Archive for the ‘Home Repair’ Category

Locating Vintage Hardware for Antique Furniture

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

If you love antique furniture, there will inevitably come a time when you will need to locate vintage hardware for a piece that needs a repair or replacement. You may purchase a piece of furniture with part of the hardware broken or missing or someone may have replaced vintage hardware with modern and you want to restore the furniture back to it’s former glory. Even though finding vintage hardware is not as easy as finding a replacement at the local hardware store, there are some sources for finding an authentic replacement.

Flea Market Finds

A flea market is a great place to find just about anything related to vintage furniture and antiques. Dealers come across antique pieces of furniture that are damaged beyond repair but the hardware may be in excellent condition; many antique dealers stockpile serviceable hardware and some even specialize in door knobs, hinges, locks, pulls and all varieties of vintage hardware. Even if a dealer doesn’t have exactly what you are looking for, he may be able to direct you to someone who does.

Furniture Restoration Sources

Similarly, a nearby furniture restoration shop may have the vintage hardware you are looking for or they may be able to refer you to another source. Some furniture restoration experts have the ability to fashion a replica of the original piece which can be a great option if the piece that you are looking for is rare and hard to find. While you would probably prefer to replace broken hardware with a genuine vintage part, a talented restoration specialist can often replicate the original so closely that it is nearly impossible to tell the real thing from the reproduction. An excellent quality piece of reproduction hardware can be a very viable solution.

Expand your Options with an Online Search

Just as you can find contemporary metal tree wall art or wine home decor online, the internet can expand your horizons should local searches leave you empty handed. This gives you access to vendors and restoration shops throughout and country and all over the world. If you know the history of your vintage furniture, this can be helpful because if your piece of furniture came from England or France, for instance, you can find dealers in those countries who may have the original hardware. An internet search can also give you a better chance of finding the authentic hardware for a valuable antique whose integrity might be compromised if a replacement part is used. Most restoration and antique dealers that you contact online will be happy to share their knowledge and sources with you and may well be able to direct you to a source for the needed hardware.

Your Local Hardware Store

If all else fails, your local hardware or home improvement store is an excellent source for hardware that can maintain the function of a piece of vintage furniture. This is not a good solution for priceless antiques, but if you have a piece of furniture that you just love and want to use, modern hardware stores offer many options in styling, size and finish, with some selections having a vintage inspired look that may work well for your treasured hutch or dresser.

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How to Replace your own Bathtub Drain

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

When you need to replace your bathtub drain, your first instinct is probably to call a plumber because your thinking that installing a drain isn’t like changing unique wall decorations or changing a wall hanging candle holders. However, this project may present the perfect opportunity to learn a few plumbing basics and save yourself a little money at the same time. By learning to replace the drain yourself, you can not only save a little money, but you will have a new skill to add to your home repair arsenal as well.

Prepare the Space

Dropping a sharp tool in your bathtub can chip the finish, and then you just have another repair that you need to do, so cover the bathtub with a drop cloth and some towels.  Make sure that you have screwdrivers, pliers and a wrench handy, and you will also want to have a stack of rags or towels handy for any quick mop ups as well.

Photo credit to spierzchala.

Drain Styles

One of the most common drain styles is the lever style stopper, which comes in two different types: A pop up and a plunger.  If you have a plunger style drain, you will not actually see the plug moving when you adjust the lever to close the drain.  This is because the plug is down inside the drain itself.  If you are dealing with this type of drain, start by unscrewing the faceplate.  Then all you have to do is pull the whole drain out.  If the problem is simply a worn stopper, then you can simply replace it and reinstall the drain. Screw back on your faceplate, and your repair is complete.

If your bathroom drain is a pop up style instead, place the lever so that the stopper is at the highest level before removing it.  To get the drain assembly out, either pull it straight up or twist and lift.

Some bathroom drains do not have a lever at all, and these would be roller ball or foot lock style drains.  Both of these drain types can be removed by turning them clockwise and pulling straight up.  Other drains require a setscrew to be loosened before the drain can be removed.

Pulling out the Strainer

If you look down the drain you should see a set of crossbars.  This is the internal strainer. First try the most direct approach by grasping one of the crossbars with the pliers and pulling straight up. If that does not release the drain, then you want to turn everything counterclockwise to unscrew the drain before removing it.

Then there are drains that do not have the crossbars, so you will need a special tool to remove your drain.  This tool is placed in the flange, and then it spreads and tightens against the pipe walls so that you can turn and remove the drain.

Now Do It In Reverse

Purchase replacement parts for your drain or clean any parts that you are planning to reuse; a solution of vinegar and baking soda is an effective cleansing agent.  Then put a bead of plumber’s putty underneath the top edge of the strainer lip and screw it back into the bathtub drain. The putty will make this joint waterproof. Now simply put your new drain back in using the same technique that you used to remove the old one, and your repair is complete.

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