How to Replace Toilet Tank Fill Valve

The toilet was making some strange noise after water is filled.  Also, sometimes, the flush doesn't work right and we had to flush multiple times.  What a waste of water!  Turns out the Toilet Fill Valve has gone bad.  While the toilet is actually pretty new.  To fix the issue, Dave replaced the fill valve in the toilet tank.  

The toilet fill valve is pretty universal.  But you should pick the same brand as the toilet if possible.  In our case, our toilet is the Toto brand, so we picked a Toto brand universal fill value replacement.

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The project is relatively straight forward.  It took Dave about 30 minutes to complete.  High level steps:

1.  Find the suitable Fill Valve replacement.  

2.  Get ready - Bucket, rug to wipe water, water plumbing wrench.

3.  Shut off water.

4.  Disconnect water hose.

5.  Remove old fill valve.

6.  Measure the correct height to adjust the water level of the new fill valve.

7.  Install the new fill valve.

8.  Check for water leaks when complete.

Take a look at this video to see how Dave did it! 

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How to Repair Suitcase Luggage Wheel

We have a Samsonite suitcase that has been to many places with us.  We love it.  It's light weight and good size.  However, one of the wheels was falling apart.  

While we can consider buying a new suitcase, it's such a waste, so we've decided to fix the wheels instead.  After all, the suitcase is still very good!  It's a simple project.  The tricky part is, getting the right replacement!

The find the right replacement wheel.  Research must be done, measure all sides, and make sure the shape of the wheel alights with the suitcase.  We found ours on Amazon.  

However, even with all the measurement, the wheels still might not fit just right.  What we ended up having to do was to drill the holes to be more aligned with the old supporting plate.  Dave figured it out and all the wheels work very well now! 

Another thing to keep in mind is even though only one of the wheels is broken, it's best to change all four of them.  The exact wheel is hard to find and it might not work well with the existing ones.  So, changing all 4 of them is recommended.

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Take a look at this video to see how Dave did it! 

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How to install metal mesh to prevent bees into the attic

The attic vent is a good place for bugs to go in.  It could be a bigger problem if bees and wasps find it a good place to build hives.  There is a simple and cost effective solution to prevent this problem, by putting on a metal mesh over it so the holes are too small for them to crawl in!

1.  Clean off the dirt from the attic vent using a paint scraper

 

2.  Measure the size of the vent.

3.  Take some sandpaper to smooth the existing vent surface.

4.  Get the metal mesh ready.  Normally, this is used to cover rain gutters normally to prevent leaves to get into the gutter.  But this would work great for this!

  

5.  Measure and cut the metal mesh into the right size.  Also round the edges to get it into the right shape if needed.

5.  Use the 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Adhesive spray to spray the mesh and also the vent.

       

5.  Put the mesh onto the vent and press firm on  it so it stick.  You can also use the paint scraper to help.

Take a look at this video to see how Dave did it! 

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How to Fix Roof Vent Pipe Leak

We had a few leaky spots on the roof.  After getting a few quotes from contractors to do a "roof maintenance", Dave decided to do it himself.  He re-applied seal to all the vent pipe on the roof.   Only perform this if you are confident for all the safety being on the roof.  Otherwise, it is best to have professional help.

1.  Remove all the old caulking out from the vent pipe.

  

2.  Clean up area to get ready for the new seal.

3.  Get the roof cement wet patch caulking ready.

4.  Apply it around the connection of the vent pipe.  Make sure all the connection part is filled with the caulking.

5.  Don't forget to seal the screws also.

6.  The wet patch sealant is water proof right away.  But it would take 24 hours to completely dry.

Take a look at this video to see how Dave did it! 

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How to Prune Plum Trees

We have this plum tree for about 3 years.  It has grown doubled in size!  The branches are getting bushy and it's ready for a good trim.  Dave bought the Fiskars extendable tree pruner and gave our tree a nice and much needed trim!  

Fiskars is a great reputable brand of scissors and gardening tools.  We hope that this will last for a long time!  

We did some research about trimming trees.  Basically, the color of the branches tells us if the branch is a new growth or not.  Greener is new growths.  By trimming off the green part, hopefully the tree is healthier and produce more fruits!  

Take a look at this video to see how Dave did it! 

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How to Repair Chair Vinyl Leather

We have this office chair at home for many years.  It's comfortable and still in great operational condition.  However, the vinyl leather started to come off.  The chair is still good so we don't want to just throw it away.  However, we need a solution to fix the flaky leathers.  The flakes are actually making a mess everywhere.  

So, we found these leather patches on Amazon and thought we would give it a try.  It's about $12 for 2 12x24 inches sheets.

The tricky part is the arm rest.  In order to make it nice, Dave took the arm rest off from the chair, put leather patch adhesive on and then put the arm rest back.  It's quick and simple.  The simple DIY project took about 20 mins.   

The only thing is we didn't quite match the color of the chair.  But that's ok for us.  We are glad that the chair will last longer now!

Take a look at this video to see how Dave did it! 

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