texts: Why am I starting to see bubbles after painting a wall?

texts:
One section of the wall isn't exactly as smooth as the rest. It has bubbles of paint forming on it that can be rubbed off. They very tiny. The walls aren't dry wall and the section that is I'm question used to be a window.

I didn't do it myself. But what I know is, remodelling old painted walls. It was prepared and painted two coats of new paint. The unique part of this section is it was a window or opening for old AC unit. The old paint showed clear cracks around the frames of old "window" showing that previous painters were unable to repair the wall.

Now I'm facing something similar maybe with the tiny bubbles. I asked around and people dismissed it as a problem, said it's just cosmetic feature.


texts: The title says it all.  Can you use the same circuit breaker for single phase and three phase electricity?  For example, if a 20 amp circuit breaker is in a panel of a building with single phase electricity, can it be pulled out and then used as a 20 amp circuit breaker in a building that receiving three phase electricity?


texts:
Around my living room window i see little crack (pic attached) from where cold air seems to enter. There are no cracks on the exterior of the house.
Can anyone suggest what is the best product i can use to cover these cracks.
Thanks in advance


texts: How to tell if my smoke detector is hardwired or battery powered?

texts:
I have a smoke alarm that keeps beeping every 30 minutes or so even after I replaced the battery. I'm thinking it's probably time to replace it.

I'm trying to figure out if it's hardwired or battery powered. How do i tell?

There is a 9v battery that needs to be replaced, but I think both hardwired and battery smoke alarms both have 9v battery for backup power.


texts: What are thickness minimums and best type of concrete to fill floor dips?

texts:
I have a large room (~775 sq. ft.) with concrete floor.  Prior owners had converted a garage to living space.  I need to level the floor before laying laminate.  For the final leveling, I'm planning on sectioning off more manageable areas and using self-leveling compound.
Before I do that, I'm finding much of the floor is at least 1/2" below level, with the worst spots going more than 2" low.  I have more measuring and calculating to do but if I only used SLC, I'd be looking at over $2000 in for around 70 bags of SLC.  Ugh.
My plan is to pre-fill much of the deeper areas up to within a quarter inch or so within level, then proceed with the self-leveling.
Question 1 Is sand topping mix best for < 2" concrete fills?  Is there anything special to add to that?  For example, I've seen some references to adding more sand for certain thicknesses.  And related, I've been told it's not ideal, but for this application, all the blasting and priming one might normally do for a heavy traffic area is not necessary.  That's based on SLC following and laminate on top.
Question 2 How thinly can I lay the concrete in this case?  I assumed I would at minimum prime before pouring the SLC.
Bonus question  Is this overall an okay approach for a DIYer who hasn't done much concrete beyond fence posts?


texts: Why does an LED ceiling fixture glow even when switched off?

texts:
I've just installed an LED ceiling fixture, and it glows even when switched off. I'd estimate it as about 5-10% of the switched-on intensity.

The answers I've found here on DIY.SE to similar questions revolve around the switch being a smart switch, or an illuminated switch, or a dimmer, or a motion sensor, and thus passing just enough current through to light the LEDs. As far as I can tell, my switch is none of those. But I replaced it with a new one, just in case. The glow is still present.

The glow even happens when the switch is removed from the circuit and left as an open circuit. (The switch is on the neutral side -- perhaps because it is an old house (~1915).) The only way I've gotten the glow not to happen is to not connect the ground from the fixture to the ceiling box. And I know that's not a good solution.

I've heard that good LED fixtures have circuitry in them to prevent this glow in the event of a small amount of residual current, such as from induction, but that cheap models can leave out that feature. This fixture is a standard brand from a big-box home improvement store. And it is ETL listed. So I don't expect it is a design flaw, but I've also reached out to the manufacturer for guidance.

Another Q&A indicated that LED fixtures controlled by 3-way switches can exhibit this glow. This isn't a 3-way switched circuit.

Hot-to-ground and hot-to-neutral in the ceiling junction box both measure in the 119 V to 120 V range.

The glow is continuous, not temporary. When I have the ground disconnected, the switched-off glow fades rather quickly to zero over about ten seconds. (This seems to be proper behavior for LED fixtures.) But when the ground is connected, it glows indefinitely -- at least 12 hours.

There are three inlets in use. East, south, and west. It's all cloth-covered, so I can't differentiate by color. There is one wire that runs straight through without interruption from east to west. I think this is neutral based on no hit from a non-contact voltage detector.

Then there is another wire that enters from the east, and is spliced inside the box in a Y. One branch of the Y is a short pigtail that the hot from the fixture gets nutted to. (This is the leftmost wire nut in the photo.) The other branch exits the box to the west. This is hot, regardless of the position of the wall switch, based on the non-contact voltage detector.

There is a third wire coming into the box from the west. This is what the neutral from the fixture gets nutted to, and it behaves as if it is the switched-neutral coming back from the wall switch. (This is the rightmost wire nut in the photo.)

That same pair of nuts also connected a hot/neutral that leaves the box to the south, but the wires that go south don't seem to feed to anything that I can find. I've left them disconnected and capped and I haven't yet found anything in the house that is without power. (These are the two wire nuts in the lower center of the photo.)

I've white-taped what I've found to be neutral, and black-taped what I've found to be hot.

And a better-lit closeup of the inside of the junction box:

Have I erred in ruling out the things I've ruled out? What else might be causing the glow?

Update:

The vendor thinks it is a driver issue. They are sending a replacement. Stay tuned!


texts: What is the best way to fix laminate flooring to tiles underneath?

texts:
A very "professional" builder installed laminated on top of tiles in a commercial setting. Don't ask...

The trouble is, laminate is not really fixed on the tiles and especially around the steps (only two steps), they are flexing and moving up/down slightly, which is really annoying.

My question is, what would be the best way to fix few of these laminates onto the tiles underneath? I was thinking screwing them down but I don't know if this is a good idea, what type of screws to use, whether or not I should drill it first etc..

Any ideas? If you are able to recommend some solutions please try to be specific (e.g. what type of screw I should use)..

Good luck to me!


texts:
I would like to use my garage lighting circuit for my garage door opener but I need to extend it 5 feet.

The lighting circuit is 14/2 wire but I have 12/2 wire.

Should I buy a 6 foot piece of 14/2 wire or could I use the 12/2 wire for that length?


texts: How do household radiator thermostatic valves work

texts:
I'm unclear how thermostatic valves work.
If set to 5 does that mean it continues letting in hot water into the 1. radiator regardless, or does it stop when it detects the 2. radiator is a certain temperature, or it is based on them 3. ambient air temperature.

And if 2/3 how does it detect temperature, what is max temperature ?


texts: Which of the two laundry drain ports should I use for my washing machine?

texts: I’m trying to connect my washing machine and can’t figure out which of these two outlets my drain pipe goes? I’ve always seen only one drain pipe outlet, but this one has two. Any ideas?


texts:
Hello all you happy people.

Kay, so I've got a star-based office chair, and one of the wheels has popped off. The attachment itself is still fixed to the chair, it's just the actual wheel discs that have snapped off.

I've tried whacking them back into place, and it works for a few days and then it comes back off.

1) Are there replacement office chair wheel thingies available in DIY shops?
2) If yes, do I need to be wary of size differences, etc? Or are they standard?
3) I assume I have to replace the attachment, how does one go about removing that? So far I've tried upwards pressure, clockwise and counter-clockwise spinning, cursing, and Cajun voodoo. No luck.


texts: I was thinking of putting  a bed in my basement...There is an exit to the side door up the stairs to the outside plus I have a basement door that leads to the garage and outside.


texts:
I plan on buying a house but it has this cleanout and old vent for the plumbing in the basement.  Whoever renovated the basement disconnected the vent and just let air flow into the basement.

Is there a simple way to seal off this vent so it wont stink in the basement?  Is this a serious issue that needs to be handled by a plumber?


texts: Bathroom exhaust fan through clay tile roof

texts:
I've installed an exhaust fan in an upstairs bathroom and need to vent it through the clay tile roof. (pic attached)

The standard 4" pipe jacks and flashings I'm finding at Home Depot don't seem to be designed for clay tiles and are too small/stiff to conform to the shape.  Example: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-4-in-Roof-Jack-with-Wagon-Cap-RJWC4/100140997

I can't seem to find much information online about how to vent a bathroom fan through this type of roof.  Any ideas / links to products?


texts: What can be done about a milky residue left on engineered flooring after cleaning?

texts:
My wife and I are having major renovations done in our house by a local builder and although he has done a fantastic job with everything up to now, we are not happy with the engineered flooring that they have laid.

It seems to be covered in this milky/chalky finish except for the edges near to the skirting. We called the builder around and he has told us that they were supplied cleaner and oil from the flooring manufacturer and this is the finish that the oil gives. He says that it will wear down/disappear over time.

Believe me, I am no expert with flooring, but I can see that something is not right. It looks terrible...he has said that he could clean the oil off but it would darken the shade of the floor.

Recommendations?


texts: Using CAT5 cable for multiple door contacts @ 24v per pair back to a Moxa unit

texts: Working on a smart Moxa system that is monitoring Fire and Door access. Thinking of using a CAT5 cable to run to door contacts using 24v to monitor. Can I use the same cable for 4 doors, or best practice use a cable for each ?


texts:
My new kitchen included a new exterior flute for a new range hood.

Few months later, I opened the cover for some maintanace reason and saw that the flexible flute is basically going through the ceiling via a hole cut into the ceiling.

The circular hole has about 1-2" space around the pipe... see picture.

How do I air-tight this? seems like all my house heating can just fly up into the attic this way...

I thought to use expanding foam, but not sure if that is the "right" way, also, if I do, can I use the cheap stuff or do I need the "fire" rated one? any ideas? pictures are most welcomed if you have something to show me...


texts: Large hole in porcelain kitchen sink - is it fixable?

texts: My wife dropped a cutting board in the sink today and we ended up with quite a large hole. I believe the sink is porcelain. This is not ideal as she was planning on doing a lot of holiday cooking. I’ve found a lot  on repairing dents or small holes, but it’s unclear if those solutions would work for something this big. Is this repairable and if so how would I go about doing this? We’re fine if the color is a bit off.


texts: My house has Legrand outlet boxes for coaxial cable -- they appear to be these. I would like to run ethernet to these cable boxes, since there's space for additional cables in the box. However, I'm not sure how I would get the cable to go into the box since the mounting nails appear to be in place and I don't want to remove any drywall. Is there any way to remove the box without breaking it so I could grab the new ethernet cable from the wall?


texts:
I have an old brick fireplace that had a gas line installed in it years ago. It works fine, but doesn't produce much heat when it's turned on (most heat goes up the chimney). I've read that a cheap way to improve heat is to put a cast iron fireback in it.

My one concern is that the gas line comes in through the back of the fireplace, not directly in the center, but not fully at the edge, if a fireback were to be placed inside, the edge of it would probably be within an inch of the pipe. Would the heat from the fireback be a cause for concern at all being that close?

Also any other suggestions on how to cheaply improve heat output would be appreciated.

Thanks!


texts: Should lights on a three-way circuit connect to the switch with the power cable attached?

texts: I want to install 3 way wiring for recessed lights in living room.  After some google search, I found 2 options (look at pictures) for my situation to do it. In first one, LINE and LOAD is at same switch. In second one, LINE and LOAD at different switch. Can someone tell me if there is any standard or best practices for this?  Which option should I choose ?


texts:
I just moved into a new place. I plugged my vacuum into an electrical outlet, my vacuum won't turn on. So I tried the other side, my vacuum turns on. I then plug in a lamp to the side that won't work for my vacuum, lamp turns on.
Is the outlet defective?


texts: What are some tips for installing a roof cap?

texts:
I am adding bathroom exhaust fans. The roof caps I have attach directly to the duct (this is not the model I have, but it clearly shows how the duct attaches):

I had a lot of trouble trying to get the flashing slid up beneath the shingles with the duct attached - in fact, at this moment the cap isn't attached to any duct while I come up with a game plan. The main trouble is the length of the duct. This is exaggerated but shows the problem:

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to do this? It's worth mentioning that I am trying to do this myself, though I am aware that it's normally a two-person job. I can't see how my main problem of not being able to get the flashing slid up between the shingles would be helped with another person, but - I'm listening!


texts: Under Cabinet LIghts - Anything Exist That's Not Harsh White?

texts:
I'd like to replace the old fluorescent white tube lights under my cabinets.  I hate that harsh white color and want something warmer.  Does such a thing exist that could be hard-wired into the existing circuits and switches?

I've seen halogen before but my recollection is that they tend to get quite hot.  LED lights seem to be the latest trend, but I'm wondering if they're white as well.


texts: What is the best approach to install crown molding on uneven top cabinets?

texts:
In our previous kitchen the crown molding was installed on top of the cabinets.
It was secure with screws in the back. Removeable, great finishing and no damage to the cabinet front.
Something like this:

I remodeled our kitchen and the plan was to install crown molding in the same fashion however, I'm now facing two issues:

Due to poor quality control the the cabinet tops are uneven in some joints by a small amount like 1/16".
The fridge panel is higher than the cabinets by about 1/4" (see pics).

I see two options:

Level the top - I have no idea how (open to suggestions).
Overlay the crown molding.

What I want to avoid is to nail it to the front of the face frame because if something goes wrong... then the front will be damaged with nail holes. Also because the crown molding is already finished it doesn't seem like a good idea anyway.
I though that maybe I could overlay it about 1/4" with the face frame to hide the top issues.

Hence the questions: is this a valid approach? Do you see any problems I might face for doing it this way? How something like this is usually resolved out there?


texts: Starter for fluorescent light fell in water

texts:
I was fiddling around with the starter switch for the fluorescent light and it fell into water.

Will it still work after it dries? What kind of damage can there be?


texts: Regarding greases for outdoor connections: Noalox for general use (not necessarily for aluminum)? Dielectric grease for outdoor receptacles?

texts:
I've googled this already and found many people saying that Noalox is only for copper to aluminum connections.  I know that Noalox stands for "no aluminium oxidation" but brand names often change meaning from their origins over time.  I've also seen people claiming their bottle says it is only for aluminum to copper, while other people say their bottle also says it can be used for copper to copper.

Well, my bottle doesn't say anything about aluminium or copper - it just says it can be used for improving and protecting electrical connections.

Since I am replacing some outdoor outlets and switches that are about 20 years old and mostly rusted to hell, I thought it might be a good idea to put some conductive grease on the contacts for longevity's sake.  (I am already replacing all outdoor wingnuts with weatherproof wingnuts which I think also have some kind of grease inside).

It seems Noalox is the only thing my local Home Depot carries for this purpose (or the employee is ill informed) and I'm on a tight schedule so I can't wait for something like Penetrox E-8 to arrive.  I know there are concerns about Noalox actually potentially reducing connectivity, but my main concerns is simply ambient humidity and condensation causing corrosion in the contacts over time.

My feeling is that Noalox will do a decent job in this regard, and so even if there is a 1-5% cost in connectivity, there is a 100% improvement in anti-corrosive longevity.  Am I wrong?  Anyone else care to weigh in?

A related side question: is it a crazy idea to use dielectric grease on the prongs of an outdoor device that is essentially permanently installed and will be plugged into an outdoor receptacle, potentially for years on end?  Or is there a better grease for this?  Or better nothing at all?

I know there are concerns about non-conductive grease in high voltage applications since they might actually reduce conductivity, but considering most devices are designed for 110V and my mains is actually more like 124V, I don't see that being a huge issue.  Especially since these outdoor devices aren't high amperage.


texts: How do I convert an old model propane fireplace to natural gas?

texts: I installed a propane direct vent fireplace bought from Security Chimney International about 12 years ago.  I now want to convert it to natural gas.  I have phoned the company and they told me that the model is not being made any more so nothing is available but to check with a dealer.  A dealer close to where I live said the same thing.  What is involved in converting an old model fireplace from propane to natural gas?


texts: Where did all the water in the basement come from.

texts:
I'm looking at an REO property that has been "winterized" and I am a little concerned about the conditions in the basement. There is roughly 3" of water ( ice ) in the basement. The furnace and hot water heater are on blocks so it did not reach them. There is a sump so clearly the basement has water issues. The walls are cinderblock, and although it appears to be up pretty high, it's impossible to tell where the water table is. I Though perhaps the "winterization crew" just opened the water heater and water tank, and that is where the water cam from. or perhaps a pipe did break before the winterization, but I would think id that were so it would be more than 3".

My concerns are this ... where did the water come from,
Do I have to worry about damage to the structure from the water if it's frozen
If I go through with the purchase how do I remove / keep the water out of the basement until I can get the electric turned on?


texts:
I am remodeling a first floor bathroom and the concrete for my shower drops down 3 inches from floor level. What kind of prep do I need before tiling the shower?

A contractor said all I need was sand mix to make the bed and didn't need a liner. I was thinking of applying RedGuard to the walls and floor. If I RegGuard on top the sand mix bed can I tile directly over that or do I need another layer of sand mix?


texts:
I have an Allister Access 200 garage door opener with two Allstar 318 remotes. One remote works just fine. The second one stopped working all together

I replaced the batteries in the one that stopped working and programmed the program code in it using the plus/minus following the instructions carefully and it is still not working!

Assuming the remote was bad, I purchased a brand new Allstar 318 remote, put the new remote in program mode and reprogrammed it. It too will not work! So... I’m at my wits end! ( The garage opener works good with the one remote and the interior garage door button.)

Would anyone know why  one remote works just fine but my other two, old and new one, will not work?


texts: What options are available for insulating interior walls myself with minimal damage to the wall?

texts:
United State | California

I'd like to insulate the interior walls in my house using a minimally invasive method.

My understanding that is that "blown-in insulation" requires specialized equipment and  licensed professionals to do it.  Are there alternative insulation solutions I can install myself that are cost-effective and won't require me to tear down the wall?


texts:
Recently purchased a house and noticed some nails sticking out of the balusters on a staircase.  They are pretty sharp so I'm worried about someone stepping up brushing their foot up against it.

What are my options for fixing this?  Try to pull them and nail back in with new nails?


texts:
After accidentally earthing the live wire going to the outside light whilst putting a faceplate back on (patched up now), the light has stopped working. I've just been out with a multimeter to see if any power is going to the light at all and discovered something weird.

Here is the connector block for the light. (LTR) Neutral, earth and live. Simple enough.

Here is what I saw after testing between live and neutral:

And here is what I saw when testing earth and neutral:

Unless I have used the multimeter wrong (very possible) it looks like the light has earthed itself after the incident earlier in the circuit. Have I got that right?


texts: Can I use self leveler over existing floor

texts: First the floor is a mess. Is a closed in back porch that had glued down linoleum on it. Is un even. Most of linoleum was scraped up and then a garage floor paint was applied on top of that. Now the paint is peeling and chipping in spots because of moisture coming up from concrete that was never sealed because it was a back porch originally. Can I use a self leveling concrete over this mess and start fresh or do I have to have all of this grinded out?


texts: Burnt felt pad in Whirlpool dryer - remove or replace?

texts: Opened my Whirlpool electric dryer to clean out the lint vent and found this.  Is this supposed to be here?  If so, should it be burnt.  I also found a few loose screws on the floor of the dryer so am wondering if this was something that was supposed to be removed during manufacturing that was forgotten.


texts: two shower faucets in one water supply line

texts:
If I add a second shower faucet ( his & her) in the same shower will reduce the water pressure in both faucet,
How do I maintain the same water pressure in both faucets when they both operate the same time.
Thanks


texts: Is Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable Safe to Touch?

texts:
I just went up into my attic and as expected there are a bunch of electrical cables up there and it just occurred to me that no one has ever directly told me that it was safe to touch a nonmetallic sheathed cable (Romex) before. So that's my question, is it safe to touch a live insulated cable in your attic?

I am well aware that it is a terrible idea to touch a live bare copper wire.


texts: building a fire pit starting with a steel ring

texts: I am going to build a fire pit, and ran into a few difficulties with conflicting things I have read online. When looking up various DIY projects or 'how to' videos on building a fire pit, a galvanized steel ring is set on the inside of the brick ring. I have read that heating up galvanized steel releases dangerous fumes, and also read that the zinc layer on the steel will be removed at under 400 degrees F. We know a bonfire will vary in temperature, but a few sources I have read say over 1500 degrees F. Steel melts at around 2500 degrees F, so I imagine the fire ring would not end up melting. Does the thickness of the ring have an impact on how effective it is containing the fire? Is using this galvanized steel ring safe / smart / required at all? If so, I was planning on buying steel sheets and riveting them together to build the ring myself as it is cheaper. What are my alternatives?


texts: What is the easiest way to get rid of a very large patio door?

texts:
We have an 8'x14' patio door at a house we are doing.   Dumpster is gone.   We are going to reframe for windows.

The door is has a metal frame and it is in 3 panels - made in 60s.   Breaking it outside would be hard to clean up.   Just seeing what unique/cheap ways people would come up with to get rid of door which is a TON of glass.

Edit: Tempered glass?   I don't know.   It does not have any markings that I can see and not sure if everything was marked in the 60s.   However the patio door was in a very high traffic patio that had a pool close and basketball hoop.   I would guess it is but purely a guess.


texts: Pros and cons of painting basement walls in the unfinished sections?

texts:
I am about to sell a house I have been renting out.  It just had some foundation work done and part of that was in an unfinished part of the basement.   This utility room is large, has two finished walls, and two walls that are poured concrete.   It also houses the washer and dryer and these are also walls that are most susceptible to water.
I normally wouldn't think about painting but I was told by my foundation guys that the city has a new requirement for hairline cracks - must be covered in epoxy.     I have three or four of these (been there since I bought house years ago) and just some really ugly looking walls right now that are a cross between fixed cracks, dusty and dirty.   My stager has strongly strongly suggested that I get this painted.
What are the pros and cons of painting these walls and given that there could be water issues what paint should I use?
I have my own ideas and perspective so please be specific on reasons and materials.   (note that the foundation does have a lifetime warranty that I will pass to new home owner and any paint will not negate that)
Also I do not want to cause future home owner any issues so this isn't a flip and dump job.


texts: How can I accurately measure the angle of my walls?

texts:
I have a lot of walls that slant inward. To measure the angles at which they slant inwards, I used an app that looks like:

Was this the correct tool? Assuming it was, do I need to make sure I get the Y value to be as close to 0 as possible before taking the reading of the X value (which ultimately gives me the wall angle)?


texts: Is urethane-based grout worth the cost for bathroom tile?

texts:
We are beginning a project to tile the master bathroom.  The local tile shop where we are purchasing the tile is recommending a urethane-based grout (specifically Bostik TruColor Pre-Mixed Grout).  I am sure there are other brands as well.  It is like 4x the cost of traditional grout, but apparently has better characteristics like anti-mold, cracking, fading, etc.  There is no need to seal the grout as well.

Does anyone have any experience working with these grouts?  Apparently they are newer and have not been around too long, how are they holding up?  Is this newer product catching on or is it still too new to tell?  I can afford the cost, but is it really worth it?

UPDATE: A few more facts.  We are not going to be installing this ourselves for various reasons.  We have not yet contacted our installer to see if he has used it, and what his preference is.  We will do so and I will report what he recommends as well.


texts: Basement Waterproofing Systems - Pros and Cons

texts:
Background

I am looking at providing my basement some form of waterproofing before I finish it. I currently have no water issues in it but would love the piece of mind before sealing everything up.  My yard is graded correctly so all direct water goes away from house. Like almost all houses there is natural moisture in the ground that collect around the house.

Current System

Currently my house has the front house wall and right house wall with corrugated tubing in the concrete, so it covers half of the outer wall. The back and left house walls have nothing.  I do notice a decent amount of calcium showing up in the sump basin which makes me believe some of the corrugated is punctured.

Systems that I am aware of that exist

My question really is from people's experiences what are the pros and cons of these methods?  More may exist which are better so feel free to add on as well.

Doing nothing - Cost = $0 - This is always the option for any project. If I had no problems before and sealed up the basement I should have no problems in the future as well. This does make me a bit nervous which is why I am asking the question.
On the tile vs on the side of the tile systems - Cost approximately $12,000 for 134 ft perimeter - Each contractor has given me their opinions of if it is better to be on the tile or off but of course they just promote their own systems.
Material choices - Most of the full systems will bust up the concrete at the perimeter, install a channel, patch back up with concrete. I have seen some companies use plastic and others metal for their channels. In my mind plastic won't rust but can crack, metal can rust in time but won't crack
Open vs Closed systems - The systems in which you have to bust up the concrete are considered closed systems as they all offer a "vapor lock barrier" of some kind to which a plastic or other material wall goes against the cinder blocks to help them drain into the underground system. Open systems such as (https://waterproof.com/) are systems you can install on the surface of the concrete with weep holes drilled into the cinder blocks so theoretically all leaks drip down the blocks, collect in the channel, and go into the sump hole. A system of this type is about $900 for my size basement which is considerably cheaper than the closed systems. They of course will not collect any surrounding soil moisture but is this really a problem?


texts: Why are my newly wired replacement outlets not providing power?

texts:
On a job, I had to switch out all old plugs and light switches on a modular home for an update. I installed all new remodel boxes as well.
Bathroom 1's GFCI reads 34 volts and nothing at the light switch.
The kitchen wall, with a total of 4 GFCI and 2 switches are dead. However, when tested to the hot and neutral wire, I get 120v but nothing when I plug into that outlet.
I’m so confused any ideas would be appreciated.


texts:
I do not know about plumbing at all, to be honest.

My question is - I was wondering if anyone knows why I need to stand for 1-2 minutes turning the shower head diverter knob back and forth until finally the water comes through the shower head and not the faucet?

I did have some luck with putting the hot and cold water handles about equal to each other, and that gave me water from the shower head within 10 seconds. My habit though is to have more hot water by turning the hot knob further than the cold to get the water toasty, but that's when it causes me to need to stand there for a prolonged time until the water comes out from the head.

Thanks, sorry for the long question]1


texts: GFCI outlet consistently trips in garage

texts:
Half of my garage does not work due to the GFCI constantly tripping.

Could this be due to cement moving due to freezing weather? The cold weather has moved the ground about 2 inches and I believe the grounded wire came loose or some connection broke. I can reset the outlet and see a flash of light before it breaks again. There are two circuits in the garage and the other side still works.


texts: dual GFCI circuits with multiple protected outlets, all sharing a neutral

texts:
I'm trying to wire two GFCI circuits sharing a neutral.  The line is coming in from a 2-pole circuit breaker.  I want to have two circuits at each location, each protected by a GFCI upstream.

Currently, I have it wired as shown below. If I reset 1 GFCI outlet, it works. When I try to reset both GFCIs, the first one trips.

What am I doing wrong?


texts: Mount ceiling fan box to underside of joist

texts: I want to install a ceiling fan outside under a porch. I would run new conduit up to the underside of the ceiling joist. The joists are covered by bead board which I could cut away from the joist. I found a box by Garvin, their 54171-FANNBWP. The instructions indicate it can be mounted directly underneath the ceiling joist. It is a fan rated, outdoor rated electrical box. I wanted to get some experienced opinions on whether this would be a problem.


texts:
Many self-leveling lasers, including my Bosch GCL 2-160, have a limitation when used to level a ceiling or a floor: the horizontal laser beam often cannot get within several inches of the ceiling or floor due to where the laser emerges from the device.

This really slows things down for me when trying to grind down a high spot in a concrete floor, or trying to shim the ceiling strapping. My workaround typically involves getting the laser as close as possible to the surface I'm trying to level, and then using a tape measure to sample the distance from the laser to the surface at a bazillion different locations.

Are there any devices or techniques to make this less painful?


texts: do triple track window panels have an inner frame

texts:
Does a triple track glass storm window, with an aluminum frame, and a metal slide bolt;  always have the glass pane glazed into a second, separate, inner aluminum frame?

Are there certain brands or certain years where this is commonplace?

Given a window WITH an inner frame, is that inner frame typically mitre joined and the outer frame is always butt joined?


texts: How do I connect Romex to under cabinet LED strip lights?

texts: I have 14-2 romex running out of five different holes under my cabinets, All connecting back to a single switch. The idea is to have hardwired undercabinet led lights. Planning ahead, just got the drywall up, How will I connect the Romex to the strip lights? Will there be five giant transformers/jboxes under the cabinets for each spot? Is 12” of Romex sticking out enough? Trying to visualize what the install will look like


texts: What is the correct material to sheath pex pipe under a slab?

texts:
It's recommended in my area (due to rocky soil) to install a sheath or channel under the slab for the pour, then slide the PEX into the sheathes afterwards during the rough. This also allows the PEX to be replaced later on.

What type of material should be used for this sleeve? Is it compatible with insulation if I wanted to insulate the hot and cold lines running under the slab?

Additional information: This will be inspected work, under IPC 2012 and IRC 2012. We are in climate zone 4.


texts: How do I wire a single pole and a 3-way switch in the same box?

texts:
I have a 4 gang switch box with one 3-way switch and three single pole switches.  When the 3-way is flipped on, all the other switches can turn their lights on and off.  But when the 3-way is flipped off, none of them work.

I have them wired the same way as a 2 gang switch box with two 3-ways in it that work independently of each other.

All the white wires are tied together.  The red from the 12-3 goes to the 3-way switch.  The black from the incoming power pigtails to all 4 switches, and the black from each fixture goes to each respective switch.

What is wrong?  Can I run three single pole switches and one 3-way off the same power source??  I covered up my walls...


texts:
I currently have pink fiberglass bats in the attic.  I wanted to add blown in insulation.

My attic space is a bit unique.  I'm used to a moderate sized attic that you can access.  This attic has no access. There might be 1 - 2 feet of space between the ceiling and roof decking.

The one space I have to access any part of the attic is around the chimney.  It isn't boarded up and I can shimmy straight up the side of the chimney to the attic.  That's how I know it's only about 1 - 2ft of attic space.

I've read about standard insulation installation techniques such as: Not to push the insulation up against the decking or moisture will develop.  Proper roof ventilation to avoid moisture build up.

There are no attic vents on the side.  No soffit, no soffit vents.  The decking just comes straight off the house.  The only ventilation is a ridge vent.

I was going to cut into the ceiling and blow insulation in until the entire space was filled.

I'm afraid of trapping moisture, rotting the decking and creating a breeding ground for mold.

With a roof/attic system like mine, is it OK to just fill the attic with insulation or am I stuck at certain level of insulation?  How much space must be between the decking and insulation?


texts: Solutions for noisy-in-the-rain tinned roof

texts:
Our new apartment has the peculiar problem that even light rain drops falling on the tinned/metallic roof of the balcony (pictured below) make a terrible popping noise. I normally love to keep the balcony door open and hear the sound of rain, but this is actually bothersome; I would liken it to the sound of popcorn popping (only 10x amplified), or (in heavy rain) even a machine gun!

I know there are ways to fix this if one can invest some time&money in retiling the roof etc (example). But is there an easy/creative solution to this? Perhaps some material/coating that I can apply to the roof-top, that will make the rain not sound so terribly loud? The balcony roof isn't accesible particularly easily, although one can have a go through the apartment above:


texts: Plumbing fixture for draining spa shower lines when off?

texts: I am installing a spa shower, no tub.  Is there a device I can include at low points of the outputs to the raincan, etc, that will bleed the lines when the shower is off, exploiting that there is no pressure in those lines, kind of like a tub kit diverter?


texts:
Does higher fan speed make the room cooler? But then, if the thermostat is set at a certain degree doesn't the AC keep the room at that temperature regardless of what speed the fan is set on?
What exactly is the purpose of being able to change the speed of the AC fan?


texts: Easiest/affordable way to monitor what's using power in your home?

texts:
My electric bill seems to be unusually high.

I'm trying to figure out if there is an issue somewhere (faulty wiring, someone stealing power etc) or if one of my devices is a power hog.

Does anyone know of an easier way to monitor the use of their electric?


texts: What could cause a wall mounted sink to fail?

texts:
I went to the restroom before I was gonna eat at the restaurant after using the restroom I flushed and attended to the sink to wash my hands as I put just the pressure of my elbows on the sink to scoop a splash of water on my face the sink came off the wall hitting my knees pretty hard and my body shot backwards to the floor causing me to hit my head w
hard on the tile floor not a good day! I tell ya so my question is what could cause a sink mount to fail (you can see the mount on the floor in pics)im only 130 pounds so I'm not a big guy.! Can anyone see anything wrong with these pictures at all????


texts: Water-Damaged Faced Insulatiion - but before install. Can I use it?

texts:
I'm working on framing a portion of my garage into a laundry room. I had an unopened package of R-13 faced insulation standing upright on the garage floor, when the garage flooded due to heavy rains.

The way the insulation is packed in, every single piece is folded in half, and it was standing upright on the end where all the folds are. I've taken all the pieces out and laid them out to dry as best I could, but there is a 6" wide strip in the center of every piece where the insulation is compacted instead of fluffy.

I'd prefer not to just throw all this out and get new insulation, but I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to use this now. I was thinking maybe I could cut away the compacted insulation in the center, leaving the face intact, and replace it with scrap fluffs I may have laying around. Would this work?

Climate-wise, I'm in central Texas. I'm told the hot-cold side of walls is inconsistent enough that it doesn't really matter which side the face is on. My house is old enough that it doesn't have one of those air-tight/water-tight home wrap seals all over it.

Here's a makeshift illustration I threw together to demonstrate.


texts:
When cement board meets a block is expanding metal sufficient to put over the joint to stop it cracking before I scratch coat?
And do I need to put scrim on the joints of the cement board as well as expanding metal?


texts: Locating Electrical Outlet Behind Kitchen Cabinet?

texts:
I'm currently trying to install an over the range microwave, but I realized that the contractor likely put up a my kitchen cabinets over the outlet itself. Without having to remove the entire cabinet or pulling out the entire back panel, is there a good way to locate the outlet?
I've seen some recommendations for a stud finder with AC detection or a non-contact voltage tester, but wanted to check if someone had any insight into this issue. Thanks so much!


texts: How do easements work? Who can use them?

texts:
For the sake of clarifying the question, I'll offer this hypothetical.

Assume I had a neighbor down the street and I wanted to run a cable between our homes. There is an existing utility easement running along the street.

Is it possible to take advantage of that easement to bridge across other people's properties like the phone,electric and cable companies do? Who would you even talk to if you wanted to find out?

Update for clarification per the comments: I am in the United States, in a rural area outside of Austin Texas.


texts: Setting screws in concrete while it is still soft -how do I use epoxy in this case? Can I ? Should I?

texts:
I am thinking about using Sonotubes and the adjustable post support shown below.
The idea is to rest the square with the screws on the sonotube to make sure the screws will be set with their heads level at the same depth and in vertical position.

Should I use epoxy? How do I apply it ? I want to make sure the screws do not rust a lot in time


texts: How can I replace a riveted doorknob faceplate?

texts: I've got a doorknob in need of replacement. However, the old doorknob's faceplate is riveted to a larger plate (see picture). Is the larger plate a standard part that I can buy somewhere, or is it a custom job? (Does the larger plate have a name?) I can probably drill out the rivets, but I figure that's plan B.


texts: How effective are angle-grinder wood discs for removing material?

texts:
I'm working on an old house with 2x8 T&G subfloor planks. All of the structure is sound and has been reinforced but there are areas where the edges of subfloor planks are not level.

This has previously been under carpet, which hides the edges better... but I intend to put an underlayment over it and put down hardwood. To do this, I either need an elaborate setup of ramps or I need to sand/grind the extra material away.

In some places there is as much as 1/4" of a lip.

How effective are the wood-grinding discs for angle grinders? Would that be an effective way to handle this task?


texts: What Wire Size & Type for Lennox Split-System AC?

texts:
I'm having a 2-ton Lennox Split-System AC Model XC25-024-230-2 installed next week and would like to make sure I'm installing the electrical service correctly.

SPECS ON UNIT

Voltage: 208/230V-1ph-60hz
Maximum Overcurrent Protection: 25A
Minimum Circuit Ampacity: 14.9A
Distance from panel: approx 100 ft

ELECTRICAL INSTALL?

Square D QO 25 Amp Two-Pole Circuit Breaker (HACR rated)
12-2 Solid CU UF-B W/G Cable
Square D 60A (non-fused) Disconnect at unit

THANKS!


texts: Tabletop saw stops midway through chipboard

texts:
I am new to woodworking and I tried my ''new'' secondhand table saw (General LR63420 Model D) today. It cut through the first few chipboard boards just fine but then had a lot of trouble going through the middle of a 4 x 8 chipboard board. I am pretty sure I did not squeeze the blade so I am wondering whether it could be a belt or blade issue.

What should I look for/change first?


texts: What is this unit attached to my house, and what do I replace it with?

texts:
I am trying to figure out what this thing is.

I assumed it's a bell ring transformer but then it has four terminals on it.

Any help is appreciated!


texts: how deep must a range hood be to effectively clear cooking vapor?

texts: Is it really necessary for a range hood to extend out from the wall completely over the burners?  Doesn't it draw from a wider range than its footprint?  There must be objective studies about this.  If they had to be wide, why does a reputable brand (I think) like XO make hoods that are less than 20 inches deep?


texts: Does 5V DC power supply require Ground wire?

texts:
I got this 5V DC 8A power supply for some 5V LED strips.  For the AC input connections it has Line, Neutral, and Ground (numbers 1, 2, and 3 in attached image).

My question:  For the 120V AC input is the Ground required or optional?

This project (power supply and LED strips) will be installed indoors.

Amazon link to the power supply.


texts: How should I approach red oak crown molding?

texts: I have turned my middle bedroom into a floor to ceiling red oak library.  Thus far I've been able to buy everything locally, but I want to wrap the top in crown molding.  The cheap laminate molding does not look right (not even close) so I must use real red oak to do this.  This scares me.  Do I order this precut? can I use my router to cut this? Can a big box special order this for me?  FYI: I have a great miter saw and a great router, but no table saw.


texts: Are there any good videos available that teach basic carpentry?

texts:
I apologies if this was already covered but I could only find a thread on books, and it was geared towards someone having some basic skills already.

While I am far from useless, I never had a reason to learn much about home repair when I was around people to teach me.  I recently relocated across the country, including buying a house, so now there's tons I want to do.  Unfortunately I don't really know anyone here I could ask to help me learn, so I am basically left to learn everything via books and videos.  I have been doing pretty good, as I am laying a paver patio and doing it correctly, fixed underground sprinklers, and a replaced a toilet (got help there since it was my first time).  However I am now getting to the point where I want to do some basic wood work and I have really never touched a power saw till today to cut a sprinkler pipe.

I have a few books I bought however my lively hood it my hands on computers so this is something I really feel I should be watching to see how things are correctly done rather than read a book and guess off the pictures.

I am not expecting to knock out walls or replace windows by any means.  To start I want to do some very basic projects like repairing my fence entrance (looks like I just replace 3 wood pieces), build a 20 gallon fish tank stand, and build a base for a shed I just ordered.  These are extremely simple projects that if i mess up a bit, its not a big deal visually.  Through them I hope to learn basic cuts, joins, and tool handling. With the tank stand I'm hoping to learn basic staining and painting so down the road I can build a nice 100 gallon tank stand.  It just seems these are smart starter projects.

I'd eventually like to then build a nice work bench after i get the basics down, allowing me to build something a lot bigger where a bit of uneven cuts wont be life or death since it will just sit in my garage.

Can anyone suggest a video series or website that is geared at the very basics such as going over the different types of saws and tools you can use with what each are best for and how to use each correctly?  I'd love something that covers the most common rookie mistakes so I can learn from others mistakes instead of making my own (sure I will make some, but better to learn the majors off others error). This especially includes something that teaches me all the key safety tips, which surely is important and something that can be hard to learn via pictures in a book.

I found tons of sites that outlines basic projects or go over specific tools but if I don't know what a miter saw is used for, I wouldn't know that I should be watching that video.  So to start I would love just a intro 101 type video to get me introduced to all the tools and what not.

Again I am very sorry if this is to "general" for the forum.  I am a common stack overflow user and this seemed like the best stack exchange site relating to my topic.


texts: Can both a 240V power supply and a 120V power supply, coming from a sauna heater's single power unit, go to the same outbuilding?

texts:
So the situation is as follows: I've found an electric sauna heater I want to use in the detached, outdoor sauna I'm building. The outdoor sauna is 55' away from the house, so I'm planning to bury PVC conduit 18" deep for the wire runs.
A wall-mounted "power unit" which needs to go inside the house (sensitive electronics can't freeze, apparently) receives 240V power from the main breaker panel in the house. The power unit then sends 240V power out to the heater. A data cable also runs between the power unit and a digital control unit, installed inside the house to turn the sauna and sauna room lights on/off. A separate data cable runs from a temperature sensor in the sauna hot room back to the power unit as well. This temp sensor data cable will need to be buried in conduit for the run from the sauna to the house separate from the power cables, kept >2" away from the power cables per manufacturer. The power unit also has a connection that provides the power to a 120V light circuit, controlled by the digital control unit.
My questions:
So, because the power unit is protected by the double-throw breaker, and is providing power for both the 240V run to the sauna heater AND the 120V run to the lights, will this been seen as a single circuit going to an outbuilding? Or will this count as two separate circuits?
Assuming they count as one circuit and I'm allowed to send them both to the sauna building, will the 240V and the 120V wire runs out to the sauna be allowed to be in the same conduit? Or will I need to run three conduits? (One for the temp sensor data cable, one for the 120V light supply, and one for the 240V heater supply?)
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!!


texts:
I would like to make a small concrete slab of the following dimensions.

Length: 1.2m
Width: 0.86m
Depth: 0.09m

The cubic volume as i understand it is all those numbers multiplied.
result: 0.0929m2

If a bag of pre-mix concrete says
0.2m2 x 50mm

How many bags would I need?

Update: Brick BBQ construction. I am doing this for "homework" :)


texts: how to replace a tile floor over radiant heat

texts:
I just purchased a home and the kitchen has radiant heated porcelain tile floor in the kitchen. The floor is in rough shape so Id like to redo it. This raises a number of questions.

should I try to keep the existing floor? and maybe restain it? its currently a terracotta color (it that an option)
would it be easier to just put another layer of tile over the existing floor? will the radiant heat still be effective?
Should I pull up the floor and put a whole new floor down? Im concerned that this will ruin the radiant flooring?

Additional info based on comments:

it is hot water radiant heat
it is over a basement with wood floor joists
the house was built in 2000

here is a shot of the floor:

Any and all comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance


texts: Moving wet appliances away from sink around kitchen L bend and past oven

texts:
I am renovating my kitchen so that I can introduce a dishwasher and extend my counter top. My kitchen is a small L shaped one, and in order to get everything I want in the design I need to move my wet appliances (washing machine and dishwasher) across to the other side of the kitchen, around the L corner and to across to the other side of the oven from the sink.

The distance from the sink to the new appliances, measured along the wall, will be about 420cm for the furthest appliance.

I have spoken to a handful of tradesmen and kitchen designers and I have been getting mixed responses about whether this will work from a plumbing perspective. Some have suggested that it will be fine and others have suggested that there will be drainage issues with the appliances.

So I wanted to get the opinions of the experts here before committing to this new design.

Here is a picture of the current kitchen with the positions of the new we appliances annotated. Other things to note about the picture; there will be a small thin cabinet introduced to the left of the oven so the dishwasher will not be immediately next to it, and the fridge is moving entirely out of view.

If you could let me know if you think that this design will work out that would be great!

Thanks in advance!


texts: Low water pressure for water filter cartridges

texts:
Will these filters still work on Low Water Pressure?
These are the standard 10 inch filters.
I know that overpressure can render the filters useless.
but how about low pressure? will it still work?
let say 0.48 MPa or 69.61 PSI, around 3.5L per minute flow rate. will the filters still work properly?
Thank you so much.


texts:
The crawlspace under our house has a tendency to get a bit muddy when the rains are heavy and then dry up a few days later. When the rains are especially hard water will collect in a pit in the crawlspace and I have to go in with a wet vac to clear out the puddle that has formed.

I've had this explained to me by a contractor as the high water table which comes and goes with the tide (I live in Berkeley, CA) and not something to worry about. Other contractors are pointed it out as a concern. Our neighbors have a sump pump to keep their basement dry.

How do I know if I need a sump pump? What are the risks of not getting one right away? How hard is it to install myself? The house is 100 years old, I assume it's been standing this whole time without one.


texts: i have a cascade style (water runs over top of faucet) faucet in bathroom. It's only a few months old and cold water was fine at beginning but has gone down to a dribble. Other cold taps are okay. Can not block the flow to force the hot into cold line to eliminate possible air locks because of style of faucet. Any idea? Thank you! Don


texts: Pneumatic die grinder or electric rotary tool

texts:
Between a pneumatic die grinder:

and an electric rotary tool:

What are the advantage/disadvantage between using each one?

Also, which has more torque?


texts: Can a NEMA 6-15p plug into a NEMA 6-30r?

texts:
I'm adding a 240V circuit and receptacle to my garage for wood working tools. I really only need a 15A circuit, but want to leave myself extra room for upgrades without running new wires later. I also thought it would be good to be ready for EV charging in the future, so more amps seems better.

I know a 6-20R will accept a 6-15P, but will a 6-30R?

Or should I look into a 14-30R for the EV compatibility and can I safely use some kind of adapter for my 6-15P tools?


texts: Is it OK to remove some 2x4 bracing in my attic?

texts:
I have a four year old house in North Carolina.  I would like to remove some 2x4 braces to facilitate room for  better storage.

The boards appear to be temporary from construction.

What do you think?


texts: How can I hang a wall mount on misaligned studs?

texts:
So my wall mount teleco rack arrived. However my studs are 15" apart, not 16" so I can't put lag screws into more than one stud.

I don't want to drill into the metal so close to the opening already.

If I put plywood against the wall, secured to 3 studs (2 are next to each other about 5" apart)

Would that hold a rack supporting 200lbs? Would 1" plywood be enough?

Putting a stud next to the other is an option however it would involve removing Sheetrock.


texts: How can I remove grease and dirt stains from unfinished wood?

texts: I purchased a handmade toolbox, an an auction, made from an old peach crate with old cheese boxes for drawers. It was used in a workshop and has oil and grease stains all over it from years of use. How can I clean it up? My wife would like to place it in her craft room because it had belonged to her great-uncle.


texts:
Regarding -submersible residential style water pump relays- pumps fitted with a three wire cable which terminates into a submersible pump relay box--the red wire feeds the starting winding in the pump motor.

I understand the orange wire coming from the capacitor feeds across the relay contact, down the red wire to the starting winding. After the pump motor starts the contact drops out.

The ?-- Do those submersible pumps have drop out clutches or the like that fault the 'red wire starting feed' to the pump well casing, after motor starts, perhaps?  I understand that would be an induced 'ground fault'of the sorts but it would be momentary and would create that difference of potential to allow relay to drop out contact.  Attempting to understand what happens down at the motor, that creates that difference of potential needed for the yellow hot, to feed through the coil?


texts: Electrical Ceiling Lights: Torsion vs Friction Clips Installation Differences

texts:
Is there any difference between Using Torsion springs vs Friction clips in installing ceiling lights? I am trying to understand the advantages/differences between the two methods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdJlo5RVZCw

Halo Eaton Lights


texts: How do I correct variations in stain color/density?

texts:
I have stained a desk top and where the stain crosses over the slightly earlier application there is a dark mark. There's no finish on top of the stain. The wood was prepared properly for the stain but when the stain was applied across the large surface when you go from one area to the next there's a crossover and that created a dark area or darker stain.

Should I take it all back down to the bare wood and start again or can I re-stain it trying to make the entire surface dark? Your thoughts?


texts: What material should be used behind a sink and range in the kitchen?

texts:
I am getting ready to demo my kitchen to the studs in a couple weeks.
I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for alternate materials to use other than "green" board (moisture resistant drywall) behind the sink, dishwasher, stove area behind the base cabinets.

In speaking to a local contractor a year or so ago then mentioned some other material but can't recall what it is.

I have a galley kitchen with a peninsula at one end. the sink, dishwasher, and stove are in the center in listed order.


texts: Can used Xmas trees be recycled into particle board?

texts: Not really a home improvement question per se but somewhat related:  Can main trunks of used Xmas trees be recycled into particle board if all the branches were cut off?  I mean if you had 100s or 1000s of them?


texts: Fitting glass lampshade given standard ceiling pendant

texts:
I have a standard British ceiling pendant room light in my hallway.  I also have a glass lampshade (which is roughly a truncated cone in shape).  I'd like to fit the lampshade on the pendant.

The part of the pendant fitting that holds the bulb has two pieces of plastic which screw together, which seem to be designed to sandwich a lampshade between the two pieces, holding the shade up.  However, the screw threads are quite short, and my glass lampshade has a wall thickness which is too thick to allow the inner and outer screw threads to meet -- see sketch (sorry for my bad drawing):

Looking online I only see complete pendants plus shades (including the shade, the plastic fittings I describe above, the length of pendant wire to the ceiling, and the fitting for the ceiling).  That would require both spending more on a shade I like less, and also unnecessary messing with wiring that's working fine.  I don't see any replacements or adapters for just the part of the fitting that holds the bulb, nor even any full pendant fittings that specify measurements for lampshades they can accept.

The lampshade is small and less than 300 grams (10 oz) in weight.

What's the easiest way to fit the shade?


texts: is there a solar passive water condenser (from humid air) design anywhere?

texts:
i've looked around and i found only two related designs:

active electric water condenser.
solar passive water still (that distill dirty water)

not quite what i was looking for...


texts: How to turn off all power to the electric panel?

texts:
What if I want to run all new wiring in my house and also replace a panel.
Is there a way to disconnect main line somehow before it comes to the panel?


texts: How do I create a 3" deep hole, 3/8" diameter, in granite?

texts: Does anybody have recommendations for the best method of creating a 3/8" diameter hole, 3" deep, in granite?


texts: How close multiple holes can be drill in top double plate?

texts:
Have to drill multiple holes in top plate for wiring. how close can be drilled
have total 4 14/2 wires to be run through hole.
hole size- 5/8  to 3/4.
thanks


texts: Why is a corner of our garage floor slab all uneven?

texts:
Our house was built ~1985, and it has quite a few oddities. One of them is an irregularly shaped corner of our garage. Our garage is ~32' (9.75m) x 32' (9.75m), and a significant section (not square ~12' (3.75m) squared) in the back corner is different, uneven and bad.

Are there any rational reasons for this/reasons why it would be a bad idea to try and fix it? It looks like it has expansion joints between the squares.

Here's a shot of the weirdly shaped uneven section:

The other direction:

A close up shot of a representative square:

Why this is such a pain in the butt:


texts: Cement board or plywood for stuccoing over

texts: I have a former window I want to close and stucco over. I did the framing already. Was wondering if I should use a cement board or 1/2" OSB or plywood with wire mesh as substrate to stucco over (to match the surrounding). If cement board is the way to go, should I still use wire mesh nonetheless?


texts: How to handle branch circuits cleanly when there are lots of branches

texts:
I'm planning the circuits for a house right now.  I've only done this a couple of times and would like to improve.  All of the lighting will be LED recessed lighting so I would like to use one 10A branch circuit per floor.  Based on this, there will probably be 5 or 6 home runs for each circuit.  What is the cleanest way to handle this?

I was debating getting a triple gang box for each circuit, mounting them in the basement near the breaker panel and using them to break out each circuit.  Is there a more clean way of doing this?  Something that the inspector won't roll his eyes at?


texts: Is the vermiculite found in my popcorn ceiling toxic? Can I remove it myself?

texts:
I'm planning to remove a "popcorn" ceiling and submitted a ceiling sample to the labs for asbestos testing.  Here are the results:

It looks to me like the labs didn't detect any asbestos but I'm not sure what exactly Vermiculite is and if it's safe to remove myself.  Any thoughts? Are there any special removal instructions for Vermiculite?


texts:
I am looking to buy some magnetic impact driver bits (philips head, torx head, etc), but I have not found any online. Am I searching for the wrong thing or is this not something that is made?

Not looking for any recommendations on brand just on how to find them or a better workaround so I can drive screws one handed when needed.


texts: Looking for a particular dual-track shelving bracket.

texts:
I'm considering a dual-track wall shelf system for our living room:

(Photo from Home Depot/Rubbermaid)

I'd also like to hang a few things from the tracks other than shelves. For example, I'd like to hang some ikea cabinets, as well as some vertical plywood for a TV mount.

To do so, I'd like to find some brackets that can be attached to the back of an object and then clipped into the track. Essentially, just the back 1" or so of your standard shelf bracket flared out with screw holes to mount it to a cabinet.

Do such things exist, and, if so, what are they called? I've tried searching for terms such as "dual track cabinet mount" but not having any luck.


texts: Is this electric water heater wiring correct?

texts:
I recently re-wired my water heater from 120v to 240v. I'm not sure why it was wired with 120v to begin with, but it was not providing enough volume of hot water. I looked up basic thermostat wiring diagram, and it appeared as if the thermostat was wired wrong, so I moved a wire.

Can anyone confirm that the wiring is correct? I've uploaded the before and after shots of the wiring change.

The third picture shows a jumper that I can't seem to see in any wiring diagrams I look at.

Before:

After:

Should this jumper be left or removed:

Click for full size image


texts:
I have a 1938 house. The back door which is half glass on top is solid wood. There is rot at the bottom because of no weather protection. I’d like to replace with a new solid piece of wood.
Not sure the best way to secure it to the door. Should I use dowels and glue?
The other issue is a cat door had been installed at one time then chewed up by a dog. It needs to be replaced and the area it is in fixed up.
Any suggestions?


texts: What is this dark oily liquid leaking from the drain pipe under my kitchen sink?

texts:
I haven't been under my kitchen sink in a while but recently went down there and found some dark oily liquid puddling directly under the drain pipe.

It was still wet and had the consistency of WD-40.

I turned the faucet on and there is no water leaking. And I have a SmartThings water leak sensor down there and that never tripped, so there was definitely no water leaks.

There wasn't that much of it, and I couldn't see where exactly it came from.

Should I be concerned, and should I do anything here? Wrap some duct tape around the pipe and call it a day?


texts: Is it OK to leave window opened and air conditioner ON (cooling) at night?

texts:
At night temperature outside is usually lower than temperature set on AC. So looks like conditioned air should not leak outside (if it does, it is replaced with even colder air) and it is fine to leave window opened. Is this correct?

Note: when window is opened but AC is off, temperature quickly rises because of hot walls and inside sources of heat.


texts: How should I repair a fence that's leaning due to soft soil?

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Late during hurricane Harvey I noticed our side street fencing at our double gate had started leaning toward the street.

My husband thinks we should drive a wedge on the outside of the post closest to the gate to push it in toward upright. I am concerned that doing so only causes the hole that the post is in to widen, exacerbating the problem.

My temporary fix would be to drive a metal fence post to the inside and tie it to the post, stabilizing the wood. Then attaching bolts to the gates and affixing another metal fence post to the gates to hold them together, also forcing them inward.

Which would work?

If not either, then what can we do short of replacing the whole thing right now?


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is the wiring correct this way ?
in the plug, should the brown cable be wired in the R1(L1) or T3(L3)?


texts: Diagnosing CH 05 (communications failure) in LG mini-split system?

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I installed a mini-split system in my shop (it's the second mini-split I've put in; the first went great). Everything appears fine, except that after a few minutes, the system shuts down and the indoor unit displays "CH 05." Googling, this turns out to be a communications error from indoor to outdoor unit (I haven't yet checked the status on the outdoor unit to see if it's two-way). I found a diagnostic manual that had me check some voltages and resistances along the cable, and it seems the signaling is occurring just fine. Nothing is shorted and voltages are within spec, and change as described. The diagnostic procedure ends there with no additional recourse.
Anyone have any experience with these, and have any suggestions? The run is only 25', and the LG manual doesn't worry about EM effects until 130'.
I'm gonna put an oscilloscope on the comm line to see what it looks like. Maybe it's super noisy for some reason.
At this point I'd guess they'd just swap out the PCBs on both units, but getting them to do that for me under warranty is going to be challenging, since I'm not a "qualified" HVAC technician (I am, however, an electrical engineer, and not (always) an idiot.)
Update: Well. I decided to swap the L1 & L2 connections, thinking maybe there was some wonky issue with coupled inductive noise, or who knows. But now it’s working. The only other thing might be this: I have an extension cord going through the same hole to provide power for tools and lights while I was working on the outdoor unit. That is currently unplugged. Now, I unplugged it when first testing, just in case that small amount of proximity was the issue and it had no effect. So it seems swapping the AC lines were it. I may swap them back to see, but for now it's nice to be heating my office!
If anyone has more advice on troubleshooting this issue, please feel free to answer below.


texts: How should I connect this new ceiling light?

texts:
I purchased a light fixture and the wires attached to the fixture are white, black and green.  The junction box where I am planning to install the light was unused and therefore capped.  When I removed the cap I came across the following wires:
- 2 x white bundles
- 1 x black bundle
- 1 x orange bundle
- 1 x green bundle
- 1 x single pink wire

How should I connect the light fixture?

Here's some context.  the ceiling fixture would be controlled by a switch on the room, HOWEVER, it would/should also be also be connected to a master all-off switch by the front entrance.  If this power-off switch is in the off position all light switches can't turn on.

Update:  I opened up the room switch and there's only one pink/red wire attached to it.


texts:
I have a house that has an old 8-10 inch diameter vent that used to be used as stove/oven vent. I think that newer gas ovens don't require venting like a water heater needs (ie they don't have a "smoke stack"), but this seems to be often confused with an "exhaust fan/vent" that is used to vent smoke/steam/smells from the cook top.

So that 8-10 inch vent rises up out of the roof about 18 inchs and has a cap similar to this:

I think that I can safely terminate a 3inch double walled vent pipe into that riser (I'd prefer not to punch another hole in the roof, since this is a 4 year old "torch on" flat roof that I don't want to screw up).

My plan is to attach a firestop to the underside of the roof so that the vent pipe is snugly held in position and to limit the airflow from the top of the vent back into the attic space. A firestop lets you make a "tight-ish" seal to a hot pipe with out breaking the "1 inch to combustible material" rule for a D-Wall pipe. It looks something like:

or


texts: Gas line for new stove going from T to termination plate

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I am going from an electric stove to a gas stove and I need some advice on installing the gas line.  I have a gas line running underneath the stove and there is plug where I can attach the gas line under the floor.  I was thinking about running a flexible gas line from the T to a termination plate in the floor with a value and then an excess flow valve and from there a line to the stove.

I have run black pipe before but it will be difficult to run it from the T to the floor so I was hoping to be able to use flexible line.  I was thinking csst but I only need around 3 feet and the smallest I have seen it sold in is 50 feet.  Is there another option?  Could the same type of line that feeds the stove from the value be used in this situation? Thanks.


texts: Options for re-plumbing a new vanity install with a vent in the way

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I would like to install a new vanity. It is designed to go flat against the wall, and has some open space at the lower end part:

Current plumbing was made all "unique" and gets in the way:

As I later discovered this was due to a stale-air vent going through the middle of the wall. Orange tape marks the vent location:

Moving the vent is out of the project scope.
I thought I can cut into the drain via WYE fitting underneath the old setup as described here, but I still can't avoid hitting the vent duct.
Does it sound like a good plan to attempt to bend the vent a bit to provide enough space for 1 1/2 ABS pipe?

Thank you for all the help, it is greatly appreciated! I wonder if adding a ledge will help solving it? Something similar to this:

This way, extensive cutting into plumbing/drywall/vent/vanity won't be necessary.


texts: Installing shower filter - NPT adaptor for larger intake?

texts:
I am in the process of installing a shower filter, and am encountering a challenge where shower head and water pipe are not NPT.
The shower pipe has a slightly larger female "wrapper" (apologies as I lack the correct vocabulary. I am holding said "wrapper" in first pic, below. It attaches to an oversized male connector, which cannot allow me to attach the shower filter, see 2nd pic.

Two questions:

is there another less popular standard than NPT that some showerhead makers are using?

if so, do adaptors exist that would allow me to connect one to the other?

Thanks!


texts: I have a Williams Forsaire Top Vent gas furnace that creaks when a strong gust of wind blows. Could the venting be loose or not fitting right? Any ideas?


texts: How to I fasten this toilet flange down?

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I'm redoing my bathroom and had to replace a toilet flange. The old one was rusted cast iron whose flanges had all but disintegrated, and I ground down what was left of it with an angle grinder. It was fastened directly to the pipe, not the subfloor--which is concrete (house is on a slab). Here's what the result looks like:

Then I bought a new flange that fits inside the existing pipe. Unfortunately I haven't found a good way to secure it to the subfloor, which is old (very hard) concrete. I tried Tapcons with little success. The problem is the angle of the concrete I need to drill into:

The walls of the existing concrete are so steep that it's almost impossible to drill pilot holes.

So what should I do? I've contemplated pouring some new concrete to fill the void and embed threaded rods in it to which I can fasten nuts though the flange, but I worry that it won't adhere well to the old concrete and tightening the nuts will just pull it loose.

What do you guys think?


texts:
I have a stone step--the top is loose and I wish to mortar it down. First, is weather a factor? 50s today and tomorrow, 50s are the highs.  cold front Sunday.
Next, can I just slap some mortar on for a temporary fix or should I build a kind of wooden mold?  Is it essential that it be level and how does a novice plan for that?  I imagine you'd have to spread the mortar as evenly as the eye can tell--anything else?


texts: Had a slow leak into bathroom ceiling/wall but humidity was low and controlled in that area for 2 weeks. What is mold Risk?

texts:
Installed a new furnace humidifier to replace a non-working(probably never used) vintage humidifier 14 days ago in a new place I bought.

Confirmed a small gap let a slow drip from condensation that is now visible in spots near the bathroom ceiling(discovered wet spot 1 day ago. Didn't notice spots when replacing bathroom lights 3 days ago so likely very recent).

Wood floor/ceiling in furnace humidifier crawl space above bathroom shows moisture in some areas but it dries pretty quick(it's hot/dry in that tiny room but seeped down floor cracks and wall opening: no permanent warping of wood or even long term moisture marks despite being slowly soaked regularly for 1-2 weeks). Some small yellow water stain damage on wall next to furnace near

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iHwGydbetBBoZ3ku8

FYI: the white spots in the wood floor are from saw dust. There is no visible yellowing/dirt on the drywall and it seems to be rigid. Moisture was more visible but turned off humidifier last night(dried very quickly).

I'm getting a mold test pronto, humidifier turned off, sealing the ductwork gap, dehumidifier(?) but worried about long term mold risk and if I should get mold inspection? Do I even need a dehumidifier rental for the bathroom if humidity in my place to 15-25 without the humidifier on? Wood has dried completely in a few hours already.

I use an ecobee thermostat to control the humidifier/furnace so below are stats:

Humidity in the place has never risen above mid 50s(all window corner unit in chicago winter) and usually hangs around 35-48(according to sensors) for the past 2 weeks. Max I've seen it ever is 53(temporary after shower or dryer was run). The bathroom has a humidity sensor controlled fan that turns on for 30 minutes if humidity ever hits 60%+ in the room. Indoor temps hover around 63-75(58-63 at night and most of day when away; 68-75 when at home).

EDIT: My furnace air filter is rated MERV 10(installed 2 weeks ago) so most mold spores if in the air were likely caught


texts: What is the cause of the common impression that European electrical wiring is safer than (North) American?

texts: In this video, at time 11:35, (and in other places), there is a very vague claim about a common impression that European wiring is safer than (North) American, with an equally vague refutation of that claim. What are the details of this commonly expressed idea?


texts: Do thermostats coordinate with each other in a multi-zone system?

texts:
Say I set my thermostat to 72 F. (Yes, I'm in the crazy U.S. and use their strange measurement system). I am under the impression that an HVAC system will wait for the temperature to be off by a certain threshold before turning on and then it might even overheat/overcool by a degree or so to prevent short cycling. For example, if it's summer, my AC might kick on at 73/74 and cool to 71.

First question - is that accurate?

Next, I am wanting to know about dual zone. I see two possibilities here:

Two thermostats trigger a cooling cycle or heating cycle when needed. The furnace/AC is turned on to handle the requested zone(s) at the time. This seems very inefficient as Zone 1 might get to temp and shut down while Zone 2 could trigger a cycle again 5 minutes later.
Two thermostats communicate between the furnace/AC and themselves. In my first example, let's say that Zone 1 hits 74 and turns on. Meanwhile Zone 2 is at 72. A 'smart' system might open the dampers in Zone 2 to cool it down to 71 while it's also working to get Zone 1 down to 71. Even though the thermostat at Zone 2 would not have triggered this itself. These dampers would only open for a short time but would prevent Zone 2 from requesting a cooling cycle shortly after Zone 1's cycle turns off.

Which of these is it? Or is it something else?

Last question - does it require special thermostats?


texts: Does this ceiling look like it contains asbestos?

texts:
I noticed water dripping from my kitchen ceiling. I informed my parents about it and they decided the best thing to do was rip part of the ceiling off? I am very worried about this as I think it may contain asbestos like one of those popcorn ceilings. Thanks for reading.
https://imgur.com/a/h36ejKy


texts: Sharing a 240v 30A circuit using a dial switch

texts:
I have a situation where the previous homeowner installed a sauna using the dryer plug. You have to unplug one to plug in the other, a setup that is not only ugly with the sauna plug hanging in the air it also seems unnecessary.

What I want to do is install a 240v 30A rotary switch to service one or the other with one circuit wired to the sauna and the other wired to the dryer plug. I have attached pics of the switch I have in mind - please advise as to whether or not it will work.

Thank you!


texts:
We are trying to finish an above garage attic space as a playroom (since the ceiling will be slanted - 7' to 4' headroom). The "room" is 25' x 8' and currently has 2x4s that are 16" apart.

My current place is to double up on the 2x4s by sistering them before putting a 23/32" plywood subfloor, topped with a light laminate or vinyl floor.

Is that a good plan? We don't intend to put any significant amount of furniture in here.


texts: Should I be concerned? Wires look burned

texts: While replacing the ignitor on our ge profile gas range/ oven, we came across the wires that go to the top ignitor (for the broiler). I am concerned because they look burned/ melted. My husband is not concerned. Should we be? Should we replace the wires? Does anyone know what would have caused this?


texts: How should I install a chimney for a wood stove in my garage?

texts:
I have a new construction 24' x 48' garage that is two stories.  It is partial block construction (to middle of 2nd floor) and finished on the top with wood (trusses etc). The floor plan is very open.  I plan on installing a wood stove listed below:

SKU Number: 1015370

Manufacturers Number: B2350B
Brand: United States Stove
Fuel Type: Wood/Coal
Hopper Capacity: 50 lb.
Log Size: 23 in.
BTUs: 106,000

I want to install it on the first floor (concrete floor).  My question is where should I run my chimney?

Should I plan on going up through the ceiling of the first floor, into the second floor and through that ceiling into the attic, then through the roof? (the garage is something like 22+ feet tall to the eaves) I could build a steel grate to be around the pipe to prevent anyone from touching it etc on the second floor.  I would obviously use double wall pipe for the length between the floors, and preferable single wall in the first and second floor in the "open air" spaces to get the most form the heat, followed by double wall for attic/roof. I have heard of people going through closets, etc, does that seem ok?

My other option is to go through the block wall on the first floor, but then have an ugly, and expensive run of about 20ft insulated chimney pipe to get the desired height above the roof to ensure proper draft.

I am doing this on as tight of a budget as possible. I have considered pellet stoves, but have a steady unlimited local supply of wood available.  I realize it may not heat the second floor completely, so I will supplement with another type of heater up there when needed.  I do not have hvac installed in the garage, and would rather not install any. The garage is a very basic rectangle shape. I plan on insulating it very well.


texts:
I am trying to add floor joists to an attic and intend for getting decent amount of support for plywood flooring and storage.

The existing truss is 13' across and 24'' span between 2x4 ceiling joists. these won't hold a pillowcase from what I've been told, even with the added support boards binding them to the rafters.

My question is what I can do about adding the support to joists so that I don't accidentally overload the wall itself. This garage wall is open but filled with cabinetry and would be a pain to add in extra studs. Do these added joists need to be above the studs period? If I don't sister the existing ceiling joists, will that be a mistake? I'm aware that the joists need to lay on the load baring walls but I'm not entirely certain how intense the requirements are for a bare plywood floor for storage space are.

https://imgur.com/a/txo06wK


texts: Need to replace this arm as it is supposed to attach to a gas strut but the inside thread has been worn out, i just cant seem to find the name of it.


texts: Gas central heating on max for hours. What are short and long term adverse effects other than higher bills?

texts:
I've had a new boiler fitted, a Bosch-Worcester one, in a medium size house. It's been serviced professionally, when required. The new boiler came with a thermostat control pad. All the copper piping for radiators was left as is. It's at least 20 years since these copper pipes were changed.

There is a person in my house, let's call her "the wife", who sets the pad at a high temperature then puts it in a room or area with no heating. This results in the constant burning of gas for hours on end (I'm out at work so don't know for how long exactly, "several to half dozen+ hours" is the best guess). Radiators are so hot, they cannot be touched for longer than a second or two. This is a several times a week occurrence and will be perpetrated until Spring.

Other than higher gas bills, what are the short and long term adverse effects on the central heating?


texts: Recipe for a weak concrete mix suitable for patio substrate and similar work

texts:
I'm having odd difficulty in tracking down an answer to this question. Searches for "weak concrete" tend to cover weak sand/cement mixes (but no gravel), typical strong sand/cement/gravel mixes - and a lot of pages about avoiding weak concrete by not adding too much water!
The situation here is, I've taken up a strip of paving slabs at the edge of a paved patio, about 20-30 cm by 3m, replaced a drain + gully trap with usual 110mm plastic (resting on the solid foundation), and filled most of the trench to about 10cm below finished level using 10mm compacted gravel.
I now want to place weak concrete around the "bottle" of the gully trap, so it's held in place but isn't embedded in dense rock-like concrete if anything ever needs doing in that area in future, and lay about 50mm of weak concrete on the compacted gravel, to act as an unmoving substrate to put sharp sand + slabs back into, so the slabs won't subside if the gravel settles slightly. Nothing else, and nothing structural, is resting on the slabs, and the area is very lightly trafficked.
The nearest I've seen for the task is a sand+cement mix, at about 1:10 to 1:12, but I'd like sand/cement/gravel, which seems more likely to be robust against ordinary events, while still being weak enough to break out,  if works are ever needed.
I'm tempted to guess at a mix of about 1:3:6 but I can't find anything to confirm if that's reasonable or if there is a more usual standard mix for the purpose. Hints appreciated!

For info, the cement is sulphate resisting (ground, rain, soil, proximity to foul water). It doesn't affect the strength but if I don't mention it, someone else will :) Also I want to lap some waterproof cement (sika-1) from under the slabs, a little up the adjacent wall, to prevent foul water if the drain blocks/overflows, hence a second reason why I want a firm fixed substrate below the paving slabs.

Update: photo of gully trap

The "bottle" is the bit where the trap is, under the grid


texts: How can I remove this concrete wall anchor?

texts: The anchor pictured was holding a hose reel, which has been removed.  When I twist the part sticking out it just spins infinitely in either direction.  I think it is something like a toggle or a molly anchor.  How can anchors of this type be removed with as little damage as possible to the wall?


texts:
I need to replace the sill of an exterior wall (load bearing wall that faces the outside the home). I ripped the sheet rock off and noticed some very old termite which was apparently treated years ago and there's no sign of new termites/damage.

There's a couple caveats though. The section that needs replacing is about 3ft of damage and its a corner. The section around the corner is only about 12 inches long before I hit the garage door (see pics).

What's the best procedure for replacing this? Can I just nail a support across the studs or should I support it vertically from the ground when I cut out the sill?

Also, this came right after I just built a full loft and put new anchors in....


texts: How do I find replacement vinyl siding pieces?

texts: I have the numbers off of the back of the siding, but the local Lowe's and the local Home Depot don't have a way to match them up.  I'm trying to find a few replacement pieces to fix some holes I have in the siding.  Is there a source online or otherwise that can help me match texture/color/size my siding?


texts:
I currently have a flat roof over my patio which looks really solid as it is an extension of a flat room from my living room. I want to have someone come out and verify the integrity of it along with providing guidance on how to transform it into a deck.

Would I use a contractor? Would roofers be able to weigh in on it?


texts: How to minimise the amount of concrete needed for a shed foundation?

texts:
I’m looking to build a 6m by 3m shed in the back garden. It will be jammed in between 3 neighbours’ gardens, so it will have to be less than 2.5m high. Roof will most likely be a low grade pitch with corrugated plastic (so not heavy). My budget for this is very small, so I’d need to recycle old materials as much as possible. I have a good amount of reclaimed bricks, and a friend has an old pre-cast concrete panel garage, which I could potentially have as well. I don’t think it will be large enough, so I might end up using a combination of both. Which is fine for me as any neighbour (incl. me) would only see 1 side anyway.

I am clueless as to what to do with the foundations, so I was hoping for some help. I don’t need planning or building permission, and since it’s only a shed I guess I can do whatever works. Which for me would be whatever is cheapest. Access to the rear garden is limited, and pumping concrete expensive. So that’s a no-go. Mixing concrete in the back garden is not impossible, but will be back breaking. So I’d like to keep the amount of concrete needed down.

I have plenty of hardcore and ideally I’d like to use some of the bricks to do some sort of masonry foundations, covered with a small amount of concrete if needed. Or use some of the pre-cast concrete panels. Or really anything to keep the amount of concrete I would have to use down. Any advice on how I would be able to achieve this would be greatly appreciated!

NOTE: I’d like to stick bricks or a very thin layer of concrete and DPC down on the floor anyway to keep my tools dry.


texts: Can I use slot shelving in a wooden shed?

texts:
Our wooden shed in the back garden is filling up with items that are currently stashed on the floor. I'm planning to construct some kind of shelving to store things. Whilst none of the items are hugely heavy, I imagine that each shelf would need to bear 20-30kg. I will put in 4 or 5 shelves on/against a wall, each with a depth of at 30cm (or more, if I can).

The shed is sound. The main structure is constructed out of 2 x 1 timber studwork. It has a standard peaked roof.

I can think of three options, here listed in what I believe to be increasing order of difficulty and cost:

1) Can I use regular slot shelving (e.g. plywood) attached to the timber studwork, or are those not strong enough to support well-loaded shelves? I don't want to overload the structure of the shed and risk damaging it.

2) Or should I construct shelving out of 2 x 4 timber and screw that onto the studwork? That way I can attach to three walls in total (assuming I span the entire wall)

3) Alternatively, I will build a free standing solution, but this will require more work and more wood.

I'm concerned that I can't find any images / articles about slot shelving in wooden sheds, so perhaps (1) is cutting too many corners.

Thanks for your thoughts.


texts:
My house had foundation issues several times which is fixed now and after every fix we get more brick cracks above the garage door. Some people say that foundation has nothing to do with those cracks and it happens because the beam above garage door bends down and it can fall if I don'replace it. Siding guys told me that it won't fall, but they can secure the angular beam screwing it to the wood. And it can all be patched.

Is it safe just to disassemble some parts of that wall (a few bricks from each side) and patch it?
Should I replace the beam or do something with it?
Any advices how it can be fixed?

https://i.stack.imgur.com/OVNxt.jpg
https://i.stack.imgur.com/55I4l.jpg


texts: Can I use a #8 and a #6 wire for a 40 amp circuit?I know individually the size is fine,just not sure about mixing them a#8 for one leg and #6 for the other


texts: Should I vapour barrier an (inside) sistered wall when the exterior wall already has it?

texts:
I have a 8' x 8' garage wall w/vapor barrier on warm side attached to house.  This wall has 2 vertical duct runs.  It had 5/8x drywall with fire stops insulated with R13FG batts except on the 2 duct runs which had nothing except on each side of ducts.

Over the last 15 or so years since house was built this wall developed black mold on outside of drywall where the 2 duct runs existing floor to about 6 feet up.

After tearing the drywall out I discovered that the mold was a result of condensation caused by the two ducts not having any insulation over the ducts between the duct and drywall and to make it worse the duct was actually touching the drywall.  The ducts did have FG insulation on each side between duct studs but nothing facing the garage. So 15 years of condensation of hot vs cold and vice verses caused the mold and continued to feed the mold in all seasons. I painted all the wood around the 2 duct runs with oil base paint and will put non-faced FG R13 insulation in the old wall and over the 2 duct runs.

I have decided to install another 2x4 wall with a 1/2" gap between old and new wall.  I am installing kraft faced R13 FG on cold side of new wall. I am assuming this will create a dead air space between the old & new wall that will create a dead air space and hopefully eliminate any future condensation issues.

My question is: Should I install a plastic vapor barrier on the new wall even though the existing wall has a vapor barrier already installed on the warm side, or is my double wall solution both with R13 FG and a vapor barrier already installed on old wall on warm side already enough that have solved the condensation issue for the future?


texts:
About 5 years ago I noticed the paint chipping on the ceiling around the chimney that vent my furnace and water heater so I hired a guy to replace the flashing around the chimney.

Since then I've noticed further damage and paint peeling in the same area, so I went up in the attic and monitored the roof during 2 rain storms. I observed no water leaks and the chimney, sheathing, and tar paper around the chimney were bone dry.

I also looked for leaks along any of the sheathing and observed no leaks.

I'm very stumped as to what is happening.

Some background information on the house:

-Built 1930
-No insulation around the brick chimney
-Chimney liner is original as far as I know
-Area below the damaged ceiling is a stove with no range hood

[![enter image description here][3]][3]


texts:
How to treat wood on a new summer house, for which a natural look is desired?

Oil/solvent or water based treatment? The manufacturer of the summer house recommends the former, but various online sources claim modern water based treatments are equally good and better for health/environment - I am not sure, though, to what extent these claims are unbiased.
I presume treatment is only needed for the exterior? (Any interior treatment would definitely have to be low VOC as children will play inside).
Must treatment be applied in two layers, some sort of rot prevention followed by a barrier layer, or can a suitable product can do both together?


texts: Should I replace the door hinge or add a new pin?

texts:
I have a bi-fold door which uses door hinge that connects two doors of the bi-fold door. It has three hinges and two of them require some work as follows:

Hinge 1 - The pin is missing entirely.

Hinge 2 - The pin is loose.

It will be my first experience working with door hinge, but believe that it is doable work and not require a professional worker's involvement.

Is it a good idea to replace the entire hinge or just the pin?


texts: Is tape an effective way to hold on a foam elbow?

texts:
So, one of the things I want to do around these parts is insulate (lag) the hot water piping in this house's basement to the best of my ability (especially since part of it is in a crawlspace that's opened up now, but not normally accessible).  It's all 1/2" rigid copper, and I can get pipe insulation (straights and elbows) that fits that rather readily. However, while the straight sections I can get are of the self-adhesive seamed type, the elbows I can find are solid types that must be slit in the field and then attached somehow.

Normally, this is done with a contact cement; however, I can't use solvent-based cements for this due to the safety hazard they pose working around live gas appliances (water heater, gas furnace), and I cannot find water-based cements in small enough quantities for it to matter.  (There are also methylene chloride based contact cements, but I want no part of MeCl2, given it's reputation for doing unkind things to people.)  So, I am considering using a vinyl pipe-insulation tape to attach the elbow instead.  Is this a reasonable thing to do, or will using tape wraps instead of the normal seam-cementing process compromise the insulation performance significantly?