texts: What's the best way to deal with the floor of a shed with water infiltration?

texts:
I have an old carriage house on my property, probably over a century old, which sits on what is now the lowest part of my property.  As a result, water runs back into it along the driveway (which also has grade issues).  The shed currently has a dirt floor because of all the topsoil that has washed back into it.
I want to rehab this shed to make it more usable, but I don't have the money to do what really needs to be done, which is to tear it all down, do all the dirtwork to get drainage headed out to the street and away from my structures, and build a new building.  In lieu of that, I want to make the best use of the building with the minimal restoration I can get away with.
To that end, I have shoveled all the dirt out of one side of the shed to reveal the concrete underneath and assess what I can do with it.

In the photo, you can observe the depth at which the concrete blocks were revealed.  I would guess (I didn't measure) that at the lowest point, there was 10-12 inches of sediment on top of the concrete.  In other places, not nearly so much.  Clearly, the floor is very uneven.
What I'd like to do is build additional walls on along that support beam in the middle and across the front on this side where I'm working to create a closed-in storage room that would be safer from the elements and my dog and thieves.  What can I do to make a suitable floor that would allow me to build a couple of walls and make this a secured barn-like room?
My current thought is to use gravel to create a level underlayment up to the highest point of the concrete, and then use 8x16" concrete blocks on top as the actual floor.  In my thinking, that would allow water to infiltrate without causing further damage, but would also provide a strong support for a floor.
Is that a terrible idea?  Is there anything better I can do at a low cost?


texts: How do I connect the two cables entering a switch box for a light?

texts: I removed the original light fixture from the side wall which was not connected to a light switch but had a button that turned the light on and off on the fixture itself. I took the original wire in the wall and extended it further down the wall where I had made a new box for a light switch. From that new box I took a second cable and wired up the wall over the ceiling into a brand new light fixture. Now I have two separate cables at the swtich box to connect into a single light swtich. Since the single light switch has only two screws, how do I connect the double white and black cables to it?


texts: Able to / good way to cover / handle cleanout in the floor

texts:
I am trying to install vinyl plank flooring in my basement and the cleanout is right in the middle of the floor unfortunately. Am I able to cover it and/or is there a good way to handle putting the flooring down around or over the cleanout?

Image:

thanks in advance!


texts: Why should I not use standard "house" bricks for a patio?

texts:
I'm looking to put in a brick patio and have been really wanting to do it with reclaimed road bricks. The problem here is sourcing enough to do an entire 18x18 patio and not spending a months salary on just the bricks. So the thought is to just use standard bricks, you know the ones with holes in them. These normally would be for the side of a house and not really exposed to the full force of a Michigan winter with 12"+ of snow on the ground.

Would these bricks hold up? Would grouting them into place help? Also might a sealer help?

Edit:
The base will be made of crushed rock. I am not sure if a layer of sand is needed or not at this point. But Will be added if needed.


texts: What is/are this/these fittings connecting my boiler to circulator pump?

texts:
There's a leak somewhere around my circulator pump and the fittings that connect it to the Weil McLain CG-5 gas boiler have corroded and should probably be replaced. (right?)

Not very familiar with these fittings. The pump is a Bell & Gosset Little Red Pump and looks like 1" copper connects to top of pump and then the fittings on the bottom connect to the boiler which looks like 1" too then a drain valve.

As best as I can guess there's a Tee fitting (1" x 1" x 3/4") made of iron based on what the corrosion looks like. Then a drain valve. Only thing I can find that looks similar is a black iron fitting but it doesn't seem to be for water applications. http://www.homedepot.com/p/LDR-Industries-1-in-x-1-in-x-3-4-in-Black-Iron-FPT-x-FPT-Reducing-Tee-310-RT-1134/100577900

What should I be replacing all that with and what materials? Looks like I'll need a reducing tee, drain fitting and the flanges for the pump. And probably a new pump.

Also, will the pipe leading the the boiler need to be replaced due to the corrosion and is that something that can even be replaced?

Here are some pictures.

Here's a picture of a different model Weil McLain boiler that that has the same drain and Tee fitting. It's the black fitting over the drain on the side.


texts:
I had planned to find a nook in the low-humidity house in which to shove it, but it would be interesting to know how long the bag will keep in various humidities.

The main question is: How long can I store a (new, sealed) bag of Quikrete in the house with central AC and heat?

I don't expect there to be a perfect answer to this question, so I'll upvote any useful insight (ie "I kept a bag for X years and it was fine" or "I kept a bag for X years in the garage and it turned to a brick").


texts: Is it necessary to sand before the last coat of oil paint?

texts: When I'm painting high-gloss oil-based on woodwork (architraves, skirtingboards, windows), I have been following the tin's advice and sanding between all coats.  I don't resent sanding after the undercoat/primer because it helps provide a smooth finish, but the final sand often takes the paint off sharp edges, even when I am careful, which can leave them a bit dark after the final coat.  Is this final sand necessary?


texts: How to remove watermarks from porcelain sinks?

texts:
I bought a new (ceramic) soap dispenser a couple of weeks back and now there's a watermark on my porcelain sink where I used to keep it (picture below with increased contrast).  First off, I don't think it's a hard-water stain.  There's always a layer of water between the soap dispenser and the sink.  I think this water caused the stain (it smelled very bad too -- like ammonia and rotten eggs).  Any ideas on how to remove the stain?

EDIT: After some investigation it seems that such stains are caused due the porcelain absorbing water.  This is more common with granite counters and to prevent further staining, the granite has to be "resealed".


texts: Can I install composite decking directly on top of concrete?

texts:
Is it ok to add a flat deck over this concrete pad( the pad is about 5 inches tall, and slightly slopes away from the house.
How would I go about adding decking over it. I'm pretty handy but just wants some tips.

Also would the same application apply for these stairs?


texts: new laminate flooring over existing hardwood, what underlayment should be used?

texts:
We're redoing the flooring in the whole house. We have existing hardwood which is in decent shape. a few scratches here or there that could probably be fixed. No buckling or anything. Maybe one or two spots where it feels like the floor should be nailed down again where a plank or two is loose. No noticeable squeaks or anything.

Pretty sure the hardwood is original to the house which means it was installed about 70 years ago. There are planks about 2 inches wide and then some that are around 4 inches. From what i can see, it looks like there's no underlayment under the existing hardwood and it was just nailed on top of the wooden subfloor. The only place that is different is the kitchen. Flooring in there had to be removed so it's down to just the bare wooden subfloor.

We're going with a laminate wood floor from republic floor. Contractor picked up 3mm underlayment. I don't really know much about underlayment, or installing floors in general. Just wanted to know if there's anything specific i should look out for while they do the install and if 3mm underlayment is ok or if i should get something different. Or anything else I should do/look out for/make sure is done etc.

Thanks


texts: 3 way light switch with timer - flickering

texts:
I have a 3 way light switch which works fine with a regular light switch. That is, I can control on/off without issue from either switch.

I moved one of the switches to a timer, the Intermatic ST01, which according to my research, should work fine. Many people who have issues with flickering lights are advised to use this switch as it's switching mechanism works with low loads. I following the existing wire (common to common, traveler to traveler etc).

When the timer is hooked up I have the following:

Turn Intermatic On with Regular Switch Off:  Lights turn on correctly
Turn Intermatic Off with Regular Switch Off: Lights turn off correctly
Turn Regular Switch On with Intermatic Off: Lights turn on
Turn Regular Switch Off with Intermatic Off: Lights turn off (flicker)

The flickering is at a high rate, probably once or twice a second. I can hear the intermatic's switch clickign on/off during the flicker.

Any ideas on what's going on? Is it possible something is wrong with how the 3 way switches were wired before and I need to modify the timer switch/regular switch for the timer to work?


texts: What Transformer for Smart video Doorbell

texts:
I’m wiring a new smart doorbell camera (Eufy brand) It’s intended to replace an existing doorbell, but I don’t have one, so I will be wiring it from scratch. The manual says “make sure the transformer is delivering 16-24V, 30VA of power.”

The doorbell transformers for sale in my local hardware store show slightly different specs. And of course I don’t fully understand them.  I see why we need electricians! But I’m wondering if you can tell me which transformer would be compatible with my doorbell cam so I can buy the right one.

There are 2 doorbell transformers for sale at Home Hardware (in Ontario, Canada)

Transformer #1 reads = 8/16/24 Trivolt Doorbell Transformer
* Primary: 120 VAC
* Secondary: 8 VAC/10 Watts, 16 VAC/10 Watts, 24 VAC/20 Watts

Transformer #2 reads: 16 Volt 10 Watt Doorbell Transformer
* For use with wired doorbells
* Transformer-16V/10W
* Primary: 120 VAC
* Secondary: 16 VAC, 10 Watts

I just don’t see the ‘30VA’ on the package of either of these, and I don’t know how to get that out of the specs provided.  I also read an article here:

https://medium.com/@johndavidback/a-lesson-about-doorbell-installation-e5a3b8ba01c9

where the guy tried hooking his doorbell up on his own and ended up frying it after 2 weeks. These fancy gadgets aren’t cheap so I want to do it right.


texts: How to protect stair stringers from water rot?

texts:
I'm repairing the stairs of a deck structure, replacing dry-rot stringers with new ones. The stringers rest on top of a cement pool deck. The pool deck is sloped towards the stairs, so I expect rain water to come towards the stringers.
Is there a good technique to water proof the new stringers? I was thinking using Redguard type of waterproofing but I read that this could make things worst as moisture could potentially be kept in.
The stairs are about 20 feet wide, so I have about a dozen stringers to deal with.
This is what some of the stringers look like after 16 years.


texts:
I've just moved into a new (Australian) house, and I've been checking the outlets with this.

On one of the outlets all three of the lamps go on when the outlet is switched off. When you switch the outlet on, the blue lamp goes off. As you can see from the card, it's not useful for telling me what's going on.

Can anyone tell me what this means, and how concerned I should be? I assume it's been like that for the 20 years that the previous occupants resided here, and they're all still alive.


texts: I have some exterior doors with glass that his held in place by a sandwich of plastic(?) grilles.  The grilles have turned yellow and look bad.  What would be the best way to paint these to look and stay white for a while?


texts: How can I take the arms off my desk chair?

texts:
I am trying to take the arms off my desk chair to see if I find it more comfortable. I have almost zero experience with being handy or anything diy, but I though this would be something easy to start with.

Each arm appears to be attached with four screws. But they don’t unscrew no matter how hard I turn the to the left. I swear there’s something up, but I have no idea what it could be. Some sort of fancy screw that can’t be unscrewed?

I’m guessing there’s something simple that I’m missing, and I’d be super greatful if someone could point me in the right direction.


texts: How to cool a server closet with window?

texts:
I put 2 servers in my closet which run at about 90F. The closet has a window, but simply opening the window doesn't drop the temperature very much even when it is 60F outside. If I open the closet door also, then the temperature matches the other rooms no problem: ~75F, but I'm worried I'm losing all the cool air inside my house and wasting A/C because of this.

I'd like to keep the closet door closed and rig something up to pump hot air out of the room just through the window. I'd like to do it as cheaply as possible and I don't care about how it looks.

I could install a window A/C unit, but that would cost $150. I was hoping I could buy a box fan for $10 and some ducting for another $10 to solve this problem. If I install the fan and the intake duct right next to each other, is that a problem? Do I need to seal the fan or intake duct to the window or is that just an optimization?

I'd really appreciate any advice! Thank you!


texts: Pfister bathroom faucet -- where to remove top part of hose from faucet?

texts:
we're having trouble with a leak in the faucet hose. It seems to be leaking after the valve on the hot water side, local valve has been shut off.

I can see a nut where the hose connects to the valve on the bottom end of the hose, but where does the top part of hose connect to the faucet (to remove and replace the hose)?

Thanks


texts: Where can I find a reversible 1HP motor compatible with my home outlet?

texts:
Project
I want to create a storage rack in my garage that can be raised and lowered to the floor. I'm not sure how to properly spec the motor for the project.
Criteria
I've come up with the following criteria:

Must be capable of raising 250kg 3 meters in 30 seconds.
Energy: (250*3*9.81=7358Joules). Power: (7358Joules/30seconds = 246Watts ~= 1/3Hp)
Must be reversible (I would like to engage the motor with a rocker switch in the forward and reverse directions)
Must be compatible with home power ~110V (60hz)

Question
Where can I find such a motor? I'm really inexperienced when it comes to AC motors and would appreciate guidance (number of phases, whether it's reversible, whether it will work with my home power).
Motors that I've found but I'm unsure about

AC motor mtr2-p50-1ab18 I think fits my criteria, but I'm worried that I can't reverse the motor because it's an AC motor.
Here is a catalog of motors that appear to be suitable, but I'd like to hear other opinions.


texts: Does US electric code permit running an aerial electrical service wire from a 2-story house to a one-storey outbuilding?

texts:
I am adding a small office shed (10x12') to my property, and need electrical power to run a mini-split HVAC system, plus a few LED light fixtures, and plugs for my laptop, a printer, and maybe a small speaker (Sonos-type).
Shed will be roughly 65 feet from the nearest corner of the (2-story) house.
Will the NEC (and its adopted clauses for Arlington, VA) allow me to run my own aerial drop from the top corner of my house over to the shed?
I would install a mast on the shed to terminate the aerial drop, which would be about 65' from house to shed.
I loathe the thought of trenching & placing conduit due either to the likely destruction of a large tree (at least 25% of the roots would be cut) or the need to cut a 2'-wide swath through a slate-on-gravel patio.
My property is small (75' wide), my house is smaller (25' wide), and with the tree and the hardscaping, there are no good options for trenching. (Unless I could get one of those industrial conduit placers that the telecoms use which essentially tunnel underground for 30-50' at a time).


texts:
My outside wall has a stain on it that I can't seem to remove. It's a roughcast wall and the stain was caused by the boiler overflow outlet.
I have managed to lighten the stain slightly with different cleaning products and careful treatment with a pressure washer, but it won't come off completely.
Are there any other things that I can try?


texts: Eaton AFCI/GFCI breaker is only blinking once when turning it on

texts:
Model: CHFN120A1CS
Description: Eaton CH arc fault / ground    fault circuit breaker, All-In-One, 20A, 10 kAIC , Single-pole, 120V, pigtail, 3/4" AFCI/GFCI

I bought two of these breakers and they both behave exactly the same. They both seem to work properly. They shut off when I test them via the button on the breaker as well as trigger a ground fault using a testing tool.
The main thing that concerns me is that when I flip the breakers ON, the LED light quickly blinks just once. According to the instructions it seems like it should blink 3 times very quickly (within the first half second), indicating that the circuit board is protecting on 20amps. (1 blink = "Uncommon", 2 blinks = 15a, 3 blinks = 20a).
I can't seem to find the same instructions I have online for some reason.
Is this a problem? Is it protecting as AFCI and GFCI? Am I misunderstanding the instructions?
Here are the paper instructions, since I can't find a link to them online:


texts:
Has anyone used slow rise foam insulation? Here is a link:

https://sprayfoamkit.com/products/slow-rise-spray-foam/

My house isn’t insulated (older houses in Japan rarely are) and I’d prefer not to tear down walls to add insulation. That said, buying enough of this stuff to do my house would cost a pretty penny so I might be better off tearing down drywall and doing it the old fashioned way. I was hoping to hear everyone’s thoughts.

Best, Jay


texts: Removing Wallpaper Glue - All of it or can I leave faint bits behind?

texts:
I'm removing wallpaper right now. Removing the paper itself was easy. The problem now is there is a ton of glue left over.

I'm removing the glue using water+vinegar and then scraping it off. Most of it comes off easily, however there are a few spots where it's stubborn and refuses to come off. There's not much there at all, it looks like a faint stain.

Is it okay to leave little bits like that? I plan on applying a skim coat of mud to the drywall next.

mj


texts: Changing roof truss diagonal to vertical

texts:
I've got a roof with a few diagonal trusses like the blue one in this diagramme:

I want to remove the BLUE truss and replace it with the RED truss, because we're adding some loft storage and currently have to climb over the blue trusses to move around.
Three important notes:

The right most vertical beam ends above a wall, whereas the proposed red beam would end only on the supporting beam.
The truss supports lightweight roof sheeting in tin or aluminium. There's nothing else on the roof.
I live in South Africa, where there's some wind and some rain, but no snow.

Is there anything very critical I should beware of, or should I avoid doing this entirely?


texts: Ground wire goes nowhere from another property into mine

texts: I live in a flying freehold and doing a renovation found a yellow and green ground wire that goes nowhere from the property below.Is it safe to cut it?


texts:
Are the black spots on my OSB mold? If so, should I be concerned?  We had a problem with vent but has been corrected. Thanks.

Image is of worse area in attic.


texts: Is it possible to control water pressure using a ball valve?

texts:
I have too high water pressure (120 psi) on the main line. If we assume the water pressure on is constant, then is it possible to reduce it by reducing the flow using a ball valve?

The reason I'd like to go this route, is that installing a pressure regulator is a lot of work, and there's not much room where the main line enters the stucco of the house. Turning the pre-existing ball valve, would be a lot easier than installing a regulator.


texts: What is normal flow coming from icemaker tubing?

texts: Could someone give me a description of what normal flow of water should be coming from water supply through icemaker tubing. It is 1/4 od plastic tubing that is traveling approximately 10 feet from water supply. What I mean is should water be coming out in a steady stream, fast drip, slow drip, etc?


texts: How do I repair a small rips in roofing felt from inside the loft

texts: I have a normal UK type “cold” roof, with interlocking tiles over the roofing felt.    There are a few small rips in the felt about 5cm or 10cm long; I rather not have to get all the tiles removed to repair them.   As the tiles are in a good state, I don’t have any leaks at present, but I rather fix the problem before it becomes an issue.


texts: What could cause a flame sensor to stop working so frequently?

texts:
Over a year ago after a month in our new house, we came back one evening to a cold home and after some googling, I found out that the flame sensor was dirty and the furnace was starting the flame and then quickly puffing it out. I cleaned the flame sensor and everything was normal again for two weeks. The flame sensor would fail every two weeks and every time I would clean it up and put it back in and everything would be okay.

This made me very frustrated, so I talked to a number of HVAC stores, and none had any idea what was precipitating the situation. Finally, a lady at one HVAC store told me it was the lint from the laundry drier that happens to be too close to the furnace and that there is nothing that can be done about it if the laundry machines share a room with the furnace in the basement which is in fact the case in my house. Nevertheless, I bought a brand new flame sensor and replaced my sensor.

The new sensor held up fine for a month and then failed and needed cleaning and started failing every two weeks after the first cleaning.
I am now very frustrated and concerned about what would happen if I was to go on a prolonged vacation in winter. This would specially be a problem since my spouse is not handy and she would simply have to freeze waiting for an HVAC technician if this ever happened while I am away.

Is anybody else having the same problem?

Is there an easier longer-lasting solution?

I should mention that my furnace is high-E newly installed Goodman furnace running on natural gas in mid-western Canada (3 years).


texts: Should I level the subfloor before or after adding another layer of subfloor?

texts:
When laying a second layer of plywood subfloor to support granite tiles, does the original plywood subfloor need to be leveled first or just level the floor after adding the second layer? I have about a 1/4” dip.

Also, if the new layer is 3/8” plywood, is it necessary to remove the toilet flange, or is an extender sufficient?


texts:
I live in a 2-story house. There is a set of staircase lights that was being controlled by two regular Leviton switches, one upstairs and one downstairs.
The downstairs gang box has only one socket for the switch, upon opening up the box I found that there are only four wires. White, Green, Black, and Red. It's missing the second black wire I usually see in other gang boxes. The WHITE wire is connected to the black screw of the Leviton switch. The red wire is connected to the gold screw above the black screw, the black wire is connected to the other gold screw, and the copper wire is connected to the green screw.
The upstairs gang box is also interesting. For the switch in question, the black screw is connected to a black black wire that's in its own sheath. The gold screw above it is connected to a black wire, which comes out from the same sheath from the red wire that's connected to the other gold screw, and the copper wire is connected to the green screw. The interesting part is that this socket's WHITE wire is twisted together with a cluster of BLACK wires which I think are the LINE wires for the other sockets.
When I was testing for line and load wires, the downstairs black screw was the LINE, but like I said the black screw is connected to the WHITE wire. I suspect the WHITE wire is carrying the LINE power from the upstairs cluster.
How should I install two smart (Brilliant) switches that have a black, red, white, and green wire and control the staircase lights?


texts:
See a similar question I posted a few years ago: Heat pump minimum compressor temprature
I have a custom built new construction home, but I was not involved with the build process, so I don't know the thought behind some of the equipment decisions.
My home is located where we have very cold winters (Nights at -10F are not uncommon).
I have a multi zone air handler that is connected to a 2 stage ground source geo-thermal heat pump, along with  2 stage natural gas auxiliary heat.  In addition, the entire home is equipped with zoned hydronic floor heating backed by a natural gas fired boiler.
The zone controller for the air handler has settings to configure to when to "Stage up", with combinations of Temperature setpoint to actual temperature delta, number of zones calling, outside air temperature, and time spent running in current stage.  These settings were never setup by the installer, and due to my rural location, getting any type of an HVAC person out (Especially one that understands the system) comes with a very hefty service fee.
From the zone controller point of view:
Stage 1 - Ground Geo Stage 1
Stage 2 - Ground Geo Stage 2
Stage 3 - Aux heat (Natural gas) stage 1
Stage 4 - Aux heat (Natural gas) stage 2
The floor hydronic heating is serviced by a bunch of "dumb" honeywell thermostats and not tied into the air handler at all.
Specific questions:

Since I have a ground source geo-thermal unit, is there ever a time when I should run the Auxiliary heat? (Leaving number of zones calling, Outside Air Temperature, and time spent running in current stage disabled)?

What is the most economical way to balance the Hydronic floor heat with the heat provided by the air handler?

Specific Equipment (If needed):

Air Handler / Furnace: Carrier Infinity 59TN6A (96.7% Efficiency
Rating)
Hydronic Boiler: Navien NHB-080 (95% Efficiency Rating)
Ground Source Heatpump: Hydron Module BT060 (Stage 1 CoP - 4.1, Stage
2 CoP 3.7)

Energy Costs (If needed):

Electrical: $0.1057 / kWh
Natural Gas: $0.1414 / Therm


texts: Will a Toto Eco-Drake toilet with a 12" rough-in fit my 10.75" rough-in?

texts: My bathroom has a 10 3/4" rough-in and the currently-installed toilet needs to be replaced. Some research has let me to learn that the Toto Eco-Drake line of toilets that specify 12" rough-ins can be installed with as little as a little under 11". I have 10 3/4" available to work with. Does anybody know if I have enough space? If I'd come up like 1/8" too short, is there any way to move the unit forward or tilt the tank or something by the minuscule amount necessary to make it fit?


texts: Can I run two 72" 7.2amp 240V baseboard heating units on one 12-3 wire supply

texts: I would like to add two Baseboard heating units at my cottage under the front 8' windows. Is it possible and safe to run one 12-3 wire as supply? Looking at Cadet 72" units at 208V and 7.2 amps. should I use one thermostat or one on each unit?


texts: Are w1 and w2 both energized during a second stage heat call from the thermostat?

texts:
Short version: does two-stage thermostat always close W1 circuit when it closes W2 circuit, or they might be closed independently?

Long version:
I have two-stage furnace, currently connected to older thermostat with single W wire, so thermostat's W wire is connected to furnace's W1 wire.

Furnace also has a small water pump which pumps water generated by furnace when it is working, it is plugged sequentially with thermostat's W wire - so when furnace is ON, water pump is ON too.

Now I want to add new thermostat with two stage support - so I'll have W1 going to W1 and W2 to W2.

The question is how should I plug water pump. If I plug it sequentially with W1 as it is now - will it work? My worry is if thermostat might close W2 alone - in which case it will turn on furnace without turning on water pump.


texts: What's the best way to remove a wall plug?

texts:
I use wall plugs a lot for putting screws into brick walls.

It's easy to get the screw out when you want to remove them and usually you can loosen the screw a bit and pull and then both the wall plug and screw slide out.

Sometimes, however, the screw slides out but not the wall plug.

What's the best way to get it out?


texts: Water pressure in upstairs sink lost after turning off main line to fix shower

texts:
So yesterday I had to replace the handle on the shower-- and because I couldn't access the valve to the shower, I had to shut off the main valve to the entire house.  I switched out the handle and everything is great.  Except now the same bathroom with said shower has a sink that no longer has any water pressure.  I.e, it just trickles water, both from the hot and cold valves (If I shut off the cold valve, it will trickle if I move it to hot, and it will turn off when I switch it to cold-- and vice versa with hot)

Every other sink, bathtub, shower, everything has the appropriate water pressure.

I'm worried that I broke something, but I have no idea.  I don't see leaks anywhere, nor do I hear any leaks.  House is at 64 so I don't think anything froze?  Anybody have any ideas what could've happened?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I recently moved into a new house. Within days, a PVC double-glazed window handle snapped. To replace it I tried removing the two bolts securing it. One came out fine, the other head sheared off surprisingly easily exposing a rusty thread.

To remove the thread, firstly I soaked what I could in copious amounts of WD40 and let that  set in daily for a couple of days. Then I tried using pliers to rotate the thread but due to the fitting couldn't get a good grip.

Secondly I got a carbon steel screw extractor set. The first hole I drilled was quite small. The smaller extractor lost its thread before the bolt started to move. The second pilot hole I drilled let in the larger size. It gripped into the bolt but after some give the bolt instead broke along the pilot hole I drilled. You can see that rust had started to eat through part of the bolt, which you can just about see in the image.

I need to remove the last few mm of the screw without damaging the hole in the window frame so I can replace the handle. Any advice?


texts: How exactly do you set these post holders into concrete?

texts:
How should you set these bases into concrete?

Do you push them all the way down? Or should you leave a gap underneath? If you leave a gap, how big a gap should you leave? It has drain holes on the bottom, which makes me think it needs to be off the concrete, but then you have the full weight of you 6x6 post on that one piece of steel.

What's the proper/best way to set this into concrete?


texts: What does it mean when a drill says it is 3/8", and where do I get bits and extensions for it?

texts:
Bought a Ryboi D42 3/8" drill.

A bit of confusion first, when it states it's a 3/8" is that saying the diameter or circumference of the drill hole is 3/8"? or something else?

This drill is very good for it's price but I don't know what to do for bits and other extensions. Do I have to buy specialized parts/bits from Ryboi or can I use any bit that fits the 3/8" diameter/circumference?

Thanks


texts:
This may be a little OT for a "Home Improvement" site but it's -- sort of -- home repair so I hope I can get some pointers.

I have a Golden Hour Clock which doesn't keep time.

The minute hand is mounted to the backing glass and moves through a full circle each hour.

But the hour hand doesn't move smoothly.  It is attached through a series of gears to the minute hand in the front and a weight in the back.  As the minute hand moves, it tries to take the hour hand with it but the weight holds it back and the result is the hour hand moving at the correct pace.

Except the gears on mine seem to stick partway around and the weight gets carried up with the minute hand rather than hanging down.

I found some directions for repairing the clock but they all assume that the clock slips, not sticks as mine does.  I've looked at the gears to see if there is some obstruction or missing tooth but neither seems to be true.  I saw one suggestion that old, sticky oil might gum up the gears with a recommendation to soak in mineral spirits.  I tried that, too, and didn't get any improvement.  (I only soaked the gears for 10-15 minutes.  Maybe that wasn't long enough.)

I'm handy -- I can do plumbing and carpentry and household electrical work -- but mechanics (gears and such) is beyond my experience.

Any thoughts on getting these gears to move smoothly?  TIA.


texts: Fly in my house (Santa Clara County, California)

texts:
Not exactly a DIY question. But I have recently noticed a lot of flies in my house. They look like mostly horse flies (completely black in color).

I have used electric impulse swing racquet to kill few of them, but after i kill 4-5 and area looks clear I see another 4-5 in some time (around an hour or so). so far within last 30 hours I might have killed around 60 flies in multiple batches of 5-7 flies at a time.

It has been raining here in Santa Clara County, California from past couple of weeks and was wondering if it can be the reason. To add to it I had been away and my house was closed for close to 1.5 months but there was no trash/food which was in open.

I also noticed similar fly insects in a unit close by my place.

So am wondering if its a seasonal thing (seeing it for the first time here in last 4 years).

Also if someone can recommend how to get rid of them.

Thanks


texts:
Our owners corporation has recently ordered new keys for our apartment building main doors.

We've just received the keys and it's obvious these keys are smaller than the previous keys. The new ones look like regular house keys. The previous ones looked more like what you might find for a commercial door lock.

I'm certainly no expert on these things. However it would seem reasonable to assume that a longer, more complex key ought to be more secure.

I expected that we would be getting keys at least as secure as what we've had in the past.

I'm wondering now if we should go back to the locksmith and tell them these aren't good enough.

Can someone tell me if my concerns are reasonable? Should an apartment building have commercial type keys and locks, or does it actually not make any difference?

update: Having looked into it further, it seems our current keys are security keys, which are apparently more difficult to pick, because they have a much more complicated profile, and (theoretically) cannot be copied by just any regular hardware store key service.

I don't know the specifics of types etc. However the existing keys are all numbered and have stamped on them "Restricted" and "Do not copy". The new keys aren't numbered or restricted at all. They're just regular generic keys.


texts: How can I attach a 1/8" strip of steel to MDF so that it stays secure forever for eternity?

texts:
I have attached two 3/4" panels of MDF together, so the end result is a 1 1/2"-thick panel. I need to reinforce it so that it does not bow, so I thought of attaching a 1/8"x1 1/2"x6' strip of steel along the edge. Simple research has introduced me to Liquid Nails and epoxy glue, but I would like to also hear from the pros at SE.  I am not going to have any holes in the steel, so that eliminates screws. I am going to have to go the adhesive route with this one.

Edit:  I left out one of the most important details, which is exactly what I am doing with this MDF.  The double-layer MDF is not going to bear any load.  Instead, it's going to be used as a custom door I am building.  Since the MDF bows, I need to find a low-profile material that is even more rigid than the MDF.  At 1/8" thick, this steel strip is very rigid.  I just need to find a way to attach it so it holds as long as possible.


texts: Adding permanent bolt holes in a sliding door

texts:
I need to cover 3 large windows in a sliding door every winter. I want to be able to use the same mounting holes every year. The outside of the door seems to be aluminium with wood between.

Tee nuts are one possibility but are there better options?


texts: Can a TV be mounted directly into a heavy wooden entertainment center?

texts:
My dad has a built in entertainment center that is buit to accommodate an old CRT television.  As such, the entertainment center itself is fairly deep (call it 24" or so), but the cavity for the television itself exposes a 24" high by 27" wide area.  There is, however, a 2" overhang wherein the shelf on which the TV would sit stands proud of the cavity, extending further than the wall.

Looking at new 40" flat screen TVs, I see that the most common width appears to be something on the order of 32", meaning that any 40" TV I get to fill the cubby heightwise would extend beyond the cubby intended, and spill over into the cubby next to it.

Because of the 2" shelf, I see no problem if and only if I could somehow mount the TV securely.

Unfortunately, the sentimental value of the entertainment center is such that replacing it or even cutting it is out of the question.

I am considering 2 options:

Mount the TV to a stud behind the entertainment center.
Mount the TV directly to the wood (and it is real wood) of the entertainment center itself.

I don't like Option #1, because it would involve some really tricky mounting, in a small space, and the bracket would have to extend more than 2 feet to get the TV to stand proud of the cubby's side.

The question is, can one mount the bracket directly to the inside wood?  It is real wood, although its only an inch thick or so.  Is that enough?  Alternatively, if I drilled through that shelf, but backed it into a sistered joint, would that hold?


texts:
I recently bought a house built in the US in the 1970s. It has all-aluminum wiring.

A last-second fix to pass the occupancy inspection involved replacing some malfunctioning GFCIs with, unbeknownst to me, the cheapest available basic GFCIs.

None of the replacement GFCIs are marked CO/ALR, but I could not find new production GFCIs rated for CO/ALR either.

What is the preferred GFCI for aluminum-wired houses? Should I simply check the connections periodically, or is there a better way?

EDIT- breaker panel shown


texts: Can water be pumped from an unused well to a home site?

texts: I am having some land subdivided to build on, and the orig property has 2 wells, one which is not being used. If it is viable, how would I get water from that well to my house, to avoid digging another well? I would first check with the proper authority to be sure of the legality and than notify the present property owner (if any) of course, before any work was attempted.


texts: How to connect dishwasher air gap to sink tailpiece?

texts:
So I bought this air gap: https://www.homedepot.com/p/PartsmasterPro-Dishwasher-Air-Gap-with-Cover-in-Chrome-58454/300733089

And this tailpiece: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-2-in-x-8-in-Plastic-Dishwasher-Branch-Tailpiece-C9816/205153966

The output of the air gap is 7/8" barb and the input of the tailpiece is 1/2" barb, what's the correct way to connect these? The only thing I've really seen/figured is a universal dishwasher drain pipe but that's 6ft long to cover a ~1ft distance which seems crazy since I'm already going 6ft from the dishwasher to the air gap. Should I be using vinyl tubing and maybe something like 3/4" ID and clamp super hard on the 1/2" and press really hard to get it onto the 7/8" or something else?

Underside of sink for reference:


texts: Tile Shower Surround—Cement Backerboard Location?

texts:
I'm in the process of remodeling an old bathroom and I'm coming up on the point where I'll need to drywall/install backer-board. I've been reading up on this and I just want to make sure I have my information correct.

We're going to have a tile surround in the shower, but no tile on the walls elsewhere in the bathroom.

I intend on first installing a moisture barrier, then the cement backer board around the shower (walls and ceiling), and green-board where tile will not be installed. Is this correct? Is there anything else I should consider?

Thank you!


texts: Did I severely compromise my foundation by drilling diagonally through a floor joist?

texts:
I’m boring some holes to run new wiring and there happened to be two adjacent floor joists under where I was drilling, so I drilled diagonally-vertically through one of the joists. The hole is 3/4” thick. Is this hole a code violation? Did I just compromise the integrity of my foundation?
Pictures below of the hole in question:


texts: May I use alkyd primer with acrylic paint

texts:
I have a fuel canister made in 1943, cleaned it from rust and old paint and sprayed over with gray primer that I had in garage. The primer is alcyd paint, with anti-corrosion properties.

Most of my spray cans seem to contain acrylic paint, can I use them over the alcyd base or should I go shopping for alcyd paint, just to be sure?


texts: How do I wire a 240 Volt 500 Watt baseboard heater?

texts: Do I run 12-2 wire to a wall thermostat and heater off a 20 amp breaker? Does the black and white wire go to a double pole breaker?


texts:
I have two main hot legs coming into my circuit breaker. One has a steady voltage of ~124V load or no load. The other has some mysterious problem. Sometimes it works fine delivering proper voltage under load. Other times it will drop to at or nearly at 0V under load. When all circuits on the low voltage leg are switched off the voltage will swing from 0V to a large reading. It will keep swinging for about 10 seconds until it finally stabilizes at 124V. I've taken each circuit, except for the 240V circut for the AC as it's winter and never turns on, and moved them to the good line and they all work fine. The utility company came twice and each time they left a note saying everything on their end is working.

What could be causing this?


texts: Hunter Ceiling Fan with Remote to dual switch on wall - how to wire?

texts:
Long story short, all was working per my question below as installed by a contractor(I'm 99% sure) - until it came loose from the ceiling and i quickly undid all of the wiring (lesson learned - quick picture first).

I've read the other posts for this same issue and what I can't tell is if it's possible to have
1) Top switch for light on/off AND turn light on/off from remote
2) Bottom switch for fan on/off AND turn off, control speed from remote

Currently I got this far...
Dual switch on wall:
Top turns light on/off, If top switch is on, I can NOT use remote to turn off light (This is where I need help)
Bottom turns fan on/off, I CAN control fan speed and turn off AND i noticed I can also control the light - but only if top switch is off and bottom is on.

Any help is appreciated.


texts:
Does anyone have any experience building a curbless shower pan? I have built multiple showers and have generally mastered the typical shower pan with a 3"-4" curb but we now have my wife's 91-year-old mother living with us and she has trouble stepping over the curb. We are getting ready to remodel her bathroom to make it more accessible and a curbless shower pan would help.

My first thought is to cut into the sub-floor and joists (2x12) enough to create a 1/4" slope for a 42"x60" shower pan (roughly 1-1/4"). Then add stabilizers between the joists (perpendicular) and new subfloor. This seems like a lot of work! But with our aging population we should see more of them than we typically do.

Someone has to have done this before and could possibly shine a little light...


texts: Building work on concrete in a very wet environment - natural spring

texts: My garage area, which is currently just a concrete slab for parking cars on, has a natural spring that pops up just at ground level.  The water never stops, and the concrete there is permanently wet all over.  Im hoping to create a channel so that the water is funnelled around the sides of the concrete base, and later into a pond area set below the concrete.  My problem is how to fix some kind of guiding masonry such as a row of bricks, onto the floor in a way that will be totally waterproof - but which will also fix to the floor, which will be wet during the process.  Is there a concrete or similar material which will glue itself onto a very wet concrete base?  Failing that, any other ideas for how to create a channel that will send this water around the sides of my concrete base, and not leave it covered all over?  Any help appreciated.


texts:
The plastic piece that covers the door of the refrigerator broke off and is exposing the fiberglass underneath. Is this a health hazard???
How can this be fixed or should I just get a new one???


texts: Dishwasher causes terrible smell in disposal - why?

texts:
Our 15-year-old Asko dishwasher has its drain connected to the garbage disposal on our sink, and it in turns drains through a P-trap into a sewer pipe that has a "sure vent" (not vented to the roof or outside).  When the dishwasher runs, a horrible smell erupts from the disposal.  The inside of the dishwasher does not smell bad.

The plumber says everything looks plumbed correctly, and as far as he can tell the sure-vent is still fine.

We clean the inside of the dishwasher all the time, cleaning all the filters we have access to, and cleaning out the gunk that accumulates around the inside edges of things, it doesn't seem to help.

We've replaced the drain hose and verified it has the proper "high loop".

The most recent plumber declared it was the fault of our disposal and replaced it, but that didn't help.

I'm trying to solve this by process of elimination:

If the sure-vent was stuck open, we would have sewer smell in the cabinet all the time.  We don't.
If the sure-vent was stuck closed, we would have other drain issues.  We don't.
If it was the filters and stuff inside the dishwasher getting clogged with food particles, the inside of the dishwasher would smell bad.  It doesn't.
If it was plumbed incorrectly, one of the several plumbers we've had check it would have seen it.  All of them have said it's plumbed just fine.

Sigh.

The only clue I have, is that the dishwasher is having some mental issues.  When we run it on any wash cycle, it counts down to 1 minute and then holds there forever.  We've just learned that we need to keep an eye on it, and when it hits 1 minute we tell it to go to a rinse cycle (which takes 3 minutes) and that finishes successfully.  I suspect (though cannot prove) that the heating element is not quite as powerful as it used to be, and perhaps the dishwasher is waiting to reach a certain internal temperature before calling the wash cycle "complete".  And unfortunately, the dishwasher is old enough that a replacement heating element is not available.

Is there a significant amount of plumbing between the interior of the dishwasher and the drain, places where rotten food could sit and rot and wait for the next drain cycle, but where their smell could not reach the interior?


texts: Will double-track shelving work for a computer desk?

texts:
I'd like to switch from using a computer desk to using double-track shelving.  The thing is that I'd need at least a 24" shelf for the desk part.  I see they sell those brackets on Amazon, but my computer alone is 55 lbs.  Would this solution be strong enough to support a couple monitors, a computer, a UPS, a printer, etc?

The tracks would be attached to studs with screws.  The studs are horizontal, so I'd be able to place my vertical tracks at any width.  I would be using wood shelves, or any other stronger material.


texts: Shear and Point Load rules of thumb for maximizing window area?

texts:
Scenario: One-story ranch house, 25 feet front-to-back, on a concrete perimeter foundation, in California (seismic loads). T-111 plywood exterior.

I would like to maximize the glazing area of the back wall for at least a 20 foot stretch, starting near one corner.

I know how to install headers and windows, but I know that headers move continuous loads on the foundation to be point loads at the sides of the windows... and I know that windows don't have the shear performance that plywood sheathing does.

I'd like to install a series of sliding doors and/or windows with minimal gaps between them, but I don't want to pour additional foundation to pick up the loads created by wide header spans, and I'm concerned about the shear capability of the wall once that much plywood is removed... not sure which becomes the limiting factor here.

So, for starters, is there a rule of thumb for how wide each window in a series of adjacent windows can be before a foundation upgrade to handle the transferred loads is required?

And second, is there a rule of thumb for how much area can be sliding glass doors vs. wall for shear performance? And/or can I use Simpson Strong-Wall the way garage door shear is handled at the ends and/or middle?

(Even if this requires structural engineering, a rough idea of what can/can't be done impacts a whole lot of other design work for a kitchen remodel, so even rough answers are helpful)


texts: Should I put a surge protector on the 110v to my Trane furnace

texts: I just had to swap out the fan control module for my Trane furnace.  The service person said it might have failed due to spikes on the 110v line.  There were downed power lines in the area within the past 24 hrs due to a winter storm.  Perhaps there were some associated spikes.  Should I put a surge protector on the 110v line to the furnace?  (Or was the tech just wrong?)


texts: Can a PSL beam support second story joists all hanging from it

texts:
My home is a 2 story home, built in 2003. There is one section in the home that was left open to above with approximately a 20' ceiling in this case. This is over the living/dining areas of the home and it is a substantial amount of space. I would like to fill in that space to expand the second story.

Now, I know that I need to get my plans approved not only by a structural engineer but also the city and I will do that. However, I am drawing the plans myself so I just want to make sure what I have is reasonable first.

The home has existing engineered wood products, for example the second story existing area is supported by wood I-beams that are 11-7/8" deep. So, I am trying to match that. Here is what I have and I just want to know if this is reasonable. I used software provided by Weyerhauser (although Roseburgh, LP and the like all have similar software) to put in all my specs and it says "Passed" but I just can't wrap my head around the fact that all of the I-Beam joists can hang from one engineered beam and support all of them, along with the second story I am adding.

Note, when I did the calcs, I over specified the loads (live, dead and deflection) above and beyond what code calls for.

Here is before and after floorplan

Here are all the calcs for the beams.


texts: Breaker trips after attempting to install a new outlet

texts: I was updating my daughters bedroom and decided to replace all the outlets with new ones. (the old ones were painted over) everything was good until I got to the last outlet and tried to reconnect the new one it immediately sparked and tripped the breaker. I thought maybe I had maybe I had wired it incorrectly, had a bad outlet or a nick in the wire but no. I am baffled as I didn't add anything at all to this circuit to increase the load. Also one weird thing.... the breaker stays on and the rest of the outlets work fine as long as the hot and neutral on this outlet don't touch. I have them capped off separately and everything else is fine. Now what? Could it be that the breaker itself is faulty?


texts: Last Wednesday, my toilet experienced a small leak around the base. I monitored it for a few days and I didn't see the leak again. Today, the toilet leaked around the base again. This time, there was a lot of water on the floor. I cleaned up the area and have flushed several times since I noticed the leak and it's not leaking. What could this be?


texts: Dimmer stopped working but light switched on after maybe short-circuiting ceiling light

texts: I pulled out the pendant light bulb that was hanging at the center of this metal framed Turkish style lamp. The light bulb touched the metal frame and there was a sudden explosive sound, burning smell and you can see at the top center in the pic, the metal got burned and melted. The light bulb was still on. I turned the light off and on again to test it. The lightbulb switches on no problem, but now the dimmer is not working. Anybody know what broke and what I need to buy and do to fix this?


texts: Best Cement Pigment For Red Sandstone Dye - UK

texts:
I am trying to make this look cosmetically acceptable:

Background:
I live in Scotland, and this is an old Victorian building, so is about 100 years old, give or take a few decades. At some point in the past the old Victorian cast iron water pipe from the roof corroded through, and when it rained, the water streamed down the masonry.
The water pipe has now been fixed, so the water doesn't flow down the outside wall anymore - except when it rains sideways!
Because Scotland gets very cold in the winter, and it often rains here, the water seeps into the masonry and as it freezes the water expands, cracking the sandstone. This has eroded the top half to 1 inch of the outer wall facing the garden. It poses no medium term structural risk to the property (the property has been properly surveyed), because the sandstone blocks are very thick, however, it's an eyesore, and I wish to prevent further damage to the masonry.
When I bought this place, the previous chap wasn't very good at DIY. This was his attempt to patch up the wall to prevent further damage, and over 2 years it's held up pretty well, but now I want to clean it up so it's better looking and hopefully make the wall more weather proof for the next 100 years.
Locally this is a common problem, and what people do is they use a dyed render mix. And they shape it in the shape of the sandstone blocks, and then texture it with something like a stick (I was planning to use chopsticks) to imitate the texture of the original pickaxe marks in the stone blocks.
I know I can use pigment dyes for this, but the only pigments I can find are brick reds.
Questions:
Does anyone have any experience with fixing these types of issues, and does anyone have any advice that would prevent me from making a major mistake?
Also does anyone know what pigment i should use for this? I'm protan colour blind, so i find judging colours quite difficult. Could i use a red brick cement / mortar dye but use less of it? Or should I use a different colour?


texts: How much damage can a grow-op do to a house in 3 months?

texts:
There is a home for sale about 10% lower than market value in the area in which we're shopping for a home. When we visited, the real estate agent disclosed that renters had used the basement as a marijuana grow-op for 3 months before it was discovered and shut down.

The owner has had an engineering and environmental report done which confirms the house is perfectly up to par now.

What additional concerns should I have, if any?


texts: Could a steel beam span 24 feet for a pergola?

texts:
First time post here, thank you for such a great resource! I've done a lot of research but am hoping I can get some help building a pretty large pergola.

I'm trying to be my own master contractor and hire subcontractors to build a long freestanding pergola with no post in the middle. My plan is to have an architect draw up plans, but before I started spending money I'm trying to see if this is even a viable project that a pretty handy person can manage. Basically am I crazy for attempting this?

Property details
- main structure is a duplex
- there is a detached four car carport/garage 12' from the back of the main structure.
- trying to cover the space between the garage and the house with a slight hang over both structures.

Project details:
- 24' L x 14' W.
- I am hoping that a steel beam could span the length with no post.
    a) What's the max length span? It would be preferable to go greater than 24'L.
    b) Any guesstimates on what a beam this size would weigh?
- Would 8" x 8" wood post be strong enough?
    a) how deep do footings need to go and how close can footing be to house foundation?


texts:
I have a Frigidaire/Electrolux gas range, with two burners (broiler [top] and bake [bottom]).

When I turn on the oven for broiling, everything works fine.  When I set it to 'bake', the bake igniter will turn very bright orange, then the gas will turn on, but the pressure is VERY low, the gas never reaches the igniter, and therefore does not ignite.

I can take a grill lighter and light the gas coming out of the burner, and it hardly shows any blue flame (like when you turn a burner on the top of the stove all the way to the lowest gas setting).  So there is gas coming out of the burner, but not enough to reach the igniter.  Thus, our kitchen fills with the smell of gas, and the oven never lights.

There are two gas valves to each burner.  Here is a picture of the two that lead to the bake burner.

The right valve feeds the burner.  There was a thick yellow sticky substance that covered the entire top of the 2nd valve (red rectangle).  I cleaned it off, and verified there is nothing above the valve that was dripping anything down onto the valve, or anywhere around it.  I'm not sure where the sticky substance came from.

When the igniter is glowing and the gas flow is very low, if I tap gently on the edge of the valve (green circle), then the gas suddenly flows correctly (I can hear it flowing), and the igniter lights the gas like it should.

I think the valve is bad and needs to be replaced, because tapping on it fixes the gas flow issue every time.  However, as I bake things, the gas turns on and off to keep the oven at the target temperature, and it lights just fine while the oven is hot.  So I'm wondering if the igniter is really to blame.  Is it just not getting hot enough when I first turn the oven on, and so it never fully opens the gas valve?  And then while I'm baking, the igniter is hot enough and so when the gas turns off/on, the valve opens all the way?


texts: Shower Pressure Decreases after thumping noise behind wall

texts:
With the shower on, I hear a thumping noise behind the wall and the water pressure immediately drops.  This happens every few days, so not every time I take a shower.  It happens almost immediately after I pull up on the lever to transfer the water flow from the tub spigot to the shower head.  Sometimes, if I turn the shower off, push down the switch to drain everything through the tub spigot, and wait for one minute, I can turn the shower back on and the pressure is back up.  This doesn't always work, though.

The pressure, once dropped, will remain the same through both hot and cold temperatures.  The only recent work done in the house was the replacement of the air conditioner unit and the replacement of my expansion tank above the water heater.  The sprinklers are not usually on during the time I take a shower.

I have been unable to find any sort of leak or water stain anywhere.  The noise, which I would describe as halfway between a clunk and a thump, with a dash of bump thrown in for good measure, sounds like it is coming from behind the shower, between the tub spigot and the shower head.  My unit is a combination bath/shower, if that matters.

Any ideas or suggestions?  Any other information I can offer? The last thing I feel like doing is plumbing work, but if there's a serious problem coming my way I'd like a heads-up and a chance to fix it before it makes a mess.


texts: How to connect a DIY thermostat to the HVAC System

texts:
I am building a DIY thermostat similar to this blog. I want to connect it to the HVAC system of my home. How do I do that?

I found this post which is very informative but doesn't completely answer my question.


texts: How do I replace a non-removable hose connection vacuum breaker?

texts: Need advice on how to replace a Watts Series 8 Model 8A non-removable vacuum breaker.


texts: Hot to ground is 120v but hot to neutral is 90v

texts:
See Diagram

I have a switch that controls a light as seen in this diagram. There is no neutral at the switch, instead, it picks that up from somewhere else. In the light receptacle it pigtails into the light and continues to the garage.

I measure 120v between the source hot and ground, and 120v when the switch is on between the hot lead and ground. In the light box, with the light disconnected I get 19v from neutral to ground. with or without the light, I get 90v between the hot to neutral.

In the garage, the outlets read out 120v and everything connected to them seem fine (work).

What is the right way to diagnose this? Any ideas why I'd be getting 20v in the neutral?


texts: How strong can i expect wood glue to hold

texts:
Let me start off by saying I have some basic knowledge of tools (basic home repairs and patch jobs), but no experience with "actual" woodworking projects.  For my first project I wanted to try and build a simple serving tray.  Similar to this one.

My question is, where the corners meet, will wood glue be strong enough to hold the sides together?  Or do I need nails or screws?  Since I'm new to woodworking I'm not exactly sure how much holding power to expect from wood glue.


texts: Can I use 14/3 wire to connect a new switch on a branch in a 4-way circuit?

texts:
I have a 4 way switching dilemma. A new box and 14/3 wire was added to one of the boxes in the middle of the run. Can I make all of the switches work without rewiring the whole thing?
If need be I can change the 14/2 wire from the light to run to box 3 instead of box 1 - Other changes are major! THANKs - here's the drawing showing the current wiring runs (only) - Tell me what switches I need and how to connect them please..


texts: Should I replace my mercury switch thermostat?

texts:
We have an old mercury switch thermostat in our house, You know the type, gold ring, very common.

We are in new England on a gas/steam system. There is no central AC.

We have been told by more than one heating professional that there really aren't any decent alternatives. The problem is that the thermostat doesn't report the right temperature, so it basically functions as a switch. The other problem is that my wife hates it.

I think we are on a 2 rather than three wire system. The house was built in the late 1920's.

Does anyone have experience with alternative thermostats?


texts: House was built in 50s or 60s, and there was a bundle of wires all grounded to the main ground lug.  I removed them and began to separate to disperse them along the ground bar, and three of them are hot. Also they are a mixture of white and bare wires.  Do I connect them to the ground bar?


texts: What is the life expectancy of a GFCI receptacle?

texts:
Assume that the GFCI receptacle is not subject to unusually high levels of tripping.

When I say "the life expectancy of a GFCI receptacle", I more specifically mean, "the life expectancy of the GFCI circuitry found in a GFCI receptacle."

A GFCI receptacle will continue to power items that are plugged into it, even after the GFCI function no longer works. But, I am concerned specifically about the lifespan of the GFCI function.

To verify its GFCI function, I do not exclusively use the "TEST" button that is built into the receptacle. I rely on a standalone GFCI outlet tester that trips the GFCI receptacle.

I have noticed, just in my own house, that all 3 outdoor GFCI receptacles currently have non-functioning GFCI circuitry, while all of my indoor GFCI receptacles function perfectly. I assume that exposure to water and the high humidity of the great outdoors, plus the extreme temperatures, are responsible for shortening the lifespan of the GFCI circuitry.

Hence, it would be wise of me to split this question into two:

What is the life expectancy of an indoor GFCI receptacle?
What is the life expectancy of an outdoor GFCI receptacle?


texts: No loop to hang dish washer drain hose higher

texts:
This is behind my dish washer and the drain hose has been like that for awhile (by laying flat on the ground):

I believe it should be hang up to make a loop on top, right? But there is no where to hang it behind the dish washer.

Under the sink, it is a long hose. I am wondering if I should mount it on the wall of the sink cabinet?

Please advise.


texts:
A family member is building a brand new barn and she's amenable to my idea of makeshift-ing a 4'x4' (or so) closet that would be used primarily for meat ageing (I like to hunt) but also pickling and other similar stuff that a regular fridge is too small for and a restaurant-grade walk-in cooler would be too costly.

The barn is studed up and I can use a corner to implement this idea. The ceiling is high enough to hang even a cow although deer is more likely. I was planning to modify (hack) a regular window AC unit to be able to chill down to 40 deg F, I have heard this is possible and if not, I hear Cabela's sells some kind of conversion kits. The room would be against a wall facing outside so I could make an opening to fit the unit.

Questions:

Considering it is a makeshift cooler, what insulation should I put?
Will using a regular (laminated) door with a spongy gasket around the perimeter properly seal it from the outside?
Any ideas on how actually difficult it is to modify an AC unit for this purpose?

When not in use, I would like the closet to be modifiable for storage, e.g. have shelf support brackets etc.


texts:
I'm looking to add a hot tub, and after my basement build out a few years ago my panel is full.  (By "full" I mean we added a sub panel and now my 400 amps is "technically" spoken for by 400 amps of breakers, though of course our load is never anywhere close to that.)

I'm not unfamiliar with these principles (I wired the basement buildout myself and had my electrician friend and inspector sign off on it.)

What I'm looking for and can't find, likely because I don't know what to look for, is some sort of intelligent switcher or breaker.  Something that would allow me to say, share the 50amp 220 from the clothes dryer with the hot tub, so when the dryer was running the hot tub would be shut off.

I don't want to unsafely overload the panel or make modifications that would get frowned on when the house is sold.  The power company wants thousands of dollars to "upgrade" my feed to 800 amps.  I don't need 800 amps ... I need to safely, legally and automatically share 50 amps between two circuits.

What can I do here?


texts: I have a light switch that powers an outlet when it's turned on. I want to remove the switch, connect the wires and make the power in the outlet permanently on. In that case, what am I supposed to do with the ground wire that goes into the switch? The outlet is already grounded so can I just cap off the ground wire that goes into the switch?


texts: Vertical crack in exterior wall - visible on both sides

texts:
I have a nearly 3 year old house that has developed a crack in an exterior wall.  The crack is vertical, runs from first story ceiling to floor, and is visible on both the inside and outside.

Is this something I should be concerned about or is it likely due to settling of the house?

I have included photos.


texts: White scratches/spots on wood furniture- how to fix?

texts: Can anyone identify what the white marks are on this wood table?  And how to remove?  I’ve tried Murphy’s Oil Soap and no change.


texts: I have 4 black wires coming up to feed a spa. I have been able to determine the two hot wires but not able to tell which of the two wires is ground and which one is neutral. How can I distinguish which is which? Is it true that on a multimeter the power wire and the ground will show less power than the neutral and power?


texts:
After my upstairs toilet is flushed and the bowl fully refills, it sounds like a water hammer.

Here's a video of the noise. At 4 seconds, when the bowl has refilled, you hear the noise:

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqWCjywjUo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqWCjywjUo[/url]

Please note I've been in this house for years, no work was recently done to this toilet or any plumbing in my home recently, and have never had this issue before with this or any toilet.

What can be done to correct this? Someone mentioned to me to buy a water hammer arrestor.

Thank you for the help!


texts: Letting fresh air through a window without letting noise in

texts:
I live in an apartment and it's pretty noisy outside, so I usually keep my windows closed. It does get pretty stuffy inside though, so I'm wondering if there's a way to get air through the window without letting a lot of noise in.

I've seen some portable air conditioners have a vent sticking out the window -- would something like that allow air to come in, but not noise? (presumably with the fan blowing air inside instead of outside)

I live in a moderate temperature area, so there's no central heating / cooling and it's fine to leave the window open at any time.


texts: Can I use extra wire from two separate cables to add a washing machine in a garage?

texts: I have two existing 12/3 NM-B cables that are used to connect two different circuits, which are distributed from a junction box close to the location I want to add a washing machine. The washing machine requires 12/2 wire, and a 20A fuse. Each of these existing 12/3 cables has a spare red wire. Can I use one of these red wires as neutral, and the other as load to the 20A fuse? Should I pull a new cable instead?


texts: Why does my Samsung refrigerator require frequent deicing?

texts:
I have a Samsung RF23HSESBSR "Twin Cooling" refrigerator that is about six years old now and I'm having to defrost around the fan many times a year - as often as every two weeks in the humid summer.  I first had this problem about 4 years in and called Sears Technicians to diagnose/repair the clicking sound and poor cooling - I didn't yet know the basic cause and learning it cost me $250.  The tech said no parts were broken - that it just slowly built up ice over the years and shouldn't happen again for many more years.  But after a few (arid?) months, I had to do it again myself.
Internet commenters suggest that this is a shameful design flaw in these Samsungs, so I had gotten used to the idea that this otherwise excellent refrigerator would need frequent deicing.  But recently, I'm thinking back to the first four years of trouble-free operation in the same seasonal humidities and same usage and concluding that something must have broken and that I might be able to replace it and avoid the annoying deicing chore.
The fan seems to be working fine - the blades have not been damaged by the ice and as long as the ice buildup is not interfering with its operation, the refrigerator seems to operator perfectly.  Some people complain about the drain, but I never see any buildup there - it always looks exactly as pictured.
Which part needs to be replaced?


texts: What causes cracks in stucco at 45 degree angle from top of NW corner garage door up along light fixture to wall vent?

texts:
What likely causes this pattern of stucco cracking from top corner of side garage door through light fixture up along air vent up to roofline on NW side of house?

Did someone or something hit it a couple years ago and does it need to be repaired if my HOA cannot see it from common area?

If so approximately how much would it cost?


texts: Is it safe to replace a switch with a dimmer on halogen spots?

texts:
I live in Europe (so we're on 220V), and in the house we've got two halogen spots (on a transformer) on a plain switch.

Is it safe to replace the switch with a dimmer (like these)? Do the transformer and/or halogen spots need to be of a type that supports this? If so how can I tell if the are already or not?


texts: Adding outlet to 4-way light switch circuit

texts:
I have a 4-way light circuit that I'd like to add an outlet to.  It's a light-first circuit, with no neutral in the switch boxes, as in this picture.

Is the only way to do that to splice the /2 at the input to the fixture and run /2 to the receptacle?


texts: Best way to level a room and lay temporary flooring

texts:
I need to lay some temporary(about a year) flooring in a room. The house has a crawl space under it and the floor droops slightly, about 1/2 an inch in the center.

It was suggested to me to that I should put some shims where it is low, lay the thinnest piece of plywood I could find across the entire room, and then install which ever flooring is decided upon(will either be carpet or laminate wood). The room is roughly 9x10 feet.

Is there a better way to level the floor? Would shims be suitable or should the center of the room be built up with something else? Is this just a horrible idea all around?


texts: I'm pretty handy and can follow engineering plans, but wondering whether taking on a sheer wall project is something an advanced DYI'r should take on?


texts: How do I remove the old plastic dishwasher water supply line connection near the shut off valve?

texts:
The water supply tube from our old dishwasher is hard plastic.  It's not flexible enough to meet the connector on the dishwasher.  The fitting  near the water supply shut off under the sink was smooth around the outside and we couldn't get it to budge with pliers.

We are trying to replace this hard tubing with a universal dishwasher connector but can't remove the old plastic. Afraid we will break something if we force it.  Once we get the plastic off, how do we get the brass PEX fitting to match the universal?


texts: What is cable reinforced rope used in playground nets called?

texts:
This children in this photo are climbing on a rope play structure made out of cable reinforced rope. Does rope like this, that is gentle on hands,  have a specific name? I've been trying to Google it without much luck. I'm looking to buy a spool.

I'm also looking for the connectors used to join the rope together.


texts: Accidentally left hose on and now have no pressure

texts:
Yesterday I turned the hose on to fill a swimming pool. We have been running it for about an hour every other day.

I got distracted and totally forgot about the water and it was left on for about 5 hours.

We have an artesian well with a submersible pump. We stopped using water in the house for 24 hours and I can see water down the well hole which we could not see yesterday but the water in the house is coming out but no pressure.

We always had city water till we moved here 4 years ago and have no clue what it could be.


texts: Change disposal from direct wire to outlet when changing unit

texts:
I'm swapping out our original, builder-grade disposal for a new one, and the one I ended up getting and starting to work with was wired with a plug. The original unit was connected to some 3-wire cable that vanishes into a hole in the wall on the back of the cabinet.

I figure the best way to approach this is to add an outlet -- is it as simple as connecting the existing 3 leads to an outlet? Should I use a GFCI? Should the outlet be recessed (if possible) or is it okay to mount it in a box on the back wall of the cabinet? The dishwasher is currently direct-wired as well and I think they're on the same circuit.

Thanks!

UPDATE:

I installed a metal box by screwing it to the back of the cabinet, and the cable is now coming through it. I attached the 3 wires directly to a GFCI switch, but whenever I flip the breaker on and toggle the wall switch to turn the disposal on, the breaker trips. So something's not right. I'm going to switch to a regular outlet and see if that helps.

UPDATE 2:

As requested, here are some pics of the wiring as it is now, pigtailed into an outlet. The GFCI outlet was the same as this except I wired it directly to the cable coming out of the wall, and used the terminals that weren't blocked out by the yellow LOAD sticker.


texts: Mounting tv using wall studs, cant drill more than ~1 inch

texts:
Hello so I am trying to mount my tv using a rosewill RHTB-16001 and trying to drive in the pilot holes to be able to screw in the lag bolts.
Following the manual using a 1/4 inch drill bit I drilled into what i believe to be the stud locations using a stud finder that seems shoddy, and attempting to find by measuring from corner.  I'm pretty sure i got them as the two locations are about 16 inches apart so I drill into it and get about 1-1.5 inches in when i hit a pretty solid surface.  It seems like the stud but if I flash a light on it it looks metallic.  It gives that metal look on the two separate stud locations I found.  Are these metal studs? if they are what are my options for mounting?  Pictures attached

Mount
https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Monitors-800x400mm-Extension-RHTB-16001/dp/B01N8Q22VF


texts: How do I mount a second ceiling light from the same junction box

texts:
Have an existing ceiling fixture (pendant) that is wired to a switch. I'm interested in wiring another light to the same fixture, A simple track light like this one.
I understand that as per code, all connections need to be made inside a junction box. Trying to think of a creative way that I can wire this light (or a similar light) into the existing light on the ceiling while keeping  the current pendant.
One thought was running conduit from the box, and then externally mounting another box for the new light. I-realize this is not a very elegant or aesthetic solution but that is not what most concerns me.


texts:
My attic is a maze of wires, air ducts and PVC water pipes. I went just one room over from the attic entrance and it took me a solid 30 minutes just to go there and back. Would it be unreasonable to add some sort of pathway up there to make it easier to get around? And what do you recommend.  My main concern is to reduce how much time I (or anyone) has to spend up there working. I live in Florida and the attic gets super hot. My second concern is about accidentally breaking pressurized PVC water lines that are all over the place.
It's a wood truss roof. There's lots of ridges/valleys and differences in ceiling height. So in the attic you will run into a 'wall' where the ceiling on the room below is much higher than the one next to it.  It seems like almost all of the floor places that would be good to walk are obstructed with wires/ducts. There's a lot of space above that high in the air.

Looking at the first picture, the maximum width beneath the horizontal pipes and above the wiring is ~2 feet.
The air conditioner is ~14 feet long. To get into the area on the left I've just been walking all the way around the unit to the right. You come into other obstacles when you get on the other side of the machine tho.
Measured the temperature in the attic today at 1:30PM. Today was a mostly overcast day with rain. High temp is 110F. Low temp near edges of the attic on the floor was ~87F.

Update:
After adding some boards in a few strategic locations it only takes maybe 1 minute to travel the distance that used to take 10-15 since now I don't have to worry about stepping/falling through drywall in a few strategic places (like turning tight corners with no room to stand).


texts: Why is attic wire controlled by two circuit breakers?

texts:
I live in a condo built in the late 70s.  I'm installing a ceiling fan in the master bedroom and need to run electricity to it.  I went in the attic and there is an existing romex wire near the location of the fan that I thought I might tap into.   I turned off the master bedroom circuit breaker to see if that wire was on the bedroom circuit, and the wire was still live.  To make a long story short, I turned off and on each circuit in the house, and nothing killed the power in the wire!   I finally find out that I had to turn off the master bedroom circuit breaker, and also the circuit breaker for the den next door in order to get the non-contact voltage tester to stop beeping.  All the lights and outlets in the bedroom and den behave as expected (when I turn off the bedroom circuit breaker all the bedroom lights and outlets go off, and when I turn off the den circuit breaker all the den light and outlets go off).

So why is this wire in the attic controlled by two circuit breakers?  Is this normal?  I believe it's a typical 12-2 wire (all wires in house are 12 gauge).  Are both wires (black and white) hot?   Bad idea to tap into this wire (adding a junction box) to run electricity to my future ceiling fan?


texts: How do you properly use metal conduit as a ground?

texts:
I have read here that metal conduit can be used as the ground and you needn't then pull a separate ground wire:

What are the NEC rules governing this?

How do you avoid "weak ground" links between conduit segments?

Are there safety considerations?

Do you have to clamp bond wires between segment couplers, or should the couplers and their interface to the conduit be sufficient?

Do ground-conduits need to be rated as such?

Other considerations?


texts: Is the Shark Bite product illegal in Vermont?

texts: Is the use of shark bite connectors forbidden in Vermont? If so,what other options would I have replacing the pipe connectors under our sink without soldering?


texts:
We have a damp problem in a 1920s semi-detached house we moved into 8 weeks ago. We are not sure if it's a condensation problem, or penetration from the outside, or even rising damp on the ground floor. I have taken pictures of the affected areas:

The full set can be found here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/101677415577594240947/albums/6009137859251170033?authkey=CLWchYXqidbADg

The windows are all PVC which looks completely sealed - there don't appear to be any trickle vents. We do notice occasional condensation on the windows in the morning. We need to get the windows replaced with wooden-framed windows again (in accordance with local building preservation-area regulations - originally, this house had wooden-framed windows). Would doing this help? Is there anything we should look out for? Can we get trickle vents on wooden frames?

The walls do not have a cavity. I think there is just two layers of brick, with an external render. The external walls are often quite cold to the touch.

We tried to clean the affected areas with Auro Mould Eliminator a few weeks ago, but it's either been ineffective or it's just the stains that remain. We are going to repaint anyway, but before that, we want to take some preventative measures so that the problem doesn't come back and are looking for advice.

We have been suggested to get the external render of the house looked at in case there are cracks that water is coming in through and get it patched up. Searching around online, people advise getting dehumidifiers to help with condensation. Are there any other measures we can take?


texts: Maintainability of natural stone vs porcelain floor tile?

texts:
I am planning a kitchen floor retile project, I'm initially researching tile selection.  I was comparing two tiles and someone at a big box retailer told me that while marble tiles look nicer, they have the disadvantage of being more difficult to maintain.

He said marble tiles are porous, and thus they stain more easily.  They are also more prone to chipping.

How true is this?

As far as staining goes, both the porcelain and the marble (marfil actually, unsure if this matters) have a shiny "polished" finish... And thus they seem smooth and at first glance, non penetrable with liquids, i.e., tea/coffee stains, etc.


texts: How to fix pitched floors in a brick building

texts: I'm looking at a property the was built in the lat 1800s. It's a 3 level brick building with two other building of similar stature on each side. I too a quick look at the second floor, and it pitches quite a bit throughout. (probably 5inches for 10 feet in various directions). I'm wondering what options I would have for leveling the floor in this type of structure. I think most of the movement is simply from 100 years of settling.


texts: Central air conditioner grounding wire size difference

texts: I disconnected the central air conditioner long ago during the initial phase of my home renovation. I am preparing to hook it up again and have a technician come out to look at it. The original wire is 10/3 with ground but the grounding wire is 14 gauge. They originally installed a small disconnect box in the basement with another wire heading out to the panel outside. I purchased some new 10/3 for the part after the disconnect, and noticed the ground which is 10 gauge (no surprise). Would it be problematic on this type of circuit (dedicated) to use the new 10 gauge ground with the older 14 gauge ground?


texts: How do I keep squirrels and raccoons from getting in my garage soffits and filling it with leaves etc until the soffit pieces fall out

texts:
How do I keep the squirrels and raccoons from filling my garage soffits with leaves etc until the soffit pieces fall out.
I had the soffits replaced two years ago because of this and they are back at it. I have to figure out how to put three soffit pieces up. Any suggestions would be helpful.


texts: What is a solid beginner 3D modeling software to use to replace paper and pen for home projects?

texts:
I like to make home projects, for example building a bed or a loft or a soundproof room. I also want to design my own house to build. Currently I do the old paper and pen method, but this is limited. I'm finally considering learning some basic 3D modeling.

What is a good easy 3D modeling software with a low learning curve to use for this type of thing? I am an expert in photoshop so I am very competent with computers, I just don't have the time to spend many hours learning 3D modeling software - it's actually faster to use paper and pen the old way than spend all that time learning the software. So, I'm hoping to use a 3D software that will give me greater benefit and flexibility on home projects and home design while not spending too much time learning the software itself.

In addition in the longer term I want to learn building personal projects like designing inventions for a 3D printer etc.

Free or paid software are open. Whichever is best for my utility. Which software should I start with?


texts: Hang item from top chord of 2x6 roof trusses?

texts:
The roof truss in question is part of a standalone shed structure in the back yard. Each truss is 2x6, and is composed of 3 planks - each side of the triangle, no center braces or anything. The width is about 10-12 feet. Is it possible to hang two large eye bolts from two separate trusses about 10 feet apart and permanently suspend something between 250-300 lbs between the two of the bolts? I can re-enforce or cross brace any of the beams as necessary, though I'm not sure what would be effective. Here's a shot of the interior with a drawing of what I'd like to do (x2). I know the cable will be against the bottom cord, but no direct weight. Most links I've searched recommend against this, but I'm really really hoping this can be feasible.

What I'm thinking:

Is it feasible? Thanks!


texts: How can I mount an electrical box in a drywall hole that's too large?

texts:
I need to mount a 2 gang dry lining backbox on a drywall.
Now, the hole in the wall is too long, so the clips won't grip (or rather, only one clip will grip where the other one would be too far from the drywall edge).
For reasons beyond my control I can't move the box. Any suggestions?


texts: Best/strongest material to build a weatherproof shelf?

texts:
I will be building a shelf on the outside of the house to hold a 120lb (18,000 BTU) air conditioner. The worrisome constraint is that the two shelf supports have to be 38" apart**. The 24" wide AC will sit in the middle of the 38" span.

I cannot find any information in layman's terms on how to know if the shelf will support the weight using various composite materials for the shelf. Does anyone have a suggestion for what to use, thickness, etc? I would like to use something that does not need painting.

** the reason for the wide span is the AC will be in the top pane of a double-hung window. The bottom pane still needs to be usable via its tilt-in ability, without obstruction from the shelf supports. The shelf will be right at the top of the bottom pane.


texts: How to remove a doorknob with no visible screws?

texts: I have an exterior lock set with a knob on the inside. I can't get the interior doorknob off. It does not have a hole in the shaft of the knob in which you press a clip down to remove it. It's one of those where you pull the cover plate back away from the door and rotate an inner plate in the direction of the arrows. After I rotate the inner plate, what do I do next to remove the interior knob and the plate on the door. The interior plate is loose, so it seems to be out of its "Locked" position, but will not come off. I believe it's a Schlage lockset. It came with the house and is 22 years old.


texts:
My house was built in 1833. In our dining room, there is old wiring in the ceiling. I am hoping to be able to pull in new wiring to hang a chandelier over the dining table.
Here is the problem. I want to use the switch on the wall (which controls an outlet) for control, but without ripping my walls apart. Is there any way to convert the chandelier to a remote controlled light?


texts: Changing 240 tankless water heater to 120v tank heater

texts:
The wall is wired with 8/3. and the white was not used, capped in the junction box. The breaker box has two-pole 30 amp breakers. I want to change the wire size in the junction box to feed the 18a 120v heater with 10/2, cap the red in the junction box, using the white/black/ground to the heater. The internal wiring of the heater uses 12ga. Can I leave the breaker box alone? Or do I need to change to 20 amp and blank out the red leg?
The 8/3 in the wall will remain, and I plan to install the heater with 10/2 from the wall to the heater. I understand that 10/2 can use a 30a breaker. I think my question relates more to the breaker box. That would leave me with a two-pole breaker, only one of which us used. 8/3 to the junction box, 10/2 from the junction box to the heater, and 12ga internally in the heater rated 120v/2000w, no amperage specified.


texts: Do I have my steps right for painting over stained trim?

texts:
I bought a 30 year old home that was a bit of a project and I'm currently updating the kitchen. All the rooms in the house have white trim except the kitchen. It has stained wood and it looks horrible, it barely had any glossy look to it.

I already cleaned it with TSP, sanded it lightly with 180 grit, and I also used a liquid sandpaper.

Here's where I need some help. I have a pregnant wife and kids at home so I'm trying to avoid using any oil based paints or primers. Can I apply a latex primer and a latex paint at this point? I'm not concerned about seeing brush strokes, I mostly want to make sure this will last.


texts: How do I know if it is safe to remove a wall?

texts: When looking at a wall, how can I tell if I can safely remove it?


texts: What should I look for when choosing a stud finder?

texts:
Stud finders are notoriously unreliable at finding studs; some will indicate a "rapidly shifting network of hundreds and hundreds of studs".  Is there a way to determine before purchase that a particular stud finder will be more accurately named than most?

Are there certain types of walls for which certain types of stud finders don't work?


texts: Should I protect a freshly sanded, untreated deck from the weather?

texts:
I just Sanded my Deck. Unfortunately weather forecast has changed and it looks like it's going to rain for a week, so I don't have time to weather-proof it.

Should I cover my freshly-sanded deck with Tarp to prevent it from getting wet in the meantime?

Thanks!


texts: Will tripled 18' 2x10 beams carry a tractor over a stream?

texts: I have to build a bridge across a creek on my property.  The creek banks are 3 feet above the creek and 14 feet wide.  I need to be able to get a 2500 pound tractor over it.  I was planning on bolting together three 2x10-18' to form a beam and then construct 4 of them.  The bridge will be 5 feet wide and decked with 2x10s also.  Will this construction hold the tractor?  I tend over engineer and don't have an issue with this construction will work and is overkill.


texts: What material would support the outer ring of a woven children's nest swing?

texts:
I would like to build a nest swing for my daughter (similar to attached image) but am not sure what I can use as the base ring under the rope. I have considered bending some plumbers copper pipe into a circle and soldering with a straight coupler, then lagging and rope. But not sure this will be strong enough.

And ideas on where I can find a metal ring of around 1.2m diameter off the shelf?

I suppose another option is a sheet of wood and a jigsaw, but not ideal.


texts: How to remove old A/C piping in my house?

texts:
When I had my new A/C installed I moved it to the other side of my house (right next to the furnace), so now I have a bunch of old copper piping running about 30 feet from one corner of my house to the other.

My question - is this trivial to remove? Do I just need pipe cutters or is there a better way to do it?  Here is a photo:

I mainly want to do this as my basement is small and there are quite large drop ceilings ONLY because of this pipe, I want to remove the drop ceiling entirely. See here:

And are there any risks? I assume nothing is in either pipe and I could just cut/remove them.


texts: What can I do about joist framing in brick pockets that is uneven and loose?

texts:
A 100 year old house with solid cement then brick structure has old floor joists in brick pockets. The joists are 2 by 8 and 2 by 10 inches and spaced about 19 inches apart and not consistently so. The wood is not rotten in the pockets or anywhere else in-spite of a very damp crawl space. The floor joists are, however, loose and at times have sagged greatly.

I understand to ask the carpenter to level the floor by sister joists or some other way. What are my options?
Is the loose nature of the wood in the brick pockets a mason's job? How can that be addressed?
I also wanted to run 4 runs of solid wood inbetween the joist to support them, there is none. They would run in 4 rows across the width of the house for the length of the house. I have a few ideas of how best to do that. But someone else surely has a more experienced description of how to fix the wood braces and get them as best as possible in a row (I imagine that some ways of securing them between the joists will require some staggering).
Also a 3/4 inch plywood subfloor is going to be placed on top. I am almost sure that since a damp crawl space is underneath, the first layer of subfloor should have a 1/8 inch gap between boards for expansion and then I imagine a second layer or subfloor is needed to cover the gap and to make the floor less saggy. One layer of 3/4 inch plywood on 19 inch spanned joists is showing visible sag when anyone over 150 pounds is standing on it.
Should the first layer of plywood subfloor be glued to the joist, and then screwed or nailed to the joists with what sort to screws or nails? The second layer of subfloor if needed should be what material at what thickness and should it be glued? Should the second layer be screwed or nailed to the first layer (not necessarily the joists) with what screws or nails?

The contractors all have their own differing opinions about these things so I figure I should get more opinions.


texts:
What are the names of the metal photographed parts?  The tombstones are inserted to clarify function.

I would like to order more of these metal parts, however, I do not know the terminology to Google for them. There are two different though similar parts:


texts: How can I disable a wall switch and leave the circuit always on?

texts:
I'm replacing a ceiling fan that is operated by a wall switch.
The new fan is operated by a wireless remote. So I need to remove the wall switch and close the circuit so that the fan always has power. At least I think so.
I removed the wall switch. Inside the box are a single black wire and a single white wire. I believe that all I need to do is connect these two wires. But I'm really afraid to connect wires of a different color. Is this going to be safe?


texts: Porch flooring: vinyl click & lock planks an option?

texts:
I am contemplating finishing an outdoor porch floor with vinyl click & lock planks. Is this feasible?
The porch is 100% covered, and is on the North side. It receives no direct sunlight, except at late sunset, and no precipitation except the occasional rain splatter. Winters are generally -5C / 23F. It slopes 1in/4ft outward.
The subfloor is 5/8 PT plywood. It is open underneath that, and might in the future be closed with breathing aluminum soffits. Area is 400sqft.
Is this feasible? Any special considerations? Any better ideas?
Sealed vinyl decking (e.g. Ducan) is not preferred as I am looking for a DIY solution.
Tiling is an option, but I am concerned about longevity outdoors (thaw/freeze cycle).
Your suggestions, cautions and other input are much appreciated!