Correction: In the last issue, we tried to answer a question about hanging cabinets on a garage wall that was insulated with foam. We were not familiar with that type of construction and did not properly answer the question. One of our readers was familiar with foam-insulated walls and provided us with the following answer.
Regarding the question about finding the studs in a garage wall. The garage wall construction consists of 5/8″ drywall over 1″ or 1 1/2″ foam board insulation over the studs, which have fiberglass bat insulation between the studs. Most electronic stud finders will not reliably find a stud in these circumstances. I recommend using a magnetic stud finder to find the drywall screws in the wall, which are usually in the middle of the stud. C.H. Hanson makes a low-cost stud-finder, which is sold at Menards for $7 or $8.
Several residents have asked where they can get a new handle for their sliding glass patio doors. The handles used in Sun City are cast aluminum. As the doors age they need to be adjusted and lubricated to reduce the load on the handle. Eventually, the load from an aging door requires a harder and harder pull to open and
close the door. This harder pull causes the threads in the
handle that hold the mounting screws to strip and no longer
retain the screws. Several Woodchucks have repaired the handle by drilling a larger hole and tapping the new hole to take a larger screw. Be sure to use a stainless-steel screw. We don’t have any experience replacing the handle, but Home Depot has a line of sliding glass door handles from Prime Line.
There are many different handles, so be sure to remove the broken handle and bring it along when selecting a new handle.
Considering the recent house fires in Sun City, you should know that there have been several smaller house fires caused by lint that was blocking clothes dryer vents. If your clothes dryer vent has not been cleaned in the last year, you should clean it, or have it cleaned as soon as possible.
Two issues ago we told you how to quiet a squeaky door hinge. One of our readers emailed us with a better solution than the one we gave. Here is what he suggested. The black
“grease” is a generated black metallic soap which becomes the extreme pressure lubricant. Rewetting the soap with a mineral oil-based lubricant like 3-in-1, WD-40 or Balistrol (my favorite) will stop the squeaks and splatters (due to friction vibration), and it lasts quite a while due to re-wetting of the soap film. Just clean off the black film on the surface of the hinge and door/frame with a disposable towel.
If you go through the trouble of removing the pins and cleaning, use a white lithium grease to lubricate; it is designed to create a very nice lubricant soap by reacting with the steel pin and will last a very long time. When squeaking occurs, the distressed area is wiped clean of the soap with no ability to repair creating extreme friction, which splatters the grease onto the painted surface.
My recommendation would not include cleaning the pin since you are removing the black protective “EP” lubricant film. The grease (and Balistrol) is designed to react with steel to create the black metallic lubricating soap. I put a drop of a mineral oil-based lubricant about once a year and wipe the hinges clean. Ten weight compressor oil is even better for wetting, also for lubricating mechanical clock pinions.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
