Can I use silicone "window & door" caulk between a kitchen counter and backsplash? I need to caulk my granite counter-top and ceramic tile back-splash. The big box store only has "kitchen" caulk in white, clear and almond. These colors are not going to work for me, I really want to use gray but the store only has gray silicone caulk that is labeled for "windows, doors, and basements" (GE Silicone II Caulk).

Can I use this in my kitchen?

It does not look that different from the same "GE Silicone II" caulk meant for kitchens and bath.  Should I look for a gray caulk that is labeled for use in the kitchen?

While I'm tempted to say the difference is just marketing hype, you can use either one, there is a very slight difference in formulation. The window and door stuff has slightly less petroleum distillates in the formula, according to MSDS information at nih.gov. Petroleum distillates will evaporate during curing, so I'm unsure why there's a difference. The difference is so small however, I'm confident you can use one or the other with no noticeable difference in the final installation.


Does overmount fireclay apron sink need additional framing to support the weight? We're replacing particleboard/laminate countertops and a metal drop in sink with butcher block and a dropin apron sink, the Sinkology Josephine.

All of the articles I see about adding an apron sink talk about building additional framing in the cabinet to support the weight, but these are all undermount sinks.  Our sink is designed to sit on top, with a flange that rests on the edge of the counter cutout on three sides.  The install instructions don't mention any extra frame, but they're not very good either, and not specific to our sink.

The cabinets seem sturdy and in good condition, but the sides are chipboard, which concerns me a little.  However, the sink load will be supported by a wide area of countertop, spread across several feet on either side.  On the other hand, this sink is over 100lbs empty.

Do you think the cabinets can support the weight?

Do you think the sink flange can support the weight?

Does over-mount fire-clay apron sink need additional framing to support
  the weight?

YES ERR on the side of caution and add support to your cabinets.

The sink you have linked to shows the counter running under the edge of the sink. This not structural support, the structural support is provided by the cabinet side that should be directly below that edge. You should not have a counter that is  floating or cantilevered out over the edge of the cabinet as this would not provide enough support for the sink, you would need to add structural support under that edge to insure proper support.

Is your cabinet the appropriate size for this sink ?

It is critical that the support,  cabinet or cabinet with added ledger board, be sized correctly. I.E. the space from side to side must be exactly what the manufacturer states in the specs for installation.

The PFD installation instructions for your sink say -

  " 4. Sinkology farmhouse sinks are considered fully support when ¾”
  inch or more of the rim is supported on three sides".

If your cabinet does not have ¾” inch side panels you can had some material to get it to the correct thickness, Use construction adhesive and screws to attach.

Once the sink opening is the correct size the counter is then cut to size, or manufactured, and installed then the sink can be installed.

Concerning the back support for the sink, ledger board,  the PFD on your sink does not tell me about the back of the sink. You need to make sure the ledger board on the back of the cabinet is at the correct height for the sink to sit on. I would assume that that will be the the same height as the counter that the sides of the sink are sitting on but that may not be the case. If that is the case then the back wall of the cabinet is not going to be that height so you ad a ledger board that will sit up above the top edge of the back panel to the correct height, A 1x4 should be good as only an inch or less will be above the top of the panel leaving plenty of board to glue and screw to the panel.

Since this is against the wall, if you could screw into the studs that would be best but you need to know where the studs are and where the plumbing and electrical are so you do not screw into them.


How to fix a small faucet leak at the base Recently my faucet has started leaking near the base.  Just wondering if there is a way to fix it.

Here is what I know

It only leaks when the water is on
It seems to come and go
Sometimes it leaks a lot, sometimes a little
The aerator broke recently as well.  Not sure if that's related.
It's a Moen Kitchen Faucet

The part of these faucets that the output spout connects to have O-rings inside at the approximate locations shown by the red lines below.

These O-rings seal the gap to the central post of the faucet around which the spout assembly rotates. Leaks can develop when:

An O-ring is torn for some reason.
Hard water deposits such as a calcium or lime deposit from evaporated hard water gets into the O-ring and breaks the seal.
The O-rings can get old and dry out so they become hard. Thus losing the rubbery compliance that is needed to create a seal.
Sometimes there is lubrication added to the zone where the O-rings reside making the rotating part move smoothly. If the lubrication loses its effectiveness it can cause the O-rings to wear and thus allow for a leak.

You can check these O-rings by removing first the faucet handle and then the upper part of the center post assembly (after first shutting off the supply valve at the wall under the sink). This should allow the spout assembly to be removed by pulling it up while at the same time rotating it back and forth some. Once removed the O-rings can be inspected. If they are hard, dry, torn or worn they will most likely need replacement. If it appears to be a loss of lubrication that can be restored by using a small amount of food grade petroleum jelly.

Note you may find the O-rings reside within a slot inside the spout assembly or they may be in a groove that surrounds the upper and lower area of the center post portion of the faucet.

Typical Moen Kitchen Faucet exploded parts assembly:


Need to separate 2 lights on the same 3way switch so each switch only controls 1 light I've been researching this for about 8 months and finally learned enough to be able to ask my question properly.
Background: Bought a house last summer that was built in 1966 but since renovated maybe 10-20 years ago. The kitchen has a 3way switch which controlled 2 ceiling dome lights, one in the middle of the kitchen and one over the breakfast table area. Each switch is in a 2-gang. Switch A (diagrammed below) is ganged with a single pole, dining room dimmable light. Switch B is ganged with an single pole switch for an outdoor light (also see below).
What I've done so far: I have replaced one light with a track-lighting... and the other ceiling light I replaced with a small ceiling fan w/light. The 3way switches turn BOTH on at the same time, that has not been altered yet.
One issue I noticed: Once in a while the fan w/light will turn off and immediately back on again. It sometimes happens every 5 minutes, I assume too much load on the kitchen circuit maybe.
What I ultimately want to do: I want switch A to only control the track-lighting. I want switch B to only control the ceiling fan w/light. I want to know what I need to do. I can't tell if the lights are in series or in parallel with each other.
Diagram: Here is the existing wire diagram of both switches.

As you probably know the 3-way on diagram A is the second switch and connects to the 3 way on diagram B which in turn goes to the light.
I'm almost certain the to lights you wish to control separately are setup in series which means you cannot control them separately from the wired switches without disconnecting the second light and adding a new wire to one of the switches. Assuming the room is finished this is going to be a pain and expensive.
In terms of the fan turning on and off randomly my first question is whether the fan remote controlled? If so is it possible that something else is on the same channel?
If you really want the two lights to be controlled separately then  short of adding the wire the only option I can think to control the lights separately is to hard wire the lights to permanently on. You would then replace the now redundant switches with a wireless remote switch and wireless light/fan control unit (e.g. something like https://www.destinationlighting.com/item/levven-wireless-light-switch-kit/768453?gclid=CjwKCAjwx6WDBhBQEiwA_dP8raoGkiSgl44ImgaMoq3v0wqaHLiEuyKXy0MdGhjzMJZmtpFYdmw1DhoCqDIQAvD_BwE#home). I suspect this will be by far the easiest option.
Jonathan


How to detect concrete or brick behind plasterboard I'm trying to hang a 4Kg electric guitar on a wall that sounded hollow however when I drill in after just under 4cm the drill head hits what sounds like either brick or concrete. I've bought expanding metal rawplugs that are 4cm long that look like:

But these now can't be flush with the wall to expand correctly. I've also bought self drill metal plugs which are 31mm in length and look like:

Apparently these can hold 8Kg per screw (and the guitar mount has 3 holes) so that should be fine but there's nothing on the packaging that says they will hold 8Kg per screw, that was just what I was told in the store so I'm not too confident.

I know the general consensus would be to mount these with a longer wall plug and screw into the concrete or brick behind but how do I know I am actually hitting masonry? I have a wood and metal stud finder which is not detecting any studs or live electrics but I want to be confident before attacking this with a hammer drill

You do not have to anchor into masonry for this load. Drywall with proper anchors will easily hold a 4 kg load. That first type of anchor you show is an old and outmoded type. There are several new types that are much better, and the 2nd picture shows one of those.

You might have to cut off the screws that come with it, if they contact the hard surface behind the drywall. No pre-drilling is required to install the 2nd type. Get a large Phillips screwdriver and force it into the drywall to the first threads then screw it in snug, but do not over-tighten. If the sharp end contacts the hard surface behind the drywall, then back it out, cut off enough of the sharp end so that it no longer contacts, reinsert, and screw in.


What is the min. voltage cordless drill should I use to drill a hole in a 2 cm thick stainless steel I have a 2 cm thickness (3/4 inch) stainless steel that I would like to drill some holes on it. What is the min. voltage cordless drill should I use? Are there other alternative beside drill to create holes on the stainless steel? (The holes diameter range from 0.5cm to 2cm [3/16" to 3/4"])

When drilling stainless go slow (do not over heat the metal) If the metal gets hot it will "work harden" and is hard to drill with a drill press. It may take a while but can be done with a good quality 1/2 drill motor and good drill bits. If you are purchasing a drill get one with at least 2 speeds and a 3 speed would be best used on the lowest speed. Cutting fluid or a light oil will help reduce heat and improve the cutting. Last you will want a high quality drill bit something with a titanium nitrite coating or carbide. I have a full set of carbide cutters for stainless but these are very expensive and if you drop them on cement they can shatter. If you only have 1 battery stop when the motor starts bogging down and recharge the battery. I have drilled 1-3/8" holes through stainless with my Dewalt but it did take 2 5AH batteries and part of a 4AH battery the stainless was only 3/4" thick.


Shorter runs should get smaller duct sizes? We have some long runs in our house. Assuming there isn't too much blockage in the flex duct, would it make sense to reduce some of the very short runs from 6" to 4", for example a bonus room window vent, since the bonus room circulates air extremely well, in order to improve airflow for the longer run to bonus room #2?

Reducing airflow to one or more ducts should help increase airflow to others.

Reducing the duct size is one way to accomplish an airflow reduction in those ducts. However, I would recommend installing dampers at the takeoffs for the flex ducts to achieve your goals. You might want to check and see if you already have them. Here is an example of a takeoff with built-in damper (note: this is not an endorsement for the linked product).

Installing dampers would be much easier than swapping out whole lines of ducting and less of a gamble that downsizing your ducting will meet your airflow needs: You can adjust the dampers to allow multiple levels of airflow and better fine-tune airflow to meet your needs. If you just change to a different sized reduced fixed duct size without dampers, you only get one option and you could find that you no longer have enough airflow to the reduced size ducts.

As a note: The amount by which the airflow will increase as a result of taking either action may not be enough based on what you are looking for. If that is the case, other things to consider are (and potentially contact a professional HVAC contractor for):

Is the return air duct sized appropriately (is there even a return air duct) for bonus room #2?

Air flow requires adequately sized supply and return lines because air needs to circulate in and out of a space in order to be heated/cooled by the HVAC system. However, many people seem think about upsizing supply ducts to increase airflow before they even think about whether there is a return air duct. Without an appropriately sized return air duct, increasing the air supplied into the room will create positive pressure in the room and will not yield significant gains in circulation or comfort.
Do you have an appropriately sized furnace and/or air conditioner?

Oversized equipment can result in decreased comfort because the oversized equipment runs for shorter periods before shutting off which means there is less circulation of air and more concentrated hot/cold spots.

Undersized equipment will run more often (sometimes continuously) and may not be able to hold the desired set temperature, though temperatures will tend to be more even throughout the space because of increased circulation.

Appropriately sized equipment (and multistage HVAC equipement) operates for longer durations and helps to make sure air is circulated more evenly throughout the house.
Is the supply duct size appropriately for bonus room #2? In this case, you may wish to upsize.


Smoke detector placement in long open concept space I've just moved into a new house and it doesn't have a smoke alarm on the main floor yet. The main floor is a long rectangular open concept design, with living room at the front near the front door, kitchen at rear with rear door, and dining in between. About 37 feet long, and 12 feet wide for the most of the length. I'm trying to figure out a good number of fire alarms and where to place it/them.
Here is a rough sketch, side and top view, not to scale:

Those stairs go up to the second floor and have an alarm at the top already, i.e. in the upper hallway. I see three candidate locations: A,B, and C. Based on what I've read online, it seems alarms are not recommended right in the kitchen area (too many false alarms?), so I'm leaning away from A. I'm seeing recommendations to have an alarm in both the dining and living room, but in my case those are one continuous space. So I'm wondering should I do B (middle of the house length-wise), C (front of the house, further from kitchen, or both? Or all three?!?
Note that there's a bulk-head with some duct work that segments the ceiling of the kitchen from the rest of the floor. It spans the width of the main floor.
Thanks in advance.

I would place it halfway between B and C as well
I would place the smoke alarm halfway between B and C, or in other words, about in the middle of the living/dining space.  If we look at the NFPA 72 prescriptive criteria for smoke alarm/detector siting, we first note that we can't place the alarm within 10' of the range (29.8.3.4 point 4), which means that A is right out.  This is indeed for the reason you state: a smoke alarm in a kitchen would have far too many nuisance alarms to be useful, even though modern alarms are better at rejecting nuisance smoke than older units thanks to enhanced UL testing.
Likewise, B would be a bit nuisance-alarm-prone as well, as it's within the 20' radius that requires enhanced nuisance smoke rejection, while C is out of range of the back of the dining area. (No point in the room can be over 21' away from a typical smoke alarm as per the 17.3.2.3.1 point 2 prescriptive criteria.)  As a result, roughly midway through the living/dining area is probably going to be the best place for the smoke alarm to go.


Is hardwood flooring safe from termites? I have plans to have hardwood flooring in my living room, but I am afraid of termites ruining my flooring.

If you have a traditional wood framed house, termites in the flooring would be the least of your problems. Structural issues due to termites in load bearing walls would be much worse.

Are you on a slab or crawlspace? If you're on a crawlspace, you already have a wooden subfloor anyway.

Do you have a current termite problem, or are they common in your area? If so, you'll want to have a pest control company come out and do an inspection. Get a quote for remediation if they find any, and ask them if they offer termite bonds. This is essentially insurance against termite infestation in the future. The pest control company will usually come out once or twice a year (for a fee) and either spray termiticide or put out poison bait traps. If they find termite damage while you're paying for the maintenance, they'll cover the cost of remediation.


Does XPS+OSB subfloor need to be anchored? Mike Holmes is a big fan of OSB/plywood over 1" XPS for basement floors, though his book leaves something to be desired in terms of details. His book says:

  ...on top of the foam, you want to have 5/8" tongue-and-groove
  plywood, which should be screwed through the foam and into the
  concrete floor. This should be done with Tapcon screws, which are
  designed for concrete...
    -- Make It Right p165

(Notice it doesn't say anything about how many Tapcons or where to put them.)

The Building Science Corporation also likes plywood over XPS. RR-0309 - Renovating Your Basement says:

  ...sheets of extruded polystyrene can be installed directly on the
  slab. The joints between sheets should be sealed with tape or mesh
  imbedded in mastic. A plywood floor can then be “floated” over the
  XPS insulation in either of two ways. If sufficient room height is
  available wood sleepers (2X4 or other dimensional lumber) can be
  installed to which the flooring is mechanically fastened... If room height is minimal, tongue and
  groove plywood with the butt ends of the plywood joined can “float”
  above the XPS insulation.

No mentions of any fasteners (or adhesive), and specifically refers to the plywood as "floating".

To further confuse things, I've also seen suggestions in forums to anchor around the perimeter about 4" in from the edge @ 24" O.C, plus one in the center of the floor. This also seems plausible since it's basically how Dricore is installed (for carpet).

So what do you think? Should this type of subfloor be anchored, and if so, how?

Update: Most of my reading is giving the impression that anchoring is just to control "bounce" and warping. This makes me think you wouldn't need very many screws per sheet, particularly considering that 1/4" tapcons embedded 1" have a pullout value of at least 750lbs, and a shear value of at least 900lbs. But then there's these guys talking about 20 or 32 screws per sheet, which seems like madness. Maybe that's just if you're installing hardwood floors?

I did this fully floating.  No screws.  Hardwood on top also floating.  All is fine so far.  I did not like the idea of punching multiple holes in the vapor barrier with all those screws.


Inverter air-conditioning units or non-inverter air-conditioning units? I want to purchase new 8-9 units of air-conditioning for my new house. For the hall, kitchen and all the bedrooms.

Some people say inverter air-conditioning is only suitable if you are using more than 8 hours per day. Then only it saves energy.

I am aware that when you switch the air-conditioning is best to set the temperature at 24 or 25 degree Celsius. Not at 16 degree Celsius. Because the compressor will work at full capacity.

Let's say in my new house I set the temp at 24-25 degree Celsius. But if don't use it often. Use less than 8 hours per day.

My question is it worth it to buy inverter air-conditioning ?

Second question is inverter air-conditioning the future technology for HVAC? If yes then maybe I should invest in one.

Rather than focussing on how it's done (inverter drive) focus on what it does (variable speed compressor)

Essentially, the variable speed allows the compressor speed to match the cooling load, so rather than a fixed speed compressor starting, cooling, stopping, starting, cooling, stopping a variable speed model can simply adjust its speed to match the cooling load, while running continuously (until there is no cooling load, or one below the minimum speed it can run efficiently, anyway.)

That has several potential benefits - one is that starting the compressor motor takes considerably more power than running it - so many starts and stops add up - this (alone) might be what someone who says "they only save power over 8 hours or more" is speaking of. However, I think any such statement is far too general to pay much attention to, given the variations in individual units (I've been considering mini-split heat pumps, and have read a lot of data sheets - some are surprisingly different even for closely related models made by the same factory...)

Additional benefits are that rather than the system blowing air that's cold, and then stopping, it blows air that's cool, all the time. Among other things, this improves dehumidification performance and is also usually more comfortable.

You state that you use your air conditioning less than 8 hours per day - but how many days a year? It is true that if the initial cost of something you use rarely is much higher then the payback for any more efficiency (from a unit costing more) is very long (and may exceed the useful life of the product, in some cases.) However, that is not something that is amenable to analysis from afar, and will vary with the initial cost, the energy cost, the use, the climate...

If your cooling needs are limited, and the cost differential is high, just look for the best efficiency among the lower cost type units, and don't worry too much about "the future of HVAC" if having it does not make personal economic sense for you. Something better may be invented before this air conditioner wears out...

Of course, if you are buying 9 of the things, you should at least consider a central system. But that may not pay off in a reasonable time, either.


Industry standard blocking placement for shower mixer valve? I was wondering if there is an industry standard in terms of what depth to set shower mixer valve blocking at?  In your traditional house the wall is only a 2x4 depth, meaning a block of 2x4 would only leave 2" of depth if the back side of the shower mixer wall was drywalled.  I have read that the standard plastic ground is supposed to be flush with the finished surface of the shower wall, in my case, tile.

According to these instructions, that makes me have to bump my 2x4 blocking OUT of the 2x4 stud cavity.  I have this luxury because that is not a finished wall surface.  However, it seems odd - even backwards, and it seems like I would need the block to stick inward instead because I have a thicker wall than a normal precast shower enclosure.  I'm going to have 1/2" tile board, the thinset, and 1/4" tile.  These numbers don't add up and I am thinking I made a mistake.  It's a Delta shower kit, meaning mixer valve, shower head, and trim rings all in one and not something universal.

Different brands and models of shower valves require different wall-depth installation. You should always follow the installation instructions that came with the valve assembly.

Most valves come with a temporary plastic or cardboard "plate" that illustrates the location of the finished wall surface in relation to the valve-body installation depth. If you do not have that "template" anymore, you can often estimate depth by assembling the trim to the valve and measuring from where the wall surface would be to the mounting holes. You need to locate the supply piping according to final installation depth of the valve, not the other way 'round (not an issue with flexible supply tube like PEX).

Except for special application products, they are made to fit a standard wood-frame wall but may not allow the use of 2 x 4 lumber as a mounting support; in fact, some recommend use of a manufacturer-specific mounting strap/stringer.

Example of depth mounting instructions for a random Delta valve model:


Can I make an existing dog door bigger for our new larger dog? We have an existing dog door that we had installed in the wall for our beagle. We have since acquired a larger dog and she has out grown the door. I'm worried about injuries, so any advice will be much appreciated. Can we make the existing door bigger?

Usually, yes.  It's normally just a matter of removing the old door, cutting the hole bigger for the new one and installing the new one.  The challenges come when your door has interesting features like inset panels, hardware, etc.


Solid white power cord. How can I tell the difference between hot, neutral and ground? I am trying to hook up a 4 foot fluorescent light and I cannot tell the difference between hot, neutral and ground because the wires are not marked. There are no lines, no colors, nothing but solid white. I have never encountered an electrical wire like this one. Usually the wire functions are indicated by red, black, white and green but this one doesn't have that. Can anyone help?

The side with the rib is neutral. The center is ground and the smooth side is hot. In the picture these are from left to right.

It is the same as Which side of a two-wire cable should be used for "hot"? except with the ground in the middle.


Wood trim and new gutters: Gutters first or paint first? I feel that its time for my house to get new gutters. The current ones leak, don't drain completely, need very frequent cleaning, and the damn tree rats chewed through the leaf guards in many places.

I have gotten two estimates (from the same company) so far. These estimates include new seamless gutters, leaf guards, and wrapping my trim in vinyl. The first estimate included removing dental work and replacing it with composite then wrapping the other trim and reattaching the new composite dental work. The second estimate was just to wrap everything including the dental work. Both estimates are quite high, $7500 and $6000 respectively. This also includes wrapping the trim around my small (15x15) front porch. I think I can save a LOT of money by just painting and patching the wood trim instead of wrapping. That also lets me keep the small styling details I enjoy.

My question is what do I do about the wood trim? It needs painted in several areas and possibly replaced/repaired in a few spots. How do I determine if its more cost effective to maintain the wood or have it wrapped in vinyl?

Is the following list the correct order to take to complete this project?

Remove old gutters myself
Paint myself (or hire a contractor)
Have new seamless gutters, downspouts, and leaf guards installed

What timing issues do I need to worry about? With 3 major tasks involved, the completion of one is dependent on the other.

Do I need to worry about weather? Obviously a rain with wet paint is bad. If my house goes without gutters for a week waiting on a contractor, will that be a significant problem?

You shouldn't just try to calculate this based on how long it will take you to paint the fascia one time.  Consider the fact that you will need to paint it and repair parts of it every couple of years forever if you don't get it wrapped.  My advice is to spend the money to get it wrapped.

To answer your questions more specifically:  Pull the gutters down and paint when the forecast looks nice.  If you get some rain, or even a storm, before the new gutters go up, that's no big deal.  It's constant runoff from your roof that would eventually cause problems.

Don't forget that your old aluminum gutters may have some value at the local scrapyard.


How can I prevent my hoop house from being uprooted by strong winds? I am installing a 20' x 100' hoop house with 5' spacing between each of the hoops.  The arch is about 10' tall.  The hoops are galvanized chain link fence top rail.  3 rails inserted into one another makes one arch.  The hoops are inserted into 2.5' vertical posts which have been pounded into the ground about 2'.  From there it is a caterpillar style hoop house.  There will be a three ridge poles.  One down the center and one on each side.  The end hoops will have double hoops with 1" x 8" fastened to them with wiggle wire channel fastened to that.  There will be diagonal supports at both ends spanning two arches.  There will be a single layer of plastic pulled over the building.  From there I will use 550 cord (parachute cord) to lace over the plastic in crisscross fashion.

Is pounding the vertical posts into the ground good enough in a strong wind?  Or should I also put some cement around the base?  Any other ideas to keep this style of structure from being up-rooted in a storm?

I'm not sure if you have already built this or not, but ideally you should build footings just like you would for a deck or a fence. How should I build the concrete footings for my deck? is a particularly good example.

Essentially, dig post holes down past the frost line or whatever is suggested in your area. The holes should be bigger (mushroom out) on the bottom. Set your posts and fill the hole with concrete. Now as long as you have a solid way to attach everything to the posts, it's probably about as strong as you can get it.


Strength of rabbet joint for bed frame I am about to build a custom raised bed frame. I have found the simple construction shown in the picture below, which seems suitable for my use and abilities.

From what I can look up, the joints between the posts and beams would be called a kind of rabbet joint. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Is this type of joint strong enough for supporting a bed?

This may be a good question for the new woodworking forum, since it is furniture related.

What you have there is good enough to support a small playhouse or shed, definitely good for mattresses and occupants.

Your main concern will be the side to side stresses, the fastening of the posts to the sides, and what it would take to make a "quiet" joint. I am certain you will not want to glue this joint since bed frames are made to be taken apart for moving purposes. Table legs are fastened in a way to allow the joints to draw tight. Following their example with a variation for added support would work as long as the joint stayed tight.

The variation would be a rabbet joint on the opposite faces. In other words, you would take out what you show being left as a stub for connection, my suggestion is to remove that 2"x1" on each side of the inside corner, leaving the faces intact on the outside. This would allow the bed rails to rest on the legs. It would not take a very deep notch, about and inch in would do it. It would change the look a bit too.

I will add a sketch later...

If you could get into mortise and tenon joints, I could elaborate more. what you have here is a strong simple joint, that could still be done as a rabbet joint, just done so it makes an inside corner, not an outside corner as your drawing shows. By the way, nice sketch.


What causes circular saw to wander when cutting? My Makita circular saw wanders to the right, even when trying to follow a guide!  Why?

Three things can cause wandering (or what seems like wandering). The first is a misaligned table and/or fence. The cut isn't actually wandering, but it seems like it is visually because of how the table is tracking across the workpiece.

The second is the use of modern "thin kerf" blades for rip cuts. While they're fantastically fast for crosscuts, they tend to "oil can" while cutting with the grain, which can cause severe wandering, especially with hard or thick boards. You'll have to work harder to keep a straight line or switch to a more conventional blade, wherein the heavier blade disk is more stable.

The third is user error. Are you applying rotational force as you push the saw? Are you preventing drag on the blade from doing so? The drag from the blade is slightly offset from the saw handle, so there's an inherent tendency for rotation in that direction.

I suggest a second-finger-trigger grip--use your second (middle) finger for the trigger, and place your first (index) finger along the front of the trigger guard. This gives you much better torsional control of the saw.

I've used Makita circular saws exclusively since the 1990s. They're consistently precise and smooth. Unless your saw has sustained damage or is extremely worn, this is probably worth consideration.


Parallel Fluorescent Wiring I've got a few ceiling lighting 'boxes' that have one capacitor, two ballast, two starters, and two fluorescent lamps in each. Everything seems to be nicely wired up internally and I just need to connect the L and N wire to the corner of the box. I think that these are 'standard' boxes that people just stick onto a false ceiling in an office.

I'd like to check to see if it is okay for me to wire these light 'boxes' in parallel? They seem to be working fine at the moment but I sort of remember reading somewhere that fluorescent lighting wiring is a bit tricky.

What do you want to connect in parallel?

The Live and Neutral?

That is the correct way to do it.

Each 'L','N' must be connected to each next 'L','N' in parallel from your main power source. Also it is a good idea to earth all your florescent lights to a earth leakage breaker or something similar as they can sometimes develop high voltage leaks and cause undesired effects..(smoke/fire,etc)

Do not exceed by 1200Watts on a 5AMP Breaker in 240Volts

You cannot connect the florescent tubes in parallel or in fact any other way than the ballast was designed to handle it. You can get double/triple ballasts too and the internal wiring can get somewhat 'spaghetti' like.

Each tube needs to be handled by 1 ballast as it 'starts' the tube then 'sustains' the voltage for it.

There are new electronic ballasts that do not require starter caps and 'start' the tubes quicker with less stress extending the life of the tube up to 25%.


How do I move my shower isolation pull cord switch? My parents have an electric shower with an isolation pull cord switch, both in the bathroom.  The switch has stuck, fortunately in the ON position.  He'd like to replace it with a simple switch, moved to the outside of the bathroom.  I've been up in the loft space and I think there's enough cable there to move it about 6 inches and drop it to just outside the bathroom.

Is that a simple job to undertake?  I'm ok at DIY, haven't done a lot of electrical work but can follow directions well.  Any diagrams you guys can point me to?

Whether it's a simple job depends on whether you have access to the ceiling space above the bathroom. If so...

Turn off the breaker or remove the fuse. Open up the box enclosing the pull-cord switch, remove it, and in its place attach one end of a length of romex cable (or equivalent) with wire nuts. (Attach the new cable's ground connection too, of course.) Route the other end of the romex out of the box, through the attic and across to the wall where you want the switch, then down through a hole bored in the header, and out a hole in the plaster adjacent to a stud, where you want the new switch. Slip a switch box over the romex an d secure it to the stud. Install a switch there which makes/breaks the connection between the romex's black and white wires, connect the safety ground wire, mount the switch into the box and test.

Recheck your work. In particular, please make sure the wiring colors match up properly, to help protect the next person to work on this circuit.

Close the boxes, plaster, prime, paint.

(Note: I have no idea whether this will meet code requirements. The US doesn't generally have either electric showers or pull-cord switches. In fact, modern US construction puts bathroom light switches inside the bathroom, just as with any other room; the New England area is notably odd in having many houses which use the old switch-outside-the-bathroom arrangement.)


Curing concrete in freezing temps I need to pour a few cubic feet of concrete to make a new threshold but the weather forecast indicates temperatures in the low 20s F.

Is that bad for curing concrete?

You'll definitely want to protect the surface of your concrete. I assume that the ground is not frozen. Since the curing process actually generates some heat, only the exposed layer is vulnerable. If it freezes, less water is available to the chemical reaction. This can result in a dry cure, leaving you with a weak, powdery surface.

Cover the pour with poly sheeting and then insulated blankets, straw, or a tent with a small heater inside. You can cause similar problems by overheating, so don't do that. Seek to just maintain temperatures above freezing.


Can garage and porch lights be on the same switch? I am looking through electrical code trying to find out what the requirements are for light switches and switching on porch as well as garage lights when they are all on the front of the house? I would like to just have one switch to control the lights I am installing in the soffit in front of the garage and porch, and have that switch located by the front door as well as the interior mudroom door.  Is there any electrical code in terms of locating the switch the control those lights?  I know there is code about locating lights near any exterior doors, but I'm not finding anything about the switch location.

Yes you can put your exterior lights on one circuit as long as the draw from all of the lights combined does not exceed the ampacity rating of the breaker. Pretty common to have all exterior lights on a single switch (timer). The NEC doesn't care where you put the switch. You could install it in the bedroom closet if you wanted to (but I don't recommend it)


How should I connect PVC plumbing for two sinks to old cast iron stack with two threaded tees? Hello community,

So I have two sinks going to the one cast iron main line. Should I cut the main line and add a new single line to both sinks using no hubs? Is there a good way to just tie to the two cast iron fittings with pvc? (I am unsure if the threads are good, 60s home).

Thank you in advance.

I'm keen to remove cast iron wherever it's practical to do so. In my experience, cast iron older than about 40 years can really get crudded up and slow. That said, removing sections of a stack can be challenging--you have to fit between nearly immobile sections and you have to support the stack while you work, or you have to replace everything going upward all at once.

I'd see if you can get a nipple threaded into the upper hub just as we see in the lower one, using thread paste, and leave the lower one in place. Connect your new PVC to both nipples with shielded no-hub couplings. Be sure to bore out any corrosion in the cast iron hubs to the inner diameter of the nipples.

If those hubs are 1-1/2" or larger, that may be enough for two sinks. You could just plug the upper one and connect to the lower nipple.


How can I figure out which valves should be open? Just had my DE filter replaced with a cartridge filter.  The pipes going to the motor have three valves.  Since the replacement I am losing water and can't remember which of the valves should be open and which should be closed.  I believe one is for the vacuum system which I don't need, one is for the skimmer, and one for the main drain (can't remember which is which though).  The two valves on the right regulate whether I am using the returns or the in-ground cleaning system. I have no problem with that.

Losing water? As in your water level is going down? That is not a problem with valve position. You've got a leak somewhere and a professional needs to address that.


Use one 14-3 cable in place of two parallel 14-2 cable I'm adding a ceiling fan and wired smoke detector to a bedroom that previously had just a switched outlet. The switched outlet currently receives power via 14-3 cable coming from the switch, with the black wire always hot and the red wire controlled by the switch. My intention is to rewire the outlet so that it is not switched and run power from it up to the new fan and smoke detector.

I see two ways to wire this, and I just want to make sure that the more efficient way to do it is up to code.

Run 14-3 wire from the outlet to the fan, connecting the black wire such that it is always hot and the red wire so that it is switched. I would then use the red wire to provide power to the fan, and use the black wire to provide constant power to 14-2 cable running from the fan to the smoke detector. This is the option I'm leaning towards.
Just run 2 separate 14-2 cables from the outlet to the fan and smoke detector.

Also, I assume that many of you will point out that I should switch the fan lights separately from the fan, but I'm not going to do this because the fan I'm adding comes with a remote, and the receiver actually isn't set up to accommodate separate wires for the fan and the light. Finally, some of you may point out that it's not a great idea to have the lights and outlets in the room on the same circuit. I agree, but it would be a massive amount of work power these new devices from another circuit, and the bedroom is already on its own circuit with just 3 outlets so I'm not too concerned.

Yes, that is fine.

It will ease wire count in the switch box if you use the 14/3 option. Fan boxes are usually nice and big.


What is this pipe beneath my tankless water heater? While watching videos about draining tankless water heaters, I noticed none seem to have this beige pipe with odd silver cab at the end. Does anyone know what this is and its purpose?

That is what we call a "pop off", or pressure relief valve. If the water pressure gets too high, that valve will open and drain into your waste water system. Its there so your tank, or hot water system, does not blow up due to getting too hot.


Is there any point in putting solid stain (rather than paint) on LP Smartside? I'm getting ready to build a barn, likely with LP Smartside siding. LP says that you can put "solid" stain on it (not transparent). My question is, is there ever a reason you would do that? It seems that the point of any stain is that it's going to soak into the surface some. Solid stain contains more solids which sit on surface, similar to paint, but any components of it designed to soak in to the surface aren't going to work on the primed surface of LP SS.
So is there any reason at all not to just use paint? What would the differences actually be between solid stain and paint on LP Smartside?

differences... between solid stain and paint?

Although there is a huge variety of products and no hard rules for naming them, solid-color stain (in general) is usually used on rough surfaced wood because it is typically thinner and will not hide the texture like paint will. It is also generally easier to apply to rough surfaces because it is thinner.
As to your question about the difference, not much. Solid-color stain is not a penetrating stain as you presume in your question. Like paint, it forms a cured film on the surface, benefits from having a primer applied, and can bubble and peel on improperly prepared surfaces just like paint will.

...is there any reason at all not to just use paint?

Yes, and no. I find that it is easier to apply (and to recoat later) solid-color stain on large exterior textured-wood surfaces. On the other hand solid-color stains are flat (no or very little sheen) and need to be recoated every so often (like every 2-3 years) to stay looking fresh, whereas a paint with a sheen would give more durability and may not need repainting for years and years.


how to remove a screw with head broken off was working on my car's power steering and whilst screwing the fluid inlet on the head of the screw broke off. the inet hole is about an inch long and that was the part of the screw that broke. the other part of the screw is now flush with the power steering pump surface. i tried drilling it out, brazing it ( could not get the two metals to bond)  i chipped at and tried to bend the sides of the screw. next up is dremeling a slot. is there any hope for me to get this small 2 inch screw (i think #8 screw)removed from my life??

There are easy out sets that  allow you to drill a pilot hole in the screw then tap in a reverse spiral tool that many times will back out a broken bolt. there have been times I had to heat the bolt quite hot with the tool in place then the bolt came out like it was never stuck. This can be the case if some put some thread locker on the bolt heat will help. Here is a link so you know what I am talking about. There may be cheaper ones out there this was the first one I saw.


Water damage on wood veneer I flooded my kitchen a few days ago. One of the consequences is that the wood veneer sheet that covers the gap below my oven has curled up after being soaked in water (see pictures below). Does anyone know how to fix this?
Some points

This damage is cosmetic. This veneer is a thin sheet attached to the base of my kitchen cabinets, so it blocks a gap.
The material appears to be a thin piece of wood with some fiber- or paper-like layer
I tried pushing it back but it has hardened in place and almost cracked when I did so.
I was wondering it helps to partially wet it again. If that makes it soft, I could flatten it and use a heavy object to hold it in place for a few days
If wetting it doesn't help, does heating with a hair drier soften it, so I can reshape it?

Thanks a lot in advance

I would use caution with whatever you do there is particle board behind that and if it swells up if it hasn’t already it may be tough to repair without a commercial steamer.
I have used a damp towel and an iron to fix flood damage like this. The trick is to get the veneer damp and hot it becomes almost like pasta noodles I then use a wood glue and saturate the back side (the wood glues I use are water based).
After glueing and making sure I have enough weight pushing on the surface to hold it let it dry slowly a fan can help but don’t add heat that causes the veneer to  pucker unless really clamped.
I have used this method in both homes that the kitchen flooded and to recover some 20’s furniture that the owner wanted fixed.
With a little patience you may be able to bandaids this, I say bandaids because I have not had good luck with particleboard after a flood.


How do you pry apart pieces stuck together by cam screws? I have already removed the cam lock (the round piece that locks it in place).

What I am left with is two pieces of wood that are attached by the cam screw. Simple hand pulling has not pulled them apart

What is the best way to pry them apart?

There is a clearance hole for the screw portion.  The pieces slide together and it is the cam that locks it.  There may also be some dowels or metal pins for additional strength.  If it won't come apart, something is binding (unless the pieces or dowels were glued).  Try this:

Stick something into the bottom of the cam hole to protect the MDF, then use a large screw driver between that and the screw head for leverage to push it up.

There are likely several cam locks, plus potentially some dowels; the pieces will need to remain square with each other to separate them.  You won't be able to separate them by pushing on just one screw.  Put pressure on one screw to try to break apart what's binding them.  Then do the same on the other side.  The idea is to separate the pieces as evenly as possible.  If you jack up just one side, everything will bind.  Once you get it started, it will become easier to pull them apart.
If you can create even a small gap in one spot, push a piece of sheet metal into the gap (if you don't have any laying around, cut it out of a soda can).  Any place you can create a gap, add a piece of sheet metal there.  That will maintain some tension while you work on another spot.  But don't stick a bunch of shims in just one spot; keep it even across the joint.

If you have wood or plastic shims, use those instead of the sheet metal.  Separate the pieces enough to get the tip of a shim between them.  Try to get a shim in the same location at both inside and outside the joint so you don't push the pieces out of perpendicular.  Once you get shims started all along the joint, gradually and evenly tap them into the joint to push the pieces apart.
Once you get a little gap between the pieces, if they are still hard to pull apart, use a pry bar between the pieces for extra leverage, working it in different spots across the joint, a little at a time.  Don't use so much pressure that you damage the pieces.
It may also help to whack the underside of the top with a rubber mallet along the joint (more useful if you can lay the unit on its back so gravity isn't working against you).  In fact, you might want to start with this as a first step.  If you don't have a soft mallet, protect the underside of the top with a board and whack the board with a hammer.  Don't use excessive force.  If it's glued, a big enough hammer and enough force will probably separate the pieces, but the result won't be pretty.

If none of the above budges the pieces, it probably means that glue was used.  In that case, you aren't likely to separate the pieces without hunks of MDF breaking off.


What does it mean to drill holes "128mm on center"? I am installing cabinets in our closet. As part of the installation, I need to install door handles. The instructions say to drill the holes 128mm on center. My question is, 128mm from what?

The relevant instructions are seen here:

Full instructions can be found in the EasyClosets instructions.

(What will be) The center of each hole is the measuring point, and the hole centers should be 128mm apart.


Neutral joined to ground line I have two ceiling lights running off of a switch. When I replaced the first light I found that the neutral wire bundle was joined with the ground line.  If the ground wire is removed from the the neutral bundle then none of the outlets on that circuit will work.  What is going on? Is this right/safe?

It sounds like the neutrals for the lights and receptacles, which should be all combined (they are) and have one wire going back to the main panel, don't have that main wire working correctly. It could be cut somewhere, but most likely it is disconnected either at the last receptacle or light on the circuit that works or the first one that doesn't work. If NOTHING on the circuit works then it could be disconnected at the panel.

So somebody got smart and said "neutral and ground are bonded at the panel anyway, so what's the difference? I'll just combine them here and everything will work."

There are two problems (aside from it being against code):

1 - There are situations where something could go wrong such that this extra connection between neutral and ground will result in a very dangerous condition, where instead of ground acting as a protection in one location it ends up causing dangerous levels of current to be present elsewhere.

2 - The ground wire is a bare wire (not good for normal neutral) and may not be the same gauge as the neutral is supposed to be. If it is thinner than the neutral is supposed to be then there could be a situation where all equipment is working properly (no short circuits) and the total current is below the circuit rating (15A or 20A) so the breaker doesn't trip, but over time the ground-as-neutral overheats and causes a fire, which is not a good thing. I am not an expert on the code requirements - a quick search shows 14 & 12 gauge for 15A and 20A circuits for ground, which would be the same as neutral. So I could be wrong on this specific problem, provided the ground wire is the correct size, but fix it anyway for all the other reasons.

This must be fixed. Disconnect the ground from the neutrals. If you know the wiring sequence from the panel out to the receptacles and lights, start with the last one that works and check each connection. If you don't know, check them all. If you can't find the problem anywhere then it may be at the panel - in which case you may be better off calling in a professional (which is what I would do - I'm not an electrician and my skills at the cover of the panel).


Small red brick wall area to hold L brackets Refer to image below, I would like to know are my wall and the custom build L brackets able to hold around 50kg includes table top.

Ps: the L brackets is flat not those angle L

Here's a picture of where I want to install the table:

To support loads at the edge of the table, your brackets apply a torque to the wall. Let's say you're using two brackets, and 3/4 of the 50kg is on the edge of the 25" deep table (maybe it isn't, but someday someone's going to lean on it...)

The top anchor bolt in the bracket pulls out from the wall, and the bottom edge of the bracket pushes in, generating the needed torque. The brackets are 4" tall, so let's say the distance from the top bolt to the bottom edge is 3". That means the 50kg weight at the table edge will be multiplied by (25" / 3"), or about a factor of 8, meaning the brackets will be pulling on those top bolts with a force of about 400kg. Yes, there are two brackets, but that's still 200kg per bolt, pulling straight out. Even if the brackets could hold that, the bolts won't.

You need to increase the distance between that top and bottom support points. You could do this by making the bracket taller, by having the bracket extend above the table somehow, or just by hanging the front edge of the table from cables extending up to the sides of the windows. Otherwise, it may be pretty, but it will be pretty breakable as well.


Coating galvanized cable so it's rust-proof and sun-proof? The cable's galvanized, so what coating can I add to the cable so it's rust proof and sun-proof? It should be clear and barely visible. And it shouldn't be too expensive.

We live in the tropics, so we get 95° weather, tons of sun, and we're very close to the ocean. It can't crack, turn yellow, etc.

Thanks.

If you are too cheap (re: specific price presumably that of the galvanized cable) to do it right, don't expect miracles - being cheap is expensive (every time you have to replace the cheap item, + the cost of each failure.)

Galvanized is already sun-proof, the only way to make it not sun-proof is to coat it with plastic that's damaged by the sun.

It's also rust-resistant, but CHEAP cable will be minimally coated with zinc and thus the sacrificial protection of the zinc will soon wear through, exposing steel, and rusting. High-quality galvanized cable will have a thicker coating and a higher initial price tag.

That or a proper grade of stainless (be sure to factor in the salt exposure for "near ocean" in picking an alloy) will be less costly in the long run than cheap galvanized cable, assuming the rest of the system involving the cable will survive a hurricane. If not, you might just as well use cheap cable and replace it when you replace/rebuild everything after a hurricane.


Why are my stove's burners releasing gas and sparking but not igniting? This seems to be an occasional problem. I turn one of the burners to light and I can smell the gas and I can see the flickering of the spark and hear the clicking, but the burner never ignites.

What is strangest about this is that when it occurs it occurs on all four burners. Strangely, at least this time, the oven is still working.

Clean all the tubes in your gas burners. You might have baked on gunk blocking an opening, or even a spider egg case. Spider nests are a huge problem in outside BBQ gas grills.
It's one reason why I no longer use gas BBQ grills.


4 bulb light fixture trouble My client has a 4 bulb light fixture on a ceiling fan which was working fine but now when you screw in the fourth bulb all bulbs turn off. I believe its wired in a series. but why would it suddenly start doing this? I have tried switching the bulbs around to make sure it wasn't the fixture itself or one bulb socket and it does the same thing. works fine with 3 bulbs. when it cuts off i have too flip the wall switch on/off to get it to work again.

Dazed and confused. Any help appreciated.

This is all LED related.

Option 1: You are changing from incandescent to LEDs.

The new LEDs you are using do not play well with the dimmer, smart switch or other smart electronics currently installed.  Those old electronics depend on a unique characteristic of incandescent bulbs, which most LEDs do not bother emulating.  When you change the last incandescent to LED, that breaks the smart device.  The fix here is to address the incompatibility (change one or the other) or add a Lutron LUT-MLC, which provides the characteristic the old dimmer/etc. is looking for.

Option 2: You are using incandescents, not LEDs.

Most fans have a safety circuit designed to prevent you from overlamping the light sockets, meaning put in bulbs that are too large and make too much heat.  These would damage the fixture or start a fire.

Adding the fourth bulb pushes the power draw over the limit, resulting in the safety circuit doing its job.

The cure here is to use LED lights, which draw vastly less power, and can give plenty of light for far less heat.  The fixture cares about the heat, not the light.


230 volts on receptacle box when it should be 120 volts In march 2017, my neutral wire at mast was almost broken probably by load of ice and wind or a branch falling on entry wires. The electrician did secure the neutral wire to the mast, and the neutral touches the mast part on the mast and part on the ceramic isolator. When I plugged the microwave oven, it exploded with burned scent. I did check the voltage at the receptacle, and it was 240 volts between the black and white, and 240 between ground and one of the 2 wires. Also, cannot open some lights in several rooms, and the fridge is working erratically, and stops for no reason.The range is working but no timer, neither lights. The range fan lights are lightly opened, and the motor fan does not work.The kitchen lights glow very dim or not at all.I had a fan heater in my water entry, and I did remove it to no avail. I also have a sewage pump still connected. Could it be a problem in the power transformer? or a short in the windage of the sewage pump? Also the entrance wires are touching a tree, and are slightly deviated at the point of touch.I will ask an electrician, but will appreciate your thoughts and reflexions.Heater boards seem to work properly.

CALL YOUR UTILITY -- YOUR POWER MIGHT AS WELL BE OUT

Your neutral finally went kablooie.  Call your utility NOW on their emergency/power outage number as this situation has already damaged appliances and could start an electrical fire.  In the meantime, turn off your main breaker to prevent further damage to appliances.


What wiring do I need for a fan/light/night-light fixture? I am replacing a bath fan/light with a fan/light/night light combination fixture.  I need a new wall switch with 3 controls.  I currently have just a cable with hot, neutral and ground running through conduit to the fixture.

What kind of additional wires do I need and how do I connect the switch to operate each function independently?

I just installed one of these combo fan/light/nightlight fixtures in my bathroom.

We used a Leviton triple rocker switch like this one:

We used cable with 4 wires between the switch and the fixture.  The hot wire goes into the switch.  The neutral connects to one of the 4 wires, the other 3 connect to the switch.

At the fixture, the neutral is connected to the neutral wires for all 3 functions (if there are 3 wires, there might only be one), and the 3 switched wires connect to the other 3 functions.


Why would a metal file have a cancer warning? Every metal file at the hardware store bears a California Prop. 65 warning on the label.  What could possibly be the cancer-causing agent in a solid metal file?

Some metal products may contain elements or chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. Like nickel, molybdenum, lead, chrome, etc. I would imagine that the file manufacturer labels the product out of an abundance of caution so they never have to worry about being sued or prosecuted, even if the materials in question are not normally present in harmful quantities.


2 parallel drain pipes Just opened a hole in my old house to replace some plumbing.  I can see where the main drain/sewer stack comes down from the bathroom, but in parallel there's another galvanized? 2"? pipe coming down that T's into the main stack and also continues into the basement where it eventually goes into the slab.  Any idea what this is for?

thanks -

Hard to tell without seeing it, but it sound like it might be forming either a revent or a loop vent for something (maybe a floor drain in the basement?):


Door Casing Gap Against Cement Board My home was built in the 1950's and I'm in the middle of a full bathroom renovation. Basically I installed some door casing today, nailing it to the door box/frame. As expected, this left an ~ 0.33" gap between the casing and the cement board (since the cement board is screwed to studs which sit deeper than the casing). This will be fine as the wall will be tiled, and I can make up the difference with grout epoxy at the seams. However, the casing can "flex" i.e. if I push on the side of it furthest from the door frame / nails, it will bend toward the drywall until it makes contact. This bodes poorly for my tile / grout seams.

What's the best way to prevent the casing from flexing? I'm thinking about inserting some kind of shim in the gap every 6" or 12", but I don't really know how to make those. Maybe there's some kind of self-expanding solution I can use? Thanks.

The shims come ready made at lumber and big box stores or if you have one you can make them using a miter box and a 2X10 or the like.
My miterbox is an old Hitachi slide compound. It can cut a piece of material about 12" wide allthe way through. When I need to make shims I cut off scrap 2X10 or 2X8 blocks about 12" long. Turn the blocks 90 degree so the end cut is up against the fence and set my blade at .5 degree. I cut the edge to start one side, now you have a block that is slightly narrower on one side than the other. Then flip the block so the edge that was facing me is now up against the fence. I move the block so the blade is at the edge of the cut that was made first, but I line it up at the block that has the most narrow side, so when I cut the block again, the shim is made. I can be but not necessarily sharp on one end and about 1/4-3/8" thick on the other.

Keep flipping the block until the part you hold onto get too small, and start with another block. Needless to say you must be mindful of what is going on, too close and you could lose something.


Installing engineered hardwood to exposed edges I'm about to begin removing carpet and installing some engineered wood floors in one of the rooms of my house.  The only thing I'm unsure of at the moment is how the boards should be installed for areas where they will be tight against an edge and not covered by baseboard trim.

In this particular room there are 4 instances of this: the bottom of a step, the edge of the floor, in front of french doors, and around stone slabs at the fireplace.

All edges need to be concealed by trim, whether it's baseboard, base shoe, transition strip, or termination molding.

In most of the cases you mentioned, a simple L-molding should do, such as against the stair railing board. Obviously your stairs are getting some new treatment or other, so that could serve as the overlay.

Consider cutting channels under your stone with an appropriate saw so your flooring can slip beneath it. This would be the most professional and aesthetically-pleasing solution.


Installing Outlet in Brick I want to install an electrical outlet on the front of my house.
The house is a 1930s era brick townhouse.  The front wall is one brick thick, with not much backing, then studs and drywall on the inside, no insulation.  I'd like to install an Arlington DHB1C-1 masonry box in place of a brick so the outlet is hidden, but I'm a little scared to remove a brick.  Do I need to remove an entire brick, or simply deep enough to place the box, and have the cable come through a mortar joint behind it?
And a larger question... I never see these boxes used.  Instead people have the large, warty looking surface mount boxes.  Is there a reason for that?

I'll take a stab at this. I actually have on of these in my brick wall. Not the exact one you linked, mine is a Hubell MR420CZ, but it's very similar. I like it, like you said, it looks much nicer than the ones that stick out from the wall. It is a little bit clumsier to use, because the receptacle is actually recessed several inches in, and you probably couldn't plug larger plugs in, just the regular ones. So for example, a pressure washer that has a plug with built-in GFCI would not work due to the recessed setup.
Regarding installation, yes, the box is about the full depth of one brick, and about the same size as brick+mortar joints. I installed mine while building the wall. I suppose it should be possible to install into an existing wall, but it may be quite tricky.
The main thing is that, after making room by removing a brick and the mortar, you will need to figure out how to get the box in and fix it in place. With mine, I was able to mortar it in place and there are some screws that are now embedded in the mortar. You could probably use something like tapcons if you can find them thin and long enough and you have the right tools. You would have to be very gentle when fastening them. Or you could use a strong polyurethane based exterior caulk around the edge of the box. Depending on how the box you purchase is setup, maybe you will also be able to fasten through the back into the sheating behind the brick wall, if there is any.


240V to 120V conversion I am a total newb to home electronics (electronics in general, actually) so I am posting here to get some ideas of what's really possible before I even try to contract an electrician.  Allow me to explain my problem.

I live in a home in the United States with a relatively small electrical breaker panel.  All of the outlets in my home are the standard 120V three-pronged outlets that have served me well until now.  Recently I have found the need to be using larger and larger amounts of power in my home office for computing, and the specialized computing equipment I need uses large amounts of electricity -- so much so that I'm using all of the available power at my home as it is currently set up (I've even tried relocating some of my equipment to other outlets in the house so that I can draw from other breakers  breakers in the house).  The equipment I'm using uses anywhere from 1100 - 1500 continuous watts of power (I essentially leave most of this equipment on for the better part of the day).  The power supply on each of my specialized computers (I have multiple remember) comes from two of these 850W EVGA power supplies (you can see the specifications here:  https://www.evga.com/products/specs/psu.aspx?pn=3dae584b-878a-4821-b8ee-ded42fe946a7).

I realize I can probably have a new panel purchased and wired, but I was wondering if there might be a way to do this another way.  Would it be possible to re-wire some of the receptacles so that they the I pull 240V from the panel and then convert them in the receptacle (or something similar) to 2 standard 120V outlets?  What I'm trying to do is essentially double the number of plugs I can use for this equipment.

Update:
The panel is a GE PowerMark Gold TLM1212CCU

Panel Picture 1
Panel Picture 2

Red alert! The breaker in position 6 is wrong!

Looking at your photos, somebody slapped a 30A breaker on your LIV/BED circuit in position 6.  I guarantee you that connects to a 14 or 12AWG wire, and the person "upped the breaker" because they are having trip problems.  Somehow the house hasn't burned down yet, but it's a disaster in the making. Turn that breaker off NOW and leave it off until an electrician can fix all this.

Survey

Start with surveying which outlets are on which breakers, and label each of your outlets for circuit identity and ampacity (15A or 20A - it's on the breaker).

The breaker positions are numbered in the panel, but you may want to avoid using position numbers since you'll surely be moving them around.  You could call them A, B, C, Thor, Daisy, Yondu, etc. Whatever.

A circuit can handle:

A 120V/15A circuit can handle 1440 watts continuous, and 1800W total for short time (<3 hours with a long cooldown period between peak runs).

A 120V/20A circuit can handle 1920 watts continuous, and 2400W for short time.

You cannot use circuits larger than 20A.

If you have 10 sockets on a 20A circuit, that's like having 10 checks and $1920 in your account.  If you spend your first two checks on $1200 servers, you're overdrawn even though you have 8 more checks.  You know this.

240V circuits can carry double the above.  We'll come back to that, but for now, 240/15A = 2880 continuous and 3600W max.   240/20A is 3840 continuous and 4800 max.

Your equipment

First, I know that EVGA power supply is in vogue. But we deal with it from a power perspective, and it's super impractical.  You don't need 850 frickin' watts unless you're rendering or mining bitcoin with dual 1080's and a stack of server grade drives.  Seriously.  But the power-side draw of the pig is 10A requiring you provision 1200 watts (inefficient!) Dump that pig unless you have a critical-path business need for it.

Now survey each piece of your equipment, it will have a nameplate rating in either VA, watts or amps - VA is the best number to use, otherwise use the larger of either input watts, or amps x 120.  Like the "850 watt" PS is 10A therefore 1200W.

Don't forget your other non-computing loads - survey the whole house, it's common for multiple bedrooms to share a circuit.

You know what to do now.  Spreadsheet it all out, and figure how to dispatch the loads you have to the circuits you have.  Obviously you will have a shortfall, but now you know how much.

Don't forget air conditioning. Every watt you consume becomes that many watts of heat in the building, which you will need to air-condition to remove, and it costs 1 watt of A/C to remove 2-3 watts of heat.

Thinking about 240V circuits

Your idea of splitting 240V into two 120V half-circuits is called an MWBC and it's too difficult to do given current codes.  But it's just as easy to wire two full circuits. (you couldn't have used existing /2 cable for an MWBC, so you'd have to pull a /3; well then pull a /2/2 (4+ground) or dual /2's and done.

You can also bring real 240V into a bedroom, and that can run on /2 cable.  However there must still be 120V outlets in all the usual places (within 6' of any point along a wall), so you can't re-task a 120V line unless it's an extra that isn't needed to meet the minimum service.

A 240V-only line can be run with /2 cable, but if you're in the walls you might as well pull /2/2.  Most of your equipment will already work directly on 240V. Read the spec, most has multi-voltage power supplies.

All of this involves pulling new wire through the walls.

You never, ever connect a 240V circuit to a common standard NEMA 5 receptacle.  They make NEMA 6 receptacles specifically for 240V (without neutral).  They also make NEMA 14 for hot-hot-neutral 4-wire connections, but those do not exist in 15 or 20A, so they are irrelevant to you.

Upping the panel

Changing a main panel is a huge and very expensive project for an electrician. Avoid if feasible, especially since GE Qline is a fine panel.  You do have far too few spaces, however, and the way to fix that is a subpanel.  And please, get lots and lots and lots of spaces - 40 is not excessive.

Then you put a decent size breaker in the main panel (e.g. 70A) to power the subpanel.  The subpanel doesn't need its own "main" breaker, but if it has one, it just needs to be same or bigger. (e.g. 40-space panels tend to have 225A mains, fine.)

If you have no empty space in the existing main panel for a fat 2-pole breaker, pick some small circuits whose wire length is favorable to moving them to the new subpanel; do so; and use the freed space for the new main breaker.

I would assume to put the new main panel right next to the existing main panel.  Depending on what's possible with moving otehr circuits over, right in the server room may be a good place.

Load planning for the entire house

Anytime you make changes like this, you should also survey all the loads for the entire house and make sure that adding circuits is reasonable and legal.  There are plenty of Q&A here and articles elsewhere on that.

The presence of a subpanel has nothing to do with it.  The main and subpanel loads are counted together to determine if the main panel has the capacity for what you need.  It's much more involved than adding up all the numbers on the breakers.

Separate to that, you also do a load survey on just the subpanel to make sure it isn't being overloaded.

Wait. You are rendering or mining bitcoin!??

Hoo boy. Start by seeking PC power supplies that are more than 70% efficient.  1200W for 850W is terrible.

Do your load planning based on your actual loads, and then when you wire it, install 2 circuits where you would've installed one - running 2 cables instead of 1 costs next to nothing, and it's in the walls for future use. But that's just more of what I talk about above.

Fair chance you'll need more service, and have that conversation with the power company.  Again you don't want to replace that main panel.  So fit your LARGE subpanel where new service can easily reach it - and at that point, flip it so the new panel is the main and the old panel is the 'sub.  That'll work just fine.

Air conditioning is HUGE.  Every watt turns into heat, in the room and you must remove it or the room will overheat and the CPUs can't cool.  A/C is not optional here.  Your whole-house A/C is not designed to remove that much heat from a single room. I have told bitcoiners who had an empty house to scatter servers all over the house, for that reason (also power).  However there's a better way.

Use water cooling, and ship the hot water outside.  These guys here did exactly that, because they had the same problem: five max'd out rigs in one room and the house A/C couldn't deal.  It was very effective.  But they made blunders:

They did not insulation-wrap their supply and return pipes.
Being a "review site", they are obliged to use the free stuff manufacturers send them, that's why they spooged together their radiator. They should've gone to an auto junkyard and bought an SUV radiator, with electric cooling fans, thermostat and relay. Which is way more than they'll ever need, and is made to go outside.
They mounted the radiator in direct sun.

(and by "water" I mean 50/50 propylene glycol, a more rarely-made automotive antifreeze. You will have leaks, and propylene glycol, being basically a foodstuff, is nontoxic and no worse than a Mountain Dew spill. Common automotive ethylene glycol antifreeze is the wrong stuff, it's used because its cheeaper, but it is both toxic and sweet-tasting, so it will kill your pets.


Freestanding Fence Base Size I'm trying to build a free-standing fence or barrier that will sit on top of concrete similar to this picture:

The fence I want to build is a bit taller - 6-8ft. Two questions:

How wide does the "feet" of the fence have to be to keep it from falling over in the wind?
I'm thinking about putting support braces in the photo like the picture - do they have to be on both sides of the fence and what size and height does the brace have to be?

YES! You can build it exactly like the picture shows but with feet (on both sides) proportionally larger depending on final height and wind resistance required.

To ask what is wide enough "to keep it from falling over in the wind" is not answerable because it is too subjective; the right (wrong?) wind speed could take down almost anything. It would depend on materials used, method of construction, and wind load you would expect it to withstand. You could certainly build it with the knowledge that you do not know what conditions would tip it, and move it to a safe location whenever there is significant wind ("significant wind", again subjective).

If you were to finalize the construction details (material, height, width, design details) a civil or structural engineer might be able to give you a ballpark wind shear resistance number.


HELP!! Why is my stove turning my lights and furnace back on when they go out? For the last few days whenever I have more than one or three lights on they go out(includes the furnace) and the only thing that turns them back on is my stove. What is this?!?!

You have a leg down in your utility service, so call your utility and get them to fix it

The standard North American residential utility service is a 240V split phase service with 2 "hot" legs at 120VAC and opposing in phase as well as a center "0" point i.e. the neutral.  What happens if a leg has failed or is failing in the service is that all the things on that leg will stop working until you turn on a 240V appliance connected across the legs (such as your stove), which connects them to the working hot leg through the stove.

As you have already done, the correct move is to call your utility and tell them that you have a partial power outage, or if you feel technical, that you've lost a leg of your service.  They'll come out and investigate, generally at no charge to you, as the problem's likely theirs to fix anyway, such as a burnt lug in the meter base or a problem up on the poles even.


Are air vents in a house intended to let some air through when they're closed? Would it be bad to completely seal it? I would like to be able to use the vents in my house in a way that targets specific rooms/areas more than others. Sometimes I want to completely close off a room from being temperature-regulated by the furnace or air conditioning.

It seems like most of my vents still let a significant amount of air through when I close them (I would estimate that closing the vent still lets through 20-40% of the air).

Is this intended? Would it be harmful to the furnace blower if I got vents that would seal completely and if I were to close 30-40% of the vents throughout my house in order to target the air in specific rooms?

Sealing vents off can damage the duct work and shorten blower life. I have had to open walls where the owner closed a couple of bedroom vents this caused the main duct to split inside a wall I would not totally seal it off it may not sound like much but the main duct has a large area and the flex lines can break loose or metal trunk lines can split I have seen both.


What type of sealer/stain to use on untreated cedar 4x4 lumber glued together I'm planning on making a heavy bench top by using six 4"x4"x6' posts, and gluing the faces together with Elmer brand carpenters glue and several large bar/trigger clamps. Afterwards, I'll just manually plane the top and bottom of the board to smooth it out and remove the excess glue.

For the support posts and the bench top, is there a specific type of sealer I should apply that won't compromise the glue's bond? I am installing this in the garage in a humid area, so I'm using a 1" raised post base to keep it off the ground in case of spills:

And then I will be connecting the top half of the support 4x4 posts to the bench top with adjustable deck support brackets so that I can perfectly level the desk in case the top is flat but at an angle, or if the posts aren't cut to the same lengths:

I am also concerned about the sealer causing an interaction with or oxidation of the metal parts.

How should I proceed choosing a sealant/stain? For what it's worth, would tung oil be a good choice?

Thank you.

I'd go to the manufacturer of the wood glue you want to use before you get too far along.  Titebond is popular and I've had great luck with it, in their FAQ they have specific instructions for gluing up cedar, before you finish it, due to the oil in cedar.

I think most of them are pretty oil resistant once they cure, especially polyurethane, which is pretty much impervious to everything, which is why it's awful to get on your hands.  Cleans off like a tattoo.  But polyurethane is a mess to work with, and where it gets on the work surface, you're going to have to sand it off, and it may soak in a ways.  No stain or sealer will get past the polyurethane.

Tung oil is very good stuff. I worked for a contractor years ago that did a lot of cedar decks.  He liked a mix of turpentine and boiled linseed oil, which was considered old school even back then.  Tung oil seems to harden a lot better than linseed oil.  I'd prefer it over polyurethane for a work bench.  I wouldn't stain a work bench.


Wiring a light fixture in bathroom attached to a switch and GFCI I am replacing all the components in my bathroom during a remodel. I have a box that has a light switch and a GFCI, the switch controls the vanity light. When i removed the old fixture I neglected to note how everything was hooked up.

Everything seems to be hooked up properly, the switch controls the fixture with no problems, but the GFCI won't reset it stays tripped.

Any ideas?

The box for the switch and GFCI seemed straight forward, two sets of 3 wires, 1 black, 1 white and 1 ground. One set for the switch and one set for the GFCI. The box for the light fixture has 2 black and 2 white wires. One black wire is loose, the other is attached to a black wire that goes into the wall and this connection is wrapped in uninsulated copper wire.

I also have 2 white wires. So, I attached the black wire to the black wire on the fixture, and both white wires to the white wire on the fixture and the ground wire from the fixture to the green screw on the mounting harness.

What I get is what I mentioned before, the switch turns the light on and off, but the GFCI trips right away.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

here's the best i can do to diagram the situation. there are walls in place so I'm trying to give as much info as possible

When wiring with cable, and the feed is coming to the light, the standard is to feed a single pole with the white wire (the code requires this) and return with the black wire.

If you connect the white wire to the other white wires at the light fixture you create a dead short when the switch is closed this would trip the GFCI if you are downstream from it. Check that the conductors for the switch are not dead shorting the circuit.

A picture or diagram of your particular situation might help if the previous tip doesn't.

Good luck!


Leveling ground under old shed I have an old large shed I'm trying to get back into shape. The building is about 50 years old and 16'x48'. One of the long sides had sunk in the middle by about a foot, giving that side a bit of a 'V' shape. I've actually jacked this side back to level with a few beams and am trying to figure out how to support it permanently.

The original foundation was a shallow concrete perimeter, about 1' wide by 2' deep, right below the shed walls. There was a single course of cinder blocks placed on top of the concrete, and the walls built on top of these. The concrete seems to be in good enough shape on 3 sides but has completely crumbled on the side with the sunken middle.

My idea is to build a short retaining wall, about 2 feet out from the raised side, to level off the 'V', fill the inside with rubble/gravel, and set the shed back down on it. I feel like the wall could be simple as it doesn't need to hold much back - maybe some PT 6x6s or 6x4s driven a few feet into the ground every 4 feet and then PT 2x8s behind them. Does this seem like it would work? Is there a better way?

Rather than build the retaining wall would it not be better to break out the old and crumbling foundation clean out the area. Then build up the necessary forms to permit new concrete to be poured. From the sounds of it this shed wall is easily accessed from both the inside and outside and so getting the forms built and the concrete poured should not be too difficult.

This solution seems like it would be a lot better than stealing two feet of width all along one side of an only 16' wide shed.


Why CAT 5 cable is run through electrical box with blank faceplate The two cables seen here have very little slack.
The house was built in 1998 in Texas in case it offers any clues.
Any idea why this is here?

The person that put the cables in ran drops for that location. There should be some slack so it could be used. Normally there are loops if you pull on the wires there should be some slack as a tight run through the back of a box would be useless. Give the wires a bit of a tug to see if they are just stuck from the paint


Finding ceiling joists in an old apartment I'm struggling to find the ceiling joists from which to hang lights in an old apartment.

The building is in central Copenhagen and was built in the 1850s, so I can't assume that the joists are spaced 16" or 24" apart. Furthermore, there's quite a large, decorative cornice so nor can I simply measure out from where the wall meets the ceiling.

And to exacerbate the situation, I don't even know which way the joists run. I would expect them to span the shortest distance but I have a suspicion that my apartment and the apartment through the wall were originally a single dwelling which would make the shortest span originally the longest span. I could compare with the wooden floorboards but these are brand new and I'm not convinced that they've been laid directly on the joists instead of underlying, older floorboards (different floors are at slightly different heights but all the floorboards run in the same direction).

I tried to use magnets to locate nails or screws which would fasten the ceiling plaster/gypsum to the joists. But what I found was puzzling: the magnets stick to the ceiling in a continuous line across the short span, from wall to wall. And this repeats 3 times 6-8" out from the front wall, then 24.5" inches across the rest of the ceiling.

So I assumed that this was a form of fastening to a joist and drilled a small hole immediately to the side of the very narrow magnetic line. The drill went right through without finding wood.

I put a U-shaped piece of wire into the hole, intending to turn it until it hit a joist (and the side of the 'U' below the ceiling would point to the joist) and a lot of grainy, grey dust poured out of the hole. I tried it again and more dust poured out. In fact, each time I try to insert the wire, a continuous stream of the grey dust pours out.

Also, the building was renovated immediately before we moved in so there's only one indication of where a light was previously hung, and it's in an odd location where we don't want a light.

We've asked a couple of neighbours and both are using only floor-standing lamps because of the lack of clues on the ceiling.

Does anyone have any recommendations? All I can think of doing now is drilling more holes until I hit wood, but without knowing how far apart or how wide are the joists, or even which way they run, I could end up with more holes than plaster/gypsum on the ceiling.

If the hole you drilled already is larger than a quarter inch, get a cheap usb borescope inspection camera and stick it in there to take a look.

They're available for phone and laptop connection on amazon for under $20 USD.

You can also use a FLIR camera to find studs pretty easy.

FLIR cameras are a bit more than $20.  Think $2000 for good ones.  But you can get lite versions for android and apple smartphones for < $300 USD and you can usually rent them the advanced ones at your local home improvement stores for less than that.

TIP:  When you rent a flir camera, use it to photograph EVERYTHING in your house.  EVERYTHING.  Save the pictures for future reference.


Rough opening..overthinking? In the middle of framing my basement, I realized I made a rough opening for a bathroom door approximately 4" too big. I glued m & screwed in another 2x4 to each jack stud to get the opening where it needs to be. I have PT wall plates for all walls but I got to thinking, do these new 2x4s need to be PT due to their ends in contact with the concrete? It's an interior wall. I really hope not... thoughts??

No need for the jack studs to be PT, In a basement that has no water or moisture issues, using PT material for plates is just a precaution, not a necessity, IMHO. This has been my experience in demoing older work while remodeling. BUT for what its worth,  hold the jack studs up off the floor a little, say 1/8" just for the heck of it. If I think about it, I set a little construction adhesive where the end of the jack stud goes and set the end in the glue to bond it to the floor and seal the end. If you have the studs set, do not sweat it.


how would I hook up this 9kw heater? I have a 9kw heater I want to hook up.  There is a 3x8 AWG (w/ ground) cable going to and from the heater's control panel.  The cable connects to a a 40 amp breaker, with the red and black on either side and neutral connected to the neutral bus, and ground connected to the ground bar.

The diagram looks like this, presumably with the L1 L1 L2 L2 terminals taking the cable from the breaker, and the O1 O2 O3 O4 terminals taking the cable which goes out to the heater.

Which wires do I connect where?

Apparently on contacting the manufacturer you are supposed to bridge the L1s and L2s.


GFCI - should my neutral and ground have continuity? I have a thing I'm doing.. I won't go into detail, but I have a thing that is a yellow solid core copper cable with a hot, neutral and bare ground. one end is connected to a plug I wired (I'm using the cable thingy as a makeshift cord because I don't have an actual cord). The other end is wired to the LINE of a GFCI.

Just to make sure I had no short circuits before I was to install my thingy, I checked continuity between the Hot, Neutral and Ground terminals on the GFCI to make sure there were no shorts in my wiring. When I touched the HOT and NEUTRAL prongs, they had continuity. (my continuity tester is really just an ohmmeter). So did HOT and GROUND. I undid the plug and looked for shorts, and there were none. I put it back together and now I see that only the NEUTRAL and GROUND have continuity.

Is this a break in my cable shorting the two or is it a faulty GFCI?

No, this is not connected to the wall yet. This is an isolated circuit I was testing for continuity.

Please help - I don't want this to end up shorting the HOT and NEUTRAL again and start a fire.

EDIT: I was stupid in the plug and put the wires overlapping. The thing that clamps down ended up pushing insulation away and shorted the wires. I am not going to make that mistake again.

At least violate Code a little less

Putting a GFCI in a box on a cable is a codevio. Using Romex for cordage is a codevio. And using junction boxes for portable boxes is also a code vio, but let's at least use a tough box and a strain relief, eh?  Here's what you need.

square steel junction box, 4" square, drawn one-piece (not welded 5-piece)
Strain relief that fits the proper cordage you go out and get right now (get 12/3 since in cordage, ground counts). I can't bring myself to link the cable clamp for Romex, because it's so wrong...
4" square 1-device mud ring with at least 1/2" depth (plays better with Decora) again must be drawn not welded
Metal Decora cover plate - cut the screws short if needed  (Decora = large rectangular opening)

Alternate: a drawn steel Decora junction box lid can replace the last 2. Even though it's tougher, I avoided it because you'll have to bend/break off the Decora cover plate ears, and that'll wreck the GFCI for use anywhere else.

Alternate: if you want to put a GFCI and feed another plain outlet for 4 sockets then use a 4-11/16" box and mud ring, otherwise it won't all fit. You can use a plain receptacle and normal/Decora split cover plate.

GFCI's, thru continuity, and ground

Safety ground is continuous through a GFCI.

LINE neutral to LOAD neutral is not continuous.

LINE hot to LOAD hot is not continuous.

As you can see, both hot and neutral go through the mysteryworks of a GFCI device.  (actually, that includes a set of relay contacts, and also a current-sensing inductor, so you may read an impedance near zero.)  Needless to say, if the relay contacts are open, line-load will read as dead open...  IIRC the GFCI also has some electronics between LINE hot and LINE neutral, so you may also expect some non-infinity impedance there.

Now, look close:  you see that green "upside down T" where the ground wire branches into the GFCI? No, you do not see that "T"?  There's a reason you don't: GFCIs don't connect to ground.  GFCI receptacles do, but only for the sake of the receptacle sockets; the GFCI portion doesn't use it.


How can I convert this hard wired fixture to a plug in? I want to covert my hard-wired pendant light fixture to something that can be plugged into the wall as our new apartment isn't wired to direct-wire ceiling fixtures. I already wired another (vintage) fixture that only had black and white wires. But with this fixture I've got a 3rd green wire coming out of the wiring bundle (in addition to the exposed copper grounding wire).

So my questions are:

1.) What is the green wire?
2.) Can I just cap the green wire and use only black and white wires for new cable run?

see image.

Green usually means ground, that it goes into the wire bundle may mean it grounds the lower part and the bare wire grounds the upper part (they are isolated from each other by the run).

Pigtail the bare and green together with the ground.