Towel, toilet paper racks may require additional backing

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/09/2010 (5567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Q: My towel rack and toilet paper holders don’t stay secure on my gyproc walls because the holes where the holders originally screwed into it have become too big to support any gyproc screws. I have tried to think of everything since they did not put a two-by-four or piece of wood where the toilet paper holder or towel rack could be installed so that the racks and holder have something solid to screw into. With small kids these racks and holders end up pulling the racks off and creating bigger holes in the gyproc.
 Can you please give me any advice?
 
A: You can always tell a best contractor or framing carpenter, by the number of backing materials prepared in the walls to accept wall racks, toilet paper holder and grab bars. My suggestion for you is to open the walls up and screw your backing into place. Replace the drywall using patching tape, fill, then sand and paint. Now you can proceed to install all your hardware items.

Don’t rely on wall plugs or expansion plugs to retain the above hardware that you wish to securely install.
 
Q: We are planning on finishing our basement in our 14 year old home, but the floor has some cracks that have left the floor unleveled in some areas. How should we be dealing with this problem? I would appreciate any advice you may have for our project.

A: Basement concrete floors can be leveled using cement based leveling compounds. One of the most popular is Target’s Bonded Topping Mix. Follow the instructions on the bag. I suggest using a straight edge (a two-by-four, 12 feet long) with a level to determine the amount of leveling required. Once it has cured you can then proceed to seal using a water based sealer such as Aquaseal by Cloverdale Paint.

You didn’t mention what type of flooring that you plan to install but keep in mind when considering a type, I would suggest going with a carpet and underpad. I advise against using laminates on a concrete basement floor. You may also want to consider a Delta-FL system as a vapour barrier system for concrete and slab on grade floors. The membrane is installed with its dimples down to create a 5/16-inch thick air space above the slab, and can be covered with a plywood subfloor and topped off with carpet or flooring systems.
 
Shell Busey can be heard every Saturday morning from 8 to 10:30AM on Winnipeg’s CJOB 680. Go to www.TheHouseSmart.com for more home improvement tips and information.