Now, me and my crew, we're into music. When the boys come over for vodka and cranberry, we chill in my garage and crank stuff like the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Haircut 100 and Erasure. And, guess what? The only neighbors that have a problem with us are the sportos next door. As soon as those big, dumb jocks hear the synthesizer, they start puffing up their chests like roosters in a cock fight.
The few run-ins we've had with the jocks have ended peacefully, that is until the other day. Mr. Knuckle Dragger and his crew decided to play some blacktop football in the cul-de-sac. Freakin? Johnny U let go of a Hail-Mary that his butter-fingered buddy missed. The pigskin promptly bounced into my garage, smashed my CD player and knocked over the CD rack. When I saw that my rare copy of the Boomtown Rats was scratched, home boy had a war on his hands.
My friends and I plotted our revenge later that night. Unable to come up with a fresh idea, we decided to plow his new landscape with my Hummer H2. The boys and I loaded up, backed out of the garage and gassed it right through his azaleas. Next up were the agapanthus and Japanese elm?whamo! Before leaving, I pulled a couple sod-slinging donuts just to add my signature; that's when the H2 clipped the resident garden gnome and we lost a headlight.
We quickly got the Hummer back in the garage to assess the damage. Other than some branches in the undercarriage, red paint on the bumper from Mr. Gnome and the busted headlight the tough H2 fared well. But I knew I was in for a hefty bill to replace that headlight. I was really concerned because my SSI check was still two weeks off and I didn't want to get a fix-it ticket.
My friends turned me onto this really cool online auto accessory shop that offered aftermarket headlights for the Hummer. Not only were they way cheaper than the ones GM sold, they came in all kinds of modern styles. This way, I replaced the light and added a custom touch to my ride. I went for the set of diamond-cut crystal lenses with skulls in the reflectors. That's right?skulls! Now the H in my H2 stands for haunted. And, when jockey boy and his bros are out playing whiffle ball, I give ?em quick flash of the skull beams so they know to watch their backs?and their front yard!
Do your taps look as though they belong in the Ark and perform as though they were? If you're reluctant to go to the cost and trouble of a full-scale change, there is an alternative solution - fit a tap conversion kit.
Many old taps are past their better days; and if they are in kitchens or bathrooms which have been upgraded, they may well now look old fashioned and out of place. Yet the business of replacing them with completely new taps can be daunting simply because it may involve quite complicated plumbing in a confined space.
Tap conversion kits eliminate the plumbing problems. You simply unscrew the head of your old tap and replace its handle and working parts with new ones. It's a simple job which can transform your kitchen sink, hand basin or bath. In the bathroom it means you can co-ordinate the style of all your taps. And because a new mechanical action - the gland - is included with most kits, you will have effectively renewed the life of your tap. The only tool you should need is a spanner.
Practical considerations
You will find that most old taps can be converted - although not all: kit manufac?turers only make provision for the most common types. Obviously, the screw threads of the converter and sizes of the parts must be compatible, and it is not immediately obvious how this can be checked. In the UK, manufac?turers sometimes specify the British Stand?ards Institute code number (normally BS 1010) of taps for which their kits are suitable. The difficulty is finding the BS code number on your tap. It is usually not visible - although a 'Made in Britain' stamp or British Standards Institute kitemark can usually be found in some unobtrusive position.
The rule of thumb is that if your tap is British made and the kit you are using is British too, then it will almost certainly fit. If you are at all uncertain, write a note to the manufacturers of the kit describing your tap and any marks on it including brand names ? they should be able to advise you.
If your taps are suitable, the other main thing to look out for is their size ? whether they are bath or basin taps ? and make sure your kit matches. Normally bath taps are %in while kitchen, laundry and hand basin taps are Hin. In Britain new taps are still mostly reckoned in Imperial sizes and an old tap certainly will be. The new size refers to the diameter of the supply pipe and its connector to the bottom of the tap. So to make certain look under the back of the structure.
If you have old-fashioned mixer taps, it may be possible to fit a tap conversion kit to the separate hot and cold supplies. If in doubt, check with your supplier.
In our next article we will take a look at how to fit these tap conversion kits. Remember people, Measure twice, cut once.
Both David S. Brooks & James Holdinski are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
David S. Brooks has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cars, Brakes and Trucks. It's easy to find custom and other . Yo. David S. Brooks's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
James Holdinski has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, Cars and Home Management. Interior design is James Holdinski's Business, He is an expert in Designing Hotels and is a big advocate of. James Holdinski's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.