DIY Tips: #7 How to fix into different wall types

DIY Tips: #7 How to fix into different wall types


Houses around Reading will have many variations of wall, from plastered brick and mortar, stud walling with lath and plaster or plasterboard. Fixing into  some types of wall presents us “DiYers” with an interesting set of problems (or an interesting set of potential solutions if you're a budding Psychologist)

Ideally you will need:
A stud locator – seriously – this will help locate the studding in partition or stud-walling
Bradawl
Electric or Hand Drill
Computer controlled robotic arm (to hold your pencil)
A screw driver or driver bit drill attachment
Suitable screws 
 
Strong fixings into plain brick/render/plaster walls is easily made with “rawl” type plugs and screws as we have already discovered in [DiY Tasks #5 & #6]

However fixing into a wall becomes more interesting when you have lath & plaster. Lath & Plaster is made from a wooden framework of “studs” and a lattice of thin strips of wood (laths) fixed to the studs and then plaster over the top – the wet plaster oozes through the gaps in the laths to make a good bond.

You'll be able to tell if you have a lath & plaster wall in your 'turn-of-the-century terrace' by either tapping on the wall in different places and getting a 'hollow' sound or by the fact that when you drill into it, your drill just keeps disappearing without seeming to have the normal resistance when drilling into, for example, a brick wall. 

If you have a teenager they may even have already resolved this question for you by kicking the wall in teenage angst ridden anger or by idly poking around in some un-repaired hole, exposing a cavernous space behind (the devil makes work for idle hands, as my old nan used to say). This is supposed to be a DiY column so I'm not going to get into the massive and protracted debate as to why teenagers do what they do or why some teenagers do and others don't – suffice to say – if you have one, good luck. 

These lath & plaster stud walls will normally only be found on 'internal' walls between rooms, hallways or stairs. If you find you have lath & plaster for an outside wall, I strongly suggest you're either living in a hippy commune and you need to “let go man” and leave the 70's behind, or you really must call in a building inspector to look at your house.

You'll find it virtually impossible to make a firm fixing into lath & plaster – unless you stick huge bolts right through both sides of the wall and brace it with steel shackles and plates of course – or you could put your screws into the wooden studs which run floor to ceiling at around 14” intervals for the length of the wall (this can and does vary up to around 16”). 

Find the studs, either with your handy (cost a few bob from any decent DiY shop) or by simply tapping on the wall in various places. You'll know the stud when your knock sounds kind of, 'not hollow'. Or, you could use a bradawl to poke through the laths in different places until you meet resistance - but then of course you'll have to fill all those little holes with filler and sand them and paint and it all gets very messy just for putting up a shelf. Mark the position of the studs across your wall with a feint pencil mark. See the picture at the top.

Fixing into a more modern stud wall with plasterboard is much the same – don't try to fix anything other than “blu-tak” onto the plasterboard – instead fix through that and into the studs. Again, see the picture above.

The main thinking behind finding the studs in this type of walling is that we need to fix our bracket or what-have-you into the stud rather than the hollow lath & plaster part of the wall.


Do let me know if you'd like me to suggest places to purchase tools and hardware needed for these DiY tasks and I'll see what I can do.

Also see 
http://www.getreading.co.uk/blogs/andanotherthing/s/2116600_diy_dave_fixing_into_lath_and_plaster_walls


Keep safe
Dave

DIY Tips: #6 How to fix a crumbled and messed-up hole for a rawl type plug using filler.

Fixing anything to a wall using brackets is really a simple task and should 

provide years of faithful service in holding up your books or knick-knackery. 

However if the wall is a bit crumbly or you are trying to use an old hole which 

has broken out and crumbled, you will need something to repair the mess.

You will need:
Fine Ready-Mixed filler (can use powdered but “Ready-Mix” is easier)
Spatula or filler knife (flatter, better finish than a thumb)
Fine grade sand paper
Electric or Hand Drill
Computer controlled robotic arm
Plastic rawl type plugs (I'd use the brown plugs although read task #5 first)
Masonry Drill bit size 6 - 7mm
A cross-head screw driver or drill attachment
Suitable screws (with brown rawl plugs I'd use 1.5” (either 8's or 10's))


First TIP: Old walls - made of rendered and plastered brick or lath & plaster - do sometimes crumble when you try to fix anything into them.

With a hole like the one in the picture, you will need to get the vacuum cleaner and suck all the dust and little bits of rubble out to leave a clean (if a little unsightly) hole in the wall. It is a good idea to use a teenager for this, if 

you have one around – it will help them to feel useful. They will probably 

“wander off-task” and start to experiment with sucking different things with the vacuum nozzle or sucking their hair although with a little nudging back onto task they should manage it without too much trouble.

Second TIP: If the hole is deeper than, say, a quarter of an inch (a few 

millimeters in metric) you should fill it in stages, allowing each stage and 

application of filler to harden before applying the next.

Press the filler as deep into the hole as you can, with your filler knife and in stages until the surface is level with the original wall and then smooth it off 

to a good finish by wetting the filler knife and running it over the repair 

(rather like icing a cake). Leave this a day or so to fully harden and cure.

Third TIP: It is best to leave a smooth finish with the filler knife, to save on hours of sanding once it has hardened.

Finish off the repair by gently sanding in a circular motion on and around the 

repair until the edges are all blended-in and flush with the original wall. Paint over the repair. You could consider using your handy teenager to hold the vacuum cleaner hose near where you are sanding to at least catch some of the dust – if you don't have a spare teenager, you will need to hold the vacuum hose in your 

teeth or under your chin.

Fourth Tip: To get a good flat finish to your sanding – wrap the sand-paper 

around a “noggin” of wood.

Now, you can drill into that repair and fix a rawl type plastic plug and screw as normal. I wouldn't hang my exercise equipment off it or use it as an abseil 

anchor point although it should be “pretty strong” say, for a nik-nak shelf or 

clock and what-have-you.

Alas, we didn't need the Computer Controlled Robotic Arm for this job either 

although in years to come they'll be everywhere so we need to get used to having them around.

Next week we shall look at how to fix into different types of walls, brick, 

block, lath and plaster and dry-lined. After this we will get into painting and wall-papering. Do let me know if you'd like me to suggest places to purchase 

tools and hardware needed for these DiY tasks and I'll see what I can do.

You can also read these DiY Tips and Tasks at > 
http://www.getreading.co.uk/blogs/andanotherthing/s/2116186_diy_dave_how_to_fix_a_wornout_hole



Keep Safe
Dave

DIY Tips: #5 How to put up brackets and a shelf

Fixing a shelf to a wall using brackets is really a simple task and should 

provide years of faithful service in holding up your books or knick-knackery. 

You will need:
Tape Measure
Electric or Hand Drill
Computer controlled robotic arm
Plastic rawl type plugs (I'd use the brown plugs although read this task first)
Masonry Drill bit size 6 - 7mm
A cross-head screw driver or drill attachment
A spirit level
Suitable screws (with brown rawl plugs I'd use 1.5” (either 8's or 10's))
Small short screws for fixing the shelf to the brackets.

First TIP: Measure Twice, Cut Once.

I presume you have already chosen your shelf and have decided where you'd like it

fixed, if not, ask your partner – they'll know where they want the shelf.

Second TIP: Measure Twice, Cut Once.

I will just mention this; when fixing a shelf I have always found it best to use good, strong, heavy duty rawl type plugs – this is because in weeks or months to come you may change your mind about what you want to display on the shelf – 

initially you may have wanted it for your china pig collection (not very heavy) 

but later you might decide the pigs are a bit naf and decide to store your 

Psychology Text Book Library on the shelf instead – if however you had only used little light-weight rawl type plugs and screws then they would not be up to the 

task of supporting your library, so it is always best to keep this in mind.

Third TIP: Measure Twice, Cut Once.

This task is very similar in many respects to our earlier task – fixing up a 

hanging basket except that we have two brackets here which do have to be level – 

otherwise your shelf will slope and your nik-naks may fall off (never a good 

prospect, especially in polite company).

Measure the length of your shelf and then divide that measurement into three.

Fourth TIP: Measure twice, cut once.

Offer up (technical term for holding the shelf in position on the wall) the shelf

to the wall in your desired fixing position and place the spirit level on top – 

carefully adjust the shelf until the bubble in the glass of the spirit level is 

dead centre and mark a feint pencil line, on the wall, along the length of the 

shelf.

Fifth TIP: Measure twice, cut once.

Measure in from one end and pencil a mark 1/3rd the length of the shelf, in from the end. Now measure another third from that mark. You will now have a feint 

pencil line (position of shelf) and two pencil marks (positions of brackets).

Sixth TIP: Measure twice, cut once.

Place the brackets on the wall at the pencil lines and mark through the fixing holes with your pencil.

Seventh TIP: Measure twice, cut once.

In the old days I'd have said at this point “stand back, roll a fag and make sure

all the marks are in position and your drill is ready – but we'll have to make 

do with a cuppa instead.

Drill into the wall approximately half a centimetre deeper than the length of the

plastic rawl plugs at each of the pencil marks for the bracket fixings.

Suck out the brick and plaster dust from each of the drilled holes with a vacuum cleaner and press in the plastic plugs.

Offer up each bracket in turn and tighten the screws.

Sit the shelf onto the brackets and for peace of mind, double check with your 

spirit level, that all is good.

Take a couple of the smaller screws and fix the shelf to the brackets up from 

underneath.

Job done. Have a cuppa and a custard cream.

We didn't need the Computer Controlled Robotic Arm for this job although in yearsto come they'll be everywhere so we need to get used to having them around.







Next week we shall look at how to overcome a crumbly wall and different types of wall fixing. Do let me know if you'd like me to suggest places to purchase tools and hardware needed for these DiY tasks and I'll see what I can do.
Also see 
http://www.getreading.co.uk/blogs/andanotherthing/s/2115805_diy_dave_how_to_put_up_brackets_and_a_shelf



Keep safe
Dave

DIY Tips: #3 Repair a fuse in a traditional fusebox

In a traditional fuse box, each fuse is for a different electrical circuit in your home. If there is a 
power surge or faulty wiring the fuse will 'blow', your home will suddenly be enveloped in a
strange and eerie silence and you will then need to replace the fusewire within the cartridge – 
and don't forget to also check any appliance which may have caused the fuse to blow in the
first place.


You will needA Torch – hopefully this has fully charged batteries
A flat bladed electrical screwdriver
A pack of variously rated fusewires
A pair of wire cutters or pliers or snips


Check other electrical appliances

When an electrical circuit 'blows' you should really check any appliances in that particular 
circuit. It could be that a fuse has blown in a plug, and that, in turn has blown the circuit fuse. 
Unplug the appliances and test them in an area of your home that still has power. You don't 
want to repair the circuit fuse only to have it blow again due to a faulty appliance.


Locate the fuse boxYour fuse box should be located close to your electricity meter – both of these are usually in the most inaccessible part of the under-stairs cupboard (get your torch to help you – they are useful not only for seeing in the dark but also for poking in spider inhabited corners. TIP:If you find the fusebox and it is buried under hats and coats and old shopping bags – please remember to 
keep it clear of clutter in the future as it could be a fire risk and meter readers may get narked if they have to clear the way each reading.


Turn the Master Switch offNormally when a fuse blows it is automatically thrown into the off position, but make sure, just in case. TIP You should be aware that when you turn this switch off – everything in the home will 
be turned off including all clocks, VCR's, 8-track tape players, washing machines, bread-makers, electric ovens, central heating timers, computers, phone chargers – EVERYTHING. If you 
have a house alarm this may start to complain and will let you know by beeping or buzzing but 
don't worry as this will be happy again once you finish the job and turn the power back on.


Locate the blown fuseIf there's more than one fuse, remove them one by one and inspect the thin fuse wire to see if it's broken or not. They may be a bit stiff but give them a good yank and they'll pull out of the fusebox – a good TIP here is Do not be tempted to pull them all out at the same time – pull one, check it and put it back. This way you will not be left with a handful of fuse cartridges and not know which positions they came from.


Select fuse wireYou must replace the fuse wire with a fuse wire of the same amperage. 

As a general rule these circuits require the following amperage ratings
Light circuits run on 5 Amps
Immersion heater circuits run on 15-20 Amps
Wall socket and cooker circuits run on 30 Amps
Electric showers will run on 45 greater amps (check the shower instructions)



WARNING - Never replace a fuse wire with one of a higher amperage rating. This could risk 

damage to your appliances or even cause a fire. 

Replace the fuse wireLoosen the screws at either end of the fuse.
Remove the damaged remains of the old fuse wire and carefully thread the new wire through
 the central porcelain part of the fuse.

Wind the wire around each screw, and tighten the screws.
Make sure you snip off any excess wire with the pliers or snips.


Replace the fusePut the fuse back in the fuse box – in the position it came from.


Turn on the master switch

TIP If you have a teenager in the house, you could get them to do this bit – it makes them feel 

useful and if the fuse blows again immediately, it will wake them up.
TIP If the fuse does blow again immediately – check the fuses in your appliances again and if all looks good and a fault is not obvious – CALL A FRIENDLY ELECTRICIAN



Next week we will put up a hanging basket on a fence post and a garden wall.


Keep safe


Dave

DIY Tips: #4 How to fix a bracket ready for a hanging flower basket

Spring and summer months cause many of us to imagine sitting amongst baskets of 

colourful, scented flowers hanging from every conceivable free space on our walls, fences, 

patios, trees, sheds and deckings. For some this will be a simple and well practised task, 

for others however, this will cause questions such as: 

Should I hang it on a wall or a fence post? 
Should I drill and screw into the brick or mortar between the bricks? 
How should I test the strength of the bracket for my hanging basket? 
What height should I mount the basket? 
And finally, 
What tools will I need for this job?

You will need:

• A drill – battery or mains

• A pack of “Rawl” type plugs (brown) (medium to heavy duty)

• A suitable drill bit (sometimes the pack of plugs will

   come with a drill bit – see picture)

• A screw driver or driver attachment for your drill

Specific fence-post hangers are available for hanging baskets onto fence posts as can be seen in the picture – they fit over the concrete or wooden post.


Where a bracket needs to be fixed to a wall or shed with screws, you will need to assess 

what height you need the hanging bracket to be for the height you want for your basket. 

Bear in mind here that hanging baskets full of flowers and water are very heavy and solid

 objects and if you bang your head on one – it will hurt for at least a couple of minutes 

afterwards. 
If you are old, like my nan then you could probably have the basket a little lower than if 

you are a younger person – don't worry about this as the younger people should look out 

for low hanging baskets at their nan's house and it will be their own fault if they get skittled by one of your baskets one day when they're not looking. 

TIP If you have a tall teenager about the place, you could use them to walk around 

checking the height of the baskets – if they bump their head, it will wake them up and help them to feel useful. 

So, firstly hold the bracket at the desired height and mark the holes with a pencil. I always 

find it gives better results to drill into the actual brick rather than the mortar between the 

bricks – gives a more solid fixing. Are you sure you want to fix it just there? 

Remember TIP Measure twice, cut / drill once.

• Drill holes around half a centimetre longer than the rawl plugs.
  

• Push in the plugs until they are flush with the wall surface as per the diagram.
  

• Line up the bracket and screw through and into the plugs in the wall ensuring all 

  screws are tight and the bracket is firm (give it a good tug to make sure).
  

• Fill the basket with compost and flowers or whatever you have planned (do not water).
  

• Hang the basket onto the hanger and now water.

TIP If you are fixing the bracket to a shed – do make sure you are screwing into a wooden batten or beam and not just into the feather edged boarding. Also you will not need the 

rawl plugs if you fix into wood.


Next week we will fix a dripping tap. Do let me know if you'd like me to suggest places to 

purchase tools and hardware needed for these DiY tasks and I'll see what I can do.


Keep safe

Dave

DIY Tips: #2 Change a fuse

Fuses are a deliberate weak link in a circuit. The strands of wire used in fuses are thinner than those used in the rest of the wiring circuit. When a fault occurs in your wiring or a piece of equipment, either through overloading, through a short or ‘earthing out’, there will be a significant increase in power through the cables. This causes the thinner fuse wire to rapidly heat and melt, quickly breaks the circuit, switching off the power.

The limit at which a fuse ‘blows’ is determined by the thickness of the wire running through it. Different thickness fuse wires blow at different levels of power. Exceeding the maximum rated for that fuse wire will cause the wire to break. Modern installations make use of ‘circuit breakers’ instead of the old style fuse wires. These devices will detect an increase in the current and automatically switch off the power. The advantage of these devices is that they can simply be reset by pressing a button.

Incorrect value fuses are a hazard, not only to the equipment they are protecting but also to your health. This socket will have to be replaced and the wiring checked – the equipment which was plugged into it is most probably no good now unless it had an extra internal protection fuse which may have saved it.

Handy Fuse Chart for 3 pin plugs:

Power Consumption				Fuse
<230W (e.g. bedside lamp)				1 Amp
231w – 690w (e.g. stereo)				3 Amp
691 – 1150w (e.g. Vacuum)				5 Amp
>1151w (e.g. heater, bread maker)				13 Amp

It is very sensible to keep a selection of fuses somewhere handy – somewhere you can find in the dark is good. A packet of common fuses doesn't cost much and one day you'll be glad you got them – I promise. Oh and a torch – a working torch.

Now, to replace the fuse in a plug – Loosen the centre screw from the pin side of the plug (do not loosen the two (if there are any) close to the point where the cable goes into the plug). Remove the plug back to expose the wire connections and the fuse.

Take a small screwdriver and lever out the fuse from its grips – if a terminal comes up with the fuse, just push it back into place. Always replace fuses with the correct rating/value fuse and certainly don't ever be tempted to use a higher rated fuse to “stop the thing keep blowing”. If the fuse does keep blowing, this is telling you there is something wrong – either with the equipment or with the wiring – you really must get them checked. Before you screw the top back onto the plug just check the terminals holding the wires are correct to the diagram above and there are no stray strands of wire and that the terminal screws are tight. Once the back is on – plug it back in, turn the kettle on, have a cuppa and a custard cream – job well done. Oh one last thing on plug fuses – the plug will probably say on it “13A” this is what the plug is rated to – not what fuse should go in it – always use the correct rating fuse for your equipment.

Sadly I have run out of space to cover fusebox / consumer unit fuses this week.

Next week we shall repair a blown fuse in a fusebox.

Keep safe.

Dave

DIY Tips: #1 A bit about Electricity

DIY Dave

Each week, I will bring you useful, handy and important DiY tips and tricks to help you save money in simple, clear and easy to understand step-by-step guides to the more simple tasks around your home. Some tasks around the home do need professional help – so, I will NOT be taking you up onto your roof or down into your drains, getting you to plaster a room or build an extension. However, in the weeks to come, we (you and I) will mend fuses, change light fittings, fill cracks in walls, paint and fix dripping taps and cold radiators and all sorts of other tasks, around our homes.

DIY Tips: #1 A bit about Electricity

Firstly: Electricity is big and grown-up and powerful. I don't want to have to tell you this again so take note: Electricity is powerful enough to injure you, or others, burn your house down or even kill you (or all four) so don't mess around with it. If you're not sure - do contact an electrician. On the other hand though, the movement of electrons is what makes our world tick – so, it is a nice idea to get to know as much about it as you can. If you wish to feel a few of these electrons in action – get a type PP3 9volt battery (or get a teenager to do this if you have one at home, it will wake them up and make them feel useful) – oh, if you try this on anyone younger, or on your granny, it is probably a crime, SO DON'T, JUST DON'T.

Now, simply touch the terminals on the top of the battery, both at the same time, with your tongue … feel that tingle? What you just felt was comparatively few electrons moving between the terminals via your tongue - only 9 volts – household electrics are 240volts (which is 26 times greater or 2600% if you wish to be mathematically pedantic) so;

Don't even think about touching household electricity wiring with any part of yours or anyone else’s body unless you are sure the power is switched off AND isolated AND the fuse is removed AND in your pocket.

Oh and for any numpty thinking “I wonder what jolt I'd get from licking a car battery” DON'T DO IT – LICKING A CAR BATTERY TERMINALS WILL POSSIBLY BURN YOUR TONGUE OFF AND SET YOUR EAR HAIR ALIGHT and besides, it is dirty (and don't lick any other part of your car either).

Domestic fuseboxes

These days there are several different types of fuse boxes (consumer units) in domestic properties. These are some examples:

If your fusebox looks like any of the five above you should seriously consider getting an electrician to quote for a new Consumer Unit – these are all outdated, could be dangerous and could be fire hazards.

This is a more modern example of fusebox/consumer unit with RCD trips and up-to-date circuit protection.

Next week we shall replace a fuse in a plug and repair a blown fuse in a fusebox.