HOW TO CAULK A TUB LIKE A PRO

How to caulk a tub like a pro!

Time to complete: 45 min.

Recommended tools needed for this job:

Wallpaper scraper with 4" scraper blades
Scotchbright cleaning pads
Comet cleanser with bleach
Caulking gun
1 tube G.E. bathroom silicone caulking (white or clear for dark color tubs)

1. If existing caulking line has harden, it maybe necessary to heat it up with a hair dryer until it becomes soft enough to scrape with blades.
2. Remove all existing caulking or grout from tub line at three walls.
3. Wash area with cleanser that contains bleach. (It will get rid of mildew)
4. Make sure you remove all traces of old grout, caulking, mildew and soap.
5. Allow area to dry.
6. Apply masking tape to tile wall 1/4 inch higher above tub or shower. and to bathtub in the same manner as above. Do all three walls.
7. Use a quality caulk like G. E. White Silicone Caulking for white tub, do not use clear.
8. Load the tube in a caulking gun, cut tip diagonally and pierce seal.
9. Start from either side, left or right. When you begin squeezing gun trigger, begin moving gun at the same time, always pull the gun opposite the direction which gun is pointing, keeping pressure on the trigger, against tub and wall, do not lift gun off caulk line until you reach a corner. At that point release trigger and pressure from the gun, using paper towels, clean off gun tip.
10. Begin the center line (long wall) again pulling gun and squeezing trigger constantly without lifting gun, pull gun to next corner of tub, release trigger and pressure, lift gun and clean off tip.
11. Complete the last line the same way, keeping gun tip clean at all times. At that point using your wet index finger smooth silicone line by sliding your wet finger and removing excess at the same time, run the finger to first corner, stop, clean finger with paper towel the start the next line, follow this step until you finish all three walls.
12. Finally allow 10 min. or so to allow caulking to set.
13. Proceed to remove all tapes slowly and carefully discard into waste container.

INSTALLING CARPET

New carpet can give a fresh look to an old room, but installation is expensive. Instead of settling for a lower-quality carpet, consider installing it yourself and applying the savings toward purchasing a better carpet.

To install carpet, you'll need some special tools. Unless you plan to install carpet in several rooms, it will probably be cheaper for you to rent them.

Materials:

Power stretcher
Tackless strips
Stair tool

Stapler
Hammer
Awl
Strip cutter
Carpet knife
Razor knife
Top cutter
Measuring tape
Knee kicker
Wall trimmer
Stair tool
Seam tape
Seam iron
Work gloves
Safety glasses

1. Make sure the surface to be carpeted is smooth and clean. Scrape up any paint or joint compound (figure A), and sweep and vacuum the floor thoroughly.
   
2. If possible, remove the doors from the room (figure B) so you won't have to work around them. Having the doors out of the way will also make it easier for you to cut off the bottoms of the doorjambs if necessary.
3. Measure the longest walls in your room. Multiply the length and width, and divide by 9 to determine the square yardage. Add 10 percent to allow for errors, irregularities and pattern matching.
   
4. Nail tackless strips 1/2" from the wall (figure C). Cut the strips to size with a strip cutter or heavy snips (figure D). Don't install tackless strips across thresholds or doorways; the tacks on the strips are sharp and could poke through the carpet and hurt your feet. Tackless strips come in a variety of widths, thicknesses and heights. Make sure you're using the correct size. If you're installing carpet over a concrete subfloor, use masonry tacks or epoxy adhesive to hold the tackless strips in place.
5. Lay out the carpet pad perpendicular to the direction you plan to install the carpet (figure E), and staple it near the tackless strips with a staple hammer (figure F).
6. Staple the seam of the pad, alternating staples so that they aren't beside one another. Stretch the padding so that the pieces are butted tightly together.
7. Feel through the padding to locate the tackless strip, and use a utility knife to cut away the padding along the interior edge of the strip (figure G) so that all the tacks are exposed (figure H).
   
8. Measure the room at its longest point, and add 3" to the measurement. Take the carpet outside if possible, and notch the back on both sides at the appropriate length (figure I). The carpet will be easier to handle outside. You might want to have someone help you.
9. Roll the carpet with the back facing outward until the notched areas show. Then run a chalk line from notch to notch (figure J). Cut the back of the carpet along the chalk line, roll up the carpet, and take it back inside.
   
10. Roll out the carpet into the room. Keep it as straight as possible.
11. Cut away excess carpet, but leave about 3" extra next to the walls (figure K). Lay out any additional carpet needed to fill the room (figure L).
12. seaming tape under the seam, adhesive side up. Heat the seaming iron to the temperature recommended by the tape manufacturer, and Where the carpet edges join, you'll need to create a seam. The seamed edges of both carpet segments must be straight. Check the edges: don't assume that a factory edge is straight. Place a piece of rest it directly on the tape for 15 to 30 seconds. Then slowly slide the iron along the tape, and press the seam into the melted glue behind the iron (figure M). After the pieces are joined, place heavy objects on the seam to hold it in place as the glue dries.
    
    Seams should run parallel to the room's main light source. And make sure the pile of both pieces leans in the same direction.
    
    
13. Dry-fit the carpet, butting one end against a wall. Use a carpet knife to trim the carpet to fit around obstacles.
14. Attach the carpet to the tackless strips at one end of the room, using the knee kicker (figure N). Place the face of the knee kicker against the carpet about 3" away from the wall, and forcefully strike the padded end to stretch the carpet over the tackless strips.
15. Trim excess carpet (figure O) with a wall trimmer, which rests against the wall and provides a straight cut at the correct spot. Use a stair tool to press the cut edges underneath the baseboard trim (figure P).
16. Use the power stretcher to attach to the strips on the other side of the room (figure Q). For corners and alcoves where the power stretcher can't reach, use the knee kicker and stair tool.
    
17. When all the carpet is in place, cut out vent openings. Attach shoe molding around the room if desired.

Here's a tip for installing carpet into an alcove at the end of a room: At the point where the carpet extends into the alcove, fold it at the depth of the alcove before you begin rolling it up. Then roll toward the folded section. When you unroll the carpet, start at the end of the room closest to the alcove.

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HOW TO INSTALL DRYWALL

Placing Drywall

Installing drywall can be easy, but taping the joints between panels requires some practice. Some do-it-yourselfers install the drywall themselves, then call an experienced drywall taper to finish the job.

Although it's easy to figure how much drywall to buy (just compute the square footage of the walls and ceiling), it takes some planning to end up with as few joints as possible. The standard-size sheets for walls measure 4 X 8 feet. They are usually installed with the long side running from floor to ceiling, but if you can eliminate a joint by placing them horizontally, do so. All drywall sheets are 4 feet wide, but many building-material outlets offer 10-foot and even 12-foot lengths. The most popular thicknesses of drywall are 1/2 inch (walls) and 5/8 inch (ceilings), but check your local building code for requirements.

Use T-braces to install drywall on a new ceiling.

Consult a dealer to learn how many nails, rolls of tape, and how much joint compound you will need. As a general rule, 1,000 square feet of drywall requires about seven pounds of coated drywall nails, a five-gallon pail of joint compound in mixed form, and a 500-foot roll of tape.

Each outside corner requires one metal cornerbead. Drywall tape is used for inside corners. Note: many drywallers now use drywall screws instead of nails; buy the same quantity of screws as you would nails, and consult your dealer on the length of screws necessary; it varies with the thickness of drywall. These are installed with a drill, preferably one with a drywall setting, which allows the drill to "ratchet" or slip when it senses the screw is fully seated. This prevents "popped" screw heads. Ask your dealer to show you such a drill if you don't already have

Placing Drywall

To install drywall on the ceiling and walls of a framed room, you'll probably need an assistant, especially for the ceiling. Here's how to cut and install panels:

Step 1: Construct a pair of T-braces from 2 X 4s about an inch longer than the distance from floor to ceiling. Nail 2 X 4s about 3 feet long to one end of each longer 2 X 4 to form the Ts. Alternately, adjustable T-braces can be rented.









After you drive each nail in, give it an extra blow to dimple
the surface without breaking the drywall face paper.


Step 2: Cut drywall panels to size. Use a sharp utility knife along a straightedge to cut drywall. After you make the cut through the face paper, place the board over a length of 2 X 4 laid flat on the floor, or some other type of support, and snap the scored section down. The gypsum core will break along the line you cut. Then turn the panel over, cut the paper on the other side, and smooth the rough edges with very coarse sandpaper on a sanding block.

Step 3: Install drywall panels on the ceiling. If possible, try to span the entire width with a single sheet of wallboard to reduce the number of joints. Position and wedge the T-braces against the drywall sheet to hold it in place until you finish nailing it.

Step 4: Drive nails at 6-inch intervals into all the joists covered by the sheet. Start in the center of the drywall panel and work out. Give each nail an extra hammer blow to dimple the surface slightly without breaking the face paper. It is not necessary to dimple the nails of outside cornerbead, because the surface will be covered with drywall putty.
















Step 5: When the ceiling is finished, cut and install wall panels. Carefully measure for any cutouts in the drywall, including electrical outlets, switches, or light fixtures. To make cutouts, draw a pattern of the cutout on the wallboard, drill a hole on the pattern line, and then use a keyhole saw to follow the pattern.

Step 6: Space the nails 6 inches apart along studs, but start nailing 4 inches from the ceiling. Butt the wall panels against the ceiling sheets. Dimple all nails. Nail metal outside cornerbeads to cover any outside corners.

Now it's time for the artistic part -- taping.

Taping Drywall

The next step in installing drywall is covering the nails and joints, called taping.

Step 1: Use a 5-inch-wide drywall taping knife to spread joint compound into the slight recess created by the tapered edges of the drywall sheets. Smooth the compound until it is even with the rest of the board surface.

Taping a joint means applying joint compound followed by a strip of drywall tape, then two thin coats of joint compound.

Step 2: Center the drywall tape over the joint and press it firmly into the compound. Because some compound will squeeze out, make sure that there is still a good bed underneath. When you get the tape embedded into the compound all along the joint, smooth it with the taping knife. At the same time, fill all the nail dimples with compound.

Step 3: When the compound is completely dry (usually 24 hours later) apply a very thin second coat of compound that extends out a few inches to either side of the first coat. After the second coat dries completely, apply a third coat, this time with a 10-inch-wide taping knife, extending the compound about 6 inches to either side. When the third coat is dry, feather all the edges with a sanding block covered with medium-grit sandpaper.

To tape inside corners, including the spots where the walls and ceiling meet, cut the tape to length and fold it in half. After laying the bed of compound, press the folded tape into the compound and feather the compound out at least 1 1/2 inches to each side. The corners require three coats, and the last coat should extend about 8 inches to each side. Sanding is required here, too.

To finish the outside corners, install a metal corner (from your building-supply store), then apply three coats of compound that taper up to the bead. The last coat should extend the compound on each wall to about eight inches wide. Sand as with other drywall joints.

Let the walls dry for up to five days, following the recommendations of the joint compound manufacturer. Give the surface of the drywall a coat of primer made for paint or wallpaper. When the primer is dry, sand the drywall surface lightly with fine-grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Be sure to sand between each additional coat of paint with fine-grit sandpaper. New drywall should receive at least three coats: a sealer, primer, and finish coat.

After that, it will be time to get painting.

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ADDING NEW WIRING ON THE SAME WALL

You can connect new cable from an existing outlet to a new outlet on the same
wall by running it inside the wall. Mark the approximate location of the new
outlet. Using a stud finder locate and mark the wall studs. Start one stud before
the existing outlet and end one stud after the new outlet.
Mark the exact location of the new box. Make it the same height as the existing
box. Do not locate it over a stud. Using a drywall or keyhole saw, cut the
opening for the new box.
Using a utility knife and a drywall saw, cut a strip of drywall about 3" wide out
of the wall, below the outlets. Start at the center of the first stud you marked
and end at the center of the last stud; watch for nails as you cut. Carefully
remove the drywall strip.
Using a hand or circular saw, make two cuts 1" apart and 3/4" deep in each of
the exposed studs. Using a hammer and a chisel, remove the wood between the
two saw cuts.
Be sure the power is off to the existing outlet. Remove the cover plate and the
receptacle. Remove one of the knockouts in the bottom of the box. Run the
new wire behind the wall and up through the knockout in the box. Tighten the
clamp and attach the wires. If the box does not have a clamp, place a wire clamp
on the new cable. Tighten the screw to hold the clamp on the wire. Be sure the
nut is off the wire clamp and run the wire up to the box as before. Feed the
threaded end of the clamp up through the knockout, replace the nut and tighten.
Replace the receptacle and the cover plate.
On the new box, remove one of the knockouts in the bottom of the box. If the
box you are using is a self-clamping box, insert the box into the wall and
tighten. If not, insert the box into the wall, insert a Madison hanger on each
side of the box, and bend the tabs over into the box to tighten.
Finish running the wire from the existing box through the notches and up
behind the wall into the box as before. Clamp the wire and install the receptacle
as in the figure. Install the cover plate, turn on the power, and test the circuit
with a neon tester. Shut off the power again to safely finish the project.
Nail metal cable protectors to the exposed studs over the notches. Replace the
drywall strip you removed earlier. Use the spackling compound and drywall tape
to complete the installation.
Cable can be pulled from an existing box on one wall to a new outlet on the
opposite side of the same wall.
Attach a cable to the existing receptacle in the box as previously described.
Allow ample slack in the cable to permit easy connection to the new box to be
installed on the opposite wall.
Bring the cable through the new opening with a wire, as illustrated in.
Connect the cable to the new box, attach the desired receptacle, and mount the
box to the wall with box supports if it is not near a stud.

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ADDING NEW WIRING FROM BOXES IN CEILING

If your home has an unfinished attic, it may be easier to add new wiring by
attaching it to boxes in the ceiling. In this way, gravity works for you rather
than against you.
Attach the cable to the box as previously described.
Cut a hole in the wall at the desired location for the switch or receptacle, and run
the cable from the box in the ceiling to the new outlet location.
Bring the new cable through the wall and ceiling by cutting and drilling holes in
and through the wall, the 2x4 plate, and the ceiling. A special fish tape is
available for these types of jobs.

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RUNNING NEW CABLE BETWEEN MULTIPLE FLOORS

* Drill a hole through the floor from bottom to top, as illustrated. Be sure the hole is drilled into the recessed area behind the wall rather than in the open. Be sure to use a bit that's large enough to permit free passage of the wiring cable.

* Run the cable through the newly drilled hole to the desired location for the new receptacle or switch.

* Bring the cable through the opening by using a weight on the end of a string and a wire with a hook on the end.

* Using this same technique, you can add one outlet to another by drilling up through the floor, pulling the cable under the floor, and then running it to the desired position on the opposite wall. The same wiring can be pulled through for either receptacles or switches.

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MAKE ALL CONNECTIONS IN APPROVED BOXES

* Always remember that connections must be made in an approved box. Never connect one cable to another by an open-line splice.

* All switch, outlet, and junction boxes must be positioned so they are always accessible.

* You can easily remove knockout plugs with a nail punch, screwdriver or metal rod.

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