Not something that happens every day. A commercial bathroom panel completely detached from the wall!
Pretty large hole from the original anchor bracket screws!
No worries, a hole big enough to run a plywood cleat from stud to stud should? be a secure and permanent attachment.
A brand new shiny wall bracket attached with security screws……
And voila! Mission accomplished! Just another day at the office!
Once upon a time the little cabinet locks from the hardware store came with a complete assortment of stock bar latches for any type of installation- file/furniture/cash box. Nowadays not so much. The good news- I just needed a shorter bar length when I replaced the old lock. Just another day at the “office”. Handcrafted small batch replacement repair complete with field expedient part fabrication.
After photograph – existing posts fitted with caps and new contemporary balustrade
Freshening up an existing entry way need not be a major production. Blend existing posts
with new handrails; add decorative caps and bingo! A more up-to-date appearance!
Before photograph- vintage 1980 entry handrail
After photograph- modern replacement balustrade attached to original posts.
For another example of balustrade work from the archives CLICK LINK HERE
(AFTER Picture- A Generous,Comfortable Platform Design)
Sometimes the old fashioned step design is not really adequate for the needs of the household.
A slight change of technique results in completely different user experience.
(Before Picture- Cramped, rotten, uneven stringer design)
ViviLnk
There are many ways to upgrade dysfunctional step designs in carports and backyards.
Four examples from the archives: CLICK LINK (Deck Over Backdoor Steps) CLICK LINK (Carport examples) CLICK LINK (Entry Stoop Rework Platform) CLICK LINK (Trex Replacement Treads)
Call me to redesign your problem steps! (919) 834-4833
The location has changed from downtown Raleigh to new facilities at Box 5381, Raleigh NC 27650 (yeah these boxes are a little crowded) but the work continues, the hope endures, the dream will never die!
A new addition to my unique collection of doodads, whatnots, and thingamajigs. Behold a dedicated tool made from leftover scraps for those of us who need to fidget with ridiculously fussy door latches. No more scraped knuckles or finger muscle cramps. Just stand back and quickly twist the latch to lock or unlock !
Made from genuine American copper pipe, steel bolt, epoxy and authentic American Spruce. You know you need one!
Other doodads, whatnots and thingamajigs can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE and HERE.
Even with a crazy schedule Dog Days of 2022 managed to include not just one but TWO Grip Strip floors!
Yes, Grip Strip, the robust, hearty, innovative, completely underrated laminate floor that is slowly leaving the market in spite of obvious virtues and advantages lives on in certain locations and problematic jobs.
But not without a fight! Grip Strip will always be a favorite in the hearts of those of us who know and love the advantages and can work with the quirks!
On a slightly different note came also yet another classic door jamb repair. Every summer has at least one or two. You can NEVER have too many!
Explanatory video here CLICK LINK
So text 919-834-4833 or write PO Box 5381, Raleigh, NC 27650 and use the cool fall weather to get ready for the Holidays!
The Dog Days of 2022 bring a sad discovery.
This beautiful all PVC replica screen door has a serious Achilles heel.
The joints are assembled with WOODEN DOWELS!
Yes! If enough moisture penetrates the joints the wood rots just as fast or faster than all wood construction and renders the entire door useless.
In this case the homeowner opted to replace the replica PVC door with a generic metal storm door.
Surely this sad state of affairs could have been avoided by the manufacturer?
A remarkably common roof puncture hole from Hurricanes or any high wind sufficient to snap limbs from a tree. If the limb is 30 feet or higher above the house roof and has sufficient length to weigh around 40 or 50 pounds there is enough time for the sharp shard point to stabilize with the help of the bushy leaf end into a nearly perfect straight arrow descent and penetrate through 1/2 inch or even 3/4 inch roof deck board.
Under the right circumstances this improvised field expedient pilum could even come through the ceiling into the room below and pierce a bed or chair or table (hopefully unoccupied). Yes, one should try not to tempt Mother Nature with unnecessarily tall trees directly above one’s abode. The unthinkable can occur more frequently than one can imagine. Or so I have heard.
In any case this particular repair from last week’s Hurricane Dorian required little more than a small piece of plywood, some shingles and a few hours of sawing, hammering and nailing.
As Sgt. Esterhaus famously said: “Let’s be careful out there” (Click Link)
Many times have I reiterated a reiteration I reiterated many times in the past but still am I surprised when I must reiterate my reiteration yet again.
To wit: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SIMPLE JOB
People ask what will be the cost to fix this? Many times I answer: ” I have no idea” and this is why:
THERE REALLY IS NO SUCH THING AS A SIMPLE JOB.
Many jobs are not straightforward out-of-the-box repairs.
The other day I went to tighten a stretched out cable for a suspended bird feeder.
Simple enough.
Loosen the clamps, pull up the slack and tighten the clamps once again.
Unfortunately, the cable had not stretched. The fascia board loosely attached to the house was the culprit and became even looser when I stretched the cable taut.
Yikes!
20 feet above ground on a ladder and a good chunk of the afternoon to detach and reattach everything properly with reinforced hardware so the bird feeder cable would not sag was the actual repair requirement.
And this is not the first time things went awry in a quick hurry.
So reiterate after me:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SIMPLE JOB.
Gutters and downspouts frequently clog and the market for innovations seems
unlimited in the ongoing war between the need to divert rain water from roof to
ground and the reality said water will carry sufficient debris to clog
any channel designed for such efficient diversion.
The residential downspout market has a number of gizmos designed
to clear any disruption to the smooth passage of water from point A to B.
CLICK LINK HERE
Commercial fixtures, on the other hand, attempt to dominate through sheer size.
A 6 inch by 6 inch box downspout connected to a well designed roof scupper will
easily swallow many oversized leaves, tree limbs and detritus without so much
as a hiccup and discharge them to the ground.
Howsomeever, even the largest commercial downspout can run afoul of troublesome
blockage sufficient to need manual cleaning. So I was surprised to learn the
number of after market hatch type gizmos are rare and hard to find.
But no problem. A 6 inch by 6 inch metal box downspout is exactly the same size
as a 6 inch by 6 inch electrical PVC junction box which can be easily
modified into a flat base and removable plate to attach at a convenient
location on the outside metal surface of the downspout.
Here is one version in four easy steps.
1.Buy and modify a 6 inch by 6 inch PVC junction box from a local
hardware store.
2. Make an installation template from scrap plywood and attach to
the ailing downspout.
3. Cut your hole and clean out the clog.
4. Attach your new hatch cover with copious amounts of clear adhesive caulk
and an appropriate number of nuts and bolts.
Kattermann's Handyman Blog 