Fix It Archives - Page 10 of 14

accessories, bedroom, Before and After, decor, Decorating, Fix It, lamp, ReNew

5 Minute Update for Your Ceiling Fan

5 Minute Ceiling Fan upgrade | Pretty Handy Girl

When I was updating my son’s bedroom, I gave the ceiling fan a 5 minute update! You can easily change the look of a ceiling fan by quickly swapped out the light shades. I removed the scalloped edged glass shades and replaced them with square ones for a more “gender neutral” look.

New glass shades cost anywhere from $3 – $10 each at Lowe’s or other home improvement stores. The shade size is pretty much universal, but make sure you are buying the smaller shades versus larger ones that are sold for pendant lights. To be sure, bring one of the old shades with you or measure the diameter of the mouth on the existing shades.

Here’s the quick 5 minute how to swap out your ceiling fan light shades: Read more

June 20, 2014/6 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

bathroom, DIY, Fix It, Home & Auto Maintenance, Home Maintenance, pliers, Plumbing, repair, Tutorial

How to Easily Install a New Shower Head

Raise your hand if you have a sad excuse for a shower head! Is it drippy, rusty or clogged? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I’m about to show you why there is no excuse for you being able to install a new shower head yourself! It’s super easy.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

New shower head
Vise Grip Pliers (or other wide mouth pliers)
Plumber’s tape

Optional: Shower arm & flange, rag to protect new shower arm

Instructions:

1. Remove the old shower head by unscrewing it from the pipe arm. Use pliers to help get it started.

2. Unscrew the old shower arm if it is rusty or won’t match the new shower head. Remove that rusty flange (now is the time to do it! Don’t put it off any longer.)

3. Replace the old shower arm with new one by screwing it into the plumbing pipe in the wall. Then slide the new flange over the arm.

Wrap the end of the shower arm with plumber’s tape (wrap it clockwise to keep it from bunching up when you attach the new shower head.)

4. Screw the new shower head onto the end of the shower arm. Hand tighten the head. Then put the rag over the spot base of the shower head and use the pliers to tighten it 1/4 turn.

5. If your shower head has an extension hose, attach that at this time by screwing it onto the shower head and attaching the other end to the body sprayer.

Turn on the water and test the spray! Beautiful! No drips or clogs? If you have some leaks anywhere, give an extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn to tighten it the shower head or hose.

I installed the Delta In2ition shower head in the Topsail Beach Condo we renovated. I’ve been intrigued by this shower head and after trying it out, I love it!!!

Because who wouldn’t love a shower head that sprays from the top even when you want a body spray too?

The interior head is fully removable and nests back into the outer ring when done body spraying.

The only initial drawback I found was getting used to setting the body sprayer back into the ring. Once I realized you have to push it in and down firmly, there was no problem.

Wasn’t that easy? Go on and replace your shower head today if you’ve been putting it off!

Disclosure: No disclosure necessary. I wasn’t paid or provided with the Delta In2ition shower head. My stepmom paid for it to be installed in the beach condo. I chose this shower head because I wanted to try it out.

Pin for later!

March 21, 2014/7 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

DIY, Fix It, Home & Auto Maintenance, kitchen, Kitchen Renovation, renovation, repair, Tutorial

How to Move a Floor Register in a Window Seat

Remember last month when I showed you how to build a window seat in a bay window? I had promised to share with you how to move the floor register. I’m true to my word and am back with the tutorial today.

When I built our kitchen window seat, I had two obstacles in my path. The first was moving the wiring for the outlet, the electrician and I simply pulled the wiring down from the outlet on the wall and re-routed it into the new outlet box in the front of the window seat. A relatively easy task. Moving the HVAC vent wasn’t very difficult, it just involved a little more cutting and measuring. But, this is a task you can handle!

I have seen some other methods for re-routing the floor vent. One such method involved building a wooden box to channel the air out the front. I caution you from doing this if you live in a humid climate. Mold can grow inside the wooden box. You could build a channel with HVAC rigid ductwork, but you’d be adding an extra turn which can cut down on the airflow. Another alternative would be to move the register to another location in the floor. I chose to move it to the front of the window seat.

How to Move a Floor Register Materials:

Carpenter’s Square
Pencil
90 degree Ductwork (if you can’t use the existing)
Wall register
Small level
Roofing nails
Zip tie
Foil duct tape
Dremel Multi-Max
Drill with bits

Instructions: Read more

July 22, 2013/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

drywall repair, Fix It, Home & Auto Maintenance, repair

Cracks in Drywall: 5 Steps to a Permanent Fix with 3M Patch Plus Primer

Do you have a crack in your drywall that keeps coming back?

Today’s post will help you fix this annoying problem in 5 easy steps using 3M’s Patch Plus Primer.

This weekend I was cleaning out the guinea pig cage that sits in our living room (did you know guinea pigs can live from 5 to 8 years, what the!!!) and noticed a crack in our wall under the window.

Apparently the previous homeowners tried to fix it since there was evidence of old joint compound around the crack.

Dealing with old rental homes has taught me a thing or two about drywall and plaster. After reading this post I guarantee you’ll be able to permanently fix any drywall crack in no time.

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials:

Fiberglass mesh drywall tape
3M Patch Plus Primer
Putty knife
6 inch drywall knife
Joint compound mud pan
Sanding sponge
Towel for your floor
Your wall paint
2 to 3 episodes of Big Bang Theory

That’s not a bad supply list. My grocery list puts it to shame and is far more expensive (and that’s without buying Dogfish Head IPA beer).

Let’s get started and eliminate your cracked drywall 🙂 Read more

May 22, 2013/92 Comments/by Jeff Patterson

Before and After, Build It, chair glides, circular saw, Contributor, Fix It, painting, painting chair, thrifting, Tutorial

How to Cut Bar Stools Down to Counter Height Stools

Yes you can make those wood bar stools fit your counter. Here’s an easy DIY fix to make bar stools into counter stools (and a quick makeover too!).

Bar stools typically sit at 30″ high, this is fine and dandy if you have a proper bar where the countertop is elevated higher than the working countertop space. Kitchen designs are trending now away from the proper bar towards one even countertop surface. No worries, you can still use those bar stools for your counter by easily cutting off the bottom 4″ to reduce the stools to a counter height of 26″:

(The white stools above are counter height and in the picture for comparison purposes.)

In addition to fixing the height of your stools give them a fresh look with a quick paint job and a new design: Read more

May 15, 2013/20 Comments/by Jaime Costiglio