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When embarking on a plumbing project, be sure that you seal the pipes and hoses well. It might be harder than you think. Do read up on how it can be done. However, it is also very important to make sure you have the appropriate tools.
Never use a sealant that is not designed for what you are doing. Use plumber's putty to seal the sink flanges of a garbage disposal unit. There are types of special wax or grease sealants that are suitable to be used on the base of the toilet. Shower pipes and spouts should be sealed with caulking, and the list goes on from there.
Most will learn from their mistake of utilizing the wrong sealant for certain jobs. Do not substitute PVC Pipe glue when instructions ask for plumber's putty. If you use these things rather than Teflon plumber's tape on hoses, you will never be able to remove it should you ever decide to replace the hoses.
Be sparing but not stingy. It's also important to use the right amounts. For example, a ¼ inch bead of plumber's putty is sufficient to seal around a sink. Too much of it will certainly mean that more cleaning up is needed. If insufficient amounts are used, water will leak under the sink.
Remove the excess but make sure not too much is removed. Too much sealant will tend to crack and tear after it hardens. Using your finger or a damp sponge, lightly wipe away any extra and you should be fine. In addition, ascertain that all smears are removed before they are dry.
Do not stingy about the use of Teflon plumber's tape. It is uncommon to use too much, but in some cases, it can create gaps for water to seep through. Because it is relatively malleable it can be difficult even if you want to overdo it. You want to ensure that not too much is being used as it can make it near to impossible to fit the new pipes or hose back on.
Wind it in the proper direction. If you are handling hoses, the direction is not a problem, however if you are threading pipes, direction will matter. If it's not done correctly, the tape will twist off. The tail of the tape should be facing the direction you will be threading onto it. It will create a seal that us tight as the tape will extend in the similar direction as the pipe while the pipe is being threaded. If the tape is facing the opposite direction, the seal will not be tight.
Avoid torn ends. Do not tear or bite the tape off using your teeth. It can seem like a good idea if you are working in a cramped space that is hard for you to move around. This can lead to stretching and tearing of the ends. If the tape is stretched too much before it is threaded on the pipe, it will not seal correctly.
If the tape is cut cleanly, it will set in the threads better and not leave any ridges that could cause leaks. This should be done on the front and back of the tape. If you have ridges, you will create small openings for water to escape from.
If you utilize the appropriate sealant for the job and follow instructions faithfully, your project should be free from leaks.
How To Use Plumbing Tapes And Sealants To Seal Hoses And PipesIn this home improvement do it yourself renovation post, we will cover in detail how to install ceramic wall tile.
The tools you will need for this DIY project are as follows:
Notched trowel Grout mixer Drill Dust pan Medium sized bucket Measuring Tape Level Pencil Grout sponge Wet tile saw Ceramic tile nibblers ear protectors
Ceramic tile comes in a variety of color and sizes; from 1 inch, all the way up to 18 inches. Although most people prefer using 4 inch tile on walls, the most popular size tile is 12 inches. When picking out at wall tile for a tub surround, you need to make sure that the tile is water impervious (water won't penetrate it). Tiles that are water resistant and repel water are known as semi-vitreous and impervious ceramic tiles.
Preparing the wall for installation
Ceramic tile can be installed on a variety of materials; including drywall, water resistant drywall, plaster and cement backer board. If installing for a tub surround or as a kitchen backsplash, green water resistant drywall or cement board should be used. In this post, we will be illustrating how to install on water resistant drywall.
If using cement board for your project, remember that cement board is cut the same way as regular drywall. Score the drywall with a utility knife, bend and snap it on the line, and cut the backside paper. You must keep in mind that the cement board may come in contact with water; therefore galvanized screws should be used for mounting to wall studs (spaced roughly 6 inches apart). The seams or butt joints are finished by taping with fiberglass tape, and a light coat of thin-set mortar applied as a sealer.
Marking the wall
If you are installing ceramic tile as a tub surround, my suggestion is to work it out that the center of two tiles end up at the center of the shower control, tub spout and shower head. This will make it easier for cutting and less labor intensive. Also, it will reduce the need of using special tools for cutting holes in the ceramic tile. Keep in mind that you want the tile on either end to be somewhat similar in size.
Make a mark where you want the tile to be and mark vertical and horizontal level lines. When marking your horizontal line, ensure that you measure the tile correctly so that the tile is not sitting directly on the top sides of the tub. If the tub happens to shift or move, the tile may crack. To keep the tile off the tub, simply place a tile spacer on either end, between the tub and the tile. See the pic below for a better understanding.
Installing the ceramic tile
When installing the ceramic tile, start at the center point of the shower control and work left and right along the bottom line. Starting in the center, making sure not to cover your lines, apply a coat of pre-mixed tile adhesive to an area for about two tiles. Spread the adhesive with your notched trowel to create ridges in the adhesive. See illustration below to get a better understanding.
Also, if you prefer, you could do what is called "Back buttering" the tile. Each tile is done one at a time, spreading adhesive to the back of the tile and set in place on the wall. See below.
Press each tile in place, giving it a slight twisting motion. This movement ensures that the tile makes good contact with the adhesive. As you work your way along the horizontal line, place tile spacers between each tile, making sure your grout lines will be consistent. Doing one tile at a time, work from one horizontal line to the next, placing spacers along the way to maintain the grout line.
When you arrive at the corner, measure the size of the tile needed and cut with your wet tile saw. The remainder of the cut tile will be installed on the opposite side of the same corner. As illustrated below.
If and when you arrive at a hole that needs to be cut, take a measurement from the installed tile to the obstruction, and transfer that mark to the ceramic tile. Once this mark is made, use your wet tile saw and make many small cuts from the edge of the tile to the mark. Snap these small pieces off with tile nibblers, and let the tile dry. At this time, the tile should be ready to install. If the edge of the tile is sharp, smooth the edge with 80 grit sandpaper.
It is also very likely that at some point, you will end your tile on mid wall. When installing ceramic tile in this fashion, you must use a ceramic tile finishing strip. These strips are to be installed level, with the adhesive holding them in place. The tile is then cut and adhered over top of the finishing strip, with the tiles factory edge touching the finishing strip.
If you cannot complete the job at one time, do not leave any adhesive sit for too long on the wall. The adhesive will be very difficult to remove and will be almost impossible to install tiles in this area. Using a flat edge putty knife, remove excess adhesive from wall.
Grouting the tile
Once the tiles have all been fully installed and the adhesive has set up (24 hrs), it will be time to grout the tiles. See below.
Depending on the width of your grout lines, you will need to choose either sanded or un-sanded grout. If the spaces between the tiles are bigger than 1/8 inch, use sanded grout (This type of grout contains sand particles that help make the grout joint stronger).
Before you grout your tile, remove all your spacers and remove all excess adhesive that may have been left behind.
Following the manufacturer's instructions, start mixing the grout. I recommend emptying two cups of grout in the bucket and slowly add water until you get the required consistency. The consistency should be similar to peanut butter or hot oatmeal. See the pic below to get a better understanding of the grout consistency.
Note: If you're grouting in a bathroom or kitchen area, be sure your grout includes a waterproofing agent.
Using a rubber grout float, apply the grout at a 45-degree angle to the grout lines. Pressing firmly into the grout lines, ensure the grout fills the spaces between the tile and gets all the way down to the bottom of the seams. Working in a 3' x 3' area, be sure you get even coverage over all the grout lines.
After all the grout is applied, at a 45 degree angle to the grout lines, wipe off any excess grout with a damp wet sponge and clean the sponge regularly with clear water (as seen in the pic below). When applying grout on a wall, it is a good idea to put a drop sheet down to ensure there will be no grout falling onto the floor or use a dust pan to catch the grout as it falls.
After the grout has set after about 30 minutes, repeat wiping off the tile with the sponge. This may have to be done several times before the grout is completely removed from the surface of the tile.
Finishing the job
Let the grout dry for about 24 hours, and wipe away any surface haze with a damp rag. Make sure to clean the rag continuously until the tile is free of grout haze. If your wall is in a kitchen or bathroom, use clear mildew resistant silicone caulking to seal the edges of the ceramic tile where it meets the counter or top of the tub.
Note: Also, it is a good idea to apply a grout sealer after a week or so. Doing this, will prevent any dirt or stains from getting into the grout and ruining its appearance.
We hope you have enjoyed our DIY post, and wish you Happy Renovations!
How to Install Ceramic Wall TileUpgrading a bathroom is one of the more popular home improvement projects. Handling the plumbing for draining your shower can be exceedingly simple unless you go overboard.
Whether you are a bathtub or shower person, most people look for shower only options when buying a home. This simple fact means more than a few homeowners spend a weekend upgrading or installing showers in their bathrooms. Fortunately for you, it is a fairly simple process.
A collector or pan refers to the horizontal surface located at the bottom of the shower. The collector typically consists of a non-slip surface slightly banked towards the center or wherever the drain is located. Combined with three to four inch walls around the side, the goal of your shower drainage plumbing is to get the waterto flow to and down the drain.
You can physically build a collector for your new shower, but you really need to think about it. Do you really want to get into the complications of getting the sloping correct, not to mention making sure every aspect of it is waterproof? And I mean every aspect! It is much easier to simply buy a pre-cast collector online or at your local Lowes, Home Depot or hardware store. Building one might sound like a great idea, but you will probably feel differently after a couple of hours.
Regardless of how you go about getting a pan, you should make every effort to use one that has the drain located in the same spot as the original pan. Moving the drain pipes can be a task, particularly if the builder used a unique framing structure. If you aredetermined to move the drain, you are going to have to cut back the pipe or lengthen it, which may mean ripping up large chunks of the floor. Put another way, you are going to be looking at a multiple weekend project.
Assuming we have our drain lined up, the actual hook up is fairly simple. The drainage pipe should be vertical facing up to the collector. It will often look like a "U", which means it acts as a cleanout to keep nasty smells from coming back up from the drain. To connect the drain, you are going to create a water tight connection between a drain cap on the top of the pan and the drainage pipe. Systems vary, but you are typically going to do this by putting a coupling piece on the top of the drainage pipe. This is then covered with gaskets and literally screwed into thedrain cap. The drain cap should act as a locknut, to wit, it screws directly onto the coupling.
The tricky part of this process is getting your drain cap to fit into a watertight position in the pan. This is accomplished by backing off the drain cap once you are sure everything fits together. At that point, you put plumbers putty around the underside of the cap and then screw it back on. The putty should form a tight seal between the cap and the shower pan, which keeps water from trickling under it and into the framing under the shower.
Handling Your Own Shower Drain Installation Project