texts: How can I add a fireplace to an existing non-fireplace chimney?

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Our 83 year old house has a brick chimney covered up with drywall. We have no idea where the original flue was, but it must have vented a wood stove because there is no structure for a fireplace.

We want to install a zero-clearance wood-burning fireplace. The best place (to our mind) would be in the living room, which means that it would squeeze into a corner of the living room, with a doorway on either side of the hearth. I know we will have to install an insulated chimney liner esp. since there is combustible material against the chimney. Our rough plan is to place a lightweight floor protector, rather than a stone hearth, so the floor can bear the weight. Because we cannot stick the stove "into" the wall because there is no fireplace opening, the new fireplace vent would have to bend into the chimney at some point, and we would have to cut a hole into the brick chimney for the flu. Also, the fireplace will "stick out" into the room, so we will have to make a mantel/hearth around it  that will basically eat up 1/6th of the living room.

I'm a novice at this, and am sure I've missed some details. Any advice or suggestions?

Is it possible to cut through the brick?

Is bending the vent pipe a good idea?

Will the chimney be a fire hazard even with insulated liner?

Our other option is to wait, and build a new chimney/fireplace into a one-room extension we plan to add to our two-story house. But everything I've read says never to do that... and that chimneys on exterior walls cause poor air flow.


texts: Can I use rubber bumper pads to prop open a door?

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I live in a one person apartment. Since no one else lives there, I don't need the door to my bedroom to close. Actually, I would prefer if it could be permanently propped open. The reason is, if I have my hands full, I can open the door without moving my hands. Or if I'm carrying a glass of water, I can always have 2 hands on the glass and open the door with my back. This is impossible if the door is latched. I would like to stop the door just before it latches.

I searched on Google Images and found these rubber bumper pads. They're clear and practically invisible. I was thinking I would place a few of them on the sides and they would make sure the door doesn't shut. I think they're from 3M, which I have used their products to hang wall art. Those products worked like a charm. My pictures to this day stand up.

I think this is the solution to this problem, but I would like to confirm with the experts on this website. There shouldn't be a problem with applying these rubber pads to the side of my bedroom door, right?

Insight is greatly appreciated.


texts: Should Water Sediment Filters Come Before or After Water Softener?

texts:
My question is:

In a water system, should water filtration come before or after the water softener? Edit: or even before the pressure tank?

At my cottage, we have a shallow well with an above ground jet pump. The "water system" is housed in an external pump house (basically a shed). The current flow is as follows:

well --> pump (pressure switch is on the pump) --> pressure tank --> water filters --> softener --> heater --> cottage

Water is pumped out of the well by the pump, then next is the water pressure tank, followed by three water filters (two for rust - different particle sizes, and the third is a "smell and taste" filter). Next is the water softener, then the water-heater inlet (where hot and cold splits) and then into the cottage from there.

It has been this way for three years, and no issues, but recently a plumber mentioned he would always have water flowing into the softener first and THEN through the rain fresh filters (opposite to what I currently have).  I asked why and he couldn't articulate it other than it was what he had always done/was taught.

Based on the above components, is my current flow correct or are they in an improper order?

NOTE: we have incredibly rusty water... so rusty that without filters and softener, it would completely clog faucet aerators and shower heads after a few months. The pump is unhooked and drained before each winter, and every year it is seized from rust by the time I go to hook it up in the spring.

A few photos to give you an idea of what the water filters are:


texts: How can I remove bubbles in a newly laid linoleum floor?

texts: We laid linoleum using glue but did not use a roller. It is bubbled all over. Can a roller be used after 8 hours and glue has dried? Will bubbles stay??


texts: Refinished Rusty Railings Already Rusted!

texts:
I have exterior steel railings that have factory seal and paint.  They started rusting, due to nicks in the paint, from show shovels, kids, etc.  In summer 2009, I completely stripped one of the railings, using a grinder.  I did a very thorough job of removing rust, and then carefully applied Rustoleum primer and sealer paint.

The following spring, rust already spread across parts of the same railing!  I live in Utah, where we have relatively low humidity (~65-70%), so I don't think the time between stripping and sealing would have been an issue.

Please provide tips on how to properly seal the remaining railings?


texts: What would be a fair day rate for a 1-day excavation job involving 1 person and a 24" bucket excavator?

texts: We're hiring a local company to come move dirt around our 1/10 of an acre property in a small town. The job will be 1-day of work, all by machine (no hand-digging). What would be a normal rate to hire an excavation contractor for a 1-day job involving one person and a 24" bucket excavator? No materials and no waste removal (all the dirt will be dumped on-site).


texts: Will foam tape stop condensation on metal windows?

texts: I am having an issue that water is building up on the inside of my metal window. has anyone tried putting foam tape on inside or outside to stop condensation?


texts:
So I've decided to buy this conduit to run some Cat5e cables outdoor (POE cameras). I've also bought clamps for the conduits. My question is should I nail or screw the clamps into the HardiePlank siding? Also what type of nail or screw because the holes on the clamps are pretty big.

Thanks for the help


texts: Removed Outer Brick on an Old Fireplace. Need Advice on how to re-finish

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So, long story short...

Wife and I were fixing some damaged walls around the fireplace and noticed the brick at the top starting to come loose, we wanted to update the fireplace anyways and decided to take the brick down to about mantle height and have a nice clean flat sheetrocked wall above the brick fireplace/mantle.

The white brick seen in the photo between the studs has some pieces of brick and a lot of mortar that is protruding into the room further than the studs you see on the left and right which would make a flat sheetrock wall nearly impossible.

Is this brick just filler and I can remove some of it to frame out the opening for sheetrock? or is it Firebrick? Our other option is build the upper wall where the brick facade used to be so that we can get a flat wall, the downside is that it will still protrude as the old brick did and wont look as good as we'd like (basically instead of brick to the ceiling it's drywall).


texts:
I have a room I'd like to be able to record in, and I'm looking at foam panels and various items to influence the sound quality/propagation/acoustic, etc.

Thing is, the more I read about it, the more I realize I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. I need someone with experience and knowledge to help me out.

I have a relatively squarish room and I would like to accomplish, as much as possible, the following :

Remove reverb / echo for better voice recording quality.
Make it so outside sounds are not hearable inside the room
Make it so inside sounds are not hearable from outside the room
I would like to be able for this to cost less than or about 500€

I have seen a billion different panels and I have no clue what to use. I've seen people place bass traps in corners, other use the same panels everwhere, others even place only a couple of panels here and there.

I was thinking of buying a little of all panels but that seems rather idiotic.

I know there are millions of parameter to take into account, but I don't specifically need a studio quality (if I can that's great).

The current situation is the following :

Room is under the roof and about 3.5m x 3.5m
Two opposite walls are vertical, two opposite walls are angled after about 1m from the ground. Both angles (due to the roof) are not the same on each side, and therefore not the same length either.
Room has one small window, on one of the angled roof-walls
Room has 1 door
Room is made of plaster and wood (mostly plaster)
Ground is made of wood

Reverb is rather insane ; currently room is empty. I've recorded a small video (not meant to show the room, more meant to have a memory of how it sounded before I placed my acoustic mods), here it is :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mszS2X7CDFgL02HJP7NqBhK-Uih_SReh/view?usp=sharing

You can have a good look of the room there which might help you. The video is really just me talking to the cam saying nothing interesting, for the sake of making sound in that room.

Here are the relevant sounds :

Want to avoid recording : Wife walking around in the house
Want to avoid recording : TV a couple of rooms away (barely hearable from there already, even with full sensitivity mic)
Want to avoid recording : Rain/wind sounds on the window
Want to avoid spreading : my voice when I'm recording. I might be close to yelling sometimes.

I will probably never have deep bass or stuff like that and I don't intend to record music, it will always be my voice, at all times. So the frequency range should be easier to manage, I hope.

I have also installed a software that I thought would help, called EQ Room Wizard, but I am not experienced enough in acoustics to use it (at all).

Now from what I've found, thomann provides a lot of choice and information on what you can buy ; amazon too but less. I've found various prices and types, and looked it up a bit. Thing is, like I said, I don't know what type of foam I need to buy. I see keywords/acronyms like SA, WAS, SN, Wedge, and numbers all over which I have no idea what they mean.

I really need someone to tell me the basics that will give best result vs time/money invested. Like : "buy 4 panels of that type and put them near window, then fill the walls with that other type of panel, and put xxx close to the ground."

I'm making things up obviously, but what I mean is, I don't want you gusy to give me a millimeter answer (unless you wanna somehow spend the time to make this the perfect studio)

I have given as much information as possible, feel free to ask more questions if necessary.

I hope that was enough !

And of course, thank you very much for even reading this far


texts:
I have an arabesque ceramic mosaic mesh sheet to apply as a kitchen backsplash. It's 10.5 in width x 15.5 in length x 8 mm thick. I am a first time DYI and appreciate your advice.

Thank you,

Jaz


texts: I wired up 4 new double gang boxes for a fish room I’m building. On the first double gang box in the fish room I tied into an existing outlet on the same wall that faces opposite for the room on the other side of the wall. I then wired the outlet that shares the double gang box with the gfci. I made sure everything was wired correctly. (Line and load terminals). And then continued the wiring for the next 6 outlets. With the breaker back on the gfci led light is on but the gfci outlet doesn’t work but all the other outlets down the line do work. I tried resetting the the gfci, installing a different gfci, and double checked all the wiring. What would be causing this?


texts: Methods for dampening condo floor noise?

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I recently purchased a top level condo with floating bamboo floors.  My HOA doesn't have any rules around hardwood floor installation and I think that whoever installed these floors didn't put a very good underlayment down.

Because of this issue I've been having many fights with my downstairs neighbors about the noise levels.  We've finally reached an agreement to split the cost on fixing the problem.  But I'm not really sure whats the best way to address this issue.

I was thinking that the best option might be to just have the floors torn up.  Lay down a nice sound proof underlayment like cork.  And then have wall to wall carpeting installed.

Is this a solid way of reducing noise for our neighbors?  Does anyone have good suggestions for this type of problem?  The noise I am trying to reduce is mostly impact noise from walking around and I really am just concerned about finding the right solution.

Thanks.

Update

I am okay with just putting carpet down in place of the bamboo.  I don't really mind carpet and I think it will make a big different in terms of audio noise in addition to the "contact" noise of just walking around.
   From the comments it seems like if I tear up the hardwood floors.  Put down a good foam underlayment and lay carpet on top that should be enough?  Cork won't help much past that point?

Update 2

I already have area rugs in most of the rooms.  But still hear noise when stepping on the creaky parts of the floor.


texts:
I will be adding moulding and trim to a few rooms after I lay laminate flooring. I have already done this in one room and I was really discouraged with my miter cuts. In most corners, I had a gap of at least 1/4" that I had to fill with caulk even though I set my compound miter saw to 45 degrees.

Does anyone have any advice on cutting better corners?


texts: I want to install new motion switches to replace old light switches in basement, old switches only have 2 wires hot black, white neutral wire so I will need to run another wire for the load.is their an easy way to do this?


texts:
Looking at moving my laundry upstairs, and the right answer is to combine two adjacent closets to get the width and move one of their walls a foot or two into the kitchen to get the depth.

The kitchen floor is 10-inch-square tiles. It would be sort of nice if that continued on into the laundry closet. I do have a full bundle of spare tiles in the basement.

Question: Could/should I plan on the new wall coming in on top of the existing tiles (presumably having to drill to secure the footer without shattering them), or should I plan on removing the ones under the footer and fitting cut pieces back in afterward?


texts: How to put a sidewalk on a slanted hill?

texts: If I had to guess I would say grade along my house is about 30%. I am just wondering if there is another way besides leveling off the part for the walkway.


texts: How well does ceiling paint double as closet paint?

texts:
I understand that the interior of closets needs to be white, or just off-white, so one can see the colors of clothing, etc.

I also understand that semi-gloss will enhance visibility by reflecting more light, even in the closets with interior lights.

But do I need to maintain yet another supply line of paint "interior semi-gloss white enamel paint", or can the cans for painting the ceiling ("ceiling paint, ultra pure white") have a second use as closet paint?

I'm reluctant to experiment and find out—because my first attempt at doubling the use of a can, "all-in-one primer and sealer", turned out to be a rather poor choice. The inside of the closets becomes far too dull, and more than one layer is needed to cover what is underneath.

"Scrubability" is not a factor. I'll assume that if something gets spilled, it warrants washing and repainting.


texts: Long clout nails though rigid insulation boards

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We are building a cabin with a solid wooden roof (18mm) on which shingles are nailed. An advised method of insulation is to put rigid insulation board on top, then nail the shingles using long clout nails, say 60mm nails with 50mm of insulation.

I've discovered you can buy clout nails as long as 150mm and am wondering if this would work with much thicker insulation, rather than having to build a wooden frame so the insulation boards are 'sandwiched' between two layers of wood?

Our contractor told us 50mm insulation was the limit but I think he didn't realise you can get such long nails. Is it viable to nail shingles through 100+mm of rigid insulation?


texts: Electrical pipe heated by heating pipe - against the code?

texts:
Please see the picture below.

The three pipes in the front are electrical (conduit). The big black pipe in the back is the heating pipe.
I guess something went wrong when building the building and the middle pipe, instead of being straight like the other two, bends to the back.
The problem is that it is touching the heating pipe. When the heating is on, this conduit gets warm. It does not get super hot/burning like the heating pipe, but it does get warm.

I'm in New York.
Do you know if a conduit touching a heating pipe and/or getting warm is against the electrical code and, if it is (I guess it is!) what would be the paragraph showing that this should not happen?
I ask because it belongs to the building (it's a coop) and I'd like to be prepared when I inform them (they are aware already, but I see it as a hazard, while they don't seem to have the same opinion, and I want to be prepared to show that in the electrical code).

Thank you!


texts: What could cause my sump pump to cycle on and off rapidly?

texts:
I have a new condition with my sump pump.  It runs for a few minutes (like normal) and then it stops for a few seconds and runs for a few seconds over and over (maybe 10 times).  This happens every time the sump pump runs.  It has been doing this for the last couple months and I'm concerned that this is causing additional wear on the pump.  I installed a battery backup pump on the same outbound pipe last fall, but it has been running fine with that install for many months.

Any ideas on the cause or how to narrow down the cause?


texts: How should I waterproof/seal a large hole in my basement wall?

texts:
There is a small 8"x12" plexiglass window in my basement that I want to seal/waterproof and then cover with soil. On the exterior of the house the window is at the base of a negative slope in the yard, that could easily be fixed by just getting rid of the "window" and adding a few inches of soil.
The foundation continues a good foot in a half over the window, before you hit shingles, so there's no issue there. What I'm wondering is what is the best way to seal this weird window?


texts: Solder debris in multi zone hot water baseboard boiler heating system blocking valves

texts:
I do not know how old the copper piping for the hot water heating system is.  We purchased the house in 1977.  We replaced the furnace with a Peerless Pinnacle boiler in 2006, included an integrated hot water heater and separate zones for the hot water heater, living room, kitchen and 2nd floor. All the piping was soldered. In 2015 we added a laundry room, heating under the floor and another zone. The piping is solderless.

Over the winter of 2019, we had a problem with overheating in the second floor.  The HVAC people found a small piece of solder stuck in the check valve for the pump that was dedicated to the 2nd floor and the extol tank was replaced.  Charge was $ 571.  Since then we have had incidents with all of the other check valves in their respective pumps except the one for the hot water heater.  Each had a piece of solder stuck in it and all of the check valves in the circulating pumps have been replaced.  Each time they replaced a valve, they found a small piece of debris that they identified as solder that kept the valve from closing completely.  In trouble shooting this problem, they flushed the entire system. Through all this the company did not charge any extra.  In September, the HVAC company did winter maintenance on the furnace.  The next day, the first floor overheated.  The service man found a minute piece of solder in the check valve and replaced it.  The cost was $ 371 but they reduced it to $ 276.  Tonight the first floor is over heating again.  Each check valve and service call is expensive.  In all the years we have had a hot water heating system, we have never experienced this kind of a problem and the HVAC company has never seen it either.

They have recommended a screen which will cost $ 500, not a magnetic one, as the problem is with solder which is not magnetic.  I am beside myself and very concerned about the expense.  Do you have any suggestions or opinions on this issue?


texts: How can I stop my fireplace from disabling my thermostat?

texts: My thermostat is in the sitting room and I have an open fire, so as soon as the room is nicely warm and cozy, the central heating goes off and the rest of the house is cold.   I have heard about WiFi thermostats.  Might this be the answer and would it mean taking out the original thermostat?  I rent the house.


texts: How to fix a loud, vibrating Maytag top loading washer?

texts: I have an older Maytag top loading washer that sits on a concrete floor. It has never vibrated in all these years, except when it contained an unbalanced load---easy fix. Now it vibrates and moves around making a very loud sound that scares the pets, no matter what size load and no matter how well balanced the load is, starting with the spin cycle. What are the most probable causes for this and how can I fix it?


texts: Do soffit lights count as an exterior light required at doors?

texts:
I am considering installing soffit lights (if I can find a type that is decent quality) instead of wall mounted lights for my front door/porch area and for the front of the garage doors.  I know electrical code requires a light to be at each door, but would soffit lighting work for that requirement?

If so, should I be looking for a specific style of light that would install in my aluminum soffit or just look for a recessed fixture?


texts: What distance apart should Elfa vertical wall brackets be?

texts:
I would like to install an Elfa system in a storage room under the stairs, but cannot find out what distance apart the vertical wall brackets should be placed at. I checked the website but could not find out how far apart they should be.

Does anyone know what distance apart the vertical wall brackets should be? I would like to use their shelves/baskets/etc.

https://uk.elfa.com


texts: Can the drain pipe in my bathroom vanity be turned to the side?

texts: Can the drain pipe in my bathroom vanity be turned to the side so that the middle of the sink can be further to the right.  I don't want ot have to move the hole in the wall.  I currently have a 30" vanity, and I want to buy a 48" vanity.  The center of the new vanity would be 24" as opposed to the current 15" center - a difference of 9".  I don't have any room to center the vanity since the toilet is just a little to the left of the vanity, so I would have to move it to the right - off center.


texts: Why did concrete screws feel loose when installed in a brick wall?

texts:
I am trying to secure a floating mantle shelf over a brick fireplace wall.

I used 2 3/4" 3/16  tapcon screws to secure the  strip of wood to a brick wall but the wood strip did not hold securely

The tapcon 3/16" screws called for a 5/32 mortar bit hole which I used, but when I drilled  the tapcon screws into the mortar they felt loose, as if the hole was too big.

Any guesses as to what might have gone wrong?  Any suggestions as what type of fasteners would work better in securing the wood strip to the brick wall?


texts: Garage door stops at a different place each time it closes

texts:
My old Craftsman 1/2 hp garage door opener was abused by previous owners who tried to operate it with a poorly adjusted door. Now, the door operates smoothly and the opener travel limits have been properly adjusted along with the safety stop. The problem now appears to be that the door closed limit doesn't seem to operate at the same place each time. It is a chain drive and sometimes when the door closes you can tell the stop limit has not operated because you can see slack in the chain just before the torque safety switch causes the door to open. At other times the door doesn't close far enough to compress the rubber door seal.

The opener does have up/down force adjustments and they work fine. The problem seems to be related to unreliability of the down travel limit adjustment. There has been some unreliability in the up travel limit too, but the primary problem is down. After each adjustment it may work fine 2 to 5 times before it again closes too far stretching one side of the chain very tight and causing the bar to bow, (unless I properly adjust the down force safety in which case the door reopens). I plan to open it up and look for anything loose, like chain sprocket to shaft or loose limit actuators. If I don't find anything I will take the advice below and buy another opener.


texts: I had a huge play structure when the kids were little that I donated to a church camp. When they picked it up they just cut the brackets at the ground and left the concrete and 6 inch U brackets there. I am having a shed installed and there are 12 of these in the ground that I can't get out. I have tried to shovel dirt away and pry out but can barely get them to move. It was 32 feet high so they are large. Any ideas would be welcome. I don't want to get ground wet because the shed is going there but only have 2 days to get all these out and after 3 hours working on 1 figured I needed to ask for advice. It's super hard ground with roots running thru from a tree that ran thru the middle of the structure.


texts:
I've laser engraved text onto a wooden plaque . The engraving has some finely spaced grooves. I want to apply a stain on it , sand it out so that the engraved portion is darker than the rest. I'm planning on using a fine-grit sandpaper to hand-sand it. I'm a little worried that sanding will blend the engraved and non-engraved portions of the wood - the engraving is probably 1mm deep.

Is there an alternative ?


texts: I recently moved to a new house and there are no ceiling lights. I can only see the wires but no place to put a hook for my fixture. Any idea how should I install my lights?


texts:
I live in an old 1910s house and it turns out my walls aren't drywall. It is constructed of rock or some type of masonry. Over it, there is a really, really old wallpaper, which also have over itself, something covering it. It's 1½ feet wide paper-like sheet vertically pasted on walls and finaly, covered by many, many paint layers.

Yesterday, I went into a room in order to put some plaster patch on a damaged area. There was a spot, on the paper layers which I mentioned previously, which doesn't seems to stick anymore. So I simply tear it and it came off pretty easily, without too much effort (this is how I discovered the old, old wallpaper). So I applied some plaster patch on it to level it correctly. But once it has dried, some weird yellow stains appeared through the plaster patch. I'm guessing that at some point in the past, water damage or something may occurred at that location. However, when I touch it I don't feel any moisture.

What should I do?
Is this normal?
Is it moisture or something like glue behind the paper-like sheets?
Should I consider putting «placoplâte» in french (Plasterboard in english I guess or draywall) to cover all over these walls?
Is there anything I must do to ensure my walls are really dry?
Are these yellow spots appear on the paint too?

Thanks in advance. I must specify that it will be a new born child's room so I don't want to take any risks but I really want to do it on my own without paying for an expensive professional service.


texts: Why is there a copper wire attached to this water pipe?

texts:
The outdoor faucet was turned on today(45 degrees), shortly after we discovered a leak in the house. We're not sure if the faucet broke or the pipe fractured/burst. After pulling back the drywall we noticed that there is a copper wire in conduit bracketed to the water pipe at the faucet. Would it be safe to try to find the leak by turning the water back on, if we turn off the electricity?

I was under the impression that grounding to a water pipe occurred outside of the house, is that incorrect?


texts: How to ground an amplifier without ground pins on outlet?

texts:
My electric guitar amplifier's plug has got ground pins but my wall outlet does not have any ground pin and I want to use this amplifier grounded. How could I ground this properly and safely If there is no grounded outlet in room?
Wall outlet looks like this (no ground pin):


texts: How can I lift glued carpet without destroying it?

texts:
I'm in the UK (in case that helps).

I've just bought a late 1800s terrace house that has had a great renovation.

The problem I've come across is that the carpet seems to be glued to the floorboards. I want to get below the floorboards to lay ethernet cables around the house. I was hoping to pull the carpet up in the corners and lift a few boards in each room to run the cables.

What I don't want to do is damage the carpet. It's brand new carpet throughout the house.

Is there a reasonable way to lift the carpet without damage?

Maybe steam? A solvent of some sort (that doesn't destroy the carpet)?


texts:
The shut off valve/pipe for the hot water leaks and has to be replaced.  I disconnected at the valve the hot water hose for the washing machine because just using cold/cold still tried to access the hot water line causing it to still leak because of, I'm assuming, a vacuum situation.
The hose end is now in a bucket next to the machine because water still leaks from the end of the disconnected hose for some reason when I try to wash a cold/cold load.

Why is water coming from a disconnected hose?

I tried disconnecting it only from the back of the machine, but it just leaks on the floor from the connection port so a bucket is the only solution for now. BTW, the machine is over 30 years old and still working fine.


texts: How can I clear out limescale from inside a bath's pipes?

texts: I have a bath which has accumulated limescale inside the piping system; it manifests itself as a very-slow running tap with a weak stream. The tap itself is removable, and I suspect the limescale is inside the pipes just upstream of the taps. What's the best way to clean this out without taking the pipes apart? Vinegar?


texts: Sheathing layout on 14' wall. Efficient material use

texts:
I'm sheathing a garage with 14ft walls and with a panel of zip at 80$ I want to make sure I'm making efficient use of materials. On each wall there is a 2' cutoff if two 8' panels are use like ways vertical. How can I incorporate that 2' into the layout so I don't have to buy a ton more sheets. Any code references on minimum sheathing width? Blocking required al all seams?
I do have fire block at 10' and shear block at 8'. Is it code legal to go 8' then a 2' piece and finish with a 4' piece or is the answer stacking 4', 4', 4', 2' the right answer?


texts: What to do about a radiator behind a curtain?

texts:
I have lived in several houses, including my current one, where there is a large radiator behind a curtain, and a window above the radiator.

My question is - just how bad is this for heat efficiency?  Are there any good methods to improve the situation (apart from keeping the curtains open.)

Thanks.


texts: Leveling a bathroom floor - toilet in the low spot

texts: We are upgrading the bathroom and the floor (ceramic tile over installed over plywood) is out of level and the low spot is around the toilet. I had thought of using floor leveler but I now don't think that will work.  It seems like floor leveler would just run down the opening for the toilet drain pipe. Open to any suggestions.


texts:
Can you feel the texture of the wood in a parquetry floor?

I'm writing a novel and describing someone feeling the floor, but don't know if in a parquetry floor you would be able to feel the wood's texture.


texts: How can I prevent insects from entering my house? How can I find their entry point?

texts:
We just moved into a different house. There seems to be an unusually high probability of insects entering the house compared to other houses. No infestation, but a lot of one-off incidents. The worst so far have been one wasp and a fist-sized grasshopper. This is definitely not normal.

I suspect that there is some entrance somewhere they're using to get access to the house, but I don't know where it could be or how to find it.

So how can I prevent bugs from entering, and also diagnose and fix any structural problems that may be allowing them to enter (like a hole in a door, for example)?


texts: Will a water pressure booster stress my house's plumbing?

texts:
If two taps are opened at the same time on the main floor, or if one is opened on the main floor and one on the lower floor, the water pressure seems to be insufficient for both taps. The house is a bungalow with finished basement.

I was told that one way to fix that is to install a water pressure booster. I am a little bit unclear on how this will affect my plumbing. I am actually not sure if the above is a volume issue or a pressure issue (I know they are correlated).

Since I have ½" pipes (copper) and the city connects the house with ½" main pipe, I guess it could be both.

So here are my two related questions:

Does the booster put additional strain on my plumbing? Can I expect weaker connections to crack and leak?
What is the way to calculate the correct size of the tank for this booster?


texts: I used molly bolts in plasterboard and had issues with spinning. I’ve now removed them, and realised that they were too short for the plasterboard, which is thicker than I thought it would be. The holes left are now 17-18mm. Would it be safe to reuse these holes using a larger anchor, such as a toggle bolt? Or would the mollys have damaged the wall?


texts:
trying to design a straight stair run using steel tubes as stringers.
total run = 10'-0". total rise is 8'-8", width 3'-0".
Support is only at each end.
yes these are steeper than normal, and do not access a living space.
would two steel tube 5"x2" x 1/4" thick be stiff enough?
if not what size rectangular tube would be required?


texts:
I only use hot water once a day to shower. Recently, my 16 year old Bradford White gas hot water heater has taken a turn for the worst, and will only put out a little hot water at a time, and, regardless of whether or not I'm using water, the fan will run constantly.

I'm considering upgrading to tankless in a few days, but, in the mean time, I don't like the idea of the blower running up my electric bill. Am I safe to unplug the water heater from the wall and simply plug it back in an hour or so before I shower in the mean time?


texts:
Can anyone tell me WHY all of the 'delivery' instructions say that the shutoff has to be within 6' of the refrigerator or they will not hook it up? And I mean the literature states they will not even leave it.

I intend to finish the basement - later. That means I can't 'hide' a shutoff valve in a ceiling. My only option is a laundry room which would place the shutoff approx 10' from the floor penetration. I do not want to put it behind the refrigerator or build it into the wall for logical reasons. The simplicity of connecting a braided line from a shutoff in the overhead laundry room is where it's at. They sell 20' braided water kits but you would never ever need one if shutoff was within 6'. Doesn't make sense.

I just haven't been able to find an explanation for the six foot "rule" anywhere. And since I can't seem to access the UPC online, I'm at a loss.


texts: I am running an electrical line for an a/c unit 220 it calls for 20 amp breaker  about 15' underground and the rest overhead in conduit 80' total. My question is what size wire should I use? Thankyou in advance


texts: Can an existing exhaust fan with a light and night light be replaced with just an exhaust fan and a seperate can light in the shower?

texts: We are remodeling our bathroom and in our shower we have an exhaust fan with a light and night light combo which are connected to three different switches.  We are replacing our exhaust fan with a better one but it does not have a light in it so we wanted to put a LED can light that was made for the shower.  Is this possible using the existing wires from where our original exhaust fan is to install both the exhaust fan and can light and if so how?


texts: Hot Tub Disconnect Box 220V with a neutral and ground/No neutral in main panel

texts: I am trying to install a portable hot tub in my back yard.  Starting at the tub, I ran two hots and a neutral plus ground back to the 60 amp GFCI in my disconnect box.  Then, I ran the same wires back to my main panel, but my main house panel does not have a neutral bar, what can I do?


texts:
I am installing an electric cooktop that has black and red conductor wires (plus the ground wire). However, the circuit line has black, red and white wires.

Since there isn't a matching white wire in the cooktop can I safely cap the stranded white wire in the circuit line?

Thanks.


texts: Are GFCIs now required in all unfinished portion of a house?

texts: I was really surprised that a city inspection did not pass based on regular outlets in an unfinished room in the basement.   They are correctly jacketed and all of that stuff.   They are simply requiring GFCI outlets on everything.     Not many houses I sell have city inspections but was surprised.   Is this new or been for a while or just something city is making up?


texts: Why do these LED light bulbs flicker when my remote control has turned them off?

texts:
I bought some LED lights for my candelabra in my master bedroom. They're E12 bulbs (I think, since they do fit). Incandescents worked fine before. When I put these LEDs in there, they flicker when they're off. They work great ON but why would it be flickering when off? What possible solutions do I have? This is 1999 home, not too old.
Here's a video of my problem. I use a remote to turn off and on.
LED in question. I also tried another brand from Home Depot, but same results.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XY8LM1G/


texts: Can non-metallic cables pass through one large opening at top of electrical panel?

texts:
Does the 2014 NEC eliminate the need to secure each cable to the cabinet?
Or can all cables pass through one large opening at top of panel?


texts: How do I approach new water stains on my ceiling?

texts:
I am a brand new home owner with almost no experience with DIY stuff.  There was a few days of significant rain and now my wife noticed some stains on our 2nd floor ceiling that we are pretty sure weren't there before.  The stains aren't huge: probably about a half dozen spots that are between 2 and 10 inches in diameter.  They are all localized in an area of about 2 feet square.  When we bought the house a few weeks ago the inspector did not notice any problems with the roof or evidence of leaking but that was before Hurricane Irene rolled through.

I'm not really sure how to approach the problem.  It has stopped raining today and looking in the attic a bit I don't see any obvious place where water came through.  All of the insulation above the second floor ceiling looks dry.  Should I get up on the roof and look?  (A daunting proposition for someone of my skill level.)  Should I just call my homeowner's insurance to start a claim process?  (With $1000 deductible I'm not sure if that is the right play.)  Should I wait until it rains again and go up in the attic and look for leaks?  Should I just watch the stain to see if it gets worse?


texts: What's the best way to resolve multiple circuits going to a single outlet?

texts:
I'm not sure the title is the best, but it's the best I can come up with right now.
I've been replacing all the outlets and switches in my house, and for the second time found an electrical box with multiple circuits running to it, with the neutrals tied together.  Last time I could fix it semi-logically because it was a multi gang box, and I could separate the circuits.  This time, I fixed it, but I'm not sure if it's clear what's happening, for someone looking in the future.
From what I can tell, what happened was that the bedrooms used to just have a switched outlet.  At some point, they added overhead fans, and tied those to the already existing switches.  In this room, the power initially came from circuit 1, to the switch, then to the outlet.  When they added the fan, they ran that cable to the outlet, not the switch, and for reasons I'm unsure of, also connected the outlet to circuit 10.  Maybe so you could have a switched outlet and an outlet that always got power, not that it was wired that way.
The upshot was that the fan, outlet, and switch were all tied in to both circuit 1 and circuit 10.  To fix this, I capped off the wires from circuit 1 in the switch, and cleaned up the wiring in the outlet, so that they're all only being fed from circuit 10, and the switch only controls the fan.
Is there a better way to fix this?  I don't want to mix multiple circuits together, which is why I removed circuit 1 entirely, but it means that the wiring for the fan is tied to an outlet it would seem to have no real connection to.  Should I leave a little note for a future person, explaining what's going on and that it wasn't my fault?


texts: Heating above ground pool by re-circuplating pool water through tankless, on-demand water heater

texts:
Due to covid-19 all indoor pools in my area are closed for the foreseeable future. Kids being swimmers, I purchased an Intex 15' round above ground pool and installed in it in the garage. It worked well over the summer, but I would like to turn this into a year around solution, at least through this winter. Since I hope this is only for one season, I am not looking into a full blown pool heating system and am trying to keep this on a budget.
I am considering using a tankless, on-demand water heaters running on LP to heat the pool and am looking for pointers why this won't work or is a bad idea. Taking one manufacturer, it seems that specialized pool heaters are double the price of a water heater. I am trying to keep my initial outlay to
~ $1,000, but also wonder how much it will cost to heat.
Water Heater:
https://www.rheem.com/group/rheem-tankless-mid-efficiency-tankless-mid-efficiency-64-direct-vent-indoor
VS Pool heater:
https://www.rheem.com/group/rheem-residential-pool-spa-heaters-above-ground-pool-spa-heaters-106
Some info:
Pool Size: 5,000 gallons.
Garage is cinderblock construction with roof, but no insulation anywhere.
We are in the Washington, DC area so avg winters are hovering in low 30s overnight.
Pool currently has a 320 GPH pump.
Also, how to ballpark estimate the cost of heating:
Assuming an initially cold pool at 50 degrees, at 6GPM and 35 degree rise, I can circulate all water in the pool in 11 hours, and get the pool to 85 degrees. (78 is enough for swim practice). Now all the heat loss starts and I need to keep water circulating, to keep it as 78 degrees. How much LP would I be burning through on a daily basis?
Updates based on questions asked:

Pool is a single layer vinyl and comes with a cover.
With valid points raised about 1) heat loss and 2) condensation, sounds like insulating the garage is a must.
Currently considering R10 rigid foam for all walls, both Owens Corning FOAMULAR and Thermasheath Rmax seem water resistant, so this feels OK.
Not sure what is best for the roof. Should can cut the same boards and add in between rafters. Or will batt insulation work if protected from condensation, perhaps with a layer of Reflectix bubble insulation on top of batt, facing the inside.


texts: How can I make my own fabric replacement slats for my blinds?

texts: I need to replace the fabric slats on the vertical blinds in my house. I do not want vinyl ones in my house. My windows look out on a golf course from most of the rooms in my house. I have lived with them for 30 years and have lost some to the dogs and a few to wear. They are 57 inches long. I sew so that part should not be a problem. I am not sure what to use to stiffen the fabric. Or where to get the replacements plastic pieces that go in the top of the slats to hook into the rail. Any suggestions anyone?


texts: Large vertical crack at end of concrete block wall

texts:
I'm thinking of putting an offer in on this house. It is 40 years old and a lake front property (Kentucky).
This picture is from the basement and you can see a large vertical crack at the end of a concrete block wall which has been poorly filled in the past.
This is literally all the details I have right now. I'll get more pictures and details shortly, and will have an expert out during the inspection period if I offer and it is accepted. In the meantime, I'd love to know if this was clearly a sign of a serious problem, because then I'll save myself some trouble and pass.
It's location both at the end of a wall and under that large support beem seems important, but I don't know if that makes it less serious or more.
Any thoughts?


texts: Can a built-in dishwasher be plugged into a receptacle?

texts: We just bought a house in California. Can a built in dishwasher be plugged into an outlet or must it be hard wired?


texts: Is there a benefit to having a switch control an outlet?

texts:
In my house  there is a switch in every room that controls an outlet.  I’ve asked my electrician to remove that so that the outlet is always on.
He says it’s safer to have a “control switch” but I can’t think of a good reason why.
What am I missing?


texts: Is there a way to hang mini blinds with only 1/2" of space to mount the brackets?

texts: I had all of the windows in my house replaced last week and I just assumed that my fairly new mini blinds would be able to be put back up but once the new windows were in, but there is now only a little over a 1/2" of space left to hang brackets and the 2" brackets I had up before will not fit at all. I need them to be mounted on the inside so that the wood around my windows isn't covered up, so outside mounting is not an option for me and it's definitely not in my budget to get custom blinds made right now so I am at a loss as to what to do now. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.


texts: What sealant to use on a hole in the interior of the house on an external wall?

texts:
There's a tiny, tiny hole in an external wall that separates my living room and the outside front entryway.  This is important because I just saw a bug crawl through the hole from the outside into my home.

Actually, to describe the hole more accurately, the baseboard goes along the wall on top of my carpet.  Where it transitions from carpet to the tile for the front entryway I can see some sealant, since the baseboard is 1/4 inch off the ground b/c of the carpet.  There's a tiny hole where it transitions from the carpet to the tile.

What kind of sealant should I use to spray into the hole to fill it up and prevent bugs from entering?  Should I spray from the outside if I can find a corresponding hole outside or from the inside where I can clearly see the hole?

EDIT: Here's a photo of the hole


texts:
My A/C system uses an electric furnace blower motor for heating and cooling. The motor jerks violently when cycling off when the thermostat is set on auto for cooling. The motor was recently replaced but the problem remains. There are two separate thermostats for heat and cool. The problem does not happen when using the heat thermostat nor when I manually turn on or off the fan (there's a 'auto' and 'on' switch located above the ECM). It does happen when I turn the fan on using the thermostat. Have no clue what's causing the jerk when it cycles off.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is an aluminium radiant barrier allowed to cover insulation paper facing instead of drywall?

texts:
First some context:

Geographical location: City of Sacramento, CA, USA
Building: Residential detached garage.
Goal: To keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Approach: kraft paper faced fiberglass batt insulation was stapled between the rafters. Now I thought I was finished...not:

Problem: The paper facing states (readable from within the garage):

  WARNING! This facing will burn. Do not leave exposed. It must be
  covered with gypsum board or other code-approved materials and
  installed in compliance with all building codes. To prevent a fire,
  keep open flames and other sources of heat away from the facing.

The product documentation, consistently, states:

  Kraft and standard foil facing will burn. Do not leave exposed. Facing
  must be installed in substantial contact with an approved ceiling,
  floor or wall material.

Question: Is it allowed to staple an aluminium foil radiant barrier (assume fire rating Class A / Class 1, ASTM E-84) over the paper facing to meet code as shown in the figure below? It's easier to install compared to drywall.


texts: Water Heater - Electrical Fire - Safe to replace thermostat to try to fix?

texts:
I replaced my water heater elements and thermostats about a week ago. Everything was fine and dandy for about a week. Then this afternoon I noticed no hot water so I took a look at the insides and it looked like the wires caught on fire.
Two questions: 1. What could cause this? It worked fine and then bam no more. 2. Would I be able to just replace the thermostat and it work again? It looks like the black wire is kinda burnt. Is it safe to replace myself or should I call in a plumber?

Thank you.


texts: how to remove a tiny screw that won't spin?

texts:
A friend asked me to have at a look at his 'broken' laptop and here's a picture of one of the screws.

Click for larger view

I've been trying to remove it for about 15 minutes.

It's in a 'hole' of 2~3mm deep and surrounded by the black plastic part

Any helpful ideas ?


texts:
From time to time, there's this god awful stench coming from my floor vents.  It's not potent enough to where you can smell it directly at the vent, but strong enough to linger in the house and stink it up.  Some days, it smells like death.  Other days, it just smells like a dirty sink or bathroom.

I've ran an endoscope down my vents only to find your common dust and other misc. items (like ear plugs - why?).  I also went under the house (crawl-space) and took a look around and found nothing.  Insulation seems good, no leaks that I can see, and my A/C condenser appears to be running water to my sump pump correctly.

What are some common causes of smelly HVAC?  I'm really wanting to figure this out because the stench is not very pleasing to guests.

Additional Info: It only seems to occur on hotter days (>90deg F).  Pressumably when the A/C has to work extra hard.


texts: What are my options to replace my porch railing?

texts:
My front porch has an existing railing that was clearly put up in a hurry. Since the wood was not properly treated, the top and bottom railing pieces are warping and the balusters are starting to fall out. I tried screwing them back in, but the gap is too large, so they are starting to fall out again.

I would like to start over and replace the railing/balusters.

The big issue is that it's an older house (1950s) so the poles are not a standard distance apart (6 feet). They are "about" 9 feet apart (9 ft. 1/8 inch and 9 foot 1 inch). When I went to Home Depot, they sent me away saying that they can't help me since they aren't 6 feet.

Anyway, I checked with the town and I don't have to worry about building code since I am not replacing the poles (IE, I don't have to add new poles like I would if it were new construction).

I have a budget ready for this project. Obviously, saving money means I can spend it on other home improvement projects, but I can spend as much as $1,000. I am willing to build everything myself, but if I can use something pre built that is fine too. Time is not too much of an issue, although I would like to get it done pretty soon.

I am thinking wood would look much nicer. The vinyl railings look so very cheap. Can I do some kind of metal railing?

Anyway, please help me find the next direction, I know what I want, but how to get there is a little sketchy. If I need to spend some of the budget on tools, great! I love tools. I have an huge assortment of hand tools and a power drill. My father-in-law is fine with me using his circular saw for cutting wood as well.


texts: Can one get instant hot water from home faucets without a heater?

texts:
My house has a solar and electric heating mechanism which provides hot water year-round.

However, when opening the hot water in the kitchen and toilet faucets, I get cold water which gradually get warmer and warmer, till they are actually hot. The process can take between 5 seconds to two minutes, depending on the house temperature. This is annoying and wastes precious water.

I once heard that there is a way to get instant hot water without a heater, by circulating water between the cold water line and the hot water line, but I could not find any details online.

Is there a way to get the hot water flowing instantly from the home faucets, without a faucet heater?


texts: How can I prevent hanging sliding doors from coming off track?

texts: We've got a closet with a pair of overlapping sliding doors that hang, by their wheels, on a top-mounted rack.  There's a bottom guide screwed to the floor that keeps the doors lined up.  But unless a door is opened carefully and slowly, one or both of its wheels come off the track.  Are there any tricks or adjustments I can make to prevent this?


texts: Multi-layer insulation for private houses?

texts:
Space vehicles and military systems use an advanced technology called multi-layer insulation(MLI) to manage thermal conditions. It is very expensive.

Are there MLI systems that are available for use in private homes?


texts:
Our 1950's brick two story, three bedroom with a basement is a pretty common type around Toronto. We're doing some demolition and cleaning up in the basement. We are fairly sure we want to sell; our original plan was not to finish the basement, but to take it down to "clean"; painted cement floors, painted concrete block walls.
The basement was finished to a certain extent by a former owner.

Part of the basement floor looks like "normal painted concrete basement floor". Mostly smooth, painted with a kind of thick paint.
Another part of the basement had carpet. This carpet was sitting on plywood, that we thought was sitting on the same kind of smooth painted concrete.

However, we just pulled up the carpet and plywood subfloor, and as we do it, we're finding that this area does not have smooth concrete under it. It has rough concrete instead, looks like it was not finished.
More confusingly, that concrete appears to have been poured between 2x4's, so each strip of concrete is about 8 feet long and 18 inches wide. Now 70 years later now, many of those 2x4's have rotted, and for those we can look down and see soil!

I've had a recommendation to pull up all the 2x4's and just pour self leveling concrete in the gaps. Is that the right direction? If not, what other directions would be good?
Note: as you can see in the image, some of the "2x4's" appear to be two separate studs that are 1" wide, not 2x4's.


texts: Can drywall be attached directly to foam insulation or do furring strips need to be between them?

texts:
I have a basement wall that was recently finished with drywall and insulation. Instead of attaching the drywall directly to furring strips with foam under the furring strips, the drywall was attached using long screws with foam between it and the furring strips.
The finished wall looks great, feels just as good as if the drywall were attached directly however I need to get it inspected and I'm worried it may be flagged.  Is there something inherently wrong with how this was done or is it just different than the typical way?


texts: Can I replace an under mount sink with a drop in sink without replacing the countertop?

texts: I have bathroom basins I wish to replace with ones that are above counter will this work for me with the holes that have been made from sunk in basins or are we talking new bench tops?


texts: Is a fire collar for internal pipes required if my house was built before the (UK) regulation?

texts:
I've had a surveyor round my property tutting a lot at the fact a fire collar was not fit around an internal soil pipe that runs from the internal garage to the above floors. I understand his concerns in relation to fire passing through the gap surrounding the pipe.
My question being is: when was this regulation and if my property was built before the updated regulations do I have to fit this?
I've found this in regards to the collar but I'm struggling to understand a yes/no answer: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b


texts: Replace duplex switch with swith/outlet? Swith will control ceiling fan w/ lamp

texts:
I’m replacing this damaged duplex switch with this switch/outlet:
Old duplex switch:

New switch/outlet combination:
As you can see from the old wiring, the blue and red wires are connected to one side of the switch, the black wire is connected to the other side, and the white wire is not connected to anything.
I don’t trust whoever did this installation, so I go to the experts.
Can a switch/outlet replace a duplex switch? If so, how do I wire this switch/outlet correctly?
I’ll be installing a ceiling fan with a lamp. I’m including pics of the wires from the fan, and pics from the wires in the ceiling.
Fan

Ceiling wiring


texts: How does this single lever shower tap work internally?

texts:
I'd like to understand what's going on with my shower before deciding how to tackle the problem.
I apologize if this is the wrong stack for it.
My shower has a single lever "Zetamix 2000" tap: it's made of a round part united to a downward-protruding lever.
You rotate the whole thing clockwise or anticlockwise to get hot or cool water (I will call this "clock angle"), you pull the lever towards you to increase water flow and you push it towards the wall to reduce it.
I think part of the cartridge is failing and while I'm pretty sure I just need to change it, my brain can't quite understand how it's working.
Starting a few months ago, if the lever is at a certain clock angle and you move it by just a bit to the left or to the right, the water flow cools down (a lot!) instead of warming up and vice-versa.
To get water at a different temperature you need to move it to a very different clock angle and then bring it back. Then, if you've over corrected, the right thing to do is to slightly move it in the theoretically wrong direction.
Mom says that she closes and opens the tap again once the lever is at the right clock angle, but I think it's just that the hot water pipe might have cooled down a bit and the whole system needs a few seconds to get freshly heated water from the nearby boiler again.
What's the usual flow inside the cartridge, and how has wear changed it so that it does what I tried to explain?
I've made a quick image search and according to the results, the cartridge inside the mixer should look like this:


texts: Is it normal for the burner in my furnace to turn on and off during a single heating cycle?

texts:
During the heating time when the furnace is running to reach the temperature ask for, the burners will run for 3.5 to 4 mins.than shut off for 1 min. Then turn on again.it will do this until temp. is meet. The blower will run for another 3 to 4 mins. After furnace shuts off.

Is this sequence normal?


texts: Hot water suddenly stopped working at kitchen faucet

texts:
I was cleaning the dishes and suddenly the hot water abruptly stopped flowing and was left with only cold water flowing.  I checked the hot water supply line and it still worked.  I took apart the lever with the cartridge and hot water wasn't flowing up to that point either so I assume the issue is in the supply line for the faucet?  The brand is Grohe, model # 30213DCO.

This is a link to the manual:
https://cdn.cloud.grohe.com/tpi/1000/1900/1950/1956/1956824/original/1956824.pdf?_ga=2.225100888.378557502.1525614592-455172165.1525614592

Is there any way to fix this??


texts: Primer on drywall for one year without paint

texts: I just bought a condo that is one year old. There's primer on the wall without paint for one year. Should I do some light sanding and then paint it? Or should I just clean and wipe down dust on the wall and then paint? Or are there other suggestions? Thanks guys.


texts: Somewhat off-topic question about replacing glass top with something same thickness but less brittle. This is for a 49” x 69” vacuum press.

texts:
I have a cold-mount vacuum press which is basically a flexible mat bottom and a glass top that closes around material and then a vacuum pump sucks the air out, pulling the flexible bottom up against the top, smooshing whatever is in there. I use it to glue various things to various other things. Well I was using it to glue a paper thing to a wood thing and I broke the glass. It got destroyed in spectacular loud implosion fashion. The glass measures 49”x69”x1/4” thick. I do not want to replace it with glass though, because I want to continue to smoosh all sorts of things together and I will definitely break the glass again!

The material needs to be 1/4” thick or thinner, because of the hinges, although I could replace the hinges if I was really motivated.

I was looking at aluminum which I can get for about $250 for 5052 plate.

Anyone have ideas about rigid light material I could use? Preferably cheap - price is the only reason I’m asking the question instead of just buying the aluminum.


texts: Why do my led bulbs state: not for use in totally enclosed luminaires?

texts:
I recently bought some nice inexepensive LED bulbs but I noticed the warning states: (see image below)

  not for use in totally enclosed luminaires

I am guessing that it gets too hot but I find it interesting that it doesn't add that part to the warning text.  I was wondering if it has something to do with it not performing well if it doesn't have air or something.

Also, I wonder if that means I can't use it in overhead lighting like the following: (Again I'm assuming you should not.  It's totally enclosed, but I wasn't sure if it just meant small enclosed luminaires).


texts: What’s the best way to connect my 3/4” gas line to my 3/8” grill hose?

texts:
I just had a natural gas line installed in the outside wall of my house.   It has a valve and a female 3/4” connector.   My natural gas grill has a hose with a 3/8” connector.   How can I best connect these?

I saw silver male-to-male fittings going from 3/4” to 1/2”.  Big box stores didn’t have 3/4 to 3/8.  Is there such a thing?   An old guy at the store told me a need a bunch of black iron pipes strung together to achieve the reduction but couldn’t explain why.  He seemed dubious about a simple double threaded connector.   I’d rather not have 7” of lead pipe sticking straight out of the wall if I can avoid it.

My intent is to only have the gas on when using the grill and turn off the supply valve when the grill is not in use (ie most of the time)

Thoughts?

Here's the 3/4" connector (gas line) from the house w/valve:

Here's the threaded 3/8" connector for the hose on the grill:

Just found this from a company selling brewer's supplies:

The thread sizes match what I need but...  Does that mean it's OK to use for natural gas???  Doesn't mention what it's made from.  My existing connectors both seem to be brass.


texts: Only 1/8" of NM cable sheathing in electrical box?

texts:
I live in Massachusetts and I'm having my unfinished attic turned into living space; I failed the initial rough inspection for a variety of reasons. One of the things the inspector told me is that the NM cable that runs into the nonmetallic boxes needs to be stripped back to no more than 1/8" extending into the box. I am certain he said this, and more than once.

This seemed really odd to me and when I had a licensed electrician come in and make all the fixes that needed to be made, he left at least an inch of sheathing in each box. When I questioned him on it and told him what the inspector said, he pointed to NEC 314.17-C, which states that there should be a minimum of 1/4" sheathing in the box, which makes a lot more sense to me.

The inspector is coming back today for a re-inspection and I'm wondering if this is going to be an issue. Has anyone ever heard this, or do you think I must have misheard him? Or was he referring to some other 1/8" requirement related to wiring up nonmetallic boxes and I misunderstood? I know he said it, so it's possible he just misspoke (and I'm hoping that's the case).


texts: How do I safely place an extension ladder near windows so I can clean my gutters?

texts:
I am trying to get an extension ladder in position so I can finally clean these gutters. I have a stabilizer, but it's narrower than the span of 2 windows, and I'm very uncomfortable putting the ladder up this high without it. I'm having a real whale of a time getting the ladder into position. I'm thinking that somehow I need to get the stabilizer legs above the windows, but still beneath the gutter line. I'm hoping that someone has tips or tricks for getting this ladder into place. I know the wood shingles on the front need replaced-- that's next.

I contemplated putting the stabilizer beneath the windows, ie not on the highest rung, but I wasn't sure if this was safe or not.

It's a 28' Werner fiberglass extension ladder, and Werner stabilizer.

Any suggestions?


texts: We are trying to find a replacement for one of the sidelights on our door. The house was built in 1933 and 7 of the 8 side lights appear to be original. I haven’t been able to find this patter anywhere.


texts: Is phantom voltage controlling my Lonsonho Tuya Zigbee dimmer?

texts:
I just finished installing my new Zigbee dimmer switch that also has the ability to be controlled with a press button which is powered by the power line. The idea was to connect three such buttons in parallel of which one is located near the dimmer and the other two are located rather far away (aproximately 10m). Everything seem to be working fine for the first button, but when the other two are connected to the dimmer (not pressed), it starts to behave as if the buttons were pressed constantly. Both pairs of wires to these two switches are wired under flooring and in close proximity to other wiring.
I`d very much like someone to explain to me what is happening and if there is a solution to this issue. TQ.


texts: My refrigerator has started to 'snow' up inside and is freezing some of the food. Why is this? It is in a cabinet with about 1 inch space on top. I have turned the thermometer down from the one set as default. What might be the problem. Is it because it is in a cabinet?


texts: Need help with 2005 Hot Springs Spa - Only heats temporarily

texts:
breakers outside ]4[]5After reading what seems like EVERY single blog/forum/post on the internet and getting nowhere I have finally accepted my defeat and have come here to beg for your help!

I bought a house that came with a 2005 Hot Springs Vanguard spa. Everything works EXCEPT the heat. Here is what I know/have tried:

You can feel hot water coming out of the drain when the power is first turned on. This lasts about 30 minutes give or take, then back to cold

No error codes on display and heat light is on

Circuit board is not burnt up (removed everything and checked back of board as well)

Circ pump works, jets work, lights work, ozone works. Bubbles are strong from drain

Water feature works but it needs to be turned off when power is first turned on to hot tub otherwise I get the blinking red and green lights. Once tub has been on a few minutes then the water feature can be turned on and there are no blinking lights and water feature works

I have tried with and without brand new filters installed. I ran a spa cleaner through the pipes and drained and refilled to ensure any YUCK was removed

Initially I did replace the end cap on the end of the No-Fault heater because you could see it was cracked and leaking at the end of the heater. Note heat did the same thing before and after this replacement part was installed

Help! Please! I live in a rural area and can not get anybody to come out and service/ check so any help you can offer would be much appreciated. Otherwise I'm strongly considering junking this thing!


texts:
I recently got the A/C unit and furnace in my basement replaced. When the company came out to do the quote, they stated that they thought I should have a drip pan, and the proposal that they gave me with the quote included installing one.

When the guys actually came out to do the install, they didn't install a drip pan. When I asked about this, their logic made some sense - I have air returns coming in from multiple locations, which means that they needed to keep a "coffin" in place underneath the furnace to join all of the air returns together. They said that they couldn't install a drip pan without replacing the coffin. They did give me a new overflow sensor on my drain line, though.

Two questions:

1) Can you install a drip pan under a "coffin"? Is the reasoning for not doing this sound, or did they just not want to get into the work of rebuilding that part of my system to save time/money?

2) Should I ask about the impact of the drip pan on the quoted price? It seems a little unreasonable to pay the same price when part of the quoted install wasn't completed. However, I imagine this was a pretty small part of the quote compared to everything else they did... and the quote wasn't itemized.

(This company is very reputable and has gone out of their way to make me a happy customer, so while I want to get a good deal, I don't want to make the relationship too adversarial. Just looking for some additional perspective here. If everybody feels like this was a reasonable outcome, I'll happily write my check and move on with life in a nice, comfortable home.)


texts: Replacing all the tub trim including the overflow plate and drain trim. I cannot find an overflow plate like this that goes onto a threaded pipe without any screws.


texts: How can I confirm that an exterior door is hollow core or solid core? And prove it to a skeptical father?

texts:
My elderly father doesn't trust that his daughters know anything about home repair or maintenance. I keep pointing out that I've bought and sold 2 houses in the past 15 years, so I know something about it. They are ignoring my recommendations on GFCI outlets, but that's another matter.

Their realtor has told them that their front door is hollow core, not solid, and that he needs to have it replaced with a fiberglass door. It's also possible that he was listening to the realtor say that a fiberglass door would fix the binding lock in certain seasons and having to get a locksmith and misinterpreted the reason. Or the realtor thought chipping veneer was ugly and made up a reason to replace it.

It's a ~70 year old house, and they've had it ~35 years, so the door is at least 35 years old. If so, it survived the previous family having active boys. The door appears to be stained wood veneer. On the edges of the door you can tell that the wood is different for about a quarter inch on both sides. Something with minimal wood grain on the exterior or interior. Where the veneer, or the top layer of wood has come off, it's wood underneath.

The area where the lock was replaced with one shaped differently shows bare unfinished wood in the area that is exposed now.

So what is the least destructive way to conclusively confirm whether it is solid or hollow core? It is fairly heavy to open and close, but I may be comparing it to thinner, narrower doors that are also hollow core.

Also, because the door needs replacing, they are ignoring calling a locksmith, handyman, or letting me fix the deadbolt that is sticking. The door has had problems seasonally for decades. Sometimes you would have to pull the door hard in one or another direction in order to turn the deadbolt. This has gotten much worse since they replaced a broken lock. I think the new deadbolt is marginally larger than the old one, and the tolerances on the strike plate are too tight to accommodate seasonal swelling. Dad says the door keeps moving in one direction, but if it's doing that, it would have been doing it for decades and then the door wouldn't close. 1/8" motion for 35 years is 4 1/2 inches.

My proposed solution is to buy a larger strike plate, perhaps a quarter inch larger vertically and horizontally in the hole. Filing down the existing one would be an option, but its reinforced in two directions that would prevent that. I've got a Dremel clone, but am not sure which accessory would best file it down.


texts: Can I use a 3-way light bulb in my 60 watt lamp?

texts:
How does this work? Is there a way to only use 50 watts?

Some Google results were telling me that if you put a 3 way light bulb in a regular lamp, it will default to middle option, or 100 watts in my case.

If so, what are the dangers of putting this bulb into my lamp? I understand that it is more brighter than normal and also more hotter, but what are the actual chances it will catch on fire?


texts: What is the safe/proper way to run non-metallic conduit between floors?

texts: I need to run a CAT5 line and a 22/4 alarm wire from my 2 story attic to the first floor.  I have access to the interior of the walls (I will re-dryboard).  I'd like to run carlon ENT from the attic all the way down so I can run new wire if needed.  What is the connection I need to travel between floors to keep it up to fire code?


texts: How do I get an exterior vent to stop frosting over in a cold Canadian winter?

texts: We have a high-efficiency gas-fired hot water heater (in our a basement) that is vented to the outside of our house. When the weather gets below -30°C the vent has a tendency to frost-over. When the water tank heater is unable to vent, it shuts off, depriving us of hot water. So when it frosts over we have to go outside and clean off the vent. Can you offer any suggestions to avoid having the exterior vent getting frosted over?


texts:
I have just bought a $15 table fan, AC, ie plugged into wall mains. The lowest speed setting is still too fast for my requirement, and hence also too noisy.  I estimate it to be around 5 revolutions per second or 300rpm.  How can I change the lowest speed to say around 150rpm?

Are there resistors I can simply change?


texts: What's the best way to level this basement floor?

texts:
Goal:
Level basement slab in our 1905 Seattle home so I can install laminate flooring.

Existing floor:

21' x 25'
unreinforced rat slab
thickness varies from ~2" at rim to as little as 3/4" near drain towards middle top of pic
height varies 2 1/2" from tallest points around rim to lowest point near decommissioned drain
rat slab is patchwork of smooth and rough pours
when i bang on floor with crowbar, most of it sounds solid, except for rectangular 5sq area that i partially dug up (see pic). Found drainage trench (now unused) underneath.
Dark patch at foot of the near support post is base bricks of a chimney we removed.
We had internal french drains installed around rim of basement. (we've never seen standing water; and we haven't even caught a whiff of moisture since french drains installed).

Constraints

no footers on foundation walls
bottom of foundation walls end at base of existing slab (i.e. 2-3" below top of slab top)
Ideal is a brand new 4" rebar reinforced slab, but can't afford loss of ceiling height and can't have slab start lower than base of foundation walls... And I'm unable to find a contractor willing to pour a new reinforced 2 1/2" slab.
temperature averages 60-65 degrees in basement during day

Current plan

Use portland cement with aggregate to reduce height variance to 1/4" inch.
Use self-leveling cement to finish out final 1/4"

Questions

Is this a decent plan or should we consider alternatives?
How do I bond new cement pour to existing floor? Do I clean and if so how? Can I add mechanical anchors (e.g. cement screws) to serve as anchors to connect the new pour to the old?
Given the cement pour will be up to ~ 2" deep but taper out to nothing near rim, should I use aggregate and if so what size? or should i do in two steps: larger aggregate cement for deep areas in middle, smaller aggregate for areas closer to rim.
What self-leveling compound do you recommend to go on top of the new cement pour(s) to finish leveling out the final 1/4"?
Should we apply some kind of sealant (moisture) to any of the pours? (i.e. existing floor, new cement pour, final self-leveling pour)?


texts: 3-wire electrical wire for recessed lighting

texts:
I want to install 4 LED recessed lights in my living room.

No ceiling lighting currently exists though there is an existing wall switch that was decommissioned by the previous owners that I plan to re-purpose to control the new lighting.

The wire powering the existing switch is the standard 2-wire (plus ground).  Do I need to use 3-wire from the switch to the lights?  I heard that any new wiring for ceiling fixtures should be 3-wire according to code, but I haven't been able to confirm if that's true.

Aside from future-proofing, my lighting plans should not require 3-wire.

Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks.


texts: What finish type is most often used for furniture drawer interiors?

texts:
I recently completed building a cabinet drawer to convert a free standing vanity into a dresser. I'm aware that drawer interiors are often left unfinished, but it's quite humid where I live and I wanted to mitigate wood movement as much as possible.

The existing drawers have a fairly smooth, clear finish on them, but I'm not sure if it's polyurethane or something else. The reason I don't think it's poly is that it doesn't have the characteristic "grabbiness" (high coefficient of friction) that most polyurethane coated surfaces do. It's almost more of a sealer. Any ideas on what it is? I'd like to match it if at all possible.


texts: Is my shower wall sound enough for an overlay?

texts: How do I know if my existing tile wall is sound enough to do a thin panel stone wall overlay in my shower?  How do I check to ensure the structure is safe to do this overlay?


texts: What is the name of the tool used to create an initial dent for drilling?

texts:
I remember that during my DIY lessons at school, there was a tool used to help with positioning a drill bit. The tool was shaped like a large nail, and it was lightly hammered into the material at the point where the hole should be drilled. This would create a small dent in the material, which you would insert the drill bit into before drilling the hole. In this way, it prevented any slippage of the drill bit that might occur if the drill was just placed up against the flat surface of the material.

My question is: What is the name of this tool?


texts: Drilling acrylic sheet to mount cabinet hinges

texts: I am fitting small brass furniture hinges to 6mm thick Perspex acrylic sheet using 4mm dia setscrews, nuts & washers. Holes drilled 5mm using a wood drill bit. Nuts NOT over-tightened but Perspex has developed star cracks. What am I doing wrong?


texts: method to rout rope beading in door trim - rope bit or side cutting

texts:
I am realizing that the $39.95 package of beaded door trim and corner rosettes amounts to 86.00 per door, and with about 10 doors to do, I've decided to mill them myself, thank you very much.  I found a great site for purchasing the rosettes, so that leaves the beaded (rope, I think, see image) trim.  I measured and THOSE BEADS are 15/32" WIDE and about 3/32" deep.

I realize I can buy a rope cutting bit (but I'm not sure if that's the correct term or where to buy by dimensions), or I can buy something like the image below for cutting against the side, however the flat part next to the shank would be in the way if the ropes were to butt up against each other, so that's not really the bit I need.

Question is, which method should I use, and can someone suggest a part number exact part name for the type of bit I'd use.  I am leaning to the second method but appreciate an experienced voice.  However, this post is about the correct name for either bit so I know how to find it.  This would be milled from clear pine.  Thanks!


texts: lennox furnace not working pilot light on but burner doesn't start

texts: lennox furnace, model # G20Q2E-75-C1, serial #6392H32332, pilot light lights, blower motor turns on, burner doesn't burn


texts:
I'm considering a solar farm in my backyard so I'm doing my initial research. Found this video. Here's a still from that video:

What's the point of that 12' gap between the arrays? Seems like a waste of space, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it, just want to know what it is.


texts: How should I use a plumber's snake if my kitchen sink drain got clogged? Are there any suggestions on when this device is applicable and how to use it?


texts: Is my bathroom wet-venting plan reasonable?

texts:
I‘m relocating my bathroom fixtures and laid out my plumbing using a wet vent. I would likefeed back about whether this is a good plan. Do I need another vent for the shower or suggestions on different layout?
See drawing. The cleanout is the existing drain.
Added different layout with toilet going perpendicular to drain,
Hi All,
I relayed the plumbing but have to move my drain out to make room to fit the fittings.  I jog the drain with (2) 22.5 elbows, is this allowed 22.5 to use in horizontal? See Dwg-3, Thanks

2: (https://i.stack.imgur.com/qVl63.jpg)


texts: How to replace AC/DC adapter but keep old connector

texts:
I have an AC/DC adapter I need to replace for my dehumidifier.  The whole system is no longer working, and I am confident the problem is with the adapter.

Finding the correct adapter is easy enough; there are many 12 V, 6 A options out there.  The problem is though that none of them that I have seen have the correct connector to plug in to the dehumidifier.  See pictures below.

How would I go about splicing the current connector in to a new adapter?


texts: How do I stop my toilet from backing up?

texts:
My toilet clogs, I plunge it and nothing happens, I come back a couple hours later and it flushes.  It makes a gurgle sound after the flush and and air bubble come up.

What can I do to make the toilet flush correctly?


texts: How much less power does a three-phase air conditioning unit use than a one phase unit?

texts:
I'm planning to install a 5 ton central AC. I'm deciding between a condensing unit that runs on 220V and a costlier unit that runs on 207Y three-phase.

My understanding is that three-phase motors use less power, and that this is their primary advantage. But no one seems to be able to tell me how much less power. Without knowing that, it's hard for me to make a decision.

I'm sure the answer is some form of "it depends," but can anyone give me a ballpark? Should I figure 10% less power consumption, or more like 50% less. Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

Also, the wikipedia article on three-phase power claims that three-phase motors vibrate less. Is this something I should care about? Will a three-phase motor therefore last longer than a single phase motor?


texts: How do I make seams in vinyl flooring look good?

texts:
and thank you for all the help so far! This place is great!

Can you help with this?

I really blew it when I cut my vinyl floor in the kitchen. So to "fix" it I made cuts along the grout lines in the vinyl. After that I made pieces from the remnant that fit "pretty" well. Not perfect, but close.

I still have a few "triangles" to fit into place as you can see in the pictures.

Any suggestions on how to best make this all look good? there are some gaps between the seams...

How can I fill in the seam gaps?
How can I then make the seams strong?
Any wise advice on how to make this look good?


texts:
I am in the process of adding more storage area underneath a straight staircase.  There was a single wall below the staircase that I removed to get more storage.
After removing the studs for the wall, it appears the staircase is squeaky.  I can also see the stringers flex/move under load.
I'm not sure if it squeaked before or if I'm just being hyper sensitive.  Nevertheless, this is a good opportunity to fix the squeak.  The squeak is the worst when I'm on the 4th step from the bottom, but it's present from steps 3-8.


texts:
In the case of motor loads connected to a long branch circuit, why does NEC Table 430.52 limit selection of an over current protection device (OCPD) to a smaller size than the branch conductor will permit?

My hypothesis is a branch conductor that is made larger to compensate for voltage drop cannot supply a larger motor load where voltage drop was the constraining factor.  Therefore, the OCPD is limited in size to add protection against motor damage from an unacceptable voltage drop.

This flies in the face of common reasoning that says branch OCPD are for protecting the branch conductors and are not for motor protection.  Separate motor overload protection is installed for that purpose.

What gives?  Is the NEC actually providing motor protection against unacceptable branch voltage drop during motor startup by prescribing these size limits on circuit breakers?

I would appreciate others' thoughts on this.


texts: Can I run one pendant light off garbage disposal switch?

texts: I failed my electric inspection because my current over the sink pendant light fixture is run to a switch in a two-gang box that include a kitchen appliance outlet and is pulling power from the same 20 amp line. Inspector said my light fixture can't be on the same circuit as a kitchen appliance, which sounds credible. So would a solution be to run a wire to the pendant light off a new two gang box where my garbage disposal switch currently sits? If not, what else would be the solution here?


texts:
I was replacing the heating element on my old Jenn-Air and I lost an important screw. It is a #8 3/8" long blunt-tip hex head screw holding two pieces of sheet metal together. The head fits a 1/4" socket.

Does this type of screw have a name?

Worst case, I will find a sharp-point sheet metal screw and grind off the tip. I can't see what is on the other side, but it might be important not to penetrate too far.

A hex head is desired since they are fairly inaccessible (without further disassembly).


texts: Adding ventilation to an older outbuilding

texts:
I have a large to me storage building that I am trying to convert into a garage/workshop.  I don't have the time/money/inclination to tear the whole thing down and start anew so I am trying to make incremental improvements that will get me where I want to be one time.

The building it simple rectangle 30' x 48' made mostly out of cement block with a single garage door in either end.  The walls are 12' high and the roof is made of wooden trusses with plywood sheeting and asphalt shingles.

There is not any venting at present, the soffit is not designed to vent although there are some gaps large enough to let wasps and some birds in.

What I would like to do is to install an electric gable vent at one end and some intake vents at the other and just pull air through the attic space.  I would also seal up the unintentional gaps in the soffit to keep the local wildlife out.

This feels like it would be effective, but it goes against the suggestions I am seeing online.  Do I really need to retrofit a soffit vent?

In the future I would like to sheetrock the ceiling and blow in insulation to be better able to heat in the winter.  Would that change what I should do?


texts: How can I take the pop-up stopper out of my sink?

texts:
I've found a few tutorials online and searched here, but the mechanism on my sink seems to be different from others I've found tutorials for. Here's the general apparatus (credit to this question):

The issue I'm having is where the pivot rod goes into the pipe under the sink. I need to remove the pivot rod in order to get the stopper out, but I can't figure out how to do that. Here's a picture of what it looks like:

There are 2 "slots" across from each other, but I can't fit anything into both because the pivot rod itself is between them. How can I get the pivot rod out of the pipe so I can remove the stopper?


texts: How can I repair a drain that won't stop leaking?

texts:
I have a kitchen drain that won't stop leaking.  I've checked, and it's definitely leaking from around the joins in the PVC pipe.  I've replaced several of the o-rings (washers), as well as the P trap (bend).  The pipes are all joined with o-rings and lock-nuts and they're as tight as my programmers hands can make them.

Is there anything else I should try before simply replacing the whole setup?


texts:
i've had a foundation inspector look at my floor:

as you can see there is quite a deviance on the right hand side.

he says that any future movement is likely to be limited; although, cosmetic distress is likely to develop over time. the foundation is of continuous perimeter, reinforced concrete, spread footing type. past (not by me) re-leveling had compromised some of the anchor bolts, but were fixed with some strong ties.

my question is how could the floor be re-leveled and how much is it likely to cost?

cheers,


texts: Restoring an old fridge; should I add a ground wire?

texts:
I'm rewiring an old monitor-top fridge. The original wiring was only 2-wire and it has completely disintegrated.

I was thinking about replacing the power cord with a grounded plug and wiring the ground to the fridge body/chassis, which is how a 1960's fridge (which I also recently rewired) was originally wired.

Is there any reason I should keep the fridge 2-wire?


texts: Ice Maker Not Filling Fully or Dumping Ice - Supply Issue?

texts:
I have a new Frigidaire Gallery, bottom mount, fridge with a built-in water dispenser and ice maker.

I installed the water line about a month ago, it's only a single water line running to the fridge. So the water dispenser and ice maker run off the same source (one connection on the fridge). I tapped into the kitchen sink's cold water supply.

When I installed it, it immediately began making tiny ice cubes, which I thought was annoying but decided it must be "normal" since it was the first cubes it made. It filled the entire ice compartment with these small cubes (about 0.5" cubes). Then it didn't make any more ice, ever. I didn't notice it stopped making ice because I rarely ever use ice in the early spring, but the buffer ran out and I'm noticing it's not making any.

The cubes it made were not hollow, they were solid little ice cubes. So it is possible that they are the correct size.

There are some frozen cubes up in the tray (I felt in there for them), but it is not releasing them. Perhaps they are too small.

When I use the water dispenser, it seems to be fast, much faster than my old fridge.
So, I don't think there's a problem with my supply line.
...but how to I verify that there's no problem with my supply line?

It takes about 10s to fill a glass, which I thought was pretty good, because it's about as fast as my kitchen sink.

When searching through issues with ice makers I am seeing a lot of problems with slow water supply causing an ice maker to fail. However, honestly, how much water pressure does the ice maker need? Is it a big problem if it takes 10, 20, or even 30 seconds to fill the tray? Do most ice makers meter water based on time? That just seems wrong. What if the tray is filling while I'm using the kitchen sink?

This might seem like a lot of questions, but the bottom line is "How do I verify my supply line is good enough to feed my ice maker?".


texts: What is the proper name for a solid French Door?

texts:
I was looking to get some interior doors installed in my home. What I would have called "French Doors", i.e. two doors the swing open from the middle of the frame.

However, as I was talking to my superior wife, I was informed that French Doors have glass and are not solid. Having studied engineering and architecture in my youth, I was surprised to have such a fundamental misunderstanding of the term...

In fact the faithful Google machine tells me:

  French door: a door with glass panes throughout its length.

To corroborate itself, when I do an image search for "French Doors" they all appear to have glass.

So my question is, what is the name for doors that operate in the same style as "French" ones, but do not have glass in them?

Edit for clarity, I am referring to doors that operate like the ones circled below.

Or for the more visually inclined; like this, but without the glass panels.


texts:
I have a Bosch PSB 1800 LI-2 cordless drill.  I've had it for about 2-3 years, but it doesn't have many "miles on the clock".  It's a lovely bit of kit and I've had no problems with it, until recently.  I was trying to remove some particularly stubborn stripped screws, using screw extractor bits.  I managed to remove some of them, then my drill developed a fault.

It started cutting out intermittently.  The battery is fully charged, so I know it's not a lack of power.  When I pull the trigger gently to run it on anything up to about half-power, it might work for up to a minute before cutting out.  If I try  to run it on anything more than about half-power, it cuts out within 3 seconds. Either way, it's not much use for any serious jobs.

Has anybody had similar problems with their drills?  Does anybody know whether this is something that can be fixed, or do I need to buy a new drill?


texts: Woodlouse that already infesting applied plywood floor

texts:
I'm building a server room that is using plywood as its flooring, which unfortunately is infested by woodlouse, wood beetle, or some kind. I realize it just after the floor is finished being installed.

Since it is impractical to replace the flooring, I'm thinking about apply a new layer, rubber or vinyl flooring on the top of the plywood. The question is, will the insects, bugs, louse, or termites able to penetrate the rubber or vinyl layer? Or is there any more practical alternatives?


texts: How do I remove glow in the dark paint from my walls?

texts: A friend of mine painted on the walls of the apartment we are staying in with glow in the dark pain, and we have to get them off of the walls because we will get fined for it. We did not realize this until just recently, and so we don't have the time or money to repaint all the walls that she painted on. She said that she might have done it way back in August of last year. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get the paint off without severely damaging the walls? And again, we do not have the time or cash to repaint all the walls.


texts: Should I seal, waterproof a concrete basement floor before painting?

texts: What is the best sealer/waterproofer to put on a basement floor that I just want to paint.  New construction, no water problems, but washer & drier & water heater are in basement and add to moisture in the air.


texts:
I installed (a few years ago) an extra light in our closet that is just run from a jumper to the existing light.  I can have that light on as long as I want, but the moment I turn on my TV or computer (on the same circuit) it trips.  I can have my TV or computer on at the same time, but the moment I (or my wife) turns on the light in the closet the breaker trips.

I installed the light using the same 14 gauge cable the house was run with (irritating, wish it was all run with 12-2 or 12-3) and made sure the connections were secure and all connections covered by wire nuts.

I'm at a loss at why this keeps tripping.  I've replaced the breaker twice and it will run fine (light on and TV on) for a couple months and then it trips again.

HELP!


texts: Name for wooden board that supports fascia, drip edge, soffit, and gutter?

texts:
QUESTION

What is the name of the wooden beam that supports fascia, drip edge, soffit, and gutter?  The nomenclature is important because it is hard (if not impossible) to Google anything without knowing what it is called.

CONTEXT

A contractor has accepted gutter replacement, however, several wooden boards have begun rotting.  The beam must be replaced before installing the gutter.

I am trying to look up or estimate  the labor replacement cost per linear foot to replace said wooden beam in zip code 32084.  Ideally there would be a calculator for the exercise.

I am trying to gain a sense of what it costs to have a craftsman to perform the task, I may be inclined to DIY-it if the estimates are high enough.

I am new at this: any guidance, lessons-learned, pitfalls to avoid are appreciated.

Front of building:

Rear of building:


texts: Does a compressor with a short to ground really require a complete system replacement?

texts:
My 24 year old home A\C went out some time Sunday morning. I had a tech come out and look at it, and was told that the compressor is shorted to ground, and that this means I have to replace the entire compressor and possibly the entire system.

I'm asking this community for a sanity check, since I know nothing about HVAC systems. Is a "compressor shorted to ground" really a "replace the whole kit and kaboodle" situation? Or is more information needed to reach that conclusion?