| Hose Reel |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-302 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Q: I've destroyed two garden hoses with the lawnmower. How can I keep them out of the way, but still easy to get to? A: (from Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home Repair Expert) A garden hose laying in the yard is more than an inconvenience - it's also a safety hazard! Fortunately, the problem is easy to solve with a simple item called a hose reel. These cost about $15 to $20 in garden supply stores and home improvement centers and are sold with or without hoses. Materials: Hose reel
Hammer drill (rented from a rental supply shop or purchased)
Masonry drill bit with carbide tip
Masonry screws or lag screws
Nut driver attachment for drill
Pencil
Level
Colored tape - The first thing you'll need to do is decide which wall will provide the best place to hang the hose reel. Then look at the wall to find the best area to mount the base. In this example, the wall is finished with vinyl siding, so the hose reel will need to be hung just below the bottom edge of the siding, on the cinderblock foundation (figure A).
- To install the base on cinderblock (or any type of foundation that has mortar joints), first find the horizontal mortar joint that's closest to the point where you want to secure the top of the hose reel.
- Then hold the hose reel in place, insert the point of a pencil through one of the two small openings in the hose reel's base and make a small mark. (These two openings will be placed over the secured screws to hang the hose reel.) Check to make sure your mark is entirely on the mortar joint.
- Now it's time to drill the first hole. Make sure you're using either masonry screws (specifically designed for use on mortar) or lead anchors with lag screws (figure B). Lag screws are designed for mortar joints that won't accommodate basic masonry screws.
- Using a masonry drill bit (figure C) that has the right size diameter for the screws you're securing, drill a hole on the pre-marked point. Staggs suggests using a hammer drill (a drill equipped with hammering action) with a carbide tip for easiest installation.
- He also recommends placing a small tape "flag" on the drill bit to mark the point where the drill bit should stop (the same length as the screws). Once the drill bit reaches that point in the wall (figure D), remove the bit from the hole.
- To anchor the screw into the new hole, remove the carbide-tip masonry bit and fit the drill with a nut driver (figure E). The hammer drill should be set to high torque (not high speed) since over-torquing can cause the screw to pull mortar out of the hole.
- Slowly and carefully drive the masonry screw into the hole, leaving about 1/4" extending out from the wall. This will provide enough length on which to hang the opening of the hose reel base (figure F).
- After placing the base opening over the extended screw, pull the opposite side of the hose reel up to make it roughly level. Then use small level along the unsecured side to check the exact placement (figure G).
- Once you've determined the exact position of the reel, mark the second point through the unsecured opening at the top and repeat steps 4-8.
- Finally, drive two additional screws into the two openings at the bottom of the hose reel base and tighten down all four masonry screws. Then you're ready to attach the hose lead to your spigot and start watering the garden!
RESOURCES :
ITT Technical Institute
Special thanks to the ITT Technical Institute for providing the personnel for the Ask DIY Web site video.
ITT Technical Institute
Website: www.itt-tech.edu/
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
