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How to cut FRP panels quickly and easily

Dave Farquhar DIY September 1, 2017May 17, 2023

I recently put some FRP in a bathroom to shore up the area around the shower head. If you’re wondering how to cut FRP panels, or you’re just looking for the best way to cut FRP wall panels to a smaller size, I have some tips.

FRP won’t win design awards, but if you need a waterproof material to protect a wall from moisture, it’s inexpensive and works extremely well. Besides using it inside a shower, I’ve also used it to waterproof a bathroom window that was near a shower to prevent future moisture damage.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Fix gaps in laminate floor

Dave Farquhar DIY August 24, 2017August 12, 2017

Sometimes the locking system on laminate floor fails over time. When this happens, the piece slides around, leaving a big, unslightly gap in the floor. Tearing the floor up and replacing the worn-out pieces takes a lot of time and runs the risk of creating more damage. When this happens, here’s how to easily fix gaps in laminate floor.

You will want to fix these gaps sooner, rather than later. Gaps in laminate floor increase the risk of gouging the individual pieces.

Dave Farquhar

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Cheap kitchen backsplash ideas

Dave Farquhar DIY August 22, 2017March 13, 2021caulk, home improvement, kitchens

If you need cheap kitchen backsplash ideas, I have one idea that’s cheaper than any of the others I’ve seen: Fiber-Reinforced Plastic, or FRP. With FRP, you can knock out a backsplash with less than $50 worth of materials.

It’s not the best looking material but it’s cheap, easy to work with, and readily available. It will do a good job for you until you can get something better. It’s both cheaper and more durable than many cheap kitchen backsplash ideas I see elsewhere. And since I said ideas, I’ll share one more idea I like a little less, but it’s clever.

Dave Farquhar

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Can Teflon tape be used on gas fittings?

Dave Farquhar DIY August 16, 2017September 1, 2017PFTE, saving money

If you’re hooking up a gas dryer, or stove, or another appliance that uses natural gas, here’s a valid question: Can Teflon tape be used on gas fittings?

The answer is yes, with a big caveat.

Dave Farquhar

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Vacancy switch vs occupancy switch

Dave Farquhar DIY August 4, 2017August 3, 2017kitchens, occupancy sensor

If you’re wondering about a vacancy switch vs occupancy switch, both types of switches have their uses. The basic difference comes down to whether you want the light to turn on when it senses motion and turn itself off after the last time it senses motion, or only turn itself off after the last time it senses motion.

Dave Farquhar

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Vinyl plank flooring on walls

Dave Farquhar DIY July 25, 2017March 13, 2021caulk, kitchens

Someone asked me about using vinyl plank flooring on walls recently. It’s an interesting idea, except for one problem the person brought up: vinyl planks falling off.

The adhesive on vinyl planks works better with gravity helping out. On walls, the gravity is working against it. Here are some tips that will help give you better results with vinyl plank flooring on walls.

Dave Farquhar

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How to fix a lamp cord

Dave Farquhar DIY July 24, 2017March 13, 2021

If your lamp stops working but the bulb is good, or your lamp cord gets damaged, it’s time to replace it. The cord, that is. Not the whole lamp. Here’s how to fix a lamp cord.

Even if you have to take the lamp completely apart, the project should take less than an hour. The easy fixes only take a few minutes.

Dave Farquhar

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Dyson vacuum cleaner repair/rebuild

Dave Farquhar DIY July 18, 2017June 13, 2022

Our Dyson DC-14 pet vacuum started making a terrible loud, high-pitched noise one day. It still worked, mostly, but the noise was obnoxious enough that you wanted hearing protection while using it. And when I investigated further, I found the vacuum brush was not spinning either. I finally got around to fixing it.

A Dyson vacuum cleaner making a loud noise, a high pitched squealing noise, and the vacuum brush not spinning are all symptoms of the same 1-2 problems. The clutch is engaged and possibly damaged. It’s also possible the filters are clogged.

Dave Farquhar

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Prong stuck in an outlet? Here’s the fix.

Dave Farquhar DIY June 26, 2017September 15, 2023

The other day we went to unplug a lamp so we could plug a vacuum cleaner in. But something didn’t quite feel right. When we looked at the plug, we could see why. One of the prongs was missing. When we looked at the outlet, the prong was still there. The prong broke off in the outlet. There’s some bad, or at least time-wasting, advice out there on how to fix a prong stuck in an outlet or socket. Here’s how we fixed it.

Don’t try to work on an outlet without turning off the breaker first. If you’re patient, you can extract the broken prong stuck in an outlet with needle nose pliers and potentially avoid having to replace the whole outlet.

Dave Farquhar

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Cheap closet doors

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording June 21, 2017March 6, 2018baseboard

It’s not uncommon for fixer-upper houses to be missing closet doors, or have irreparable closet doors. I’m not sure why people beat up on their closet doors, but it seems to happen. I do know a legal bedroom has to have a closet with a door. If you need to fix a missing or busted door fast and cheap, here’s just the thing. I’m happy to share what I do when I need cheap closet doors.

Dave Farquhar

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