House projects - Replacing old light fixture with cool chandelier

 

Replacing the old light fixture was a new experience for me but it wasn’t too bad. First turn off the power to the fixture, then position your ladder and have your hand tools ready. I used a flat head screwdriver and needle nose pliers for the removal. Unscrew the screw holding the canopy in place. 

 

The canopy should slide down exposing the ceiling box and mounting bracket. You then turn the wire nuts counterclockwise and detach the wires. At this point the chandelier should come down without any hang-ups.  Do not let the weight of the chandelier hang from the wires!

Most new homes have ceiling boxes mounted securely to the joists above your ceiling but if that is not the case then you will need to install a support between the joists to hang the ceiling box from. 

Once the old fixture is down take a minute to assess the situation and ensure you have the necessary parts and tools to proceed.

My better half chose the new fixture and it came unassembled. This was kind of a pain to put together but I actually do like how it turned out.

Each candle needs to be wired and so you need to run the wires inside each arm and back to the column. Weave the main wire and ground up through the chain, ensure that wire also run up through the center of the canopy cover. Hold the chandelier in place while you attach the wire leads (use wire nuts to attach) then attaches the chain to the ceiling box bracket. At this point test the light switch and dimmer to ensure proper function. Slide the canopy cover up to the ceiling and secure in place. Depending on the size of the hole in the ceiling you may need to purchase a ceiling medallion to cover any open space around the canopy cover. Luckily I didn’t need to use a medallion but I bought one just in case.

Once the fixture is wired and in place then you can have your significant other attach the prisms and balls and chains.     

  

House projects - Painting the dining room

Painting the dining room

I really didn’t do too much in the room but I think I improved the look and feel of the space. We wanted a little more modern look so I was given the task of changing the red paint to gray.

I laid down a tarp with a painter’s drop cloth over it. I taped off the trim with painters tape, and then used a paint brush to apply the primer around all the trim. This is a very important step in the painting process; you should always cut in the perimeter of the room with a paint brush. Then you can use a roller to prime the rest of the wall surface. Some of the red was still showing through so I added another coat. You should expect to apply two coats of primer if you are changing a dark color to a lighter color.   

The gray paint went on smooth over the white primer.  The actual painting process is super easy but the taping and prep work is kind of slow going.

 

A ladder is helpful even with a roller. The ladder will allow you to cut in along the crown molding and roll the paint out evenly across the walls.

I gave the paint one day to dry then applied the second coat. I am going to create another post on changing out the light fixture in this room from that uber gold thing to something more up to date.

House projects - Replacing a toilet

Replacing a toilet

This is intended as a supplement to the manufacturer’s instructions, and an opportunity for me to share my experience of removing and installing a toilet. The toilet I replaced was an American Standard and I chose a Kohler 1.6 for the new unit.  I am happy with the improved performance and better look of the Kohler but I think a new American Standard would work just as well.

This is actually a very simple project that can psych out a first timer. I can say that because I recently replaced my first toilet and was surprised by how easy it was.  The first step is to locate the water supply line; this is the hose connecting the toilet with the water supply. In order to turn off the water you must use the T valve on the wall.  Simply turn the T valve until the water is turned off. Once the water supply to the toilet is shut off, then remove the water supply line from the toilet. It should be a 3/8” threaded hose.

 

The next step is to flush the toilet in order to remove the water from inside the tank. I had to flush 3 times to remove the water in the tank. There should only be a little water in the bottom of the bowl, you can take some balled up paper towels and stuff them in the hole to reduce sloshing. 

Next you’ll need to remove the bolt caps and unbolt the toilet. My toilet had been grouted to the floor, so I needed to use a chisel and hammer to remove it.  It was grouted onto finished tile so the bond was weak and the grout was easily removed.

 

At this point you can lift the toilet straight up off the floor and remove it from the bathroom. I would suggest clearing a path from the bathroom to a safe place to store the toilet temporarily. I chose the garage as a temporary storage location.

 

I put some paper towels in the soil pipe to stop any odor from escaping.  If you do this make sure to remove all the paper from the pipe before putting the new toilet back.  Also make sure no paper “falls” down the drain, as it would be difficult to extract.

The next step is to remove the wax from the closet flange. This process is gross but necessary in order to have a proper fitment of the new toilet. I purchased a disposable putty knife for this task.  Some people replace the entire flange but mine looked good so I opted to reuse the existing flange.

The next step is to place the wax ring on the flange and line up the new toilet bowl over the closet bolts and press the toilet into place until the base is resting on the floor. It is important to put even pressure on the bowl while pressing it into place. Once the toilet is in place, take a minute to sit or kneel on the bowl to ensure a good seal of the wax on the closet flange.

At this point you just need to install the tank with the supplied hardware and connect the water supply. 

The fill valve (black piece on left with red cap) connects to the flush valve (white piece) with the rim feed hose.  I found that while functional my flush valve needed to be indexed 90° for the lifter arm on the fill valve to properly clear the back wall of the tank during the flushing cycle.  The call center rep at Kohler was very helpful in explaining the occasional tweaks necessary to get the toilet working just right.

 

 After indexing the fill valve 90° I advised the Kohler representative that when Kohler redesigns the model the fill valve should be redsigned to allow the rim feed hose to be placed in front of the lifter arm, which would solve any clearance issues and IMHO make the unit function better.  I don't think that message will go very far up the chain of command, but I feel better knowing I tried to give them solid feedback in order to improve the product.