texts: How can I protect a shed floor from ground moisture?

texts:
I needed some sort of workshop/storage/playhouse, so I thought I’d build a shed with three sections:

Workshop - 2.4m x2.4m
Storage - 1.2m x 2.4m
Playhouse - 2.4m x 2.4m

Now I intend on turning the playhouse section into a gym, but I have a problem. After four years the OSB3 floor has gone spongy and needs replacing for something stronger to take the weight of the equipment and the duress of what it is to be used for.
I think I know a couple of contributing factors that may have led to the floor deteriorating. The end of the garden has always been soggy. Even in the summer, it takes a good bit of nice weather to dry it out and even then it’s normally only the surface that's dry. I dug up and filled the area (7m(L) x 3m(W) x 0.3m(D) with 40mm gravel and used that for the shed base to sit on.
Also, when building the shed it started to rain, so I covered it in some sticky backed plastic we had lying around (the stuff you use to protect laminate flooring when painting etc) to protect it. As this covering was on the floor, any treatment to it was overlooked and I think the plastic covering didn’t allow the OSB3 to breathe and as such it retained any natural moisture it absorbed over the years, so it went spongy.
The Issue
Now that I’ve pulled the OSB3 floor up, I intend on replacing it with some Spruce floorboards. Obviously, I’d like to not have to do this again in a few years so I’d like to take this time to do everything I’ve thought of in hindsight to protect the base, BUT, I’m not sure what to do.
After the long story, this is where you come in!
These are some of the approaches I’ve thought of, but I’m not sure what’s best:
1... Lift up the shed and lay some DPM on top of the gravel to stop moisture from rising up through the base. As much as I’d like to do this, the shed weight is well in excess of a ton so it’s not an option
2... Lay some DPM OVER the base’s bearers and lay the floorboard on top of it to protect the floorboards, but what about the base under it?
3... Paint all the base’s bearers and the underside of the floorboards in some kind of wood protection (not sure which type)

Wood preserver?
Bitumen?

This is pretty much all the info I can think of, so any help with what to do to help protect and preserve the base and floor would be VERY much appreciated.
I look forward to your responses if you have time.
Thanks!

UPDATE: I've added some photos for reference.

4x2 frame waiting to be covered in 18mm OSB3

Mostly complete bar additional trimmings and sorting the garden

Exposed base after pulling the floor up: THE POINT OF THE POST


texts: How to calculate the requirements of a concrete slab?

texts: Want to put three 40foot shipping containers on concrete slab.  Presume I need to dig out and level the area, then fill with some gravel/sand?  But not clear what depth of gravel and what depth of concrete.  Assume to be reinforcing the slab with rebar and/or other as appropriate.  Presuming maybe 15 ton max for each container.


texts: How can I make sure my portable toolbox hasn't got any tools missing?

texts:
Background

I have a big house and I've managed to have tools scattered across the house (basement shop, kitchen, garage (bike tools). I can't, at this time, consolidate them all in one place (no room to work in one place for the 7 bikes and room to work on other projects).

Goal

I'd like to just put most of the important tools in my toolbox (actually a tool "bag"). But... I miss the benefit of having a nice pegboard with outlines for all tools so I know if a tool is missing.

Any suggestions of a better toolbag/box that addresses this or perhaps some method?
(I've currently labelled (yes, I'm that anal retentive ;-) pockets in the bag for important tools but I still have to visually inspect them. Invevitably, I'm in the middle of something and find I'm missing a tool (sometimes purloined by my kids)


texts: Are posts at 8 foot intervals adequate for an 8 foot high fence?

texts:
I have a 6 foot  wood fence that is using metal poles in concrete in a retaining wall.  The poles in the retaining wall are spaced about 94 inches apart.  Fence has existed without issue for 16 years.
I’m replacing fence with 8 foot wood board on board.  We will use existing poles but add extension on top of poles for extra 2 feet.
I got a call from contractor who said they need to add more poles since we are going to 8 feet ($1200 extra)? He said existing poles at 94 inches may not prevent bending in a bad storm?  Are existing poles at 94 inches apart enough since they are metal in concrete in a retaining wall?  Contractor said he would install fence with existing poles only and extension but not provide a warranty.
Alternatively, would reducing fence height to 7 feet eliminate the issue?  It appears most fence contractors treat 6 and 7 feet fences the same re post spacing?


texts: glue/nail down wood flooring installation: any disadvantages for click-lock?

texts:
I am purchasing 1300sqft of 3/8" thick engineered hardwood for my home. 600sqft will be glued down (first floor is concrete) and 700 will be nailed down (second floor is wood subfloor). I do not want to float the floor.

It seems like the majority of engineered wood flooring out there is "click-lock" and designed for easy floating installation. There are also some that are traditional T&G, but for this option it seems the selection is smaller and often more expensive.

The associates at HD and Floor & Decor tell me you can glue or nail click lock flooring with no problem.

Are there any advantages/disadvantages for click-lock or tongue & groove planks when the installation method is glue or nail down?

Any other suggestions or considerations I should be aware of?

I live in a desert climate (Arizona) if that makes any difference.


texts: Why cement under upstairs bathroom floor?

texts: I went to tile upstairs bathroom floor and when we pulled up old linoleum and replace subfloor that was rotted we discovered 1 1/2" of concrete poured on top of old subfloor. Why would somebody do this?


texts: Can I use a standard on-off switch for lights on a magnetic low voltage transformer?

texts:
My closet has two magnetic low-voltage halogen fixtures and a regular halogen fixture wired to a pair of Lutron Maestro dimmers. The full-voltage halogen fixture has stopped working, and I measure about 96 volts AC from the bulb contacts when it's on. I am blaming the switches, which have been in place about fourteen years.
Can I replace them with regular three-way switches? I always want full brightness in the closet anyway.


texts: Can vermin come in through your toilet or shower drain and, if so, what can you do about it?

texts:
First, I'm not sure that this is what's happening but I suspect this is the problem.  On occasion my wife and I find cockroaches in our house.  This isn't very frequent (I'll find one once every few months) and we also have an exterminator who comes and sprays once every month.

However these random cockroaches tend to always be found near or in our bathrooms and, to my recollection, we've never found one in our kitchen or dining room - places where vermin could most certainly find food.

I've heard that if you lose water on your sewer line, vermin can come in through the sewers.  Is this true?  If so, what can I do about it?  I also suspect that this may be happening because there have been a few cases where on the back end of our house (near a spare bathroom that is infrequently used) we will get a sewage smell.  The smell is quite rare, and we've checked for leaks around the toilet, yet we can't find any problem with the toilet itself.

Are we losing pressure on the sewage line, which is suctioning the water from the toilet bowl and allowing vermin into our home?

If this is the case, this is super-nasty.  Please advise.


texts: Why does one burner on my gas stove release no gas, but the rest work fine?

texts:
I have a thermador gas stovetop, and today it just stopped releasing gas to a single burner.  When I say it stopped, I mean on any other burner I can audibly hear gas released before ignition, but on this one, there is no sound, nothing, and it obviously doesn't ignite.

I have cleaned out the holes on the top piece, but it's pointless, because no gas at all is being released.  Yet, all other burners work fine.

I wondered if each burner has a safety built in, that needs to be reset somehow, that prevents gas from coming out if it previously couldn't ignite (I did find a small piece of debris by the igniter at the beginning, so it's possible it failed a few times when someone used it earlier).  I have unplugged the stove and plugged it back in, but I see no reset button or anything.


texts: How to seal where the wall meets the floor?

texts:
My house was built in the 40's.  It is in upstate New York.  There is a draft in the bedrooms where the exterior wall meets the floor, which is hardwood.  I can think of several ways of sealing the draft.

Use transparent caulk where the baseboard meets the wall and where the baseboard meets the floor.
Temporarily remove the baseboard and do something more effective -- perhaps paint with something like mastic or flexseal (having first put down masking tape), or perhaps somehow install a strip of some sort of tape or barrier sheet to cover the line where the wall meets the floor.  Put the molding back.
We are thinking of getting rid of the hardwood floor and replacing it with laminate, because the floor is uneven and creaks and squeaks something crazy.  If we do this, maybe there is some special procedure to be done after removing the old floor and before putting in the new laminate.


texts: Why would a patio heater slowly die out over time?

texts:
I have a propane (not LP) patio heater similar to this one...

using a 20-lb. propane tank...

I have an issue where the flame will slowly die down over a period of time.  Let's say within 30 minutes it goes from full flame to something that barely stays lit.  When the flame gets tiny, you can hear the propane hissing through the lines like it's being restricted.

If I wait an hour, I can re-light it and it's full strength again for a while and within 30 minutes, the problem will repeat.

I've disassembled and cleaned it out a couple times but this problem continues.   The unit is never stored outside, however, I got it used and it's always had an issue staying lit.  I have not yet replaced the thermocouple because the previous owner claimed this was already done.

I'm looking for troubleshooting suggestions that will conclusively narrow down the source of the problem and/or cleaning tips.  The gas orifice at the pilot is too small for a pipe cleaner, but I've already tried solvents such as carb cleaner and it makes no difference.

The pilot is blue with an orange tip.  When first lit, the burner flames are blue, but as it dies down, the tips turn orange.

What I don't understand is why it performs great when it's first lit.  I'd think if this whole problem was caused by dirt, the flame would be restricted all the time.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

EDIT:

There seems to be a lot of confusion here.  This unit is 8 feet tall, 40,000 BTU, only uses a 20-lb PROPANE tank, and this problem is occurring in ambient temps in the upper 50's and higher.

EDIT 2 - fixed (11/2019):

As per nameplate on the heater-

40,000 BTU
11" W.C.

Tried out this $10 regulator from Amazon, which is rated for 11" W.C.  up to 80,000 BTU, just to see if it works, and it seems to have solved the issue.  I know it's been a while since asking the question, but I put this thing to the side as a low priority since I had no solid method for troubleshooting other than guessing and part-swapping.

Flame stays blue the entire time, and on low setting, the tips are orange.  The pilot flame is mostly orange now.  See photos below.  Not sure if that's normal, but the unit seems to be staying lit now and properly operational.  I have not fully tested it on colder days so I will update this if needed.  Tested in the 30's, and it still seems to work good.

Pilot:

Low:

High:


texts:
I have to install laminate (actually it's click luxury vinyl planks) across multiple rooms in the basement (and some steps) without transition.  I have laid laminate in single rooms before, but this is something new and frankly a little overwhelming.

The bottom room is actually the main room, so I was going to start in the bottom-left corner running horizontally.  But there are so many openings to keep track of and it seems almost impossible to plan to avoid small board widths.

Even just starting along those two doorways.  Should I lay one full piece along the lower wall, and then fill in the three inch width across the door with its own cut piece?

Any advice is appreciated.

Mike.


texts: Water dripping from outdoor HE furnace vent

texts:
Newly purchased home (December, northeast U.S.) has a high-efficiency furnace that vents to exterior of the house.  When the furnace is on, the vent drips every few seconds, creating a puddle in the dirt next to the house.  About a quart of water collects over the course of 12 hours.  Had routine furnace service/inspection and technician said the dripping is normal.  I am concerned about water pooling near the house.

Is this condensation due to normal operation or is something wrong?
If it is normal, what action, if any, should be taken to alleviate the water pooling?

Edit: Thank you all for the responses!  This is all very helpful information.


texts: Basement partition wall sole plate - do I need sill plate gasket?

texts:
I am building a bathroom in my basement. It's not a remodel, it's a fully new room from the concrete floor up to the joists.
The partition walls will not be touching the cinderblock foundation; there will be a 4" gap between the non-load-bearing walls of this room and the house's foundation. I am using PT wood for the sole plates.
My question is: Do I need to put a sill plate gasket underneath the PT wood that serves as sole plates for these non-load-bearing walls?
(I am seeing a lot about sill plate gaskets on Google, but the use for this gasket product seems to be more directed towards what goes on top of cinderblocks that are a part of foundations.)


texts: LED ceiling fixture certain diodes blinking

texts: My ceiling fixture has all of a sudden stopped working properly. Half the diodes are dark and the others are blinking. Oddly, the same exact ones on each strip work and don't work. I have included a picture to show which ones are blinking and which ones don't work. I am wondering if it is something that I can fix? Maybe replace that driver? And if so, is there a good guide online to walk me through that process? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I have a detached garage approximately 50' from the house supply panel.  I want to wire 6 outlets & maybe 2 overhead lights. I will have no heavy use, mainly 1 outlet & overhead lights. I have installed underground conduit approximately 25' between house & garage but not below the frost line. The main panel is all 20 amp breakers, with 12-2 wiring.

Can I run standard 12-2 to the conduit, tie 12-2 underground through the conduit then retie to standard 12-2 to wire garage?  The underground conduit is sealed Schedule 80 PVC.


texts: What's the use for a tapered handle socket wrench?

texts: When browsing around for tools I don't need I saw this socket wrench with a tapered handle.  What is this used for, and what makes the tapered handle more useful than a non-tapered/knurled handle?


texts: How do I stop a countertop soap dispenser from leaking?

texts:
I have a countertop soap dispenser.  It is a Blanco 911-375 Alta Soap/Lotion Dispenser, Satin Nickel Finish filled with Seventh Generation brand dish soap.  For the high-end-quality brand name, it shouldn't be producing external soap clumps like a piece of junk might.  Also, the white tube part (see the photos) does not maintain an attachment to the metal head; when I pull the pump head up, it disconnects from the white tube.

I am waiting to hear back from the manufacturer (Blanco) for advice, but aside from removing the soap and stopping using it, what are my alternatives to prevent this thing from leaking soap?  I have tried diluting the soap in the soap receptacle with water, but that didn't do much.

Photos of scenario (click each for larger):


texts: Basement in a mud-brick house near a lake?

texts:
For the purpose of the short story that I am writing I have come with an idea of a mud-brick small building (base floor + top floor, just a few rooms), lost somewhere in the north Nigeria. The building is in a very close proximity (about 30-50 metres in a straight line) of a lake. For the sake of the story told building must be equipped with a basement or any other underground / below ground room.

Is this possible at all? Am I able to build anything brick-like in a damp, watery ground like you would expect in a such proximity to a lake? Would foundations and general construction guides allow such construction? If not then what is the closest distance to a lake where such building could be safely built and exist?

Temperatures in north Nigeria varies from 23 degrees Celsius during wet season to up to 40 degrees Celsius just a few last weeks of the dry season, just as a wet season is about to come. Overall air humidity during wet season can be as high as 80 percent. If that matters.

The humidity of such cellar is not a problem for me / for my story, as long as such underground room can safely exist and would allow to carry some weapons and firearms in such conditions.

I have found and read through following questions, but I don't get direct answer to my question there:

Uses of a damp basement
90% Humididty @ 23 Celsius direct from Air Conditioning Outlet

I am a complete newbie to a house construction-like questions, so sorry, if this one is naive or off-topic here. Thank you.


texts: What's causing the popping noise from my speakers?

texts:
Several weeks ago, I moved into a new home. In office, I have my computer set up with a set of media speakers (older model of Logitech Z-550's). Every now and then the speakers will make a popping sound that is quite painful to my ears. I can recreate the sound when I flip on light switches that are not connected to any actual light or electrical devices, i.e. the outlets they're associated with aren't used (they're blocked by furniture). Other times it happens randomly -- I'm actually not sure if it's truly random or if it's caused by activity of other people in the house (in the event that it actually is a electrical wiring issue).

So I was wondering if this was a electrical wiring issue, which wouldn't be a DIY project by any means, or could it be possible that the popping noise is caused by the speaker wires coming into contact with other cables from my computer, printer, and other electronic devices. Or is it something I haven't thought of?

Any help would be appreciated!

Update:

The speakers all connect to the subwoofer, and the subwoofer is plugged into a Tripp Lite surge suppressor that was designed for audio/video equipment (I forget the model). The surge suppressor "grounded" and "protected" lights both check out (both show a green light).
The sub does not have a ground pin (assuming that means a 3-prong plug). It only has 2-prongs.


texts: Only 2 wires! - Replacing old 240v double pole t-stat with new digital double pole

texts:
I'm replacing a old Eaton M402 mechanical 2-pole 240v thermostat with a Cadet TH114A-240D-B double pole, 240v DIGITAL tstat.
In the junction box, I only have 2 conductors plus ground.  I was expecting 4 conductors.  See attached picture for how the M402 is currently wired, note that the black and red wires on the M402 are connected to each other:

Here is my double pole breaker (off):

The new Cadet TH114A-240D-B looks like this:

So the wiring for the new T-stat looks much different than the original.  Can you help me understand what I need to do?  I saw somewhere that in order to get a digital double pole tstat working I need 4 wires?...
The voltage at the electric baseboard is reading 240v.
Thanks,
Ben


texts: How to mitigate and/or repair concrete frets (slab edge wetting)

texts:
A building engineer made a report of problems with our property. One issue raised was "slab edge wetting" by which the building engineer meant that the concrete slab on which the house is built is being exposed to moisture, which is sucked in via capillary action to distort and weaken the cement. The report recommends there should be a waterproof (plastic) barrier wherever the concrete slab's sides would come into contact with earth.

Has anyone dealt with such a problem before? Is fixing this a simple matter of digging at the edges of the concrete slab where concrete fretting is visible and shoring up the plastic?


texts: Integrate water circulation pump with Alexa to guarantee shut off in 10 minutes

texts:
I have a water circulation pump which is useful for getting hot water to the showers without wasting water.  However, I am undoubtedly running up my natural gas bill in the process by running the pump too long.  Is there an inexpensive way to set up smart home tools to run the pump on a short timer?

What I have in mind is something like telling Amazon Alexa: "Please start the pump."  Alexa will understand that the pump is only to be run for 10 minutes, so I never need to worry about checking the pump after giving the command.


texts: Can electrical conduit cross over a gas line?

texts: I'm running conduit to my shop for a subpanel.  The conduit coming out of my house crosses over my gas line (see pic).  Is this allowed?  I just put the conduit in and wondered if this will get flagged.  If they can cross, then is there a minimum separation required?  I'm in the US.


texts: Does one wall socket share power between both ac plugs?

texts:
In a standard wall outlet (two three-prong sockets) do both sockets share power? Say I plugged a surge protector into one and a surge protector into the other and have 5 devices connected to each surge protector. Would that be the same as if I plugged both surge protectors in to one socket using a splitter?

I'm asking because I'm thinking of getting something like this
but it only plugs into one socket, where I currently have a surge protector plugged into each socket.

Would this be ok or will it overload the outlet?


texts: How tight should studs be when framing in place

texts: How tight should studs be when framing a wall and cutting them to length and installing them in-place?  Ideally I'd be able to cut my wood accurate to 1/64th, but that ain't happening.  If they are a little short than the stud will just wobble, but if they are long then they need a little nudge with the hammer.  The friction seems to be the way to go, but are there problems if the stud is TOO long? (i.e. can the floor move up, thereby pushing on the studs -> joists?  FWIW, I'm on the East Coast and not somewhere crazy like CO where they have to have floating walls.


texts:
So I recently remodeled my master bath. We put in a new shower head and hand held with separate control handles / valves for each. Our faucets we got was from Design House Karsen collection model number 547612.

When I turned on the shower on either the shower head or hand held the water starts pulsing and you can hear banging.

Somethings I noticed / check

Water only starts pulsing when hot and cold are evenly mixed ( handle is directly in the middle) and stops when I change temperature from this "spot"
If I turn handle to hot and slowly turn back down there is no pulsing.
If I turn on a faucet at the sink before I turn on the shower there is no pulsing or banging.
Water pressure which is from city, is at 80 psi. I was told that the pressure is kinda high but i have no PRV.
I talked to the contractor who put in everything and said that either the valves or cartridges could be faulty so he called Design House and got replacements.

So my question is if the valves and cartridges arent faulty (which I suspect it isnt.) Could it be the water pressure or something totally different??


texts: Can audio be transmitted over composite cable?

texts:
I have to transmit audio from point A to point B and all I have connecting those two points is a composite video cable (RGB).

(History. Old setup was: Computer->AVR[Video->Projector by composite, Audio->Speakers]. New setup: Chromecast->Projector(Video->Screen, Audio->Receiver by composite?)

Can audio be carried by the composite video cable?


texts: Does home security system only link to wire-powered smoke detector but not the battery-powered ones?

texts: Currently my home has battery-powered smoke/CO detectors, I wonder if in the future I am setting up a home monitoring security system with commercial company for the whole house (to detect things like abnormal temperature, burglar, smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide, etc), will it only be connected to smoke/CO detectors that are powered via wiring behind the walls, and not compatible with battery-powered smoke/CO detectors?


texts:
i would like to request an expert advice. My intention is to install dimmable led tape on living room ceiling. Ceiling design is on a "Π" design, measuring 5.6m, 6.6m and 3.8m (total 16meters). My LED tape (single color) is standard 12V tape of 14.4watt/meter. My drivers are 2x 150Watt (so that i have a good power margin). I also have power supply from both ends of my "Π" design.
Now, i am troubled about installation, powering and voltage drops and my questions are as follows:
A. Can i have total continuous 16meters tape, powered on each end from each one transformer?
B. Also, since i need to have it dimmable, if i connect remote RF dimmer on one side only, will it work?
Many thanks in advance!
Any advice is welcome...
Nick


texts: Is biofuel safe for this indoor fireplace with an open flame?

texts:
Having purchased a home without a fireplace, I've been searching for non-vented alternatives, like electric heating units that emulate the look of a wood stove.

I came across this interesting looking bioethanol firebox.

It is meant for indoor or outdoor use. The flame is out in the open. I don't know how it can be safe to use indoors -- wouldn't it create smoke and wouldn't a large open flame pose a significant safety risk?

I asked the creator by commenting on his YouTube commerical. He said it's safe because it's bioethanol.

I don't understand this answer. This is a real flame, right? Couldn't it easily catch the Christmas tree in the commericial on fire? Does bioethanol not produce any smoke, therefore requiring no vent/chimney?


texts: Voltages of floated outputs of an isolated transformer

texts:
First of all, I wish all of you good strength and patience to overcome this bad situation with coronovirus

I am electrical engineer in the electricity company in Cyprus. I confess that I have no experience and knowledge in this matter.

I look forward to your kindness in answering my questions below:

Why do I measure voltages of the output terminals (secondary of isolating tranformer to earth ground? there is no connection to the earth...!! there is something missing....!! I did't understand...!!

I have an isolated transformer 2kVA 800V/230V. I am measuring as below:

between two terminals (not directly on the transformer output but on a MCB, 1m distance): 232V
between one terminal and earth: 175V
between the other terminal and earth: 49V

note: the primary of this transformer 800V/230V is the two Phases output (secondary) of a three phase transformer 22kV(Delta)/800V(Star).(the neutral - site of 800V - is grounded).

other question: If I have a small generator 230V without connection to earth will i measure voltage between the outputs terminals and earth ground? if yes ... why..???

I need your help to undertand this measurments.

I will appreciate it

Thanks in advance

Best regards from Cyprus
Kyriacos


texts: Is this lint buildup in my tumble dryer really lint?

texts:
I have been having problems with my tumble drier (Asko T794C) thermal protection going out frequently and decided to have a look.

The tumble dryer is a built-in so the air intake is on the front panel:

Upon a closer look into the air intake I found what I thought was a really bad case of lint buildup.

The air duct is a plastic case which is really hard to open without disassembling the whole device, so I made a hook out of a knitting needle and started to pick the lint through the front grate.

Here's what I ended up with after an hour or so of work:

and from the looks of it there's more where it came from:

At this moment I'm worried if it's really lint and not some kind of thermal insulation or something like this.

It is much more dense than lint usually is. It's almost like felt.
It looks like it has quite long fibers and sometimes whole pieces of fabric:

It looks like it's built up in layers of uniform thickness (about 1 cm thick, you can see it on the grate photo).
It does not seem to block the air stream. When I turn the machine on, I can feel the air coming in alright.

What is this stuff? Should I continue picking it out?

Update:

I found schematics for my machine:

and this stuff seems to be what's left of part 6260:

Any idea what could this be and what could it be used for?


texts: Installing Lighting Fixture - Ground Question

texts: I have a lighting fixture that has the black, white and copper wire. The supply line has the same colors. I connected each color together. However, I realize that there is this green screw with my light fixture. Am i supposed to do something with that?


texts:
In a new construction home, when we moved in there is this residue on the interior window framing. This is not spray insulation, but looks like there was some type of foam on the windows itself during shipping (?)

We've tried several things to get this gunk off - goof off, goo gone, acetone, etc.

The builder at one point said they might have to just replace the windows or try some special type of paint. I don't think they are going to come through on this.

See the photo below. There was some actual foam there at some point we mostly scrapped off - if I recall correctly, it was more like upholstery foam then some construction foam in touch and appearance. We also see this in a few other spots on this set of windows, but this is the biggest, uggliest area.


texts: Are these remains of electricity meter's anti-tampering seal?

texts:
This is an electricity meter on top of an old Zinsco panel. The meter does not have anything else hanging that reminds me of an anti-tamper seal. So I am wondering - has anyone tampered with this electricity meter?

If it is anti-tampering device, then are there any fines against homeowner? Should I try to track down the person who did this?


texts: What is this technique of joining wood called?

texts:
I'm hoping someone can tell me a couple things about how the clipboard pictured below was made. It appears to be three pieces of wood (the same kind of wood), each stained separately, and then joined together.

First, does this technique have a specific name?

Second, do you know how the pieces are joined? It is very sturdy despite how thin the wood is.


texts: What could be the cause of black streaks on the rubber seal on a front loading washer?

texts:
I have a LG front loading washer (about 2 years old) that has worked fine for little bit over a year. Some time ago though black streak marks started appearing on the rubber that seals the washer door and on some of the fabrics, like towels. These marks appear during practically every wash, but not always to the same extent.

I typically wash clothes using tap water temperature, and use either Oxi Clean liquid detergent, or Ultra Tide powder. I live near Framingham, MA, USA, in case that matters (if it has something to do with the water supply?)

What could be the cause of this?


texts: What causes old wood smell, is it bad to ignore it, and how to clean it?

texts:
I bought vintage wardrobe and cabinets and some of them have this old wood smell that you can smell in old people's homes sometimes. Does it mean it's 'moldy' in some way or there can be other reasons? The wardrobe smell is mild, something I definitely smelt before in old people's houses, and I'm not even sure if it's a bad smell. So is it ok to ignore it and put my clothes there? It looks in really good shape actually. I've tried cleaning it with soap and white vinegar but it doesn't help. I don't know if I should keep cleaning or maybe it will go away if I leave it open always.

Most info on the internet suggests natural solutions but what about sanding and repainting? And what about commercial wood cleaning products? Anyone had any luck?

Thanks


texts: how to cure scratches and dents on hardwood floor

texts: What is normally recommended for fixing scratches1, dents, or chips2 on hardwood floors? Is there a special type of glue, caulk or epoxy out there?


texts:
I was digging a hole to plant a tree in front of my house last night (it was still light but the sun was down). The home is only a year old and is in California.

When I got a bit over a foot down, I came across a layer of rocks. Below the rocks, I hit something else.

I thought I might have hit the sewer line but when I look at it this morning, it just looks like clay pots - one inside another.

Reasons I am still concerned:

It may be some new funky pipe I never seen.

The rocks may have been an indicator.

The line/pots are perpendicular to the front of the house.

The line/pots line up with the closest bathroom.

Why would there be two pots (one in another) buried that deep?

Reasons why it's probably just pots:

The land was previously a large single home site with junk everywhere.

It looks a lot like a clay pot - about 8 or 10 inches wide.

Seems to be a really bad material for sewer line - I thought it would be PVC.

I thought the sewer would be deeper.

So can someone confirm that there isn't any kind on sewer or other line in or out of my home that looks like this? The piece in the upper right fits into the missing piece in the circle - I moved it to show there was more underneath.

I would have to dig up a lot more to get a better idea of what it is and am trying to avoid that.


texts:
The location is wooded Georgia suburbs on roughly an acre with lots of oak and a smattering of pine trees. There isn't much yard; a couple hundred square feet of grass with leaves three to six inches deep. And there's a 300 foot driveway I've been leaf blowing and accumulating the leaves off to the sides. One to two feet of paved surface has been reclaimed on each side of the driveway from years of damp leaves gathering.

The landlord said I can put the leaves in a depression near the driveway. Its volume is such that a full dump truck of material might not fill it.

My questions are:
1) What techniques work to move lots of large leaves 100 feet? Right now, I begin work near the pit and move 3 or 4 feet at a time with the leaf blower.

2) Is it safe to leave a dump-truck sized pile of leaves in "the pit"?

3) Any concerns or life-experience observations about dealing with the 2 to 4 inches of rotting leaves I am removing from the driveway edges?

Update:
Answer chosen based on direct applicability; I'm trying to preserve the existing grass and keep the people areas tidy. Even with the mountain of leaves I'm moving there is 10x more leaves several inches deep covering the rest of the wooded area on the property.

The pic shows me about 1/5 done. I laid a bar on the edge of the tarp to help loading it. The bar is from a weight lifting set and holds the edge of tarp in place while I used the broom to push leaves in. Then I'd use the leaf blower to sweep the rest of the leaves in.

Once the top layers of leaves were removed, I was using the leaf blower more like a hair dryer. Note in foreground the brick. The leaves are 2x to 3x the height of bricks used to line the yard. The "pit" is 80 or 90 feet from where the pic was taken and is now practically full. The roughly 10,000 sq ft area of the lawn took about 6 hours to clear. The leaves surely were there for more than 1 season, as the bottom layer was starting to decay and was clinging mightily to the earth.


texts: Do I need to prep/clean a new redwood fence before I apply sealer?

texts:
I just finished installing a redwood privacy fence two days ago. I want to seal it as soon as possible before it starts to weather.

I am going to use this product from Home Depot but it recommends that I clean the fence with this solution first.

Do I really need to do that with a brand new fence?


texts: How to effectively patch/recaulk small crevices between bathtub and bathroom tile?

texts:
There was some mold growing inside the caulk at one corner of my tub so I cut it out. In doing this I discovered I have a few small gaps in the old caulk I'd like to fill.

I want to practice removing/applying new caulk (I am a complete beginner here), so I'd like to do just the front part of the tub. Is this ok? Will there be an issue where the new caulk meets the old caulk at the front-right corner of the tub? (1st photo shows the small gap where I cut out the old caulk where mold was growing).
In the 2nd photo, where the outside of the tub meets tile, it looks like it is caulk but it seems different than the caulk used inside the tub. What type of caulk/sealant should be used here?
For the 3rd photo, what can I use to fill in the small gap where the tub, floor and tile all meet? Is there some kind of very simple pre-made grout I can just use to fill up that hole? Or should I use caulk instead?

Thank you in advance for whoever may take the time to read and respond to my questions.


texts: How to clear a copper water line in the concrete pad?

texts: I replaced a gas hot water heater. I opened the  valve to fill it while the faucets were off.( The gas is not yet turned on.) Then opened the kitchen hot ,of course a blast of air then some slightly cloudy water came out but the flow on hot is less than half of the flow from cold from the single handle faucet. I then opened the hot valve for the washer in the utility room near the water heater and it seems to flow about the same as the cold valve next to it. It appears the 25 ft of 1/2" copper pipe( for hot)to the kitchen, in the concrete pad, is restricted. When I replaced the copper flex line out of the heater ,it had a spoonful of white scale in it. I am thinking the pressure changes caused loosened scale to collect at some point. Any ideas ?


texts:
I purchased a pump that is 220v 60 hz and is wired with an australian plug.  The vendor said simply to replace with an American 220v plug.  I cut off the australian plug and it only has 3 wires.  I cant determine where to attach the 2 hot 110v?  Does anyone have any experience with this?
Thank you


texts:
I wish to have a motion sensor on the lights in my garage, but I also want to have an override switch that works normally, and does not require a specific pattern to toggle the override in the sensor.

Is this circuit workable?

                / Wall switch
        +------0   0-----+
        |                |
--Phase-+-----Sensor-----+-------+
               |  |             Lights
--Neutral------+--+--------------+   |
--Earth------------------------------+

The lights are 4x flourescent tubes in two double fittings, but I may add more later.  Or may replace with LED fittings if that helps.

Essentially I'm trying to replicate the function of an Occupancy Sensor wall plate, like this:

For some reason these aren't available in New Zealand.  Voltage is 230 VAC at 50Hz.

The main reasons for concern are that:

the sensor will have live voltage on both sides even when the sensor is off.
the lights will not be isolated from power simply by turning off the wall switch.  Adequate labelling at the lights should cover this("WARNING DUAL SUPPLY!  Disable sensor AND check for voltage before servicing.")

Related to but not a dupe of

How should dual motion sensors be connected?
multiple motion detectors wired together


texts: How can I keep my storm door from dragging on the threshold?

texts:
I have an aluminium double glazed door that has dropped slightly and is dragging in the lower corner opposite the hinges.
I can't see how to adjust these hinges.  Under the black dust caps there is just a black plastic piece with a small round hole: no hex or screw. Is it possible to adjust these? If so, how? If not, how can I stop the door sticking?

Update: the door frame is a single metal frame.  The hinges each screw into a steel plate which is free to slide up and down inside the frame when the screws are loosened.  The black plastic is just separate pieces of clip-on cover.


texts: How can I get recessed lighting on a middle floor?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I install uninsulated halogen can lights?

I would like to install some recessed lights in my living room. I've done this sort of job in houses with an attic directly above the room to be lit, but this particular room is a challenge I've not dealt with before--above the living room is a bedroom roughly the same size.

One thing working to my advantage is that there is already one light in the room, and I could have a row of lights in that same bay, which shouldn't be a huge challenge. The main concern for me is how I can move wires across joists. Ideally, I'd be able to accomplish this without having to do any patching afterwards.

Is this doable? Can you recommend a general approach or any specific tips?


texts: What can I do to keep my shed (or house) free of spiders?

texts:
I've got an old shed at the end of my garden, this summer I gave it a complete cleanout, but within a few weeks it was back to its cobweb infested state. Being quite an arachnaphobe, it makes getting stuff in/out quite an uncomfortable challenge.

I'm thinking of getting a new shed (old one is falling apart) but I'm concerned about how I can tackle these 8 legged critters. I'm fine with any other bugs, just not spiders.

I've heard that putting conkers (horse chestnuts) around the corners helps, as there is something they don't like about conkers. I've also heard that trying to "seal" up the shed with a caulk gun may work also, but I'm looking for confirmation on these or addition suggestions

Any ideas?


texts: How do I make carbon dioxide for a mosquito trap?

texts:
I have an insect/mosquito zapper. I want to attract the mosquitoes to this zapper to kill them. The best way to do this is by producing carbon dioxide next to it. I'm thinking that if I put a jar or bucket of some liquid (or other substance) that gives off a non-dangerous amount of carbon dioxide it will attract the mosquitoes to that area and the zapper will do the rest.

So what is the best way to produce carbon dioxide for this purpose?


texts: Where can I find replacement stops for a shower faucet?

texts:
I've looked everywhere locally for a replacement shower stop and cannot find the right now. This is from an old shower (about 20 years). I've attached photos that show the size on top of a ruler.

The wide part is about 7/8" diameter, the narrow part is about 5/8". The hole in the center is about 3/8" diameter. It's plastic, and about 1/8" in thickness.

Any ideas? I'd really rather not replace the entire cartridge for this one small part, since that would involve taking out tile, etc....

Thanks!!!

-h


texts: Why don't my 3-way switches work like 3-way switches?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How should I rewire a miswired 3-way switch?

I just moved into a house and am trying to figure out all the switches. I have now determined there are two switches at opposite ends of a hallway that turn on/off the hall lights, so I'm guessing it's a 3-way switch. However, they don't work quite as expected. Which ever light switch I use to turn off is the only one I can use to turn on the light. Once the light is on, either switch can be used to turn it off. Is this something simple to fix? Will it cost a lot of money?


texts: Sand dribbling out under baseboard. What could cause this?

texts:
The scenario:

Slab on grade construction.
House built 1938, slab poured in 1950's we think. San Francisco area.
New framing, new hardwood floor, new baseboards.  Completion 6 months ago.
Altriset and Termidor (both) pumped under slab to control prior termite issue.
Adjacent room is unfinished basement space. There's concrete but no particular source of debris.

Every week or so we vacuum up what seems to be sand from the top of the hardwood floor.  It seems to blow out from under the baseboard.  What could cause this?


texts:
I have two lights that are connected oddly and right now only one of them can be on at a time.  I would like to be able to have either, both, or neither on by using the 3 switch positions I already have.  How do I connect the switches to make this work? Does one of them need to be replaced with a 4 way switch?

Below is the current setup.  I haven't pulled down light A to verify the connections inside the dashed box and would prefer not to if I can help it.

If I disconnect light B and switch 1 (like below) then light A functions as a normal 3-way light with 2 switches.


texts: Install an occupancy sensor, old switch has 3 black wires

texts: I have an odd situation. I bought a simple occupancy sensor switch but when I opened it up there's an additional red load wire. The existing switch has 3 black wires and the neutral and ground are tied to each other in the box. How do I install the occupancy sensor?


texts: Should I replace my toilet's wax ring when I see moisture around the base?

texts:
I am noticing moisture around the bottom of the toilet, and can tell some moisture is staining the wood floor when viewed from the basement. The bolts holding the toilet are easily tightened.

Will that help or should I just replace the wax ring?

UPDATE: When I got the toilet ready to remove, drained it, turned off water, removed as much water from drain as possible. I started to undo the bolts holding the toilet in place. I noticed they were VERY loose. Since I could hand tighten the screws, I decided to just tighten the bolts a little and see what happens. So far (3 days) no leaks. I am surprised but will monitor it for awhile I'm sure. Feeling lucky.


texts: Does anyone have experience with insulating with waste-wool from shearing?

texts: Does anyone have experience with insulating with waste wool from sheep-shearing. I am interested in washing and deodorizing techniques and also in the  packing-density requirements. Plan is to use burlap sacks stuffed with wool, laid between joists.


texts: Temperature readings are high on income eletrical feeds to the breaker box

texts: I am buying a home built in 2006 the incoming temp the temp on the left side is 200 degrees and the right side is 80 with full load on. My inspector sees a tie wrap stuck down the hookup on the left side and says that may be the cause of the heat difference and should be removed.


texts: What should be the maximum PSI on the cold water line while the water heater is heating?

texts: I have installed a pressure tank and the PSI is still about 90 PSI . Is this normal?


texts: Replaced toilet valve & tube, turning water back on rumbles

texts:
I replaced all the parts in my toilet, and now when I go to turn my water back on (not the main valve, but the toilet valve) the pipeline starts to rumble/shake a lot about halfway on. I then turn it back off.

Is this normal? Should I continue to turn it on all the way?


texts: How to cut many shallow grooves on the side of a square aluminium tube?

texts:
I would like to craft a slatted ventilation panel/grill like this:

The frame will be made of square aluminium tubes (25 mm side, 3 mm thick). The slanting panes will be cut of 4 mm thick aluminium sheet.

The main challenge here is to affix the panes to the frame in a nice, regular fashion. My intention is to cut shallow (0.5-1.0 mm deep) grooves on the tube sides, apply some metal epoxy (e.g. JB Weld) and slide the panes in the grooves:

The whole point of the grooves would be to direct/hold the panes in the right position while the epoxy hardens.

How do I cut the grooves?

Is there some artful tool that could save me from tedious and error-prone work with a hacksaw and file?


texts: Wires barely fit in gang box, is this okay? If not, where to get deeper boxes?

texts:
What to do when the wires barely fit in the box? We got them to fit with a lot of fusing, but I'm not sure if that's okay or not. Lots of smushing down and the outlet covers don't fit flush on some. My concern is twofold - that getting all the wiring in there as fiddly and bent to make it fit will somehow make a dangerous situation. And if we just did it outright wrong and that's why it's not fitting.

Part of the problem: using GFCI outlets, surface mounted PVC and plastic boxes because this is in a wet location and I couldn't find any other boxes that were appropriate. 20amp circuit, so the wiring was fairly stiff.

Specifics: Big project this weekend to wire a fish room. As it is to be around water, went with pvc and plastic gang boxes and gfi on each outlet (at a wince-worthy expense) With the help of a friend who is not an electrician but has done a lot of cabling and electrical work, we installed 2 20amp circuit breakers in an empty panel, and 11 boxes with 22 GFI outlets using romex 12 gauge. I think this was the first time he worked with 12 gauge wiring though. We were actually able to make most of them fit, but there is a lot of wire in each box, and some of the outlets are sitting at odd angles because of the way the wire was put in there.

It might be fine, and with some more finessing get the ones at angles in there the rest of the way. But I want to verify it's okay, and if its not, figure out where and how to get deeper boxes to be used in a wet area. (I did see plenty of deeper boxes but not in an area that was meant to be surface mounted and weather resistant).


texts: Is zeolite effective for controlling room odor?

texts: This site (https://www.refreshinglyfree.com/Online-Catalog/Zeolite-Odor-and-Moisture-Control-Products) says so, but I'm not entirely convinced.


texts:
I have an idea of building a pegboard stand, for the purpose of holding kids art supplies.  For example, buckets with pencils, markers, pens, paintbrushes.  Possibly also some trays for papers.

Below is a picture of the idea i have.  In red, I thought maybe there could be additional supports for stability.  I want it to be movable, instead of mounting to a wall.  I want to be able to slide a desk under the board as well.

I have ZERO experience with woodworking, or building anything really.  Looking for pointers on how to get started and/or any reliable Internet resources for beginners I can research from.  I thought building a wood frame would be most economical and practical in getting materials.

The pegboard I have in mind is 48" x 24", and probably 36" inch from floor.


texts: Can I use Kerdi Board instead of Cement Board to thinset natural stone tile?

texts:
I've got these split face natural stones that come in 24 x 6 panels, and I was going to install them onto Cement Board using thinset.  Checking the boards out (Permabase Plus), they contain silicates which can apparently irritate my asthmatic kid (and cause cancer it seems!).

Despite being more expensive, would Kerdi board work as a backer?  I'd rather break my wallet than my kid's lifespan.

Thanks for your help.


texts:
The wiring in my property uses the conduit as the earth. I've checked the earth resistance and have no problems there. Unfortunately some of the ceiling lights are not properly grounded as the tabs on the end of the fixing box have been snapped off at some point in the past. Without making a mess of the ceiling there is no way to replace the fixing box. This means there is no obvious way to join the light fitting ground to the conduit. Are there any tips on how to do this? I don't think soldering a wire onto the conduit pipe will work.
Thanks.


texts: Custom pocket door with insulation, water pipes and tile!

texts:
So I have a little house and would love to use pocket doors all over it. It seems the Johnson hardware 1500 series doors with the ball bearing rollers have great reviews and slide like butter. So I'm going for those. I'm thinking of just buying the hardware though to frame out my own 2x6 walls.

A few concerns I have are noise, the ability to run shower plumbing, and tile in the bathroom against the door and having a wobbly wall.

I'm thinking of constructing the doors as in attached image. There is a 2x6 top plate and 2x2 bottom plates on each side of the door. 2x4 (or maybe 2x2 if it would be solid enough to allow for more insulation) studs on each side of the wall. 1" rigid fiberglass boards between studs on each side for sound control. 1/4" underlayment backing on each side in the door cavity. This leaves me with 3/16" of space on either side of a 1.375" solid core heavy door.  Where needed I should be able to run the plumbing between the insulation for the shower. My thinking is this should control the sound and be very sturdy as not do break/crack a tile installation.

What do you guys think? Am I missing anything here?


texts: How can I clean my fiberglass tub that was cleaned with abrasives to make it white and shiny

texts: I used an abrasive cleaner on my new fiberglass tub.  How can I remove the stains and dullness.


texts: Hanging ceiling drywall, rafters not all 24” center?

texts: I’m putting up 5/8” 4x8 sheets of drywall on my garage ceiling. I am finding the 24” center on rafters not all exactly 24”. So when I am butting up sheets some barely are able to get a screw into the 2x4 on the edge of the sheet. I find it hard to cut a 3/4” slice off the edge of the drywall. What is the best way to deal with this?


texts: Testing the exhaust of a natural gas furnace?

texts:
I recently had maintenance performed on my natural gas forced-air furnace.  During this maintenance, the technician went outside and used an electronic handheld device with a wire-attached probe to check the exhaust gas vent while the furnace was running.  He explained that the purpose of the test is to determine if the heat exchanger may be busted.

What sort of device is used to perform such a test, what is it testing for, and how would the results of the test relate to a problem with the furnace?


texts: How to wire ground when the sub-panel is Plug-On Neutral

texts:
I need to install a sub-panel in my home. Both the main panel and the sub panel are in the same building. I purchased a Square D Homeline Indoor Plug-On Neutral panel (Model # HOM2040M100PCVP) for this. I plan on using aluminum 2-2-2-4 cable to feed this 100Amp sub-panel from the main panel.
When I got the new sub-panel home, I discovered that the panel is designed to place the neutral and ground on the same bus bar.  Since this is a sub-panel, I understand that I need to isolate the ground from the neutral. I've purchased two Square D ground bars (Model # PK23GTACP) for this.
The question is, how do I attach the #4 service ground cable to the sub-panel? Is there some kind of special clamp to attach the service ground cable to the panel body?


texts: Can I run wires from two separate circuits through the same box?

texts:
Can I run wires from two separate circuits through the same box, if one of those circuits is just passing through (no connections)?

I have a switch in the basement which is currently wired to outlets in the room and I want to change it to switch the overhead light instead.

I know how I would go about wiring it. The diagram shows how the room is currently wired. What I will do is remove all wires from the switch twist the two black (live) wires together with a nut and remove the pigtailed ground from the switch (and the box). That leaves those outlets all normally powered without a switch.

This wiring diagram belongs to do-it-yourself-help.com. The original can be found here: https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/outlet-switch-electrical-diagrams.html

Now my question is, can I just leave those wires in that box even if I am going to run wires from the light into that box, and to that switch? The light is powered from wires on a different circuit, so I will have two sets of wires from two different circuits running through that box.

It seems okay to me, although it's not clear if I am breaking regulation codes by having two circuits so close together. I know you will likely tell me it will depend on where I am (Alberta), but I would rather err on the side of safety. Would you do this, yourself? If not, how would you properly route the existing wiring around the switch? I know that wherever I choose to splice those wires, they need to be in an accessible box.


texts: What is the reason and the fix for gaps between laminate planks?

texts:
After 3 or 4 years of installing laminate floors these small gaps started to appear between the planks:

I'd like to better understand two things:

Why/how do these gaps come to be:

temperature changes?
uneven floor base?
something else?

how to fix these gaps without disassembling the whole floor?

I found a couple of tools, but am unsure whether it's the right way, or maybe there is a different, better way.

Is there a way to prevent these from appearing again?


texts: Kitchen sink water pipes installed, not cloged but water does not drain at all

texts:
I installed the new pipes after the old ones broke.
They are all installed as the old ones, but somehow the water doesn't drain at all.
See pictures:

(click to enlarge)
I believe that everything is as it should be, for example the wall pipe is bellow the sink (obviously)
The pipes are not clogged.
There is no leak spot, everything works.
But the water just doesn't drain!!
Once the pipes are full, the sink is filling up.
What helps? Once I free up the pipe from the right sink, from the bottom, and when I straighten it up, as in the last picture, the water from the pipe drains.
I have no idea what is wrong with it. Please help.


texts: How to replace loose 4x4 wood fence post with a steel post

texts:
The original 4x4 wood fence post for my home's side gate (that holds the catch part of a gate latch) is very loose and wobbles.
The post is surrounded on 3 sides with my concrete walkway, and the 4th side is right next to my house.
I'm pretty sure the home builder company that installed the posts and fence (and built my home) didn't dig deep when they installed all the posts for my fence, nor cemented the base of each post at all (after 15 years at the house, all the wood posts are in fact wobbly and very very loose).
I'm pretty sure I can just yank out the post (hopefully).
I want to replace the wood post with something like the Halco Postmaster steel post.  I was hoping I can get the 8 foot version and somehow get the steel post 2 feet into the ground and then cement it (so that 6 feet of the post stands above the concrete base).
But as you can see from my pictures, the hole is only slightly larger than the 4x4 wood post.
For a proper steel post install, would I need to cut the surrounding concrete walkway to make a 10" or 12" hole, and then dig out a 2 foot deep hole to properly install and cement the steel post?
Or can I still install the Postmaster steel post somehow (e.g., hammering it down with a sledge hammer) down the existing 4x4 hole, but then I can't cement (or pour gravel) down the tight gaps to make it strong and stable, correct?
I read that using something like the Simpson Strong-Tie EZ-base product isn't good/ideal for fences, right?
Something like this:
https://www.strongtie.com/fences_decksandfences/ezproducts_productgroup_wcc/p/e-z-base.e-z-mender.e-z-spike
Any suggestions?
Thanks!


texts: should door locks and deadlocks be keyed the same

texts: Should door locks and deadlocks be keyed the same. Is there any advantage or disadvantage (besides having more then one key) in having them keyed different?


texts: Where Can I connect my C-wire on A Hot Water (Hydronic) Heating System?

texts:
I have a hydronic heating system (Lochnivar)that came controlled with an older (dumb) thermostat. I have 5 wires behind the wall and 5 wire in the wire packet going into heating system however only the red and white wires are connected on both sides. The remaining wires (Yellow, Green, Blue) are not connected on either end.
I'm installing a smart thermostat that needs a C-wire, where can I connect that on the circuit board of my system (picture attached)? Any advice appreciated.


texts: Does it make sense to work on the hardwood floor first, not last?

texts:
The standard wisdom, as mentioned by the fellow renting floor sanders at the local big box store, is to paint the ceiling first, paint the walls second, and finally sand the hardwood floor and paint with polyurethane.

I'm concerned by the dust generated during sanding. Even if I wait several days for the walls to cure properly, I'm sure some wood dust will need to be wiped.

And so I'm wondering: It seems that sanding/painting the floors after painting the ceilings, and painting the walls last, is the more sensible approach. Is it?

What about the ceilings? Since I'll anyway have the floor carefully covered with plastic sheets (or lots of newspapers?), does it make sense to also paint the ceilings after doing the hardwood floor?


texts:
I have a PV inverter that is rated at max output of 25A, and the backfeeding breaker in the main panel is a 35A. This is appropriate considering the 25A * 1.25 and round up sizing formula. However, I'd really like to move an additional size up to a 40A breaker so that I can replace the existing one with a quadruplex breaker to free up a space in the panel.

The main panel is rated 200A so I should be allowed up to a 40A PV breaker. The conductors to the inverter are #8 THHN in conduit.

Is there anything that should prevent me from swapping this 35A breaker out for a 40A quadruplex?


texts: How do I stop a door from swinging open without taking out the pins?

texts:
I have a door that swings open. If I open it a crack it will swing open the entire way. I want to be able to leave it at a certain angle and have it stay there.

Here is the problem, I cannot take out the pins (this is a door to my office I use several times per week, my boss said fix it any way you like but do NOT take it off the hinge and do NOT remove the pins), so I need something to possibly attach to it to keep it from swinging.

I noticed there are three holes drilled in both the top back of the door and the frame, it is like something was attached there before.

Is there some sort of device I can  attach to the door to keep it from swinging open or to control the angle at which it stays open?

thanks for any ideas.


texts: Want to install Japanese style unit bath/bathtub. Trimming a joist a bad idea?

texts:
I am asking myself if there is any way possible to lower the bathroom floor level without causing damage to the floor.
So I am researching if it is any way possible to install a Japanese unit bath system, which basically is a shower in a (deep) tub but completely isolates itself from another room, in a typical American housing.
Here's an example:
This type of bath system is commonly used in a regular household in Japan, and major companies like Toto and Panasonic sell the bathroom system/room as a whole as a set, which their contractor can build it together for customers (hence the name "unit" bath).
One key feature of it is the depth of its tub. In general, their tub is much deeper than one in the US as it is designed for soaking and relaxing. Thus, their unit bath system is generally designed to lower the bathtub floor height to accommodate with the bathroom floor level.

As you can see in the above illustrations, look how its ground level is lower than the bathroom floor by 197mm and 450mm respectively, and this brings back to the question above.
Obviously, one solution is to make it for a basement bathroom so I can dig up a hole and don't have a joist to worry about, but say if I don't have one. Another option would be simply to place the system directly on the ground floor and live with 7 3/4" steps, but I was hoping for a better solution. Not to mention, there would be a tub that holds 110gal + person's weight. Trimming a joist seems just too much of a risk to me... Any thought anyone?


texts: Shower periodically loses hot water, and then the bath faucet will be scalding

texts:
I am in a 3 story apartment building with roughly 20 units.  Periodically while taking a shower the water will suddenly lose heat and become ice cold.  I chalked this up to lack of hot water coming from the main water heater, but today I tried flipping the diverter back down during one of these spells so that water came out of the tub faucet.  Much to my surprise, this water was scaling hot.  I could flip the diverter several times and the effect was robust: scalding water out of the tub faucet, icy water out of the showerhead.  After a minute or two the spell ended, and it went back to normal water from both fixtures.

What could be causing this?  Note that there wasn't any water leaking from the showerhead while the tub faucet was on, or vice versa.

EDIT: My landlord stopped by and checked out the diverter.  It didn't haven't any visible problems, but he replaced it to see if that would help.  It did, and now the shower seems to work without any issue.  I still don't really know what the problem was, but hopefully this info will be useful to someone else.


texts: I'm planning on running cat6 solid cable throughout many areas of my house. The best way for me to get from the basement to the second floor is through a pvc pipe my builder installed with the house that runs to the attic. I have already used this pipe to run electrical wire up to the attic so I could install my outside flood lights.....thinking ahead before I order everything will I need shielded cat6 since it is running up this pipe with the other electrical wires? Am I setting myself up for a lot of interference if I don't use shielded cat6 and grounded keystones or can I just get the wall rated riser cat6 and regular keystones?  Thanks in advance!!!!


texts: Trying to find a way to shut the power off in the detached garage without having to go back to the house to turn off the breakers

texts: Each wire is already ran and hooked up to lights and outlets it was ran underground with pvc in to the detached garage


texts: Do electricians often/frequently interchange the color on the grounded leg when wiring switches?

texts:
A recent comment on this question said that it was not unusual to see the grounded leg of a switched circuit being used as the switched leg, there was some agreement.

This seems a terrifying problem if true.

For me, this was learned in the first week of working in the trade.

I could never have passed a rough-in inspection for something like this the day after a hurricane, of a latrine, at a campground in Florida, where he was so drunk someone else had to drive the golf cart.

Does this really happen often?

I removed my answer that spoke of NEC 404.2(B) due to comments by a user that did not think that a citation of, what is law, in some jurisdictions, was relevent to the question. The argument could be made that this perspective is/was reasonable.


texts: Replacement Bulb For Under Cabinet Lighting

texts: Have under cabinet lighting and need to replace burned out bulbs.  The bulbs are model G9 120v 25W halogen (ceramic base).  Would like to replace with LED bulbs.  What replacement bulb would work? Thanks


texts: How to finish Butt joint and corner bead within 5"?

texts:
I created pass through door between my kitchen and dining room. I am done screwing sheetrock to cover framing. I need to finish this job with drywall tapping and corner bead installation.

Now as you can see in picture, butt joint and edge of door (where vinyl corner bead will be installed) is just 5" away from each other.  How many coats of mud should I apply and in which sequence ? Can my 3rd/4th coat for butt joint be applied during corner bead coat ?  I am assuming that my corner bead coat will be wide around 6" anyway to blend in corner beads.


texts: Does water run through a kitchen faucet sprayer when the faucet is off?

texts:
I was attempting to replace my faucet sprayer and hose today and discovered that the hose I bought was not compatible with the faucet.  I bought a hose that screws on, the one on the faucet has some sort of connector and a plastic latch and wire holding it together...

So, I have managed to reconnect the old hose and just let the broken sprayer sit for the time being.  I'm concerned with how securely I have the sprayer hose on at the moment. My question is - If the water faucet is off and the valves on and the sprayer hose manages to become detached from the underside of the faucet, will there be a torrential outpouring of water, or is the water technically not running through the hose until the faucet itself is turned on?


texts: Electrical wiring problem in panel when using 220 volt log splitter

texts:
I have had this electrical panel for 15 years with no problems.  I have six 110v circuits and one 220v circuit.  One of my 110v circuits to several outlets suddenly went dead but did not trip the circuit breaker.  Now, when I plug in my log splitter into my 220v circuit it just hums,  but the dead 110v circuit comes alive.

Could this be caused by bad circuit breakers on either my 220v or 110v circuit?  Please advise.


texts:
How much weight can 20 ft. 1/2" pex-b tubing support when using it as framing for hoop shed considering I intend to cover it with 2 layers of light- medium duty tarps and I want it to stand up to rain/wind and light snow in the the winter.
The hoopshed with measure 20' long x 4.5' wide.
I'll have 10 20' pieces of tubing along the length of the hoopshed very 2 feet with 3 perpendicular pieces connecting the hoops.


texts: How can I glue behind my tub surround without removing it?

texts:
Tub surround is from an old installation and has to be at least 14 years old. Which is as long as we have owned the house. While getting ready to re-caulk the tub we found that the tub surround is pulling away from the drywall behind it. The highest is over a foot from the tub up the wall. That is from the middle of the tub/wall horizontally. Near the edges it appears fine.
We can pull on the surround enough to be able to see a little behind. The drywall behind looks great. I see no water damage. We plan on renovating the bathroom within the next two years... but not now. Removing the tub surround partition that needs the most significant gluing seems very risky as it feels like it might crack the tub surround if we pull on it too much and that would make for a way worse situation
I wanted to see if there was a way to get enough glue behind to get some minor adhesion. I attached foot and half length of 1/4 inch vinyl hose to a pl premium tube with pull ties. Tried to see if I could force product through. That failed after about 6 inches as the force pushed the tube off.

Click image to embiggen
Worst case is we are going to try and use a small putty knife to get the bottom couple of inches covered and hope for the best.


texts:
I found a couple of related questions about one GFCI for several outlets

How do I properly wire GFCI outlets in parallel?
How can I find the first receptacle in a circuit?

But I am not finding anything about how many outlets I can have on the load side of the GFCI.

What is the max number of outlets on a GFCI circuit?


texts: How can I disassemble this kitchen faucet for repairs?

texts:
My kitchen faucet recently started leaking, but I've not been able to find instructions on addressing this problem that will work with my faucet.
I don't know the make of model of the faucet as it is unmarked and was already installed when I bought my place.
Following basic DIY faucet leak instructions, I can turn the hot and cold water lines off and remove the aerator from the stem. Typically, these instructions then say to remove any caps on the handles (there don't appear to be any) and/or remove screws from the handles (again, don't appear to be any) to remove the handles and get to the canisters.
Has anyone seen a faucet like this and, if so, do you have any recommendations about how to get the handles off/where to go from here?
I should note I wanted to do my due diligence with trying to fix this faucet, but I hate it. There's no pull out hose, the hot water handle turns on clockwise, the cold water handle turns on counter clockwise, and the handles are impossible to clean. If the consensus is this faucet is un-salvageable, I have no problem getting a replacement that works better.
Here is what the front, side, above, and below the faucet/faucet handles look like:


texts:
I was running my vacuum cleaner and suddenly the kitchen GFI receptacle it was plugged into popped with some black smoke, a burning electrical smell and blackened the receptacle itself.

Did my vacuum cleaner die? Is it safe to try a different receptacle? Should I call the electrician who installed this receptacle in the spring?


texts: This old fashion drinking fountain leaks. How do I fix it?

texts: This old fashion drinking fountain leaks just a little bit from the spout, sometimes but not always. The on-off handle does not always spring back to the fully off position.  So a little water dribbles out of the spout.  How might I go about fixing this so it turns off fully?  Thanks.


texts:
My sink is leaking at the p-trap's inlet. It is plastic going from my garbage disposal into a metal fitting. It looks like it was sealed with something like petroleum jelly. I've wiped it off in this picture though since it obviously wasn't working anymore.

What is the appropriate way to seal this and prevent further leaking? Fortunately it seems I caught it earlier enough that not too much damage was done.


texts: Can I rely on a simple gas valve to shut off the gas?

texts:
I have a gas pipe with a simple turn shut-off valve in line on the pipe feeding the section I need to work on. Is shutting it off there sufficient enough to do the work I need to do, or do I need to shut it off at the main?

Scenario;
We recently found the foundation had bowed in just a little which put pressure on where this piece of pipe angles to feed a fireplace and the laundry room for a gas dryer. I had dead man anchors etc installed to take care of the foundation issue. Now I need to replace two pipes to take off any pressure from the pipeline.

See in the image, the foundation is pressed up against and even bending the pipe;

So I need to replace both pipes feeding this corner. Conveniently after breaking down  more ceiling (amazing what you find when you remodel) I found this in-line valve I turned off that feeds this section.

Can I get away with just having that in-line valve shut-off to do what I need to do? I've never done it without the main shut-off but there's like 4 neighbors gas registers in my yard and I don't know which is mine, but I still wanted to be safe and get some opinions first. Advice welcome


texts: Thermostat wiring on a non programical white and rogers

texts: Has anyone ever seen the common wire connected to the red wire??


texts: How to run 10/2 THHN outdoor wire in finished basement along ceiling?

texts:
I need a 240v (intermittent load will be 14 A max) single phase outlet about 30 feet from my distribution panel in my finished basement. The distribution panel is outside on the first floor. I do not want to tear out the finished drywall and popcorn ceiling, and running wires inside the ceiling would be impossible without major damage.
Is a metal or plastic raceway required along the ceiling?
Can the outdoor rated 10/2 THNN wire be run along the ceiling with just hooks, where it is visible? The wire does not run along the wall.
What does the NEC require for finished basement wiring along the ceiling?


texts:
It's about time to replace my anode rod in my 40 gallon water heater. I am interested in trying one of these actively powered models: https://www.amazon.com/Corro-Protec-CP-R-Titanium-Powered-Heater/dp/B01H459TAK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

because if the advert is true, this should take care of corrosion "forever", well at least with a 20 year warranty.

The major difference between this one and a standard noble-metal version, other than the fact that it's powered and made of titanium, is how short of a rod this one has. I'm assuming the rod needs to be somewhat submerged to have an effect.

How full does a home water heater usually stay? Is there a high/low water-level threshold used to determine when to control more water, or is it a continual refill?


texts: Can I tap into my hot water heater circuit for an exhaust fan and a extra plug?

texts: I am installing a exhaust fan in my basement and a extra plug so I am wondering if I can tap into my electric hot water heater for the power.


texts: Moisture Resistant Drywall Residential code

texts: Is there an IRC/IBC code that requires the use of moisture resistant drywall in certain areas of a home?


texts: How do I remove the head from this Giacomini TRV?

texts: I'm unsure of how to remove the head of this old TRV. It looks like part of it has been removed already. I haven't tried removing or unscrewing anything yet.


texts: Well pump isn't functioning after chlorination shutdown

texts:
We had to bleach our well, and we turned off the the power to the pump overnight. After letting the chlorinated lines set for about 12 hours, I flipped the breaker to the pump to drain the lines. Unfortunately, nothing drained from the lines and I realized something was not working.

I checked the pressure in the well tank, it is fine. I checked the pressure gauge on the pressure switch. It reads 0. I tested the pressure switch circuit and power is hot on both the source and load side. Does this mean the pump is receiving power but not working?


texts: Can I install luxury vinyl planks over ceramic tile?

texts:
My existing bathroom floor has tiles like shown in picture. I want to install interlocking luxury vinyl floor planks.

Can I do it over existing floor ? if yes, Do I have to fill bevel edges of the tiles with anything to level it ?

There are some spots where one or two tiles are not completely leveled with surrounding tiles, Can I chip/sand part of the tiles to level that ?


texts: How can I temporarily soundproof my apartment ceiling?

texts:
Currently I'm living in an apartment that has poor soundproofing. My upstairs neighbors get up at 4:30 am to go to work. They have two dogs. So there's a lot of noise between 4:30 am and 5 am. Like any sane person, I don't want to wake up at 4:30 am.

I've had many issues with noise in this apartment so I'd like to solve the issue at the source.

Is there an effective way to soundproof a ceiling that's not permanent? Inexpensive would be great too. I'd like to put less than $200 into the whole endeavor if possible.


texts: Kitchen receptacle sparked and now has no power

texts: My Aunt plugged in a device and the receptacle sparked. Now she has no power. The breaker did not trip and the GFI will not reset.


texts:
I'm replacing an duplex outlet in our kitchen and when I removed the outlet, I uncovered some surprises that have me baffled and concerned. There are two cables entering the box, one with three conductors plus ground, the other other with two conductors. Here's a crude diagram, with measured voltages:

All three wires were connected to the outlet via backstab terminals, but I wasn't smart enough to take note of which wire went where.

In a lot of ways, this looks to be wired like a split outlet, with one separate phase going to each plug. In that case, wire 2 (white) would be the common wire for both outlets, with Wire 1 and Wire 3 beings the two hot wires from different phases. BUT the original outlet is not split - both tabs are in place and a check with my DMM shows continuity between the respective plugs. So how this was wired is a total mystery.

One or both of these circuits also seem to connect downstream to a built in microwave which is no longer functional with the outlet removed, regardless of which breaker I throw. I really wish I'd taken a photo of the existing outlet with wiring intact before I removed it, but I didn't. Can anyone help me figure how this was wired?


texts: How do I attach a wooden post to existing concrete steps?

texts:
Background
At the front of my house I have concrete steps leading up to the porch. Having just rebuilt the porch, I've discovered that they are actually concrete veneer over brick. It appears that the concrete is roughly 2-3" thick.
What I want
I'd like to add a hand rail to the steps since there's never been one there. We want to use 4x4 posts and will install an angled wooden railing between the posts to match the railing we'll be installing around the porch.
What I tried
To anchor the 4x4 pressure treated posts to the steps, I attempted to use this 4x4 U-bracket:
All images from Lowes.com unless otherwise noted.
I bolted it to the steps with a 1/4" x 3-3/4" Tapcon screw through each of the 4 smaller holes in the bottom:

As I was drilling the holes, I got a bit of red debris coming out of the holes, so I believe I hit brick under all of them.
Screwing the Tapcons in, a couple of them refused to go all the way in with my impact driver. Thinking "all I need is a bigger hammer!" I put the 5/16" socket on my 1/4" drive ratchet handle and gave it a couple of gentle tugs until the bolt turned. Unfortunately, I put more torque on it with a short ratchet than the bolts were designed for and sheared 2 of them in their holes. I replaced the sheared bolts with shorter (2 1/2") Tapcons. I got all 4 Tapcons fully seated against the metal bracket, dropped the post in place, squared it up and nailed it in with 8 joist hanger nails. Unfortunately, the post wobbles.
It appears that this isn't the ideal method for securing a wooden post to existing concrete over brick steps.
What I don't want to do
Obviously, I have no desire to break up the perfectly functional concrete steps to repour them with a couple of cast-in-place bases, even though that would probably be the ideal solution.
What I'm thinking is the next step
Would I be able to use this cast in place base:

By drilling a large hole for the center bolt and using an expanding fastener like this:

Note: I don't think I'd need a 6" length, that's just the largest diameter one I could find a picture of. I don't know the diameter of the center hole of the bracket, but I would find a suitable size anchor and an extra washer for under the bolt if necessary.
A possible alternate method
Would it be possible/reasonable to attach the posts to the side of the steps by drilling through the 4x4 posts and running long bolts through them and into the side of the step? What kind of anchor could I use that would be long enough to do that? Does anyone make a bracket that would wrap around the post so that I can attach the bracket to the concrete with "normal" length fasteners then attach the bracket to the post with wood screws/lag bolts/joist hanger nails (thinking a bracket like this)?
Bracket in red with concrete anchors in blue and lags in orange. Source: Me! Copyright: Seriously? You want to use my MS Paint drawing? Sure, what the heck. Go for it.
The ultimate question
What should I do to attach my 4x4 posts to my existing concrete steps?


texts: How can I level a sagging concrete floor in a condo building?

texts: I am purchasing a second floor condo that has a huge sag in a corner of one of the  bedrooms. There is approximately a 1 foot drop in the corner. The issue has been resolved in the basement footings but the building itself is off in many areas. I am on the second floor of a 5 story building. My biggest concern in trying to level the corner is the weight of any type of leveler pushing on the common wall of my neighbor next door.


texts: How can I repair and level the settled edges of a basement slab?

texts:
What would be the correct way to level a basement floor that is this much uneven, so that I could build a sublfoor consisting of delta-fl and plywood ?

Thank you for any help !


texts:
I have an existing 200a service in my home.  The panel is located in the garage.  Over the years I have added several 15a circuits.  I have an air compressor I want to install in the garage that requires a 50a 240v circuit.  Will it require a sub panel, or can it be installed on the existing main panel?  If I need a sub, will it require an upgrade from my service provider?
Either way, I plan on getting an electrician to do the work.  I just want to know what I’m facing.

Thank you.


texts: trying to identify these bracket for removal for single post, kitchen faucet

texts:
I'm trying to remove a kitchen faucet, and I can't figure out how to remove the faucet with these weird 'elephant ear' brackets. Can anyone identify them or provide a suggestion on how to remove? Thank you!

https://imgur.com/gallery/lg2Yhkq


texts: why do I have power to my 220 circuits and my 110 outlets but 110 outlet will not power anything?

texts: I have checked all that I know and simplified my testing down to a 20 amp breaker connected to a single 20 amp outlet. Both are new. I show 110 power but  still will not power anything. I then put breaker and outlet to another panel to verify they are both good and test fine. This is a new breaker box installed to power my greenhouse operations. I'm stumped as to how to proceed from here. Any direction would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance


texts: Does shear strength increase with the number of fasteners?

texts:
Let's say I have screws with 1,000 lbs shear strength.   If I add more screws, does the total shear strength of the joint increase?  If I use 3 screws, then put a 2,000 lbs shear load on the joint, will all the fasteners fail?

I guess I should have been more clear, as most answers seem to be overly focused on the materials being fastened.  The point of this question was to focus on the shear strength of the screws themselves. You can assume the materials being fastened are stronger than the screws, the holes are perfectly spaced, and are properly sized for the fasteners. For purposes of this question, the fastened materials will never fail before the screws.


texts: My brother was shocked plugging in an HDMI cable, what could be the cause?

texts: Recently--like last week--we got Direct TV installed in our home on a Tuesday.  On that Thursday my brother went to plug an HDMI cable into the TV so that he could play the PS3. There was a big ball of orange light, a bang sound, and his fingers received burns. The TV and game system were in use for three months prior to the installation of the Direct TV equipment.  What would have caused the jolt to come out of the TV from plugging in an HDMI cable? Not only did it burn my brother, but we believe it fried the TV as well.


texts: How can I drain a dishwasher without an adjacent sink trap?

texts:
I am finishing the basement and have already done the plumbing and framing. Now I consider to add cabinet to a room. The cabinet will have a dishwasher so I have to tackle the drain connection. I do not want to add a sink.

The future laundry room is across the wall. The route between the dishwasher to the sink drain/vent pipe is about 2 feet long and involves two 90 degree turns.

What is the simplest connection in this case?


texts: How can I get rid of fleas in my crawlspace forever?

texts:
I have lived in my house since 2007.  I have a large crawlspace (dirt floor, ranging in height) where I have a nice woodworking shop.

In 2011 the shop became infested with fleas, but  not the upstairs.  Two rounds of flea bombs got rid of them but they came back this year.  There is no food or water source for them in the crawlspace.

I imagine that another round or two of flea bombs would get rid of them this time too.  Is there any way of getting rid of them permanently?  As there is no food or water source for them this seems doable, but I can't think of how.


texts: Installing Coax & Cat6 in 2-Gang with Electrical?

texts:
Using a 2-gang box, can I install a (1) outlet, (2) coax, and (3) Cat-6 line without code or interference issues?

I have an existing 1-gang box with electrical that I am running the coax and cat-6 towards. The new lines don't follow the electrical line, but I am unsure if having all the outlets so close may also cause interference or code issues.

Is it okay to put them all in the same box?


texts: What kind of soil mix to use for grading the perimeter of house to keep water away from basement?

texts:
To help divert water away from my home's foundation, I am trying to improve the grade of the landscape around the perimeter of the house. I suffered a flooded basement (about 1" or so) from hydrostatic pressure after recent rain storms that lasted over 3 days.

Question: When I grade the area around my home, what kind of soil mix should I use to help divert water away from the foundation?

Note: I have rose bushes that will need to go.


texts: Looking for an alternative part for a refrigerator

texts:
I have an old Samsung 2-door fridge. It's model is RS20NRSV. The damper control window isn't working anymore and it seems like finding parts for this model is difficult.
EDIT 1:
From looking at a manual I found online, the damper motor model is DA31-00043B.
Is there a compatible alternative that I can use to get similar functionality?
I've been seeing results that indicate the parts no longer availabe/manufactured.
Eg: https://spares.bigwarehouse.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=143_453_84389&products_id=1534011,
Part of what led me to the question is that there are parts like this, and this - which are not the same as the model I identified above, so I don't if they will work.


texts: How to remove window with minimum damage to outside trim

texts:
I've recently purchased an old home with windows that have probably not been replaced since the thing was built in the 20's.

The siding on this home looks new and I'm taking it upon myself to replace the windows for better fuel efficiency and so that you dont feel like you're sleeping in an icebox when the temperature gets to the teens.

Is there any way to remove an old wooden window window (ropes and weights, storm window on outsides) with minimum damage to the outside trim?


texts: Can I use an 11 watt bulb in a desk lamp that says "CFL max 9 watts"?

texts:
Hi I got a 11 watt T2 Helix Energy Saver bulb with specs stating equivalent output is 40 watts.

My lamp says CFL Max 9 watts.  Can I safely use this bulb in this lamp or is it a def. no no?


texts: Does an outdoor outlet mounted on a patio ceiling require protection from a GFCI?

texts:
My home's patio is covered by a permanent ceiling/canopy.  As I'm starting do more electrical work, I've noticed that the two outlets mounted on the ceiling are not protected with GFCI; they are also not covered with an outdoor outlet box cover (photo below).

I believe that the box cover is not required since there is no way for rain or water to come in direct contact with the outlet (it is mounted under a ceiling, about 12' above ground), however I'm suspicious about the lack of the GFCI.

Does the NEC require a GFCI on this circuit? There are no other GCFI devices upstream to this outlet.


texts: Is this cement board / Sheetrock still ok to use in my bathroom?

texts: Our builders are putting up cement board in the bathroom, and we noticed the pieces on the left have some stains, they look very different to the rest that looks the same as the ones on the right of the picture. Is it still ok to use them? Thank you


texts: Pigtail off before kitchen 20A GFCI for Cabinet Lighting?

texts:
I'm struggling finding a power source for the cabinet lighting in our remodel.  The breaker box is very full and I'd rather not re-wire/double up breakers are this time.

Is it ok to pigtail off of one of the LINE inputs of a 20A kitchen GFCI?

These are all LED lighting, which I've read about the issues with GFCI cicruits and LEDs on the load side.  Hence, pigtail off of the LINE side.

It would be fed into a metal 4x4 box and conduit.


texts:
Yesterday a contractor was doing work in our bedroom. At one point he plugged in a hammering drill and when he used it it blew the fuse. We confirmed the 15amp fuse was dead but I didn't have a replacement. After he left I replaced it but found out power was not restored. It is definitely the one fuse - all others are fine.
What could it be?


texts:
Here is the inside of our toilet tank:

Not sure what that "yellow thing" on the top is, but I believe that's the main culprit to focus on. For now, I'll call it the yellow thing.

When the water supply is running full bore, water seems to be leaking out of the top of that yellow thing, where the "cap" (or whatever it is) is. This causes the toilet to sound like its "running continuously", or refilling continuously. Meaning, its never quiet and just constantly makes that sound that a toilet makes when its tank is refilling with water.

So a few days ago I shut off that water supply line, just because the running noise was driving us crazy and I didn't really have any time to look into the issue.

Despite the fact that I shut the water supply off, we've still been able to use the toilet in those last few days! Not sure if that's normal, but is not what I was expecting! However, as you can see, the water line is pretty low. So perhaps we just haven't flushed it enough times (since it's been turned off) to fully drain it.

But now that the water supply line is shut off, and the water in the tank is low, the bottom of that yellow thing drips constantly and is driving us crazy.

Clearly we have at least 1 leak here. I'm worried that we have a leak not only in that yellow thing (again, whatever it is) but perhaps also in our water supply line valve. How else would water be constantly dripping into the tank when the supply line is shut off?

Either way, any ideas as to what is going on here and how to fix our toilet? The desired end result is normal toilet functioning, with the supply line turned off and with it not "running continuously". Thanks in advance!


texts: I moved into a house that was a foreclosure but has an irrigation system. There was no one around to show me how to set everything up. I know where the control box is and have read the instructions well enough (I believe) to test the heads but nothing comes out. I have gone out to the box outside in the lawn where the valves are and they all seem to be open. I assume the problem is that there is some master water shut off valve to the system that I have not found. I'd rather not spend $100 to have someone come out to just turn a valve if I can help it. Any thoughts? It is a rainbird system if that helps but I don't feel that is relevant in this case.


texts:
I live in a very old appartment which has a food pantry in the kitchen. The pantry has a wall outside and on that wall is a hole.

What do I have to put in that hole in order to match with the pantry requirements?


texts: Could Velcro be use to install secondary glazing rather than magnets?

texts: Does anyone know why secondary glazing (ie perspex sheets fitted inside the window) are typically connected to the windows with magnetic strips?   I'm wondering if anyone has used velcro strips instead, and what the downsides are?


texts: How can I mitigate humming from a streetside electrical transformer?

texts:
I have humming coming in and I think it is from the green box on ground, electrical transformer, in the front yard. It also has a hum. I have reported to electric company, but I don't think they will do anything.

House built 2003. Florida. Land O Lakes Area. Neighborhood has underground electrical utilities. Green Transformer Box in the yard. Hum coming from box--can hear low noise constantly making noise. House--can almost not hear when walking around. Once sitting on furniture or laying on bed can be heard constantly. Would not have bought the house if I had hear it now stuck. Wanting to do something to make the noise go away.

Whole house hums. What steps can I take in the house or on the side of the house to stop the humming from coming into the house.

Anyone has suggestions and has been able to get results.

Thank you for any help.


texts: How to make a Priming Manifold on top of my pool pump lid

texts:
I have been thinking about making something like this for a while to help me prime the pool pump at the beginning of the season. Today I found a picture of exactly what I am thinking about.

Can you help me identify what parts are used in this picture or what parts I can use to make something similar?

What is the best way to  seal the metal pipe to the plastic cover to avoid any leaks?


texts: What type of material is my countertop made of and how should I clean/maintain it?

texts:
Countertop was installed when before we moved in. It has a solid black appearance, when wiping with stone cleaner, it will be shiny but will dry to a matte finish. Also stains do not appear while wet, but after drying the white stains around faucet show back up.

The surface gets water stains very easily (dark and also some white stains that are easy to clean off) so looking to reseal, but would like to make sure I know what material the countertop is made of. I also can't seem to get rid of the white stains around faucet.

We have the same countertop in our bathroom and kitchen. In the kitchen white marks appear on the countertop after placing pots and pans on the countertop. The countertop is a little rough to the touch.

What material is my countertop made of and what would be good to clean it, remove stains, and help prevent new stains?

Edit: Went back and looked at the real estate listing and it stated the countertops were black honed granite.


texts: can I use a thick coating to fill the gaps between planks on wood deck?

texts:
I want to use the space under my deck for entertaining when its raining. What would happen if I used one of the thick bed liner type wood coatings and simply applied it to the decking and also into the gaps, After a rainstorm I was thinking the water would evaporate or I could squeegee it off, I also thought about installing a composite type material underneath the floor boards between the joists to eliminate the coating from dripping through the cracks while it is drying. After it all dried I would possibly remove the composite material and coat the underside of the deck.

So could you give me any reasons not to do this?