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How Dismantling the Faucet?


Gather the proper tools. You will need a monkey wrench, bath socket wrench or vice grip pliers, a Philips screwdriver, a flat-head screwdriver, a jar gripper, plumber’s grease, a rag, Teflon tape and possibly tub caulk. You may also need a hair dryer.


Turn off the water intake to your house. You will need access to the pipes for the next hour or so. Tell family members or tenants that they will not have water during this time. Open the hot and cold valves on the bathtub faucet. This will drain any remaining water in the pipes.


Insert a Philips head screwdriver into the hole and unscrew the handle from the wall. Over time, handles can corrode and weld the faucet on. Use a hand dryer to heat the handle and loosen it. Don’t use too much force or it can break. Call a plumber if your handle breaks or will not come off.


Unscrew the trim and the collar from the wall by hand. The trim is the decorative piece that fits around the outside of the faucet, generally just behind the handle, while the collar is generally a tubular piece that fits around the internal faucet parts. They should unscrew fairly easily. You can use a hair dryer to loosen them as well. Repeat for the other handle if your tub has two.


Set the faucet handle inserts, faucet handles, screws, trim and collar parts aside in a small container. You will need to reconnect them in a similar fashion when you are done fixing the faucet. Remove the stem bonnet, which is the packing nut that holds the stem in place. These are sometimes also called “cartridges.” Insert a bath socket wrench and turn it counterclockwise.

How Protecting Your Travertine?

Squeegee and wipe down your travertine after showering. Use a squeegee to remove excess water from the tile after showering. Then, use a towel to wipe your travertine dry to keep soap scum from building up over time. Plus, it’s easier to remove soap residue before it dries.

Pay special attention to pools of water in corners and around edges. If you have a glass shower door, leave it open after showering to allow the water to dry. Establish a regular cleaning routine. Soap scum can cause hard water deposits to accumulate on your travertine. To keep your shower looking its best, clean your travertine shower with non-acidic cleaner a once a week.

If you have a detachable shower head, use it to rinse the tile with warm water after showering to remove soap scum. Creating a calendar reminder can help you remember to incorporate cleaning your shower into your household routine. Clean travertine as soon as something spills.

Whether it’s a colored shower gel or shampoo tinted to enhance hair color, when something spills on your travertine, clean it up right away. Certain bath products contain dyes, which can permanently stain your stone. Inspect grout and tiles for damage.

Bits of grout breaking off can scratch your travertine and trap dirt and grime. Cleaning is a great time to get up close and personal with your tile. Examine your grout and stone for cracks or chips. Be sure to replace chipped or broken tiles and have your grout touched up wherever necessary.

How to Installing the New Seat?

Set the new seat in place. Remove it from the box. The hinges on the seat will be pre-attached. Place these exactly where the hinges on the old seat were located. The box will also contain bolts and nuts. It may also include plastic caps to go over the bolts. Set this hardware to the side.

Drop the bolts into place. Take a bolt in your hand. The hinges will have holes for the bolts to be inserted into. Since the toilet seat is in place exactly where the previous seat was, these holes will also be positioned directly on top of the holes in the top of the toilet bowl. Drop the bolts through the holes in the hinges and bowl, with the head of the bolt on top. Don’t worry. Since the bolts have a head, they won’t fall all the way through the holes.

Thread the nuts onto the bolts. Pick up one of the nuts. Look at one side of the toilet bowl. You should now see the end of one of the bolts sticking down through the top of the bowl. Turn the nut onto the bolt (clockwise) until it is as tight as you can get it by hand. Use your adjustable wrench to tighten the nut just a bit further.

Repeat with the other nut on the other side of the toilet. If your hardware includes washers as well, place these on the bolts threads, then put on the nut. If the hinges have plastic caps attached (or if these are included in the box with the new toilet seat), snap these in place by pushing them down on the heads of the bolts once you’re done.

Snap the seat into place, alternatively. For some models of toilet seats, you don’t drive the bolts through the hinges. Instead, you drop the bolts directly to the holes on either side of the toilet bowl, instead of driving them through the hinges first. Then fix them in place with nuts. The seat’s hinges will snap onto or slide over the bolt heads. Double-check the instructions that came with your toilet seat if you have this variety.

How to Choosing a New Seat Before Install a New Toilet Seat?

Installing a new toilet seat is an easy DIY project. Whether you’re replacing yours because it’s old, or because you just want a new style, all you need are some basic tools and a few minutes. Unbolt the old seat, then pop the new one in place using the hardware included in your new toilet seat’s box. The only trouble you’re likely to run into is if the old bolts are stuck, but a little elbow grease can take care of that problem.

Measure your current toilet bowl before buying a new seat. Most toilets are standard sized, and any replacement seat should fit. If you want to be extra sure, take a tape measure to check the distance between the bolt holes in the toilet bowl. Then make sure the distance between the bolts on the replacement seat is the same.

Choose the style of seat you want. Toilet seats come in 2 basic styles, and a home supply store should have several brands to choose from. The standard variety is rounded, but you can choose an elongated one if you prefer. You can also purchase a “whisper close” seat that has special pads on the bottom to prevent it from slamming down on the bowl. Toilet seats come in a range of prices. You should be able to find the cheapest for $20-30, but others that cost twice as much or more.

Choose a seat color that matches your current toilet bowl. You can find toilet seats in a variety of colors. Choose one that matches the toilet bowl (usually white) for a classic look, or choose a contrasting color to make a bolder statement. For instance, you could choose a blue or wooden toilet seat to contrast with a white bowl.

Gather your tools for the project. You’ll need just a few simple ones to handle this project. If you don’t already have these at home, head down to the hardware store and get: An adjustable wrench or pliers. A flathead screwdriver. Spray oil such as WD-40 (optional). A small hacksaw (optional)