Clearing a Drain Blockage

Drain Blockage

Keep the Plumbing Lines Open

Some of the smallest household contraptions contribute in large part to the convenience of our modern living.  The drain is given little thought – until it doesn’t do its job properly. A blocked drain can disrupt a home more quickly than many other problems. Thankfully, unclogging a drain can be relatively easy with the right tools.  By learning a bit about drain cleaning you can save yourself time, money, and inconvenience.

Prevention is the best medicine, and it’s wise to use drain screens to catch hair and debris before they can run down into the pipes and cause a clog.  But over time it’s inevitable that your pipes will accumulate enough things like food particles, grease, and soap to cause even a minor clog. A blockage is easy to detect – water is slow to leave the sink or tub.  When you are faced with this situation there is no choice but to clear the line.  There are simple ways to clear a clog using items often found around your house.

Drain Blockage

Be proactive – in the event of a plumbing backup, a speedy response can make the difference between minor and major damage to your home and your belongings.

Begin by removing the drain stopper (it should pull up or unscrew).  Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain and let it sit for fifteen minutes.  This will soften many drain blockage enough to move it through the pipes.  Repeat this step once or twice if it does not work the first time. A homemade solution of equal parts baking soda and vinegar (1/2 cup each) can also be used to dissolve a smaller drain blockage.  Pour the solution into the drain, allow it to work for about fifteen minutes, and then flush the drain with hot water.  Repeat if necessary.  At this point a plunger may bring up the rest of the drain blockage: fill the basin with some water, block the overflow with a rag, and push the plunger down and up about a dozen times.

If the drain blockage still persists try to dislodge it with a plumber’s snake (you can buy or rent one) or a straightened wire hanger.  Work the tool up and down until you have cleared much of the clog.  The length of the professional plumber’s snake, a flexible steel cable over a dozen feet long, will be necessary for deep clogs.

At times, you may encounter a more difficult drain blockage, one that has moved further from the local drain site, causing problems with several or all drains in the house.  To deal with this problem you will have to work out the drain blockage at the main drain. Ensure that no one in the house is using any of the plumbing facilities, then find the access point and position a bucket to catch overflow before you remove the cap.  Feed a plumbing snake through the pipes until you hit the drain blockage then work the snake back and forth to dislodge the clog.

If your best efforts still cannot solve the problem it’s time to call in a professional.  Most drain blockage issues should be dealt with promptly to prevent water damage to the home.

Drain Blockage

Spring Cleaning

Giving the House a Good Once Over

For many homeowners springtime brings thoughts of making home improvements and upgrades.  When you are putting together a list of potential projects, think about adding a thorough spring cleaning at the top of that list.  Even the most ardent housekeepers do not get to all the nooks and crannies regularly.  Giving the house a good once over has many benefits.  Dust and allergens settle in upholstery and carpets; deep cleaning those items will improve your home’s air quality.  Freshening up décor such as light fixtures and blinds keep them in good repair and brighten up the house.  Cleaning the inside of closet and pantry spaces will help you to inventory what you have and to purge old, unused items.

An effective spring cleaning will take several days – decide when you can dedicate the time and effort, and then mark it on your calendar.  Scheduling the cleaning alongside your other events and appointments will give it that importance and help you stick to your plan.  Your to-do list will include those bigger tasks that do not make every routine cleaning, such as:

• Baseboards
• Walls and Ceilings – vacuum dust and clean surface grime
• Light fixtures
• Window frames and doorjambs
• Window coverings – take down and clean draperies, curtains, and blinds
• Hardware including door knobs and hinges
• Closets – shoe racks, shelves, and floors
• Pantries – clean shelves and inventory food items
• Cabinets – interiors and doors of kitchen and bath cabinets
• Refrigerator and Stove – remove and clean all parts including crisper drawers, knobs, racks, and burners
• Floors – move large furniture and vacuum or mop all surfaces
• Carpets – have carpets professionally cleaned
• Furniture – wax wooden furniture and have upholstered furniture professionally cleaned

And last but not least, take the opportunity to organize.  During an in-depth spring cleaning you will be going through things that you might not have looked at in a long time, like items shoved under the bed or hidden on the floor of your closet under the hanging clothes.  Begin by sorting through the clutter that is in your way as you are cleaning an area.  Put things into three groups: to be used, to be stored, to be purged (donate or sell items that can be reused).  Set up a storage system that will work for you by keeping the basics of smart storage in mind:

• Group similar items together.  Keep tools in the toolbox, hang dress shirts together.
• Define where things are stored.  Give specific uses to closets, cabinets, and shelves.  Labels storage bins and boxes.
• Be sensible.  Use your space in a way that fits your needs and that you can maintain over time.  If it makes sense to store a frequently used tool kit in the food pantry, then do it!
• Think ahead.  Storage needs change over time as people part with and accumulate things.  Maintain some free space for future needs and regularly clear out old, unused items during the annual spring cleaning.

Sacramento Cabinet Re-Facing

The Quick Kitchen Facelift

Kitchens have a major effect on our living experience.  Most families in Sacramento spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen – cooking, eating, cleaning up, hanging out.  Many Sacramento families also spend a significant amount of their home improvement budget in the kitchen.  While a kitchen renovation can be one of the most costly home improvements, there are some smaller updates that you can complete on a conservative budget.  One of the most dramatic ways to give your Sacramento kitchen a new look is to change your cabinets. The most expensive choice would be to replace the cabinets entirely.  But, if your cabinets are well made and in good condition, another more cost-effective route is cabinet re-facing.

Consider the scope of the work to decide if you will tackle the project yourself or hire a Sacramento professional.  The project will involve removing all current pieces, preparing the surfaces, staining or painting, hanging doors and drawer fronts, and installing new hardware. The labor will be more intensive to refinish your current doors and drawer fronts, but that option can also be less expensive.  The quicker yet more costly option is to replace them with new models. There are a variety of styles and finishes to choose from, including solid woods, laminates, and veneers.

Before you reface your cabinets, you will need to clean the doors and drawer fronts (if you are reusing them) and the bases thoroughly to remove dirt, grease and food residue.  Strip wood surfaces that were stained or painted.  Formica and vinyl generally cannot be stripped, but can be prepared for finishing by sanding the entire surface to rough it up slightly.  (If Formica or vinyl were covered with a latex paint you can gently scrape the paint off with a butter knife wrapped in a thin rag.)  Once you have exposed the raw material, patch holes, seal cracks, and sand to smooth all areas.  Apply a primer or sealer before putting on the finish or paint.

When you are starting with a decent wood base you can keep that look by staining the cabinets in a wood grain.  Paint can lend either a traditional or a more modern look depending on your use of color.  An advantage of using paint is that you can easily touch-up any nicks or worn areas over time.  Whatever finishing option you choose for your Sacramento kitchen cabinet renovation, use your imagination and think about what you will enjoy looking at every day.  Add the final touch with matching hardware to give the room a completely new look.

Even if you are planning a more extensive Sacramento kitchen renovation, re-facing may be a good idea. New appliances, fixtures, countertops, and flooring can add up to a hefty bill.  A well-done re-facing job can improve cabinet durability as well as give new life to the room for only a fraction of the cost of a complete cabinetry overhaul.