Fix it: How to Do All Those Little Repair Jobs Around Your Home PDF
Preview Fix it: How to Do All Those Little Repair Jobs Around Your Home
Born in Orange, NSW, Scott McGregor has never been far away from the tools, having spent much of his spare time renovating houses, fixing antiques and restoring vintage railway carriages. He is a graduate of NIDA who has appeared in countless TV dramas, films and plays and presented numerous documentaries on Australian history and railway journeys. He was the DIY presenter on Channel Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens and the host of the highly successful series Room for Improvement. For many years Scott also owned the railway-buff mecca called ‘Off the Rails’, specialising in industrial antiques. Scott writes a weekly DIY column for the Sun-Herald called ‘Weekend Workshop’ and as if that’s not enough you can find him regularly appearing at Ladies Nights at Bunnings hardware stores where he shares his passion for shellac (amongst other things). Scott’s biggest ‘fix it’ project is his railway retreat, Ruwenzori, near Mudgee, which is an ongoing labour of love. FIX IT How to do all those little repair jobs around the home SCOTT McGREGOR First published in 2007 Copyright © Scott McGregor 2007 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Fax: (61 2) 9906 2218 Email: [email protected] Web: www.allenandunwin.com National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: McGregor, Scott, 1957- . Fix it : how to do all those little repair jobs around your home. Includes index. ISBN 9781741753264 (pbk.). 1. Do-it-yourself work - Amateurs’ manuals. 2. Dwellings - Maintenance and repair - Amateurs’ manual. 3. Repairing - Amateurs’ manuals. I. Title. 643.7 Edited by Michael Wall Internal photographs by Wendy Gray Indexed by Russell Brooks Text designed by Seymour Designs Set in 10 pt Grotesque MT Lt by Midland Typesetters, Australia Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To my wife, Wendy Gray, for all your hard yakka, keyboard work and laughs. Your support, dedication, and direction has been the force keeping this little two person team firmly ON the rails. To Poss and Doug (Mum and Dad) for your inspiration. Thanks for putting this sign up in the sunroom: The person who says it can’t be done is likely to be interrupted by somebody doing it. Special thanks to Darryl Chapman my right-hand man in all matters handy, for being a fine hunter of the ‘how-to’ and a gatherer of great stuff. And thanks to my agents Lisa Hanrahan and Mark Byrne for your ideas, encouragement and advice. CONTENTS 1. HOW I GOT HOOKED 2. TOOLS The basic toolkit A DIY shadow board The more advanced toolkit And then there are the power tools … Hiring tools Looking after your tools Sharpening tools 3. PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS Key ingredients Fasteners Glues, sealants and fillers Cleaners Tapes, strings, ropes, straps and wires Timber and boards Timber finishes 4. SAFETY WHILE YOU WORK Number one important thing, grasshopper! Invisible dangers Electrical safety Fire hazards Ladder safety What to do about lead paint 5. MAKING YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT Installing or updating your insulation Draught-proofing your house Refrigerators Air conditioning On standby Reducing energy used for hot water Saving water 6. WALLS AND CEILINGS Repairing plasterboard Fixing corner chips on masonry walls Repairing holes in masonry walls Fixing cracks in rendered walls Fixing timber-lined homes Removing wallpaper Soundproofing your house Dealing with damp Hanging pictures on your walls Installing shelves on your walls Hanging mirrors Repairing or installing a new cornice Attaching a new ceiling rose 7. FLOORS . . . AND WHAT’S UNDERNEATH Fixing creaky floorboards Fixing creaky timber stairs Fixing gaps in floorboards Fixing a damaged tongue and groove floorboard Protecting your polished floors Pests in flooring and under the floor Under-floor ventilation problems Other types of flooring Carpet 8. DOORS AND WINDOWS Fixing a rattling door Fixing doors that won’t close properly Restoring door furniture Fixing dents on door and window frames Repairing a mullion or a muntin Repairing a broken door or doorframe Fixing sliding doors Maintaining sash windows Replacing putty around glass in your windows Fitting locks on your windows Fixing hinges on your windows Making and fixing flyscreens Maintaining powder-coated aluminium windows Removing old masking tape from windows Removing bubbling tint from windows 9. BUILT-IN CUPBOARDS Kitchen cupboard doors that no longer line up Fixing sagging corner cupboard doors Fixing swinging wardrobe doors Fixing drawers Shelf supports Looking after and updating your laminate kitchen Timber benchtops Other benchtops Replacing cupboard door handles 10. FURNITURE Fixing dents and scratches in timber furniture Removing white heat rings from timber Restoring timber furniture Fixing chairs Fixing creaky wardrobe doors Fixing timber veneer that’s lifting Cane and bamboo furniture 11. WET AREAS Tiling Getting rid of mildew on walls Replacing grubby silicone Fixing a sliding glass screen door Rejuvenating an enamel bath Rejuvenating an acrylic bath 12. ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING Electrical About circuits, watts, amps, fuses and your fusebox Fixing a blown fuse Illumination Plumbing Dripping taps Repairing leaky PVC pipes Water hammer Changing taps in your bathroom or laundry Leaky shower recess Clearing a blocked trap Fixing a leaky loo Looking after your hot water system 13. PAINTING AND OTHER FINISHES Paintbrushes and rollers Types of paint Painting—the basics Painting with enamel paint Getting a good, straight edge Storing and disposing of paint Staining timber surfaces Waxing French polishing Applying tung oil Applying oil-based urethane Painting the outside of your house 14. THE OUTSIDE BITS—YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR Cleaning and fixing gutters Looking after your deck Fixing outdoor timber stairs Removing rot from outdoor timber areas Repairing cracks in brickwork Waterproofing Patching damaged render Bagging a wall Repairing a cracked concrete path Cleaning canvas blinds and awnings Removing stains from concrete and masonry Fixing chalky concrete Fixing efflorescence on concrete Rejuvenating tessellated tiles Cleaning sandstone doorsteps Refinishing a balcony railing 15. YOUR GARDEN AND YARD Fixing your fence Lifting a sagging gate Fixing outdoor timber furniture Fixing your rotary clothesline Waterproofing retaining walls and planter boxes Removing rust from outdoor metal Looking after your BBQ 16. USEFUL INFORMATION Safety while you work Energy saving Timber and furniture restoration Timber finishes General timber info Building protection Doors and windows Kitchens and wet areas Paint and other finishes Gutters General / miscellaneous INDEX
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