Although toasters all work on the same basic principle, they don’t conform to a specific design; use these repair procedures as guidelines, not absolute standards. If the parts of the toaster are held together with screws or plugs (friction-fit), you’ll probably be able to make the repair. If the parts are held together with rivets or welds-and many toasters are-take the toaster to a professional repairman; don’t try to fix it yourself. If the toaster needs extensive repairs, replacing it may be your best bet.

Replace worn or damaged parts with new parts made specifically for the toaster. Buy the parts from an appliance repair dealer or an appliance parts store, or order them directly from the manufacturer.

Caution : Before starting to work, make sure the toaster is unplugged. Clean the toaster frequently with the blower of a vacuum cleaner or a small artists’ brush. Crumbs and other food debris can cause the toaster to malfunction, and removing this debris sometimes eliminates the malfunction.

If the cleaning doesn’t solve the problem, take the toaster apart. Remove the screws on the bottom of the toaster housing to expose the components. If the toaster doesn’t have a one-piece housing, remove the side panels by slipping the panels up and off the toaster frame. The lever controls are usually friction-fit; pull them off with pliers.

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The next chapter of this post goes to: How to Repair Your Toaster

Tools: measuring rule, hammer, nail set, screwdriver, putty knife, vacuum cleaner, work gloves, tack hammer, ¼ -inch-thick piece of scrap wood, small handsaw, heavy scissors, staple gun, paintbrush or fine-toothed notched trowel, utility knife with sharp heavy-duty blades; knee kicker, available on rental from most carpet dealers; block of scrap wood, plane.

Materials: graph paper, flooring nails, wood putty, tack-less carpet fastening strips, metal door edging strip for each doorway in room, latex or vinyl foam carpet padding, foam padding adhesive, heavy-duty staples, precut and preseamed carpeting. Time: 1 to 2 days, depending on preparation necessary.

Probably the most difficult part of installing carpeting is calculating exactly what to buy and how to place it. Car¬peting is sold in 9-foot, 12-foot, and 15-foot widths; padding is sold in standard 4 ½ -foot rolls. Before you buy, measure the room to be carpeted and draw a floor plan on graph paper make sure your measurements are exact. Mark the exact position and width of all doors, windows, fireplaces, radiators, and other wall interruptions, and include the full depth of door frames. Take this floor plan with you to the carpet dealer.

Plan the layout of the carpeting and the padding carefully with the dealer to take advantage of the full width of the carpeting and to minimize seaming in heavy-traffic areas. Calculate the square yardage to be carpeted-length times width, divided by 9-and take the dealer’s advice on the lengths of carpeting and padding you’ll need.

It is possible to cut and seam the carpeting yourself, but this can be tricky. In a small room, no wider than the carpet roll, you won’t have to make seams; otherwise, have the carpet dealer cut and seam the carpeting to fit the room.
The dealer should also determine the amount and type of tackless strip fastener you need. The fastener comes in 4-foot strips.

The type depends on the thickness of your carpet and the floor you’re covering; the strips have preset edge tacks and preset nails for installation over wood or concrete. Be sure to buy the right kind, and buy a strip or two extra to allow for mistakes. Have metal door edging strips cut to the exact measure of your doors.

Finally, rent a knee kicker from the carpet dealer. The kicker is used to stretch the edges of the carpet onto the fastening strips.

to be continue to: Install carpeting

Buy a sheet of plastic laminate big enough to cover the countertop completely, with a slight overhang on all sides; buy precut laminate edge strips to finish the sides of the countertop. Choose a nonflammable, water-solvent contact cement, or use the adhesive recommended by the laminate manufacturer. Rent a router with an edge trimming bit for plastic laminates; if you don’t have one, rent a saber or circular saw with a fine-toothed carbide-tipped blade. At least 48 hours ahead of time, set the palstic laminate in the room where it will be used to bring it to the correct temperature and humidity.

Prepare the counter surface carefully. Sink any protruding nails with a hammer and a nail set; fill cracks and cover nailheads with plastic wood or wood putty. Sand the surface with a belt sander and a medium-grit sanding belt to smooth and level it thoroughly. If yo’re covering an old countertop, remove the old finish completely; sand down to clean, bare wood to provide a good base for the laminate. Wipe off all dust and sanding debris and then go over the entire counter surface with a tack cloth.