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Home Do It Yourself Tips

DIY Replace a Leaky Bathroom Faucet

 

Materials:

faucet assembly
drain assembly
plumber’s putty
Teflon tape
water supply lines
P-trap assembly

Before: An old faucet just brings the whole bathroom down.

Tools:

adjustable wrench
basin wrench
hacksaw
slip-joint pliers

Steps:

1. Turn off water by closing the valves under the sink.

2. After the water is off, open the faucet to make sure the water is off and the lines are drained.

3. Remove the old water supply lines by unscrewing the compression nut holding the tube to the valve.

4. Remove the old drain line and trap by unscrewing the compression fittings using the slip-joint pliers. If the trap is glued together, you’ll need to cut through the PVC pipe.

5. Use the basin wrench to unscrew the retaining nuts on the bottom of the faucet. You’ll have to do this from beneath the vanity, and then lift the faucet out from above.

6. Attach the new supply lines to the faucet and position the faucet back into the vanity top.

7. Attach the retaining nuts to bottom of faucet and tighten with the basin wrench. Be careful not to over tighten and crack the top.

8. Attach new P-trap assembly to sink and existing plumbing. Use a PVC trap with compression fittings.

9. Attach water supply lines to valves, and turn on.

10. Check for leaks. Run the water to fill the sink, and then let it drain. This will be the most pressure the sink will have.

DIY Installing a Kitchen Countertop and Sink in a Weekend

Materials and Tools:

countertop, sink and faucet assembly of your choosing
tape measure
writing tablet and pencil
adjustable wrench
power screwdriver
screwdriver
wood glue
4-foot level
circular saw
drill
paddle bit
jigsaw
plumber’s putty

Steps:

1. Begin by taking measurements for your new countertop, then transfer those measurements to a simple diagram on paper of your kitchen. Be sure to measure wall to wall, not from the inside edges of the old countertop. Remember: measure twice, cut once! Once you have your measurements, you can place your order for a new countertop.

2. Disconnect the plumbing under the sink. Turn both hot and cold water lines off and disconnect the lines with a wrench. If you have a garbage disposal, disconnect that as well, along with the pvc pipe. Have a bucket and rag on hand to catch drips from the plumbing.

3. Remove all items from the countertop and all drawers. Use both a power screwdriver and regular screwdriver to remove all screws holding the countertop. Once all screws are removed, carefully lift the countertop up and away, revealing the base cabinetry.

4. Prepare for the countertop installation by first running a bead of wood glue along the mitered corner of one of the pieces of countertop. Position the countertop against a second piece, placing both upside-down across the cabinets to more easily join them. Place the corner clips inside the depressions and tighten them with a wrench. Tighten until snug and the corners are true.

5. Make sure the countertop surface is smooth at the seam. Completely tighten clips. Place onto cabinetry, ensure that it is level and secure with screws. Don’t overtighten the screws — this could destroy the particle board. And, even though it is common sense, make sure the screws are not too long and don’t penetrate the countertop surface. (These directions pertain to the section of counter not holding the sink).

6. To measure for the sink, place the new countertop on sawhorses, then place the old countertop on top. Make marks for the area to be cut out, flip the new countertop over, then transfer these marks to the back using a tape measure. Cut the counter with a circular saw, with the guide set to run along the edge. Once the dimensions are cut, set the new counter in place and secure. Note that you haven’t cut away the sink area yet.

7. A handy way to measure for the sink is to use a template provided by the sink manufacturer. Cut away the sink area by drilling a pilot hole with a paddle bit, then use a jigsaw to complete the cut. Closely follow the pencil line until the entire section is completely cut away.

8. For this project, the sink hardware is installed before the sink is dropped into place. Begin by inserting the faucet body through the cutout in the sink. Attach the gasket and threaded collar ring to the unit from below. Don’t tighten all the way — you’ll want room to attach plumber’s putty underneath the faucet assembly.

9. Roll plumber’s putty between your palms (like Play-Doh) and then set it on the sink top just under the faucet. Press the faucet down onto the putty and then secure the threaded collar underneath the sink. Use plumber’s putty around the bottom of the sink strainers, then insert them into the holes in the sink.

10. Line the perimeter of the sink cutout with a thin rope of plumber’s putty, then wrap thread tape around the water supply line threads. Lower the sink into the putty, then, when the sink is well-seated, remove the excess from around the sink. Finally, attach the supply lines and you are done . This project costs around $1,400 and takes one day to complete.

DIY Install a Tile Backsplash

Materials and Tools:

bucket
bleach
sponges
laundry detergent
rubber gloves
level
tape measure
grout floats
putty knife
wide trowel
toothed trowel
wet saw or tile cutter
safety glasses
grout
tiles
pre-mixed tile adhesive
caulk and caulking gun
grout sealer
paintbrush

Steps:

1. Clean the surface thoroughly first to remove all grease and residue. Mix together 1/4-cup laundry powder, 1/2-cup bleach and one gallon of water and scrub the wall with a sponge. Wear rubber gloves when scrubbing.

2. Use a putty knife to scrape off stubborn, built-up grease stains

3. Measure the length of the wall and mark the midpoint.

4. Dry-fit the tiles, starting in the middle to get an idea of how things will fit. If you’re fitting tiles in below a window, bring tiles up to the bottom of the window. Use a level to extend the window line along the wall.

5. Since the row just below the window will be made up of full tiles, measure the remaining space to the counter to determine how wide to cut the tiles.

6. Put on safety glasses and cut smaller tiles using a wet saw.

7. Spread grout along a section of the wall using a wide trowel. Go back over the grout with a toothed trowel to smooth everything out.

8. Start sticking tiles to the wall. Press and twist just a bit to set each tile in the adhesive. Stagger the tiles to make the pattern more interesting.

9. Once the last piece is in place let the adhesive cure overnight. Come back the next day for a grout party.

10. Apply the grout with a rubber grout float. Hold the float at an angle and force grout into the joints.

11. Don’t worry about smearing grout all over the tiles. Come back with a clean grout float and sponge and remove as much as you can.

12. Once all the joints are nice and full of grout, use a damp sponge to remove any remaining grout from the surface of the tiles.

13. Let the grout dry and polish tiles with clean, soft cloth to buff away any remaining haze.

14. Rub a damp sponge along the grout lines for the next few days so the grout cures properly. Also run a bead of caulk along the bottom and top of the tile backsplash.

15. After another week or so, paint the joints with grout sealer.

DIY Installing a Garbage Disposal

Materials and Tools:

Phillips- and flat-head screwdrivers
large and small slip-joint pliers
measuring tape
PVC primer and glue
plumber’s putty
PVC saw
bucket
safety glasses
gloves

The garbage disposal will require a dedicated electrical switch and power supply. You’ll probably want to have these installed by a professional electrician.

Steps:

1. Determine whether you have enough room underneath your sink to install the disposal.

2. Turn off the water and remove all of the existing drainpipes except for the pipe coming from the wall.

3. Remove the large nut from the sink strainer where you will be installing the garbage disposal, and push the strainer basket up through the drain hole.

4. Clean the area well.

5. Place a rubber seal on the underside of the drain flange. If your new disposal doesn’t include a rubber seal, you’ll need to use plumber’s putty. Push the drain flange into place in the drain hole.

6. Place a rubber seal on the drain flange on the underside of the sink.

7. Attach the metal backup ring, flat side up.

8. Loosely attach the mounting ring with three screws. Push the mounting ring up, and secure it with the snap ring. Tighten the mounting screws a little at a time until the assembly is tight and even.

9. If your disposal will be connected to the dishwasher drain, use a hammer and screwdriver to remove the knock out plug.

10. Turn off the power to the disposal at the circuit breaker box.

11. Remove the plate on the back of the unit.

12. Feed the electrical cable through the strain relief sleeve into the disposal.

13. Connect the electrical wires. Connect the ground wire to the green screw on the disposal, and splice white to white and black to black. Secure the connections with wire nuts, firmly tighten the strain relief sleeve, and replace the cover plate.

14. Push the disposal into the mounting bracket, and turn the locking ring until all three housing pins catch. Turn the locking ring as tightly as possible. Use slip-joint pliers to finish tightening the locking ring; you should be able to hear the pins snap into place.

15. Attach the 90-degree disposal drainpipe to the unit.

16. Reattach the tailpiece to the other bowl of the sink.

17. Attach an adjustable coupling to the main drainpipe.

18. Attach P-traps both to the disposal and to the tailpiece from the other sink bowl. Adjust the P-traps so that they are level with each other, and rotate the disposal so that the pipes are aligned properly.

19. Use straight pipes and a “T” fitting to connect both drains into one line, and route the drainpipes into the main drain line. Use a PVC saw to cut pipes to the proper length. You may need to use angled fittings to align the drainpipes properly.

20. Dry fit the pieces of the drain assembly, and then secure them in place with PVC glue. Spread the PVC glue on the outside of the pipe and the inside of the fitting. Set the pieces in place, and give them 1/4 turn. Hold them in place for approximately 20 seconds to allow the glue to set. PVC glue melts the PVC material to create a strong weld.

21. Tighten all adjustable connectors, and connect the dishwasher drain line.

22. Turn the water back on and run water through the disposal for a few minutes to check for leaks. If there aren’t any, then turn the power back on. Your disposal will probably include a jam breaker wrench. As its name implies, the jam-breaker wrench can be inserted into a hole in the bottom of the unit and rotated to loosen a jammed disposal.

DIY Sink Skirt

Materials Needed:

  • 4-1/2 yards of 48″-wide cotton fabric
  • measuring tape or ruler
  • 2 yards cotton piping
  • 5′ of 1″-wide adhesive-backed hook and loop tape
  • coordinating all-purpose thread
  • sewing machine
  • scissors
  • iron
  • 1 roll 5/8″ fusible bonding web tape
  • high temperature hot glue gun
  • hot glue sticks

Measure and Cut Fabric

Measure the height and width of sink. Measure and cut three pieces of fabric to the length of the sink height plus 5 inches for seam allowance and hem. Position two fabric panels with right sides together, and pin and sew right edge. Pin and sew third panel in the same manner. (Example: If using 48-inch wide fabric for a sink that’s 31 inches high, the fabric panel should measure 144 inches by 36 inches.) Tip: If a machine washable skirt is desired, pre-wash fabric.

Make Piping

Cut cotton piping cord to sink width, plus 1 inch for seam allowance. Measure and cut a piece of fabric that’s 2 inches wide and the length of the sink width plus 1 inch. (Example: If sink width is 30 inches, the fabric piece would measure 31 inches by 2 inches.) Wrap fabric length around piping cord and sew into place using a zipper foot.

Make Header Band

Measure and cut a piece of fabric to sink width plus 1″ seam allowance and 6-1/2 inches wide. Fold fabric in half lengthwise and press. Sandwich a piece of fusible webbing tape between the two layers and press again to activate adhesive.

 

DIY Modern Vanity Update

Materials Needed:

  • solid metal front door knockers
  • basic white or wood bathroom vanity
  • screwdriver
  • wood filler
  • putty knife
  • semi-gloss enamel paint
  • paintbrush
  • paint sprayer
  • screws
  • nuts
  • tape measure
  • pencil
  • medium-grit sanding block
  • drill
  • drill bit
  • wrench

Spackle and Sand

Remove existing door pull with a screwdriver. Using a putty knife, fill the hole with wood filler. Once wood filler has dried, sand lightly with medium-grit sanding block.

Update With Paint

Spray two coats of bold color onto doors and base. As necessary, use brush to paint details.

Mark Placement

Use tape measure to determine center point of door, then mark with pencil.

Drill Holes

Using pencil marks as guides, drill holes into door.

Attach Door Knocker

Place door knocker flush with front of door, then screw in place with the screwdriver. Add nut to screw on back of door, then tighten with wrench.

 

DIY Vanity With Wallpaper

Materials Needed:

  • bathroom vanity
  • vinyl wallpaper
  • wallpaper paste
  • wallpaper-smoothing tool
  • utility knife
  • wood filler
  • putty knife
  • damp cloth
  • screwdriver
  • door pulls
  • medium-grit sanding block
  • pencil
  • notepad
  • tape measure
  • level
  • paintbrush
  • bucket
  • drop cloth
  • drill
  • drill bit
  • wallpaper primer

Prep Doors

Use screwdriver to remove existing door pulls and hinges. Lay doors out on a long, flat surface. Fill any carved detail with wood filler using utility knife. Once wood filler has dried, use medium-grit sanding block to smooth out surface of door. Add wallpaper primer to surface of doors and base with paintbrush.

Measure and Cut Wallpaper

Use tape measure to determine height and width of doors and vanity base. Jot measurements down on notepad using pencil. Referring to dimensions on notepad, roll out vinyl wallpaper, then mark using pencil and level. Cut vinyl wallpaper using utility knife.

Add Paste

Protect floor of work area with drop cloth. Lay out pre-cut pieces of vinyl wallpaper, back side up, on long, flat surface. Pour wallpaper paste into bucket. Dip paintbrush into bucket, then “paint” an even layer of paste on the back of the wallpaper. Fold both ends of wallpaper into the middle, allow approximately five minutes for paste to settle.

Attach Wallpaper to Doors

Unfold wallpaper, then press directly to door, matching repeat piece by piece, and wrapping around to the back. Smooth out air bubbles using wallpaper-smoothing tool. Cut away excess using utility knife. Wipe off any residue with damp cloth.

Attach Wallpaper to Base

Apply paste directly to vanity base using paint brush. Press firmly in place, matching repeat piece by piece, then cut away excess using utility knife. Smooth out air bubbles using wallpaper-smoothing tool. Wipe off any residue with damp cloth.

Add New Door Pulls

Use screwdriver to attach hinges to doors and vanity base. Drill holes for door pulls with drill bit. Install door pulls with screwdriver.

DIY Kitchen Cabinets With Glass Inserts

Materials Needed:

  • cabinet doors with panel insert
  • LEXAN glass sheets, 1/8″ thick
  • utility knife or plastic cutting knife
  • clear silicone
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • measuring tape
  • carpenter’s square or straightedge
  • circular saw
  • wood chisel
  • safety glasses
  • hearing protection
  • painters’ tape

Remove Doors

Remove cabinet doors, place existing hardware in a plastic bag and label doors and cabinets openings with painters’ tape, numbering them to make re-assembly easier. Note: This tutorial is for replacing cabinet door panels with LEXAN glass. The cabinet must be constructed with a frame surrounding a panel, like the cabinet in the diagram.

Measure Doors

Remove doors from the cabinet and inspect top edge of the door. Each door will have a tongue-and-groove joint. First, measure width of groove on inside of cabinet then measure depth of groove on the cabinet. In example shown, depth of groove is 1/2-inch and width is 1/4-inch.

Mark Doors

On back of cabinet, mark doors in from the inside of the frame the depth of the groove. Use carpenter’s square to mark all sides.

Cut Out Panels

Adjust circular saw cutting depth to depth taken in previous step. With eye and hearing protection, carefully cut marked lines with circular saw. Tip: Use a clamp to secure the door to the work surface.

Chisel Corners

Use a wood chisel to cut corners free.

Remove Wood Panel

With the wood chisel, pry wood panel free of cabinet frame. Remove panel and measure dimensions.

Cut LEXAN Glass

Mark dimensions of plywood insert on LEXAN glass. Using plastic cutting knife or utility knife, score LEXAN glass halfway through then snap LEXAN glass on scored lines. Tip: Clamp a straight board to the LEXAN glass and use as a scoring edge.

Apply Silicone

Apply clear silicone to interior door frame.

Insert LEXAN Glass

Carefully insert LEXAN glass into frame, pressing glass firmly into frame. Wipe excess silicone off face of glass and allow to dry. Hang cabinet doors using hardware removed in the first step.