In preparation for summer projects, Handy Granny compared rental and purchase cost for power washers. After evaluating cost, she purchased a gas 2500 psi unit on sale for $200, which will pay for itself after 4 uses compared to rental prices.  The first step for the project is to power wash the fence to clean and strip loose paint. The fence is in poor condition, and there will be lots of repairs including replacing trim boards, slats, and re-nailing boards. Handy Granny might need to sand, but will figure that out as she goes. After the boards have dried 4 to 5 days, it will be time to prime and paint the fence (that is if Mother Nature allows us to dry out!)

After reading the power washer instructions, it was time to fill the tank up with gas, connect the hose, and find out if Handy Granny had the strength to start the engine. She remembered to set the choke, but the unit tipped over when she pulled the cord.  She had to enlist her daughter’s help to stand on the frame. Then the engine turned over and it was time for another first in my new “Move More Do Chores” approach to life. The power washer has 4 different nozzle attachments, with different spray patterns. Handy Granny tried out all of the nozzles (not on the fence!) and selected the 25 degree nozzle for the chore. Start the gun spraying away from the fence and don’t get too close to the wood or it will nick and gouge. I held the gun at about a 45 degree angle going slowly side to side and up and down across the fence. Handy Granny nicked a few of the slats, but for the first time using a power washer, it worked pretty slick and I was happy with the results. It was slow work and took more time than anticipated (about 1.5 hours for only 14 feet of fence). Hopefully Handy Granny will be a little faster when she starts on the rest of the fence.

Power washing was like being a kid again. Handy Granny was wet, muddy, and had white paint flecks from head to toe.  Handy Granny can’t wait to have time to do this again!

Installation instructions were not by the “You Can Install this Door in as Little as 60 Minutes” poster in the store.  In retrospect, I probably should have asked to see them at that point.  When I finally got home I read the instructions with their 44 steps and six pre-steps, which took an hour in itself! Really, do they expect a regular do-it-yourselfer  to spend 1.4 minutes per step and be able to succeed in what most would consider a complicated, detail-driven project?

Handy Granny enjoys staying busy and active with activities and chores around the house and saving money in the process. Going into this project, she expected a return of about $33/hour, or the cost to have it professionally installed ($97) divided by the 3 hours she expected it would actually take her.

As mentioned, in addition to the 44 steps, there were six required pre-steps (labeled a-f) if the opening was over ¼ inches wider than the header frame. Of course mine was, and that meant shimming the hinge. Handy Granny was 67 minutes into the project before starting with Step 1!  The door went up and into place and it looked great – except for a large gap at the top. The instructions said to rest the door on the support block and install, which Handy Granny did when college hands were home to help. But the door was not in the right place. When different helper’s hands were at the house, it was time to try again. I removed the screws and the door came down. Then it went back up and was in the correct vertical position. But the top half was tight. Unfortunately, the pre-instructions didn’t include pre-step “g” to check the shimming was level and the opening consistent width from top to bottom. The next night extra hands were again at the house, and the screws came out and the door came down. Handy Granny shaved the shimmed side, checking with the level and measuring tape on a horizontal level that the distance was equal up and down. The door went back up. This time it worked. But although the opening measured the right height when shopping for the door after lowering the bottom expander as low as possible, there is still about an inch gap under the door. This issue has yet to be fixed. The door looks good. But make no mistake I would never trust Pella’s Express Install claim again!

Installing a storm door is a two person project, so Handy Granny had to wait to work on it until extra hands came by the house. It took four working sessions and 10 times the 60 minutes advertised. Handy Granny worked for less than $10 per hour this time, and lost time for other activities and other opportunities to move more by doing chores.  

Only a super hero could install Pella storm door in 60 minutes. Not Handy Granny or your typical do-it-yourselfer.

Fortunately I know where the breaker box is in our house. When doing electrical work, ALWAYS turn off the breaker box.!  Unfortunately I didn’t know which one controlled the front lights, so I turned on the lights and then switched off half of the breakers marked “lights.” Working alone, turning off a bunch at once was much easier than trying to find the correct one one at a time. A helpful future Handy Granny activity would be to actually label the breaker box. 

Handy Granny collected the tools matching the pictures on the outside of the box and read the four installation steps. Then I got to work. Handy Granny’s hints for this project are: 

(1)    Open those little plastic bags of parts into a mug or small bucket – don’t put them in your pocket or where they might roll away or drop! 

(2)   Keep tools within reach (in the mug or bucket if they fit). 

(3)   Visualize the steps to doing the task. 

Unfortunately, Handy Granny’s advice wasn’t available when I started the project. I didn’t visualize how I would do the work. If I had I would have realized this was a two person job! Handy Granny is frequently blessed, and this time was no exception. A neighbor walked by and I drafted him. He held the light while I finished leveling and tightening the support screws. For the next two lights, since Handy Granny didn’t have an extra pair of hands home from college, she used the stepladder to hold the lights while making the connections and installing the support. If using a ladder, make sure it’s the correct height. It’s so important that if the correct height ladder is not available, postpone the project until you can borrow one, or draft some help. 

It started to sprinkle before I completed the first light. Handy Granny wasn’t concerned about a few light sprinkles so she kept working and installed the support brackets for the next two lights. These didn’t go quite as smoothly as the first light. There was a ¼ inch difference between the depth of the screws and the support bar they needed to screw into, so the connecting screw could not be tightened. Using Handy Granny’s typical “go in the garage and look around for a solution” approach, she found some nuts which she could use to fill the space. 

Handy Granny ended up getting a bit of an aerobic work out when I found that the person who installed the original lights stripped on one of the screws. I had to use a wrench to grasp the screw and rotate counter-clockwise.  (Always remember, lefty loosey!) This provided a great arm workout for about 10 minutes. 

Arm Workout!

Using the step stool as an extra set of hands, I installed the second light  twice as fast as the first. I looked at the instructions again, and this time I noticed there was a picture of caulking around the base of the light, which was apparently to keep out moisture. Did I mention it was now pouring? The pictures of tools on the box didn’t include caulk and a caulking gun. Handy Granny put trash bags over the two installed lights to (hopefully) keep out the rain and dashed to Home Depot for silicone caulk. Back at the house, a big epiphany occurred when I figured out where the caulk gun was hiding. (In the bedroom, in a plastic tub, underneath two other tubs – it was quite an epiphany!)  

By this time stopped raining and the last light went up super fast. Handy Granny caulked around each light fixture with the silicone – another good arm workout! This finished a day where Handy Granny really moved more by doing another first – installing an outdoor light! 

New House and Garage Lights

Here was Handy Granny’s active  day:

• two-mile walk at 6:30 am with a friend. This was over 5000 steps on the Weight Watchers pedometer.
• Errand at lunch to the pharmacy. I parked farther away to gain extra steps.
• Building walk for an additional 1,400 steps in the afternoon. A building walk is Handy Granny’s alternative to seeking a sugary energy boost from the vending machine. We go up and down every staircase and hall in the building which has six floors – twice!
• Handy Granny’s completed weekly lawn mowing a day early to get the chore in before the thunderstorms arrived the next day (the normal mowing day).
• Grocery shop for great grandma, then delivered and put away the groceries.

Handy Granny finally relaxed and watched DIY channel and sipped a beer by 8:30 pm. When she checked the pedometer she realized that all of the walking, errands, and mowing had added up to the highest count on the pedometer yet!

If I can have an active day … you can too!  Get a buddy to walk with and start tomorrow.  Then look for ways all day to move more!

Although Handy Granny fastidiously followed the how-to instructions, the engine wouldn’t turn over. The edger whacked at my arms, but wouldn’t come to life. It was time to email Handy Grandpa for advice. In retrospect asking before starting this project would have been much smarter! Grandpa said it had always been temperamental and very difficult to start.

Note to self: Ask first and maybe Handy Granny won’t get whacked again!

An example of a lawn edger

A lawn edger has a plate or wheel that rides along the edge of a sidewalk or driveway, which protects the cutting blade from the concrete. The blade cuts through the grass and dirt along the edge of the concrete, providing a crisp edge which can then be kept looking good with a regular weed eater.     

Our edger is electric, and I started down the driveway thinking what a super easy Handy Granny project. The driveway was quick and easy. Then I started along the sidewalk and the job was suddenly the hardest project since starting to move more by doing chores.     

Overgrowth

It had been years since we last used the edger and in some places grass was overgrown up to 4-inches over the edge of the concrete. In some areas and it was too thick for the edger to cut. Searching for help in the garage, I located a hoe to cut off the thickest parts of the grass to allow the edger to work. Handy Granny had to get aggressive, but ended up with a beautiful edge.     

Beautiful Edge

You can always find a stud near where you want to put something – they are typically 18-inches apart. Unless you don’t have 9-inches (plus or minus) near where it can go, you can find a stud. It is best to have two studs, but you can accomplish the job with one stud and a second wall anchor, molly bolt or other support.  

The steps to install a clothes rack into a stud:  

1.  Locate stud – a Stud Finder is an essential Handy Granny tool. Use one to locate a stud and mark where you want the rack – use a pencil and place a small dot or x.  

Handy Granny tools for the project

2.    Measure the distance between the holes for the screws on the back of the rack, mine was 16.5 inches apart.  

3.  Measure across the distance between the screw openings and place another light pencil mark. Check the two marks are level – I used a short 18-inch level but if your rack is longer a longer level would be needed. Raise or lower the non-stud side until the bubble centers between the lines, indicating that the two points are level. If you don’t have a level, measure up from the floor to the marks and adjust accordingly. Double check by measuring down from the ceiling. (Be careful – some home builders aren’t always perfect, and walls can be different heights in different corners…)  

4.  The side without a stud needs support for the screw. Sheetrock (wall board) doesn’t provide any structural support for the screw. I selected a simple plastic anchor for the structural support for the screw.  

5.  Grab your drill and set of drill bits (another Handy Granny essential). Match a drill bit to the width of the anchor, then drill a hole in the marked spot (the side without the stud!). Hammer the anchor into the drilled hole until it is flush with the wall.  

6.  Insert the screw through the rack hole, start it into the anchor by hand, then screw it in with an electric screwdriver or drill. When the screw goes into the anchor it pushes the anchor apart. Push the anchor into the drywall and the nubs on the outside add strength.  

7.  Then screw the other side into the stud. If the screw spins – you missed the stud. It is OK, just repeat the steps for installing an anchor and screw into another anchor.  

Completed Project!

It is best to have one side in a stud, so hopefully the measuring was good and the stud finder worked. Mine did! I will let you know if it falls down sometime unexpectedly – but I think it is solid and ready for company.

Steps:

1. Locate the Owner’s Manual
2. Clean mower
3. Remove blade
4. Change oil
5. Change air filter(s)
6. Replace spark plug

The Owner’s Manual will provide the specifics about maintenance for your mower. If you can’t locate it, try searching online. A lot of companies post their manuals on their Web sites. After reviewing the manual, clean the top and underside of the mower using a scraper or brush.  Then remove the blade. You can have it sharpened when you pick up parts for maintenance. Removing the blade was the hardest part of this project. My John Deere only had two bolts to remove but they did not want to budge. After applying Liquid Wrench to loosen the bolts, I put leather work gloves on to hold the blade, attached a 12-inch ratchet and socket to the bolt, and resorted to a hitting the ratchet with a heavy mallet before it finally budged. After my son arrived he asked why I didn’t use the two foot ratchet – the engineer in me should have remembered the longer the lever arm the less work to do the same job – Handy Granny did not feel so smart right then!  

After removing the blade, Handy Granny drove to the John Deere store to pick up the maintenance kit and a new blade, since sharpening would take a few days. For $30, Handy Granny had the parts for maintenance. Now the only question was if she could actually do the work and save $60 plus paying for lawn mowing while waiting on mower maintenance.

Changing the oil was easy; follow the instructions in your Owner’s Manual. Handy Granny turned the mower on the left side, inserted the provided drain tube, and drained it into an oil pan. To be environmentally friendly, recycle the oil at Wal-Mart or other recycle location. While the oil drained, the air filter was facing up and it was a perfect time to change the air filter. Handy Granny used her “girl tool” which is a flowery screwdriver, to open the air filter (it is easy, remember lefty loosy). Note: when putting together tools for your Handy Granny tool box, if you get something with flowers, the tools somehow stay in your tool box! 

The air filters were black and disgusting. No wonder the machine didn’t start, it couldn’t breathe. Pay attention to how your filter is sitting in the housing and replace with the new. Push around the edges to get it in place and replace the housing and screws. The John Deere included a paper filter and a foam filter, and Handy Granny replaced both. After finishing the filters, I drained the oil and set up the mower.

The last step was to replace a spark plug. Handy Granny knew nothing about spark plugs, but followed the instructions in the Owner’s Manual which said to “adjust the gap to 0.76 mm”.  What the heck is a gap? Luckily for me, my son was around and explained that the gap was the distance between the end of the spark plug and the bent wire. There is a round coin looking tool which has varying width around the edge with the gap distances listed. Just check the distance matches what the manual calls for, mine was correct out of the box.  Remove the spark plug with either with a wrench or a socket, then reinstall the same way. Don’t over tighten the plug.  The instructions said to tighten to 20 N-m or 15 lb-ft.  Since Handy Granny didn’t have a torque wrench to measure it, I just didn’t over tighten and it worked!

Now it was time to fill the tank with fresh gas and see if the maintenance was successful. Motors prefer fresh gasoline. Fill up the gas can with fresh gas, and if you want it to stay stable, consider using a gas stabilizer. The best part of the day was when the mower started on the 4^th pull and Handy Granny started to mow the lawn for the first time in 30 years!

Handy Granny Tools

After walking in a 5K for Bridging the Gap, Handy Granny stopped by Home Depot to pick up numbers and came out with not only one but two Handy Granny projects (typical). I found a new shiny brass kick plate for the freshly painted front door. After a half hour break with a wonderful homemade latte, I grabbed the Handy Granny tool box and collected items for the projects – small electric screwdriver, ratchet screwdriver, drill bits, measuring tape, short level and a pencil for marking.         

Step 1: Figure out where to put the numbers. Ask for help so you can look at them from a distance.         

Step 2: Center the numbers in the space and mark the screw locations for the 1st number.         

Step 3: Check that the pencil marks are straight with the level and by using the measuring tape. If installing the numbers vertically, an alternative to a level is a plumb line. You can make a plumb line with a string and a washer or other object attached. Hold the string at the first number and mark the center of the additional numbers. Remember to check with the level before drilling for each number to keep the alignment straight.         

Step 4: Drill pilot hole for the screws – select a drill bit slightly smaller or      

Small drill for inserting screws

 equal to the width of the screw stem. Put the screw through the number to see how far to drill – don’t drill deeper than the distance the screw will be into the wood.         

Finished Project!

Step 6: Determine distance between numbers. A helper might hold the numbers or look for you. Mark the top of the number or side if installing horizontally and measure the distance so you know how far apart to put all of the numbers.         

Repeat Steps 2 through 5, being careful to check the numbers are straight with either the level or plumb line.         

New Brass Kick Plate!

These were easy projects, which actually took less time to do, that it did to write about them!         

Look at the front of your house and maybe you need new numbers or a shiny kick plate too!