When we moved into our house, the caulking on the bathtub was in poor condition. I removed the caulk, and recaulked it with non-silicone caulk. It lasted quite a while (about 4 years), but after a while separated some letting water in. The first sign of this came yesterday when I asked my wife why there was water on the island in the kitchen. I suspected water was leaking around the tub surround. I felt the kitchen ceiling, but it didn’t seem wet. I took a shower a little later, and afterward, bee-lined for the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a little bit of water dripping from the ceiling. Aha!
So tonight, I used a putty knife to scrape out the old caulk. I found the tube of caulk that I used before out in the garage. Great, I didn’t need to go to the store. But when I tried to squeeze the caulk out, it was thick, and not caulk-like anymore. I guess I did need to go to the store.
I headed to Home Depot, and scanned the caulks. I found a tube of silicone based tub caulk. I bought it. Actually I bought a couple tubes since they were small. Turns out one tube was more than enough. I cut the tip off, and start to squirt out a bead of caulk around the perimeter of the bathtub. After I made it completely around, I used my thumb to smooth it out. Last time, I used my finger, and removed too much caulk. This time I made an effort to leave more caulk in the tub seam. I guess time will tell. I need to figure out how long to let the silicone caulk cure. It didn’t say on the tube. But there was a URL for a web page where I could get answers. It might say there.
With all my research into how to attach my ledger board to my cement block foundation, it keeps coming back to the threaded rod anchors. That being settled, the hard part is finding the things. Home Depot and Lowes don’t carry them. The carry Red Head anchors, but Red Head doesn’t make the threaded rod anchors. They do make the epoxy for them, but not the anchors themselves.
Hilti makes threaded rod anchors. They have the exact size I need. 1/2″ diameter, and 6 1/2″ long. Galvanized and everything. I filled out a form on their site for a quote, but never heard back. And I can’t find anyone else who sells them.
A guy at Home Depot referred me to their own rental shop, but they didn’t have them. He also mentioned Fastenal and Taylor Rental. I visited Fastenal lastnight after work. They don’t have the threaded rod anchors either. I did however find the Red Head epoxy. The epoxy comes in a dual tube thing that requires a special double tube caulk type gun. The also had a similar product to the Red Head epoxy that was cheaper. The Red Head expoxy required a $200 gun, while the other stuff required a $100 gun. Therer were some single tube epoxys which would save me money on a gun. But the tube contains half as mauch as the double cartridges.
I haven’t checked Taylor Rental yet. Maybe this weekend or this upcoming week.
I will continue looking around online and see if I can find somebody who sells them.
I swapped a bunch of emails with a guy from Red Head, and he suggested the wedge anchors wont work for me. He thought that they were too strongs, and that they might potentially crack the cement blocks. Apparently they are designed for solid concrete. His suggestion was aither the sleeve anchors, or the epoxy anchors. With the sleeve anchors, I would likely need to go to the next diameter up, 5/8′ths inch I think. Or I could go with the 1/2″ adhesive anchors. Red Head apparently doesn’t sell the epoxy anchors, but they do sell the epoxy. There is another company Hilti that makes the epoxy anchors. They also sell the epoxy. So I will have to do more research on where I can get the anchors and the epoxy. Not sure if Home Depot or Lowes sell Red Head epoxy.
Meanwhile, I will need to return the two boxes of wedge anchors that I bought at Home Depot.
I filled out a form on the Hilti website asking for information, but haven’t head back yet.
I have been debating about what kind of anchors to use to attach my ledger board to the cement block foundation of my house. I have been comparing epoxy anchors versus wedge anchors.
The epoxy anchors seem to be much more expensive when figuring in the cost of the epoxy. I was concerned about whether the wedge anchors would be strong enough. Some stuff I have read suggested the wedge anchors aren’t very strong. But reading elsewhere it sadi that once the wedge anchors are properly installed they are nearly impossible to remove.
I found a box of 25 count 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ wedge anchors made by Red Head at Home Depot. The box was about $16, or a box of 10 for about $12. I went with the box of 25. They only had one box. So I am going to have to hit another Home Depot and see if they have any more in stock.
Now I need to wait for my hammer drill to come. I will pull off some more deck planks, and then get started drilling holes.
Now that I have my deck raised back up and levelled, I need to reattach the ledger board to the cement block foundation. I have been researching different types of anchors, but they all require that I drill into the cement blocks. So I am going to need a hammer drill.
I checked Harbor Freight. They had a cordless hammer drill for as cheap as $20. But it was only 3/8″. I am going to need a 1/2″ drill. They had a couple corded 1/2″ hammer drills, one for $50, and another for $63.
Then I checked Lowes. Lowes had a nice DeWalt hammer drill for around $250. Ouch! A lot more than I wanted to spend. But they had cheaper models too. There was a corded DeWalt for around $100. But they had a Black & Decker for about $60.
Out of curiousity I checked eBay. There were a bunch of used hammer drills. I was a bit leery about spending much money on a used power tool. There were a bunch of DeWalt hammer drills that were being sold without batteries. Then I would have to buy a battery. I found one seller selling some corded DeWalt DW511 hammer drill with a $50 buy it now price (and $13 shipping). It’s a pretty basic corded 1/2″ hammer drill. Apparently it is factory refurbished, but I figure a factory refurbished DeWalt hammer drill is going to be better than a Chicago Electric Harbor Freight special. So I bought one.