General Information:

Plumbing: The supply lines and waste pipes run through walls and under floors in a house. Plumbing fixtures are fairly standard in every house. The supply lines carry fresh water to all of the fixtures, from sink, to shower, to bathtub, to washing machine and garden-hose. What makes it move is the water pressure, which gravity produces. Waste from the system is also drained off by gravity.

Electricity: Power lines bring electricity into the house through the line in the walls. The lines are secured to the walls by insulators. You will notice that lines connected to the house sag and droop. This is to keep rain from dripping and running into the house, it drips off the lines instead. The lines run through a metal pipe to a meter that measures how much power us used within the home. The meter lines are connected to the house's circuits and each one is protected by its own fuse or circuit breaker.

Applying Plasterboard (sheetrock): Drywall, gypsum, sheetrock are forms of plaster board. This material can be applied to the studs either parallel or perpendicular. Attaching them to a ceiling requires at least one helper and a T- shaped brace (can be made of scrap wood) to help hold the sheetrock against the ceiling until it can be nailed.

Wallpapering: This material varies in designs and is hung from top (ceiling) to bottom (floor). The cut strips should be four inched longer than the wall. Pre-pasted wallpaper is placed in water for a few minutes then applied to a wall matching patterns (if there is one) and with the pattern side out. A sponge, brush and small roller is used to wipe away excess water, brush out air bubbles, and roll edges to ensure adherence.

Sheet vinyl: This (linoleum) will bond to almost any surface with an adhesive. Floors must be clean and the adhesive applied to which will cause the vinyl to "stick" to the floor surface.

Carpeting: Carpeting is secured to the perimeter of a room with thin strips of wood with sharp tacks sticking through it. The floor is covered with a padding over which the carpet is pulled tightly over the "pins.

 

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