relying on someone else for your tools can be tricky. Many home carpenters and fix-it enthusiasts are protective of their tools.

During repairs, you may want to strap on a tool belt with the leather pouches arranged intuitively with nails, hammer, screwdrivers, bolts, tape, and measuring tape in easy reach.

Not since Edison’s 1879 incandescent electric lamp hit the market has there been such a hubbub about lighting. One can only wonder if the American population was concerned about the quality of light produced by the filament bulb when compared with the illumination from gas lamps. They probably loved the convenience.

Now, forced by Federal legislation to save energy, American consumers may again face a quantum change in the way their homes and offices are lighted. Beginning in 2012, all new light bulbs will be required under law to use 30 percent less energy to produce the same levels of light that we enjoy today. The winners of the shift, according to The New York Times, will probably be the manufacturers of compact fluorescent bulbs. The losers: the aesthetically conscious consumer.

Compact fluorescent bulbs on today’s market are designed for use in kitchens, baths, and all the rooms between. They’re said to operate on 70 percent less energy than the traditional bulb, and last as much as ten times longer under normal use. But so far, manufacturers are well beyond the curve in offering lighting fixtures designed to cast the fluorescent bulbs in the most-favorable light.

Consumers Reluctant to Change
Wal-Mart has sold compact fluorescent bulbs for three years and the new items make up less than 20 percent of their bulb sales. Consumers dislike the overall color effects of the bulbs and complain that some models give off a disturbing buzzing sound when in use.

On the other side of the aesthetic argument is the government’s claim that 90 percent of the energy burned by incandescent bulbs is emitted as heat—not light.  The energy drain has led Australian legislators to ban incandescent bulbs by next year.

In America, the Department of Energy supports the end of the incandescent era, claiming that 25 percent of our total home energy bill is generated by lighting.  Compact fluorescent bulbs, reports the California Energy Commission, should not only reduce energy use by 75 percent, but should last 10,000 hours.

To consumers concerned about the quality of light produced by compact fluorescent bulbs, the Federal ENERGYSTAR team claims that newer models of compact fluorescents will come with “warm” colors to match the yellow tint of incandescent bulbs. The new bulbs will be offered along three settings in the Kelvin scale: yellow, white, and blue.

In the end, we may have to settle for some discomfort until manufacturers dial in the colors. But we’ll probably be stuck with fluorescent bulbs.

As I grow older, my feet get colder. Every winter I wish I had radiant floors. I first encountered a radiant floor kitchen in Washington State where friends had rehabbed a Victorian home. They used a hydronic tubing heating system, which is usually too pricey for most homeowners. It can cost more than putting in an entirely new boiler and forced air system. But the floor was toasty and muffled the shock of walking across the floor to make morning coffee.

Today, you can install an electric radiant floor heating system for your kitchen or bathroom floor for under $500–depending on square footage. I discovered two kinds of electric radiant heating systems with a wide range in costs for materials and labor. Both have gained in popularity over the last decade.

Some systems consist of cables that are wrapped with insulation and installed directly into concrete or gypsum sections that are embedded into your floor. These can be the more expensive choices because you need a sturdy sub-floor to handle the weight of the tiling.

Installing Radiant Floor Matting
The other option is installing radiant mats that have cables woven directly into them. The mats are installed directly below your tiles or onto the sub-floor and covered with  pad and carpet. The radiant mats come in a variety of sizes, are powered by 20 volts and 240 volt systems, and require about 12 watts per square foot to operate. A system installed directly beneath a carpet can heat up in an hour or so, while a system in the sub floor can take hours to reach your comfort level.

If you choose to install a radiant mat system in your bathroom, you have the option of covering it with any stone or tile that makes for a good conductor (ceramic, marble, granite, glass, or slate). There are also over-tile radiant heating systems comprised of mats that install directly over your existing tile and allow you to add a new tile floor on top. But you may need to reinforce the sub-floor to handle the weight and problems with deflected heat.

A more-recent radiant system uses mats that install directly beneath carpets and floating floors. Manufacturers claim that the systems are silent and can supplement your heating sufficiently to curb some usage from the forced-air furnace, fighting mold, pollen, and cutting heating costs. The greatest advantage, it seems to me, is that you can install these on your own.

Renovating your kitchen and adding a sink? Perhaps it’s time to consider the latest options in garbage disposals. While only a few manufacturers actually make disposals and issue them to resellers, there are more choices than ever before.

If you’ve ever found yourself (I have) using a broom handle to dislodge frozen chopping blades in your kitchen disposal, there are new units that have reversible blades. And while most disposals run on a third-horsepower, you can purchase models that rev up to a full horsepower in operation. That’s like Tim Allen attaching a corvette engine to a disposal to convert it into a wood chipper.

About Disposal Options
The invention of the first kitchen disposal in 1927 is credited to Wisconsin architect John W. Hammes, the man who went on to found one of the today’s largest manufacturers, InSinkErator. Since then, kitchen garbage disposals have been segmented into three major categories: Continuous-feed, Cover-control (or batch-feed), and Septic-tank disposals.

The Continuous-feed disposal is the most-common unit found in homes and apartments. You flip a switch on the kitchen wall and the unit fires up. It keeps running until you switch it off.

The Cover-control model consists of an open mouth and stopper-cover. You push scraps and waste into the unit and then insert the stopper. The cover fires up the unit, and it runs until you remove the stopper.

The Septic-tank disposal works just like the Continuous-feed model, except that it contains a bio-charge cartridge that further breaks down waste before it feeds out into your plumbing. Cartridges must be changed several times a year.

New Ideas for Old Garbage
Newer disposal models today include features like anti-jamming and reversible blades and quiet operation. The anti-jamming models have timed or auto-reverse features where the blades suddenly lurch into reverse or can be set to operate in reverse to prevent silverware, bones, lost dimes and quarters from freezing the mechanism. (Remember the broom handle trick). I don’t know how often I had to hit the reset button on those older units.

The quiet-operation feature comes either with baffles or insulation wraps around the unit. I’m not sure how much they soften the din of chopping food waste. Some models also come with hookups to your dishwasher so that wastewater from your pots, pans, and dishes runs through the blades before leaving the kitchen.

Consumer Reports says that you can expect a ten-year service life from most models of today’s garbage disposals. You can do your part, too, to extend service life by operating your disposal with a minimum amount of care. Many disposal problems are caused by homeowners running units with little water or hot water. You need a healthy stream of cold water to assist the shredder.

It’s also common sense worth repeating that you should take care to remove silverware, large bones, and large twigs or stems from vegetables from the sink before running the unit. The latter belongs in your compost pile.

Undermount kitchen sinks are rapidly becoming more common in kitchen remodeling plans than traditional top-mount bowl sinks. Made in a variety of sturdy materials, they really add pizazz to a renovation that includes granite countertops. The sinks are functional and stylish. And you can sponge countertop crumbs straight into the sink without fuss.

I like how they slide under the countertop, giving it a modern appearance.  But once you decide on having one installed, be sure you like the look and function of the faucets, since it will cost you to have them changed out after the work is done.

Proper Sink Installation Is Critical
Home improvement writer Tim Carter says an undermount kitchen sink should deliver years of trouble free convenience–if they’re installed correctly.  Having your contractor secure the sink with high-grade epoxies and water-resistant silicone caulking can make all the difference between satisfaction and a lifetime of leaky troubles.

Your installer, Carter adds, must make sure the underside of the countertop is free of dust, otherwise the silicone caulk may not seal effectively. Installation can take as little as a half hour.

Solid Countertops Only
You should not consider an undermounted kitchen sink if your new countertops are composed of laminate. Eventually, writes Do-It-Yourself columnist Murray Anderson, the laminate countertop would buckle and crack. Depending on the manufacturer, you can buy countetops that are pre-drilled for installing undermount sinks.

Prepping the sink for installation is known by tradespeople as “dressing” it.  The dressed sink has its faucet and drain assembles already installed and is ready to be set into the countertop.

Depending on the model, the sink may come with a measured template that you or your installer can use to cut the right shape into the new countertop.

Buying Undermount Sinks
There are plenty of online or physical showrooms where you can shop around and compare prices. I found models ranging from $180 for a single-bowl, undermounted sink, to $480 for a double-bowl model in stainless steel.

If you plan on installing it yourself, get plenty of assistance, says Overstock.com, as the sink and countertop sections may well be too heavy or ungainly to handle alone.  You’ll need to pay loving attention to the edges of the counterop, prepping it with sandpaper or a file to ensure a clean surface for the sealant as well as its sharp looks.

The sink tightens into place with fasteners under the fitting. Stand back and look at the clean lines and sparkling sink.