Parlor Renovation, Part III - Water Leak Repaired

November, 2013...

The hole in the wall had become larger due to my eagerness (see Part I).  I had contracted with Sunderland Period Homes to repair the south facing parlor window.  As promised in Part I, the following are the procedures that were taken to repair the window frame:

Sunderland Period Homes

The crew of two started with the removal of the siding. Each board was removed, numbered and stacked in the front yard. The boards were scraped for a clean edge while the paper around the window was torn off.  A product they had called "ice and water" (branded as Protecto Wrap) was used as a first layer of defense around the window.  The product is a tacky tar-like membrane that helps secure the joint between the clapboards and window frame from water.  It came in a roll and was placed first along the bottom of the window, then the sides which overlapped the bottom and finally across the top of the window, overlapping the sides.

Siding removed, "ice & water" partially installed, storm window being removed. 

Rotted wood on the frame was marked for removal.  The marking delineated an area that was easy to cut and replicate. A scraper was used to remove paint to expose the wood's surface.  A straight edge was then used to complete the mark out.

Scraping the paint off the damaged area.

Using a straight edge for mark out.  

Once the area to be removed is marked, it is then removed using a router.  

The depth of the router is adjusted prior to the removal.

Starting from the outside edge, the carpenter carefully routers the wood to the indicated shape.

A stock piece of wood slightly thicker than the area being patched is used.  It is laid against the frame and the cutout is traced onto the stock wood.  A jigsaw was used to cut it out.

Scrap of wood being cut using a jigsaw.  Note the clapboards on the sawhorses.

Perfect match.

 With the patch ready, time to install.  The carpenter recommended that a 3x construction adhesive be used instead of stronger adhesives (such as the 8x) as the stronger varieties tend to be too gritty for this application.

Construction adhesive, 3x strength.

The application of the adhesive into the cut out.

The previously sized stock piece of wood is squeezed into the fresh adhesive.  The carpenter pre-drills screw holes and secures the patch with stainless screws.  Once the adhesive sets, the patch is planned flush with the original frame.

Pre-drilling for the screws.

This process was repeated several times around the perimeter of the window's frame.  Once complete, the crew moved on to the siding.  

Patchwork complete.  Note the Great Stuff insulating foam in between the planked wall boards.

It was suggested by the carpenter that while the siding is off, we should fill the gaps between the planks with foam.  What an excellent idea.  Now, I realize this is not going to be anywhere near as efficient as R15 insulation batting; however, compared to having no insulation versus this sprayed into the one inch cavities to help button up our home, I was all too eager to go out and purchase a whole bunch for the crew.  I was told to purchase the blue bottle for windows and doors.  This is because, per the carpenter, it was formulated to fill the spaces around windows and doors without making them un-plum.  The regular red can applies more pressure to the surfaces it comes into contact with which can cause alignment issues.  

Great Stuff, Window and Door.

Felt paper is now installed as a secondary wind and rain barrier.  It's installed with small siding nails.

Felt installed overlapping each other.

Siding nail.

Flashing installation is done in the same manner as the "water and ice" except the flashing needs to be scewed into the side of the house.

Flashing is installed over the "ice and water" membrane and under the frame's lip.  It is secured through the window frame.

The flashing is installed similar to the "water and ice" membrane starting at the bottom, overlapping the sides onto the bottom and then the top overlapping the sides.

A clear caulk was then used to seal the perimeter of the window.

Clear caulk.

Once caulked, the clapboards were re-installed with new pieces being added where needed.

For the next couple of days, this is how the side of my home looked.  The work finished within a week with the installation of lead flashing above the window (sorry, I ran out of vacation time, no photos of that installation).  The remaining clapboards were replaced and the work was done on the outside.  However, in the estimate, Sunderland Period Homes specified rosehead nails for the siding, the carpenter used regular siding nails.  It was a deviation that was very disappointing.  Upon pointing this oversight to Edward, he ordered the correct nails and had his carpenter install them.  His reasoning for not using it was because even though he wrote it down in the estimate, the existing nails in the siding were regular nails so he didn't think that he needed to install the more expensive rosehead nails.

On to the inside...

Interior face of the south exterior parlor wall before any repair work.

Sunderland himself worked on the plaster patching.  He took a sample of one of the window's trim and had it replicated exactly.  He also did the same with the sill.  Both of the components were damaged by yours truly in my feeble attempt to "fix" the window.

Plaster placement in progress.

Plaster material used.

Done.  Plaster and trim completed.

Once Edward and his crew were done, now, it was my turn to fix the cracks in the walls.

Big Wally's Plaster Magic, Contractor's Pack.

So the total cost for Sunderland Period Homes was:  $3,450.00 (does not include the Plaster Magic).  Pricing included an extra $250 due to there being more plaster repair than Edward had initially thought.  I don't yet know how much a 50 pound bag of Structo-Lite costs, but I doubt its anywhere near that price.

This truly was very expensive.  I have to admit that towards the end of this project, I lost my temper with Edward.  He tended to want to do 'this' and 'that', seemingly pull numbers out of the air and make me feel quite idiotic on a continual basis.  He didn't realize that we are not one of his wealthy clients that are restoring their vacation house.  This is our home, we live here and we only have so much money to spend.  I snapped at him one evening and told him that I just cannot afford him.  With his posh attitude, he didn't seem to care and we haven't spoken since.

Now with that being said, he was able to stop the window leak, perfectly duplicate the trim and do a decent job of plaster repair.  He also did not mind that I was asking questions of his crew most of the time and also did not mind the photographs.  Would I hire him again... eh, simply because of the expense, I think I'll shop around next time.  At least I was able to get a decent idea of how to seal a window.  I thank Chris, the lead carpenter, for being so educational.

Future plans are to prime the exterior surfaces left exposed and continue working on the interior of the parlor myself with paint removal and crack repair.

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Outdoor Spigot Replacement

A couple years ago, upon moving into our home, our outside spigot was removed to allow the installation of a new sill. That same contractor refused to re-install the spigot for one reason or another (see Structural Repairs, Part II). A friend had the right bits to drill me a hole through our new sill. Once complete, he also soldered the copper pipe back into place. Done, right?

A few months later came time to use the spigot. A surprise awaited me as the spigot was now streaming a leak. I only fear how much water was wasted since I last saw it.

Easy fixes first. These spigots have a rubber washer under the knob that seals the joint. Likewise, there's also one at the end of all garden hoses. A trip to Walmart got me a cheapo set of rubber washers. I come home excited, took out my pliers and wrench, turned off the supply valve and.... broke the nut holding the old spigot together. I just have no luck. Damn thing had been in the sun too long, been made of cheap metal or perhaps my neutrinos weren't spinning the correct way... whatever the case may be, now it was time to replace the spigot.

Sometimes, these things just don't go as well as we hope.

There are two general types of spigots, ones that are threaded on much like a shower head and the other, soldered on. The threaded type are the easiest (obviously). Unscrew the old one with wrenches, clean the threads, wrap plumber's tape and screw on the new spigot. The other type is a bit more complex having a soldered connection which needs to be de-soldered with a torch. Guess which one I have…

I ventured to my big-box-store to get some needed supplies:

• Propane torch
• Lockable vice-grip (or pliers)
• Non-leaded plumber's solder
• Plumber's flux
• Pipe cleaner (sandpaper works too)
• New spigot (obviously)

Warning: If you are not a "handy person", I suggest hiring someone who is. Changing out a soldered plumbing part is not overly hard, but can become dangerous when you factor in the torch. It may be best to have a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case.

Read the directions on the propane torch and get use to turning it on and off. It's imperative that this is done to avoid potential issues later on, such as burning down your house. Do not use the torch around hazardous materials nor in confined spaces (i.e. with no ventilation). Lucky me, my spigot is near my oil tank in the basement with sealed windows...

Tip: The hottest part of the torch is not the tip of the flame and not the metal tip of the nozzle. It's the area at the 1/3 point from the tip of the flame. Without this knowledge, you'll spend more time waiting to heat the metal than needed and you'll also use more fuel than you have to.

Once you are comfortable with using a torch, let's move on to the repair.

Remove the section of copper pipe from the system.

Find the connection couple closest to the spigot. Using the torch, heat the copper connection. Once hot enough, using pliers (not your hand... lesson learned), gently rotate the spigot end of the copper pipe connection. If hot enough and the solder has liquefied, it will rotate and can be pulled a part easily. Depending on the thickness of the copper pipe, and amount of solder used previously, the heating process may take some time.

What Not To Do

For my situation, my plumbing is located between the wooden joists, close to the floorboards above. I tried to use a protective barrier to avoid scorching the underside of the floor, need I cause the above-mentioned home fire. I took some aluminum foil as a heat shield. My knowledge of metallurgy is limited so it was a surprise to me when the aluminum became molten and then vaporized. Apparently, aluminum melts quite easily (1,220.58°F) in the heat from a propane torch (3,450°F). So don't use aluminum foil as a heat shield.

De-solder the spigot from the removed copper pipe. 
Same procedure as above. Since our exterior paint is leaded and the old spigot had some paint on it, as a precaution, I made sure I was upwind of any fumes. The de-soldering process heats the copper-spigot connection. I wasn't sure if any leaded paint was present around the spigot but didn't want to risk breathing in vaporized lead.

Clean the de-soldered copper pipe.
Copper tarnishes over time, hence why Lady Liberty is green. For a decent bond, it is best to have a clean (bare metal) surface. Various home stores sell cleaning tools. They look like torture devices, really, with a thick metal wire covered in spiky needles and the other end, a hole with spikes as well. However it appears to you, it's still an abrasive tool to clean off tarnish and light debris from the to-be soldered ends.  After cleaning the ends, the surfaces should look like a brand new penny and slightly roughened.

Apply the Flux.
Flux looks like a jelly paste.  When heated, it sizzles and a vapor is released which should be avoided; something about skull and cross bones being on the label made me assume this.  Really though, best used in a VERY well ventilated area.  Flux works by "attracting" the molten solder throughout the joint. Using a disposable brush, paint the surfaces that are to come into contact.

Assemble the spigot-copper pipe.
Simply insert the copper pipe into the spigot. Twist it a little to ensure adequate spread of the flux.

Solder the connection. 
It is best to secure the spigot and pipe to free your hands during the soldering process.  A clamp or vice should work just fine.  I used a bench vice to hold the pipe steady and the flux around the spigot was just enough to make a snug fit while soldering.  The connection to the system was a bit more complex since there wasn't a bench to work over.  Instead, I jerry-rigged a vice to keep my hands free (see below).  Then, I soldered away after applying the flux.  Its difficult to take a picture while using the torch for obvious reasons (Safety First!).

Test the spigot. Turn on the water and make sure nothing is leaking. Turn the spigot on outside for satisfaction. Done.

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Parlor Renovation, Part II - Window Sashes

A continuation from Parlor Renovation, Part I.

It was agreed that I would strip the window sashes to save on cost in preparation for the work to be done to our southern parlor window.  It was a simple task (isn't it always?).  I purchased paint stripper, a scraper, a dust suite and a lead vapor rated painter's mask.  I setup my area in the driveway placing a disposable plastic tarp on the pavement, two horses atop and dawned my space suite attire.  I retrieved the sashes from the back porch and while carrying them to my work area, one of the rails loosened and nearly fell off.  Well, there goes stripping them...

Turns out, the bottom rail on one of the sashes was rotted at the joint and had come loose.  My tail between my legs, I called Sunderland and requested his opinion.  He felt that it was an easy fix of a job costing roughly $300.  As usual, I wanted to make sure I was getting the best price.  After he explained what that cost entailed (replacing the bottom rail and re-glazing the three bottom panes).  I told him to never mind the whole window altogether and simply focus on repairing the rot and water issue with the frame.  I sought to replace the window sashes outright.

I searched online and came across Caroline Sly of Ashfield, MA.  She is a one-woman shop and claims to make windows by hand (among other wooden assemblies including stringed musical instruments) and after contacting her, she offered to stop by and show a sample of her work.

Prior to her arrival, we exchanged emails.  We spoke of early expectations and I learned just how affordable she is.  As my readers will recall, I always say that money is a matter of perspective, so what does affordable mean?  Well, if Sunderland Period Homes was willing to repair my one lousy reproduction window sash from the 1960's for $300 plus another $400 to weatherstrip with vinyl/plastic strips both sashes; Mrs. Sly was hand-making TWO sashes, with antique glass from the 19th century and weatherstripping of a similar nature for $425 (un-painted).  $700 to repair one reproduction versus $425 for a new period reproduction.  

I'll take your silence as a nod of approval.  She's a godsend when dealing with a constant barrage of high prices.  Mind you that pieces from Mrs. Sly are a custom one, so what may be of one charge for my home, could be different for yours (meaning, you should contact her for specific applications).  Here is her site: www.CarolineSly.com.

Her work speaks for itself.  Is it perfect, no.  Is it affordable?  For us, yes.  There are little issues I have with her work, details that would annoy me tremendously if Sunderland had done it, especially with his level of pricing.  She gave her opinion with details and listened to our desires.  It took her a week to create the pair of sashes, glaze them and deliver them to our home.  The glazing was still pliable when she dropped them off.

I was hesitant on informing Mr. Sunderland of my purchase.  After all, he is working on our home and has the means and methods of creating windows.  I would not want to offend him by taking business away.  I tried to keep things simple and simply asked that we did not install the weatherstripping on the old sashes and that I'll deal with them later.

But Mr. Sunderland kept on badgering me about the window, that it needs to be repaired or it will not function correctly, etc.   He was right, of course, yet, his pricing is just out of reach for my sanity.  In the end, I relented and confessed the real reason for foregoing the repair of the old sash.  Once my secret plan came to light, Mr. Sunderland really didn't say much.  He didn't seem to mind at that time and I invited him to examine the new sashes. 

Sunderland Period Homes strives for perfection in the details, at least that's the impression.  So, it wasn't until several weeks later that Mr. Sunderland felt compelled to give his full opinion of the sashes.  He examined the window and began pointing out all the inconsistencies in workmanship as well as the structural integrity of the window.  He said that the rebates for the glass were too shallow and that the panes of glass would fall out in time.  He added that the sashes were over tightened while being assembled which warped the sash.  He continued on for a short while, honestly aggravating me quite a bit.  I cannot afford to have Mr. Sunderland do as he pleases on my dime.  I'm not a wealthy person, I'm simply a family man paying my bills with an interest in historic homes.  So, with whatever little extra income we have goes towards our home.  If the expense is too great, something has to give.  I'm not a bottomless pit...

In retrospect (and I'm not an expert) I find it a bit hard to believe that a joiner from the 18th century would have made such perfect sashes by hand with wood sourced from one's backyard that would've passed Mr. Sunderland's critique.  It's been a while since that discussion and I am still annoyed by it.  I'm sure he's also annoyed at me for telling him that he's just too damn expensive for us, literally.

These sashes may not be perfect, but you be the judge.  Do they live up to your expectations?  Here are some closeups as they looked when Sunderland saw them:

The left sash is as Mrs. Sly delivered it, fingerprints and smudges from the glazing process present (so what?).  The right sash was cleaned and prepped for painting.  I think I am satisfied.

Mrs. Sly is due to come back to install the weatherstripping and fitment within our frame.  As of this posting, our agonizingly slow repair is as a result of yours truly having other priorities (a.k.a. LIFE) getting in the way.  As an update can be made, I'll post it up.

UPDATE:
Miscommunication, one of the most annoying things in life.  Between the window sash ordering, scheduling, dealing with Sunderland Period Homes, the lead problems; I must've misunderstood Mrs. Sly when she and I discussed installation.  She was unable to install the window sashes due to age (70+ years to her credit).  So I sit here completely beside myself since the promised windows were delivered without weatherstipping pending installation (hence my assumption of her installing them).  Well at least the price of the window, as is, is still more affordable than a repaired replica.

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Stone Wall.

Sometimes I get bored.  I'll start one project and become frustrated with how long it is taking to finish, switch to another and at some point in the future, return to the first project (sometimes not).  So when I started to take apart one of our retaining walls, my wife gave me a scared look.  Call it "deer-in-headlights".

My plan for this past Sunday was to take it easy, what with my squished foot.  Thinking of easy tasks, I ventured into the back yard.  On my way out, I passed one of our sad looking field stone walls.  The previous owner, by her own volition, wanted an o'natural look to everything which basically meant a lack of property maintenance.  She loved climbing ivy plants, the type that root into and damage wood and masonry.  This rear entrance retaining wall was covered in ivy, so much so, that it actually hid the collapsed section of the wall.  It was an eyesore.  So I spent the entire day "restoring" it.  My legs, back and every other muscle in my body can attest to it.  There's no "taking it easy" when working with stone.  I am an idiot.

Before:
Mound of English Ivy.  You cannot tell from this photos but there's a beautiful stone wall hidden underneath.

I tore out as much of the rooted ivy plants as I could.  In doing so, I was also removing the stones.  Those ivy plants dug in deep and with the wall a bit disheveled and leaning outward, eventually, I just tore apart then entire south end of the wall.

Rebuilding:
Bit by bit, I reorganized the pile of stones.  Finding the right stone to fit the corner, or face, is not so difficult, just heavy. Basically, the larger flat sided stones are for the face of the wall and any stone that has two flat faces next to each other make a corner.  All other stones are filler, either for leveling the larger back-breaking stones along the face or within the wall to add mass.  Stone dust is a wonderful filler to fill the voids.  It's similar to sand in that it's a fine material, however, it is more coarse and compacts nicely.  In the photos, the stone dust is the grayish colored "sand".  Luckily, it's the same material used to level the brick walkway.  A surplus amount of it was left around the area.  

Layer by layer, large flat faced stones were placed around the perimeter.  Behind the large stones, smaller pebbles and rocks were stuffed in.  Some stone dust was shoveled around the pebbles until the layer was flat (or as flat as came be).  I hand tamped the stone dust to get it compacted and repeated this process for the next layer.

After trial and error, I eventually got the stones to fit just right.  The shear weight of some of these stones made it difficult to continually place, rotate, remove, etc., especially as the wall grew in height.  Now since this wall was already established, I used the bottom most rows and my eye as a guide to keep the wall straight.  Though, if I were to start this wall from scratch, I would've used a reference line.  Two stakes with a string tied between them makes a great guide for laying the first stones.

I ran out of the free stone dust and was about eight to twelve inches short of the walkway elevation.  I used earth for the rest of the fill and it actually worked out pretty well. I threw some grass seed on top to help curb any soil erosion.

After:

A vast improvement to the Before images.  Notice that the stones are now leaning slightly in as oppose to out, making the wall more stable.

I am pleased with the outcome.  It was honestly my first attempt at a field stone wall.  We have another much larger wall that will need some repair in time.  I would also like to install a small two to three foot high wall along the front of our property.  Done correctly, it will last a lot longer than a rickety fence.  I just love the strength and appearance of a stone wall, don't you?

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Oven/Range Repair

My wife and I had a pretty rough weekend when our little one was ill.  After getting home from the doctors, having not eaten much since dinner the previous night, we were scrounging around our empty refrigerator for lunch.  We found a box of "Frozen Fish Sticks" in the freezer and salivated due to our hunger.

While my better half was taking care of our little one, I went to the kitchen, preheated the oven, got the rack out and loaded the frozen "mystery meat" and french fries (everything tastes better with french fries) onto the pan and into the oven.  Within 20 minutes, the oven was smoking.  I thought perhaps a fry had fallen and burned, nothing more.  We ate our food and that was that.

Dinner time came and my wife wanted to make turkey and stuffing... love it.  I'm working on our computer in the neighboring room while my wife slaves over the stove.  She has the oven pre-heating while preparing the raw turkey.  That's when I hear, "STEVE! THE OVEN IS ON FIRE!"

"Holy S&#T!"  I ran into the kitchen to see an orange glow turning bright white emanating from our oven.  Sparks were flying about.  I turned off the oven and the glow subsided for a few seconds but continued to spark.  I stupidly thought, "Gee, that would make a cool picture...", not really thinking of an electrical fire being serious.

Baking element sparking, notice the upside-down metal measuring cup used as a support, courtesy of the previous owner.

Once my momentary stupidity gave way to reason, I ran into the cellar and hit the breaker for the oven.  The glow went away and the sparks ceased.

Side note:  The reason for the sparking continuing after I turned off the oven was because the electrical heating element is powered by two wires.  Each wire provides 120 volts to the baking element.  When the oven is turned on, the element receives power from both wires, equating to 240 volts.  When it is off, the element still receives power but from only one wire, being 120 volts.  Hence, why it was necessary to shut off the power at the electrical panel.

Back when we had our closing on our home, the owner at that time gave us a letter where she wrote us, among other things, that one of the stove's burners no longer work.  Being a glass top cooking surface, she was told that she'll have to replace the entire stove/range unit.  We were initially annoyed by this but have been living with it since our move in.  After all, three out of four isn't so bad.  Now with the baking element ruined, and we haven't the funds to spend on a new stove, I began looking into fixing the 15 year old appliance.  

I went to my local "big box" store looking to find advice and parts but I was told that it is IMPOSSIBLE to replace an element on a glass top stove; that we would have to replace the entire glass top and it's extraordinarily expensive.  The reason being that, according to the sales associate, it's a "sealed unit".

LIES!  Yes, the glass top by itself is expensive, but the burner elements are far more affordable in comparison.  My stove is a late 1990's Maytag Magic Chef model 5889VV, a smooth glass top electric stove.  The following is how I managed to avoid buying a brand new stove and make cost effective repairs instead.

I take responsibility for my own actions, not yours.  Electricity is nothing to play around with.  It should be respected as should your wallet.  If you do not feel comfortable with electrical repairs, please hire a professional.  Always make sure the appliance is unplugged or the breaker is OFF when working on any electrical component.

I did some digging online.  I found a few videos and a couple of write ups, nothing that matched my exact style of oven/range but they did give me some insight to the procedure.  Most of the videos stated that there are two screws securing the top frame holding the glass surface to the main body.  These two screws are located under the front lip accessed by opening the oven door and looking beneath the controls.  Once removed,  the top frame can be opened like a car's hood.

My stove had two screws just as the generic video described.  Unfortunately for me, these two screws did nothing to allow the top to come off.  So I did what any frustrated manic "handy man" does.  I took a pry bar and pried the cover off.  I was gentle, I promise.

The top was re-movable if pried; I was cautious as it is glass.  I used a lever braced along the front edge of my counter and gently pulled the top towards the front.  I tried this on both sides.  Eventually, the top was now about a half inch from it's starting position.  I took a flashlight and peered in the gap between the top and the body.  There were two metal clips holding the top down.  I gently pried again on one side, loosening the clip on that side, then again on the opposite.  The top was now free to open.

It wasn't until after I had opened the glass top that I realized how it was installed.  For a technician to remove the top, he/she would've had to pull the entire stove forward away from the wall, accessing the rear panel.  On the top of the rear, at each corner were two recessed screws that secured the top in place (THAT'S where they are!).  I also noticed that my particular stove was built into the cabinets, taking it out would've been impossible without destroying what the previous owner claimed were "custom cabinets".  Luckily, I did not damage the stove or the particle board "custom" counter top in my macho move to open it up.

After detaching the power feed and ground, the cover is off, on the floor upside-down.  Each element casing is exposed with all applicable wiring view-able   

I unscrewed the two screws securing the known faulty element, turned it over and discovered why it wasn't working.  Seems that the coil had broken as the dark burnt spot testifies.

Now, if I can get this far, with the detached element in my hands, why can I not simply buy a replacement?  So I did.  I searched for a few hours to find the most affordable price.  One vendor had a steal of an asking price, but asked for my first born in shipping.  Continuing my search, I eventually came to PartsDr.com.  Their pricing was the most cost effective for us (taking into account their shipping of course).  And as usual, no, I have not received any monetary discount for having their company on my blog.

We needed two parts:  The Bake Element and the 6 inch Surface Burner Element for our Magic Chef.

The parts cost us:
Bake Element                  $16.99
6 inch Surface Burner Element $44.99
                   Subtotal:  $61.99
                   Shipping:   $6.99
                   Total:     $68.97

Delivery was rather quick as well as I received both components three days after ordering.  Once in hand, both parts are a simple plug 'n play installation.

The element has a series of wires connected to a ceramic module extending from the side.  Each wire's terminal is labeled a specific number.  I unplugged one wire at a time, to ensure I was connecting it to the correct terminal on the new element.  Though both elements looked exactly the same, they were not.  The numbers on the module were in a different location on the replacement element.  Matching 1a to 1a, 2a to 2a... etc. was critical.

Once all the wires are connected to the new surface burning element, I cleaned up the area with a vacuum, secured the element onto the top frame and reassembled the top onto the stove.  Next, the oven's baking element.

This one was much simpler to install.  Ensure the power is off, open the oven and remove the wire shelves.  There are two screws securing the baking element to the rear of the oven.  Unscrew them and gently pull the element towards the front of the oven.  As you pull, the connected wire will become visible.  Use a pair of needle nose pliers to gently rock the wires off the element.

Here are the two baking elements side by side.  The new one is on the left (notice the standard supports for the element on the left compared to the recycled metal bowl on the right):

Installation is reverse of the removal.  Ensure both wires are firmly connected to the baking element and screw in the two screws to the rear of the oven.  Head to the breaker box and switch the oven on and test.

DONE!

Side note:  Do not assume that fixing the oven (like new) on your wife's birthday as a birthday gift will make her happy.  Appliances and wives' birthdays do not mix.

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