texts: I have to level a concrete floor that is more than 2 inches out of level. Should I be using self leveler, or concrete? Is 2" too much for self leveler?


texts: What is the proper way to dispose of used hydrochloric acid?

texts: What is the proper way to dispose of used hydrochloric acid (e.g. Sureklean 600)?  My municipal waste station does take toxic waste periodically but I was wondering if it can be safely flushed down the toilet.  It is very corrosive to metal and I know there is cast iron sewer pipe below the basement leaving the house to the street.  Also, is it safe to flush it from the environmental standpoint?


texts: How much water should be on my pool cover?

texts:
I just covered my above ground pool, following the instructions supplied with the cover.

  Inflate pillow to about 50%.
  Install pillow in middle of pool using supplied leads.
  Drape cover over the pool.
  Thread cable through eyelets in cover.
  Insert both ends of cable into turnbuckle, and tighten slightly.
  Pull cover into position as turnbuckle is tightened (do not over tighten).
  Put water on top of the cover.

I had a good, even distribution of water on the cover this morning. Then the wind kicked up a bit, and now all the water is on one side of the cover. Should I add more water on top of the cover? How much water is too much?


texts: Receptacle for TV shorted out along with power in bathroom and circuit breaker. Replaced receptacle with same wire set up, reset circuit breaker. Receptacle comes up open neutral and bathroom receptacle reads hot & ground reverse and light switch in bathroom not working.


texts: How to fix detachment of counter top laminate

texts:
I would like to fix the corner of my kitchen countertop where the laminate is comming off (see photo).

Is there a clamp for this? What is it called?

Can I use epoxy or should I get a special adhesive for countertops? Is there something that is heat resistant?

Thanks


texts: How to fill this gap between window and brick wall? (too deep for backer rod?)

texts:
I'm renovating the windows of my 1936 house. Doing the first window and I notice there's a big gap between the window frame and the wall and I was wondering the best way to fill it in so I can caulk it.

I bought a 1/2 inch backer rod, and that seems the right size, HOWEVER, the hole is really deep and gets a lot wider about 1/2 inch in. This means the backer rod keeps falling through the gap when I try to install it.

Is there something else I can use to fill the gap or should I put something behind the backer rod to stop it falling through?

Any advice here is very much appreciated!

Here's a picture of the gap:

And here's a picture of the gap with a backer rod 'falling through' the gap where it moves around freely:


texts: Can I use construction adhesive to mount a 4' LED Shop light on a Flexicore ceiling?

texts:
I am about to move in a a new (to me) condo with a Flexicore (precast concrete panel) ceiling.  I am not sure if I can drill into the ceiling or not so I am looking for alternate way to hang a 4' LED shop light in a closet.

Ignoring any electrical connections, as I can deal with that part of it, would it be possible to use construction adhesive to mount a 4' LED shop light to the Flexicore ceiling?  Would it have enough strength to hold up that light?  If not any other suggestions?


texts: How to tell amperage of a circuit breaker in basement? Also... adding a dedicated line for Treadmill?

texts:
I'm not doing any of this work myself! I have ZERO electrical work background. I'm asking this to better educate myself so I can understand what needs to be done.

We bought a townhouse recently, it's only 3 years old (we're the second owners). Very new and up-to-date

We put a treadmill in the back room of the ground level floor (which has the door to our garage, a small room, a half-bathroom, and a small hallway with a few lights).

The treadmill is blowing the fuse... the whole downstairs floor & garage go out. It didn't happen right away... we used it a handful of times, then one day out of nowhere half hour in it blew. Now it'll blow when we first turn it on, or 5 minutes in. *We tried lubricating the belt to make sure it wasn't the treadmill and nothing worked. It did not do this in the upstairs bedroom of our old place, which was a much older house.

We've left it alone and have been calling electricians, but they were all very booked over the holidays so we are finally getting one to come out this weekend.

My questions are:

Is this normal?? Should such a new house be having circuit breaker issues with trying to support a treadmill? Did we get screwed on the electrical profile of our home?
Is there a way to tell the amperage of the circuit breaker for the downstairs floor? I found that treadmills average 10 - 12 amps
We plan on asking the electrician to give us an estimate to run a dedicated line for the treadmill. Is this the right approach?


texts: What causes the noise coming from this radiator valve?

texts:
There's a hot water wall-hung radiator in my kitchen that produces a constant ticking noise when water is flowing. The noise is coming from the valve area, removing the thermostat does not influence the noise. Pushing the little rod on the valve with the thermostat removed only makes the noise louder.

I recorded the noise, amplified it and placed it here.

Is this noise indicative of a defective valve?


texts: How can I locate an odor emanating from the kitchen/laundry area?

texts: I live in South Florida.  My home is a one level, 2400-sq ft, u-shaped with bedrooms on one side and kitchen/laundry on the other side.  I have a consistent odor but it's not constant.  It comes and goes and is isolated to the kitchen area.  My laundry room is adjacent to the kitchen, so my wife seems to think that the odor is more prevalent when she does laundry.  I haven't made that connection.  I have called in several plumbers for their thoughts and nothing was resolved.  One plumber found a small leaky pipe under the sink and repaired it, but that was not the solution.  Is there a specialist in "odor detection" who could diagnose the problem?


texts: Replacing stacked gas washer/dryer igniter

texts: I have a GE stacked gas washer/dryer #GTUP270GM4WW trying to replace the igniter,Took off front panel and can't get my hand in there let alone a screwdriver to get at the screw holding it in.I see nothing to remove to make more room. It's looking like I have to take the whole side off just to replace one little part. Any help would be appreciated


texts: How to lock an inside door with round doorknobs turning both clockwise and counterclockwise (without a key)?

texts:
I'd like to lock an inside building door, which I'm pretty sure is possible.

The lock/doorknobs look like the pictures. The doorknobs can turn both clockwise and counterclockwise.

How do I lock the door without the key?

Thank You!


texts: Can using a heavy duty extension cord for a space heater cause a receptacle to melt?

texts: I have an outlet that burned up pretty badly - it is on a recently run 20 amp circuit. I had a space heater plugged into a heavy duty extension cord running from this outlet. From what I have read it seems,like this is often caused by loose wiring but I don't believe that is the case here. I have cut back the hard wiring to a point where the wire is clean and free of any burning and want to replace the outlet but am really concerned with what may have caused the problem in the first place. I feel like the outlet may have just been overloaded is that likely?


texts: Buzzing sounds when I switch off the electrical socket

texts:
Is it fine to hear buzzing sounds when switching off power points?

I hear this sound occasionally when I switch off my power points.


texts: Bizarre Behaviour with CFL Ballast (light turns on when I touch the physical ballast)

texts:
I recently took an old ballast I had lying around and installed it as a shop light over my desk. I took an extension cord and stripped the wires and connected all the whites, all the blacks, and attached the ground to the metal fixture itself. I then wired in a switch and plugged it into an outlet.

When I turn the fixture on, the CFL tubes glow a dull orange at each end and will only fully illuminate when I physically touch the fixture and essentially ground it. What did I do wrong?

Note, this doesn't happen all the time. If the fixture has been on for a while and I turn it off and turn it back on, it does so fine w/o me needing to touch it.


texts: Raising interior prehung door before installation?

texts:
I am getting ready to install standard height interior prehung doors.  I will have carpet installed afterwards and would like to set the doors at a good "standard" height to prevent having 1.) a big gap under the door and 2.) hopefully not have to take doors off and cut them down.  Being a prehung door, it appears there is 3/4" of space already created due to the door jambs being longer than the slab.

I know I will have the best padding available for my carpet but I believe that is only 1/2" thick then a fairly soft (high shag) carpet which I would guess is 5/8 to 3/4" long carpet strands?...though I do not know for sure how that all can be used to calculate the door height for sure.  SO I was hoping there is a good standard to use assuming carpet will be installed under the door slab.


texts: Is it required to electrically ground rebar in an exterior concrete slab?

texts:
I'm looking for information / references on when exactly it is required to ground / bond the steel reinforcement in an exterior concrete pad, and how to do so. The pad I'm planning is for a hot tub / spa in the USA / NY. I am not planning a plastic vapor barrier under the slab so it will be directly in contact with the earth (concrete over gravel over sub-soil).
Initially I was skeptical that grounding the rebar/mesh is necessary since concrete on the ground is literally grounded already. But I get that sometimes bonding is needed to avoid a potential difference and I would like to be safe & follow code.
The most detail I've read so far is quoted below but doesn't cite any code references or other qualifications about when / where its needed.
Extract from forum post noted above:

In my area, this is required.
Technically, the metal in the concrete is "bonded" rather than
grounded.
The nuts and bolts procedure is to connect, and provide access to, a
ground wire to the metal mesh or rebar within the slab - this wire
will be connected to the common bonding point within the spa once it
is installed.
...
To the common bonding point there are a number of wires from / to
various locations / items, including but not limited to:

Metal frame of the unit

Motor frames within the unit.

Metal piping from within the unit.

Metal within the pad.

Any other metal within 5' of the spa - downspouts, metallic conduit, gas piping, water piping, handrails, etc.

A ground wire going to the ground bar of the panel which serves to supply the power for the spa. Could be the SEP or a sub-panel.

(https://www.finehomebuilding.com/forum/concrete-pad-for-spa)


texts: What type of aluminum are squares and 72" straight-edge rulers made of?

texts:
I love the super-rigidity found in aluminum squares and straight-edge rules.  I've purchased cold rolled steel flat bars that flex far easier.  In fact, when applying force against the thin edge of these aluminum squares and rules, I cannot get them to flex at all.

How do they get the aluminum to be this rigid and strong?  What kind of aluminum is this?  It would be great for a project I am currently working on.


texts: How can I level out this hanging light fixture?

texts: Should this have come with weights of some sort?


texts: Replacing pendant light but reusing existing chock (UK)

texts:
Firstly a disclaimer: I'm new to electrics in general so apologies if I'm using the wrong terminology.

I have a new pendant light from IKEA and it looked like a very straightforward installation. It has connections for a live and a neutral wire, and needs a small hook to hang off.

Having taken my existing light rose off, I have 9 wires coming through the ceiling. I have attached a picture of the configuration.

Having browsed this site I think I understand how the setup works. As I understand it I need a chock and that it can be inside the ceiling or outside under the rose as pictured.

My question is: can I just cut the 2 existing pendant wires, right above the white housing and use these two wires to attach my new pendant?

The new pendant rose fits over the transparent plastic in the picture. I would then add the hook next to the ceiling hole.

Any advice, much appreciated!!


texts: Ledgestone veneer 1 1/2 to 2 inch stone was added around a gas fireplace.  This installed directly on hardy backer board with Licote proline Premium adhesive.  My question is there ANY chance that the heat from the gas fireplace with break down the adhesive over time and stones will fall off the wall? thank you


texts: i may have crossed some blackwires on a switch

texts: I am replacing switch in the basement and switch has 3 black wires. That switch is now turning the kitchen light on. What happened. I believe I know what I did but not sure which way to put the wires back in to rectify it. There is a wall switch in my basement stair case that controls one of the areas in my basement. I went to put a new switch on the basement wall. This is when I found out there are 3 12/2 wires coming in to the switch box. The 3 black wires are connected to the switch and the 3 white wires are tied off with a wire nut. 2 of the black wires are connected to the switch and the other black wire is connected at one of the 2 ends of the switch where there is a screw to tighten. Is it possible that I may have switched one of the black wires?


texts: How should the disposal be wired without running neutral to ground?

texts:
We had an electrician move outlets and switches in our kitchen and it seems like some stuff wasn't done right or shortcuts taken. Here is our situation. The outlet is half hot and other is on a switch for the disposal. You can see that he runs a neutral to the ground.

This box has two switches, one for the disposal which is on the left. The middle switch is the kitchen sink light, which is on the same circuit. The outlet is completely on a different circuit. You can see that he is running a neutral to a ground here too.

Here is my poor electrical diagram too, even though it probably doesn't make sense.

So, my question is how does this need to be cleaned up to make it safe and correct?


texts: How do I add a new exterior door to a room?

texts:
I have a room where I would like to add a door to the outside.

The house siding is cedar shingles and the room is not insulated (which I am going to add).

I believe it should be relatively simple to do (I'm not looking for anything fancy but do want the door to seal properly).

I think all I have to do is cut out the rectangular region for the door, properly sized, then frame up the entryway using 2x4's and secure it properly to the rest of the framing.

The main issue I am concerned about is with the shingles as it will be difficult to fix if a mistake is made.

Any tips or concerns I need to keep in mind?


texts: How do I safely place an extension ladder on an uneven surface?

texts: I'm a new first-time homebuyer who needs to clean out my gutters.  They are jammed with fall leaves.  My home inspector told me to get a ladder and a leaf blower to do the job.  The only problem is that the ground around my home is not level.  It slopes away from the house on both sides where gutters are, most steeply in the back but somewhat in the front.  Is there a way that I can safely place my extension ladder?  I heard using a piece of plywood to create a flat surface might work - other good options?


texts: Standard 15A circuit breaker trips randomly under no load

texts:
A few months ago I came home and turned on a light switch with no result.  Checked the breaker panel and found the a lighting circuit breaker tripped.  It reset with no issue.

A few days/weeks go by and the same thing happens again.  This time the breaker can't be reset.  Waiting a few hours or until next morning allows the breaker to be reset.  At the present time the breaker was able to be reset but after turning on lights on the circuit it popped again (can't definitively tie it to a particular light or switch).  I'm leaving it off.

Each time this has tripped no lights have been turned on and nothing has been plugged into the lone receptacle on the circuit.

I tightened the screws on the breaker at the panel, no joy.  I swapped the wire to a different 15A breaker and that tripped also, so I think the breaker is ok.

I checked the wiring and the connections at the only receptacle and that seem good.

I can check all the switches and see if the connections are tight and look for shorts there.

Items on the circuit: Fluorescent ceiling and closet lights, one receptacle, one exterior flood light with a motion detector.

Question: Does having a light switch off isolate the associated light fixture from the circuit for trouble shooting purposes or do I physically have to disconnect the wires at the light fixture to see if that fixture is causing a short?


texts: Would a frozen water pump hose for a furnace make the furnace run all the time?

texts: Water pump for furnace and the water run to outside wall, the water hose was blocked and pump motor was dead. Can this cause the furnace (fan) run all the time cost more electricity.


texts: I am wanting to reinforce our front and back door. I have researched the net and found kickproof.com, they manufacture the rebar door reinforcers that are kick in proof. Has anyone ever heard this company or had experience with their products?


texts:
The gas oven fire is not working.
The oven has no brand outside so I can't right now search for a manual.
The surface burners clearly say to press and turn, and you hear the ignite working as soon as I press the button and it works well.

The gas oven however does not have this instruction (to press and hold to start ignite). You still have to press a little to turn the knob to the temperature. When I start turning, I hear a click (once) at the beginning and nothing else. The oven does not start and I smell gas.
My first assumption is that the igniter is broken, but it's the first time I use an oven that has electric ignite (my previous one had a pilot light).

Questions:

The unique click I hear when I start turning the knob is the ignite or just the electrical component inside the knob trying to start the ignite?
If the ignite was working (maybe it is, maybe it is not), it would be loud enough to hear it (several loud clicks), just like the surface burners? I don't hear anything after that single click in the beginning.
Is it safe to remove the cover for the gas/ignite and try to turn it on to confirm if the ignite is working or not?
Shouldn't the gas oven have a protection that if the ignite fails, the gas does not come out? I smell gas even though the ignite is supposedly not working.
So far I don't have any idea of the brand/model. Buying an ignite that looks like the one I have is safe to use?

Thank you for any help!


texts: Preferred direction for laying laminate flooring thorughtout a house?

texts: Can you tell me what is the preferred direction for laying laminate flooring throughout a house?


texts: Extra vents required for Direct-vent furnace?

texts: I am finishing my basement and enclosing my furnace and tankless water heater in an unfinished utility room.  Both the furnace and tankless water heater are direct-vent systems pulling air from the outside.  Do I still have to put in the 2 vents (1 high and 1 low) in the walls for combustion air?  It's a 60,000 BTU input furnace.


texts:
My washing machine just backed up (drain pipe is clogged). Fortunately I was home and just bought a shopvac last weekend, but a lot of water got out. Also fortunately this is an unfinished basement, but I’m worried about two things.

It damaged the seal on the floors - I figure this is easy to fix and probably not an immediate concern?

And my bigger concern is water got into two areas. One where the water line comes in which seems to have a hole that goes down into the soil (not sure if this is by design?)

And another area that is inaccessible.

Is there something I should spray in these areas to prevent mold build-up or should a dehumidifier be enough? The basement is generally very very dry - I wasn’t sure if a dehumidifier is even necessary, but I’m worried the inaccessible area will not dry out as fast as there is a lot of dirt, dust and other junk in there that looks like it can hold moisture.


texts: Basement duct installation with fire sprinkler pipe

texts: Can I install a metal HVAC duct with register into the same ceiling joist bay as an orange fire sprinkler pipe, parallel to it? The sprinkler pipe has 2 heads on it.


texts:
Sorry I couldn't find an answer for this anywhere so thought I'd try the great minds here instead (am hoping shameless compliments will get me somewhere here!)

Basically our loft has these 4 beams that go from the apex of the roof down to the floor of the loft, on top of what is a supporting wall (can't see how its connected as there is insulation/boarding in the way now).

The thing I'm wondering is, do I need these as they are only about 1x3" in size and are fairly flimsy, they certainly cant be load bearing and I reckon I could kick them in half if I were of a mind.  But I can't work out what they are for...

Has anyone had any experience of them or whether they are just leftovers from lazy builders (they look like they were there when the house was built as its the same colour of wood as the other bits).

My obvious plan will be to get a structural engineer in to confirm but its driving me batty and google give me nothing but false hope, anyone got any clues?

I found this picture after more digging, my loft looks like the one on the left, but the picture seems to suggest that vertical strut doesnt need to be there...?


texts: 20A GFCI questions regarding LOAD terminal

texts:
Is a standard receptacle connected to the LOAD terminals of a GFCI protected up to 15 or 20 amps?

If it is protected up to 20 amps and I connect a standard 20A receptacle on the LOAD terminals with 12/2 wire. Then plug in an appliance with a current rating of 18 amps for example. Will the GFCI trip or will the 14/2 wire before the GFCI overheat and potentially cause a fire?

I don't understand the purpose of a 20A LOAD terminal on a 15A GFCI which is meant for 15A circuit.


texts: Are there any quick setting floor leveling compounds?

texts:
The self levelling compound under the vinyl floor tiles in our bathroom has started to break up so the tiles are now coming up.   We do not have another toilet so I need a solution that can be walked on quickly.

We are in the UK, and I am looking for something I can buy from a DIY shop or a builders merchant in the next day or so.  The concrete floor is not level and also has a few cracks, but nothing more than you expect in a 1930’s home.


texts: Can I run an extension cord through my crawl space?

texts:
I have a lack of plugs outside my house and was wondering if it's okay to run an extension cord through my crawl space (from the garage, underneath my living room and through a crawlspace vent).

Edit
I'm looking to add power outside for Christmas lights/ low voltage outdoor walkway lighting.


texts: Is this 110v 1hp motor reversible by swapping leads?

texts:
When wired for 115v, is this motor reversible by swapping leads?

http://i.imgur.com/nX7gCxX.jpg


texts: I have a 50 amp sub panel in my basement with 6 circuits in it, which is not enough. How many circuits can I run with a 50 amp service?


texts: Sparks and no power after accidental short

texts:
I replaced the garbage disposal at my in-laws' place that has been leaking for years. It's an old house, and nothing in the panel is labeled. So I flipped what I assumed to be the right breaker and went to test the outlet. I put the probes on both bottom nuts and it popped and I lost power to G/D and dishwasher.

So I went ahead and replaced the disposal with new wire running to the switch and a new switch.  I flipped the breaker back -- no power. I pulled the dishwasher out and there's a junction box that feeds both the dishwasher and G/D. No power there either, the wire then runs in the ground which I assume goes to the breaker.

I have power at the breaker. I have both a non contact tester and a light up with the probes. I striped the wire coming from the breaker to junction box back and exposed the wires, and turned on the breaker.   And my non-contact tester will detect power, but my 120V light isn't going off.

Is it really as simple as "I burnt something in the wires and need to replace the run going from breaker to junction box"?  Or am I completely missing something?

No GFIs are in-line that I can tell... everything is hardwired.

[under sink


texts: New home grading is only 6 inches below above grade basement windows, is that enough

texts:
When a new home comes with only the grading (no dirt or grass) and above grade basement windows, how far below does the grading have to be from the window?

In other words, once I add the dirt and grass, how far below the window does the base of that grass have to be.  Or event easier than that, once I add my base and pavers, how far below does the top of the pavers have to be from the window?

Thank you.


texts: Can I make hole above a lintel for a flue

texts:
I'm doing some work on a flat and want to move the boiler higher up than it is. That means putting a flue above the window. The problem is I'm the second to top floor flat. As you can see from the picture attached, I have three options. Ideally, I would like to do B and put a hole above the lintel and board up the window from the inside - although due to the available space indoors, I may have to cut a little through the lintel (see the second attached picture to see the inside). This option, I guess I'd need a structural engineer to see if it's even possible, or does it not matter because the whole for a flue will be fairly small?
The second idea would be to brick up the window like they've done in the flat marked A, which I'd obviously just need permission from the landlord (the property is leasehold in the UK, so permission is required from the management company).
I've searched quite a bit around and not found too much information on this so any pointers in what I'm doing would be greatly appreciated! I guess my questions are:

can I even do B and put the flue above/through the lintel?
is there an advantage to do either option?
can you see any issues with what I'm trying to do?


texts: what is the size or model of an add-a-tee(similar stuff) can convert a toilet water outlet working both for a toilet water tank and a washing machine

texts:
I bought a washing machine because I'm living in an apartment where no in-house washing machine for the pandemic period.
The toilet water supply outlet is 3/8``, it looks like the photo below:

Now I need to convert it into an extra outlet so it can works for both the toilet and my washing machine at the same time.
The washing machine hose is 3/4`` like the photo below:

So I guess the most convenient solution is to buy a 3-way Add-A-Tee 3/8`` inlet and 3/8`` outlet, 3/4`` outlet, it should look similar to this:

Unfortunately, I have been looking online for hours, but I couldn't find the correct one, I'm not sure if I didn't type the correct keywords or such size doesn't exist.
If someone is more familiar with this area, could you help me to find it out, it can be on Amazon, eBay, or any e-commerce(I'm living in Canada, but as long as I know this the model, I should be able to find a vendor deliverable to my home).
If this Add-A-Tee or adaptor doesn't exist, can someone know how to deal with such a problem?
Thank you so much.


texts:
I have a new induction cooktop Bosch PIF645BB1E rated at 7.4 kW. According to its documentation it should be connected with 5 wires (2 phases, 2 neutrals and 1 PE wire). From a former flat renter I have a power outlet with 5 dedicated 2.5 mm2 wires (3 phases, 1 neutral wire and 1 PE wire). I think that I can connect 2 phases to 2 phases, PE wire to PE wire and 2 neutrals to just 1 neutral wire, but I am not sure that just one 2.5 mm2 neutral wire is enough in this case. Is it OK to connect it like this or I need thicker wires for this cooktop?

Thank you for your answers!

Edit: Sorry, I forgot to mention that I live in Germany and voltage is 230/400 V. Also I attached photos of back side of the cooktop with connection diagrams and photo of my power outlet.


texts:
As described in this question, I'm planning to add an attached garage onto the side of my house. I'm looking for some guidance on how to attach it to the existing wall.

A bit of background about the existing house:

2 story house (each level with 8' walls)
Exterior of the first floor is brick and the second floor is siding
Built in 2005
Exterior walls are made of 2x6's with insulation in between.
Existing roof trusses run parallel to wall in question

Relevant facts about the addition:

10' walls
Lean-to roof
Interior ceiling of 10' with a small-ish attic above for storage

I'm considering using the existing wall as the interior wall of the new garage by cutting into the siding and attaching the roof rafters and ceiling/attic floor joists to the second floor wall framing. As I understand it, I think the only load this would be adding to that wall is a downward load since the ceiling rafters would counteract the lateral force that the roof rafters want to put on the wall (since that forms a right triangle). Especially since the existing roof trusses run parallel to the wall, I don't think there's very much load being placed on that wall and since they're 2x6's I expect it should hold that load without issue.

I'm sure before I do this I should get a qualified engineer to look at it and give me the go-ahead for my specific situation, but I'm hoping to minimize that cost by taking the plans to them already done and just needing their sign off on it (I'm not within city limits so permits and inspections aren't going to be an issue).

Bottom line question: Should I attach the roof/ceiling rafters to the existing exterior wall as described above or should I frame it as if that wall wasn't there (and it was a freestanding structure) and have the two load-bearing walls side-by-side?


texts: How to remove drawer on old Accuride rails

texts:
I have an old cherry Artec 4 drawer lateral filing cabinet with Accuride file rails.  I cannot figure out how to remove a drawer. There are no black plastic tabs or release mechanism that I can identify. I did insert a screw driver at the end of the rail but didn't feel a catch (did not really apply a lot of pressure).

Is there anyway to release the drawer without removing the rail screws?
I could not locate a model number on the rails - just a Pat pending # that was was teeny tiny to read and the number F 2


texts:
We've got some french doors and I'd like to seal them as well as possible.  There is a gap where I can see light in the middle.  The left door has a sliding lock/post that goes down into the ground.  The door bottom has been cut to accommodate this, reducing the effectiveness of the left door seal.

Any suggestions for getting this sealed up to keep pests out?

I'm considering a screen door as a last resort - this solution would have benefits of letting us open the doors when weather is nice, keeping the cat in and the bugs out.

Thanks for your advice.

--- Here is what I ended up doing... ---

I didn't do anything very fancy, I just kept the sweep to the full length of the door and cut a whole for the bottom bolt to go through.  I then left the operable door's sweep a little long to make sure there was contact between both sweeps.  It's cut down on the scorpions.

additional picture from outside.


texts: Can I switch all the stuff from my electric dryer to a gas dryer eliminating the gas burner

texts: We purchase a Kenmore stackable washer/ gas dryer.  Can the gas dryer be converted to electric? We found out we don't have a gas line in laundry area.


texts: Are Soap Suds Normal After the Dishwasher is done?

texts:
This washing machine uses the normal pods. I set the jet dry to minimal. However, at the end of the wash cycle I see soap suds on the bottom. Is this normal? I was wondering if the soap suds were from the jets washing the soap off the dishes.
The dishes come out really clean and I do not detect any soap on the dishes.


texts: A/C cold air kicks in 30 minutes or more after the blower comes on. Any ideas?

texts:
The last two days the A/C unit has been operating differently. The blower comes on after getting the signal from the thermostat but no cold air. After 30 to 45 minutes cold air comes out and cools the house.
A/C unit was operating fine last week. Filters replaced a couple of weeks ago.


texts: New home build - cracks in basement concrete floor

texts:
PicturesI have a new house under constructions and recently found many many cracks have developed on the concrete slab in the basement. The worst run along straight lines where the sections were poured. These don't have shrink seams in place, they are just cracking along a straight line. There are also some jagged/random cracks that extend off of these.

Here's the final pour for the slab; you can see it's a non reinforced non-structural slab.

My builder has asked the concrete contracting firm to take a look at it but said he things these are just shrinkage cracks and they will be sealed up before they are done.

I would appreciate opinions and learned assessment based on the pictures so I am prepared when the concrete company responds.


texts: Can you extend electrical wires from a junction box as long as the splices are contained?

texts:
I have an electrical box that ideally I would get moved, but I'm trying to work with what I've got. From what I can tell, it has already been moved/replaced twice before, as there is a round patched area as well as a metal cover plate near the current box (where there is a light fixture).
I have searched extensively on the internet about possible fixes for this with regards to how to get a chandelier placed where I want it. Swagging is the obvious solution (which is not my favorite look), but I also read that getting a fixture with a large rectangular canopy could work. Problem is, my junction box is off in two dimensions, and also the mounting brackets for linear chandeliers seem to always have a centered hole where the wires from the box will be spliced with those from the fixture.
So, out of curiosity, if the main concern is that splices be contained yet accessible (according to code), would it be possible to splice a long set of extensions at the point of the box, contain it with one canopy (a small circular one), then run those extensions to the linear chandelier, splice them and contain the wire nuts using the mounting bracket, then swag the whole thing?
I have serious doubts about this possible 'solution' so I'm not going to do it, but I was curious if it would fly. In my mind one obvious issue would be covering the wires and making sure they aren't the main source of support for the light (running a cable or chain), but I neglected to include that in my sketch below. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: As an alternative, could one drill holes in the two canopies so that the wire could be run across the ceiling, hidden with a raceway/cord cover, and then mount the mounting bracket straight to the ceiling? That way The light would get sufficient support. Sketch below:


texts: What is involved with replacing floor joists

texts:
I need to replace 3 joists on the second story of our 2 story + basement 1920s townhouse. The joists are rotted on one side all the way into the cement block wall. There is not enough good wood to sister new joists too. The water problems that caused the rot have been addressed and the subfloor and floor are in good shape despite the 1-1/4" sagging in the floor across the 3 joists.

The area includes a bedroom and a bathroom. The bathroom has recently been remodeled. The area is above the kitchen. We will be eventually remodeling the kitchen and could rip out the ceiling at that point and replace the joists from below, but we would like to be able to continue living in the bedroom and bathroom while the kitchen work is on going.

The house is 18' wide. There are no walls under the rotted joists, but there is a wall perpendicular to the joists between the bedroom and bathroom (this is not in the center of the joists/house and does not appear to be a load bearing wall). There is a load bearing beam in the center of the house in the basement, but it doesn't seem like there is a beam in on the first floor ceiling.

Can we replace joists from below and continue living in the rooms above?

I am assuming that with 1-1/4 of sagging, they will need to jack up the floor over a month plus period, would the kitchen renovation be able to progress while that is happening?

Do they need to get to the basement to support the jacks?


texts: What's the right way to sand/shave/reshape particleboard?

texts:
My second bedroom has low ceilings. I bought an IKEA closet, but somehow botched the measurements when I was seeing if it would fit. So, instead of having ~10cm of room for the top of the cabinet, I have 2-4mm on the high side. I got lucky that they fit at all. :)

However, the ceiling sags a tiny bit, such that one corner of one wall of the closet does not fit between the floor and the ceiling. I'd guess that it's about 2mm too tall. It seems like I should be able to shorten the wall by minimally sanding/shaving/sawing exactly where it strikes the ceiling.

The question is: This cabinet is made of particleboard. It seems like particleboard doesn't cut well, as it's already so soft. What is the correct and safest way to shorten this cabinet without causing structural or aesthetic damage?


texts: Why will a pipe hold water pressure, but not air pressure?

texts:
I have a long underground galvanized pipe for my water system.
I was testing the network by compressing it with air at the pressure of 6 bar,and monitored it for 2 hours and the pressure was stable, but in the second day I found it zero.
After that I tested it using water and the pressure remained stable for 3 days.
What is the explanation for this?


texts: Is it okay to use a ball joint coupler to stop a hose bib leak?

texts: I had a small leak coming from my pressure valve. I put this ball joint coupler on the end of it to stop the leak. Is this ok?


texts: How to prepare cinder block wall for painting?

texts: I'd like to paint our cinder block wall but wanted to smooth the surface first. What are my options besides installing sheetrock on a wall?


texts: What is the proper insulation assembly for porch

texts:
Newly built porch is poor construction quality and leaky (air, not water).  Siding is T1-11 with many double insulated vinyl windows.  Porch size is about 14'x20'.
We have caulked and will spray foam insulate.
Goal is to have a 3 season room and use an electric heater in it.  We are in a northern climate.
Can I put 2" XPS Blue or Pink and cover with paneling or do I need a vapor retarder?
Do I need the XPS with the silver vapor retarder layer and which direction do I put the silver layer?


texts: Soutions for this steep gravel driveway - retaining wall?

texts:
We are considering buying this property which will be a "fixer-upper" but is in a valuable seaside location that we could never afford otherwise. Biggest drawback is this driveway, which after reviewing 50 years of areal photography shows that the current owners (lived their for 60 years) have never actually parked their car on it!

It is steep (I reckon about 25% on the corner), and narrow with a 50-75cm drop off into the garden. This could be a deal breaker for us if we cant upgrade it, and we are seeking advice before we offer.
My thought is to expand the driveway out (to the left in the photo), put a small retaining wall with some kind of fence or barrier to make it safer. Any other ideas?! Ive only dealt with flat drives to date]1

But then the next problem is that this is in Trondheim, Norway were we get months of snow, easily up to a meter standing, but with this being on the coast melt events will be frequent. What other things would we need to consider regarding its "upgrade" to account for this? Its currently about 1" gravel, not sure of the foundations under the top layers. I wonder if parallel stone inlays going up the drive would be a good idea for both traction and gravel stability?

Then, if anyone has experience, how much time (build hours) would an upgrade like this take?

Thanks for your help in advance!


texts:
I've noticed some wet spots on the basement carpet underneath our tiled shower on the ground floor. I had hoped it was from water getting out of the shower, but I did a flood test today by putting about an inch of water in the bottom, and it was raining in the basement through a weak point in the subfloor.

The house is about 20 years old, and the shower is likely of a similar age. There are some cracks in the sanded grout where the tiled floor meets the tiled wall, but I would have thought the vinyl shower pan should catch any water getting out through there.

At this point I'm contemplating ripping everything out and building the shower over myself. I figure any attempt to find the source of the leak would inevitably result in me cracking tiles, which would necessitate redoing all the tiling, and at that point I may as well strip everything out and build it the way I want, and do it well. Am I crazy to think this way? Is there an alternative way to repair the leak that I haven't considered and would be cheaper and/or faster?


texts: What type of corbels are needed to support a granite counter top?

texts:
I am having a new granite counter top installed and the counter installer has said that I need to install new corbels on the knee-wall to support the weight of the granite counter top.  The current and the new counter top extend about 12 inches beyond the knee-wall and the current brackets that are there right now (see picture below) will not hold the weight of the granite.

I agree with the installer that new brackets need to be installed but I am having difficulty finding corbels that would work.  I have tried both Lowes and Home Depot and depending on who I talk to either they have no idea what a corbel is (I didn't either up until now) or they point me to decorative corbels which are not made to support weight, let alone the weight of a granite counter top.

Any ideas what type and where I could find corbels that would be strong enough to support a granite counter?


texts: Could a long time in storage cause my Black+Decker circular saw to lose power?

texts:
I have a 15amp Black+Decker Circular Saw about 8-10 years old (with a cord). I used it once when it was first purchased, and it has been stored ever since.  I went to cut a 2x4, plugged it in and the saw seemed to run fine, the blade turns, but as soon as it hits the board to cut, the saw loses power/blade stops turning. There are no issues with the plug, wiring, etc.

Could something have happened to the motor while it sat idle for so long?


texts: What could be causing this electrical issue?

texts:
The problem occurs within one particular unit of an apartment complex. All other units are fine. The problem has gradually gotten worse. All electricity within the house will flicker on and off. It is most obvious with the lights but TVs, stove, and other appliances are affected as well.

At first, this would only be triggered when using a lot of electricity (ie microwave, space heater, several things at once), but now it seems to happen at random times. The tenant even gave me a scenario of when he woke up early one morning to use the bathroom and it happened as soon as he turned on the bathroom light. No one else was up and therefore minimal electricity was being used at the time.

I have had PGE come out to look at the problem and its not their end. They also told me that because it's happening to the entire unit at the same time, it most likely is a problem somewhere from the main box outside to the box inside the unit and specifically the neutral line. When he took measurements from the individual breakers inside the unit and measurements would be as high as 160ish in some parts while 40ish in others. You can also see this in the ceiling lights (unusually bright in the kitchen and unusually dim in the bathroom). This problem has also damaged several appliances and things within the house (dvr recievers, dvd players, etc).

Any suggestions? The electrician located the neutral line in the junction box. No damage or charring and the connection was still tight. He looked in the main panel outside - minimal corrosion, still tight. He added some paste to maximize conductance and that was it. The breakers inside are fine. He even opened up most of the wall switches and outlets to investigate but found nothing. Any ideas? This is a problem that has kept me up for about a month. I'm afraid of it being a fire hazard too.


texts: Sewage smell in my basement - Where is it coming from?

texts:
I have been randomly getting these periods of time(a day or so) where I enter my basement and I get hit by a strong wave of what I think is sewage gas. I recently replaced the wax ring underneath the toilet in the bathroom(which did have a slight leak prior to putting a new wax ring). I checked to make sure that it wasn't leaking again and it seems fine. There is a little Crawl-space next to the bathroom downstairs that has the main sewage line access but it looks fine. The only other thing I can think of is the floor drain for the water heater and furnace condensation.

Here are some of the things I am suspicious of:


texts: Changing loft bed's beam to diagonal braces?

texts:
We have an IKEA loft bed for our 12 yr old.

One of the beams that prevent legs going apart, is messing up with access to his chest of drawers.

I want to change that beam to diagonal braces like these:

What would be a good way to attach them to the bed frame to ensure legs don't come apart? The legs are 6x6 cm, and the horizontal frame part is 2x10 cm. The diagonal braces I want to use would be 7x4x40cm.


texts: All-around header dimensions for external wall

texts:
Putting in two small windows as part of our kitchen remodel (21" x 31").

They are going in an exterior gable wall, framed with 2x6's.
I can't get a straight answer from anyone about what "size" header I should put in! Do I have to use 2x10? Or would 2x6 be fine?

Also, any input on how to construct the headers themselves? Should I build hollow and insulate, or actually build solid ones with three 2x's and some sheets of 1/2" plywood to equal 5 1/2"?

Last related question: should I install a double sill plate in this scenario or is a single sill plate sufficient?

I have include two diagrams below. The first shows how I plan to frame out the main openings (implementing a double sill plate). The second diagram shows how I plan to rough in the actual window openings which are represented by the grey areas.

This is how it ended up. Hope it speaks for itself and thanks to everyone for their input.


texts:
Home built 1975, South Florida.

Adjacent to my kitchen sink is a combo switch controlling a non-GFCI receptacle below the sink for the garbage disposal. Next to it (same box) is another non-GFCI receptacle.  Connected to this one receptacle (spliced together, not in sequence) are 3 more receptacles for the microwave, dishwasher & coffee maker.  The incoming wires are a 14/2 on one breaker and a single 14 (red) on another breaker.  There used to be a fan in the next room converted to a simple light. I believe the red wire is the secondary hot that was once used for the fan. The outgoing wire to the disposal outlet is a 14/2.

Obviously, I would prefer to have GFCI next to my sink. The 3 outlets coming off one is clearly not the best set-up, but I have to work with what I have. :/ I have managed to change the outlet and all 4 outlets do test/trip correctly.

However, that leaves me stumped trying to install a single pole switch for the disposal receptacle below the sink. I have only 1 red line in and no neutral.

Is it possible? If not, do I need to splice a neutral to the neutral from the light in the next room & run it over?

Thank you for your help!


texts: "Old Work" electrical box: should it be screwed into the stud?

texts:
I'm interested in replacing an existing outlet (in a wall that's finished with drywall) with a two-gang duplex (four outlets total), using an "old work" box.  This box is located in the garage, so I'd like it to be sturdy.
Is it considered good practice to screw the box sideways into the stud?

It appears from another forum that this might violate electrical codes.
In the US, where I am:

NEC 314.23.  Supports.
(B) Structural Mounting.
(1) Nails and Screws. Nails and screws, where used as a
fastening means, shall be attached by using brackets on the
outside of the enclosure, or they shall pass through the
interior within 6 mm (1/4 in.) of the back or ends of the
enclosure. Screws shall not be permitted to pass through the
box unless exposed threads in the box are protected using
approved means to avoid abrasion of conductor insulation.

If so, is there a better way to support old work boxes than just relying on the drywall tabs?


texts: Will cockroach poison traps harm geckos?

texts:
I live in a Hong Kong village house and here it's common to have Chinese geckos living in the house. They've been pretty unobtrusive so far and they do eat mosquitoes so I definitely wouldn't want to harm them.

Recently we've spotted cockroaches on a few occasions and were considering getting some poison traps like the ones linked here. Does anyone know if we're likely to poison the geckos as well if we install those? I guess the bait is unlikely to be directly attractive to geckos but will the poison spread through the food chain?


texts: Whatzit? Name this dryer or washer thing-a-ma-bob

texts:
I am victorious! I have my new LG washer and gas dryer installed. After a weekend of pain and suffering. Well, at least a few trips to Home Depot.

All's done except...I'm left with this one part. I don't see it listed as an accessory in either of my manuals. Maybe it wasn't supposed to come with them and the delivery people just tossed it in?

Anyone know what this is for? It's about 12" long and appears to be a braided wire cable with a plastic sleeve. A flat hook on one end and an eyelet on the other.


texts: Why might a thermostat refuse to switch from Heat mode to Cool mode?

texts:
I have this Honeywell RTHL2410C programmable thermostat and typical Florida electric AC system. Starting this Spring, it has started behaving strangely when switching from Heat to Cool mode.

The thermostat has a physical switch to change the mode (or to turn it off completely) and separate programs for the two modes. When I move it from heat to cool, the thermostate becomes partially unresponsive for quite a long time (at least 30 minutes or more). During this time, the unit does not turn on and I can't set the temperature override or do anything to coax it to turn on. The thermostat has power; it's backlight comes on in response to pushing the buttons, and I can even adjust the programming, set the time/date, switch the fan from Auto to On, etc. But I can't adjust the temp or use the Run or Hold buttons. It's like the thing is actually in Off mode although it's definitely in the Cool position.

The past 2 times this has happened, the unit eventually "woke up" and came on and cooled as expected.

Also, the unit is not running when I switch the mode; for example, today it was quite warm when I got home and switched from Heat to Cool, so the unit had not been on since early morning.

This only recently started happening; in the past it's worked as intended when changing over from one mode to the other.

It doesn't seem like the thermostat is faulty, since it mostly works. Could it be a partial fault? Any ideas for troubleshooting are welcomed.


texts: Is this a load bearing wall to put a storage door in?

texts: I am wanting to put a dog room under the stairs but am unsure if this is a load bearing wall.


texts: Comparing table saw motors with same hp and different amperage

texts:
I am considering replacing the motor on my Inca table saw (Dayton 1.5 hp 115v/16.4amp) because I only have 115volt/15amp power in my new shop.

I have found a Baldor 1.5 hp motor with 115v/12.4amps. Should I expect this motor to have appreciably less power than the 16.4 amp motor it is replacing?


texts: hanging a load from engineered I-joist ceiling

texts:
I'm trying to figure out the best method to hang a light 4x8 trailer that weighs just under 300lbs from my garage ceiling to store it.  I'm planning to use a light electric hoist or ratcheting hand winch to lift it, rigged with pulleys above the 4 corners of the trailer + safety chains once it's lifted into place.  The garage ceiling is finished with drywall.

My question is about how to attach the weight bearing pulleys to the ceiling, which is made of engineered i-joists spaced 24" oc.  My garage ceiling is also the floor of a bedroom, so I don't have easy access from above to put a support beam across several joists.  The height of each i-joist (the space between garage ceiling and bedroom floor) is about 30 inches or so.

I'm considering three options:

1) attach two 2x6x10' spanning 4 joists each, one at the front and one at the back of the trailer, and attach the weight bearing pulleys to the 2x6 above each corner of the trailer.  Each 2x6 would be attached with two 1/4" lags to each i-joist (total of 8 lags in each 2x6).

2) remove the drywall and install 2x6 (or 2x8) blocking between the joists, hung to the joist webbing using galvanized joist hangers, then attach the pulleys to the blocking.

3) same as #1 but using 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" unistrut instead of 2x6, which would mean only one lag into each i-joist.

Is there one method that is better or worse than the others?  #2 is much more work since it involves removing large sections of drywall, but I'm not sure whether that's a more secure method than the others.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!


texts: A line T-ing off my water heater drain line. What might it be for?

texts:
There is a line T-ing off of the DRAIN line at the bottom of my water heater and I don't know what it is for.  It is UPSTREAM of the valve that I need to open annually to remove sediment from the water heater.  Does that mean that it is full of (hot) water under pressure? The water heater is located in the ground floor garage,. It feeds only my home, which occupies the top 2 stories of a 4 story townhouse/condominium.  This line T's off from the drain line and is insulated up to the ceiling of the water heater closet (where it disappears from view...)
Any ideas what it might be for would be appreciated.  Thanks!


texts: How can I cover the expansion gap for flooring near patio doors?

texts: I'm putting in a bamboo floor and have a 20mm expansion gap around the entire floor. Against walls I will cover the gap with baseboards but what is the best way to hide the gap otherwise? One side of the very long room is floor to ceiling windows and patio doors so there cannot be any baseboards there. Ideas?


texts: Advice on installing an attached garage 50A sub panel

texts:
I'd like to add a 50A sub panel to my attached garage workshop.

The sub panel feeder line will run from my 200A main panel, through my basement ceiling space and enter through the garage wall. The sub panel will be 50 feet from the main panel.

Some questions for you all:

does a 50A sub panel seem like an OK size for a one-man wood shop?
is 6/3 NM-B romex the right wire for the 50A, 50-foot run?
is it OK to run the new feeder wire through my ceiling space?
should I use a second 2-pole 50A breaker for the sub panel disconnect switch?
could I up it to a 60A sub panel with the same 6/3 wire or would I need 4/3?

Thank you in advance for your help, I will be doing the work myself but will get a permit and inspection so want to avoid any code violations!


texts:
when we bought our house, it had a very used 40" gas range. now that range has died. replacing with a new 40" range is very pricey ($2k+), and our cooking needs don't justify the size anyhow.

i'm looking for ideas on how to fit a smaller range. i would imagine that extending the counter top and cabinets would be a pretty extensive change. we've found we can get a 36" range for around 1/2 the cost. would it be feasible to add some sort of storage along side the smaller range to fill in the space?

thanks. i know this is an open-ended question with no specific answer, i'm just looking for ideas.


texts: Could any of these be the c terminal on my hvac unit? There's already a c wire there, just can't figure out where to connect it.


texts:
How do I remove the head off this Giacomini thermostatic radiator valve?:

Click for larger view

I was expecting part of the white bit to twist off easily, to reveal the inner pin on the valve. It looks like there might be some trick to it, e.g  a release mechanism by poking something through the holes. But the bottom white bit is metal and rock solid. Do I need to use wrench to unscrew it? I don't want to remove the valve (gets messy) just the valve head.

My actual problem is that the radiator has simply stopped working, but I'm told it's likely to be the thermostatic valve is broken. By removing the valve head I hope to determine whether this is the case.


texts: Is there an easy way to convert a regular railing to a banister one?

texts:
There's a pretty small hallway and I would like to make it a bit more visually spacious by trying to convert the regular solid railing into a banister one. I'm looking into reusing as much material as possible. (E.g. the tread could become a 'base' for the banister.)

Is there something I should be aware of before disassembling the existing one? Are there any gotchas about installing banister railings?

It's about 40''x40''


texts: Bonding vs grounding a main and sub panel

texts:
I am in the process of building a new home and of course I'm saving some money by doing all the wiring myself. I do have a decent bit of experience with electrical work, but the main panel is a little above my skill set.

My specific question involves the 200a service panel, which has one main 200a disconnect switch to cut off everything, as well as slots for 6 breakers in addition to the main power feed going onward to my one and only distribution box inside the house. I am currently not planning on using any of the 6 breaker slots to power anything, so there is no technical "breaker" feeding the inside box aside from that main disconnect.

In the main panel there is only the one bus bar serving both the ground and neutral. The panel inside the house has the neutral and ground bonded. Do I need to remove this bond? I'm having trouble finding information since technically the indoor panel is a "sub" panel, but it is directly connected to the main feed.

I know any sub panels fed by a breaker cannot be neutral bonded, but since this one is actually directly fed by the main and not a breaker is that the case? Since the main is already bonded by having the ground and neutral on the same bus bar is having that second box also bonded a safety hazard?


texts: After replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, why am I getting flickering from some of them, but not all, on dimmer switches

texts: I've replaced a bunch of light bulbs with LED bulbs (specifically, these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/EcoSmart-75-Watt-Equivalent-BR20-Dimmable-Energy-Star-LED-Light-Bulb-Bright-White-3-Pack-1003020602/303701036) and am now experiencing occasional flickering on some of the dimmer switches. All the wiring in the house was re-done in 2013 during a gut renovation, and I am using the same model dimmable ecosmart LED bulb throughout. Also this is in the US. I've made sure the bulbs are screwed into the socket quite firmly, so I don't think that is the issue.


texts: Did I install the wrong bulb, or is there a problem with my oven?

texts:
Now as far as I know there shouldn't be any problem using a new bulb with less wattage - it will just consume less.

But after the lamp in my oven recently broke, I replaced it (a 40W bulb with E14 socket) with a 15W one rated for use in ovens. It lasted about two days, started flickering, and then broke.

Before I call the landlord to check if something is wrong with the oven (it's not my kitchen) - is there anything I may have done wrong?

Another thing I have noticed in recent months is that I used to get shocks when touching the metallic sink next to the oven. But that's static electricity caused by dry air - if it were faulty wiring it would be more than just unpleasant I'd guess?


texts: Identifying My Main Water Shutoff Valve / Setup

texts:
I've owned my first home for a few years now, but have never truly known where my main water shutoff valve was, mainly because I've never really known how to identify it. I've looked around my utility room where my furnace, hot water heater, etc are, but nothing matches what I recall from my parent's home when they shut off the water there. For reference, my home was built in 1985.

After doing some searching via Google Images, this is what I believe might be the valve for my home:

The area I've circled in red is what I believe to be the main shutoff valve, but wanted to confirm before I messed with anything (note: I do not have any need to do anything with this at this time, just something I'd like to know in the event of an emergency). There are many valves in my utility room with my washer, dryer, furnace, hot water heater, etc. But based off of the images I've found from Googling, this seems to match some of the examples I've seen.

Slight side note, I'm also slightly confused at what looks to be a ground wire going from the green circle in the above image to the blue circle in the above image. This seems unnecessary and / or abnormal, but I'm not too familiar with how any of this would be set up "properly".
Here are some close ups:


texts: What kind of breaker do I have to use for a sub panel of 125 amps? May I use a 125 amp breaker (same amp rating as the sub panel) from main panel to feed the sub panel?


texts: How to caulk stone backsplash to granite countertop?

texts:
My kitchen has a stone backsplash and granite countertops.  In some places there is a gap between the two, as illustrated below.

I would like to seal this gap to prevent moisture from getting behind the wall.  Is a silcone-based kitchen caulk appropriate for this application?  This backsplash was put in by the previous owner of the home and I am unfamiliar with the techniques and tools used to seal it.  The areas that have no gap appear to have some sort of stone seal, like this:

Thanks for any help you can provide.


texts: How to support new wooden floor joists on stone and clay foundation walls

texts:
I'd like to ask you for some best practice sharing, or advice .

My situation:
I'm about to make new wooden floor in old house with walls made of clay and huge rocks. The walls are therefore a bit crooked/sinuous. The base of the floor is about 1,5 feet below the actual top floor level - it is approx. 1/2 ft gravel laid on earth. The room is some 16x12 feet large. I want to keep the methods as much traditional as possible (no concrete, no plastic supports, ...)

My plans:
I'd like to attach steel L-profile (or wooden joist alternatively) along all walls (I want to mount it to the big rocks they should be ok to hold it) in the same level. Then I want to lay the floor joist on the L-profiles and support it in in some 3 points. On these joist I want to lay the wooden floor boards. For insulation I want to cover the gravel with foam glass up to the level of the joists.
See this image: http://lowcosttraveltips.com/floor-joist-wall.PNG

My doubts:

for sure it is the easiest way how to make it, but is it good
idea to make it that way?
what can I use as support "pillars"? are eg. rocks or bricks ok (I have a lot of older bricks)? or would they suck humidity and then transfer it to wood and rotten in?
should I make any kind of hydro isolation between steel L-profiles and wooden joist and between bricks and joists?
how many supporting pillars
do I need for the joist length of 16 feet?
should I mount the
floor joist to the steel L-profiles (problems with dilatation)? or
can I mount it at only one side and let other side to "move"?

THank you for any help, advice and even possibly critique of my
amateur ideas.

Mario


texts:
I'm in the process of setting a RV in my back yard.
The run is 150 ft long and will be buried.
The RV is a 30 Amp, 120 V System.
Will be running TV, PC, Refrigerator, Microwave, Toaster, Lights and Washing machine, of course not all at the same time!
Planning to use PVC Schedule 80.
Ground very soft
and sandy.
What size wire should I use?
All 3 of them?
PVC size?
How deep?


texts: Can I have multiple heating zones with a combination boiler?

texts:
I bought my first house in December and one thing I've noticed over the winter is higher than expected gas usage which I'd like to try and get down if at all possible. The house is a three bedroom (two plus box room really) semi-detached UK house built in the 30s if thats relevant. The previous owner had recently installed a new Ideal Icos HE24 combination boiler but with a standard thermostat and timer.

I'd like to replace the thermostat and timer with two programmable thermostats for upstairs and downstairs and use valves to control heating flow to the two zones. I've seen drawings on the internet showing this using a standalone boiler with separate pumps wtih each zone but am not sure if zones are achievable using combination boilers or whether I'd be placing stress on the boilers internal pump?

My thoughts so far involve one valve for the upstairs flow and one for downstairs flow, from what I've seen I don't need return valves as well?

Working with heating systems isnt something I've done before so I guess I may have some things wrong here but would be interested to hear peoples thoughts.


texts: Code for elevating water heater in garages?

texts:
A gas/propane water heater in a garage is elevated. This is to ensure the open flame (at the bottom) is above a certain height (?) to avoid any combustible fuels in the garage from igniting.

This all makes sense.

But does it apply to electric/heat pump hot water heaters? I assume not, as there is no flame to cause combustion, but I'm not sure where in the code to find out if this is true or not. Is it a plumbing code? Electrical?


texts: Why is special sand used for leveling masonry?

texts: I see some stores selling sand specifically for leveling the ground, e.g. before building a stone sidewalk or a brick wall. The local rock quarry even sells some sand for this purpose. What is so special about this? Can I just use regular dirt from my yard that is unneeded to level the ground before building a stone wall?


texts: New residential service installation 200 amp california

texts: I am running a 490' underground new service for a 200 amp, I was told to run one line of 4 aught, and two lines of 2 aught, aluminum wire. In a 3" sched. 40 pvc conduit, 18" inches deep in the trench.  Will this work for this type of install.


texts:
I just moved into a house.
The switch in the garage turns power to the garage door and a outlet in the garage ceiling connected to a light. Switch off so does the garage door.
Last night, after moving all day the kids sat down to watch TV. I turned the switch off to turn off the light and by default the garage door. But it turned off the TV in side the living room, we tried the outlet on the 90degree wall and it was off too.

By my immediate account there is 1 switch that controls 3 outlets and the garage door.

How do I reduce the control of this switch?

The switch has 3 black wires going to it.
3 white wires with a cap on them.
1 neutral connected and 2 others taped to the 1.


texts: Westinghouse portable generator won't start

texts:
In early fall we purchased a Westinghouse WH5500 pull-start generator.  We've been pretty good about starting it up and letting it run for a while with a load on it each month just to keep it from sitting.  In early Dec. we had our electrician wire in a transfer switch panel and we had some difficulty starting it then.  Took maybe 10 pulls before it turned over.

Now I went to start it today and nothing.  Probably yanked that cord 75 times over the course of the afternoon and it only sputtered one time.  Switch is on, fuel valve is open, checked oil, tried different choke settings, added fresh gas, reseated spark plug boot etc. and nothing.

I doubt it's gumming or dirty spark plug as our total run time is probably under 2 hours.  I may have to try some starter fluid tomorrow but every review of this unit I've seen had people saying starts 1st or 2nd pull every time and I'm worried we have a problematic generator with no way of taking it in for service.

Anyone else have this model and have any tips?


texts:
I am trying to find studs in the ceiling to drill holes for a heavy lamp. I need the stud to be at least two inches wide in order to get all the screws inside the stud.
While using the stud finder I am finding that the stud is probably just 1 inch wide. Does that make sense ?
I feel like i am doing something wrong since otherwise the manufacturers wont make products that require two inch wide studs.


texts: Wide back box with central 1-gang mounting

texts:
Does anyone make a back box that has (British) standard 1-gang lugs, but the actual box extends beyond that?

i.e. something could be mounted centrally with 1-gang spacing (and it would cover the whole box) but the box would have more space either side of that.

Does anything like that exist? Closes I've found is dual 1-gang boxes, where two sit side by side, that would be OK except that I need the 1-gang spaced mounting to be central, or else the box probably wouldn't be covered one side.


texts: Can I use a switch to toggle the neutral bonding on a generator?

texts: I am in the process of attaching a 2-Pole transfer switch to my breaker panel and powering it by a 7500W generator. The generator is neutral-bonded-to-ground. I understand I have to disconnect this in order to power the transfer switch safely. This consists of removing a jumper on the alternator. My question is: Can I install a toggle switch (30A light switch if you will) between jumper on the generator to be able toggle the ground off when connected to the transfer switch and on when using as a stand alone generator?


texts: Can I still use my bathrooms if my sump pump is broken?

texts: My sump pump has gone out. We have a bathroom in the basement and our laundry room is downstairs. My question is will we be able to use the upstairs bathrooms until we can get the sump pump fixed? Or another way to express my concerns: Is the upstairs plumbing affected by the downstairs plumbing in regards to the sump pump?


texts: I have a bullnose corner with roughly 3" hole. What is a good way to fill such a hole and repair? Can drywall patch be applied? Or some other method? Do I need mud or just spackling?


texts: What actions can I take to reduce moisture on basement floor?

texts:
In one corner of my basement, after a few heavy rains, I see a darkening of the concrete floor.  To touch, the concrete feels damp-ish.  I say damp-ish, because when I pull my hand away, I don't see any moisture on it.  There is also no beaded moisture on the surface.

The house is 57 years old, so I don't know if there is any drainage tile on the outside of the foundation.

Since the house is so old, it has settled and the surrounding landscape slopes towards the house - about 20' away has a 2-3 inch slope towards the house.

I believe the moisture is wicking up from the ground water, as there are no cracks in the foundation floor or basement walls.

Multi-part question here:

Will backfilling and building a slope away from the house stop this or at least greatly reduce the problem?  Or is this simply a matter of the water table being higher than the basement floor?  I'll re-iterate that this problem is only in one corner of the house.
I've only owned the house for 3 years, but it looks like this has been an issue for a number of years, with little real problems.  Is this something I really need to worry about, or is it mostly cosmetic?  The idea of "moisture in the basement" is typically a red flag, but since there's no beaded moisture, it's only in 1 corner, and there's no cracking on either the floor or walls, I'm wondering if this isn't a big deal.
Should I bother to get a dehumidifier or sealant for the concrete?  Is that typically what is done in this situation or will that just be a bandaid to a deeper problem with the concrete/fill under the basement floor?

Edit: Not sure if this is relevant, but this section of floor also has a drain pipe connected to, I'm guessing, the sewer.  My washing machine drains to it, but I don't notice any correlation between washing & discolouration.


texts: Where would the best place to drill a hole to put an electrical panal to the inside of a 20' sea container?

texts:
I want to bring teck cord into my sea container (conex or shipping container).
Where would be the best place?


texts: What kind of glove offers the best protection when using an angle grinder?

texts:
I wanted to start doing metalworking for a long time and I finally got an angle grinder of 4 1\2". I also bought the appropriate safety equipment face shield, some safety glasses and I'm planning to use a thick leather jacket that I always use in the workshop.
Though I'm very confused about the gloves, I always intend to use both of my hands to handle the device with the guard on at all time so I'm not worried about my gloves getting caught in the disc, what I am mainly worried about is that the disc explodes and lacerates or cuts off my fingers. I've seen that the most common gloves are leather gloves mostly goat skin but I've seen videos of people putting a glove against an angle grinder and it goes through it like it's nothing. Also also I've read that some people want to feel how the blade is behaving so that's another fact to take into consideration.
I don't know which is better a leather MIG welding glove or an ANSI A9 cut resistant glove??, I want to keep my fingers as they are.


texts: Correct order of operations for caulking + sealing bathroom tile?

texts:
Around my bathtub I have tile, and the old latex caulk where the tub and tile meet is cracked so I've removed all the caulk and am ready to put new silicone caulk down. However, I would also like to seal the all of tile using the 511 Impregnator sealant.

My question; Should I caulk around the tub first and let cure, and then do the sealant? Or the other way around?

Tub meets tile

Tile meets floor. Ok to caulk over stuck grout? Should I re-grout this area instead?


texts:
Was working through a clogged sink yesterday, had a partial flow, went to my parents for a bit, came back to find husband and roommate had decided to take it into their own hands, got some bleach smelling chemical and a plunger and there was no longer a partial flow. I should also mention we have a septic tank.

Watched this video: https://youtu.be/JeurinbyqhQ

Removed pea trap and confirmed clog isn’t there. The rest of my pipes differ from the video so I’m not sure how much I should remove. I was able to get a drain snake in the horizontal part but was unable to go down. There is a little thing near the bottom, black plug with a square twist thing. Not sure if it okay to remove that.

Update, took the access plug thing out. Clog seems to be below that.

Post two snakes. First snake made the water go down to where I could just see it. After second snake I can’t see the water. Our plumber previously gave us some Bio-Clean drain cleaner. Going to close everything up and treat the pipes with that, see where we stand after a few hours of that sitting.


texts:
I've been having issues like the heat pump not heating.  Now that it's hot outside, my A/C isn't working. Can someone tell me if my Nest thermostat is even wired correctly?

If it helps any, here is how the original one was wired and it worked just fine.


texts: Running 100 amp wire for future use - how many wires do i run?

texts:
i am finishing up my basement and about to close up the walls.Before i close the walls, i want to run 100 amp wire from the circuit panel, located on one side of the house, to the other side of the house where my boiler is located (Aprox. 300ft of wire). The wire will not be connected to ANYTHING. I just want the wire to be there for a future detach garage.

My question is how many wires do i need to run? Do i need to run a ground wire too? or, Just one 100 amp cooper/aluminum wire.

Does the wire configuration change for 110 vs 220?

Also, do i need to protect it with some type of piping/conduit?

I am in Ny if that makes a difference.

Again, it is just running the wire from point A -> B so the future electrician doesn't have to break walls.


texts: I have two of the fixtures in the photograph mounted above a double vanity.  I installed a dimmer switch since the six bulbs are way too bright no matter what time of day.  Dimmer switch dims fine but the lights flash brightly when you first turn them on, then they steadily flicker/pulsate when dimmed.  I thought it might be something with the total wattage of the six bulbs...  I took out one bulb from each fixture and it improved slightly at first but one day later, back to flash and flicker.  How can I get the dimmer to work correctly with these fixtures and bulbs?


texts: Entrance cable size for a 800’ distance to feed a 100 amp breaker box

texts: What cable size do I need to feed a 100 amp breaker box  that is approximately 800 ft from the meter disconnect source with a 3% maximum loss? Thank You


texts: Can my dishwasher lacking a 'high loop' cause it to fill with dirty water, even if it happens hours after I last ran it?

texts:
My dishwasher runs and drains fine. But later (hours later), there will be standing water in it. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, enough to flow out onto the floor. I noticed we don't have a high loop in our line. But I feel like lacking the high loop would cause water backup immediately. Not hours later. Am I wrong in this assumption? Could my issue of the washer slowly filling up with dirty water be caused by not having this high loop?

Thanks


texts: Should I replace 3/4" and 1/2" galvanized pipe with the same sizes of pex?

texts:
So I am about to replumb my house. From the meter to my house is 3/4" 60 yr old galvanized pipe. Once it gets to the house it changed to 1/2" lines serving everything in the house. Example is a 1/2" supply to each fixture branching off of a 1/2" line. I have 82psi inside the house. When I use two fixtures like toilet and washing machine pressure drops to 12psi. I measure this with a water pressure gauge on the water hose bib.

I plan on replacing the 3/4" galvanized to 3/4" pex and run all my fixtures with separate 1/2" lines to each fixture attached to a 3/4" pex manifold. i am using Expandable Pex A so that i wont lose ID in the fittings. i am also will use a pressure reducer to keep pressure at 60psi.

Does anyone for see any problems with this upgrade?


texts: What are the possible solutions for an uphill septic system in rocky area around lake

texts:
I'm looking to purchase a bank owned bungalow that had some really sketchy things going on with the septic system. I know that I will have to completely re-work the septic system if I purchase it and I'm just considering my options. There are three things that make it difficult.

It is close to a lake where they are particular about the septic systems.
The house is built on a rock ledge about 40' down from the road (plateau).
The only suitable area for a leach field is at the top.

My thoughts thus far are to create some sort of hybrid system using composting toilets, some sort of holding sump, and then either just get the holding tank pumped periodically by a truck, or install inline pumps that pump the contents of the holding tank up the slope to a leaching field at the top. Any creative suggestions on how I could possibly solve this problem would be appreciated


texts: How do I open this flush mounted kitchen light fixture?

texts: Fluorescent light fixture--can't seem to get it open. It doesn't seem to want to unscrew at all, or squeeze in as if it had tabs that held it in. No visible screws on the metal either.


texts:
House built in the 1940s.  When remodeling a bathroom, I put a 20A circuit in the panel and ran new 12/2 wire up to the bath to GFCI outlets. I continued the circuit up into the attic to power an attic bathroom exhaust fan.

In the attic there is a rickety old pull-chain light fixture attached to the original 1940s wiring, which has two conductors but no ground.  A prior owner of the house attached 14/2 wiring to this old 1940s wiring, and had simply tied the ground wire of the 14/2 to the junction box.

I would like to detach the 14/2 from the ungrounded old wiring and attach it to the new 20A 12/2 wire in the attic.

All the receptacles on the 14/2 are 15A.

Does mating 14/2 to 12/2 present any safety hazards if nobody tries to draw more than 15A on the "extended" 14ga leg of the circuit?


texts:
I have a bulkhead or soffit above our kitchen cabinets that is being removed to make way for taller ones that will go all the way to the ceiling. I encountered a vent pipe that will be in the way of the new cabinets:

So here's roughly what it looks like now (this is on an external wall):

And here's what I want:

Will it be feasible & acceptable to run this 2" pipe through several 2x10 joists in my 2 story home? Or, any other ideas?


texts:
When I turn on my heat, the pump attached to the boiler comes on but the pipes don't get hot and the radiators never do either.

I've bled them and believe they are hot water radiators (since there is a pump), so from what I understand sludge shouldn't be an issue.


texts: Is it possible to split off a neighbor's Comcast cable to provide service to my condo?

texts:
Comcast tech told my tenants that the coaxial cable within my condo was outdated & not adequate to provide good signal so it appears he installed a splitter from my neighbor's downstairs cable and ran new cable up the exterior wall to the M/B for internet service.  Is it possible for a single cable to provide service to my neighbor and my tenants?

Although there is no need for TV modems in the other rooms as tenants are only subscribing to internet service, but if they decide they want to also subscribe to cable TV in the future, would the signal loss with additional splits to the other rooms be an issue? I'm assuming that I would need to run cable from the new outlet in M/B through the wall to other bedroom & then through wall from 2nd bedroom to the living room.


texts: Is there a problem in putting an oven over the microwave oven?

texts:
I have an electric oven and a microwave oven. I used to keep the microwave on top of the old refrigerator. Now I've got a taller new refrigerator, and I read it's not safe to keep the microwave oven over the refrigerator. Besides, I shouldn't keep warm stuff near the refrigerator.

Is it safe to keep the electric oven on top of the microwave oven? I'm not expecting to use them both at the same time. The electric oven has small legs that keep it about 3 cm away from the surface. Is this ventilation good enough? As I said, since I'm not going to use them at the same time, one of them will always be cold while the other one is working.


texts: How do I keep water from getting in and out of a dishwasher drain air gap?

texts:
I have no idea what this is called, so I apologize for the vague title. If someone knows what it is, feel free to edit it.

When I turned on my dishwasher (just moved in), water started spewing from this thing. When I removed the cap, I found that it was really dirty and moldy. I'm guessing the previous owners never used the dish washer. I have two questions:

How do I keep water from getting into the silver cap and what is this thing for? There's an opening that allows water to get in when, for instance, I do the dishes.
Is there a valve that needs to be turned off to keep water from spewing out when I use the dishwasher?


texts: Using leftover Romex in conduit (surface mount application in an attached garage)

texts:
I am planning to add an outlet circuit to my garage.  Strangely, when they built the house, they only put two outlets in the entire garage, both of which are on shared circuits with the rooms on the other side of the wall (living room and kitchen).  I have more than 100 feet of 12-2 Romex left over from other wiring projects, and wanted to know what my options were for using it in a surface mount application.  I really don't want to open the walls up in the garage.  Quick research indicates that it's NOT against code to run Romex in conduit, but it's not best practice for heat dissipation purposes and can be a pain to pull.  I know THHN is relatively cheap, but not if I need to buy 3 separately colored spools of it rather than buying one larger spool and remarking the wires (which is against code, correct?)

Thanks,


texts: My AC is set to 77F and the thermostat reaches that temperature but the AC keeps running. Why?

texts:
My AC is set to 77F and the thermostat reaches that temperature but the AC keeps running. What could be the causes for this?
This is in connection with this post How long should it take to a 1.5 tons AC to cool down a 2000sqf house from 80F to 77F? where you can read a lot of details regarding my AC

Edit: If I set the AC to 80F then it goes on and off every 10 minutes. It can possible be air leaking to this degree.


texts: Identifyimg Your Local Climate Category?

texts: I have been reading Canadian Wood Frame House Construction and often the book will give building recomendations based on the local climate. It will say, if the enviroment is wet, you will need X. Or if your house is subjected to extreme winds you will need Y. But at no point does it decribe what conditions must be met for a climate to conform to any of these categories. Are these categories standardised? Are their maps or guides available to figure out if ones lives in a wet climate or what category of wind strength a site is subject to?


texts: LED lights turning on/flickering when lights on another switch are on

texts:
I know there are a number of other questions on similar topics, but I could use some more specific ideas on this case.
I've recently wired up 3 sets of recessed 9W LED lights in my basement, each on a smart dimmer switch (with neutral). There are 22 lights in total - 12 on one switch (main room), 6 on another (office), and 2 on the third (TV).
The wiring is as follows (all 14AWG NM Romex):

Power comes from a 15A breaker into a large junction box (4x4x2.75") via a 2-wire cable
From this box, power is split to 2 3-wire cables, each going to a dimmer, and an additional 2-wire cable
The load wires from the switches then go out to the lights via a 2-wire cable each (powering the main room and TV lights)
The additional 2-wire cable runs to another large junction box in the office, where it powers a 3-wire cable to the 3rd dimmer, which returns to heat 3 2-wire cables that split off to power office lights.

Here's a rough diagram. Solid lines are 2-wire, dashed lines are 3-wire (so load/lead actually run parallel to each other). Neutrals and grounds are all wired alongside.

Now for the issue:
When the main room lights are turned on at the switch and the dimmer is set in the 30-70% range, the other lights often (but not always) turn on dimly (~50%) or start to brightly flicker. It seems to happen more reliably if the main room lights have been on for a while. The office lights exhibit this behavior more consistently than the TV lights. Usually, turning the main room dimmer all the way up or all the way down will cause the issue to disappear.
The office/TV lights work as expected if turned on by themselves.
Now, as I understand it, the issue of LEDs being powered by leaking current is not an uncommon one, as they require so little amperage to power. I'm aware of 2 common reasons:

The proximity of current in a wire is inducting current in others (namely, the 2-wire cables going to the lights, bypassing the switches)
The dimmers bleed enough current to power the lights

I hope #2 isn't the case, since the dimmers have neutral wires, and have hard-off states. All switches work as expected when the main room lights are off.
If it's #1, I'd imagine that this induction is occurring in the junction boxes. I could see this in the 1st box (as it's quite full), but the 2nd is just a few wires, and is only connected to the main room circuit in that it shares the same the source wire. I'm not sure how current from the main room could be inducting current in the office.
Unfortunately, at this point the ceiling is all patched up, so rewiring or installing new boxes is not going to be a small task. I'd like to find a way to resolve this with access only to the boxes, lights, and switches.
Any troubleshooting ideas are welcome. Thank you!


texts:
I have a window which faces a very busy street.

However there are also inserts (storm windows) made out of wood and single pane glass for insertion outside the aluminum half open window (pictured below)

Does anyone have any ideas for products I could use to seal the storm windows to prevent sound transmission.  I don't know if it's legal, but could I seal the windows as well? Could I apply a material to the window to help it seal tight when closed to prevent drafts AND noise.

I ideally would like some kind of sealant I can paste along the aluminum window which would seal against the concrete tightly when I close the window. It could later be scraped or peeled off the aluminum. I have tried weather tape (like puddy) but it falls off the window too easily.

A material to seal in the storm window would probably also help me. Right now that storm window is simply resting in the concrete frame with many gaps present.

Any ideas much appreciated. The pink outside window is the storm window.

Thanks.


texts: How do I install a pre-hung door in a rough opening that's too wide?

texts:
I'm replacing an interior door -- including the original jamb -- in my house with a new 30" pre-hung door.  With the jambs, the new door is 31 3/8" wide.  However, the original rough opening is between 32 1/2" and 32 3/4" wide, leaving me a big gap between the old frame and new jambs.  The hinge-side stud is straight and plumb, so I'll probably not have to shim that side by much (if at all), which will leave the bulk of the gap on the latch side.

Can I fill a gap that big with shims, or should I think about nailing a 1x4 to the latch-side stud first?  If I use shims, I think I would need several to make up the right thickness: is there a trick to holding them in place while I secure the door jamb to them?


texts: What's the deal with half-walls behind the kitchen cabinets? Can I cut into it?

texts:
So I've recently moved in to a new house and the kitchen has two "blind cabinets" but no real good place to put my cat's food and water where it will be out of the way. So I got this brilliant idea that I could partition one of these blind corner cabinets and use the half that I wouldn't be able to reach very well as a feeding station. That cabinet butts up against a sort of half-wall at the back of the line of cabinets with the sink and I thought it might be possible to cut a hole in that drywall, then through the back of the cabinet to make an opening. I can take some photos later, but here's the kind of wall I'm talking about:

It's like this but not raised; it's flush with the countertop which just extends out a tad bit.

Long story short, I had a handyman over for something else so I asked if he could do this (I knew there were wires back there so I thought I would ask a professional) and he said sure no problem and knocked a hole in the drywall. Right into a stud. Which he didn't check for beforehand. So then he's like, I have to move this stud no problem. Blah, blah, boring events happen and I tell him not to come back because he seriously screwed up this other project I had hired him to do. So now I have a hole in the drywall and cuts in my cabinet back. There are also cuts into the stud but it's not completely severed.

And so that is the state my kitchen has been in for a few weeks as I try to figure out what to do next. My first thought is to just patch the drywall and move on with my life. On the other hand, I would really love to have that little nook so I don't have to step in my cat's food and water all the time.

I don't know a lot about studs and even less in this case...is that thing possibly holding important things up considering the countertop is mostly resting on the cabinets? The handyman apparently felt it would be trivial to move it but I don't really trust his judgement anymore.

What can I look for for clues to find out if this is a possibility? How much work does it sound like it might be? Should I patch it and move on? I think I'm a reasonable type of person.

Also, if you're having trouble picturing the feeding station, I was envisioning something like this (but not with bowls built in, just the nook part):

Thank you.


texts: The A/C thermosat screen is blank . What can I do before calling an HVAC technician?

texts: My A/C unit is completely separate from the heater with a different thermosat. The A/C thermosat needed new batteries. I put in new batteries and nothing the screen is blank so I changed the batteries again still nothing. What can I do before calling an HVAC?


texts: Can I fix mold infestation of around 10 square feet, or do I need pro?

texts: I have mold under my carpet and part of drywall. Do I need a mold removal pro, or can I do it myself? The water seems to come from a leak in siding.


texts: What could be causing drainage issues in our new bathroom?

texts:
We had a bathroom reassembled in stages. The bathroom functioned when we moved in 17 years ago but fell apart over time. So we had the floor re-leveled then we had new plumbing and a stall shower installed. Then we had sink, new flooring and toilet installed. Everything worked for 3 days without issue. On day 4, I went to the bathroom and then got in the shower. The shower drain slowed to a crawl and the bottom of the shower filled with water which stayed after I got out. I flushed the toilet after getting which caused it to just fill up and not drain. The toilet does drain down slowly over time. Now the shower always fills up and the toilet only flushes if no one has done anything in there for at least 6 or 7 hours. Even then it rarely flushes down.

The venting for the piping is on the sink which is the first in line moving to the right. Toilet is next and shower is last. I have run the sink and heard the toilet bubble. I have flushed the toilet and watch water back up into the shower. The sink has never backed up from running it.

Is it possible the shower sunk down from use after the first 3 days?
Is it possible something is blocking the line somewhere?
Would anything short of dismantling the whole new bathroom help?
Could the venting be moved to the shower without destroying the new bathroom, if that is that solution?

We want to use this new bathroom so we can now renovate the old one and repaint and redo fixtures. Can any harm come from using it regularly until old bathroom is renovated (aside from the obvious toilet issues)?


texts: Switched outlet still has some power when off

texts: We have an outlet that is controlled by a switch, but we haven't had anything plugged into it since we moved in. This year we thought it would be a great idea to plug in the Christmas tree LED lights to the outlet so we can just turn them off and on easily. The problem is that when the switch is off, the LED lights still have a very dim light coming from them. Does anyone know why the outlet is still getting some power when the switch is off? Is this dangerous?


texts: What type of wall texture is this, and how do you remove it?

texts:
What type of wall texture is this called?
What is the best way to remove it so I can replace it with orange peel?


texts: How to cut wood panel for angled ceiling?

texts: I am adding wood paneling to the wall, as you can see above. Starting with the next panel in the coming row I will need to cut the left end to fit the angle of the ceiling. How to I determine the angle I need to set my miter saw to?


texts: What type of screens do I need for this crank case window?

texts:
Can someone please advise me on the type of screens and where to buy for this type of crank case window?

Here were some options from screenitagain.com (Lowes)
Which of these screen frame profiles do I need?

Which of these fasteners do I need?  Knife latch looks promising


texts: Can a handrail with a baluster channel be used with wall brackets?

texts: Can the type of handrail shown in the photo be mounted onto a wall using brackets for use in a stairwell? As you can see it has a groove cut out of the bottom.


texts:
I'm pretty sure my attic needs some additional insulation (it looks pretty sparse and my house is freezing!).

Here are some images of my attic: http://imgur.com/a/pdsXF

Two questions:

There is some existing blown-in insulation (looks like the recycled kind), can I lay down batt insulation over that?
I have a skylight that is not insulated at all, how can I insulate the drywall around it?  Is this a good idea.

*Some additional Info: I'm in CA (East SF Bay Area).  Winters are not too cold, Summers can be hot (90s-100s).


texts: How to repair a wire in a light switch box

texts: In attempting to install a dimmer switch, I managed to snap a wire in my light switch, by not realising when I was tightening it it was pushing on the wire. What would be the best approach to fixing it be, or would I be better calling out a professional?


texts: Should I frame a wall before or after installing the subfloor?

texts:
I just ripped out the subfloor in my bathroom to make plumbing easier since I am changing the layout of my bathroom.  I also want to increase the size of the bathroom and eat into the walk-in closet adjacent to it by removing the existing wall and moving it over 3ft.  Since the subfloor is removed, can I frame the wall and attach it directly to the joists or do I have to add the subfloor first and then frame?

Framing the wall first will make my life easier - can this be done?