Category Archives: Maintenance and Repair

Maintenance, installs, or repairs made during the project.

Utility Room Storage

Posted on February 2, 2020 by ellen

We severely reduced the size of the original utility room to make room for a dining area and to move the kitchen into the space. But in approximately a 6’x10’ room we fit in a stacking washer and dryer, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Organization | Comments Off on Utility Room Storage

Draining the Spa

Posted on February 1, 2020 by ellen

I had to drain the spa because the winter weather is unpredictable and I did not want the pipes to crack. My planned repair did not work. I ordered the new spa heater from Acura Spa but it was cold … Continue reading →

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ERV Fixed

Posted on January 20, 2020 by ellen

Unfortunately the control board on our ERV has been fried since last summer. It was probably due to several experiments trying to get the Lutron Grafix 0 to 10 voltage dimmer to work with the ERV. My son bought a … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Ventilation | Comments Off on ERV Fixed

Spa Heater Burnout

Posted on January 20, 2020 by ellen

On New Year’s Day we used the spa and I noticed it was losing heat while it was open even though I had turned up the thermostat while we were using it. I noticed a day or two later that … Continue reading →

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One More Thing

Posted on November 10, 2019 by ellen

As time goes on I am involved in fewer projects at my son’s house. One of the last updates in the family bathroom was to change the dual flush unit in the tank. The dual flush button on the toilet … Continue reading →

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Spray Paint Booth

Posted on July 23, 2019 by ellen

I decided to improve my painting technique for the cabinet doors. My brother recommended spraying them. I have a HPLV high pressure low volume spray gun and a compressor and the last time I used them was for lacquer and … Continue reading →

Posted in Distractions, Finishes, Maintenance and Repair, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Sideline at son’s house | Comments Off on Spray Paint Booth

Learning to Re-Key Locks

Posted on May 25, 2019 by ellen

I found a fantastic deal on new doorknobs for my son’s house at the Restore. Interestingly there were almost enough for sale for the whole house including passage sets, privacy sets and keyed sets. They were exactly what we were … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Sideline at son’s house, Tools | Comments Off on Learning to Re-Key Locks

Gorilla Epoxy Glue Fix

Posted on December 3, 2018 by ellen

The shark bite I used to connect the shower hose to the wall was too loose even though I pulled it forward to attach the holder and added a backplate. I tried using caulk to attach the holder to its … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Plumbing | Comments Off on Gorilla Epoxy Glue Fix

Replacing the Oven

Posted on November 5, 2018 by ellen

This is our third oven. Fourth if we count the temporary countertop model we have used when in between broken ovens. First we used a fun technology with the purchase of an Advantium oven. A combination microwave and halogen heating … Continue reading →

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Kitchen Drain Fix

Posted on October 23, 2018 by ellen

One of the items on the spring/summer list was to fix the kitchen sink drain. I stuck a bucket under the kitchen sink drain because it was dripping when the sink had water in it, and I thought the leak … Continue reading →

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Hanging A Painting

Posted on September 4, 2018 by ellen

We need to get the last of the decorative items out of storage and decide what to do with them. I have always liked this serene painting that I bought at a second hand store in Indiana years ago. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Electrical, Finishes, Maintenance and Repair | Comments Off on Hanging A Painting

Storage Closet

Posted on August 24, 2018 by ellen

Sealing the gap between the walls and the floor in the storage closet has been on the to do list for some time. I emptied the closet and vacuumed the floor to access the gap on the outside walls. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Maintenance and Repair | Comments Off on Storage Closet

Cleaning out the Garage

Posted on June 12, 2018 by ellen

Unfortunately the charge cord that came with the JuiceBox is only 20 ft. long. And the 30 amp outlet is in the storage cabinet at the far end from the garage door. That means that the car has to be … Continue reading →

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If It’s On A List, Then It Must Get Done

Posted on April 14, 2018 by ellen

Sooner or later the list must get done. It is past time to come up with a Spring list and I’m looking at the items that I have paid no attention to for a season and feeling like I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Kitchen, Maintenance and Repair, Planning | Comments Off on If It’s On A List, Then It Must Get Done

Painted Garage Door

Posted on April 8, 2018 by ellen

I  was surprised that our garage door was so shy. I had to look long and hard for any photos of the door before it was painted. This is how it looked when we bought the house. There was always … Continue reading →

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New Switch for Tile Saw

Posted on March 8, 2018 by ellen

I bought a Husky bridge style wet tile saw for a bathroom remodel tile project in our Tempe house in 2007. That was the first really creative tile layout that I designed and it turned out pretty well I thought. … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Tile, Tools | Comments Off on New Switch for Tile Saw

Exterior Door Trim

Posted on November 23, 2017 by ellen

I finally let the trim on the front door get so badly peeled and chipped that I had to paint it before winter set in. The sad truth is that something went terribly wrong when we had these doors painted by … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Maintenance and Repair, Trim | Comments Off on Exterior Door Trim

Annual Garage Clean Out

Posted on October 20, 2017 by ellen

Each fall it is time to empty the garage enough to store the car out of the snow and park the mower inside too. This year we did not beat the first snow as it came in October. But we … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Tools | 1 Comment

Problem with Hoppe Three Point Lock on ThermaTru Door

Posted on September 24, 2017 by ellen

One of the sets of french doors was stuck closed. It appeared that the three point lock was stuck at the top of the door keeping it from opening. I thought I was going to have to take the door … Continue reading →

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Guests! An Ebay Scam and ERV Maintenance

Posted on September 24, 2017 by ellen

We have had the pleasure of several recent guests who have stayed in the new master bedroom and bath. The new curtains have made the space more private and it has proved to be great to have another bathroom with … Continue reading →

Posted in Bathrooms, Distractions, Maintenance and Repair, Ventilation | Comments Off on Guests! An Ebay Scam and ERV Maintenance