Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [plastic]

166 questions
10
votes
7 answers

How can I remove melted plastic from a dryer compartment?

I have a new dryer. Someone placed a mattress cover in the dryer, the mattress cover melted and stuck to the metal plate that hot air must pass through to dry the clothes. The heat did something to the plastic and it is hard. I could chip and…
GBG
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Would wrapping a wood fence post in plastic help protect it?

I'm geting ready to install a couple new wooden privacy fence gates on the sides of our house. One of my co-workers suggested to wrap the 4"x4" with plastic stretch wrap around the 2' part that will set in the concrete. He had heard that the…
TornadoKnight
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How to identify the type of plastic

I'm wondering if there's a practical method of recognizing what kind of plastic a something is made of. This is a recurring issue I face when trying to fix/glue/work-with plastic stuff around the house. More specifically, I was trying to fix the…
maasg
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4 answers

Is leveling this ground and removing plastic by the side of my house a bad idea?

I am transforming the side of my house from an overgrown mess into something practical, and once I cleared out all the mess I could see that there was a channel dug along it and thick black plastic underneath the rocks: Notice the channel running…
me--
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3 answers

Repair cracked plastic

I recently purchased a lawnmower that is in need of a new hood. The replacement cost for the hood is $400 so I am looking at a way to repair the old. As you can see its severely cracked. I am more concerned with structural stability than…
Steve Salowitz
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2 answers

Repair fridge door shelves

Our fridge has two white plastic shelves on the door. Both are cracked in the bottom - one just around the center, and one where almost the entire bottom has cracked along the front. I'm not entirely sure what kind of plastic they are made of -…
Grant
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1 answer

Copper bonding jumper around new whole-house water filter system

My situation is that I have a house built in about 1920. The in-home plumbing is mostly 1/2" copper pipe from the basement water meter to the water taps. I had a large local plumbing company install a new whole-house filter system near the water…
Clifford Chamney
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8 answers

What is a good way to cut hard plastic so it will have a smooth finish?

I want to cut a piece of plastic peg. The peg will be visible (it is on my laptop stand), so want it to have a smooth finish. I could just use a saw, but the finish will not be good. How should I go about it? I am not sure if a file will be enough…
mythealias
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What kind of glue is best for a black plastic kitchen appliance (ABS plastic)?

I have a built in microwave oven with a broken door open button (the hinge plastic was too thin by design). The plastic is somewhat pliable, waxy. There is no chasing arrow showing the plastic type, but it is marked ">ABS<". In the past I've…
Bryce
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What glue to bond metal and plastic in cold weather?

I have a small plastic torch (flashlight) with a magnet on the back. I use it to provide light in a small metal trailer. Recently I pulled the torch off the metal wall, and the magnet came away from the torch. I've fixed this problem before, but…
Ashley
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Why doesn't duct tape work well on cables?

In the past, I've used duct tape on cables (e.g., Power, LAN). For instance, I taped cables to a wall, I taped cables together for storing etc. The taping often failed after some time: The taping surface on the cable became covered with an extremely…
u17
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Install plastic between drywall ceilings and rafters?

We are building a new house and are getting ready to install the drywall on the ceilings. We have installed a 6 mil plastic barrier on the underside of the rafters to act as an air & moisture barrier. The barrier will be sandwiched between the…
BWDesign
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Is it okay to use silicone sealant on plexiglass?

I've installed an air conditioner in a large horizontal sliding window, and I've used plexiglass to block off the space above the unit. I'd now like to seal the edges of the plexiglass pane to prevent air leakage. I've bought a tube of silicone…
dB'
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How can I join PVC pipe in a food safe way?

I want to close a rectangular vertically mounted pipe with a piece of flat PVC plastic. I will use the pipe for growing herbs on the wall outside my house, so it needs to be non-toxic. I was thinking of using glue or cement for that. Does anyone…
Juila
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How to attach plastic (vapor barrier) to the studs?

What's the best way to attach 4 mil plastic (vapor barrier) to the studs? I tried to use regular nails (sinkers 4d 1 - 3/8'') but the plastic sheet goes off the studs (through the head of the nails) any time I pull the plastic sheet a little bit.
kirill_l
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