Tag Archives: bathroom

Tile Back Splash Kitchen & Bathrooms

There are few spaces in you home with as much potential for creativity and visual impact as the space between your kitchen countertop and your cupboards. A well designed backsplash can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary . Tiles for the backsplash can be require backerboard . When purchasing the tile , order 10 percent extra to cover breakage and cutting. Remove the switch and receptacle coverlets and install box extenders to make up for the extra thickness of the tile .Protect the countertop from scratches by covering it with a drop cloth during the installation .

Tool and Material

Level , Tape measure, Pencil, Tile Cutter , Notched trowel , Rubber grout float, Rubber mallet, Sponge , Story stick , Tile spacers, Wall tile , Mastic adhesive, Masking tape, Grout , Caulk , Drop cloth , Caulk gun, Carpet Scrap, Buff Cloth , Protective equipment

Contemporary glass mosaic sheets create a counter to cabinet back splash for a water proof .

Make a story by making a board at the least half as long as the backsplash area to match area to match the tile spacing.

Starting at the midpoint of the installation area, use the story stick to make layout marks along the wall. If an end piece is too small ( less than half a tile ), adjust the midpoint to give you larger, more attractive end pieces. Use a level to mark this point with a vertical reference line.

While it may appear straight , your countertop may not be level and therefore is not a reliable reference line . Run a level along the countertop to find the lowest point on the top countertop. Mark a point two tiles up from the low point and extend a level line across the entire work area.

Variation :Diagonal Layout . Mark vertical and horizontal reference lines, measure sure the angle 90 degrees . To establish diagonal layout lines , measure out equal distances from the
crosspoint , and then connect the points with a line . Additional layout lines can be extended from these as needed.

Apply mastic adhesive evenly to the area the horizontal reference line using a notched trowel. Comb the adhesive horizontal with the notched edge.

Press tiles into the adhesive with a slight twisting motion. If the the tiles are not self spacing , use plastic spacers to maintain even grout lines . If the tiles do not hang in place entitle adhesive sets.

Install a whole row along the reference line checking occasionally to make sure the tiles are level . Continue installing tiles below the first row , trimming tiles that butt against the countertop as needed .

Install an edge border it is needed in your layout . Mosaic sheets normally do not have bull nose tiles on the edges of the outlet tiles not the edges, so if you don’t with to see the cut edges of the outer tiles, install a vertical column of edges tiles at the end of the backsplash area.

Plumbing Water Supply Lines Maintenance

Cross linked polyethylene (PEX) is growing quickly in acceptable as a supply line for residential plumbing, It’s not hard to understand why. Developed in the 1960’s but relatively new to the United States, this supply pipe combines the ease of use of flexible tubing with the durability of rigid pipe . It can withstand from subfreezing to 180 Degrees.it inexpensive ; and it’s quieter than rigid supply pipe .

PEX os flexible plastic tubing that’s reinforced by a chemical reaction at creates long fibers to increase the strength of the material. It has been allowed by code in Europe and the southern United States for many years , but has won approval for residential supply use in most major plumbing codes only recently . It’s frequently used in most major plumbing codes only recently supply use in most major manufacturer housing and recreational vehicles and radiant heating systems . Because it so flexible , PEX can easily be bent to follow corners and make others changes in direction . From the water main and heater , it is connected into manifold fittings that redistribute the water in much the same manner as a lawn irrigation system.

For standard residential installations , PEX can be joined with very simple fittings and tools. Unions are generally made with made with a crimping tool and a crimping ring . You simply insert the ends of the pipe you’re joining into the ring , then clamp down the ring with the crimping tool . PEX pipe, tools, and fittings can be purchased from most wholesale plumbing suppliers and at many home centers . Coils of PEX are sold in several diameters from the 1/4 inch to 1 inch . PEX tubing and fitting from different manufacturers are not interchangeable . Any warranty coverage will be voided if products are mixed .

Tools you may need list ( you should have all supply lines change every 5 years )

Tape Measure, Flet-tipped pen, Full circle crimping tool , Go no gauge , tubing cutter, PEX pipe , Manifolds , Protector plates, PEX fitting, PEX , Utility knife, plastic hangers, crimp ring , protective equipment.

PEX pipe is relatively new water supply material that’s growing in popularity in part because it can be installed with simple mechanical connections.

Specialty tools for installing PEX are available wherever PEX is sold . The basic set includes a full circle crimping tool. A tubing cutter ,and go/no gauge to test connections after the’ve been crimped . Competing manufacturers make several types of fittings , with Proprietary tools work with their fittings . The tools and fittings you use may differ from those shown n these pages .

PEXis connected to other eater supply materials with transition fittings, including CPVC to PEX copper to PEX and iron to PEX.

Genrally , you should use the dame diameter PEX as is specified for rigid supply tubing but in some “home run” installations .

Shower Enclosure Installing Water damage

Mark out the location of the shower, including any new walls , on the floor and walls. Most kits can be installed over wallboard , but you can usually achieve a more professional looking wall finish if you remove the wall covering and floor covering in the installation area. Dispose of the materials immediately and thoroughly clean the area.

If you are adding a wall to create the alcove , lay out the locations for the studs and plumbing on the new wood sill plate . Also lay out the stud locations on the cap plate that will ne attached to the ceiling . Refer to the enclosure kit instructions for exact locations and dimensions of studs. Attach the sill plate to the floor with deck deck screws and panel adhesive , making sure it is square to the back wall and the correct distance from the the side wall.

Align a straight 2×4 right next to the sill plate and make a mark on the ceiling . Use a level to extend that line directly above the sill plate . Attach the cap plate at that plate.

Install 2×4 at the outlined locations . Check with a level to make sure each stud is plumb , and then attach them by driving deck screws toenail style on angle into sill plate and cap plate .

Cut an access hole in the floor for the drain , according to the installation manual instructions . Drill openings in the sill plate of the wet wall ( the new wall in this project) for the supply pipes , also according to the instructions.

Install a drain pipe and branch line and then trim the drain pipe flush with the floor. If you are not experienced with plumbing , hire a plumber to install new drain line.

Install new supply risers as directed in the instruction manual ( again, have a plumber do this if necessary ). Also install cross braces between the studs in the wall for mounting the faucet body and sower arm.

If the supply plumbing is located in a wall ( old or new) that is accessible from the non-shower side, install forming for a removable access panel

Attach the drain tail piece, Option and mortar before you lay down the tail piece .

Set the receptor in place and nail to the studs. Lay out the drain and valves holes and cut with a jigsaw . Need to use a fine tooth blade with a jigsaw.

Positon the back wall gap should be 1/2 inch between the bottom of the panel and the rim. Remove the end of the wall if need to apply adhesive apply it now .

Reinstall the end panels follow the kit instructions and pals are flush front the receptors.

Once the panels are positioned correctly and snapped together nail 4 inches to 6 inches along the vertical surfaces.

Drain Plumbing Water Damage Clean up Sewage Back up Problems

Drain problems causation and trouble shooting

What could cause gurgling in a rarely used wet-bar sink when water drains in the kitchen at one end of the house or in a bath at the other end? Chances are that the wet bar isn t vented or that its vent stack is blocked. You could check by looking for a plumbing vent pipe protruding through the roof above the area. It will look like the ones above kitchen and bath.

Sluggish drainage is one symptom of this problem. Sewer smell is another . When water drains in the kitchen or bath , it siphons water out of the wet bar s drain trap , which produces a gurgling noise. Without the seal provided by water in the drain trap , sewer gas can rise up through the sink and into the house .

If you don t use the wet-bar sink because of these problems , call a plumber to install an auto-vent. With this in place, the other drains won t siphon water out the trap. If you don t use it and don t really want it , have the plumber remove it and close the drain connection . In the meantime you can reduce the sewer gas smell by periodically pouring some water in the wet bar drain to keep the trap full.

Big Backups

Even with vapor venting, trap placement , and pipe sizing , drains still may be slow. This indicates a big blockage farther down the line. The best indicator that a blockage is in the waste line is sewage gurgling up through floor drains and basement fixtures. Solving this problem depends on your septic system type.

If you have a septic system with a leach field , your septic tank may need to be pumped out . This is a job for professional, but it s important to be around when the pumping concludes . Ask the pump operator if the tank was filled with enough greasy scum to cause the drain problems. If not , the pipes in the leach field itself may be the problem . Digging them up may be the only solution .

If your tied into a municipal sewage system , check to see whether any work has been done on your branch line lately . If so , it could have caused problems with your drainage , If not, tree roots may have gotten in the pipes . Hire a professional to auger the line and pull out the tree roots; thereafter , flush copper sulfate root treatment through the line twice year .

Do it yourself

There is snaking the kitchen line , clean out the pop up drain plugs hair clogged.. To access the trip waste linkage above the drain tub. If you cant get your toilet unclogged may have to remove the toilet snake it apply a new wax ring and reset it . Don t understand that process let a plumber handle it is just cheaper and safer, good luck.