This is the better advice for the toilet problems. There is a high chance that it is a simple mechanic piece on the inside of the toilet chamber that is broken, worn out, or sticking. Since this is a cheap, simple, "every person who can figure out how to lift the top off can do this" fix, start here. And on the off chance that this isn't the problem, you're out 20 bucks, and maybe 30 minutes of your time. Compare that to getting on your roof, checking the vent lines, having something done if this is the problem...
Yeah, except I've never seen a flapper problem cause the toilet to flush slowly. Once the flapper lifts, the water rushing from the tank lifts the flapper all the way, regardless of how high the handle chain is pulling it. Flapper problems are almost always related to the flapper leaking when down, the flapper getting stuck open, or the chain connection breaking. Those cause dripping sounds, constant "running," of the toilet, off and on "running" without the toilet being flushed, or no flushing at all. I've never seen a flapper cause a toilet to run slow, but that' just my experience. Do the other drains in that bathroom run slow, or is it just the toilet?
It all depends how the place is laid out, and how they plumbed it. It's almost impossible to know what's going on since I have no idea how the place is laid out, how many vent lines there are, what is served by each vent, etc. It's entirely possible that the bathrooms have separate vent lines, or that if they share the same vent line, they plumbed it wrong when they tied in the upstairs. They also might have tied it in at the wrong spot, so the toilet ends up not being vented while everything else is. There are a lot of possibilities, and they can get pretty expensive.
I read and reread just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Then I reread it again just to see if there were any odd interpretations I could possibly make. There aren't. What he is describing are the mechanisms on the inside of the Toilet not staying open to drain the tank upon flushing it. This is evident by him having to hold the handle down. This tells us that the Flapper is probably bad. When the chain pulls it up, it should allow all the water in the tank to drain through, without interrupting the flow. It stays up until the tank is empty, and gravity seats it back in place. The water then refills the tank ontop of this flapper valve, causing it to remain seated until the toilet is flushed again. Vent and drain problems are way, way, WAY down the list of possible sources of this problem. And that's not even considering how prohibitively expensive it is. If it was a vent problem, one of the very clear side effects would be that the water trap would completely drain every time, and he would constantly smell the sewer through the toilet. And I don't mean a light occasional stink after a quick poo. I mean a "My house is next door to a manure farm" smell.
I guess after going back and re-reading it a few times, the problem could be what you're saying. I interpreted it as the water was draining slowly, so he was holding the handle down longer until it flushed. If it's just that the flapper isn't letting the tank drain, then yes, it's a flapper problem. My bad, I should have gone back and re-read it earlier. It probably doesn't matter though, we're only arguing about it because the description of the problem wasn't as clear as it could have been, and he never clarified or answered any questions. I wonder if he even checked back here after he posted it.
I came home on Friday and was greeted by half-digested cat food on my hardwood floor. Since my cat decided to vomit earlier in the day, his stomach acid has eaten away at the floor. It's really freakin' obvious. Let me guess. Nothing I can do, save refinishing the entire floor, amirite?
You should be able to repair it so you won't notice it. Are they pre-finished or were they finished on-site? If the spot is discolored you'll need to stain it to match the rest of the floor, then seal it again, usually with polyurethane, unless it's an older floor that used wax or varnish. You'll probably have to mix the stain in order to match the color. If it's pre-finished from the factory you may be able to get a sample of the stain from the manufacturer.
It may have only etched the outer protective layer, which is usually just clear polyurethane. If that's the case, a light coat of clear polyurethane will fix it right up. You might have to sand the area with fine grit sandpaper, but the acid etching probably accomplished the same thing.
Plan A) There are kits at big box stores in the paint department, usually in two or three parts. Try Shit Depot as a last (but unfortunetly easiest) resort. Tell them your issue, and if they don't have two first names on their name tag they'll point you in the right direction. The stain you'll have to match with the closest one you can find so start collecting samples, soldier! It may still be SLIGHTLY visible, but if that's still an issue than have fun refinishing the enitre room (it sucks in ANY fashion unless you know somebody on the inside). Plan B) Sometimes if it's (the stain) small you can pop a few boards by carving them out with a circular saw (staying RIGHT in the gaps only) and replace them (you still have a box of wood, right?) but you have to break the tongues and glue them in, and it almost never looks perfect with problems such as spacey gaps, popped boards, etc.) Plan C) You know what's all the rage? Throw rugs (gay factor go ka-boom!). I like plan A, personally.
Ok, here's a picture of the stain. This house is about 75 years old...the previous owners had them redone. There is no stain for the floors nor are there any extra boxes of the flooring. I assume my next step is to take this picture to Home Depot or Lowes and just hope for the best in terms of finding a matching stain?
NO. Pictures both match and say NOTHING when it comes to floors of any kind. You need to go get stain samples and bring THEM to your floor at home. A photograph says nothing, and in your case the light reflecting off of it in the photo already decieves what the actual stain colour is. Most of those stores' paint section have chips (just like paint samples) that you can take with you to match at home. Grab at least a half dozen to a full dozen of the ones you feel are the clsoest colour of your floor. If you have a spare floor plank, just bring it with you to the store to save yourself a trip, but never ever use a photo to match a colour for anything. I've never known it to work even once. IT's old hardwood, and you want to get it looking good becasue old strip hardwood is a re-sale goldmine. Good luck with it.
It helps your situation that the previous owners had it redone because it's a modern finish that you should be able to match. Crown Royal is right about matching the stain. I doubt that you're going to go to Home Depot and buy a stain that matches. You'll have to get one that's close then mix small amounts of other colors in to get it right. Mix it in a glass jar and write down the amounts of each stain you add because you'll end up starting over 3 or 4 times. You can always make the wood a little darker by applying another coat of the same or darker stain, so be patient and apply one coat at a time and let it dry completely before doing anything else. If it looks too dark you can usually use acetone and a rag to lighten it if it hasn't dried fully. I've been through a similar process before. My wife and I refinished 1700 s.f. of hardwoods last year. We (she) had a difficult time deciding on a color so we stained our living room 3 times before we (she) liked how it looked. She has refinished a number of furniture pieces and she never uses a standard color or keeps it the first color she picks. Of course, if you're not too picky, sand that spot lightly with 150 grit sandpaper, apply Minwax Golden Oak stain, finish it with polyurethane matched to the current gloss and be done with it.
Might be time to buy a new tablesaw. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2010/03/16/news-flash-table-saw-safety/#more-2998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2010/03/ ... #more-2998</a> I've never cut myself on one, but tablesaws really scare the shit out of me. So do bandsaws. I've used the Sawstop tablesaw and I loved it. I think it's a good idea to regulate a lot of the tools out there. Some companies have no business making tools at all. I might be kind of a tool snob, but I've got all my fingers and toes. I think if the Dewalts and Makitas are forced to use a safer technology, it'll be better in the long run.
Tablesaws are the Freddy Krueger of tools. They have power a lot of people underestimate and ever since we were seniors in public school and using them for the first time, the 6-fingered shop teacher told horror stories and warned us how these things can pull you into their blade and turn your hand into pasta or spit a caught board back at you at over 100 mph. Buying those cheap $100 numbers at big box stores that weigh 40 lbs. is not advisable, to say the least. I've never had an issue bandsaws, but I've met some deformed wood workers who sure have, and know for a fact they've inflicted some of the most painful injuries you can imagine. Brands, I cannot recommend.
I'm more worried about kickback than I am about losing fingers. I took a 1 x 6 to the groin because the splitter on my new tablesaw caused it to bind. That sucked.
While we're talking about saws and stuff... I've been blessed to have a friend with an ER physician father that happens to enjoy working and invested a shit ton of money into a really nice woodshop. He lets me do some work in there in exchange for splitting wood for him or giving him some pheasants or a hunk of venison (an even trade, in my opinion). However, the time has come for me to start getting my own big boy tools. I do work with riflestocks- everything from simply refinishing to fully custom stocks. The next step for my business is to make a couple of patterns to be duplicated, and while other tasks I perform certainly need these tools, I couldn't do this without at least a drill press and bandsaw. The thickest material I'd be cutting through is 3" thick, but it would be a solid wood/carbon fiber laminate. That stuff is hell on blades. Sawing through a thick composite blank like that would be the toughest work I'd be doing. Most of the thick blanks would be a softer wood laminate like poplar or birch. Sadly, I don't have a huge budget for this kind of stuff. My business is self-funded, so I'm looking for the most utility out of my tools. As I said, I'm looking for a drill press and bandsaw. The drill press is priority #1- I do some limited metalwork, and that stuff is a bitch to do by hand. With my budget, it seems I have two options- buy Chinese-made stuff, or look around for old American-made tooling. I'll admit that I only know how to use these things- just not which are best for the job, etc. So here's the basic question: If I don't want to spend more than $200 on a single tool (if that's possible for what I do), what brands should I look for and where should I look? Oh, forgot to say- I've got the entire basement of this house to myself for my workshop. This basically means I could use either floor standing tools or bench mounted tools. I've already got one bench dedicated to hand work, however I could build another one up if needed.
Older is usually better. You can find some really good deals on craigslist, but they usually go pretty quick, so you have to check back a bunch of times each day. I'd also try checking K-bid and auctionmasters. They're both local MN auction sites with some really good deals, but the items can be anything from fishing lures to cars/trucks to weightlifting equipment.
I've looked over Craigslist, but I sometimes question the sellers... Personally I'd rather buy from a reputable seller rather than someone who might have done god-knows-what to a drill press in their garage before listing in online.
You're not being forced to buy anything. Just tell the person you'd like to check it out. If it's not what you're looking for, just move on.