How to Clean Your Chimney Yourself

While chimneys offer much-needed respite from the biting cold of wintertime, they can be very costly to maintain, especially when it comes to the creosote sweeping part. Fortunately, you can do your own chimney sweeping these days if you have the right know-how, which we’re here to help you with.

Check out these easy to follow handyman Marietta tips below that you can employ the next time your chimney needs a clean:

Chimney Fire

For those who’ve grown up in cold regions where chimneys are a staple feature in the home’s edifice, memories of comforting fire are often interspersed with scary tales of chimney fires that often serve as cautionary tales on how to properly care for one’s chimney to avoid such incidents. It’s important to keep in mind that the chimney will give you weird signs, like making unusual sounds or blowing out differently colored smoke that you haven’t seen before.

These are all signals that your chimney needs handyman Marietta GA, and you should probably refrain from using it again until you’ve done so. You can also take the proactive approach and prevent your chimney from even reaching this stage by investing in a creosote remover that you can use to scrape the chimney on a regular basis during the winter to ensure that it’s clean and safe.  

Ladder Safety

If your home is designed in an A-frame, then you’ll need to use a ladder in order to get to the wind cap, a part of the chimney that you absolutely need to clean, at least once a year. Needless to say, climbing a ladder can be a bit dangerous sometimes, and it’s definitely not a task for the fainthearted or height phobic, especially in unpredictable weather conditions. That’s why we recommend wearing a harness and attaching it to the top rung of the ladder with a sturdy rope every time you’re climbing up your ladder so as to keep both you and the ladder firmly in place.

Cleaning a Wind Cap

Before you clean the wind cap, you have to remove it, and once you’ve figured out the ladder situation, this should be easy. Instead of cleaning the wind cap from the top, rather take it down with you so that you can take a good look at it and take your time to clean it using a wire brush. If the creosote is too tough for the brush, then you can try a screwdriver, and chip away at it until the stubborn dirt has been completely removed.

Then, clean the inside of the chimney first before you replace the wind cap to complete your Marietta handyman cycle. You can clean your chimney twice per year if you use it frequently, but once a year is usually enough to keep it clean and safe, and once you learn to clean your chimney on a regular basis, you won’t have to worry about chimney fires or spending money on professional chimney sweeps.

How to Install Gutters

Gutters play an important role in your home, not just in channeling rainwater from the roof but also for protecting the finishes and paintwork on the house and the foundation. Most hardware stores and home centers have gutters that are easy to install. However, with a little insight, you can use these same parts to design something that is stronger than the average gutter and looks better too.

Take your time and inspect the parts you are buying. Look carefully into the soffit and fascia to find out whether the wood is rotten. If this is the case, repair or replace the rot before you install them. Many houses have crown molding or trim boards under the shingles.

Plan the Project

Take the correct measurements of your house. Pay attention to the gutter runs and then mark the parts where you will have the downspouts. In most cases, you will only need the front elbows, though from time to time you might also need side elbows in order to direct the downspout to the side.

The downspouts should be set in parts of the roof that don’t have obstructions. This is to make it easier to direct water away from your roof. Where possible, avoid anywhere with obstacles like sidewalks or hose bibs and electric meters.

At the part of the roof where the Sarasota handyman will drain lots of water, especially for homes in areas that usually experience torrential rains, you should install oversized downspouts. Choose the 3×4-inch downspouts.

Long gutter runs of at least 40 feet should be sloped down from either direction in the middle. Also make sure you have a downspout on both ends.

If your house doesn’t have fascia boards, get some special mounting straps for the roof hanger. The same applies if the fascia in your home is not vertical.

Cut and Join the Gutters

Use tin snips to cut the handyman Sarasota FL at the front and back, bend it and cut the bottom section. Assemble the joints and parts on the ground and then get up the ladder and fix them in place. This is easier than assembling on the ladder.

Don’t butt the parts and use a seam cover to join them as recommended by most manufacturers. Instead, just lap the seams.

Add Downspouts and Outlets

On the bottom of the gutter, mark the center of the downspout outlet. It should be centered in such a way that the flange side is down, and then make a trace around the inside. Use a chisel to cut a V-shaped notch where the tin snips will start. Place the scraps beside each other under the gutter for support.

Hang Gutter Sections

handyman Sarasota should be installed on a gentle slope. Remember that the efficiency of the gutters will be determined by the size and number of downspouts. On a gentle slope, it is easier to get rid of standing water, which eventually corrodes the gutter, causing leaks.

Add Gutter Flashing

The job is not complete without hangers and flashing. Install flashing under the shingles. Use 1-inch roofing nails to fasten the flashing at intervals of 2 feet. This is to protect the soffit and fascia from water damage.

Install the Downspouts

Screw the elbows to the downspout outlets. You can also use a crimping tool. Make sure you leave an overlap of 1 ½ inches at the end of each downspout.

5 Welding Tips For The Beginner Welder

handyman San Jose CA can be an extreme task. The bright light and intense heat can be intimidating for inexperienced people. However, if you are brave enough to learn about welding, a whole new world of projects will open up to you. In fact, you can certainly make a profession out of it.

If you are just starting out in welding, here are a few beginner tips that you should know about:

The Right Gear

Since San Jose handyman will involve electricity and high temperatures, it’s very important that you wear the proper gear. You have to wear leather gloves as a way of protecting your hands and to prevent you from getting randomly electrocuted. You’d also want to wear a cotton shirt with sleeves as this will protect you from the UV rays that are coming off from the welding gun. Failure to wear one may lead to burn.

Another important piece of protection is the welding helmet. You’d want something that has an adjustable lens so you will be able to see what you are doing without exposing your eyes to damage. Another thing that you’d want to do is to wear glasses underneath the welding helmet. This might sound excessive, but welded materials don’t cool off instantly. There’s a possibility that once you take off your helmet, a piece of stray metal chip will hit your eyes. Wearing clear glasses can save you a lot of trouble.

Prepare The Weld

To get a better weld, it’s critical that you prepare the weld area. At the very least, you should clean the metal surface. After cleaning the metal surface, you’d want to use a primer on it. Before you start the weld, check the end of your wire to make sure there isn’t a ball on it. Otherwise, it would cause a bad start for your weld.

Correct Wire

There are different types of handyman San Jose wires, and it’s best that you use the right wire for the job. For example, if you are working with thin metals, then it’s best that you use a wire with a thinner diameter. For thick metals, use a thicker wire. Another important thing to remember is to match the wire to the material you are welding. If you are welding aluminum, then use an aluminum wire.

Good Welding Technique

In welding, there are a lot of good techniques to learn from the start. You really don’t want to adopt bad habits as they will cause problems down the line. For example, it’s best that you don’t weld in a straight line. What you’d want to do is to make connecting loops. This handyman services San Jose technique will result into stronger welds as you are significantly reducing gaps in it.

Listen To The Weld

Another thing that you should constantly be aware of is the sound of the weld. A good weld should sound like there’s a constant noise that doesn’t waver that much. A firecracker sound, popcorn sound, loud gas sound, and varying buzz sounds are the ones that you should be aware of as they may be indicating problems with the weld.