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Step by Step Replace your toilet.

This is one of the easiest projects you can do that will save you $100-$200 in labor.  Replacing your toilet is easy. Below are the steps.  Thank you to the DIY Network!

Step 1: Empty the Tank

Turn off the water at the toilet stop by turning the handle clockwise. Drain the tank by pulling on the handle. Take a sponge and bucket to soak up the remainder of water left in the tank. If needed, use some paper towels to finish the job.

Now that the tank is empty, it's time to address the bowl. Since there's still water left in the trap, take an ordinary plunger and press it once or twice as you would with a clogged toilet. This will force all the water out of the trap making the old toilet ready for removal.

Step 2: Disconnect the Tank

The first step in actually disconnecting the toilet from the bathroom is to unscrew the supply line from the stop using a crescent wrench.

Next, disconnect the tank to bowl nuts on the tank. Simply use a long screwdriver to hold them in the tank and then loosen them from the underside. Now the tank is free from the bowl and can be easily lifted.

Step 3: Remove the Bowl

Flip up the bolt covers and remove them if necessary. Loosen the bolts slightly, but make sure they don't start to spin.

Now that the closet bolts are disconnected, tightly grip the old toilet and lift it out.

Step 4: Replace the Wax Ring

The next step is to take an ordinary putty knife and scrape off the old wax ring (Image 1).

Place a new wax ring over the flange (Image 2).

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    Image 1
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    Image 2

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Step 5: Create a Seal

Line up the closet bolts with the bowl and gently let down the bowl.

To make sure a proper seal is created with the flange and drain, temporarily add the seat and sit on the toilet. The added weight will evenly press the seal tight.

Tighten the provided nuts over the closet bolts and tighten.

Step 6: Align the Flushing Valve

Line up the flushing valve to the opening in the top of the toilet bowl. After making sure the seal is in place, add the tank to bowl gaskets. Secure the tank with a screwdriver and crescent wrench.

Step 7: Finish the Installation

New stainless steel supply lines from the ballcock to the stop should be installed.

Next, open up the valve to let the tank fill about 1/4 of the way full. Now, check for leaks.

Add the toilet seat and bolts; adjust the float slider if necessary.

Learn how upgrading the toilet can increase your home's value at HGTV's FrontDoor.com.

New Years Resolutions for your home in 2012.

We all make resolutions for ourselves each January.  How about you list out the most important projects you have been procrastinating on for your home?

Came across this article...  Timely 

When it comes to home improvement plans, probably only a few of us manage to complete all that we set out to do. We don’t think about sealing up drafty doors and windows at least until the next cold snap comes along.

The roof inspection might have been done, but was there any follow-up? Even the easy ones like replacing your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones got put off. Well, it’s time to get serious.

Fortunately for you, New Year’s Day is behind us. It’s time to make some home improvement New Year’s resolutions. Here are some ideas:

Home Improvement Resolutions: The Easy Stuff

Here are the sort of ideas that won’t require too much out of you but can make you feel good, like resolving to call your Mom more often.

1. Those energy-saving lightbulbs. Really, they’re not that expensive and they’re going to save you on your power bill. They take about ten seconds to put in, too.
2. Get rid of clutter. When you start getting rid of the junk you never use, you might start wondering what was the big deal.
3.  Clean out your gutters. If you missed it this past fall, then there’s no time like the present. Be careful on that ladder, though.

Bigger Stuff

This stuff is good for you, but it’s a little tougher, like resolving to make time for a class or lose five pounds.

1.  Seal drafty windows and cracks with caulking. Weatherstripping sealant is inexpensive and easy to use.
2.  Get your heating system serviced. It could be as simple as removing blockage from debris in vents.
3. Add a coat of paint to a room. You don’t have to do the whole house (or maybe you want to), but this can be a really cost-effective way to spruce up a place.

The Really Big Stuff

Here we have the home improvement resolution equivalents of quitting smoking or signing up for a gym membership (and actually going). It’s a bit more challenging, but again, it’s for your own good.

1. Insulate the attic. If you’ve got an older home, your house could be leaking heat badly in winter.
2.  Clean the chimney and oil-burning appliances. This is something you’ll need professional service for. It’s not really a DIY project.
3. Re-shingle your roof. Definitely not something you want to have done in the middle of winter, maybe.  But remember, you do have all year to carry out your resolutions.

Put together a basic spreadsheet and start adding up the time and budget for these home improvement jobs. Set a realistic schedule and once you’ve resolved to do it, actually get it done.

Here we Grow

Are these the worst of times or the best? Many business people feel paralyzed right now. We are choosing to move forward..  Here is a recent post about us.. on NKY.com

NEWPORT — A building here that has been empty for about seven years is finally getting a tenant.

Builders Surplus, a national building supply company, signed a lease this week to move into the old Thriftway store at the corner of Sixth and York streets.

Owner Todd Bauer hopes to open it by April 2.

“We checked out the Northern Kentucky area and saw a lot of opportunity,” Bauer said. “The demographics are good for us, and I think the site is perfect.”

The building was vacated soon after Winn-Dixie Stores in Jacksonville, Fla., announced in 2004 that it was selling or closing all 21 Thriftway grocery stores in Greater Cincinnati.

Wiedemann Square Ltd., a local company, has owned the building since 1994. Thriftway opened there in 1995.

Despite interest over the years from nonprofit agencies, other grocery stores, flea markets and sports complexes, the 50,000-square-foot building has remained empty.

“It’s been a sore thumb,” said Newport City Manager Tom Fromme. “Building Surplus seems like a good company. We’re very excited about it.”

Bauer said the company started in Dallas about 15 years ago. Locations later opened in Atlanta and Chicago, and Bauer opened his first store in Louisville five years ago.

The company purchases overstocked building materials from national manufacturers and distributors and sells them at discounted prices. It’s most common products include kitchen and bath items (such as cabinets and counter tops), flooring and doors.

It’s also a bit of a treasure hunt in a way,” Bauer said. “There might be a $400 to $500 faucet that you won’t be able to find anywhere else that we have for $99.”

Bauer said the store will get a facelift outside before it opens. He expects to eventually employ 10 to 20 people.

Fromme said it should be a good fit for the area, which always has homes from the early 20th century under renovation.

“With our historic district six blocks away from the store and historic districts in Covington, I think it will fit in real well,” he said.

The Chill of winter descends on Louisville

Its officially here the temperature has fallen below freezing and suddenly your house reveals some issues..  Cold air seeping in under doors and around windows.

Here is some info to get you started on your quest to seal your home and save some $$.

Weatherstripping

You can use weatherstripping in your home to seal air leaks around movable joints, such as windows or doors.

To determine how much weatherstripping you will need, add the perimeters of all windows and doors to be weatherstripped, then add 5%–10% to accommodate any waste. Also consider that weatherstripping comes in varying depths and widths.

Before applying weatherstripping in an existing home, you need to do the following (if you haven't already):

• Detect air leaks
• Assess your ventilation needs for indoor air quality.

Selection

Choose a type of weatherstripping that will withstand the friction, weather, temperature changes, and wear and tear associated with its location. For example, when applied to a door bottom or threshold, weatherstripping could drag on carpet or erode as a result of foot traffic. Weatherstripping in a window sash must accommodate the sliding of panes—up and down, sideways, or out. The weatherstripping you choose should seal well when the door or window is closed while allowing it to open freely.

Choose a product for each specific location. Felt and open-cell foams tend to be inexpensive, susceptible to weather, visible, and inefficient at blocking airflow. However, the ease of applying these materials may make them valuable in low-traffic areas. Vinyl, which is slightly more expensive, holds up well and resists moisture. Metals (bronze, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum) last for years and are affordable. Metal weatherstripping can also provide a nice touch to older homes where vinyl might seem out of place.

You can use more than one type of weatherstripping to seal an irregularly shaped space. Also take durability into account when comparing costs. See Table 1 below for information about the common types of weatherstripping.

Visit the site here..

Your Crew at Builders Surplus Louisville & Newport.