texts: How to level sloped concrete ceiling, and is it worth it?

texts:
I want to remove popcorn ceiling in a 7' by 14' room and turn it into a smooth ceiling. I have just built this room. The walls are not yet painted, so now is a good time to do the ceiling.

I know how to remove popcorn by spraying it wet and scraping.

The question is what to do after the ceiling has been scraped. It is poured concrete, with some visible depressions, hard to say how deep, probably 1/2". The ceiling also has a tilt to it. It is most pronounced along the shorter 7' wall with about 2" drop.

Now if I were to go for a level ceiling, that would require a lot of compound to fill that slope. Just to estimate (assuming the slope does not run the entire length of 14' but only half), 7' x 7' x 1" = 49 sq ft. x 1" = 4 cubic ft = 30 gallons of mud. That is a sizable amount of mud to buy, mix, and apply.

Is it actually worth being a perfectionist here? Can I get away with simply smoothing out the ceiling, hiding most noticeable blemishes and leaving the slope as-is?

Either way, what compound should I use, and what is the recommended way of applying and smoothing it?

Edit: Thank you for your answers. Both provide great info, I just wish I could mark both as "the answer". Quick update: scraped popcorn last night. It was quite easy (not nearly as difficult as some DIY articles lead me to believe). After hearing opinions here, definitely not going to level the ceiling. I bought this type of compound for the job.

I have an assortment of drywall knives. Which knife should I use? What primer should I use? Once sanded smooth, should I paint the ceiling -- if so, what type of paint should I use?


texts: Why is my dishwasher causing the dishes to have an odor?

texts: I have a GE Profile Triton XL dishwasher and the dishes come out clean but have an odor to them, it's a metallic/sour smell.  Any idea on the proper way to clean it?  There is no built in clean cycle.  There's no food trap either (as far as I can tell).


texts: Help name or identify tap valve without rubber.

texts:
I have a leaking shower at home and decided to try and fix it today. When I opened the tap I found a small metal valve with no rubber on it at all. Instead it had a metal ridge around the edge. The seat has a corresponding ring so I assume it's supposed to be this way. Both hot and cold were the same.

It's smaller than the standard valves I have in other taps around the house. It might be the smaller standard that you see in basin sometimes but I didn't have a small one to compare.

I've never seen anything like this before.

What's it called?
If there is no rubber that is degrading, why is it leaking?
Will it be easy to buy a replacement at the hardware store?


texts: Best way to convert all lights on one switch, to one switch per room

texts:
I’m about to tackle refinishing some parts of my basement.
When you walk down the stairs, there’s one switch that controls all the lights; I’d like to convert that to one switch per room.
Is it code-ok to run some romex to a switch from the light, leaving them all on the same circuit?

Thanks!
EDIT:
Right, here's the current floor plan w/wiring.

I was thinking I could:

bypass the current switch that controls them all (by tying white and black wires in that box at the base of the stairs; this would save me some time, where I can reuse the wire that currently runs the length of the basement).
use the now-hot source to wire a single-pole switch in each room, taking some 14-3 from the existing ceiling boxes down to each switch. (14-3 instead of 14-2 because of the capped-off neutral requirement 2011 NEC). Like so:


texts: Gfci supplies a dock keeps tripping and can't be reset only replaced

texts: I have educated myself about gfci's although I am a diy'er. My gfci has my dock plugged into it. About once a year it trips and can't be reset only replaced. All outlets on the dock are weather proof. I am trying to find out if I need to rewire the dock or if the supply to the gfci can cause the tripping. This is a critical issue I need to resolve as I understand the implications of swimming near the dock if electrified. Again, I'm concerned that if I replace the dock wiring and the supply to the  gfci is causing the tripping then I have to replace the supply side, not an easy task.


texts:
If the attic door panel has a locking machanism and the pull chain has been pulled off, is there anyway to get the door open without damaging or replacing the door?

The 3 dots on the left side are the lock, and the hole to the right of those 3 dots is where the pull chain was.


texts: Simple rail & hooks solution to attach a bin to the inside of a cupboard

texts:
I want to attach our bin (trash can, for the US readers), which is basically a plastic rectangle, to the inside of the door of one of the cupboards in our kitchen.  The bin will need to be removed for cleaning, so I can't attach it directly - it needs to hang on something.

So, I'll permanently attach some hooks to the side of the bin, and permanently attach something for these hooks to hook onto, on the inside of the cupboard door, such as a rail or some brackets or something similar (or perhaps vice versa).

I'd like the hooks to be thin, so as to not have (or minimise) the gap between the door and the bin, but still strong so that they don't bend over time, so probably steel.

I'd have thought that these hooks and brackets would be easy to source but I'm having trouble finding them on DIY stores' websites, which are returning coathooks and the like.

Is there a name for what i'm looking for, which would help me find it?


texts: Insulation and vapor barriers behind Corian/Greenboard shower walls

texts:
I've got a small bathroom that I am working on repairing/refinishing.

I've removed the existing (leaky) shower and base and am replacing them with Corian-like materials (Kohler's Choreograph for the walls and Avonite for the base).

One wall is on an exterior wall of the house. The other is indoors facing the living room.

The insulation I'd like to install (UltraTouch Denim) is unfaced. Do I need to put some poly up to serve as a vapor barrier behind the Greenboard that is going to go behind the walls, or is the Greenboard/Choreograph going to combine with it to form a moisture sandwich?

I'm in Southern Wisconsin, so we get cold winters and hot, humid summers (though I suppose the shower will provide more moisture than anything.


texts:
I have a Kenmore Oven (gas, slide in) which has decided not to light - somewhat erratically.

Model # 362 73424200

When I turn the oven on, I can see the glow plug is getting hot, and I occasionally smell a little gas, but the gas never actually ignites and so the oven stays cold.

The gas does not keep running - it shuts itself off pretty quickly when it fails to light, or so it seems.

But this isn't happening all the time - one day it didn't work, the next it did, and then the next it didn't.

The gas flow seems ok - the burners all light - and as stated, the glow plug is getting hot - it's bright orange when I check it.

I'm thinking possibly a solenoid or a thermal coupler - any other possible causes?  And how do I get at the possible bad parts in order to replace them?


texts: In order to repair these do I need to use primer and paint?

texts:
I am in the middle of repairing these cracks. As you can see I have worked on the two on the sides, but I am not really happy with the result I am getting so far. I used 3M fiber enhanced compound as it seemed to be the most rookie-friendly product I could find. But it is kind of hard to sand down. And I am not sure it is the best thing for crack repairs, so I haven't applied it on the middle crack, which also happens to be the largest one. I just stuck a length of mesh tape on there.

I'd like to avoid repainting the wall if possible. So my questions are: should I change to a better compound for the middle crack? Anything I should pay attention to? Do I need to use primer and paint after compound or is there a way I can avoid repainting while still get a fairly uniform and consistent result?


texts: Power plug will not go inside the power socket!

texts:
I have couple of sockets I added through my electrician sometimes back. Now when I plug microwave or coffee maker, it plug would just not go in!
I don’t want to put extraordinary force for fear of breaking it or I should just force it in?
Is it because this is new, not used? How can I make the plug go in without breaking it?


texts: Tips to find where sump pump is discharging

texts:
While investigating another question, I began to suspect that my sump pump is not discharging far enough away. There are four pipes coming to the sump pit. After a heavy rain stopped, the one from the same side as the discharge would continue to drain for a day or so into the sump pit while other pipes pretty much dried.
Is there a way I can try first before digging (which would likely require removing brick pavers)? I read about dyed water for troubleshooting septic systems. Would that be a suitable approach? Anything in particular to use?
[UPDATE] I tried pouring 10+ gallon of water with tracer dyes into the sump pit, but I cannot see anywhere outside getting wet...


texts: Do wires and electical boxes need to be protected on the un-finished side of basement?

texts: I'm considering drywall cover some part of the wood frame on the unfinished side of the basement. The wires and electrical boxes are exposed as in the picture. Not sure if it is necessary.  I would appreciate your advice...


texts: Are Florida, USA, roofing contractors required to have permission from everyone listed on the deed

texts:
My father wants a new roof. My mother is living out of state. They both are listed as owners on their deed. The roofing contractor(s) told him that he'd either have to get her to sign the documents, or get power of attorney and sign in her stead.

Is this actually the case in Florida? Is this the case elsewhere in the U.S.?


texts: Which way should air flow through this oil/water filter

texts: So, I picked up an oil/water filter for painting with my compressor. Unfortunately, the thing had zilch for instructions, and I'm not sure which way the air should flow. Which side (male threaded side or female threaded side) should be connected to the compressor, and which should be connected to the tool?


texts: We recently purchased an older home (1943) I need to replace the old baseboard register. They had a 24inch baseboard register and upon taking it off and measuring the vent opening is only 15inches. Do i need to replace with a 15inch baseboard register or is replacing with a 24in fine? The only problem with buying a 15 inch is I will have spots with no trim and won't be able to match the existing trim.


texts: which layer of rigid foam should i caulk when insulating rim joist?

texts:
I am insulating my rim joists with rigid foam board in a manner similar to that described on the familyhandyman's website.

I am considering adding a second layer of foam board to get closer to the neighborhood of R20, which I've seen recommended for rim joists.  I am wondering where would be best to caulk - after the first layer, second layer, or both?

Given that the caulk's purpose is to stop air flow, it would seem unnecessary to have two layers of it, but I am including "both" as an option in case you want to argue for it.

I can't really think of a difference between applying after the first layer of insulation or the second...can you?


texts:
I have had this happen to me on a few closet doors I am installing. I needed to trim just a quarter inch off and I properly measure and set a straight edge before cutting. When cutting I am perfectly aligned with my measurements the entire way, but once I stand up the door the top is very wavy. So far this isn't an issue because I have trim hiding the tops, but on the next door you will be able to see the top. So I want to figure this out.

I haven't ever had issues cutting straight lines in plywood, it just seems with doors. Could it be a bent blade? I checked and it seems like my blade is square to the saw and I don't think it is a dull blade. Any suggestions?


texts: how much weight will a 1.5" long wood screw support when screwed into stud?

texts:
I'm looking to minimize how much my wall-mounted TV protrudes out of the wall by recessing the wall plate of the mount. The latter is going to be secured by 4 wood screws into 2x4 studs sitting 16" apart - in a square pattern across 2 studs. I'd like to "shave" the studs but don't know how much stud depth is required - in other words how long a wood screw I should use. Will 1.5" long screw be sufficient, for example? And so the stud should be slightly deeper - say 1.75"?

The TV + mount ~ 110LBS; the mount specs can be found here


texts: Correct Sealant / Caulk for fixing LED Down Light

texts:
I have recently had LED down lights installed in my ceiling.
In strong winds I am finding some granulated loft insulation is blown through around the light fixings.
I would like to seal around them - what should i use to do this?

Silicone would be hard to paint. Would decorators Caulk "stick"?  any advice appreciated i am in UK.


texts: How do I patch a medium size hole so that I can install a baby gate securely?

texts: Long story short, 2 holes became 1! I'm trying to patch a medium/large hole so that I can put a baby gate up but it's not working with just spackling! I've tried securing a board over it but it's effecting the use of the gate so I now have to remove the board. What else can I use to patch the wall and make the gate secure? HELP!


texts:
Our kitchen floor is very warm.  We don't have in-floor heating and we hear the quiet hiss of running water all the time.  My fear is that a pipe has ruptured under the house and is slowly leaking hot water.  The foundation around the kitchen is dry, however, and there is no indication of a leak anywhere in the house.

Location is the Phoenix area of Arizona, USA.

What could this be?


texts: Bought my house in 2018. The beam in crawlspace is supported with some rusted plates on top of concrete, possibly to fix sagging over the years. My floor feels bouncy and I believe I should have better support to reduce the bounce. Could you please advise what to replace the plates with.


texts: Wooden deck butting up to retaining wall not square

texts:
My husband built a deck from our house out toward our retaining wall.  The wall is not square with the house.
We are on a budget and want to make this aesthetically pleasing now, and will redo the retaining wall later.  Looking for some inexpensive ideas for covering the gap between the last deck board closest to the wall and the wall itself.  Virtually covering the hole between the deck and the wall and attempting to make it appear square. Thought about building a box up from the deck and half a foot over the flowerbed, to mask the uneven wall.  Would like to keep the flowerbeds but get rid of the rotten boards on the wall. Any other ideas?  Thanks in advance.


texts: Which varnish to choose for a first time job (desk)?

texts:
I am building desks for my children: a wooden slab on a standing desk frame.
The wooden slab is 160 x 80 x 2 cm and is made of smaller pieces of oak (probably) glued together. They form a nice flat and smooth surface (I can swipe my hand on it slightly, there may be very small shards)

I want to varnish it but this is the first time I am going to do it. So my constraints are:

the work will be done on-site in the room where the desk will stand afterwards
I am an unexperienced DIY-selfer (but willing to learn). This is to say that I am looking for more forgiving solutions
this is intended to be a desk for teenagers, so for books, copybooks, writing, computer etc. → it does not need to be industrial-grade resistant but smooth and still relatively protected

I am now faced with the choice of the varnish. When reading about them, I see that there are three categories of finish : brilliant, satin, mat. It seems that brilliant is the most resistant one.
There is also the problem of the solvants: water and white-spirit based - this is what I saw in France. This OldHouse video (US) mentions another one based off polyurethane. This video (linked to the moment where this is presented) also mentions "lacquer" - whihc does not translate to anything I saw in France.
My main problem is that all these information are complete (even over-complete) but do not address my context: a working desk (or a dinner table - the kind of table where you do everyday things)
EDIT: I also saw that everyone uses a brush, while in the shop I went to a roll is suggested all the time.
FINAL EDIT (for those who may have the same concerns as I had)
I went for a water-based varnish. It has a pseudoplastic behaviour which frankly is more annoying in that case than anything else. It may be useful when varnishing a ceiling (I am not sure this exists at all, but anyway).
I used a 11 cm foam roll. I was at the limit of slipping (as opposed to rolling) so if the surface was smaller (as it was on the edges) I would have had a problem.
I made three layers, grinding first with a 200 paper (I am not sure if this is universal - it is a fine-grained paper, but you still feel the grains). The last two layers were ground with a 500 paper (it feel rather smooth). This includes the last layer - I was wondering whether to leave it as it or to work the sandpaper on it and I finally did. That was the right decision, the surface is very smooth now.
Final effect below, if my children do not get excellent marks this year I would really not understand why :)


texts: Which type of paint for a surface with slight imperfections?

texts:
Hi guys I'm planning on repainting my door its plan but it's slightly textured from previous paint I was wondering whether I would need to use a primer on this door and which type of paint ?
As I've been searching around the consensus is not to use oil based paint any suggestions much welcomed


texts: Add drain line to existing Island fixture vent?

texts:
In CA, would code allow for a drain line to be tied into the vent line shown at the location of the red arrow below?

Single family home.

Happy to draw a picture of where that vent lines goes, if that makes a difference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_fixture_vent


texts: Replacing subpanel that was fed with 3 wires

texts:
A contractor replaced my subpanel with a new one, and will come back for other work and inspection. (Old subpanel is Federal Pacific.) My home is in California, built in early 1980s. The subpanel is in the attached garage, feeding everything in my home except AC.
I noticed that my subpanel is fed with 3 wires (hot, hot, neutral).

Does this mean my home is not properly grounded?
Is it a code violation to replace the subpanel without fixing grounding?
The contractor recommended connecting subpanel to a new ground rod without adding a 4th wire. That appears like a bad idea based on another question on this site. What's the right way to fix this?
When I put a voltage meter between hot and ground bar of the new subpanel, it shows approximately 120V. Is that expected when the panel is not connected to ground feed? How do I verify that ground and neutral are not accidentally bonded in the subpanel?

Photos of the inside after replacement: (In the photo, breaker is not properly set up for MWBC. That will be fixed. Please ignore.)


texts:
We would like to put in a fence rail across an existing deck with 2x6" deck boards, with a gate.

This is to act as a passageway from the door to the steps to direct dogs out of the house to the yard in order to prevent the dogs from accessing the rest of the deck without permission.

It is about a 10 ft span and is not intended to act as outside railing at all but would like it to appear to be the same as the deck edge railings.

What brackets could be used that would not have attachment flanges outside the perimeter of the posts.


texts: How can we prepare a nicotine stained room for painting without dangerous chemicals?

texts:
We need something that will completely cover up nicotine stains. The previous owner smoked in the house for probably 30-40 years before we bought it. The walls in the living room are severely stained. They are supposed to be white but appear more yellow than white

We initially bought a large amount of white paint at a cheaper price to paint every room in the house to just get fresh coats on the walls and decided we would add color to each room as we had the time/money. We thought this would be a good way to have everything fresh, and we got white ceiling paint as well.

However, when we painted in the dining rom and bathroom, nicotine began oozing out I a bubble like manner.

I realize I need to do something to deal with the staining before I paint again. Is there something out there better or safer than Kilz? I have a young child and don't want toxins in the house. Are there organic products that will solve this, but that do not contain VOCs or other dangerous substances?


texts: Passing a generator extention through a wall for use in a power outage

texts:
When the power goes out and I use my generator I am currently running an extension cord through a cracked door from the garage into the house, down the basement stairs and to my sump pump (which is all that I'm concerned about during a storm, when the power usually goes out.)

What I would like to do is somehow run an extension cord to the interior garage wall, plug it into something that passes through the wall into the basement, where I would have another extension cord already plugged in that runs to the sump pump area where I can just unplug the sump pump from the wall, and plug it into the extension to the generator.

I don't want to wire an inlet to the breaker box and power the whole house, just a line to the sump pump where I can unplug and re-plug as needed. Also, backfeeding and suicide cords are ABSOLUTELY out of the question.

Am I making sense in my explanation? Basically I want a self-contained wall plug that is male on one side that I plug the extension cord from the generator into the wall (garage side) and female on the other (basement) side of the wall that I plug an extension cord into that runs to the sump pump area.

I've seen people suggest just drilling a hole into the wall, sticking a PVC pipe through and just cap the ends when not physically passing a full extension cord directly through a hole in the wall. I don't like that idea. I prefer having a plug on each side of the wall to plug into. Not sure what parts I'd be looking for or whether this is something that would violate electrical codes. I can visualize what I want to do, but I have no idea what the parts would be called or what to look for at the hardware store.

I'm a computer guy, not a tradesman, so I'm not overly handy in this area, but I'm confident I can work it out with just a little guidance. Any suggestions from professionals who know better would be awesome.

Thanks!!!


texts: How can I install a cable jack without a box?

texts:
I recently had our drywall replaced due to flooding. Our coax cables are now just hanging out of the new wall and I need to install cable jacks.

Is there a way I can mount the coax wall plates to the drywall without an electric box in the wall? I'd rather not cut the drywall if I don't have to. I don't seem to remember the cable company ever doing that either. I've found a few articles mentioning television jack mounting brackets but the local home stores don't seem to have those.

Any tips?!


texts: How to find a shear force and bending moment on a slab,beam and column?

texts: I have no idea about shear force that how can i used it.also confused about bending moment when i try to  construct slab or beam


texts: How can I T splice a 120V line in a lighting fixture?

texts:
I'm designing a recessed lighting fixture and would like to T splice some of the wires in it. The wires are 14AWG, will carry up to 4AMP and I'm looking to make an elegant connection so that it fits into the thin enclosing.

Is it ok to use a T-Splicing of this kind, and cover the splice with liquid tape or plain electrical tape? The splice will be at the top of the lighting fixture, but may get some dust as a result of not being covered, but rather being in a channel.


texts:
I Swapped Halogen bulbs to LED without bypassing the ballast, which I  later found out i was supposed to do.
The LED's did not work and when I placed the halogen bulbs back into the sockets, only one out of 3 now works.
The light bulbs are 13w 4 Pin 827 (2700k) G24q-1
What is the problem and how to fix it?
Thank you


texts: HELP: 4-stroke engine oil mixed with gas in 2 stroke engine

texts:
I accidentally poured Briggs and Stratton SAE 30, 4 stroke engine oil into my 2-stroke snow-blower (note: in the right gas-oil proportion of 40-1). It starts and runs well; however, it seems to be giving out white smoke.

Questions:

Will it cause any permanent damage? If so, where is the damage (engine, spark-plug, gas-tank, carburetor)?
Should I siphon the gas-oil mix right away, OR should I run the engine dry by running it continuously OR should I use my snow-blower as usual until the gas tank empties? I.e. what is the best corrective action?


texts:
Is there a standard height from floor to ceiling. I want to install some false ceiling (plaster board) ...

I seem to remember there was a standard but i don't remember it

Any help really appreciated


texts: Splicing new wire into existing home wiring

texts: I want to replace the receptacles in my home and when I removed some old receptacles I noticed that many of the wires are very short making replacing the receptacles quite difficult as most of the wires don't reach out of their respective receptacle box. Is there anything wrong, code or otherwise, with connecting new 12 gauge wire (color coded to match existing wire color) to the receptacles and splicing that in to the home wiring with push in connectors? Thank you.


texts: Forced air furnace filter gets wet with water while A/C is ON

texts:
Noticed lately when it has been extremely hot, and my air conditioner is constantly turned on, that my furnace filter get soaked wet.  Took it out , opened the furnace door to check, but there was no water on the inside of the furnace floor, but only in the slot where the furnace filter slides in.   Have been drying the filter (aftre shutting the system off) and reusing it.   A/C works fine, with super cold air.
Any help is appreciated.


texts: Is it a violation of NEC code to install a receptacle horizontally and 3/4" from face of a stud?

texts:
A wall has been framed out to mount a touch screen computer monitor. Once the 1/4" drywall is installed, the monitor will be placed into this cavity and plugged into said receptacle.

Question

Does the receptacle shown in the pictures below meet NEC code? If not, whats is the proper way to install the receptacle in recessed stud framing?


texts: What type of saw to use on a wall of windows, removing glass but keeping wood framing

texts:
1950s home has a wall of windows, was initially exterior now within an addition added before we bought the house. We want to remove the windows but keep the look. I started the project, then testing of adhesive around the windows says there is asbestos in it. The adhesive is very thick and hard, so getting windows out does produce dust.
If I go forward, seems my choices are:
a) have an abatement company take the entire wall of material away, then pay a carpenter to recreate the look without windows.
b) remove windows only, then trim in the surfaces where adhesive remains.
c) remove windows only, then slice the outer portion of the framing so that adhesive can be completely disposed of.
My question pertains to option c. The wood framing is 2-1/4 x 1-5/8 from the window surface. What type of saw would make this job possible? Or is it nearly impossible?


texts: Hi my old coal store in cellar leaks ground water when it rains. Rest of my cellar is a converted kitchen and bathroom. House is over 100 years old. I have damp proofed with liquid rubber, tanking tar and epdm. Still leaking. Its not major water but causes a puddle and walls and ceilings have droplets of water. Its also freezing. The store is tall enough to stand in more like a small room with a door. Outside above the store is concreted to front of house. If i block the room up with a wall will water just seep through bricks over winter months or is this the best option? Thanks


texts: How many wires is too many for an outlet?

texts:
I keep finding outlets in my house that are wired in ways I've never seen.

Today's find is an outlet in a bedroom with 4 hots and 4 neutrals. All connected to one outlet using the push-in connectors. It's not a switched outlet, so all one circuit.

Is this bad? Acceptable?

If acceptable, how should I put in the new outlet but not have to rely on push-ins? Can I twist two of each together then attach those pairs to each post? Should I pigtail?

My hunch is that this particular outlet is being used to branch circuits into the bathroom next door.


texts: This thing is on my junction box but i don't know what it is or what it's for.


texts: Well, pump and pressure tank installed in 2018, 500 ft uphill from house. Separate grid service to well, with professional installed transfer switch with 4-prong connector for generator. In panel, 2x100 amp fuse from grid switching to 2x30 amp fuse; well pump connected via 2x20 amp fuse; 4 GFI receptacles connected via one 20 amp fuse. Pump is Flowise model 10 gpm, 1.0 HP, 230v (do not know motor manufacturer). Pump is at 145 ft depth and static water level is 24 ft. Would be nice but not necessary to power the GFI receptacles also.


texts: Do I or do I not remove baseboards when refinishing my hardwood floor

texts:
I need to have my wood floors refinished and have had several quotes. One person says they have the tools to get right up next to the baseboards and he does not need to remove them. He has 45 years of experience. The other companies do not have as much experience and they want to remove the baseboard and reinstall it.
I am worried that if they take off the baseboard there will be a line where the drywall paper is removed and when they replace it I will have major work painting and fixing it.
My husband is concerned that if they aren't taken off that it will look like the baseboard isn't seated on the floor. He is also concerned that the floor will slope.
The floor has been refinished once before with the baseboards not being removed. Any expert opinions out there? What should we do?


texts:
We have an old heatilator fireplace in our 1960's house.  I called a well recommended Fireplace guy to replace the rotted out damper, and he inspected the fireplace and told me (and showed me) that there is no liner in my chimney.  He said that the heatilator box is shot and the fix is an insert and stainless steel liner.  We bought our house about a year ago and used the fireplace all winter, so I do want a working fireplace. He quoted me about $4300.

My questions are this:  What is your feedback for this scenario?  Is this the proper fix for the problem?  Is there an alternate workable fix that you can think of?

Thank you for your help.


texts: Can I attach a television mount using custom drilled holes?

texts:
I have a 94" wall with 14" studs. There is a stud right in the center at 47". I have been looking for a full motion mount wide enough, so that I can use the studs on both sides of the center.  Meaning I'd need at least 28" of mount capability. So far I have only been able to find mounts that will work on 16", and 24" studs. The full motion mount I purchased has 26" of mounting surface, but because my studs are 14" centers, I will only be able to use one of the pre-drilled holes.

The TV is a 70" LED, that weighs 86lbs.

Can I put the Full motion mount I have up, drill a new hole in the center, and use the farthest hole on one side? Would it then be safe to have the Arm assembly approximately in the center of the mount, in order to get the TV back to center? In this configuration, the arm assembly would not be in the center of both sets of bolts securing the mount to the studs it would be about inline, possibly a little bit outside of the new holes I would be drilling in the center of the wall plate.
 [Wall] (https://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2_0_0_1_1432559_AJXrHkgAABz1UwOIKAAAAHr7oVI&pid=1&fid=Inbox&inline=1)
[wall plate with markings] (https://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2_0_0_1_1433284_AG%2FuHkgAAB0wUwOIXgAAAClJwZI&pid=1&fid=Inbox&inline=1)
The green tape marks my studs, I would be using the existing hole farthest to the right and drilling one in center, the arm would need to be positioned approximately in the center of the frame.


texts: What type of plywood to use for a general purpose workbench?

texts:
I would like to build a workbench for my garage. Having minimal experience, I would like to try this: https://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/workbench/how-to-build-a-workbench-super-simple-50-bench/view-all

The project calls for using 0.5in 4x8ft plywood. I know nothing about lumber and its properties. I see some options in Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Pine-Plywood-Common-23-32-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-688-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-799397/202677224
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sande-Plywood-Common-1-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-472-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-454532/100017950
http://www.homedepot.com/p/PureBond-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Maple-Plywood-263012/100548908
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Columbia-Forest-Products-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-PureBond-Red-Oak-Plywood-FSC-Certified-332733/202887464

Can you suggest which one of these would be ideal for this? I don't plan to do anything special (no woodworking, metal work, etc). Just small house projects and/or general purpose usage. I would like to stain the workbench later on. I live in the Northern California region so temperatures range from 40-110F. Thanks.


texts: How can I wire up my new light? Old one was a fluorescent strip light

texts:
Also if I turn off electric at the mains so no electric in house at all am I quite safe and not likely to electrocute myself?

Thanks


texts: How do I connect 2 hot and 2 neutral wires to single screw terminals?

texts:
I'm replacing a receptacle with a new USB receptacle. I found 2 white and 2 black wires connected to the old receptacle using separate screw terminals. My new receptacle only has 1 hot and 1 neutral and 1 ground terminals.

Hot side tab is not broken, neutral side has broken tab.

How do I connect 2 hot and 2 neutrals to single screw terminals?


texts: Need some help with wall behind rangetop

texts:
We're in the middle of a kitchen remodel and we have replaced our old 48" Viking slide-in gas rangetop with a new Miele rangetop.  The rangetop came with an "island trim" behind the unit which is only a couple of inches high.  The installation instructions say that the range needs to be located 10" from any combustible surface, and if you install it flush against a back wall you need to purchase a 12" high backguard at a cost of around $400.  One of the reasons we purchased this unit is because my wife really liked the low profile back trim, and Miele's own brochure shows the rangetop up against a tile wall with just the island trim.

So I called Miele customer support.   They told me that a tile backsplash behind the unit would be just fine, that the 10" requirement was to ensure that people didn't put something easily flammable directly behind the rangetop.  Still, I was concerned so I cranked up the back burners and ran the unit for ten minutes or so and checked the wall temp behind the rangetop.  The drywall behind the unit (the tile is not yet installed) measured around 160F. That said, we'll probably only use the back burners once or twice a year since we have three front burners, so it's not like the wall is going to be subjected to constant heat.

So now I don't know what to do.   Should I accept the opinion of the customer support guy?   Do I have to bite the bullet and buy the expensive backguard that my wife hates? Is there any way I can add protection to the wall by replacing the drywall underlayment with something else on which I can mount the tile?

Thanks, and sorry for the long post.

Stan


texts: How to determine which size of auger to get for backed up basement floor drain?

texts:
My basement floor drain is backing up water (~10L) when washer is dispensing water during the spin cycle. It's an older house at 1955. The drain looks like it has a p-trap.

I wonder how can I determine which power auger tool to rent from HomeDepot with respect to 1) the diameter of the auger cable, 2) length of the cable, and 3) size and type of tips, do I simply measure the diameter of the drain pipe?


texts: Is this an acceptable way to support an undermount sink?

texts: I had quartz countertops installed in my new kitchen yesterday along with a Blanco silgranit undermount sink.  Aside from some minor issues, everything had seemed to go pretty smoothly.  When I went to start getting the sink ready for the plumbing install, I noticed that there were some rather unattractive pieces of scrap wood that had been hastily screwed into the sides of the cabinet walls.  Looking closer, it looks like this is part of what is supporting the sink from below.  Is this considered an acceptable practice or should I have them come back and fix it?  It's pretty obvious even when quickly looking underneath the sink.  I can  also confirm that metal brackets were used to support the rear of the sink and were bolted to the quartz directly.


texts: Electrical breaker and outlet wiring question

texts: I want to run a dedicated circuit for my air compressor. Can I run a 20 amp breaker with 12-2 to a single 20 amp receptacle for an air compressor?


texts: How to bypass ballast for T8 4ft LED tube?

texts:
I successfully bypassed a ballast to install a T8 4ft LED tube. But this time, I have a different kind of ballast (HOWARD INDUSTRIES M2/40RS-120, 60 HZ MAGNETIC BALLAST), one that can connect to 2 fixtures.
Please look at the pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5EnX5CT4CnNdvKsf2
On the first picture, you can see the right fixture with the ballast. The second picture shows both fixtures, right and left. On the 3rd picture, you can see well the left fixture, with no ballast. It is on the left fixture that I would like to install the led light, because it is over the stove. The 4th picture shows the left thumbstone of the right fixture. The 5th picture shows the right thumbstone of the left fixture.
What wires should I cut? Where should I connect the wires?


texts: How should I demolish the brick wainscoting on my house's exterior wall?

texts:
The front of my house has brick veneer wainscoting on the bottom 1/3 of it. It's ugly brick, and it's in the way of my continuous insulation retrofit project due to how it projects 4" beyond the stucco on the rest of the exterior, so I need to demolish it. The bricks are actual bricks stacked in a running bond with mortar, not thin bricks adhered to a stucco/mortar scratch coat or anything.

How should I go about demolishing this brick wainscoting without wrecking the fiberboard sheathing and 2x4 framing behind it? I suppose the fiberboard is disposable, as I could just replace it with even more foam insulation, but naturally the 2x4 framing needs to remain intact.


texts: What are the tools and procedures of a re-grout task in shower room?

texts: I found some black mold on shower grout; and some grout may need to be re-grouted. Please refer to three red-circles in the attached photo. Would you like to let me know the right tool, material (like water-proof sealant or grout) and procedure to do this kind work?  Thanks a lot.


texts: Ceiling leaking from upstairs bathroom ONLY when water supply is turned OFF

texts:
I have a leak developing in my ceiling that is coming from what I assume to be the upstairs bathroom. This first happened when my pipes needed to be snaked a bit over a year ago where, during that, the water supply to the house was shut off. There is a nice little bubble in the drywall from that first time, but I let it go since it hasn't leaked since and it's in a room I currently am not using.

SO.... when I got home last night the cold water in the upstairs shower would not shut off. I turned off the house's water supply, got a new valve this morning and replaced it... BUT when I came home from the hardware store (water supply has been off all night/ morning) I heard that familiar DRIP DRIP DRIP and ran to the back room where the ceiling was leaking a LOT... So much that it proceeded to go through another level into my basement. There have been no leaks for well over a year and it HAS to be because the main water supply was turned off. It never clicked with me about the first time this happened that it was not a slow leak but maybe a pressurized leak?

Is the best thing to do to remove the drywall around the bubble and see if the culprit is directly above or are there some other things I can/ should be checking? I know that I will need to replace the ceiling either way at some point, but I don't want to bother until the source of the leak is found.

Most suggestions that I have found are for leaks when water supply is on... so I am not certain where to start since this is only a problem when the water to my house is shut totally off.

Thank you!


texts: Old radiant heat ceiling not cooperating, looking for ways to fix it myself

texts:
So I came home today to find my living room at over 80f degrees. My thermostat still correctly showed my base temp at 70f, but the room temp was through the roof and the ceiling heat was still going strong. I tried pulling the thermostat from the wall and disconnected the two wires so they dangle free, I left my place and came back a few hours later to find it feeling like I just opened a door to the Amazon jungle. I ended up shutting off all of the breakers since I didn't know which one the system was connected to and finally the room began to slowly cool down.

Now I'm stuck with no power and a ceiling that keeps heating, so there's some problem with the system itself. Unfortunately I found out the only company in the area that deals with these ceilings charges a ton because they know they can, and I'm just about fed up this and want to see if I can handle this myself before calling an overpriced professional. My questions are:

Does anyone have any insight as to what the issue could be? I'm assuming it can't be too complex and should be simple to identify.
How can I identify where the system is connected? If it's some drywall I have to cut open, is there an indication where that might be?
Is it something that I can realistically do myself? I can go without electricity in that section for as long as it takes, and I have some experience wiring home electrical systems and general home renovation work.

I appreciate any help, which will in turn help anyone else in the building if I find out the work can be done without a pro.


texts: How can I re-use a hole in wall for ventilation?

texts:
I'm renovating my bedroom and found that there's a hole in the wall beneath the wallpaper. It was plugged, but the stuff in it was old and crappy, so I took it out. Now I've got a 20x20cm (~7.9x7.9in) square hole in my wall that goes to the outside.

The simple solution would be to simply fill it with spray foam and be done with it, but I was wondering if maybe I could use it for additional ventilation. God knows it gets hot and stuffy in the summer. If I had an air conditioner, it'd be a perfect hole for the exhaust pipe, but I don't so...

Anyways, if I do keep it for ventilation, I'd also need to add some kind of door to it because I don't want more cold to come in the winter. I'd probably use a fan for the summer. I haven't seen anything like that though, nor do I know where to look. The local home improvement store employees were also at a loss.

Does anyone have any ideas?


texts: Foundation inside and outside of house cracking

texts: I have a problem with my 60 year old back-split home that the concrete is cracking everywhere.  We have cracks in the ceiling above the stairs leading the bedroom level, a vertical crack in the basement wall, cracks all over the lower basement floor, the concrete outside the front door is cracked, the concrete front step is cracked and crumbling, the pool has two very big cracks on the surface of the sidewalk poured around it (not the walls of the pool and it is not a concrete pool), the new floor poured in our pool house sank 2 inches and lastly the concrete wall that surrounds the stairs leading to the first level basement walkout is cracking.  Is our house falling down or is this fixable?? Please help!


texts: What kind of sound input socket is this?

texts: I have this surround sound system at home that is very old and have these strange sound input sockets that I have never seen before. Does anyone know what kind of input socket this is?


texts: C-Wire for a Vulcan Gas Central Heater for Nest Thermostat-E

texts:
I'm hoping the friendly people here could help me.
I'm looking to purchase a Nest Thermostat-E but my current thermostat (Vulcan/Bonaire Summer Breeze) only has 2 black wires connected.

I've searched around and asked for advice and I've heard some people say it will work with just 2, and some say I need a C-Wire.

Given the opportunity, I think it best to run a C-wire if possible, I have uploaded images of the Heater unit and it seems as though the 2 wires from the thermostat connect to the (green) 2 x "Heat" terminals and I assume the 2 x "Cool" terminals are for Air con if I had it.

Now my question is, is the single 24v terminal used for the C wire? And if so, what would the 2x black wires be named when connecting to the Nest Thermostat?

It also looks like there is a piece of wire connecting the 24v connector to the 2nd heat port, what is this for and do I need to keep it there?

If this is not possible, can I/ do I need to connect directly to the board?

The heat I have is a Vulcan Tubular Central Heater – V3 20i Internal NG : Part #5310052

If it makes a difference, this is in Australia.

Thank you all!

More Images are here: https://imgur.com/a/WveSexP

enter image description here


texts: Connectors on wires entering a plastic box

texts: I brought a 14/3 U/F cable into a single plastic nail-on box, through a hole that I drilled through the back of the box. Do I need a connector on that wire, and if so what would you recommend a black button Romex connector backwards?


texts: IF the nomenclature plate on a piece of 220VAC equipment says 10.0 Amps, does that mean that the load is 10 amps per leg, or 10 amps total, therefore 5 per leg?


texts:
The entrance to our condo was damaged in the last few moves and I am not sure how to fix it. Check out the pictures

What is this material called? It seems to be some soft of plaster shell with foam inside.
Who do I need to call to fix it? A general contractor? (Unfortunately, I do not have much time to do it myself).
What can be done to reinforce these edges? I was thinking some sort of a metal bracket that runs along the edge. What would such a bracket be called and where do I find it?

Thank you much for the help!


texts: Should I remove limbs before felling a tree?

texts:
I'm going to fell a 75' pine in my yard. Should I cut limbs before felling the tree even if they are balanced?

I've seen mixed advice. On one hand removing limbs makes the fell more predictable and lighter. On the other,limbs will help a felled tree stay in one place when it lands.


texts:
I have a 108" section of 26" deep counters. From left to right, starting at the 39" mark, there is a 48" gap for a wine fridge and bar fridge. Then there is a 21" cabinet on the right side.

Had quartz countertops installed and they used two pieces. Problem is the seam is over the 48" gap. 1st section of counter is about 85" and 2nd section is 23". So the seam is floating in the far right side of the 48" gap instead of spanning the gap. Installers said they should have had the 23" section on the left side instead to avoid this. They said it will work the way it is and there won't be any strength issues.

There is a 1x6 running the back wall of the 48" gap for extra support so it's not completely floating. Structurally, do you think this will indeed be fine?

I'm holding a pen where the seam is.


texts:
How do I fix a split at the bottom of a load bearing 2x4 stud? The split is in the king stud for a window. It's a 9 in. long triangular shaped piece. It's 1/4 in. deep at the sole plate and expands to 1 in. at the top of the triangle. The piece is 5/8 in. wide on the narrow side of the stud. The stud next to it is ~5 in. away, so it's a tight space. Do I need to fix it? If so, what's the best way?

Sorry the pics not so great. The sole plate and bottom of the stud are in a "pocket" formed by the raised floor. I smeared the crack with Liquid Nails. There's also spray foam in the bottom of the pic, so it looks like a mess.I added arrows along the path of the crack. It split when I put the (now bent) nail in.


texts: What size metal gate post for 5’x6’ gate?

texts:
Can anyone advise on the right steel post size for a 10’x6’ double gate?
I am building a 10ft wide double gate, (two 5ft wide sections). The gate will be 6ft tall and use cedar pickets. Any posts will be sunk 36” deep in concrete. I wanted to use square steel or iron posts, but I am not sure if I should use 3” or 4” posts. Posts would like be schedule 40 steel or 14 gauge since that is what is available in my area.


texts: How do I remove wall texture in my kitchen? I don't know where to begin. Should I sand or skim coat?


texts: What's the difference between Husky brand and HDX brand?

texts:
At Home Depot I have noticed the advertising of HDX products lately that are really low price items including tools and other household things.

As far as I knew Home Depot already had their own products marketed under the "Husky" name.  From what I can tell the Husky tools seems to be made much better than the HDX tools, but is there really any difference between them?  And what's Home Depot's reasoning for starting another line of products rather than promoting the line they already have?


texts: What's the best method of insulating windows against solar heat?

texts:
(TL;DR at the end ;) )

I live in Western New York, and while it's pretty uncommon to reach temperatures over 95-100, it still gets pretty hot here, and we typically have 70-90% humidity on top of it.

My son's bedroom has two windows, one which faces north and one which faces east. We're on the second story of a two story duplex, and the east wall of our apartment is in the sun all morning. His room gets really hot, and we only have a small wall air conditioner in the dining room. Despite strategic fan placement, the heat coming in from outside is just too intense.

I know that alot of people will use aluminum foil as insulation, and I know it's effective, but with the way people are these days, I don't need my neighbors and passers-by to make any judgements.

There are four windows I'd like to be able to insulate. My son's room, bathroom, dining room and kitchen, which all face east.

The only window out of the four I care about being able to see out of is the window above the kitchen sink. All three openable windows need to remain openable.

I'll provide examples of each window at the bottom of the post.

All four windows are old, and they're all single pane.

I've contacted my landlord and gotten permission to apply window treatments on the interiors of the windows, as long as it's not permanent.

So what should I do? Does anyone have any suggestions for a diy solution? Does anyone have experience with window tints or films? I have very little money, so whatever I do it has to be inexpensive.

Thanks in advance for your help!

TL;DR
I need to block solar heat from getting into four eastern facing windows in my house and I'm looking for super cheap suggestions, diy or otherwise.


texts: Sourcing a spacer / rectangular washer to prevent rotation of a carriage bolt in a round hole?

texts:
While installing a Curt trailer hitch, I lost one of the provided carriage bolts and what they call a spacer inside a frame tube. After lots of time spent trying to retrieve the bolt, I've decided to just try again with a replacement, but I'm having a heck of a time finding a replacement 'spacer'.

The hardware in question is pictured below:

The spacer is the black trapezoidal shaped piece. It's the thickness of a thick washer; its purpose is to prevent the bolt from rotating by bracing against the inside of the frame tube. Here is a schematic:

Finding a 7/16" carriage bolt was harder than I expected but not really a problem. But I have had a real heck of a time finding a spacer, or anything equivalent.

It seems like it may be called a 'block spacer' or just a rectangular washer, but my local hardware stores have nothing and even googling has been futile. I'm looking for either a source for hardware like this (to fit a 7/16" carriage bolt), or alternately, a different solution for preventing the rotation of a bolt whose head is inaccessible. Thanks!


texts: Strain relief for cable into metal box - clamp ok?

texts: I am having trouble fining a strain relief clamp to cover the hole into a metal canister (the canister for a heating unit). Is it ok to use an NM cable clamp - the kind you use around the hole going into a metal junction box (where you tighten the clamp by turning the 2 screws)? Is this considered a strain relief by the "average" inspector?


texts: NEC code-compliant hard wired hidden LED driver

texts:
What is an NEC code-compliant way to install a 15A 120V dimmer switch --> driver --> led strip set up that enables the driver to be concealed or out of view but accessible for an in-wall lighting effect similar to below:

The switch is to be close to the wall in which the LED strip and channel is embedded.  Can the driver be located elsewhere in a cool/clean environment or inside some kind of junction box with the low-voltage connection run back to the LED strip?  Since you cannot enclose electrical devices inside a wall cavity, how does a professional electrician conceal the driver while still being able to control the light via switch?


texts: red wire, blue wire connections to black and white wire connections

texts: I purchased a new ceiling light that has a red and a blue wire.  The wires in my house to connect it to are white and black.  Which wire connects to which.


texts: How might I discharge a sump pump, furnace condensate line, and water softener to a single floor drain?

texts:
My home has a sump pump running to a floor drain. While no longer strictly legal in my city, this arrangement has been in place for many years and there isn't a convenient way to get the water outside. The sump doesn't run enough to warrant grave concerns.

The drain is a bit unique, though. It has a 1-1/2" opening all the way up, without the usual collection bowl. It looks similar to this. The sump drain line nearly fills it by itself. I'm not sure what's below the surface of the opening or the concrete slab.

I'd like to securely attach the sump drain and softener discharge lines to the floor drain, while still allowing the floor-level furnace condensate line (which requires an air gap) to drain effectively.

The furnace condensate line does not have a pump. It relies on gravity alone.

Is this feasible? How would you do it?


texts:
I recently discovered the pavers in my back yard had a wet appearance.  After tracing the leak I found that one of the 700 black poly irrigation lines had a leak.  This is one of three lines I found buried at 6-8 inches below the pavers.

My concern is how the leak developed and if this is likely to happen in the future.  Is black poly not intended to be used like this?  Should I re-bury it in a conduit of PVC or something to protect it better?  It seems like once even a pinhole leak develops it would be very prone to attracting roots, yet this seems to be a very popular way to irrigate.


texts: Install Sump Pump Check Valve on Washing Machine

texts:
We just purchased a Everbuilt THD1020 (In-Line Sump Pump Check Valve) , and installed in the back hose of our washing machine. The original hose would leak detergent soap and water. Is it a good practice to install In-Line check valves like this on washing machines? Are there any negative consequences, issues with flooding or clogging from doing this? The original hose kept leaking, so decide to get this instead. How does this fit in state california rules?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-25-in-and-1-5-in-ABS-In-Line-Sump-Pump-Check-Valve-THD1020/205616001

Update: Reading the website from Home Depot, trying to understand, see if it applies to my situation

"Can you use this on a 2inch waste line every time washing machine drains it flows back up through the tub drain"

Answers "That's probably not the best way to resolve your problem but it may be the only way without knowing more about your situation. If you do decide to use this, and if it is at all possible, mount this check valve in the horizontal position. The reason for this is that unlike sump pumps that usually eject clear water, washing machines are continually ejecting water mixed with particulate. If the valve was mounted in the vertical position, particulate could get lodged in the valve easier and could cause it not to seal all the way. If mounting it horizontally is not possible, then you could go ahead and try it vertically. The worst thing that could happen is that the valve could temporarily get stuck open and you end up right back to where you are today."

"you could, understanding some limitations. tub drain will allow hair and other crud through it so check valve might eventually not offer full seal against reverse wash as it accumulates this debris. key is to have a screen or strainer in your tub drain to eliminate this from going down in first place. However, you probably need to solve the underlying problem of the slow drain which empties the washer and tub. Try some digestive enzymes such as Roebic RBC to open that common drainpipe. Or manually clean it out with an auger."


texts:
This post gives a deck joist span table

Does 9'-11" mean any length less than 9 feet and 11 inches?


texts: Metric Screw Size Specification Question: M4x10K?

texts:
I have a quick question about interpreting a screw specification on a repair diagram. I am usually pretty good with buying replacement screws and threads/sizing but this screw is a metric size (which I am less familiar with) and is written in a way that makes me stumped.

The part description, exactly as it appears on the schematic, is: 'Screw M 4x10K'. Now, M4 is the nominal outer diameter of the head (in mm). Usually, the part following the 'x' is a length (in mm) but the 'K' part is confusing me. Is the 'K' an additional specification or class of screws or is '10K' some length-related specification itself? The screw goes through a plastic part and into a metal part on a vacuum. The manufacturer is based in the UK so I am having some difficulty sorting out what this could be.

Thank you!


texts: TV Mount fixtures on hollow wall with plywood

texts:
I'm wanting to mount an 18Kg TV using a universal mount with 6 holes. The positions of the studs are not quite right for where we want the TV to go.

This part of the wall has been built recently to block up an alcove and has 18mm plywood attached to the studs and the plasterboard is attached to the plywood.

What fittings should I use to mount this with? I'm assuming wooden screws would not work since there would only be 18mm of plywood behind.

My first thought was to use a hollow wall anchor like:

But the 36mm depth of plywood+plasterboard means I've not been able to find an anchor long enough.

What are my options?


texts: Does the cloth jacket on my wiring contain asbestos?

texts: I grabbed this photo from another Q&A of the same wiring in my house.  It is labelled Diamond DTX NM 600V.  It looks like cloth wrapped wiring.  Does anyone know anything about asbestos with it?  I could not easily find this information myself.


texts: Can you heat an entire house with wall-mounted gas heaters?

texts:
My house currently is heated by a hot-water boiler, with radiators in the main rooms. The bedrooms have no radiators (it's an old house and I guess when it was built they figured the central radiators were enough, which they are if you leave the bedroom doors open a bit).

The boiler is nearing the end of its life and I'm wondering if there is any reason why I couldn't replace it with wall-mounted ventless gas heaters (like this, as an example only: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dyna-Glo-30-000-BTU-Natural-Gas-Infrared-Natural-Gas-Wall-Heater-IR30NMDG-1/206556628).  I'd make sure the total BTUs met the requirements of the space. (I'd also make sure my carbon monoxide detectors work, just in case, given that these are ventless.)

Would this create any code violations or other problems? It's common in my area for folks to install one or two of these in their houses as auxiliary heat, but I've never heard of anyone using them as their only heat source, so I'm curious.


texts: What's causing constant static shock in new house?

texts:
I live in South Florida (where it's humid) and my new construction house is constantly zapping us when we touch metal like the front door handle. The entire house is tile, and the air isn't very dry so I really don't know what can be causing the static shock all the time. My neighbor who has an identical house does not have this issue.

Any ideas on what can be causing this? What kind of contractor should I even reach out to investigate the issue?


texts: Why is black grease oozing from my Makita circular saw?

texts: I have a Makita 5007MG circular saw. I noticed black grease oozing out of it and I believe it is coming from the arbor bearing but am not sure.


texts: Easy way to tell 12awg from 14awg metal clad?

texts:
My house was built in 1940 and all original wiring is metal clad / BX cable.  With Romex, yellow vs white can tell me wire gauge.  Is there any similar tell for MC?  I suspect it's all 12 awg but I'd like to double check, only thing I know to do is use calipers to measure diameter of the conductor.
Thanks


texts:
I have different packs of screws. They all have unique codes.
E.g. 6-35-B1120-4RE*12

6 might be the diameter # (which is approx. 9/64 inches).
35 might be the # of threads. (It doesn't appear to have that many, but it's so small. Perhaps I can't see it, or perhaps threads aren't counted the way I'm first inclined to think they are.)
1120 might be 11/20 inches long.
R might stand for replacement (they came as additional supplies with a laptop).

Is any of this correct? Either way, that still leaves:

B: Bottom? Referring to the shaft length?
E: I have no guesses.
4, *12: If R does stand for replacement, the pack came with neither 4, nor 12 screws. It came with 5. There's the possibility that I just wasn't given the original quality from the seller. I have no other guesses what those numbers might stand for.

If it helps, I have 2 other packs of screws, each containing a different string of characters containing R:

8R0*1
4R2*4


texts: Reduced flow from bathroom faucet but not anywhere else

texts:
I have a similar problem to the one mentioned here:
How do I diagnose weak water flow from tub faucet and shower?
The bathroom faucet in my rental apartment has a very slow flow even with both handles fully opened.  However, no other fixture in the house is having problems.
Upstream of the faucet each line (hot and cold) has a diaphragm shutoff valve.  Upstream of that is the valves for the whole house.  Because this is happening on both lines, I'm almost positive this has to be an issue with the faucet it self.
Environmental factors that one might also need to consider:
Other units in the condo had frozen pipes that burst and needed to be shut off.  Given the Mickey-Mouse jobs I found in other areas of the house, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that this faucet is fed from a different unit's lines lines.
My renter is a slob, and managed to ruin every appliance in one way or another, so I wouldn't put it past him to have found a way to mess up a faucet.  That said, he did say that this issue coincided with a previous pipe freezing.
Is there something I can do to increase the flow coming out of this faucet? or do I need to replace it?


texts: What materials can be used to create cold air returns?

texts: To make a cold air return duct in my wall, can I simply use the studs and drywall to create the duct or do I have to use sheet metal also?


texts: Swapping wires in electrical panel to move outlets to different phase of service. Is this safe?

texts:
I need two nearby outlets in my house to be on different breakers and different phases of the service. The outlets are currently each on different breakers, but each is on one of the poles of a two pole 20 amp breaker so they are on the same phase. They are #13 and #14 in my panel. If I swap the the red wire(#14) with the red wire from the two pole 20 amp breaker below(#15) as shown in the picture it does the trick. Both breakers are 20 amp so I think this should be ok. I just wanted to see if there is any reason I shouldn't do this? Thanks!

Inside the panel door

Full panel

Outlet on breaker #13

Outlet #1 on breaker #14

Outlet #2 on breaker #14


texts: Does MC cable need protection in an exterior wall penetration?

texts:
Does MC cable need a raceway, e.g. PVC conduit, when passing from a crawlspace through a mudsill and stucco and terminating in a surface-mount exterior receptacle box?
I am going to install several receptacles surface mounted to the exterior stucco wall of my house at the height of the rim joist. I am using MC cable for this circuit, running it through the crawlspace, the rim joist, the stucco wall, into the back of a surface mounted 1-or-2 gang weatherproof outlet box.
I repurposed a picture below to illustrate. Can the orange "hole" through the rim joist/stucco be just a hole or do I have to provide conduit protection. If I use conduit, the conduit becomes the interface to the back of the box, and how/do I need to secure the MC cable sheath to the box as well? What kind of PVC termination does there need to be at the free end of the conduit inside the crawlspace?

Image Source
Edit: Added Image Source


texts: How can I cheaply replace basement ceiling tiles?

texts:
I live in Edmonton, Alberta and must replace the old ceiling tiles. I have been told it could cost more money than I have to replace it. Is there a low cost way to do this?

I am having the electrical upgraded so the ceiling will be messed-up. People are living in there and so something must be done to repair the ceiling!!

Does anyone have an answer for me?


texts: Can I use a transformer to power a thermostat?

texts:
So I bought a Nest Thermostat off amazon, I read they used batteries and what not and after I purchased it I was looking at the description on amazon and it said it was a built in rechargeable battery (face palm) I have a 4 wire I don't have a common, I was wondering if it's safe or reasonable that,

I have a light switch basically a foot below the thermostat so I was going to install a 40va step down transformer to power the thermostat using the R as the hot from the transformer and the C as the neutral from the transformer, does this pose any issues? I googled it but people seem 50/50 some say it's great some say it's not a good fix and to pull a new wire, but pulling a new wire at this point in time is not an option. If I left the R straight from the furnace and just used the neutral from the transformer would that be worse than setup 1? (Using the hot and neutral from the transformer) as far as I know all the thermostat does is use that power to close and open contacts in the thermostat so it shouldn't matter if the tstat is powered off a transformer, should it?

Sorry for poor phrasing wrote on phone.


texts: Why are cracks forming in my plaster and stucco near the windows?

texts:
I bought this house a few months ago and haven't had any rain yet here. But we are seeing some cracks in a window that make me suspicious of settling. The cracks are only on this window but on a perpendicular wall with 6 windows there are no cracks. The other perpendicular wall has a few small ones but nothing like this. I'm trying to understand how they formed. There are corresponding cracks outside in the stucco on the same location. House was built in 1954 with this room added in 1968 on a slab and is next to the garage. Rest of house was completely remodeled in 2006. Also, they completely repainted the whole house a few months before we bought it.

Any thoughts?


texts: Adding split AC to a Dayton oil fired forced hot air furnace

texts:
I'm trying to add split central air to my Dayton oil fired forced hot air furnace, mod # 3E268A. The manual clearly says it can accept this but the terminal block in the unit only has (4) lugs. TT and FF. I cant figure out

Thank You, There isn't a circuit board nor another terminal block for connections. I'm attaching this note from my manual. I also have electric schematic that I can post.


texts: How can I fix and cap my undersized sump?

texts:
So, I have an old Sump in my house (built 1960), that currently does not have a functioning pump in it. I plan on replacing the pump and running new exit pipe however, I'm stumped on how to close/cap the sump hole. I mostly want to cap it to reduce radon gasses in my house (we did a reading

The reason is because my sump is only 14.5" across, and 24" deep so all of the standard "sump containers" simply don't fit.

Luckily, groundwater flooding in my neighborhood is very uncommon (the pump I threw out was a 1970's pump that had rusted to no function).

Does anybody know of either a:

A) source of small sump containers?

B) Some way to install a cap on flat concrete?


texts: Should ethernet cable be run in attic or basement floor joists?

texts: I am running cat5 or cat6 cable for hooking up internet, poe cams, and maybe even some video runs (hdmi adapter) in new construction.  Is it more common to run these cables in the attic, bunched together neatly, and spidering out to each wall location or better to run in the basement inside drilled holes of the floor joists?  The basement offers more accessibility and less ladder work after the holes are drilled.


texts: Why would a furnace overheat with a standard density filter?

texts:
Some time ago I found my furnace (gas, forced air, downdraft) was getting stuck on, blowing cold air.  I could reset it, but it would happen again after a while.

After calling out a service man, I was informed that the high limit switch was tripping.  The furnace had been using a very light-weight filter.  With a heavier duty filter, it overheated easily.  With extra air-flow (bypassing the filter) it never overheated.

We opened more exit vents and even added an intake directly to the return passage of the furnace.  This seems rather a drastic hack, and I still can't use standard paper filters, for example.  Any ideas?

Update: Furnace is ~15 years; I had a service man to check high limit switch etc.


texts: Why is the aux indicator on my HVAC system lighting up when A/C is called for?

texts:
HVAC novice. New professionally installed heat pump (Goodman) and air handler. Old thermostat from the early 90’s. No aux heater installed. My assumption is the landlord wanted to save money and in CA if the pump stops working in the winter, we’ll survive.
I want to replace the thermostat (haven’t done it yet).
All wires appear to be wired correctly at the thermostat, except for two wires that run from the thermostat to the air handler. The W2 and the O/B. At the thermostat, the two wires are separate but once inside the air handler, the two wires are twisted together and tied into the reversing valve wire with a wire nut. From there the harness leads up to the pump (I assume, as the wire disappears into the ceiling and the pump is mounted on the roof).
When the ac is selected on the thermostat, it works but the AUX indicator lights up. When the heater is selected, it works but the AUX indicator goes out.
Why would they tie the two together? Or is it possible that they made an error? I have the wiring diagram, and from what I can tell, it doesn’t mention tying those together.


texts: How to connect two bed legs to make a bunk bed from two regular beds?

texts:
I am planning to make a bunk bed from two regular kids' beds and looking for ideas how to connect two bed legs so that the result would be aesthetically pleasing, as well as constructionally sound.

The beds are IKEA Gulliver:

I'm planning to stack them one on top of another, and use slates from Sultan Lade base (cut to about 1.5' length) to extend height (the slates are the same size as the legs: 2-3/4" x 3/4"):

So, I'm trying to figure out how to connect the legs to slates without drilling too many holes and making it look nice. One option would be to attach aluminum C-channels (like The Hillman Group 4-ft L x 3/8-in W x 1/2-in H Aluminum Trim Channel) to the top and bottom of the slate extensions (screw them to the extensions and insert the channel into the bed legs; would also need to cut them to 2-3/4" size and drill holes for screws):

I'd also use something (metal strip?) to connect the parts at the back of the bed.

Another option would be to use metal plates to connect the legs from the wide sides (have two plates on both sides of the leg with holes at top and bottom and use connector bolts to attach them together). I think this option would be safer (since the connector will cover a wider area), but I cannot figure out where I can buy or get 2-3/4" wide metal (aluminum or steel) plates.

Yet, another option would be to find some 2-3/4"-wide lumber pieces long enough for the height of the final bunk bed and attach them to the legs (would still need to use connector pieces) with the connector bolts. This would probably be more structurally sound, but I'm not sure where to get the lumber of this particular size (local Lowes only carries 2-1/2" which will not look nice) and how much it'd cost (don't want to spend over $20-$30 on this project, not counting paint cost).

Any idea or suggestions? Many thanks.

P.S. In case anyone wonders why do this in the first place: I'd buy a regular bunk bed, but every bunk bed I saw was a twin size and we do not have room to place it. This child Gulliver bed is smaller than twin, and it's ideal for the location where I'd like to place it.

UPDATE:

Okay, I finally finished the project. Here is the unpainted assembled version to show which parts I added:

And here is the final result:

And a detailed post explaining how I did it.


texts: How to find where an AC power wire ends (or starts)?

texts:
Refinishing my basement. Been a 5+ year project, and I'm forgetting things. I have a white AC power wire in the ceiling, but I can't find where it goes or what powers it (it's not powered currently).
Is there a tool, similar to the kind you can use for Ethernet, Coax...etc, where I can clamp something onto it, and then use a gadget on various other wires to find out which is the wire in question?
Obviously I would just follow the physical wire if I could, but a good length of it goes under/behind drywall.


texts: Remove 1 Light/Switch to Operate on It's Own

texts:
I have 7 lights in my kitchen going into my butler's pantry. There are five light switches that controls the lights. 1 switch in the butler's pantry, 3 switches in the kitchen and 1 switch outside of the kitchen. I would like the light in the butler's pantry to be controlled on it's own with one switch and leave the others to control the lights in the kitchen. How do I change the wiring there to do so?
The first picture is of the light switch in the Butlers Pantry. It has one red wire at the top right and two black wires at the bottom left.

The next pictures are of the other light switches around the kitchen that operate the lights. The first switch pictured has two red wires at the top, two black wires at the bottom. The second switch pictured has one red wire at the top right and one black wire at the top left. Then one red wire at the bottom left and one black wire at the bottom right. The third switch has two black wires at the top and two black wires at the bottom.

Then there is this switch that is right outside of the kitchen that also controls all 7 lights. It has one red wire at the bottom left, one black wire at the bottom right and one black wire at the top.

I appreciate any help and assistance that you geniuses here can provide! Thanks in advance!
Inside of boxes


texts:
I live in an apartment which has a gas fireplace. The pilot fire is sky blue in the fireplace, but I can still smell the gas somehow.
The fireplace has a glass door but it is not hermetic when the door is closed. I was wondering whether it is safe to use some Scotch Tape to seal the fireplace glass door completely. If I seal it, maybe the odor wouldn't leak from the fireplace into my room. However, I knew that burning needs oxygen and I'm not sure whether it will generate Monoxide or explode if I seal the glass door. Does anyone have ideas about this? Thanks!


texts: What is this strange valve/trap from my boiler to condensate pump?

texts:
I have a condensate pump attached to a valiant combi boiler with the usual pvc pipe turning into it (removed in picture, but works fine going into the point behind the copper pipe here), with the also normal outflow clear pipe also working fine.
Yet I have also this strange (and heavily crystallised) piece running into it from what I think is the overflow pipe of the boiler. What is it? A steam trap? Does it need replacing? Feel like I've googled everything and can't even find something remotely like it.


texts: Rinnai tankless on-demand water heater making a high-pitched whistling sound

texts:
I have a Rinnai tankless on-demand water heater. The unit is making a high-pitched whistling noise.
I have:
-Unplugged the unit from the electrical wall socket.
-Turned the gas valve to the off position.
-Turned the cold water intake line valve to the off position.
-Turned the hot water outlet valve to the off position.
-I have removed the front panel and used compressed air to blow most of the dust off of the unit.
The unit has been in this state for an hour and It still whistles. Why?


texts: Terminating unused wiring in electrical box

texts: I am upgrading my electrical box with more circuits, and circuit breakers. I would like terminate all the unused circuits wires in the electrical box panel with dummy circuit breakers rather than leave them dangling in the box. I would then terminate the unused wires in the attic within an enclosed terminal block in the attic. When I need to add another circuit in the future, all I have to do is run the circuit from the terminal bock, and replace the dummy circuit breaker with a real one. This avoids the hassle of running a new wire into the panel from the attic, and crowding the panel with unorganized new wiring, etc. I rather do it all upfront. Is there any problems with this configuration other than code issues?


texts: How can I seal this hanging electrical outlet in my horse barn?

texts:
I really am not a fixer type of gal but this seems like it should be simple enough.  Please respond appropriately for someone who has limited knowledge.

I have a hanging outlet in my horse barn.  It seems to be properly wired per a contractor friend.  All wiring enclosed in conduit, etc.  The only problem is, it appears that this outlet box has lost its seal?  The front plate is coming off (where the outlets are) of the rest of the box.  There are no screws that can be tightened to fix this.  The box says on it "For use in wet or damp spaces, use sealing compound to seal."

Okay, but what type of sealing compound?  And do I apply it around the edges?

Don't worry, I know to shut off the power to the barn prior to fussing with anything electrical.


texts:
The switch that controls our pool spa is currently located on the side of the house, behind our AC unit.  It's a very awkward, hard to reach location, so I'm currently looking into replacing it with a switch that can be remote controlled.

Given that the spa pump is wired for 240 volts, originally I was looking at a product similar to this:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YTCZZF0?psc=1

However, upon further reflection, the current switch looks to be a standard toggle switch, like I'd find on any light fixture.

My question is, is plan A overkill?  Is it safe to just replace the current switch with a different one in the same box? That would save me having to run alot of new wiring and conduit, and screw another box onto the side of the house.


texts: What is indicated by a well pump temporarily recovering when shutting off the power for several hours?

texts:
We have a water pressure issue in all fixtures of the house. We first replaced the whole-house water filter which helped right away, but the next morning there was almost no water (10 psi instead of the usual 30-35 psi). After making a few calls to local specialists, we tried one suggestion that seemed to help: turn off the well pump power for a few hours (more than 20 minutes seems to be required, but the shortest we've tried is 2 hours of leaving off the power). This gets us water pressure back to about 30 psi after about half an hour, but soon after it quickly drops again.
Any suggestions on what to do in this situation, or what might be happening, would be appreciated.
Other information

We are the only house on the well, in the finger-lakes region of New York State. No new houses immediately near us.
After turning the pump back on, the pressure will go up to 40-45 PSI in less than 5 minutes, and then start to drop (usually 30 PSI after half an hour or so) and down to 8 PSI overnight. However, it certainly drops faster with use. The main issue seems to be that it never seems to go back up, unless we turn off the power for a couple of hours and then back on.
House was built in 1983 or 1984, we purchased 5 years ago.
We have a submersible pump  (at least I'm pretty sure). I've attached photos below of the system, as well as the well head, though I didn't open it up yet, so I'm guessing that photo is not very informative. And it has a snake on it for a bonus!

I'm not really sure what the box/unit in the lower left corner of the first two images is, though probably not relevant.
Other information 2

This is a new problem, though this is the first time we've had 4 people at home all the time, and during a drought.


texts:
We have white prefinished trim throughout the house, and we've tried to touch up the trim in places where it has seen some damage with an Interior Acrylic Latex paint but the latex paint has started to peel up. I am looking for a recommendation on what steps to take to touch up the trim. What types of paint might adhere better? how might I fix the parts that are pealing? Below is a close up of the trim and you can see where the latex pain is coming up:
I've tried doing an acetone test and a small amount of white paint did come off but not much.
I got a quote from a painter and they said they use a "Urethane Enamel" on trim. Would that work better? Or would any oil based paint work? Do I need to sand it down in the spots I want to touch up? I know for a fact that the quarter rounds are "Pine Primed Quarter Round Moulding" because I purchased them, as for the existing molding I would assume it is something similar.


texts:
I've been struggling with this light bulb for hours.
I tried to un-screw it to the left or right but it didn't rotate at all.
Please help me.


texts:
This cylinder-like screw is screwed into an opening on the inside of a table. It basically "locks" into the screw that is facing down from the top.

Kind of like this:

I'm trying to get them out, yet I can't find advice because I don't know the name of it.


texts: How should I redo my patio under my deck?

texts:
I have a patio composed of large concrete pavers (roughly 2' x 6') (edit - more likely sections of poured concrete) - I would guess it is at least 10 years old if not much older. My second story deck is supported by posts on precast concrete footings which sit on the pavers. I'd like to redo the patio as the pavers are uneven and unappealing. What would be the best approach to redoing the patio without rebuilding the deck? Some potential approaches that have occurred to me:

Pour a concrete slab over the pavers/sections of concrete slab
Lay deck tiles over the pavers/sections of concrete slab
Lay a fresh set of sand and pavers over the existing pavers/sections of concrete slab
Use temporary posts to support the deck while removing and replacing the pavers/sections of concrete slab

How many of these approaches seem feasible? Are there better ones I haven't thought of?


texts: Self levelling compond on an oily floor?

texts:
I've just moved in to a new house and I want to level the floor in the garage but it's covered in oil. A quick Google throws up a blog post and product by Polycote but nothing else specifically mentions oily floors.

Is Polycote the only product? Do I need a specail primer to lay over oil? What else do I need to know?


texts: Is there such a thing as a silent (or muffled) door latch? The doors inside my house make a very loud click when the latch snaps into the frame when closing the door.


texts: have fake stone on the out side of house and some how it seek through the wall and the plaster in side and got wet along wit the card board likr material. can you put drywall over plaster  what do you need to do?


texts: I have a broken plastic part, disabling the button for the light switch on my cooker hood. Now I can fix it, but I've unhooked both the light switch and the hood switch, and I can't find how to connect it again. Forgot to take pictures unfortunately... I've found this circuit online, can anyone help me out how to connect it? Brown thing is the light switch. Can provide better pictures if necessary. Thanks a million in advance!


texts: What's best way to keep shower faucet handle from dropping?

texts:
how to keep handle from falling off? Is there a type of adhesive that's best? Or is there something else recommended?

Note currently the handle just falls off; when the water is running or on own. Then again, it goes back quite easily; and drops off again few minutes later.


texts: How do I change these MR16 light fittings to GU10? (pics included)

texts:
I'm looking to change to GU10 from MR16.

I bought this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0785RKFNN/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've circled in blue where I attached the new GU10 lamp holder. I plugged in a GU10 bulb and the light doesn't come on.

What's going on here?


texts: How would I go about Tiling this Basement Bathtub wall?

texts: We are wanting tile our bathtub wall with a bond pattern 3x6 subway tile. I am having a hard time planning this out as we have an angled wall near the top of the wall, which is around 5.5" in height. How do I go about laying these out to achieve a decent look?


texts:
We are putting in a new terrace and we have these sills or transitions on the outside of the doors which hang over the terrace. See picture below.
My preference would be to remove these sills and raise the terrace somewhat so the floor inside and outside are more levelled. But I can't assess if I can safely remove the sills without later having problems with e.g. moisture or frost.
The question is can I remove these sills safely?


texts: Connect Network Expansion Board/Patch Panel to Router

texts:
I am somewhat unfamiliar with home networking but trying to set up my home's ethernet pre-wiring which originates from a control panel box in my garage.

The control panel has a Leviton 1x6 Telephone/Ethernet expansion board (see first image; here is a link to the product https://www.leviton.com/en/products/47609-f6) with what I assume is a single feed connection at the top and an expansion jack at the bottom.

The feed wire into the expansion board did not have a RJ45 connector on it so I added one myself using 568A ordering (white/green, green, white/orange, blue, white/blue, orange, white/brown, brown).  I used a wire tester and successfully confirmed that the wiring ordering was correct and routed into remote rooms in the house via pre-wiring.

Currently, my internet router receives internet from coax cable in another room of house (coax passes through this control panel), but I want to connect the router directly at this control panel and then connect to the expansion board via the feed wire into one of the router's LAN ports.

See images below for current Base Scenario set-up, a Test Scenario which connects LAN but requires splitter, and my Preferred Scenario where there are no Coax splitters at all and everything routes into the house via the ethernet expansion board.

Issues:

When I connect Coax directly into the router (no splitter), WAN light is ON but LAN light is OFF.
When I connect Coax into router after the splitter, the LAN and WAN lights are BOTH ON, and I can connect devices to LAN port, BUT the connection through the Expansion Board to the other rooms in the house does not work.

Questions:

Can this expansion board even handle LAN ethernet internet or is it for old style telephone?
Do I need a device between the router and this expansion board to connect the internet signal?
Could the wire ordering I'm using be the problem? I tested multiple different orderings when adding the connector, and the 568A order is the only one that had a successful test on the wire tester.
Is there a reason the router LAN doesn't work when the Coax from the ISP is connected directly into router (no splitter).

Here is a picture of control panel plus diagrams of the three scenarios to help explain. Any help is much appreciated.

Control panel w/ Expansion Board on left (blue RJ45 wire goes to Feed at top of Leviton expansion board)

Base Scenario diagram

Test Scenario - router LAN only works after Coax splitter

Preferred Scenario - Coax directly into router (but currently having issues with LAN)


texts: By how much can I trim back the connectors of 1.5" PVC fittings?

texts:
We're installing the drain plumbing for a newly installed tub, and the drain shoe overshoots the tub drain hole. The tub has been mortared in place and can no longer be moved:

A joist limits how far back the overflow tee can be positioned, and as you can see in the picture, the connectors of the shoe and the tee are already flush against each other.

I only need the shoe drain to move about 1/2" towards the joist. Would it be acceptable to simply trim the connectors of the shoe and tee by 1/4" each to get everything to move back to where I need it?

For reference, the standard depth of the connectors on 1.5" PVC fittings is 3/4". Is there a minimum connection depth that I need to keep to ensure a leakproof connection?


texts:
I just received my new Arbor in the post for Holesaw cutting.
I gave the upper ring a few experimental turns and now it is completely jammed!
I've tried holding it in a vice and twisting it in either direction, but it won't budge.
I also tried:

WD-40 lubricant
tapping it lightly with a hammer
placing it in the drill and drilling lightly with it

I guess my main question is: which way "should" the upper ring be able to be turned?


texts: Installing retaining wall for pool. Sump pump drain line in area

texts:
Can I leave a space for sewer drain when putting retaining wall up so, rock wont rest on top of soil where sump pump sewer pipe is?

Update with more detail:

My home has a sump pump that kicks the water out to a sewer pipe that leads underground to the back of my lot to a drain sewer. The backyard slopes so I had to dig out the area for my pool, and at the high side it was about 2ft. I am installing retaining wall blocks that are 6inches tall, 12 inches deep and 17 inches wide and hollow in the middle to be filled with crushed rock.

Because a 6 inches base is required, and minimum of 6 inches of the first row be burried, I needed to dig down another 12 inches. So I ran into this sewer pipe where I need to put the base rock, and it will sit up an inch or so higher than the base rock. I am looking to leave a small space when placing the base blocks so no weight will be directly on this pipe, and then just build the wall as usual. Is there anything I should be aware of, or is there something else I should be doing?

Currently I dug out the base and left the compacted clay covering the pipe on each side about 3 inches. Would it be better to dig out and expose the pipe within the base and just put the base rock all around it and try to tamp it as best I can? Or is it better to leave the compacted clay soil around it and work the base rock around the clay covering the pipe?

Thank you.

Diagram:


texts: Can an existing furnace flue be used to vent bathroom exhaust fan

texts: I am doing a basement bathroom reno and wish to install an exhaust fan in the ceiling. Since I have had the furnace replaced and now its direct vent out the side of the house , I have an existing furnace flue in the area that is no longer in use.(5 inch) Is it possible to vent the exhaust fan through this ? As there is windows, furnace vents,gas lines at the side it is almost impossible to add a vent on the side of the house. The rise for the old furnace flue is about 16 feet and I will need to add a couple of elbows to get to the flue.


texts: Do I have to wrap electrical connections with electrical tape?

texts:
I installed my first ceiling fan with remote today. I believe I did everything correctly as the fan turns and the light lights, both via the remote control.
My question has to do with the need for electrical tape.

I replaced an existing ceiling fan without a remote.  I disconnected the blue wire (lighting wire) from the group of existing wires. I then connected the black wire to the black wire and the white wire to the the white wire. I used the plastic caps originally used to twist the wires from the remote to the wires coming from the ceiling. There was no ground (copper) wire. The box and support was already sealed.

The only thing I didn't repeat in this process was to re-wrap black electrical tape around the plastic connector caps.

Here's the question; Is there going to be a problem down the road because I didn't wrap black electrical tape around the properly capped wires from the ceiling to the remote?


texts:
Looking at a house that appears to have asbestos cement siding. I'm wondering if this is something I can do myself with care. I've read the following.

Disturb as little as possible.
Don't Crack tiles
Wear a suit and respirator
Use a vacuum with HEPA filter when needed
Wrap the tiles in plastic and tape.
Lay plastic on the ground

I wondering if I follow all these rules if I can do it myself. As i understand it, you can also cover the siding, but some claim that nailing through can be worse than removing.


texts: How to secure wardrobe to wall if 1.25" gap exists between wall and wardrobe

texts: How do a secure a wardrobe to a wall if there is a roughly 1.25" gap between the wall and the wardrobe due to the molding on the wall? I'd prefer to not have a screw visibly poking out the back of the wardrobe and going into the wall because it positioned where it will be visible often. Are there any tricks I can employ to avoid the eyesore? Thanks!


texts: Can a circuit with three-ways be split in two branches?

texts:
I have a circuit like this:
panel ======= three-way (1) ============ three-way (2) ===== ceiling-mounted fixture

I would like to have another fixture a bit further, with its own new three-way, but retain the first three way:
panel ======= three-way (1) ============ three-way (2) ===== ceiling-mounted fixtureA
                               ||
                               ========= three-way (3) ===== ceiling-mounted fixtureB

So, fixtureA would be switched on/off by (1) and (2) and fixtureB would be switched on/off by (1) and (3). Assume all necessary wires have the 2 needed travellers. I know how to wire it.
I realize the usability issue: switching (1) could turn (2) on and (3) off. That's OK.
My question is there any electrical code issues I'd be facing ? Any security concerns I may have missed ? Location is Canada, QC.


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My partner and I recently purchased a house, and it looks like the previous owners did a quick paint job covering some edges of the fixtures in the bathroom.

What would be the easiest and safest way to clean the paint from the enamel?


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My basement shower rough-in cover is broken.
Can anyone tell me what's this cover called? Where can I purchase it? And how to replace it?

-RG


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I'm trying to figure out the best, least intrusive way of sound proofing the walls of a bathroom. The bathroom shares a wall with my bedroom, and my 3 yea old's bedroom. The main problem is the sound of water running (plus every bump on the counter and everything) echos loud and clear through the wall into my sons room.  I found sound deadening drywall and it seems like a good choice. Another option is adding another layer fo drywall with something like Green Glue between them. But all the walls and ceilings in the house are textured. So replacing just one or two walls in a room is just not possible.

This is the layout of the two rooms. I've added red box around the wall with the most noise.

Is there anything else I'm missing here that I could do to dampen the noise short of tearing the bathroom apart?


texts: Toilet Water Shoots upwards When Flushed like a volcano erupting

texts: This issue is with an American Standard single piece toilet. I just changed the 'fill valve' and since then the toilet water erupts shoot upwards, making a mess. The amount of water shooting upwards is very little but enough to reach the toilet seat. The Toilet does not seem to be plugged. I talked to the plumber about this, and he suggested using the 'SNAKE' to clear any blockages.