texts:
I'm viewing a tutorial on soundproofing, and it shows the diagram below, with the red rectangle area being the noisy space to soundproof from, and the blue rectangle being the quiet space being protected. Then he says

  instead of 16 inch on center we're gonna go with 24 on center

while pointing at the red arrow. What does that mean?


texts: Turning on Dishwasher With 4-Hour Delay During Extreme Cold Weather

texts:
I have several rental properties in suburb of Dallas. As you know that these week we will be experiencing extreme cold weather down to single digit, which is very uncommon for Texas.
Aside from the regular preventive measures that I used to give to tenants, ie., wrapping up outdoor faucets, dripping kitchen faucets, turning on ice-maker, setting thermostat to at least 70F, keeping cabinet doors open, etc., I am also thinking of asking them to turn on dishwasher before they go to sleep, setting it to 4-hour-delay start. I hope this will induce more water flow during midnight.
Do you think that this is a good idea? Does this step pose unnecessary risk to the life of the appliance? Any input would be very much appreciated. Thank you.


texts: Garage Door weather stripping replacement -- single groove

texts:
My weather stripping came off, is broken, and the bottom of the garage door is slick with a single groove in the bottom. What type of weather stripping should I use? I've seen options online that fit into a track on the bottom, but nothing that I can tell fits on my door.

Edit:
So this won't work  -- but looked close. I don't have a slot on the bottom. Maybe I need to get one. It is from http://www.garagedoorstuff.com/product/clopay-garage-door-weather-seal/

The old seal looks like this:

But I would like a better solution that doesn't fall off so easily.


texts: Putting tar paper between plywood subfloor/underlayment and decking in kitchen

texts: We are preparing to put new sheet vinyl down in a kitchen.  We tore out the old subfloor and replaced it with new plywood. Is there any benefit to putting tar paper down between the floor decking and plywood subfloor ?


texts: Under what circumstances can aluminum be in contact with steel?

texts:
I understand galvanic corrosion and the chemistry which causes the reaction. But under what circumstances can they be in contact?

On first impression I would think they could in a dry environment... but that's a tough definition to follow. I'm thinking of two specific applications:

1) I want to reflash the bottom of some of my siding, but this will be in contact with steel strong-ties on the wall and steel nails into the sheathing.

2) I also want to patch a metal duct with some of the leftover aluminum, which will then be sealed with foil-tape.

Both of these are "dry" applications, but moisture in the air could affect both, no?


texts: I am cutting some 1/2" Hardibacker into some 2" x 32" sections.  I tried using a 6 TPI wood jigsaw blade but the blades are not lasting very long.  Does anyone know if a diamond tipped or carbide tipped would last longer?


texts: Surface Mount Ceiling Fan with Conduit to a Half Hot plug

texts: I'd like to put a ceiling fan in a room and connect it to a half-hot outlet.  I don't have access to the crawlspace above so I'll need to use a surface mount box to hang the fan.  What's the safe way to connect it to the outlet?


texts: Can I fix hardened bumps under inside corner tape without removing the tape and starting over?

texts: I installed new inside corner tape in a bathroom. After all attempts to make it smooth, there are several 4 to 5 inch long bumps of hardened compound under the tape. Yes, I mudded the outside of the tape and wet and dry sanded. the compound has thoroughly dried. Is there any way I can get these bumps out without actually tearing out the job and starting over?


texts: Can I avoid the slab and run the new PEX through walls and interstitial space?

texts:
… and many other questions.

The following is the incoming water for my small 2-story townhouse. This picture was taken in my downstairs hall closet.

This is what I have figured out so far:

(1) is the hot water from the hot water heater in the attic split to (2 and 3) going to the downstairs 1/2 bath and kitchen.

(4-7) are cold water lines coming off of (8) the source from outside. I am thinking (4-7) are run through the slab to the kitchen and 1/2 bath and to the outside spigots front and back.

I want to replace this plumbing for the following reasons:

It’s Qest and I have already made a few replacements for leaks.
We are selling our house and I want the plumbing to be an asset not a setback.
Any home inspector worth his salt will see my multiple repairs and know this qest system is failing.
We are remodeling the upstairs bathroom and downstairs kitchen so I have access to pretty much all the plumbing (except the slab).
The source taps are very weak.

I plan on finding a plumber to pull the permits and replace the source line from the city's valve and to let me do the work inside the house with him checking behind me.

So if I get my way and I run the pex on the inside of the house is there any reason why I can't run the pipes through the walls and interstitial space to avoid the slab work and just abandon and cut the old qest lines off at the slab top?


texts: How can I waterproof my mail box (post catcher)?

texts:
We have a basket to catch mail which comes through an outdoor security door, like this:

There is an area behind the door which is open to the elements so the mail often gets wet. Does anyone know of a waterproof version of these mail catchers?

A previous tenant fixed a 'waterproof' cover on the top flap but it is ineffective.


texts: I am looking at adding a tankless water heater but I don't have enough spaces in my breaker box for the breaker requirements of the heater. It is asking for 3 double pole 40 amp breakers and I am thinking about adding in a sub panel for the water heater. I was wondering if this is ok and what size breaker do I need to install for the sub panel. If this helps anyone answer my questions or give me advice I am looking at a eco smart 27. it requires 3 40 amp double breakers and im new to electrical work and don't know much I am having a electrian come out and do the work so it is done right and so I don't kill myself. I do know that the eco smart 27 has 3 heating elements in it and thasts the reason for the 3 breakers.


texts: Connecting to water line stubs left at construction

texts: I'm looking to install a utility sink on my patio that already has water lines that are capped off by the builders. If I am correct there is also a capped off drain pipe available. Are the water lines in the picture pex pipes? If so, do I just cut off the end caps to connect fittings? I appreciate any additional help on the best way to install my utility sink to the lines below. thx!


texts: How to handle 1 inch gap between bathtub tile and drywall?

texts: I have a new tub put in, and tile to go with it in my tub area.  The tile is only in my tub area.  I have a one inch gap between the tile and the drywall.  How do I make it so this edge looks nice.  On the other side of the tub, the gap is about 1 inch.  The bathroom is small, and the one inch gap will stick out.


texts: Drainage downhill under slab with block retaining wall

texts:
I would like to install an allan block retaining wall (3' at its highest). I'm going to build a shop 25' downhill from this retaining wall, and want to have a poured slab for parking vehicles on. In researching foundations, it is recommended not to use a concrete foundation, so how to I ensure that there is not excessive water traveling under to the slab? the drain will prevent the water table from exceeding the drains height locally, but the soils below could still be fully saturated. Or is this OK?

As a 2nd question, how should I interface the gravel footer of the retaining wall and the driveway apron's slab? (Red question mark area in figure)

Lastly, why does allan block recommend a 4" x 18" wide footer? it seems the excess width provides no value, unless it is to ensure a plate compactor has the space get good compaction in the gravel.

Located in Zone 4C (Seattle area)


texts: Can a 20 amp GFCI outlet be daisy chained to 15 amp outlets

texts:
I am using 20 amp breaker. My starting point is a 20 amp GFCI outlet.

I have it daisy chained to four 15 amp outlets. Is allowed by code?


texts: The ball valve for the sprinkler system cracked over the winter. I managed to remove the old one that was broken but can't figure out how to install the brand new one. When I turn it clockwise it screws on the left but unscrews the right part - and vice versa. I'm not sure what I'm missing here. Any advice would help. Thanks,


texts: Why did power temporarily go out on one circuit?

texts:
Been trying to fix a circuit at my mother's house. Her place had some really old wiring along with newer. The circuit with the problem is the older wiring. She said she had electric heater plugged in and she saw a spark and the power went out like the breaker was tripped but at the breaker box all was good. I checked each breaker for 120 and they all were good.
Spent a day and could not get power to come back to that circuit. Later that night we were relaxing and the power decided to come back on. I have moved wiring and all kinds of stuff to try to see if there was a short but so far I can't make it do that again. Last night I turned on light and it flashed and now is off again.
I changed the switch the first day so it's not that. But this is the old wiring with the metal around the wire. Would think I could make it do it again my moving wire if it was a short right? I'm going to go over the whole circuit very carefully today. My outlet tester said it has a open ground.


texts: How to determine the severity or size of a hole in yard?

texts:
I found a hole in my yard. This area has three common features that could cause that, a sink hole from an underground stream, prairie dogs, which are everywhere in the neighborhood, or an abandoned mine shaft. For safety reasons, I need to determine how large the hole is. It is 4 ft from the property line, so I also want to know how much of my property is endangered, but want to be careful examining the hole, as it could be more on the neighbors side (it does point that direction), and so disturbing it could undermine their property.
What can I do to determine the size of the hole?


texts: Kitchen faucet twisted to the left for hot water

texts:
For some reason, now I have to turn the hot water of my kitchen faucet all the way to the left (10 o'clock) like below photo to get hot water:

The cold water is right in middle (6 o'clock).

How to fix this? Please let me know any advise.


texts: Can an inspector require a specific grounding technique?

texts: I had been taking classes to become an electrician at one of the bigger community colleges in my area (specifically LBCC) and my brother had been doing some renovation on his own home and asked me to help out so I wired up the boxes and switches and receptacles and while we grounded the switches and receptacles we forgot to ground the metal boxes them selves and the inspection failed but my brother tells me that the inspector said we're not allowed to pigtail the grounds between the boxes and devices that we have to use a long ground wire loop it around the boxes ground screw then run it up to the ground screw on the device ... can he do that? this runs counter to what I was taught which is to pigtail the wires to the devices and ground screws


texts:
I have had an IKEA LACK Side Table in the conservatory for about eight months and it has started splitting (see below picture).

My guess is this is due to the fluctuating temperatures in a south facing conservatory - does this sound plausible?

What would be the best way to repair it?
Or if I replaced it, how can I prevent it splitting again?

Many thanks in advance!


texts: How would I identify the grounded (neutral) conductor when using URD cable as an underground feeder?

texts:
I have a line on a length of URD 2-2-2-4 at a local electric supply house. The smaller conductor, which I gather is intended as the neutral in some cases, would be my ground. One of the unmarked larger conductors would be my neutral.

Firstly, is this legal in a 100A, 80' sub-panel feeder situation in 1-1/2" pipe, and secondly, how do I identify and mark the neutral conductor?


texts: Is there a way to find out if my living room ceiling has insulation?

texts:
I have a ~2x3 foot water stain in my living room ceiling, I think because my toddler was forcing water behind the bathtub faucet. If there's insulation in the ceiling, then it should be removed. If there's no insulation, then I could just repaint. Of course if the source of the problem is a plumbing issue, then the question of insulation is moot.

Is there a way to find out without cutting? I saw somewhere that I could use an IR thermometer, but I'm not sure how that would work.

For what it's worth, the house was built in 1999 and is in the Mystic, Connecticut area where winter temperatures tend to stay in the range of 10-20 °F at the coldest.

[update] I asked the former owner. I didn't expect him to have info, but he did! He said that there was a bathtub related overflow from the owner before him which left a stain about the same area when he bought the house. That owner had just left it to dry, and that would have been before 2008-2009. So I assume that if they were able to let it dry out, then we could get away with that, too. That said, the next question is how many times can you spill water on sheetrock before it needs to be replaced... but that wasn't my question for this post. :-) Thanks! I'm not sure what I'll do... This is already the 2nd water damage issue of the year, and I'm not sure I feel like shelling out another chunk of money if I don't need to (i.e., what if a kid dumps water again next year). I did buy a blower fan so I'll try to dry it out completely and see if it stays dry.


texts: Modulate Hi-Def signal from HD-DVR or HD-DTV receiver

texts:
I have coax running through my house that was installed before HDTV became the norm.  Currently I have a non-HD satellite receiver in a central location in my house and am broadcasting the output from from that receiver to several rooms using a standard RF modulator.

I'm planning on upgrading my satellite receiver to a HD receiver and am wondering if I can use the same RF modulator to broadcast the signal from the HD receiver to multiple HD televisions in my house, or if I need to buy a different modulator that is specially designed for HD signals.

If I need to buy a new modulator, what should I be looking for and what should I be staying away from?


texts: Can someone explain as detailed as possible what, exactly, a rigid surface is?  The context in which I am inquiring is in regards to Green Glue.  It requires application between two rigid surfaces.  I am sure this is a global term that doesn't apply to just Green Glue.


texts: Splitting a 220v line into a 110v line and a 220v line?

texts:
This question reminded me that when we bought our house, I found the previous owner had taken the dryer's 220v circuit and continued half of it from the 220v outlet to make a 110v circuit for the rest of the garage.

The 220v outlet still powered the dryer.

Even as a new naive home owner this struck me as probably incorrect and had it fixed when we upgraded the panel.

Can you explain the specific reasons why this was bad - and what code it breaks?


texts: How can I change the hinge side on an LG LBN10551PV refrigerator?

texts:
I have an LG LBN10551PV apartment fridge. I ordered it with the door hinge on the wrong side (left) and would like to put it on the right. The instruction manual describes how to do this, and I've gotten to the final step, which is to attach the top hinge:

  Then install the upper hinge (27) supplied in the refrigerator package placing the dowel into the appropriate upper hole in the door of the refrigeration compartment (A).

The top hinge plate clearly has a left and right hand version, and (short of flipping it over in the fourth dimension) there's no way of making it work on the other side. Here's what I have:
and here's what I need (the following is a dramatization):
.

(I had Sears deliver it and they didn't include extras from the packaging. I've checked through and behind all of the freezer drawers and all of the compartments within the fridge and there's nothing there.)

Both LG customer support and Sears Parts Direct are telling me that I can just use the existing top hinge, but I've tried everything I can think of to make it work and it just won't. Any suggestions on what to try next?


texts: pick thickness of the engineered wood planks

texts:
I'm considering to install an engineered laminate floor on the plywood subfloor, the planks vary in thickness. How do people normally pick the right thickness of the planks? I understand that there will be underlay installed as well, which has its thickness, and the laminate planks on top. However I want to make sure that new floor in room will level with the hallway which already has hardwood floor installed. So, I'm assuming the underlay will "settle down", so I should pick slightly thicker planks?

Thanks.


texts:
I have a fixture to change in my apartment. There is a black, a white and a red wire in the junction box.

The old fixture was connected to the white and red wires only. This led me to believe that something is not normal, because i expected it to be connected to the white and black wires at least and i though the red wire was the ground and could have been neglected by the person who installed the old fixture.

Anyways i tested with a voltmeter in order to find out witch wire is the hot one.

I get a reading on the voltmeter when i test the white and red wires together and when i test the white and black wires but not when i test the black and red wires. This tells me that the white wire is the hot one, when it should be the black wire.

But it gets really weird when i turn off the light switch, and this is where i really don't understand what's going on.  If the switch is off, i get a reading on the voltmeter when i test the black wire with the white only. I expected to see no reading at all when the switch is off. Additionally, i expect the hot wire to show a reading on the voltmeter when tested with the neutral wire and with the ground. In this case, only the black and white wires combination shows a reading and neither does when tested with the red wire. This is really inexplicable to me because either the black or the white wire has to be hot.

To recap, here are the results of my tests in a more simple form :

The switch is on:

Red + white : 120V
black + white : 120V
red + black : 0V

The switch is off :

black + white : 120V
red + black : 0V
red + white : 0V

I'm a complete noob when it comes to electricity, but this doesn't look normal to me according to what i have read online. A simple solution would be to connect the new fixture the same way as the old one, on the red and white wires while ignoring the ground, but i don't feel safe doing this.

Clearly some of my assumptions must be wrong or there is a problem with the junction box... What can i do about this?  Is there a safety hazard?

Thanks for your help


texts: What to seal new butcher block type counter top

texts: Bought a counter top, wood butcher block as they called it, to install on my work bench. Top is raw wood. Instructions state seal immediately with Tung or Mineral spirits. Minerals Spirits? That doesn't make sense to me.  What would you suggest.  I live in Colorado, arid climate. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


texts: Can I substitute halogen bulbs for incandescent bulbs?

texts: Instead of three 40w light bulbs, can I use only two 43w halogen light bulbs in a ceiling light fixture with 3 lamp sockets rated at 40w maximum per socket?


texts: Outlet grounded by conduit - how do I add a second outlet with Romex?

texts:
I tested the outlet with an outlet tester which states that it is properly wired.  However, I know that conduit is not necessarily always sufficient to provide a proper ground.  So I tested the outlet with a multimeter.  I get 120.5 volts when testing the line and neutral, as well as when I test the line to the ground hole on the outlet.  So it seems that the conduit is properly grounded.
I need to add an outlet nearby this outlet... but how do I properly tie in a romex cable to this situation?
Unrelated but similar question:
I also have several outlets that are not grounded outlets.  However, if they are run through conduit that is properly grounded, I might switch out the outlets...  But should I instead be rewiring everything?  We are closing up the attic floors as we create a master suite in the attic.  Seems like the next few months is my last good chance to rewire anything... but I'd rather just switch out the outlets as the time and money invested on that does not seem worth it.
Thanks!


texts: Considerations for installing a high efficiency furnace in my attic?

texts:
I live in Upstate NY and in the winter it gets below 0° F.

I currently have baseboard water heating throughout my home. Prior to this I believe there was a gravity furnace which supplied the house with heat.

I am hoping to switch to a regular furnace for two main reasons:

I would really like to get central A/C in the future
I strongly dislike the idea of water lines everywhere in my house; copper does fail eventually

Right now we have 2 zones, upstairs and downstairs, which would be nice to maintain.

My 1940 home has a full basement and a full attic in which I can stand upright.

I would like to have a basement furnace which heats the downstairs. It will be trivial to run the supply lines and cold returns in the walls above the baseboard trim. This would allow me to remove the downstairs zone from my boiler.

I would also like to have an attic furnace to heat the upstairs. I feel that this would be easier than trying to run HVAC upstairs from the basement and it would make dual-zones easier to achieve. I think the supply lines would be do-able but properly doing the cold air returns would be a headache.

My understanding is that a high efficiency furnace has a condensate reservoir which gets pumped out through a 1/4 tube whenever it fills up; much like a dehumidifier with a built-in pump. Would this be a freezing risk? My attic does get below freezing.

Assuming I have insulated supply runs, would my attic get heated by the furnace and cause ice dams on my roof?

I do have some space on the second floor which can fit a furnace, would this be a better choice?


texts: Which adhesive sealant for bathroom fixture escutcheons?

texts:
I'm installing some shower fixtures and the escutcheons need to be sealed and adhered properly but I'm not sure how to do this the right way.

Here is a photo of all 4 fixtures/escutcheons. I'll refer to them by #1 - #4 starting from the top.

#1 The shower escutcheon is loose. It needs to be sealed/adhered
#2 The transfer valve escutcheon has no seal behind it. I will need it sealed somehow but the handle itself tightens it so no adhesive required
#3 The hot/cold valve has a foam/rubber thing behind it that is kind of sticky and leaves a gap at the 6pm location for water to escape. I probably will want to add additional sealant unless you think this is fine. No adhesive needed
#4 This is the output to a hand shower that isn't in the picture yet. This thing has a rubber gasket but it doesn't provide a way (that I'm aware) to actually compress it to the wall. I believe this is also supposed to have a sealant and adhesive.

What sealant/adhesive should I use? How do I apply it? Does it go inside or outside?

Here's a closeup of the #4 escutcheon when it's loose from the wall:

I saw this answer but I'm not satisfied with the depth it provides: How Can I re-attach my bathroom fixtures which are hanging loose from the wall?


texts: Can I swap out cinch clamps on a piece of PEX pipe?

texts:
I used a cinch clamp to fit a PEX pipe with a valve. Turns out the valve is too small, so I would like to replace it.

Is it OK to just remove the old clamp, put in the new valve, and put a new cinch clamp on the exact same spot on the pipe as the old clamp?

I'm worried that spot will be flawed in some way because it already had a clamp on it, but there's very little pipe for me to work with.


texts: Cracked toilet seat hinge: repair seat or replace seat?

texts:
Does it ever make sense to repair or replace a broken toilet seat hinge? The seat is in good condition otherwise, but a new seat is under $50.
Just a standard elongated toilet seat from glacier bay with plastic hinges.


texts: We have a gas meter similar to the one pictured below. I've not seen one of these before and can't find anything on reading them. The reason I'm asking is because it must not be as simple as just subtracting today's value from yesterday's.. Today's value is less than yesterday, by almost 100.


texts: I have an 18 year old GE Side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with built in filter and water dispenser.  Recently we woke up one morning to water pouring out of the ice-maker onto the kitchen floor.  I shut off the water valve, but could still hear the water valve solenoid energized.  While cleaning up the mess. I lifted the arm of the ice-maker.  Sometime within the next hour, the hum from the solenoid stopped.  I'm thinking if the solenoid was stuck open, it would not have hummed as if energized.  So therefore I'm thinking whatever energizes the solenoid is the culprit.  What energizes the water solenoid?  The ice-maker?  Should I replace the ice-maker first, or the dual solenoid?  Neither is cheap, but the solenoid is cheaper than the ice-maker.  I just think it's the ice-make that has the problem.


texts: Why did inspector ask to move P-trap above floor?

texts:
Our contractor installed the Ptrap for our washer drain below the subfloor, basically in the crawl space.

We had everything nicely tucked inside the wall.

Then the inspector asked him to move the Ptrap above the subfloor.
All the pipes and vents would not fit so the contractor had to thicken the wall so there would be space for the Ptrap and the dryer vent.

What would be the reason for this? Is this code?


texts: How secure is a live bamboo fence compare to chain link or barbed wire fences?

texts:
We're about to start working on securing our house. One thing we know we need on the back part of our property is a fence of some sort. I'm trying to keep costs down but security up. I know that any fence I choose will only delay an intruder from leaving or arriving. I have access to unlimited bamboo from a neighboring farm, so my only cost in a live bamboo fence would be labor in planting it. So, I'd like to know if a live bamboo fence would provide similar security features as other fence styles like barbed wire or chain link.

I already know about the spreading potential of bamboo and it doesn't concern me for the space where I would be planting it.


texts: What will happen if I perimeter bond vinyl flooring against manufacturer recommendation?

texts:
I'm installing sheet vinyl in my kitchen. I read the installation manual. I can do either full spread or loose lay.

I'm planning on using adhesive tape, but the installation manual says "DO NOT PERIMETER BOND FLOOR".

My question is why can't I perimeter bond the floor with tape?  What will happen if I do?


texts: Electrical Circuit for Detached Shed 200 ft

texts:
Would it be acceptable to run a branch circuit from a panel to a detached storage shed that will be approximately 200 feet away, instead of a feeder with sub-panel and grounding rods?

The circuit will power 4 low current draw LED wall packs (<1A each), and possibly one wall receptacle that would be used for a battery tender.

Planning direct burial 10/2 with ground.


texts:
Our shower exhaust fan is tripping the GFCI when turned on. When I disconnect the FAN (there is a molex plug in the fan) the GFCI does not trip when the switch is turned on or off.

Looking for troubleshooting suggestions?

I was thinking about diving into the switch box and looking for loose connections and neutrals. Replacing the GFCI outlet, which incidentally, is all the way in the garage and also does our outdoor outlets, it's strange the way it was wired. Especially since there already is a GFCI outlet in the bathroom for the outlets.

Finally, I was going to clean out the fan. It's filled with dust and I'm thinking maybe some of the "wet" dust might be causing a bit of leakage to the ground?

It seems to happen more in the cold months where there is more condensation which leads me to think its more a problem with the FAN than an issue with the switch box or a weak GFCI itself.

I just don't want to replace the fan only to find out it was something else.

Also -- the Fan is actually on ceiling 10' feet above the shower and outside of the sunken in the shower area. So technically it likely does even need to be GFCI protected. I'd need an 8' ladder to touch it while in the shower.


texts: KitchenAid dishwasher not responding/requiring cold reboot

texts:
I recently purchased a KitchenAid dishwasher (model KDTE334GPS0) to replace my old dishwasher. It is on a dedicated 15 amp circuit.
It randomly will not respond to button pushes. When I check the breaker, it isn't ever tripped, but I need to manually trip the breaker (cold reboot) in order for the buttons to start responding again. I would like to troubleshoot the issue a little before I reach out to an electrician. What could be causing the dishwasher to stop responding but not trip the breaker?
EDIT
I checked the power going into the appliance when the buttons are unresponsive, and there is power.  I believe that rules out the breaker being bad.


texts:
I have a 90 year old mahogany buffet that needs a pretty solid restoration job. Some of the planks that make up its top have lifted by a few mil, but most of the work is simply cleaning it up. I'm not sure how the wood is finished, it seems french polished but I do not know much about 1920s furniture.

What is the best way to attack this project?


texts: I know this might be a really stupid question, but how would I connect these wires if I wanted to bypass the switch?


texts:
My townhouse has some outdoor stairs built out of 6" x 8" lumber. A couple of the steps are rotten and I need to change the lumber. There is also a perpendicular long piece of lumber that crosses underneath the steps, more or less flush with the ground (highlighted in yellow, in the first image below). While I am replacing the lumber for the rotten step I think it would be a good occasion to replace that other rotten piece as well. I don't want to dismantle the whole staircase for that, but I am hoping to cut off the lumber at the base of the second step, so that the new piece extends below the first step (so it is not apparent that the lumber was cut) (the red line in the second picture).

I am assuming that this piece of lumber is not structurally important (it's pretty rotten right now, and the rest of the staircase is still standing), and there will be no other negative side effect to my plan. Does anyone disagree?
What is the best way to cut it off? Maybe it's so rotten that just hacking at it with a hammer / crow bar might do it... but I am not sure.
What is the best way for preventing this from rotting again? It is pressure treated, but it rotted anyway. Is there some sort rubber sheet/lining that I should use between the lumber and the soil?


texts: How to Wire Fantech FR100 in-line exhaust, venting two bathrooms with Two TopGreener TDHOS5 Humidity Motion Sensor switches

texts:
The Fantech FR100 fan requires Neutral & Load. That's easy enough, and the multi-switch diagram shows just a black from each switch.

The TopGreener (really Enerlites) TDHOS5 requires Neutral & Load. There are separate manual switches for a light and fan and sensors for humidity and motion.  The wiring diagram shows a red wire going to the light and a brown wire going to fan.  It is not clear how the neutral is used.

This is new construction so I will run what is necessary.  I expect hot-black and neutral with ground from breaker to switch; black and white conductors to fan and black and white conductors to light (both with grounds). Are the three neutrals pig-tailed at switch box, before the switch?

The installation diagram is not clear: neutral is shown runing off to the opposite direction with no terminus. Just saying.

At the least, I want to wire the fan correctly!

I do want to run the one fan venting two bathrooms with two switches. TopGreener recommended this switch for this use. Lights in each bathroom are independent of each other, controlled by the motion sensor or the manual switch. The fan has a manual switch and a humidity sensor in each bathroom. The joint ventilation scheme is a way to assure fresher air in this end of the house. Also, a remote fan is quieter.

My biggest gripe is the way TopGreener has diagrammed the wiring, as it seems they should be clear(er) in regards to the neutral configuration.


texts:
I would like to install multimedia outlets (RJ45) in my house. The installation tubing is diam. 20mm (inside is 13.9mm). In the worse case, I have a diam. 6.5mm cable inside. So I would be able to add an additional 13.9 - 6.5 - 2.5 (mechanical play) = diam 5 mm multimedia cable.
As it would be quite a tough job, I am looking for a Cat 6a cable the smallest possible.
Where should I look for it?


texts: Homemade concrete blocks for fire pit and starfire direct DYI propane fire pit

texts: Im Buying concrete molds for a DYI landscaping projects. I want to use some of the same bricks for a DYI starfire direct propane fire pit in the back yard. Ive heard this can be dangerous? Would this still be true with the propane burner at the top of the pit?


texts: How do I remove plastic-headed wiring staples?

texts: I have this type of wire staple in my attic holding wires together in certain places but I need to move the wires. How do I remove these?


texts: What can I use to stop drawers in an organizer from sliding out all the way?

texts:
I have purchased several of these small drawer units:

However, when I open the drawers, they come straight out - there is no mechanism to ensure that the drawers stay in the slot.

In the past, I have seen inexpensive drawer units use a small wooden peg glued into the top of the drawer cavity in order to keep the drawer from coming out - but these did not come with any such device.

Is there anything that I can install in order to keep these drawers from coming out?


texts: Bathroom drainage: bath's water flooding shower

texts:
I have a drainage problem in the bathroom.

So, after a bath, I drain the bath water into the bath sinkhole. But most of the bath water comes out of the shower sinkhole, flooding the shower and onto the bathroom floor!

Moreover, when I have a shower, the water floods quickly and it takes a very long time to drain!

I have taken photos, annotated, and attached them here. I hope the photos will help give you some idea of the drainage system.

I've tried clearing the blockage using a very long metal cable with a hook at the end (see attached), but this finds nothing and also it eventually hits something very solid and can't go any further (judging by the length, I think it's at the beginning of the piping outdoor - i.e., at the point where it exits the wall).

So, I suspect there's a lot of blockage in the piping outdoor (see the outdoor photo) rather than indoor.

Questions:

right now, how can I remove blockage I think is in the outdoor piping? If you look at the outdoor photo, you'll see there's a cap at one end, that I'd like to try and take out.  This I couldn't do as it seemed to be glued in. Do I need to try and turn it harder?  Then should I use the metal cable with hook to try and find blockage through this end along the outdoor wall?
what short term & long term, inexpensive & expensive solutions can you see to ensure there'll be no more blockage?
a plumber we've been using has recommended creating a separate piping from shower all the way to the "soil pipe about 8 metres from shower" (I think that means to the very end of the piping outdoor) and quoted £350 for the work.  I'm not convinced this would have stopped the blockage.  Plus, the outdoor piping is actually only 3 months old.  Very odd that it could block up so quickly.  What do you think?

UPDATE: another point I should share is that when I run the bath and keep the drain opens, the running water goes out ok without flooding the shower. It's only when I fill up the bath and then drain it when it floods the shower. I'm guessing this is because of a) the pressure a full bath has on the drainage system, b) the blockage isn't 100% - more like 90%.

I will really, really appreciate any comments and/or answers you may have. :-)

With many thanks,

Ben


texts:
A search for "standard European color codes for power cables" yields the following information:

European (IEC) Wire Color Codes

Phase 1 - Brown.
Phase 2 - Black.
Phase 3 - Grey.
Neutral - Blue.
Ground - Green with Yellow Stripe.

What is this three phase thing, isn't there supposed to be just two codes for positive and negative, plus an optional neutral or ground? Plus aren't neutral and ground supposed to be the same thing?

I am particularly interested in home wiring.

Thanks.


texts: How can I paint a wooden desk with a rubberised feel?

texts: I've acquired an old wooden desk that is just varnished wood. I would like to paint it but with the rubberised feel I have seen applied to some metals. I'm not sure if this paint exists for wood, but maybe it's possible to mix it manually? I've seen rubberised paint advertised for industrial uses like railings etc


texts: Best method of repairing plastic door frame

texts:
I dropped a canister going through the outside patio doorway and the corner chipped away the plastic door frame. I see that these frames are all one piece and expensive and time consuming to replace. Is there a way to repair this? I tried using bi-component glue, but that turned yellow when dried. I was thinking of cutting a piece from an inconspicuous area and gluing it inside. Would there be a way to repair this without replacing the entire door frame?

EDIT: Looking around, I found a product called BOND & FILL which is a PVC bi-component cement. seems this would work to fill it up. Reviews on Amazon are not very good, but it seems the best choice for me now.


texts: How do I cut a new crawlspace access in a brick foundation?

texts:
When my house was built, the crawlspace access was put on the high side of the property, which I'm sure gave the subcontractors the easiest access for HVAC, wiring, etc.  But there is very little useful storage space.  At the low end of the house, I can almost stand up straight in the crawlspace, but there is not access.  I would love to be able to use all that space, but I can't get to it on a day to day basis.  So I would like to have a new crawlspace access door installed on that end of the house.

Tips? Warnings?

The foundation is brick.  I don't need a full door necessarily.  I am open to any advice.


texts: Can you paint frosted glass with mirrored paint?

texts: I need a full length mirror in my dressing room! My closet doors are frosted can I paint over them with mirror paint?


texts: I am wiring a relay into a pump and right now they are using twist type connectors. Can I use end terminal connectors instead of twist type connectors? In which situation are end terminal connectors properly  used.


texts: How can I tell if there is a trap in my floor drain?

texts:
I’m a bartender at a restaurant that is in an old gas station building. The floor drain that the sinks behind the bar drain into frequently smells like rancid meat farts, which is quite embarrassing when there are customers in the bar, but my boss has made no effort to try and figure out what the problem is.
I’m no plumber but have surmised that this is an issue with the floor drain either not having a p trap or it being messed up in some way. The trap couldn’t be dry from what I understand because it’s used frequently. I am wondering if there’s a way that this could be fixed that wouldn’t involve jack hammering the cement slab up, if I can determine whether there is a trap or not, etc. Currently I’ve been told to just dump bleach down the drain, which... doesn’t help.
Edit:
There’s also an oatey sure vent air admittance valve, if that helps.
<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/EX6bf.jpg" alt="enter image description
here" />


texts: Wiring question for replacement of two switches in one box

texts:
I have two switches in one junction box which share one incoming line wire but each control separate lights.

I hooked up the new replacement switches using the same wiring setup which was in place for the original switches. The problem is the new switches require a neutral connection while the original switches did not. The new switches are GE z wave smart home switches and apparently this type requires neutral to be connected.

Currently the white neutral wires for the one incoming line and two loads are all bundled together with a wire nut. It would seem I need to use the jumper wire which came with each switch and merge both with the existing white wire bundle then attach the other ends of each jumper to the neutral terminal on each switch. The manual does not cover this scenario so I wanted to throw it out to this community to hopefully get confirmation I’m doing this right.

Another thing to mention is that the line wire is connected to the line terminals of the two switches in an interesting way. A small section of the wire about 6 inches from the end is stripped so the copper is exposed and that exposed section is wrapped around the screw of the line terminal on one switch then the end of the same wire is connected to the line terminal of the other switch. I want to be sure that this is an acceptable setup. Also, can I still use the approach I proposed above for connecting the neutral wires along with this odd line wire hookup?

And the last question is whether I can use any copper wire to run from the white wire bundle to my switch? I seem to have misplaced the jumper wires which came with the switches

Looking forward to comments. Thanks!


texts: Hanging a new wall with Genie Clips and need to install a few studs. Will this affect the installation?

texts:
Here's what the bare frame looks like:

If you don't already know how a wall is hung with Genie Clips, here's the video.  Skip to 2:45 to see how they're spacing the clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5syq09qa0

Looking at my pic above, you will see that there are no exposed studs at the opposite ends of the wall, so I am going to have to install them so that I have a place to attach the clips on either side.  This is going to create a non-standard distance of 10" between the first set of studs on the left side of the wall and 9 1/2" on the right.

I am guessing that this is not going to present too much of a problem since the video never mentions a minimum distance of 16" between clips, only a maximum distance of 48".

Since this is my biggest DIY project ever, I want your input on whether or not this non-standard stud placement will affect the hanging of my new wall with Genie Clips.

Update:

A few years later, I know, but I thought I'd post a pic showing what the channels looked like after mounted onto the Genie clips.  You can also see the two new studs I installed if it matters any.


texts:
I have a thermostatic shower, but I can only get it to be luke warm. The aquastat is set at 60, boiler at 165. The tap water in wash hand basin beside shower is very warm. I have taken the cover off the thermostat and there seems to be no adjustment. This seems to be the shower I have.

the thermostatic cartridge looks like

i have turned the spindle as far anti clock wise as possible but only turns one full turn is there an other way to adjust it


texts: How do I tighten an out-of-reach PVC pipe fitting?

texts:
A PVC pipe got pulled out of its fitting under my shower (don't ask!). It's been pushed back into position, but is out of reach by hand and not tight (causing a slow-drip). Above the pipe is a shower tray and below is a ceiling of our lounge.
I'd like to tighten the fitting, but would need to extend my arm length by about 1-2ft to do it without tools :)
I have thought about fudging together a tool to attempt this - perhaps a metal grip with a length of copper piping on each arm to give me that extra reach. However I'm not sure if the grips will end up ruining the PVC compression fitting or if I'll even get enough purchase.
Last resorts seem to be to remove the shower tray above or cut a hole in the ceiling below for access; the first is a pain, the second would be unsightly and I'd like to avoid either if possible.
There must be a tool to give me that extra reach, does anyone have any ideas?
Image below - you can see the white PVC fitting that needs tightening at the back with the drip tray underneath it.
Many thanks!


texts:
Cast iron sink with wall mounted faucet. The house is 75 years old, the plumbing may be that old too.  The pipes are galvanized. The faucet has no identifying marks. There has been no trouble or changes in the plumbing until this started about 3 weeks ago.

When I turn on the hot water faucet about 1/4 turn, a medium flow for doing dishes, there is a loud groaning sound and vibration. If I open the faucet more about 1/2 turn, a high flow for filling a pot, the vibration and sound goes away.  I can turn the water on just a little bit to allow a tiny drip without any sound or vibration.

Is this water hammer?  Can water hammer just start happening one day and can it occur when a faucet is partially opened and then stop when the faucet is open all the way?

What could be causing this and how can I stop this vibration and groaning?


texts:
We have a flat roof that sprung a leak last year, I'm just getting around to repairing it. What I found is that the existing elastomeric coating was not put in correctly - it is bubbling (meaning the elastomeric has air underneath it) to the point where I can peel it off, and when I do that, I find a lot of dirt between that layer and the underneath layer.
I want to apply Henry's tropicool (the silicone version) over the area instead of another coat of elastomeric, but I want to ensure I clean it properly.  Where it bubbles, I pressure washed it to get most of it loose, then removed it by hand till I don't see anymore dirt.  But still, there are a lot of loose pieces dangling around the edges where I peeled.
Before I roll on the Tropicool, is there anything else I can or should do to get it super clean/prepped?  I don't want to have more bubbles/boils next year, although I can say for sure there will be close to no dirt between the roof and coating I am about to put on.


texts: What is this12"x12" metal box in my basement floor?

texts:
I have a 12"x12" metal box that was under some 30+ year old tile in my basement. Does anyone know what this is here for, and should access be maintained to it? Under the metal it is definitely hollow based on the sound from knocking on it, but there doesn't seem to be a good way to open it (and I'd prefer not to without some idea of what it could be).
The house is in Ohio and was built in the 1960s. The box is about 3 feet from the pipe cleanout & water regulator. It is flush with the slab other than the rust which is flaky and slightly above the concrete slab. There is a ~1mm thick layer of black tar that presumably used to cover the whole thing but is now only present in the top left corner.

Edit

Based on comments, I decided to pry up the metal plate. It was covering a metal grate the appears to just lead to pea gravel. Anyone know if pouring pea gravel and cement to fill the hold is acceptable? I'd like to put flooring over this.


texts:
I've got a lawn with a rather steep drop that I'm finding difficult to mow.

My wife thinks we should get a self-propelled push mower, but I don't think anything in a consumer range is going to be mighty enough to go up that hill.

What are my options? Am I wrong to think a mower in the $300-$400 range can't handle this?


texts: What to make of electrical rating etched into circuit breaker?

texts:
This is an extension on a previous question about a 240V outlet in my garage.
At that time, I took the advice that I should:

replace the 40A breaker in the garage with a 30A version (from the proper manufacturer)
replace the NEMA 6-15P outlet (240V 15A) with a NEMA 6-30P (240V 30A)
make sure the electrical cable is at least AWG 10

However, I stopped the project and never actually ran the intended electrical heater because of what I found at the other side (i.e. the panel in my main house)...
The breaker that leads to the garage appears to have been altered. In particular, it looks to me that the rating number has been etched in by hand and reads 15A. Is it common practice to etch in a current rating? Could this really be a 15A breaker (this is what worried me, and why I never plugged in the 20A heater)? Can I replace this with a 30A breaker to power intended setup shown below?

.

.


texts: I have three 3 way switches wired in series with a ceiling fan in one room and a kitchen light. All the switches are in the kitchen, there is a two gang switch on one side where the main power comes in. The other switch is on the other side of the kitchen. I just installed a ceiling fan remote kit. However, the switch that controls the fan turns the kitchen light off while the fan is activated. I would like the kitchen light to stay on while controlling the ceiling fan light. It's a building code that I need a switch to control the ceiling fan. Would adding a 4 way switch solve the problem?


texts:
There is a burning smell inside my clothes dryer  after it runs. Does anyone know what that could be? There is no smoke (thankfully) but it definitely has a mild to medium smell or something burning. I think its a gas powered dryer (its hard to get to the back too look) but the smell is closer to burning lint than to gas.

My first response was to clean out the area under the lint collection basket. We clean the collection basket before each use but the area under that had collected a fair amount of lint and so I cleaned it after we first smelled the smoke. I also checked the exhaust hose that connects to the wall but there was no lint in there. I then ran the dryer again after this cleaning and it still smells of smoke. Is there another place to clean? Do I just have to let it run some to let it air out? Or, is there something else I should do?

I am fairly handy myself but don't have any experience with troubleshooting dryers. Is this something I could probably remedy myself or is it something more serious that requires me to call a repair person?


texts: Framing a 10x12 wood floor, using 2x6 PT lumber

texts:
I am building a foundation for a 10x12 metal/vinyl coated shed. The foundation is ready with four 12" diameter concrete pillars and another three pillars down the center.  I used concrete strong tie anchors in the wet concrete that accept a 4x4.  I am using (3) 4x4's that I will place over and anchor to the concrete pillars.  The pillars are elevated at least 12" on the high side and 4" on the low side for no ground contact and good drainage underneath. I plan on just placing the assembled 2x6 frame on top and nailing it to the 4x4's.

I was looking for some pointers on the following:

How to make sure it's square?
How to make sure the joists are level with the header boards
Should I go 16 on center or 12 and what size nails or screws?
Do I use joist hangers and hurricane ties (between joist & 4x4's)?
Do I need to use blocking for better support?


texts: Should I use Ditra for my slate floor with radiant heat and 2 layers of plywood?

texts:
We are putting slate on our main floor, and have radiant heat. We used a second layer of plywood as guides/spacers between the pex loops, rather than concrete over the whole thing to help cut down on overall weight, as the main floor is over a full basement. We plan to fill in the gaps with thinset as we go to help with heat transfer. I'm wondering if it would be better to put a layer of Ditra down as well before we do the tile install.

Thank you!


texts: switching bulb socket with larger socket

texts: I have a Harbor Breeze  #40948,040949 ceiling fan. It comes with candelabra bulbs. Can I switch the bulb socket from another fan so, I can use regular bulbs in it?


texts: Extremely porous concrete to act as water drain?

texts:
Want to create a six to twelve inch wide porous concrete strip about thirty feet long in our backyard over a drain pipe.  Normal concrete is porous but the concrete i want is extremely porous.  So porous in fact that you could pour a 5 gallon bucket of water on it and it goes directly thru the concrete.  Extremely porous concrete is not as strong especially for heavy vehicles, but i will not have vehicles and the strip would be no more than a foot wide.  Is there a name for this type of concrete?

Why?  We have 3 "shower" drains six inches in diameter to drain a concrete backyard.  The problem is the drains clog easily with leaves and other natural debris blown around in a storm.  A downpour may leave inches of standing water in our backyard.  A strip of concrete should not clog.

There already is a pipe that drains the water away, but that would need to be a half pipe, right?    How would you form the porous concrete so that it drains into the half-pipe?  Is there a recommended impervious underlayment for the porous concrete that would direct water into the drain pipe?


texts: What's the best soundproofing solution to rubber coming off of double-paned transom windows?

texts:
Rubber between the two window panes are coming off of our double paned transom windows. Does the rubber have soundproofing capabilities? We live on a very busy street and are also looking for ways to soundproof. If so, what would be the best resolution?
Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.


texts: Raw linseed oil on counter top: drying time?

texts:
I have a new pine countertop that I'd like to match some existing pine kitchen surfaces nearby. The previous owners of my house finished the existing counters with raw linseed oil, so I decided to follow this process for the new pine surface — even though it is not a food surface, I decided a matching look would be nice.

I mixed 2 parts raw linseed oil to 1 part mineral turpentine, a ratio I found somewhere online that appeared convincing. As the previous owners did on the existing counters, I added a touch of stain to darken the colour just a bit.

I applied 3 thin coats of this mixture with a paint brush, allowing ~10 hours between applications, waiting for the surface to be dry to the touch.

Now, some 10 days and quite a lot of fan-blowing time later, the new counter is still very ... oily. It's dry to the touch, but leaves an oily residue on my fingers. A brown residue can be rubbed off on paper, and any paper left sitting on the counter blots up tell-tale oil.

The air has been relatively dry, and temperatures have been around 10 to 20ºC (50 to 70ºF). Edit: humidity in the 50 to 80% range, top stored indoors.

How should I proceed to get the surface to 'set'? Is it just a matter of more time and more air, or should I be wiping the surface down with something to get rid of the remaining oil?

Thanks!


texts:
Update 2: I think I have solved the cause of the gfci tripping whenever reset was pressed.

Yesterday. When I tried to teardown the GFCI to study the circuit and check the sense coil, I removed the MOV (metal oxide varistor) and melted the plastic housing of the sense coil. After I re-soldered the MOV, I put it nearer the coil. This may have resulted in flux irradiation of the coil resulting in constant tripping due to flux non-null induced current.

It's working now after I removed the MOV and used wire to connect it to the terminal outside. If you have other theories why pressing reset could trip it before I removed the MOV. Let me know.

Update: i took it apart (tear down) and put back together and reset is working properly now. What parts in the circuit can become loose or shorted resulting in the reset always opening the relay? My guess is the sense coil which may have moved the position resulting in unbalance current? If you will force to simulate the condition where reset would open the relays. What must you do to the circuit? What parts must you open or short? This is to understand the circuit more and be familiar with its subtlety.

Original message:

What are the kinds of common GFCI defects?

In my case, with no connected load (none plugged in), whenever I press reset, there is a loud click as the relay opens immediately. So outlet can't be turned on. It's like there is an internal continuous imbalance in the sense coil even with no load attached. It is NOT an auto-monitoring self test model (which uses extra IC), but normal one with exact circuit diagram below. Has anyone encountered something similar to this? What GFCI defects have you encountered?

What part of the circuit could be damaged?

http://datasheet.elcodis.com/pdf2/81/73/817329/rv4141a.pdf


texts:
I am trying to disassemble by bedframe and the
Screwdriver that I have seems too loose.
Where can I find a screwdriver to do this?


texts:
I have a 20" x 16" glass pane (that is somewhere near a 1/4" thick) that needs hanging on a wall. The glass pane is actually a holographic image.

I remember seeing a compression/spring mechanism for hanging non-framed pictures that had clasps for each of the 4 sides of the shape and an X spring design to keep pressure even while providing a hookable mechanism some years ago but can't seem to find anything similar in a web search now.

What is the recommended way of hanging something of this size and weight these days?


texts: Why do double hung windows have sash stops

texts: Double hung windows have a sash stop to keep then from opening all the way by a few inches. The only reason I can figure they are used is to make the window operation foolproof. Without it, when Clement Clarke Moore throws open the sash on Christmas Eve, the window could get stuck open.  Is there some other practical purpose? Google isn't helpful at all.


texts: What are some fireproof alternatives to wood framing?

texts: I plan to extend my bedrooms above the garage.  since I will be doing it, I want it done right.  All the construction I see uses wood framing which I don't like due to fire susceptibility.  I am considering metal studs and beams but would like to know if there are other materials that are resistant to fire but strong and durable.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?


texts: How deep do I need to sink a 6 x 6 post to support a 150 lb fire hydrant that will sit on top of it?

texts: I live Arlington, Virginia, US, and the frost line is two feet deep.  I was able to obtain an old (no longer usable) fire hydrant from the local contractors that are replacing them in my neighborhood. The fire hydrant weighs about 150 lbs.  I want to sink the 6 x 6 post in Quikcrete (multiple bags) and then trim it so the hydrants sit on top of it level with my patio.  I have 3 dogs and thought they would like having their own fire hydrant to pee on.


texts:
Is there such a thing as a gas valve with an on/off indicator light?

I'm looking for something where it's blindingly obvious that somebody has left the gas on.

ironically: I googled around but couldn't see anything obvious jump out.

More detail:

I'm looking to build an outdoor BBQ, I want a gas valve by the kitchen door to shut the gas off outside.


texts: Boiler Leak - Discharge Pipe - After Water Outage

texts: Recently had our water supply off for about 24 hours due to a main break and didn't turn off the pipes to the house. I noticed today that the discharge pipe is slowly dripping. What is the cause/solution for this problem?


texts: How to separate wooden shelf support from concrete floor

texts:
I am going to build some garage shelves. One long edge will be supported by horizontal battons fixed to the wall. The other long edge will have battons supported by vertical wooden legs. The vertical supporting legs will be 2x4s (i.e. approx 50mm x 100mm).

The bottom of the legs will be on a concrete floor and I am concerned about water on the garage floor causing the bottom of the legs to rot. What are the options for preventing water damage to the bottom of the legs? I am thinking of something to put between the concrete floor and bottom of the leg. I am not keen on any kind of painted treatment.


texts: Tell if hardwood floor is oiled or laquered

texts:
From what I understand on the internet, there are two main types of finishing for hardwood floor, oiling and lacquering / painting, and the two kinds require different maintenance.

I have a bedroom with hardwood floor, but I do not have the option of asking the previous owner what of the two options they went for. Is there a good way to tell the two kinds of finishing apart? From what I understand painted floors  can have very varied looks (matte or glossy), so that is not an option.

I have access to a few extra tiles, if that may help, but not to a box of tiles.

EDIT: I added a few pictures, as requested in the comments, trying to focus on damaged areas in the hope that it is more helpful.


texts: Looking to boost radio signal around the house

texts:
The set up is that my house is located in a valley.  If I try and use a standard fm radio I get terrible reception.

There is an areal mounted on a pole at the side of the valley that receives good fm, which comes down via a Coaxial Cable to the house. If I plug this into a radio
I get great reception.

I would like to plug this cable into one point in the house and have it transmitted wireless to multiple fm radios in the house.  Is this possible?

I know that I can get an fm distribution amplifier, but all the ones of these I've seen are cabled, (one coax in, 4+ out) so I would have to wire all the rooms with a coax point.

Another option that I've considered is getting several internet radios and just playing off the wifi. (lets call this plan B!)

I've also looked at a few FM transmitters, but and while I can plug these into various devices, I haven't found one that takes a Coax cable and re transmits.

The last thing I saw that might do the job is an FM Translator which is meant to rebroadcast the signal of a primary AM or FM station on a different frequency.  Although I haven't found much information on these yet or figured out where to buy one!

So that's the setup, and some of the things I've looked at.  I'm wondering is there any easy option I'm missing, or if anyone could advise what they've done in similar situations?


texts: Why does my drill bit destroy the screw head?

texts:
I have a craftsman drill which I use for drilling. When I use a screwdriver head to fix screws in drywall or wood, it keeps on destroying the head of the screw. So much so that the screw head is unusable.

What I am doing wrong? I have the drill on the slowest possible setting of 1.

Edit: This is a battery operated drill. It looks similar to the one in the picture below.


texts:
How many days after centering I can start plastering?

Centering is done on oct 1st. Can I do plastering to the outside wall within 14days from centering? Will it cause water leakage? Because we are not pouring the water to the roof. We are storing the water on top of it. So some of the water exhausts and some reaches ground through side walls?

Sorry for my terms.


texts: What could be causing this leak near my chimney?

texts: I had a new roof put on in 2010 and had no problems... recently I've noticed that I'm getting water in my house. Its coming down along side where my chimney is and making large bubbles in my walls. We had the roofer come out thinking something was wrong with the flashing. He informed us that everything looked good up on the roof and maybe the water was due to condensation, and the bricks soaking up the rains and therefore coming in. He told us to just scrap the wall but today we had rain and my wall looks worse. I hate to scrap and repair my wall and it continue. Can someone please tell me what it sounds like it could be. I have a cap on the chimney. The roofer did recommend "sealing the brick". I'm lost as to where to go next with this issues.


texts: What is the right way to extend a furnace intake pipe under a brick patio?

texts:
Our gas furnace intake (one of them, there are other intakes inside the house) currently comes out the side of the house but under a brick patio. It seems that the previous owner of the house extended that intake by added pipe underneath the brick patio, and enclosed in plywood from all 4 sides.

It seems that the pipe that was added did not fit properly in the pipe coming out of the wall. (Both appear to be 6" wide male end). Also there is some sagging of the brick patio, probably because part of it has the original concrete steps underneath it, and the rest doesn't.

What is the proper way to do this? Will I be able to find the right size of pipe that will fit with what's coming out of the wall?

Here the intake coming out of the wall under the patio:

Here's the run with the brick removed:

And, here's the final vent:

Please see this photo album for the rest: https://imgur.com/a/0pd42xK


texts:
Im currently trying to upgrade two three-way light switches in the kitchen to some new smart three-way switches. The issue I have run into though is that there appears to be two common wires on one of the switches? The other switch has just one common but this one appears to have two. See picture below.

Picture shows the old switch with the wires already disconnected.

Any idea which one is which here? I believe the two wires on top are the traveler wires but not sure about the bottom two.


texts:
I would like to run a line of outlets on the front side of my house. Ideally there will be:

1 circuit of outlets that are always on for general use
2 circuits of outlets that are on timers, one for Christmas lights, and the other for some hard wired light by our steps.

Questions:

Can I run 3 circuits through the same conduit and boxes?
What kind of conduit is required for outdoor use?
What is required to run the conduit  underground out to my front steps?


texts: What type of bolt is only threaded at the tip

texts:
I am trying to fix my son's scooter and need a 2nd one of these:

I've never seen this style of bolt/screw before: only the first 1/4" or so is actually threaded and the rest is just an unthreaded shaft. Hex/allen wrench fitting at the top.
Can someone help me identify what type of bolt/screw this is so I can order another one?


texts:
Our dining room has a wall that adjoins the outside. The wall is drywall (I think) and the floor is fitted wood squares. At least one of the squares is pulling up away from the floor. At the base of the floor, I can feel a draft. I have not been able to locate my pre-marriage incense sticks (my wife hates the stuff) to do a proper smoke test, but I think it's blowing in from the inside. Would that just be regular caulk? Is there a good way to ensure that it doesn't look too bad?
Due to recent masonry work, I have learned that there is a passage that at least leads to where the wall is, as I started to get brick dust coming into the house until I laid blankets out across the base of the wall.


texts: Washing Machine Hookups Not Shutting Off

texts: My neighbor is trying to hook up a new washing machine.  We have turned the valves on the wall both ways, specifically to the direction that says off though and when we unhook the pipe from the washing machine, water still shoots out.  Is there something we are missing?  I put a bucket underneath and slightly turned the connector going into the washer and water started shooting out, so I turned the knob both ways and there didn't seem to be a change in the pressure.


texts: Home cinema: Convert HDMI to HDMI + Audio

texts:
I have the following devices:

Projector [HDMI]
Sub Woofer [Stereo Audio]
Media Center [HDMI]

I need to split the output of the Media Center into HDMI for the Projector and Stereo Audio for the Sub Woofer.

Research I make on the subject seems to always lead to VGA plugs, which I do not want.

What would an example adapter / splitter be for this kind of scenario?

Additional information:

I am aware that HDMI contains Audio, my intention is to take the Audio out of the HDMI (if that makes sense) and send it through a different type of cable so my Sub Woofer can use it. The setup I have used to work great, I had an XBox with a separate output for Audio. However, that died on me, so I am replacing it with this other device.

What I am intending to do:

I am very open to changing the wiring, if need be!

My Sub Woofer:

My Media Center - A tiny Android device with an HDMI IN and HDMI OUT port, but no separate audio output:

My Projector - lots of input for audio / etc, however it uses inbuilt speakers in the Projector which are terrible quality:


texts: Will thinset be damaged if it gets wet after drying 18 hours?

texts:
I laid tile in the bathroom yesterday.  About 18 hours later, it felt pretty solid, so I took the opportunity to do some minor plumbing work under the sink (replaced the water shutoff valves).  I had some trouble installing the valves, and a fair amount of water dripped on the floor, but it's done now.  I haven't grouted yet.  In that area, the thinset in the grooves is now pretty much soaked.  Should I be concerned about the strength of the mortar?

Also - can I grout now or should I wait until the area is thoroughly dried?  I'm unsure because I've read that the drying of thinset is a exothermic reaction, rather than evaporation.


texts: How far from the foundation and how deep should a French drain be?

texts:
My wife and I bought a house recently but sadley the rainy season has come and I noticed a bad smell coming from the crawlspace I went under neath and found standing water about a inch deep running along two walls of the house.

The rain water is sitting on one side of the house and will take a few days to actually drain away/ evaporate so I've decided to install a French drain to help it run.

I was going to use 4in corrugated piping and hook the gutter system into it

And I just had a few questions

How far away from the foundation should I be?

With the soil being a majority sand should I dig shallow or deep? Or deep with a lot of stone on top?

And with the soil be majority sand should I use small stone, or large?

Thanks in advance for any advise you guys have!


texts: Can I safely hang a 17KG TV on a drywall in the UK?

texts:
I was wondering if it's possible to hang a 50 inch TV on the wall behind my PC setup? It weighs a total of 17KG.

Here's a link to the TV I'm talking about: Panasonic TX-50CS520B


texts:
For the last year, one of my gutter is constantly clogged and overflow. The gutter is almost impossible to reach so I had to hire someone to clean the gutter. Last weekend I decided this was enough and started digging around the downspout to see if the drain was clogged. To my surprise I found no drain (see picture). It’s just a T-shape PVC pipe. Both side of the pipe are open. This explain why the gutter would overflow when we get heavy rain.

Is this allowed in the building code? From my point of view someone clearly took a shortcut. I live in the Seattle, WA area (King County). The house was built in 2007.


texts: What should I do about an overflowing septic system?

texts:
I noticed a small puddle in the backyard that remained even when it's dry out, and recently realized that it's probably the septic system overflowing. The tank was pumped 2 years ago and I don't think we're heavily taxing the system (no garbage disposal, frequently away on travel), so I did a quick household audit and found that one of our toilets has been running pretty steadily. I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but presumably that's contributing to the problem.

The toilet is now fixed, but I'm wondering what I should do about the septic system. Should I get it pumped, or will the water level return to normal after a couple days? The amount of solids and grease entering the system hasn't changed, so I'm hoping that the extra water will just diffuse into the leach field.

Or maybe this requires professional attention?


texts: Sound barrier in addition to moisture barrier for engineered hardwood flooring

texts:
The mfg. of my 1/2" engineered flooring recommends 15# felt moisture barrier, which I have and intend on using over my 3/4" t/g std. sub-flooring to which I have added 1/4" plywood underlayment (screwed down) for a smoother and more solid flooring.  I recently have read about sound barriers in addition to the moisture barrier.  My home is a stand alone single family home with a standard cement foundation and crawl space.  Do I need a sound barrier and if so why and what do you recommend?

Thanks,

Douglas Nicholson (member)


texts: How can I replicate an integrated double oven and cooktop unit with individual components?

texts: We have an old Tappan unit. It is a single unit, with an oven above (not microwave), gas cooktop in the middle, and an oven below.  This set up is no longer on the market.  We would like to replace it, albeit as separate units, with the same configuration...oven above, stove top, and oven below.  Is there a way to do this?  Do we Just need a creative installer?  Point is, we want all units in the same vertical space as the existing Tappan.


texts: How do I repair water-damaged hardwood floors?

texts:
We moved a pot plant that was sitting on top of the wood floor. We discovered there's a wet spot about 2 inches wide where a couple of seams meet.

The wet spot has probably been there for months.

What measures does one take to repair the wood floor?


texts: Why would the pressure in the cold water lines increase whenever the hot water heater runs?

texts:
My problem started a few months ago. I started to notice my cold water pressure was spiking to over 140 and broke one of my Whole home water filter tanks.
I had the pressure-reducing valve replaced thinking that was the problem. Then I continued to notice it happening, so I tried shutting off the supply to the hot water heater at night and would check the pressure in the morning and it was fine. I did this for several nights and every night it was fine, so obviously the pressure increase is migrating back out of the hot water heater into the cold water supplying it.
Why does this happen and how the heck do I fix it?


texts: Is there a way to prevent sliding window from freezing?

texts: I have a window that slides to the side, and each time temperature outside drops below 0*C it freezes and there is no way to open it (not that there is ice all over it, just moisture from the room  freezes somewhere inside I guess). Are there any (easy) solutions to prevent freezing or making it open when needed?


texts: Why does the GFCI protecting my in-floor heat trip when the bath fan is switched off?

texts: The in-floor thermostat (Laticrete, model TH115-AF-GA) with built in GFIC trips sporadically after I turn off the bathroom fan. The floor heat is on a separate 15 amp circuit. The lights and fan are on a separate 15 amp circuit. Checked all wiring connections and all are tight and sound.


texts: How can I use an off-peak controller with my 240v air conditioner?

texts:
My unit's window mount A/C unit is pictured.  I am looking for a converter of some sort so I can use a utility supplied shutoff device.

The Unit itself does not have a temperature control or setting. Just on/off, high/low. The electric company provides the wifi plugs as a way to help control energy costs that connect to the AC unit, and I can control the temperature on my phone via wifi vs it just running all day long.

I cannot afford to run my AC all day, but have a pet and cannot leave it off all day. I am looking to attach one of those plugs that my electric company has to shut on and off when it reaches a certain temperature in the house.  However, I don't know what this is and how to convert?


texts: Oil primer covered a stain, until I painted over it

texts:
A plaster wall in an old closet has stains coming through the paint.  I don't know what the stain-causing stuff is, but it seems to be under the entire wall of the closet.  It is showing up in mottled patches all over the wall.  The existing paint is very old.

We covered it with Kilz oil-based, white-pigmented, primer.  The stain came though the first coat by the next day.  We applied a second coat of Kilz and it held up well.  We left it there a few weeks to make sure.

Then, we painted the closet with a latex paint.  In two days, the stain is showing though the latex.

My questions:

Can the latex pull stain through the primer?
would another coat of primer and paint help, or should I replace (or cover) the wall with drywall?
Is there some super-primer I should use instead?


texts: Can I 'glue and screw' 1/2" and 3/8" plywood sheets to substitute for 7/8"?

texts: Replacing damaged parts of a plank floor that is 7/8" thick. Need a level surface to lay another 1/2" plywood subfloor layer. Can I 'glue and screw' a two thinner pieces of plywood (1/2" and 3/8"), or do I need to source 7/8" plywood? I would use pl premium and screws for compression between the layers. My other idea was to add 1/8" hardboard strips on top of the joists in those sections and just using 3/4" instead. Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Is it possible to test a drained central heating system without filling it with water

texts:
Say there is a house with a just combination (combi) boiler for hot water, but the central heating system has been drained for a couple of years as the house has been uninhabited.

Is it possible to fully test the condition of the central heating system (not the boiler itself, but the hot water infrastructure within the house - i.e. leaks in potentially corroded pipework) without filling the system with water and risk causing said leaks?


texts: How to hang a dryer vent in a basement ceiling?

texts: I have an old house and had to rerun the dryer vent line from the first floor through the basement and then to the outside of the house.  I basically replaced everything the previous owner did with few exceptions.  I used the 4" semi rigid aluminum vent hose and replaced the external vent hood.  The old installation did not have cutouts in the floor joists for the vent line due to the presence of water, gas and electric lines in the path.  What can I use as a hanger to help support the 4 inch line as an alternative to cutting the joists?


texts: Concrete Floor for 400 Gallon Water Tank

texts:
I am planning to build a concrete slab on a soil surface to hold a 400 gallon water tank (Shown Below). I want to make it 7' x 7'. It should hold about 3,500 lbs.

Would I need to put in rebar? I've done much smaller slabs with 80 lbs bags of Quikrete Concrete ready mix. How many bags would I need?


texts: Upgrade Electric Service from 100A to 200A

texts:
Essentially, I want to upgrade the electric service to my house from 100A to 200A (or more).

Now for the details:

1) I called my utility company and I was told by them that my meter and service allow up to 320A (which I was told here likely means 80% continuous rating for 400A service).

2) My meter and main breaker are located some distance from the subpanel with individual circuit breakers. As such, I have two boxes with circuit breakers separated by ~100ft of service wire.

3) My current main breaker is integrated with the meter. The box is rated for 125A and the installed breaker is a 100A, 2-pole breaker. See the following picture:

This one details the current panel specifications:

4) I have about 100ft of service cable going through conduit to my subpanel, which has the individual circuit breakers. I forgot to check for other wire specs (ex. THW, THWN, etc.), but I saw that it is 4GA wire on the conductor wires.

5) My subpanel is also a 125A rated subpanel. It has 8 slots for (apparently) 16 circuits. See the following picture:

What I want to do:

1) I want to get 16 slots and ≥200A at my subpanel.

It's actually quite simple.

How I think I can do it:

1) Somehow get a total of four hot wires coming out of the main breaker box and add another 100A 2-pole main breaker to get a total of 200A.

2) Run another set of service entry wires from the additional main breaker through the conduit.

3) Install a second subpanel, identical to the first, to be serviced by this new set of wires I just ran through the conduit.

Questions I have:

1) For step 1, can I add a second main breaker that is connected to the meter through a jumper wire. Essentially, I would be adding a panel like this one (only using that product as a representation of what I intend), or do I need to replace the existing meter/main breaker panel with something like this one?

2) If I have 2 2-pole breakers or 1 4-pole breaker, can I run a new set of conductor wires without having to upgrade the existing ones? The difference is, if I replace the existing ones with 2/0 wires (for 200A), it will cost $1500. If I add new ones (protected by their own breakers on a 4-pole), it will cost $150.

3) Are the existing wires too small, since this website says that 4GA is only suitable between 70A and 95A, depending on the wire temperature rating? I'll be sad if they are too small.

4) Does it make sense to add another subpanel, or would it be better to replace the existing one with a 16+ slot subpanel?

If I am forgetting to ask something important, or if you need more info, please advise.

Thank you.

EDIT: My question was flagged as being similar to this question, which I also posted previously. This is a follow-up that details, more-specifically, a practical renovation project rather than a theoretical question regarding how breakers are built into circuits.

EDIT: Just called my utility again, and they told me something different this time. The current rep had no idea why I was told 320A last time and said they don't keep service ampacity numbers on their end. Instead, I'll just have to put in an application (because I'd be messing with the meter) and a technician will come out to talk through the project and determine what's required.


texts: Is modifying a box unsafe or against any electrical codes?

texts:
I modified a ceiling fan support box to fit onto a ceiling fan support brace. I did this because I wanted a ceiling fan in my dining room, but the junction box had three conduits running into the top of it. It would have been way too much effort and/or money to try and move or replace the conduit with flex to fit the original box that came with the fan brace.

So I did some searching and found out about the Garvin Box and widened the two outer holes to fit the WestingHouse brace.


texts: How do I avoid squeaking with a hardwood floor?

texts: We had Brazilian Koa hardwood installed on our 3/4 inch plywood subfloor that was level and solid. The installer used Bellwood's best underlayment and 16gauge nails. Everywhere you step the floor squeaks, every step, almost every board. We're having the installation redone. What shall I be looking for to avoid this problem reoccurring? Should the floor be glued and nailed to avoid the squeaking?


texts: I am trying to resurrect a Goodman gas furnace that hasn't run in a few years. I have gas to the unit, but no ignition. Vent blower starts up initially, but soon goes to intermittent operation, I assume because the burners don't light. It may just need to have the lines in the furnace bled, but I'm leery to do that since it sits right next to another furnace that is functional. I'm having a hard time checking operation when the thermostat is turned on because the thermostat is upstairs while the furnace is down. Thanks for any help!


texts: Lag bolt vs structural screw (and length) for TV mount

texts:
I'm attaching a TV mount (1/8" thick slotted plate) to a wall that is 1" soft wood (redwood?) paneling over what I suspect are 3.5" redwood studs. The studs seem to be square. The mount takes five fasteners (3 in one stud, 2 in the next).

From what I've read the bolts should go 1.25" - 1.5" into the stud so I was thinking I would use 2.5" long, 5/16" diameter lag bolts. To my surprise, the mount came lag bolts that are 3.5" long and 1/4" in diameter.

So, wise folk who use more fasteners than I do:

Would you use lag bolts or a structural screws?
How long?
Do you have a preferred brand? (please don't say Everbilt)
If a lag bolt, what metal and diameter?

Thank you!


texts: My mid 50's home has ballasts on incandescent lighting fixtures. Can I remove them?

texts:
For some reason unknown to me, my house that was built in the mid 1950s has "tungsten or ballasts" wired to each of the light fixtures on the main floor of the house. All of these light fixtures house incandescent bulbs, except for one track lighting fixture which contains 4 50 watt halogen reflector bulbs.

The corresponding light switches are a side-to-side soft toggle style that I haven't seen in any other homes. The switches float in a neutral position after being pressed. When pressing the switch to the on position, the ballast clicks and buzzes like a relay for an instant.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why things are wired this way? Can I simply remove the ballasts and wire in standard light switches?

Here is an image of one of the ballasts:

Here is an image of one of the switches:


texts: Can the A/C temperature through a vent be significantly lower than in the air handler?

texts:
Can the A/C temperature coming out a vent be significantly lower than the temperature in the air handler above the evaporator coil?  If so, how does the air get colder as it comes out the vent?  Or how does the vent get cooled below the temperature of the air cooling it?

(Background:  I've had two A/C contractors out to my house.  One was a friend my family trusts, who said there were significant problems with the system.  One was an inspector from a company with no reviews who was paid by my home warranty company.  He said everything was normal, which I'm somewhat doubtful about.  He also measured the vent temperature as in the low 40's while the air handler temperature was 55, which made no sense to me whatsoever.)

Let me know if I should move this to physics SE.


texts: Can I change a 240 volt 40 amp outlet for an oven to two 20amp 240 volt outlets?

texts: I am installing two wall ovens that each require 20 amp 240 volt outlets.  I currently have wired for a single 40 amp 240 outlet. To convert without pulling new wire from the panel can I put in a sub panel an add two 20 amp 240 volt breakers that can feed the outlets I need? Is there any easier way?


texts:
How can I go about filing a groove onto glass?

I want to adhere something slightly heavy onto glass. Since glass isn't the best in terms of gluing surface, I figured with a groove I can use gravity to help mount the object (along with glue).


texts: Mounting large mirror on drywall/studs with unknown brackets

texts: We got a large beveled mirror (50-60 lbs) at a garage sale thinking it would be easy to mount. After we got home we noticed the mirror has 2 brackets near one of the longer edges and I am baffled on how to mount with those. Can anyone help me?


texts: Where can I find the trip curve for this circuit breaker?

texts: I have a Westinghouse Cat. No. B10 2020C Type 1 Indoor Enclosure, and I'd like to find the trip curve for the breakers.  Any idea where I can find this graph?


texts: Is a humming sink disposal motor failing?

texts:
Ok so this is a strange question about my garbage disposal. I had my kitchen cabinets replaced but kept my original sink and garbage disposal. Its approximately 20 years old. When I went to use it, it only made a "humming noise". I have troubleshooted garbge disposals before so I know what I'm looking for. So I took an alen key and turned the motor and and pressed the reset button (since it popped). But didn't have any luck.

The next morning I try it one more time and the thing fires right up!? I'm at a loss of what happened, anyone ever have this issue ?


texts: Is it good to use a water based primer with oil based enamel on metal

texts:
I install outdoor fencing and generally use a water based zinc chromite primer, which attaches well to the raw metal. This coat is really quick to paint and the water based paint seems much quicker to apply. I then follow up with an oil based Enamel Paint.

Is this a good approach? (given that the two paints are compatible in that the primer does not wrinkle the paint). In my head, you are almost getting the best of both worlds here?


texts:
I have a lot of things which were covered in fungus. I have to go to some recycling area to throw them out. I want to know if is it safe as I heard fungus can get in your breathe.

What is the best way to dispose of items covered in fungus?


texts: How do I install an insteon light switch where wire colors don't match?

texts:
Electrical noob here.  I know enough to turn off the breaker.  I've read a couple of other answers and want to get a second opinion.

I have three wires coming out of the existing switch socket, 2 blacks and a stripped copper.

The Insteon switch has a black, red, white, and stripped copper.

Obviously stripped copper to stripper copper for ground, but I've gone through a few combinations of the other lines and haven't gotten the thing to work.

If I wire the Insteon-white line to either black, and Insteon-black to the other black, the switch comes online but doesn't turn the light on.  If I connect Insteon-red to a black, and Instead-black to the other black, the switch never powers up.

If I understand one of the other posts on smart switches here...  (specifically Why would a light switch be wired with the neutral wire?, I believe this is what I need to do - and what I'm looking for a 2nd opinion on.

First, not knowing which of my wall blacks are load and line (remember every project is an opportunity to buy a new tool!)...

Connect Insteon-red to let's call it Wall-Black-1
Connect Insteon-black & Insteon-white to Wall-Black-2  (3 wires in the twisty thing)

If the switch doesn't power up, then I've connected those to line instead of load and just swap the Wall Blacks around.

Advice?  Am I on track?


texts: How can I connect switches to function the way I want?

texts:
This wiring is a disaster...

There are 4 switches in total and 3 lights. Depending on which switch is on, a different combination of lights turn on/off. 0 means switch is "off" and 1 means switch is "on". Order of switches is numerical 1,2,3,4. and results shows which light goes on. i.e: 0100 1st switch off, 2nd on, 3rd and 4th switch off.

0000 No Lights On
0100 Light #1 On
0010 Light #2 On
0001 Light #3 On
0110 Light #1 On (Light #2 should be on)
0011 Light #2 and #3 On
0111 Light #1 On (Lights #2 & #3 should be on)
0101 Light #1 On (Light #3 should be on)
1010 Light #2 On
1001 Light #3 On
1011 Light #2 and #3 On
1101 None Turn On (Lights #1,3 should be on)
1110 None Turn On (Light #1 & #2 Should be on
1100 None Turn On (Light #1 Should be on)
1000 None Turn On
1111 None Turn On (Lights #1,2,3 should be on)

I think I need to create a constant current with Switch #1, but when switch 1 and 2 are both "on" no lights turn on.

There are 4 Boxes in Total.

If all worked properly - I'd like Switch 1 and Switch 2 to be 3-ways turning off light 1, Switch 3 to be single pole switching off light 2, and Switch 4 to be single pole switching off light 3.

I have pictures of each box without the Switches connected that I can send along.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.


texts: How do I attach the framing of a shorter wall to a higher wall above concrete?

texts:
Back again with another framing question that I simply haven't been able to answer.

For Reference:

Gray - Concrete
Pink - XPS Insulation
Darker Browns - Existing Wood
Light Brown w/ Dashes - new wall placement)

The concrete foundation on one side of my house steps up as the outside grade rises. Above the concrete is the exterior load-bearing wall. My idea (to conserve additional space), was to frame knee-wall height non-bearing walls along these walls. I have seen this done in other houses and would provide me with useful space.

My questions is: How do I properly attach these new lower walls to the upper walls in a way that will meet code, or do I need to approach this differently?


texts: Confused about my electric dryers heating coil

texts: Okay so like 2 days ago I noticed the electric dryers heating coil has stopped working.. I checked all the bimetal hi limit safety devices that break the circuit when the heating coil is up to temp, and they all had continuity. So I then took the 2 female connectors that attach to the coil, connected each one to my fluke, and as I expected I got 240v's. I then ohmed out the coil itself... i forgot the reading but it wasnt open, and it looked pretty much as I'd expect it to. So I thought maybe it was just a bad connection with all the movement the dryer makes while operating, and reconnected it. Again, nothing. So I then took the coil right out the housing and used a 120v receptacle and alligator clips to test it, instantly it got hot. So at this point I know the coil is fine.. I put it back in the housing and reconnected the two 120v lines and tried again. Same result.. nothing. So being I needed to get some clothes dry in a bad way, I took a length of 14 gauge romex, put a spade connector on one side, and a female connector on the other and soldered it all on. Put the female end on one of the previously 120v lines was, taped up the one I took off, screwed the new wire I made to the neutral, and left the other 120v line that was originally on it as it was. This for some reason works, but now the coil is at half power.. I'm really pretty confused as to why this is happening unless its somehow shorting, but everything keeps testing fine... Can anyone enlighten me here as to what else I can check?? Thank you.


texts:
I have romex running from the breaker to junction box1 then junction box2. From junction box2 there is a switch and a light fixture.  All of the romex is 2 wire (ground, black, white).

I want to replace my single pole switch with a wifi smart switch.

What are my options here?
Is there a wifi switch that works with 2 wire cables?
Is there a way to add a 3 wire cable without going all the way back to the breaker?


texts:
Background:

I am installing prefinished 3/4" solid oak hardwood floors throughout the main level of my house.  I have never installed hardwood before.

I have a 3/4" plywood subfloor nailed (and now screwed, during my subfloor prep stage) to the joists (2x10s on 16" centers).  The joists run along the length of the house (i.e. horizontally in the diagram).  Most sources I have seen indicate that with a 3/4" plywood subfloor on joists, you need to either run perpendicular to the joists OR install an additional 1/2" of plywood on top of the 3/4" subfloor.  I do not want to put 1/2" plywood everywhere, so I thus need to install the hardwood perpendicular, as shown by the yellowish lines in the diagram.

I am planning on blind nailing into the tongues (2" nails) for most of the floor.  I am planning on gluing (PL400) + nailing the transitions into kitchen and bathroom, and the nosed edge on the balconies (overlooking the two staircases to the entrances).

I am planning on using Aquabar-B for the underlayment.

Please ask if there is any other pertinent information I have neglected to supply and I can add it.

Questions:

I see two potential problem areas in my planned layout.  I would appreciate any comments on if they are going to be an issue or not.

Going down the hallway, there will be a run of about 45', from the front of the living room to the back of bedroom 1, which will be one continuous strip (installed parallel to the grain, which is the primary direction that wood moves)
In the dining room there are two balcony areas overlooking the stair cases; I am planning on installing nosings to go over the edge of the balcony, which means that I would not have an expansion gap here that can be covered by baseboards.

Possible Solutions:

For issue #1 I assume that adding a 'washer row' (using washers as spacers) every 10 rows or so may be sufficient?

For #2, the width of the dining room is only 9', so maybe that's small enough that it won't matter (and if I put a couple washer rows in there too, it will just be fine).

Additional information:

I live in Calgary, Canada, so things are reasonably dry most of the time, and in the winter (with forced air heating) it is quite dry.

I don't currently have a whole-house humidifier, but plan on getting one installed before winter this year.

Thanks for any suggestions / pointers!

Cheers


texts:
I have two showers that are back to back, making accessing the valves extraordinarily difficult (no closet or access behind them). So, I don't really want to get into the business of replacing the valves - and I understand it's fairly complicated even if I did.

I'd like to replace the trim on all the spigots and handles with brushed nickel trim. The valves are Moentrol style valves by Moen. I see lots of options for Posi-Temp trim kits, but the only Moentrol trim kits are either $400 or chrome. This doesn't make sense to me... I can get a Moentrol chrome kit for $120. I can get a Posi-Temp brushed nickel kit for $120. Why are Moentrol brushed nickel kits $350?

I've seen that Danco makes brushed nickel replacement kits that work with Moentrol. However, I found that it was a really cheap product... it was plastic and it didn't sit flush on my shower.

Do I have any other options? I don't want to replace my valve, nor do I want to spend $350 when there are beautiful, high-quality trim kits available for $120.

Suggestions?


texts: Is it safe to shave off 1/8" from a load-bearing stud?

texts: I am trying to install a small metal media cabinet in a load-bearing wall in my basement, but unfortunately the cabinet is about 1/8" too wide to fit between the studs.  Is it safe to shave off a small amount from one of the studs so that the cabinet fits?