Everything but the kitchen sink ..

... works. So I had to fix the kitchen sink. This is what I did in the kitchen yesterday:

The reason that I mention this is that I wanted to tell you that Ask the Builder has the best info, in this case, of the places I checked out.

And in case things get tough and you need to let out some steam, do this:

Don't make rookie mistakes when tearing out your dry wall!!!!

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It was on a Monday morning the gas man came to call
The gas tap wouldn't turn, I wasn't getting gas at all
He tore out all the skirting board to try to find the main
And I had to call a carpenter to put it back again

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

It was on a Tuesday morning the carpenter came round
He hammered and he chiseled and he said: 'Look what I've found
Your joists are full of dry rot but I'll put it all to rights'
Then nailed right through a cable and out want all the lights

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

It was on a Wednesday morning the electrician came
He called me 'Mr. Sanderson', which isn't quite my name
He couldn't reach the fuse box without standing on the bin
And his foot went through a window so I called a glazier in

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

It was on a Thursday morning the glazier came along
With his blow-torch and his putty and his merry Glazier's song
He put another pane in, it took no time at all
But I had to get a painter in to come and paint the wall

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

It was on a Friday morning the painter made a start
With undercoats and overcoats he painted every part
Every nook and every cranny but I found when he was gone
He'd painted over the gas tap and I couldn't turn it on
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

On Saturday and Sunday they do no work at all,
So it was on a Monday morning the gas man came to call!
- Flanders and Swann

Thanks. This will be a good future reference.

By NewEnglandBob (not verified) on 30 Sep 2009 #permalink

They are pretty good for the most part, but I have occasionally found them making things rather harder than need be. However, that is totally to be expected - remarkably, there are still occasions when I discover an easier way to do something, than the way I have always done it. It is depressing but true - occasionally my lack of absolute perfection shines through...

I would note, if you are trying to do the sink strainer by yourself, you needn't dispair (though you may need to pick up a tool you don't have). Assuming you don't intend to install these things often (they actually make a tool for that type of nut and a tool for holding the strainer basket in place - cheap enough that I would buy them in any case), you can purchase an extra long needle nose pliers and reach it up through the bottom.

Alternatively, you can make sure you buy one of the strainer baskets that has a grippable bit of pipe, just below the threading in the stem. This generally only comes on rather high-end products though, so it is likely you will spend a lot of money on that labor saver.

Whatever you do - no matter what!!! - do not twist the assembly by the needle nose pliers!!! Something will give and it won't be the pliers. While you may not shred the strainer, you will very likely cause significant damage.

Good link. We're demolishing some bathroom tile.

Tip two: don't bash horizontally, or you will pop the nails out on the other side.

Thanks.

By Tsu Dho Nimh (not verified) on 01 Oct 2009 #permalink

Ian: Welcome to my world when we go up to the cabin! (Except only one out of five of the merry men is not me or my father in law. The others are all named "Bill")

I've consulted askthebuilder.com many times for my old house. That and those big home depot books have saved me a ton of money over the years.