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Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. If your pipes are whistling, banging or knocking when you turn the water on or off, there are things you can do to quiet them. Water hammer is a common cause of banging pipes. In plumbing where water pressure is high, shutting off the tap can cause the pressure to back up and jolt the pipe, a little like slamming on the brakes in your car. The jolt can be especially violent when a solenoid-controlled appliance like a washer or dishwasher shuts the tap since the shutoff happens instantaneously. Many homes come already equipped with water hammer arresters, which are small air chambers attached above the water line to absorb the pressure of the water as it s shut off. Spiral-shaped water hammer arresters were also used years ago and you may still find them in older homes. Plumbing that s not properly anchored to the framing can rub or bang on whatever is nearby and cause a racket. All this banging and jolting can strain pipes and copper fittings and you can eventually wind up with a leak. It s best to deal with the cause of the noise wherever you have access to the plumbing. Plastic or nylon pipe inserts work well to cushion pipes running through framing members, but they need to be installed when you do the plumbing. For retrofitting, try pipe hangers. These plastic hooks hold the pipe off the framing and have a felt or rubber cushion to absorb any movement and prevent noise. Whistling sounds are also common where a shutoff valve hasn t been opened all the way or where pressure is high. If your water pressure is excessively high, installing a pressure-reducing valve near the water meter will get rid of the noise and lower your water bill. But consult a plumber first to be sure it won t take too much pressure away from any upper story plumbing. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

…requires the use of an air compressor at 60 to 100…
…handy tools use compressed air to hammer or shoot nails into wood…
…spaces where swinging a hammer isn't practical, or…
…reasonable way to drag an air hose, you're in luck…

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Bob in the backyard of the Medford restoration project where Charlie and Matt are finishing up the picture framing for the mahogany deck. The mahogany will be left unfinished�allowing it weather and take on a beautiful silvery sheen. The first nail goes in about an inch from the edge at one end, then one at the other end, and then every 16" in between. The end piece is brought in at the miter and nailed. Charlie is working with mahogany in an assortment of lengths�20s to 6s. Charlie prefers to space his joints at least 32 inches apart staggering them by at least two bays. He uses 16-penny spikes as spacers between the boards as well as between the butt ends of the boards and the picture frame. He's using 2 1/2-inch stainless steel annular ring nails. To avoid putting dimples into the mahogany, he doesn't hammer them all the way in but leaves them just on the surface and then uses a nail set to drive them home. Charlie believes that sometimes it's best to predrill at the butt end of board rather than risk splitting the wood by driving a nail that's close to end.