We just received a notice from Allstate on the Landlord’s Policy we have on our rental townhome. Apparently, Allstate made a mistake on our policy, omitting a Home and Auto Discount we are entitled to receive for having our cars, primary residence, and rental property home insured with them.  Allstate gets two thumbs up being honest in their mistake (I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that some court didn’t order them to do this).  They claimed the mistake was due to an inadvertant processing error.  Having been a programmer in a previous life, I can certainly cut them a break if there’s a few bugs in their system.

But that’s not the subject of this article.  On Page 2 of their notice, Allstate lists the policy coverages and limits of liability on our policy.  Those coverages are:

• Dwelling Protection: $151,900.
• Other Structures Protection: $15,190.
• Personal Property Protection - Reimbursement Provision: $7,595.

When Kim bought the house in 2001, she paid a mere $95,000.  That was quite the deal, even in those days.  The neighborhood hadn’t risen with the housing tide despite neighboring counties’ prices soaring at 20+ percent.  In 2003, when we converted the home to a rental, $151,900 seemed pretty reasonable.  Similar houses were selling in the $135k-$145k range, so this gave us some breathing room in case a fire destroyed the entire house.  (Remember, insurance only has to cover the house, not the land, which is included in comparable resale prices).

Spring forward to 2006.  By the time December rolled around, houses were selling in the $195k-$200k range.  We didn’t even think about the insurance implications.  Spring forward once more to 2008.  While a housing depression plagues much of the U.S., the neighborhoods surrounding ours, mostly propped up by federal government jobs, haven’t waned nearly has much as the rest of the country.  In fact, the house immediately next to ours is listed today for $220,000.  We doubt they’ll get that price, but $210,000 is very possible in this neighborhood.

Of course, property values aren’t the only thing that has skyrocketed in the last 5 years.  Building costs have risen too.  Our $151,900 insurance policy that was sufficiently cushioned in 2003 is now woefully inadequate.  Fortunately, we already planned to switch to another insurance company because of Allstate’s rediculous Tropical Cyclone Deductible; so we’ll get this corrected when we make the move, which is now more urgent than ever.

What do you think?  Have you updated your policy coverage limits in the last few years?  Has your insurance company raised your rates despite no increase in coverage?

I’m slowly but surely making progress on the new floor. It’s looking really good and I’m excited to see it come together. Soon I’ll be starting the baseboard and quarter-round. I took a slight detour from the floor to get our half bathroom back in “usable” condition. Not having it available was becoming a real problem.

After installing the new floor, the drainpipe flange was about a ¼” lower than the floor. One side of the flange had been broken and the P.O. had used a metal repair slot to fix it.

Tools and Materials to Install the Toilet

• Adjustable wrench
• Grinder or hack saw
• Putty knife
• Caulk & caulk gun
• Extended “No-Seep” wax bowl ring
• Hold down bolts, nuts, plastic “keepers” and washers

How to Install a Toilet over Hardwood Floor

1. Scrape away the old wax ring with the putty knife. The old wax ring will be disgusting. And so will your putty knife when you’re done. If you’re reinstalling an old toilet, check the underside for any wax ring and remove it.

2. Remove the old bolts. They are too short to reuse and many wax ring kits include new bolts. One of my bolts was wedged between the floor and the metal repair slot. I used my trusty grinder to cut the bolt and get it out of the way. Check out my review for information about my grinder.

3. Place the new bolts on opposite sides standing straight up. These will act as guides when you lower the toilet over them. Use the plastic “keepers” to hold the bolts in place.

4. Secure the new extended wax ring. I’ve seen the ring placed on the bottom of the toilet (over the horn) or placed over the toilet flange. Placing it under the toilet is best. That way it is positioned correctly. Remove any packaging and firmly press the new ring to the toilet. Make sure the black, gasket points away from the toilet (and ultimately down the drain).

5. Set your toilet over the flange using the bolts to ensure everything aligns. Gently, press the toilet down to make a tight seal.

6. Put a bolt cover bottom and washer on each bolt and hand tighten both hold-down nuts. Next, use a wrench to tighten them further but be careful not to crack the porcelain base.

7. I used my trusty grinder to cut the bolts and snapped on the bolt covers. You can also use a hack saw.

8. Use some white, silicon caulk where the toilet base meets the floor. This will increase stability. (edited 8/19/2008) This step is somewhat controversial. Some argue that caulking the base means you’ll never know when the toilet is leaking. A good compromise is to caulk the base leaving a gap on the back. Check local code to be sure what is appropriate for you area.

9. Connect the water supply. I use plumbers tape to make sure everything is tight.

The Toilet Flange is ½” - ¾” Lower than the Floor

I was fortunate that my toilet flange was relatively close to the new floor height. For ½” - ¾” differences, use two “No-Seep” wax rings stacked together. I’ve only heard / read about this method, but never actually used it. For larger differences, it’s probably time to call a plumber. The plumber will be able to move the drain to wherever you need.

What do you think? Ever stack two wax rings?

Check out our first One Project Closer video!  We decided on this topic for our first video because I couldn’t find good information on this when we were considering a self leveling underlayment for our basement.  The reality is that getting the right consistency from an SLU is pretty easy if you follow the instructions with the product you select.

We hope the video is helpful to folks thinking about using an self leveling product in their projects.  If you like the video, consider visiting it on YouTube and rating it. 

For those reading via RSS and e-mail, you may need to visit the page to see the video.

Tools Required for Mixing Self Leveling Underlayment

The most important part of getting the right consistency in the SLU is having a good mixing paddle and a reasonably powerful electric drill.  We do not recommend using a battery powered drill/driver unless you have a newer lithium ion system.  Even in this case, if you’re pouring a large area and will be mixing one batch immediately after another, you should consider an electric model.

The 24″ mixing paddle shown in the video can be found at Home Depot in the drywall section (labeled as a drywall compound mixing paddle).  Amazon sells Roberts #61210 Univ Heavy Duty Mixing Paddle, an 18″ alternative that will work fine for this application as well.  You should not use light duty paint mixing blades or they will gum-up during mixing.  With SLU running as high as $30/bag, its not worth risking.

If you don’t own an electric drill and don’t have access to borrow one,  this is a good opportunity to pick up one for all your future projects.  Electric drills are essential in applications that require repeated, high-intensity drilling, like drilling through studs to run Romex wires throughout a room.  At OPC, we’re a big fan of Dewalt tools.  Amazon also sells a DEWALT DW235G Heavy-Duty 7.8 Amp 1/2-Inch Drill for a decent price with free shipping.

What do you think?  Let us know how we can improve for videos on the future… and whether this topic helped you with your project.

Thanks to Victor L., Josh V., and Brian S. for helping with the mixing, pouring, and videography.

This week’s Before and After is a fantastic bathroom transformation sent in by Jon at Tales from the Eye.  Jon, wife, family friends, and a few contractors worked together to transform their 1964 Ranch-style home’s bathroom to a more modern look. 

Renovating a bathroom is a great way to add value to your house, particularly if you DIY or serve as your own general contractor.  Jon’s bathroom upgrade will certainly add value to their home, and make it a little easier on the eyes while they live there.

As a result of Jon’s entry into our contest, One Project Closer will make a $25.00 donation to Habitat for Humanity in his honor.  Jon’s also entered into our contest for a $50.00 gift card to the home improvement store of his choice! 

Read below Jon’s post for this week’s Habitat Quick Fact, and for a link where you can match our financial donation.  Without further ado…

Rancher Bathroom Remodel by Jon

We started the demo in March. So the elapsed time was five months. But the time we put in was significantly less. I took a very long break after the demo in order to plan out everything and research options on what I could do myself versus contracting somebody to do it.
 
Demo of the fixtures took two of us half a day. We only needed a wrench, a Stanley FatMax Fubar, and a sledge hammer. (My buddy Kim is in one of the BEFORE pictures, undoing the pipes in the vanity.)
 
Demo of the tile (walls and floor) took two of us two whole days. We used a rented demo hammer, the FatMax Fubar, a shovel, wheelbarrow, broom, and dust pan. It took one day just to do the walls, and another day to cleanup the mess and jack up the floor.  This was probably the most exhausting part and I’m going to hire somebody to do it on the next bathroom.
 
Replacing all the pipes took a professional about six hours. This part of the project took a while because the first guy quoted me $1700 to do the work. I was pretty furious about that because I know the high price came from the fact that my wife was here and he gave her the quote. So I keep searching until I found a more reasonable offer (a quarter of the first price!) I don’t know what tools he used, but it was definitely something for a professional. When he removed the old tub drainpipe, it crumbled in his hands. I was very happy with my decision to sub out this phase, as well as happy with the work, the quick performance, and the low price. The key here was to keep shopping around until I found the right contractor.
 
Two days for two people (my father and I) to do the electrical. I re-routed the previous vanity lights. Installed a new GFI outlet to the right of the future vanity. Put in a new quiet fan/light combo in a new location. Patched up the old vent hole. And added all new switches. Aside from material costs, I only paid in sweat, most of it while in the attic mounting the new vent.
 
Putting up the walls too two guys three days. I sub’ed this out, too. It would have taken me three weekends to do what they did in three days. They insulated the walls, hung the greenboard, hung the concrete backer-board around the shower/tub, taped, mudded and sanded everything. $450 for their labor. Considering that was $150/day for two guys, I think it was a good deal. And they freed me up to do other things.
 
Tiling the floor took me and a buddy half a day. I really lucked out because the guy works with me, and he owns a tile saw. So I didn’t have to pay anything other than material costs. Grouting the floor took another half day. And sealing the floor took 15 minutes.
 
Tiling the walls was much harder. The wall opposite the showerhead is not perfectly square. And the tub along that wall is not absolutely level. I got a friend of a friend to help. She charged me $75 for about 6hours of work. Half of that time was spent on the woonky wall. It was especially difficult for me because I’m used to measuring everything multiple times and working off measurements. But if we went by the measurements, the lines on the tile LOOKED crooked. So we had to eyeball every tile several times and make sure it LOOKED perfectly straight. All in all, tiling the wall took three days of manpower. The girl and I worked one night for 6+ hours. And I wrapped up by myself another night.  Grouting the walls took me two nights, four hours per night. Sealing the wall tiles took fifteen minutes. For extra caution, I used a clear silicone epoxy around the bottom tiles. Another 30 minutes there.
 
I used tile as a baseboard-like trim and also around the outside edges of the wall tiles. A day of work to cut and paste them. A couple of hours the next day to grout them. And 15 minutes to seal them.
 
Putting in the new fixtures took a professional (same guy that swapped out the pipes and installed the tub) about four hours. His price was included above. Again, great work done very quickly. Extremely happy with him. Oh! It would have been quicker, but I had tiled too closely to the shower handle. The plumber had to whip out a power grinder with a diamond-edge wheel and cut out the extra. My fault, though. I didn’t read the instructions!
 
I spent two days getting crown molding up, then spakling everything and grouting everything else.
 
My wife had the whole room primed in one day and painted the next.
 
Then I went to mount the medicine cabinet and discovered I’d put the GFI outlet too high. Waaaay too high. I had to cut the nice, clean dry wall, and remount the outlet eight inches lower. Then I proceeded to completely screw up the taping and muding of the cuts in the drywall. I did a horrible job and burned up two days to get it barely acceptable and painted. Next time, I’ll pay somebody to do it nicer and faster.
 
Today I mounted the cabinet and discovered it was incredibly heavy. I actually had to use four drywall anchors and some Gorilla Glue to keep it solidly against the wall. Close to half a days work just on this one thing!

Except for some touchup paint and accessorizing, it is all done! At last.
 
I hope the pictures express the time and efforts we put into it.

Before Pictures

After Pictures

Thanks from OPC

Jon, your bathroom remodel is fantastic!  The pictures definitely show the improvement over the 1960s space you used to live with.  Congrats…

Habitat Quick Fact

From Habitat’s web site:

What does a Habitat house cost?
Throughout the world, the cost of houses varies from as little as $800 in some developing countries to an average of nearly $60,000 in the United States.

Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price. Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years.

If you’re inspired by this post, consider matching our donation to Habitat for Humanity.  If you do, let us know, so we can honor you in a future post.

Installing framing members on a slab requires use of a pressure treated bottom board to avoid wood rot.  Concrete slabs will wick moisture between the underlying dirt base and the wood members sitting on top of the slab.  If untreated wood is used for the bottom board, the high moisture level will promote rapid decay.

The obvious way to incorporate a pressure treated base board is to use one in lieu of a regular untreated board for the bottom member of the wall.  This method is the least expensive because you only need to swap out the untreated bottom board for a pressure treated board, and build the wall just as you would using all regular studs.

An alternative to this method is to fasten a pressure treated board on the slab first using a powder actuated nailer, then build the walls using all untreated members and sit them on top of the pressure treated board.   This method has several advantages and a few disadvantages.  Overall, if offers a good solution for DIYers because, even though it costs a little more time and money, it simplifies the installation.  A picture of a section of wall built in this manner is shown in the upper right of this article.

Advantages of a Separate Pressure Treated Bottom Board

1. Easier Visualization. Fastening the pressure treated boards around the room first will allow you to better visualize the final room before you’ve built out the walls.  If you decide to change anything about the room at this point, it is relatively simple to remove the bottom board and you haven’t wasted much wood.
2. Easier Baseboard Installation. A separate pressure treated bottom board increases the nailing surface for baseboard installation.  This is particularly helpful if you plan to install a floor with significant depth (like a radiant heated floor with a stone tile, which could be as tall a 1-1/4″.
3. Walls are easier to move around the room before installation. Since the wall can be 1-1/2″ shorter than the height of the room, walls are easier to “scooch” around the room to their final location without worrying about hitting the ceiling.  This is particularly valuable in rooms where the distance between the floor and ceiling varies by more than 1/4″ or so.  This is also helpful if you don’t want to move your wall building station around the floor.
4. Ease of Installation. It is easier to fasten the individual pressure treated boards using a powder actuated nailer than to do the same with an entire wall.  If you misfire one of the nails using the powder nailer, or split the board, you need not worry about rebuilding the wall.

Disadvantges of a Separate Pressure Treated Bottom Board

1. Increased Cost. The cost of the job is increased by the total cost of the additional untreated bottom board required for the walls.  Lumber yeards are getting about $0.22 per linear foot at the time of this writing.  This means an additional $22.00 / 100 feet of wall.
2. Increased Installation Time. Fastening the pressure treated board first requires additional time because you must address each portion of the wall twice.  There is some time savings that offsets this increased time, particularly if mistakes are avoided using the two-board method.

Tools Required to Fasten the Board

Fastening the pressure treated bottom board to the slab is simple.  For the DIYer, a hammer drive powder actuated tool is your best bet.  The Ramset Hammer Drive Tool is Available on Amazon at a decent price, as are the charges and nails you’ll need for this job.

You should buy approximately 1 nail and charge for every 2.5 feet of length of wall for the average room.  (e.g. if you have 250 linear feet of wall, you should get 100 nails).  You may also want to have 10-20 charges and nails spare in case of misfires/splits.  Note that the charges required for the job vary by the type of surface your nailing into.  The powder charges below are appropriate for driving through pressure treated wood and a cement slab.

• Ramset .22 Caliber Hammer Drive Tool
• Box of 100 Ramset 1516E ACQ Treated Nails (2.5″)
• Box of 100 Desa Powder Charges (#4s)

A Good Book on All Things Basement

Finally, if you’re looking for a great basement finishing book that provides more information on this topic and many more in great detail, check out Stanley’s Complete Basement Finishing Book.

We’re a big fan of Stanley books for their ease of use, clarity, and their step-by-step approach to projects.  (It was just a cooincidence that the cover of the book shows this very topic using the single-board approach).

• Stanley’s Complete Basements

What do you think? Have you ever used this technique to frame on a slab?  Leave a comment below and let us know if this helped!

Taking care of basic maintenance on your car can really save money. Recently, my brake pads starting squealing so I took my car to Midas for an estimate. That was my first mistake. Midas will charge $25.00 for the inspection unless you have the work done. Other places won’t charge for the inspection at all. Midas wanted to change the brake pads, rotors, brake shoes and drums for a whopping $930 give or take some change.

I took my car to a family member and we did the job in an hour for the low, low cost of $133 (materials only). Plus we found that Midas wanted to do more work than was actually necessary. We changed the pads, rotors, and a little brake fluid piston. The shoes and drums were still within specification. These are the steps we followed to change the brake pads.

Changing Brake Pads (98 Saturn SL1 example)

I have a 98 Saturn SL1 and changing the brake pads was straight forward. Other models may be slightly different but the basic principals stay the same. Don’t try this unless you’re up for the challenge. It’s very important that your car stops when you apply the brakes.

Tools and Materials Needed

You’ll need a few tools but nothing out of the ordinary. Most of these items are available on Amazon. Here’s what you need:

• Car jack - Lots of cars come with a basic jack.
• Jack stands - Place these under your car once it’s high enough.
• Tire iron - To remove the lug nuts. This can also be the appropriate sized socket. Some vehicles require a key to remove the wheels.
• Caliper piston compressor - This tool will push the brake piston back before you replace it over the new pads. You can also use a C - clamp and the old brake pad.



• New brake pads - Pick them up at a local automotive shop. They can help you find the appropriate pads.
• Brake Grease - For greasing caliper bolts. You can also apply grease to the pads.

Changing Brake Pads

Step 1: The brake pads are located on the front two wheels. Park your car and set the parking brake. This will keep it from moving while you’re working. Position your jack on a flat part of the axle. Pump up your car enough to place the jack stands.

Step 2: Take off any hub cap / wheel cover. Remove the wheel by taking out all the lug nuts. Keep these someplace safe. You don’t want to loose any of them.

Step 3: Next, remove the brake caliper. There will be two bolts on the far side holding it in place. If your using pneumatic tools take care the caliper doesn’t fly up. Loosen both bolts and then remove them. This should expose the brake pads.

Step 4: My brake pads didn’t have any bolts holding them in place. Note any specific orientation and make sure the new pads go in the same way. Some people will grease the back of the new pads (not in between the pad and rotor) to prevent squeaking.

Step 5: Now it’s time to push the caliper piston back so it will fit over the new pads. Use the old pad to protect the piston and the caliper piston rewind or a large c-clamp to push the piston back. Make sure not to pinch the boot (rubber covering around piston).

Step 6: Fit the caliper back over the brake pads. Thoroughly grease the two bolts and replace them.

Step 7: Replace the wheel and tighten the lug nuts. Be sure to tighten them equally to prevent uneven ware (which can ultimately damage your car). Don’t forget the wheel cover.

Step 8: Repeat for the other front wheel.

Step 9: Get in the car and pump the brakes! This step will tighten the brake piston. Don’t forget. Otherwise, your brakes won’t do anything the first couple times you try them.

__

What do you think? Ever change your brake pads? Any tips to pass along?

If you did your homework before accepting a tenant, chances are late rent payments will be few and far between for you.  If you rent long enough, though, some renter will eventually be late on a payment.  Even the best tenants aren’t perfect all the time.  This article is a compilation of a few thoughts on late rent payments, what fees you should charge, and how to make the most of late fees when they’re appropriate. 

If you decide not to read all the points, there’s only one key take away to get from the article: renting a property for the long term is about a relationship between the landlord and tenant.  Jumping on opportunities to charge your tenants late fees might not be the best strategy.  Sometimes, a grace period beyond the “standard grace period” written into most contracts is a good strategy to show your tenants you appreciate their otherwise steady payment history.  So, here’s the thoughts, in no particular order.  Feel free to weigh in with your own!

Don’t Jump at the Opportunity to Charge a Late Rent Fee

All of us have forgetten to pay a bill.  Every adult I know has forgotten to make a payment on something, sometime.  It might be utilities, credit cards, a mortgage, cable, telephone, a friend, etc.  Until recently, people had to write checks for each bill.  Nowadays, we have online bill pay, automatic drafting from checking accounts, credit card payments, etc.  All of these mechanisms are there to help us pay the myriad of bills we face.  Why? Because it’s easy to miss a payment, even for the most responsible among us.

If your tenant has been renting from you for some time with no late payments (we think 6 months with no late payments is a good rule of thumb), you should cut them a break for being late.  The day after their payment is late, give them a call on the phone and remind them (gently).  Tell them you’re happy to waive the late fee if they bring the payment over in the next 2 days.  People like to know that they’re doing business with reasonable people. Its reasonable for someone to make an error every once in a while and need a reminder, even though they are otherwise very responsible. Good tenants will recognize the gesture, and they’re more likely not to hound you every 6 hours if their air conditioning goes out

When to Charge Late Fees

There are times when late fees are appropriate.  Late fees should be imposed when tenants are chronically late on payments (more than twice in a 4-6 month period) or when tenants are very late on payments (more than 7 days after the grace period ends).  The extra motivation that a fee provides may be just the thing that makes your tenant more responsible.

That said, if you’re in a situation that merits charging tenants late fees, you’ve probably got a bigger problem.  People who pay their bills late on a regular basis do so because bigger issues are present in their lives:

1. They may not have the money in their budget to make rent payments.  Perhaps they stretched to make the first few payments and are now struggling to make ends meet, or there was a change in employment status.  If not repaired, this problem will escalate quickly into an eviction situation.
2. They may be irresponsible with their money, and possibly in other areas of life as well.  For instance, they may be more likely to damage your property, which could cost thousands more than mere late payments.

How to Charge Late Fees

If you decide to impose a late fee on your tenants, you should notify them in writing of the delinquency of their account/payment and the need to charge them a late fee.   The late fee must be consistent with the terms you agreed to in the original lease agreement (see below).

You should send the notice via registered mail and retain a copy of the letter you sent for your own records.  If you find yourself in an eviction situation down the road, a paper trail will be essential to ensure you don’t end up on the wrong side of the law.

One last thing on this point: the letter you send should be based only on fact, not opinion.  There is no need to accuse the tenant of anything more or less than being late on their rent.  If the issue ever goes to court, you want to have clean, appropriate documentation to support your case.

Potential Late Fees Must be Written into the Lease Agreement

You must clearly lay out potential late fees to your tenants in their lease agreement.  Your jurisdiction may allow you to charge a late fee or interest even if you don’t have this clause, but it will dramatically simplify your situation if you do. 

Make the terms under which a late fee can be charged, and the amount of the late fees very clear in the lease agreement.  This lease agreement includes some example language.

Late Fees May Be Limited by State, County, or Local Law

Many jurisdictions have limits on the amount of late fees you can charge.  Some districts limit the fees by a percentage of the amount due, others limit it to a flat fee like $50.00 for late payment.  For instance, Maryland limits late rental charges to 5% of the amount due. 

Jurisidictions will also limit the amount of interest you can charge in addition to any late fees that are levied.  In general, these limits are lower than limits imposed on credit cards, so you should check with your county/state Government to determine the actual limits on late fees.

The Bottom Line

Charge late fees only when they make sense for the situation.  Write the terms of late fees into the rental agreement, and always communicate adverse information clearly, concisely, and in writing with your tenants.  Best of luck to all the independent landlords out there!

What do you think?  What’s your late fee strategy?  Have you dealt with chronically late renters?  What strategy do you use for your own properties?

Photo courtesy of PacDog.

My parents bought me a Ryobi Angle Grinder last April for my birthday (thanks parents!). It’s a handy tool that I’ve been using a lot.

About the Ryobi Angle Grinder (model# AG452K)

The Ryobi Angle Grinder has a 5.5 amp / 11,000 rpm motor. It takes 4 1/2″ wheels and weighs a light 5 lbs. It has a 5/8″ x 11 UNC arbor size. This grinder came with a tool case, side handle, changing wrench and three different wheels (grinding, sanding, wire brush). This model is wired with 10′ of cord to work with.

Amazon sells this grinder new. Or pick up the factory reconditioned grinder for $35.99 (cheaper than Big Orange). It includes a 1 year warranty with full replacement.

Ryobi Grinder Pros

• The “GripZone” handle is comfortable and can rotate 90° left or right (180° total). This gives you a comfortable grip no matter what position you’re in.
• You can also change the location of the side handle. Place it on the left, right or top of the grinder. Left handed user will really appreciate being able to put the side handle on the right side.
• Die cast aluminum protects the gear housing. I’m not always careful with my tools and solid materials will keep my grinder running longer.
• The spindle lock button makes for easy wheel exchanges. There’s a bright yellow button that you press to lock the wheel in place.
• The wheel guard is adjustable too. And you don’t need any tools to rotate it. This makes those tough, awkward cuts a lot easier.
• Once engaged, you can lock-on the grinder with the press of a button.

Ryobi Grinder Cons

• The changing wrench doesn’t stay in place. Ryobi houses the changing wrench in the side handle. It’s a good spot and will keep the wrench close at hand. The problem is that it slips out easily. I usually toss the wrench into the case.

Included Accessories and Uses

• Grinding Wheel - I’ve gotten a lot of use from my grinding wheel. The first job was sharpening my mower blade. I’ve also used it to cut screws and bolts.
• Sanding Disc - Use the sanding disks on metal or wood. I used mine to level my sub-floor. Two pieces of plywood didn’t line up. About 30 seconds with my grinder and everything was flush. Plus you don’t need a sanding pad backer.
• Wire Brush Wheel - This wheel is great for removing paint or rust. Haven’t used mine yet but I’m sure I can find something.

What do you think? Was this a helpful review?