texts:
We are living in a house that was originally built in the 80s with a gas furnace and forced air.  Prior to our purchase, the house underwent a significant remodel including the addition of two rooms and vaulting of the living room ceiling.  With the remodel the duct work that originally traversed the house to two bedrooms was truncated.  To provide heating to the two additional rooms at the addition flex duct work was installed.  The layout is attached.
The main issue that we are having is that as a result of this configuration there is a very disproportionate amount of air being dumped into our master bedroom and bath.  When the furnace fan kicks on it is extremely loud, and will often wake me up (measured at 55-60dB from my bed).  As we now have a child on the way providing adequate heat to our soon to be nursery is more important.  I have trialed partially closing the vents to preferentially divert air to the flex, although this results in worsening turbulence and noise to our bedroom.  Attached is a general layout of the configuration.
I am looking for any recommendations that could improve our situation in regards to better heat distribution and decreased noise.


texts: How should I deal with lumber size differences when replacing floor joists?

texts: I am in the process of replacing 4 floor joists and the new 2x10s are 1/4" taller than what was previously there. I understand that as the lumber dries out it will shrink but how do i handle the 1/4" difference to have a level subfloor and not crack the tile i put on top.


texts: Repair a lawnmower engine that was left exposed to the elements for a year?

texts:
I have a lawnmower that I foolishly left outside through last winter. Last year it wasn't in great condition -- it took a ton of very hard of pulls on the cord to get it to start, every single time. I haven't tried to start it this year, but I imagine it has gotten worse.

I think it's a $500-$600 lawnmower new.

Putting aside the motor, mechanically it is in good shape. I don't see any rust. The blade was replaced two years ago. The wheels and everything else are in good working order.  I believe the only issue is the motor, which I believe is having trouble due to being left out in the rain and snow.

I am a person who is good with my hands and with machines -- I am a programmer and a woodworker -- but I don't have any experience working on motors.

What are my options for restoring this lawnmower to working condition? (i.e. it starts easily and it runs without major problems).

I am open to dismantling it myself, I am open to replacing the motor, and I am open to bringing it to a repair guy.  I'm hoping to be able to repair it for $100 - $200 rather than having to buy new for $500 - $600.


texts: Connecting Washing Machine Outlet Box to copper

texts:
I've done a search and nothing particularly relevant came up so...

I'm in the process of moving the washer and dryer in our new house and trying to figure out how to mate the valves in the connection box to the copper lines. I have a box similar to this where the values are attached via a single shut off:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_596141-138-38568___?productId=50163629&pl=1&Ntt=washer+box

The ends are threaded, so I guess I just need to add a 1/2" to female threaded fitting like this?

I don't currently have the part sitting in front of me, but I don't recall the male threads being turnable to screw into the fitting (I'll have to double check). Is there a trick to it, or do you screw it in and then sweat it? But that seems like a terrible idea given that its right near the plastic enclosure.


texts: How can I rehabilitate the grout in my tile floor?

texts:
My home is 11 years old, and I've owned it for the last 9. The grout was already breaking up in a few places in the entryway when I bought it, so I know that it probably wasn't installed properly.  I'm also pretty sure that the tile installer forgot to seal the entryway grout, because we're not having any problems with identical tile and grout in the "powder room", but the entryway grout has been grungy from day one. I've spent hours scrubbing it, to no avail.

I'd like to replace the broken grout and then use a colorant over all of it to hide the dirt, and avoid having to match the grout color.  Is this practical?  Or should I plan on redoing all of it?  I saw another answer here that recommended using a grout saw to scrape off the top layer of grout to get it clean; is that better than coloring over the stains?

If it matters, the tile is 12" square, the cheapest stuff you can find, with about 1/4" grout lines. This was the builder's default material so you know there is no quality to be found here, but I'd rather not have to replace it all.  The tiles themselves are in good condition.


texts: Bathroom exhaust fan and light switch separation

texts:
new here and I tried the search but can’t seem to find an answer to what I’ve got.
In my bathroom, I have 2 switches.

When top switch is on, bottom off, the vanity light and the exhaust fan light both come on.
When top switch is on, bottom on, both lights and the exhaust fan are on.
When top switch is off, bottom on, everything is off.
I’m in the process of relocating the switch to a more convenient (slightly lower) position and I would like to be able to turn the fan on when the lights are off. I was planning to install 2 side by side switches for the relocation. Is this possible with what I’ve got, or would it be a big ordeal to set up that way?
Thank you in advance for the help, I will try to figure out how to post photos!

1: https://i.stack.imgur.com/lXwCF.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mPLKL.jpg)


texts: Service Panel and New Underground Conduit

texts: So im remodeling and found out my electrical conduit that carries my lines from the  my garage was rotted out. I had exposed electrical wires, still wrapped in sleeves, but exposed buried in the dirt. The lines came from my detached garage, providers Meter to a main shut off Breaker and then inside the house to a panel. My question is, If when i replace all the metal conduit with Sch 80 pvc pipe, is the white neutral act as a ground? The neutral is hooked up at the main service box to the grounding rod using a #6 solid copper wire. so it goes Grounding Rod > White Nuetral #2 wire > Panel in House ? DO i need to run a #6 from my In house panel to the grounding rod in my detached garage? using the schedule 80 pvc?


texts: How do I wire a switch to control a GFCI Receptacle?

texts:
I want to switch a GFI outlet.  It will be on a single 20 Amp circuit breaker with no other outlets or devices in the circuit or downstream from the outlet.  It will be used to switch a dust collection unit on and off in my workshop.

Is the proper way to wire this:

Place the switch in the hot wire going to the "line" side of the GFCI outlet.
Run the neutral wire uninterrupted to the "line" side of the GFCI outlet.
Connect ground wires as usual, switch and outlet.


texts:
Well, I feel about as dumb as I possibly can right now, but I measured the ceiling height from the wrong point and purchased studs thinking the basement had an 8 foot ceiling, only to realize afterwards it's actually a 9 foot ceiling. Now I have a pile of studs I cannot return and I'm not sure what the best option is to move forward.
I've done some searches and I found a video describing a technique I believe would work that essentially builds another section of framing on top of an existing frame, then attaches the two sections together using strapping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baMgw2NuJ6o&t=118s

I think the above example would work, but what will happen during the drywall process? The straps are going to create an uneven surface.
Are there any alternative ideas than the ones suggested in the video? If the strapping idea is considered the best option, what suggestions do you have to handle the uneven surfaces created by the strapping?


texts: Quikrete didn't absorb much water. What did I do wrong?

texts:
I am installing a hammock support post to support one end of a hammock. Following the manufacturers instructions, I dug a hole 18" in diameter to about 25" deep. Our soil is red clay, if that matters, and it hasn't rained recently.

I put about 2 inches of gravel in the bottom, placed the post in the hole, then poured 4 red bags (50 lbs each) of dry quikrete around the post. The instructions say to use about 1 gallon of water per bag, but when I poured the first gallon into the hole, it drained very slowly. I added a second gallon and the water pooled there for a long time. I eventually went in for the night. This morning I checked on it and the water is gone but the top 1/2" of cement is very soft — I think some particles were floating in the pooled water and didn't cure.

Did I mess up the process? I'm worried that I only used about half of the water called for and even that seemed liked too much liquid to absorb quickly. Is there any chance that 2 gallons would be enough to cure 200 lbs of Quikrete?


texts:
I currently have a 12 year old stacked washer/dryer, and have been looking into a combo unit washer dryer. I understand each unit has different ventilation requirements, is this possible to change to a combo unit from a stacked unit? Or would that require significant piping/ventilation work?
Thanks


texts: How can I block air flow into floor joists in knee wall attic?

texts:
I purchased an 55 year old two story home.  Upstairs there is a knee wall attic space.  There is air coming into the joist area and out of the pot lights downstairs.  I can feel the cold breeze with my hand and i can see the pot lights when i look between the joists in the knee wall attic area.

What is is the best way to block the airflow?


texts:
I have recently replaced an old leaking shower manifold (three handle) with a one handle model. In hindsight I should have used an adapter plate like this one to cover the two outer holes and expose one larger hole in the middle. Instead, thinking I would cover two holes I might as well cover three, so I moved the new knob up to a more comfortable height and cut a new hole, installing the new manifold and knob there. This is now all working.

I still have the three holes from the old knobs. I'm wondering the best way to cover them. I was thinking about finding a few pieces of decorative tile (each slightly larger than a hole) and affixing them over each hole. If I do this, how would I affix the tile? I'm assuming I would caulk around them after doing so, but would caulk be enough for hold (This thread gives me pause)? Can you think of other ways to cover the holes? Note of course that the tile is old and certainly cannot be found.


texts:
A question related to this one about projecting the costs to finish our basement.

We have a poured concrete foundation. I don't think it has been sealed yet, but our yard is graded, our downspouts have long extensions, and the soil build up around the foundation is low moisture retaining. Living in a very moist region (PNW, US), I have been very pleased by how dry our basement has been. Some atypical downpours have led to some hydrostatic pressure and seepage through the floor.

We would like to convert this basement to livable space. Our codes require a rather tall ceiling height. The floor is not level. It is mostly level, although it has a low graded curve reaching it's bottom at the center. I think self-leveling concrete is not an option because a) seems we'd need a LOT of it to increase this "bowl" shaped foundation perhaps 5-6" from its center (haven't measured this out) and b) we risk not meeting height levels.

Is it possible to lay down a moisture blocking barrier, and lay down sleepers instead of a subfloor? Further, is it possible to shim-up the sleepers so that we can lay level flooring on top of them that is no higher than the edges of the "bowl" shaped foundation? Lastly, can an engineer in fact tell whether it is possible to "take down" the edges of the foundation with a zamboni or other type of grinding device?


texts:
My vanity was roughed in with the waste outlet offset to where the sink ended up, as the vanity choice hadn't been made at the time.

As a result, I need to get the trap outlet over to the waste pipe.  I want to add a 45 to the waste outlet and then plumb the p trap into that.

Once the waste pipe is in the wall, it makes a 90 over to the waste/vent pipe. If I add a 45 under the sink, do I need a cleanout?

Also, any preference on the ABS trap vs pvc trap?
[


texts:
and thank you.
I have a gas hot water boiler, two story house, hot water baseboards on top and first floor, boiler in the basement, separate circulating pump and loop for each floor.
The boiler kicks on at a water temperature of 137 degrees 24psi and shuts off at 152 degrees 34psi.
I have the honeywell aquastat L4006 manual reset. The high limit is set at 230 deg, however I do not see a differential adjustment.
The temperature of the water does not get above 152 deg according to the boiler’s temp/pressure gage and the baseboards are supposed to operate at 270/180 degrees. There is no air in the lines. Is my aquastat the problem?
I can never get the upstairs warmer than 70 deg., and do not run the first floor heat at all (Love free AC).
How can I raise the water temperature from my boiler?
Thank you again.


texts: I have two different size rooms both with electric base boards and one thermostat that controls the heat. Since the thermostat is in the bigger room the smaller room becomes a sauna. I was told that I could connect another thermostat to the existing one to control the smaller room temperature. Now my problem is everything is connected and the smaller room thermostat is running together with the larger room thermostat . Is my connection wrong or maybe my thermostats are not good? Example: if I put the thermostat at zero in the large room , the small room thermostat wont work. Anyway, I would like to get some feed back ...!


texts: Can I fish low voltage cables through my plumbing chase?

texts:
Generally speaking, is it a good idea to fish low voltage cables through a plumbing chase?

I want to specify that I was wondering about using the same cavity (A plumbing chase), not using the actual plumbing vent (DVW Pipe) itself.


texts: How to insulate attic areas that are unreachable

texts:
I am looking to air seal and add insulation to my attic before winter hits.

Most of the roof is simple, simply slopes down towards the front and down towards the back.

There is an area in the front of the house where the roof comes out further to accommodate the 2nd floor room and window. See photo and red lines below.

While crawling about the truss jungle gym in the attic, I saw that there was a small opening beyond the normal roof line where this roof area was being insulated with a batt of fiberglass. The interior of the room beneath the roof is an interior dropped soffit from the normal ceiling.

I would like to know if this area is worth air sealing and adding insulation into, and if so, what is the best way to do so? The roof is pretty tight near the edge and I don't think I can fit into the opening to further investigate. Nor do I want to poke myself with nails/screws coming through the roof deck, even if I do have a hard hat...

Would it be viable to cut into the drywall from the room below, check it out, make repairs/improvements, and then seal up the soffit again?


texts: Can I use drywall screws to stop floor squeaks?

texts:
I've got an old squeaky hardwood floor with access to from below. I can feel the hardwood boards moving under my feet when they squeak so I just plan to drill up through the subfloor into the hardwood. Would drywall screws do the job? I noticed they're cheap, which is good since I will need a lot of them!

The screws are #6 x 1 1/4" coarse thread (thickness of floor + subfloor is ~1 1/2")
The floor is 1 3/4" wide maple
The subfloor is 3 1/2" wide boards laid diagonal across the joists


texts: Kenmore 465 Stove / Range with range missing a pipe and insulation exposed?

texts:
I have a Kenmore stove that's probably from either 2006 or the 90s some time; and we recently replaced all the drip pans in it; I don't know why or who, but one family members pulled a pipe out of the bottom of the back left range and lost the pipe; it's the only range that has this; however the pipe went down through a hole and into the stove.
Now that the pipe is gone, it has exposed a bunch of insulation, and the insulation has fallen into the stove.
I'm unsure how to proceed, I don't know what the pipe is called or anything here is a photo of the issue.


texts: My gas valve is inbetween two plasterboard walls how do I access it?

texts:
My gas valve is inbetween two plasterboard walls
How should I access this valve to try to shut it off or maybe have a new valve installed? I've already cut the hole bigger to get my hand in there but don't want to create an even bigger hole but not sure what to do. One side has a water heater and I can't access the valve and this side is where the stove is and I'd like to get a new stove but I cant turn off this valve and maybe I need a new valve but I cant see the valve the way its positioned in the wall. Any ideas?


texts: How can I make a splice in a 30 amp 240 circuit?

texts:
I have a splice in a 30 amp 240 corcuit.  There is an outlet box on the three way splice.  No junction on the extension from the initial cut to the three way splice.  Please see the attached picture.  What do I need to do to make this compliant?

The garage is used as an outlet for tools like a welder and compressor. The dryer isn't used as we have a gas dryer. Access is not really possible in the supply and dryer direction as they are new construction wiring. Garage is retrofit wiring and easily accessible.


texts: Can I mount meter/panel to treated post?

texts:
I am adding power to my property (all permitted) Will they let me mount my 200amp meter/panel combo and RV panel on a 6x6 post, meter/panel combo on one side and RV panel on opposite side. I was planning to run wire between them coming out the back or side knockout (which ever works best) in each panel using PVC terminal adapters and sch 80 conduit coming out of the ground. Do I have to use the panel mounting holes or can I make my own, as long as they are at the bottom of panel?
Thanks
Dean


texts: alternatives to >$120 replacement clock for old Magic Chef gas range

texts:
I'm looking for ideas to avoid paying over $120 to replace the clock on my old gas range where the electronics are working but the plastic attachments are broken.

My Magic Chef Model #31211WAW has a simple digital clock/timer panel that just broke. The electronics work fine, but the panel is attached with screws to the oven with 4 small plastic pieces that have broken under repeated finger-pressing pressure over decades.

The part #74004946 that's been replaced by #74006099 costs over $120. Ouch!  I'm loath to replace it if I can just fix the attachment problem.

Is there a good way to reinforce what's left of the plastic attachment points so that the clock will stay attached to the metal ribs that in turn attach to the oven?  It can be ugly since none of this is visible-- but needs to be strong enough to withstand hundreds of pokes per month from harried cooks in our house and the nearby radiant heat of hot pots on the stove.


texts:
We are attempting to install a ceiling fan into our 1920s home.   The light fixture was centered in the room, above it are two wooden cross sections (I’m guessing to support the floor above).
We can’t get the new fan box/brace to center in the hole that is there.
What should we do, Cut out the plaster ceiling so the fixture will be off center from the room (not preferred)?
Or, would it be OK to cut/remove the cross section so the fan support brace will fit, leaving the fixture center in the room?


texts: I'm looking to mount my LCD TV (26" Sony Bravia) in an alcove next to a chimney breast. I'd we view the TV from the other side of the chimney breast, so the mounting will need to allow the TV to come out from the wall far enough that we can rotate it 90 degrees such that it's at right angles to the wall of the alcove and viewable at the other end of the room. Plenty of TV mounts appear to offer the articulation to do this, but I'm having difficulty finding a mount that will allow the TV to come out far enough for it to fully rotate the 90 degrees without touching the chimney breast. By my calculations the reach needed is around 59cm. Can anyone recommend a mount with this kind of reach, or, failing that, an alternative mounting approach that might achieve the same effect?


texts: Water hammer from neighbour's washing machine

texts:
I've got a problem with water hammer coming through a shared water main from my neighbour's house when their washing machine fills. This results in a loud thudding sound in the wall between my bedroom and bathroom  (I'm guessing there's loose pipework from my shower). After a few years of negotiations with their landlord I finally managed to get them to fit a water hammer arrestor. However, it only seems to have stopped the thud that happens when the valve closes. Is there anything that can be done to stop the thud from the valve opening? I realise that securing the pipe work would be the best option but this would involve knocking holes in walls and I don't have the funds to tidy that up!

Thanks


texts:
I was reading the post from the link below. I had a question with regard to that line of discussion. I can post there but it was old.
I have a GE main service box, 24 positions, that has a double pole 125A main breaker.

Do the breaker amp readings sum up to dictate my current panels total / possible amperage?

There is currently a 40 Amp double taking up 4 slots on the right side for an apartment size electric stove. There are 4 more circuits for plugs, and a regrigerator is on one of those. I will add a disposer onto the kitchen circuit but that only has the overhead light plugs.  The main service is for a 450sf tiny apartment of one bedroom, a bath and kitchen. Its being renovated but budget is tight.

I want to add breaks for a 24Kw on demand water heater and a small split unit AC.
Water heater at 240V, requires two 60 amp breakers, and the AC, MRCool, 18K BTU, will require a 15A to 20A, double pole.

Can the main service that is currently in operation accomodate the additional load.  I know the breakers will fit fine. Looks doable to me.


texts: How do I fix a leaking garden hose connection?

texts:
I just moved to a new house last week. Today I tried connecting several garden hoses to the both spigots. Each combination of hose and spigots leaked water (more like sprayed) below the connection before the hose (I'm not sure what to call this part).
    I hand tightened each one. I also used a wrench to make sure the connection was tight without over tightening.  I thought that the hoses were old so I bought a new one from Target which comes with a new rubber washer and connected it to both spigots. The same thing happened.

Am I doing something wrong here? Any suggestions? Could the spigots be defective?


texts: Is my circuit breaker tripping because the supply line for my disposal is wet?

texts: My fuse box is popping and when I inspected it I noticed that the electrical connection is coming from the electrical box under the sink  that connects the garbage disposal. I also noted the there is a leak under the sink and the connecting wire is wet.  Is this causing my breaker to pop?


texts: Why does one range burner only turn on when another is turned on?

texts:
I have a GE smooth surface stove, model JBS55DM2WW.

It has a strange switch problem. When I turn on the front right large burner it does not come on, but if I turn on any of the other burners and then turn the front right one on, it comes on.

Seems odd to me (being an electrician).

Is this a bad switch, and if so is there no switch to switch protection against feed through such as this or is it built into the switch?


texts:
I got it working but man it's messed up. Here is the situation: Crude Diagram attached. This seems to be working.

The switch on the left is tied to another switch in my kitchen for the front foyer hallway. This switch only works if I tie the white wire from the source (bottom) to a black wire from either the source (right bottom or right top).

If I connect the white wire from the Leviton white wire (common) to the other white wires the timer won't work. If I tie the white wire from the source (bottom left) to anything else (including the other white commons) the hallway switch wont work.

If I attached the white wire from the source (bottom left) to the black wire of the Leviton Timer Switch both switches "work" but when I turn on the timer switch to give power to the outside lights it flickers (I hear the relay clicking) about 4 times per second.

Anyone explain/help?


texts: How to clean portland cement off bricks?

texts:
We moved into a brick house not too long ago. There are a few areas that were renovated at some point and the mason did a poor job. It looks like  some cement was put in after the bricks were laid and was smeared over the faces of the bricks. It's unsightly and doesn't match the adjacent areas where the work wasn't done. How can I clean this up?

dirty bricks on the left, clean older bricks on the right, beyond the railing.


texts: What type of screws should I use to attach a sign to fiber cement siding?

texts: My house has fiber cement siding and I want to attach a decorative sign to the siding. I'm told that I need a carbide tip drill bit to make a clean cut. But what type of screws should I use? And what length is recommended? (the house is wood framed).


texts: How do I safely install a mirror on an Ikea Besta door?

texts:
I have a Besta unit for shoe storage. It makes sense for us to put a mirror in that room, and the door seems a good spot.  The door itself is about 25" x 50".  Standard Ikea Tofta pressboard door with high gloss veneer.

So, we picked up an ikea mirror on sale. It seems the perfect size to put in the door, so I'm surprised there aren't any pages online about the combo.

Is this a safe combo?
Will screw mounting in pressboard cause problems, Is there any way I can increase the hold in the pressboard? Or do I really need a bunch of mirror mastic?

And also can the hinges handle the extra weight?  How can I tell? The unit is bolted to the wall, so it should be able to handle the extra weight without tipping.

I guess my worst case if this goes 100% south is replacing an Ikea door and a ten buck mirror, but I want to model this for future mounting questions.


texts:
I'm trying to install a 50amp breaker for a NEMA 14-50R outlet. After taking off the cover and investigating how the existing wires are installed, I'm unsure of the best way to install the new breaker.
I already have an existing hole in the drywall towards the bottom right, so I believe I wire to come in from that end. In addition, it seems like the top is quite congested already and I feel like if I were to try to cut a hole up there, I'd nick a wire.
My question is if I come in from the bottom right, can I use the right neutral bar for the white and ground wire and then take the black and red to cross over (staying towards the bottom and left side of the breaker box) to cross over to the left side, where I would install the 50amp breaker?
Or, since I'm coming in from the bottom right, I should keep everything on the right side and go straight up to install the 50amp breaker? If I do this, how should I route the red/black wires?

Unrelated question... for the main power coming into the house, it seems like the black wire isn't 100% all the way into the clamp. If I flip the main power switch off, can I loosen the holder, push up the wire, re-tighten the holder? I assume the lines are still hot regardless if I flip that main breaker switch or not.


texts: What kind of siding and install type is this?

texts:
The siding looks like its not one flat piece but made of multiple flat layers? There are different siding installment methods. What does this one look like?

If I was going to search home depot for a similar arrangement/type of siding, what would I look for?


texts: What's this connection in my garage? (UK)

texts:
Hi folks, wondering if you guys would be able to Tell me what kind of connection this is for?

Thanks very much.


texts: Electric sump pump sometimes fails to engage / kick on

texts:
I have a sump in my basement that collects water from (I believe) outside of the house through some kind of foundation drain / weeping tile.

Lately with all of the snow melting and rain, I've noticed that the electric sump pump is not always kicking in on its own. Sometimes it does, but often I hear the backup (water-based) pump instead.

I've taken a look down the sump and it looks like the float for the switch is rising but still isn't engaging the pump. If I gently jiggle the discharge pipe, it kicks right on.

See this video, with the electric sump pump in the bottom-center of the frame (green) and the white float right above it (note the water level is already at/above the float): https://vid.me/IM6i

The float seems to rise but at some point, the water level rises over it. Could the float be waterlogged, so it does not have enough buoyancy to engage the pump? Or could it be something with the rod that connects the float to the pump? Why does it happen intermittently?

How should I go about investigating further?

Thanks for the help.


texts: Do I have to use Kerdi tape with Ditra membrane?

texts: I've been convinced to use Ditra with my powder room/half bath tile installation project. Should I consider the addition of Kerdi tape as optional or mandatory? I don't want to overkill for a half-bath but I do want waterproofing protection.


texts: 1 switch controls lights and fan, the other controls nothing. How can I make one control lights and one control the fan?

texts: It seems like this was the way it worked originally, but someone had it changed.  There is another area in my apartment that is in the same situation.  I measured 114VAC from the right switch (I'm assuming the fan) and 86VAC from the left (not sure what's connected there since it does nothing). Please help!


texts: Is it common, or even correct, for both wall switches in a double gang box to provide power to a ceiling fan/light fixture?

texts:
I have a new home with a ceiling fan with light kit installed in the living room.

The Fan and light are controlled by a remote control, but there are 2 wall switches in a double gang box that ultimately control power to the fan/light.
I'm guessing the original idea of having 2 switches wired was to allow one to control the fan and one to control the lights, and this setup
was not needed when they installed a fan/light combo that used a remote control.

Whats befuddling to me is why it's wired so that both switches control power to the fan/light unit, i.e. if the fan/light is off, either switch will provide power to unit.

Looks like a 2 conductor (black & white) wire enter the bottom of the box, and a 3 conductor (Black, White & Red) wire enters the top of the box.
Both switches are pigtailed to the the black line/hot wire and the line & load side neutrals are connected. Switch 1 is then connected to the load side
black wire & Switch 2 is connected to the load side red. All grounds are connected.

Is this correct wiring, and if so, is it a common practice?

What would I need to do if I wanted to replace the two switches with a wireless enabled in-wall switch so that only it provides power to the unit - disconnect switch 2 and cap its current load side red wire?


texts: What is this metal cylinder with a connected wire that i found in my apparement

texts:
I live in a rental appartement in Sweden, newly renovated, and just above the floor, on the wall, I found a plastic housing. When I removed the housing I found a rather thick, dense, metal cylinder with a non-isolated wire conneted to it that dissapears into the wall. I have no clue what it is.

My initial guess was some sort of sensor (temperature, humidity) but I already have another wireless temperature sensor in my apparement installed by the land-lord. The cylinder does not feel hollow, but rather dense. These is a text around the bottom of the cylinder reading "SWEDEN 1511 T1" and something that looks like a logo (////A or NNA or MWA or something similair)

Does anybody know what this is and if it dangerous to chew on it (mainly thinking about my 6 month old child...)?

Since I have no clue what this is I have a rather hard time putting relevant tags.


texts: Attaching sill plate to concrete, how do I attach framed wall to sill plate?

texts:
I am building a 12x12 shed on a concrete slab. I am going to bury j-bolts in the wet concrete so that I can attach the treated sill plate to it. The problem I'm running into is that the nut will be protruding from the top of the sill plate, meaning that I can't just set the fully framed wall on top of it. How do I get around this problem?

Put another way, I will have a treated 2x4 flat on the concrete, then another 2x4 flat on top of that. The nuts holding the treated 2x4 in place will prevent the second 2x4 from laying flat.

I hope that my description makes sense.


texts: KItchen backsplash tile cut too short and grout line too thick

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I just had my back splash installed in my kitchen and the tiler cut one section a bit too short. The grout went up today and the area is thicker then any other areas and very noticeable especially with a dark countertop. Unfortunately it is an area where there would be no appliance in front of it to hide.

Is there any way this can be fixed? Is it possible to remove the grout and put little pieces of tile in that section. I think that would be less noticeable then how it is right now. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also...I notice the tile is not as shiny as it was before the grout...do I have to wash it after the grout fully dries? I wanted to attach photos but they said to large to do so and I have no idea how to make smaller :)


texts: Adapt Porch Light for Power over Ethernet (PoE)

texts:
Similar to the question presented here, I was curious, is it possible to adapt the porch light or the cabling where the porch light itself is to covert it over to PoE? For example, are there face plates or metal shims that one can use? I did read the posting from here, but that is not quite what I had in mind.

Secondly, if you could have the porch light AND PoE, that would be even better.

I know that you can try to drill lots of new holes and run cables from the attic, etc. However, I am looking for guidance on how I can do this without having to drill and fish a bunch of things, if possible.

The PoE would be for an external security camera.


texts: Unsealed flooring next to shower and strong smell of mold

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Background:
Started detecting a fairly strong odor in the bathroom a few weeks back. Couldn't place it, and had a hard time telling whether it might be mold, or sewage, or something else... pretty bad, but didn't smell exactly like sewage, so we thought maybe a mold issue. Anyway, tried cleaning, checking toilet, etc., but still couldn't tell where it was coming from. Some days it was stronger, others weaker, but still couldn't place source.

Detected:
Today while I was cleaning the shower, I finally detected what I think to be the source of the smell: the flooring along the side of the shower has come mostly unsealed, and when I put my nose down next to the crack, I got a strong whiff. So I'm thinking there is probably mold growing in the crack and/or under the flooring.

What to do? So now my question is what to do? I'm not really very handy at all, but am just wondering if there's any way to do anything that might kill the mold, or potentially manage the issue for a while, or if I just need to get someone in to pull up and replace all the flooring. And is the issue urgent? I know that some mold spores can be toxic, but presume that this mold may be okay based on the fact that we haven't died yet? :D

Oh, and I live in Corvallis, Oregon, so it is pretty damp.

Pictures:


texts:
Is there a way to determine if my sprinkler system has a pressure regulator installed?

My neighbor and I both built our houses with the same builder at the same time, but had different landscaping contractors do the sprinkler system installs. His yard has 10 zones with about 7 sprinkler heads each, whereas mine has like 17 zones with no more than 4 heads per zone. I should note that NONE of the sprinkler bodies (mine nor my neighbor's) are pressure regulated.

Anyhow, I added a single head to one of my zones and my system does not have enough pressure to allow for the the additional head to function properly. It seems odd that I don't have enough pressure to supply 5 heads on a given zone, while my neighbor has enough pressure to supply 7 heads on a given zone. We're even using identical sprayheads (Hunter Rotators).

The only thing I can think of is that I've got a system wide pressure regulator installed somewhere on my system, and my neighbor doesn't.  But how can I know for sure?


texts: How to specify tints for white wallpaint?

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I doing some rooms in white, but there is a tinting problem. The whole room cannot be white because it would look like a hospital, so the wall paint has to be lightly tinted.

The problem is how to specify the tint. My fear is that the paint guys will put too much color in and it will be more like a shade than a tint. I want sort of imperceptible level of tint.

I cannot use their standard colors because the paint I am using only has specific colors as standard codes, and does not define tints of white. So, how do give instructions to the paint guys to do the tint?


texts: Is sealant recommended/required over receptacle or other ceiling fixtures located in attic?

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I noticed my attic has a few recess lights just sitting in attic insulation and I was planning on adding a new receptacle via my attic ceiling. Do you recommend adding some sealant around the electric fixture or is it required by code in any US states? If it is recommended/required, could I use a Duct Seal Compound (putty) such as this one: RectorSeal Duct Seal Compound

I'm thinking such sealant would go where the wires enter the electric fixture. A putty like this could at least be removed where some foam products I've seen look more permanent.


texts: Hunter ceiling fan stopped working but is working again

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We have had our Hunter ceiling fan four about 2 years, no issues. As of yesterday we went to turn on the fan and it would not move, just a faint humming noise like it was trying to work. The lights would still work. From time to time there was a very short click/catching noise coming from within the motor of the fan. I tried to spin the fan manually to get it started with no luck. We left it off over night and all of the sudden this afternoon it is working again, however it is still making the short click/catching noise. I've turned it off and back on today and it works. Any ideas of what could be causing this? I'm afraid it will stop working again.

Thanks

****EDIT****

As of 20 minutes ago we noticed a burning smell coming from the fan. I have since flipped the breaker and uninstalled the fan. There is a very strong burning odor coming from the motor. Contacting Hunter, hopefully they will help...


texts: Sticking thin counter top laminate on wall

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I'm planning to stick thin high pressure laminate on painted concrete wall using contact cement. The sheets will cover the entire wall from floor to ceiling. The area total up to 9'×9'.

Standard adhesion method for contact cement will be used, that's applying thin glue coat on both surfaces, wait 15 minutes and mating them.

My concerns are these:

Since the sheet will be thin around 0.6mm, highly flexing,  heavy and measuring 4'×8', how am i going to align the sheets side by side without gaps? Standard stick separation  and alignment method cannot be used for this.
How reliable the adhesion will be? Im living in Malaysia temperature & humidity are stable all around.

I cannot find anyone doing this in YouTube videos.  Is this an impossible feat?

Any advice and comments highly appreciated.  Thanks.


texts: Can we mount a TV over a fireplace with the chimney directly behind it?

texts: We have a home built in the 1950's and I'm assuming the chimney/fireplace is original. We'd like to mount our 50" TV over the fireplace. Directly over the mantle is a wall, but we believe that directly behind that wall is the brick chimney. The chimney currently does not have a flue so it's literally a straight chimney of bricks. We are worried that if we drill the mount into the wall here, we will be drilling directly into the chimney and possibly putting a hole all the way through the brick or knocking a brick out of place. Is this a legitimate concern? Any advice on how to best mount this TV? Thanks!


texts: XPS Foam and Plywood behind main electrical panel?

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On a new house build I have the opportunity to prep for the main electric panel that will feed the house circuits.  This is installed in the basement of a climate zone 5 location.  I believe the basement will some day be insulated with rigid foam, so I am considering using about 2" of rigid foam glued to the concrete wall with 3/4" Plywood tapconned into the foam and concrete behind the foam.  Then, the panel would install onto the plywood.

Is this a good idea? Am I getting too carried away with insulation, or have any of you seen this done?


texts: Outside drain - how to replace this grate?

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I'm planning to redo a back entrance into the REO house I bought.
There is this drain: see images which seems like it had a grate on it initially but was broken out?

It's hard to read - but it says: NDS 12 gray, 13 green, 11 black on the edge.

Does anyone know:
How does one fixe or replaces something like that? would have to jackhammer concrete?

P.S. also - What do those numbers even mean?

EDIT: nvm. grate wasnt glued in. I was able to just pull it out by hand and then it turned out that it's a common thing Home Depot carries:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/NDS-4-in-Plastic-Round-Black-Foam-Polyolefin-Grate-11/100377398

All fixed. thanks.


texts: Does removing some drop ceiling panels make plug-in lights OK?

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I am uplighting a room with a drop ceiling.  Cheap 4' fluorescent shop lights are hung below the drop ceiling, with their cords disappearing into a corner of a drop ceiling panel. Real hack job.  Above the drop ceiling, they plug into the usual NEMA 5-15 sockets.  USA/NEC 2014.  I hear NEC prohibits this, but it would be OK if the drop ceiling grid were present but the panels were not (which apparently is a style now).

Weirdly, the drop ceiling panels are 2x5’.  They can comfortably frame a 4' fixture.

So here's my idea.  Hang the fixtures so they are about 3" above the plane of the drop ceiling, and remove the drop ceiling panels altogether where the lights are.  They would remain everywhere else.  The receptacles may be above areas where there are still panels.

Would this satisfy the NEC rules about flexible cords / cord-and-plug-connected luminaires in drop ceilings?


texts: Why does my cold water smell like sulphur suddenly?

texts:
This is a long, detailed post about my water problem. I've included all relevant info I can think of.
I bought my first house about 2 years ago, it's a ranch style with a finished basement and a pole building that has a finished area with a small apartment inside. In the last 2 or 3 months our cold water started smelling terribly of sulphur in the house, although not out of every faucet. There is no smell in the hot water, and we have never had this problem before.
We do have well water and our own septic tank. There is a water softener and a tankless water heater in the finished basement, where me & my boyfriend have our own living area. Most of the pipes in the basement are pvc. My mother lives with me and stays on the first level, where in her bedroom the previous owner installed a sink, shower & toilet. My mom has said her cold water in her bathroom sink has always had a slight sulphur smell, but aside from that one sink there was no smell in the house before recently. The smell seems to mostly be in the basement water and in my mom's room, I checked the kitchen sink & don't smell anything from the cold water there or in the other first level bathroom, which is weird. It doesn't make sense that our water would just start smelling badly out of nowhere, unless the previous homeowner was doing something to prevent this smell. I've done research and can't find any info on sulphur smell isolated only to the cold water. Everything I've read is either hot water or both hot & cold.
The only other issue we have had with the water is outside in the pole building apartment there is a standard hot water tank and the water will start to smell of sulphur & get stronger if we don't run the water out there for a few weeks. The previous homeowner said he adds a little bleach to the hot water tank out there whenever it starts to smell, then runs the hot water for a while to flush the tank the next day, and also completely drains the tank to clean it out every spring. I follow his instructions whenever the water starts to smell out there & that takes care of the problem. If I recall correctly it's the HOT water out there that smells.
Here is what we do & have done recently in the house:
-We change the water softener filter as recommended and flush the tankless water heater once a year with vinegar.
-We did change the filter out of a few months back and in doing so we checked the sink water to make sure it was off, when we did this the faucet shot out dirty water & air. After changing the filter we turned the sink back on and let it run for a few minutes to clear the pipes.
-We use the iron fighter salt pellets that the previous homeowner recommended for the water softener.
-This may be coincidence but we did run out of salt somewhere around the time the water started smelling and the softener tank sat empty for maybe a few weeks. Ever since then the water has not seemed soft when I shower, it feels grippy & dry instead of slippery & almost lotion like, even though it's been well over a month since we added the salt.
Anyone have any ideas on what would cause this and what I can do to eliminate the smell? Thanks in advance!


texts: We got a new roof last summer and I have recently noticed that our soffit has some gaps. The edge is a bigger gap and it extends about 10ft down the roof line until it is back to normal. I assume just ripping some wood, run it long the seem and then caulk it would fix this? Any suggestions?


texts: Why are loop (Chicago) vents typically built with three elbows?

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Loop vents, for use where direct vents aren't feasible (such as in kitchen island cabinets), are typically drawn, built, and described as comprising three elbow fittings--two 45-degree elbows and one 90. This results in a peaked shape that approximates a single U-bend.

image source

What's the importance of this shape, and why are they not simply built with two 90-degree elbows and a squared top, or two 90s joined in a U?


texts:
I am trying to fix my existing water softening system, or understand if it needs to be replaced. The system was installed in my house by some previous owner. I have no documentation on the system.

There are two mineral tanks in series. The first has a Autotrol 460i controller (digital) and the tank is smaller. The second tank has a mechanical controller (not digital, I can't read the model number, I can provide a picture if needed) and is significantly larger (perhaps twice the size of the first tank). The second tank has a bypass valve that is set to "service" mode. Both mineral tanks are connected to the same brine tank via plastic tubing with a T fitting.

Could there be a good reason why this system was set up like this, with two separate controllers? I can get the smaller tank with digital controller to do a manual regeneration, but I can't get the mechanical controller (big tank) to do anything. The system has been sitting for a long time and does not regenerate (or work at all). Should I scrap the whole mess and start over, should I try to fix and keep all or part of the existing system?


texts: stuck screw now stripped when trying to remove outdoor faucet handle

texts: My outdoor faucet is leaking. I was trying to remove the handle so I could replace the washers. I could not get the screw to budge. Now I have stripped the stuck screw. What do I do?


texts: Toilet tank slow to refill (bowl refills normally)...bad overflow tube?

texts:
This is definitely a conundrum:  not even our local hardware store could figure this one out!  So, here goes:

We have a fairly new one-piece toilet in our guest bathroom that now takes forever to refill its tank!  Note that there isn't a problem with the bowl refilling...that fills up fairly normally and rapidly.  Also, this is a relatively recent change:  this toilet actually used to be the fastest flushing toilet in the house.

Here is what I checked:

A visual inspection has uncovered no cracks/leaks from the tank
portion of the toilet.
No problems with the flapper valve (we aren't
getting plagued with random "ghost flushes", and the flapper appears
to be seated well and sealing properly on each flush).
The water valve is fully open.
Just for the curious: the other toilet continues to flush normally.

Here's where the puzzle comes in:  based on all of these observations and watching the problem toilet in action, it appears that the problem is the overflow tube, which I have never heard of (nor anyone else).  The fill tube running from the fill valve is stationed to run water down the overflow tube--as I understand it, this is normal and is what allows the bowl to refill.  But when flushed, it takes over four minutes for the tank to fill.

Here is another reason I suspect the overflow tube:  it just so happens that the clip holding the fill tube in place over the overflow tube is wearing out. One time when I had the tank cover off and was repositioning the refill tube back in its proper place, on a whim I decided to hold the refill tube outside of the overflow tube, so that it would send its water directly into the tank, and flushed to see what would happen.  The toilet bowl and tank filled rapidly--as one would normally expect--and shut off promptly.

What in the world is going on here?  I appreciate any serious guesses!


texts: Is there a way to fix a small chip in a wall's paint?

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I'm not sure exactly with what I've bumped my wall and caused this this:

Is there anything that can be done to fix this without repainting the entire room?

I've been reading around a bit, and not sure exactly what to call this, hence the weird question title.

The paint is a beige-ish colour, not exactly white.
The hole is about 2 x 1.5 cm in size. Here's a picture which shows scale.

I've read a bit about spackling paste, though I understand that's for small cracks and holes.

Here are some picture with a better resolution: Picture 1 and Picture 2

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with this sort of thing. Help please.

Also, this is in the UK, so you can tell what stores I might have access to for materials.


texts: What type of insulation should I use if my in-wall oven is heating the surrounding cabinets?

texts: We have an in-wall oven that is not properly insulated.  It heats up the surrounding cabinet.  The oven itself has internal insulation in good condition, but it is not strong enough to keep heat inside oven.  Is there some kind of outside wrap we can buy online that would fix this problem?  (we live in Chile, and the local manufacturer will not admit problem, so we need to fix it ourselves)


texts: Connecting New Thermostat C Wire To Transformer

texts:
Looking to add a C wire to my 2 zone system (new smart thermostat). Since the original wiring was 2 wire, I ran a new set of 5 wire lines.
The link below shows how my current set-up is wired to the 24V transformer, zone valves, and boiler (Burnham 3WFH):
https://imgur.com/a/BaETw
Question:

Should I attach the new C wire from the thermostat to the C or R side of the transformer?


texts: Purpose of adjust out screw on circuit breaker cover

texts: What is the purpose of adjust out screw on circuit breaker cover.  The reason opening was showing is I haven’t put blank back in place.There is one at top and bottom in center of cover.


texts: I'm building a 12x20 shed pretty soon, and will likely put it on a concrete slab with treated sill plates bolted to the concrete.  The walls will be the standard 92 5/8 studs with 3" of top and bottom plates.  If I use 8' siding panels (the current plan...), the bottom edges will be at the top of the sill plates, leaving the edges of the sillplates exposed all the way around.  I'm sure that ground contact for the siding isn't desirable, so I guess the question is whether the sillplate exposure is normal and expected.  Is that the way it's supposed to end up?


texts:
BACKGROUND: Hi this is in Chicago so we use EMT Conduit as our grounding system and only use an EGC for stoves/dryers/sump pump/ etc... so I was working with my cousin to demo stuff in a basement in a residential Chicago home where only one 20 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER with ONE circuit was provided by the "Electrician" which connected to 2 outlets in series 15 ft apart from each other. This circuit provided the service for tradesmen (i.e. charge power tools, use heavy duty masonry drills/ compressors/ microwaves/ heaters and Lights) to carry on their task. However, during the plumbing renovation one of the plumbers cut and removed the old plumbing copper pipes that were attached to the city's main water supply and left the remaining old copper pipes in the ceiling (idky they DID NOT remove the rest of the pipes. These copper pipes had a 12 gauge conductor attached to it to provide the "Grounding" factor. Now when the plumbers did this it led to voltage fluctuations to the point where i could NOT charge my cordless battery packs (18V ryobi and 18V bosch) and barely got any juice for my USB C phone charger. There was a pattern every second or half a second my equipment was able to get full charge but they would reset and i would hear a clicking sound, continuously.
PROBLEM: electrical service was fluctuating at an inoperable level.
-- We called "Electrician" and he took out his multi-meter and was getting different voltages from Neutral and Hot side about 120V HOT and 80-105V NEUTRAL or vice versa. He traced it back to the old plumbing where a white insulated cable was attached to the top/demo'ed part of the old copper plumbing system (which was still not removed at this point, which was a 2 day ordeal coordinating and communicating with "Electrician" and plumber. so he removed the white insulated wire from the old "Floating" plumbing system(which will eventually be removed) and connected it to the new copper plumbing system which went underground per-concrete poured.
SOLUTION: The "Electrician"said that he "Jerry-Rigged" a 12awg conductor from utility/gooseneck and connected it to the old plumbing system to use it as a grounding system. so when the old plumbing system was cut out from the earth, he simply attached the 12awg conductor to the new plumbing system in the earth and problem was fixed. Mind you the wire he "Jerry-rigged was connected to the NEUTRAL Conductor coming from the service lines outside above, bypassing the main panel, and being attached to the plumbing. The service panel's only circuit breaker had 2 conductors, 1 HOT and 1 NEUTRAL and the NEUTRAL Was grounded via the jerry-rigged conductor connected to the NEUTRAL Utility.
*Above was the scenario in chronological order of events.*

My question to you Guru's is, Why on earth was the voltage fluctuating
when the ground system was physically removed i.e. plumbing?
I thought Electrical circuits were not influenced by a grounding
system and that the grounding system on affected voltage spikes i.e.
lightning etc...
the circuit was still closed as our equipment was still charging
(barely but still charging with a 25volt potential difference on N and
H ends).
I know it had to do with the plumbing but once it was cut and just
floating in the houses frame it would just be that, no loads or
anything for it to energize im assuming....

Can you please break down why on earth was voltage fluctuating ?


texts: Very low pressure at the end of natural gas pipe

texts:
In our new house, I found a 1/2 inch natural gas copper pipe that runs all the way from the basement to the second floor, into a small room that used to be a kitchen years ago.

The line is around 80 feet and runs OUTSIDE the house, on the wall.

On the second floor kitchen, at the end of the line, all the fittings are in place to hook up a gas range, including a very large, and heavy, old school looking Fischer regulator.

In the basement, the line terminates into a disconnected flare fitting, and it's right next to the more recently installed, black iron 1/2 inch piping system.

We want to use the upstairs kitchen again, so I set about putting a Tee in the basement to connect the long copper pipe to the natural gas piping.

A lot of elbow grease, yellow teflon tape and gas fittings later, the pipe is reconnected, everything is leak-tested and OK, and I hook up the vintage Gurney gas range that was in the second floor kitchen to the system.

To our delight, it lights up, but, the flame is very very low. I disconnected the flex hose to the stove and quickly turned on the gas valve, and indeed the sound of the gas coming out is much more faint than in the first floor kitchen, where everything works as it should.

One last thing, I put the Tee in the basement piping JUST AFTER the 2 psig Maxitrol regulator that regulates the first floor kitchen gas range.

So my questions are as follow:

1 - Should I have connected the Tee in the basement BEFORE the 2 psig regulator, and instead put a regulator at the very end of the long copper line, on the second floor?

2 - Could running a 80+ feet long line AFTER a regulator cause low gas pressure at that end?

3 - What else could cause low gas pressure in the pipe after a 80+ feet run?

I guess it`s a possibility that the copper gas pipe is clogged somewhere along its length? Is that something that happens?
I visually inspected the pipe along its whole length and it does not appear to be kinked anywhere.

Any ideas?

PS I've installed gas piping (propane and natural) in RV's and trailers in the past and never had a leak or a problem as I`m very careful about everything, so please don't advise me to call a gas fitter first thing. I might get there but for now it's very much in my range of skills.

PPS I'm in Canada so copper piping is Code afaik.

Thanks everyone

EDIT: i measured the pipe length and it's actually closer to 80 feet, with 6 90 degrees bends.
Wow, much longer than I thought.


texts: How can I extend existing 8 x 8 pilings?

texts: I am converting a deck to a boat lift. I have 8x8 sqaure pilings built at deck height, 2.5 ft above water.  I knew it might get converted into a boat lift so they are all in the correct location. But I need to splice/add appx 12' vertical to the existing pilings.  The joint will be below the deck height and will not show so asthetics are not an issue. Current choice is cut both pieces as flat as possiible and bolt metal plates on the outside.  But I have also considered dowels (which would need to be 2" dia.) or would be interested in some other type of joint.  Realize as far as tools go, that any joint will have to be cut into existing pilings about 1.5 ft above water level.


texts: We just purchased a home and now that the snow level is not 4 feet high ( we live in central NY ) we see that the concrete patio/foundation has horizontal cracks, and crumbling along the side, corner and front wall of the sunroom that is visible. The other 2 walls are attached to the house. The back wall leading into the house is the original home exterior, the other side of the porch is also an exterior wall of the house. On this side of the front wall we can actually put our hand into the porch, the concrete floor and sunroom wall are not together anymore.  I can not find any information online of others having this issue, is this something a contractor could fix or does it need to be torn down.


texts: Hot Water Water Hammer When Cutting Off Cold Supply

texts:
The house is 3 years old. This just started to happen. When you cut off any cold water supply the inlet line to the water heater knocks or water hammers.

The first attempt I cut the water off at the street and cut on all the faucets in the house and let it sit for 15 minutes. Water hammer came back right after.

I drained my water heater thinking there was hot air trapped after reading a couple of posts. The water hammer went away for 3 days.

I have now cut off the main again and let it sit for about 45 minutes. Water hammer came back just like attempt one.

A couple of extra things to note, the hot water heater is now dripping in the overflow pan on a regular basis. Is this just my hot water heater going bad?

Any ideas?


texts: How can I temporarily bypass a water heater?

texts: Is there a way I can keep my water turned on and bypass my water heater so I can have water in my home? It's a 30 gallon electric water heater... I can't get a water heater until next week..


texts: How should I treat outdoor wooden stairs to preserve them?

texts:
I plan to replace outdoor wooden stair planks.  They are exposed to Florida heat and rain. I planned to paint them brown so they match their peers.
However, do they need any other treatment so that they will endure the test of time?


texts:
Currently we have a traditional deck off of the kitchen that needs the boards replaced. Rather than switching to composite decking, I was thinking of pulling the deck and putting in permeable pavers (Turfstone) with a much shortened deck stepdown (about 4' of deck as a step to the turfstone).

Has anyone used these in a patio setting (instead of a driveway setting)?
And, I live in Maine, meaning that I get snow that has to be shoveled. A deck is relatively smooth to remove snow from, but how is a permeable patio going to respond to being shoveled?


texts: Does pickling wood with steel wool and vinegar harm the wood?

texts:
I love the look produced from pickling wood with steel wool and vinegar.

I am hesitating to actually do this on a raw ready-to-finish table because I fear the steel wool/vinegar product actually harms and deteriorates the wood faster.  Does anyone know if this is true? Or does it truly just change the color to somewhat more silverish? Does it even matter after I apply a coat of polyurethane to the pickled table?


texts: I refinished our bathtub with tough as tile paint and it looked great until we retiled around the tub and scratched the paint in multiple places. Is it ok to give the tub another coat over top of where its scratched without sanding?? I redid sinks before and had a run in the one; tried sanding it and repainting and it reacted and we ended up replacing it. I DO NOT want to replace our tub...


texts: 5500 Watt / 30 amp generator feeding 5000 Watt 20 amp manual transfer switch

texts: I have a manual transfer switch that was installed approximately 10+ years ago that is rated 5000 Watt  and 20 amp max input. The old generator died and was replaced with a Generac GP5500 / 6875 model. Twistlock outlet from generator states 120/240 vac - 30 amp. Wiring to transfer switch is 10 - 3 w/ground  - approximately 60 foot run. Transfer switch has 6 - single pole 15 amp circuits  with two connected together for well pump. Others are for fridge, furnace and lights. Should this transfer switch be upgraded or is it safe to operate?


texts: Will garage door insulation improve cooling efficiency?

texts:
I use half of my two car garage as a garage and the other half as a gym. I am lucky enough that when the house was built they routed AC ducts to the garage but since the thermostat is inside (and I am thankful for that) it can still get pretty warm in the summertime (Texas).

To help it stay cooler I was thinking about adding an insulation kit to my garage doors, but I was unsure if it would actually be effective. The walls all have panels up so I can't tell for sure if there is insulation in them but from the looks of it, it was being used as a room in the past as carpet had been laid down at some point so I assume it would be insulated.

One other note, the garage door doesn't see a direct sun hit. The doors are closer to lining up north to south than east to west.

Does putting insulation on a garage door make a noticeable difference in maintaining cooler temperatures in the summer or are they still too leaky?


texts: HRV Supply/Blower making a terrible sound

texts:
Here is a video (with sound): https://streamable.com/w8tgqk (You have to go about 0:20 in to hear the sound). I got unlucky during recording and the sound was more intermittent, but normally it's loud and almost constantly there.
This is the Blower/Supply Fan (Part No. 9317) from a Reversomatic HRV system (in a high-rise condominium in Toronto). It's either the RHRV-S100A or the RHRV-S100P, I don't think it matters because they have the same operating manual and parts list.
What are my options? From the sound, does it look like I have to replace the part or does this sound like something that can be fixed? Is this a particularly complicated fix or can I do it myself?


texts: Can anybody idtentify what this drain vent is for?

texts:
I am trying to identify the reason for a drain vent in an area of my house with no other plumbing. The house only has 1 bathroom and a kitchen sink. The kitchen sink drains into a grease trap and has a 1.5" vent. The bathroom has a separate drain that meet somewhere in the backyard and has a 2" vent. Then there is a third vent that enters the foundation in an area where there is no other plumbing. Here is a photo of the vent and where it is located in the house:

I have spent the past few days ripping all the rotten drywall out of the house and can say with confidence that nobody ever updated the plumbing in this house with any kind of long term view. Any help is greatly appreciated.


texts:
I have two toilets, the one upstairs flushes fine. The one in the basement does not.  The basement one is the issue.

We have a septic system, we have used an auger to in, we put strong cleaner to remove any debris.  However, the toilet gurgles have the water goes down after flushing but not everything goes out.  We poured additional water in it to see how fast it was going out and appears good.  Just flushing causes the water to rise high, but no suction.

Recent flooding in area. HELP!!


texts: How do I transition between tile and drywall in a tub surround?

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I'm working on a tub surround, which is about to be tiled. And the last piece I need to figure out, is how to transition between finished tile and adjacent wall.

This is how my wall looks right now.

Backerboard is 1/4", and drywall is 1/2". With thinset, tile, etc, tile qill be ~1/8" thicker than drywall. I'll be using this edge where the tile ends:

What is the best way to facilitate the transition so that I don't have to re-do all the walls in the bathroom? (e.g. something that will not just have a gap there, and will not require reapplying the wallpaper or repainting the whole thing)


texts: How best to remove and replace this gasket on swivelling spigot

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has worn out and is leaking.

How to install the new one without damaging it?


texts:
I have a garage door with a rubber belt drive. I would like to know the correct way to clean and lubricate the rails as it is screeching a bit when opening and closing. Can I wash out the rails with soap and water and lubricate the rails and wheels with WD-40 or 3-in-one machine oil?

Here are some photos of the door.


texts:
I just moved and from electrical outlet to the road it is roughly 180 feet.  In order to clear my driveway with an electric blower I plug in 2 100 ft exterior extension cords.  Is it safe for me to do this consistently (meaning 2 - 3 times a week)?

Is there a better option that I could do in order to be able to span that distance?

EDIT
These are the extension cords Extension Cords

This is the blower I use Blower

And the outlet is a GFCI outlet


texts:
Changing the lock fixtures on my house for the first time and hit a snag when disassembling the handleset.
I bought a typical Schlage one (this one to be exact: https://www.build.com/schlage-f58-ply/s507451?uid=1099988&cvo_campaign=order_confirmation&utm_campaign=order_confirmation&utm_medium=email&cvosrc=email.trm.order_confirmation&source=trm_order_confirmation_Build.com&utm_source=transactional).
However, the set’s “guts” are circular on shape like any old knob and the hole under the existing set in my door is rectangular (see photos). I’ve never seen an assembly that fits a rectangular hole.
Can anyone point me in the right direction in terms of buying a new handleset? All of them seem to have circular “guts.”
Photos: https://imgur.com/gallery/HERCbir


texts:
I've used Drano/Liquid Plumbr Foam to clean the bathroom sink drain, but that never cleans enough. There's always scum left over. I think I can clean it better if I follow up the Drano with a brush. So, I'm looking for a "pipe cleaner brush" (name?), but I can't find it anywhere online. I've searched the sites for Home Depot and Lowe's for:

pipe brush
pipe cleaner
tube brush

but the search results don't show what I'm looking for.

The brush I need looks like the ones in this search, but I need longer ones that come in various widths (one at ~ 2" and another 1/4").

Where can I find this thing?


texts:
I'm going to replace the locks in my home. I'm doing this because we are renting the property out and I want to get keys that are "un-duplicatable" (the kind where only the owner is allowed to make duplicates).

I've never done this before, so I'm coming here to learn about what I need to know.

I'm planning on going Schlage because I've heard they are high-quality.

I'm hoping to do the work myself. I'm not sure how difficult it is. Do you think that a novice handyman can do this work?

I think I can just take the old door handles and deadbolts out of the existing doors and replace them with my new locks. Does this sound reasonable?

I have three door handles and two deadbolts (not sure if this is important).

Are there particular things I should consider. Is Schlage a good brand to go with? What am I not thinking of?

Thanks!


texts: Can you have a 90 degree elbow going upward on drain line?

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I'm running a drain for a utility sink off of a stack in my basement. I wanted to know if it's ok to have a 90 degree elbow going up then out to the utility sink since when the water drains it's going to have to go back up the 90 degree elbow to the main drain. I've attached a picture.

The drain then runs to the left to a secondary drain line that runs vertical in my basement. Just not sure if you are allowed to drop a 90 degree angle like this since the water would have to go up when I use the utility sink.


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My garage is mainly used for storage and, over many years, has become full of dust, cob webs, etc. I would like to use an area for exercise, but am concerned about the amount of dust in the garage (being breathed in).

I don't think using a vacuum cleaner is wise, since the garage is full of loose nuts and bolts and the floor is unsmoothed concrete. I began to use a brush to clean the walls and roof structs, but figured it would take too long as a lot of the dust falls on other items in the garage (and it's difficult to get to the top of the roof).

So my question is, what is the best way to remove as much dust as possible, given that I cannot use a vacuum cleaner and cannot remove anything currently stored.


texts: Hardwood to Tile Different Height Transition

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We've just installed some large format tile in our home which required a good chunk of mortar and thinset due to its weight, and as a result we now have a large height difference in this door frame transition between the new tile and our existing wood floors. There was already a difference in height between the previous tile and the hardwood, but now it's about an inch higher.

Rather than add 4th step to the existing "steps", we would like to have one large step (or some kind of transition piece) between the tile and the hardwood floor (removing the existing steps in the process). However, the height difference is about 3" from tile to the base hardwood floor, and I can't seem to find any reducers or "ramps" that are tall enough to do the job.

Any ideas on how best to handle this? The picture below shows the threshold with the height differences labeled.

EDIT: The "schematic" isn't clear, but it's the 'vertical offset', between the upper "step" and the new tile (~1"), and then the actual wooden floors and the new tile (~3").


texts:
I have a regular furnace without a HVAC setup. When it's summer we usually have the fan running constantly. The furnace fan then runs at about half the speed as it would when the heat is one.

Recently I was at a friends house with a similar furnace and thermostat. When he sets his thermostat to cooling mode it would once in a while kick on the furnace fan at full speed without igniting the burners, thus pulling in cooler air from the basement.

Would this be a feature from the furnace or thermostat? Do I have to wire the thermostat in a certain way?


texts: Why would cold water be introduced into underfloor heating system?

texts:
What connection has the cold water distribution to a washing machine and laundry sink have to do with my heating?  There is a tap-off from one of the flow pipes for the heating which goes through what I've been told is a 'balancing valve' to the cold water supply to these outlets.
To have hot supply to heating connected to cold supply sinks etc. doesn't make sense to me but, as with other things plumbing (and electrical), what seems illogical to me is totally correct to those who know what they're doing.  I would be grateful if anyone could give advice on this.


texts: Sinking concrete pier: Better to not attach new post to pier?

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Background

Part of my tri-level house is supported by a crawlspace. The crawlspace has 3 rows of six 4x6 posts sitting on concrete piers. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that the bottom of three of the posts were not touching their respective concrete piers; they were floating a fraction of an inch above the the pier.

I hired a structural engineer to come look at the issue. The sinking piers are likely due to water + soil issues. (We did install a sump pump after moving in a few months ago because there were several inches of water down there after heavy rains.)

Longer term, I'm hoping the sump pump can help stop the settling of the piers. Perhaps I'll add a drainage system around the house too in the future.

My goal

I want to fix/replace these posts so that they are again supporting the floor girders. My plan is to jack up the girder 1/8th of an inch, remove the old post, cut & replace it with new 4x6 PT post that is the proper length, then remove the jack.

Question

I am considering just placing a piece of metal in between the bottom of the new post and the pier (so that contact + weight keeps the metal in place) but not physically attaching the post/metal/pier with screws or nails. Do I have to physically attach the bottom of the new posts to the concrete pier?  My concern is that if there is continued settling and the post is physically attached to the pier that (1) I will not notice that there is settling because the gaps won't appear underneath the posts, and (2) the weight of the sinking concrete pier could pull down the girder due to its weight, more so than it would if the post were just 'free.'

Even if there is continued settling, is it best to make sure the post is attached to the pier rather than just sitting on it?

For what it's worth, none of the other posts have any base bracket of any kind. Most have some 6 mil and/or roofing shingles sandwiched between the pier and post.


texts: Hardware for suspending wood beams from a wall

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I have an idea for some external decor feature on my home. In order to execute on it, I need a special kind of fastening hardware that I couldn’t begin to guess the name of.
The closest thing I’ve found is a hanger bolt or a stand-off screw, but what I would really like is something that has built in washers or “platforms” as pictured.
The hanger bolt has neither and all the stand off pins or screws I’ve found don’t have the kind of depth I would need to fasten those beams down (I’m looking for about 3/4” worth of depth).
I’ve illustrated the needed hardware in this image:


texts: Shower Tub Valve leaking from behind cartridge

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I have a Delta shower/tub valve which controls water flow to our tub (with a diverter that can be switched to shower).  There is a slow leak from the tub faucet which I am trying to repair.  This valve was installed less than 6 months ago, so the leak is a bit surprising.

After turning off our water lines, I disassembled the valve and removed the cartridge.  The cartridge and o-rings seemed ok and not worn (to be expected).

However, the leak was still occurring from behind where the cartridge was.  On the right side of this image, you can see some water leaking from the cold water supply line.  When this image was taken, the water supply was turned off and the bathroom sink did not have any water pressure or leaking.

Is this the same leak that is causing my faucet to drip?  (I am assuming so, with the water flowing through the cartridge somehow?)  Or is the cartridge still possibly to blame?
What could be causing a leak from further back than the cartridge?
What can I do to fix this?


texts: What to do on the siding around a cable going into the house

texts: I had AT&T Fiber installed today. The technician had to create a hole on the side of my garage for the fiber optics cable. As you can see, it doesn't look pretty. But I'm not really concerned with aesthetics since it's not visible from the road. I'm worried about water going in. There's no drip loop, so I can see the water just following down the cable. Any tips on what kind of products I can use to clean this up and waterproof? Thanks!


texts: Why is my hot water barely running in tub

texts: I have both cold and hot water running in my house . The problem is the hot water barely trickles in bathtub . I have changed changed Faucet . Help Plz ! Tamatha


texts: HVAC Heat Supply - Register type (Square Register or Round Diffuser?)

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We are adding new heat supply runs to our basement ceiling. We have had 3 HVAC contractors look at it and all 3 want to use 5" round air diffusers instead of the normal metal square registers.
Here is an example.

We do not have a/c and are only supplying heat. They want to place these within a foot or so of the exterior wall by the window.

None of the contractors gave a good reason as to why to use these instead of square registers. They just state that's what we use now and it doesn't really matter. My understanding is they are great for A/C but cant find any info on heating.

Question: I would like to know if we should use these round diffusers to provide heat in a basement, will the heat just sit up in the ceiling?

If we use these, how far from a window should they be installed to be efficient.

We are putting cold air returns near the floor. Also I am up in Canada so have to deal with cold winters.

Thanks for the help


texts: How can I make a new basement window fit the opening?

texts:
I bought a basement window similar to this one.

The plastic face of the window is the exact size of my opening, which is not perfectly square.  How can I shave off some of the plastic to make this install work?


texts: Me and my mom and dad moved to a older house since we have moved in we have had health problems

texts: Me and my mom and dad have been having health problems since we have moved in our house in October , have brain fog and anxiety and my alleges and ashms and rashes and my mom and dad have been having heart problems and ever body has anxiety and moody , my mom and I have talk fast, and feel like we have ran a race, please let me know if you think our house is making us sick, we had to leave one over black mold, please if know what this please let me know


texts: I have two 20 amp breakers connected together with nothing else connected to those breakers. I have not had the electricity turned on but I am wondering why this was a done and what would happen if the electric was turned on and these two Breakers was still connected together?


texts: Replacing side-by-side freezer door internal wiring

texts: I have a Kenmore side-by-side refrig.  The icemaker is in the top of the freezer door.  The wiring for the icemaker comes from under the refrig and enters the freezer door at the pivot.  The wiring is broken and is the cause of the icemaker not working.  I contacted Sears parts and they claim they have the wiring harness replacement and said they would send me instructions for installing the wiring harness via email when I ordered the wiring harness.  Today, 4 days later, no instructions.  What I need is instructions for removing the internal freezer door panels and installing the new wiring harness.  Hope you can help!!  Thanks


texts: question about a gas furnace having to light repeatedly

texts:
I am new to this forum, but I will do my best to answer any questions I can (I am a general contractor with a background in engineering and residential construction and machine design)

so, here is my very first question:

how many times should a regular residential gas furnace (not a high efficiency furnace) attempt to light the burners?  mine is cycling through the start process (pre-light, ignitor energize, combustion, and burn for a few moments but then go out) four or five times before its achieving stable constant gas burn.  the ignitor works fine (new last year), the temperature probe is clean and must be working (as it can actually achieve steady burn), and I am not getting any error lights or codes on the control board.  interior of the gas chamber and everything in general is clean and in good repair.  and yes, the power is on and the filter is clean.

its never been a problem, I always have heat, but it seems like it should light and maintain on the first cycle.  otherwise, you are decreasing lifetime of all the ignition parts.

anybody have any ideas why its doing this or whether or not its normal?

thanks in advance


texts: How to remove hair dye stains on hardwood floor?

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I made a stupid mistake of not cleaning hair dye stains from hardwood floor immediately and now it has been almost 3 months. I tried with Clorox regular bleach but it is not working.

Any suggestions on getting rid of these stains from hardwood floor?


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How much clearance do I need between a wood stove chiminey and the living room wall?

I want to install an antique pot belly stove in the corner of my living room. I'm thinking of attaching concrete backer board to the existing sheet rock and covering that with a brick veneer. If I use a single wall pipe (don't want to loose the heat ), how far away from the veneer does the chimney need to be? What if I use a double walled chimney?


texts:
House was built in 1983, in the US midwest.

We have a problem with things pulling out of the drywall.  Yesterday my closet shelving pulled out of the drywall (8 anchors at once).  The main bathroom has had 5 of the screw-in metal anchors pull out, from high-demand uses like the toilet paper holder or washcloth ring.  It's pretty much a guarantee that if we don't hit a stud, the item will eventually fall down.

How can I fix the holes caused by anchors pulling out?
Can I reuse the area where the anchors pulled out after fixing it?
How can I prevent further damage?


texts: Changing a gas fire place back into a wood fire place

texts: The house I am in has a fireplace that was originally wood burning, then turned into a gas fire place. What would be required to change it back?


texts: New thermostat turns fan off when set to on, never turns off on auto

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My oil heat furnace was functioning normally on an old mercury switch thermostat, but I wanted to replace it with a programmable Honeywell 5+2 one. There were Y, W, G, R, and B wires screwed in on the old stat (see photo underneath, I took one after most of the wires were off but I assure you they were correctly labeled). The system does NOT cool. Maybe at one point it was hooked up to something, but it does not cool and there is no heat pump.

I wired up the thermostat according to the directions, but the blower fan would not turn off. I then read in the instructions that I should not connect the "B" wire, so I took that off, but the blower fan continued to run on "auto", and would turn off when I turned the fan to "on."

Any idea what's going on? I'm almost thinking the new thermostat may be defective, or I'm defective and can't figure out a basic wiring diagram.

This is the old thermostat wiring, with everything tagged correctly except for the B wire which I was yet to take off.

Sorry the photo of the furnace wiring is so bad. It's in a half basement and it's very dark.


texts:
I am trying to help someone who has moved into an old house which has marble floor (huge tiles ~4' x4'). The marble is dirty and stained all round (looks like dirt or dirt on oil which has 'baked' over time) - continuously around the skirt of the house (from the base of the skirt to up to 2 inches) and randomly like so :

I made a mixture of cooking soda and hydrogen peroxide and it has helped git rid of the corner stains. Because of the nature of this mixture, I can't pour it in a spray bottle as the soda will block the pipe. I have about 3000 square foot to go so taking a pad and scrubbing such a large area is out of the question. What is the easiest way for me to get this marble clean ? It will be very helpful if I can make the cleaner at home.


texts: I have a 1928 pacific northwest house. There is some kind of tongue and groove flooring under the existing flooring in my kitchen but it is difficult to see what it is. It is about a 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide. Does anyone have any idea what it might be? I am interested in removing the existing flooring that is on top of it and refinishing it.


texts: Should I run RMC all the way from panel to sub-panel, or are there cheaper options?

texts:
I am running a 60 amp circuit to a shed about 100 feet from our main panel.  I'll be running 3 #6 copper wires in a 3/4" rigid metal conduit down a trench with 6 inches of cover (hand dug, and I won't be digging it any deeper).
My question is, once I get inside the walls and ceiling of a building, do I need to continue to run RMC to the panels or are there other less expensive options?


texts: There's a hole in return duct going under my house; why?


texts: What is a good kind of glue to glue small pieces of drywall that are too big for mud patches but small enough that driving a screw through would crumble the drywall piece?


texts: Half-hot outlet connected to dimmer switch

texts:
My home has a half-hot outlet connected to a dimmer switch.  I have two questions about it.
First, is this a code violation?
Second, What would be better in the long term:

Change to a standard switch
Replace the outlet with a normal duplex outlet
Other


texts: Central heating [uk] thermostatic valves

texts:
I'm the UK in case that matters.
I have a traditional gas central heating with radiators.

As is common, the radiators have thermostatically controlled values, except for one of the radiators which does not. I believe this is necessary to have one that is not controlled?

The problem is that the one that is not controlled is the one in the main living room which is also where the main thermostat is. This room is also the one which heats up most quickly in the house. So what happens is that this room reaches its temperature before any of the others and the whole heating turns off before any of the other rooms are warm enough.

I have two options :-
1) Be cold in the rest of my house
2) Be far too hot in the living room but comfortable elsewhere.

If the livingroom had a thermostatic value, I'd at least be able to turn that one off when if got warm enough giving the rest of the house chance to heat up.

My question is, can I move the valve from a different radiator and have(say) the one in the hall be the one without a valve? Or is there a better solution?

I'd get a plumber in most likely to do this unless it's really simple to do, but just wanted to know what was possible? Thanks!


texts: What type of connection is this to my spigot?

texts:
I am trying to replace an outside spigot. I have found where it comes into the house and I want to replace it with a new one. However, I am not sure how it's connected. I cannot tell if I will be able to unscrew or need to actually cut the copper pipe.

A plumber quoted me $200 to remove it and put a new one on. That seems really high to me.

Any guidance would be appreciated.


texts: Can I lean a ladder against tempered glass without damaging the window?

texts:
We are building, and just now after the windows have been installed is that I realised they are really high up.

The window is made of tempered glass 8mm thick, 3.5 m wide, 2.5 m high and starts at 3.5 meters above the ground, so it is 6 m at its highest point.

I was thinking about putting a ladder against the window when I was going to clean it, but I'm not sure if tempered glass can withstand the pressure of ladder and someone climbing it for cleaning.


texts: Tips for removing drywall from bottom of closet header

texts:
So about two years ago, I added a header to make my closets standard height, instead of being full 8' doors (which, even without doors, made the rooms look much more modern). Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake on the first one I did, forgetting that drywall would add 1/2", and so the opening on one door is 80" (instead of standard 80.5").

I bought some sliding doors which I was hoping would fit: they have a small amount of room to adjust up/down, but unfortunately, it's not enough.

What I need to do is remove the drywall so I can mount the tracks directly to the 2x4 underneath, giving me the extra 1/2" clearance. What I didn't think of is that the metal corner bead would be in the way. I've taken out the drywall and scraped the paint/compound off the area I need to cut, so now I have this:

I tried cutting into the bead with a Dremel multi-max, but it's slow-going, and not really feasible for the whole thing (not to mention, I'll probably go through a ton of blades). I have another rotary tool (like a normal Dremel) with a cutting blade, but before I try it I figured I'd ask here to see if there are any better ideas (and I'm a bit worried about sparks from it).

I want to avoid damaging the actual corner, and certainly avoid doing any drywall finishing. There is a piece of trim that will cover the front cut (trim is 3/8" thick), and the back will be hidden behind the track itself.

So any suggestions?

Also, obviously I'll have to remove the screws. There MAY be a couple more under the part that's staying, I can't remember. Will this be a problem in the future without screws on the bottom edge?

Here's what the doors look like finished, in another room:

So to rule out a couple suggestions:

Custom doors (even just 1/2" shorter) were double the price, not worthwhile
I don't think I can get away with cutting them down. The edge is already pretty narrow, and even if I can get 3/8 or 1/2" off the bottom, it will probably look lopsided. Taking any from the top will require redoing all the sliding mount points, which I'm not sure is even possible, and is certainly more work than what I'm doing now

Follow up (after answered)

I ended up doing it with a cutting blade on a regular rotary tool.

Took a while, went through 1.5 blades, but got the job done.

I also had to build a small mount for the trim. The tracks for these doors have double-sided tape on one side, and the trim just sticks to it. Since the track in my case was recessed 1/2" under the drywall, there wasn't enough area left for the trim to mount to. I took some scrap metal I had, and cut several pieces that stick up 1/2" beyond the top of the trim, and then glued them to the trim using some construction adhesive (the trim is only 3/8" thick, and so not really viable to screw into), clamped it down and left it overnight. I then just used the double-sided tape to attach the metal bracks to the track, and then mounted the track+trim and it looks just like the rest of the doors.


texts:
My garage door is loud. I didn't realize this until I visited a friend who has a garage door that's nearly silent. He says he has a belt-driven door opener and nylon door wheels, while I have chain-driven opener with metal wheels.

Are these really making his garage door quieter, or is my noise generated by something else?

If so, are these parts user-replaceable?


texts: What are the downsides to paving a dirt crawlspace with cement?

texts:
I've got a home with a dirt crawlspace -- post and beam holding up the house, with the piers for the posts in the crawlspace of course. I had someone come look at it recently to clean it up -- I've had rodents in there recently. There is currently NO INSULATION in the crawlspace -- none whatsoever. Crawlspace is about 1000 sq. feet, flat.

The guy who came to look at the crawlspace said that he can clean it up (the poly was dragged all over the place), install traps and seal off entrances. But he also said for more money he could just pave the entire crawlspace to keep animals from burrowing and tunneling under.

Seems to me like if the crawlspace is dirt, it should probably stay dirt. Something doesn't sound right about paving it. Are there downsides to paving what is currently a dirt crawlspace?


texts: What alternatives to R20 bulbs can I use?

texts:
When we bought our house, the lighting fixtures in the ceiling came with R20 bulbs. I know nothing about lighting so I figured that only R20 bulbs are compatible with our fixtures. But I'm realizing that may not be the case.

So what are kinds of bulbs can I use that are interchangeable with R20 bulbs?

More specifically, I'm interested in Philips' Hue bulbs

Are any bulbs from that line compatible with lighting fixtures that accept R20 bulbs?


texts: Installing permanent support column in the basement

texts:
I'm redoing a basement after flooding and just found this little hack.

Apparently previous owner removed permanent support post for some reason and then at some point installed this temporary jack post and covered it up with dry-wall (Im guessing so house would pass inspection).

What do I do to properly solve this?


texts: Am I using the correct concrete blocks for the base of my shed and how many do I need?

texts:
I'm building a Suncast Sutton storage shed.

I followed the instructions and built the wooden base as described.  Based on many tutorials I've read online, I decided to use concrete blocks to level and support the wooden base.

Here are some of my questions:

Am I using the correct concrete blocks?  I've seen others use those square piers, will the ones I have work?
Am I using enough blocks?  Do I need any in the middle of the shed?  As you can see I have a row in the front and in the back.
Any ideas on how I can increase the aesthetics of the foundation?  Specifically, those concrete blocks sticking out in the front don't look very good.  Can I fill in with dirt?


texts: What should I do about a gap between a quartz countertop and backsplash?

texts:
I had new quartz kitchen counters installed yesterday. On one side by the cooktop there is no gap between the counter and backslash. The other side, by and behind the sink, was left with a gap between the counter and backslash! One side looks great and other looks unfinished!

My concern is that water can spill easily from the faucets to that area and seep   behind into the gap and cause water damage or mold to grow in the pine wood cabinet below.

How do I resolve the gap issue? Should I grout the gap using a color close to the (tan) quartz? Should I caulk it with kitchen/bathroom caulk? Or using clear, or white, preferably tan, silicone to fill gap? I would have to then do all lines between the counter and backslash in all areas to accomplish a consistent look: would that be OK?


texts: How can I seal between a concrete patio and a brick wall?

texts: I have patio that's connected with brick from my house. Where the brick and the patio meet there is a crack along the entire perimeter. Its a fairly small no larger than a hairline crack. I'd like to seal that but i'm not sure what I would use to seal? I can attach photos for better understanding if need be. Thank you.


texts: Exterior Window Trim and Rough-In Sizing

texts:
Short version: How much does/should exterior trim overlap window casing?

Long version: I'm trying to figure out how to position a rectangular window for a spot near the peak of the house. I want to make sure that the exterior trim doesn't collide with the soffits (and leaves an aesthetic spacing). The problem I have is that I don't know how much to plan on the trim overlapping the window.

Hypothetical Numbers: Suppose the window I want to position has a rough-in size of 30" wide by 36" high. The trim I'm using is 5" wide. What will be the final exterior width and height of the trimmed window?


texts:
Currently I have one light switch that controls the outlet in the bedroom. I added a ceiling fan with light and ran 14/3 wire to the switch box. I will be adding another switch (dual function to control fan/light). How do I wire that additional switch to get power from existing switch that controls the outlet?
Diagram would be super helpful


texts: How do I remove this metal grating-type thing from a coffee table?

texts:
I want to remove this lower part of my coffee table so I can sit down and put my legs under the table.
How do I remove it cleanly?
(I'm a home improvement newb, I have basic power tools but never worked with metal before)
picture 1 is the coffee table
picture 2 is the underside of where the metal thing connects to a leg