Indy Total Construction

When you are considering a do it yourself home improvement project it can be both fun and rewarding when you see the overall finished project. However if you do not take careful time and consideration before beginning it can end up being a big disappointment in the end of the project. There are some tips however that you can do to avoid that disappointment at the end of the project.

First of all you need to be aware that no matter if you are doing it yourself or hiring a contractor you will be in for a big mess. What this means for you is that you will have a home that appears to be in utter chaos throughout the home improvement project. This can be a very frustrating aspect of the whole entire project. Therefore if you are not wishing to have dirt and debris attaching to your furniture you will need to take some careful time to prepare your home before you even begin. You can do such things as covering your furniture with either plastic or old bed sheets and cover the floor with plastic and it will help you keep this dust and debris more contained.

Second thing you will want to do before you begin your do it yourself home improvement project is to make sure that you have a list of emergency numbers of plumbers as well as electricians among others just in case you happen to run into a real major issue that you will be unable to handle on your own. This will help you keep your project moving forward without a lot of unnecessary delay.

The next thing you will need to consider is the overall safety of the project involved. If you happen to have small children in the home you will want to make sure that you have all of your tools and other supplies put up high so that they will not be able to get a hold of them. Also if they wish to help give them small safe projects that they can help with.

The final most important tip is to be sure that if you need to work around appliances and plumbing that you know where all the shutoffs are located. It is very important that if you work around any of these areas that you shut off the electrical, gas, or plumbing. If you skip this step it can be very dangerous not only to yourself but your family as well.

Do it yourself home improvement projects can be very rewarding in the end if you take the time in the beginning to take these simple and easy tips into careful consideration. The more time you take to prepare in the beginning the less chance of disappointment in the end.

When working with glass, pay attention to what you are doing and be careful. Wear safety glasses when breaking scored glass. Clean up all debris, broken glass, and glass splinters immediately.

Cutting and fitting glass is called glazing Glazing is actually done in three steps:

• Measuring the frame

• Cutting the glass

• Installing the glass

Begin by removing the old glass. Wear heavy work gloves. Spread some newspaper on the floor to catch small pieces of broken glass. Remove all old glass, putty, glazier’s points, and old paint from the frame. Sand the frame if it is wood or paint it if it is metal.

Measuring is the most important step in replacing a pane of glass. If the piece is cut too small, the glass will fall out of the frame. You cannot trim less than 3/16 inch from a piece of glass that is just a little too big. Measure twice, cut once is a good rule.

Start by measuring exactly the inside of the frame into which the glass will fit. Then subtract 1/8 inch from each measurement (length and width). This allows for irregularities in the frame or glass. Lightly mark the edge of the glass with a three-corner file.

Place the glass on a flat table or special cutting board. Use a T-square or straightedge to make the cut. Allow for the distance from the edge of the cutter to the center of the cutting wheel. Kerosene along the cut line will prevent the glass from splintering.

When replacing a piece of glass, cut the glass 1 /8 inch shorter and 1 /8 inch narrower than the frame.

Use a three-cornered file to mark the dimensions on the glass.

Spread putty over the frame and press the glass into place. Then insert glazier’s points and cover with putty.

Press down hard enough for the cutter to dig into the glass. Once you start moving the cutter, don’t stop until the cut is finished. Use kerosene to lubricate the cutter and prevent the glass from splintering.

Score the glass with the cutter. Then slide the glass over to the edge of the table and tap gently on the bottom side while bending gently. This should be done right after glass is scored! Otherwise the glass should be scored again just before it is finally cut.

Install the cut glass in a wood frame window with glazier’s points and putty. Glazier’s putty or glazing compound dries hard. The putty used on wood frames can be softened with linseed oil. If you’ve used too much oil, remove some by rolling the putty on newspaper.

First spread a thin layer of glazier’s putty inside the frame. Place the glass and press firmly into the putty. Small pieces of wood, called shims, can be. inserted below the glass to center it.

Press glazier’s points into the wood along each edge of the glass. Only a few points are needed because the glass is held in place by the hardened putty, not the glazier’s points. Do not use a hammer to set the points. Press them into place with a chisel or piece of wood. Casement windows use spring clips instead of glazier’s points. Place the clips into the holes provided.

Take more putty and roll it into a rope about 1/4-inch thick. Press it into the joint between the glass and frame. Then finish by smoothing and removing the excess putty with a putty knife.

Glazier’s putty takes a week to harden completely. After that it may be painted. You can scrape off paint smears on the glass with a single-edge razor blade. But it is easy to mask the glass with newspaper and tape before painting.

Glazier’s points are usually set by pressing them into place with a chisel or screwdriver.

Metal frame windows use spring clips in place of glazier’s points. Linseed oil is used to soften putty. Excess oil is rolled out on newspaper. Then the putty is pressed down and the excess removed with a putty knife.