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Found 11 results for the keyword ‘Shim’

  • Proper window shimming

    There are over 2000 window manufacturers in Canada, and with all that competition, each one wants to make homeowners, renovators, and builders believe that their windows are easier to install than the other brand. This has led to a lot of very poorly built windows that are often difficult to ins...
  • Is a Wobbly dado blade accurate?

    We got this question from a store customer who was trying to decide which blade to buy?Wobble Washer Dado BladeThe first photo shows what we call a "wobble washer" blade. Actually the blade itself isn't wobbly, but the washers on both sides are bevelled. You can rotate them to skew the blade in...
  • How do you stop stairs from squeaking?

    Stairs squeak when something is loose and the wood rubs either against another piece of wood or rubs on a nail.You can often feel the movement by putting your finger on the stair joints while someone walks on it. (Be careful not to pinch your finger.)If the movement is where the tread and the ri...
  • Doors that won't stay open.

    Dave in London, Ontario has a bathroom door that won't stay open. The frame is probably not vertical, or somebody hung the door non-vertical,  so you will have to play with the hinges to get gravity working on your side. Always tighten the hings screws as a first task -- maybe they are in the rig...
  • How do you balance a ceiling fan so it won't wobble?

    Oh how many times has the wobbling ceiling fan driven you crazy. Sometimes it is acceptable on one speed but not another. Sometimes it just click, click, clicks so badly that you can't get to sleep. Fixing it is easy, but not fast. There are a large number of things that could be wrong so work yo...
  • Just how do you install windows properly?

    The reality is that there is not just one good way to install windows, but there are certain principles that must be taken care of with any installation to prevent cold air or water leakage later. Basically a window installation must shed most of the water with the siding, what does get through ...
  • Fixing a chair that won't sit flat on the floor

    Before you start fixing anything, you really need to know if it is the chair or the floor that wobbles. If the chair only wobbles in one or two spots in the room, it is probably the floor that is out of line.   CHECKING THE FLOOR To check the floor, either use a laser beam or a string line tha...
  • Straightening 2x4's in a stud wall

      When you build that basement wall with economy lumber, and one stud is just not flat with the others, there is a way to fix that quickly to end up with a flat wall.             IDENTIFY THE BULGING OUT SIDE OF ANY STUD Then in the middle of the bow, saw cut about 2/3rds of the way ...
  • How do I shim windows properly?

    Shimming windows into a wall is not done just any which way. The better of the window manufacturers will provide a shimming schedule with every window, specifying exactly where the shims should go. The general principles are: Bottom shims On the bottom the shims should go under vertical struct...
  • Fixing a squeaky ceramic floor?

    A squeaky ceramic floor is a particularly difficult problem because you really cannot fix it from the top down, and if you don't fix it, it will eventually break the grout if not the floor tiles because of the movement of the floor. Squeaking is caused by something rubbing, often the floor board...