Home Repairs Merit Badge

[yknot]

This is one of those many badges that need updating because it contains extremely dated information. 

For example, scouts should not be taught to replace cords on blinds because they are illegal. Corded blinds are no longer manufactured and may no longer be offered for sale. 

[IndyDad]

On 9/14/2021 at 12:28 PM, qwazse said:

If you have a scout with a baseball, and an old house, you have needed a pane of glass replaced! Yes, blinds can be made/replaced/fitted/repaired to your house.  With old artwork, the paper backing can wear off of antique frames.  Waterproofing is often a matter of reshaping a lawn or cleaning out clogged drains. But, we've also had our kids digging and chinking!

If scouts do take you up on this badge, your are about to learn a lot of what a scout can do!

Some "new house" projects:

• Run Cat-6 cable safely through a house to avoid tripping hazards, etc ... splice a connector on cable. .
• Replace an outlet with wall-mounted USB ports.
• Check the water temperature/pressure on the house main.
• Install a wireless router, determine it's optimal location, tune it to avoid interference with neighbor's signals.
• Install a rainwater collector. Test the quality of collected water and determine appropriate uses for it.
• Safely replace incandescent fixtures with LED.
• Install energy-saving timer switches.
• Help program a "smart" thermostat.

That's what I like about this badge, there are lots of possibilities.

I like the newer ideas you listed and would consider those. (not sure on the wireless router... I'd suggest the parent set that up, along with the security settings and password). 

I feel like this badge does need to be updated though on its list of suggested projects (as others have mentioned). For instance, most homes could benefit from some newer electrical/smart device installation, but if you follow the list of 'categories' that the scout has to perform the required number of projects, the Electrical category would get filled up pretty quick for these newer types of projects.

- Home exterior or perimeter (x4)

- Wood/furniture  (x3)

- Electrical  (x2)

- Water (x2)

- Home Interior (x3)

Oh well, thanks for confirming that some of the items are more suited to older homes, and that as Merit Badge Counselors we can approve other types of projects not listed.

[qwazse]

You’re welcome.

I assure you, setting up and maintaining shared passwords is a life skill that our kids will bear for the rest of their lives. But, maybe that’s not the important part of the “repair.” Mounting the router and running cable is probably more significant aspect.

But you definitely have a lot of latitude with this one.

You’ll find the biggest challenge with counseling this badge is that scouts might think it’s not a fun one to do.

[HelpfulTracks]

Perhaps this has already been said, but Home Repair does not specify the home is being repaired.  When, I have asked scouts to talk to grandma/grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors, they usually found more than enough to fix without straying too far from the appointed list. 

[qwazse]

While unjamming some window weights today, my recollection of that diagram of a window-sash in that merit badge pamphlet borrowed from the troop library umpteen years ago came in handy.

Edited September 26, 2021 by qwazse

[T2Eagle]

On 9/14/2021 at 3:45 PM, yknot said:

This is one of those many badges that need updating because it contains extremely dated information. 

For example, scouts should not be taught to replace cords on blinds because they are illegal. Corded blinds are no longer manufactured and may no longer be offered for sale. 

Corded blinds aren't illegal, and in fact the correct installation and replacement of older cords is critical in making corded blinds safe or safer.

ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012, National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products, was approved on November 30, 2012. The revisions include: requirements for durability and performance testing of tension/hold down devices, including new requirements for anchoring; specific installation instructions and warnings; new requirements for products that rely on “wide lift bands” to raise and lower window coverings; new requirements for a warning label and pictograms on the outside of stock packaging and merchandising materials for corded products; and new testing requirements for cord accessibility, hazardous loop testing, roll-up style shade performance, and durability testing of all safety devices. CPSC staff believes that these changes should increase durability of certain components, encourage creativity in design, help improve consumer awareness of the strangulation risk associated with cords, and improve awareness of the safer products that should be used in homes with young children.

[yknot]

55 minutes ago, T2Eagle said:

Corded blinds aren't illegal, and in fact the correct installation and replacement of older cords is critical in making corded blinds safe or safer.

ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012, National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products, was approved on November 30, 2012. The revisions include: requirements for durability and performance testing of tension/hold down devices, including new requirements for anchoring; specific installation instructions and warnings; new requirements for products that rely on “wide lift bands” to raise and lower window coverings; new requirements for a warning label and pictograms on the outside of stock packaging and merchandising materials for corded products; and new testing requirements for cord accessibility, hazardous loop testing, roll-up style shade performance, and durability testing of all safety devices. CPSC staff believes that these changes should increase durability of certain components, encourage creativity in design, help improve consumer awareness of the strangulation risk associated with cords, and improve awareness of the safer products that should be used in homes with young children.

 

That's from 2012. The standards were updated in 2018: 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/historic-safety-standard-to-eliminate-majority-of-corded-window-coverings-from-us-market-takes-effect-300765221.html

 

[T2Eagle]

4 hours ago, yknot said:

 

That's from 2012. The standards were updated in 2018: 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/historic-safety-standard-to-eliminate-majority-of-corded-window-coverings-from-us-market-takes-effect-300765221.html

 

Still not illegal, and since they're widespread in homes from before 2018 a good skill to have and perform correctly.  I have roughly 20 of these in my house, and no toddlers, infants, or small children.  I'm pretty sure that I would repair rather than replace, and the supplies to do so are readily available from any number of sources.

From your link:

"The standard's new requirements segments the market into custom and stock, and requires all stock products, sold in stores and online, to be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords," said WCMA Executive Director Ralph Vasami.  "Stock products account for more than 80 percent of all window covering products sold in the U.S. and CPSC incident data shows that requiring these products to be cordless or have inaccessible cords would have the most significant and immediate impact on reducing the strangulation risk to young children from certain window covering cords."

Corded window coverings will only be available on custom-order products, as corded products are still needed by a wide range of consumers, including the elderly and those with disabilities, those short in stature, and those with windows in hard-to-reach locations. The revised standard imposes new restrictions on these custom-order products such as requiring operating cords to have a default length of 40% of the blind height [currently it is unlimited] and a default to a tilt wand instead of a tilt cord. "

[yknot]

28 minutes ago, T2Eagle said:

Still not illegal, and since they're widespread in homes from before 2018 a good skill to have and perform correctly.  I have roughly 20 of these in my house, and no toddlers, infants, or small children.  I'm pretty sure that I would repair rather than replace, and the supplies to do so are readily available from any number of sources.

From your link:

"The standard's new requirements segments the market into custom and stock, and requires all stock products, sold in stores and online, to be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords," said WCMA Executive Director Ralph Vasami.  "Stock products account for more than 80 percent of all window covering products sold in the U.S. and CPSC incident data shows that requiring these products to be cordless or have inaccessible cords would have the most significant and immediate impact on reducing the strangulation risk to young children from certain window covering cords."

Corded window coverings will only be available on custom-order products, as corded products are still needed by a wide range of consumers, including the elderly and those with disabilities, those short in stature, and those with windows in hard-to-reach locations. The revised standard imposes new restrictions on these custom-order products such as requiring operating cords to have a default length of 40% of the blind height [currently it is unlimited] and a default to a tilt wand instead of a tilt cord. "

Alright. Let me put it another way. Corded blinds are no longer being sold because they are a safety hazard. They do not meet industry standards. Where I am, if you are selling a house, you either have to remove or replace corded blinds or you have to disclose them because they are a liability risk. If you repair a corded blind in someone's house rather than replacing it with cordless, and some child accidentally strangles in the cord in the future, you have some potential liabilty. It is simply not worth teaching that skill or involving scouts in that kind of repair. And corded blinds are just one example of some of the kinds of home repairs that would be better jettisoned because of safety issues or because they are more on the order of historic renovation. And I'm not just picking on home repair. A lot of the badges are problematic for safety/liability reasons or have declining relevance. They are very nostalgic for how kids did things 10, 20, 30 years ago. The work in the badges ought to be relevant. 

 

[qwazse]

Let us note that the name of the MB is not Home Building, or even Home Remodeling. Corded blinds will not disappear any time soon.  Scouts will need to repair them for decades, as recommended by the consumer products safety commission:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2001/CPSC-Window-Covering-Industry-Announce-Recall-to-Repair-Window-Blinds

Quote

Consumers with existing blinds should have them repaired. The repair can be done in minutes without removing the blinds.

If you leave scouts ignorant of how to repair such things, they will do it wrongly … or not at all. The carnage that you claim to prevent will ensue.

Keep the requirement, revise the pamphlet if needed, forestall death.

[yknot]

2 hours ago, qwazse said:

Let us note that the name of the MB is not Home Building, or even Home Remodeling. Corded blinds will not disappear any time soon.  Scouts will need to repair them for decades, as recommended by the consumer products safety commission:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2001/CPSC-Window-Covering-Industry-Announce-Recall-to-Repair-Window-Blinds

If you leave scouts ignorant of how to repair such things, they will do it wrongly … or not at all. The carnage that you claim to prevent will ensue.

Keep the requirement, revise the pamphlet if needed, forestall death.

That's an outdated recommendations from 2001 that has had numerous updates, including a 2020 recall. Wouldn't it be better to teach scouts to be aware of what the Consumer Safety Productions Commission is? They cover safety aspects of many things in a scout's life, from products in the home, like blinds, to vehicles to camping gear. Why ignore them? You woudn't if it was climbing rope or carbiners or propane tanks that have been recalled. 

 

[qwazse]

3 hours ago, yknot said:

… Wouldn't it be better to teach scouts to be aware of what the Consumer Safety Productions Commission is? They cover safety aspects of many things in a scout's life, from products in the home, like blinds, to vehicles to camping gear. Why ignore them? You woudn't if it was climbing rope or carbiners or propane tanks that have been recalled. 

BSA agrees ...
https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/merit_badge_reqandres/safety.pdf

Note the bibliography, page 79.

Both Home Repairs and Safety MBs have Underwriter’s Laboratory in their listings.

Has anybody taken their scouts on a tour of an underwriters laboratory? There’s one near a favorite camp of our scouts. This conversation is inspiring me to add this to a list of potential activities.

 

[BAJ]

14 hours ago, qwazse said:

Has anybody taken their scouts on a tour of an underwriters laboratory? There’s one near a favorite camp of our scouts. This conversation is inspiring me to add this to a list of potential activities.

That is a really cool idea — I had the opportunity through work to go to one of the standards certification/testing laboratories for emergency responder safety equipment and it was a really interesting.  I think as a Scout trip it would have a great mix of wow factor (e.g., tests where things might get set on fire, see if safety features work when the device is shorted out, etc.) but would convey a lot of good knowledge through the wow elements.

[elitts]

 

On 10/1/2021 at 9:50 AM, yknot said:

That's from 2012. The standards were updated in 2018: 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/historic-safety-standard-to-eliminate-majority-of-corded-window-coverings-from-us-market-takes-effect-300765221.html

 

On 10/2/2021 at 1:36 PM, yknot said:

That's an outdated recommendations from 2001 that has had numerous updates, including a 2020 recall. Wouldn't it be better to teach scouts to be aware of what the Consumer Safety Productions Commission is? They cover safety aspects of many things in a scout's life, from products in the home, like blinds, to vehicles to camping gear. Why ignore them? You woudn't if it was climbing rope or carbiners or propane tanks that have been recalled. 

 

They still aren't illegal.  The rule only applies to stock blinds sold off the shelves in retail stores.  Custom order blinds, which are very common, can still be had with cords. (albeit shorter ones)

There's plenty of stuff in homes that is no longer considered "safe" that aren't going to go away any time soon.  The fact that something is no longer up to code for new installations or purchase doesn't mean it doesn't still need to be maintained.  Though I have no issue with adjusting the requirements to add a requirement to find out if the item being repaired is still considered acceptable and what risks might be associated with it.

 

 

[yknot]

5 hours ago, elitts said:

 

They still aren't illegal.  The rule only applies to stock blinds sold off the shelves in retail stores.  Custom order blinds, which are very common, can still be had with cords. (albeit shorter ones)

There's plenty of stuff in homes that is no longer considered "safe" that aren't going to go away any time soon.  The fact that something is no longer up to code for new installations or purchase doesn't mean it doesn't still need to be maintained.  Though I have no issue with adjusting the requirements to add a requirement to find out if the item being repaired is still considered acceptable and what risks might be associated with it.

 

 

See the quote by the head of the WMCA below: 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/window-covering-manufacturers-ban-blinds-potentially-hazardous-cords/story?id=52318032

The CSPC has enforcement powers, even for voluntary recalls, which it will exercise at will especially for products that involve child safety, which can include legal action. 

Why would anyone in scouting want to see scouting promoting the repair and retention of products that are illegal to sell when the recommended action and industry standard is to replace? This is a consumer item, like a crib or a car seat. You don't repair recalled cribs or car seats, you throw them out.