Toilets, gutters, and siding. Oh My!

Ok, time to DIY, and fix those small pesky things before they become a big problem.
On the list today are toilets, gutters and siding.

Let's start with the toilet.
When we moved in 10 months ago, all three toilets in our house were "running" and wasting water. That was one of the first new-homeowner projects I tackled: fixing toilets... it was then that I knew this was going to be a glamorous job!
The guest bath needed a new seal... no problem.
The master bath needed a new "float valve" since the apparatus that the floaty-ball was attached to wouldn't close all the way. A trip to the hardware store, and a few hours sitting backward on the toilet lid trying to figure out the directions, and I got that one fixed too.
The half bath I "Jimmy-rigged" to work for a little longer but I knew it would eventually need the same fix as the master bath.

Well, 10 months is pretty good for a temporary solution, but it started running again. The float valve in the picture above was actually a cheapo part that I had grabbed, but our water pressure must be pretty high because one of the internal seals was too weak and it didn't work. I had to buy another, better one that ended up working. Just goes to show that you should always buy quality, even when it comes to toilets.


Next up was the gutter.
Since we moved in, there has been an eye-sore by our front door. As you are standing there waiting for us to get Eva to quit barking from the doorbell, you look around and see mildew on part of the siding from a leaky gutter. Ew.

We could see that the previous owner had tried to caulk it on the outside, but you really need to do it on the inside of the gutter. The problem? The gutter extends underneath the adjacent roof slope, so there is no way you can get a caulking gun under there. Crud.
I ended up buying a gutter end-cap, and after a little trimming I created a divider. I proceeded to caulk the heck out of it (with gutter-specific caulk). If this could even work, I was going to make it work!



Of course even through there was only a 10% chance of rain, there was a downpour that night. I was convinced it would ruin the wet caulk, but it ended up holding!
After cleaning off the mildew, the siding really needs some new paint, but it is already looking better.




Speaking of siding...
When we first moved in, the inspector had pointed out the join where the brick facing meets the cedar siding. After 20-some years, the heavier brick had settled more than the siding and created a gap between the two. Even though they were caulked back then, it has since worn away or been pulled apart.

Since we don't want any buggies or moisture getting in there, he suggested re-caulking it. (Can you tell that caulk is my new favorite tool?) So I picked up some siding caulk that can be painted over. Here it is all fixed up (a little messy because of the rough surfaces), but it will dry clear and not be so noticeable.

 

Oh and while I was busy fixing things, Eva was busy destroying more things. Here is her Kong that she has been slowly picking apart. It is even the "industrial strength" black colored one that is supposed to hold up better than the red ones. She grabs the inside edge with her front teeth and picks off little pieces, but at least she drops them and doesn't try to eat them.

And lately she has gotten into the bad habit of jumping the puppy gate while we are at work. Even after we put up a board and a chair, she manages to nose them aside and scramble over.

Then she goes to work on her toys. She is part terrier after all.