A ceiling fan can add both an aesthetic touch to a room as well as provide comfortable air flow throughout the home.
Most fans are designed for ceilings that are between eight and nine feet high, but some people have much lower ceilings. For those with seven-foot ceilings, a "hugger" or flush-mount ceiling fan is the way to go. There are a few hugger fan options from which to choose.
Hunter Low Profile III and IV
These 52-inch flush-mount fans have a number of different finishes. They feature five blades with an all-white construction, and the WhisperWind motor limits the noise it makes. It also has three speeds and a light fixture.
Minka Aire Concept II Flush Mount
Slightly more expensive than the Hunter Low Profile flush-mount model, the Minka Aire Concept offers three white veneer blades with a 44-inch span and a 14-degree tilt. It has three fan speeds, is reversible and has a . The fan features a light fixture that includes a dimmer option.
Casablance Isotope
The Casablanca Isotope flush-mount ceiling fan offers five 44-inch blades with a 14-degree pitch. It has a remote control that allows you to dim the light fixture and reverse the direction in which the blades are spinning. There are three speed settings.
Monte Carlo Micro
The Monte Carlo Micro is a flush-mount ceiling fan with three 24-inch blades that have a 14-degree pitch. The blades have a weather-resistant finish. It offers a three-speed pull chain, and you can add an optional fan light kit or remote control.
Emerson Carrera Veranda
The Emerson Carrera Veranda is an outdoor flush-mount fan that offers five 52-inch blades with pull-chain control. Its optional features include a light fixture and remote control. The blades have a 13-degree pitch.
Modern Fan Altus Hugger
The Modern Fan Altus Hugger has three 52-inch blades featuring a brushed-aluminum finish. The outdoor fan has a 12-degree pitch with an option for shorter, 42-inch blades. A remote control or fan light are optional features.
Set the direction of your ceiling fan blades according to the season.
A typical household uses the bulk of its energy for heating and cooling -- up to 44 percent of the utility bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Many homeowners understand that a ceiling fan can help cool a room during the warm summer months. But ceiling fans also can be used in cooler months to help draw cold air away from the room. Knowing properly configure the direction of a ceiling fan can result in year-round household comfort, as well as considerable financial savings.
Instructions
Fan with Remote Control
1. Turn the fan on. Note direction the fan is turning and which way the air is blowing.
2. Turn the fan off. Allow the fan blades to come to a complete stop.
3. Locate the fan reversal button on the fan's remote control. The button may simply indicate "reverse" or there may be multiple buttons to indicate which way the fan will turn. "Summer-mode" should be used in warmer months, since the counterclockwise movement of the fan blows cool air down to the living space. "Winter-mode" should be used in cooler months, since the clockwise movement of the fan pulls cooler air up toward the ceiling, away from the room.
4. Press the appropriate remote control button to turn the fan on in the desired direction. Confirm the fan is now turning in the opposite direction than it was originally.
Fan without Remote
5. Turn off the fan. Allow the blades to come to a complete stop.
6. Set up a stepladder under the fan. Climb up to the fan. Flip the directional switch on the fan motor. This switch is often unlabeled and sits just below the fan blades.
7. Descend the ladder and move away from the fan blades. Turn the fan on. Ensure the fan is now turning in the desired direction.
Tags: away from, Allow blades, Allow blades come, away from room, blades come
Ceiling fans are an excellent way of cutting down on utility costs. In the summer they can cool a room, while in winter they can force warm air that rises to the ceiling back down into the room. Most ceiling fans employ a pull chain for operation and the popular brand Hunter is no exception. These chains can break and need repair; luckily it is an easy job that any do-it-yourselfer can manage.
Instructions
1. Turn off the power to the fan at the fuse box or circuit breaker. This should be located in the basement.
2. Disassemble the outer portions of the Hunter ceiling fan. Remove the bulbs and any decorative coverings that cover the light-box assembly.
3. Take the light-box off the fan. It is held on by three screws. Use a Philips head screwdriver and remove the light-box.
4. Remove the circular cap that the pull chain comes out of; this is called the end cap. Unscrew it by hand and pull it off over the pull chain. The connective wires will now be visible.
5. Place a new pull chain switch in place. Replace the end cap to hold the chain in place.
6. Connect the wires from the pull chain switch to the light-box. Connect black to black first, then the remaining switch wire to the other black wire from the light-box.
7. Attach the light-box to the fan with the three screws.
8. Put all of the decorative elements back in place and replace the light bulbs. Turn the power back on and test your Hunter ceiling fan pull chain.
Tags: pull chain, Hunter ceiling, ceiling fans, switch, three screws, Turn power
A leaking appliance can destroy the ceiling of the level below.
Water leaking onto your ceiling is generally brought to your attention by one of two signs: Either you see the discoloration the leak has made in , or you hear water dripping onto the ceiling. This is apt to be big trouble. Even if the water doesn't break through into the room, the buildup of water on your ceiling or in the walls can cause mold. Finding the source of a ceiling leak can be a complicated process, and sometimes cannot be reasonably done. The evidence you see on the ceiling can be far from the actual source.
Instructions
1. Visually inspect the floor above the ceiling where you notice the leak. Start with the area directly above the leak, looking for dampness or any active source of water. Move out from that location, eventually inspecting the entire floor. Inspect all water-using appliances and taps to be sure that the entire area around them is dry. Move these appliances out to check behind them, just to be sure.
2. Venture into your attic while the leak is active. If the water is leaking in from outside, you should be able to find the source in the attic. Move around the entire attic, shining your flashlight over everything, including roof, rafters and beams. The light from the flashlight will reflect off water, helping your search.
3. Send a helper onto your roof with a garden hose. Have him spray water on the roof, simulating rainfall. Stay in the attic near the area where water is being sprayed, so you can see any water leaking in.
4. Spray the water on high-risk areas first, such as the flashing between your shingles and a wall, around chimneys and in vents. Once you have exhausted those possibilities, spray the water over the entire roof area, one small section at a time. Start low on the roof, and work your way up.
5. Remove the ceiling where the leak showed up, and trace the line of leaking water back to the source. This option is not always available, as you may not be able to remove the ceiling without considerable damage to your house. Many of these leaks will be traced to a wall, which will require more destruction as you try to find the source. Use this option only when the ceiling is leaking constantly and you believe the cause is something such as a leaking pipe somewhere inside the house. This is a last resort, taken because this leak urgently requires attention and the problem can't be resolved by other means.
Tags: your ceiling, ceiling where, find source, onto your, water leaking
Vinyl soffits are the portion under the roof eaves between the wall of your home and the edge of the roof. Removing vinyl soffits for replacement or repairs requires a helper to hold the you work. The vinyl soffit uses no fasteners; instead the soffit fits in between two channels like a puzzle piece. Vinyl soffits and their channels will bend as necessary to allow removal and replacement.
Instructions
1. Position the ladder against the house under the soffit on level ground. Ask your helper to hold the bottom of the ladder while you climb up to the soffit.
2. Move the soffit toward the retaining channel under the roof edge. This will bring the opposite edge of the soffit closer to the edge of the channel near the house wall.
3. Insert your fingers in between the wall corner channel and the soffit. Bend the channel lip down slightly until you can see the edge of the soffit panel.
4. Grasp the edge of the soffit with your free hand and pull it away from the wall channel. The center of the soffit will bend to allow you to pull it free.
5. Release the channel and continue pulling the soffit out until it is free from both channels.
Tags: , between wall, helper hold, ladder while, like puzzle, like puzzle piece
The addition of a ceiling fan can add beauty to any room of your home. A ceiling fan also can help to cool the room, which can save you money on your monthly energy bill. Ceiling fans vary widely in style and function, so it is important to know what you should look for before you buy one.
Energy Rating
Look for ceiling fans with the Energy Star logo, which means it can save you money on your monthly energy bill. A ceiling fan with lights that displays the Energy Star logo will use about 50 percent less energy than a similar fan that is not Energy Star-rated. If your ceiling fan has a light on it, you can increase your energy savings by using compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Moisture Rating
Choose a ceiling fan for the location in which you will install it. You need a fan that the Underwriters Laboratory rates as suitable for installation in wet areas if it will be installed on a porch or other area where it may become wet. UL also rates some ceiling fans as "damp," meaning you may install them in areas with high humidity, such as a bathroom.
Size
There are several sizes of ceiling fans available. The size is the diameter, in inches, of the assembled ceiling fan's blades. Sizes range from 29 to 54 inches. For a room up to 75 in size, choose a 29- to 36-inch ceiling fan. Rooms with 76 to 144 square feet will need a 36- to 42-inch ceiling fan, 145 to 225 square feet require a 44-inch fan, and 226 to 400 square feet a 50- to 54-inch fan. If your room has more than 400 square feet, you may need to install more than one ceiling fan, spacing them out evenly.
Lighting
You can buy ceiling fans with or without lights. If your room does not need extra lighting, choose a ceiling fan without lights. You can add or change light kits on most types of . If you choose a light kit with glass shades, buy extra shades if you can. This will allow you to replace broken shades in the future without having to replace the entire light kit if your shades are no longer available then.
Mounting
Typically, you will install a ceiling fan about 7 feet above the floor. If your room has a low ceiling, choose a flush or "hugger" mounting. This type of mounting does not use a downrod to position the ceiling fan closer to the floor. Standard ceiling fan installation calls for a 3- to 5-inch downrod, and longer lengths are available for installation in rooms with high ceilings. Vaulted or slanted ceilings require a ceiling fan that is compatible with a slanted installation.
Tags: square feet, ceiling fans, your room, ceiling fans with, energy bill, Energy Star
A ceiling that has texture is often known as a popcorn ceiling. This type of ceiling is not always desirable for all homeowners. It does have a distinctive look to it that won't match all types of d cor. A textured ceiling can also be more challenging to clean when it gets dirty or stained. If you want to start over with a fresh and smooth slate for your ceiling, you will need to knockdown that ceiling texture.
Instructions
1. Place a large plastic tarp all the way across the floor of the room and up the wall a few feet. Secure it with painter's tape.
2. Cover the walls with more plastic, starting at the edge of the ceiling and going down to the floor. Overlap seams for a more secure seal and again, use painter's tape to hold it in place.
3. Saturate the textured ceiling using a garden sprayer. It will be easier to knockdown if it has been softened first.
4. Climb a step ladder to access the ceiling more easily. Bring a dulled joint knife and small spray bottle filled with water with you.
5. Knock down the texture on the ceiling by scraping with the joint knife. Be very careful not to damage the ceiling underneath the texture. Spray with more water using the as needed.
Tags: joint knife, painter tape, spray bottle, textured ceiling, with more, with water
Some Hunter fans are provided with remote controls that install at the time of the original ceiling fan installation. Other remotes are made to be installed to an existing fan. Regardless of when the remote was installed, remove it to revert to a manually operated fan if the remote control or receiver fails. If your Hunter ceiling fan remote is an integral part of your fan, you must contact the Hunter Service Department at 1-888-830-1326 for service or replacement.
Instructions
1. Turn off the power to your Hunter ceiling fan at the wall switch or the main circuit panel. Remove the screws holding the Hunter ceiling fan canopy to the hanging bracket. The canopy rests against the ceiling and covers the hanging bracket, remote receiver and wiring.
2. Access the electrical box behind the canopy and locate the wire connector holding the black wire from the house wiring to the black wire from the remote receiver. Insert one prong of a two-prong electrical tester into the wire connector and touch the remaining prong to any metal on the ceiling fan or electrical box. The light on the two-prong tester will not turn on if the power is correctly disconnected from the ceiling fan.
3. Untwist the five wire connectors that connect the receiver to the Hunter fan and the house wiring. Do not disconnect the bare copper wire from the house wires that connects to the green wire from the ceiling fan. Remove the receiver from the hanging bracket.
4. Connect the and the black wire with a white stripe from the ceiling fan to the black wire from the house wiring by twisting a wire connector onto both wires. Connect the white wire from the Hunter fan to the white wire from the house wiring with another wire connector.
5. Cover the wiring with the Hunter ceiling fan canopy and reattach it to the hanging bracket. Turn the power onto the ceiling fan at the light switch or the main circuit panel.
Tags: wire from, black wire, from house, hanging bracket, house wiring
Most stucco ceilings are white and can quickly look dirty. The rough "popcorn" texture of a stucco ceiling is attractive to many homeowners, but it makes it an ideal gathering place for spider webs and dust. Ceilings can also start to turn yellow or brown in spots where the drywall above the ceiling got damp and stained the stucco.
Instructions
1. Vacuum your stucco ceiling using a wand extension and, if possible, a soft brush attachment to remove dust and spider webs. Avoid stripping the texture from the ceiling by keeping the nozzle an inch or so away from the ceiling surface if possible. This may not be necessary if you're using a brush attachment.
2. Seal stains by spraying them with a primer/sealer stain killer. Move furniture from under the stain and cover the floor first.
3. Paint severely stained ceilings to cover the discoloration by spraying the paint onto the ceiling or by using a roller or soft brush. Cleaning a stucco ceiling with a cleaning solution is not possible due to the material's highly absorbent nature and its texture---covering the stain with paint is your only option.
Without backsplash panels, water will gradually damage your walls.
Acoustic Ceiling Products (ACP) offers a line of ready-made Fasade-brand thermoplastic wall panels. The panels look like tin tiles, but they cost less and better resist stains and scratches. The company advertises the line as "backsplash" panels because homeowners install them behind sinks to protect the wall from splashes of water. Unlike some fixtures, Fasade panels don't require nails, screws or cement for installation. ACP instead encourages buyers to attach the panels to the wall using adhesives.
Instructions
1. Measure the space behind your sink. For example, suppose that your wall space measures 30 inches high and 45 inches wide.
2. Measure each Fasade panel. For example, suppose that you have bought panels that measure 18 inches high and 12 inches wide.
3. Cut some of your panels to accommodate the wall space. With this example, you will need one panel and a further 12 inches of paneling to cover the wall's height, and you will need three panels and a further 9 inches of paneling to cover its width. Cut three panels down with the utility knife so that they measure only 12 inches in height. Cut one panel so that it measures only 9 inches in width. Cut another panel so that it measures 12 inches in height and 9 inches in width.
4. Cut off squares from the overlaps of certain panels. Cut the top left corner square from any panel that will have a panel to its left and a panel above it. Cut the bottom right corner square from any panel that will have a panel to its right and a panel below it. These squares must measure one-half inch in height and width.
5. Clean and dry the wall. Remove wallpaper or any other added texture, and sandpaper the wall until it is smooth.
6. Apply adhesive tape to the wall. Apply three strips along each length of wall that will take one row of panel. Press the tape to remove all air bubbles, then remove the strip's outer protective layer.
7. Press the lower left panel to its position on the wall. Affix additional tape on the panel's exposed overlap.
8. Add the remaining panels, working from left to right to complete the first row. Continue in the same manner to complete each successive row.
Tags: , that will, backsplash panels, corner square, corner square from, example suppose
Painting a room is one of the easiest ways to spruce up your home and add some character. Through various different painting techniques, you can make a room look completely different. Before you paint, you should prepare your room to make sure you don't inadvertently get paint somewhere where it's not supposed to be. One of the most important places you will want to protect is the ceiling.
Preparation
In order to keep your paint where it's supposed to go, you must prepare the room. For the ceiling, the best option is to run a strip of painter's tape along the joint of the ceiling and each wall. Place the tape directly on the ceiling and make sure one edge is flush with the wall you are painting. Use a wide strip of tape in order to allow you more room to maneuver your paint brush as you paint along the wall close to the ceiling. Make sure the tape is on securely, as paint will seep under the tape if there are any spaces, ruining all of your hard work.
Tools that Can Help
There are many tools that can help you from getting paint on your ceiling. The first thing you can use is a . If you are using a paint roller to paint with, stop your strokes just under the ceiling. Under no circumstances should you touch the ceiling with the roller. Then, using a small brush (a 2-inch brush is perfect for this job), paint the top of the wall, just up to where the crease of the wall is. This will allow you more control of the paint as you get into tight areas. There is also a small pad you can purchase that will allow you to paint trim and keep the trim clean. It comes with small wheels and can be put on a dowel to make it easier to get the paint where it needs to be.
Finishing Up
Once you have the walls completely painted, you must wait for them to dry before removing any tape. Once the paint is dry (and you have done any necessary touch-ups), gently pull the tape off of the ceiling. It should come off easily and leave you with a clean edge. If you pull the tape off while the wall is still wet, it may cause the paint to spread and get onto the ceiling.
Tags: allow more, paint where, pull tape, small brush, where supposed, will allow, your paint
At one time, textured "popcorn" ceilings were a popular finishing touch on new home construction. But after it collects a few years of hard-to-clean dust and, well, just looking outdated, you might decide you want to get rid of it. It is possible for you to undertake this task, but beware that it's a messy job.
Instructions
1. Scrape a little bit of the textured popcorn into a plastic bag and send it to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency testing laboratory to have it tested for asbestos. If it contains asbestos, you need to hire a professional crew to remove it.
2. Remove all items from the room. Lay a plastic sheet over the entire floor and go up about a foot on all walls. Secure it to the walls 's tape. Cover all of the walls with the plastic sheets as well, securing them with painter's tape at the top of the wall. Lay out a layer of resin paper over the floor for additional protection and ease of cleanup.
3. Fill the garden sprayer with water. Spray a small area of the ceiling with the water and let it soak into the popcorn material.
4. Trim off the corners of the putty or joint compound knife with tin snips. Make them into rounded corners to help prevent any gouging of the drywall.
5. Part on protective goggles. Position the stepladder under the moistened area and start scraping the textured popcorn off. You might need to apply a little more water to get stuck-on areas free and clear. Continue this process throughout the entire room.
6. Remove the plastic from the walls and fold it on top of the resin paper on the floor. Roll up the resin paper and place it in trash bags.
Klipsch speakers are a trusted brand and offer great sound quality, but they are not indestructible. From time to time, you may find yourself dealing with a blown speaker, which is typically caused by a hole in the speaker cone. You will want to replace with a whole new cone. The process if fairly easy with the right tools.
Instructions
1. Use a screwdriver to take out the screws holding your speaker casing on and remove the casing. Take out the speaker and use a knife to cut completely around the blown cone. Pull the old cone off the speaker and throw it away.
2. Remove the old gasket by sticking the blade of your utility knife between the inside of the speaker and the gasket.
3. Take your knife and use it to carefully scrape the glue off of the frame of the speaker. For really hard spots, use some glue solvent and a cloth.
4. Put some glue on the speaker frame and slide the new speaker cone down on top of the speaker frame covered in glue. Give the glue 24 hours to dry.
5. Solder all of the speaker wires to the terminals on the back of the actual speaker. Stick the speaker back in the speaker casing and screw the casing securely back on.
If you make a creative homemade costume, you can ensure that you won't run into other trick-or-treaters or Halloween partygoers with the same outfit. Have fun coming up with a humorous or clever costume that your friends will want to photograph and replicate in future years.
Upside-Down Person
Create the illusion that you are walking on your hands with this simple upside-down person costume. Wear paints over your torso, arms and head, and cut holes for your eyes and mouth. Wear an oversize long-sleeve shirt on your legs, and wear extra-large mittens on your feet. Attach a fake head made out of craft foam or a balloon to the shirt under your legs, and hold your arms in the air with shoes on your hands.
Wind-Blown Person
Use a few simple tricks to make yourself look wind-blown. Insert wire to the interior of a jacket to make it look like it is blowing in one direction. Hot-glue more wire to one side of a scarf to hold it up in the air to one side. leaves to your jacket with hot glue, and carry an umbrella turned inside-out. Use hair spray to fix your hair in place, pointing the same direction as your jacket and skirt.
Paintings
Put yourself inside a famous painting with this homemade costume. Find a large box, such as one for a flat-screen television, and cut a large rectangle out of one side. Paint the border of the open side with gold or yellow paint to create the illusion of a picture frame. Then draw or paint the background of the painting you have chosen, such as "American Gothic" or "The Mona Lisa." Cut a hole in the bottom of the box so you can stand inside it, and dress as the figure in the painting. This also works well for couples or small groups if you choose a painting with more than one figure.
Puns
Costumes based on puns or word plays often require minimal work to assemble, and they will make your friends laugh. For example, you could dress as a "ceiling fan" simply by wearing a shirt that says, "Go Ceilings!" or "Ceilings are No. 1!" Or, dress as a "Holy Cow" by wearing a halo and a shirt with black spots on it. Make a "Dunkin' Donuts" costume by painting an inner tube to look like a doughnut, then wearing the fake doughnut around your waist over a basketball jersey.
Tags: Attach fake, homemade costume, look like, painting with, with this, your friends,
A ceiling fan is an important element in a home's ventilation. It can provide a constant low-level airflow that increases the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. Most fans can be set to blow downward in the summer to move cool air, and reversed to move warm air off the ceiling to the rest of a room during the winter. One important part of properly installing a ceiling fan is the installation of a ground wire system, which prevents the fan from accumulating a charge and shocking you in the event of an electrical problem.
Instructions
1. Turn off the electricity to the fan circuit at the breaker box (you should already have done this by the time you are ready to connect the ground-wire on your fan).
2. Hold the ground wire that comes from the electrical box next to the ground wire from the motor in the fan kit; this wire should already be threaded up through the fan's downrod. Insert the bare ends of both grounding wires together into a single wire nut, and tighten firmly by hand.
3. Push the grounding wires, along with the hot (black), and neutral (white) wires back up into the electrical box so that they are out of the way and cannot get tangled in any of the fan's moving parts.
4. Install the fan's canopy (or electrical cover) onto the base on the ceiling by placing the slots on the canopy over the screws and twisting it so that the horizontal slots engage with the screws. Tighten the screws with a screwdriver.
Tags: ground wire, ground wire system, grounding wires, should already, wire system
can be a great way to stay cool and move air around. Like any household item, ceiling fans sometimes need repairs. The three main problems people experience with ceiling fans are lack of power, humming noises and wobbling. Follow these steps to repair your ceiling fan.
Instructions
1. Investigate the circuit breaker or fuse box if nothing on your fan works. A breaker could have tripped or possibly a fuse needs replacing.
2. Control humming noises by using vibration-isolating material such as rubber or paper spacers between the motor and the blade brackets.
3. Oil the bearings of slow-running ceiling fans.
4. Repair excessive wobbling, which can also be noisy as well as dangerous should the fan come loose and fall.
5. Start by checking the tightness of the support bracket. If your ceiling fan hangs from a drop rod, check for a firm attachment of the ball joint to the support bracket.
6. Check a fan's balance as blades can become warped, bent or end up with different weights. Straighten bent blades or replace them. Use a balancing kit from a home improvement store or simply tape a quarter to a blade to see if the balance (and wobbling) improves. Try a quarter on each blade. If you notice improvement, glue a similar weight to the top of the fan blade.
7. Contact an electrician if you think the wobbling come from where the fan is connected above the ceiling. It may be that someone attached the fan to a regular electrical box. An electrician can change this out to a fan-rated electrical box.
Tags: ceiling fans, humming noises, support bracket,
The Westinghouse 77021 is a replacement switch for ceiling fans. This switch is a pull-chain style with high, medium and low positions, as well as an off position. Pull-chain switches often fail because the chain breaks or the internal mechanism gets damaged. Replacing one is simple if you choose the right part for the application. This switch is a four-wire unit designed for specific ceiling fans. Be careful when working around electricity, as there is enough power in any home circuit to seriously hurt you.
Instructions
1. Turn off the power to the circuit you are working on at the home's electrical distribution panel. Confirm that the power is off by touching a noncontact voltage detector to the wire's insulation.
2. Remove the switch housing cover from the ceiling fan with a screwdriver. If the ceiling fan has a light, remove it as well, making note of the wiring connections.
3. Unscrew the chain guide on the outside of the switch housing and remove the old switch.
4. Write down the position and color of each wire attached to the switch. For example: Terminal L = black wire.
5. Straighten out the paper clip and insert into the wire's terminal. Push down on the spring and pull out the wire. Repeat this process for the other three wires.
6. Push the wires into the terminal slots on the new switch. Match the same positions as the old switch.
7. Mount the new switch into the ceiling fan with the screws removed and reassemble the light.
Remove a popcorn ceiling by scraping it with a joint knife.
A paint technique that's been around for more than 30 years, popcorn ceilings, also known as acoustic ceilings, are a challenge to maintain and modify. The technique doesn't accept paint; is a catcher of dust and debris; and it can be a breeding ground for spiders and cobwebs. Removing a popcorn ceiling is possible, though, and you don't have to hire a professional or replace the ceiling's wallboard. Once the popcorn is off, the ceiling is ready for painting or applying another texturing technique.
Instructions
Asbestos Test
1. Secure a ladder on a level surface and use a joint knife to scrape a 2-inch sample of the popcorn ceiling for asbestos testing. Wear work gloves, safety goggles and a nose mask for protection.
2. Place the sample in a small plastic bag.
3. Take the sample to a EPA-certified testing lab in your area. If the sample comes back positive for asbestos, contact a certified asbestos removal contractor to complete the popcorn removal project.
Prep
4. Move any furniture, throw rugs, ceiling light domes and other items from the room containing the popcorn ceiling. Cover any furnishings you can't remove from the room with drop cloths or plastic sheeting.
5. Use masking tape to secure drop cloths or to the walls and floor of the room.
6. Fill a garden sprayer with one gallon of water from a sink.
7. Turn off the electricity to the room by removing the fuse or switching the room's breaker to the "OFF" position.
Wetting & Scraping
8. Spray one section of the ceiling with water from the garden sprayer. Do not flood the ceiling with water. Only spray enough water to make the ceiling wet--not dripping wet.
9. Scrape the ceiling with a joint knife placed at a 45-degree angle. If you encounter a stubborn spot, spray the spot with water to break up the popcorn material.
10. Place another drop cloth or piece of plastic sheeting on the floor if the floor becomes too soiled with popcorn material.
11. Continue scraping the ceiling until all of the popcorn is gone.
12. Roll up and take down the drop cloths and plastic sheeting after you are done. Place the sheeting in trash bags for disposal.
Installing a ceiling joist for hanging sheetrock requires access to the attic or the interior of the ceiling cavity in two-story or multi-storied buildings. Proper joist size that allows for distances spanned must be maintained. Access to the top plates of nearby walls is necessary. The joist is installed by nailing in place on top of the plates. Space to allow nailing of the joist in place is also required. Quality joists are straight or with only a slight crown and have few if any knots.
Instructions
1. Measure the location where the joist will be installed, using a tape measure, and cut the joist to the desired length, using a saw. Look down the joist holding one end to determine if it's straight, crooked, twisted or has a crown. Mark the side that has the crown if one exists, using a pencil.
2. Place the joist by positioning each end of the joist on top of a . The crown must be up before you nail it in place.
3. Toenail the joist to the top plates of the walls. Drive the nails into the bottom of the joist at an angle that will allow the nail to pass through the joist and secure into the top plates of the wall.
4. Cut and nail in place blocks of wood between the new joist and the nearby joist that are installed parallel to the new joist. The blocks will be installed on both sides and at 90-degree angles near both ends of the joist. Blocks should be placed in the middle if the joist spans a long distance and more stability is desired.
Tags: joist nearby, nail place, nearby wall, will installed
Drywall compound is used to texture ceilings because it is easy to work with and sets up in a short amount of time. No matter what implement will be used to apply the pattern for the texture, a paint roller is generally used to apply the joint compound to the ceiling. The process of rolling the drywall compound onto the ceiling can be messy, so or plastic should be used to cover flooring.
Instructions
1. Lay drop cloths or plastic on the floor to protect it from drips of joint compound. Ensure that the entire surface of the floor is protected.
2. Mix some joint compound with water in an empty bucket. Use an electric drill with a stirring bit to mix the joint compound. Add water a little at a time until the joint compound is the consistency of thick wallpaper paste.
3. Dip the paint roller in the bucket of mixed until it is completely submerged. Pull the roller out of the mixture and tap the paint roller applicator on the rim of the bucket to knock off the excess compound.
4. Raise the paint roller to the ceiling and start rolling on the joint compound as quickly as possible to avoid too many drips.
5. Begin at one corner of the room and work your way to the opposing corner. Then work toward the other end of the room. Ensure that you cover every area of the ceiling with the joint compound. Dip the roller in the bucket of compound often to keep the roller loaded with the mixture.
Tags: joint compound, paint roller, cloths plastic, drop cloths, drop cloths plastic
The ceiling must bear the weight and shock of a heavy bag.
Rarely is mounting a punching bag in the home as certain as attaching it to a conveniently placed steel support beam, especially as so few modern houses are so robustly built. The ceiling of your home gym might be made of flimsy dry wall or may have exposed wood joists, but either way you need to be certain that the ceiling can support the weight and battering of a punching bag before you hang one. The best scenario would be a solid exposed beam. Making a mistake about the sturdiness of your ceiling could pull the ceiling down and potentially undermine the structural soundness of your house.
Instructions
1. Look at the ceiling where you want to mount the punching bag and draw up a list of mounting options for the designs and materials you are working with. If you have exposed wood joists in the ceiling, you can drill a hole in one joist or use a rafter hanger attached to two joists. For a plywood ceiling, you can attach an eye-loop hanger with wood screws, but for a drywall ceiling you must use drywall anchors and screws or molly bolts instead. Alternately, you could drill through a drywall ceiling and mount an eye-loop screw into a wood joist behind it.
2. Calculate how much weight each of your mounting options can support, adjusting for the ceiling material. If you have an eye-loop hanger with four screw holes held into a drywall ceiling by 30-lb. drywall anchors, then the hanger should support 120 lbs., but drywall is a brittle material. That might be enough for a very small heavy bag or a double-end bag, but not for a midsize or large heavy bag. The same mount in plywood, on the other hand, could handle more weight and shock.
3. Increase the listed weight of the punching bag to provide a margin for the wear and tear value of shock on the ceiling mount, since punching bags shake with every blow. For a heavy bag, increase the weight by between 1/3 and 1/2. For a double-end bag, which weighs very little but gyrates wildly, double or triple the weight.
4. Compare your calculations of how much weight and shock the heavy bag will place on the ceiling mount against your list of ceiling mounting options. This will tell you if your ceiling can support the heavy bag you want to hang from it.
The following article will show you effectively remove popcorn texture from your ceiling. Many modern day home owners desire a smooth surface ceiling or one that is textured in something other than popcorn texture which became very popular in the 70's. You can do this yourself and save a load of money - it just takes some time and lots of elbow grease.
Instructions
1. Please keep in mind before you start that your ceiling material should be tested for asbestos if you currently have popcorn texture and your home is an older home. You can find certified asbestos professionals that will come collect it and send the sample off for testing in the yellow pages under "Asbestos - Consulting and Testing" or call the EPA at 202-554-1404. If your ceiling is found to contain asbestos, do not touch it, leave it alone! You will need to go another route.
2. Also, if your popcorn texture has been painted, you are going to have a more difficult time removing it.
3. Begin by removing all furniture and other items from your room. This is a very messy process and you do not want your personal items covered in debris.
4. Lay out your plastic sheeting to cover the entire floor in your room. Over lay the plastic so that debris scraped from the ceiling will not find it's way between the cracks in the plastic. Use the masking tape to tape each overlayed piece to the other.
5. I prefer starting in the middle of a room so that I can work my way easily into corners. With this in mind, place your ladder in the center of the room.
6. Put on your mask and gloves. Put hot water in the plastic squirt bottle and place the nozzle where it will spray a mist. Get your scraper. Step up onto the ladder at a comfortable height to reach the ceiling.
7. Spray enough mist on an area of the ceiling to make it easy to scrape off. You should not soak the area but the mist should be applied fairly heavily. You may need to let the hot water penetrate the texture for a few minutes before you begin scraping.
8. Do not use the corner edge of the scraper, you could gouge the ceiling that way. Use enough force and glide the whole flat part of the scraper across the texture angling the scraper downwards slightly.
9. It is not necessary to remove all the under texture. You don't want to get into the tape and bed that joins the ceiling panels. Just go for scraping off the majority of the popcorn texture.
10. Work your way around the room until the project is complete. After the ceiling dries completely, you may want to sand it slightly to prepare it for new texturing. If you need to sand, leave the plastic on the floor in place until the sanding process is complete. Otherwise, grab the plastic by one corner and then the next, shaking the debris towards the middle of the plastic and folding each corner in to trap the debris in the middle. Remove the plastic to the garbage.
Tags: popcorn texture, your ceiling, ceiling that, from your, Remove Popcorn
Hunter ceiling fans come in a variety of styles and designs, many of which have lights or can have light kits installed. These light kits come in a few styles, with domes, globes, and shades accenting their bulbs, but they are all wired in virtually the same way. If you have a Hunter ceiling fan and want to install a light on it, knowing the proper technique for wiring it is crucial for great-looking results.
Instructions
1. Shut off all electricity to the Hunter ceiling fan.
2. Remove the cover plate at the center of the Hunter ceiling fan with a screwdriver. If there is a knob securing the cover plate in place, unscrew it by hand.
3. Pull out the wires from the center of the ceiling fan. There will be three wires -- one black, one white, and one green.
4. Attach the wires from the light kit to the wires in the Hunter ceiling fan. Most Hunter ceiling fans and light kits come with wires that have connectors for easy wiring. Connect each wire in the light kit to the corresponding colored wire in the ceiling fan.
5. Hold the wired light kit in place and attach it to the ceiling fan by tightening the screws around the edges of the light kit.
6. Install any globes or shades that came with the light kit by screwing them into place or tightening the screws at the base of the light bulb sockets. If the light kit is a dome type kit, slide the hole in the dome over the bolt at the center of the fan and screw the knob into place over the dome.
7. Install light bulbs in the light kit sockets by screwing them .
Stretch ceilings can produce a number of ceiling shapes, such as domes and arches.
Sometimes a false ceiling is in order for safety and fire regulations or the ease of being able to access ventilation shafts quickly. Traditional suspended ceilings are not always the most aesthetically pleasing, which is why some people turn to stretch ceilings. A stretch ceiling opens up quite a few design possibilities that cannot be done with a traditional false ceiling.
Printed Designs
Unlike other false-ceiling options, stretch ceilings can be printed on. The ability to print on the ceiling allows designers to create the look of a mural on the ceiling or to have stars or clouds overhead to transform the indoor space into a piece of the outside. Printed designs on stretch ceilings give an almost unlimited number of options to complement a room's decor.
Textures and Colors
Many people are not aware that stretch ceilings come in a variety of textures, which can help set a certain feel for a room or continue an already established theme. Stretch ceiling textures include metallic, lacquer, translucent and matte. As for colors, stretch ceilings can come in well over 150 color options, according to international interior design firm Plafon Decor.
Shapes
Unlike traditional false ceilings, stretch ceilings can be shaped in a variety of forms. Domes, arches, light diffusers and a variety of other shapes are possible. Because of the ability to conform to any shape, stretch ceiling panels can be used to form abstract shapes and other raised designs on ceilings. Several colors of stretch ceiling panels can be used together in a number of designs.
Ceiling fans are great for keeping the temperature even in your home and can dramatically reduce your demand for air conditioning. But what good is a ceiling fan if its switch is broken? Since is one of the most commonly purchased brands of ceiling fans on the market, here is wire a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan switch.
Instructions
1. Turn off the circuit that delivers power to the ceiling fan.
2. Unscrew and remove the three screws that keep the switch canopy in place. Gently pull the canopy down to open it.
3. Test the interior wiring for any signs of voltage using the touch-type voltage tester.
4. Remove any dangles that may be attached to the pull chain.
5. Remove the cap that secures the pull-chain switch to the canopy. Set the canopy aside.
6. Remove the wire connectors that connect the two wires from the pull-chain switch to the motor's wiring harness.
7. Connect the new pull-chain switch's two wires to the two wires the old switch was connected to. Make sure the wire connectors are on tight, and wrap each one with electrical tape for added protection against dead shorts.
8. Insert the new switch's chain and threaded nipple through the inside of the canopy. Secure it in place by screwing the cap over the threaded nipple.
9. Gently stuff all of the wiring back inside the fan's body and align the canopy so that the three screw holes on the ridge of the canopy line up with the three holes on the fan body.
10. Screw in the three canopy screws and replace any dangles you removed from the old switch chain.
11. Turn the circuit back on and test your new fan switch to make sure it is working properly.
Ceiling fans are attractive additions to households and businesses, and can help save on energy costs. They can be used year-round to cool or warm rooms, and motors are reversible to achieve the proper effect. Here's determine which direction your ceiling fan should be spinning for maximum efficiency.
How Fans Work
Ceiling fans cool rooms not by lowering the actual temperature, but by creating a windchill effect. A wind chill effect speeds evaporation of sweat from your skin, thus making you feel cooler. The same effect is seen when you roll down your car windows or fan yourself with a magazine.
Summer Months
During warm weather, set the fan so the blades spin counterclockwise. This will blow a column of air straight down, which should produce the maximum wind chill effect, especially if the fan is positioned directly over the area you wish to cool.
Winter Months
In the winter, reverse the fan motor so that the blades turn clockwise. Warm air rises naturally toward the ceiling. Operated at low speed, the fan will create a gentle updraft that will force warm air down into the room. Even turning clockwise, the fan still must operate at a low speed to avoid undesired wind chill effect.
Other Factors
During the summer, if the fan does not seem to be cooling, experiment--try reversing the motor to see how much air you feel. If the air moves very little with the blades turning in either direction, check the motor and the pitch of the blades (the angle at which they are slanted--the more the pitch, the more air each blade catches and moves).
In some cases during the summer--for example, in a large room with a centrally located overhead fan and furniture near a wall--a column of air pushed straight down might not be the most efficient. Try reversing the motor to maximize the windchill effect near the walls.
Usually, however, the fan should spin counterclockwise in summer and clockwise in winter.
Considerations
Using ceiling fans to warm rooms during the winter can save up to 10 percent on your energy bills. Because warmer air will be circulating in occupied space, a central heating unit will not have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Often bathrooms -- other than the master bathroom -- in a house have limited floor and wall space. During cool weather, keeping warm while showering or taking a bath when there isn't room for floor or wall heaters can be problematic. Ceiling-mounted bathroom heaters solve the space problem, while providing comfortable warmth. A number of different models are available, with basic types including infrared lamp, fan-driven forced-air, and exhaust fans that heat the air.
Infrared Lamp Heaters
These units give warmth to cold bathrooms without expending energy to keep the bathroom constantly warm. Infrared lamps don't heat the air directly, but create heat when the light strikes an object, such as a person or clothing. There can be one, two or four infrared lamps in a heater. Lamps are mounted with an exhaust fan, which ranges from 70 to 90 cubic feet per minute. Infrared lamps are usually 250-watt, but can be as high as 275. An advantage of infrared heating is that relative humidity and oxygen levels are not impacted, because the air itself is not heated.
Forced-Air Heaters
These are the most common ceiling-mounted heaters in use. They consist of a nickel-and-chromium heating element that warms up when an electric current is passed through it, causing electrical resistance and heat. A fan is mounted in the heater that draws cold air in from the side, passes it over the heating element, then forces it out the other side. Heaters come in two sizes: 120-volt, 1,500-wattage models that can heat 1,500 square feet and 240 volt, 2,000-wattage models that heat 2,000 square feet.
Combination Exhaust Fan and Heater
Some heaters combine an exhaust fan -- which takes air outside the bathroom to help control humidity -- with directional heaters and even lights. The amount of air moved by the fan correlates with the square footage that can be exhausted. A 100-cubic-foot-per-minute, or CFM, fan evacuates a 100-square-foot bathroom; a 70-CFM fan a 70-square-foot room; and a 50-CFM fan a 50-square foot bathroom. Heaters range from 1,500-wattage to 1,300-wattage. Lights incorporated into the unit can be either incandescent or fluorescent.
Installation Concerns
Ceiling units should not be mounted in walls or in sloping ceilings. They work best where ceiling heights are not greater than 8 feet. Installation of a thermostat is a good safety feature, as well as an energy-saving device. You don't have to worry about manually shutting off the heater before leaving the bathroom or the house, if the unit is thermostatically controlled. The thermostat can be set to come on at a desired setting, keeping electricity costs down. Thermostats should be placed on internal walls away from drafts and where air can circulate freely around the thermostat sensors.
If your dusty ceiling fan with its boring white finish or faux wood grain blades is dating your room, consider refinishing the blades to give the fan new life. Paint fan blades to match a room, decorate to pick up a design from a comforter or fabric, or even add wallpaper to the blades if you are feeling particularly industrious.
Instructions
1. Remove the fan blades from the brackets. Fan blades are generally attached to the brackets with three screws in each blade. Sometimes the screw heads are on the top of the blade and you need a short-handled screwdriver to get to them.
2. Wipe the dust and debris from the blades. Clean with a damp cloth and let dry. Sand the blades so the paint will adhere better. Wipe again to remove the dust from sanding.
3. Spray the blades with a light coat of high-quality spray paint. Wait until the first coat of paint dries and cover with a second coat of paint. Remember, not all the blades have to be the same color. Paint the blades alternating colors, for instance, if you have a comforter with red, gold, brown and yellow in the design.
4. If you have a wallpaper border in the room, and some left over, paint the blades to match the walls. Then, carefully cut out designs from the border and use wallpaper paste to apply the cutouts to the blades.
5. Make refinishing the fan a family project. Allow your child to choose the designs or even use colored markers to draw her own after you have painted the fan blades. If she outgrows it, you can either paint over, or simply flip the fan blades upside down for a fresh start.
If you are recording on a budget, then you know how expensive it can be to attain all of the microphones and mixer equipment that you need to record a full drum kit. However if you are recording a demo, you can get by cheaply by utilizing only one microphone to mic the kit. This article will give you some insight as to how this can be accomplished.
Instructions
1. Place the microphone into the microphone stand and connect the cable to the mic.
2. Plug the microphone cable into whatever recording or amplification device you will be using.
3. Place the microphone stand 3 feet in front of the drum kit with the diaphragm of the mic facing the drums.
4. Test the sound balance by playing the drums.
5. Adjust the stand forward, back, left and right to attain the best sound. Move the stand around until the sound of all of the individual drums and cymbals are somewhat balanced.
Get your teen out of the house and off the technology for a summer vacation.
The teen years can be a time to bond with your child and build memories that will last a lifetime. For many busy parents, however, a summer vacation is about the only time available to do more than spend an evening with the kids. Whether you have a lot to spend or are operating on a shoestring, there are countless places to plan for this important trip both near and far.
Hong Kong and Macau
Hong Kong and Macau are ultra-modern with Asian charm.
Consider an Asian vacation for a time your teen will not soon forget. Hong Kong is known as an exotic and exciting vacation destination. The ever-popular Disneyland has the rides and entertainment you've come to expect with this organization but with a Hong Kong flair. Ride one of many thrill rides, eat lunch with your favorite Disney character and catch the fireworks show at night. Ocean Park is also a popular teen hangout. This theme park features dozens of rides and attractions including the Hair Raiser coaster, a cable car that takes you high above the park from one section to another and a unique opportunity to join a professional animal guide to touch exotic animals such as penguins, dolphins and seals. Once you have spent enough time in Hong Kong, hop on the one-hour fairy ride to Macau. While there, try a thrilling bungee jump from the world's highest jumping facility. Jumping from this 764-foot high tower will leave you with a T-shirt, a video and a thrill that will last a lifetime.
Bahamas
The Bahamas offer countless diving opportunities.
If you want to keep it a little closer to home, but still have an international experience, consider the Bahamas. Atlantis Resort is one such popular Bahama destination site. This resort complex features a 141-acre swimming area and a host of teen activities. It is also home to Ruins Lagoon, the largest outdoor marine habitat in the world, with more than 20,000 sea creatures. In the evening, can hit the 14,000 square-foot Crush dance club. This ultra-modern club is designed for teens with its large dance floors, its video game rooms with floor-to-ceiling screens and its full-service cafe. Elsewhere in the Bahamas, the adventurous teen can snorkel or SCUBA dive at Stuart Cove. This guided tour will allow your teen to see sunken shipwrecks and feed reef sharks in a safe, guided tour.
Wisconsin Dells
The Dells has a large number of indoor and outdoor water parks.
If you live in a hot region and seek a cooler destination for summer vacation, consider the tourist mecca of Wisconsin Dells. This community is known as the "water park capital of the world" due to the size and number of its watery playgrounds. For example, Noah's Ark is considered America's largest water park. This facility features nine sizable thrill rides including the Scorpion's Tail, a 10-story high, 400-feet long water slide that begins with a near vertical drop that plunges you downward at more than 50 feet per second. The Kalahari Resort includes sizable indoor and outdoor water parks as well as live entertainment from local legend Tommy Bartlett among others. The resort also boasts several activities of interest to the teen including laser tag, miniature golf, bowling, go-karts, a NASCAR simulator and an arcade. Wisconsin Dells also has a host of entertainment options in case your teen is not a fan of swimming. Big Sky Twin Drive-In Theater and the Dells 4D Special FX Theater, for example, are unique opportunities for the teen who likes the cinema, while Jeremy Allen's Grand Illusions and the Rick Wilcox Magic Theater have the fan of magic covered.
St. Louis
The Gateway Arch commemorates America's westward expansion.
St. Louis, and more specifically the Gateway Arch, is known as the Gateway to the West. The city features the iconic, 630-foot tall Gateway Arch, known as America's tallest national monument. This park starts with an interesting movie outlining how the structure was built followed by an odd elevator ride up the curved structure and some time of stunning views of St. Louis and beyond. While in town, take in some Cardinals baseball, Rams football or St. Louis Blues hockey if you have a sports-minded teen. The nearby Six Flags theme park includes dozens of rides and attractions including the Screamin' Eagle and Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast. When you are done with the thrills and want to eat, navigate to "The Hill," a large Italian area of town featuring dozens of authentic restaurants and unique shops.
Tags: Hong Kong, your teen, Gateway Arch, more than, summer vacation
Installing an overhead light in the bedroom is a relatively simple task, as long as you are replacing an existing light or there is outlet for an overhead light. Changing the light can change the look of the whole room. For the most part, modern lighting systems install in exactly the same way. The one issue you have to watch out for is that your new light is at least as large at the base as your old light, so that you don't have to retouch the ceiling paint.
Instructions
1. Turn off electricity to the existing light fixture at the wall switch and at the house fuse or circuit breaker box.
2. Remove the screws that holding the existing fixture to the ceiling. Lower the fixture, so you can disconnect the wires above it. Remove the fixture completely, leaving an exposed electrical box in the ceiling with three exposed wires hanging from it: a black insulated wire, a white insulated wire, and a bare copper ground wire.
3. Hold the installation bracket that came with the new light up to the electrical box, lining up the holes for the provided screws. Secure the bracket to the box using the screws.
4. Twist the copper grounding wire around the green grounding screw on the installation bracket. Tighten the screw.
5. Set the new light fixture near the box, on top of your ladder. Hold the white wire from the light next to the white wire from the box and twist a wire nut over the ends of both of them at once, covering all exposed parts of the wires.
6. Link the from the light and the black wire from the box in the same way and secure with a wire nut.
7. Hold the light up to the box, while tucking the two wire connections into it. Secure the light fixture to the electrical box with the screws that came with the light. Turn on the electricity.
Tags: wire from, light fixture, black wire, , came with, came with light, existing light
Tray ceilings are among the most popular ceiling treatments in homes, new and old alike. Whether it features an angled or a multi-stepped design, the tray ceiling in your home may cause you to wonder about the best way to paint it. Make a weekend project of painting and you may find yourself amazed at what a little paint can do for this great architectural feature.
Instructions
1. Prepare the room in which you wish to paint by covering or removing all the furniture and draping the floor with painter's cloths or a plastic tarp. You can secure the tarp in place with painter's tape to ensure that your floor or carpet is not damaged by paint splatters.
2. Select a couple of shades of paint for your tray ceiling in order to make the most of its structure. You can use paints one shade lighter and one shade darker than your wall paint.
3. Wipe down the ceiling with a damp cloth or duster to remove any excess dust or dirt before painting. A vacuum cleaner with a long brush attachment can also be used to prep the area for painting.
4. Apply a coat of primer which prevents stains from seeping through before you paint the ceiling. It is important that you use the right kind of primer for the kind of paint you choose. An oil-based primer should not be used with a latex top coat.
5. Create a sharp line marking the transition in your tray ceiling by using painter's tape to tape off the edges of the angled or stepped features before applying the darker paint to the center of the ceiling.
6. Paint using a zig-zag motion to get the most coverage when working with an extendable paint roller. This technique should be applied to both the center of the ceiling and the angled sides.
7. Repeat the same taping process for the angled section once the center of the ceiling has dried. If you have a steady hand, you can also use a sponge brush to create a smooth line of the of paint between the two surfaces.
8. Paint the angled portion using the lighter of the two shades of paint. You may also wish to embellish this portion with decorative stencils such as flowering vines or geometric shapes to create a more customized look.
Tags: center ceiling, tray ceiling, your tray, your tray ceiling, lighter shade, painter tape, shades paint
Plaster was common as a type of decoration during the late 1800s and early part of the 20th century. It was used in finials, medallions and other decorations used on the walls and ceilings of homes. If you own an older home, then the odds are good that you might have plaster decoration. You can remove paint from plaster with a simple product.
Instructions
1. Find a product called Peel Away, which is available from most hardware stores and home improvement stores. If you can't find Peel Away, use KS3 or another poultice product. These remove paint quickly, without causing the paint to flake off.
2. Protect the surrounding areas by covering with plastic tarps and tape. The Peel Away quickly strips the paint, but can also cause discoloration in carpets and strip paint from your walls. Make sure to cover any area that you want to protect.
3. Apply a thick coat of Peel Away to all the plaster surfaces you want to treat, at least 1/4 inch thick. Place the special paper that comes with the product on top of the Peel Away and leave it sit for at least 12 hours to give it time to affect the paint.
4. Remove one edge of the paper and check the plaster underneath. If it looks clean, then you can remove the rest of the paper. However if the plaster still has paint, let it sit for another one to four hours, checking it every hour.
5. Remove any traces of paint left behind with soapy water and a stiff-bristled brush. Coat the plaster with water and gently scrape off the paint with your brush. If any traces of the paint remain after you've done this, let the surface dry and then rub the area with a fine grade sandpaper. The plaster is now ready for a new coat of paint, or a sealer to protect it from water damage.
A ceiling fan may look more complicated than a standard ceiling light fixture, but it's powered the same way. In most standard configurations, the fan will attach to a ``hot'' (black) and ``neutral'' (white) wire from the house, along with a grounding wire that's designed to prevent power surges from moving outside the circuit. Make sure your electrical box is properly mounted so it doesn't move when you pull on it. (If it does, have it inspected by a professional before you proceed.)
Instructions
1. Cut power at the fuse box. Climb a ladder under the ceiling fixture. Loosen the fixture from the ceiling by unscrewing the mounting screws that hold it there, pulling it down to expose the wiring. Disconnect the fixture wires from the house wires and pull the fixture free.
2. Take the mounting bracket from your fan kit up the ladder. Mount it to the electrical box using the provided mounting screws. Make sure the wires from the electrical box are hanging freely down from the ceiling
3. Bring the fan motor housing up the ladder. If there's a mounting hook on your mounting bracket, hang the fan motor from it so you can wire the fan; otherwise, set the fan on the top of the ladder as close to the ceiling as you can get it.
4. Connect the wires coming out of the fan house to the same colored wires coming out of the electrical box, connecting black to black and white to white. Connect them by lining up the two bare wire ends next to each other, pointing in the same direction, and twisting a wire nut over both of them at once, then wrapping electrical tape around the connection.
5. Find the copper grounding from the electrical box. Twist the wire around the green grounding screw in the fan house. Tighten the screw.
6. Hold the fan motor housing up to the mounting bracket, tucking the wiring up into the box as you go. Secure the housing to the bracket using the provided screws.
7. Bring the fan blades up the ladder and mount them on the motor according to the instructions. Turn the power back on and test the fan.
Tags: mounting bracket, from ceiling, from electrical, from house, Make sure, motor housing
Plastic light panels are made from acrylic sheeting that can be cut in a variety of ways. These panels often have mild to heavy texturing on one side to help diffuse the light from fluorescent tubes and provide a soft, even light for work spaces and home lighting. Cut your light panel with the facing upward for the most accurate cut, as it is difficult to keep a blade moving on a straight line over some textures.
Instructions
1. Mark the smooth side of your lighting panel where you want to make the cut, using a and a dry-erase marker. The marker can be cleaned off easily after you make your cut.
2. Tape along both sizes of the marker line on both the top and bottom of the panel, using two layers of 1-inch or wider masking tape. Press the tape down firmly and keep it straight along your lines. The tape will reduce damage if the knife slips and may help keep the plastic from chipping.
3. Set your straight edge along yourmarker line and drag a utility knife down the entire length of the line. Press lightly--you aren't trying to cut all the way through; you just need to score the material a little.
4. Drag the knife along the line approximately seven more times, increasing the pressure slightly, until you have cut a little more than halfway through the panel's thickness.
5. Set the panel on the edge of a work table or other flat surface so the scored line is even with the edge. The part of the panel you want to keep should rest fully on the table, and the excess should hang over the edge.
6. Press down on the excess piece of acrylic until it snaps off at your scored line. File down any rough edges with a metal file or rasp.
7. Wipe away any remaining marker with a rag and remove the masking tape.
If you notice that your ceiling fan is shaking, chances are good that it needs some adjustments that will stop the shaking. The ceiling fan can become unstable after years of use or if it was not properly installed. Shaking is the common complaint. However, there is a way to stop a ceiling fan from shaking without having to buy a new one. The process is easier than replacing the fan.
Instructions
Tightening the Blades
1. Tighten the fan blades with a screwdriver. The blades may have come loose or may not have been properly tightened when the ceiling fan was installed.
2. Take each blade and wiggle it. If the blade feels loose, use a screwdriver to tighten the screws holding the blades to the brackets attached to the fan base.
3. Test the fan by turning it on. If the shaking is still present, move on to Section 2.
Aligning the Blades
4. Use a tape measure to make sure that the blades are aligned. Place the tip of the tape measure on the ceiling and bring the other end of the tape measure down to the first blade.
5. Look at the measurement on the tape measure to see where the first blade measures. Gently and slowly, bring the next blade around to the tape measure. Note if the blade meets the same measurement as the first one and continue on to the rest.
6. See if any blades are more than 1/4 inch off. If one is, you will need to gently bend up or down on that blade depending on the measurement. Sometimes the blades get bent slightly if you bump them or pull on the blades too hard when cleaning them.
7. Run the fan to see if Step 3 solved the shaking problem. If the fan still shakes, move to Section 3.
Balance the Blades
8. Use a balancing kit, which you can buy at any home improvement store, to make sure that the blades are level. Turn on the fan. Pull the speed control switch to test the different speeds to see which speed causes the most shaking.
9. Leave the control switch on the speed setting that is causing the most shaking and turn off the fan.
10. Slide the clip from the kit on the tip of one fan blade. Turn on the fan to see if that fixed the problem or made it worse. Do this for each blade until you find the blade that decreases the shaking a little bit. This will be the blade that needs to be balanced.
11. Move the clip around on the blade that causes the shaking until you find the spot that stops the shake. Continue moving the clip and turning the fan on and off. When you find the place that eliminates the shaking, place one of the self-sticking weights on the fan blade in the same spot as the clip. Remove the clip and turn on the fan. If a little shake persists, add another weight and turn on the fan again.
Tags: tape measure, blade that, control switch, each blade, first blade
Use your imagination to cover drab or damaged ceiling tiles.
Drop ceilings are frequently used to cover damaged ceilings or as a means to hide pipes and wiring. The metal grids and panels are fairly inexpensive and easy to install, making them an attractive choice for business and homeowners. Over time the panels frequently become discolored or stained, creating a less than inviting look for your room. Many are made of a foam type material that is very absorbent. This may make painting your ceiling tiles a challenge, but there are ways to cover the tiles to create an attractive ceiling.
Primer
Absorbent ceiling tiles may be successfully painted after they have been covered with a primer. Primers act as a bonding agent between the surface and the paint. The primer will not only prevent the paint from absorbing into the tile surface, it prevents stains and water marks from bleeding through the paint. Shellac stain-blocker is an effective primer and may be tinted with color and used as a finish coat instead of paint. Painting an acoustical ceiling tile may decrease its soundproofing qualities.
Fabric
Drop ceiling tiles are easily removable, making replacement and decorating a simple project. Covering your ceiling tiles with fabric can add dramatic color and texture to your room. Fabrics such as burlap and corduroy are available in a wide variety of colors and add an interesting texture while fabrics such as satin and velvet lend a more dramatic look. For a more whimsical effect, consider using patterned fabric such as a nursery rhyme print for a child's room. Cut the fabric slightly larger than the tile. Fold it over the back and secure it with tape or a staple gun. The metal grid also acts as an anchor to hold the fabric in place.
Paper
If you are living in a rental property or just looking for a temporary decorating fix for your dropped ceiling, paper may be your solution. Large rolls of Kraft or white shipping paper are relatively inexpensive and readily available wherever shipping materials are sold. These papers provide a neutral color while covering your damaged tiles. Crunching or wrinkling the paper prior to wrapping the tile will add an interesting texture to the ceiling. Don't be afraid to use your imagination. Consider using old newspapers, comics or gift wrap to decorate your ceiling. Wallpaper may also be used as a more expensive and permanent alternative.
Medallions
Ceiling medallions are commonly used as a decorative frame around chandeliers and ceiling fans. They may also be used as a decorative accent for ceilings or walls. Most medallions are made from a plaster cast or foam so they are light enough to hang from a suspended ceiling. The medallions may be painted or used as a contrast to a painted panel.
Ceiling Skins
Ceiling skins are heat-pressed sheets of vinyl. The skins are available in a wide variety of designs and colors including antique finishes. Ceiling skins may be glued directly onto a or inserted into the grid under your existing tile.
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Install a new switch and light fixture in your home to areas that need additional lighting. When choosing your locations, consider how your new light fixture will affect the rest of the room's lighting. Install several types of light fixtures to brighten up the darker areas, giving the room a more inviting feel. Install your switch to operate your new lighting on a wall or areas convenient for you to reach. Consider placing your switch near the entrance to a room or near the light fixture itself.
Instructions
1. Mark the location for your new light switch. Trace around the old-work switch box template provided with the box. Cut the wall board along the trace line with a drywall saw, creating an opening for the switch box.
2. Mark the location for your new light fixture. Trace around the old-work ceiling box template provided with the box. Cut the wall board along the trace line with a drywall saw, creating an opening for your new light fixture.
3. Pull a piece of 12/2 nonmetallic electrical cable from the new light location to the new switch location.
4. Turn off the main breaker at your service panel to disconnect the electricity to the entire panel. Remove the screws from the service panel cover, exposing the interior of the panel.
5. Pull a piece of 12/2 nonmetallic electrical cable from the new switch location to the service panel.
6. Pull the electrical cable through the knockout in the back of the old-work ceiling box and slide the box into the opening in the ceiling. Turn the screws clockwise on the electrical box, clamping the box to the ceiling.
7. Strip the exterior sheath from the electrical cable to expose the three interior wires using a dual nonmetallic wire cutter/stripper. Remove 3/4-inch of insulation from the black and white interior wires.
8. Assemble your new light fixture following the manufacturer's instructions. Tie the black wire from the ceiling box to the black wire from the light fixture using a twist-on orange wire connector. Tie the white wire from the ceiling box to the white wire from the light fixture with another twist-on orange wire connector. Twist another orange wire connector to the bare copper ground wire from the box in the fixture to complete the electrical connection.
9. Attach the light to the ceiling using the screws from the ceiling light fixture's mounting hardware. Install light bulbs and the light shade onto the fixture to complete the installation.
10. Pull the two sets of electrical cable through the knockouts in the back of the old-work switch box. Push the box into the opening in the drywall and turn the screws on the box, clamping the box to the wall. Strip both sets of NM cable in the switch box the same way you stripped the cables in Step 7.
11. Twist an orange wire connector onto the two white wires inside the old-work switch box, tying them together. Tie the two bare copper wires together inside the box with another connector.
12. Twist the black wire inside the switch box around a terminal screw on the right side of the light switch. Twist the remaining black wire inside the switch box around the remaining terminal screw on the switch. Tighten the screws to hold both black wires to the switch.
13. Push all wires and the light switch into the old-work switch box. Attach the switch at the top and bottom of the box with the screws that came with the switch. Cover the switch and old-work box with a single-switch wall plate.
14. Install a 20-amp single pole breaker in the main service panel. Place the back of the breaker under the slot in the panel that holds it to the panel. Push the front of the breaker over the buss bar, connecting the breaker to the electricity.
15. Strip the NM cable inside the service panel as you did in Step 7. Install the black wire under the set screw at the rear of the breaker. Tighten the breaker set screw to hold the wire in the breaker.
16. Install the white wire under a set screw in the neutral bar and install the bare copper ground wire under a set screw in the grounding bar. Tighten the set screws to hold the wires to the bars. The neutral and grounding bars are both silver-colored bars. The neutral bar has white wires installed in it, while the grounding bar has all green and bare copper wires installed in it.
17.Replace the cover to the main service panel. Turn on the main breaker to supply electricity to your new light switch and light fixture.
Tags: light fixture, service panel, , black wire, electrical cable, orange wire, orange wire connector