texts: Why would my plumber have installed two drain stubs for a single vanity sink?

texts: I had a plumber do some rough in work for a bathroom remodel and was planning to install the sink/vanity myself. It’s a single sink. Why would there be two pipes leading to the same drain pipe and how would one even hook this up? None of the other sinks in the house have this and I can’t seem to find anything like it online for a single sink setup.


texts: How do I seal a cracked pipe using epoxy putty?

texts:
So, I have a broken pipe exactly on the L join on the wall. It's a huge crack but no big gap, just a curved crack along the pipe.

At first I thought of replacing the pipe, but it means that I have to take out the tiles and probably destroying the wall which must cost me a lot.

I've covered the crack using Marine/Plastic Epoxy Putty and it works kind of well, except that the wall part is still blasting out water everywhere when I turn the water supply back on. I tried reapplying more epoxy on the leaking area, but it doesn't seem to stick on the ceramic tiles.

So, what are my options now?


texts:
My new house has a very small kitchen which is actually an extension of the house with its own roof.

I suspect its roof insulation is old and not effective, because this kitchen is quite cold (12 degres celsius sometimes).

Landlord says he doesn't want to inspect insulation because it's contained in a waterproof membrane and we could create a leak just by opening it to look into it.

I was thinking about installing a false ceiling inside my kitchen to improve insulation and prevent heat from escaping so much. The room is like 4 square meters. Is this a good idea?


texts: Can I mix joint compounds with different setting times to get a custom setting time?

texts:
I'm currently skim coating some really bad looking walls and my 45 minute joint compound is setting too fast for me to get a nice finish.

Can I mix the remainder of my 45 minute Joint Compound with a new bag of 210 minute JC to get something in-between?


texts: Can I connect a water heater to an existing dual-pole breaker?

texts: Using a Reliance 10 Circuits, 125/250 Volts, 30 Amps, 7,500 Watts, Model# 30310A unit to my panel. I was interested in running my water heater which in my panel has a two 30 amp breakers. Can I run this breaker to the dual pole 20 amp breaker on the transfer switch? Only concern is in my panel it is labeled as a 30 amp but there are no 30 amp breakers on the transfer switch so want to make sure that is not an issue.


texts: Why are my bathroom outlets and light not working?

texts: First both outlets in my bathroom went out at the same time.  I tried the breaker and it was fine. I reset the outlets, still dead. Now I have one main light in the same bathroom that has 4 different lights on it and only 1 of 4 lights stopped working. All this is in my master bath no other area is affected. On the other side of the wall is my AC unit, not sure if that could have anything to do with it. Any ideas would be great.


texts: Is it OK to seal the top side of a deck concrete footing?

texts:
This is a follow up for this question Deck footing 2" above the ground -does that apply to a patio? What is the reason behind the 2" restriction?
I decided to have my concrete footing under the patio and covered with gravel (and possibly bricks on top of it. These are 10" sonotubes on top of which I installed these:

The concrete footing and part of the pipe side of the support will be under the patio bricks.
I would like to seal the top side of the concrete pier with some sealant (epoxy spray?) . Is that a good idea? I will also try to complete cover the screws and the foot of the support in one more layer of epoxy to make sure they will have a long life

The other option that I have would be to use concrete sealant I still have one tube of this:


texts: Running 240v from two separate 120v receptacles

texts:
In my garage I ran two separate 20 amp 120v lines, each to its own receptacle, each coming from one leg of my breaker box. I did this so I can run my table saw and dust collector at the same time. They are next to each other in the wall. I have a third unused 15A in the garage as well, where a refrigerator used to be.

I just received a free $1400 table saw that's 240v 12A. Am I able to make an adapter for the NEMA power cord (15A) that will split the 3 wires into two 120v plugs? For one plug, I will run a hot and a neutral and the other plug just the hot. This will give me 2 hots, one from each side of the breaker box, and a single neutral.

I know this isn't ideal, and ideally you would have a single breaker that would trip, killing both legs. But, if it did pull too much current from one leg, that would trip the overloaded breaker.

Please tell me how crazy I am.


texts: Moving and Installing a Cast Iron Bathtub

texts: I am renovating my bathroom. My wife really wants a cast iron bathtub due to its durability. The one she wants weighs approximately 350 lbs. Does anyone have any practical installation tips for managing the weight?


texts: Where could the water be coming from found in this hole my dogs dug?

texts: My puppies have been digging in our yard mainly one specific area for awhile. The other day I noticed my puppy's feet were wet. I went to the hole and found water had filled in. It is only about a 1 foot deep. I also discovered some pavers have been put in the ground in that area. We live by a lake which is at least 200 ft away and the hole is at least 20 ft above the lake. I am wondering where the water is coming from, it does soak in and go away as long as the dogs don't dig anymore but I am concerned. I almost want to dig to find out where the water is coming from but don't want it to give away and get hurt.I live in Florida. We put in a fence on the other side of the property just last spring and never found any water and dug the post holes around 2.5 ft deep and are closer to the lake than the newly found hole.


texts: Two large pipes in basement. What are they?

texts:
I just purchased a home and have yet to move in. I am wondering what these large pipes in the basement might be? They both run to the area where the water heater and boiler are and then go up through the basement roof. Can anyone give some insight?

Thanks


texts: How to minimize waterback flow mess when cutting an in-service pipe

texts: The photograph is in the ceiling of the first floor under the home.  If the shark-bite is disconnected, a significant amount of water will flow from upstairs to downstairs.  Any clever way of preventing a mess with the water in the first floor is also appreciated.  Thank you


texts: Contractor removed and threw away a 12' segment and now I don't have the right material!


texts:
It seems like duct tape is really temporary fix for everything.

Obviously (or not) is is not meant for ducts.

Main questions:

What is duct tape's actual purpose?
When should I use it for a permanent fix?
Is it really a product with no intended purpose other than for people to be creative in DIY and repair?


texts: Why would my Geyser/water flow change from hot to ice cold?

texts:
I have a problem with my geyser (I think)
When I run the hot water it goes cold within a few minutes then after about 30seconds it goes hot again. This is an ongoing cycle while the hot water is running... Extremely frustrated especially during a shower.

We have solar tubes on the roof and geyser wise max V11 control panel. It is connected to power as well.
Any ideas or suggestions?


texts: Using existing outdoor outlet to run underground supply to fountain

texts:
[![I would like to run a 25' underground uf cable to power a fountain.  The closest outdoor GFI outlet is pictured below.

As the existing outlet is flush with the aluminum siding, I would like to update this outdoor receptacle
Can I get one that is made to  attach to the old type flush box?


texts: Why did my electrician put metal plates wherever the stud is drilled through?

texts:
My electrician put the metal plates pictured below wherever he drilled through a stud. My guess is that this strengthens the stud, because it was weakened by the holes he drilled.

Studs with metal plates added:

What are these metal plates?
Why are they used?
Is this good practice?
What are the alternatives?


texts: Replacing and outlet (2 plugs) with only one black, one-white, has ground wire

texts: I am replacing a dated outlet. when I removed the plate, I found 1 black wire, one white wire and a ground wire. The other outlets I replaced  had two sets of wires, 2-black, 2-white, 1-ground. How do I replace so that both outlets work?


texts: How do a replace an old baseboard thermostat with a wifi thermostat?

texts:
I don't know if this is a dual pole or single pole thermostat (n00b here, don't know what I'm talking about). I don't even know what voltage this is (240 or 120).

But here's a photo of the wiring:

I bought a wifi Honeywell which includes a number of different wire connections in the back (says, "will not operate without the wire C connected"):

1) Will this work, or do I need a different thermostat for a baseboard heater?

2) I see three wires connected to the old, knob-driven thermostat: red, black, and white. BTW, the old thermostat says Load is black and Line is red. Which wires do I connect to which terminals on the new wifi thermostat?

FYI, I did turn off the power at the breaker. That switch connects to 3 thermostats+baseboard heaters in total. The thermostat I'm working on is only connected to one heater.


texts: What could have caused these step formation cracks in a plaster wall?

texts:
Trying to figure out what these cracks are from. house was built in 1929, has plaster walls throughout. Someone said its the house settling and firebreaks in the interior of the wall.

Anyone see this kind of thing before? (images were edited to show more details)


texts: Why am I having an attic ventilation problem this year when I didn't last year?

texts:
This winter in the attic I noticed ice on the roofing nails. Obviously warm moist air condensed and then froze on the cold nails. When the weather broke and warmed up a bit, I was back up in the attic and noticed black mold on certain areas of the lower attic ceiling going toward the eaves.

Some interesting facts:

I have been in the house two years and did not notice this happening last year.
This is only occurring on one side of the attic ceiling, the other side is completely fine (no rusted nails poking through, no mold)
I recently put down some more plywood so I can have more area for storage, and before I did that I added some more insulation to the attic floor (rolls). I wonder if that has anything to do with it?
It was also a colder drier winter this year so we had humidifiers in use more, so that may also have something to do with it.

I am just curious why it is happening this year and not last year, and why on only one side of attic ceiling (roof).

Important Information:

For ventilation of the attic we have only two gable vents (one on each side of the house), about 1.5ft x 2ft rectangle each. These do not have any fans.
There are no soffit vents or ridge or roof vents; just the 2 gable vents.
Looking at the lower part of where the attic roof slopes down and meets the wall I notice there is a board that blocks the attic area from the soffit area/eave. So if I was to put in soffit vents from outside, I believe I would have to also drill holes from inside attic through this board so the outside air could actually pass into attic and not be trapped in this blocked off area.
The attic space is about 600sq ft.
The only insulation is in the attic floor and on there walls, there is no insulation on the attic ceiling.
Bathroom fans are vented to outside the home (not into the attic or soffit)
I live in Massachusetts where winters get cold and summers are hot and humid.

My questions:

What should I do?
Why was the gable venting system in place good enough last year but not this year?
Why only one side of attic affected?

I recently beefed up the insulation and seal on the pull-down attic entrance as this could be an area where warm moist air was entering into the attic (the entrance is on same side as the attic problem area). Will that fix problem, or do you recommend installing more ventillation anyways?

Will a fan on the gable vents do the trick, or do I need to install soffit vents anyway?

Will soffits with the gables work, or will ridge or roof venting also be required?


texts:
We had an ageing gas oven replaced with a new electric oven, which we had installed by Currys (A UK electrical retailer who also do installations). I noticed at the weekend that it has been installed on the same circuit as the general downstairs wall plugs and not on the existing oven specific circuit (the gas oven had an electric grill).

So now the only thing on the oven circuit is a single plug socket which is incorporated in the now ineffective oven power on-off switch on the kitchen wall.

Is this normal and/or safe? The oven looks like it only needed a 13 amp circuit, and I assume that the original oven circuit was higher than that. But it seems to me that it would still be best to isolate the oven from the general plug socket circuit, if only to ensure a safe load is never exceeded.

Here is a link to the oven: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/appliances/ovens/realistisk-oven-grey-green-art-80300924/


texts: How can I hide television cables on a brick wall?

texts: My handyman mounted my TV and cut holes at the top and bottom so we could hide the cords. He went to put the cords through the hole and found a surprise layer of brick  in between the holes so he couldn’t drop the wires down. I’m curious if there’s anything I can do to get them hidden? My handyman is out of commission with an injury and these wires are so ugly. I can’t take my tv off the wall because I have brackets and holes up there now.


texts: Wiring for 120 now with 240 option later?

texts:
I want to wire a dedicated plugin to the front of my garage for a new EV, which at the moment needs to be 120.  But later, I may upgrade to a 240 based charger.

Is there a suggested way I could wire this up to give myself flexibility in the future to convert to 240 without running new wire?  Like run 3 (hot -hot - ground) and just use one hot for now, and the second later for 220?


texts: Do I seal just the grout or the tiles and grout?

texts:
I just tiled the bathtub alcove and it came out great.  Now I need to seal the grout. My question is, do i seal just the grout lines or do I apply the seal on the tiles and the grout?

Thank you.


texts: Gas water pipe corrosion.... Can It be fixed?

texts: My gas water heater pipes have corrosion at the copper to galvanized metal connection. Can it be fixed, and if so with what and how?


texts: Modern replacement for in-room electric storage heaters (Stiebel Eltron ETS)

texts:
My house is outfitted with in-room electric storage heaters (installed in late 90s). The model is Stiebel Eltron ETS 208 (and 308). Those hail from the age where night-time electricity rate was relatively low, so they "accumulate" energy overnight and then release it over the course of the day.

One of the heater units has just started sparking and burning inside (not sure whether due to shortage or something else) - we were lucky to be home and cut power immediately to stop the fire/smoke. Given that the units are ~20 years old, it might be a good sign we have to replace them.

Question: what would you recommend as a replacement for such units? My understanding is that this "smart" electricity usage is no longer relevant, as the rate is the same for night and day, so maybe the new standard for such heaters might be vastly simpler... Recommendations are very welcome.

UPDATE: Closing the loop. I've ended up picking a plain vanilla baseboard heater (more specifically, Dimplex 60" 2,500W one). It is yet to be seen if it has any notable effect on my power bill. One interesting thing about it is that it supports some kind of wireless control protocol called CONNEX. There aren't too many thermostats that support it but there are still some. If I like what I see with it and end up using similar model to replace the remaining ETS heaters, I will most probably get such multi-zone thermostat as well.


texts:
I live in a warm place, so I never use the heating. It is only a few weeks in the year that it gets cold enough for me to turn the heating, so this is the first time I tried to turn on the heating. However, I set the thermostat to the highest setting and there is no heat:

I checked the heating unit and everything looked fine:

I also reset the breakers to make sure this wasn't the issue

and doubled checked the thermostat to ensure that was installed correctly

I can't figure out what's wrong with my unit. Does anyone have any ideas?


texts: (UK) Timber stud sizes and types, 38mm vs 50mm

texts:
Can anyone clarify why some shops sell 50mm thick studs, while others sell 38mm ones? I'm having a hard time finding explanations for this.
Some sites even list both sizes!

I need to build a stud wall on my existing brick party wall and been told to use 50mm and I don't know what to buy now. :)


texts: Moisture Resistant Drywall unavailable in 5/8

texts:
I am getting ready to start all the drywall processes.  Starting with the ceiling, I have trusses 24" on center.  The code here requires type x (so 5/8") firerock on the ceiling.  It is also a common issue where you can't install 1/2" drywall on 24" centers and have to use 5/8" just for that reason.

Well, this is all fine and dandy, except for my bathrooms I planned on 5/8" Moisture Resistant rock for the ceilings and it appears to be unavailble here and only sold in 1/2" thickness.  I will have exhaust fans in the bathroom, but I am not sure if that would warrant just standard 5/8" rock for the ceilings in the bathrooms.  I may be able to find some 5/8 M.R. rock but I'll drive 70 miles for it.  Any thoughts from the other DIY'ers and pros?


texts: Why does my Trane only blow cold air when the system is set to Heat?

texts: The thermostat is set at Heat at about 69 but it doesn't warm up. Stays at 65. Just blowing cold air. I had someone come out to look at my Trane XB80, and he said it was probably a bad gas valve. It is receiving a signal to open, it ignites, 10 sec later it turns off. He said it would be about $400 to fix. Does this sound like the problem?


texts: Can adjacent windows share a king stud to bring them closer together?

texts: I am a pretty novice DIY framer, and I have a project where I am closing in my back patio.  I'd like to put three windows in the center of a wall.  I'm not looking to mull them.  I was wondering if the two windows can share a king stud, as shown below.  I've looked all over the internet, but haven't found a good answer for this.


texts: Pulling up old laminate flooring from concrete slab home. No underlayment, just old adhesive. Do I have to remove all adhesive with a solvent or can I just lay the underlayment and place new pergo on top?


texts: How to temporarily mount a large object on the side of my house?

texts:
I have a large, wooden snowflake I made that I'd like to mount on the side of my house this winter, but I don't want to put nails into the siding. The snowflake is about 3' across and about 15 lbs.

In the searching I've done so far, I've found siding clips, but these either seem to be for vinyl siding, or they don't really come out.

I also thought about hanging it from some rope anchored to the eave, but the eave isn't straight and it is quite windy here in the winter, which may cause it to swing/scratch the wall.

I briefly considered mounting it on a post with a base on the ground, but I think that would look weird.

Edit: I don't mean to make it sound like any of the above options are unacceptable, except using nails. I've just been thinking over my options for the last week or so and these are the ideas I've had and my initial concerns with them. If anyone has done something similar, or sees a way to improve one of these ideas, that would be great too. I'm kinda hoping someone has had experience with using siding clips on non-vinyl siding and knows of a good brand that could hold the snowflake and is removable.

Here is a picture of the snowflake and the wall I'd like to mount it to:


texts: Why would changing a light bulb cause the oven heat and control to fail?

texts: I recently replaced the bulb on my oven. However I did put back the insulating looking ring. I pushed the oven light button while baking nachos. I heard a pop and the heat went out as did the light and digital display that shows temp, time... The burners still work though. New wires inside needed? New fuse? Can someone please help!


texts:
How can I fix the bump in my carpet? Please see two images below

Click on photo for full size


texts: My pump is streaming water out of valve from underneath pressure gauge

texts: I've drained the tank, refilled it & it's still a steady stream of water. Water pressure is good but pump kicks on as soon as you turn on a faucet & I know that's bad. I'm a single mom with no repair experience please help. Thanks, DB.


texts: How can I clean oil stains from vitreous floor tiles?

texts:
My vitreous floor tile gets dirty very quickly.  It retains the stains of oil, or any other  wet  material. I have even seen water leaving temporary wet stains while cleaning them.

Is this normal for these variety of tiles or is ours of low quality? Please mention the better way to get rid of oil stains in these tiles.


texts: Could precipitation from steam cause a light switch to short circuit?

texts:
Our bathroom isn't properly ventilated and so gets really steamy. Last night after my partner had a shower I turned the light on only to be electrocuted by the switch and have the light bulb blow. Is it possible that water got into either the switch or the light socket? And if it is how do we stop it?

The house is at least 80 years old and its clear there is quite a bit of water damage to the bathroom.


texts:
I've just moved into an apartment that has really nice IKEA-style (or possibly IKEA) kitchen cabinets, in great shape, but some of the holes to hold up the shelves are worn out. Surely this has happened to somebody else here before. I go to great lengths to not let this happen to my IKEA shelving units but the previous residents here have not been as cautious.

To make matters worse, the supports for the shelves are a low grade plastic with rounded edges that just don't "stick" in the holes even when there's a decent fit. So they aren't much help.

Anyone have a solution for this? Can anyone recommend

a) a better type of shelf support anchor and b) a technique to do something with those holes to make them useful again?

I don't have the right to take down the cabinets but I could do something non intrusive or that would benefit the shelves in the long run like filling the holes with something and securing these pegs.
Thank you!


texts: Convert light socket to plug socket for LED lighting strip

texts: I have a european (Netherlands) light socket in my house that I would like to convert to a plug socket to accommodate an LED lighting strip. My builder says it won't work, but he's Polish, I'm English and we talk to each other in Dutch, so I think it might just be a communication problem. Some advice please?


texts: Installing a Bath Fan Roof Vent Without Attic Access?

texts:
I'm interested in installing a bathroom extractor fan where there was a previously small regular fan, but there isn't an attic above the bathroom.

The switch is already wired from the previous fan which saves me from having to snake it, but I have questions about how to run the ducting from the fan, and about installing the fan itself.

The duct is 4", and I plan on running it through the roof to a proper exhaust vent right next to the bathroom. I'm not entirely sure how to know where a good position to make the 5" hole with the hole saw would be (since I can't see from the inside or put a marker like a nail for marking a place to drill), or how to get the ducting to a place where I could reach it and attach it to the vent.

What tactics should I use to locate a good place to drill using the hole saw?


texts: Did this ceiling have a shellac or primer or normal paint?

texts:
From the picture below are you able to tell if the original ceiling paint which is now peeling off had a primer, specifically a shellac primer, was it just a normal paint or no way to tell either way?
I plan to paint (emulsion) it or shellac then paint it. Could I also paint then shellac over the paint then optionally paint again or can shellac not be applied on top of a breathable emulsion paint?


texts: Would a 120/240 V whole house surge protector work with 120 V single phase?

texts:
I live in a place where lighting strikes and power surges are very common. After experiencing multiple electronic failures I decided to look into surge protection, specifically whole house sure protectors.

Looking at a variety of models and brands, most of them seem to be rated for 120/240 V (ground, neutral and 2 live wires). My house electrical installation is 120V single phase (ground, neutral and 1 live) and I just can't seem to find a surge protector for this specific installation.

Is it posible to use a 120/240 V SPD and ignore one of the live wires and connect the rest as normal? Would it work? Would it be dangerous? Any info could help me as i'm still an amateur in electrical related stuff


texts: Our water heater blew a leak. What should I do now?

texts:
The water heater is located in a closet with our central HVAC near the kitchen. The floor of the closet is plywood raised about foot or two to make room for the HVAC intake. The walls are drywall. The drain plug was actually replaced by some industrial sticky tack, and this plug popped out causing the leak.

The floor of the closet was saturated, as was some of the drywall in the closet. Water poured out of the the closet and pooled in the space beneath. Once it finished with that it began to spread. It seeped under/through the wall into the living room that has laminate flooring with some type of padding underneath. We have a concrete slab home, thank goodness.  After saturating much of the living room it seeped under the walls into our master bedroom/closet. Additionally it pooled in front of the closet on some tile flooring and then seeped under the wall to the garage.

Obviously we're going to have to replace the damaged laminate. Do we need to replace any of that padding-type stuff?

Are we going to have to replace the floor/drywall in the closet? Pieces of the walls?

What do we need to consider?


texts: Can I put small nails through plexiglass?

texts:
I would like to attach a 1/8" thick piece of plexiglass to the front of a bookcase.  (It will be open at the top and will be used to house a hamster, so no hinges are needed.)

Can I use small nails?

Should I drill a very fine pilot hole?

If the nail idea is no good, then should I use a special adhesive, or should I use screws?

I do not have clamps and I do not have any special drill bits.  If you want me to buy a special drill bit that doesn't cost more than $15 and that's available at Lowe's or Home Depot I'm game.

Edit:

I followed the recommendations and it worked great.  Very fine bit first, dipped in the dish soap.  Went partway into the wood too.  Then switched to a slightly larger bit and didn't go into the wood.  (Particle board, actually.)  The fine nails (1 1/4 " long) went in nice and straight thanks to the partial pilot hole.  Used a slow speed and didn't push much.  Operated drill while removing the drill from the hole.  Made sure not to overhammer the nails.

I left the outer backing film on, to reinforce.

Tip: to remove the inner backing film, I rolled it up with a heavy cardboard mailing tube (borrowed from hamster).

Comments: the plexiglass didn't slide around even though I didn't have clamps.  The drill bit never got hot but I did periodically dip it in the dish soap and I had the sense this was helpful.

Conclusion: faster and easier than it would have been with screws.


texts: Power to fixture to switch - How to wire?

texts:
I'm working on installing some recessed lighting in my basement and am looking into how to wire it. The way it is now, the power is fed to the current light fixture now and then to the single pole switch all using 14/2 Romex.

I was going to use Romex 14/2 to install the new lights and then continue it to a new LED compatible dimmer switch with the white neutral on the hot side, like I've seen in some diagrams. Upon further investigation, NEC 2011 and newer require switches to have a neutral, so the way it is wired now is not correct and that I need to wire everything from the first light fixture to the switch with 14/3 Romex.

Also, the dimmer switch I have says it doesn't need a neutral unless wiring as a 3-way switch, which I'm not.

I've asked two different people who have done some wiring before and one says to use 14/2 since that is acceptable and the other says 14/3.

Does it really matter which I use or is one more correct than another?


texts: Blower fan won’t come on in “auto” mode but will in “on”

texts:
I have a Honeywell model number NHGK076AF01 propane furnace. It is about 15 years old. The problem started when I noticed the breaker had tripped and I had no heat. After resetting breaker, I tried again. Everything goes as it should except when time for blower fan to come on. It doesn’t come on if in "auto" mode but if I put it in the "on" mode, the blower comes on and I have heat.

I replaced the limit switch L170-40 and still have the same problem. There is another limit switch in the blower area L140-40. I checked this one with ohm tester and it seemed OK - it was closed tester beeped. I am scared to let it run too long - two minutes maybe - and when the blower doesn't come on, I set to "on". Another thing is I'm not sure if it would trip the breaker again if I didn’t turn the blower on instead of limit switch turning everything off. I'm not sure what else to try. Funny the blower works in "on" position and not "auto". Thank you for taking the time to read.


texts:
In my garage, I have some surface-mounted (or flush-mounted) fluorescent shop lights.  I would like to replace them with LED shop lights, instead.

They are just plug-in lights, so the electrical part is no problem.  But where I am getting stuck is the mounting.  I can't figure out how to remove the old shop lights.

There are no visible screws anywhere, so there isn't anything obvious to unscrew.

The new lights mount by slipping over a screw head, and then sliding along a slot.  So, I thought maybe the old shop lights mounted that way, too. But I have tried sliding them, and they are very, very firmly attached in place.  They do not slide at all.

So, given that they don't want to slide, I'm assuming there must be some part of the fixture that opens up to reveal the screw heads, so that they can be unscrewed.  But I can't find any part of the fixture that seems to want to open or come off, when applying a moderate amount of force.

The fixture says that it is a Lights of America "LifeLite".

Any ideas on how these fixtures are mounted, and how I can remove them?  Thanks!


texts: What is the best way of removing 1.25" of concrete from slab floor?

texts:
I have an area of concrete slab in a hallway measuring 5'x7' which I want to even out and need to remove about 1.25" from.

This is an area being lived in so am hoping for the cleanest possible solution.

I've been reading about some pretty advanced concrete grinders that advertise as being 'dust-free', ie. removing the majority of the dust on their own.  Sounds promising but I don't know if they can take of 1.25"?

Does anyone have thoughts on the best way of removing that much concrete from a slab?


texts: How close can light be to exposed insulation?

texts: I am mounting a few of those porcelain light lamp sockets in my basement between a few joists. The joists are exposed in my basement and one of places I was going to mount one has insulation batting between the joists. If I am mounting the metal ceiling box to a 2x4 between the joist can I just push the 2x4 up into the insulation and then mount the metal box and porcelain socket. I am using LED light bulbs. Am I creating a fire hazard or am I good?


texts: I would like to hang two swings indoors.  I have an enclosed breezeway (sunroom) that is 13’6 wide. The swings will be hanging between two exterior walls framed with 2x6s.  The trusses that support the roof in this area are made from 2 x4s, and the trusses run perpendicular to the exterior walls.  The ceilings are 10’.  This is new construction, and we have not yet finished the ceilings.  Presently, we have added a 2x4 to the cross member of a truss (The ceiling joist?) to strengthen it and have hung two swings by swing straps that wrap around the joists.  (I may not be using the proper construction terms — I’m sorry)!  This has been fine for children to play during construction.  However, when an adult sits on a swing, we can see a little flex.  I would like a sturdy, permanent solution.  This is a farmhouse connected to a barn, so I could do some sort of beam if necessary.  Or posts and beam.  I have no idea  what size material to make the beam to span 13’6.  Can I just fasten the beam to the top plate (if that’s what it’s called)?  Should I add posts on each wall and attach the beam to the top of the posts?  The finished ceiling will be shiplap.  I could shiplap over the beam but I would rather expose it.  I suppose I will be fastening a swing hanger to the bottom of the beam instead of using the swing straps.  What would be the best materials and proper construction in order for this to safely hold up for many years? Would a 6x8 mounted to the top plate be sufficient?  Could I not it to rest on the top plate so that it drops below the finished ceiling slightly?


texts: Replacing old toilet flange, pipe seems really messed up

texts:
I've removed a toilet that was not attached very well, and found that the flange was partially detached from the pipe. In trying to replace it, I've found that the pipe seems really messed up. I'm trying to think of a way to get a good seal on this thing, but the strange shape and bumps make that seem difficult.
Has anyone seen something like this? Do I need to use a shallow flange with some sort of glue? Thank you so much, I really appreciate any help!


texts: Adding a sill to a Marvin Integrity window

texts:
*I'm sorry about the lengthy description. I'm photographically challenged at the moment.

I went about installing a two side by side, double hung Marvin integrity windows. After doing that, my dad said, "wouldn't it be nice to have a large window sill on the inside?". I went to look at some recent construction. The carpenter had put in window sills on all the windows. At a glance I thought that he removed the entire bottom jam of the premade windows, replacing it with a larger piece of wood. I can't do that now.

These Marvin integrities have a strip of wood about 3/4 of an inch high which conceals the bottom of the window sash. My best guess right now is that I pull these off and put the window sill on that same plane, right up to where they butted to. I pulled one off and noticed that there was a vinyl barrier in front of it, and a foam strip inbetween them that I sort of ripped. So, maybe it would need a silicone bead there.

I want to clarify with you that this is the best way to do it. The other thing is whether I cut the vertical jam out to a bit to slip the sill into, which would look better than profiling the sill to fit it. I'd like the sill to be 1 inch thick, but that would make the bottom of the sash look shorter. I feel like its not quite proper, like maybe I missed the opportunity when I installed it. The alternative would be to stick it on the front, level with the jam, but then you would a seam.

These windows have the same strip of wood concealing the bottom of the sash. If I remove it, there is a nice flat surface.


texts: Venting question for new shower install to existing half bath

texts:
I am looking to add a shower to my current half bath.

I plan on running the shower drain line to the existing toilet waste line.

My question is:

Do i need to run a separate vent line from the shower line to the existing vent or am i good just adding the drain line?


texts: basement bathroom flooring options in old 1929 house

texts:
I have an old house built in 1929 in Minneapolis, Mn.  I need to replace water damaged rotted basement bathroom floor(toilet and shower leak another story). Current floor is 2" by 4" sleepers set on concrete with either treated plywood or cement board(not sure haven't pulled up yet) and vinyl on top. I want to replace the floor but I need to do it on the cheap because I'm 40k undervalued in this house.  I'm also assuming the original cement floor under all this is in rough shape.

What are my options?


texts: Water Heater electrical installation to breaker box

texts:
I installed my water heater 10 gauge wiring to the breaker box 30 am breaker.
The breaker only has a white common, black hot and ground.The second breaker box has all 30 am breakers with only red hot lines.  The house is 70 years old.  Can I install the red line from the second breaker box and the black line and ground  from the 1st breaker box to the water heater?  If not then will I have to have another sub panel installed because there isn't any more room in the old breaker box.

On the main panel the is a 100 amp double breaker and two 60 amp double breakers.
The previous owner ran line off one of the 60 am double breakers for the washer and dryer.  I guess I will have to run 10 gauge line to a new breaker box off of the main panel and then in to the hot water heater.  Thank you for your advice.


texts:
I am replacing a ceiling fan where the old fan had 2 wall switches (one for fan and one for the light)  I read a previous post related to this question, but does not apply to my situation. The wires in the ceiling box are the same (black, white, green, and red) but no blue.  The new fan (with remote and light)) has only black, white, and green wires.  When connecting the new fan wires to the same color wires in the box, the new fan runs at a very slow speed , but does not respond to the remote, other than on and off.  Anyone know what the problem is?
Oh, and the white wire from the box comes off of two white wires, one of which was hot, even when both wall switches were off. I believe it came from a common white connected to another ceiling light in the next room. When I disconnected the joint

The new fan is a Harbor breeze model saratoga #00798.


texts:
I have a 4' high chain link fence that I want to block the view of the neighbor's yard.  Slats would be cheap, but only offer 80% coverage.  Looking for a cheap solution, would PT plywood work?  Would painting it with a polyurathane varnish be enough?  Here is an idea of what I want to do:

I plan on smaller pieces in length than shown, but want something quick and easy.


texts: How can I remove a key that has broken off in a lock?

texts: I broke a key off in the lock of a desk drawer.  The lock doesn't look easily replaceable, so how can I remove it?  I've tried tweezers but they can't get enough of a grip to pull it out.


texts: Baseboard installation floating floor without transitions

texts: When stalling floating floor without transitions- hallway, dining room, and living room- do you or can you install baseboards in the hallway before completing the other rooms, or is it all installed after ALL flooring is down?


texts: Is it best to frame a powder room and a couple closets first, on top of plywood subfloor, or best to lay hardwood planks first then frame on top?  I guess it would be fewer cuts to frame second. What are other considerations? What's typically done?


texts: Thinking of switching to a salt water pool

texts:
I’m getting conflicting opinions from a couple local pool service providers on the benefits of going to a saltwater pool.

I’m hearing it’s maintenance free compared to regular chlorine.
Then I hear it’s not maintenance free because you have additional chemical levels to watch.

The worst part is the anti-salt folks mentioned the pool can turn green even if the chemicals are in balance.
I have a 36k gallon pool with a heater, Hayward 2 speed pump and a big de filter.

Any advice if I should switch to salt?


texts: can I put a double 50 amp pole in a 100 amp box


texts: The wiring in my garage is on the fritz. A few weeks ago, the breaker that my garage door opener and motion light are connected to tripped. I reset it and the breaker was fine for a few weeks. The breaker tripped again and wouldn't reset. I replaced the breaker (its a QO 20A) thinking it was bad, but it kept tripping. I unplugged my garage door opener, reset the breaker and it still trips. There is nothing else plugged into any other outlets. An electrician friend of mine, who hooked-up all the power, says that I should try the same kind breaker as the one that is hooked up to the lights. My co-workers think it's a short in the wiring. Th


texts: Transitioning from pre-existing bullnose tile edge to drywall

texts:
How can I create a clean line between a pre-existing bullnose tile edge and the drywall that is to be skim coated and painted?

I was disgusted with the upper half of my bathroom walls which were covered with decades-old curled wallpaper, and tore it down. I want to keep the bullnose tile (covered in painter's tape in attached photo) but don't want to do any tile work.

Any thoughts on this would be well appreciated.


texts: Is the ceiling above a shower a "wet" or "damp" location?

texts:
I want to install recessed lights in my bathroom, in particular in the shower.  The definition for a "wet location" in the Canadian Electrical Code is something like "where it might get sprayed with water".  According to that, I would think the shower ceiling is a wet location, but most lights I've seen advertised for shower use are listed as "damp" (even a few "dry") location.  So... which one is it?  (I'm in Ontario, Canada).

The NEC seems a bit more specific than the CEC regarding lights above a shower/bath, but even then it's not clear what they mean by "subject to shower spray" (direct, indirect?).  The ceiling wouldn't normally get sprayed, but it's of course possible.


texts: Mystery pipes in basement - where do they go?

texts:
Newbie to the forum here. Will upload photos this evening, but thought I'd start with the question/context:

Just bought a fixer upper farmhouse in Portland, OR area. House is at least 1930s, could be older (long story). We also don't know if it was originally post and beam with foundation added later, but it's safe to assume that the house's sewer connection was only added in the late 40s/early 50s when the surrounding farm land became a neighborhood.

The house sits on half crawlspace, half unfinished basement. In the basement area, the sewer line leaves the foundation approx. two feet up the wall, then runs approx. 19 feet to the sewer main. A sewer scope has shown this line to be clean. There's an exterior clean-out, but the plumber couldn't find it.

Back inside, there is also a basement floor drain (below the sewer outtake). It appears to be old galvanized, and does not have a p-trap bypass. To me, this suggests it's not sewer, but after sucking with a shop-vac over the pipe opening it certainly smelled like sewer. I poured ~1 gallon of water down the hole and it drained well. There is a lot of visible debris, though.

Additionally, there are two 2" PVC pipes that drop vertically into the floor of the basement (again, below the sewer outtake). One is a drain for both the bathroom sink (upstairs) and the washer (in basement); the other appears to be a vent (goes up through the floor), but am still trying to determine. There is no sump/sewer pump in the basement.

One last detail: public records of the local sewer system indicate that my property has two sewer laterals. I have no idea where the second one goes, but it appears to be further away from the house.

My question(s), then: Is it possible the floor drain and 2" PVC pipes connect to the main sewer line out of the house? Aside from scoping them (the original scope didn't inspect these), is there an easy way to find out? Alternatively, could they go to the second mystery sewer lateral, or to a drywell?

Thanks everyone, apologies for the novel.


texts:
A detached garage on a property was recently wired with a 220 circuit to accommodate lighting, washer, and electric dryer .

The problem is the GFI for the washer blinks red.


texts: How can I permanently fix a sagging floor?

texts:
I have a home I purchased roughly 18 months ago. The house is a traditional 2 story cape code (3BR 1BA) and is structurally very sound and extremely stable.

However, on the primary floor of the house, near where the flu/chimney rises from the basement, adjacent to the bathroom, the floor sags roughly 1/4" to 1/3" over a span of about 12'. From inspecting the floor joists below, trim work and hardwood floors, it appears it has been this way for a very long time.

My initial thought is that this could be corrected over an extended period of time by slowing applying pressure to the affected area from below. It's a relatively minor deviation in the floor, but it is noticeable.

Would it be advisable to true up the floor with a pair of threaded posts and a small beam under the affected area?

Are there any possible unwanted side effects or structural considerations that need to be made? (Ex. load shift, cracks in drywall, etc.)

Should an engineer be brought in to assess this situation?


texts: How do I run CAT-6 cable in existing drywall?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to run ethernet cable through wall cavity

I've been interested in running a really fast hard-line network for a while, but the main deterrent has been installing the CAT-6 cable in the walls and installing face plates for outlets. I'm trying to understand exactly what would be required for my current setup.

It's a one-story apartment, not sure on the square footage, but I'd definitely do almost all of the cable through the wall.

How do I pass the cable through studs? Do I have to cut away at the drywall and drill a hole through each stud I want to pass through? Also, how much drywall will I have to cut away and patch? Will it be every stud? Is there a "from-scratch" guide available to instruct on how to do this?


texts: What can I do to keep this Gazebo from tipping when wind comes? The sticks that come with it to dig into the ground is not strong enough to hold it in place.


texts: Is it possible to install a ceiling fan box (new construction) and only attach a ceiling light fixture to it instead of a fan? I would like to have the fan box installed for future application but do not want a fan installed as of now.


texts: Can I safely bypass the door switch on my dryer?

texts:
The door switch on my dryer is broken (the rocker part of the switch just hangs loose) and the dryer won't start.  I have the part number, but I won't be able to get one for several days.  Is this switch really just a switch?  Or does it serve some other function.  I'm wondering if it's relatively safe to just cut off the switch and short the wires together behind the molex connector for the next couple days until I can get the part.

Whirlpool dryer: part 3406104


texts:
I'm remodeling our family room (drywall is up and mud is almost done... and yes, I'm realizing I should have figured out a lot more specifics of lighting before finishing the drywall).  The room has no lighting currently but I did run electrical for 3 way switches... we plan to do recessed lighting.  Here's the question... how many canned lights is recommended?
The room is 16 by 21.5 ft.  It's got a fireplace one the south side, large opening to dining/living room and kitchen bar on west side, large picture window w/casements on east side... the north end of the room has an entryway area (NE corner), and hall w/laundry, bathroom and garage entry (N center of room). The ceiling is 8'.
I'm reading mostly that the cans should be 4 ft apart (2-3 feet from the wall.  That comes to 20 lights!  Seem like a lot.   I plan to do 2 for accent on the fireplace.
Not sure if I should do 4" or 6" cans... what determines that?
Also, I'm thinking about zoning them (i.e. put them on 3 or 4 different switches/groups).

Is there another approach I should be taking to figuring this out?
I'm getting mixed answers/recommendations.
Nate


texts: Code question about wye and 90 degree elbow

texts: Can a 90 degree elbow be placed right next to a Wye?  The toilet drains into main branch by a wye. It immediately goes into a 90 elbow to drop the main branch down to the sewer.


texts: What's better for outside trim- treated pine 1x4 or painted/primed yellow pine in Houston?

texts: Which is best choice? Contractor says pressure treated pine does not hold paint because it might still be wet.  He prefers primed and painted yellow pine.  This is for a rental.  On my home I live in, I have seen the untreated Yellow Pine (fascia) fail in <8 years even though it was primed both sides with Kilz. 19 years ago I had treated pine 1x4 trim installed and painted and still is good.  Oil base primer will be used regardless.  Is there a pressure treated 1x4 spec. or brand that is more dry & paint friendly?  This is Houston so high heat & humidity and lots of rain.


texts: I was driving past a house under construction and saw this device in its driveway. It was operating, making a continual noise. Does anyone know what this machine is and what it does?


texts: I've been told that PEX requires home runs to a manifold (or star topology, to borrow from networking) to maintain the same flow rate/pressure as copper. Anyone else heard this?


texts:
I would like to repaint a standard UK tired looking central heating radiator to a copper looking colour. My question is how to strip the current white paint really? Please see the photo attached. I don't know what sort of metal is radiator made of or what kind of paint is it currently. Do I just sandpaper it?

After the paint is removed, what kind of paint do I need? Is it a bucket and the brush I need or something else, spray paint? I wouldn't mind the paint being more distressed looking than on the example photo below. It would be amazing to apply the same paint to various exposed pipes around the room as well, all currently painted white, do I use the same approach?


texts: Powering 5 foot section of LED flexible light strip with AA batteries

texts: I need to light traveling show cases with no AC power available. How do I hook up LED flexible light strips to AA batteries. (I bought 20 led per foot reels and 40 led per foot reels. Single color, not RGB) Can't seem to find a AA or AAA battery holder to hook/solder LED lights to. Plenty of AC to DC converters, but not useful in my situation. Thought about buying battery operated 20 foot, LED string lights, discarding the string lights and using the battery holder contraption for my 5 foot section of LED light strips. Just don't know if that could harm the flexible light strips or give them enough power. Are there any setups like this I can buy?


texts: How many times can new shingles be put over the existing roof?

texts: How many times can new shingles be put over an existing roof? Two or three times?


texts: Abrasion on shower head pipe -- must replace?

texts:
While renovating a bathroom, during demo I discovered that the pipe leading from my water valve up to the shower head had a slight bend in it, causing it to press against the inside of the greenboard that used to be installed over it.  Over the course of 15 years, vibrations in this showerhead pipe caused it to develop a flat spot where it had rubbed against the greenboard.

I have since bent the pipe inwards a little, at that location, to stop this abrasion.  And, I believe it is safe to not replace, since this pipe never sees much pressure (as the shower head is never in a sealed state.)

But, I thought it wise to at least ask for a semi-professional perspective on the topic.

I would estimate that 1mm or less of thickness has been lost.

If I have to replace it, then I'd need to call in an actual plumber to sweat it out, and a new one in.


texts: I installed a new bathroom fan. I ran a wire to the light switch, but when I opened the box, there were only two wires inside. How do I wire it so I have a switch for fan and light?


texts:
I need to hang a pretty heavy mirror over 50lbs but I do not have a stud. The wall is drywall. I wanted to use Hillman 122310 Brass Conventional Picture Hangers, but the instructions on the back say the 100lb weight support is only if you hit a stud.
Can someone tell me what works well for a heavy mirror that does not have a wire on the back of it. It basically has two circles on the back framed so that a high or screw can be placed into it.
Do I need a stud 100% or can I go right to drywall only?


texts: Can this frost free garden faucet leak be fixed?

texts:
I have a garden faucet that appears to leak through the packing nut but it is hard to tell. I have a video that shows the leak.

https://youtu.be/-BHnZI1TVb8

When I slowly open the faucet, the leak gradually increases but then almost stops when the faucet is fully opened. Is the packing nut bad or is it something else? Can a new packing nut fix this?


texts:
My son has 2 regular outlets the second leads to the first of 4 GFCI outlets in the kitchen. When he uses either regular outlet it trips the GFCI. We changed both outlets although there was no apparent defects or damage. It still trips the GFCI. We then changed the GFCI. Again it trips when either of the two regular outlets are used. He can use the GFCI (the one that trips) with no problems and the three after the one that trips are fine. Which makes me believe the problem lies before the GFCI outlets begin.  It drives me nuts when I can figure things out. Anyhow here's a list of the order of the outlets.

Regular - Regular - GFCI( the one that trips) - Switch for above sink light - GFCI - GFCI

How GFCI is wired below:

Left side one 3 whites
Right side 2 blacks
Bottom ground

GFCI outlet wiring drawing ,,,,,,,,,,,


texts:
Edit 2: I called an engineer and paid for his evaluation of the wall. It's not load bearing. Realized that I left out some basics about the house.

This house is built on a raised foundation with cripple walls attaching the floor joists to the foundation. The metal post is attached to the fireplace foundation (which is independent of the houses foundation). There is no foundation (just 3 feet of empty air) underneath the wall I want to remove. The header is just oddly sized.

The header does not connect to the beam.

Edit 1: I decided to punch a hole above the door frame. The header is a 4x6, but the cripple studs do not attach to the Beam(which is load bearing). I was able to get into the "attic" and look at the top plate of the wall. It's a 2x4, nailed to the side of the 2x8 rafter.

I followed the link below for how to identify if your wall is load bearing:
Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

If there is a load bearing wall or beam directly above or below this wall, it is likely load bearing. There is a load bearing beam above the wall, it's supported by it's own metal pole directly to the foundation.

If there's a single top plate, the wall most likely isn't load bearing. I found what looks like a single top plate, nailed to the side of a rafter. There is a gap between the top plate and the roof.

Expose the wall over a doorway or pass-through. If it's a solid 2x6 or greater turned vertically going from the jack stud on one side to the other, there's a good chance the wall is load bearing. If there are only cripple studs on a flat 2x4 to give you something to attach the drywall, it likely isn't load bearing. It's a 4x6, which seems very beefy for the location. However, there is nothing under the king / jack studs but a single 2x4. They aren't tied directly to the foundation.

So, overall pretty confused.

Original post
I have a wall in my house I would like to eventually remove completely. But, in the mean time I am just trying to make the opening to the kitchen bigger.

I am trying to figure out if I should stop where I am at, or keep going up, so that the ceiling is continuous between then kitchen and living room.

I don’t think the wall is load bearing, I have access to the crawl space and the wall is not built directly on the foundation. There is a beam that runs the length of the house which I don’t think is supported by the wall because there is metal pole that supports the beam in the living room (see picture).

There was a pocket door in the wall, and I just finished removing that and cutting back all the drywall, but I want to keep going up to the cathedral ceiling…however, I don’t know if the door frame is providing any support for the roof/ ceiling or the beam.

The door frame seems to be two 2x4s, and the header seems to be three 2x4s (as measured with a stud finder) there seems to be one stud going from the beam to the header. According to the stud finder the two 2x4s may go all the way to the roof (past the header)

If I pull off the drywall what do I need to look for to know if I can remove the header and continue opening the wall to the ceiling/roof?

Few pictures


texts: How can I deal with a heat pump condenser producing lots of water?

texts:
Heat pumps was replaced in 2017.  North Florida has had moderately cool weather (50-60 degrees F) recently.  I noticed water underneath one of the units.

Is the water pooling normal? If yes, why?
If yes, What can be done about the water pooling?


texts: Which terminal should I connect it to for a "C" wire when none are labeled "C"?

texts:
I am looking to replace my old battery operated thermostat with a new wifi model. There is no "C" common wire connected to my old thermostat. There is a blue wire that is at the thermostat but cut short with no copper exposed. I went up to the attic and took a look at the A/C unit. There was also a wiring diagram that was available. There is no "C" terminal on the unit but there is a "B" terminal which I assume is the right one I should use. I tested the voltage from "R" to "B" and it was about 26.5 Volts (The new thermostat requires 24 volts). There is a wire connected to the the "B" and "Y1" terminal it seems like its the wiring that goes to the outside Unit. Its the other Red wire and white wire. (See photo below.)

I have attached pictures of the wire terminal on the A/C unit in the attic as well as the Wiring diagrams. In the wire terminal picture you will see the extra blue wire wrapped around the main wire and is not used. I would like to use that wire as my "C" common wire. Is it safe to connect the Blue wire to the "B" terminal? Im worried because another cable is already connected to it and its reading 26.5 volts...

Click for full size

Update 1

First off, big thank you for the help and responses! I really appreciate it!

I went back up and opened the unit. This is what I saw inside. The two wires coming out of the transform have a voltage of about 26.5 volts. I could not find 24 volts anywhere. The transformer says its a 24VAC transformer. Looking at this picture, where do I connect the C wire to? Which wire coming out of the transformer?


texts: our house had several power surges last week that damaged a few of our major appliances including our indoor and outdoor refrigerators. Today, a repair person told us that our indoor fridge is leaking freon. Could that be tied to compressor damage from the surge?


texts: Help with switching the wires from heat to AC

texts:
I can’t remember which wire to move to switch from heat to AC. I remember it was very simple, I believe just one wire. (I thought grey?) This is a old unit, but it still works good.
I’m not sure if you need more information or a different image to figure this out? I don’t really know anything about this.
Thanks


texts: What's a clean and code-compliant way to terminate Cat6 cables at a wall, where a rack mount patch panel will be in front of it?

texts:
This is new construction for a home, and I'm installing about 65 Cat 6e home runs from various points in the house to a location on the wall where a freestanding floor rack will go at the time of occupancy. The floor rack will have a patch panel, network switch(es), the router and a home server.

Since this is new construction, the work will need to pass the electrical inspection and final inspection before the equipment rack can be installed since the rack is considered "occupancy".

I'm aware that there are 12 port plats for 2 gang mud rings that can be used with QuickPort connectors, but I would probably need about 6 of these installed in the wall to accommodate all of the cables.

The other concern is that because these riser cables are fragile (they are meant for use in the wall) I would rather not have them just come out of the wall and connect at the rack's patch panel, since they would then be exposed to possible damage. It might also not be permitted by code to have a hole in the wall with a bunch of cables hanging out, even if they are low voltage.

So the question is, what is an appropriate device/box/etc to terminate the cat6 cables where they come through the drywall, that can accommodate a large number of cables, and make it easy to connect them to the rack mounted patch bay, without the risk of damage to exposed cables, or violating any codes?


texts: Where do you put multiple washers when you have a bolt and a threaded hole?

texts: I bought a bed second hand, and it came without instructions, the bed posts have threaded holes, for bolt to go into, and the bolts have a locking washer, and a bigger bigger, flat one. I wish to know which order they go onto the bolt, and where in relation to the holes, and the bed sides.


texts:
I currently have the following switch in my dinning room. I would like to replace it with a dimmer.
This is how it was configured originally.

When I tried to replace the original with the dimmer it started to dim the other three lights on the circuit porch entry light, indoor entry light and doorbell connect to a low-voltage transformer.
How can I connect the dimmer to only service the dinning room and allow power to flow to the switch’s without dimming the other lights?
Can any one identify the original switch? and offer some suggestion to restoring the dimmer and other lights or if I can have a dimmer work in this manner at all?
There is one continuous hot wire, Two other “traveler” wires black, a bare ground and from what I can tell three Neutral wires all bound together with a nut.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you guys need more info.


texts: How can I clamp two 325 mm planks while gluing them together?

texts:
I have a base that is 650mm deep.  I'm going to have to glue several planks together to get this depth and, eventually, the last two to make the 650mm base.  The problem is, I don't have (and can't see for sale) 650mm clamps to do this.  As it's 2m long, I'd need quite a few clamps to do it.

Can anyone think of any alternatives?


texts: Do hot water tanks have to be in the drain pan

texts: I bought a new hot water tank and had it installed by a plumber. It didn't fit in the existing drain pan, so he put it on top of the pan.  Is this safe?


texts:
This might be better asked over on electrical engineering, but it concerns household voltage and I know we have a some smart electricians on this site, so maybe one of you might be able to shed some light.

One of my sump pumps and my A/C condenser fan both broke this evening. It seemed an odd coincidence and we'd had a few mild surges from a thunderstorm passing through, so I wanted to check the voltage at an outlet to see what was coming through from the grid.

I picked a random outlet in the kitchen and stuck the probes in, getting a rather boring 123v between the poles. So I guess the motor issues really were just coincidental. However, I noticed as I was removing the probes that I still get a reading with only one connected. If I leave the neutral connected and hold the other probe in the air, I get a reading of ~2v. If I do the same with only the hot terminal connected, the reading is almost 20v.

Can my outlets really just dump that much voltage into (literally) thin air, or is something else going on here? Is the air highly charged from the storm (wouldn't we feel it?) What could cause these readings?

Thermostat is reporting 68% relative humidity if that makes any difference.


texts: Floor lamp with LED chip not responding to wall switch

texts:
I recently bought a floor lamp from Target. The lamp is touch activated and lit by what appears to be a "3-way" LED chip. There's no traditional bulb socket that I can see. I've never seen anything like it. Here's a photo:

I've plugged the lamp into an outlet that's wired to a wall switch so that I can turn the lamp on when I enter the room, but the lamp only responds to the wall switch when I turn it off, not when I try to turn it on. The only way to turn the lamp on is to turn the wall switch on and then turn the lamp on separately.

Does anybody know whether I'm possibly screwing something up in the connection between lamp/outlet/switch, or is the lamp itself defective?


texts: Workshop subpanel with possible solar backfeed

texts:
Needing to run power from the residence to the workshop. the need is 220v for the welder in addition to overhead lighting, the run is 375'....what wire and conduit size is needed?

If in the future, solar panels are installed on the workshop what wiring and conduit is needed to feed back to the house?


texts: I would like to replace air gap in my sink with a flat plate, what is that plate called?

texts:
My sink currently has an air gap that my dishwasher is not connected to. Instead the plumber has the drain line going up and back down as shown in the first image below.

Since it is not being used, I would like to replace the air gap with just a flat plate (I already have a soap dispenser on the other side). What is that plate called? All my searches for air gap cap and variations just find air gap covers, not a flat plate replacement. Thx!


texts: I am having trouble wiring wiring this Nutone roomside dc series 110 vent fan! Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: can I convert a hanging light to a light with a switch

texts:
First, I know nothing about electric and will get an electrician to do this.... if it can be done.  So guess I'm wondering if it can even be done.

I bought 6 gorgeous single light fixtures from Habitat for Humanity.  They are on a pole with the electrical stuff/plate on one side and the light on the other side.  38" long, very ornate but newer, not old.  There are two wires coming out of the wire side:  1 is just a silver wire with no coating; the other is coated in clear plastic with two brass colored wires in it. I'm pretty sure these originally were hanging from a ceiling.  However my ceilings are way too tall and I want to place these on the walls in my living room.  The pole swivels up and down from the ornate structure over the plate/electrical so attaching the plate to the wall and moving the pole in the upward position works, it stays in place fine.

There are no individual off/on switches on these so I suppose they were connected in the wall someway where on switch on the wall turned them all on.  I would like to be able to have an off/on switch on each one.  Is that possible?  I do have electrical outlets close to where I want to put each of the 6 lights. Two of the walls where I could put a couple of the lights have light switches.   One wall has 3 light switches that turn off/on: the lanai light, lanai fan, and the third switch don't know what it's for as can't see anything it turns on.  The other wall has 3 switches also: one switch for the entry inside light, one for my front porch light, and the 3rd one for the extended wrap around porch lights.

Images added from links in comments:


texts:
I'm working on running some SE cable from a breaker box to a new 220V 14-50R receptacle. The old receptacle was not located within the area specified by our new electric range.

I am using TYPE SE STYLE R with four 6 AWG AL wires. One wire is an unshielded ground, the others have XHHW-2 insulation. One question I have is related to the number of bends allowed in the cable. In my earlier readings of various articles I thought I saw something about a limit in the number of bends. But at that time things were very foggy to me as opposed to being just a bit foggy now.
Here are a couple of pictures from different perspectives.
]3

A reason for two of the bends is to accommodate a cable clamp which I think must be within 12 inches of where the cable enters an electrical box.
The only way I could see having the clamp and reducing the number of bends is add another 2x4 which I think would then put the clamp more in line with the straight line routing of the cable.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance.
Jim


texts: Drilling through drywall, hitting mystery object

texts:
I am trying to put some anchors into the drywall so I have something to bracket a bookcase to.  They don't have to hold much weight, just stop it from swaying during an earthquake.

I've tried several spots, and whatever I use (nail, drill) goes through the drywall at the rate you'd expect, and then after about 3/4", BAM, hits a sudden resistance.

Since I've already mapped out the studs I'm not sure what I'm hitting here...

Below is what I know:

4th floor, apartment
Other side of wall is unknown, though, could be
bathroom.
Building re-built in the last 16mos due to fire.
Stud finder indicates studs, though not consistently.  They appear to be
16" apart.
The four blue tape marks in the center are areas where
the stud finder indicated.
Additional images at:
http://imgur.com/a/FrEyc


texts: Over the winter, my dog chewed through the power cord on an a/c window unit. I was going to just add a new plug as the cord is still long enough.  I sliced into the wire and found 3 wires (ground, neutral, and hot) and wire braided throughout the cord. I assume this is part of the ground-fault protection, but I don't know how it affects rewiring it. I attempted to open the existing plug to investigate, but it's molded plastic and I haven't been able to get into it. Do I have to use a ground-fault plug or can I just use the 3 wires and wire in a new 3 prong plug? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I bought replacement for my bathroom exhaust fan. Basically what i bought was this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-50-CFM-Wall-Ceiling-Mount-Roomside-Installation-Bathroom-Exhaust-Fan-ENERGY-STAR-7114-01/206159603
However, the fan (that was replaced by a licensed electrician) keeps cycling on and off. The electrician mentioned that i need to replace the timer switch for the fan.

So i bought this:
https://www.amazon.com/Enerlites-HET06A-White-1-5-10-15-20-30-Countdown-Decorator/dp/B00IB0ZJXE/ref=sr_1_5?crid=B3E1ECT5H6H1&keywords=timer+switch+for+bathroom+fan&qid=1579763344&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=timer+swit%2Caps%2C292&sr=8-5

However, when i opened the old timer i did not find a neutral wire while this needs a neutral.

Is there a way to have a timer replace the old timer . Without a neutral wire. And fix the problem with the bathroom fan going on and off.


texts: Are there any types of tile with insulating properties?

texts:
Is it possible to buy insulating indoor wall tiles?

I have just bought a house and am in the process of slowly renovating it. The bathroom is an extension that was added to the house approx 40 years ago and sits at the rear of the property. It has three external walls and although it has a radiator it is always very cold in there.

The walls have had cavity wall insulation done (approx 7-10 years ago) and I have added loft insulation to the roof cavity (the extension is only a single story).

It is currently single-glazed but I do plan on getting double glazing installed in a couple of years time.

I am about to tile the interior walls, but before I do this I want to make sure there is nothing further I can do reduce heat-loss. I have looked around but I cannot see any tiles that have insulating properties, do such things exist? If not, is there anything I can attach to the walls prior to tiling?

EDIT: I live in the UK btw...


texts:
I have recently gotten hold of a lamp that seems to require some weird bulbs. I can't seem to figure out what type of bulb goes in there... It looks like it could be in the G9 family, but there is no sleeve to insert the bulb in.

Here is a picture of the socket :

Edit: close up

Edit 2: size reference

I have tried unscrewing the screws, but the cap it attached to the wires.

Does anyone have a clue what bulbs I need?

Thanks a lot!


texts: What's the minimum distance for a mantle above a fireplace?

texts:
I'm wall mounting a flat TV above a mantle, above a wood fireplace. The mantle is quite high, so to get the right viewing angle, and because the mantle is hideous, I'd like to replace it and move it as low as possible.

What is the minimum distance for a mantle above a fireplace? There are no glass doors - just a chain mail curtain. This would be for Ontario if that helps. A fireplace sales associate mentioned 12 inches but wasn't sure.


texts: Can I control two lamps from one pullchain?

texts: I have two bedside swag lamps, one on each side of the bed. Each one has a plug that goes into the wall.  They each have a pull chain for use in turning them on.   I would like it if, when I pull the chain on one lamp, they both would turn on.  Is this even possible and if so how would I accomplish it?  I am hoping there is some special plug I can buy, plug both lamps into it and be done...


texts: How to remove dark spots from wood kitchen countertop

texts:
I found some dark spots in the wood of the kitchen countertop this morning.

I don't know what would have caused them to appear, and I don't know what the material, type of wood, the countertop is made of. ( See Picture )

I am seeking advice on how to remove them ?


texts: 50 volts on hot to neutral but 120 volts with wall switch

texts: I was checking a "dead" outlet for friend. Bottom reads 120volts on hot to ground but top receptacle reads 50 volts hot to ground until the wall switch is flipped then it reads 120volts. Whiskey tango??


texts: How to fix leak in ABS pipe going into cement

texts:
I discovered a leak in the drain pipe from my kitchen sink (and dishwasher) as it joins with the main drain in my basement floor.

The leak is at a Y junction - the bottom of the Y is in the slab, one branch of the Y is terminated with a cap (I assume access for cleaning / plumbing problems?), and the other branch of the Y goes into the wall (and up to the kitchen).  The bottom is in the floor, the top is capped off, and the branch goes into the wall.  I don't know the exact angle or diameter.

I can see water bubbling from this 2nd branch (into the wall) when water is draining from the sink.  After some cleanup, it look as though the ABS glue has either cracked, and there is no longer a proper seal - or it's been like this for the last 10 years since the house was built.

In any other plumbing fun, I've outright replaced the parts in question (eg, for the sump pump, I cut the pipe going out of the house, replaced it with removable parts, and put in a new pump, etc.).  Doing so here is much harder because this part is in concrete.

What are the implications if I clean up the source of the leak really well (clean, sand, etc) and be liberal with some silicone glue?  What's the correct way of repairing such an issue?

Thanks!


texts: Is it worth insulating the roof of a detatched, unfinished garage, but not the walls?

texts:
My detached, unfinished garage is pretty sucky because the walls are only 6' high. Based on quick and dirty math, it'd make more sense to tear it down and start over than to try and finish it, but I don't have that much $$. I can't install a ceiling due to the garage doors passing through what would be the ceiling, and now I'm just trying to make the space usable without spending money since it's mostly a lost cause until I can save enough to just demo it and rebuild from scratch. I live in a cold/hot area (Indiana) and would like to insulate it so I can work in it and let the dogs stay in it when we're in those more extreme temperature swings, but I just don't know if it's worth bothering.
If I just insulated the roof would that be worth anything, or would the fact that the walls and doors aren't insulated make it pointless?


texts: schlage deadbolt key just spins back and forth

texts: I have a deadbolt where you sometimes can't open it, the key turns a quarter turn but doesn't seem to "move the deadbolt" as it were.  Or sometimes the key can't even turn at all.  It doesn't "spin forever"


texts: How can I adjust for an uneven exterior door threshold?

texts:
What is the most appropriate way to adjust for an uneven threshold on an exterior door?

In the image below you can see the gap that exists on one side of the door.

We have considered taking up the metal threshold and using self-leveling concrete to even out the corner, and threshold. Is there a more appropriate way to handle this gap?


texts: I just put in a trailer and was informed that they had just turned on the power. There isn't a water hookup yet. Will it hurt the heater to be on with out water going to it before I can get back?


texts: Electrical socket want to buy a usb plug table lamp can it work with 220 to 240 volts

texts: I want to buy a table lamp which comes with a usb plug.  Can this plug work in a country with 240 voltage sockets


texts: How you measure the slope with a 48 inch digital measure?

texts:
Yes, I looked at the question:
How do you determine the slope of a floor?
I'm trying to measure the slope of the bedroom. I know that the bedroom is sloped, but I am hard time finding out by how much. So I got one of these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Empire-48-in-True-Blue-Digital-Box-Level-e105-48H/306839434
Only in 6 different places on the floor(which are in horizontal straight line), when I place the Box level vertically, it shows me a slope of 1/8 / ft in the digital box. I don't know what this means, can someone please explain how to measure the slope of the floor?
Someone below asked me what is unclear in the 1/8th per foot. I'm trying to gauge how do I extrapolate it to 8ft. But I'm unable to, since the slope is zero if I move my measure in a straight line.


texts: Removing/re-seating threaded rod for cabinet leg

texts:
I bought some cabinet legs along with 90 degree mounting plates from Ebay (I know, what was I expecting)...

2 of the legs are good, threads seated correctly, 1 is a little off but I can live with it; however there is 1 leg that is completely off, so much so that when screwed into the plate it looks like I'd bought the angled versions!

I have made an approximate measurement using photoshop of about 7 degrees off, but attached it seems much more!

My question is: What would be the best way to go about removing and reinserting correctly? I'm assuming the pilot hole will be drilled at right angles.

I have tried getting my pair of needle nose pliers on it as they are the best thing I currently have to hand, but they just appear to slip off. As expected, this is locked in tight :-(

Would it be worth me cutting a notch into the thread to try and get a flat head screwdriver in there?


texts: Can a bathroom fan be vented just outside the bathroom?

texts: I belong to a housing cooperative in the arctic and the temperature drops below -40 C. We are having problems with mold on the ceilings in the bathroom. The buildings were built in 1984 with an air ex-changer that is suppose to take air from the bathroom but they do not work well or for some not at all. There are no operable windows in the bathroom. I live along and washed my ceilings done in 2006 with Javex and painted, I leave the door open and the mold has not reappeared. Some of our members are worried it is black mold and demanding an exhaust fan be installed. We are hesitant at putting in a fan to exhaust to the outside as it will draw a lot of warm air outside and cause an escalation in heating costs. My question: can the exhaust fan be installed to draw the steam from the bathroom just to the outside of the bathroom into the hall area? Would this cause any problems? We live in a very dry climate and I thought perhaps the moist air from the bathroom would be good for the rest of the house. Many thanks for your help with this.


texts: What would cause these bubbles in texture?

texts:
I recently had a contractor out doing work on my bathroom, including re-texturing walls and painting.
When we 'moved back in', I noticed the walls are littered with these little 'holes' or bubbles and not sure what would have caused it.
Any ideas?


texts: 3rd white wire in electrical outlet with different power source?

texts: I was replacing wall outlets and came across an outlet that had 3 white wires, 2 black and the ground. I turned the power off at the breaker box and proceeded to replace.  The extra white wire still had power to it. I located and turned off another breaker for that power as well.  This is definitely not a light switch.  Any idea why this outlet would be wired this way?


texts: Sill plate pushing siding off, causing gap for mice and moisture?

texts:
Younger home owner here. I've had water get into my basement a few times last spring in the corner and in this area (directly under my little front deck). The corner was due to no downspout (water was all coming down at the corner from the gutters) and this area I believed was due to gutters clogging and doing similar.

I finally killed all the mice and started pulling insulation bats out of the joists to vacuum and bleach and discovered the section of rim joist shown in the video below. I could pull out the bottom wood with my hand. The joist to the left of it has a hole in the sill plate directly to the outside by the deck (shown gap in pictures).

Upon going outside I found a pretty sizable gap along the bottom of the siding which appears to be caused by the sill plate protruding. I'm sure I need to caulk and flash better around where it meets the house anyways but how would I even begin to fix this? Part of me says pull off the deck boards, flash with a z channel if it's not there (including that front door sill plate) and caulk it all up/sawsall the bit of sill plate sticking out and foam/caulk everything together/brace the interior joist but I'm by no means a experienced handyman. Any advice would be appreciated.

Video: It's the bottom half of the wood-the joist to the left is dry/one to the right is braced (may have been previously repaired) but dry.

Pictures: Gap is shown in with board protruding is third to last.


texts: Can you paint water resistant MDF (the green stuff like this)? If so, what type of paint is required?


texts: My neighbors have a dirt and rock yard and the run-off floods a shed. How can I inhibit this?

texts:
We just bought a house and the house has a (or once was, at least) a nice shed in the back with both water and power. Image is to scale (the shed is 12' x 12').

The problem is that erosion from the neighbors next door has caused the ground to "rise" against the slab and now the bottom sole plates are rotted out and every time it rains, water comes right into the shed through holes in the rotted siding.

My project is to fix the shed and make it usable for storage, but I'm trying to figure out what's the best approach to keep additional runoff from making my work an expensive trial-and-error process.


texts: How to cut opening in 12" pilaster block-columns for electrical box (porch light install)?

texts:
I have two 12"x12"pilaster block columns in my front porch with a poured lintel above and slab below. The pilasters are also poured solid with down-rods and rebar in footer. It is new construction. I would like to install a porch light on each column but have no idea how:

To cut an opening to fit the electrical box (1 gang circular) in solid concrete.
To pull cable through the block?

For #1 above:
Would i have to manually chisel out the squares? Or is there a square drill bit for sinking a box in solid concrete?

For #2 above:
I think it'll be difficult to drill through 12" of poured concrete and risk hitting rebar down-rods. Is it better to route some EMT conduit to the 1-gang box? If so, what type of 1-gang would i need and how far does it have to sink into the column?

Thanks in advance


texts: I have a 14/3 wire coming off 14/2 with power at fixture looking for diagram for proper wire connection

texts: I have extinguishing 14/3 wire coming off 14/2 with power at light/fixture going to 15A combination switch/outlet on outside wall of a room .  I had to disconnect for demo and forgot to take a pic of how it was wired to hook it back up. Looking for diagram for proper wire connection on both ends to keep outlet constant.


texts: Should roofing nails be visible in the attic?

texts:
I have a colonial built in 1913 and I live in NYS. My roof was just completed today and I have exposed nails across the entire roof!

It was not like this before. When I asked the contractor about it, he said this is normal, but I'm having a difficult time accepting this answer. I have included a picture to show what the entire roof looks like from the inside of the attic.


texts: How can I eliminate interference between an overhanging countertop and a patio door opening?

texts:
I am in the process of remodeling the kitchen and the peninsula countertop coming into question:

It's right next to the patio door and there is only 4 inches space. The countertop is 3 feet wide.

That leaves me the question of whether to cut the countertop to make it thinner (28") or leave at 36" BUT do something creative on the overhang which will push over to the patio door (that right side is static and not moving, by the away, as the left door is sliding to right).

I have 4 options below:

Cut it and the line from patio trim moulding to line up with the countertop overhang edge.

Cut angle 45 degree. This gives illusion of the overhang is actually not "in the way"

Cut round

Cut square edges

I found #4 on the internet and it seems to be my favorite option.

Is there any advise or idea? Thanks.


texts:
Installing 12 recessed light cans in the basement. Figured I'd go LED, so I purchased a dozen HALO LED housings (H750T). Then I spotted a deal on Philips LED lights and ordered a dozen from HD online. Both have these little orange connectors, so I just figured they were compatible.

Well, the got the lights today and they are not. What are my options here? Is there something else I need to buy, or can I cut these off and connect with wirenuts?


texts:
My garage door opener is not working correctly. It will open the door halfway then die, and the door will fall closed. Sometimes it works correctly. It is like the motor does not hold the door open, dies and slips. With the door engaged to the opener, I am able to open and close the door manually.
Is the motor suppose to "brake/lock" and keep door open or/and closed?


texts: Why is there moisture on some parts of my basement slab?

texts:
In the mechanical room of a new construction house there is some moisture at the bottom pressure treated plated.  When I remove the vapor barrier and the insulation and check up against the  concrete wall there isn't any moisture on the wall itself or behind the wall.  It is only below the pressure treated plate and in front of it on this one wall.  I don't understand why this is and could really use some help with this.

One other concern i have is on one of the other interior walls that has the finished basement on the other side there is a little bit of moisture in one random spot as well which i don't understand. Right above this is the gas line for the furnace and when i touched the plug on the bottom side which is threaded on or whatever it is it felt a little wet but it isn't leaking not sure why there would be moisture on that.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I want to make sure to take care of these moisture issues and don't want it to lead to something long term. Thanks.


texts: What are the pros and cons of prefab granite vs. custom slab?

texts:
I am remodeling my kitchen and would like to put in granite countertops.  It seems that there are two main ways to get granite.

Buy a large slab and have it custom cut to fit the kitchen design.
Buy prefabricated slabs that are already cut and polished in 9'x2' sections.

The prefabricated route seems significantly cheaper - almost half the cost of the slab route.  Still, I wonder what the drawbacks are.  My kitchen will have two 90 degree corners, and I'm wondering how these are accomplished with prefab granite.  How do they make the corner seams look clean?  Also, is it possible to get fancier ogee style edges with prefab?

Overall, what are the pros and cons of prefab granite vs slab granite?


texts: I have a metal edging on my roof in an area about 4 wide.  Can I run heating coils over this metal section of the roof,because it seems to be an area that has ice dams. Presently I have a coil above the metal area, but thought that was the only possible venue.


texts: How do I install a light socket in the middle of a power line with a switch?

texts: I am replacing a light fixture in the middle of a circuit. Power flows into the fixture from the circuit breaker and out of the fixture to other lights and whatnot. There's also a switch attached. I thought I hooked everything back together properly, but when I switched the circuit back on at the breaker, the light turned on even though the switch was off. When I turned the switch on, it tripped the circuit. I attempted to make a diagram (minus grounding wires which are also connected). What did I do wrong and how do I fix it?


texts: How to remove a bed slat holder (without breaking it)

texts:
Is there a trick to remove those plastic slat holders without breaking them?

Ps: There is only a few milimeters gap (5 mm maybe), not enough for a small screw driver to play with the pin. (No way either to access the pin through the inside of the bed frame)!
!


texts: Do powerline adaptors need to be plugged into outlets that are on the same leg

texts:
I used a powerline adapter like this to connect my security camera receiver to my router. This allows me to access the cameras from my cell phone which was working but now it doesn't. There's two things that may have caused this. 1. The receiver was unplugged for a while which may have affected the settings on the receiver. 2. The other powerline adapter was moved to a different circuit.

The settings on the security camera receiver look fine although it's possible the ip address changed and the phone may need to be re-connected.

I know the easy answer here is just plug the powerline adapter back into the old outlet. Unfortunately that outlet was removed because it wasn't code compliant.

Edit: Photos of the panel showing the which circuits the powerline adapters were/are now plugged in to.


texts:
I want to replace my exterior back door with a new model/etc of the same size. What I'm wondering is if I have to replace the frame of the door as well or can I simply just buy the door and bolt it in? The door size is typical/standard back door size.

What should I consider doing? Replace the whole thing or just the door? Any opinions?


texts:
Can any one name this tool?
Found it online and haven't found anything yet.


texts: What's the best way to attach timber cleats to stair stringers?

texts: I'm using 2x4 timber cleats to support the treads for a set of stairs going up to a deck. The stringers are 2x10 and both the stringers and 2x4 are pressure treated pine. What would be the best size and type of fastener to use? I was planning on using M10 carriage/coach bolts.


texts: Remove Masonry Nails from Concrete floor

texts:
How do I remove these masonry nails attached to basement concrete floor?
It would be great if the nail can be removed fully since I plan to hang a door over that.
Thanks in advance.
Here is the picture of the masonry nail.


texts: How to fit kitchen cabinets to corners that are not 90 degrees

texts: I'm currently designing a replacement kitchen for my house. The kitchen is U shaped so going across three walls of the house. The middle wall is not 90 degrees to the other two, it is more like 105 degrees to one wall and 75 degrees to the other. How do you usually fit kitchen cabinets to these corners? What are different ways this can be done?


texts: How much current can my double pole breaker supply?

texts:
I originally planned to install a subpanel and feed it 90 amps.  I thought I could do this by putting a 90A double-pole breaker in my main panel and feeding off that.  What I was told was "This will supply 90A on each leg, so your shop will really have 180A", but I don't think that is right.  Does that truly supply 90 amps on each leg or does this get reduced to 45A on each leg (i.e. if I'm running equipment at 240 V then I have 90A available, but all the 120V stuff is limited to 45A)?
I think where this could bite me is if I'm running a welder at 240V and 50A (25A per leg) and somebody else is running the table saw and the compressor kicks on (assuming saw and compressor are on the same leg).  This scenario will trip the breaker, correct?


texts: Is it possible to have a room protected from outside GSM microwave radiation?

texts: How can I reduce the GSM signal coming from outside into my bedroom, knowing that it's impossible to create a perfect Faraday cage because of the windows & door.


texts:
I've seen in several places recommendations about caulking around a window frame to reduce heat loss.  I have cracked caulk around one window where you can feel air flowing in.  I was going to fix it, but does the airflow mean there's actually a crack in the caulking on the outside?  If I just re-caulk the inside, won't that air just end up in the walls or should the framing around the window be sealed off from the walls?  Is it okay to re-apply the interior caulk and then look at fixing the exterior caulking when it's warmer outside (currently way too cold to apply caulking outside).

Here's a picture of the worse spot (other parts are flush with the frame) after removing the caulking:


texts: Is there anything a rotary tool can do that a oscillating multi-tool can't?

texts:
I've got a decent chunk of change to spend on tools, and after cleaning the corrosion off of 96 battery terminals with scouring pads last week, I couldn't help but to think that a rotary tool (e.g. a RotoZip or a traditional Dremel) or oscillating tool (i.e. Fein MultiMaster) would make the job a lot easier.  After thinking about it, I figured the oscillating tool would probably be better at the job than a rotary tool... seems a lot safer, too.

I struggled to think of something that a rotary tool would be better at, and the only things that I could come up with is drilling into tile/granite and cleaning other miscellaneous holes out (since a drum-shaped attachment would be perfect for that type of job.)

Anyways, other than drilling/cleaning out holes, are there any jobs that a rotary tool would be superior to a oscillating tool for?


texts: In Canada, can I run Ethernet cables through air ducts?

texts:
I am planning to wire my new condo for Ethernet, but unfortunately I don't have the usual basement/attic access that homeowners enjoy. Barring that, the easiest way to route cables where I need them to go is through the air ducts, terminating a few centimeters inside the duct, where the cable goes into the wall and down to a socket.

However, I've been getting conflicting information about whether or not this is permitted under the building code. In Canada (specifically Quebec) is it permitted to run plenum-rated Ethernet cable through ventilation ducts? I've seen conflicting answers online as to whether this is permitted or if the only wires permitted inside ducts are those related to the ventilation system. I can't access the building code myself without paying several hundred dollars for the privilege.

Barring that, can anyone recommend a good guide to running network cable through finished walls? All of the how-to guides I've seen crow about how easy it is but assume that you can go in through an unfinished basement or attic. Unfortunately, not only do I not have that luxury, the floors and most of the ceilings are concrete.


texts: Where should I start laying nail down hardwood flooring and how do I make it straight?

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I'm planning to install tongue and groove hardwood flooring in my living room, dining room, kithcen, hallway, and powder room. The longest unbroken length of floor runs from the front bay of the house (living room) all the way through the dining room and kitchen to the back door - about 60 feet. There are archways connecting most rooms with a couple smaller doorways as well. Another consideration is that the house is very old so very little is square.

I'm trying to figure out two things: how to make sure the boards look straight from the front of the house to the back, and which run to start with. The first thing that comes to mind to making the runs straight is to make a chaulk line from the bay to the back door then orienting all runs to that line.

Regarding which run to start with my understanding is that I would start against some wall, groove side out. If I do this and build out until the runs are far enough out from the wall that I can pass through an archway to the adjoining room, how can I then attach planks in that adjoining room to fill the floor space up to the wall on the same side of the house I originally started on (in the first room)? How would I nail these planks since I wouldn't have access to the grooves for those 20 or so runs to the wall?

I'm guessing this is a common issue to deal with when installing in more than one room connected along the same line as the floor runs.

Edit:


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There is no control valve attached to this damper:

so I can't turn it to open/close the duct. It's currently closed :-(. It's smooth so I haven't found anything that can even grasp onto it tightly enough. What kind of part am I looking for or how can i turn it?


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I am installing a privacy fence that will go right up against my house.  I began digging a post hole that is about 6 inches away from my house, but about 20 inches down, I hit a bunch of cement which I assume is part of the foundation.

What would be the proper way to get my fence right up against my house?  Would I be ok to just place the post 20 inches down as long as I cement it in?