DIY home repair

[WildaBeast]

This is meant to be sort of an unhijackable thread for home repair type questions. Mainly because I have such a question, didn't think it was worth having a whole thread dedicated to it, but it didn't seem right for the "stupid questions" thread.

Last weekend I replaced all the "guts" of one of my toilets. Now water seems to slowly drain out of the tank, causing it to keep refilling itself. It seems to be leaking around the tank and the flush valve, to use the terminology from the kit I bought. In other words, the pipe where the water goes when you flush. Is there a way I can seal that up without taking the tank off again? Did I just not tighten that part enough when I installed it?

[Roadsterboy]

Originally Posted by WildaBeast

This is meant to be sort of an unhijackable thread for home repair type questions. Mainly because I have such a question, didn't think it was worth having a whole thread dedicated to it, but it didn't seem right for the "stupid questions" thread.

Last weekend I replaced all the "guts" of one of my toilets. Now water seems to slowly drain out of the tank, causing it to keep refilling itself. It seems to be leaking around the tank and the flush valve, to use the terminology from the kit I bought. In other words, the pipe where the water goes when you flush. Is there a way I can seal that up without taking the tank off again? Did I just not tighten that part enough when I installed it?

Is it the flapper valve? It's probably not sitting right, you might be able to just move it a bit and adjust it. Make sure the fill valve works by picking up the float ball till the water shuts off. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CB8Q9QEwAw has a good description of what I mean.
-RB

[WildaBeast]

Originally Posted by Roadsterboy

Is it the flapper valve?
-RB

No, it isn't the flapper valve, it's the seal between the tank itself and the pipe the flapper valve is attached to.

[rhiandmoi]

You can patch it without completely taking your toilet apart. Completely drain and dry the tank. Like run the blow dryer in there for a few minutes and then let it set until it is completely dry. If you are sure it is where the overflow pipe seats, you can apply silicone to seal the join, and then let it completely dry and cure before refilling your tank. This will make it harder to take your toilet apart in the future, but should keep water from leaking from this join for the life of your toilet.

[Malruhn]

Or, you can start with rhiandmoi's advice, and rather than silicone, use Plumber's Putty in where the pipe seats.

HOWEVER, if this is fine-threaded plastic stuff, take the overflow pipe off (simply unscrew) and wrap the threaded end with Silicone Tape - the stuff plumbers use around faucet fixtures and the like.

Not only will it seal - and not make the toilet harder to take apart in the future - it will actually come apart just a little EASIER!

[Menolly]

I agree with rhiandmoi's starting and Malruhn's ending, I think. If he's talking about Teflon tape. Teflon tape is very easy to use and you won't have to wait the 36 hours it takes for silicone caulk to completely set. Plumber's putty might work too, also without the need to let it set.

*However, 100% silicone is the best sealant to use for a lot of other things in the bathroom.*

[Eddylizard]

I don't know if this counts here.

I have a couple of shirts with frayed holes in. They are of sentimental value and from a sentimental point of view irreplaceable.

There is no intention to wear them, just preserve them for show without the frayed holes getting any bigger. They are white cotton and printed on the front and back.

Now my idea is to turn them inside out and paint clear nail varnish around the holes to stop the threads from running. I'm thinking in the process to put a piece of card wrapped in cling film inside behind the hole to stop the nail varnish sticking. I'mjust slightly worried about it's longevity and will it stain too badly.

So, does anyone see any disadavantage to this, or have any better ideas or suggestions?

[Roadie]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

I don't know if this counts here.

I have a couple of shirts with frayed holes in. They are of sentimental value and from a sentimental point of view irreplaceable.

There is no intention to wear them, just preserve them for show without the frayed holes getting any bigger. They are white cotton and printed on the front and back.

Now my idea is to turn them inside out and paint clear nail varnish around the holes to stop the threads from running. I'm thinking in the process to put a piece of card wrapped in cling film inside behind the hole to stop the nail varnish sticking. I'mjust slightly worried about it's longevity and will it stain too badly.

So, does anyone see any disadavantage to this, or have any better ideas or suggestions?

I wouldn't use nail polish - it will eventually yellow, and it gets hard. Go to the fabric store, and they will have a white material you can iron on that will stay soft, stop runs, and you probably won't be able to see it when you display the shirt. It's fairly inexpensive, but darned if I can remember what it's called. ETA: Interfacing is what I'm thinking of.

[Eddylizard]

Thank you Roadie for steering me clear of the nail polish option, and telling me about the interfacing material. I'm going to find our nearest fabric shop armed with that information. Oh and one of the shirts is someone elses sentimental treasured posession (yeah so I get the job, suddenly I'm a conservator ) so you will get double thanks.

[Menolly]

Suggestion, Eddy. Fix your shirt first, show your work to your friend so your friend knows what their shirt will look like when you're done. Then there will be no questions like "why didn't you use X instead to fix it".

[Eddylizard]

Thanks Menolly I've mailed him and suggested that. He'll probably say go ahead anyway. If you listen to this guy he seems to think I am an expert on absolutely everything. For the record I'm not.

[Gayle]

Make that *fusible* interfacing. Some of it is meant to be stitched in place; you want the stuff that can be ironed in. I suggest taking one of the shirts with you because it comes in different weights.

I bought this last night http://www.blackanddecker.com/Produc...roductID=10967

because straight lines and I do not exist naturally in the same universe

Oh, and fusible interfacing is cheap. Buy a yard and practice with a piece of scrap cloth.

[curlygirl]

Originally Posted by Gayle

Make that *fusible* interfacing. Some of it is meant to be stitched in place; you want the stuff that can be ironed in.

In case the names are different we call it iron-on interfacing

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Gayle

Make that *fusible* interfacing. Some of it is meant to be stitched in place; you want the stuff that can be ironed in. I suggest taking one of the shirts with you because it comes in different weights....

...Oh, and fusible interfacing is cheap. Buy a yard and practice with a piece of scrap cloth.

Originally Posted by curlygirl

In case the names are different we call it iron-on interfacing

Thanks. I've been looking around and I know about the iron on (or fusible) interfacing. Since the shirts ar not going to be worn (well mine isn't) I'll try to get the lightest weight that seems appropriate. All I want is for the adhesive to hold the frayed ends of the cotton together - otherwise it will just come apart in time. So yes, the fusible (iron on) is the best way to go.

I've seen what I think is similar stuff before, but sold in 1" strips and glue on both sides for quick hemming of trouser/skirt cuffs. I'm going to go investigate tomorrow and try to find big sheets of the stuff.

I'm sure I can describe it to the person in the shop enough to get some - when I find a haberdasher. Yellow pages, come here I need you.

To Menolly I put your suggestion to my friend, and he did say just go ahead. Well, no comebacks, no refunds now. If you (friend) persist in the misguided illusion that the sun shines out of my arse and I am only slightly less skilled than God, then I shall proceed.

I'll do my best. It doesn't sound difficult.

Thank you to everyone upthread who drew my attention to, and gave me tips on, interfacing.

[Nana M]

One more tip. If the hole is large enough for the imterfacing to show through, iron it over some waxed or parchment paper. That stuff does stick and otherwise, will be fused to whatever you use to iron it on.

No, don't ask how I know

[Menolly]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

If you (friend) persist in the misguided illusion that the sun shines out of my arse and I am only slightly less skilled than God, then I shall proceed.

Silly friend of Eddy's! How could Eddy *possibly* get any sleep if the sun actually ... heh.

"Hey, Buddy, got a light?"

"Well, yes. Yes I do!"

[Eddylizard]

I've painted my bedroom ceiling black, and I sleep lying on my front - that way the light doesn't disturb me.

[daisyslegs]

regarding the toilet guts issue.... we had the same problem and found out that the "guts" were designed that way to release small amounts of bleach or some other cleaning agent at regular intervals. Annoying is what it is! Double check your packaging, you might find that's what you have.

[Magdalene]

Hopefully this'lll be something simple that I'm just not seeing (mainly because I'm just way angry right now).

My automatic garage door opener stopped working a few days ago. I could still open the garage door manually, so since I don't have spare cash right now, I just figured I was going to be opening the door by hand for quite a while.

Monday, my friend who lets my dogs out misplaced her keys to my house. So I have to cut new sets. Turns out the key to the front door doesn't work, and has to be recut, but the key to the garage door did. (The dogs have to go through the garage to get to the backyard.) So I told her just open the big garage door, then let herself through the side garage door until I could get the front door key recut. No big deal, right?

She does this yesterday morning, then came by again in the afternoon (I had to stay late), and in the afternoon, she couldn't get the door up. I came home, and I can't get it up either. I'm not seeing anything blocking it--it simply won't move.

(This is probably simple, and I may just not be seeing it at the moment because I'm pretty pissed with my friend right now for all the grief she's caused me this week--I had to leave work early because she couldn't find the keys, when I asked her if she had any luck finding them, she said no, so I'm running around spending time and money I don't have to get a new set cut, and then yesterday she found them two keypegs away from where they should have been--AFTER she's done God knows what to the door so that I can't even get my car in.)

Magdalene

[Roadie]

Have you tried opening the garage door with the opener since it stopped opening manually? It sounds like the mechanism may have re-engaged when she closed it manually. Either try to open it automatically, or pull the chain to disengage it again.

Good luck!