Patching a carpet
This technique will improve the appearance of a damaged carpet. However, best results are achieved when the patch is quite small as large patches can easily work loose. Perfect results are extremely difficult to achieve.
First place the replacement piece over the area to be patched in order to match the direction of the pattern and the weave. Check the weave by brushing the carpet with your hand to find the smoothest direction.
Hold the patch in place over the area to be replaced, then carefully cut both the patch and the carpet at the same time, this ensures both the patch and the hole are precisely the same size. Do not cut through any underlay.
If your carpet has a woven backing, pull back the carpet and carefully brush latex glue around the edges of the hole backing.
Then using double sided tape around the perimeter of the hole, push the patch into place.
If your carpet is foam backed, simply hold the patch in place with 50mm carpet tape fixed to the back of the carpet.
Finally, gently tap around the join with a light hammer to ensure the patch is fully pushed into the hole.
Changing a tap washer
First cut off the water supply to the tap. Once you have drained all of the water, put the plug in the sink, to stop any small items falling down the plughole. There are two basic types of tap, traditional Capstan-head taps with a cross handle and Shrouded-head taps with a moulded handwheel handle.
Next, remove the tap head cover, this can be done in a variety of ways depending on the make of tap. Check for any screw heads located on the handle or you may need to prise off the top plate with a screwdriver. Some tap heads do not have fixing screws and are removed by turning the tap head.
If the head cover of a capstan tap is difficult to remove, loosen the cover using an adjustable spanner. Remember to wrap protective material around either the tap head or the jaws of the spanner to avoid damaging the tap.
Then remove the headgear nut using the correct sized spanner or adjustable spanner, usually turning the nut anti-clockwise. Use lubricating oil if the nut is too tight. The washer will now be visible, it will either be on the jumper valve seating (the base of the tap on the sink) or it will be part of the headgear nut, which you have just removed. Replace the old washer and reassemble the tap. Do not forget to turn the tap off before you turn the water back on.
