REPAIRING WINDOW SCREENS
Easy steps to follow

Replace sagging, torn and rusty screens

Most screens are easy to remove and replace. The frames will be either wood or metal and the screens with either be aluminum or fiberglass. Chances are, the frames themselves will not need attention nearly as often as do the screens but cleaning the track they rest in will keep the dirt from accumlating, and allows them to fit tightly

Begin by using a screwdriver to pry up the spine that runs around the perimeter of the frame.

Pull out the spine and remove the old or damaged screen fabric with new screen fabric over the frame. Using a sharp utility knife or scissors, trim it so that it is just slightly larger than the frame (about 1/2" inch). Then snip off the corners. (the piece cut off will shape a triangle)

With the convex wheel of a screen-spline roller, force the screen into the spline channel. Then push the spline back in and using the roller's concave wheel, force the spline into place by stretching the fabric taut. Cut off the excess fabric with a utility knife.

(If the screen frame is bent - consider replacing it rather than repairing. It just isn't worth the effort to reshape it)

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Installing a Base Cabinet
Simple instructions

Using a stud finder, locate the wall studs to which the cabinet will attach. With a pencil, mark the stud locations on the wall. Make sure you will be able to see the marks after the cabinet is in place. Draw a straight vertical line to indicate the center of the studs.

Level the cabinet from front to back and from side to side. Use shims if necessary to raise it the high point of the floor or otherwise change its position. Some vanities adjustable levelers built into the legs eliminate the need for shims on the floor.

Drive screws through the cabinet back rail and shims into the wall studs. Trim the shims with a sharp chisel or knife so they will not be visible when the countertop is in place. With the sink and faucet set installed, position and attach the countertop to the cabinet from underneath.

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Installing Laminate Flooring
How to measure

A laminate floor is not attached to the substrate. Rather, it floats upon a sheet of foam underlayment. Planks should be at least 2 inches wide, a narrrower piece is more likely to buckle.

Begin by measuring the width of the room at several places, taking into account the 1/4 inch expansion gap you must leave between flooring and the wall, then make some careful calculations. Divide the width of the room by the width of your planks. If the remainder is less than 2 inches, you will need to rip-cut the first piece.

For example, if the room is 120 inches wide and the planks are 7 inc wide, the room will hold 17 pieces, with 1 inch left over (17x7=119). In that case, plan on using only 16 full width pieces, which will leave you with 8 in of leftover space (16x7=112). Rip cut both the first and last pieces at 4 inches.

Install the first board at a long, highly visible wall. At each end of the wall, measure out from the wall the width of the first plank plus 1/4 inch, and make a mark. Ask someone to hlep you snap a chalk line between the 2 marks. Measure to see that the line is a fairly consistent distance from the wall at all points. Make sure the first board will be close enough to the wall for the base molding to cover the gap.

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Considering doing it yourself?
Here are some considerations:

Time and energy: Most people underestimate their time enormously. You may have the desire, but do you really have the time that it will take to finish the project, all the way through. After a long day at work, how much time is you are willing to invest.

Tools: The right tools make the projects go fast and cause less stress. The finished project will look more professional. But, the cost of the tool is a major factor.

Talent: The Home Improvement channel makes it look so easy. Remember, a six-pack and a few friends may not be all that is needed to complete the job with a worthy outcome.

Dust: Face it, remodeling is messy. Can you live with tracking in and out of dust and for how long.

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