Building a small garden wall and unsure which technique to use I'm planning to build a small garden wall to replace my current solution for terracing

The wall will be 6m x 0.60m.
I am unsure which way to go:

brick and mortar solution, which requires a concrete foundation
dry stone wall, with basic gravel & sand foundation

I prefer the first for the aesthetics but I don't want to pour concrete.
The second is also fine, but I am not sure if I should go for a solution with two lines of bricks like in this image

I prefer having one line of bricks only given the low height of the wall, but it might not retain enough.

Your use of metric measurements leads me to believe you're not in the US. That aside, most US big-box home improvement stores carry retaining wall blocks that are designed to interlock. I'm sure there is something similar where you live.

This website (hosted by a US-based big-box store (no endorsement expressed or implied) has a short tutorial on how to build a block retaining wall roughly .4m tall. Similar techniques could be used to build one a bit higher. Depending on the block you use, you may be able to build taller.

These are instructions for using a block that has a lip on the back so that each one locks against the one below it to prevent them from sliding forward. Blocks similar to this:

Image sourced from article above

Basically:

Layout your line (yours is a simple straight line)
Trench about 1/2 a block deep
Tamp the ground
Fill with "paver base" (crushed rock that compacts well) and tamp that
Carefully set the first row of block checking each one for level side-to-side and front-to-back, and checking several blocks for level
Start the 2nd row with a 1/2 block (preferably cut with a power saw & masonry blade, though you could chip it in half with a sledge and cold chisel).
Continue to build the wall up, checking for level.
Lay down some landscape fabric and crushed stone to allow for drainage
Use cement adhesive for the top two rows to help them stay put.
Put some sort of cap stone on as the top layer, if desired, or just let the block run to the top.

Of course, this type of wall may not meed code for your locale, so you'd have to check on that, but this is a simpler and less expensive method than the "pyramid wall" shown in your drawing, and is quite acceptable in most US jurisdictions.


Why is turning down the heat during day and night considered more efficient? I just want to point out right away that I am not sure if this stack exchange is the most appropriate for this question - perhaps Stack exchange Chemistry or Physics would be more suitable?
My Question
I live in Canada so our winters are pretty cold and I often hear that turning the temperature down in our house during the day (when we're away) and during the night (when we're sleeping) and only turning it back up when we need it saves energy. But I am wondering, is the following assumption correct? :
The total heat dissipated by a house will be the same regardless of the interior temperature.
This makes sense to me, the same house (same isolation, same emplacement etc...) will lose the same energy no matter if it's interior temperature is 21°C or 23°C.
Note : For this question, I am only interested by electric heating (no gas, no wood ...)
My explanation
I have a few theories as to why turning down the heat when we don't need it might be true but I would love for someone to confirm them.

The efficiency of electric heaters depends on the intensity at which it's running (letting it run all day at 50% might be less efficient than letting it run for a few hours at 100%) This could perhaps be related to how the metal elements resist to electricity at different temperatures?
The sun in the morning helps heat the house quicker and gives the illusion that it takes less energy to heat the house in the morning?

Can someone confirm whether or not it is true that turning the temperature down in our home when we don't need it is more energy efficient and also maybe confirm or deny my hypothesis?

Your assumption is incorrect. More heat is lost when the difference between inside and outside temperatures is greater. So, if you keep the house at 72F (22C) it will lose heat faster than if you kept it at 62F (17C). Thus, your heater will need to run more often and/or for longer to maintain your desired temperature. It therefore uses more energy to maintain the higher set point than the lower set point.

This effect becomes more pronounced the longer the lower set point is maintained, but may not be noticeable at all for short periods. However, it's important to note that it doesn't become less efficient if you turn down the heat for short periods, since the heater is not running at all while the house is cooling to the lower set point.

Heaters (and AC) in general do not have an intensity setting - they're either on or off. The energy from the sun does play into things a little bit, but not a whole lot and not really in the morning. Opening curtains during the day can certainly help to make the house feel warmer.

All of these effects apply in the summer, too, although then you want a higher set point when you're not home, not a lower one, close curtains during the day, etc.


Can I use a nest thermostat for two heating sources (Furnace and electric floor heating) Current situation:

My home is currently heated with central air.  Not my first choice, but that's what I have.  I have brand new 98% efficient modulating furnace controlled by a Nest thermostat(no AC).  I have cold spots all over my house.  We did the best we could with balancing on the first floor but the original install is just bad.  Some rooms don't even have vents.  My primary concern is the first floor. The room on the right side (living room gets quite warm, but the kitchen (left) stays rather cold.  There is a large amount of windows to be sure, but I'm sure the major problem is the addition behind the stairs with no heating whatsoever.  It is very cold in that room in the winter. Not only does it seem to keep the thermostat on in the winter until the upstairs is significantly hotter then the downstairs, due to the lack of vents on the left side of the home I believe it creates a temperature gradient preventing the kitchen from warming up.

 |[]-----|-[==]-|
 |  V    |      |                []    Door
 |----  -|    ss|R-------|       [==]  Sliding door
 |R      |     s|        |       s     stairs
 |       T      V        |       V     vent
 |                       |       R     return
 |                       |       T     thermostat
 |       |V    R| R      |
 |-------|--[]--|--------|

The solution?

The flooring is unfinished in that room and sits about 3/4" below the rest of the floor.  I am debating using an electric heated floor, embedded in mortar, with a tile finish.  It's 134SF,  I already did the math and I'm anticipating an extra $30 - $36/mo on my electric bill in the colder months. My question is about integration.  I did this once before and was told I needed an extra "special" thermostat.  As you can see from my amazing drawing, my Nest thermostat is right next to this and I am told it can support both a heat pump.  Would I be able to attach it to a 240V, two wire, radient flooring system instead.  I realize I would need a relay.  Has anyone done anything like this?

The Nest can be the controller but you will probably need a separate contactor /GFCI power source unless the flooring system has low voltage control.

Some heated floor systems have there own thermostat /GFCI protection, if you wanted to control the floor heat from the nest additional controls would be needed. One of the best home made systems I have seen was a 2 stage control , radiant heat takes time to heat up so an engineer I worked with asked me if I could build a control using a SCR for low power and a TRIAC for high power (SCR’s only turn on for 50% when commanded on and TRIAC’s are on for 100%)  this worked quite well at maintaining some warmth on low power and true warmth at high power, he provided the signals to fire the 2 solid state relays , I put them in a metal j box with a GFCI   And it passed inspection so I know it can be done but I think he was doing other things with the smart thermostat and using a micro controller for the control voltage.


Can I use the Y wire in place of the C wire for my new thermostat? I'm looking to wire a Honeywell Lyric T5 to my furnace (I do not have an air conditioner, I do have a humidistat). My current wiring at the thermostat is G,W,Y,R. At the furnace it's G,R,C, and 2 at W, there is a spare wire capped off (same colour as the Y wire at the thermostat).

The humidistat is connected to W and C.

Since I don't have air conditioning can I sub out the Y wire for the C wire I need for the new Lyric? My new set up at the Lyric would be G,W,R,C. The furnace would be G,R,2C,2W. The humidistat would not change.

Thanks for your help.

Yes, you can swap out and reuse the Y wire as a C wire, since you don't have an air conditioner.   Or use the capped off wire (that's probably better).

hey're just copper wires, and there's no firm color code anyway. Take photos before you disconnect anything, and consider leaving a note tucked inside the thermostat documenting whatever you came up with.

Check this excellent answer for diagrams:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/10527/5960

Consider posting photos to SE when asking questions.


Upgrading to smart light switches but have only one neutral wire in the box I am working on upgrading some of the light switches to smart light switches for lighting automation.

I bought this GE Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus. This requires a neutral wire.

When I opened the light switch box, there was only one switch with the neutral wire connected and the other one had only two black wire (load and line) without any neutral.

I replaced the light switch that already had a neutral connected with the new smart light switch and it is working fine. How I can replace the other light switch? Can I just extend the existing neutral wire and run it to the other light switch?  Is one neutral wire enough for both light switches?

I do see a white wire in the back with yellow cap, can I use that one?

The wiring as presented makes no sense.

To start with, we can determine the upper left Romex goes to the light now controlled by the left dimmer.  The upper right /3 Romex red wire provides switched-hot for that lamp, and its black wire is always-hot for onward loads. The lower left Romex is presumably supply. (it's remotely possible the /3 includes supply and the lower left is onward.)

The smart switch on the left is a customer of neutral, not a provider of it.  So the fact that its neutral wire goes only to the switch, simply makes no sense at all. How does the switched-hot obtain neutral, then?

Here's what happened

We get a lot of newbies who are trying to install a smart switch, but it needs neutral and the old switch did not have neutral.  They say "Well, I saw in the back of the box where back in the 1960s, the builders left a bunch of spare neutrals (on the off-chance that humans would ever invent smart switches), so I just grabbed one of those spares." They're not spares. Nobody installs unnecessary wires.

Normally the newbie posts here, saying "why doesn't this work?" and we fix it.  Often instead, he tries random things until he trips across something that "works" (i.e. not safe).  I believe this newbie was up in the lamp box (where this /3 cable goes) and discovered if he shorts all the neutrals to ground, voila everything works.  Done!

How to fix it

First you'll need to learn what a pigtail is.  If you notice how 2 of the blacks in the 4-black bundle are short wires going to the switches,  those are pigtails.  Your neutral bundle will look like that too.

Buy 12" of white THHN wire. Probably simplest to use solid #12. Cut it in half for two 6" pigtails.  You'll also need a red or tan wire nut, as 5 wires is too many for a yellow nut.

Now remove the existing white wire from that existing smartswitch, and put it back in the existing neutral bundle where it belongs, and also add your two white pigtails.  You'll need the red wire nut for this.

One of the pigtails goes to the existing switch.  The other goes to your new smart switch (if you're not ready yet, cover the end and bared bits with some wraps of tape).

At this point, voila, things should work.   Except we're not done.  We also need to find where (presumably the other end of the /3 cable) the last guy tied together neutral and ground, and we need to separate that.  It might not be in that location but you gotta find it!  It won't bite you until a second problem appears, but then, it'll kill you.


Is it legal to connect a combi expansion pipe to a drainpipe? Is it legal to install a combi boiler in a cupboard in a bedroom and connect the expansion pipe to a cast iron drainpipe? The person who has done it ownes one of the four flats in our house. Recently during heavy rainfall a back-up occurred and water from the drainpipe entered his boiler. The boiler burst and water entered both his flat and the one below his.
Who is liable for the burst boiler and water damage?

He has now disconnected his expansion pipe and an ugly pipe projects from the house wall. I am afraid it may be dangers in the event of boiling water projecting onto a nearby path. Is it possible to have it inspected and if so by whom? I would be very grateful for any advice.

First step would be to contact a lawyer about the damages the boiler caused in your property. Second might be to contact the local code inspector to check the installation.  Sounds like you got several problems that need to be addressed separately.  Not sure how things work there. In the USA things may be different.


Should I sand baseboard before painting it? I am replacing some baseboards in my house. It is the most basic type: flat board 5-1/2" wide by 3/4" thick. I would prefer to buy primed board, but my local shops do not sell it for some reason (they have a great variety of more exotic moldings, but not what I need).

So I've been buying 10' x 5-1/2" x 3/4" pine boards (about 10$ apiece), installing, then painting them with two coats of latex paint.

As I discovered when the paint dried, some knots are visible through the paint (texture, not color), and even some ripsaw marks. I did notice these imperfections prior to painting, but they seemed minor and I was expecting that two coats of paint would smooth them out completely beyond noticeable.

They also sell "select" pine boards. They are generally more consistent in shape, fewer bends or twists, no chips, and no knots. But using this furniture-grade board for baseboards feels like a crime against the Nature and the common sense. So I am buying the non-select grade to keep it light on my consciousness, rather than to save a few bucks.

Should I sand the boards before installing them? What method of sanding is recommended? I do have a random-orbit sander. Or should I just give it another coat of paint? Is there a special primer for this purpose? I wonder what the pros do in this case. The old boards that I removed are not painted on the back, so the builders primed and painted them, and nothing shows through. I want to achieve the same result.

If you select boards with knots, there is a good chance that they will bleed through, even if you use a sealer or shellac based primer. The resins in knots is persistent.

Clear boards are usually used for moldings, including baseboards. You could also use MDF (medium density fiberboard) or solid vinyl composite molding. When painted, they are hard to distinguish from wood in most applications. (I think they look a little too smooth and I prefer wood). For painted applications, there is also fingerjoint molding, which is made of interlocked short pieces and is cheaper than clear boards. Much pre-primed molding is fingerjoint. Occasionally these joints may show if the quality is not high.

For wood or MDF, a light sanding with 120 grit paper is recommended to remove milling glaze and to give the wood a tooth to better take paint. An orbital sander is fine

Then prime and paint. Many prefer oil based primer on raw wood and MDF. Some vinyl says it can be painted directly, but I would also give it a sanding (or avoid it unless necessary, such as in outdoor uses).

Latex paint is fine for a finish coat, but it tends to look less smooth than oil (alkyd) based finishes. Adding a leveling agent like Floetrol helps, but nothing lays as smooth as a good oil based enamel.

(P.S.  To me, using a really smooth straight clear board, in furniture or in molding, is appreciating and honoring the wood, the tree, nature. But to each his/her own.)


Is whitewood timber suitable for loft boarding? I'm planning to part board my loft (an area about 2.5m by 2.5m) for storage and it seems like the norm is to use tongue and groove chipboard like this. However I have some concerns about it;

The packs come in lengths of 122cm and the rows must be offset, which means a lot of sawing, which means buying a small circular saw.
The offsets mean some half boards will only span 2 joists, spreading the weight less.
I've seen references that the recommended max loading in lofts is 25kg/SqM. The chipboard is very heavy (13kg/SqM) which means I can store less stuff.

I'd much rather use some whitewood timber like this. It comes in lengths of 240cm so each plank is the ideal size to span 5 * 60cm joists, which is the area I want to board. I realise its more expensive but due to the relatively small area the extra cost is acceptable. My question is whether this timber is suitable for flooring? Also, it is not tongue & groove, is this relevant?

House is 1980s built in the UK.

If you can get the white board materials into the loft there there should be no reason that would prevent you from using them as a flooring material over your joists. Especially if all you are going to place on them are fairly light weight storage boxes and other sundry items.

The relatively narrow boards may have a tendency to individually flex a small amount between joists if you were to walk around on them. Sometimes white boards can have sizeable knots that would span a good part of the width of the board. You would want to avoid installing board like that because they could flex enough at the knot to break the board.


What is the purpose of a double pole breaker for separate 15A circuits? My new house is done being built and I am going to come in and install my new gas range and dishwasher, both 120V 15A appliances.

I got thoroughly confused looking at the breaker box because gas range and dishwasher were labeled on different circuits but at the breaker the electrician installed a double pole breaker.  I traced the two ungrounded conductors to two separate wires coming out of the box, telling me it is really two separate circuits(EDIT: On second thought I did see a red wire in the one end so I must not have traced that right. It probably is going to one 14/3 cable now that I think about it).

Clearly if the gas range or the dishwasher were to trip the breaker then it immediately trip the other circuit as well.  I am curious why it was done this way.

Is this a new NEC code that I am unaware of?  Could this be a regional code of some kind?  Are there any safety concerns for why the electrician decided to do this over using two separate 15A breakers?

I'm guessing the circuits are sharing a neutral, and so are considered a multiwire branch circuit.

  Branch Circuit, Multiwire. A branch circuit that consists of two or more ungrounded conductors that have a voltage between them, and a
  grounded conductor that has equal voltage between it and each
  ungrounded conductor of the circuit and that is connected to the
  neutral or grounded conductor of the system.

In the 2008 version of the National Electrical Code (NEC), they introduced sub section (b) to section 210.4.  This sub section covers the disconnecting means of a multiwire branch circuit, and requires a simultaneous disconnect of all ungrounded conductors.

  NEC 2008
  210.4 Multiwire Branch Circuits.
  (B) Disconnecting Means. Each multiwire branch circuit shall be provided with a means that will simultaneously disconnect all
  ungrounded conductors at the point where the branch circuit
  originates.

This subsection can be satisfied by using a multipole breaker, which provides both simultaneous trip and simultaneous disconnect. The subsection can also be satisfied by simply attaching handle ties between multiple single pole breakers, which would provide simultaneous disconnect (and may or may not provide simultaneous trip).


How should I dispose of Sulfuric Acid? I have about 30 ml of leftover Sulfuric acid. There is a similar thread on this board suggesting ways to dispose of it. They involve adding baking soda after adding the sulfuric acid to water. However, the MSDS sheet for sulfuric acid contains the following statement which scares me:
"A violent exothermic reaction occurs with water."

Any suggestions please.

As my high school chemistry instructor made us learn:

Do as you oughta - add acid to water.

If you add water to acid, the reaction dynamics work out badly and you get the MSDS warning - the water boils, this spits acid solution all over, and is dangerous.

If you add acid to water, the reaction dynamics work in a more favorable fashion, and nothing exciting happens as you dilute the acid.

To further enhance safety, you can use cold water and chill the acid, though this is a bit more than is really needed.

Gloves and eye protection are always advisable.


Loose Moen single handle faucet Can't seem to figure out how to tighten this. The whole thing has become loose up top. It's in a new (3 yrs) house

Moen has an actual socket to tighten the nut in question. I have also been able to tighten them with a small, 6", adjustable wrench. The Moen tool can usually be picked up at your home store or a plumbing supply store. here's what the tool looks like:

You could also use a deep socket if you are a tool collector. Good luck


AC Gearmotor 115 Nameplate RPM 4.0 RPM Max. Torque 75.0 in-lb trips breaker when switch is turned off To whom it may concern, I recently purchased a Dayton AC Gearmotor 115 Nameplate RPM 4.0 RPM Max Model #
52JE07. Torque 75.0 in-lb. The gear motor is single phase with two wires L1 and L2 respectively with no ground. I wired this into a 20 amp industrial switch. From the switch is 10 feet of 14 gauge extension cord to plug to my outlet. When I turn the switch to off, it blows the 20 Amp circuit breaker in my box every time. This motor does not require a capacitor according to the technical specs provided by Dayton. I did not ground the plug nor the switch as the motor is two wire. I switched neutral and hot on the switch and vice versa from the L1 and L2 terminals with absolutely no change.  There are GFCI outlets in the circuit where I am plugging into. They do not trip, only the main breaker. I can turn the motor off and on by tripping the GFCI breaker on the next outlet leaving the switch on. As soon as I turn the switch off, trips the breaker. My question is, should I wire ground to neutral on the switch from my plug wire? Any ideas of what could be causing this?

I'm pretty sure you wired your switch wrong, and "off" (so you think) is a dead short.


Furnace Blower Motor Replacement I have an old carrier Weathermaker DX 58DXA060-100GG, and the blower motor has no oilers. I assume it was a replacement for the original. My question is, because I woke up to it humming and then it started but never shut off until the hi-limit switch was reset, can I put in a different motor? This is a 4 speed motor that is in it. However only 2 speeds are actually hooked up. Could a 2 or 3 speed be used instead? Also, it is a 1/3hp fla5.8 psc, can I use a 1/3hp fla6.1 or fla6.2, or even a 1/2hp fla6.1 or fla6.2? I don't want to spend the $250 for the exact replacement because I would be better off buying a new furnace. This furnace is about 25 years old from my diagnoses and investigation. I have replaced the spark control, the pilot and the inducer motor in the last 3 years. But if I keep replacing parts like this then it might just warranty a complete replacement.  I have removed the motor and repacked the bearings with new grease, but it still has a slight moan on start up, but runs for now. I know it will quit again in the future.

I would replace the motor with a 4 speed PSC motor. Psc motors have more starting torque than non PSC motors and use less electricity to run and start, because they are more efficient. These motors are usually 4 speed however a few are 3 speed. you may want to check the capacitor since the motor will not run if the capacitor is bad and capacitors cost a lot less than a motor.


common wire hookup in air handler i have a rudd air handler and am trying to install the common wire coming from my thermostat. my wiring diagram doesnt have a common wire listed so i am not sure where to connect it. i attached the wiring diagram below. can any help me out? thank you.

The common wire for the thermostat should be connected to the 24V side of the transformer.  In your schematic that you shared, this is the brown (br) wire leaving the transformer.  There are 4 brown wires attached with a wire nut.  This is where the COMmon for your thermostat should attach.


How can I replace this light switch? I want to swap out a light switch with a sensor switch in my boiler room but I'm not sure how to wire it. I took out the old switch expecting to find 3 wires connects: a metal ground, a white return, and a black hot. Instead, all of the White returns are capped together in the box and two black wires are connected to the switch.

I tried wiring the sensor in the same way and it was on for a while but wouldn't switch off when I pressed the plate under the sensor. Then, it did go off and now won't turn on any more. Here's what the new switch looks like:
-- photos deleted because I don't have enough karma to post more than 2 links --

And, this is what the inside of the box looks like:

My guess is either the sensor switch is defective or I wired it wrong and it's defective now ;p

Any help in understanding this wiring would be appreciated. The whole house is like this and I want to replace this switch and put a dimmer in the nursery. I've just never seen a setup with what looks like 2 hot wires and no return.

Thanks!

Basically the only "HOT" is the black coming into the box from the Main. The switch is an interrupt to the light, which uses the electricity. So the way they have it set up is the switch is just passing the Voltage through from black to black when on, and creating an "Open" when it is off. At which point the light (or a plug outlet) would be off; this is where the actual Black/White setup in your mind really matters.


How do I fix aluminium edging onto an MDF board? I bought a 12mm sheet of melamine-faced MDF to use as a (black) whiteboard (chalk pens, works nicely) and some aluminum angle to use as edging (hoping to attach it to the sides and the front).
I was planning to screw the aluminum into the sides of the MDF but I have read some horror stories about splitting MDF that way.
I was wondering if anyone could advise how I might approach screwing it together safely, or else suggest any better ideas?

Drilling holes should help keep the MDF from splitting, take care to keep the holes as far from edges as you can and as straight as possible. Use short screws unless the aluminum edge will need to support the weight of your board (i.e. hanging on the wall by the top frame).
If you don't want visible screw heads you can alternatively use a strong adhesive such as epoxy.


Is it legal for a home/condo owner to do any electric work in Chicago? As of June 18th, 2018, the City of Chicago Department of Buildings poses the following in their FAQ.

  Q: Can owners do their own electrical work?

  A: No. Due to the potential for electric shock or fire hazard, only Electrical Contractors licensed by the City of Chicago can perform electrical installations.

The question Can owners do their own electrical work? seems unambiguous, but referring to an installation in the answer muddies the waters for me as that term is not defined on the site, and makes me think there may be a certain threshold of project difficulty that owners can or cannot legally take on.

If that's the case, where's the line? I can't install anything on my own? Not a replacement light fixture? Not a light switch? A thermostat? The website seems rather vague and I've found no other official documentation.

I've reached out to the Department of Buildings several times, and have received no response to my question.

I find it all the more confusing because major companies like Home Depot make it seem like these projects are very simple and gear their online materials towards average home owners, not professionals. They don't mention (in the materials I've read) even considering to consult a professional electrician. Perhaps some could argue that's implied, but I would disagree based on how they phrase things.

  Hanging a ceiling fan is a project just about anyone can complete.

  ...

  Easily replace your light fixture with a new one thanks to this informative video from The Home Depot.

I doubt many people would even consider an electrician when buying/installing something like a Nest thermostat, which has a detailed video explaning how to install the device on your own. Yet, it involves some electrical wiring, and it seems a DIY install could very well be restricted by local law.

  In most homes, installing a Nest thermostat is an easy DIY project that takes 20-30 min. Follow the detailed steps in this article or watch the installation video to learn how to install your thermostat.

Even if I have done the research and feel confident that I could do it, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Electricity can certainly be very dangerous, so I can understand if municipalties put restrictions on that sort of work. It's just a bit confusing to figure out what, if any, electrical work I can do.

I realize it's unreasonable to expect an authoritative answer, but was hoping for locals and/or professionals in the industry who might have insight into this and can weigh in

If I recall, Chicago requires conduit wiring methods.

Thing about conduit is, about 3/4 of the actual work is planning conduit design, planning fill (in both aspects), cubic-inching the junction boxes, fitting the conduit and boxes, working out run lengths, and getting pull strings into the conduit. None of that is actually wiring, now is it?

You just need an electrician who will work with you and not have a Rumplestiltskin fit because he didn't get to do the whole job.


Tapping 100A feeder at meter for EV charger I'd like to tap the feeder coming from my main breaker on the side of the house to supply power to an EV charger. I'd like to size the conductors to support 100A (I'm planning to upgrade my service to 200A or more in the future).

To connect the charger, I have:

100A main breaker + meter on the side of the house

supplying 1 feeder to a subpanel inside for the house circuits

45' of buried schedule 80 2" PVC conduit capped just below the meter leading to a detached garage
Another 45' through the wall cavity of the detached garage (I'd prefer concealing it in the wall if I can)
My AHJ has adopted a mostly  unmodified version of the 2014 NEC

I'm looking for advice on how to do this in a code compliant way. This will be a short-term thing until I can have a professional move/upgrade my service and install a proper subpanel in the garage.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

You know you can't tap arbitrarily, but you can tap when the tap is the same ampacity as the trunk.  Simply because the breaker protecting the trunk is able to protect the tap.

The problem is, you're hanging your hat on that, and your hat will fall down when you go to 200A service later.

So the first part here is some vision work, figuring out how you're going to protect that 100A branch on  the happy day 200A arrives.  I would propose some sort of combination meter pan + mini-panel with a main breaker and a couple of spaces for 2-pole breakers for branches.  Just have that product in your mind's eye (i.e. Selected and priced) for now.

In the garage, I doubt the EV charger is rated for a 100A feed. that means you will need a subpanel - but any cheapie will do for a temporary.  It simply needs to house a breaker of the ampacity specced by the charger.

I take it the 100' wire run will be a keeper, take super care to leave yourself excess length any way possible.  Aluminium is your friend on a run like this.

You won't need to upsize the wire for distance.  If you plan to run the garage circuit to full 100A actual draw on a regular basis, lay 120/125A wire.


AC not cooling using heat pump I just bought a house and this is my first experience with using a heat pump. I have put in several hours of research and understand how it works but I need someone that has experience to give me some insight on what the problems could be.

Issue is that the AC does not always work and when it does it is not very cold.

Here is what has been done:

AC Company has come out and determined that the dual run capacitor on the compressor is just out side of tolerance.
AC Company charged the system with 2 lb of R-22
Replaced electrical disconnect inside at the air handler
Replaced the thermostat with a nest thermostat

Details of issue:

Sometimes the whole system runs fine except the compressor does not turn on but the outdoor fan does. I have then turned the system on and off and the compressor starts working and the system cools fine. I have not been able to determine a pattern. There have been a few times that I think the compressor is running but the air is not very cold then there are times that the air is very cold. The AC company has been out 2 times and has not been able to figure out what is wrong.

FYI the issue occurred before and after the install of the nest.

I plan on replacing the capacitor my self tomorrow and taking a closer look at the contacts and circuitry.

System Details:

Heat pump model Goodman GSH130361CB
Air handler Trane TWE036p130B0

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

Thanks

If the outdoor fan comes on and the compressor does not, you need a "hard start kit"
this is either a potential relay and start capacitor as in my diagram or a PTC thermistor solid state start assist device that piggy backs onto the run capacitor.
This is assuming your compressor is cold to the touch and has not been starting.
If your compressor has been starting and is off due to the thermal overload being open
Then it is due to  the capacitor being bad or refrigerant being low or the compressor is mechanically tight or electrically shorted to itself internally, this is not something a homeowner will usually be able to do unless walked through it step by step.


Why does water pressure spike when sprinkler is winterized? We are getting spikes in water pressure, measured at the main feed to the house, starting yesterday when the outdoor sprinkler was shut and winterized.  I have a backflow preventer that is tested annually.
Similar spikes happened last winter, but I didn't see the link until now.
The pressure gets reset when a toilet or other appliance runs, causing pipes to rattle, then the pressure builds again.
I can't understand why shutting the sprinkler would affect pressure in the house.

I believe with the sprinkler system shut off you now have a smaller amount of water trapped in the system so the pressure changes will be more noticeable. The distance from the shutoff valve to the branch control valves makes a kind of pressure tank that absorbed the spikes.


Biggest size breaker in 200 amp panel I am upgrading my service to 200 AMP.
Since the location of the old service is behind a cabinet, we moved the main panel to a different area. This put it more than 15 feet away so we have a 200 amp service disconnect outside and my "main panel" is now considered a sub-panel.

I'm trying to install a new 36kW instant hot water tank.
Tempra 36 Plus http://www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/install-tempra.pdf

I'm concerned because this installation guides calls out this model needs a min 300 Amp service. It requires 3 X 50 Amp breakers. My inspector gave my load calc the ok and this is the main reason we are upgrading our service. This hot water tank is pretty over sized for my home so I'm not really worried about drawing the full 150 amps.

Am I able to use 50 amp breakers in a 200 amp panel, or is there some size restriction?

Your 200 amp service can supply your 150 amp water heater. But will anything else in your house require power at the same time? Such as a microwave, room or house heater, room or house air conditioner, stove or oven? Have you considered using the 24 instead of the 36?


Drywall/Brick Transition - how to paint? Along a section of wall I have (a) painted plastered brickwork on the right hand side and (b) painted drywall on the left hand side. The drywall flexes very slightly relative to the brick, so whenever I paint over the transition, it inevitably cracks sooner or later. Is there any simple solution to this please?

I think you'd have to support the drywall to make sure it does not flex. That would involve demolition, adding support that is evidently lacking now, and replacement; and may not be worth the effort.
Placing a molding over the crack to conceal it would be another approach.
Cutting it out to 1/4 inch wide and filling it with caulking as an expansion joint is a third option, but probably less appealing. You'd likely want to hide it, in which case you dont need to bother, you can hide the crack with molding, as mentioned just above.


Dead end in pipes and legionella risk Today a plumber removed a sink from my house and sealed the two corresponding pipes at the location where they branch from the rest of the system. I expressly asked him to do this because I wanted to avoid having a dead run of pipe in my walls where bacteria could develop and cause serious health risks.
This is the end result. I marked in red where the dead leg starts for each of the pipes that got cut.

I've been reading online about the risk of bacteria such as legionella developing in the system and the recommendation seems to be that the dead leg's maximum length should be at most 1.5 times the diameter of the pipe itself. The dead legs shown in the picture are about 4 times the diameter.
I would like to understand whether this poses a health risk and whether I ought to ask the plumber to come and shorten the pipes.

I would not be overly concerned about this unless it was the highest point in your plumbing or if you had low water pressure from the water supply (or if you are on well water).
These couple of inches extra should be flushed with water at all times and recycled with the rest of the water supply.    There is no reason to believe that the water in these small sections would remain stagnant, as they are just way too small to have "standing" water.
If you are concerned I would have the plumber not cap these at all, take out the nearest T and change it for a right angle.
Now there are a TON of benefits to block framing (from the materials I am guessing France or Italy) but plumbing and rerouting the plumbing... no.   We simply don't have many instances in the US like this because the plumbing is easily modified inside 2x construction.


Replace drop ceiling with drywall and soundproofing This is my basement ceiling this morning:

After a couple of hours, I removed all drop ceiling for entire basement with 1 living room and 2 bedrooms:

I would like to install drywall with access panels near plumbing and most IMPORTANT: Soundproofing.

I searched online and there are many ideas but I cannot decide which idea to go for. I want to achieve two purposes: (1) block from air travel and (2) block from floor transmit (vibration from someone walking on top). One issue is that I cannot do anything about the wall because it is just too much work. So the focus is the ceiling only.

So my options that I researched are:

Use regular R30 insulation and drywall. This seems cheapest but does it work OK most of the time for soundproof?
Use Acoustic Insulation Roll. But I don't know how to install this. Is it "wrapped" around the joist and basement ceiling plywood then install drywall below? Or it is sandwiched between two pieces of drywall?

Use Resilient Sound Isolation Clip for drywall
Use specialize product with both insulation and Resilient Channels

I would love to hear more advise and past experiences from everyone.

Thanks.

I've been interested in this topic for years, but 'back in the day' there wasn't much info on the 'net about it.

Jacks post about RC1 made some sense, so I took a deeper look and found that while on the surface it may seem that he was correct, the use of RC-1 is not recommended by the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association (SSMA) and it's lack of industry standard or specification for its construction is concerning.

To sound proof a room you need to do 4 things:

Decouple The Framing
Install Absorption in the Cavities (Insulate)
Add Mass (Drywall)
Add Damping

Decouppling

The best sound isolation comes from a double stud wall with green glue. But, installing staggered studs to hang your drywall should be more effective than direct attachment to RC channel.

For a ceiling, you likely don't want the reduction in ceiling height and increase of cost of double studs. Thus a staggered-stud, or sound proofing clips with furring channel is likely your best path forward. According to the SSMA, to use soundproofing clips you should hang 7/8” Drywall Furring Channel aka hat channel (not to be mistaken with RC-2) from the soundproofing clips at a 48" span. RC-1 as well as RC-2 won't fit inside RC clips.

Insulation

While foam (open or closed cell) is superior for thermal it is distinctly worse for acoustic, just use the cheapest R13 for the walls, and R19 in the ceiling you can find.

Adding mass (Drywall, Plywood, OSB, and Cement Board)

For sound to conduct through a wall, it has to actually move the wall ever so slightly . A heavy wall is harder to move than a lighter wall. Standard 5/8” Type X is best as it is 70+ pounds a board, and cheap at $7 a sheet. Use two layers. Only mud and tape the final layer. Adding more than 2 layers doesn't improve things much, especially in the bass range:

Damping

There are many field applied damping compounds such as green glue that translate the vibrational force laterally converting the sound into heat. If we prevent the drywall from vibrating, the mass, insulation and decoupling become are more effective:


Wiring a string of outlets I have 10 outlets on a 20-amp circuit (not all will be used simultaneous).
Do I start wiring from the first outlet and then to the second and so on until my last outlet? Or, do I pull my wire to my last outlet, create a service loop for each in the string, and then wire from the last to the first?

Because I will be running 12-2 wire for all my outlets in the basement, I will use a 20-amp AFCI circuit breaker for all rooms and a GFCI for the bathroom.
If your wondering why I am using 20-amp for all the outlets its because the basement will be a home gym and there will be a treadmill, elliptical, a fan, a small refrigerator...

Constructive criticism is welcome.

Keep it short
Cable from the panel to the nearest outlet. String along to each outlet via the shortest path. In some cases splitting (a "tree" configuration, though technically a string is a very boring tree) will actually be shorter, but most of the time a simple string works best unless you are trying to wire a whole house with one circuit.
How to Connect
There are two ways to connect the wires for each outlet:

For each outlet (except the last one), use wire nuts to connect each incoming wire (from panel or previous outlet), outgoing wire (to next outlet) and a pigtail (to this outlet). If you are using NM cable (a.k.a. Romex), you can strip the jacket off a section of it to get plain wire for pigtails.

Use one pair of screws (e.g., the top screws) for "in" and one pair for "out". Typically duplex outlets will have removable tabs on each side (one for hot, one for neutral) to allow the top & bottom outlets to be powered from different circuits. That same feature allows you to use both sets of screws to get "in" & "out" without pigtails.

The advantages of pigtails include:

Easier to work on the wires if they don't have much slack (and even in my limited non-professional-electrician experience, I can definitely vouch for that one myself)

If an outlet goes bad and you don't have a replacement on hand, with pigtails the removal - and later replacement is a little simpler than without as you just cap the pigtails instead of having to join (and later move again) the "in" & "out" cables to keep the other receptacles working

If you have any GFCI or other "special" items in the mix, pigtails keep it really simple.

Use the screws on the outlets, not the back-stab (push-in) connections. There are some types of push-in connections that are "good", but if you aren't sure, just play it safe and use the screws.
If you need GFCI protection for some or all outlets, then either use a GFCI breaker or come back here with more details and we can help. In general the simplest thing to do is to install a GFCI and/or AFCI breaker to provide the protection to all receptacles. However, if that is not an option, you would typically install GFCI at the first location that needs it and, for that receptacle only, use the LINE terminals for the "in" cable and the LOAD terminals for the "out" cable instead of pigtailing everything to LINE. But there are variations depending on your particular situation, so if you are not sure then please ask.


Will using a flood guard on cellar drain cause excess storm water to go to upper floors? Just recently has storm backwater flood my basement through the 2 floor drains.  A few weeks ago when my neighbor was draining his backyard pool I noticed remnants of slight flooding, but last night during the storm it flooded the entire basement by 2" with water gushing up through the storm drain.  It eventually started draining again after about 15 minutes and the water flowed back into the drains.
Now I'm trying to avoid a repeat - can I install the one-way floor drain flood guards as protection?  If so, will the water escape through the rest of my drainage system and flood upper floor drains?  Or, will the water just "find its level" and stay low blocked off and isolated?  Should I get a check valve at the source connected to the sewer?
How do I know if the overflow was from the roof water coming down or from the city sewer main?

If that's your plumbing layout, presumably it would overflow at the basement laundry sink if it was going to overflow with the floor drains successfully valved.
Whether it would will depend how much pressure there is - while your flood was only a couple of inches, it was spread out from two floor drains across however much basement area it flooded, so there might well have been more than 2 inches of back pressure if contained in a pipe rather than allowed to spread out.
Assuming your drains connect to a municipal sewer, requesting the agency responsible for maintaining that sewer to correct the problem of it backing up during storms (perhaps indicating a partial blockage/collapse or need to be cleaned, or infiltration [storm water getting into the sanitary sewer] if it's not supposed to be a combined sewer/storm sewer) would be the best solution.


White solid drain pipe vs black flexible corrugated pipe for a french drain Which one is preferable if you have a straight line 2 feet deep trench in mostly clay soil?

I'll put either one in a sock with gravel.

There are some roots around the trench so I thought the solid pipe would be sturdier.

Any comments on this would be appreciated.

Edit: I need more comments please.

Tim Carter at AskTheBuilder.com has a lot of articles on French/Trench drains. He likes solid pipe and I agree. You are correct in that the holes point DOWN. Here's why - the water won't magicially find the holes if they are pointed up, but if they are down, the water can fill the trench and then flow into the pipe. Put a cleanout on the upper end if you can, if you don't want it sticking out of the ground, then come up with a 45 elbow and bury the cap right below the ground. I would NOT put a sock on the pipe. That will just clog. If dirt gets into the pipe, most will flow out because its rigid, and hopefully you can put a cleanout on it, or you can run a snake in from the outlet. I would put some straw or landscape fabric right under the top soil. Use 3/4 gravel as filler, not smaller. Read Tim's articles if you get a chance.


What is a good solution for hiding insulation in an unfinished basement? First off, let me note that I am a tenant in this house. My landlord lets me do small improvements, but I'm not going to finish the basement with drywall myself.

Basically, we have an unfinished basement space in the house that is used for storage, laundry, and minor workshop duties. There are also some drainage pipes that are in the center of the room. The ceiling and wall areas are filled with pink fiberglass insulation, but they are open and exposed.

I'd like to make the space a little more inviting and perhaps a little safer to breathe in for extended workshop sessions, by covering up the insulation with something inexpensive and quick to install (and that won't require a construction permit). Is perhaps stapling Tyvek sheeting to the studs a solution that would work here? Any other/better ideas?

I have seen it covered with fiberglash screen mesh. It will let it breath, but still keep it off of you if you accidentally brush up against it. A whole basement covered in it would not be that inexpensive though. Maybe some 1/4 inch paneling.


How might I discharge a sump pump, furnace condensate line, and water softener to a single floor drain? My home has a sump pump running to a floor drain. While no longer strictly legal in my city, this arrangement has been in place for many years and there isn't a convenient way to get the water outside. The sump doesn't run enough to warrant grave concerns.

The drain is a bit unique, though. It has a 1-1/2" opening all the way up, without the usual collection bowl. It looks similar to this. The sump drain line nearly fills it by itself. I'm not sure what's below the surface of the opening or the concrete slab.

I'd like to securely attach the sump drain and softener discharge lines to the floor drain, while still allowing the floor-level furnace condensate line (which requires an air gap) to drain effectively.

The furnace condensate line does not have a pump. It relies on gravity alone.

Is this feasible? How would you do it?

Is it possible to run the softener hose and furnace hose over to the sump pump? I am assuming you have a furnace distillate pup already.

If it is, perhaps you can discharge them there into the sump pump pipe itself, or BETTER snake another pipe down inside that pipe to the drain.

You may have to get creative drilling a hole into the end cap so the smaller pipe is a tight fit and glue it together so it is water tight.

You do not have to go all the way with the concentric pipe though if there is a decent slope on the existing pipe, but since the outlet is so close to the top of the floor drain, I doubt there is.


Good, affordable pathway materials for sidewalk with tree root problems I recently moved into my first home. Unfortunately, the concrete slab pathway leading from the town sidewalk to the front door is buckling from the roots of an enormous pine tree that grows near it.

What's an inexpensive and durable material to replace this sidewalk with, and how can I prevent future root growth from ruining the new pathway?

I had a landscaper take a look at the pathway, and he recommended bluestone on a bed of crushed stone. The idea is that if the roots grow in the future, you can simply lift the bluestone, level out the crushed stone and then replace the bluestone.

However, this was insanely expensive, and I worry that the bluestone will be super slippery in rainy weather.

Are there other solutions?

Depending on where you live, reclaimed brick can be very inexpensive. The same theory still applies: if there's a problem in the future, just pull up the bricks and re-level the bed. However, bricks are thicker than bluestone, so will you have less stone/sand between the brick and the roots, and thus less room for adjustment.

Another possibility is just moving the walkway. If you're going to re-do it to deal with roots, why not run the walkway in a different spot?


How should I build the walls for a tiny house on a camper frame? I am preparing to build a tiny house on an old camper frame, and am looking for advice on how to build the exterior walls.  I'm planning to use 2x3 wood studs at 24" o.c., with 1/4" plywood on the interior and 3/8" plywood on the exterior. I'll use house wrap on the exterior, and r-13 insulation in the wall. Everything will be glued and screwed together.

Does this sound like the proper way to build the walls?

It depends what you're after & if you'd "hope" to get an official Use & Occupancy approval. Will you be hauling it around the nation (or locally) or just parking it on a piece of land to drag it into the Sun for the winter & under the trees for summer?

If it's just a Glorified Shed Dwelling, then whatever your Local Building Dept. says is whom you have to please. So, they don't condemn it, fine you $10,000 & destroy your masterpiece. Being a dwelling is what paints the bull's-eye on you. Everything will be legal & fully inspected & corrected until it passes as proper & safe...or you can't live in it, period.

Otherwise, I agree with Ed Beal. A house is a house & 2x4's 16"oc with 1/2" exterior plywood properly screwed are the minimum structural elements, for just the walls, that your Local Building Dept. will approve.

Toting this puppy on the road is a whole different issue & your Dept. Of Transportation will have another set of requirements. Maybe, they want 1/2" plywood inside too for structural & vehicle intrusion stability or 12"oc spacing or the building sealed with Poly Sheeting or all screws & no nails.

Other people's Tiny's aren't your concern. They may not take them anywhere nor did it legal at all & will pay the price for not building it proper with well proven & tested materials, methods, procedures & designs.

Here's a very loose Summary of CA's Notice to Tiny Housers

Here's the Full Notice from CA, directing you to their Uniform Construction Codes


What is a quick and temporary fix for a cracked toilet waste pipe? Somehow the porcelain waste pipe of the toilet has cracked and has started leaking. We're about to replace the whole bathroom so I just need a quick fix. Will wrapping the crack in duck tape work?

Epoxy putty, found in the plumbing repair section or adhesives section of your local big box store:

It's a two part compound that you work together like clay.  Blend a small amount, per instructions, then force it into the crack, ensuring it completely fills the crack.


Florescent shop light kicks off GFC wall outlet I have a GFC wall outlet in the garage. I put up a new florescent shop light and plugged it into the outlet. It works fine for maybe an hour but then kicks the GFC breaker off. Sometimes it will kick off the breaker as soon as I plug it in. I have plugged the shop light into other outlets and it stays on and works fine. The GFC outlet could be 20 years old. Is my outlet bad or do florescent lights not work well with GFC outlets?

I would swap the GFCI with another one, and see if the problem repeats. Then replace either the light or GFCI, accordingly.

No fluorescent fixture should ever trip a GFCI, if it does, it's the ballast, either due to being really cheap, or having a fault.  Given that ALL garage outlets must now be GFCI, I can't see how anyone could get away with selling a fluorescent fixture that trips GFCIs.

Like Machavity says, replacing an old one isn't a bad idea.  And the best reason is the march of technology: New ones are better.  Just don't lose that advantage by getting a bottom-shelf junk unit.


Would retiling a shower with larger tiles mitigate mould growth on the grout? I am about to update my walk-in shower which has an electric shower, single sliding door and tiled walls with white grouting. I have never been happy by how frequently the grouting turns black and mouldy despite using anti mould silicone.

I had considered using a wall board system but I think I still prefer wall tiles.

Whilst thinking about the job it occurred to me I could use much larger tiles than the current 8" x 6" ones and this would result in less grout shown. However, in showrooms, I have also seen some large shower tiles with dark grey grout or maybe adhesive such as that used with floor tiles with the adhesive being the grout also. I wondered whether this would be a better option for both minimising mould and to show less discolouration? Or are there better solutions to the problem of mould?

So you have a couple of options that will minimize the mold right away:

Wall boards.
Large stone sheets - I have put up a few granite systems and they are not getting any mold.
Larger tile.

If you choose wall boards or large stone sheets then you still need to caulk.  There are caulks - not usually sold at the big box - that are virtually mold proof.  If you want something from a big box then go with GE Silicone II.  I have used it in my own house and never any mold.

The key to a moldless shower is that you only let water stand/sit in the pan.  So you need to plan on your transitions and things like soap dishes.  If you have a nook that is built in the wall and you see mold over it - the problem is the nook not the area directly over it.

Also I have people show me their showers and it is newly caulked...  But their tiles are so old and have been scrubbed (probably with the wrong type of sponges) that they have no facing.  Meaning water may penetrate just a little each shower.  Without enough time to fully dry - mold.

So I get people who want a mold-free shower (and tile) and I always give them the same advice.  Big tiles until you hit 4 feet.  After that we can go smaller or even mosaic.  The less grout the less issues.  Then the key is an epoxy grout.  A true epoxy grout is basically a plastic after it dries.  They look great, they are mold free... So why aren't they used more...

Well the first time I used an epoxy grout was on my backsplash (1 inch mosaic) in my own kitchen many years back.  I wanted to test it before I did a shower.  Holy cow is the epoxy grouting like 5 times the work as regular grouting.  Once you mix your A and B you have about 15 mins to get the grout in and then it slowly hardens to unworkable at around 1 hour.  So you must do small batches and have a helper.  But man does my kitchen backsplash look good.  I have done 5 full showers using epoxy and people are pretty wowed.  It is certainly worth it for a shower.  You will make up your install time in less than a year with less cleaning.

Note: You should not buy "ceramic" tiles for shower - nor should someone sell you these.  They are more porous and will hold water after facing deteriorates - which it will faster than the same quality of porcelain.

Another note:  Only have cement back in shower - no drywall of any kind.  A Kerdi like system is even better but a well installed HB shower with plastic under it that flow to pan will do.


After my condo shuts off and turns on the main water, how can I avoid dirty water? Every year my parents' condo in Ontario (Canada) shut off the building's water, just like the quotations below in the morning. They restore it in the late afternoon. ISSUE — after the building reactivates water, the water out of my parent's tap is brown and gritty. Parents must let this dirty water run for  AT LEAST 4 HOURS before the water is clean again.
How can they avoid this filthy water? If the building reactivates the water at 4 PM, what if they wait a few hours before turning their condo unit's taps back on?
Post #8

Every year in my apartment building in the City, they shut off the building water and clean the water tank on the roof. They get it completely free of dirt and sediment and everything else and flush it thoroughly before they refill it with water and reopen the connection to the building. For whatever reason, the shutting off of the water and turning the water back on stirs up sediment, and the water in the building turns a really gross Brown for about 6 hours, after which it gets lighter, and after which it goes back to its usual perfect clarity.

Post #2

When the water was turned off and back on, it probably stirred up some sediment in the lines. I think it will clear up after some more water is run through the pipes.

Unless your condo association is willing put in a filtration system  at the main source then you  either have to flush the pipes for a minute or two  (Not practical for refrigerator supply lines.)
OR Install a filter in your unit.
This can be done if you have one supply pipe coming into your unit as opposed to separate lines that go to individual fixtures.
The condo i live in does this on a regular basis and i just open all fixtures and let them run a few minutes.


How should I get this paint off my stucco? I have an exterior stucco wall that appears to have been painted. I would like to somehow remove the paint to expose the rough surface of the top coat so I can limewash it.

I tried scraping at it with steel and brass wire brushes but they produced a result I was not expecting: the wirebrushed area became smooth and metallic.

Is this the right approach? What is the right way to remove paint from stucco?

Update: I contacted several sandblasters and they all say it's not worth the trouble, as the blasting would likely destroy the stucco, necessitating a whole house re-stucco, in which case it would make more sense to simply screw wire through the existing stucco and apply a new layer without the added expense of sandblasting.

Are there any chemicals I could use to strip this paint? Or am I really going to have to get the entire house re-wired and re-stuccoed? It seems like such a shame since the substrate beneath the paint is really just fine.

That looks like a good justification for a phone call to the local sandblaster. Stucco's too abrasive to be depainted with metal tools.


Will I be able to replace the tub and shower fixtures in my apartment home myself? I live in a roughly-50 year-old apartment building and would like to renovate the bathroom myself. I've tiled and replaced sinks and toilets in the past, but I'm unsure about replacing the tub and shower fixtures (knobs, spouts, etc.).

Will I be able to shut off water to the tub without needing to shut off water in my whole line of apartments? I can find a third valve underneath the neighboring sink that appears to control the hot water flow to the tub, but no clues about the cold water.

Given that it's an apartment the plumbing would most likely have to be done by a licensed plumber, check with the landlord/building manager and local government.

In some places the work can be done by anybody, but must be inspected at different stages by a licensed professional and/or the local government.


Installing water pipe to outbuilding - how to handle insulation/cold so it won't burst/will be usable in winter? I'm in southeast England, so in winter temperatures can drop below zero C. I want to run a permanently installed water pipe to a shed workshop (10 m from house). I can always install an electric water heater in the shed so a cold water supply would be enough. But I'm not sure what to do so that the supply pipe to the shed (and the pipes in the shed itself?) won't freeze and will run in winter, even if not used often.

I've seen that 22/25 mm mains water pipes are made of polypropylene and laid a bit below ground, maybe that's all that is needed (or some specific kind of pipe that is suitable?) but mains water pipes are generally assumed to be in constant use and this one probably won't be. The shed probably won't be heated either. I can give the shed its own stopcock if it needs one,but that doesn't solve the problem.

I can insulate or bury the supply pipe itself, or use some specific type of pipe or approach suitable for cold weather, but I'm trying to find out how it could be done properly (both supply pipe and pipes in the shed) and not sure where to start?

Update

I have some extra flexibility/info about how the shed's water supply pipe runs.

At the shed end, the shed rests on about 300mm of flooring + insulation, which rests on 250mm    suspended concrete slab, with 150mm void below it and then soil. How deep should I run the supply or hydrant junction in this setup? Is it still about 1m below ground, or 1m below the bottom of the void... or something else?
At the other end ("supply" end), I don't necessarily have to start the shed water pipe outdoors as an underground branch of the main house pipe. An alternative could be to run the pipe from a valve/stopcock/tap of some kind within the house, and then instead of running it underground, run the pipe above ground level (attached to the fence our something), and sloping slightly down for the 10 m between house and shed, to the hydrant junction, so that the whole length of the pipe automatically drains through the open freeze-proof hydrant valve and is therefore empty, when not in use? Perhaps with an air valve at the house end? Easy to maintain, but would something like this be viable?

Typically, you need to bury the supply pipe below the frost line until it gets to a heated space.  The local building authority should be able to tell you how deep for your climate, but it's probably in the neighborhood of 3 feet/1 meter.

However, you're not bringing it in to a heated space.  So you have a few options.

Use a freeze-proof hydrant.

Enclose, insulate & heat a small cabinet/closet for the water access.  Heat could be as simple as an incandescent light bulb & thermostat outlet depending on the size, temperature and insulation.  If you go this route, you should have a way to monitor the system - having a lightbulb involved (even if it isn't the primary heat source) that's visible from outside can give you an easy visual indication that the system is on.  And make the system easy to drain if you expect it to be out of use for an extended period or if you're prone to power outages.

You mentioned placing a water heater in the outbuilding - if it's a tank type heater, that could work well for the heat source in option #2.

More on additions to the question...
If the void and area above it aren't heated, then I think you're still in the same situation and the pipe will need to be installed to the required depth below the bottom of the void.

The problem with your latest above-ground update is that the freeze-proof hydrant drain is never open to the source side of the plumbing.  It's only open to the downstream side when the valve is closed.  So you'd have to have some other drain mechanism below the frost line.

Since you have that 150mm void below the floor, is it feasible to simply put a drain valve down there and not mess around with the hydrant at all?  When you're done, turn the water off at the house, then reach down and open the drain for the whole system.  I know it's not much space, and you have to think about where the water goes.


How to reinforce this concrete wall that wasn't properly drained and is starting to lean 3/4" from top? I have a cinder block wall (CMU) that was built about 3 years ago. I purchased my home 1.5 years ago. I was told that the wall was built 3 years ago by the neighbor and it was built by a local handyman when the previous wooden fence fell over. The wall is about 20-24" tall, and spans about 50 feet across. On the other side of this wall is my backyard lot with clay soil. About 12 feet back from the wall sits a mature tree.

I did not notice the shifting of my CMU wall until this past month after some heavy rain storms hit our region, there may have been some minor cracking on the wall since we bought the home that was pointed out to me than by my neighbor but nothing that stuck out at me until this recent time.

So the wall is starting to crack and on one of the cracks it is leaning out where the top of the wall is about 3/4" out from the rest of the block wall.

[![Concrete wall leaning out by 3/4"][2]][2]

So I took a look at the back behind the wall and tried to search for roots and did not come across any that seemed to be pushing up against the wall to cause it to shift. I than discovered from this same digging that the weep holes weren't properly constructed behind this concrete wall where there are no drainage rocks, it was just clay soil compacted up and backfilled right up against the concrete wall itself. I'm going to fix this part by adding some crushed rocks in but I wanted to know if there was anyway to reinforce this crack that is shifting before it gets any worst.

By relieving the weep holes with better drainage I'm hoping that I can release some of the built up pressure that was holding back all this wet soil, while its already dug up I wanted to see if there was any options in reinforcing the crack that is shifting. The wall hasn't leaned over too far out yet, but looks like if I don't stop it now from getting worst it'll tilt over one day under its own weight. From where it's leaning out it's also pulling a good 20-30 feet of over wall with it.

This is the part where I was thinking I can anchor a metal brace across it to hold it in place?

PS. I don't think there is any rebar in the building of this wall but I can't confirm this for certain.

I don't believe a metal band across the back will do anything. A perpendicular brace would have to penetrate the wall to the front and have a broad bearing on the front and then go back into the soil inside. It would be a major undertaking and, unless it was artfully designed, an eyesore from outside.  I do think that a wedge of crushed rock behind the wall may help.

In your picture there appears to be a drainage channel in what appears to be a poured concrete footing right under where the crack is. This may be the cause of the crack because the block above is unsupported there. Unfortunately if the soil is tight clay, water will not drain well through channels under the wall. If there are more of these channels in the footing, you can expect cracking at each one.

Visible drainage holes in the middle of walls are unsightly and so, if they are not necessary, are to be avoided, but it may be necessary in your case. Just putting in crushed rock in a wedge at the base of wall may not provide enough drainage. But I think they could be drilled later from the outside. The excavated clay soil could be used to top the crushed rock to direct surface water flow over the top of the wall.

(I see some people where I live putting in horizontal drainage pipes behind and at the base of engineered block walls connecting to unsightly holes through the wall when the whole wall is dry fitted engineered blocks pinned together. There is already drainage around each block.)

Edit after comment: For some reason I was thinking about a metal brace on the back of the wall not being effective. However, a metal brace across the top of the wall might be. This would be a flat steel bar held to the top with bolts going into holes drilled into the concrete filling in the cavity in the blocks. However, this would be costly and unsightly. The steel would rust over time and might be a hazard to a dog or a child.

When you have the base of the wall uncovered you might have to fill each of those drainage holes with dry concrete mix with small aggregate to support the blocks on top. And drill weep holes through the joints in the wall on the outside.

If you can, talk to the guy who built the wall and ask him if he would do some remediation. If this wall cracks and leans over, it won't be good for his reputation. You don't have to mention this explicitly, it's obvious. It could be the original customer insisted on an unreasonably low price and the builder did his best with the budget he had.


Drywall Repair in Ceiling My contractor replaced a section of a ceiling with a new section of drywall (about 2' x 3'), he then built a floor to ceiling closet which
covered most of the repaired area.
The entire section was neither mudded nor taped.

Is this acceptable ?

Where I work, living spaces are taped and mudded. Garages typically just get tape. Your vicinity might vary.

More importantly, though, did you have a contract with any specifics about the work to be done? If you have paper, then you'll probably get the job finished.

If you don't, you're probably going to have a bit of a struggle to get it done. If you haven't made the final payment, you've got a bit of leverage.


Help with box volume/fill for junction box provided with LED recessed light I recently purchased and in the process of installing a series of 6 recessed lights. I've replace some lights in the past, but this is my first real electrical installation (i.e. novice alert).

I ended up going with these slim LEDs, as I don't have the clearance for normal or even shallow cans. However, after having a quick chat with a local inspector, he warned me that some of these newer lights don't come with junction boxes that are considered code compliant for pass through. In doing my best to stay to code, I'm attempting to measure the box volume and fill.

The available space in the j-box (I'm assuming I can't include the sealed portion), measures out as 3.75x1.75x1.25=~8.2 cubic inches. Right now, I have two 14.2 NM coming into the box (one to provide power, the other to relay to the next light). If I'm understanding things correctly, that alone counts as 5 conductors which would require 10 cu.in. This seems to mean that my inspector's warning was correct.

I'm not sure if I should include in the conductors count, the provided cables that lead into the sealed part of the j-box. If I did, that would add another 2 conducters. Wouldn't that mean that the box is too small even for even a single 14.2 NM cable?!

My main question is if I'm calculating things correctly here, and if so, what are my options at this point to remain code compliant?

Bonus question. Per 334.30(B), I've found that I do not have to staple my wiring every 4.5ft because it is existing construction. Does this also imply that I do not need to staple it from 12in from the box (assuming it's clamped to the box)?

Bonus question: 334.5B is not a statutory waiver, it's to let you off the hook if the task is not easy, or if trying would risk mistakes (like trying to reach through a 6" hole with a staple gun).  If it's easy, you gotta do it.

On your splices, the fill rules require:

1 "wire" covers all grounds
1 "wire" covers all cable clamps
1 "wire" per actual wire brought in

So I count 6 wires.  14 AWG calls for 2.0 cubic inches per wire or 12ci.  Since this is part of equipment, I would expect the provided wires would be included in the cubic inches the manufacturer states.

However I note a  < $ 10/light price point. I also note their website is very marketing oriented, and has absolutely no technical sections, in the ordinary way a site like Eaton's or Lutron's would.  On the other hand, the site is perfectly competent, with none of the teeth-clenching English mistakes typically seen in overseas "makers", so I don't know what to think.


Need help with understanding this 3-way wiring setup I have gone through multiple diagrams on the internet but not able to understand my dining room 3-way switch wiring setup. Any insight or next steps would be helpful.
What do I want to achieve?
I would like to install a 3-way smart dimmer switch that requires a neutral wire. Can I still do that by doing making some adjustments to existing wiring?
What I have?

Light Fixture
Switch Box 1
Switch Box 2

Switch Box 1 has two wire bundles and a 3-way standard switch

Wire bundle 1 has 2 wires - Black and White
Wire bundle 2 has 3 wires - Black, Red and White
White wire of Wire bundle 1 which seems hot connected to the Black wire of Wire Bundle 2 with a wire nut
Black wire of Wire bundle 1 is connected to the Common screw of Switch 1
Other two wires of Wire bundle 2 are connected to the Switch 1 (travelers)

Switch Box 2 has 1 wire bundle and a 3-way dimmer switch

Wire bundle has 3 wires - Black, Red and White
All three wires are connected to three parts of the 3-way dimmer switch

It goes without saying that there is a ground wire in both switch boxes.
What do I know so far?

I think Power seems to be getting to the fixture first
Do not see any neutral wire

What do I not know so far?

Not sure why the white wire of Wire Bundle 1 in Switch Box 1 is hot?
Not opened the fixture to see what is in there.

Thank you for your time.
Himanshu

Yup, you have a switch loop in a 3-way switch configuration.  The wiring is
Supply ------ Light -------- Switch1 ====== Switch 2

The wires from Supply to Light are always-hot and neutral.
The wires from Light to Switch1 are always-hot and switched-hot.
The wires from Switch1 to Switch2 are always-hot and 2 travelers.

Your smart switch needs always-hot, switched-hot and neutral.  Those are not located at any switch location.
It won't be possible to install a smart switch in the normal way.  You'll need a smart switch module that sits in the lamp box and serves as the master, and smart-switch remotes at the physical switch locations.


okay to use fatter/longer extension cord than spec'd for power tools? I want to buy an electric chainsaw, rated at 15A (125V). Manufacturer specifies max 50' extension cord (no gauge spec). There are 50' 14 gauge extension cords that are rated at 15A/125V. Could I use a 100' 10 or 12 gauge cord? Is the basic problem just heat + power loss due to resistance in the cord? Any measurements I could do with my volt meter to make sure it will work okay?

I plan to use chainsaw for short periods of time, and when its cold out, to prevent overheating. The outlet is right below my main panel. Any other tips?

The issue here is voltage drop in the circuit supplying the saw.  The saw's motor has an optimal voltage range, and will not run well if the voltage is too low.  The voltage drops over the length of the extension cord;  the longer the cord, the greater the drop.  However, a heavier gauge cord will have less voltage drop than a lighter gauge cord.

(Voltage drop is a factor right at the receptacle, even without an extension cord - the gauge and length of the wiring from the panel to the receptacle, the load on that branch circuit, the load on your whole service, the gauge and length of your service conductors / feeders, heck even the load on neighbors service can affect your voltage at the receptacle.)

You didn't mention the manufacturer specifying a gauge for the 50' max extension cord, let's assume they figure you'll use a 14 gauge cord, and let's assume the saw draws a full 15A (which it probably does not).  The voltage drop for that 14 gauge cord at 15 amps is about 3.79 volts.  A 12 gauge cord 100' long at 15A will drop about 4.75 volts.  So I'd feel completely confident with a 12 gauge 100' cord - one volt is negligible.

If you really want to test the voltage drop, testing at the end of the cord doesn't tell you anything because you need to see what the voltage is under load.  If you really want to test this, and if you can do this safely, you could plug a receptacle splitter or power tap (rated for the load, of course) and check voltage while someone runs the saw full bore cutting wood.


Is it okay if my ledger board overlaps my foundation wall? I just got done demoing a 20yo deck that had no footings or flashing. It was constructed of 2x8's on a 2x10 beam cantilevered. So, my design was to be all 2x10's with a flush beam because the deck is not high off the ground, there is a lot of erosion where the deck was and after I grade it I'm pretty sure there is no room for a beam under the deck framing.

So, anyway, this would call for a 2x10 ledger, the problem is that it would overlap the foundation wall by about 2 inches. I planned on using LedgerLoc screws to attach the ledger board and their min distance for bottom screw is 2 inches I think. But they do say that the ledger board should be no taller than the band joist.

The deck is only about 20 inches off the ground, does anyone see a problem with mounting the 2x10 ledger and proceeding as normal or should I shoot some concrete anchors in the overlapping portion or reengineer the whole design (not preferable)?

Thanks for any info.

It's only a problem to the extent that you're hanging common joists on the unsupported portion of the ledger and therefore relying on the integrity of the woodgrain. If your joist hangers only attach on the upper portion, where the ledger is well attached to the framing, I see no concern.

If your hanger attachment extends lower than that, either anchor to the foundation as well or look for structural hardware that carries the entire ledger from the bottom and mounts to the framing. I've used this one on ICF projects, and it would probably work well without the embedded inner portion and the right screws.


How can I connect a humidifier to a Goodman dual fuel heating system? Purchased a dual fuel goodman system with CTK04 comfortnet thermostat.  The thermostat installtion guide shows wiring of a humidifier to the (2) Hum terminals on the furnace IFC.  My furnace model is a comfornet compatible model GMVC950905DX.  It can't find (2)Hum terminals on the IFC.  Are they re-purposing some of the legacy terminals for the non comfornet communicating thermostat without telling me?

According to the Installation Instructions for a Goodman GMVC95, there should be a 5" brown wire hanging around, not a terminal.

24 Volt Humidifier
A 5" long brown wire in the wire harness at the low fire pressure switch provides 24 VAC humidifier control. This wire is powered any time the pressure switch is closed. To connect 24 VAC HUM, connect the 24 VAC line of the humidifier to the 5" brown wire. The connection can be made by either stripping the wire and using a wire nut or by using a field supplied quick connect terminal. The wiring must conform to all local and national codes. Connect the COM side of the humidifier to the C terminal on the furnace control board (or to the COM side of the 24 VAC transformer). Do not connect 115V humidifier to these terminals.


How do I build wall-mounted shelves? I've spent the past few months getting my flat renovated, and would now like to build some bookshelves across two of the walls in my living room, and around the corner that joins these walls.

The walls are each around 3000mm long, and the ceiling height is 2700mm. I have a corner sofa that runs along the walls, and I'd like the bookshelves to only cover the area of the walls above the sofa. One of the walls is an old lathe and plaster with stone behind it; the other wall is brick. I'd like the sofas to be as close to the wall as possible, so I'm guessing that the weight of the shelves (and contents) can't really be supported by the floor.

What's the best way to build these shelves? I have some timber that's been removed from my flat during the renovation that I'd like to use, but I don't mind buying new materials if necessary.

Matthias Wandel has a great article (and plans) for making shelving units: http://woodgears.ca/shelves/


Non-substantial remote door locking options for indoor rooms? I need to be able to secure a couple indoor rooms with wireless locks. These don't need to be substantial locks since they're just inside a house, but unfortunately I'm not seeing any real wireless locking door options. Does such a contraption even exist?

Use cases could be to have a wireless button, similar to these devices (I suppose a phone could work, but that's not very convenient since these are localized and it would be better to just be able to press a handy button):

that would then trigger the door lock mechanism from 10-100 feet away.

I'm not talking about really keeping someone out, just deterrents for bedrooms, office, bathroom, etc. where you want to say "hey, don't come in here while I'm busy, etc."

If you do find a solution that works for you make 100% sure that it is possible to enter or leave the rooms even when they are locked. In the case of fire or other emergency situation the last thing you need is inability to escape or enter the room to save someone. You need to consider that the power in such situation may be off, rescue personnel will not be familiar with whatever gadgets you have rigged up and in the frenzy of the situation trying to locate remote controls may not be feasible.

It will always be best if such access capability is entirely mechanical and localized right at each door unit. No dependency on power, remote tools or non-standard operation.


Outdoor spotlight stuck on without a switch My Grandma has an outdoor spotlight that hasn't worked for quite some time. I realised there wasn't actually a bulb in it so I ordered a new one, switched off the mains, fitted it, put the power back on, and it works, the light comes on! There's only one problem - it won't switch off again!

Here is a picture of the outdoor spotlight:

There is also this light indoors above the front door:

Years ago, I remember that when the outdoor spotlight was triggered by someone approaching the door, the bulb indoors would light up as well. However, both bulbs are just permanently shining and I can't figure out why. My Gran has since forgotten why the bulbs were removed from the outdoor and indoor lights, or how they've gotten like this.

An initial Google of how to fix the problem mainly returns results saying to switch the spotlight on and off again rapidly to reset the sensor. However, I can't actually find a switch for it, and I believe it is wired directly into the mains. I did find this cover in the upstairs bedroom shown in the first photo which is directly behind the spotlight and I'm 99% sure this is the wiring for it but it's just that, wiring, and not an on/off switch.

Any help in remedying this would be much appreciated!

I believe the key words here are "years ago" and "motion sensor".  Motion sensors don't generally live that long.  It may be time for a new fixture, or if modular, a new motion sensor.


Alternatives to wool pile weatherstripping for an aluminum frame door The wool pile weatherstripping in my patio door frame is disintegrating. The bristles are just falling off on contact.  Parts of of it (most likely a section that deteriorated early) had previously been covered with a felt weatherstripping tape.

I've looked at instructions for how to replace it on a window and they all rely on being able to access an end of the strip to slide out the old one and slide in a new one.  That won't work for me because this is an aluminum door frame that cannot be disassembled.  The tracks run all of the way to the ends.

I have seen zipper pile products that look like they would work in this situation.

Is pile even the best solution in this situation?  This isn't a sliding door, it is a normal hinged door, so it does not require pile for motion.

Would I get a better seal by simply removing the remaining pile and replacing everything with 3/4" felt?

Or should I be looking at a high density foam or rubber product? Priorites and technology has changed since 1969...I'm not convinced the pile is still the best option, and the cost differences are marginal.

Here's what the bottom corner looks like.  The pile on the vertical is already gone, some is left on the bottom, but it falls off if you touch it.

Here's a section showing where the felt tape is still in place as well as a section where the tape adhesive and the worn down pile underneath is showing.

Yep, the old stuff sure is worn out. I'd go with the peel and stick foam rubber weather-stripping. Those, have the most thickness options to get you to better than new. Since, they block air completely where a felt, pile or wool never did.

Keep in mind that weather-stripping is only air sealing and really not thermal insulation. So, you'll want maybe just a 1/8-inch thick ribbed weather-stripping...your door gap looks pretty tight in the pictures.

Just close the door and push it out/in to where the latch stops it and then measure the gap and match it with the similar thickness weather-strip. This, will pad the door out far enough to keep it tight in high winds and also keep tension for a secure seal.

However in your case, you'll also need to fully caulk the old wool pile slit flush, so the new stuff has a solid bed and not that currently existing very questionable super-thin nothing inner edge.

You can either stuff the slit's cavity with newspaper or even fill the cavity with spray foam and scratch its excess back a hair less than flush to still caulk it. Peel and stick likes caulk, glass, metal and paint, but not much else.

Also, finger force caulk into all of the corners (inside and outside) where those butt-edges are and immediately wipe the face clean with a damp paper towel to seal out air and water at those spots too.


What are the pros and cons of removing exterior dentil molding? My capping (or trimming) contractor will cap the wooden parts (e.g., rake, frieze, etc.) with wood grain style PVC coil. He said he will remove the existing wooden dentil moldings. He will add/cover the old vents with T-4 vinyl soffit.
I Googled it, and it seems dentil moldings are all about decorations, so it seems that removing dentil moldings will not have bad effect on my house. Am I correct?
The dentil moldings have been with this house for 25 years (I am a new owner though), and I don't want to cause any bad things by removing the dentil moldings.
I think I'd better cap fascia boards and install new soffits, but not sure if I'd better remove dentil moldings and cap the frieze boards.
(fascia, soffits, frieze boards are based on this figure: https://marshallroofing.com/all-about-your-gutters/)
Do you have any comments/advice or anything I should know before/after removing dentil moldings?

You're right that they're merely decorative. They're often a separate molding that lays over another board or molding. They can be removed or covered without issue.
I do think it's a loss of nice detail, though. It's that sort of thing that gives a house the richness of aesthetic yours has. Shame it has to go for the sake of convenience.


Adding pool heater to bonding of pump, salt generator, and timer I just recently  installed a heater and on the bonding lug my installer ran a green wire back inside the heater to the metal.

I could have sworn that they were supposed to run a wire from the bonding lug to join the other wire that is hooked to my pump, generator, and timer/thermostat. There is an existing bare copper wire ran from the ground through pump, to Salt generator, and back through my timer/thermostat.

Can someone look at these photos and tell me how this is usually done to give me an idea?

I know for a fact when building the pool there was copper wire ran all the way arond the pool, the hand rails, ladder, and light niche so that part should be fine.

Just wanted to make sure i am tying into this with the heater and being safe.

You definitely need to hook up the bonding wire to that bonding lug. Right now it is hooked up to the earth ground, which is incorrect. Earth ground is to keep the pool equipment at earth potential, bonding is to keep all the pool equipment at the same potential. Run a bare #8 copper wire from the bonding lug on the pool heater to the bonding wire, and connect it using a split-bolt connector


Large Cracks & Depressions in Asphalt Driveway? We have a driveway (Pictures below) that hasn't been maintained for a while and has developed large cracks and several depressions in the surface layer.

I'm aware of DIY videos (Similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n6G5QQL-tk) that essentially say to pressure wash the drive way to eliminate surface materials that may interfere with fillers.

I haven't seen anything regarding the large region that is depressed in the center of the driveway though. The video linked suggests to use the crack filler that he had, but this seems rather large to use that.

Ground settles over time, and asphalt isn't as rigid as it looks.  During the summer, asphalt softens a bit.  It will somewhat conform to the ground under it.  Vehicles will create depressions in the surface.  It will develop cracks.  Water gets into the cracks and softens the ground under it, making it more susceptible to deforming under the weight of vehicles.

The "holes" in your driveway look like it was previously resurfaced (or the original job was too low and a thin layer was added on top), and the added layer is what has been "erased".  When roads are resurfaced, a pattern is first ground into it to create a lot more surface area and texture for new material to grab.  Then a thick layer of asphalt is added on top.

If you don't prepare the old surface like that, the new asphalt doesn't bond well with the old, smooth surface.  Especially when the new surface develops cracks, small pieces get knocked out, making it easier for adjacent pieces to get knocked out.  And it looks like the resurfacing on your driveway was "one stone thick", so there isn't much holding that layer together.

As asphalt driveways go, your pictures don't actually look that structurally bad to me.  Asphalt driveways degrade over time, but people don't usually rip them out and redo them unless there's signs of real "structural issues".  If it were me, I wouldn't rip it out, at least not yet.  It looks like it could be repaired and improved to get a number of years more use from it before replacement.

Keep in mind that the previous resurfacing job is falling apart.  You can slow that down, but nothing you do will last a really long time.  However, as long as the driveway is basically structurally sound, the old resurfacing layer flaking off is more cosmetic than structural.

Patch the "holes".  You will get longer lasting results if you prepare the area first, but even just cleaning it, putting in asphalt patch, and rolling it should last several years.
The pictures don't show any, but if there are any big, deep cracks (over about 1/4" wide), fill those with a liquid asphalt repair material (unless the cracks are wider than what the product says it can be used for).
Seal the surface with asphalt sealer.  This will fill and seal the spider web cracking, and add some stability to the surface.

You can get the materials at a hardware store and DIY, but it is messy.  The tools and materials are heavy.  A professional service can do all of this, but make sure they're reputable.  A lot of fly-by-night companies just paint the surface with thinned black material that doesn't really solve anything.  This won't give you the life of a new driveway, but you should be able to extend the life of the current one by a good few years at relatively low cost.


Can I unwarp sliding pocket doors so that they move freely once more? We have a pair of sliding / pocket doors where one side is painted and the other side is mostly taken up with a mirror.

Well, the color was atrocious so we painted one side, but didn't get to painting the mirrored side yet (have to remove the mirror, paint, reinstall...). This means the doors have warped as the weather changed, and aren't sliding freely in their tracks any more; they bind on the trim around the opening.

Is there a simple way to fix this? I could sand down the trim so it has a matching convex shape, but that seems like a kludge. Un-bow the doors somehow?

I had the same problem, and was able to resolve the problem by counter-bending the door.  You can try it in the frame, or you can remove the door and use some wood you might have laying around.  If you do it in the frame, you won't be able to operate the door while you're working on it, and it will probably take a few days. But the idea is to stick some wood or something to make the door bow the other way.  You'll need to be creative so you don't scrape-up the door. If you can figure a way to counter-bow the door by hand, then slip the scraps of wood in there, that would be good.  Maybe put the top and bottom scraps in there, then get someone to heave on the middle section while you slipped another scrap of wood in there.  Trying it in the jamb might take longer because you can't get that much of a counter bend in it, due to the frame only being so wide.  Taking it out of the jamb might be faster, since you can get more of a counter bend, but obviously removing pocket doors can be tricky.


Sauna heater wiring from 3 prong to 4 prong 30 amp sauna heater that I need to wire. I plan on using my dryer outlet which is 4 prong but my sauna heater is 3 prong if I'm not mistaken as it has "L1, L2, ground."

My question is could I purchase an 8/3 and just cap off the neutral on both sides?

I plan to run the cord about 25 feet from the heater to the dryer outlet.

I plan on buying a NEMA 14-30P but capping off both ends of the wire. Is this okay or is better to just electrical tape it?

Connect the neutral to the plug if using 8/3 cord. Put a wirenut (and tape - this is one place where taping a wirenut is reasonable) on the unused wire at the heater end of the cord.

IMHO it's also perfectly reasonable to use an 8/2 cord and leave the neutral prong disconnected, since the appliance does not need neutral, but if you are using 8/3, connect it to the plug.


Will 300W lights be too much for a 200W timer box? I have six 50 watt Hampton Bay outdoor flood lights hooked up to a 200W Hampton Bay controller. The lights total 300W. The lights work as of now, but do I need to be concerned about any part of the system failing? Is the controller in jeopardy of having any dangerous meltdowns or will the lights just run a little dimmer?

Is the controller in jeapordy of having any dangerous meltdowns or will the lights just run a little dimmer?

Yes. By yes I mean without knowing exactly how the controller is built it is hard to say. It is likely a mechanical relay or a solid state relay switching the lights on and off. In that case, there is no limiting the power drawn, and the higher wattage can lead to premature failure of the controller's relay. Mechanical relays will weld and the relay contacts will fail. Solid State Relays will release the magic smoke. It is unlikely to catastrophically fail (i.e. house fire) but it is possible.

If its rated for less than your load, you already know it won't end well. Best case, the controller fails before it's standard life time. Worst, you will be outside while the fire department is hosing down your house. Or worse.