What Do You Fix?

[apl68]

Unfortunately, the wall by the windows does tend to sprout little colonies in wet weather, so I don't know how long that state of affairs will last.

You really don't want to be living with mold! Depending on the kind, it can be very unhealthy to breathe, even if you aren't allergic.

Is water getting in around the frame, or condensing on the inside of the glass? If the former, you might want to try using silicone caulk around the outer part of the frame and foam tape to get a tighter seal between window and frame. In either case, a dehumidifier may help.

There is also anti-mold paint meant for moist environments like bathrooms you could repaint the wall with (I used a Rost-Oleum one called Perma-White in my bathroom-- it can be tinted if you don't want white).

These are very useful tips for when I own my own place and can make decisions like repainting rooms! As it is, I had to ask my letting agency to ask my landlord for permission just to change the curtains, and since she recently had to pay for some extremely expensive repairs (new washing machine, then boiler + heating system, in the span of a couple of months) I don't want to make too many demands. This is the kind of mildew that goes away easily enough with a quick bleachy wipedown, so I'm not too fussed about it.

I've noticed myself asking various workmen who make repairs how much each type of job would cost if I were in charge of paying for it. It's all very nice to fantasize about owning my own place and hiring people to install built-in bookshelves and build secret rooms behind wardrobe doors, but I'm well aware that I should probably be budgeting more for projects like fixing the roof and replacing the refrigerator. Oh, well.

If you ever do get around to building that secret room, don't ever invite a local newspaper to profile your house for its Lifestyle section.  Some acquaintances of mine who had a secret room did that once.  The next thing they knew, every reader in the city knew about their secret room.  Which they had meant to keep secret.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

This week is intended to be the Week of Fixing Things and Cleaning up the House.

We'll see if that happens.

I have a washing machine switch that I need to replace (bypassed it for now), plywood floor to replace, walls to paint, ceiling to patch, garage door to paint, etc.

Who wants to bet that I'll do any of it?

[Parasaurolophus]

I solved the dampness-under-the-dish-rack-mat-potentially-leading-to-mould problem by making a low platform for the mat and dish rack. The platform itself is made of plywood, so kind of ugly, but it's covered by the mat and the rack, and who cares if it takes a hit and moulds? And I gave it some feet, so now there's air circulating underneath to help ensure the countertop stays mould-free.

It's not very elegantly done, but it's done. And it was free, because the building centre gave me a cast-off plywood sheet gratis.


I also fixed the broken couch spring, which was poking straight out of the couch. That was surprisingly easy.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I solved the dampness-under-the-dish-rack-mat-potentially-leading-to-mould problem by making a low platform for the mat and dish rack. The platform itself is made of plywood, so kind of ugly, but it's covered by the mat and the rack, and who cares if it takes a hit and moulds? And I gave it some feet, so now there's air circulating underneath to help ensure the countertop stays mould-free.

It's not very elegantly done, but it's done. And it was free, because the building centre gave me a cast-off plywood sheet gratis.


I also fixed the broken couch spring, which was poking straight out of the couch. That was surprisingly easy.

Yay for fixing things! Good idea for the platform. How did you fix the couch spring? Was it something that you could reconnect?

[mahagonny]

In 1994 I put in a new floor. Roomy kitchen. One foot square tiles. There's a special way you do it, can't remember. I think you find the center and start from there outward. Odd shaped room so lots of careful measuring and cutting with a razor knife. Came out great and no finger cuts! Finally had to be replaced last year and we hired a carpenter. I'm not as young as I used to be, and not as poor.
Years ago when we were really poor and cars were simple I fixed them up with mixed results.
Good results: the floor was rotten in the Dodge Coronet (slant six, manual transmission three-on-the-tree). You could put your feet through and touch the ground like Fred Flintstone. So I put a piece of sheet metal in there with sheet metal screws. Brilliant, and passed inspection. Tuned up the engine, points, gapped plugs, timing light, carburetor, etc. Replaced starter, fan motor by hand with rebuilt one. Changed oil and filter. No computers in those cars. If you could read a book, you could work on it. Except for...
Not good: the radiator quit in my Plymouth Scamp so I replaced it with one from a junkyard. In the process I bent the tubes that the engine coolant traveled through. Burned up the transmission.

>if everything in life worked as well as wood glue and epoxy, our problems would be fewer.

When I was a kid I replaced the engine in my go-cart. It worked so well I was able to get in trouble with the police a week later. For riding where I wasn't supposed to.

[secundem_artem]

Mostly, I (a)fix my signature to the bottom of a check and have somebody else do it.  I've run my lawnmower out of oil -- twice.  I once added windshield washer fluid to the radiator overflow tank.  When I walk into a Home Depot or a Lowes, I can feel my testicles retract.  I depend mostly on Mrs Artem who is unafraid of band saws, all things electrical, and similar devices capable of maiming me.  My man card is pink.

[Parasaurolophus]

I solved the dampness-under-the-dish-rack-mat-potentially-leading-to-mould problem by making a low platform for the mat and dish rack. The platform itself is made of plywood, so kind of ugly, but it's covered by the mat and the rack, and who cares if it takes a hit and moulds? And I gave it some feet, so now there's air circulating underneath to help ensure the countertop stays mould-free.

It's not very elegantly done, but it's done. And it was free, because the building centre gave me a cast-off plywood sheet gratis.


I also fixed the broken couch spring, which was poking straight out of the couch. That was surprisingly easy.

It was in one of the cushions, so I just had to remove the buttons, open the exterior casing, open the interior casing, and then wade through the couch guts (stuffing) until I found the spot where it came out of its clip. I used pliers to stick it back into its clippy-place. Pretty easy on the whole! It's surprising how much of a difference it makes to the cushion's support structure, too.

I haven't sewn the buttons back on, however. I think we have one of those u-shaped needles somewhere, but it's gonna take a YouTube instructional video or two before I tackle that.

Yay for fixing things! Good idea for the platform. How did you fix the couch spring? Was it something that you could reconnect?

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

In 1994 I put in a new floor. Roomy kitchen. One foot square tiles. There's a special way you do it, can't remember. I think you find the center and start from there outward. Odd shaped room so lots of careful measuring and cutting with a razor knife. Came out great and no finger cuts! Finally had to be replaced last year and we hired a carpenter. I'm not as young as I used to be, and not as poor.
Years ago when we were really poor and cars were simple I fixed them up with mixed results.
Good results: the floor was rotten in the Dodge Coronet (slant six, manual transmission three-on-the-tree). You could put your feet through and touch the ground like Fred Flintstone. So I put a piece of sheet metal in there with sheet metal screws. Brilliant, and passed inspection. Tuned up the engine, points, gapped plugs, timing light, carburetor, etc. Replaced starter, fan motor by hand with rebuilt one. Changed oil and filter. No computers in those cars. If you could read a book, you could work on it. Except for...
Not good: the radiator quit in my Plymouth Scamp so I replaced it with one from a junkyard. In the process I bent the tubes that the engine coolant traveled through. Burned up the transmission.

>if everything in life worked as well as wood glue and epoxy, our problems would be fewer.

When I was a kid I replaced the engine in my go-cart. It worked so well I was able to get in trouble with the police a week later. For riding where I wasn't supposed to.

Nice. SO had a 3 on the tree GMC truck with a rebuilt engine from a different truck. When I was a kid, my Dad had a purple Dodge Dart. I remember the holes in the floor and watching the road move under my feet.

[apl68]

In 1994 I put in a new floor. Roomy kitchen. One foot square tiles. There's a special way you do it, can't remember. I think you find the center and start from there outward. Odd shaped room so lots of careful measuring and cutting with a razor knife. Came out great and no finger cuts! Finally had to be replaced last year and we hired a carpenter. I'm not as young as I used to be, and not as poor.
Years ago when we were really poor and cars were simple I fixed them up with mixed results.
Good results: the floor was rotten in the Dodge Coronet (slant six, manual transmission three-on-the-tree). You could put your feet through and touch the ground like Fred Flintstone. So I put a piece of sheet metal in there with sheet metal screws. Brilliant, and passed inspection. Tuned up the engine, points, gapped plugs, timing light, carburetor, etc. Replaced starter, fan motor by hand with rebuilt one. Changed oil and filter. No computers in those cars. If you could read a book, you could work on it. Except for...
Not good: the radiator quit in my Plymouth Scamp so I replaced it with one from a junkyard. In the process I bent the tubes that the engine coolant traveled through. Burned up the transmission.

>if everything in life worked as well as wood glue and epoxy, our problems would be fewer.

When I was a kid I replaced the engine in my go-cart. It worked so well I was able to get in trouble with the police a week later. For riding where I wasn't supposed to.

Nice. SO had a 3 on the tree GMC truck with a rebuilt engine from a different truck. When I was a kid, my Dad had a purple Dodge Dart. I remember the holes in the floor and watching the road move under my feet.

I have similar memories of watching the road move through a small hole in the floorboard of Dad's pickup truck.  It also had a small pea plant growing in a corner of the bed at one point.

He upgraded to a newer and better truck after that.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

In 1994 I put in a new floor. Roomy kitchen. One foot square tiles. There's a special way you do it, can't remember. I think you find the center and start from there outward. Odd shaped room so lots of careful measuring and cutting with a razor knife. Came out great and no finger cuts! Finally had to be replaced last year and we hired a carpenter. I'm not as young as I used to be, and not as poor.
Years ago when we were really poor and cars were simple I fixed them up with mixed results.
Good results: the floor was rotten in the Dodge Coronet (slant six, manual transmission three-on-the-tree). You could put your feet through and touch the ground like Fred Flintstone. So I put a piece of sheet metal in there with sheet metal screws. Brilliant, and passed inspection. Tuned up the engine, points, gapped plugs, timing light, carburetor, etc. Replaced starter, fan motor by hand with rebuilt one. Changed oil and filter. No computers in those cars. If you could read a book, you could work on it. Except for...
Not good: the radiator quit in my Plymouth Scamp so I replaced it with one from a junkyard. In the process I bent the tubes that the engine coolant traveled through. Burned up the transmission.

>if everything in life worked as well as wood glue and epoxy, our problems would be fewer.

When I was a kid I replaced the engine in my go-cart. It worked so well I was able to get in trouble with the police a week later. For riding where I wasn't supposed to.

Nice. SO had a 3 on the tree GMC truck with a rebuilt engine from a different truck. When I was a kid, my Dad had a purple Dodge Dart. I remember the holes in the floor and watching the road move under my feet.

I have similar memories of watching the road move through a small hole in the floorboard of Dad's pickup truck.  It also had a small pea plant growing in a corner of the bed at one point.

He upgraded to a newer and better truck after that.

I miss the old Dart (I think it was a '68). He sold it to someone to rebuilt it. So much Bondo went into that car.

[ergative]

Lightbulbs! We have twelve-foot ceilings and some genius of a previous renovator decided to put recessed lighting in the bathroom. The bulbs have been slowly giving out over the last few months, until finally I managed to figure out how to yank a fixture out of the ceiling and identify what types of bulbs were needed to replace it. I bought them, and have successfully replaced two of the three dead bulbs, on a very wobbly ladder that is just too short to be adequate, and just tall enough to persuade me that I can make it work.*

Evidently, though, I can make it work! We replaced two last night and have a date for the third tonight.

It's so nice to be able to see when I brush my teeth!

*Absolutive is about two inches taller than me, but not as good with his hands, and it's tricky using one hand to replace the bulb in the little prong socket fixture while bracing yourself with the other. I can do it one-handed, so I go up on the ladder.

[apl68]

Lightbulbs! We have twelve-foot ceilings and some genius of a previous renovator decided to put recessed lighting in the bathroom. The bulbs have been slowly giving out over the last few months, until finally I managed to figure out how to yank a fixture out of the ceiling and identify what types of bulbs were needed to replace it. I bought them, and have successfully replaced two of the three dead bulbs, on a very wobbly ladder that is just too short to be adequate, and just tall enough to persuade me that I can make it work.*

Evidently, though, I can make it work! We replaced two last night and have a date for the third tonight.

It's so nice to be able to see when I brush my teeth!

*Absolutive is about two inches taller than me, but not as good with his hands, and it's tricky using one hand to replace the bulb in the little prong socket fixture while bracing yourself with the other. I can do it one-handed, so I go up on the ladder.

Congratulations!  Some of those recessed fixtures can be a real puzzle to get into.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Not quite fixed, but so far....

We managed to remove one of the water line hoses (that is broken and had a stripped bolt [previous homeowners really Mickey Moused a lot of stuff here]) on our kitchen sink. Ordered parts online and they should get here on Wednesday. Yay. So, until then, we will have to use other sinks.

[spork]

This is more "recycling" than "fixing," but I just finished stripping some electrical cable and a junction box from beams in the basement and used it to wire a light fixture over the washing machine.

A few months ago I replaced the water pump in the same washing machine, which means it's probably good for another decade at least. It was manufactured twenty-one years ago and came with the house when we bought it. About five years ago I replaced the agitator dogs for $3.47. The water pump was $31.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

This is more "recycling" than "fixing," but I just finished stripping some electrical cable and a junction box from beams in the basement and used it to wire a light fixture over the washing machine.

A few months ago I replaced the water pump in the same washing machine, which means it's probably good for another decade at least. It was manufactured twenty-one years ago and came with the house when we bought it. About five years ago I replaced the agitator dogs for $3.47. The water pump was $31.

I don't know about you, but it's so satisfying when things come together like this (and it's a good exercise in frugality). We also have a 20+ year old washer and dryer set and have replaced fuses, heating elements, springs, etc. on both. I may repaint some of the rusted areas on the washer this month.