31
votes
How do I mount this towel rack that was ripped off the wall?
The traditional solution for a pulled out towel rack is to remove the towel rack, patch the holes (usu two on each end) and place the rack slightly higher or lower. An experienced or inventive person ...
- 21.9k
26
votes
How do I tighten this bathroom faucet?
Turns out the two smaller "threaded" bolts are actually springs. Red herrings.
Luckily my architect remembered the (discontinued) line "Brizo Quiessence" and was able to find the ...
- 1,135
15
votes
How do I mount this towel rack that was ripped off the wall?
This happens when bathroom fixtures are only fastened to drywall -- such fixtures are easily ripped out. If you have young children, they will be mysteriously compelled to swing like monkeys from ...
- 257
14
votes
Accepted
How can I stop a toilet seat from rapidly loosening?
Nylon is self-lubricating. Even when tight it's very slippery against itself. You'll need to increase friction.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but you could apply some PTFE (Teflon) plumbing tape to ...
- 138k
13
votes
How do I mount this towel rack that was ripped off the wall?
Get to the Studs
Regular anchors are fine for an ordinary towel bar. But not for a grab bar. For regular anchors to work here, you would need to (a) patch the drywall, (b) install the towel bar with ...
13
votes
Accepted
How can I fix/modify my tub/shower combo so the water comes out of the showerhead?
If I'm not mistaken, you can pull down with some force on the bottom of the spout.
If you turn the water on and do that, the water will come out of the shower head until you turn the water off (or ...
- 454
12
votes
Accepted
Why does dirt appear after we turn off water either to the house or under the sink?
Fine silt and dissolved minerals coming out of solution settle on the inside of pipes. When the system is de-pressurized and re-pressurized it's normal for that material to be disturbed and come out ...
- 214k
11
votes
Drilling steady holes horizontally on ceramic
Pick up a Diamond Drill Bit for porcelain tile. These don't have a tip so you need to start them at a 45 degree angle and slowly move it perpendicular to the tile. Check out YouTube for videos on ...
- 4,183
11
votes
Drilling steady holes horizontally on ceramic
Put a couple of pieces of masking tape on the wall. Then mark the intended hole location, and carefully make small cut in the masking tape. Also scratch an initial divot into the tile.
Finally, ...
- 5,653
11
votes
Accepted
What type of anchor is this and how do I remove/replace/tighten it?
It's one o' these...
image source
To remove it...
Grab the flange with a needle-nose pliers and bend it outward. Flex it in and out a few times and it'll pop off. Do the same for the other half if it ...
- 138k
11
votes
What is this light fixture type? I have never seen it anywhere before. (North America)
The fixture type is quite common. The bulb in it now is not. That's a LED replacement (perhaps not a good one if it died - certainly crude and likely early) for a halogen bulb. Something like a T3 R7s ...
- 214k
10
votes
Is this type of under-sink connection appropriate?
Yes this seems faulty, not just a poor alternative. Installer needs to come back and fix it, at their cost, with proper seal rings ...etc. This is very straightforward and easy work that should and ...
- 16k
10
votes
Accepted
Drilling steady holes horizontally on ceramic
Use a small nail set or other hardened metal tool and a hammer to make a tiny chip in the tile glaze. This will entrap the bit tip and allow you to start drilling without walk. It may help to hold the ...
- 138k
10
votes
Drilling steady holes horizontally on ceramic
I've used a scrap of wood of some thickness enough that when the bit goes through it will be held straight. Drill that at the bench.
Use carpet tape to attach this block to the tile, and drill ...
- 1,101
9
votes
How do I mount this towel rack that was ripped off the wall?
Since this is being used as a handrail, perhaps it should be supplemented by a proper vertically-mounted hand rail at the corner?
You could replace the existing towel rail with something thinner, ...
- 10.6k
9
votes
Accepted
What is the point of extra T pipe under my vanity?
It's a trap primer. It allows just a little bit of water to be bypassed from the usual horizontal path (headed to your sink) and sends it out the vertical pipe, where it ends up keeping a trap (often ...
- 670
8
votes
Bathroom Light Fixture with no stud or box
I found almost that exact same image behind a bathroom vanity light fixture that I took down to replace. Needless to say I was flabbergasted that such garbage workmanship would be hidden behind a ...
- 64.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Bathroom Vent Fan Upgrade
You can install a reducer, but you'll cut your flow volume by an equal proportion:
28.3in2 - 7.1in2 = 21.2in2 (an area reduction of 75% when going from 6" to 3" duct)
This will negate a significant ...
- 138k
8
votes
Can I replace a shower cartridge with the water on by forcing it against the water pressure?
If you had an old faucet with just a valve stem and flat washer, possibly. You could open the old valve and the new valve stem and remove the old one. The water would gush out but when you inserted ...
- 80.5k
8
votes
How to safely hang this bathroom mirror and medicine cabinet
An alternative:
Most recessed medicine cabinet installations I've seen would attach through the sidewall of the cabinet into the framing.
Your pictures don't show if there are mounting holes for that ...
- 8,754
8
votes
Accepted
Drill hole size for a given screw size in tile
You want the hole through the tile a tiny amount larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the screw body. If the hole in the tile is smaller than the screw the tile will most likely crack as ...
- 64.6k
8
votes
How do I tighten this bathroom faucet?
The implication of what you found is that the above counter trim must be removable to expose a part of the bolt that can be tightened. It will, of course, be subtle as to HOW it's to be disassembled ...
- 214k
7
votes
Is this type of under-sink connection appropriate?
This is so blatantly wrong that I have to think the contractor just forgot to finish it up. It almost looks like a stainless steel drain pipe going into that piece of PVC. Your fix would be fairly ...
- 80.5k
7
votes
How can I remove and re-install a towel rack without destroying the wall?
(Just lift straight up)
Have you tried sliding the bar to the either side to see if it gives you space to pull the bar out, and then the two holders would unscrew to expose the screws holding it ...
- 101
6
votes
How do I wire multiple switches for my bathroom lights and fan?
If I understand your layout, you could wire it like this:
Chaining to all four lights like this requires the use of 12/3 cable for the first two sections, but if you want to follow Tester101's ...
- 14.4k
6
votes
Bathroom Light Fixture with no stud or box
That's terrible. Whoever did the work did very shabby and unsafe work, and you may have a house full of that.
One option is an "old work" (meaning retrofit) junction box that attaches directly to ...
6
votes
How can I stop a toilet seat from rapidly loosening?
It is likely that the plastic nut (or bolt it screws to) is stripped. It may feel like it is tightening, but works loose because the threads are damaged. You should grab a set of replacement toilet ...
- 35.8k
6
votes
At what height should support handrails be mounted in a home?
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) spec is 33"-36" off the floor for horizontal grab bars. And given 5'-2", I'd lean to the lower end of that scale.
Suggest you get one inside and outside the bath ...
- 22.2k
6
votes
Drilling steady holes horizontally on ceramic
I have used a drill guide with a suction cup for this which worked very well. You use just position it over your mark carefully and use the suction cup to stick it to the surrounding tiles. The ...
- 116
5
votes
What is the point of a shower diverter?
What you need is a valve designed just for shower only. Not a valve assembly with a diverter, which are specifically designed for tub/shower combination:
No diverter here, most any manufacturer that ...
- 35.8k
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