Fix it Thread

[GburgNatsFan]

If they are in a crawlspace/basement/attic, I think that's okay, because then they aren't hidden. You just can't bury them in a wall, between finished floors, etc.

Want to know what will freak you out even more? Finding a live wire in a wall with no terminal junction box or appliance. Good times.

I wish someone told the previous owners in my house, I've been finding them everywhere. I went into my crawl space to make sure there was no flooding yesterday (hence junction boxes on my mind) and found an uncovered one, so that made me happy

[PANatsFan]

If there is enough sticking out to be an issue why can't you just use some pliers and twist it out?  Otherwise, yeah, just patch over it.

I can't get it out because I twisted it so hard trying to get it in that the head snapped off the hexhead screw

[Frau Mau]

I can't get it out because I twisted it so hard trying to get it in that the head snapped off the hexhead screw

If you use pliers it doesn't matter if the head is gone, only if thtere is enough to grab onto. Needle nose?

[GburgNatsFan]

I'd want to carve around it a little with a screwdriver or something to see what I drove it into that is so tough that it broke the screw. For instance, did you drive it partially into one of those plates that they put over the stud where a wire passes behind it? Once you know, you can be comfortable cutting it off with a dremel tool and spackling it over.

You live close enough to me that I'd lend you my Dremel tool (assuming I didn't lose it lending it to someone else - I'll check tonight) with a metal cutting blade. Once you can cut it off just beneath the wall surface, you can spackle it over.

I can't get it out because I twisted it so hard trying to get it in that the head snapped off the hexhead screw

[PANatsFan]

If you use pliers it doesn't matter if the head is gone, only if thtere is enough to grab onto. Needle nose?

It's stuck like bastard. I tried the pliers.

[HalfSmokes]

It's stuck like bastard. I tried the pliers.

Cut a square of wall away around it? You'll be patching anyway, and you have to be curious about what's behind there

[PANatsFan]

Cut a square of wall away around it? You'll be patching anyway, and you have to be curious about what's behind there

Well, it's not my house and there's lead paint, so every flake of drywall that comes off cause my wife to (possibly justifiably) freak out

[GburgNatsFan]

Oh. It's an older house. The studs themselves may be strong enough to snap a screw. I lived in a house built in the 40s that had nut wood floor joists (hickory, we think) that you couldn't drive a screw or hammer a nail into without a pilot hole they were so hard.

If you drill a pilot hole later, coat over the spot with some vaseline before drilling, then wipe it off. That will keep lead dust or asbestos dust from getting into the air. I mean, short of calling an abatement contractor, your options are limited. It's airborne dust that is the problem.

But perhaps I shouldn't be giving you that advice (though it worked fine for me - and my kids are really bright, so no discernable lead damage).

Don't sue me.

Well, it's not my house and there's lead paint, so every flake of drywall that comes off cause my wife to (possibly justifiably) freak out

[PANatsFan]

Oh. It's an older house. The studs themselves may be strong enough to snap a screw. I lived in a house built in the 40s that had nut wood floor joists (hickory, we think) that you couldn't drive a screw or hammer a nail into without a pilot hole they were so hard.

If you drill a pilot hole later, coat over the spot with some vaseline before drilling, then wipe it off. That will keep lead dust or asbestos dust from getting into the air. I mean, short of calling an abatement contractor, your options are limited.

I DID drill a pilot hole. I have no idea what's going on.

[GburgNatsFan]

Into a stud? Did you get wood in the drill grooves?

I DID drill a pilot hole. I have no idea what's going on.

[PANatsFan]

Into a stud? Did you get wood in the drill grooves?

White power . . . but that might have covered up any sawdust.

[GburgNatsFan]

Is it an external wall? Our last house was plaster over metal lathe over furring strips, then concrete block. If you went deeper than 1.25 inches, you hit block.

[tomterp]

White power . . . but that might have covered up any sawdust.

Better call the law firm of Peter Angelos.

[GburgNatsFan]

I don't know why you slipped that in, because of my avi? I'm not a racist. Oh, powder. You mean powder.

White power . . . but that might have covered up any sawdust.

[tomterp]

I don't know why you slipped that in, because of my avi? I'm not a racist. Oh, powder. You mean powder.

 

I totally missed that on first read. 

[blue911]

If there is enough sticking out to be an issue why can't you just use some pliers and twist it out?  Otherwise, yeah, just patch over it.

or turn it into a coat rack.

[PANatsFan]

Is it an external wall? Our last house was plaster over metal lathe over furring strips, then concrete block. If you went deeper than 1.25 inches, you hit block.

Between the living room and the kitchen, but there's a closet on one side, so it ain't that thick.

[PANatsFan]

Killed it, with some much-appreciated help from Gburg. I realized that the head sheared off the screw because the crappy hex tool Amazon sent was putting a shear force on the bolt. So after grabbing the bolt with pliers and hanging on to it for a while, I then out the amazon hex tool on the bolt, bent it sideways, and it snapped off inside the wall! No more jagged metal jutting out of my wall!

Gburg I was very close to offering you a 20 or a 6-pack to come help me

[GburgNatsFan]

Glad you got it done, PA. I was hanging bathroom paraphernalia on these slick little self-drilling drywall anchors today and I thought about your predicament.

Killed it, with some much-appreciated help from Gburg. I realized that the head sheared off the screw because the crappy hex tool Amazon sent was putting a shear force on the bolt. So after grabbing the bolt with pliers and hanging on to it for a while, I then out the amazon hex tool on the bolt, bent it sideways, and it snapped off inside the wall! No more jagged metal jutting out of my wall!

Gburg I was very close to offering you a 20 or a 6-pack to come help me

[PANatsFan]

The guy at the hardware store is brilliant. He told me to soap up the screws; I actually used Vaseline since I was using it to hold back the paint dust as Gburg suggested, and it worked! Shelf is installed (not 100% level, but installed.)

[tomterp]

The guy at the hardware store is brilliant. He told me to soap up the screws; I actually used Vaseline since I was using it to hold back the paint dust as Gburg suggested, and it worked! Shelf is installed (not 100% level, but installed.)

Don't you have a level?  Pretty useful in shelve installation.

[Nathan]

Don't you have a level?  Pretty useful in shelve installation.

[tomterp]

 

My wife walked up behind me just and started giving me a shoulder massage  as I was typing, and distracted me.  Unfortunately, I'm still here at the 'puter.

[PANatsFan]

Don't you have a level?  Pretty useful in shelve installation.

It needed to go up last week It's a media shelf to get the cable box up off the floor and away from crawling babies and over the play pen. IR Remotes do not like operating through playpens.