texts: Reinforce joist near rafter for porch swing

texts:
Recently purchased home and saw existing eye lag screw or bolt coming from front porch ceiling. Rolled the dice (hoping for bolt + reinforcement), did not remove vinyl ceiling to inspect carpentry. Installed swing and it failed with 2 people.  Eye lag screw was inserted directly into joist.

Would like reinforce joists to ensure 700lbs load from swing. My idea is to install 4x4s across the joists using hangers/braces, but the rafter is in the way such that the hanger will not be flush against the joist. Question 1) Is there a hanger/bracket for this situation?  Question 2) Is my idea a good one?

Also the joists are 2 feet apart - Question 3) is that too much space?  Maybe I need to install another joist in between so the distance is only 1 foot.

I appreciate any help with this project.


texts:
The goal is identify hot and neutral wires in a 3-way switched line-array of lights, so that the array can be controlled by an Acuity SP20 Secondary Relay Pack (bottom device):

Said line-array of lights is the only 3-way switched several line-arrays.  The other line arrays are controlled by a single switch.  Said switches form a bank of switches at the building entrance.
The target line-array is located between the two switches:

Is there any reason to doubt that the wiring diagram above represents how the switches are wired?  or maybe the better question is: How can I confirm that the that the diagram represents said line-array and that the hot and neutral are located at the switch bank located at the building entrance?  Diagnostic procedures that are simple / less invasive are preferable
The sub-goal is: How to identify which common terminal of the 3-way switch is connected the hot wire (left 3-way switch) vs, the switched hot wire (right 3-way switch)


texts: What would cause one tool chest drawer to fail to lock?

texts:
I have a Harborfreight U.S. General upper tool chest (part #64440) that is only a year old. The upper right drawer fails to lock. The remaining ones do. No tools are blocking anything as the drawer is now empty. Removed the drawer and did not see anything unusual. I checked the back end of the drawer and it appeared ok...nothing smashed in. No interference from drawer below it.
Before I dismantle the entire thing, I am wondering if anyone who owns this same unit has seen this problem and what causes it? Is something missing on a drawer slide? I kinda suspect foulplay, but won't conclude that until I remove all the drawers....FWIW, the 90-degree tubular lock works, just not on this one drawer.
My pictures are apparently too big to post here....
Could this open drawer allow someone to access the rest of the (locked) drawers and contents?


texts: I recently replaced all eight bulbs on my chandeleir with dimmable led light bulbs.  They work fine when on, but at approximately half power (dimmer turned half way through), the bulbs start flashing (high and low light) in an alternate manner.  This continues even at high / full power.  When I tried removing one bulb, the frequency increases.  When I removed two bulbs, the frequency returns as with 8 bulbs.  Any help / advice pls?  Thanks!


texts: Replacing an over the range microwave with a wall range hood

texts:
Hubby and I just purchased a new range and are looking to replace the over the range microwave with a wall mount range hood.

Floor to ceiling in the kitchen is 10'.
Range from floor to top of range is 37"
From top of the lower cabinets to the bottom of the upper cabinet (where the microwave sat) is 38"
The cabinet above where the microwave sat has duct work going to the exterior of the house, and an outlet.
We live on a two story house (so can't do chimney hood venting upstairs).

Questions:
 1. If Hubby is successfully able to take the cabinet directly above the microwave
    out, as a beginner, can he install the new wall hood himself?
 2. The duct work inside the cabinet (I don't have precise measurement) goes up ]
    approximately 12 inches, and then elbows outside.  Will this be sufficient
    for a wall mount hood (please note we still have ample space above the
    cabinet, however prefer not to go that route).
 3. If hiring a pro is recommended, what is an approximate amount we should expect
    to pay (we live in Northern CA).

Below are all the measurements:

Distance from floor to Ceiling is 10 feet Distance from floor to to of the vent (before it elbows to the opening outside) is 81 1/2" Distance from the top of the 81 1/2" elbowing to the opening to the outside is a little over 4" The wide of the opening is 30" The height of the range is 37"

Hood measurements we are considering: 30" W x 24.0" D x 16.375" H


texts: Cold water tank overflowing like crazy then stopped

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so I have a normal non combi boiler and in my loft a cold water tank, then in my airing cupboard I have a hot water tank with an overflow/pressure release pipe that runs up and to the cold water tank for when the water expands (the hot tank is fed from the cold water tank).

The other day I got a call from the neighbour saying my overflow pipe was gushing, and it was really going for it, not just a trickle but like there was a tap on directly connected to the outside!

Wife came home and turned off the mains water and I came home soon as I could a couple hours later to take a look.  I looked at the water tank in the loft and the level was a good 4-5 inches up past the overflow pipe!  I ran the water for a while to get the water level to drop, turned on mains again and it refilled without any issues...  Hasn't happened since, as yet...

I cannot for the life of me work out how this might have occurred, the only thing I can think of is that the water mains pressure was somehow so high that it forced past the float valve somehow?

I noticed that the hot water tank was also cold, I didn't check at the time but there's a chance the water had risen so high it had started pouring into the hot water tank from the hot tank outlet possibly, but I don't think it's related to how the cold water tank got full in the first place...

Anyone ever had anything like this?  Could the valve just had seated a bit dodgy and not sealed off properly perhaps?  If so how could I check this, it seems fine now checked it earlier today and at most there is a very irregular tiny drop coming from it that's it...


texts: Replacing/Fixing Exterior "Trim" Around Door and Windows

texts:
Searched all over google and found nothing related.

I'm replacing a storm door and i've found this lovely surprise (in picture) left behind it. I'd rather not install the new storm door onto this, and am hoping for some advice.

What is this "Trim" and what is it called?
How is it attached?
How can i take it off and replace it? (Is it under the vinyl siding?)

Thank you for your time fellas.


texts: Low-cost way to bullnose & polish edge of granite tile

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What's a good, cheap way to polish the dull, chalky, cut edges of black granite 3x6 subway tile (approx. 10 linear feet, total). The tile is still boxed.

I have the following power tools available:

Basically every variant of power drill available, most of which are variable-speed, at least one of which is quite powerful.
A 4-1/2" 11,000rpm angle grinder
Three multitools (the kind that use triangular sanding pads).

The main thing I want to accomplish is at least semi-polishing the dull edge, but ideally, I'd also like to shave down the edge a bit so it's at least slightly bullnosed. I can live without the bullnosing if it ends up being too expensive to bother with.

I will not go out and buy yet another expensive power tool that I'll never use again. At this point, $40-50 is the absolute limit of what I'll spend before deciding to just live with exposed unpolished edges.

I have the following (South Florida) stores readily available: Home Depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, Sears, Floor & Decor (a Florida tile big-box store that nevertheless seems to not sell anything related to stone-polishing), and Amazon (Prime ONLY... I can't wait for normal ground shipping).

Someone, somewhere HAS to have something cheap, like a mount that can go in a drill, or diamond grit pads for a multitool... but if any of these stores have something like that (and actually have it in stock for immediate purchase, as opposed to "online only"), I'm just not seeing it.


texts: How can I quickly seal wet pressure-treated plywood?

texts: I am replacing the floor in my camper and want to use 3/4" pressure-treated plywood but I want to apply some water sealer before I lay it down. Is there a way I can do this without waiting a lengthy amount of time for the plywood to dry out?


texts: Wiring Pool Subpanel for Pump and Receptacles

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The project is to wire a sub-panel and three pool circuits. My 400A main panels (2) are about 35' away, and I don't have room inside the basement to mount the sub panel inside. I plan to use an Intermatic PE20000 60A outdoor load center (or a fancier PE25065RC that includes remote controls), and I will mount this on the outside of the house about 40' from the main panels. The load center will have three circuits to feed a 1.65HP 230V variable speed pump and two (2) 15A receptacle circuits (lighting & convenience).

Misc:

Location is Virginia
14'x33' fiberglass in-ground pool located ~40' from house and sub-panel
Hayward SP2303VSP pump (230v variable speed)
No heater or other powered equipment
Lighting circuit will supply (2) 12v transformers for (2) LED pool lights
Convenience receptacle is required within 20' of the pool edge

I would appreciate any guidance on the following:

Main panel:

30A 2-pole GFCI

Sub panel (Intermatic PE20000):

15A 2-pole breaker (non GFCI) (pump)
15A 1-pole (non GFCI) (lighting recept)
15A 1-pole (non GFCI) (convenience recept)
Non-bonded neutral and ground
No additional ground rod

Wire from main to sub:

(4) #10 THWN-2 copper stranded (~40' runs)

Wire from sub to circuits:

(3) 12' #10 THWN-2 copper stranded from sub panel to 230v pump (L1, L2, ground) in watertight conduit (#10 to future proof the wire)
(3) 60' #14 THWN-2 copper stranded from sub panel to 120v lighting receptacle (L, N, ground) via 3/4 schedule 80 PVC
(3) 100' #14 THWN-2 copper stranded from sub panel to 120v convenience receptacle (L, N, ground) via 3/4 schedule 80 PVC
All 3/4" schedule 80 conduit buried at 18"

Equipotential bonding: ~300' of #8 THWN-2 copper solid (bare) with equipotential connections to:

3' horizontal under pool coping/pavers around pool perimeter
deep end stainless steel ladder anchor plate
230v pump ground (it's not double-insulated)
bonding electrode within PVC at pool filter
not bonded back to the sub panel

Specific questions:

Is the #14 THWN-2 feed from sub panel to 230v pump sufficient (10FLA)? Consensus is yes per the pump manual
Are the #14 THWN-2 20A circuit feeds sufficient for those lengths (90 deg THWN-2 #14 copper should be 25A)? Consensus is yes
Does my #8 solid equipotential ground need to connect back to the sub-panel, or is the connection at the pump sufficient to tie back to the main ground? Not back to the subpanel - just to the pump.

Any recommendations for making things cleaner?


texts:
We are planning our next project: A rooftop terrace.

We would like to use the full wide of our roof, our city impose non combustible (not A rating) elements withing 1.2m from property limits, so I'm looking for our options and so far I have:

Aluminium decking
Porcelain tile
fiberglass decking
Plastic wood

is there anything you see I might have forgotten?

Thanks


texts: Radon abatement complete, but contractor used weird wiring?

texts:
We had a contractor do radon abatement, which involved adding a fan to pump air out from under the slab. They decided to power this fan by hard-wiring an extension cord. There is a disconnect switch in a weatherproof box on the outside of the house. The wire going off to the left in this picture leads to it. The 2x4s continue for several feet in both directions, so the wire isn't actually hanging in free space.

Is this normal? Should I have a licensed electrician do something about it?


texts: How do I clean bleach marks off bluestone pavers?

texts:
I have bluestone tiles in an under cover outside area. I sprayed a household cleaner on sections of the pavers and used a high pressure washer to clean them. However upon drying they now have white bleach spray marks on them where I sprayed.

Is there any way I can get rid of the unsightly "bleach" marks?


texts: Why would my Maytag FG6RC high efficiency furnace restart in the middle of a heating cycle?

texts:
My furnace is probably 7-8 years old, and this heating season the furnace has developed a strange problem.  The furnace starts normally, but before the temperature reaches the thermostat setting the gas valve shut off. The main blower continues to run for a short period, than shuts off as normal, but the exhaust fan continues to run.  After about 20-40 seconds the heating process start over again. The gas valve reopens, and the furnace restarts.

During these cycles the yellow light on the thermostat is still on, which is normal when the heating cycle is active.  I've tried raising the thermostat temperature setting by 10+ degrees to rule out an issue with the sensitivity of the thermostat.  I live in Michigan, and over the past several weeks our high temperature have been around 10-14 degrees. The lows at night have reach -17 degrees, so the furnace is getting a workout.

Any information you could provide as to the issue I am having would be appreciated.


texts: I have an electrical current detector that is beeping positive on the 2/6 studs that the 12/3 romex three way wire runs through.   The door header that the wires run over at one point also continuously beep positive if I touch the southward current/voltage detector to it.  If I turn off the breaker for the light switch, cutting power to the wire, the studs are no longer beeping positive for current.  I pulled the wire myself. I also installed the breaker box in this new construction shop.  1/2 I have spray foam insulation in the wall some of which is on the wires.  My studs are open so I can see most of the wire and don't detect any breaks.  Could this be a ground issue?  or perhaps the spray foam is conducting the field? Of do I need to pull the wire and rerun it because this means my have a leak into the stud. And most importantly, is this a fire issue.   Any suggestions.


texts: What is the ideal method of supporting a 27" deep floating desk across 10 feet of wall?

texts:
I'm building a floating U shaped desk in my office that will go from wall to wall.  This desk will need to support the monitors and accessories of two desktop computers.  The towers will be on shelves closer to the ground out of the way.

I would like it to be 27" deep along back wall, which is 10' 7.5", and 24" deep along the arms, which will extend 4' out.  The finish surface will likely be cabinet grade pine plywood, 1/2", sanded and stained a nice color.  I will fabricate the surface using two sheets of plywood, cutting a 69.75" x 48" outside dimension L from each sheet.

I've spent hours searching for something similar to this, but common sense would dictate that the deeper the shelf, the harder it is to use small and concealed support. Another concern is preventing the plywood from warping under load. So far the best advice I've received is to use flanges and threaded pipes on every other stud all along the underside.  Either that or spend $30 a pop for a few granite counter top brackets.  I would like to avoid that.

Using an in-wall bracket is not an option as I rent an apartment.  I have no problem patching holes from bolts but I can't go cutting into the sheet rock willy nilly.  I would like to know if anyone has experience with this sort of thing or has any ideas that would work.

This is an idea i'm considering, using 3 different shelves.  I would do the arms as 4' x 2' shelves flush to the corners of the wall, and a single middle shelf at 27.5" x 27".  But I'm still worried that 27" is too deep for support.


texts:
So I have an electrical setup near my breaker panel, and I was hoping someone could help me identify some of the pieces in the setup:

(A) Unknown
(B) Low voltage transformer for landscape lighting
(C) Unknown
(D) Unknown (although this connects to a lightswitch inside the house that turns on landscape lights)

Also: Where does the low voltage transformer plug into? It has a standard three prong cable, I just don't see where it plugs in.


texts: I am trying to use a greenworks wand with another pressure washer. I am not able to connect them. The picture shows the ends of the hose and the wand. I would like to know if an adapter is available to connect them. I can even cut the hose and attach a compatible connector. The attached image has the details. Thanks in advance


texts: Is there a building material that can be cut and glued, can be used outside, and provides good insulation?

texts:
I'm trying to make a pet house but I'd rather deal with something warmer than wood. Bonus points if it's light and easy to cut.

See this question for project details.


texts: What's this top part of this faucet used for?

texts: This is a faucet coming out of a wall in my backyard. What is that top white round part used for? What tool is used to screw/unscrew it?


texts: Question about fixing footer drains with no access

texts:
House is in Midwest. Built in 1997.

In 5 years we have had water come in at the same spot via the basement floor 2 times. Once during a massive spring rainstorm and once when 4 feet of snow melted very fast. I am looking for some opinions on the best way to prevent this short of destroying my deck and digging out around the foundation of my house.

Backstory:

My backyard slopes towards my house. I have a gutter system tied to the storm water drain that includes a drain in the backyard and perforated pipes connected and buried in the backyard as well. I had a plumber come out and camera/snake that whole system out. There were no real backups found. It seems to be working as intended. The prevailing theory is that that the footer drain could have mud or junk slowing it down when water does get to the house.

My issue is that the entire back of my house has a big deck built on it. There are no clean outs for the footer drains. It looks like soil has eroded under the deck so there is no good slope away from the house. All the drains and perforated pipes I described above start in the yard after the deck. So I have a decent system of moving water away from the house until you get to the deck.

The <= $10K options seem to be...

Dig a clean out for the footer on the side of the house. Try to see if it is clogged and snake it or fix any broken sections if they exist.
Dig a sub pump system and let the water into the basement to get it out. This does not seem very ideal to me.

Would there be any benefit to pulling up some slats of the deck to add soil to slope water away? I just don't want to tear down the entire deck.

Any opinions/observations would be appreciated.


texts: The cheapest (in terms of efforts) way to mount mic stand to a table with slanted edges

texts:
I bought a microphone table stand and only after that I've realized that the edges of my (only one and beloved) IKEA table aren’t flat enough.
I've tried different options but predictably have failed.

Question: Is there's something I can do to have a good enough solution to mount somehow this exact stand to this particular table?
UPD: I've implemented @willk's solutions, so I'm accepting it (though both answers are awesome). Works like charm!


texts: What is the proper way to measure the cut-out for the kitchen range?

texts: I want to upgrade my kitchen range. I currently have an old 1987 kenmore drop-in. The manual lists it as a "30 inch drop-in", but when I lift up the cooking surface, the distance from counter top to counter top is about 29.5 inches (give or take a few cm). I spoke with several appliance retailers and I get varying answers. Some say that the cut-out should be slightly less than 30, others say they won't install unless it is 30 or more. Which is it? Also, I want to upgrade to an induction cooktop. The circuit breaker for the stove is rated for 50 amps, but my old stove is only 20 amps so I don't know if they installed the proper gauge of wiring for 50 amps or cut corners and used wire that was rated for 20 amps.


texts: How can I remove a broken plastic packing nut from a faucet?

texts: I have a leaky exterior faucet where the plastic packing nut has broken and the threaded end is still inside the faucet.  How can I remove the broken packing nut from the faucet?


texts: should I have safety concern of this rusty fireplace gas burner?

texts:
I have no knowledge about how this gas burner works. I guess if the valve under the subfloor in the crawlspace is not rusty, then it should be OK, right?

Should I have any gas leak concerns? It seems to me that the burner pipe is easy to replace but the vertical pipe is fixed and hard to replace.

Any comment is appreciated.


texts: Can I use a small BBQ regulator to reduce propane line pressure from 10 PSI to 11" wc?

texts:
Propane company hooked up my permanent propane line today to the garage. I told them to put a T with shutoff BEHIND the 2nd stage regulator, (for a future propane generator). But they put the T in the line that comes from the high pressure regulator! (see below schematic).

So, as I understand, the T and valve output now have 10 PSI ?
I looked on the generator specs and it requires household pressure, 11" wc.

Can I use a small bbq regulator to reduce from 10 PSI to 11" wc, I found one that meets the BTU requirements of the genny.

1000 gal propane tank
|
at the tank, red high pressure regulator
|
|---at the garage, a T that goes to 1/4 turn shutoff valve---> to generator
|
at the garage, green 2nd stage regulator
|
garage heater


texts: Can I install a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) in a garage?

texts: I am building a high efficiency home in N. Minnesota, 2x6 construction, slab heat, spray foam insulation etc. Need to install an heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) unit, but only have space for it in the garage also with slab heat & foam insulation.  Local HVAC pro's tell me it can't be done, but cannot tell me why.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How can I hide the gap at the base of the stairs and the door, when installing laminate flooring?

texts:
I am starting to plan a project to lay laminate flooring in my hallway. Already I can see two areas which are not as straightforward as the rest of the area.

The first area which I can see me having problems is when I reach the bottom of the stairs. The stairs are carpeted, so once I have left the expansion gap I am not sure how to finish this off? Would this be the best solution?

The second area is the gap between the laminate and the PVC door, which has a PVC skirting board type thing. Would the fitting above be the best option also?

What would be the best solutions to hide these two gaps?


texts: Should I install baseboards before or after skimcoating?

texts:
My bathroom walls were a mix of plaster and drywall with various layers of paint, primer, and skim coating. I attempted to skim coat the walls myself to prepare for priming and painting, but I wasn't happy with the results so I hired someone to do it right. The walls are smooth now but not quite flat. For example, if you put a baseboard against one wall the baseboard touches the wall at two high points horizontally and there is space between the rest of the baseboard and wall.

The drywall guy said he would come back and fix anything that needs to be done such as those gaps and any other wall imperfections. He said however, that I should prime the walls and finish and nail the baseboards before he fixes the imperfections. He said that many of the subtle nicks and grooves in the wall would stand out better once the primer had been applied. He also said that he could achieve better results if the baseboards were nailed in first rather than using a straight edge to even out the low points, and that he would fill in from the top of the baseboards on up.

It seems to me that it would be easier to use a straight edge to even it out and that the baseboards would only get in the way. He said he didn't want to make it flat only to have me put on the baseboards and find out that it still looked off. I don't really buy that. It also seems odd to prime first before getting all the imperfections since the primer seals the wall and putting patches on top of that doesn't seem quite right. I'm not a professional and I don't want to tell him how to do his job, but if he's cutting corners I don't want to be taken advantage of either. Personally I think he should have evened out the low points at the beginning. Hidden nicks I can understand.

I'd be grateful for any informed opinions.


texts: I am getting new carpet in lounge room. I also wanted to tile a small area that leads from lounge room door to outside.  Like a small entry area to stop dirty feet walking straight onto carpet. My question is does it matter if the carpet goes down before we do the tiling?


texts: Can I place cement board over existing drywall in preparation for a natural stone?

texts:
Can I place cement board over existing drywall in preparation for a natural stone (quite heavy)installation in my living room? If it's possible, is it okay for the cement board screws to pass over drywall before it reaches the stud as a result?

Here's the project that we completed last month. thanks to Iggy and D moore


texts: How can I fit patio French doors in a frame that is too small?

texts: My question is very similar to "How can I fit a door in a frame that is too small?" except my house is made of concrete block.  I bought a used patio French door to replace my sliding door. The sliding door measured 71 1/2 x 80. The French doors measured the same. After taking out the frame for the sliders, I need at least 1/2 inch on the top and sides. Help!


texts: What size sub-panel and wire do I need for my three-season room?

texts:
I have a 15x22 room that is roughly 50' from the main panel, that I am converting from a 3 season room, into a conditioned space (heating and cooling, enclosed with windows and doors, etc.).

Currently there is a single 110 outlet in this room. This will not be sufficient as I want this to be a fully functional room that I can use most of the year. That said, I want to put in one of those split wall heating/ac units, maybe a ceiling fan, lights and enough outlets to fill the room while still meeting code.

I live in upstate New York. I plan to put a back-up fridge (which I know is supposed to be on its own circuit for starting amps), maybe a plug in lamp, tv, and a few other small items that won't necessarily all be on at the same time.

I looked at Home Depot and found a 6awg 3 wire cable with ground that says the max amperes are 55. So my question is, basically, on the proper amperes for this room, a proper sized sub panel and the correct breakers, so that I don't overload the sub panel and catch the wire on fire from overheating.

As I looked around HD's website, I began feeling like I would need a 100 amp sub panel at a minimum as the available slots for what I need don't seem to come on a panel that is rated for the 6awg wire specs. Do I need a larger (4awg) wire and a minimum of a 4 slot panel? I figured I could put lights one 1 slot, outlets one 1 and a double pole breaker for the heating/ac unit on one. Any help mapping this out would be pretty great.

Thanks, Bob

p.s: The main panel is pretty full, but I had installed an electric tankless water heater that took 6 spots for 3 double pole breakers for each heating element that I can steal the space from since the wife doesn't like that the 27,000kW makes the lights in the house flicker, so we went back to a standard tank water heater.

Panel is a Square-D Homeline HOMC30UC Series S01.


texts: I just bought a nice 1920s table which has obviously been fixed up a bit throughout its life, and thought I’d check before touching it whether there is any likelihood that the adhesive you can see in these photos could contain asbestos? I haven’t been able to find any authority on such things and I’m a bit paranoid. Any help appreciated!


texts: This cinderblock outbuilding's windows and doors were covered by metal siding. How can I turn them back into windows and doors?

texts:
There's an old cinderblock outbuilding on the property I'm under contract for, probably built in the 1960s. It had many doors and Windows, but most of them were covered when the previous owner of the property "renovated" the outbuildings by replacing their roofs and throwing siding up over the exterior.
What tools and processes should I use to turn these into functioning doors and windows again?
For example:

Can I just cut a hole through the metal and wood bits, or do I need to take down the siding entirely and start anew?
If I am to cut a hole, what tools and processes would I need to cut the hole?
If I am to cut a hole, do I need to finish the edges of the cut hole with some kind of sills or trim?
If I am to cut a hole, how can I make sure water doesn't come in through the doors and windows?


texts: How do I ensure the bathroom door stays open unless someone is inside?

texts:
When my windows are open, the wind can slam the bathroom door shut.  I don't want this to happen when my cat is in the doorway (dead cat), or inside the bathroom with no one home (locked in with nowhere to pee).  I want the door fully closeable when someone is using the bathroom though.

Right now I have a book as a door stop, but it is easy to forget to put it back in place.  Anything else that needs to be enabled manually (like those door stop things that swing down) is also no good.

I want a way to keep the door ajar by at least a few inches unless someone is inside and manually overrides it, but then after they open the door it resets and failsafe holds it open again.  I'm imagining some kind of spring-loaded arm with a rubber foot attached to the door, but there might be a no-brainer solution I'm not thinking of.

In other words, a person can disengage the stop in order to close the door, but as soon as they open the door enough to leave the room, the stop is engaged again automatically.


texts:
I built a large planter using untreated wood. Before pouring the potting soil into the planter, I have to paint the the planter with something that will protect it from the soil, the humidity, etc.

I would need to paint the interior to protect the wood from the soil, but also doesn't poison the soil and/or the plant.

I would also need to paint the planter exterior to protect it from the elements (sun, rain, termites, etc).

What do you suggest I paint it with? I prefer painting the whole thing with just one paint, instead of using two paints.


texts: newly installed picture window bends under pressure

texts:
We have just got new retrofit windows installed yesterday, argon two pane vinyl windows, Alside brand. They have lots of smudges all over so I started cleaning them. The biggest of them, tempered picture window on the porch feels somewhat flimsy. I press the rag against it and it moves, bends and come back after I release the pressure.
Is that normal?

The contractor claims it is normal but the old window ( original wooden single pane ) was certainly not moving. Also, none of the other windows ( some of them also big picture windows although none of them this big ) are doing it.

Other question is about the smudges, some seem to be caulk, some glue-ish and some oil. I can also see a big Alside sign in the top part under a certain angle. None of it comes off easily with the Windex. The oily patches not at all. The contractor recommended to clean it with lacquer thinner. Is that okay? something like acetone? Is not it going to damage the layer on the window?


texts:
I've seen two common types of edge finishes for laminate flooring. Since I'm not familiar with the actual trade terms (feel free to point these out), I'm going to dub them: flush fit and V-fit. I call flush fit is the planar one, where the edges attempt to form a continuous & seamless surface between planks. The V-fit is the one where the planks are slightly grooved on the edges so that adjacent planks form a V-shaped notch. As far as I can tell from the advertising material, the main purpose of this notch is to give a 3D impression of actual wood planks.

I'm wondering what's the best edge shape for maximum spill resistance. The manufacturers are rather mute on this. The V-shaped notches look like an obvious place where liquid would gather. On the other hand, the notches could be well sealed... and I've seen "aqua safe" boards from Pergo that use V-edges. The flush edges could actually draw in more liquids through capillary effect if the fitting isn't tight. Is there any comparative experience or data on this edge shape issue as it relates to spill resistance? (As an aside: I'm well aware that some manufacturers like Egger advise to use (and even sell their own brand [STRIP-EX] of) glue for increased spill resistance between boards.)


texts:
I am having some trouble making my sink drain gasket not leak. I have a very old sink (50+ years) and it is made of iron. The overflow drain holes in the drain pipe have over the years corroded part of the sink so now water is getting out of the overflow hole, outside of the drain pipe, and building up behind the gasket. Here is a picture of the issue.

As you can see there is a bead of water. Yes the nut is on tight. Until I get a replacement sink, is there some way I can stop this dripping? Perhaps silicon caulking? Thank you.


texts: I am a pool service guy and a couple times i have stumbled across this, and always told the customer to contact a licensed electrician to resolve the situation. Breaker at the box that controls the pump is single pole 120v, power coming out at the end is 240v. It seems they either split the line at some point and then recombined the two hot lines to form 240v or are combining two breakers together. In one instance a switch changed it from 120v when off to 240v when on. How is this possible? What happens to the neutral line if you are just ignoring it and using the two hot lines to make 240v? I am sorry i did not have time to disassemble all of the wiring leading to it to placate my curiosity. Obviously this seems highly unsafe.


texts: How do I wire a switch to control 2 outlets (all outdoor)?

texts:
I have an existing outdoor outlet and want to put move it to another location but I want to add a switch to control the relocated outlet plus add a new outlet in another location (both controlled by the outdoor switch).

If possible on one or both of the outlets, can only 1 set of receptacles be controlled by the switch while the bottom receptacles are always active?  The switch and 2 GFCI outlets would have weatherproof in-use covers.

Can anyone help advise how this should be wired?  currently there's a 14/2 at the exterior wall.   Any drawings on how this should be wired would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance


texts: Why does water come out of the hot supply line when I open the cold?

texts:
Removed the water heater in a house we are renovating. I capped the copper line running into the water heater, but didn't see a need to cap the hot water line coming out, figuring it was not under pressure.

I noticed when I run the cold faucet in the bathroom water shoots out of the hot water line at the water heater. Why is this?


texts: What should I do about an exposed wire for landscape lighting?

texts: Found an exposed wire from an old landscape light in the yard that is tripping a breaker. Can I just cap it?


texts:
I'll try to get everything in here, yet be concise.

This is a 3-story building, plus basement/underground parking.  I'm on the 2nd floor, studio.  Same layout above and below.  Exterior wall to balcony; all others interior.  Kitchen and bath share a wall (and also run along interior wall for hallway).  The drip sound is from the wall between the kitchen and bathroom.

Kitchen sink is on an island "wall" not attached to the "problem" wall.  Bathroom sink and toilet are on the wall opposite the "problem" wall.  I was thinking there wasn't any plumbing in the "problem" wall, but my mom pointed out the sprinkler system.  And, duh, the shower faucet is on that wall (drain is in middle of tub, though).

The drip is extremely intermittent.  It seems to occur at any time of the day (or night), and does not appear to be related to water running or having been run recently.  It SEEMS to be coming from/hitting somewhere near the ceiling.  Also, several feet to the side of the shower faucet.  When I hear it start, I've listened to see if anyone is running water (even going upstairs to listen) and there is never water running.

I've talked to the guy upstairs and he also hears it.  I haven't yet asked him if he can pinpoint "where"--as in, does he hear it towards his floor or not? (to 'correspond' with my sense that it is near my ceiling)  I haven't talked to the guy on the first floor.  If he doesn't hear it, then....well, it helps isolate the problem, I guess.  Oh--I've listened in the hallway downstairs and not heard it.  But I also listened in the hallway on the 3rd floor and did NOT hear it; but when I asked the guy, he did hear it inside his apartment.

The building is about a year old.  The drip/sound occurs during the summer and now (so, when hot or cold outside).  I've seen no evidence of water damage on either side of the wall.  I first heard it....about 5 months ago.  I wasn't here before that (I am first tenant in this unit).  If it's been doing it since construction, I'm not sure if that would be enough time for damage to show on the "living" sides of the walls?  I would think so, but....

Obviously, with sprinklers in the wall, there are pipes.  But I can't think why those pipes would have water moving through them 2 or more times a day.  Wouldn't water just sit in those pipes until needed, if ever needed?

The sound -- like big drops.  Nearly always the exact same speed, although I think a couple times it was quicker.  It lasts anywhere from a minute or two, to 15 minutes or more.  I'm up all night--it often happens in the middle of the night.  No one else is up and running water, and I would not have run the shower for...hours.

I'd like to figure out WHAT this is, because I really do not want them coming in here to tear out the wall to try to diagnose it.  There is no maintenance person on-site, so I can't just get him/her when it decides to drip.

Any thoughts??


texts: What can I do about a gas pipe that is in my way?

texts: I have just taken part of a studded wall out for modernization reasons, but found a gas pipe right there in the middle of the aperture. The easy way round this would be to use a 'flexi hose' is this ok to do so?


texts: I would like to install a wired security camera box in a closet and run the cables up into the attic to the individual cameras. How should the cables penetrate the drywall ceiling? I would like the install to look polished, minimise the access of creepy crawlies from the attic into the main house and allow for the addition of more cables in the future. The best I've been able to dream up is a short length of PVC pipe inserted in a corner of the ceiling, that gets stuffed with fiberglass insulation after running the cables, but that seems inelegant. Any better ideas?


texts: Do I need a separate moisture barrier for basement laminate flooring

texts:
I am going to install laminate flooring (without attached padding) on the concrete floor in my basement.

Do I need a moisture barrier in addition to the underlayment padding or does the underlayment padding also act as a moisture barrier?

For instance this product


texts: Can I take a 240 volt 33 amp male plug an slice

texts:
Okay. So I wanna wire my garage. My old home has an old unused 3 prong 240v plug just chilling. My home is limited to 100amps. Old old home. So, the garage, 60ft away has no power. No power=no man zone. I would like to run a couple different options. Sub-panel or just an extension with a gfi outlet.
I'm thinking about splitting the plug via a Junction box (new) prior to the old 3 prong plug *and remove said plug.
My understanding of it is that it's running 2 hot and a neutral. Can I split the hots (2) to create more plugs and lights. Really just want 3 exterior led lights for motion detection and lights outside. Inside I would like modernized  with a plug that can go 120/240 with 20 amps (so I can run my arc welder that requires a min of 20 amps on high or 15 amps on low- it needs a dedicated circuit so as not to be interfered when welding if I have a radio on and light. Help! Man in distress lacking a cave!
Or what are some better options?


texts: What is the proper way to insulate a cantilevered bay?

texts:
I have two areas of my house which are cantilevered. One is a bay area which extends about 2'. The other is the bottom of a fireplace box (gas fireplace). I have placed two layers of R-13 (I think) insulation in this area, but inside the house it's like a heat sink where all of the heat is sucked out ... very cold to the touch in the winter time. Obviously there must be a better way to insulate this area.

My question is, what is the best way to insulate a cantilevered area so as to allow the inside area of the house to not be so cold in the winter time?


texts: Effectively clearing out solvent fumes from a workshop

texts:
I am looking for safe ways to purge solvent fumes from a basement workshop. First let me say that I am not spraying solvent based finishes. I'm only trying to deal with the fumes given off by slow evaporation. For example, using mineral spirits on the corner of a rag to clean something. The smell will linger for hours or days, but the concentration is not high enough to be a serious respiratory risk or an explosion risk.

Two things I've considered:
Buying or building a "safety lamp", as used by miners in the 19th century. Burning up the solvent vapors safely might be a quick way to solve the issue.

Charcoal based filter combined with a fan to move air across or through the charcoal.


texts: How to run second disconnect/load center from meter

texts:
I live in Medina County, Ohio, USA.

This other question discusses a bit about running two load centers from a meter.  I am wanting to do exactly that. I currently have service that supports 200amp (confirmed with city).  My existing disconnect in garage is 100amp and has a 3 wire cable going to 100amp panel in the house.  That cable is routed through difficult places and the electrician tells me it will be expensive to upgrade to the 4-wire cable that would support 200amp.

I really only need 100amp more for the garage, so I did a little research and it appears that I would be able to run another 100amp loadcenter off the meter.  The other Stack Exchange question I linked to above discusses that, even going over some code (like you can do this because of an exception if the disconnects are grouped together).

So in order to avoid having to upgrade the whole house to 200amp and replace that cable, which increases the cost drastically, I'd like the electrician to run another loadcenter right off the meter and have it right next to the existing disconnect in the garage.  I mentioned this to him and he said we'd still need to replace the cable.  Before I go back and forth with him, I'd like to be more informed, which is what I'm trying to do here.

First, is running a second loadcenter code-compliant?  The total amps allowed by the two loadcenters would be 200amp, and the meter supports 200amp.  The existing disconnect and the new loadcenter would be physically right next to each other.

Second, if that is code-compliant, would the existing 3-wire cable between the existing disconnect and the house panel need to be upgraded?  If so, why?  It would never have more than 100amp (protected by the disconnect breaker).

Third, is there anything special that would need to be done to run a second loadcenter or is it just run in parallel from the meter?

See my professional diagram below.

Thanks for your help,
Mike


texts:
I'm about to cover up some junction boxes in my ceiling, they need a cover and I got the wrong size at the store.

I have some metal flashing laying around from working on my roof would this be safe to use if I cut it to size and screw it on?


texts:
I have duct tape, masking tape and brown tape residue on walls, vinyl and skirting board.  Will water and a microfiber cloth be sufficient to remove them or what will I need to do.  I prefer avoiding harsh chemicals as they make me unwell.

thanks.


texts: How should I insulate a 3 story 1920's lath stucco house in New England?

texts:
Best and worst ways to insulate 3 story 1920's lath stucco house in New England?
Is there any type of insulation I should be careful to avoid? In particular, I am concerned about the permeability of the stucco, and the use of cellulose in such an old house. Any thoughts?


texts: The furnace blower started running constantly and I noticed there was cold air coming fromm the vents and not heat.  I have a Payne (Carrier) furnace.  The spark gap igniter was not throwing a spark to initiate the pilot.  Wondering if the ingniter has gone bad or if it is not getting the electricity to initiate the spark?  It went from working one day to not working the next.  It's an older furnace.  Is there a way to check if the igniter is getting electricity or should the igniter just be replaced?


texts: Dead circuits with breakers across from each other

texts:
I have 4 dead circuits which were intermittent off/on at first- now dead. The 20 amp dual tandem breakers are across from each other in the breaker box. The breakers/circuits above and below the affected breakers are live and functioning properly.

There was enough voltage earlier to energize the digital temperature readout on an LG window unit, but turning on a light killed the display.There was also a faint odor of something burning, resembling burnt newspaper. Box and breakers are cutler/hammer.

I'm about to pull the guilty breakers and replace them and check the BUS.


texts: Does Polyurethane foam also stabilize soil?

texts:
I purchased a house last year and discovered over several months that I live in an area with highly expansive dark clay soil. This has caused cracks in my floating slab foundation, drywall, and of course affected doors.

I'm looking at solutions to this problem. Neighbors have had piering and mudjacking done with some less than ideally successful outcomes.

I see it as two problems. One the soil, and one the existing damage.

I've been trying to get a company that uses Ionic Clay Stabilizers to give me a quote, but have had challenges getting someone that serves Kansas.

In my research a lot of the advertising on Polyjacking seems to suggest that foams/and or resins provide soil stabilization under the house, however my intuition is a bit questioning of this as the expansion and contraction of the soil seems like it would still cause issues unless the resins and foam cause the entire subsurface to be more resilient to expansion.

I found this article which also seems to suggest poly improves soil stabilization.

Can anyone enlighten me to if polyjacking simply fills voids and corrects damage or additionally mitigates on going damage of expansive soils?.

Related guidance, experiences, and info/advice are also appreciated. I've currently gotten a quote for piering (16 piers) and polyjacking, but I want to make sure I understand my options and have the best chance of a good solution.


texts:
I am in Indonesia. I previously rented a jack hammer, which ended up costing around $175 for a week. The jack hammer appeared to be an old Hitachi H65.

We wanted the jack hammer to break limestone rock, and for concrete.

The jack hammer completely failed to do anything with the rock. I suspect this was because in Indonesia there is a great tendency to cut corners with poor quality tools; in this case the bit (not an original part I guess) seemed to be of very soft metal, so it was useless.

Now we are in the position where we need a tool to break relatively substantial quantities of rock, say a cubic metre or more off of a much larger (say 200 cubic metres) rock. And we also want to drill a rock to insert 16mm steel rods.

So I am looking at buying a larger rotary hammer, which is likely to be a Makita or Bosch, as that's what's generally available here. Labour is cheap here (less than $10/day), so there's not a great payoff in spending more money to save time - the machine just needs to stand up to the job.

Is there a strength the machine needs to have to destroy my rock? And what kind of technique and bits should be used to break the rock?


texts: Adding outside wood boiler to oil furnace

texts:
I am adding an outdoor wood burner (water stove) to my home.

Water to air heat exchanger plumbed into existing ductwork for oil burner.

What are my options for running the oil burner's fan WITHOUT the oil burner firing and attempting to heat?

Could it be wired with a toggle switch in line at some point, as I have no plans to purchase oil at the current prices?


texts:
My house is about 5 years old and our local building codes required a 5-star energy rating (Melbourne, Australia). This means there's solar hot water and both the walls and ceiling are insulated.

But it takes a lot of energy to heat the room, and as soon as you turn off the central heating (ceiling ducted) the house cools very quickly.

Somewhere, somehow, I'm losing way too much heat.

How do I work out where the heat is going? There's probably a lot of things I can do to save some of the heat, like installing double-glazing or even putting pelmets above the windows. But I would rather work out if the heat is going somewhere in particular that I can quickly and easily rectify.

Is there some gadget I can get to test something? Or some other method that's free/cheap?


texts: Can a convection oven be used without exterior venting?

texts:
My home is 20 years old. I have a free standing stove/oven and a microwave above installed when home was new. Neither is vented and the roof is tile and exterior is stucco so I won’t be able to vent.

I purchased an LG studio microwave/convection oven and a stove oven/convection. Will I be able to use the convection feature if not vented to the exterior?


texts: What is this rubber thing I found by the sink?

texts: I found this rubber thing by the kitchen sink of my new place and I'm trying to figure out what it is. Any ideas? it looks like some kind of stopper but it doesn't seem to fit anything I see.


texts: Leviton Triplex unavailable/discontinued. Alternatives?

texts:
It appears that the Leviton Triplex outlets are no longer available and the product is listed as discontinued.   My best guess is that they weren't technically code compliant?

They were a rather brilliant solution for fitting 3 ground NEMA compatible outlets into the space of a normal outlet.

Are there alternative solutions available?

Edit:  The goal is to avoid messing with an outside wall.  I have an existing weatherproof outlet where I need 3 plugs.   Making it bigger is possible (and in my range of skills), but I'd rather avoid doing so.


texts: How to handle dirt caked in excavator bucket

texts: I'm digging a basement with an excavator.  It's been some rain, and so the dirt is caking in the bucket.  I clean it when I have to, but it's a pain.  Any tips for dealing with it?


texts: Brass Barb Fitting Threaded Fitting To PVC End Cap

texts: What would be the correct way to thread a brass bar fitting into a plastic end cap? I'm working on building a home aquaponics system with the water coming in and exiting through a similar end cap. Is there a proper sealent that should be used. The end cap is 3" PVC, and the hose barb is a 3/8" brass NPT fitting.


texts:
After doing some cleaning over the weekend, I found these left to us from the prior owner of my home.  I've never come across these before, but they look to be lag screws within some sort of hangar or mount. Can't say I've ever seen these during a trip to the hardware store, nor can I find any location in my home where they're actually in use.  Frankly, I'm baffled.

What are these, and more importantly what are they used for?


texts:
At my place of work, which is in the US, I had an electrician install a 3-phase outlet. He used a NEMA L14-20 receptacle and left us a NEMA L14-20 plug to connect to the device which uses the power. This is a 208 V installation (measures at 212V phase-to-phase, and all three phases present, plus GND). We plan to use it to power a servo-motor drive. The drive model is SVA-2300 from automation direct.

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Motion_Control/Servo_Systems/Drives_-a-_Motors_Components/SVA-2300

This doesn't seem right. Seems like he should have used a NEMA L15-20 receptacle and plug. Is it common or correct to use NEMA L14-20 receptacles for 3-phase power? Should I ask him to redo it or just use the plug he left for us? Obviously it will work and be safe for us, but it seems like if someone came along and plugged in something else to that outlet, it could be a problem for them.

He is a professional electrician and the work is well done and neat otherwise.

Edit History: added 'L' prefix. This is a locking connector. It is a 208 V outlet (measures at 212 phase-to-phase). Noted that all three phases are present. Added information about load.


texts: bladder tank pressure drops quickly as water is running

texts: not isolated the tank reads 50 psi at the Schrader valve, I open a water faucet in the house and the pressure gauge drops quickly down to 40 psi and the pump kicks on going back to 60 psi then gauge drops again cycle repeats, on and off happens every 30 or 40 secs.


texts: Pulled a lot of stuff from Bath tub drain, now the clog is even worse!

texts:
My bathroom bathtub was very slow to drain, water will stand in the tub for long time. I bought the 20 ft long auger (advertised for bathtubs) and I can't believe I snaked through about 12 feet deep and pulled a lot of disgusting stuff. I was sure the drain will rain smooth now.
To my surprise, it's now completely clogged and water will not drain at all.
I re-snaked and this time I am not able to get pass the first turn in pipes (about 2 feet or so). I believed when pulling it out first, it probably deposited a lot of stuff there.
What could I do now? I keep locking the auger and turning but pushing in but this time it's not going any further. Any suggestions?
I have a typical bathtub, I believe like this
Update
I used plunger and managed to open the drain that way but still wanted to snake it 2nd time but won't get passed the same point. The drain is working now though.


texts: I have a Samsung stove and when I preheat the oven, it trips the breaker several minutes into use. The breaker is hot, but when it cools down, it can be turned on. The cook top works after the breaker is turned back on. The cook top doesn't trip the breaker, only the oven.


texts: How do I lower the humidity in my non-vented laundry room?

texts:
I've lived in my house for about a year now and I have this small room (maybe 5x6) that contains my washer and dryer.  I have central air and this room does not have a vent. Also this room does not have an exhaust. Instead it just has a drop ceiling. I checked my exhaust for the gas dryer and it's fine.

I noticed a few days ago that the room was very humid. I went in the attic and noticed that the underside of my insulation located directly above the drop ceiling was black. To me this means that the previous owners have had issues with this due to the massive amount of black insulation. Since then I put our dehumidifier in the room until I can figure out how I should fix this.

I've considered a few options for fixing this issue and would like to know if anyone has had this issue and how they addressed it if they did.

1) Install flex-duct from the existing A/C ducts to the laundry room. This would cool the room and lower the moisture naturally.

2) Install an exhaust fan with a humidity sensor.

3) Keep the dehumidifier in the room.


texts: Header size and support for 10 foot window

texts: I'm putting in a large 10 foot window in a sunroom on a non load bearing wall.  The entire wall is being replaced.  I was planning to  put in a header with joist hangers attached to the 2x12s in the picture and supported with 2x4s on the side.   Is a double 2x6 sufficient and would not sag?  How much support in terms of 2x4s would be needed on the sides?  I clearly haven't done a lot of framing and just want to make sure I get this correct.  I'm trying to maximize the window size for the opening.  The bottom of the window will be supported by normal stud spacing on top of concrete.


texts: Can I use single walled stove pipe for my wood stove?

texts: I have a wood stove that I'm going to use in my work room that is on the first floor of my house.  I was planning on running it out the side of my house and then the chimney go up next to my house.  I have a wall thimble to go through the wall, but my question is, can I use single walled pipe for the chimney?  It wouldn't be touching the house.


texts:
Can I use regular 5/8" thick drywall in a 1/2 bath (powder room)?

It's a very small room, with just a toilet and a sink to wash one's hands.
My dad has a bunch of excess regular drywall panels (5/8" thick)
Since there is not tub or shower, is it OK or not advised?


texts: Two GFCI outlets were just replaced and have power but don't work

texts:
Two GFCI outlets were just replaced in kitchen.  Green light is on but no power to the GFCI outlet or the downline outlets.  There is power to the wires and the TEST / RESET buttons don't work.  Any ideas?  Thank you.

I stayed with the same model, Leviton.  I only changed the color.  Downline outlets as well.


texts: Mystery circuit breaker discovered in QO panel

texts:
I have part ownership of a house and acreage these days in rural southern Missouri.  The house was built before the AHJ (county) adopted the NEC, so there are some quirks in the electrical system, one of them being the electrical panel (located in the master bath).  Thankfully, the panel itself is a Square D QOC-16D Series L1 (and not some terrible piece of fire-protection-eliminating trash), but of course, it's underdocumented and stuffed to the gills with double-stuff breakers, including the two in the photo below in slots 11 and 15 in the panel that are of a style I have never seen before:

Did Square-D ever make a double-stuff QO with the handles in the configuration depicted, and if so, when? If not, who the heck made them?  Are these oddly configured breakers obsolete in some way, compared to their more conventional double-stuff brethren (as exemplified by the QO2020 in slot 13 seen between them)?


texts:
We've bought a house where most of the lighting is provided 12VAC halogens. Some of these globes are starting to burn out, so we decided to replace them with 12VAC LEDs. The LEDs are non-dimmable, but none of the circuits have dimmers.

However, the LEDs are pulsing on briefly about once every second.

I can't easily get to most of the transformers without ripping out the plasterboard.

The original globes are Philips 35W 12VAC Halogens

The new ones are Click 5W 12VAC LED


texts: How do I fill the holes in concrete to reattach a curtain rod?

texts:
I am very, very new to this DIY thing, so be gentle.
A bedroom curtain rod popped out of this concrete wall with a surface material which I don't recognize.  The rod holds fairly heavy blackout curtains.
The rod is fine, the wall is not. At the very least I would like to fill/patch these holes. There isn't much room so ideally I would also like to reuse the area to drill in and reinstall the rod with new anchors and screws.  I have a hammer drill, anchors, and screws.
Finally, optionally, I'd like to fix that edge but I have no idea what that material is on the surface.
The photo is of the right side, the left looks the same.  Happy to provide any additional details.
Thank you all so much in advance.


texts: Will a SimpliSafe security system which include smoke detectors qualify under fire panel exception for the NEC's AFCI requirements?

texts:
To expand on the question I'm trying to put these AFCI's and GFI's everywhere I need them, but nowhere I do not.  Also my experience with AFCI's up to this point have been poor.  They trip when the humidity in the room drastically changes and I don't like the idea of having an alarm system tied to it.

Below is my understanding of how the breakers need to be allocated based on NEC 2020.  Note that these four bedrooms will be occupied by four unrelated students, who will likely have their own computer, TV, gaming console, etc.  For this reason it seemed practical to give each bedroom its own breaker for receptacles.  That being said, I will happily take any scrutiny about this arrangement as long as it conforms with 2020 regulations.  Philly has recently cracked down on slum lords, especially when it comes to student housing.

Furnace Igniter        1 x AFCI
Water heater IG        1 x AFCI
4 x Bedrooms           4 x AFCI breakers
2 x Bathrooms          2 x Duel function breakers  (or AFCI w/ local GFI)
2 x Kitchen cntr       2 x Duel function breakers
1 x Refrigerator       1 x AFCI
1 x Dishwasher         1 x AFCI
LR + Hall +kit         1 x AFCI
1 Outdoor outlet       1 x GFCI
40A Dryer              1 x standard trip 240V 2 pole
50A Range              1 x GFI 240V 2 pole  (standard trip for 2017)
Sec/Fire panel         1 x standard trip

NOTE I have never seen anything about this in the NEC, but I was always told (by philly electricians) that inspectors want to see kitchen counter receptacles divided into a minimum of 2 circuits and this is in addition to wall receptacles.

NOTE I believe I read GFI's were required on 240V for breakers >= 50A

This post is similar to this one, but I still had many unanswered questions.  Mainly the title question.
Where should arc fault breaker not be used?


texts: What caulk should I use for the lip of a slide-in range?

texts:
I just replaced the ceramic cooking surface on my range/stove/oven.  When I pulled it out, I noticed the side close to the sink (which is about two to three feet away) was pretty rusted and corroded.  The previous homeowner didn't have any caulking or other barriers in place to prevent liquids that splashed off the stove or out of the sink from creeping under the lip of the range then down the side.

I'd like to stop things from getting worse, and was thinking I should caulk the lip of the range and wanted to make sure I used the right kind.  I'm worried that I need a special caulk for the high temperatures of the range.  I looked at all the different kinds of caulking at my local home improvement store but didn't see any made for stoves.  Can I use any kind of caulking?  Do they make a specific kind for this situation?


texts:
I have a Trane furnace and the third out of three burners doesn't want to come on.  The surface ignitor will light, the gas to the first two burners kicks on, but the third burner that that shoots flames into the flame sensor doesn't come on and then the furnace will shut off in a couple seconds and then will try to repeat this for a few times.  Sometimes it will eventually light, but sometimes it won't.

Do I just need to take the burners apart and give it a good cleaning?  I'm a self admitted cheapskate and like to do the work myself to save money but when it comes to anything that has to do with gas, sometimes I'll fork over the money to hire a technician.  Is this something that's easy enough to do myself or just go ahead and get a hvac guy out?  I've done many home repairs successfully with the help of youtube but this particular one I'm having a hard time finding a detailed video that goes through steps.


texts: Why might a central heating programmer no longer override a room thermostat?

texts:
My central heating and hot water is governed by a Danfoss FP715 Si. Using this I can set the time each day when the central heating and the hot water come on and off. When the central heating is on it is further governed by a Honeywell DT92E wireless room thermostat in the living room. This was working fine until a few months ago. Now the central heating only listens to the room thermostat. It does not matter what the Danfoss programmer is set to, if the temperature in the living room falls bellow the value set on the thermostat the heating clicks on, even at 3 in the morning.

What's gone wrong? How do I diagnose the problem? How can I fix it so that the heating only comes on when the Danfoss says it can?


texts: Why would i have 20 volts a.c.running through my plumbing

texts: I am living in  a 1964 mobile home and replacing plumbing from city line up. I cut the galvanized going into trailer and got sparks placed meter between two lines and read 20 volts give or take a couple .had replaced under trailer outlet for heat tape but that breaker was off. i ran a jumper from galvanized to city copper for time being .followed ground from breaker box to plumbing to under trailer attached at cross member [rusty cross member ]. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated it is getting cold and i need water badly. Bob


texts: How do I qualify for the 75C table in the ampacity chart?

texts:
Suppose we direct-buried some 8 AWG cable.  It's now under a parking lot, and retrenching it is out of the question.  Now, needs have changed and we need to get 50A out of the circuit, which is possible with 8 AWG in the 75C column.   The wire is good for it.

What else is needed to qualify to use the 75C column?

Does anything change if this is wired in the interior of a house?


texts: I have a question. Can I use lime mortar (hydrated lime and sand mix) for indoor applications? I have to re-point an old, brick wall (This is my first time doing it). Is it safe health-wise? What else could be used for this type of wall?


texts: Any reason to get a table/countertop thicker than 1.5"?

texts:
I am looking at getting a butcher block table top to construct a desk. The maker offers four standard thicknesses: 1.5", 1.75", 2.25", and 3".

I currently use a 1.5" oak butcher block desk table and it is very rigid, I can stand on it (200 pounds) and it does not bend.

So, why would I need a table any thicker than this? Is it purely for looks, or is there some practical reason?


texts: Brand new shallow well jet pump, noisy and slow

texts:
1/2 hp Red Lion shallow well jet pump, 20 gal pressure tank, well water table was measured 8 feet down the well pipe.

When priming the pump, water came steady but not at a good rate. Not knowing how fast the water should come out without going through the pressure tank I finally just closed the drain and let things fill up. The pump always sounded like it still has air in it or something rattling around.

After several days and some investigating I found at first one leak at the pressure switch line going out from the pump, fixed that and a day later I found another leak of the line going into the switch, fixed that as well. The pump is still noisy and it takes 8 minutes to replenish the pressure tank even though no water is running in the house. It pressurizes with lots of slurping noises to 50 psi and shuts off.

My question is: Where should I start trouble shooting without having to tear everything apart? I already checked for air leaks with soap suds. Is it possible the pump was damaged during priming due to the two existing leaks?

Thank you! Susi


texts: Can I repair a shower without pulling everything out?

texts:
We had a new shower put in (by a contractor who was in over his head) during a remodel a few years ago.  About a year ago the built-in-bench starting to collapse.  When we pulled out the bench we noticed that there was no shower pan under it- eek!  We need to add one.

Here's my question?  Can we simply fill it in instead of starting over.  Every contractor that has looked at it says that they have to pull out the existing floor (which includes the tile that I'll have a hard time replacing).  I don't mind having to replace wall tile... i just want to avoid pulling out the floor.

I'm convinced that there has to be a way even if it's unconventional.


texts: 60 amp detached shop able to run 50 amp hot tub?

texts:
my house main panel is 200 amp, the shops panel is 60 amp. My new tub is closest to my shop but wasn't sure it would cause my shop to trip with the tub on its 50 amp gfci circuit? I was going to run from my house 200 amp but the teck AWG #6 is going to be very expensive to run that distance hence me researching if it's safe and able to be done through my shops 60 amp service. I've read it's safe and fine as most tubs that require 50 Amp fuse usually run at a 40 amp level. I'm just concerned it would trip the 60 Amp shop breaker, I don't run much in my shop other then lights and tunes and the odd power tool and my welder but figured I can just turn the tub off durang that. Any input would be great.

Cheers
Danny


texts: My front door frame doesn't support installing a storm door

texts: Please see attached picture. Notice that there isn't any brick molding at the top of the door frame and the jam is not deep enough space to mount a door closer on. What are my options ? are there jamb extension kits simple enough for DIY ?


texts: Mortar (or something) falling out of basement brick wall

texts:
In my basement, there is a powdery, bright white substance between some of the bricks. It looks like it was something applied on top of the mortar joint. I scraped a couple places where it was falling out, and about 1/8 inch below is hard mortar.

If I touch it lightly, it falls apart and indeed has been falling off the wall and onto the floor by itself. Basically it's expanding slowly and pushing the coat of paint off the wall.

This wall is below grade. I had a friend stop by who happens to be a mason, and he said it wasn't anything to worry about. But what is the white stuff?


texts: Can I use 2 runs of 10/2 UBF for my Shed 90’ from House?

texts: I want to run a window AC unit in Summer And an electric heater in winter. That for one 20Amp circuit. Other circuit for lighting and miscellaneous power tool operation. The 20A breakers square D Homeline type GFCI and CAFI with plug on neutral. Home Built in 85 with older Square D 100Amp panel. Do I need a sub panel and extra grounds being these are runs with ground back to house.


texts: Code compliance of running EMT on exterior of exposed chimney inside

texts: I am working on a 1920s era home with an exposed brick chimney inside. The chimney is not connected to a fireplace but is used to vent the water heater and furnace in the basement. I am currently moving a light switch on the main floor and the best place for it to be would be the outside wall of the chimney. I am wondering if it is a violation to mount a run of EMT from the attic along the chimney and mount the switch to the side in a box.


texts: Furnace cold air return serving up crawlspace air

texts:
My house has a partial basement and a crawlspace. The forced air furnace is in the basement, and ducts run through the crawlspace to distribute air to the house.  In the summer, when we don't use the furnace, our living room, where the cold air return is, starts to smell like dirt. Like the crawlspace.  I think the issue is that certain atmospheric conditions will cause a pressure or temperature differential that makes air flow up and out of the crawlspace via the cold air return.

This must be an issue for other houses with crawlspace duct work. Is there a standard way that HVAC pros mitigate this? Would it help to add more ventilation to my crawlspace (it has very poor ventilation currently)?

The easiest solution would be to block off the cold air return when it's not in use, but I'm the kind of moron who would probably forget about it and turn on the furnace while it's still blocked.


texts: Was it ever not a code violation to pair a 30A breaker and 50A receptacle?

texts:
Our dryer circuit has a 30A breaker and 50A receptacle. I've read that if any of this was new work, it would not meet current code. Example:

Can I connect 12 AWG wire to 10 AWG in a junction box?

When was this requirement codified?


texts: How can I paint both sides of a door without waiting for each side to dry first?

texts:
Problem
I am spraying 6 3-panel slabs. I am quite new at using an airless sprayer.
Need Advice
I am using a semi-gloss from Sherwin-Williams and would like to be able to spray both sides at the same time, without having to wait for the paint to dry and then flip the door over. Any pointers?


texts: Why is my washing machine making this sound?

texts: I have uploaded a short video of my washing machine's spin cycle.  It sounds like there is something scraping and the drum isn't moving very fast.  Any ideas as to what this could be?  Would it be worth my time to take the thing apart?


texts:
The original owner of our house had the layout changed from the standard design and we need some help with deciphering what's what so we can try to figure out what the new idea was that he was envisioning.

Can someone help with identifying what each of these are for?
Thanks in advance!]1


texts: Can I wire light sockets with 12 gauge wire

texts:
I have a dedicated 20A breaker with 12 gauge wire running to my shed.  I have been installing outlets where I need that in my next step is to put in some light sockets.

I made them myself out of PVC and a light socket from Home Depot.

The light socket wires are very skinny. Can I connect them to my 12gauge wire that I have going throughout the rest of the shed? Do I have to buy a specific light socket?


texts:
I went to replace two kitchen dimmer switches with new toggle dimmers (the old dimmers work, this is only cosmetic).  When I removed the face plate, I found the existing switches did not have a ground wire attached.

There does appear to be ground wires twisted together in the back of the box (see attached photo).

The previous owner remodeled the kitchen ~15 years ago, so I'm not sure if this install was just a quick carry over / install from the original switch install from the early 1980s.

Any info would be appreciated!


texts: Do I have to remove the old thinset before installing new tile?

texts:
I will be installing some new 12x12 tiles in two bathrooms approx 25 sq/ft each. When I pulled up the old tiles, there was no thin set that had made contact with them so the removal was very easy. Now, the thin set on the floor is a different story. I have been chipping away at it by hand in one bathroom to get to the cement floor below and it has been a bugger to get off. Before I attempt to continue this process in the second bathroom, I would like to know if it is absolutely required to do so if it is well adhered to the cement underneath?

(It's my hope, obviously, that I can tile over the old thin set as long as it is level and firmly attached.)

EDIT: My subfloor is a concrete slab with the thin set on it. It must be chipped away to remove vs. cut and replace sub floor.


texts: What could cause tiles to suddenly separate from a wall?

texts:
There is a row of tiles (1 tile high) behind my kitchen sink. Recently I noticed one or two of them were separating from the wall slightly. This continued to happen over the next few days until about 5 of them literally fell off. I checked behind the missing tiles and the wall appears fine - no moisture or mould, just bare bricks.

I've only owned the place for about a year, but judging from the design of the kitchen the tiles are probably 20+ years old.

Would anyone know what could have caused this?


texts: How to sand, stain and seal wood filler in a knothole

texts:
I have this knot hole in the floor:

I want to fill it with wood filler and then sand, stain and seal it.

I have a few questions though:

How do I find out what sealant was used before? I assume it Polyurethane. But was it oil or water based? And if I use water based on an oil based Polyurethane, will this cause problems?
What's the direction of the wood fibers (wood grain or whatever it's called)? Is it in the direction of the length of the wood board?
How do I stain the wood after sanding down the wood filler and the area immediately around it? I mean, it's two different colors. How would that work?
What grain of sand paper do I need to use for the sanding?
Is there anything else that I need to know before starting?
Will the hole deteriorate if I leave it as is?

Thanks.


texts: Why won't my toilet flush right? Did our plumbers not put something back right?

texts: We've had issues in the past about having the sewage line get backed up.  We just had the plumber here almost a week ago to replace the water line.  Now our toilet won't flush right.  It flushes all the water into the bowl but it just stays there and slowly goes out of the bowl but it still leaves solid waste behind.  We have tried our normal "fixes" when the line gets back up but it's still not doing right.  We plug the shower when we take one so the water doesn't drain and then wait overnight to flush but it does the same but then we unplug the tub and the water there drains perfectly fine.  What I'm wondering is if the plumbers did something under the house that affects the pressure of the toilet flushing.


texts: What type of material is this and do I have a leak?

texts:
I just bought a 1923 home in Cleveland, OH, and had a weird problem with the flooring in the half bath on the main floor.  As you can see from the photos, there is not only a bulge in the flooring, but also a weird liquid seeping up from the floor.  My kids wash their hands in the bathroom, and probably splash water on the floor, but I'm not sure if that's what's causing it.

Questions:

1.) What is the red material underneath the green vinyl/linoleum tile floor?
2.) What could that leak be?
3.) Any idea what the bulge in the floor might be?
4.) Could we safely lay tile over the floor?
5.) Is there asbestos material or tar material from earlier time periods that may be toxic, if so who can I call to remove/repair this?

Thank you very much!

Please ignore the white spots, we were painting and always intended to remove the flooring, so mistakes were made!.


texts: How do I know when evaporative/swamp cooler pads should be replaced?

texts: This is my first experience with an evaporative cooler because we just moved into our house. I have no idea how long these pads have been it he cooler. We never noticed any smells come from the cooler and the cooler seemed pretty cool to us. How do I know when the pads should be replaced? My understanding is that these cardboard type ones last longer than the fiber based ones.


texts: How should I attach a desk to a wall on one end?

texts:
A bit new here and I hope I'm not asking this question again but I couldn't find anything like this.

I'll give some context:

I'm looking to set up new tables in my room in an L orientation with one of the table tops being between 5 to 10cm higher than the other (a somewhat contemporary look). Basically, the way I want to support these tables is that one end of each of the tables (the short end opposite from the corner) will have a cabinet and the other (on the corner end) will be mounted by L brackets.

I'm really looking to have the brackets as low profile as possible so that the table tops have that floating look on one end. There will be no support from the bottom table to the top one.

Has anybody done this type of thing before or are familiar with wall mounting table tops? If so, do you think L brackets will be sufficient? I'm planning to have 4 L brackets on each table top at the corner end. Two on each side at the ends of the table to provide as much support as possible and to minimize the possibility of the L bracket's bending.

Heres something of what I had in mind for how the supports would be:

http://www.houzz.com/photos/556452/Guest-Studio-modern-home-office-new-york

This one is similar except the support of my tables will be a cabinet instead of that panel and the end on the wall will have to be screwed in by some sort of low profile bracket.


texts: Can I mount a smoke alarm using magnets?

texts:
I am installing smoke alarms in my 1930s house. I'd rather not drill into the plaster at this time, but I want to get them mounted. I have drywall beads along the top of all my walls, so I was thinking that I could mount the smoke detectors using some rare-earth magnets. They can hold the weight, but I don't know if the magnets will interfere with the smoke detectors. I've searched around, and it sounds like some smoke detectors can be tested with magnets, but that is it.

Is mounting smoke alarms with magnets going to render the smoke detectors ineffective?

Edit: Thanks for the answers. I'm going to go with a more solid approach, and either find the studs or use an full anchor. Given the importance of fire detection, it's not worth the risk.


texts:
i've got 120' of 350/350/4/4 AL wire from transformer to a  400 amp service entrance meter/panel (Siemens MM0404L1400RLM). From there, the 200 amp feeder breaker is going to feed via 2 1/2" conduit to the future house.

That run is 235' to a temporary power panel to be used during construction ( Siemens PW0816B1200TC).

Is 4/0,4/0,2/0,#4 good? Or am I not allowed to down-size the neutral?


texts: I have the CFL recessed lights in my kitchen but i want to change them to LED, some one at home depot told me that i will need to change the can. Can someone help or guide me to a video or instructions how can i remove the old can with the new one ?


texts: What kind of bulb is this? How to remove it?

texts: I have a few burned out bulbs in my rental unit, which need to be replaced. Have never seen bulbs like this, cannot find any labels, and can’t even figure out how to remove it! Does anyone know what kind of bulb this is, or know how to find out?


texts: What is This Metal Flashing and Hollow Space Where Top Plate Should be

texts:
I'm running new wiring to add receptacles in an attached garage.  I have attic access above the garage and have been drilling down into the top plate into the cavity where the receptacle will go and fishing the wire from above. I came across this section where the top plate is gone, and in its place is some metal flashing and a hollow cavity.

It's about 10" across, and When I dropped a fish pole down the cavity it went down about 29". Tapping the fish pole, it sounds like the bottom is metal. There doesn't appear to be anything in this space (besides some of the blow-in insulation).  There is a fire block in the wall, but it's about 10" further down.

The wall is shared with the kitchen on the inside of the house, but there isn't anything in that area except a wire between a couple outlets in the kitchen, about 14" further down than the bottom of this cavity.

The kitchen was remodeled at least once since the house was built, but that was before we bought it, so I'm not sure how the kitchen used to be laid out. For what it's worth, it was built in 1984, in Northern Virginia.

It's right above where I planned to put a receptacle, and I've already cut the hole for the work box.  Can I just drill through the bottom?


texts: A month ago my house's sprinkler pipe formed a hole and exploded due to pressure. This was caused by the fact that I had forgotten to shut the water off to my sprinkler system before it got too cold. I then shut the water off to the sprinkler system from inside my house. Today, I walked outside and there is a pipe that is completely covered in ice outside my house. It's located next to the sprinkler pipe. I'm not sure what I should do about this. Any thoughts?


texts: How do I make a curtain rail on a curved bay window easy to use?

texts:
We have a bay window with a curved curtain rail that goes round the bay.   At present it is very hard to pull the curtain along the rail, as the curtain hooks get stack often on the curve.

Solutions please...  (With or without replacing the rail)


texts: Outdoor spotlight stuck on without a switch

texts:
My Grandma has an outdoor spotlight that hasn't worked for quite some time. I realised there wasn't actually a bulb in it so I ordered a new one, switched off the mains, fitted it, put the power back on, and it works, the light comes on! There's only one problem - it won't switch off again!

Here is a picture of the outdoor spotlight:

There is also this light indoors above the front door:

Years ago, I remember that when the outdoor spotlight was triggered by someone approaching the door, the bulb indoors would light up as well. However, both bulbs are just permanently shining and I can't figure out why. My Gran has since forgotten why the bulbs were removed from the outdoor and indoor lights, or how they've gotten like this.

An initial Google of how to fix the problem mainly returns results saying to switch the spotlight on and off again rapidly to reset the sensor. However, I can't actually find a switch for it, and I believe it is wired directly into the mains. I did find this cover in the upstairs bedroom shown in the first photo which is directly behind the spotlight and I'm 99% sure this is the wiring for it but it's just that, wiring, and not an on/off switch.

Any help in remedying this would be much appreciated!


texts: How to apply rigid foam insulation to foundation with epoxy plugs?

texts:
The previous owners of our home did a foundation repair to fix two large cracks about 10 years ago (it is covered by a lifetime warranty). The repair was very successful, but the epoxy plugs remain.

In an effort to improve the efficiency of the home, I want to apply rigid foam (xps - 2" on walls, 1" on floors). I am left scratching my head however on how to do this on the wall with the epoxy plugs. I've included a picture below of the plugs for reference.

The best option I can think of is to strap the was with 2x2's or 2x3's first. Thoughts?


texts:
I'm building a new full bathroom in my basement and I also have an existing full bathroom without an exhaust fan.  The sizes are 207 ft3 and 470 ft3 respectively. I was initially thinking of buying those high quality Panasonic fans but then I found about the inline fans and they might make sense for me since my bathrooms are almost on top of each other and they can share the exterior exhaust grill anyway.  There's also enough space between the walls for that stuff to go through, so that's not a concern.

Do people have experience with these inline bathroom fans?  How does one calculate the needed capacity?  Anything I should be aware of?

Edit: Here's an article about this:

http://www.bathroomfanexperts.com/article.php/inline-fans-for-bathroom-ventilation-/?id=44


texts: Door bell partially rings randomly since Nest doorbell installation

texts:
(Somewhat related to this unanswered question: Doorbell constantly rings even after replacing switch but not an exact duplicate)

My house had a modern wired doorbell (wired using Cat5e, if it matters). I don't know exactly how the push-button, transformer and bell are wired. The bell unit is the type that has an electromagically-driven hammer that strikes the bell twice: once when the button is depressed and again (with a different tone) when the button is released.

The exterior push-button was replaced with a Nest Hello video doorbell a few months ago - and since then, every few weeks one of the doorbell hammers vibrates and sometimes strikes the bell.

The Nest Hello doorbell system wires the push-button the same as before using two wires for power, but the the "signal" wire pair instead go (what I think is) a Nest wireless signal receiver which closes the circuit to make the bell ring - so the electrical path is much shorter, and has less resistance compared to the old button - so I'm assuming this causes voltage spikes from the transformer to cause the bell hammer to be actuated erratically.

What's the fix? I've read that it's as simple as putting an electrical resistor in the signal path, but what resistor rating do I need?


texts: Can I use a busbar as a ground in my travel trailer?

texts: I need to ground my inverter and a few other items from my fuse box. Can I use a single busbar, mounted to the floor, as a ground. If not, can you offer suggestions?


texts:
Kitchen pipe is leaking, I think I have identified the leaking is the red circle.

I should not apply glue or any kind of sealant, should I?
What if I tighten it with a spanner and it still leaks? Wrap it up with a piece of clothes?

Thanks


texts: Sticky faucet handle of unrecognized faucet

texts: Does anyone recognize the brand of the faucet in the image below, so that I can attempt to disassemble and inspect parts? Secondly, the right-hand handle sticks; is hard to turn off completely, and leaves water leaking from the spout.  Any advice on how to fix this problem?


texts: HELP: Supporting Vaulted Ceiling Mid-Beam

texts:
I'm working on calculating beam sizing to support one end of a mid-beam for a vaulted ceiling.  The room is 16x20, with 4x10 beams spanning the 20' distance (48" O.C.).  There is a mid-beam in place (4x14) spanning the 16' distance.  That load is then transferred to the footing (concrete slab) through an existing wall on each end.  I'm wanting to remove the wall on one end, and supporting this beam is the only structural aspect of this wall.  I'm wanting to put a flush beam in place.
The live load to use is 20psf.  I'm estimating the current roof system (clay tile & t&g) around 15psf.  I have roughly then estimated the load on this flush beam to be approximately 2700lbs.  However, this load is not spread evenly, and is approximately would be entirely in the center.  I'm looking at using a parallam PSL beam, but haven't really decided how to select the proper beam for this application.  Any suggestions or critique of my estimates would be helpful.


texts:
I've had this chair for a few months and the other day I came around to get on the computer and noticed a decently sized lump in the chair.

Upon sitting on the chair it feels springy on parts (which left me to believe this is a spring bulging out) but rock hard on others. I don't want to mess with it too much without knowing what I'm even dealing with. Any advice on what it could be or what I should do to get it resolved?


texts: Any hand drill device that can accept any kind screw drivers tools

texts:
From my knowledge, a hand drill looks something like the following:

Usually, this kind of hand drill allows one to change drill bit.

However, I would like to know if there is some tool that look like a hand drill but allow one to attach any kind of screw driver tools to it.
(It can be hand drill with special chuck that can hold on the handle of any screw drivers)


texts: Is the powerwashing the subcontractor did on our deck "good enough?"

texts:
Our family is trying to repair our deck.  Prior to any sort of staining, of course, it was necessary to clean it of first.  Afterall, the entirety of the structure was gray, and now it actually looks like wood again.

However, we are concerned that the 6 h.p. powerwasher used was not good enough to allow the staining the longest possible life.  A picture is here:

The black bits seem to be present just at the location pictured, however, you'll notice there are still streaks of grey on the newly revealed wood color.  What I'm worried about is that discoloration indicates places where the new sealant is more likely to fail than it should be due to dirtiness on application.

The service was done by a subcontractor, but the overall project was expensive enough I think we can have high standards for this.  Should I be concerned at all about what I"m looking at if this is a done job?  I'd appreciate any advice.

(Also, he appears to have forgotten an entire rail.)


texts: Is this wall in my kitchen load bearing?

texts:
Sorry for another one of these questions but here goes:

My house is a single story bungalow, built in 1976. I can't get hold of the blueprints because the city in which I live does not keep blueprints before 1979.  The house has an unfinished basement and has a main support beam running under the width of the main part of the house.  I want to renovate the house by opening up the dinning, living, and kitchen.  This would involve taking out all of one wall and part of another.  The one that will be entirely remove is pretty obviously not load bearing because, among other reasons, it runs parallel to the trusses.  However, there is a wall that runs perpendicular to the trusses and it's the one I'm not sure of and wanted to get some advice.  Yes I'll be consulting a professional but I'm looking for some preliminary thoughts.

In my diagram below is shown the dinning room, living room and kitchen layout in my house.  The two interior walls I want to remove are shown, with the one labelled "Is it load bearing?" being the wall in question.  The large area to the left of the interior walls is open from the back to the front of the house with no supporting beam. Trusses run in the direction shown and they are the same across the entire roof.  I've verified that the "Is it Load Bearing?" wall has 24 inch-on-centre studs and removing the section I want to remove would mean removing 3 of 5 studs.  The wall has a single top plate and does not sit directly over the main support beam in the basement.  It sits about 1 ft off that beam.

Any thoughts on whether the wall is load bearing?  Is there anything I've missed?

       Ext. Wall
   +----------------------------------------------
   |   Dinning Room     |
   |                    |
   |         ^          |
E  |         |          |    Kitchen
x  |         |          |
t  |       Truss        |
.  |     Direction      |
   |         |          |    Is it Load Bearing?
W  |         |          +-------------------------
a  |         v
l  |
l  |
   |
   |   Living Room
   +----------------------------------------------
         Ext.Wall


texts:
I am looking to have a built in wardrobe installed but having it where I want would mean blocking the loft hatch.

Are there any risks to not having access to the loft?


texts: My pool drainage seems to break the law of physics

texts:
I apologise if this is answered somewhere else, but I can't find the answer.
I have an above-ground pool, with an overflow pipe coming out of it about 4" from the top.  This overflow pipe then goes down under the ground, under my garage and comes back up under the house where it has to rise enough to get into a drainage pit.  The height it has to rise to is about 12" below the height at which the pipe exits the pool.
But the water won't rise that high! In fact, it will only rise to about 2 feet lower than it needs to.  I don't understand this.  Shouldn't the water rise to the same level as the pipe exits the pool?  The size of the pipe that goes down from the pool is much smaller than the size of the pipe that comes up from the ground inside the house.  Could this be the reason?
Can anyone point me to somewhere that explains this?  I'm totally stumped - it feels like the laws of physics are breaking.  Could it be that just installing a smaller pipe will allow the water to rise higher?
thanks for any help
Here's a diagram (maybe, need OP to confirm it matches what they intended).  The red line would be the pipe and the blue line inside the red pipe denotes the water level.


texts: Is a 2-prong plug item plugged into a 3-prong surge protector and wall outlet still protected?

texts:
A standard 3-prong surge protector is plugged into a US 15 amp 3-prong wall outlet.  I want to protect a Christmas light string with a "computer" controller box. The light string only has a 2-prong plug to plug to the surge protector.  Will the light string controller be protected?
Bottom line - is it useless to expect surge protection for a device with only a 2-prong plug?


texts: Can a GFCI outlet intentionally and explicitly be used as a switch without violating code?

texts:
I'm working on adding several outdoor outlets in the eaves of my roof for holiday lighting. I have a switch in my garage for these outlets right next to the garage light switch. Thing is, I keep flipping the switch for the holiday lights instead of the garage light switch when I want the garage light.

I was planning on adding an inline GFCI, but now I'm thinking instead of installing the inline GFCI, I could just replace the holiday lighting switch with a no-outlet-GFCI, which would function equally well as a switch (using the test and reset buttons), but harder to unintentionally trigger, and provide the necessary short protection.

The only thing I'm concerned about is if the GFCI is wouldn't hold up to (admittedly) infrequent "switching" or if this would violate code somehow. I'll string my holiday lights in early November, but not turn them on until the day after thanksgiving, similarly I'll turn them off after new years, but might not take them down for a few weeks, so the switch will only get used a few times a year.


texts: How to reduce the size of a door opening to fit smaller door?

texts:
I have a 1930s internal door frame which measures 810x2020mm. The door is missing so I'm looking to match it to other doors in the house which are 800x2010.
The closest commonly available door sizes are 762x1981 (too small) or 813x2032 (too large).
I cannot use the larger size as it's a fire door and I'm limited to trimming 3mm maximum off each edge.
That leaves me the option of the smaller door which I assume means reducing the size of the doorway by about 20mm all the way around.
How would I go about doing this?
The wall is an original (I think brick) internal supporting wall. The original timber frame is scrappy, but sound. I'm happy to replace it, or not. I'm not so sure about what's underneath though.


texts:
I'm installing a new bath tub and shower.  I've removed the old tile down to the studs.

Should the backer board be in front of or behind the tub flange?  I put it on the rear tub wall from floor to ceiling at first, but I can easily remove it if it should go OVER the tub flange.