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Gary Hedstrom
Gary is a self-taught repair master with experience in carpentry, plumbing, appliance repair, and more.
Articles & Books From Gary Hedstrom
Step by Step / Updated 04-26-2016
Patching mortar on brick walls keeps moisture from getting behind the brick. Knowing how to patch mortar on brick walls can help you to repair the damage to your walls and prevent further structural damage.To replace the mortar, you'll need a chisel with a narrow blade, a stiff brush, mortar mix, a trowel or pointing tool, and a scrub brush for wiping off excess mortar.
Step by Step / Updated 04-17-2017
Knowing how to test a circuit breaker can save on electricians’ fees. Test the circuit breaker with a voltage tester to see if it’s faulty. The voltage tester will indicate if the breaker is getting power. If the breaker is faulty, you'll need to replace it.
Safety first! You have to keep the electrical current on when you use the volt tester, so be cautious.
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
Reattaching loose wallpaper seams and edges can prevent further damage: torn wallpaper. To fix loose seams or curling edges on wallpaper, you'll need a knife or craft stick, a damp sponge, a tube of seam adhesive with a pointed nozzle, and a wallpaper roller.
Loose seams and curled edges occur when too much adhesive seeps out when you roll wallpaper edges and seams.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-20-2022
It's a good idea to be prepared for things going wrong in your home, whether it's something relatively simple that you can fix yourself, or a more complex problem requiring a qualified professional.Following is advice for both situations. First, we list some non-tool items you'll want to have around for DIY home repair.
Step by Step / Updated 04-13-2017
Fixing a squeaky floor that’s carpeted can be challenging. To fix a squeaky carpeted floor, you might have to try a few times until you get the squeak to stop.Floors get squeaky when wood dries out (either finished wood or a wooden subfloor). This can cause subfloor nails to pop loose and the subfloor to separate from the floor joist.
Step by Step / Updated 04-14-2017
Fix a loose ceramic floor tile before the tile breaks. Loose floor tiles occur if the original adhesive doesn't seal properly or if the grout is chipped or uneven, allowing moisture to get under the tile. Securing loose ceramic or clay tiles before they break will save time and money down the road.If a tile isn’t broken or cracked, you’re in good shape for fixing the floor.
Step by Step / Updated 03-06-2017
Fixing a ripped or torn carpet is essential because loose carpet tears easily. Fixing a ripped carpet while the tear is small can prevent accidents and keep the damage from spreading. Sharp objects can fall, cutting carpets, but most often, tears and rips occur along the seamed edges or at the edges of badly worn carpeting.
Step by Step / Updated 02-16-2017
Patching a pile carpet that’s damaged or stained can renew its look. Fixing damaged pile carpet with a patch is cheaper than replacing a whole carpet. Just cut out the damaged or stained spot and add a section of matching carpet. When patching a pile carpet, make sure that the nap in your patch runs in the same direction as the rest of the carpet or it’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
Step by Step / Updated 02-01-2017
Repointing a brick walls keeps moisture from getting behind the brick. Knowing how to repoint brick walls can help you to repair the damage to your walls and prevent further structural damage.To repoint a brick wall, you'll need a chisel with a narrow blade, a stiff brush, mortar mix, a trowel or pointing tool, and a scrub brush for wiping off excess mortar.
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
Replace broken or missing ceramic tiles to prevent further damage. Damaged tiles allow moisture to get under the tile, so replace broken ceramic tiles right away. Ditto for clay tiles!
You can easily replace cracked and broken ceramic and clay tiles if you kept extra tiles and grout mix. If not, you'll need to either purchase matching tile or take a tile from some place it won’t be missed, like inside a closet.