This Ladder-Max Stand-off Stabilizer Review describes the product assembly, installation and usage.

I had a new roof, gutters and gutter covers installed on my home and needed a better way to access the roof without damaging the gutters. I noticed that the roofers and gutter installers used a ladder stand-off to avoid bending the gutters or breaking shingle overhangs at the roof edge. After researching the available products, I purchased the Ladder-Max Stand-off / Stablizer and found it does a great job.

Ladder-Max Stand-off Stabilizer Review

Ladder-Max is a strong, light-weight (less than 8 lbs) and easy to install product that quickly attaches to ladder to hold it off the roof and away from the gutters. The Ladder-Max support arms and rubber feet provide a wide base for extra stability. An advantage of Ladder-Max on a steep roof like mine is Ladder-Max enables the ladder to lay high on the roof following the roof slope, minimizing the need for roof brackets.

With Ladder-Max, I was able to lay the ladder up the steep roof to replace a clogged soffit vent and inspect that upper section gutter.

Ladder-Max Stand-off / Stabilizer

Ladder-Max was very stable and I was able to do the job without fastening roof brackets to the new roof, saving time and unnecessary nail holes in the new roof.

Ladder-Max Assembly Steps

This is the Ladder-Max parts and assembly instructions as it arrives in the box:

Ladder-Max Shipping Carton and Parts

The Ladder-Max hardware fasteners are:

• Wire Lock Pins to secure Ladder-Max to the ladder.
• Ten (10) Carriage Bolts.
  All bolts are identical, which is nice and simplifies assembly.
• Six (6) thick Nyloc nuts.
• Four (4) thin Nyloc nuts.
• Ten (10) flat washers, which are all identical.
  A flat washer is installed with each Nyloc nut.

Ladder-Max Fasteners and Instructions

Ladder-Max assembly begins by:

• Identify the right arm which has the “Danger” sticker and red dot.
• The bottom of the right arm is slipped into the bow-tie bracket of the top step.
• The step is bolted to the right arm with two carriage bolts, flat washers and thin Nyloc nuts.
• Tighten the Nyloc nuts finger-tight only.

Ladder-Max Assembly: Right Arm & Top Step

Close-up of the carriage bolts, washers and nuts for the top-step attachment to the right arm. The carriage bolt has a square head which fits into the square mounting hole of the top step. The end of the carriage will extend past the bow-tie bracket when fully seated as indicated by the yellow arrow:

Ladder-Max: Top Step Installation

The Nyloc lock nuts are installed such that the plastic insert is on the end of the carriage bolt:

Ladder-Max Ladder Stabilizer Assembly: Nyloc lock nuts

The Ladder-Max top step bow-tie bracket attachment to the right arm. Remember the thin Nyloc nuts are finger-tight only at this point. The nuts will be tightened with a wrench during final alignment later.

Ladder-Max Ladder Stabilizer: Top Step and Right Arm Attachment

The left arm is inserted into the top step bow-tie bracket and fastened with two more carriage bolts, washers and Nyloc nuts the same as the right arm:

Ladder-Max Assembly Instructions: Top Step Attachment

I turned the Ladder-Max over to install the bottom step with four (4) carriage bolts, flat washers and thick Nyloc nuts. Finger-tighten the nuts so there’s “wiggle room” for later alignment of the whole assembly before tightening all the nuts.

Ladder-Max Assembly Instructions: Top and Bottom Steps

The Ladder-Max cross arm is attached to the left and right arms with carriage bolts, washers and thick Nyloc nuts. Finger-tighten the nuts.

Ladder-Max Assembly Steps: Cross Arm Attachment

The Ladder-Max alignment is checked for square by measuring the diagonal between the bolts on opposite sides of the top and bottom steps. Twist the Ladder-Max slightly to equalized the diagonal bolt measurements (like an X), then tighten the Nyloc nuts with a 7/16 inch wrench in an X pattern (top left, right bottom, top right, left bottom) sequence per the Ladder-Max instructions. Also tighten the cross-arm nuts.

Tips:

• Take care that the square base of the carriage bolt head is seated in the square hole of the step brackets.
• Do not over tighten the Nyloc nuts because you can crush the arm tubes.
  It’s only necessary to tighten the Nyloc nuts such that one or two carriage bolt threads extend beyond the nut.

Ladder-Max Ladder Stabilizer: Final Assembly and Alignment

The wire lock pins fit in the holes in the bottom step to secure Ladder-Max to the ladder rung. The lock pins are inserted after Ladder-Max is set on the ladder.

Ladder-Max Ladder Stabilizer / Stand-off: Lock Pins

Ladder-Max Installation

Ladder-Max features an easy-on and easy-off ladder attachment. Just slide Ladder-Max onto the ladder rungs from behind the ladder and insert the two wire lock pins:

Ladder-Max Stabilizer / Stand-off Attachment

Ladder-Max lock pins:

Ladder-Max Stabilizer / Stand-Off: Lock Pins

The Ladder-Max non-slip feet protect the walls from marring:

Ladder-Max Ladder Stabilizer / Stand-Off

Ladder-Max is easy to reposition on the extension ladder by removing the lock pins. Ladder-Max should always be installed such that three (3) ladder rungs are above the roof to safely climb on/off the roof.

Ladder-Max Stabilizer Stand-Off: Extension Ladder Mount

Ladder-Max holds the extension ladder about 19 inches off the roof so the ladder doesn’t bend my gutters:

Ladder-Max Stand-off / Stabilizer

Ladder-Max Stand-off Stabilizerfits all major makes and models of ladders with rungs on 12 inch centers.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post Ladder-Max Standoff Stabilizer Review appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This project shows how to install a bi-fold closet door in this update of How To Build a Basement Closet. The closet door jambs and casing were installed in the previous project.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Installation

I purchased two Masonite “Full Louver Prefinished White Plantation Closet Door Bi-Fold” 24 in. by 80 in. door units at Home Depot because two 24 inch door units are needed to span the 4 foot wide finished closet door opening and the prefinished doors do not need painting. Bi-fold doors are a good choice for closets because the doors are easy to install and provides ventilation so the closet doesn’t get musty.

Masonite Full Louver Prefinished White Plantation Closet Bi-Fold Door Model # 25437

The Masonite Plantation Bi-Fold Closet Door includes the installation hardware (jamb bracket, 2 foot door track, door pivots, screws, etc.) and printed installation instructions. A really good set of bi-fold door installation instructions are here.

Masonite Plantation Closet Bi-Fold Door Hardware and Instructions

Bi-Fold Door Track Installation

The door track is installed first. Two sections of 2 foot long door track are joined by inserting the door track alignment bracket. The door snugger fits between the two door panels and is inserted into the door track before joining.

Masonite Bi-Fold Door Track Assembly

The door track alignment bracket has a dimple in the middle for centering the bracket in the door tracks:

Masonite Bi-Fold Door Installation: Door Track Assembly

Since my closet door width is 4 feet wide, I didn’t need to shorten the metal door track with a hack saw.

The door track is mounted in the center of the overhead door jamb with wood screws set in the factory made holes along the bracket. I used Simpson Strong-Drive SD8X1.25 wood screws to mount the door track instead of the screws included with the door kit because I preferred the wide pan head and thicker threads of the Simpson screws.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Track Installation

Bi-Fold Closet Door Jamb Bracket

The center of the side door jamb is measured and marked, then the metal jamb bracket is fastened to the jamb with two Simpson Strong-Drive SD8X1.25 wood screws. Compare the Simpson SD8 x 1.25 inch wood screws (left side of photo) with the Masonite screws included with the door kit (right side of photo). I decided not to install a masonry anchor in the 3rd jamb bracket mounting hole because the two wood screws were sufficient. Recall that my door jambs are nailed directly to the 2×4 studs with no shims so the wood screws are in the 2×4 stud for a very sturdy attachment.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Installation: Jamb Bracket

Install the door jamb bracket for the other door the same way.

Bi-Fold Door Top Pivots

The door bi-fold door panels are identical and can be installed on either the left or right side of the closet doorway. (As my chemistry professor would say, the doors are not chiral.)

Stand up the bi-fold door panel and set it in front of the closet door opening so the door is correctly oriented. Note which side is top, left and right as it’s easy to get confused.

Lay the door on the floor then tap in the roller guide pivot (part with the plastic wheel) and door pivot pin. The door pivot pin will be closest to the door jamb and the roller guide pivot will be at the center of the doorway. The top pins are spring-loaded to automatically adjust to height of the door opening.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Installation: Top Pivots

The bottom pivot pin has a knurled cone shape and is installed in the door panel on the same side as the top pivot pin. The bottom pivot is threaded to adjust the door height and level the doors. That extra hole on the bottom remains empty.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Installation: Bottom Pivot Pin

Repeat the procedure the other door: stand the door up, note the orientation and tap in the top and bottom pins.

Bi-Fold Door Placement and Leveling

Stand the door up and set the top pivot pin (left side) in the pivot bracket. Lift the door and set the bottom pivot pin the jamb bracket slot. Next, press the roller guide down and pop it into the door track.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Installation

Level the bi-fold door vertically by:

• Lift the door up to move the bottom pivot in the jamb bracket slot the door has clearance with the door jamb.
• Loosen the top pivot bracket screw to move the bracket until the door is vertical and aligned with the side jamb.
  Tighten the screw to keep the final adjustment.

Bi-Fold Door Installation: Vertical Level Adjustment

Install the second bi-fold door panel in the closet doorway.

With both doors installed and leveled vertically, level the doors horizontally – the top of both doors are equal height when closed – by lifting the door up and spinning the bottom pivot pin as needed to adjust the door height. You may need to fine tune the vertical and horizontal door leveling by repeating the above steps:

• Reposition the bottom pivot pin(s) the door jamb bracket slot.
• Loosen and adjust the top pivot bracket(s).
• Raise or lower the door(s) by spinning the bottom pivot pin(s).

One or two iterations should do it.

Close the doors and check the spring snugger is centered and the doors are even with a minimal gap in the center:

Bi-Fold Door Installation: Spring Snugger and PVC Quarter Round Moulding

Given that the bi-fold doors can be installed in a left or right hand configuration, holes for the door knobs must be drilled after the door is installed.

I made a mistake when locating the door knobs due to the generic Masonite door instructions. The door knob should be installed in the center board between the upper and lower panels for better leverage. See the correction in the 3rd photo below. I’ll drill a new hole and relocate the door pull later.

Bi-Fold Door Installation: Drill a Hole for the Door Knob

The door knob is attached from the back of the door with the long screw provided with the door kit:

Bi-Fold Door Knob Installation

Bi-Fold Door Quarter Round Moulding

The bi-fold doors are trimmed with PVC quarter round mounding to cover the gap along the door jambs and to hide the door track hardware. The quarter round moulding has been installed on right door jamb. I’m ready to measure, saw and install the moulding on the left door jamb. The moulding is fastened with 1-1/2 inch brad nails.

Bi-Fold Closet Door Installation: PVC Quarter Round Moulding

Closet Shelf Installation

I purchased several ClosetMaid clothes racks and shelves at the local home improvement store:

• Superslide Shelf Kit – 6 foot for hanging clothes and general storage
• 3 ft. x 12 in. Ventilated Wire Shelf Kit for extra side storage
• Hanging Wire Shelf

Total cost for the shelving items was about $60.

ClosetMaid Wire Shelves

The 6 foot long Superslide Shelf was a bit too long to fit between the side walls. The wire shelf was cut to fit with a bolt cutters, but a hacksaw will also do.

The ClosetMaid shelf kits include plastic drywall anchors and mounting nails. It’s best not to use the included drywall anchors and nails because these can tear out of the drywall and fail under heavy load, dumping the shelf contents on the floor.

Instead, I located the 2×4 wall studs with a stud finder and mounted the shelf support brackets and clips to the studs with Simpson Strong-Drive SD8X1.25 wood screws.

ClosetMaid Wire Shelves

View of the basement closet after installing the bi-fold doors:

Basement Closet Bi-Fold Doors

The faux wood blinds are installed in the next update of this series.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post How to Install a Bi-Fold Closet Door appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This project shows how to install door jambs and casing for a bi-fold door in this update of How To Build a Basement Closet. This series is continued from the Plywood Cap & Outside Corner Moulding Installation.

Bi-Fold Doors, Door Jambs and Door Casing

The materials for finishing the basement closet door are:

• Two bi-fold door units to span the 4 foot wide finished door opening.
  I purchased the Masonite “Full Louver Prefinished White Plantation Closet Door Bi-Fold” 24 in. by 80 in. door unit at Home Depot.
• Three pieces of finger jointed ready-to-install 11/16 in. thick by 4-9/16 in. wide by 81-11/16 in. long door jamb purchased at Home Depot.
• Six 8 feet long pieces of 11/16 in. by 2 1/4 in. Pine Primed Finger-Jointed Casing.
  Door casing is sold by the foot and cut to length from 16 foot stock. Note: Only 3 pieces of door casing are shown in the photo.

Basement Closet: Bi-Fold Doors, Door Jambs and Door Casing

Details of the Masonite 24 in. x 80 in. bi-fold door. I chose this door because it’s prefinished and doesn’t need painting if you want a white door.

Masonite Full Louver Prefinished White Plantation Closet Door Bi-Fold 24 in. x 80 in.

The ready-to-install 4916PFJ 11/16 in. by 4-11/16 in door jamb:

4916PFJ 11/16 in. by 4-11/16 in Door Jamb

Close-up of the pre-cut rabbet in the door side jamb so the head jamb fits flush.

Pre-Cut Door Jamb Rabbet for the Head Jamb, Model 4916PFJ

Closet Door Jamb Installation

A door rough opening is typically built 2.5 inches wider and 2 inches taller than the finished door to allow for irregularities in the 2×4 framing and provide space for the two 11/16 inch thick door jambs. The door jambs are then “trued up” during installation with shims placed between the 2×4 rough opening and door jamb.

As explained in How to Build a Basement Closet – Part 3, I worked carefully using precise measurements and very straight 2×4 lumber to build the rough opening square, plumb, 81-11/16 in. high and 46-5/8 in. wide. After installing the two 11/16 inch thick side jambs (equals 1-3/8 inches total thickness), the finished door opening will be 48 inches (48 = 46-5/8 minus 1-3/8). The result is my door jambs do not require shims. I personally don’t like shimming door jambs because a large part of the jamb will be unsupported.

Door Jamb Header

The two side jambs are temporarily set in place, checked for plumb and fastened with a single 1-1/2 inch brad nail. Then, the length of the header jamb is measured from rabbet-to-rabbet.

Closet Door Side Jambs

The header jamb is cut from a length of side jamb stock, using the section without the rabbet because the header does not need the rabbet groove.

Sawing the Door Header Jamb

The header jamb fit is checked by slipping it in the side jamb rabbets:

Door Jamb Installation: Fitting the Header Jamb

The header jamb is slipped off the side jambs, then the side jambs are pulled free of the rough opening. The single brad nail that temporarily held the side jambs in place pulls out easily.

The header jamb is fitted and squared with the side jamb, then the side jamb is fastened to the header with a couple of 1-1/2 inch brad nails. Be careful to drive the brad nails straight so it doesn’t exit the surface of the header jamb. The other side jamb is  the same method.

Door Jamb Assembly: Side and Head Jambs

The assembled door jambs are stood up and ready to be set in the rough opening.

Closet Door Jamb Installation

The door jambs are set even with the closet drywall, checked for square and nailed to the 2×4 framing with 2 inch long six-penny (“6d”) finishing nails.

Check Door Jambs for Square

The finish nails are set in side-by-side pairs spaced 1 inch horizontally and ~16 inches vertically along the jambs. Nail both the side- and header jambs with 6d nails.

Door Jamb Installation: 6d Finish Nails

The nails are countersunk (i.e. the nail head is driven ~1/8 inch below the door jamb surface) with a nail punch. (If you don’t have a nail punch, a 16d nail can be used to countersink the finish nails.) The nail heads will be filled with wood putty and sanded flush with the wood surface before painting.

Closet Door Casing Installation

The 2-1/4 inch wide door casing was chosen because it matches the door casing in my home. The inside finished height of the door is measured and 1/4 inch is added for the casing setback (see the casing detail in the 3rd photo below). Then the 45 degree miter cut made on the Dewalt Compound Miter saw. Measure and install the side casings first, then the door header casing.

Closet Door Casing Miter Cut

The door casing is fastened with 2 inch brad nails. The brad nail gun does a great job without jarring the work piece and automatically countersinks the brad nails.

Building a Basement Closet: Door Casing

Closeup of the door jamb and door casing installation. Notice how the door casing is set back about 1/4 inch from the face of the door jamb for a bit fancier trim detail.

Door Jamb and Door Casing Installation Details

Door casing installation details at the concrete floor:

Door Casing Installation Details

The completed door jamb and casing installation after filling and sanding the brad & finish nail heads with wood putty. I’ve also painted the closet walls. The closet door jambs, casing and outside corner moulding will be painted next.

Door Jamb and Door Casing Installation

The bi-fold doors, baseboard and clothes racks will be installed in the next project update.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post How to Install Door Jambs and Casing for a Bi-Fold Door appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This project shows how to finish the basement closet drywall this installment of How To Build a Basement Closet. For the prior installment of this series, see wiring the closet light circuit.

Basement Closet Drywall Finishing

After cutting and hanging the drywall, it must be “finished” to cover the screws or nails, corners and seam between the drywall sheets taped to cover the gaps, corner bead installed to protect the outside corners, then sanded and painted. See the SHEETROCK® Installation and Finish Guide by USG Corp for a comprehensive guide to drywall installation and finishing.

The key to finishing drywall is: the less joint compound spread on the walls and care taken to feather the edges with the drywall taping knife, the less time you’ll spend sanding.

Drywall Finishing Tools and Materials

I used the following tools and material to finish the basement closet drywall (from left to right in the following photo):

• 4 inch Taping Knife
  Good for filling the screw head dimples with joint compound and scraping joint compound residue off the wider taping knives.
• 6 inch Taping Knife
  Great for mudding corners, seams and drywall joint tape.
• 12 inch Taping Knife
  Essential for feathering seams and edges.
• 4 in. x 3.5 in. Inside Corner Tool
  Mudding and taping inside corners.
• Drywall Mud Pan
  I purchased an inexpensive 14 inch wide plastic pan with metal rims.
• SHEETROCK® Brand All-Purpose Pre-Mixed Joint Compound.
  The closet required two 1 gallon buckets. Also available in 5 gallon buckets.
• Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Corner Tape.
• Self-Adhesive Mesh Drywall Joint Tape.

Drywall Finishing Tools and Materials

You’ll also need drywall corner bead, scissors, tape measure, pencil and a drywall sanding sponge.

Drywall Screw Dimples

The drywall screw dimples are finished with a thin coat of drywall joint compound applied with the 4 inch taping knife. Nothing complicated here, just a lot of busy work. Try to avoid pressing too hard with the taping knife because it can flex and bow inward leaving a small depression over the dimple, which means you’ll have to apply a 2nd feather coat to level the depression.

Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Corner Tape

I saw Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Corner Tape on the store shelf while purchasing drywall finishing supplies, studied the box and decided to give it a try. Strait-Flex is significantly more expensive than paper drywall tape, but it makes up for the price in the labor savings, strength and perfect 90° corners.

Strait-Flex is a PVC plastic-based product that’s sandable and won’t fuzz-up. The Strait-Flex product YouTube videos are a very good overview.

Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Corner Tape

I lightly sanded the painted wall along a 6 inch wide path to “break the shine” so the joint compound would better adhere to the painted surface.

Next, I cut two sections of Strait-Flex inside corner tape for the closet drywall corners, folded the tape in half then opened the angle a bit wider than 90° degrees per the Strait-Flex instructions.

Strait-Flex Medium Inside Corner Tape Installation

A generous ~3/16 inch thick bed of pre-mixed joint compound is spread on the inside corner with a 6 inch taping knife:

Strait-Flex Medium: Drywall Joint Compound Bed

I stippled the Strait-Flex medium drywall tape into the joint compound so it would stick before wiping it down with the inside corner tool.

Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Tape Corner Installation

The Strait-Flex is pressed and smoothed into the joint compound with the inside corner tool. The joint compound will squeeze-out through the slotted edges. Strait-Flex automatically “finds the corner” for perfect and straight corners. Very cool and fool-proof!

Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Tape Installation: Inside Corner Tool

The Strait-Flex is finished with a feather coat of all-purpose drywall joint compound with the 6 inch drywall knife. A light sanding to knock down the outside bead of joint compound where it rolled off the edge of the knife and I’m done here!

Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Tape: Finish Coat of Joint Compound

The basement bedroom closet corner after installing two more sections of Strait-Flex Medium drywall tape:

Strait-Flex Medium Drywall Tape: Inside Corner Installation

I also finished the closet interior corners with Strait-Flex Medium drywall tape with very satisfactory results.

Tip: Check your taping knife often and scrape off any joint compound that’s starting to dry into the trash because a tiny bit of dry compound will leave gouges in the wet compound.

Taping Drywall Butt Joints

The drywall butt joints where two drywall panels meet are taped with self-stick mesh tape:

Taping Drywall Butt Joints

The butt joint is finished with thin coat of joint compound using the 12 inch taping knife to feather seam:

Drywall Butt Joint Finishing

Drywall Corner Bead Installation

Drywall corner bead is used to strengthen, protect and make a nice straight edge. Drywall corner bead is available in plastic and metal for straight and curved (e.g. arch ways) applications.

The drywall outside corner will be covered with 1-1/4″ galvanized metal corner bead to protect the corner. I purchased a 10 foot section  for about $2 because the closet is a little over 8 feet high. (BTW – that right section of closet wall is exposed for the building inspector to inspect the closet light wiring.)

Basement Closet Construction: Drywall Corner Bead

The metal drywall corner bead is cut to length with tin snips:

Drywall Corner Bead Cut with Tin Snips

The corner bead is fastened to the wall corner with drywall screws and a drywall screw dimpler bit. Set the screws about 8 inches apart and stagger the screws on opposite sides so two screws don’t collide.

Drywall Corner Bead Installation with Drywall Screws

The installed drywall corner bead on the basement closet:

Basement Closet: Galvanized Metal Drywall Corner Bead

The drywall corner bead profile is designed such that the corner slightly raised so the sides can be filled with joint compound feathered onto the walls. The first coat is applied with a 6 inch drywall knife, then feathered with a pass of the 12 inch wide drywall knife:

Finish the Drywall Corner Bead with Joint Compound

The drywall corner bead finished with joint compound:

Basement Closet: Finished Drywall Corner Bead

The 1/2 inch plywood closet cap and last section of drywall are installed in the next part of this series.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

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This project explains how to cut and install the drywall in this installment of How To Build a Basement Closet.

See the Wiremold electrical rough-in for the closet light in previous installment of this series.

How to Build a Basement Closet: Drywall Installation

Having completed the electrical wiring rough-in, the 1/2 inch thick drywall sheets are measured, cut and installed on the 2×4 closet frame.

I built the closet walls with full length 8 foot (96 inch) 2×4 lumber, therefore the distance from the floor to the 2×4 top plate is 1-1/2 in. (sole plate) + 96 inches 2×4 wall stud + 1-1/2 in. top plate for a total wall height of 99 inches. 99 inches is 3 inches longer than an 8 foot long sheet of drywall, therefore I will use 10 foot long sheets of drywall for the exterior closet walls. I could have cut the 96 inch 2×4 wall studs back to 93.5 inches (the extra 1/2 inch is for drywall floor clearance) and used 8 foot long drywall sheets. It was a personal choice between shortening the studs or using 3 pieces of 10 foot drywall.

Basement Closet Drywall Installation: 10 foot drywall sheet

Measure and Cut Drywall for the Closet Wall

If you’ve not hanged drywall before, read the SHEETROCK® Installation and Finish Guide by USG Corp.

I needed a 4 foot carpenter’s level, tape measure, 54 inch drywall T-square, pencil and pad to make careful measurements to fit the sheetrock panels. A minor complication is accommodating that setback (or ledge) in the exterior wall for the concrete foundation wall.

Wall Profile Sketch

I made sketch on my notepad of the closet wall profile and wrote down the measurements. The concrete foundation wall isn’t exactly plumb (vertical), so I used the 4 foot carpenter’s level to figure out the slant angle referenced to a plumb line. I tried to keep my measurements and cuts accurate to within 1/8 inch at the existing room wall abutments.

The sketch measurements are marked on the finish face of the 10 foot drywall panel. A long drywall T-square is indispensable here. It requires some planning to make the sequence of drywall cuts such that there isn’t a heavy section of drywall that may break off prematurely when snapping the cuts. The basic rule is to cut off the largest sections first. In this photo, I’m cutting the drywall to fit the height of the closet minus 1/2 inch for clearance above the concrete floor. The 1/2 inch gap at the floor will be covered by the baseboard.

Building a Basement Closet: Drywall T-Square

The drywall sheets are cut using the “score and snap” method. I set the length of the utility knife blade such that it couldn’t accidentally scratch the floor and made a deep score along the cut line using the drywall T-square as a guide:

Drywall Installation: Scoring the Cut Line with a Utility Knife

A helper and I carefully stood the 10 foot drywall sheet on edge. The drywall is then snapped (or broken) away from the knife cut made on the finished side. The drywall paper on the back is then cut along the break angle with the utility knife to separate the two sections.

Drywall Installation: Scoring the Cut Line with a Utility Knife

Smooth the cut edge of the drywall panel by running the utility knife flat along the end to knock down any high spots.

Drywall Score and Snap Cutting Method

A big advantage of the Skimstone concrete floor finish is the drywall dust vacuums up cleanly with the shopvac.

The measurements for the closet wall width and foundation wall setback are marked for scoring and cutting. A drywall saw was needed to make horizontal cut for the foundation wall setback before the longer vertical cut could be scored and snapped.

Drywall Installation: Marking Cut Lines

Hanging the Closet Drywall

The first sheet of 1/2 inch drywall stood in place and checked for fit. If adjustments to the fit are needed, just trim as needed with the utility knife.

The drywall sheet is initially fastened with course thread drywall screws to the 2×4 top plate. Notice the blue pieces of painter’s tape on the floor; the wall stud centers are marked on the floor tape before hanging the drywall. The stud centers are also marked on the top plate prior to installation. The purpose of marking the stud centers is to provide references for snapping a chalk line so I’ll know where to set the drywall screws. Shims (indicated by the green lines) were used to hold the drywall sheet off the floor while fastening the screws.

Basement Closet: Hanging the Drywall

The drywall screws are spaced 16 inches apart along the chalk lines:

Drywall Installation: Drywall Screw and Dimpler Bit

The DEWALT drywall dimpler bit automatically sets the correct screw depth with a small dimple. The dimple allows for a smooth finish with joint compound.

DEWALT Drywall Dimpler Bit

The drywall screws are spaced 16 inches apart:

Building a Basement Closet: Drywall Installation

View of the drywall from inside the closet. I can use 8 foot sheets of drywall in the closet because the interior walls are 3-1/2 inches shorter than the exterior walls due to the 2×4 ceiling joists.

Building a Basement Closet: Drywall Installation

View of the lower closet wall:

Building a Basement Closet: Drywall and Framing

The interior ceiling drywall is installed in the next part of this series.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post How to Build a Basement Closet: Drywall Installation appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

Zip Hinge™ is a gutter downspout hinge that installs quickly so the downspout can be flipped-up and out of the way for mowing and landscaping. This Zip Hinge review illustrates the product installation and benefits.

Zip Hinge™ Gutter Downspout Hinge

Gutter Downspouts Problems

Gutter downspouts often have straight extensions to release rain water several feet away from the foundation of the home, otherwise the rain water can seep along the foundation and get into the basement, especially if the yard is flat or slopes toward the home. Downspout extensions are also used to cross over landscaped borders to prevent erosion and water ponding.

The problem with downspout extensions is they get in the way of mowing and landscaping. I once lived in a planned development where the Homeowner’s Associations fees included yard mowing. The mowing crew would run into and/or over downspouts laying on the grass; the downspout extensions didn’t last very long. If I’d had Zip Hinge (“Flip Up, Mow Under™”), I could have folded up the downspout extensions on Tuesday’s when the mowers made their rounds or it was time to spread mulch and plant flowers in the landscape border areas. If you mow your own yard or have a careful landscaping crew, then Zip Hinge will make mowing easier for an even cut and nicer looking yard.

Zip Hinge™ Review

The Zip Hinge kit contains 12 two-piece aluminum hinges and clasps. The hinges have a mounting tab that fits inside the gutter downspout for perfect hinge alignment and to hold it in place while driving zip screws. The “universal fit” Zip Hinge works with both 2″x3″ and 3″x4″ gutter downspout sizes.

Zip Hinge Kit

Zip Hinge Installation Tools and Hardware

The following tools and hardware are needed to install Zip Hinge:

• Zip Hinges – two hinges per downspout.

Not included with the Zip Hinge kit are:

• Angle square or combination square to mark a 45° angle.
• Pencil
• Tin snips
• Gutter touch-up paint, or paint to match your gutter colors
• Zip screws – hex-head sharp self-tapping zinc plated weather resistant sheet metal screws for gutters. Available in plain, white, brown, almond and other colors. Available at gutter supply stores. I purchased these screws at Lowes which drove in easily and held fast.
• 1/4 inch nut driver for a cordless drill/driver.

Zip Hinge™ Installation Tools and Hardware

Zip Hinge Installation

Check the orientation of your downspout before marking the angles. Mark a 45 degree angle with the pencil and square on the straight piece of gutter downspout that will be fastened to the downspout elbow. Mark the 45 degree angle on both sides and draw a straight line across the top of the downspout.

Zip Hinge Installation: Mark 45 degree angle

Cut out the angled section marked in pencil with tin snips. Downspouts are easy to cut with tin snips because the thin aluminum is soft. Be careful for sharp edges.

Zip Hinge Installation: Cut the Angle Section with Tin Snips

Slip the pair onto the downspout elbow until the hinge tabs are fully seated. The hinges can be installed on the narrow or wide side of the downspout to match the orientation of your gutter downspouts.

Zip Hinge Installation: Slip on the Hinges

Top view of the Zip Hinge before fastening with zip screws:

Zip Hinge Installation: Hinge Top View

Fasten the Zip Hinge with the 1/4 inch nut driver and zip screws. In practice, I prefer to hold the hinge against the end of the downspout so the tab is fully seated while driving in the zip screw.

Zip Hinge Installation: Fasten with zip screws

The Zip Hinge after fastening with zip screws to the downspout elbow. I like how the zip screws grabs the hinge tab for a reinforced attachment.

Zip Hinge Installation: zip screw attachment

Slide the Zip Hinges onto the gutter downspout extension that will lay in the yard or across the landscaping:

Zip Hinge Installation: Top View

The installed Zip Hinge showing the “flip up” downspout action:

Zip Hinge Installation: Flip Up Position

Bottom view of the finished Zip Hinge installation. A very nice fit with no gaps!

Zip Hinge Installation: Bottom View

Real World Zip Hinge Application

This homeowner needed to direct the rain water away from the house foundation to the concrete driveway. The flexible black plastic downspout isn’t the prettiest and it was partially buried and held down by small stones.

Flexible Gutter Downspout

The flexible downspout was full of rain water and a breeding ground for mosquitoes in warm weather.

Flexible Gutter Downspout Full of Water

The Zip Hinge installation steps are:

• Attach a new downspout elbow to the main downspout from the gutter with 3/16 inch aluminum pop-rivets (you can also use zip screws here).
• Measure and cut with a hacksaw a ~3 foot length of downspout from standard 10 foot long section gutter downspout.
• Mark the 45 degree angles and cut with tin snips.
  Tip: Cut the 45 miter at the that was sawn with the hack saw because this will true-up the hack-sawn end of the downspout.
• Install the Zip Hinges with zip screws.

I took photos while the homeowner installed the Zip Hinges; it’s that easy.

Zip Hinge™ Downspout Installation

The new Zip Hinges and downspout extension to the driveway. Looks much nicer and no more standing water.

Zip Hinge™ and Downspout Extension

The Zip Hinge™ Clasp isn’t normally needed because the Zip Hinges have a natural stiffness to hold the downspout in the flip-up position, but can be helpful on windy days or longer term storage. The Zip Hinge Clasp installs in seconds with a single zip screw and rotates 90 degrees to hold the downspout.

Zip Hinge™ Clasp

Downspout held in the flip-position with the Zip Hinge™ Clasp:

Zip Hinge™ Clasp: Downspout in the Flip-Up Position

Zip Hinge™ is a well made and easy to install product. I hope you found this Zip Hinge review helpful.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post Zip Hinge Review appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This MasterShield Gutter Guard review is continued from Part 1.

New 6 Inch Gutter Installation

The new 6 inch wide gutters being installed by MasterShield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement along the garage:

New 6 Inch Gutter Installation

Closeup of the MasterShield Gutter Guards on the garage:

MasterShield Gutter Guard on the Garage

The MasterShield Gutter Guard outside corner ridge is covered by an aluminum cap to seal the edges:

MasterShield Gutter Guard Outside Corner

The MasterShield Gutter Guard has a low profile when viewed from the street and blends with the gutters. The new 6 inch gutters cover most of the fascia board which means protection from the weather and less painting.

MasterShield Gutter Guard

6 Inch Gutters & Hidden Gutter Hangers

The new 6 inch seamless gutters are prepared on the ground before installation:

New 6 Inch Wide Gutters Ready for Installation

The hidden gutter hangers are an upgrade from the old gutter spike and ferrule system. The hidden gutter hangers can’t be seen from the ground and are fastened with pre-installed screws that won’t back out over time.

Hidden Gutter Hanger

The hidden gutter hanger fastened to the fascia board. The gutter ends are sealed with Geocel 2320 Tripolymer Gutter and Narrow Seam Sealant.

Hidden Gutter Hanger Attachment

Big Mouth Valley Block

A challenge for gutter guards are handling high water flows on inside corners at the bottom of roof valleys. MasterShield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement installed the patented Big Mouth Valley Block by Guilford’s to solve the problem. The Big Mouth Valley Block provides a large screened area to capture the high volume of rain water.

Big Mouth Valley Block by Guilford LLC

MasterShield Gutter Guard outside corners and roof slope match such that debris washes over the gutter guard.

MasterShield Gutter Guard Outside Corner Detail

Gutter Downspout Improvement

The old gutter downspouts were positioned on the sides of the house for the longest possible distance for the water to travel. KTL Home Improvement recommended moving the downspouts to the front corners with the new 6 inch gutters, with tie-ins the gutters on the 1st story as shown:

Gutter Downspout Piped to Lower Gutter

I requested the new 6 inch gutters stop short of the roof valley on the back of house to allow the huge amount leaves and debris to fall past. This side of the house faces the backyard so appearance aren’t critical.

New Gutter Installed Short of the Roof Slope

The old downspouts emptied onto the roof corresponding the inset of the above photo. Oak tree catkins, helicopter seeds and leaves are funneled to this roof valley. At times, I’ve observed a mound of debris much much larger than this hanging over the gutter. This photo was taken a couple of years ago before the roof was replaced.

Old 5 Inch Gutter and Flip-Up Wire Screen

MasterShield Gutter Guard Drip Edge

The MasterShield Gutter Guard features a drip edge that extends beyond the front of the gutter to shed water and avoid rain streaks on the gutter. The ends of the gutter are covered with aluminum plates to keep out squirrels, birds and other critters. The workmanship by MasterShield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement is excellent!

MasterShield Gutter Guard and Downspout Tie-In

The MasterShield slides underneath the first row of shingles, but over the shingle starter strip, drip edge flashing and roofing felt. This follows the recommended practice in the GAF Technical Advisory Bulletin for Gutter Covers.

MasterShield Gutter Guard Under the Shingles

The new MasterShield Gutter Guard and 6 inch gutters. The trees are watching!

MasterShield Gutter Guard Protection

How Well Do MasterShield Gutter Guards Perform?

Only time will tell. The new MasterShield Gutter Guards have been on the roof for only one week as of this writing. I’ll be posting updates here showing the MasterShield product performance under a variety of conditions:

• Normal rain
• Heavy rain, thunderstorms and downpours
• Spring when the trees drop catkins, flower petals and seeds
• Fall when leaves, nuts and twigs drop

MasterShield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement said if there’s are heavy flows overshooting the gutter guards, give them a call and they’ll correct the issue under warranty.

MasterShield Gutter Guards: Heavy Rain

After 1 month on the house, the MasterShield Gutter Guards have performed exceptionally well during late winter heavy rain storms. The rain water soaks through within the 1st inch of micro-mesh with no overruns. The Big Mouth Valley Blocks easily handles large water flows at the roof valleys.

Fix Those Downspouts

Zip Hinge™ is a downspout hinge to flip-up the downspouts for mowing and landscaping.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post MasterShield Gutter Guard Review – Part 2 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This MasterShield Gutter Guard review details the replacement of my old 5 inch rain gutters with new 6 inch wide gutters and the installation of MasterShield Gutter Protection.

Clogged and Poorly Installed Rain Gutters

The 5 inch wide rain gutters on my house were the original “builder grade” gutters that had several problems:

• Improperly pitched (or sloped) gutters that wouldn’t drain properly and hold water.
  Matts of algae grow quickly in standing water and breed mosquitoes.
• Poorly placed downspouts that made the water to run the full length of the house and around a corner to reach a downspout.
  The gutter would overflow at the head-end during heavy rains.
• 2nd story downspouts that drained onto the roof instead of being piped into a 1st story gutter.
• Sagging Gutters: For a gutter on the 3 story side of the house with difficult access, the lazy home builder spaced the gutter spikes over 10 feet apart causing the gutter to sag. Gutter spikes should be spaced not more than 4 feet apart and 2 foot spacing is recommended.
• Gutter spikes that worked out over time due to flexing of the gutter.
  Spikes (which resemble very large nails) lack the holding power of gutter screws.

Removing the old 5 inch gutters and installing new 6 inch gutters with redesigned downspouts, proper drainage pitch and hidden hangers spaced 2 feet apart remedied the above gutter problems.

Do It Yourself Gutter Covers

My home is surrounded by a variety of Oak, Hickory, Sweet Gum and Tulip Poplar trees which shed twigs, leaves, “helicopter” seeds, flower petals, catkins, nuts and vast amounts of pollen. The roof also gets wind blown pine needles from trees over 100 yards away. The oak catkins are probably the worst, forming large tangled clumps and mats in the Spring.

I’ve tried several of the Do-It-Yourself gutter guards with mixed results.

• The bullnose style gutter covers that wick rain water by surface tension while shedding debris kept out the worst part of the leaves, but seeds and smaller items still made it into the gutter, only delaying the gutter cleaning by a two or three seasons. During heavy downpours, the surface tension isn’t strong enough to wick the water into the gutter causing the water to overshoot the gutter.
• The hinged wire mesh clip-on screens do a decent job and are cheap and easy to install, but don’t fit well on corners and cause leaves to pile up on the roof along the screen until it eventually rots away (in theory). I also had many problems this winter with gray squirrels running inside the gutter and flipping open the screens as they try to find a way into the attic (the drip edge flashing now prevents that!). I’d get on the ladder with a long pole and flip the screen back over. However, once the screen is flipped open, the clip moves and the screen won’t lay flat against the roof allowing leaves to slip under. This is a particular problem with high areas where my 24 foot ladder won’t reach the gutter.

Here’s the original 5 inch gutters with the clip on wire mesh screens:

Clip-On Wire Mesh Gutter Screen

Leaves and debris tend to accumulate on the flip-up wire screens. I run the leaf blower during the Fall season on the more accessible parts of the roof, otherwise the leaves would be a lot worse here:

Clip-On Wire Mesh Gutter Screen Leaf Buildup

This three-story high section of the old 5 inch gutter is reachable only with a 40 foot ladder. As noted in the photo, a squirrel has knocked open a the inexpensive clip-on gutter screen. The workman discovered the gutter was full of water and sagging because the lazy home builder skipped 10 feet between the gutter spikes. The gutter was punctured to drain the water before removing it from the house. I had noticed rain water would overflow the gutter and now I know why.

Old 5 inch Gutter and Clip-On Gutter Screen Knocked Open by Squirrels

This is what was inside that high section old 5 inch gutter once it was on the ground. The wet matted leaves in the bottom were compressed like cardboard.

Clip-On Wire Mesh Gutter Screen Failure

Clip-on wire mesh gutter screens and bullnose gutter covers are far better than nothing; it’s a tradeoff between appearance, cost, maintenance and effectiveness.

Why I Don’t Hire Gutter Cleaners

When I first bought the house, the gutters did not have any type of gutter covers and the former homeowner’s would hire a gutter cleaning company for around $250 to do the job. A rope team would climb the steep 10/12 pitch roof to blow the leaves out of the gutters. I hired gutter cleaners for couple of seasons, until I happened to be home one day and watched the gutter cleaning company at work on a neighbor’s home. The problems were:

• The rope team would surf down the roof, damaging shingles and shedding showers of granules.
• The ropes would snag on the roof vents; the gutter cleaners didn’t seem to care as they tugged and pulled on the ropes.
  I had a box vent broken this way.
• If the leaf blower didn’t do the job because a twig, kid’s toy or matted leaves were stuck in the gutter, the crew couldn’t be bothered to reach a hand into the gutter to dislodge the debris.
• At the time, I didn’t have drip edge flashing and the leaf blower would send a good deal of debris through the carpenter’s gap into the soffit.

A homeowner usually can’t inspect the high inaccessible gutters or see what’s happening on the roof, so there’s rarely any penalty if the gutter cleaner company fails to use due care or does a poor job.

Why Choose MasterShield Gutter Protection?

There are a huge variety of gutter covers on the market in almost every conceivable configuration including brushes, foam filters, bullnose style surface tension and screens. How to did I choose MasterShield Gutter Guards? I made my decision by studying numerous online reviews, manufacturer product and warranty specifications:

• Some products are just awful and while others do a good job.
• Gutter guard Ratings in the September 2010 issue Consumer Reports magazine.
  Note: MasterShield was not tested in the 2010 Consumer Reports review.
• The manufacturer websites.
• YouTube videos.
• Online forums.
• Customer references.
• Competitive comparisons for different opinions.

Ultimately, I choose MasterShield Gutter Guards because:

• I believe the MasterShield stainless steel micro-mesh design is better than the bullnose surface-tension style products.
• The MasterShield interlocking design.
• The MasterShield Warranty.
• Alex Higginbotham previously invented the top performing gutter guard in the 2010 Consumer Reports magazine review before going on to create MasterShield.
• MasterShield is installed with the roof slope so debris will wash over the gutter guard.

The MasterShield Gutter Guard is composed of interlocking sections about 47 inches in length and is available in a variety of colors to match your home:

MasterShield Gutter Guard

MasterShield is about 9-1/4 inches wide. The left side slides under the shingles and over the roofing felt. The stainless steel micro-mesh allows rain water through while keeping out debris and shingle granules. The break on the far right is a drip edge to keep water from streaking/staining the gutter.

MasterShield Gutter Guard – Top View

Bottom view of the MasterShield Gutter Guard showing the support ribs for the steel micro-mesh:

MasterShield Gutter Guard – Bottom View

Mastershield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement

MasterShield Gutter Protection is professionally installed by authorized dealers. A great product won’t make up for a poor quality installation. After contacting MasterShield for a quote, I received great service and quality workmanship from MasterShield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement, the MasterShield authored dealer for the Atlanta, GA area.

Kevin Bowers, Owner & General Manager for Mastershield Atlanta – KTL Home Improvement, was very helpful in a review of my home’s existing gutter system and recommending design changes to fix the home builder’s gutter problems as noted at the beginning of the article. He explained that the old 5 inch gutters would need to be lowered to match the steep roof slope for optimal MasterShield Gutter Guard performance. The clincher was the quote for installing new 6 inch gutters was only about 10% more than just the MasterShield alone. He explained it’s almost easier to start fresh and install new gutters compared to lowering and adjusting the old gutters. It was a deal I couldn’t refuse knowing the problems with the old gutters.

Kevin and his crew arrived on time and completed the job at the quoted price, which included the replacement of a rotted section of fascia board with rot-proof PVC fascia board at a reasonable extra cost. I spoke with Kevin’s crew and watched as they worked. It was clear they had a well-practiced system and were meticulous in their work.

MasterShield Gutter Guard Protection Cost

The MasterShield installation on my home required 2 days and consisted of:

1. Remove the old 5 inch gutters.
2. Caulk the old gutter spike holes in the fascia board with Geocel sealant.
3. Replace a 12 foot section of 1 inch by 8 inch rotted fascia board with PVC fascia (at my request).
4. 256 feet of new 6 inch gutters with hidden hangers spaced 2 feet apart.
5. 24 feet of new downspouts tied into the lower gutters.
6. 256 feet of MasterShield Gutter Guards.
7. Big Mouth Valley Blocks at the inside corner roof valleys for high flow areas.
8. 1/4 inch wire mesh screen on all open elbows to keep out the critters.

I also received a MasterShield Limited Lifetime Product Warranty and 25 year KTL Home Improvement dealer workmanship warranty.

The cost for the MasterShield Gutter Guard was comparable to the other high-end professionally installed gutter guards. Your cost will depend on the total feet of material, complexity of your roof (my roof is high/steep with many ridges, valleys and cornice returns), new gutters and/or downspouts and any trim repairs.

MasterShield Gutter Protection Installation Process

A section of the old 5 inch gutter and flip-up gutter screens:

Old 5 inch Gutter and Clip-On Gutter Screens

The new 6 inch gutters are now installed with hidden gutter hangers. Sections of MasterShield Gutter Guards are slipped under the shingles, interlocked and fastened with screws:

MasterShield Gutter Guard Installation with New 6 inch Gutters

Completed MasterShield Gutter Guard installation:

MasterShield Gutter Guard Installation

The old 5 inch gutters and flip-up screens:

Old Gutters and Screens

The same view with the new 6 inch gutters and MasterShield Gutter Guards:

MasterShield Gutter Guards

The MasterShield Gutter Guards are covered with aluminum end plates to prevent birds, squirrels and other rodents from getting inside the gutters. Plastic coated 1/4 inch heavy gauge wire screens are installed in the exposed downspouts to block access from these areas. Nice attention to detail!

Wire Mesh in Gutter Downspout to Keep out Critters

This product review is continued in Part 2.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post MasterShield Gutter Guard Review – Part 1 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This SquareTrade.com Warranty Review describes my great experience when filing a warranty claim to repair my Frigidaire® Gallery dishwasher, model FGHD2433KF1. A teardown of the old dishwasher circulation pump follows that revealed rusted ball bearings due to leaking pump shaft seals.

Frigidaire® Gallery Dishwasher FGHD2433KF1

I purchased and installed a Frigidaire® Gallery dishwasher, model FGHD2433KF1 on April 8, 2010 from Lowes. I declined the more expensive in-house warranty offered by the Lowes salesperson. Instead, I purchased a 3 year warranty from SquareTrade.com for $34.99.

After only 1.5 years – or just 6 months after the 1 year Frigidaire manufacturer’s warranty expired – the dishwasher started making a loud grinding noise during the wash cycle.

• The pump noise steadily got louder over the next couple of weeks, to the point that I had to shout to be heard.
  Listen to the noisy pump:
  
  

• I have since learned from experience and user reviews on Consumer Reports, Lowes.com and Amazon.com that the Frigidaire FGHD2433KF1 dishwasher apparently has a pump design flaw and other reliability problems.
• Consumer Reports rates Frigidaire dishwashers at 10th place out of 14 brands reviewed with 16% of 82,000 readers reported having “Repairs or Serious Problems” for the period 2007 to 2011. Whirlpool and Bosch dishwashers were ranked #1 and #2 with equal ratings for overall dishwasher brand reliability.

In my opinion a dishwasher should last 8 to 10 years instead of breaking in only 1.5 years.

SquareTrade Warranty Repair Claim

I called SquareTrade.com to file a repair warranty claim on the dishwasher. I didn’t have access to my SquareTrade online account because I forgot to update my e-mail address when I changed Internet providers. The SquareTrade customer service representative (CSR) validated my personal information and updated my e-mail address so I again had access to my SquareTrade online account.

Filing a SquareTrade warranty repair claim was easy, however I not sent the dishwasher sales receipt to SquareTrade as I should have when I purchased the warranty 1.5 years ago. The CSR said I could either send a paper copy of the receipt or scan & e-mail the receipt to SquareTrade.

I learned my lesson that thermal print sales receipt paper fades and become unreadable over time, so I now scan a copy of my important receipts and save on my hard drive as an Adobe Acrobat Reader file (.pdf). If you’ve been responsible and filed away your purchase receipts, best check to see if they’ve faded out!

I had the Lowes dishwasher sales receipt file on my computer hard drive and e-mailed it to the SquareTrade CSR while we were on the phone. The CSR confirmed he received my e-mail in moments. Cool!

SquareTrade offered me two options for repairing the dishwasher:

1. SquareTrade will dispatch a local technician and handle all the paperwork and payment.
   SquareTrade said a repairman would contact me within 5 business days.
2. I hire and pay a local repairman of my choosing.
   SquareTrade will reimbursement me for the repair cost, up to purchase price of the dishwasher.

I elected to have SquareTrade dispatch a repairman. SquareTrade sent confirmation e-mails for my sales receipt and approved warranty claim with a claim number. Both e-mails arrived while I was on the phone with the CSR!

SquareTrade Repair Dispatch

The local repair company dispatched by SquareTrade called me on Saturday, just 3 days after I filed the warranty claim. The repairman ran the dishwasher and checked if something was blocking the food grinder. He said the circulation pump was bad and a new pump would have to be ordered. I signed a work order form to acknowledge the repair call and was told they will call to schedule an appointment when the pump arrived.

Almost 2 weeks later, I hadn’t heard from the local repair company. The dishwasher grinding noise is now so loud we only run it when we leave the house. I called the repair company and was told their computers were down, but they would call me back in an 1 hour. 3 hours later I called again and was told the pump is on “back order” and they didn’t know when the pump would be available.

Suspicious of a lame “back order” excuse and why the local repair company didn’t call to let me know of the delay beforehand, I phoned a local appliance repair warehouse where many of the professional appliance repair companies buy parts. The warehouse had the pump in stock for immediate pickup. I next checked the Better Business Bureau (BBB) file for the local repair company. The local repair company had a F rating by the BBB because of failures to respond to customer complaints. Kudzu.com listed nothing but bad reviews with complaints about “back order” excuses and excessively long wait times with no callbacks.

Cutting my losses, I called SquareTrade to politely complain. SquareTrade explained that they contract through a national repair agency who in turn makes arrangements with local repair companies and thanked me for informing them of the problem. To remedy the problem, SquareTrade said they could find another repair company or I could hire my own. I chose to hire my own repairman. SquareTrade also said they would refund the original warranty purchase price of $34.99 as a courtesy and the warranty remain in force for the full 3 year term. That was very nice!

I received a new claim approval e-mail from SquareTrade in minutes.

Hire My Own Repairman

I checked Kuduz.com and the BBB reviews to find a reputable appliance repair company. I called All Area Appliance of Atlanta and explained the problem. All Area Appliance confirmed the pump was available and could be at my home the next day.

The All Area Appliance repairman called ahead and arrived on time. He said they see a lot of circulation pump failures on this Frigidaire® Gallery dishwasher. When the repairman removed the dishwasher door and kick panel, he said the pump was leaking on the floor. I was lucky it didn’t leak and flood the floor causing major water damage.

Frigidaire® Gallery Dishwasher FGHD2433KF1: Circulation Pump Repair

The pump is a DCJ72 series motor manufactured by Johnson Motor, probably as a custom item for Electrolux identified by the label:

Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG
120V 60Hz
P/N: 154793001
ID No.: 1060N6505583
2.0A 120WATT CLASS B

Dishwasher Circulation Pump: Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG P/N: 154793001

Here’s the new and old pumps side-by-side. The pump identification labels are identical (note that the O-rings for the new pump are still in the shipping carton). I think it’s only a matter of time before the new pump also fails. I’ll be checking under the dishwasher every week with a flashlight looking for water leaks.

Leaking Dishwasher Circulation Pump: Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG P/N: 154793001

The All Area Appliance of Atlanta appliance repairman was great to talk with and replaced the pump in 30 minutes. He handed me the old circulation pump and asked me to turn the impeller (the impeller is the white plastic disc on the end that resembles a water wheel and moves the water). The old motor didn’t want to turn and made scraping sounds like it was full sand. I spun the impeller on the new pump which was silky smooth and quiet.

The parts and labor cost to replace the circulation pump replacement was $289.00. Wow! The pump repair cost was 58% of the original $494.10 dishwasher purchase price! I would have junked the dishwasher and bought a new one (not Frigidaire!) if I didn’t have the SquareTrade.com warranty.

I paid the repairman, scanned the repair invoice and e-mailed it to SquareTrade.com.

SquareTrade reimbursed the $289.00 repair cost and refunded the $34.99 warranty price via PayPal in one week. I was pleased!

I asked the dishwasher repairman for his opinion of the best dishwasher brand; he replied “Bosch” because it has a:

• Watertight molded plastic base pan that catches any leaks.
• Leak sensor that shuts down the dishwasher if a leak is detected.
• Pump to drain the water from the base pan so it doesn’t overflow and flood the floor.

Bosch calls it the AquaStop® Plus leak protection system.

Frigidaire Dishwasher Pump Tear-down

I was curious to understand why the Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher circulation pump failed. So I took it to my workshop for teardown and inspection. The old Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG P/N: 154793001 pump was making a loud grinding noise and leaking water on the floor:

Dishwasher Circulation Pump Leak: Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG P/N: 154793001

I used a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to saw through the metal fastening tabs on the steel pump housing, removed the impeller shaft screw and separated the pump components. This photo shows all parts except the plastic impeller shaft:

Frigidaire® Gallery Dishwasher FGHD2433KF1: Circulation Pump Teardown

The reason the dishwasher circulation pump failed after only 18 months is obvious: The pump shaft seals failed (bottom left of photo) allowing water to travel along the steel motor shaft and rusted the ball bearings. Water then leaked through the vents of the plastic pump housing and onto the floor. The ball bearings press-fit into the plastic pump body as indicated by the blue line.

Frigidaire® Gallery Dishwasher FGHD2433KF1: Circulation Pump Rusted Bearings

Rusted ball bearings are very bad and were responsible for the loud grinding noise heard when running the dishwasher. As the bearings disintegrate the motor shaft wobbles and vibrates, causing the shaft seals to leak even more and flood the floor. The failure process is a positive feedback loop that rapidly gets worse.

This is a closeup view of the rusted ball bearing and motor impeller shaft. Water has leaked past the shaft seals leaving stains along the fluted shaft to the ball bearing:

Frigidaire® Gallery Dishwasher FGHD2433KF1: Circulation Pump Rusted Bearings

I cut a slot in the outer ring of the ball bearing with a Dremel tool to inspect the condition of the steel balls:

Dishwasher Circulation Pump: Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG P/N: 154793001 Rusted Ball Bearings

I pried open the outer ring with the tip of a screwdriver to expose the ball bearings. This is a caged type ball bearing. The bearings are very rusted and dirty due to the leaking shaft seals. It’s possible the bearings would eventually seize-up causing the motor to stop. A good ball bearing should be clean, shiny and well lubricated.

Dishwasher Circulation Pump: Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG P/N: 154793001 Badly Rusted Ball Bearings

Summary

SquareTrade

SquareTrade Warranty Protection Plans are excellent with great customer service!

Frigidaire Dishwashers

I won’t be buying anymore Frigidaire dishwashers.

In my opinion the Johnson Electric DCJ72(4)MLG Mfg Part #: 154793001 dishwasher circulation pump is not a quality part that makes the Frigidaire® Gallery dishwasher model FGHD2433KF1 a lemon with a DO NOT BUY recommendation, which won’t likely be a problem for most people because the model appears to be have discontinued. I’ll also be busy checking under the dishwasher for leaks every week so long as I own it.

A $494.10 Frigidaire dishwasher is not a bargain if it costs $289.00 to replace the pump after only 1.5 years.

• The 1.5 year true cost of ownership for this Frigidaire lemon is $783.00
  ($783 = $494 purchase price + $289 pump repair).
• I could have spent less and bought a Bosch 500 series with AquaStop® for around $765.00.

As always, do your homework and read the consumer reviews.

DIY Dishwasher Repair

If your circulation pump is bad and the dishwasher is out of warranty, you can buy a replacement pump online and fix it yourself. Remember to shut off the electricity and water supply before disconnecting the hose and wires. Remove the dishwasher from under the counter and lean it over to gain access the circulation pump. Unplug the wire harness and unbolt the old pump.

The manufacturer has since replaced the Johnson DCJ72(4)MLG Mfg Part #: 154793001 with a new Part #: 154844101 that hopefully doesn’t have the leak failures of the original part.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

Copyright © 2013 HandymanHowTo.com   Reproduction strictly prohibited.

The post SquareTrade Warranty Review: Dishwasher Repair Claim Success Story appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

This project is continued from Part 9.

Bathroom Exhaust Fan Trim Moulding

I installed the trim moulding for the Panasonic WhisperCeiling™ FV-11VQ5 bathroom fan with 2 inch brad nails set into the joist and 2×2 mounting frame on three sides.  I set the brad nails about 1/4 inch from the inside edge of the trim moulding for two reasons:

1. The 2 inch brad nails are set in to the ceiling joist and 2×2 mounting frame.
2. The 13 inch square fan grille will cover the counter sunk brad nail heads.

The brad nailer is a wonderful tool because automatically counter sinks the brads without all the pounding, shaking and marring the moulding that would happen if one were trying to drive in finish nails by hand with a carpenter’s hammer.

Wood Trim Moulding for the Panasonic WhisperCeiling Bathroom Fan

The trim moulding covered the gap in the drywall ceiling for the “old work” installation in the space between the first floor ceiling and second floor joists. Notice how the trim moulding does not cover the Panasonic WhisperCeiling fan housing mounting flange so that the moulding lies flush against the drywall ceiling. No nails are set on the right side of the moulding because this is the location of the 2 inch gap in the drywall ceiling on the duct connector side of the fan.

Panasonic WhisperCeiling Bathroom Fan FV-11VQ5 with Trim Moulding

The Panasonic FV-11VQ5 fan grille is 13 inches square and covers the brad nail heads. The grille springs hold the grille tight against the wood trim moulding. I didn’t fill the brad nail heads with wood putty so that anyone working on the fan in the future will understand how the ceiling trim is installed in case the fan ever needs to be replaced.

There’s no need to caulk around the fan because it’s mounted to the face of the bathroom ceiling between the 1st and 2nd floors. The fan will always be pulling air from the bathroom, as opposed to a fan installed in the attic behind the drywall ceiling could draw in hot attic air.

Panasonic WhisperCeiling FV-11VQ5 Fan Installation: Grille and Wire Springs

View of the final installation for the Panasonic WhisperCeiling FV-11VQ5 bathroom fan with the grille covering the brad nails in the ceiling trim moulding:

Panasonic WhisperCeiling Bathroom Fan: Ceiling Trim Moulding

Bathroom ceiling fan installation from another angle:

Panasonic WhisperCeiling Bathroom Fan Installation with Trim Moulding

Panasonic WhisperCeiling Bathroom Fan Product Review

After trying out the new the Panasonic FV-11VQ5 bathroom exhaust fan for a couple of weeks, I’ve found that it works as advertised. The Panasonic bathroom fan operates very quietly with no perceptible vibration and moves a lot of air despite the less than optimal 25 foot run of 4 inch insulated flexible duct routed through the bathroom ceiling and garage to the outdoors. I checked the outside vent cap with the fan running and the back-draft flap was in the full open position indicating a strong air flow.

The old economy bathroom fan appeared to do nothing and bathroom would be steamy after a shower. With the new Panasonic WhisperCeiling fan the bathroom doesn’t get fogged up  – this is nice so the humid air isn’t going into the rest of the house, especially in the summer where it’s extra work for the air conditioner to remove the moisture.

I did have a minor problem – the bathroom was steamy when my wife took a shower. She doesn’t turn on the bathroom exhaust fan because she likes it warm and steamy. I explained the purpose of the bathroom vent fan and she agreed to turn on the fan for 15 minutes when she leaves. An upgrade would be to replace the fan toggle switch with a timer switch so we don’t forget to turn off the fan.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

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The post How to Replace a Bathroom Exhaust Fan and Ductwork – Part 10 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.