Indy Total Construction

For many people a simple boxing-in of their existing pipes to keep them out of sight is all that they require. This is a straightforward task and the materials are easily available.

You’ll need softwood battens, usually 50x25mm (2×1 in), with a cladding of hardboard or 3mm plywood for the simplest job. Before you go ahead. however. you should check whether any hot water passes through the pipes to be hidden.

If this is the case and you’re using hardboard for your cladding, you’ll have to condition it first Of it will warp as the heat in the pipework dries it out. This is riot a difficult technique: all youl have to do is brush water onto the reverse (mesh) side and leave it flat for 48 hours in the room where it is to be fixed. The softwood battens should also be left lying flat in the room for a few days so that they. too. w adjust to the moisture content of the air.

If the wood has been conditioned, the two battens should be screwed to the wall on each side of the pipes and the cladding attached to the battens.

Fixing battens edge-on to the wall is not always the perfect answer but by doing so you’ll be able to cover adequately a few pipes that project up to 25mm (1 in) or so from the wall, and the cladding will, in any case, hold the battens steady.

Remember that you should never use glue to fix the cladding to the battens because you might need access to the pipes for repairs or modification at some stage in the future. Pins punched in at 150mm (6in) centres, with their heads covered with filler, should prove adequate; this way the cladding can be prised off if necessary.

Boxing in pipes running in a corner will require two 25mm (1 in) battens which have been chamfered at the front to provide an angled edge. These are screwed to the two walls and the cladding, also with chamfered edges, is then fixed to the battens. For larger pipes you’ll need just a single larger batten fixed to one of the smaller ones; the cladding will be pinned to this and the smaller batten.

Another method is to use a spring clip attached to a piece of 19mm (s/ain) thick timber. Its edges should be planed and chamfered to allow it to fit neatly into the corner, and the spring clip is then fixed to the pipe itself.

If the pipes are in the alcove of a chimney breast you can box them in and then finish off the boxing so that it looks like an extension of the existing wall (see Ready Reference). The boxing for horizontal pipes down near the floor can often be made to look like wide and deep skirting.

A 25mm (1 in) batten should be fixed to the floor itself and one should also run above, but parallel to, the pipe. To the upper batten an additional 50x25mm (2×1 in) batten should be fixed; the cladding is then attached to this and the batten on the floor.

Some floor coverings have an uneven wear pattern which means that some areas will become worn or damaged before others. The area in front of the main door, the spot in front of television viewing seats, the walkway to the dining table, and the triangle between sink, cooker and worktop are all examples of areas that will come in for a lot of wear and tear. Meanwhile, other parts of the floor covering will remain in perfectly good condition.

You’ll find that it can be dangerous to leave torn carpet, broken tiles, crumbling cork or worn vinyl on the floor — a heel caught and the result could be a nasty accident. But you needn’t worry about having to replace the entire floor covering at the first sign of trouble.

It’s possible to carry out some first aid on damaged floors before they get too bad, and that way you’ll save yourself expense and prevent accidents, in some cases, however, you won’t even have to bother with first aid: you could simply change the furniture round to alter the pattern of wear and relieve areas of the floor covering. Alternatively, you could place a rug over the most used area to take the strain. In the event of having some new floor covering laid, remember always to save some remnants just in case you have to make repairs in the future.

The edges of both rugs and carpets often become frayed over the years and should be repaired at once. But if you have a valuable oriental rug or carpet it’s advisable to have it professionally repaired and maintained.

Sealing a frayed edge on a latex-backed rug or carpet is straightforward. Start by working a 25mm (1in) wide strip of latex carpet adhesive along the back of the fraying edge. You’ll probably find it easiest to use a piece of cloth to do this. Leave the adhesive to dry and then trim the carpet — preferably along the second row of carpet weave from the frayed edge — to leave a neat, straight edge.

Then work more adhesive into the edge of the backing and rub it in, taking great care not to get any on to the tufts. Cut your carpet binding tape so that it’s slightly longer than the rug edge and apply adhesive to it. You can then either lay the tape on the back of the rug or carpet or, if you find it easier, lay the carpet on to the tape. Either way you must make sure that the tape overlaps the cut edge by about 3mm (1/sin); that way you’ll be able to fold it upwards to secure the backing. Finally, trim of any surplus tape.

In order to bind the edge of a jute-backed carpet you’ll need a proper carpet needle, some waxed thread and more hessian carpet tape. First you’ll have to trim the frayed edges to make them straight. Cut the tape so that it overlaps the ends of the carpet by about 25mm (1in), and apply adhesive to the first 50mm (2in) at each end.

Once the adhesive has become tacky, fold over and stick down the excess 25mm (1in) to give neat side hems. You can then line up the tape and carpet edge and fold the tape over so that it’s level at the front and back. Then stitch along the edge, using the special needle and waxed thread, making sure the thread passes through both the tape and carpet. Each end should then be secured with tight overstitching.

Small holes in rugs can be repaired with 4- ply rug wool or synthetic fiber of a suitable color. First you’ll have to trim any damaged tufts from the rug surface, and for this you’ll probably find nail scissors best. Make new tufts by winding enough wool for the repair round the fingers of one hand. Cut through both ends and bunch- the thread tightly together so you can cut off enough pieces to fill the hole. Each piece of wool should be slightly longer than the original pile length.

Use a match stick or cotton bud to dab adhesive into the hole, and then put a bunch of strands upright in the hole, using a toothpick to work them into position on the bed of adhesive. Continue putting in more until the hole is filled. You should then leave the adhesive to set before trimming off any excess wool and using a pin to tease up the new tufts so they blend in with the color of the surrounding material.

When carpets develop holes they, too, should be patched. It’s best to use a remnant from the same carpet, if possible, but otherwise try and get some from a local stockiest. Failing this, you may have to cut a piece out of the existing carpet — from an area that is covered by an article of furniture.

If you’re dealing with a hessian or jute- backed carpet. You should start by marking a square round the damaged area. Paint the back of the entire square with latex adhesive. Overlapping the edge by about 25mm (1 in), and rub it in with a rag. Then

Patch will blend in better. If there is a pattern, match it on your remnant, mark it and cut it out. In all cases, it’s important to ensure that the pile runs in the same direction as the original piece of carpet and that the color is as good a match as possible.

Cut two strips of hessian tape that is each about 50mm (2in) longer than the hole and coats them with adhesive. Then slide the tapes over the hole at the back of the carpet, overlapping the edges by 25mm (1 in) at each end.

These strips will serve as a base on which to graft the carpet patch. Spread adhesive on the back of the patch and round the edges, taking care not to saturate the tufts. Then place the patch in position and lightly hammer down the edges. Leave the adhesive to dry, and, if necessary, tease the edge of the carpet so that the join becomes invisible.

Foam or latex-backed carpet shouldn’t fray when cut and patching. However, you should cut the patch from the upper side of the carpet rather than from the underside. Make sure the patch is slightly larger than the hole and lay this over the damaged section, using a couple of carpet tacks to hold it in position. You can then cut through the carpet beneath using the edges of the patch as a template. Lift off the patch and remove the damaged section: then test that the patch fits accurately.

Cut strips of carpet adhesive tape that are 50mm (2in) longer than the hole and stick them across the back of the carpet in a crises-cross fashion so each one overlaps the hole by half its width and by 25mm (1 in) at each end. Turn the carpet the right way up, place the patch in position and press down on the tape. Lightly hammer along the join and tease if necessary.

All types of floor tiles can get damaged and will therefore need replacing. You can remove individual ceramic or quarry tiles using a hammer and chisel but, for safety’s sake, you must wear goggles or safety glasses. Break up the damaged tile and then, working from the centre towards the edges, chip out the fragments and smooth the surface underneath.

Put the new tile in place and check not only that it fits, but also that it sits level with the rest of the tiles. Remove the tile, spread a layer of ceramic floor tiling adhesive on the floor beneath and press the new tile into position. Scrape off any surplus adhesive with the trowel and leave this area of the floor unwilled on for at least 24 hours.

You can then grout the tile using either a flooring grout or a mix of one part cement to four parts sand, making sure that you wipe away the surplus with a clean sponge while it’s still wet.

The oldest of the traditional types of ball- valves is the Croydon pattern. You can easily recognise one of these by the position of its piston, which operates vertically, and by the fact that it delivers water to the cistern in two insufferably noisy streams.

Due to their noisiness, Croydon valves are now by and large obsolete, and if you do come across one you will almost certainly want to replace it. The traditional type of valve that superseded the Croydon pattern was the Portsmouth valve (see illustration). You can distinguish it from the former type by the fact that its piston operates horizontally; and as it is still popular with plumbers despite the development of more sophisticated diaphragm type valves, it is a pattern that you may well find in your home.

When one of your ball-valves goes wrong the first thing you will notice is water dripping from an outside overflow pipe. If the valve is a Portsmouth pattern then it is likely to have developed one of three faults. First, it could have jammed partially open as a result of the build-up of scale or the presence of grit; or. secondly, it could need re-washering.

In either of these cases this will necessitate you turning off the water supply so that you can either clean the ball-valve or fit a new washer to it (see step-by-step photographs). Lastly, the valve could have been incorrectly adjusted to maintain the proper water level in the cistern .- which should be about 25mm (1 in) below the overflow pipe. Even modern Portsmouth valves are rarely provided with any specific means of adjusting the water level, so if you need to do so you will have to resort to bending the float arm.

Noise can be a problem with Portsmouth valves. It is caused either by the inrush of water through the valve nozzle, or by vibration created by the float bouncing on ripples on the surface of the water (`water hammer’).

As silencer tubes are now banned by water authorities, you will have to try.other methods to deal with this problem. Reducing the mains pressure by closing the rising main stop- valve slightly may help. and as vibration can be magnified by a loose rising main it is worth making sure that this pipe is properly secured with pipe clips. Another measure you could take would oe to improvise a stabiliser for the float using a submerged plastic flowerpot tied to the float arm with nylon cord. However, if all the above measures fail you will have to consider replacing the Portsmouth valve with one.

• One type of repair kit is based on two- part epoxy resin plastic putty supplied as two strips of differently-colored putty in an airtight pack. When the strips are thoroughly kneaded together the putty is packed firmly round the pipe, where ’twill hardens to form a seal. However, this hardening process takes up to 24 hours and the water supply will have to remain off for this period. (If you don’t need to use all the pack in one goes, reseal it immediately).

Equal amounts of putty should always be used and mixed together thoroughly until a uniform color results, otherwise it won’t harden properly. It’s also essential that the pipe or joint is scrupulously rubbed down and cleaned with ethylated spirit or nail polish remover. This will ensure a good bond between the putty and the metal.

• One of the most valuable aids is a multi-size pipe repair clamp which has the added advantage of being reusable. It consists of a rubber pad which fits over the hole (for this repair it’s not necessary to turn off the water) and a metal clamp which draws the rubber tightly against the pipe when it is screwed in place.

Position the pad and one side of the clamp over the hole, and link the two parts of the clamp together, making sure that the pad is still in place. Tighten the wing nut fully. If the position of the hole makes this difficult, use blocks of wood to hold the pipe away from the wall. This method of repair cannot, of course, be used to mend leaks occurring at fittings.

• Another proprietary product uses a two- part sticky tape system which builds up waterproof layers over the leak — in the true. sense this does form an instant repair. The area round the leak should be dried and cleaned and then the first of the tapes is wrapped tightly round the pipe, covering the leak and 25mm (1in) either side of it. Then 150mm strips of the second tape, with the backing film removed, are stuck to the pipe and stretched as they are wound round, each turn overlapping the previous one by about half the width of the tape. This covering should extend 25mm beyond either end of the first layer of tape. The job is completed by wrapping the first tape over the entire repair.