texts: How to mount ceramic tiles in a wrought iron frame?

texts:
I bought my wife some ceramic house numbers and a wrought iron frame for Christmas. I had assumed I could just pop the numbers into the frame, but that is not the case. The numbers are free floating, and do not fit into the frame snugly. There is about a quarter inch gap all the way around. Please see picture.

I thought about cutting a piece of wood to fit the wrought iron frame and adhering the tile to the wood, but as this will be outside I was concerned about wood rot and whether the tiles would adhere well.

I have never worked with tile. I also live in New England where this style of house numbering is never used. So I don't have a neighbor's I can inspect for ideas. I guess my specific questions would be:

Is it a good idea to adhere the tile to some sort of backing?
Should the backing be wood or something else?
What kind of adhesive can I use to stick the tile to the backing?


texts: 3-way to smart 2-way switch, result is hardwired either on or off

texts:
At the top and bottom of some stairs are two connected light switches (a 3-way switch).

The top switch has:

bare copper ground
unused white neutral (in back of box; two wires in a wire nut)
2x black wires
red wire

the bottom switch has:

bare copper ground
black wire
white wire
red wire

My goal is to remove the bottom switch and replace the top switch with a new switch which requires a neutral connection.

(My original plan was to replace the existing switches with a brand of smart switches that require a neutral for both the main and secondary switch. Since the bottom switch doesn't have a neutral, I've decided to instead hard-wire and plate over the bottom switch, then surface-mount a battery-powered smart touch switch in that location.)

So far...

In both switches: I'm assuming the red wire is the traveler wire, and have capped it off in both switches.

In the bottom switch: I used a wire nut to hard-wire the black and white wire together. The copper ground is just hanging loose in the box.

As-is, the top switch operates the light as expected.

The problem:

When I replace the top switch the switch is unresponsive and the light is hard-wired either on or off (depending on wiring).

If it matters, the switch is:

    GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Lighting Control Smart Dimmer (model # 14294 )

(and in my defense I've put in 4 of these exact switches elsewhere without issue.)

The important part of the switch, I think, is that it requires, and is wired as:

ground (connected to bare copper)
neutral (connected by adding a short wire into the existing wire nut in the box where the white lines were connected to each other)
load (one of the black wires)
line (the other black wire)

I'm not sure which black line is which, so I took a guess, then flipped them when that didn't work.

In one position, the switch is non-responsive (and its LED is off) and the ceiling light is on. In the other position, the switch is still non-responsive (and LED off) and the light is off.

(In the meantime, I've put the old switch back in at the top and it works as a normal 2-way switch.)

Photo of original top switch wiring:


texts: How can I mark the damage on wood floors that are to be resurfaced?

texts:
During the build process, the flooring (Hickory Wood with a water-based sealer) had some marks.  The marks appear to be from someone getting stain on their shoes.  There are moon shaped spots in quite a few areas.

My builder is coming to resurface the floor tomorrow and I want to mark up the floor in a way he can see them and make sure they are taken care of.  Although the whole floor is going to be resurfaced, I just want to make sure he is aware of all the spots.

What can I use to mark those spots that won't interfere with the sanding or re-sealing processes?


texts: Do they make a tv wall mount that will come out and down?

texts: I want to mount my tv above the fireplace. I would like a mount that will let me pull it out and then down so it will clear the mantle and not make us have to look up too far when watching it. If they make something like this, what would it be called?


texts: Can I switch the hot and cold water supply to improve the pressure of hot?

texts: I have a very old house (built in 1903) with very old and corroded pipes. Because of the corrosion, the hot water pressure is fairly low (mostly in the shower) but cold water pressure is okay. I’m wondering if it would be an okay idea to switch the cold and hot water lines right after the water heater. I think This would drop the cold water pressure which I don’t mind. I know I’ll need to replace all the piping eventually but I’ll probably be selling in the relative near future.


texts: Is there a tankless water heater with instant hot water?

texts:
I used to have a tankless water heater and loved that I never ran out of hot water in the shower. What I didn't like is that it took about 60 seconds for the water to get hot, which is really annoying when I just wanted to wash my hands with warm water.

Is there a system that combines unlimited and instant hot water? Maybe a hybrid – an on demand unit with a small, heated tank?


texts: Pig-tailing 1970 aluminum wiring, choices of type of copper pig-tail

texts:
I intend to use 14 AWG copper pigtails for the receptacles in the 15-A circuits because #14 folds into the boxes so much easier than #12. The AlumiConn connectors take up more room than the Scotchlok red wire nuts, and the boxes are not generously sized.

I have on hand some solid copper wire (not romex but separate wires in white and black insulation) labeled "GCC P 14 AWG TYPE THHN OR THWN 600 VOLTS GAS AND OIL RESISTANT VW-1 OR AWM" which I used to pigtail switches and light fixtures on #12 AL. Is it OK to use that to pigtail receptacles in 15-A circuits in #12 AL? Or would it be better for some reason unknown to me to buy new Romex, cut the sheath off, and use the wires for pigtails?

The original 20-A circuits are in #10 AL and I will have to use #12 CU to pigtail those, but half of the 20-A circuits are dedicated and so have only one receptacle on them and so one cable in the box. Some receptacles I changed to CO/ALR and I won't pigtail those, at least not now.

When I pig-tailed the aluminum wiring in my house 35 years ago I used #14 pigtails on the light switches and the ceramic light fixtures and #12 pigtails on all receptacles, even in the 15-A circuits, because I thought three equal diameter wires (2 AL and 1 CU) would make a better connection in the Scotchlok 20058 red twist-on spring connectors I was using. The AlumiConn connectors have each wire in a separate hole.


texts: Water Pressure Issue? First water heater leaked, then softener, now my washer long filled

texts:
My water heater was leaking from the top.  I replaced it.

The next day, the water softener tank is leaking.  I turned off the valve to bypass the softener.

Now my washing machine (brand new) errored with LF which means "Long Fill"; a repairman replaced the fill valves and mentioned that they were faulty and it is a rarity that it happens.

My research found that a softener with a heater leak means there is too much water pressure.  LF errors on washing machine potentially mean that the water pressure is too low.

I'm scratching my head on this one...  The pressure in the toilet, sinks and shower seem fine.  The pressure slightly increased when I got the new water heater.  I am worried that there is some underlying pressure issue in my home.  Please suggest some solutions or tips.


texts:
I need a new concrete subfloor due to water damage.  Then 2x4s on top of that, then oak hardwood on top of that.

I am told by the concrete guy the 2x4s can do down the next day.  The floor guy says it takes a month for the concrete to cure before the 2x4s can be done.  Is either one of these right?  How long does it take?

Thanks for the help.


texts: How can we connect a smart thermostat to our heating system, which is a gas furnace and wood fireplace?

texts:
We have a KozyHeat wood fireplace connected to our older gas furnace.
The idea is that the furnace serves as a fan when the fireplace is hot, or will use gas to heat the house if the fireplace is cold.
This works great, as we can save lots on gas by heating with wood.
We would like to upgrade our older central thermostat to a smart one, and need some guidance on which one would support this system.
KozyHeat told us we need something with a “low volt/no volt” setup...whatever that means.
And a local KozyHeat dealer told us it can’t be done.
Help?


texts: Hairline cracking in section of painted interior wall

texts:
I have just rolled a second coat of emulsion (Farrow & Ball, brand new tin) onto a bedroom wall and an hour later noticed that a sweep of the wall (a few inches wide) has hairline cracks. I’ve not been aware of this ‘sweep’ before so am almost certain that it appeared today. The first coat was applied a week ago, so the surface was dry; and I’ve no reason to believe the wall was dirty when I painted.

Can anyone suggest what might be causing this and what I should do?

There was no wallpaper paste residue on the wall before I started this job, but before the paint went on last week I did have to fill some hairline cracks in this (and other) areas with Polyfilla. The odd thing is that I didn’t notice the cracked paint after the first coat was rolled on; it seems to have appeared only today (after the second coat was applied).

Following the suggestions given below, I sanded down the offending areas, cleaned the wall, cut out the top and sides, then next day rolled a fresh coat (carefully not using too much paint). While the original area looks somewhat better, the hairline cracking is now along the top of the wall and in other patches. I’ve not had this happen before. The only thing I can think of doing is to start again on this wall - this time using a primer first. Does anyone know what is going on to cause this?


texts: Damage when drilling a mirror — normal or not?

texts:
I've just had a bespoke mirrored bathroom cabinet installed. The mirrors have had holes drilled for the knobs, and one of the holes has a white mark around it and generally doesn't look very clean. The mark is visible even when the knobs are in place.

The cabinet maker tells me "such a white mark around the cut out in the mirror is normal. It's very difficult to cut through the mirror with a very clean cut".

Is my cabinet maker correct, or should I ask for a new mirror?

See pictures:

.


texts: HVAC started whistling after changing filter

texts:
I recently changed my HVAC filter and followed the same airflow direction (pointed arrow direction) as was on the previous filter.  Almost immediately after replacing it, I keep hearing a whistling sound come from the HVAC whenever it's on.  Is it because I chose a too-small pore size?  I put in filters with MERV 11, which is much smaller than was there before, but we have a baby at home and I want clean air!
Picture below if that helps.


texts: What are my options for ensuring that water pressure doesn't drop in the top floors when taps in the lower floors are opened?

texts:
In many multi-storied buildings, I've noticed that the water pressure in the top floor taps reduces drastically when the taps on the lower floors are open.
I'm currently in conversations with the builder deciding on the plumbing for a house under construction. The water source is an overhead tank.

What options do I have for making sure that the water pressure in the top floor taps doesn't reduce when the taps on the lower floors are open?

Will separate outlet pipes from the overhead tank to each floor help?
If it is a single outlet pipe from the overhead tank, will reducing the diameter of the pipe as we go lower work?
The option being suggested by the builder right now is a pressure pump - is this the only option? I don't particularly like this because I trust gravity more than electronics, plus it feels like a waste of electricity as well.


texts: What product or method to waterproof an underground concrete-bottomed water cistern?

texts:
I have an existing 42" diameter x 11' deep underground water cistern installed in my backyard that I am starting to use for irrigation. It has HDPE walls and poured concrete bottom. There is no waterproofing applied to it, and so water stored in it slowly seeps into the ground until it reaches 6' full, which appears to be the height of the groundwater.

However, when pumped dry, the tank starts filling up with water immediately, and after about an hour fills to its maximum fill height of 6'. Thus, I can't pump the tank dry to use most waterproofing chemicals, which ask for the concrete to be dry.

What can I do to waterproof the tank?
Potability, while not required (this is an irrigation cistern), would be nice in case I needed to ever drink this water in a SHTF situation.


texts: How to drill steel with large bit outside the drill press

texts:
I need to drill a 12 mm hole in a steel piece 5mm thick, but the whole piece doesn't fit on my drill press. Can this be done anyhow?

In my previous experience drilling holes this big with a hand drill was a pain that end up dulling my drill bits.


texts: Can I wire both a 50 amp hot tub and 50 amp RV plug in the same box?

texts:
I have two projects in the works, installing a hot tub and building an RV pad. Both the RV and hot tub run on 50 amps and 220 volts. RV's plug-in but hot tubs are wired directly. Is there a single GFCI box that can accommodate both or do I need a subpanel and a GFCI box? Can all of this run in a single conduit?

They both sit around a corner from each other. I would route the conduit 5 ft from the tub in line of sight.

I will not be performing the electrical hook up myself but I do want to save some money and dig the trench and lay conduit before laying pavers for the RV pad.

I've included links to a few pictures of my main outside panel to make sure my box can even handle this. My individual breakers for the house are in an inside panel. Thank you!


texts: How to remove rotating bathroom sink drain cover

texts:
Our new apartment doesn't have the plunge style drain cover in our bathroom sink. Instead, it has a cover that hinges in the center, rotating around that point. So it physically has to be pushed in order to close.

However, I think the seal is too large and it can't easily be closed.

I'd like to either figure out a way to easily open and close the cover without touching it, or figure out a way to remove it and replace it with a fine mesh grating like this or this.

Our drains have to stay closed when we're not using them because the climate that I live in (the desert) means that when it gets warm the water traps dry up which allows bugs to crawl up from the sewers and out through your drains.

Any advice?


texts: Installing sheathing with Staples or Ring Shank?

texts:
Wanted to ask the community about their experience with code and reasoning for using one or the other. I'm talking about fastening 7/16" OSB to walls and 5/8" OSB to roofs.  Do you use narrow crown staples or ring shank nails?  Here, we are not in a seismic/earthquake zone but we do get high winds and potentially tornadoes here.

It is my experience that staples may hold better than nails because they have a larger surface area of grip and two sharp points spread 1/2" apart gripping into the stud or truss member.  However, those two sharp points are very narrow and I feel like this has to be something code is cracking down on, but I am struggling to find valid, tested, literature on the use of one or the other.  All I have found so far is that when using staples, edges must be stapled every 4" instead of 6" like nails.

I am curious if anyone has seen side-by-side comparisons to know which option is truly a better fastener for the job?  Staples are starting to appeal to me due to how many can be loaded in clip, and how you don't seem to have to come back and hammer the head in on ones your gun didn't quite get square up on before firing or the hard to reach spots.  I will be doing a roof soon and think maybe using a air stapler will increase speed of sheathing the roof by a good factor.  My local inspector does not seem to care, just mentioned that he thinks nails are stronger.


texts: How can I trim metal window wells after lowering the grade around them?

texts: I just had a new stamped patio poured. We lowered the grading so now the widow wells are higher than the patio. I want to install window well covers but need to cut down the window wells (below the cement) what would be the best tool for the job?


texts:
Breaker #4 in the picture is wired to my kitchen lights and living room outlets. It keeps tripping every few days. I thought maybe we overloaded our living room at first, but it tripped this morning with only lights and TV on.

Now I'm thinking it might be a bad breaker, but when I went to Home Depot to buy another one, there were no Square D breakers with that little white button on top.


texts: What is the minimum thickness of an insulated bathroom wall

texts: I am trying to build a basement bathroom in the corner of the house.  Where I am, basement insulation codes are R10/13.   What is the minimum that I can do to frame and insulate a wall.  The two methods that I thought of were 2" XPS (to get R10) + 2x3 furring strip + 0.5" cement board. That's 5".  Maybe I could do 0.5" XPS for vapor barrier, then a 2x4 wall with batt insulation in the voids.  That's 4.5".  Is there anything wrong with that and/or is there a better way?


texts: Bobcat for leveling swimming pool ot tiller?

texts: I have a 24ft by 52 inch pool. Need to level ground and remove 10 to 12 inches on high side. After about 5 inches it's all compacted clay. Can i use a tiller to keep breaking up soil and shoveling out, or should I just get the bobcat and do it. I ask because I need a tiller anyway for the yard, so figured to save the extra  $250 on the bobcat rental maybe I could try a tiller... but I don't want to waste my time if it wont budge the compacted clay.  This is a year old new construction home. Thanks.


texts: How to plan for the future when installing a new roof?

texts:
We're hiring a contractor to take off the existing roof, repair/replace any rotted sheathing and rafters, and install a new roof. We've also asked that they add a new plumbing vent stack for a new bathroom we'll add later, a bathroom exhaust vent, a whirlybird to vent the attic, a dryer vent, and supports in case we want to install a roof deck later.

This is a 4 floor row house with shallow pitch roof in mid-Atlantic US. There's a 6" to 3' pitched attic area with r30 batts on the ceiling joists. Also have HVAC compressor on roof and unit in attic.

What else should we think about along these lines? Green roof supports? Solar panel mounts? Additional insulation? What should we prepare for now, or at least consider?


texts: I need a wiring solution for an unusual situation

texts: I have two 20amp circuits in the kitchen. One is controlling receptacles to the left of the sink AND the dishwasher.  The other is controlling receptacles to the right of the sink AND the fridge.  The disposer is on it's own 20amp circuit.  Since counter receptacles are used far more frequently than the disposer is and more likely to trip the GFCI killing power to the fridge, would the lesser of two evils be to place the fridge on the same circuit as the disposer and get it off the circuit that controls two receptacles to the right of the sink?


texts:
When using a nail gun to install freshly stained and finished trim,  i want to make sure i don't damage the finish.  In concerned that pressing the  nail gun up against the surface will cause marks.
What's a good way to do that?


texts:
I have a whirlpool model wrf540cwhv00 and the ice maker has stopped working.
I have checked for stuck ice and verified  that  the water line is not frozen. I have tried to reset it by putting the wire between the H and T ports, this did not work.   I then  took my wife's hair dryer to the front and tried this again and it ran a cycle but needed a little bit of help to turn the gear.
It filled with water and froze again but the cycle to thaw and eject has not started after a few hours.
Any ideas?


texts: I have a gas fireplace that is fired by an electrical thermostat .It will tick and tick and not fire up.Have to lower thermostat and raise repeatedly to get it to light .Any ideas why this is happening ?


texts: What type of replacement door threshold do I need for a garage service door?

texts:
I'm interested in replacing my old and cracked garage door threshold, but the method it uses to attach is to slide under the already existing plate.

I can't seem to find any existing thresholds that have this property. What should I buy/do to replace the threshold?


texts: What tool to use to clean refrigerator drain?

texts:
I have a nice refrigerator I like, but it has one problem.

Like all modern refrigerators it has a "automatic defrosting" and a drain tube which carries the condensate away to... somewhere. I think it comes out somewhere in the back, but I haven't been able to find the place. Not that I've looked much. The back of the refrigerator is inaccessible, unless I empty it and move the whole big thing, and I don't want to do that.

Some years ago due to my own mistake some gunk got into the tube. Now every few months it gets clogged up and the water doesn't flow through it, meaning I get a puddle.

Currently I'm using a piece of a wire to poke it and eventually it comes open just enough to last for a few more months. I suspect there's some mold growing in there or something, but with my measly piece of a wire there's no way I can do anything more than poke a little hole. So I'm wondering - there's a better tool for the job?

The pipe is made of silicone (I think) and is pretty narrow. Something on the order of 0.5cm, I think, although I cannot measure it. The clog is about 20-30cm deep. It's not straight, although I don't think it has a 90-degree bend. It takes a bit of wriggling, but I can push my wire through.

I was thinking - perhaps something like this, but I cannot find one narrow and long enough. I don't know if that exists.


texts: Existing Ceiling Fan fixture doesn't work - 2 hot wires, 1 neutral all confusion

texts:
I have a ceiling fan wire set in our home that did not work when we moved in.  It was/is exposed and we never saw a working fixture there.  There are 3 wires.  One black(1), one white(2) and one exposed wire(3) without a sheath.  I had assumed that it was hot, neutral and ground respectively.  But upon testing both wires 1 & 3 are hot.  It goes to a double switch wall plate.  There is only one switch for this particular ceiling light (left).  The second switch has a white wire daisy chained to the first.  The second switch (right) controls 3 things and does work.  The closet light in that bedroom, a hallway linen closet just around the corner and a wall power outlet that only works when the second (right switch) is turned on.

Power only registers at the ceiling fan wiring spot when the left wall switch is turned on.

I've tried about every combination i thought safe in connecting the wires of a new ceiling fan/light but no dice.  The fan/light has blue, black, white and ground wires.  Once i found that two wires coming from the ceiling were hot that it would be one of two things.  White to white, blue to one hot and black to the other hot.  Or white to white and all hot together(?)

Please forgive my ignorance on the subject, stated above is my basic understanding of home wiring.  And there are no other wall switches for these lights.

Any thoughts on what i'm missing?  Attached are pics.  The ceiling pic shows white wire on the left, unsheathed wire middle and black wire on the right.


texts: sound absorption material for home cinema

texts:
So I've started my home cinema project, read a ton of websites and have the basics planned.

What I don't know yet, and the Internet is full of conflicting opinions, is what the best material for sound absorption is?

I will line the walls and the ceiling with wood frames, like this:

The front will be covered with fabric. Inside the frame I want to put my sound absorbers. Obviously, accoustic foam or special absorbers would be best, but I have a fairly large room and a limited budget. I would rather line the walls and ceiling with something that's 80% good and reserve some budget for putting professional absorbers in one or two key spots.

So, on a budget, and a depth of about 5 cm (2 inches), which is the best choice for material to put there?

Additional information:

It's a basement room, so the walls by themselves are already thick and isolated and I'm not worried about the neighbours, I only care about the accoustics inside the room.

The 5cm depth of the frame is an arbitrary choice, if I get significantly better sound by going to 8 cm (the next depth I can get wood for easily) then that's an option. More is not as my screen is already installed and has about 10 cm space on each side.

I also plan to run the wires through/behind those frames, and put the front and rear speakers partially inside.


texts: Power in, and power to light at one 3 way?

texts:
In an ideal 4-way situation my understanding is you feed the 3-way switch with power in then go to 4-way then to next 3-way then to lights.  Is it okay to go to lights at the first switch? Besides the extra wire being there in that box?

If a dimmer is involved it's typically at the 3-Way switch which goes to lights, correct?


texts: How can I fix a bathtub refinishing debacle?

texts:
OK.  So I have an old cast iron white bathtub.  And it was in really bad shape.  Nicks, worn out, everything.

So I go to HD looking for the Rust-Oleum tub & tile refinishing kit.  Didn't have it, but they suggested the HOMAX variant.  So I got the Homax white brush on.  Basically it is liquid epoxy (not sure it is epoxy since there was no additive for chemical reaction).

Well first of all I bought white and it isn't white - I may be able to live with the almond color....   But the biggest problem is that it is a gloppy mess.  After the second coat it seemed to look ok.  But then an hour or two later I went in and looked and it is horrible.  It pooled up in some places.  Other place it didn't cover well...  On a scale of 1 to 10 you wouldn't give it a 1.

I read the reviews for Homax and this seems to be the norm.  Sucks.  Didn't know.  So what are my next steps?  The tub is a huge uneven mess.  And when I say uneven - you could probably notice from 50 feet.  I have basically remodeled my whole house and this is the first thing that I have messed up. I can't touch it for another 2 days and really need this bathroom working next week.


texts: Do I need a vapor barrier on tub surround with 1 external wall?

texts:
I know variations of this question have been asked dozens times and it seems like there is no real consensus. Each post or website I look at seems to advocate something different. I understand that some of this is because of different scenarios in regards to the build, products, locations, etc.

I'm getting ready to re-tile a small bathroom and here are the particulars:

It has a common bathtub and I'm planning on re-tiling just the bathtub surround. 1 of those walls is an external wall (with a window). The remainder of the bathroom I plan on painting.

The tile will be glazed ceramic/porcelain.
I will probably use hardie-backer as the cement backerboard (Lowes is the closest big box store, so I'll be making my common supply runs there and they stock this and the reviews are all pretty solid on it.)
Location is central Indiana (Indianapolis)

I have not begun the demolition yet, so I'm not positive on what the insulation situation is on that external wall. I know some types of insulation have a vapor barrier on one side, and I know that can/should impact the decision here. I may also replace the insulation if need be, to ensure a good quality job here (also in case of any water damage or mold found obviously).

So, do I need to put a vapor barrier on all 3 sides of the tub surround in this scenario? If the insulation already has one, should I only put a vapor barrier on the other 2 walls of the surround (the non external ones)? If I put my own insulation in, should I opt for some without a vapor barrier side and just add a full vapor barrier to all 3 sides instead?


texts:
I've recently moved and the new home has cable outlets in several of the rooms.  Cable service was recently installed and works for one line entering the home, but not for any of the home's existing cable outlets.  I'd like to connect the cable in such a way that each of the home's cable outlets (living room, bedroom, etc) will have service.

How are homes typically wired for cable service distribution and what can I do so that each of my home's outlets works?


texts: Adding a sub panel in my high tunnel greenhouse

texts:
ADDING A SUB-PANEL IN MY HIGH TUNNEL GREENHOUSE
I need to add electricity to my new greenhouse that will be powering my exhaust fan and shutters, the automated roll-up sides, a couple of small water pumps and a circuit of outlets.
Below are some of the specifications that I’ve gathered from the components in the greenhouse:

36” Queitaire GDD Box Fan, .5-.75 HP, 6.6/3.5-3.3 Amps, 11,410 CFM at .10 static       pressure, wired for 115/208-230 volt operation
Two (2) each 39” Motorized Quietaire shutters, 0.33 Amps
Two (2) each E-Z Roll Up Curtain Gear Motors, 24 Volt
Penn 2 Stage Thermostat Control 30-110 degrees F, 16 Amp rating @120volts
Bartlett RWL 11x2 Curtain Controller & Vent Boss panel, controls the two 24V DC curtain motors, 2 heating outputs and one timer output for irrigation or lighting.
60 CFM Blower Motor, 120V, 60Hz,0.15 Amp, 1/60 HP
A GFCI protected electrical outlet circuit (Number of Outlets undetermined at this time.

CURRENTLY
Main House breaker box is located in the garage with a Tesla (Solar) PowerWall 2. My house runs on 32 LG 355 Watt solar panels tied to the grid. I also have one other 8 slot sub-panel connected to the main panel (see photo 1&2). There are a couple open slots on the main panel but I plan to add Tandem breakers to some to free up space, if possible.
END GOAL
My plan was to run wire up from the main panel up through the attic to the opposite corner of the house, come out and down the exterior wall to the ground (in conduit), run underground about 15 feet (18” deep, conduit), and come up the interior wall of the greenhouse A distance of approximately 110-130 feet max (see photo 3). The greenhouse Sub-panel will be “outdoor” rated and all wiring inside the greenhouse will be direct bury or ran in conduit as it can be a wet/moist environment with a lot of equipment running through it.
My Questions are:

Will a 125 Amp, 8 Spaces, 16-Ciruit Convertible “Outdoor” panel from Lowes/HD be sufficient for the components and their specs listed above? Or will I need bigger?
What size, rating type, and number of wires should I run up through the attic and down through the conduit into the greenhouse?
Will I need to found this panel and with 1 or 2 copper rods?
How many and what amperage of breakers will each of the components listed above need?
Can my main panel handle the additional subpanel based on its specifications show in Photo 2? My solar array produces between 9-10 kWh on a nice sunny day.

Also any other advice regarding this project will be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I installed a door knob earlier in the year and thought everything went fine. Come winter, my house was not retaining heat. Found that the outside half of the door knob was not sitting tight to the door, though the inside was. This was letting air in around the knob, which I could feel with my hand from the inside with the door closed. Finally saw that there were two metal nubs on the outside of the housing for the mechanism that sits inside the casing of the knob were preventing it from sitting tight to the door.
Are these defects that need shaving off? Sanding it of course didn't reduce it enough. Is the hole for the knob not big enough? This is my first time running into this, and I didn't see anything in my Googling.
The door is standard 1-3/4 in. thick with 2-1/8 in. bore. Door knob is a Kwikset 991CN3SMTCPK4. See attached picture for gap and the nub I'm talking about that is impacting the metal door.


texts: Light above back door, what is this light for?

texts: There is a a small light with a red jeweled cover installed above the back door in my townhouse, I removed the cover to see that it is a small light bulb with 14 awg wire, any ideas?


texts: Wood floor protection during demolition of roof

texts: I need ideas how to  best protect wood floors while roof is coming down during remodel. Roof is made of heavy materials (concrete,brick, metal, etc.)


texts: Is there a stronger glue for plastic than superglue?

texts:
I got myself a pair of edifier headphones that sound fantastic but break all the time. Its a piece of plastic in a high stress area, just around where the swivel hinge connects to the cupholders - why that component is made from plastic while everything else is metal... who knows but there it is.

It keeps snapping in half and I keep gluing it together with locally available superglue which is just 100% ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate. Each time it stays glued for like 2-3 months but eventually it breaks again.

I don't know what type of plastic it is, its black and very rigid, if I had to guess I'd say its probably polyethylene but I red that cyanoacrylate glues don't work on PE and its clearly having at least some effect so it must be something else, right?

Anyway, the plastic piece  just broke again today so this time I'm wondering if there is a better type of glue available for this?


texts: How do I wire an old furnace motor so I can use it as a garage exhaust fan?

texts:
Since last I posted, I moved WAY south (lil warm down here) and the house I moved into was a foreclosure so a few things needed done, namely the AC and furnace.  When the guy did the job he said he would (did?) leave the old motor behind so I could use it for some airflow in the garage.  Here's what it looks like...

Onto my real questions -- I don't have the wiring diagram, but if I had to guess, I'd say that plug is a speed control (black the common?), and the white is the hookup.  Is that right?  And
 has anyone rigged one of these up and if so, how'd you do it?

==== updated 7/1/2012 ====

I got motivated today and started to clean it and look for tags that might help identify what it is -- and well, I think this answers everything (and I got a good picture of it!).  It's a Westinghouse 323P683 1/4 hp, 115v motor so xcythe you we're close on those wires (much better than my guess).

If I'm reading this correctly...

White-Red : low speed
White-Blue : medium
White-Black : high


texts: The rubber gasket sealing my dishwasher has a gap through which water sometimes escapes. I tried sealing it using caulk but most of it washed away. Is there another sealant I can use? I'm considering J-B Weld, but the label on it says it's unsafe to ingest. Is there a risk of it washing onto the dishes and making us sick? When I applied the caulk, it had been sitting in our cold garage. Do I need to warm up the caulk before applying it? Is it safe to use in the dishwasher, too?


texts: If I fit a water softener, will I run out of on-demand water via bath/shower-use?

texts:
I'm interested in fitting a water-softener (specifically, the Twintec S3, which is a dual-cylinder unit developed in the UK, apparently) to my home.  My home is over 3 stories, with a bathroom on the middle floor and an en-suite on the top floor.

The bathroom has a toilet, basin, and (large - 180cm x 80 cm) bath.  The en-suite has a shower, basin, and toilet.

Hot water is provided by a combi-boiler; I think it's an Ikon 23t or something similar to that.

I don't know the specific flow-rates of things, but...  if the water softener has 2 cylinders of 17 litres each, how will I not run out of water during long showers or filling up the bath?  This specific water-softener is supposed to regenerate in 10 minutes, and is supposed to be able to regenerate while the other cylinder is supplying.  But...  If a tap runs at 5l/min, and a cylinder holds 17l, then one cylinder will be drained after ~3m20s.  Then the other one will be too, shortly thereafter.

Am I missing something?  Do I have the cylinder-size wrong, or the regeneration-time...?


texts:
I am designing a staircase to be built inside a house. At the moment I am not concerned about materials or supporting structure but rather with the usability and safety. I realize I may not build a perfect staircase which is compliant with the code due to space constraints.

I have read a few articles about the requirements for safe stairs, such as angle, raiser height, tread depth, overhang length and walk line.

Based on what I have read and the set of constraints imposed by the location where the staircase has to fit, I came up with a design. I do see a few limitations of this design. Specifically, I am concerned about the following:

Some stairs have width at walk line of just ~17cm(6.6"). I've read the minimum required is ~25cm(10"). Is this going to be much of an issue?
I am not sure if I have measured the distance to the walk line correctly (please see the screenshot). Please correct me if this is wrong.
Some stairs are 10cm(~4") wide at the narrow end. Is this acceptable?
Rise is 19cm(~7.5"). Is this acceptable?


texts: Simple really - add your best tips for painting (a room, that is).  Ideally one tip per answer for ease of voting.


texts: Do I need to seal the rotating seams of a duct elbow?

texts:
Kitchen range hood installation questions:

Do I need to seal the points indicated by the arrows?

Any opinions on mastic over foil tape?  I have some 3M 3340 laying around.

Can mastic be used inside the ducts or will that impede air flow?


texts: Code-compliant undercabinet light wiring

texts:
I have 6 LED undercabinet lights that I plan to link together and power using a switched outlet. The lights use SPT-2 linking cables with proprietary connectors that aren't long enough to link the lights so that the cord is hidden. I would like to use a spool of SPT-2 wire to connect these lights, but according to the NEC, SPT-2 wire can't be spliced (I would need to splice to connect the lights with the proprietary connectors; essentially I am just extending the linking cables). Can SPT-2 wire connections be made in a UL-compliant junction box mounted to the underside of the cabinets?

Here's an example of the junction box: https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Direct-Wire-Linkable-Fixture-Junction-Converter-Box-White-39971/304228493

This box is intended for the connection of AC power to the proprietary connectors, but I was wondering if I could use several of these boxes to make connections between SPT-2 wire and the linking cables. I am not sure if this would constitute a violation of code. Linking cables are available on Amazon, but they aren't long enough.

Edit: here's the lights I'm using - https://byjasco.com/honeywell-18in-linkable-plug-led-under-cabinet-fixture


texts: How can I improve the insulation in the lower attic space?

texts:
I live in a house with a finished attic.  There's a substantial upper attic (big enough to walk around) and there are also knee walls between the upstairs rooms and the lower attic.  There is ventilation at the bottom of the lower attic that connects to the upper attic.  I'm concerned that the ventilation is cooling the upper attic, causing a cold knee wall all around the upstairs.

Click for larger view

Our attic seems properly insulated for the most part, but one thing is missing: hardboard along the rafters to block off the insulation.  This would limit the amount of cold air circulating from the outside to the lower attic and it would also support the insulation.

insulate lower attic http://www.victoryremodelingidaho.com/Victory_Remodeling/Knee_wall_insul_files/attic_knee_wall.gif

Bringing any kind of hardboard into the lower attic will be tricky and tedious (the door is 3.5' tall and 2.5' wide).  What would be easiest and most effective to use in a space like this?

Also, our floor is tongue-and-groove that also serves as the ceiling for the downstairs.  There are holes in the surface (in the grooves or at knots) so warm air can pass from the downstairs directly into the lower attic.  Does it make sense to add a barrier to airflow on the floor?  What would I use?

Update: the lower attic area has 46 ft of wall and the rafters are 5' long in the lower attic.


texts: Will my roof construction allow attic flooring?

texts:
I am looking to add plywood flooring in my attic for storage page. There is a lot of space, very large areas. From what I've been reading, it looks to be ill-advised to add flooring if the roof was constructed with trusses instead of rafters (one such site). I have no idea what these are. Would someone be able to explain what these are and if my home has it.

Here's an overview:

Other pictures are here.

Also I am aware that I would need to extend the floor joists keep the insulation intact.


texts: How do I hook up a new "pull-type" light switch in my basement utility room?

texts:
The old pull-switch was installed when we bought the house, and it was of a different type than the new one I bought.  I went to replace it, and found out I couldn't just swap the wires, since the old one had an extra connection.  The light switch box has this extra thing attached, and hooked in somehow, and I don't really know what it's for, or how to attach my new pull switch.  My new pull switch comes with instructions to attach the black (hot) wire to its brass screw, and the white (neutral) wire to the silver screw.  In the first picture, you can see the black wires are currently have a wire nut on, while the white wires are twisted around themselves, and exposed.

Attaching the new pull switch would be straight forward except I don't have a clue what to do with the extra black wire coming from that other bronze box.

Here is an overview of the light box in the utility room in the basement:
You can see the bronze coloured, "extra" thing to the left of the box.  In the bottom right corner, in addition to the regular electrical wire leading away, there are two smaller wires that originate from this box.  I don't know where they go, since the wires are hidden once they go through the joist.

Here is a close-up showing the extra wire coming from the thing attached to the box:

Finally, here is a different view of that bronze box attached:

I'd appreciate any help someone can give (and any light you can shed on that attached bronze box).


texts: How to remove a rusty screw and cap from a toilet

texts:
The toilet seat has rusted away the screw holes that connects itself to the iron hinges, making the seat removable while the lid and the hinges stays connected to the toilet bowl. I want to remove the hinges and the toilet seat (+ lid) but the hinges have become so rusty that when attempting to remove the cap beneath, the screw rotates with the cap.

I've tried holding the screw head with slip joint pliers but it's so flat and that it's fitted so tightly making it impossible to fix it in place. I've also tried adding lubricant but it's not working.


texts: Should I pull ethernet cable to my thermostat?

texts:
I'm going to be installing an ecobee3 smart thermostat, and need to pull some additional #18 thermostat wire.

Since I'm going to be pulling cable anyway, and I have a box of cat 5e ethernet cable, is there any reason not to pull that at the same time? Should I mount a junction box in the wall to tuck the unused ethernet cable into? Looks like the ecobee3 will require a slight mod to install over a junction box.


texts: Why does my shower water temperature creep up?

texts: My shower water temperature reaches what feels like an early plateau (warm enough to get in), but then continues to get warmer at the same handle position for the next 3-5 minutes. The obvious explanation would be that the cold pipes are initially keeping the temperature down, but this is the first place I've ever lived where I noticed this happening. Is it related to modern shower valves? Tankless water heaters? Or was I just slower to get in the shower for the previous 40 years?


texts: What is this rectangular device on my apartment wall?

texts:
So on this particular wall in my apartment I have two fire detectors (one that's plugged in but seems to have some sort of internal battery and one that takes 9V batteries), a thermostat and...  this:

Any idea as to what it is? Carbon Monoxide detector? Something else?


texts: Is this home electricity supply panel ready for a current-sensing energy monitor?

texts:
I want to install an electricity usage monitor ("in-home display", IHD) so I can track my home energy consumption. I have seen there are some products, like this Watts Clever which use a sensor over the LED impulse indicator of the digital/"smart" electricity meter, and others like Efergy Engage or Smappee which use current-sensing clamps ("CT clamps") that clip onto the electrical supply wire(s).

I have only a naive familiarity with my home electrical supply. While I know I could install the first type of monitoring product myself (the home is equipped with a digital meter with impulse LED), it is the feature set of the second two (namely online monitoring) that I really want; but I'm not totally sure whether the existing hardware is the right kind for attaching CT clamps to. It's not worth it to me if I'll have to pay for an electrician to come out and do any rewiring to accommodate it.

Here is the layout of my home electrical meter cabinet/breaker box. (I'm in Australia and the supplier is ActewAGL, and I have only mains supply - no solar or self-generation/storage yet.)

So at the bottom is the row of breaker switches which isolate different parts of the house (not visible in photo: they are numbered according to the laminated sign); and in the upper right is the digital electricity meter that the utility reads to bill me for my consumption (and where I'd attach the impulse sensor for the first kind of monitor previously mentioned).

I'm tempted to think the thick exposed wire in the upper left is the main supply coming into the house and where I'd need to go to attach my CT clamp, but it's strange-looking and I'm not sure. Here's a closeup picture:

My questions:

What's the chunky translucent plastic thing doing? (I'm guessing a main fuse between the main supply and the house, or some kind of filter?)
Why two different colours of wire? (I'm guessing red is the supply side before the fuse and blue is the fuse-protected house side?)
Can I be confident I don't need an electrician to expose any wires for me/that this is the place for a CT clamp? If so, is there a preferred side of that plastic protrusion (colour of wire) to place the clamp?


texts: How to install thin strips of laminate flooring around heating register

texts:
I can't come up with a way to put LVP around this heating register in a way that meets the manufacturer's recommendations for width.  And there will be no molding over the rightmost edge, only some silicone caulk against the tub.
Any suggestions here?  Perhaps I should glue it to the plywood subfloor?


texts: Can multiple grounding electrode conductors be placed on the same ground lug?

texts:
Couldn't find anything in the NEC 2017 that forbids it, but wanted to double check:
Can multiple grounding electrode conductors (thick multi strand is the outside-ground-rod wire, thin single 6GA is the water pipe bond wire) be placed on the same lug (green) on the Square D QO main svc panel (QO142M200PCAFVP)?
I could put the waterpipe bond wire on one of the side ground bars, but if I don't have to, I want to leave it where it is.


texts: I'm installing a few new doors, and bought slab doors to save some money. I have a jig for boring the door knob holes, but I'm not sure where on the door to put the hole. Is there a standard height for door knobs?


texts: Hanging vertical tile in powder room, cement board or drywall?

texts: We are putting in a powder room, toilet and sink. Behind the toilet we plan on having tile up the wall. The tile is 8x8". We were planning on using 5/8ths drywall. Is this appropriate or do we need to use cement board? It is a a small wall, just about 35" across, should there be any consideration about stud spacing to hold the weight or do 16 on center studs work? Thanks for the advice!


texts: HVAC electric thermostat panel "goes dead" and then live again all the time

texts:
I have this digital thermostat controlling my heater (gas).

When I turn it on to lets say 66 deg, and the house is at 60, the HVAC will start working of course.

Problem: After few minutes, the thermostat goes dead as if there is no electricity to it. The HVAC will continue working by the way.
After a few more minutes, it goes back to life as if nothing happened.
That will keep happening as long as the HVAC is working.

It never happens that I go to the thermostat and it is "dead" if the HVAC is not working
I thought the first time it was dead, that the breaker jumped. I went to check and of course it didn't. I say of course because I just said that it will come back to life by itself after few minutes.

What is going on?


texts: Is it safe if the neutral lead is exposed and disconnected?

texts:
I think I’ve found a potential design flaw in an extension cord. It allows you to plug in the hot blade, while leaving the neutral blade out and exposed. Obviously you shouldn’t try and use the cord like this, but is this actually safe, as in you won’t get a shock from touching the exposed pins?

It seems like I could complete a circuit to ground by touching the exposed neutral blade, which obviously I don't think would be great for my health.

I'm in Canada, the outlet it's plugged into is wired correctly, and there's no GFCI on the circuit.


texts: Can I run the ground wire without conduit to sub panel in the same building

texts:
First, thanks for all the excellent advice on this site.

While wiring an auxiliary heat strip to the 125A sub panel in my basement, I noticed that the sub panel does not have a grounding wire from the main panel. The main panel is 25 feet away in the basement. I would like to add the ground wire. The neutral bar on the sub panel is not bonded; I will add the grounding bar. I am in North Carolina. Here are my questions:

Can I run the grounding wire on it's own zip tied to the whip carrying the hot and neutral wires (I cannot pull any wires through the whip as it is pre-made)?
I'm planning on using #6 wire. Is that sufficient for the 125A sub panel?


texts: How do i turn off the hot water so i can fix a leaking hot tap

texts: My laundry hot water tap is dripping. I want to change the washer inside the tap but im unsure how to turn off the hot water.


texts:
I have several 2"x4" x 12ft pieces of wood that I will use as rails. I need to secure them to several 1/4" steel plates. The steel plates have two holes for screws ( or whatever I end up using). The wood doesn't have holes and I don't want the screw to go completely through the wood.

What's the best way to secure the 2x4 to these plates?

Thanks.


texts:
I am trying to finish a job an electrician abandoned.

A line was run from the house to a garage for power at the garage.  I was going to hook things up.  I understand that I need a disconnecting means.  This is a 30 Amp line run from the house breaker. So I was thinking about using a 30 am non-fused AC disconnect.

I have a question about placement of the disconnect.  The line comes into an outside porch of the garage, then conduit goes up the porch structure and then through the wall into the garage itself at about 8 feet from the floor.  My understanding is that you want to put the disconnect where it comes into the building.  So.... where would that be exactly?

I would prefer to run conduit from where the line comes into the garage itself down the wall to about 4 feet from the floor and put the switch there.   I think putting the disconnect in the porch of the garage is just.... well... dumb.  Does anyone have any advice on this?


texts: What's the correct laundry drain stack order?

texts:
I am installing a new washer box. (see picture for reference) My plan was to switch out the Wye from the sink so the top was 2" and put the p-trap and Wye from the washer just above that in the stack. Then reattach the vent to that. My buddy was making a comment that a washer Wye has to go below the sink Wye in the stack.
As you can tell doing so would be a bit of a pain given the position of both appliances. I will say I'm not up to par on the plumbing codes (pretty sure he isn't either).
Is there any reason that I cant just fit in the washer above the sink Wye?
Location is Virginia.


texts: Lights won't go out with 4-way and 3-way switches in any position

texts:
Switching worked until today. Removed power to circuit. Removed 4-way switch and tested for continuity, SAT. Jumpered wires on 4-way to make
3-way circuit. Turned power on and no change, lights won't turn off. Turned power off and removed all switches. Continuity SAT on 3-way switches. Installed all new switches and problem still there. The lights are fluorescent. How can ballast lights fail and override switches and stay on? This doesn't make any since to me. I have a electronic background and my electrical is very good also. This doesn't add up where the load overrides the switching source. Have you seen this type of failure before. I am very puzzled by the new switches not fixing the problem? Please help. How do I test the lights. I can remove one at a time from the circuit to determine which one is causing the problem. I thought I understood electrical wiring until now?

Update:

Thanks for your input. I live near Augusta Ga. I recently bought this home and didn't discover this issue until now. The house was built in 2004. I decided to make a logic table with switch positions to understand the issue at hand.

Basicly I found with 3-way #1 in UP, 4-way UP and 3-way #2 Down lights "OFF". Changed 3-way #1 to down position and lights "ON". Next I turned 3-way #2 UP and lights stayed "ON". First failure. Next I placed 4-way down and lights stayed "ON". Then I placed 3-way #1 up and lights went "OFF".

I will now remove all switches and verify all wiring (travelers, hot, neutral etc.). Check continuity and look for grounds. All switches are in same room about 10 feet apart from each other. The load consists of 5 sets of lights. I will make a sketch of how everything is wired together and compare it to standard wiring designs published for 3-way/4-way switching. Again thanks for everyone's input.


texts: T&P valve is really tight, not able to remove it

texts:
I have the below T&P valve, I'm not able to remove it to replace a new one.
I saw there has some declaration above the valve which said it's the combination of the water heater, does this mean I can't remove it? If no, how to remove a very tight valve. Thanks a lot.


texts: What is the optimal method of dealing with leaking brick veneer?

texts:
My home is brick veneer (one layer). Interior is all drywall, mostly put up by the people who sold me the house 4 years ago (it was a flip).

We're in Tampa, so we get a lot of rain, but the only time we had a problem was during hurricane Irma. With hours of driving rain, water began to get through the brick and under our floorboards and carpet on one side of the house.

This leads me to believe the renovators did not install proper flashing behind the brick before handing the new drywall (there also don't appear to be many weep holes, so there may never have been).

From doing research, it seems my options are a) remove all the drywall and install proper flashing and weep holes, or b) apply a sealant to the exterior brick.

So I really have two questions:
1) Which method of preventing future leaks is optimal (optimal in this case not meaning purely 'most effective,' but more like 'most effective for the effort' - removing all the drywall is a tall order, but if sealant is ultimately pointless, it would still be optimal)?
2) Who should I hire (if anyone) to do it? I'm not not handy, but this is kind of a big deal. If I'm going with sealing, for example, is there someone more qualified/specialized than a generic 'handyman?' My understanding is that it has to be done very thoroughly and correctly. When I looked at masons in my area, none of them seemed to offer that service.


texts: Minimum vertical pipe height under kitchen sink drain

texts:
Is there a minimum height that the pipe directly under the kitchen sink drain needs to be, before it bends (in my case to the left)?
Here is a picture of what I have (first image), and then a picture of what I want to do (second image).
I would like to make room to put a trash basket under the sink and I don't know if there are any negatives of shortening the vertical pipe height under the sink drain?


texts: Can a glazing guru confirm the requirement for safety glazing since there is no permanent barrier between the picture-single pane glass and the double door, approx. 4 inches between the doors jamb and the glass.. Can I use a film to add a layer of safety, rather than replacement of the entire glass? .. Built early 1970' s California


texts:
So the wedge shaped concrete pad thats right up against the house; April 17th, we're having air conditioning installed before it gets to hot out. According to the installer, the unit will fit on the pad, about 1 foot away from the water supply and electrical box.

He's ok with that (a professional Lennox dealer) and I want it on this side of the house as well because we have plans for a patio off of the back of the house. But, to give myself some peace of mind, can I square off the wedge shaped concrete with more concrete?

I'd like to build a form (make the wedge into a rectangle), go and score some quikcrete from Home Depot and pour it myself. 5-10 bags? Then they can put the unit closer to the left side of the window (and farther from the water / electric meter)

Do I need to tie it into the existing driveway / wedge? Wire mesh re-bar inside of the concrete or no?

The only load it'll have is the AC unit. Maybe I build a shed type enclosure over it and keep recycling inside of it (we keep our recycling outside)

Any suggestions? I have 2 weekends to accomplish this; and its hovering around 45 - 55 degrees right now. Not the optimal temperature to pour concrete, but its so little.


texts: My dishwasher suddenly stopped working, and I don’t know much about electricity. Any tips

texts:
Hello!
Recently our dishwasher stopped working in our apartment. The plug above it and the garbage disposal also stopped working, leading me to believe it’s a power issue. I followed the wires and they all three connect up into the same spot (attached picture). I’ve already called the landlord, but it’s marked as a low priority. Is there anything that I could possibly do to fix it by myself? I don’t know a lot about electricity, but I’m willing to try.

Anything look off to you about the picture, or just some general steps I can try to see if that will work?


texts: Is there a reason not to nail up drywall?

texts:
I have a bunch of drywall to put up. I am staring at a loaded 15-gauge framing nail gun, and a drill + a box of drywall screws, and boy oh boy does that nail gun look tempting.

When attaching to wooden studs, is there any reason not to just nail the drywall up, rather than using screws?


texts: I am replacing a bathroom window with one that is slightly bigger than the original.  I will need to trim the length of the existing wood siding a few inches to match the trim of the rest of the house but would like to do it in place.  I am worried about damaging the substrate if I use my skill saw.  Does anyone have a method for doing this safely?


texts: Door weatherstripping: is this slot a kerf or something else?

texts:
I recently moved to a new place, and the front door is a little drafty in parts. It looks like the previous owner put white EPDM rubber foam tape over a hard but flexible vinyl strip that was inserted by the side of the door stop.

In the second picture, I pulled that vinyl insert out. Is the slot it goes into a kerf for weatherstripping, like I can buy something like this from home depot https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-E-O-1-in-x-7-ft-White-Vinyl-Clad-Foam-Kerf-Door-Seal-DS7W-25/100205412 to replace it? Or is the slot something totally different, and that vinyl strip is not meant to be removed?

Wasn't really clear to me why the previous owner put foam tape on it instead of replacing it...the foam tape still leaves a gap and does nothing to stop the drafts.


texts: How to attach a monkey-bar/playground structure to the ground in my backyard?

texts:
I would like to build a monkey-bar/playground structure in my backyard. It's not your standard monkeybars, but I made a 3D visualization at staktrace.com/pub/structure.html if that helps. I'm planning to buy steel tubing (1.25" or 1.5" diameter) and getting a welder to assemble it. However I'm trying to figure out the best way to actually attach it to the ground.

My plan was to dig a 2.5' hole for each post, fill in 6" of gravel, put the post in on top, and pour concrete to fill the hole. After reading some of the info on this website I'm wondering if burying 2' of a 9' or 10' post is going to be enough. In terms of "load" on the structure it's going to need to hold maybe two people swinging around (let's say 500lbs). Also given that the posts are all going to be welded together using crossbars at the top I feel like it should be pretty stable already so I shouldn't have to go that deep.

Also I've never done stuff with concrete before so I have some general questions about that.

So my questions:

Given the nature and intended use of this structure, how much of the post should be buried if I want the "ceiling" bars to be 7' off the ground?
What diameter should the hole be?
Would it be better to weld the structure first and then attach it into the ground? Or install the posts first and then weld the rest of it to the posts?

Any other advice or recommendations are also welcome.

[Edited to add: in terms of weather, this is southern ontario so it has to deal with +30 to -30 degrees C and everything in between]


texts:
I have a faulty pull light switch from a house built in the 1970s.  When removing the casing i find 3 pairs of wires - please see picture.
This switch controls a light and also an extractor fan.  The replacement switch i purchased only has L1, L2 and Common terminals.  Can anybody please help me with how I can replace this switch?  Did I buy the wrong replacement switch or do I need to introduce some other connections before the new switch?


texts: What should I use to fill big gap around door frame?

texts:
A door was replaced (due to break in). The contractor insisted to go to a bigger size door. So we went from 32 to 36 inch (which is more widely available). Now I see a gap of near 1 inch between door frame and what appears to be the stud near the key hole. The door is screwed with some long screws into the frame.
Is this OK?
What do I do with the gap?
1- Fill with foam
2- Try to fit in with wood. What wood type will not cause expansion and deformation of frame of door?
3- ?
Also,
near the door step I see newly exposed vinyl flooring in bad shape (something was covering this portion up before). What do I use to cover it up?
Edit:
In retrospect that gap was a very bad thing. Exterior is Hardie plank and we needed a storm door to protect this door from the elements. That storm door cannot be screwed to Hardie, it needed a stud behind the exterior. So fill the gap with equivalent of stud before installing the door.


texts: Led 57884-4 one light socket dim's when the light is on

texts:
I have purchased led 57884-4.. It worked great for 3 months.. But since one week ago one of the leds doesn't 'light' up as it should.
I've tried changing the 'bulbs' but the problem persists on that one socket (so it's not the bulb's fault).

Does anyone have any idea?

EDIT
Yes sorry, I've included URLs - the images were too big
and no, I'm currently located in France.

http://grabilla.com/0a202-02a744c1-3c17-456b-851c-5a335fd314ae.html

http://grabilla.com/0a202-63a23c47-9521-4523-8aad-1899a9ecaad8.html

http://grabilla.com/0a202-a750860b-8b7c-4718-9d02-a554b6257f81.html


texts: Should I tie into the ERV or just vent outside to increase bathroom ventilation?

texts: Our bathroom currently only has an intake connected to the Energy recovery ventilation (ERV) to remove humidity, and it's completely inadequate even for a quick shower. Should I install an exhaust fan that just vents straight out the roof, or are there options for improving the effectiveness of the ERV system?


texts:
I've got a gas hob (valberg brand) running on a cylinder. The problem is that it has virtually no adjustability - when I turn the knob to make the flame smallest it barely reduces the flame at all. So it is impossible to simmer.
Is there a way to improve the range from biggest to smallest flame? I appreciate it is probably different for every hob, but maybe there are some generalities.


texts: How can I remove soap and toothbrush holders?

texts: What is the safest and least damaging way to remove existing soap and toothbrush holders from drywall? We would like to remove these holders because we do not use them. It seems the previous owner must have glued them to the wall and perhaps this is the proper convention. Is there a way to remove them without damaging the drywall terribly?


texts:
The hose spigot on my house leaks from the handle end, as you can see here:

When I took it apart, the lower washer looked intact:

However, I could not disassemble it any further to inspect the upper washer (which I assume is there, but who knows). It looks like the handle and the valve with the washer on it might be one piece (but, again, who knows).

The house is seventy years old, and I'm assuming the spigot is original. The questions are:

Repair or replace?
Either way, is this a reasonable DIY job for a plumbing novice?


texts: Reducing risks of interior brick wall insulation?

texts:
I was surprised to learn that that there are risks with insulating the interior walls in older all-brick houses - particularly in cold climates. This article outlines some of the issues:

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/insulating-old-brick-buildings

To summarize, the risks are:

Wooden joists sitting on (the now colder) brick will be wet from moist air condensing on the brick and the ends can rot
The inner layer (wythe) of brick will not be able to dry inwards. If the brick remains wet, it could fail (especially with freeze/thaw cycles)

These issues sound reasonable - however, articles refer to insulation in all-or-nothing terms. I'm wondering if there is some middle ground, to add some insulation to save some energy and increase comfort, without much risk of damaging the brick?

Could a vapour barrier be omitted, to allow for the brick to dry inwards?
Can a reduced level of insulation be used so the brick will still be warmed by the heat of the house?
Can walls have gaps in the insulation? e.g. leaving 12 inches at the top to warm the brick and help keep the joist ends dry?
Would techniques recommend for basement insulation be applicable? (e.g. use EPS or XPS board)

Any other safer options for interior insulation in an all-brick house?


texts: Correct way to orient laminate flooring planks?

texts:
We are installing laminate flooring in our house and are considering how best to orient the flooring planks. The flooring will be installed in the Living Room, Dining Room, hallway and 3 bedrooms. There will be transitions placed at the doorways to each bedroom off the hallway, but the Living Room/Dining Room/Hallway area will be one continuous lay.

In terms of which way to orient the flooring planks, we have seen conflicting recommendations. We've read that, generally speaking, the planks should be aligned along the long axis of the room. We've also seen advice that the planks should be placed parallel to light coming in through windows. Lastly, some say that planking should run down the long axis of the hallway.

Given the floorplan as laid out above, how should we proceed? Should we lay the planks in a north/south direction, as that is the long axis of the Living Room/Dining Room area (and natural light will also enter from the north and south)? If so, as the flooring runs into the east/west hallway, it will run perpendicular to the hallway's long axis, which I fear could make the hallway appear short and stubby and give it a "boardwalk" effect when looking down its length. Should we instead orient that entire area east/west instead?

Also, once we establish a plank orientation for the main Living Room/Dining Room/Hallway area, should the bedrooms conform to that orientation as well, or should each of the bedrooms be decided individually based upon its individual merits?


texts: How to make sure the toilet bowl won't break after abuse?

texts: Caught workers using the uninstalled toilet bowl I bought a week ago,  as a stepping stool.  I know that porcelain is fragile and deadly when they break under stress, how do i know that one is broken or safe?


texts: Hallway light with multiple switches doesn't always work

texts:
I have a light in the entry hallway that has four switches that can turn it on. Lately if I turn this light off using the upstairs switch, none of the others can turn it back on until I turn the upstairs one on again.

It does not happen when turning it on, or from any of the other switches.

Does this mean the upstairs switch should be replaced, or the other three?


texts:
So I recently installed 6 ceiling LED lights with a Lutron dimmer switch in the living room. The power for the lutron switch feeds another switch (non lutron)for an outside lamp just outside the front door.
I just found out that the outside lamp (non-led) would flicker anytime the living room lights are on.

Before this, I thought it could be a faulty bulb, but every bulb I tried did the same thing, though at a different rate. Then I thought it must have been the dawn sensor on the lamp, but replacing the lamp didn't solve the issue. SO now that I know what causes the issue, how do I fix it? and what is really happening?


texts: Why does my gas oven trip the GFCI when turned on after the clean cycle?

texts:
Maytag MGS5770ADW sn 27787501ZZ

After we run oven clean cycle, GFI outlet trips when oven is turned on.
This continues for several days and then problem goes away until next time oven is cleaned.

I recently replaced the igniter transformer for the stove top and one of the igniters for the  oven for other reasons. This has made no difference with the GFI tripping following the cleaning cycle.


texts: What kind of rivet is this on an Andersen storm door?

texts:
I need to move a hinge on an Andersen storm door and noticed that they had rivets - what kind of rivet is this?  They say the size is 3/16 X 9/32.  Is it a pop rivet or a blind rivet?  I don't know anything about rivets.

Here's a video https://youtu.be/rJP34RkoHe0?t=108
I'd like to just buy some rivets to move it rather than buying an entire hinge assembly.  If they are hard to get - is there a simpler replacement I can use?


texts:
I would like to build a desk and attach it to my wall like so:

I have a countertop surface that's about 6' long by 2' deep. It's pretty heavy. I would like to support it by mounting a 2x4 horizontally across the wall, and rest/mount the back edge of the countertop to that 2x4. I would also make some triangular supports, possibly out of 2x4's or plywood, and at the bottom of those supports have a second 2x4 mounted to the wall like the one at the top. Structurally, I'm sure the countertop and supports will be strong enough.
What I am concerned about is the amount of weight pulling out on the wall. We're going to have our kids at this desk for school, so they'll probably be leaning on it, sitting on it, and otherwise abusing the desk as you do as a kid.
How much weight can a standard wall support before it yanks the studs or starts bowing the wall out? 500lbs? 1000? I'm assuming that the further away from the wall this desk reaches the more twisting force it's going to put on the wall, but I'm not entirely sure.
I can't butt the desk up against the wall to the left, and there's no wall on the right.
Will a regular 2x4 wall support this kind of weight, or do I need some type of foot for it?


texts: Wiring a Tesla Powerwall into an Existing Solar Install

texts:
I've been looking at the cost and feasibility of augmenting my existing 5kWh solar install with battery-backed storage to shift usage of the solar power that I generate to more useful times of the day/night (because the electric company pays almost nothing for each kWh I export, so the less I can export and the more I can use internally, the better).

The Tesla Powerwall seems like a good option for this; I would either get one of the 10kWh units, or two and connect them together as shown on the site.

Anyways, my question relates to the wiring/installation of the Powerwall unit, and in particular this diagram:

So DC voltage goes from the solar panels to the Powerwall, which then passes it onto the inverter to be converted into AC.  That all seems fine, and tends to imply I can drop the Powerwall into my existing deployment simply by having the panels wired into the Powerwall instead of directly into my inverter (an SMA-5000TL).

However, I'm a bit perplexed in that the diagram also appears to show DC voltage feeding from the inverter to the Powerwall.  It seems like it's saying that  in addition to converting DC to AC a Powerwall-compatible inverter must also do the inverse process to satisfy some unstated requirement of the Powerwall.  Is that correct?

And if so, does it mean that the Powerwall is essentially incompatible with my existing inverter/solar deployment, and that I'd need to get a whole new inverter if I wanted to install a Powerwall?


texts: Water coming in through seam in bulkhead wall. How to fix?

texts:
There is a caulked seam where the bulkhead wall comes into contact with the foundation wall. It is raining outside and water is now coming in through the small cracks in this seam. It is causing the water to pool below and eventually come into the basement.

What is the best and most permanent way to fix this? I'm concerned if I use more caulking it will eventually crack again during freeze/thaw cycles.

Making matters worse, this is a new construction home that was built in 2017. Per the code in this town, a perimeter drain was installed. I am concerned this perimeter drain was not extended around the bulkhead. There is a lot of water currently pooling up around the bulkhead area outside.


texts: Looking for an alternative lightswitch, push button maybe?

texts:
I am going to mount a slate chalkboard on this rail. The slate is 60" which is the length of the rail as you see it.

As I get closer to the actual installation I am questioning my choice of dealing with the light switch. I was planning on cutting the slate to accommodate the toggle switch - cutting big enough holes that I could put the switch body on the front of the slate, with the plate over the top of it. The thing that is getting me nervous is that this requires removing a lot of material and I am concerned that this corner is going to break off when I drop the board into the rail.

The slate is estimated to weigh 65 lbs and dropping it into the slot is already going to be an adventure, I prefer to not have to worry about breaking this corner.

In terms of the holes I need to make, I am not concerned about precision. I will be able to make a perfect paper template to locate my holes exactly where I need them. For tools I have a set of diamond hole bits and I can handle an angle grinder.

The easiest thing that comes to my mind is drilling a little hole in the slate right where the switch pokes through (or two holes; to make one elongated hole) and use a toggle switch but that is going to look a bit strange because the switch won't stick out far enough to look normal.

Then I thought about those push-button dimmer switches - the ones that click for on/off and rotate for dim/bright. That one could be good because I can literally use whatever I want as the button.

I also thought about the old-school push-button because our house was built in like 1900-something and has a few of these these switches.

I am considering pulling the switch and covering the box; just using the pull cord on the ceiling fan. This is the way the house was wired when we got it. (Which is why you see the word BULB written on the wall - why do electricians think that's ok?)

But I thought I would ask you all if you have ideas.


texts: Replacing bath fan light heater - Existing Wire is (3) /2 cable

texts: Old fan light heater was on a triple switch where each function had its own switch. I am a amateur DIYer, have tried each and every way possible to wire it. I either get nothing or the switch is bypassed causing the fan to run continuously. Please Help!


texts: Is this a sign of arcing / fire / Bad Stuff?

texts:
Opened up a wall to plan some changes to electrical outlet locations, and found what looks to be charring on one of the cables.
It was stuck to the paper facing of the insulation. House is 20 years old, but I have no idea how long this has been like this. I haven't cut through the cable to see if individual wires are charred or otherwise damaged.
Is this evidence of charring / arcing / fire / other bad electrical stuff? This is a townhouse in northern Virginia.
EDIT, more info: No issues with the outlet previously. Usually had a laser printer and shredder plugged in. Back off the drywall that was over this cable looks normal, no nail holes.


texts: We have a fluorescent light mounted above the kitchen sink.  The on/off switch is on the light fixture and it's hard to reach.  Will a feed through on and off switch work with a fluorescent light?


texts:
My old air conditioner thermostat broke down, so I bought a new one. But when it arrived, I was horrified to discover that the terminal of the wires were not named the same.
Both thermostats have similar controls:

Temperature (wheel)
Fan controls: auto/cont on the old one; speed on the new one
Cool/Off/Heat

I have four wires coming out of the wall. In the old thermostat they were connected as follow:

Blue wire: R/1
Black wire: Y/6 :
Green-Yellow wire: W/7
Brown wire: G/8

In the new thermostat, I have the following terminals:
C, O, L, N, H, M, L

The old thermostat is a "T8376B1000 roca t40". The new one is a "dh 11.804".

I join some pictures:

The notice of the new one (don't have and don't find on the Internet the one for the old one)

The old one is below.

Does anyone know how to wire the new one? Are they compatible ?

Thank you, any help would be much appreciated.


texts: What is your best wire management solution for an entertainment system and a home office?

texts: What gadgets or devices have you used to help manage wires or cords at home for the entertainment system are and for the home office?


texts: CFM ratings of inline duct fans far exceed the ratings for their intended duct sizes. What are we to make of this when designing a system?

texts:
My garage is 25×29' with 10' ceilings, so 7250 cf. I'm hoping to be able to turn over the air every 3 minutes or so, so aiming at using 2 fans rated at a total of 2400cfm.

The fans I'd like to use are 10" and rated for 1200 cfm each. They attach to 10" ducts, which themselves are supposedly only capable of moving 325 cfm. The manufacturer has these fans being used in 10" ducts. They were made for them. My plans have been to have one 12" exhaust vent on the side of the building connected to a 5-10' section of 12" solid round pipe, which then connects to a wye that drops to 10" arms. From there, I'd have equal length 10" solid pipes connected to the inline fans, which in turn will have 24×24 registers to grab fumes, etc. from the ceiling.

Will this work ok? My guess is it may be loud and working harder than is good for it, especially at its highest speed. Any advice would be appreciated. Here's the fan for reference.


texts: Polystyrene or other foam instead of mineral wool in low pitch loft

texts:
Have a 1970's 3-bed detached house with quite a low pitch roof - thus making loft space and accessibility less than easy.

We are UK based.

We've got bare minimum insulation at present (seems to be 100mm rockwool/fibre wool) and we're starting to get a little condensation/mould on our master bedroom ceiling.

We've only lived here 2yrs, so slowly getting round to some jobs and this one is really getting my main mission.

We use the loft for some storage and would like to keep using it if at all possible.

I'd like to know if I can replace all the fibre wool with polystyrene or some other foam but also get the best insulation value at the same time.

I'm aware that thickness of material is going to be a factor but the fact it's a fairly low pitch roof (about 1m high) and we would like some storage I'd like to know if there is some fairly super-duper solution that's not very deep???

Can I put polystyrene sheets between the joists (directly in contact with the ceiling boards below)?

If I can then I guess I'd also need to put similar sheets at 90-degrees to cover the joists and bring the thickness up?

Would it be easier to use mineral wool between the joists and put polystyrene above?

The recommended thickness (UK 270mm) is essentially eating into loft storage space. If I have to lose storage space for a better insulated home then so be it.

Thank you all in advance!


texts: How do I get my garage door open without prying it with a hanger?

texts: I have a lift master and I programmed the remote and left it in my vehicle. I forgot to program the key pad and defaulted to factory settings. How do I get my garage door open with out prying it with a hanger? Is there master password? Or can I hotwire the outside control panel?


texts: How to stop bricks pushing out while drilling?

texts:
I need to add an extractor fan to our utility room so I started drilling a hole using a core drill bit from the inside to outside. Its a standard UK brick cavity wall, so brick > insulation > brick. I got through the inner brick wall no problem, but when I started going through the outer wall, rather than cutting the brick I actually ended up pushing the brick out slightly.

After going outside to check, I realised the mortar had vibrated out while drilling, so I re-pointed up and left it a week to dry. Tried again, being quite light on the pressure and same thing happened again. I'm about a third of the way through the second row of bricks.

What can I do to stop these bricks pushing out while I'm drilling the bore hole for the extractor fan?


texts: Can I replace my furnace's high limit switch with a comparable third-party part?

texts: I have an older Lennox furnace.  The high limit switch (#60T15,130F) has gone bad.  I haven't been able to find on-line this part number with the exact temp limit specs, and Lennox no longer carries this part either.  Do I have to use this particular limit switch, or can I replace it with something similar?


texts: In this scenario is my electrician giving good advice?

texts:
So I asked Why does my ceiling lights require some other outlet in the room to be turned on and off again before it works? a while ago, and the consensus was that my electrics were arcing and that I should check with an electrician.

Well, I have done that and he told me to try swapping our energy saving light bulbs with regular ones and to see what happens.  Once I did this the lights worked as normal (switch them on they come on, off and they go off - no need to turn on any other electrical appliance).

He also made a survey of my house and what he said was that we simply need to replace one switch (a dimmer that makes a buzzing sound that he thinks is dangerous) and to replace the fuse box (which he estimates to be about 30 years old).

As you can tell, I know nothing about electrics, so does this seem reasonable?  Would changing the fuse box mean that I can use energy saving bulbs again?


texts: Why does my shower diverter allow water to flow to the tub spout?

texts:
I'm having a plumbing issue somewhat different from most I see posted.  When I run the bath faucet, the diverter works fine and there is no leaking from the showerhead.  However, when I run the shower, there is significant water flow from the bath spigot.  For some reason it's worst (almost full flow) when the diverter is turned all the way to the shower side, but I can reduce it a little by setting the diverter back, to maybe two thirds of the way between bath and shower (if I move any further there is insufficient water from the showerhead).  Anyone see this as well?  Is it simply a case of replacing the diverter (which I've done before, when I couldn't switch flow at all) or something else?

Edit: This is a new issue, it just started in the last week or so. I replaced the diverter a couple of years ago. Since posting earlier today, I removed the diverter to have a look. Everything looks fine with the diverter, but the problem may be in the actual mixing valve that the diverter fits into. There seems to be a rubber lining of some kind in the valve (not sure what function it serves) that has a tear or hole in it. Any idea what that is? Now the rubber seems to be preventing the diverter from fitting tightly into the valve again. Thanks for any ideas anyone has.


texts: How to repair subfloor softened by water damage

texts:
My kitchen floor has developed a soft spot in front of the sink.  While we have no water leak at this time a few years ago the dishwasher leaked a bit of water on the floor because of a bladder crack.  I am not sure of what to do but was looking for some ideas.

I thought about going under the floor and placing a piece of plywood over the spot secured with liquid nails but I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions on how best to make a repair without having to replace the whole floor.  Also, if my idea is a good one how do I prop or secure the plywood in place until the liquid nails dries.

Thank you in advance for any help provided.


texts:
Hi, my garage door doesn’t seem to close all the way by a 2-4 inches.  I just had the garage remodeled and wanted to see how I can fix this before dirt starts going inside the garage.  I thought I’ll ask here if anyone had this issue and how would you recommend to fix it before I call a garage repairman.

Thanks

Thank you all. The remodel work did not include touching the garage door, this must have been done by the previous owner. I’ll work on adjusting the latches later this week as it’s clearly higher than it should be. However, even pushing the door down with my leg as if the latches were higher, I have noticed that the right side still remains open and doesn’t close all the way. It appears the blocker/item on the top right is preventing the door from closing all the way. Does anyone have any idea on what purpose that metal thing serves and if I can unscrew it and take it out.


texts:
Not 100% sure if these are elongated or round seats. (I don't have physical access to verify.)

Exhibit A

Exhibit B


texts: How do you remove a stuck glass door knob?

texts:
I have an antique glass door knob I am trying to remove.
I have removed the screw at the base of the door knob and have tried to unscrew the door knob.  It is stuck.  I have tried spraying WD40 to loosen it up, but that didn't work.  Don't care if I have to break the door knob.  It is being replaced.
Any help would be great.
Thank you./


texts: Please help stock literally screw stuck in wall

texts: Hello I purchased the wall unit and it was free-floating I had to mounted on the wall I don't like the unit so I took it down there was seven screws that went very deep into the wall I took out six of them one is stuck in there I cannot get it out I've used electric drill I've used hammer and pliers I do use needle nose pliers and twist I have been the bar up and back to try to loosen the screw I believe I've done maybe 2 1/2 rotations to the left for it to come off the wall I have to get this screw out of the wall so I could take care of the damage that he already has made I have been the bar which I don't want to do because I'm trying to resell this piece can someone please help me tell me what I should do nothings working. Desperate on the lake DVA


texts: Is it sufficient to ground to a box using the NM clamp?

texts:
Is it NEC compliant to wrap the ground wire from a 14-2 around the sheathing and then clamp it using the NM clamp in a metal junction box?  I live in a house built in the 60s and I see that a lot but I don't know if that's sufficient for grounding.

There are two use cases in particular that I'm curious about for this style of grounding.

The first use case is receptacles.  Say you have an incoming and outgoing cable both with the grounds wrapped and clamped, then the receptacle is attached to the box with a ground screw (e.g. not spliced to the incoming/outgoing grounds).  Is everything grounded properly or does the receptacle need to be spliced together with the ground wires directly?

The second is lighting.  Basically the same question; if the cable grounds are wrapped and clamped, can the light be grounded directly to the box or does it need to be spliced with the ground wires directly?

In either case, if you splice the grounds do you also need to have a connection to the box?


texts: How do I join two cables outside so that they're safe and kept dry?

texts: I have a new pond with a pump but the cable on the pump is far too short. I have some similar cable which will do the job to extend the length. My only concern is the junction outside. I need to make it dry and safe. What recommendations do people have? Can you buy a junction box that is suitable for outside use? If this helps I live in the UK.


texts: Looking for thin internal wall insulation for solid brick wall

texts:
My solid brick 1800s house in south Britain, it is semi detached. I am considering internal insulating some of the walls on the detached size to reduce heat loss a little. The idea would be to simply attach something to the plaster walls, possibly plasterboard over and adjust the skirting board, electrical sockets accordingly

I don't want to lose much space so what is an effective thin material I can use. I'm happy to pay more for a more expensive material to reduce the thickness required.


texts: Deck joist cantilever distance with multiple intermediate supports

texts:
Summary: Looking for advice on allowed cantilever length for a multiply-supported joist.

As described in Deck Magazine (which cites the American Wood Council's construction guide) there are limits to how far a deck joist (also beams) can cantilever.

The typical / simple case is shown in the first diagram. The cantilever can't exceed 1/4th of the joist span:

I'm looking for advice on interpreting this rule in the situation where the joist runs of a series of intermediate supports. I've hacked up their diagram to illustrate this:

So in this drawing the the joist is continuous for distance L which could be potentially much longer than what would be feasible in the first diagram. And though this diagram only shows one intermediate support 'B' but you could imagine there being several.

But is the 'L' in the second diagram accurate? (Allowed?)

My assumption here is that one reason for the L/4 rule is to prevent a 'seesaw' effect. So using intermediate supports to increase L would still prevent this. But there could be other considerations I'm not thinking of...

(Note - I'm aware that the local code official will have their own point of view.)


texts: Are there 2 ways to wire a ceiling light?

texts:
I went to replace a (two wire) spring driven timer with a (four wire) digital timer, but found only two wires (and a bare ground) in the switch box.  I'm guessing the cable from the circuit breaker runs to the box at the light (as opposed to the switch box), then a side cable runs down to the switch box.  Regardless, I replaced it with another spring driven.

What factors determine whether the cable from the breaker gets run to the switch box or to the light box?


texts: How can I adjust the operational tension of a Delta shower faucet?

texts: My Delta Monitor 1300/1400 series faucet was repaired by a neighbor because it dripped from the shower head. Now it works and there is no leak but it's waaaay too easy to push. Like you touch it with slight pressure and it flies over to the hot or cold whichever way you touch it.


texts:
My wife and I were able to get an Ikea Stora Loft bed for my 2 year old son for free.  We thought it was a bunk bed and that it was dark brown, but it turns out its a bed on stilts and is black.  I like the size of the bed for him and the fact it has railings, so i told my wife I would try to make it work.

I need to do two things to get it to work:
1. Cut the legs to make the bed regular or lower than regular height.
2. Paint the bed an espresso brown

Cutting the legs wont be a problem, I dont think.  Just take off enough to have it sit at the height we want and put the pin in the bottom, even though it will be going on carpet

For painting, should I sand off the old paint first? It looks like its made out of pine. All websites say to use primer and just paint over it.  I have an orbital sander and its not a heavy coat of paint. Should I sand, prime and repaint?  Priming and painting over the original paint will save time, but I'd like it to last.

I plan on using a foam roller to paint, just need to know what primer/paint I need to get.


texts: How to best clean the inlet vent screen on a microhood?

texts: Over the years, my microhood has developed a greasy buildup in the inlet vent screens on the underside of the microhood.  They're an aluminum mesh that comes out easily with a label near it saying not to use harsh chemicals or excessive water.  The verbiage stops short of recommending the best way to clean them.


texts: Can I use wood to build my apt or do I have to use drywall?

texts:
I am building a small loft style apt for my wife and me in Illinois. The building is a rezoned factory with apartments in it. I'm going to pick a wing and build a place for us to stay 'till our house is done.

I want to use 1/4 inch plywood as my main wall - burned stained and cleared looks very nice. I saw it somewhere else and would like to do it, kinda gives the room a rustic cabin look.

Do I have to use drywall on the inside walls or can I use wood paneling for the walls?


texts: Using Power Curtailment Terminals on a Carrier Heat Pump to Shed Heatpump

texts:
I am considering installing a Generac 22kW whole house generator and automatic transfer switch.  The transfer switch is designed to shed the Carrier Infinity heat pump if the start up load is more then the generator can handle. When power curtailment is in use, a "Curtailment Active" message is displayed on the controller screen.

Normally, the automatic transfer box is wired to the thermostat (controller) to shed the heat pump however, the dealer who installed the heat pump is adamant the Carrier Infinity controller should NOT be rewired to accommodate the generator "shed" feature. He feels doing so could disrupt data storage information.

Carrier Infinity heat pump components are controlled through a wall mounted Infinity Control.  The control replaces the conventional thermostat and provides a single wall control for controlling all features and system settings including cooling temperature, heat temperature, humidity, multi stage compressor settings, etc.

The Carrier Infinity controller on my heat pump also stores 27 different codes to identify faults with the system over time. The controller communicates operating conditions and other data that is passed continually between the various components over the ABCD bus. All Infinity fan coils are variable speed and the compressor is multi stage.

Approximately two years ago, the utility company discontinued the curtailment program, so the terminals on the compressor control board are no longer in use.

If the Generac automatic transfer switch uses a NC relay and I believe it does, it seems to me I could use terminals R and Y2 located on control board to shed the heat pump just as Carrier intended the terminals to be used by the power company.

Do you think it would be appropriate to use the two curtailment terminals on the compressor control board to shed the compressor?  Using these terminals would not shed the air handler blower motor.


texts: Replace buried polybutelyne/Qest with Pex

texts:
Would it be possible to somehow replace buried polybutelyne/Qest with Pex without having to dig?

It would be amazing if I could connect the old Qest to the Pex and pull it through into the house. I would have to loosen the slab around the Qest where it came through the cement but would it be possible?

Is something like this possible for residential use?
https://www.pollardwater.com/pages_product/WW50050.asp

I really don't want to dig up a section of our interior slab just to lay this new pipe.

This is related to this question: Can I avoid the slab and run the new PEX through walls and interstitial space?


texts: Proper R-Value/insulation type for between living space and attic area above garage?

texts:
My house has an unfinished attic area about the garage.  This is on the same level as the upper floor of the house.  The wall towards the living space is adjacent to a bedroom, the upstairs hall, and the stairs going up.  The interior gets very cold in the winter in this area so I'm hoping to improve the insulation.  There is some existing insulation but it looks like someone took some scraps and jammed it in between the studs rather than doing a quality job.

Everything I've seen with regard to R-Value for insulation refers to either walls facing the outdoors or attic floors.  What is the proper R-Value for this scenario?

Any special considerations regarding type of insulation or features for this scenario?

I'm in the US in NJ in zone 5.