texts:
I just completed refinishing an outdoor side table.  On the metal, I sanded and cleaned it.  Put a base of Rust-Oleum textured protectant followed by two coats of Rust-Oleum Hintr Green.

The wood is my concern.  I stained it with two coats of Rust-Oleum summer oak wood stain and rubbed it out (when totally dried) with my leather work gloves to a really smoothe shine.  Is it protected enough for outdoors?  It says to apply polyurethane but I am afraid of fouling it up.

If I spray I am afraid of the bubble effect and smoothness.  I have never used a gun.  What about brush marks?  I have Rust-Oleum "crystal clear enamel" spray available.  Will it harm the wood?  What should I do?  My very first wood project at age 65!

Many thanks in advance


texts: What is this metal block found in our yard?

texts:
We found this metal block while digging in our yard.
It is 3x4x11 inches, very heavy (around 30 lbs), and shows rust.
Our property is in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Does anyone know what it is and its purpose?


texts: hardwood flooring in two rooms not parallel

texts: I have hardwood flooring in my dining room and another room, with kitchen in between. I want to extend the flooring to make the kitchen hardwood as well. The problem is that the flooring in the two existing rooms are not exactly parallel. They differ by a few degrees. I could run the new flooring exactly parallel to the dining room, then when it hits the door of the second room it would have an angle. Or I could try to "warp' the installation so the hardwood changes angle a little as it crosses the kitchen. Any advice?


texts: Switch Between Paint and Sealer for Sprayer

texts: I have a Graco Magnum x9 airless paint sprayer. I have only used it for latex paint. I am planning to refinish my deck this spring with a sealer of some sort. Can I switch back and forth between type of product as long I wash the sprayer out or should I stick to latex only?


texts: Can I use mortar to transition a height difference between cement board and drywall?

texts:
A family member helped me install some cement board in my shower, but the cement board and drywall aren’t level. It already has two coats of red guard and is basically ready to tile. Can I use thin set to level this out, let it dry, and then tile as normal on top of it?

Pictures attached. I am reallyyyy trying to prevent having to rip it all out.

Any solutions would be unbelievably appreciated. Gotta get this done by next Tuesday.

Thank you in advance!!


texts: If I can't find the studs and I'm putting up shelves in my closet which is drywall,would it hold better if I used some kind of glue in the hole before I screw in the screw,??


texts: Whole house dehumidifier- freestanding vs vented

texts:
I’m considering the purchase of a Dehumidifier for our basement, to avoid mustiness in the unfinished/unconditioned portion. I want a nicer quality HVAC-grade unit, both for energy-usage reasons and because I’m not impressed with the quality of hardware-store freestanding models (plastic-box on cheap wheels.. you know the kind.)

Looking at something HVAC-grade like the “Aprilaire 1850” or “Santa Fe Impact” — and there are other good ones too — I see that sometimes they come in Freestanding and Ducted models.

Am I correct that the only difference (e.g. between the 1850 and 1850F) is the plastic “fluting” to accept HVAC ducting, and a small difference in price?

If so, is there any reason why I wouldn’t want the duct-able version? That way if I wanted to attach it into the HVAC system later, I could.


texts: My pool pump went out, it was old, so I checked it. Breaker had tripped. Reset the breaker, flipped on the pump and got a buzz but no function and the breaker tripped. Replaced the pump motor, went to flip the breaker and nothing. Checked with multimeter and no power out of the 240 breaker. Bought a new breaker, same, no power. Did a continuity test on the new and old breakers and both were good. All the other breakers work but that one. The line runs through the garage wall to the pump controller just on the other side of the wall so it’s visible. Checked the line to the controller, it’s fine. No burning or marke near the blade the breaker mates with. Two questions, how could one blade be bad on the bar of blades? How do I test if the blade has power without damaging or shorting the panel. Lost.....maybe a panel reset turning off all the breakers ad flipping the main twice? That’s my next try but confused why the whole bar isn’t out. It’s a dual bar 200 panel.


texts: Can I upgrade existing T12 fluorescent fixtures to T8 just by replacing the ballast and bulbs?

texts: I was going to replace the fluorescent T12 fixtures around my house with T8 fixtures, but I noticed that the T8 bulbs seem to fit just fine into the T12 fixtures.  It seems like I could save myself a few bucks and maybe some hassle if I just replace the ballasts instead of replacing the entire fixtures.  Plus, I could make sure to buy higher-efficiency or higher-quality ballasts instead of just using whatever mystery ballasts come with the fluorescent fixtures at the home improvement store.  Is there anything wrong with this plan?


texts: What does "1/4 turn waterless ceramic disc valve" mean -- will the handle only turn 1/4 way?

texts:
I am purchasing a replacement faucet/spout a for very old (1940s) kitchen sink with a curved backsplash. The backsplash limits the turn space of the faucet handles -- they may bump into the back at a full turn.

Since the specifications include the  statement "1/4 turn washerless ceramic disc value cartridge" would that mean the handles only need to move 1/4 turn?  If so, I can use the longer handles, otherwise not.


texts:
I want to use a french cleat to hang some basic open cabinets in my garage. I've seen recommendations anywhere from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick, but nobody seems to be talking about weight.

Is there a guideline for how thick the french cleat should be based on weight requirements?


texts: Can I use a drain auger on a toilet clog?

texts:
A little too eager I bought a drain auger in order to clear out a constantly / randomly backing up toilet. After I got it home I thought I should then do research and I realized there is a completely different auger just for toilets.

So, can I use a drain auger on a toilet clog?


texts: Is shutting off the water supply line to replace a refrigerator water filter normal?

texts:
I'm looking into purchasing a new refrigerator. A particular Samsung model looks like a potential but I noticed an odd instruction in its manual. Regarding replacing its water filter, the first step is to shut off the water supply line.

Is this a standard requirement? Is the expectation that I shut off water coming into my house? (I don't want to have to pull the fridge out every time the filter needs changing.) I ask since with my current refrigerator, I don't need to shut off the water supply line to change a water filter.


texts:
I have a place that has a corrugated metal roof under a wood deck. It's a pretty large area, maybe 40' x 40'. When it rains, water leaks through some of the nails.

The deck boards are not nailed directly to the metal roof. The decking is attached to a frame built over the top of the roof. I'm guessing I need to remove all of the deck boards and patch the metal roof under the frame.

What would be the simplest way to stop the leaking?


texts: What's the best/easiest way to paint edges?

texts:
Been doing a lot of interior painting lately and I always find the edges — by the ceiling, windows, baseboards, etc. — the most tedious.

What's the best way to paint the edges — old fashioned cut brush?  Some of these special edging tools they have at all the home stores?  Some other method?


texts: Do my washing machine and dryer need to be close to the water heater?

texts: I just purchased a house and near the kitchen it has a location for the washing machine and dryer. The water heater is near by in a separate cabinet. I would like to move the washer and dryer into the garage to have more room in the house. As I was shopping for a house I noticed that many washers and dryers were near the water heater. Is their a problem with moving the washer and dryer away from the water heater?


texts: My gas water heater wont heat until I turn it up to nearly all the way to the maximum temperature, indicated with letter "C" in the image. If I turn it down lower than "C" the gas flames stop and the water never heats up. I also noticed some rust on the top of the heater. What are my solutions to make the heater work at "A" level of temperature or is there any best practices out there to maintain this gas heater which has serial number "..1998" probably the year it was manufactured.


texts: Outdoor electrical outlet exposed to the rain

texts:
Besides tripping a circuit breaker, is there any risk created by a 120V electrical outlet getting wet from the rain?

The outlet was installed on an outdoor patio by the builder, so it was intended to be outside.  It is a little under 10 years old.

The outlet does have a flap cover on it, but if you plug anything into the outlet, the flap is somewhat useless.


texts: What type of underlayment should be used when installing engineered wood over underfloor heating

texts:
I have recently purchased an engineered wood floor and wish to install this over underfloor heating (A Nu-Heat water based solution which sits between the joists). The joists are currently covered with a thin layer of plywood and my plan is to install on top of this.
I have been advised not to float the floor but cannot find a suitable underlay alternative to use.

I have spotted the Elastilon Lock product as a double sided adhesive underlay allowing me to fully bond the floor to the plywood layer - but its website description suggests it only allows for minimal tolerances (presumably in expansion/contraction) and is aimed at parquet style floors.

Would this be suitable for a standard plank engineered wood flooring, or could you suggest an alternative?

For reference the floor I have purchased is

https://www.discountflooringdepot.co.uk/gold-series-engineered-flooring-walnut-18-4mm-x-150mm-uv-lacquered-1-65m2-p457

And Elastilon Lock website:

http://www.elastilon.com/en/elastilon/elastilon-lock


texts: Do I need an ADSL faceplate if I am not using my phone line?

texts:
I have a bulky ADSL faceplate on my phone socket, and it's taking a lot of room, so I can't put furniture in from of it.

I don't use my phone line, so I was wondering if I could use a slim standard faceplate with no filter inside and still be able to connect to the Internet?


texts: Can I use a sheet of plywood to get a tighter hardwood floor?

texts: someone told me that I should screw a sheet of plywood like 8" x 8` long about 10 boards away from my wall and make that my straight edge then start my hardwood from that then after I reached the end go back and take out the plywood and finish it off, he says it will make it a tighter floor then starting close to the wall and nailing the first boards threw the surface? what are your thoughts?


texts: How can I attach the frame of a bed to legs using carriage bolts?

texts:
I have a bed that I have been building - it has 4x4's for the legs, and I want to attach the frame of the bed (the part of the bed that runs from front legs to back legs, structural support) to the front and back legs.

I dont really want to just screw it to the 4x4's, but would prefer to have a carriage bolt that provide more modularity to the bed. Are there any kinds of deep nuts I could insert into the legs that I can screw a carriage bolt into? Basically so I can easily screw it in and unscrew it for dis-assembly. I have seen shelves and dressers we have bought that have these kinds of recessed nuts that you can screw a bolt into when assembling.

Just wondering if anything exists for home use?

Here is an image of what I am doing:

The brown pieces are what I want to attach to the posts/legs. I will then have supports along the 88 1/2 piece of wood that will span the width with 2x4's to provide a base for the box spring. Since it is a load bearing piece, I would like for it to be strong.


texts: Oven warmer trips GFCI and bake element doesn't work

texts: I have a Kenmore gas oven model 790.75663201. Started the warmer for the first time since I bought the house five years ago. The GFCI next to it tripped after a couple of minutes. Happens every time. Since then, the bake element doesn't ignite. The broiler and stove top work fine though. What could the issue be?


texts: I have installed some new toilet paper holders in my house.  They came with cheap plastic wall anchors without a collar on them.  I threw them away and used different anchors, because every time I try to use the ones without a collar I push them into the wall.  Is there a trick I am missing for these anchors without the collar?  A lot of stuff comes with them now, and apparently I am not smart enough to use them.


texts: What sound frequencies does a circular saw emit?

texts:
I'm trying to find the best way to sound proof my garage so that using a circular saw would go un-noticed by the neighbors. ( Our strata have rules for noise regulation )

But before ordering anything, I have to figure out what kind of sounds frequencies I'm fighting with. The circular saw is pretty much the most loud tool I can think of when it come to wood works in a garage.

What sound frequencies is a circular saw blade produce when cutting wood ?


texts: Washing machine shutoff valve won't close

texts:
My washing machine hot water shutoff valve doesn't close.

The laundry room has separate shutoff valves for hot and cold water. I believe that the type of valve is a quarter-turn ball valve, although the handles are much shorter than the quarter-turn ball valves used for the main water supply lines. I haven't had much luck figuring out if there is a better name for them; if there is, please enlighten me, as that might help me find more relevant information than I have been able to so far. The valves are part of an IPS Water-Tite outlet box, similar to this one: https://ipscorp.com/plumbing/watertite/supplyvalve/washingmachine/centerdrain
The cold water valve works normally, but the hot water valve does not close. The handle turns readily between the on and off positions, but nothing happens. After turning off the hot water at the heater, I disconnected the hose and disassembled the valve as much as I could. The handle is held in place by a hex nut screw. Below this is a stem which turns freely without seeming to engage the mechanism inside the valve that should open and close it. (Sorry, I didn't think to take pictures while I had it disassembled). I didn't see any washers or other obviously replaceable parts, or any apparent way to remove or adjust the stem (beyond turning it, which seems to have no effect).

Is there anything that can be done to repair the valve? If not, what does replacing it entail? Is it going to be necessary to open up the drywall and replace a chunk of pipe, presumably involving multiple soldered joints? That's not something I know how to do, and I'm inclined to hire a plumber rather than try to learn under these conditions. Any suggestions? If I do that, should I have him prophylactically replace the cold valve at the same time, even though it is working normally?

This is in a house that was built around 2005. I have replaced the hoses periodically, but the plumbing itself is unchanged from the original construction. This has become pretty urgent, because the washing machine has begun leaking from the bottom, and in light of its age and some other issues it is having, I want to replace rather than repair it.

Thank you in advance for any help or information you may be able to offer.

Solution: The valves were in fact threaded in place, even though there is no good point of contact on the valves to connect a wrench to. So removing them for replacement was just a matter of applying more force than I had been comfortable doing, using a channel lock to grab them by the body. I had the plumber replace both valves with a new set that is similar, but has a hexagonal piece above the threads for a wrench to grab on to.

Interesting fact: the outlet box and the valve handles both have the brand name IPS. But on the phone, an IPS customer service rep swore up and down that the valve was not theirs, they have never made a valve that looks like that, etc.


texts: How can I prevent my condensation tubing from freezing outside?

texts:
I apologize if I missed the answer for this. My plastic condensation drain tube froze outside and the water in my condesation pump could not drain correctly. I hardly touched the tube and it snapped and started spraying. This is how I discovered it was frozen....I let it drain and taped it with electrcal tape when it stopped. I located the frozen part and thawed with hot water. This fixed the problem temporarily because the condensation pump stopped running and was not filled with water anymore.

It is going to refreeze tonight. I need to know what to get to patch the hole I taped and what kind of insulation is best so it will not refreeze. I live in southern Pa and it has been below freezing for days. Tomorrow is supposed to be above 40 so I want to fix it.


texts: Will openings near the corner of a slab compromise its strength?

texts:
I'm planning to build a 10x8 shed that will house the pipework and electrical equipment for a new well I recently had drilled. I would like the shed to sit on a concrete slab just for the quality of life it provides.  My well contractor suggested that I pour the slab first, leaving 1x1 holes roughly 1' in from the corners where I can run pipework through afterwards.

Once the slab is finished with the holes, does it compromise the integrity of slab if I were to dig out the dirt between the hole and the edge of the slab to run the pipes?
How best to fill/pack dirt  back in after the pipes are put in place?  Should I fill the holes with concrete, or just pack in gravel to be flush with the surface of the slab?

Rough drawing of what it'll be like:


texts: My wall socket is wired to my light switch

texts: I have just moved into a rented property in spain. My wall socket in my bedroom wouldnt work so my landlord came around and "fixed" it. the socket does work now but only when i have my bedroom light on. So before i go to bed i have to unscrew the bulb so i can charge my phone, watch tv etc. ive got a feeling he just wired the socket to the light switch. Its the only socket in the room. I have spoke to my landlord everyday since but like everything in spain - they will do it tomorrow. Ive been waiting 2 weeks now. Is it something i can fix?


texts: Why does my GFCI receptacle trip when I connect the load wires?

texts:
I was trying to install a GFCI outlet and when I install it with the five wire setup with the line on top and load on bottom, the outlet continually trips. I made sure which wire was the hot-line and confirmed it by successfully wiring the GFCI with only the line wires in a three wire setup. I connected the load wires again and it tripped again? I even tried a second GFCI!

Ideas? The outlet works fine when a standard outlet is there, so it's got to be something simple.


texts: Should I bond pipes to ground in detached building subpanel?

texts:
In California.

My subpanel has a dedicated ground conductor run to it (ground and neutral bonded only at the main panel). The subpanel is in a building with its own plumbing, not connected to pipes where the main panel is located.

I know that I should not bond ground to neutral redundantly in the subpanel, but should I bond ground to plumbing independently from the subpanel?

My concern is that this will create an alternate path to ground.


texts: I have a small utility trailer ta her has a corrugated metal floor. Not sturdy enough to haul my motorcycle so I want to install  a wood floor using 5/4”x 6” treated lumber. My question is what is the proper self tapping screws to attach wood to 1/8” angle iron. Some videos suggest 12-24x1 1/2 inch self tapping screws, but I cannot find those locally at any of the big box stores and have no idea what a comparable screw would work.


texts: Can I use mortar to fill channels in a concrete floor?

texts:
I recently had central heating installed in my 2 bedroom ground floor maisonette. We installed all the pipes in the channels which we dug in the concrete floor. I have covered all the pipes with insulation and now it is the time for refilling the channels and then covering all the floor with laminate/wood flooring.

I have cut some pipe insulation and fit them to the pipe just to keep some space for expansion and contraction; I am planning to put some sand (dried sand used for driveways) in the channels, say 2cm, and then fill them up with mortar.

My question is can I use mortar to fill the channels?


texts:
My apartment house feed is 120/208v 4 wire (plus ground) wye connected.
Apartments have 120/240v service.
I can't see how the 240v circuit is derived from 120/208.
I'd welcome an answer or a link!


texts: No hot water even if heating elements work (solar/boiler combination)

texts:
I've got following setup for heating water:

boiler
solar panel on the roof

The overall setup is simple - the cold water enters the system and goes first through the solar panel and then through the boiler reservoir.

Then, as a last piece there is a hot-water recirculation pump (Wilo Star Z25/2) that creates a circuit in between the cold water supply and hot water out.

However, I do not get any hot water out of the taps, despite the boiler working and pipe leaving out of it being hot.

After very long figuring-out and trying to feel where the hot water goes by feeling all the pipework, it seems like if the water was going through pump in the other direction! There also seems to be a check/no return valve installed on the intake side of the pump.

I am very sorry for the rough description - I do not have access to the plans so I've "reverse engineered" the above.

My total uneducated guess is that the shut-off valve is faulty and allows the cold water back into the circulation.

Also, the pump seems to be broken as well (I believe it has been for a while) - what happens when it breaks? Does it normally allow flow through in the other direction even if not broken?

EDIT:

I've drafted the schema of the system:


texts: Can I use a T5 HO lamp in a non-HO luminaire?

texts:
Does anyone know what would happen?
Does the ballast limit the power?
If the T5 HO lamps were less expensive than T5 non-HO lamps, would it be ok to just use them in a non-HO luminaire?


texts: I am building a small bathroom on the first floor of my house. I need a vent but cannot access the main stack above the water line. I was thinking of going straight through the roof of the first floor (see diagram) with a 2" vent pipe. I dont want this vent to pass in front of the window so I was hopping I could terminate below it. I know the code does not allow that. So my other solution was to just get out of the roof and install a cheat valve. I cannot find anything describing that online so just wanted to see what you guys think about it.


texts: Trying to install 2 smart switches but neutral wires in box are not connected

texts:
I'm trying to install 2 smart wifi switches to replace 2 dumb switches in a box.  1 switch powers a dining room light.  The other switch powers two kitchen lights that turn on/off together.  As expected, I found 3 wire bundles entering the box (with 2 wires in each sheath, one black and one white).  One of the black wires is hot (connected to a red nut).  2 of the black wires are loads going to the lights.  All of these wires are on the same circuit because they are run through the same breaker.

This all makes sense to me.  However, I expected the 3 white (presumably neutral) wires to be connected in a bundle.  I would then tap that bundle for the smart switches, but they are individually capped.  They also have a small amount of voltage in them when I tested them with a voltmeter. But all the lights and switches work with the dumb switches, so there doesn't seem to be a problem.

My question is: should I bundle the 3 white wires together?  Was that just an oversight when they were being installed?  And then can I tap that bundle for smart switches?  How can I be sure the 3 white wires are the right neutrals?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q8FRJ96/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A3KD59IVUZ5TBM&psc=1

Here is the smart switch I would like to install.  I don't have the manual yet because I don't want to buy it until I'm sure it will work.

I confirmed that this box is not grounded and does not have a ground wire.

And updating with pictures of two of the three lights.  The third is hard to disassemble, but its wiring runs with one of the two pictured.  These all look standard to me.  Black with black, white with white, and grounded to the box.  All lights work.  Note that although the wiring in the box look new, these wires likely were originally installed many decades ago.  The house was built in the 1920s but has been updated over time, so the wiring could be quite old.

enter image description here


texts: Could the diverter valve be causing water to get cold quickly?

texts:
I recently finished a bathroom renovation.  Went to take my first shower in the new surround and hot water only lasted about 15 mins.  For the remainder the water was lukewarm.  The new shower has a diverter valve so I'm thinking this might be where the issue is since the water remained lukewarm. Any suggestions on if this may be the problem or how to troubleshoot?

Unfortunately the surround is tiled out so I'm hoping nothing has to be ripped out.


texts: Measuring voltage from home to outbuilding

texts:
I want to make sure all the power going from the house to the outbuilding is getting to it. I have installed meters at the point leaving the house and at the point where it is entering the outbuilding.
The voltage is 120V. The wire is 12 gauge double insulated and in metal conduit, buried in ground. The distance traveled is approx 100 ft. I am losing about 3.5 % of what I am sending, using about .85 kilowatts a day.
Is this a normal loss?


texts: How to properly seal the transition between basement wall framing and spray-foamed box joists?

texts:
We're looking at insulating the box joists of our concrete foundation. We have 2x3" walls framed which are holding batt insulation, which are 3-4" away from the wall (to accommodate a layer of batt insulation behind the framing). (This all existed when we moved-in - if we were starting from scratch we would have framed right against the wall and spray-foamed the whole thing. Alas.)
We plan on doing 2" of closed-cell spray foam, but what I'm not sure how to go about properly sealing the transition from the wall framing to the foam. Originally I was going to loop the vapour barrier over the top of the framing and behind the insulation, so that any gap left after spraying would still be vapour-impermeable. But then I read that the foam will not stick to the polyethylene sheeting, so that's a no-go.
Should I just spray "down" a little bit at the bottom of the header area, and hope the foam expands to reach (and seal-to) the top plate of the framing wall? Or should I add blocking at the top of the wall first? Anyone have experience with this specific setup?

Front-view of the box joist area (yes, that is frost - this is why we're spray-foaming!)

Top-view of the framing wall and gap


texts: switch for light also turns on a circulation pump - looks like a 4-way switch - has failed

texts:
there are three bathrooms and one kitchen Light switch (total of 4 switches) that turn on the lights, and also start a Circulation pump for the hot water system. the intent is that the hot water circulates from the end of the "header" and back to the storage tank.
one of the switches has failed and when removing from the box, it looks like a 4 way switch with 2 "regular" wires and 2 "thermostat wires". there are relays in the utility that im pretty sure look after the circulation pump regardless of which Light is activated.
do i need to open each location to determine which switches are 4 way and which are 3 way ?
i took the old switch to Eecol Electric and the replacement switch they offered has the 4 contacts but the gold/black colors do not match ?


texts:
I need to replace a corner acrylic bathtub from 2005.  My plumber doesn't know anything about what we have installed here; I bougth this house and don't know the model number of any the bath parts.
It's a Kohler tub, and Kohler is going to try to identify what part number it is (in 5 business days...).
Currently with Kohler I don't see any corner tubs with the faucet holes drilled out like this.  No one at Kohler knows anything what this is.
Do you actually just drill out the acrylic tubs like these for the faucet and mixer?
The frame that the tub is in has front panels, that can be pulled apart to access the mixing valves.
Any one with some experience who knows what this tub?


texts: Water coming in through backdoor threshold

texts: Yesterday it rained and noticed water came inside the house from the backdoor. It was wet all around the interior of door. Today, I took out hose and sprayed the threshold underneath door and was able to reproduce the water entry. What can I do to prevent water coming in?


texts: Can I support a fiberglass tub with a layer of 1" thick foam board between a concrete subfloor and mortar base?

texts:
I'm trying to maximize the headroom in my basement shower. I originally planned on placing the tub on top of the subfloor and sleepers that make up the rest of the floor, but then I realized I can add about 3 inches by not doing that. The pipes actually run half in-half-out of the slab, which I "framed around" with sleepers - see here. The tub needs a mortar base, so I thought I can just put down some plastic to separate the mortar from the concrete floor and install my tub mortar base and tub directly on top. But now I'm thinking that the concrete floor is about 65 degrees in the winter, that's not exactly ideal to step on with the heat transfer.

I'm thinking I can "frame around" the pipes on the floor with 1" foam insulation (on top the 6mil plastic) and then apply my mortar directly on top of that layer to support the tub.

I think the thickness of the mortar (3" at least) should distribute weight sufficiently to support the tub while walking in it. It should be relatively solid, not like I'm walking on foam. The foam is quite rigid anyways. Under the load of a full bath tub though, should that be fine? Or should I add 1" sleepers between the insulation and the mortar, to provide a solid path to the ground? Would I need a layer of OSB over the sleepers for them to be effective, or is the mortar good enough? Or maybe I should just skip the foam all together?


texts: Do I need a wire clamp where a cable exits a wall?

texts:
I have this cable running out of the wall in my garage to a light bulb. I'm looking to upgrade my garage lighting to actually be shop lights. I want to rerun the cable so that it comes out of the wall into an electrical box. The new cable will come out of the box into nonmetallic liquidtight conduit which will run to the center of the garage ceiling terminating at an outlet. The roof of the garage is unfinished.
I attached some images so you can see what it looks like right now. The wire currently just goes from the wall through a joist to a light socket.
My question is do I need to use a wire clamp for the wire coming out of the wall or can I just screw the box to the wire with the punch out over the wire coming out of the wall.
This is what I mean by clamp.

Here are pictures of the wire coming out of the wall to the light socket.


texts: Why am I not getting power to outside outlet?

texts:
Not getting power to outside outlet but have one outlet that has power on the outside checked the breaker it has not been tripped don't know what to do.

How do I fix it to work again? Maybe one month ago I had power, now only my front of the house works and back outside plug don't work both run on same breaker.


texts: What kind of trim should go under a deck patio door?

texts:
So an inspection on my brother's house revealed that it has been missing any kind of trim under the patio door that goes out to the deck -- possibly since it was built (he says he just never noticed it until the inspector pointed it out).  It's kind of funny, because the J channel (whole house is basic vinyl siding) was put around the frame like they were expecting something else (besides siding) to go in this space.  This picture from the inspector should show exactly what I'm talking about:

He's looking for help this weekend to correct the issue, but I'm not 100% sure what would be the best thing to go there.  I'm sure we could put more j channel in there with a short piece of matching siding -- but I think it would look very odd with the already finished edge going down to the deck level.  I was thinking about trying to get a properly sized piece of that white PVC trim stuff from Home Depot which is pretty much just a synthetic board and screwing it in place, but I wonder if there would be issues with that in the winter.

My only real experience with exteriors is putting up basic vinyl siding, so I thought this would be a good place to ask what the proper way to handle this is.  Thanks in advance for any help!


texts: How do I move a carpet tack strip about an inch inward (ie, remove about an inch's worth of carpet)?

texts:
When I had carpet installed in my room, I had removed the baseboard from one of the walls.  When the guys installed new carpet, they put it flush against all baseboards and then flush to the wall where the baseboard was missing.  Now I want to put the baseboard back, but it won't look right.  What I need to do is move that entire set of tack strips inward about an inch and then remove the excess carpet.  Am I going to have to restretch the carpet?  It will still be on the tack strips along the other three walls, so will that be enough to keep the current stretch stable or will it need to be stretched outward in the middle?

Also, yes, I know that most people remove old baseboards, install new carpet, and then put new baseboards on top, but I didn't do that.


texts: Is gun oil worth the cost for oiling an axe compared to alternatives?

texts:
I've done some research on axe maintenance and it seems gun oil is the best lubricant for axes. However at approximately $10 for a 4oz. bottle cost becomes an issue if you get a lot of use out of your axe and oil it after ever day of use. Is a cheaper alternative like 5w-30 motor oil adequate?

I will note that if its ok to spraypaint my axe head, then the cost of using gunoil becomes cheaper since I don't need to oil the entire surface.


texts: What are cheap ways to build strong shelves with a large span?

texts:
I have removed several old and moisture damaged built in storage units from my house. I would like to replace them with shelving. There are a number of different sized gaps (width and depth to fill).

I would like the shelves to hold quite alot of weight (large numbers of books and similar).

Some of the shelves I would like to span quite a width. For example, 2 meters, and be quite deep (say 50cm). For aesthetic reasons I would like them to be supported only at the back and each end, avoiding large brackets or similar underneath the shelves as far as possible.

One way to do it would be to buy very thick strong material for the shelves. I would like if possible to avoid having to spend that kind of money. I would like to use cheaper and lighter materials, which I can apply some kind of finish to (paint or something).

What methods of construction, other than using a single thicker stronger piece of material, can I use to improve the distance a shelf can span before deflecting too much or collapsing? What are the limits (span, depth, load) of these different methods of construction?

(I have already solved the source of the moisture problems)


texts:
I've asked around at local stores and they had no idea what it was.

A ceramic part in the valve broke so I can't just pick up a generic o-ring.

The stem has 16 teeth and 0.4" 0.365" diameter.
The valve is 5 inches long.


texts: Could this nothch in my sash been made by termites?

texts: Could a termite or something else have made this hole? My wife is pretty sure it didn't exist before.


texts: Guys I need to find out what this is- it's also on my wooden bed racks


texts: Is painting rough cut wood a reasonable way to smooth it a little?

texts:
I have some rough cut wood, I don't have a plane, I want to turn them into some crates for storing beer.

Could I just paint them?


texts: What is this small triangle on this screw head?

texts:
This doesn't really relate to a problem I have (the screws work just fine), it's more of a curiosity question. Some of the screws I've used recently have a small triangle on their head, as if for lining up something:

I was wondering what this is for, but couldn't really find anything.

What I did find was that bolts commonly have markings that relate to their strength, and screws often have manufacturer markings on their head, but this looks like neither to me.


texts: how do i replace a fence post that was also used as a deck footing?

texts: So I removed the old broken 4x4 post that was for the fence and deck.  I have the deck sitting on stone slab after I held it up with a jack.  It had two bolts that I had to cut out that are still in the holes for the deck framing so I cant put the new 4x4 post back in the same way to attach it back to the deck.  Any ideas on what to do?


texts: If mounting a TV bracket on a brick wall, is it safe to use the existing holes from an old bracket?

texts: I live in the uk and the wall construction in the house is 1930s red brick. The previous owners of the house had their TV mounted on the living room wall (actually the load-bearing party wall with the neighbours, so it should be of good, solid construction). If the bracket we have fits the existing holes, is it safe to reuse them? If so, is there anything I should do in order to prepare the holes for the new rawl plugs?


texts: Unidirectional rollers for a bookshelf door

texts:
I have a doorway about 4 feet high and a bookshelf that is a bit larger in both height and width than the doorway. I'd like to put hinges and rollers on the bookshelf unit to turn it into a hidden door.
I have in mind to use some rollers much like you find under a refrigerator that are linear (not omni-directional casters) and relatively wide (>2") to distribute the weight better and avoid creating impressions in my flooring from the heavy load. I can't seem to source these rollers or even determine what they're called. If anyone knows what to call them or where to find them online, I'd love some help.
I'm also open to other ideas to accomplish the same thing.


texts: Can I put rigid foam on studs to prevent thermal bridging?

texts:
I'm re-insulating an interior wall & putting up drywall to replace the old plaster walls.  Rather than screwing the drywall directly into the studs, I'm toying with the idea of putting a 1/2 inch of polystyrene rigid insulation along the stud, to prevent thermal bridging.  I would then put up the drywall with longer screws that would go through the poly, and dig into the studs.

Is this a bad idea?  Will this cause problems either during installation of the drywall or days/months/years after installation?


texts: How do you plan capacity for electrical circuits?

texts:
I'm finishing a section of my basement, which currently only has one bulb for bare light.  In planning the electrical arrangement of things, how do I estimate the load of light fixtures or electrical outlets so I know if I need heavier gauge wire, or additional circuits?

Yes, I could read the labels of the light fixtures and appliances I plan to install/use.  But that doesn't allow for potential fixture changes or room re-utilization in the future.  I'm thinking there must be a rule of thumb for "lights fixtures are this many watts, outlets are that many watts."  I've just no idea how many.

EDIT - Follow up question

I'm seeing a lot of commentary which seems to imply 15 amp circuits are the norm (including other questions on diy.se).  I know there are a few 15 amp circuits in my house, but most of them are 20.  Why would you prefer one size circuit over the other?  When would you use a 20 amp circuit?


texts: Solar Panel Collector type for Caribbean

texts:
I live in the Caribbean and am looking to get a solar water heater system. I’m looking into flat panel or evacuated tube system. I got an offer for an evacuated tube system with a stainless steel tank for a descent price. I have a 2 floor concrete house with a flat roof and no trees nearby. i have 2.5 bathrooms. At the moment we are just 2. Given my location, would the evacuated system be better? What should look for?

I got offered this ET system with installation for $1,300 plus tax.

It includes a 120 gallon stainless steel tank.Flat panel systems with a regular 82 gallon tank (non stainless steel) run for the same price.


texts: Should I add air ducts when finishing my basement or rely on space heaters?

texts:
I am going have a finished basement of 1000 sq/ft which includes a theater room of 12X16. Currently I am in process of planning in stalling duct work to my basement.
I am thinking of not putting duct work in the theater room because in the winter we will only go to the basement for just watching movies. I don't want to turn up the thermostat upstairs to heat the whole basement and over heat the main living area, so instead I'm thinking of just using aspace heater in the theater room.
What are the pros & cons of using a space heater in the room instead of installing central heat, particularly in terms of electric bills ?
I don't have multiple zone in house.


texts: Plywood vs. OSB vs. AdvanTech - for subflooring?

texts:
Bathroom remodel.
I'd like to consider:

R30 // subfloor // Schluter®-DITRA-HEAT Underlayment // tile

.
I want to do it structurally correct and not have it squeak or rot, but also want to keep the costs down.
Which is the best for a floor over a cold garage?

Notes:
Schluter


texts: How do I fix a crooked inside corner drywall line?

texts:
I recently removed a fireplace and added new drywalls to open areas that were behind the fireplace.
I also added drywall tape to the inside corners, and metal corner beads to the outside corner. Only the new drywall areas (and a couple of inches above them) have the new corner bead and tape. I tried my best to make sure the new drywalls and tapes are installed correctly and are even all around... same with the mud work. But, I've noticed an issue with the inside corner on the right side. As you can see in the pictures the bottom side of the corner is not aligned with the top part.
What are my options at this point? Which compound would be best to fix the unevenness and the corner line?
Should I continue on and prime it and see how it turns out? Should I apply some mud to make the line more straight? Should I remove the drywall tape and try again, or add another tape to fix the line?
I'm a beginner to taping and this is really my first project, I've got the necessary tools including a 45min quickset, a different CGS sheetrock pre-mix compounds: multi-purpose, light-weight, and dust control types. I also have some sparkle but I don't think that is helpful here.
And I have the 2", 4", 6" and 12" knives. I've also got the inside and outside corner knives in case they are needed.

Before:


texts:
I moved into an apartment that has a wall-mounted heater that gets rather hot when turned on (see below).  I have an inquisitive 1-year-old who already likes to climb up on the unit (luckily not while it's been on).  I am wary about putting something directly surrounding the unit, both because it would block the heat and because it might be a fire-hazard.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to properly protect the unit from my child (and vice-versa!) without creating further issues?  I cannot remove the unit or do major construction, as this is a rented apartment.


texts: Should an exterior surface-mounted outlet box on wood lap siding be flashed?

texts:
I'm adding an outlet box to the wall over my deck by drilling a penetration through the wall just to feed the cable through. Will air seal with expanding foam and caulk and feed into a surface mounted exterior weather proof box and outlet cover through the backside of the box.
In addition to caulking the perimeter of the box before screwing it into the siding was thinking of installing a small section of L flashing tucked up into the lap of siding above the box to help minimize water dripping directly onto the top of the box and relying solely on the caulk to seal, but almost every video or how to I see of these retrofit installs has the box just mounted directly to the exterior. (I was thinking of it like the flashing detail on top of a window install around the siding)
Am I being overly cautious or would this somehow affect the rest of the water barrier system of the siding?


texts:
I've laid an EPDM roof on my shed/workshop, and I've now got to trim the edging, using wooden battens - what I'm not sure of is whether to put them on the edge, or underneath:

Most of the pictures I can see on the internet show them on the edge, as per the second picture, but wouldn't that invite water to get into the gap between the batten and the rubber, then wick through the screw holes holding the batten on? (which is exactly what happened with the old felt roof)
There's no fascia as such, and the pitch is around 15 degrees.


texts: How to repair damage to finished fibreboard

texts:
Not sure exactly what happened, but there is now a dent in the  bottom of one of my IKEA cabinet doors, which is Fibreboard covered with some kind of enamel or plastic.

I'm wondering if there is any way to repair this damage rather than replacing the door (this is the discontinued line and replacement parts are harder to find and more expensive).

As a result of the damage, this part actually bulges out slightly. I do have matching enamel paint to cover the chipped surface, but ideally I'd also like to get the surface flat again before I paint it.


texts:
A couple of years ago I bought a house that was built around 1960.  It is a brick ranch house with a 1 car garage built in to the house.

The problem is that the garage floor does not have a drain.  This means that when I park a wet car in the garage (snow or rain) the water drips on the floor and it will puddle in low spots against the walls.  I wouldn't say that the floor is badly sloped, but the water has to go somewhere and it does have a few places in particular that it pools.  Because of this there is some water damage against my wall.  The concrete floor is also slightly cracked which may or may not be related.

I know the right way to fix this is to bust up the floor and install a new concrete floor with a drain.  However, I'm finding it difficult to swallow that cost considering the garage has been this way for 60 years.  I realize that is a bad reason for not changing something, so I'd like some second opinions.

Is this a big problem or an inconvenience?  It's been like this for 60 years so what is the harm in letting it continue?  Are there other ways to solve this problem that would be more cost effective?

A couple notes...

The garage is underground and the driveway has 4 foot retaining walls all the way to the street.  To properly install a drain I believe I would need to bust up a lot of concrete.
My only concern is from a safety perspective.  I can live with water if it isn't going to affect the structural integrity of my house.
I am 100% positive that this water only comes in on the car and not through the walls.  I parked outside for months and lined the walls with newspaper while my area got a lot of rain.  There was no moisture at all when I tested it.


texts:
I am looking to put some sort of roofing over a pergola I have built. I had planned a fabric roofing but that didn't go as planned as the material wasn't taught over the beams and didn't look good. I am now looking to put some sort of wood/plastic roofing on it. As the roof is curved something which is somewhat malleable will likely be needed? The cross beams are not completely square to the main beams- a square piece of wood in between the crossbeams would leave small gaps down the sides I'd expect, which is fine if I can fill them with something but wouldn't know what to fill it with.

The purpose of the pergola is to offer shelter from the debris that falls from the tree above it. It doesn't need to be particularly water tight, but slightly water resistant would be ideal.

Thank you for any suggestions!


texts:
I recently moved to an apartment with no ceiling lights. All wall switches are wired to a specific outlet in each room. Unfortunately, the switch each one controls is in the worst possible location and I can't do any re-wiring.

Is there ANYTHING like what I'm about to describe?

I would like to plug a device to the outlet controlled by the switch and plug a second device to a better located outlet of my choosing. A lamp will be connected to the second device. When I turn the switch on, the first device will send an "ON" signal to the second device which will in turn power up the lamp hooked to it.


texts: Will a galvanized tin roof act as a ground for a magnetic rooftop antenna

texts: I just installed a magnetic based antenna on my galvanized tin porch roof. Will the metal roof act as a ground for the antenna? I am unable to attach a ground block to the antenna cable, because the end is fed through a window and connected to another cable, and the connection is lying flat on top of my air conditioner base. Thanks.


texts: Should I choose PVC or aluminium window frames in a hot, humid climate?

texts:
I live in Bombay (Mumbai), India. I'm planning to install sliding sound-proof windows in a room. There are two common types of window frames manufactured here; one is aluminium, and the other is PVC, which is some kind of plastic. I've had conflicting information about which is better. I was told one the one hand that plastic deteriorates under local conditions, which is mostly very hot and humid (the location is a stones throw from the Arabian Sea), except during the monsoons, when we get torrential rain.

On the other hand, I talked to someone who works for a company called Beautex, and the person insisted there was no problem, and that PVC is actually better from a sound-proofing perspective, though they did not offer any reasons why. They do sell PVC windows in India, as can be seen here.

Personally, I'd incline towards aluminium without further information, since I've never heard of aluminium deteriorating, and it is quite strong and durable.

So, the question is, which is preferable and why?

Addendum: Reading the question How can I prevent aluminum window frames from heating up when they're in full sun? made me wonder if sunlight heating up the aluminium will be an issue. The window frames will certainly be exposed to direct sunlight for part of the day, though I'm not sure how long. The windows do have small roofs above them, to help keep of the rain, which may help.

NOTE: This is the same room as shown in The best kind of tiles for using on floor and walls, though it now no longer looks as it did in this photo. Since that time the wooden windows have been removed, and the small roofs over the windows have also been replaced, though the new ones are of a similar size.

UPDATE: I eventually went with uPVC windows, not aluminium. After research, I discovered that there are uPVC windows which are manufactured that are suitable for Indian climate conditions, and they seemed to offer better soundproofing than the aluminum ones did. Possibly better insulation too.


texts: How can I replace or repair termite damaged 2 x 6 tongue and groove sub flooring without altering the 1 x 6 hardwood floor on top of it? The hardwood floor runs perpendicular to subfloor, and all of the damage is done between the floor joists. It still feels sturdy when you walk onit, but I want to reinforce or replace the subfloor.


texts: How to bind/pair a Sunvic wireless radio heating controller to its receiver

texts:
I have a Sunvic wireless controller and thermostat with a receiver base station in the boiler room. It became detached and I'd like to reconnect it with the controller unit.

Note: this is a question I know the answer to but I couldn't find it on the web, so I'm putting it here and intend to answer my own question. I don't think this site lets you answer your own for a few hours, so I'm going to stick the answer right here.

1/ Grab that handy paperclip you keep for poking and hooking things.

2/ Hold the On Off button on the receiver for 3 seconds or until the green LED flashes.

3/ On the back of the controller, with your paperclip, press/poke the Learn button.

Note that the Red LED means 'working' while the Green LED means 'you're going to freeze in your own house'. This might be something to do with Chinese manufacturing and red being their most positive colour.


texts: Why is my washing machine so loud during the spin cycle?

texts:
I have a top loading washing machine. It is sitting on the bottom of a rack. The dryer is sitting on the top shelf of a rack. (The rack was made to stack these two units on top of each other).

During the spin cycle the washing machine is really loud. Is this typical? I've heard washing machines that has a similar sound but not the same volume!

What could be the issue with it, if there is one? How to fix it?

UPDATE

The washing machine is actually not physically sitting on the rack. It has wheels and is sitting on the floor. The rack structure is really to loft the dryer above the washer. I also checked to make sure that all wheels are touching the ground.


texts: Why does my circular saw motor turn but the blade does not?

texts:
I have a McKellar circular saw. I was ripping up some old pallets for firewood. and thought the blade had jammed.  I stopped, took the blade out of the work and tried again and the motor goes and the blade turns for a second or two. Then the blade stops turning but the motor noise remains unchanged. I wait a bit, and the same thing happens. The motor is OK. The switch is OK

What do I do?


texts: Is it safe to set my water heater tank to vacation during winter time? What else can I turn off to save heating bills during winter?

texts:
Is it safe to turn set my water heater tank to vacation during winter because I am mostly away from my house?  I live in Canada.
What else can I turn off to save heating bills during winter when I am away at my house?


texts: Self-leveling alternatives to gypsum concrete (Gyp-Crete, Pyrofill, Securock) over OSB?

texts:
Replacement options for < 1.5 inch pour?

Details:  Bathroom remodel (new tub, tile wall/floor, toilet, vanity).  Old tile floor came up with finger pressure, found that the gypsum concrete underneath was unstable, coming off in large loose pieces, and mildewed.  Removed all gypsum concrete in the small bathroom.  OSB is in great shape.  Supplemental goal to install underfloor radiant heating.


texts:
We have some extremely uneven and ugly terra cotta tiles.  They're old, stained, and unevenly laid.  The grout is pitted and poorly done.

I'm wondering if there's a way to perform the lippage removal on these tiles, and just grind the hell out of this stuff?  I don't see much video coverage on it..


texts: How do I stop a sliding door from squeaking?

texts:
I have a sliding door which makes quite a loud squeaking sound when it is opened or closed. As best I can tell the sound is coming from the door rubbing against a metallic guide at the bottom as shown in the photo below.

What can I do to stop the door from squeaking?


texts: Is a threshold drain outside my laundry room and bathroom, draining to daylight, a good idea?

texts:
We are building out a two-room suite that consists of a full bathroom (tub, sink, toilet) and a full laundry room (washer, sink).
There is one single door that enters into this two room suite.
I think it would be nice to have a threshold/linear drain right at that doorway ... the wainscoating of the tile in these rooms make them like a swimming pool, so the water can only escape at that doors threshold ...
So I am thinking of installing a linear drain that covers the full 32 inches of that doors threshold and draining it to daylight.
Just to clarify - this is not a drain that would see any use under normal circumstances - this is a safety drain in the event that something clogs or overflows or the supply line to the wash machine breaks, etc. - the flow of water is stopped at the threshold of the tile and does not do $50k of damage past that point, It seems like a good idea.
The only thing that nags is that the 2" drain to daylight is a heat sink / source of drafts ... so I was thinking of installing a very sensitive check valve, with a 1/2 PSI crack rating, at the end of this 2" pipe.
But now I have a check valve that might stick ... but I think I can live with that, since check valve malfunctions cause them to stick open, right ?
Is there, in fact, any problem with draining to daylight ?
Would it be better to put in a huge trap, fill it with water, and just refill it if I ever notice a draft ?
Thanks.


texts: What type of air filters are these? Are they any good?

texts:
I'm pretty sure these air filters have been in the house for 30+ years.

I'm not sure what type of filters they are. Are they disposable or can you clean them?

Are they efficient at all?


texts: Have Gas Water Heater...Wondering If It Needs to be in a Closet

texts:
I received a "gift house" from my father-in-law a few years ago. A lot of the problems have been repaired over the past few years, but I have a major one that keeps kicking my butt.

The previous owner (not inlaw) enclosed the garage and did a sloppy job of enclosing a gas water heater in a closet inside of the washer/dryer room. It has literally killed me for the past few years as it has zapped my electricity bills and allowed rodents access to the internals of the house. The house is on peer and beam minus the enclosed garage which is obviously slab. The inside of the hot water heater closet has holes, gaps and large drywall cut outs everywhere which opens up to the crawl space below the platform the water heater sits on. You can also see the roof planks if you look at the closet ceiling. The water heater also does not sit inside a proper drain pan. In addition to all of this, the size of the closet causes the washer/dryer (side by side) to overtake the door entry way to the laundry room.

I do not have the funds to upgrade to a tankless unit at this time. But, I am wondering if I can drain and remove the heater and then tear down the closet. Properly fix the walls and ceiling behind the HWH and fix the heater platform (with drain etc) and make sure I properly vent out the gas exhaust and basically get rid of the closet all together.

A few other pieces of info. The washer/dryer are electric. The water heater is 3 years old. I live in Dallas. There are two standard interior doors; one leading to the kitchen, the other leading to the master bath. The washer/dryer room is about 6x12 and does not have an a/c vent in that room. However, the kitchen and master bath both have ducting.

Is it safe to get rid of the closet? Can I demolish it and repair the walls behind the unit and simply sit the HWH back on its platform opened to the laundry room? Does anyone know if this would cause any code issues?
I do plan on having a CO2 detector next to it if I do so.

Here are some pictures to hopefully give you an idea of what I am working with. Please ignore the mess.

Thanks in advance for your advice!


texts: What percent adjustment is left for this chain saw bar?

texts:
Chain saw bar adjustment pin closeup.

Is the short space at the top of this image the remaining amount left for adjustment? What percent of the range is left? What amount should the new setting have been?
This is a totally new saw, less than 30 minuets of use. Opened up to tighten the chain a little. If this is not the way a new saw adjustment screw should be,I would like some reference to meet the manufacturer with to back up such a claim.
Parts diagram


texts: Why does my washing machine shift around while operating?

texts:
My washing machine shifts around slightly during the entire washing procedure. It doesn't move that obvious that I could tell what part of the washing procedure makes it do this. However, the obvious reason may be the spinning cycle.

My theory is that the washing machine tries to walk "downhill" and/or follows its balancing point. It shifts a bit to the left and comes forward slightly. Therefore, I thought that I can fix this by elevating the front left a bit and maybe the back left a little less than the front left.

Before I test this theory and maybe waste my time I thought I'd ask if this is true. Or where should I elevate the washing machine?

EDIT: I might add that the problem started after moving to my new apartment. Therefore, I think that it's not a factor of wearing out, but something like an installation alignment that I need to make. Since the bathroom was refurbished before I moved in, I might also deal with tiles that are still in motion and I simply have to expect to readjust the washing machine.

The current status is that it somehow "danced" itself into a position where it seems to be stable. So at this time I'm not supposed to push it too hard...

So this has turned into a theoretical "what-to-do-if"-kind of question. Is my actual question or rather assumption valid?


texts:
We are refinishing our wood floor and want to make sure that we make the right choices. Initially, multiple people suggested that it's pine wood but now after sanding our flooring guy thinks it's maple but he doesn't seem entirely sure.

What type of wood is this?

Thanks!

Edit: The house was built in the 1880s and is in the Boston area. Not sure whether the floor was ever redone.

After sanding with high grit

Sorry, some stain test in the pic.

After sanding with low grit

Before Sanding


texts: Is 68F too low for hot water heating thermostat? Final radiators not getting heat

texts:
I have a hot water heating system. It's a single loop in a ranch home. The ground floor is about 1500 square feet. When the oil furnace turns on, the first few radiators in the loop get warm, but the ending radiators barely get any heat. My thermostat is set to 68F.

If I push the heat up to 73F, then the ending radiators will get warm. I was thinking maybe there was some air trapped in the end radiators, but when I opened their bleed valve, nothing came out, not even water. This was while the hot water was circulating in the system.

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas as to:

Why the end radiator didn't spurt any water out when I opened the bleeder valve - could it just be jammed up, or is there not enough pressure in the system? My furnace says pressure is at 15 psi.
Is 68F simply too low a temp to expect hot water to get to the final radiator?

Thanks

Update: picture of the boiler gauge:


texts: What would cause a bathroom light to turn off during operation?

texts: My kids bathroom light keeps turning itself off after about 5 minutes. Then after 10 minutes or so it will turn itself on again, and so forth. I am wondering if this is something relatively simple that I can fix?


texts: Heating zone not working when other 2 do

texts: I have three zones of forced air/baseboard heating in my house.  I had the furnace shut off for the summer and after turning it back on, two zones in the house work and one does not.  Any tips on how to troubleshoot the problem?  The simplest problem (my guess) it could be (other than gas pipes being shut off) is the thermostat is working properly.  Is there anyway to bypass the thermostat to see if that is the issue.  Re: gas pipes being shut off, I have checked that and all seem to be on/flowing.


texts: How can I remove old paint from wooden door frames?

texts:
There is paint in almost all door frames in my home. All of them were done because of clumsy paint job years ago. The paint is normal wall color (water soluble).

I really need to get rid of the paint. What I am looking is a way to do it without hurting my hands for hours using a wet sponge and without having to remove the whole frame from each door.


texts: how to connect led string light to pergola in backyard

texts:
I built a pergola in middle of my backyard.

I have only one power outlet in my house wall facing backyard.
I am also planning to connect the low voltage led landscape lights for the garden and put the Edison style LED bulb string on pergola.

I understand that i cannot use the extension cord to connect the low voltage transformer so i will be using the one power outlet to connect the low voltage transformer. That will mean that I don't have a source/outlet to connect  an extension cord to for the Edison bulb string.

What would be the most effective and cheapest options.
Can I use one extension cord and then connect the voltage transformer and Edison light string to it?

OR, are there any Edison bulbs which can be connected to low voltage transformers?


texts: How can I determine what's under my siding and cover it.

texts:
TL;DR: want to install a pergola structure over my window, need to remove one row of siding. not sure how to proceed.

My house has a concrete foundation, then bricks up to what looks like the second level, then Aluminum siding. I want to install a pergola structure over my bay window. The brick runs up both sides of the window. The siding covers the top of the window. It is not clear to me if the brick runs across the top of the window frame or not.

So, my question: what is most likely under that siding? OSB? If I remove the row of siding and there is OSB underneath what I could I do to cover it properly? Add more Brick? Brick facade? I wouldn't want to put siding between the house and the pergola. And obviously, if it's just more brick then I'd do nothing.

Thanks in advance.


texts: What are some good web resources for designing/building bunk bed?

texts: I am looking to make bunk beds for a new house we are moving into.  Does anyone have any thoughts on a place to get some good plans?  Looking online has scared me and they all look like a scam.  Just looking for book recommendations or a website that someone knows is reputable.  Thanks in advance.


texts: Using 12/3 non-metallic cable to carry 2 circuits

texts:
I'm renovating a house and am finding lots of questionable electrical work.  My recent finding is a 12/3 cable that carries two circuits from my electrical panel that branches off to two different chains of receptacles.  To clarify, in my panel the red and black wires go to seperate 20A breakers, white to the neutral bar.  At the other end of the cable, the red wire goes to an old BX cable, the black wire another, and all three neutrals together.

I've never seen this and logic tells me it's bad, because that doubles the current being carried on the neutral wire.  But before I tear it out I wanted a sanity check.  This is bad, right?


texts: Remove fireplace leave metal chimney on roof

texts:
I removed a wood-burning stove and cut through the double-lined metal chimney flue in the attic. In the short term I jammed some insulation in the metal liner and left the rest of the chimney with the existing cap (see pic) on the roof. The top has a removable cap like this (duct tape was a short-term fix to stop airflow):
Can I just cap the top off and leave the bottom where I've cut it?
Whatever I do needs to pass a home inspection because we are selling the house soon.


texts: Venting Two Bathroom Fans to Single Roof Vent

texts:
Can I have two different exhaust fans in the same bathroom on the same switch. ?  (I.E.  on/off at the same time, both ducting to a y-adapter attached to a single roof vent opening).
One fan uses 4" duct and the other a 6" duct, but I was going to use a Y-adapter that is 4" on all three openings and use 6" > 4" reducer for the larger fan duct.
I get different answers from everyone that has looked at it!
Thanks!


texts: Does a 16"W x 13" deep counter space need an electrical outlet?

texts:
I have a 15"W x 24" Deep base cabinet. The counter top overhang is 1" on the front and right side. There is no overhang on the left side as there is a gas range there. There is a 15" W x 12" deep cabinet that sits on top of the base cabinet and goes up to the ceiling.

This leaves a counter space that is 16" W x 13" Deep, and no wall space (due to the tall cabinet) to put an electrical outlet.

Would this be considered a peninsula and not require an outlet because the long side is under 24" or would it be considered a regular counter space (over 12" W)and require an outlet within 24" of any spot along the wall?


texts: What do I need in order to install under cabinet lights?

texts:
I want to install hardwired, under-cabinet lighting, but I need some guidance on what kind of devices (transformers/drivers/adapters) I need to complete the project. I know very little about electricity and even reading some of the electrical answers on this site (like this one) have my head spinning so I'm hoping somebody can just tell me what I need. Here is my situation:

The rectangles (A-F) are my wall kitchen cabinets. The yellow wires (1-5) are the wires already setup (connected to a wall switch), on a single circuit, carrying 120VAC. 1 connects to 2, which is connected to 3 and so on.

I want to use something like this.

However, my difficulty is most of these LED under cabinet light solutions on Amazon seem to be assuming that you have one set of cabinets, where you can link all of your lights in a perfect row, and one plug that you will then plug everything into. I don't have that. I have 5 120VAC lines, and one of those lines (#5) needs to have 2 lights interconnected (for cabinets E and F) on that one line (why it was setup like this is another story).

So if I were to buy the light kit above (or something similar), please tell me what [else] I need such that;

I can plug a single LED strip (or puck) into the 120VAC lines on cabinets A, B, C and D
I can plug two LED strips (or pucks) into the 120VAC line on cabinet E

In case it matters, the scenario illustrated here is slightly more simplified then my actual setup. In my actual setup, there are two more cabinets. One touching cabinet 'F' (call it cabinet 'G'), and another cabinet which is stand-alone just like cabinet A (call it cabinet 'H'). So there are really 8 cabinets, and 6 lines coming out of the wall, but I didn't include them in the picture to try to simplify the scenario. I add them here incase it matters (for voltage/wattage/amperage/gigawatt consideration).

Also note, I'll probably have somebody else do the installation, but I still want to know what I need so I have it ready for whomever does the install.

EDIT: It has come to my attention that I can run 12V DC current on Romex. So is there anything wrong with setting up a transformer at line #1, to convert the current to 12V DC continuing down the line to points #2-5? That way all I need is one transformer at cabinet A. Assuming the transformer can handle the load of all the LEDs total wattage, is there anything wrong with this approach?


texts: I bought a house built in 2000. I has wall built-in speakers, two in family room and 2 in game room. Both rooms have a jack panel, mounted in wall. They have rotating cups on them. I tried to put the 3.5 mm audio pin to it, but the pin is small. Any idea what kinda cable would work with them


texts: Can I use one of the phases in a 2-phase circuit to power a 120V appliance

texts:
I am wondering if I can take one of the phases from a 220V circuit that is used to power my cooktop, to power a 120V appliance (small wine cooler) and a 60W LED light transformer.

The specifications for the cooktop are:
220V  6,8kW

The specifications for the wine cooler are:
120V    130W

Unfortunately, I cannot run a new circuit just for the wine cooler which would have been my first option. Right now , the cooktop is running off a 2 pole 40A breaker.


texts: Need to install wood framing in a pipe filled wall to be able to hang shelving

texts:
I've got this wall, from which I've ripped off the drywall. The wall is 5' wide, 9' high. There's 4 flimsy metal studs and I'd like to install a few big sheets of plywood over those so I can put up 6 five foot long shelves.
I would like to join 3 cut up pieces of 2x4 to the big beam on top to block out a little past the metal studs, and then attach some pieces of 2x4 to the floor. After that, attach a long sheet of plywood to those 2 blocked out pieces.
My question is, would that be a strong enough way to hold down an 8' sheet of plywood, only securing it by 2 ends?
Here's a picture of the situation:


texts: How do I wire a replacement ceiling fan?

texts:
We replaced an existing ceiling fan and light with another ceiling fan and light.  Neither the new nor the old fan and light have a remote.   The old fan and light could be controlled by 2 wall switches - one for the fan and one for the light; and also could be controlled by the pull chains on the fan.

Wires from the ceiling are black, white, green, and bare copper.  The new fan has black, white, green/yellow, and blue.  We connected black and blue to black, white to white, green/yellow to green and bare copper.  However, with this connection nothing works at all.

We tried connecting the blue to the bare copper.  The fan and light works but not at the same time.

What do we need to do to fix this?


texts: How can I temporarily partition a large open space to create another room?

texts:
I'm renting a small apartment which has one bedroom, near the front door there is a large open space that could easily be converted to a bedroom/office with the addition of a partition across a wall.

Is there a way I can do this without making my apartment look like a surgery?

Bear in mind I'm renting, so structural changes wouldn't be good, It'd just be nice to be able to wall the room off when I felt like it.

Here is the room layout:


texts: Recently replaced a leaking bearing assembly on my Armstrong S-25 pump. The previous one required oiling, the new one is the permanently lubricated MF/BF model. I look forward to not having to lubricate the bearing assembly, but what about the motor? The original manual that came with the pump indicates that the motor has oil cups that must be lubricated at the start of each season. However I don't see the cups, nor any inlets to add oil to. How would I go about lubricating the motor?


texts: Why does my water heater heat past the set temperature?

texts:
Rheem Marathon 85 gl electric water heater set at 120 degrees started putting out scalding water.
Thought it was the thermostats so replaced both. Didn't have any effect!
Anyone have any ideas?


texts: Can I do an external splice to my chandelier wire?

texts: My ceilings are over 20 feet tall so I want to avoid renting scaffolding to replace the chandelier at the junction box.


texts: Fixing suitable for corrugated conduit inside a chased masonary wall and suitable clips?

texts:
I was looking at some Corrugated Conduit Black 20mm X 10m and I was wondering what fixings would be suitable for terminating inside a wall connecting to the backbox (the gland). I can find glands for normal round conduit but I'm having trouble getting the ones suitable for this stuff.

I'm from Ireland so it's the same as the UK regs.

Also what clips would you advise for inside the chased masonry wall which will be plastered over? And I suppose some SS masonry nails would do the job?

Would these do?

Here's the corrugated conduit.


texts: Should raw timber be treated for use as in-ground posts?

texts:
I've got some grape vines that I need to re-build a badly designed trellis around. Im considering using some felled timber from my back yard. The advantage is that I could use much larger, cheaper posts than I could get from the store , as big as 8x8 or 10x10. The main disadvantage seems to be that it's not treated, and so ground contact is obviously detrimental. In general does this seem remotely possible? Should I treat the wood with some type of stain? It seems unlikely any stain would penetrate enough to provide real protection for ground contact, but I only have experience with simple combo stain/sealant mixes, which I tend to use for aesthetic medium-term protection.

Or do I even need to treat it? Would a 8x8 or 10x0 log last a good amount of time in the ground supporting grape vines without treatment?

FWIW - I know there are lots of other options for the trellis (mainly wire) but those options all have downsides as well so Im trying to specifically evaluate whether this option is possible, and how robust it would be.


texts: Replacing two pronged outlet with GFCI not grounded...is it adequate for electronic devices?

texts:
We have one room in our house that only has two-pronged receptacles and they are not grounded.

I've read that you can install a GFCI outlet on a non-grounded junction box and that would be okay.

My question is, is it really safe?

Can I plug in a surge protector and then plug in my laptop and smart phone and not worry about electrical issues?


texts: How to know what anchors to use on the ceiling?

texts: I am a beginner DIY'er trying to install a ceiling fan. The instructions say to use the appropriate fixing for the type of ceiling you have. This is rather obvious but what isn't so obvious is what kind of ceiling I actually have and how to go about finding that out. So my question is: How do you know what material the ceiling is made out of so that you can choose the correct anchor?


texts: 50 amp breaker being replaced by a 60 amp breaker

texts: I have a 50 amp breaker that runs the auxiliary heat on our heat pump.  It keeps tripping.  Can I replace it with a 60 amp breaker?


texts: How can this pool heater gas line be disconnected?

texts:
This is a picture of the natural gas connection going into a pool heater. The heater no longer works. I just want to remove the heater and cap the gas line.

Please see the picture. I'm not sure what the different parts are here. Can someone direct me where I should clamp my first wrench and which fitting to loosen based on the picture?


texts:
I recently built a deck, and we are looking to make a privacy wall using pencil hollies. As I was making sure weep holes weren’t sitting on joists, it occurred to me that the way that these planter troughs are positioned, the will set between two 16” o/c, 2x8 joists.  Each (4) planter will span roughly 6 decking boards and will likely be around 500lbs initially with gravel, dirt, and a young plant.  As the plant grows, it may gain some weight as well.  Is this a dangerous amount of loading for these conditions?
Side note. I have a plan to route excess water away from the bottom of the planter.


texts: What the heck is going on in this electrical box?

texts:
(Photo below). Is this safe?

Just a homeowner who has changed his fair share of fixtures and outlets... but have never come across this.

Two whites leading to the fixture white.

A red wire leading to the fixture black

And two black wires in the back that I don’t know where they’re going?

And bare wire (assuming neutral) just coiled up in there.

And there is burning/charring around the electrical box and inside the old fixture.

Is this configuration safe?


texts: What am I sealing as I install my Shower Faucet Stem and Handle?

texts:
As a result of a leak, I replaced my shower's hot water faucet stem. (I think) I installed it successfully, but now I am wondering which hole I am trying to seal.

Am I trying to seal the entire hole around the stem or seal the edge of the sleeve that I will seat around the stem (see the metal sleeve at the base of the other handle)?


texts:
We owned this house for about 3.5 years and really interested in refacing this fireplace. Curious, can this be done? What are my options?

The stone sticks out at different angles and depths, our next challenge is a slanted ceiling. These two scenarios make it really difficult to figure this one out. Any advice, see pics. Thanks in advance!


texts:
We have a particularly small room, about 12ft by 8ft,
we use it for boardgames and roleplaying games.

As is typical for these games,
discussion often gets heated,
getting louder and louder.

Someone suggested accoustic tiles,
which would absorb some of the sound,
reducing the feedback that made people get louder and louder.

They also found somewhere we can get them fairly cheap.

But do they actually work to decrease sound in the room?
Or are they only good when there is a very noticeable echo?
Do I need to fully cover the walls, or would scattering half a dozen (or more) have a noticeable effect?

It is hard to tell if there is a echo, as the room and thus the delay is small.
The walls are mostly plasterboard. so that should already be absorbing alot of sound (i would think)

I should mention:

The roof is unable to be coated in tiles as it has a painted mural on it.
The back wall is unable to be coated in tiles as it is covered by a book shelf. (The books should absorb the sound anyway, right?)
The Front wall is unable to be coated as it is a full hight and width window
The remaining two walls are about the be coated about 50% each as one has a whiteboard and the other a cork board.
Thus a smattering of acoustic tiles is all we could get.


texts:
We're installing a gas insert (QuadraFire QFI-30).  The installation manual gives two ways to install it. In one, both the intake and exhaust liners run the full length of the flue, and in the other the intake liner is only 30" long and the flue is packed with non-flammable insulation (i.e. fiberglass) so intake air is drawn down the flue.  Here's the diagram:

The existing chimney flue is concrete block and was constructed (in 1972) as part of a wood-burning fireplace.

My question is whether there is a significant difference between the full-length intake liner and the short version. Is one likely to be more of a maintenance headache in the future?


texts: What is this small hole and why is it there at the bottom of sink?

texts:
I installed a new faucet and drain pipe assembly. I found that there's a small hole at the bottom of the sink (underneath). Water is coming out of it. When I pull up the stopper (so the water collects inside the sink), there's no leakage. But as soon as open the stopper or open the faucet, water is start dripping through this hole.

Anyone knows why is it here, why is it leaking, and how could I fix it? There didn't seem to have a cover or "plug" for it previously.

Thank you.


texts: How can I replace circuit breakers with GFCI breakers when it is a multiwire branch circuit?

texts:
We have 2 carriage lights on our patio and 3 flood lights on our eves.  The carriage lights are controlled by two 3-way switches and the yard lights are controlled by another set of two 3-way light switches (one in the bedroom, one in the living room).  We are expanding our patio and are adding two more carriage lights which we want controlled on the same switches as the existing carriage lights and we are moving the flood lights to the eves of the expanded patio cover. The new lights and the moved lights will all be within 10 feet of the pool which is a code violation unless we change the circuit breaker to a GFCI breaker.

They are all on the same circuit breaker. The circuit breaker they are on has a BLACK wire going to it from a 12 gauge 3-wire.  The RED wire from the same 3-wire goes to the circuit breaker next to it and controls our security system and some outdoor outlets. They are not tied together, they can be tripped separately.

My question is, can we replace just the one circuit breaker that the lights are on with a GFCI breaker or do we also need to replace the other breaker that the RED wire goes to that is next to it?  If we have to replace both breakers, do we need to replace both of them with GFCI and then what do we connect the two neutral white wires from the two GFCI breakers to since the 3-wire only has the one white neutral wire coming off it? Or can we just replace the one breaker with a GFCI breaker and leave the other breaker which has the red wire to it as-is?

It is a single pole, 15 AMP Square D circuit breaker.  And the current wiring and breakers in the panel are all original to the house when it was built 11 years ago and therefore passed inspection back then.


texts: Can basement plumbing rough-in be moved to a new location in the crawl space?

texts:
Thanks for any help with these Plumbing 101 questions. Before talking with a pro about bathroom updates, I want a good grasp of what might be feasible.

This bathroom has water and drain coming up through the floor (in the corner, adjacent walls are exterior). Crawl space below, balcony above. 100 year old house. The space was originally a back porch and has long since been enclosed and turned into a bathroom. Will edit with a pic soon.

In theory, can the plumbing be redirected in the crawl space to come up through the floor at a new location a couple feet away? Alternatively, would a chase built out from the wall to house plumbing be a smarter choice, and if so, what approximate depth would the chase need to be?


texts:
I'm trying to switch from a single switch to a double switch so I can turn on my fan and light separately.  I've got one hot switch and one other black wire.

The white lines are tied together so I'm assuming they're neutral and don't need to be looped into the switch.. but any combo I try of changing around those two black wires still turns on both the fan and the light at the same time.

All help appreciated]1


texts:
I have builders grade cabinets. They are smooth fronts (sort of modern) they are dark brown and not varnished or stained.  I think sort of melamine front....definitely a man made product...so I can't sand and refinish.

They are worn areas around the knobs...from hand oils and probably from cleaning products from contstantly wiping them.

Is there a way to freshen them up? without replacing all of the doors?

I know that I could paint them....but with smooth fronts...they don't have much character....so painting might show imperfections.

I'm pretty handy...so any suggestions are appreciated

thanks
Heather


texts: How can I cut the face flange (no nail fin) off my replacement window to make it a box window for my masonry install?

texts: I purchased windows with the face flange but they are too large.  If I cut the face flange off they will be perfect.  What do I use to cut the 5/8" flange off each side?


texts: What's the name of this wood-eating animal and how to purge it?

texts:
I have had issues with an insect, which looks like a beetle, in a rented house in a humid mediterranean climate. I noticed they had infested a wooden chair from hearing a faint rattling sound in the night. So I left the chair outside the house. Now I am also hearing a faint sound again and I see insects on the floor beneath the wooden bed frame.

Here is a picture of three specimens shaken from the bed frame:

Here is a picture after crushing them with a fingernail, which makes a soft crackling sound:

And here is a picture of the holes they leave in the wooden frame:

What is the name of the animal, and how to get rid of it and prevent further infestation?

Update: The house is brick and mortar, not wood. The floors are made of ceramic tiles. It has some wooden elements, such as closets. The house has no visible wooden joists.


texts: I want to remove the metal railing and put in a proper wood railing. I was planning on cutting the pipe flush with the cement and then using a bracket to connect my 4x4. However, when they put in the pipe they left a mound of cement so the bracket can’t sit flush to the ground. What is my best option? Could I just run my 4x4 from the top step where the yellow circle is? Is there a type of bracket that could work in my situation? Thanks for any help!


texts: Does a ground wire to a receptacle box improve safety if appliance only has 2 prongs?

texts: If an outlet will only ever have 2 prong devices plugged in is there any safety purpose to have a ground wire added.


texts:
I am trying to install a ceiling fan where a light fixture was. When I took out the light fixture I noticed that there are 3 black wires all bundled together, (and not being used) 3 white wires with bundled together that were attached, one red wire that was attached, and then a copper wire.
My switch is a single dimmer switch.
My ceiling fan has 1 black, 1 white, 1 blue, 1 green.
Do I just attach black wire to the black bundle in the ceiling? and then white to white, blue to red, and green to copper - confused because the black wires weren't being used for the light itself.


texts: Best way to create a reversible projector screen?

texts:
I'd like to build a reversible projector screen like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMRYCJCZ3Fc

and I'm wondering how you might build the rotating trolley/rail setup.

My first guess is to build the screen and rails out of Unistrut and to add these trolleys to the top and bottom corners of the screen (four in total):

If I go this route, how should I build the pivots that allow the trolleys to turn as the screen reverses? Could I get away with running a piece of threaded rod up each side (from the bottom trolley to the top one on each side of the screen) and then… add a pivot somehow?

Maybe screw a cylindrical standoff around the rod and pair it with a bronze bushing at each corner to allow it to spin?

I don't know much about this sort of construction, so I'd appreciate any advice.


texts: How should I mount shades with these brackets?

texts:
I have some up-down shades which don't have any instructions. The are made by Allen-Roth, which is just a Lowe's house brand.

For the life of me I can't see how to mount these!

The metal bracket will slide into the top of the blind but it isn't secure at all and there isn't anyway to move that rotating latch if you do that, so I don't think that that's it.

Any ideas?


texts:
Has anyone had success or tried painting vinyl siding?  Apparently Benjamin Moore
 claims that it is possible but I wanted to know if anyone has done this? Were there any pitfalls or learning?

The reason to want to do this should be pretty obvious as replacing all the siding on a house purely because of color is a lot of money. Basically I have a yellow house, the siding is in good condition, but quite ugly so was hoping there is an effective way to change its color other than buying new.


texts:
I am looking to hang a shelf from the ceiling of my garage between two garage doors.  The shelf is 32" x 94" and made from a frame of 2x4 and 3/4 plywood on top.  I've tried to weigh it and I think it weighs approx. 63lbs.  One end of the shelf can be directly screwed into the stud of the garage wall.  The other end (and another mid way) would be screwed to the ceiling joist using 4 2x4 screwed into the shelf and then into the ceiling.  I was thinking of using L brackets with lag bolts to fix the shelf to the ceiling.  I was planning on using #8 3" wood screws to attach the 2x4 that will hang the shelf.  Am I way off or will this hold?

The ceiling joists I am attaching to are 2x4 on end that span approx. 6-7'.  They are notched at the ends where both ends sit on the bottom sill of I beams.  The I beams span the width of the garage (approx. 23') and sit on a stack of 5 2x4 standing on end.  Thank you for your input.

It is possible to get above the I beams but it would entail taking down drywall and then replacing.  I was hoping for the shelf to support approx. 250-300 lbs total.


texts: What bulb should I use in 4" recessed lights?

texts:
I have Halo H99ICAT housings with a variety of trims and am confused on what bulbs I can use.

The label inside the can states that I can use specified bulbs with the following trims-

953P Black Baffle - 50WPAR20 with socket extension (H1999)

990P Pinhole - 50WPAR20 or 50WR20

1420 Slot Aperture - 50W 12V MR16

I currently have 50W MR16 Halogen with a GU10 base that gives me the light I want on the wall, however I think configuration will over lamp if left on too long.

Is the socket extension for the 953P for heat (get the bulb away from the top of the can) or more to extend the light source?
I don't understand why I need a 50W 12V MR16 for the 1420 Slot Aperture when I can use a 50WPAR20 in the 990P Pinhole which has a smaller opening.
When they state 50W, I am assuming that is based on heat output, but what wattage rating do you use for LED? The actual LED wattage or the incandescent equivalent?


texts:
My tabletop glass corner was chipped about 1 square cm in area. How can i reattach this chip to glass so there is no trace of breakage.

I am looking for a cheaper and best approach.


texts: How can I add a common "C" wire to my thermostat?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Options for adding “C” wire to thermostat

I recently bought the Honeywell THM5320R Wireless thermostat.  After going to hook it up I found what many others have, it requires a common wire for power.  I looked at some of the other posts on this topic but could use some confirmation.

My HVAC in the attic looks like:

The items are labeled X R C G W with RCGW going to thermostat. The C connection currently has 2 wires attached, one goes back to the hvac unit itself along with the X wire.  The other appears to run to the outside compressor.  A second wire from the compressor path (red) is connected to a Blue wire that then runs to the thermostat.

A closer view

If you look at the thermostat you can see that the blue wire then connects to the yellow terminal (compressor stage 1(?)). I assume that (after looking at the wiring diagram) that this is simply a circuit that powers on the outside compressor.

So I would assume that to get a common wire (only 4 wires in cable) that I would simply need to run an additional wire from the C terminal on the HVAC to the C terminal on the Thermostat? First I would need to verify 24v.

Does this sound correct?


texts: Multi wire circuit or 2 separate 120V 20A dedicated circuits?

texts:
I'm planning to purchase a portable indoor infrared sauna and locate it outdoors under my deck.  The sauna will require a dedicated 120V 20A outlet.  I'm wondering if it makes sense to install a multi-branched circuit rather than 2 separate circuits.  (I would like an additional outlet so won't have to unplug the sauna anytime I needed power for other applications). This would require a twin 20A breaker at the main panel and 12-3 wire run in the crawl space to the receptacle near the sauna. My thought was if I were to decide to convert to a 240V 40A outlet in the future (ie upgrade to a 240V outdoor sauna), then couldn't I still use the existing wiring and simply change the twin breaker to a double pole?

Since this outlet will be located on the exterior of the house, I'm assuming that the receptacle should be GFCI, is this correct?


texts: Can I rest floor joists on a ledger lying under the beams?

texts:
I'm building a 1.5 story cabin and have a full perimeter 8" block foundation that's 20' x 40' with 16" x 16" piers inside...2 rows of 5ea piers. Piers are the same elevation as the perimeter block.

My joists will run with the 20' width, 3 joists to create the 20' span (sill plate to pier...pier to pier...pier to sill plate). Basically 3 joist 6.6' long.
My questions are...

Can I run a sill plate from pier to pier the 40' way, for the girder (for lack of better definition) to sit on, and use that sill plate as a ledger for the joists? Didn't know if the ledger would have to be nailed to the sides of the girder.

Secondly, will I need to double or triple the girders.

I plan to use 2 x 8's for everything.

This is the way I had planned to frame it.

,

but the piers are actually 16" x 16" rather than 8" x 16".


texts:
Frigidaire FRS26LR5CW0 side by side fridge/freezer.  Freezer side is cool, but not cold - things were slowly thawing and new stuff not freezing so I had to remove everything.  Fridge side is just cool enough to keep the food in it.

What I've done/checked:

Cleaned exterior front/back coils/compressor/kick plate.
Verified the exterior compressor fan works--Compressor comes on (i can hear it)
I removed interior back panel of freezer - the fan above the coils works, as well as the fan that blows from freezer into fridge (located on left rear Fridge wall).
When i first opened the back up, the freezer coils were frozen, but only the top 1-2 rows.  I believe the inlet line is the small diamater line - that line had a big block of ice formed on it, probably an inch thick.
I've defrosted and re-started and the inlet line (the small diameter) almost immediately frosts up, and within a couple of hours the first row is frosted up.  I let it run for 4 days and got another block of ice on the inlet line.

One strange thing i noticed - there was some kind of black tape/putty that was apparently on the inlet/small line that looked like it had melted and oozed down onto the coils.  not sure what it's purpose was...?

I also looked at defroster - this model has adaptive defrost control.  I found out how to trigger it with the door light switch.  When I do, the compressor & fans turn off.  I disconnected the defroster element and checked the connectors - they showed 114VAC, so looks like it's getting power.  I also checked the two ends of the elements w/ohm meter and it read zero ohms, so it would appear intact.

My questions:

Could the thermostat (small plastic thing that clips to the freezer coils) be defective causing the compressor not to run long enough?  It does cycle off, which seems strange since it's so warm.
Is there a way i can test it, or bypass it to force compressor to run continuously for a while to see if that resolves the problem?
I've read a lot online about all the coils freezing up, and blocking air flow/heat transfer - but why only top 1 or 2 rows freezing up?
I think the defroster was a red hearing (seems it could be the culprit if all the coils were freezing solid) but i'm curious how hot it should get as when i forced it on, it didn't seem to get warm at all

Thanks for your assistance,
Mike


texts: How can I lift the latch of the battery compartment in this smoke alarm detector?

texts:
First of all, I'm a bit embarrassed I cannot figure this out myself.
I have looked up Youtube videos, Google searched but I didn't find any exact video.

Plus I have tried pressing it hard, lifting but it seems very hard - just hurts my thumb.
I don't want to call an electrician or tell my landlord but I can't sleep with this chirp going on as well. Can anyone help?