Turn brick fireplace to inset fireplace My brick fireplace is ugly and I want to make it inset contemporary

I know I could remove the hearth but can I remove the front area of the fireplace? Basically remove 1-2 bricks to make it flush with the drywall. Would that cause any structural issue?

Also what do I cover the brick? I assume there is some high heat drywall ? The new inset firewall will have a glass door

I have done similar to what you want to do, first check local code the fireplace even if an insert is being used requires 16 or 18” in front of the fire box opening (hearth or non flammable surface but it can be at floor level).
The “face brick” is usually only 1 layer thick but at the opening it becomes solid to the back of the chimney. The hardest part in reducing the brick is usually there is a steel support in the form of an angle iron at the top across the opening 1 brick back possibly 2, so going any further creates a lot of work to properly support the opening but it can be done. As far as the material over the brick, I have used cement board or backer board just like using Sheetrock, several of these I have done with a stone veneer around the opening.
Just an fyi trying to use sheet rock within a foot of the opening tends to be a bad idea I usually want several feet. the Sheetrock yellows and starts falling apart due to to the heat over a few months, I have used cement board on 4 of my homes. 2 I lived in for 5-10 years with no issues 1 my family still owns after 35 years and it has only been repainted so it has held up well and my current home has backer and tile but it is only 5 years old (I expect it to outlast me). So look at your top opening see if you can tell where the steel support is as  all 3 of the face removals I have done had this on brick chimneys. The steel is needed on my first one I had a brick mason help me / teach me how to support the brick once I had removed the angle iron (basically cutting slots on each side that a new angle was slid into then filled with fire clay to support the brick and seal the opening), I hope this helps , I bet you can also find other ideas but this is how I have done similar jobs with really nice results.


Will blown-in insulation work directly on the back of 12" square ceilings tiles? We're renovating an extremely old house that we use as a camp that had numerous issues. ( Originally built circa WW2, but has had some work done since then. We use it occasionally in the warmer months but are looking to make more use of it on a year-round basis. )

The previous setup was fiberglass bat insulation and 12"x12" ceiling tiles surface mounted to furring strips. We removed the old ceilings and insulation due to roof leaks and rodent damage.

The furring strips are still up, and I'm considering placing a new 12" tiled ceiling to keep the original aesthetic. This would be stapled to the existing furring strips. However, I had also considered using blown-in fiberglass insulation to insulate the camp evenly and appropriately.

Assuming the ceiling tiles are appropriately fastened, can I blow insulation ( at approximately R30 ) directly onto them ?

Are there unforeseen issues with this ?

One big one... dust.

Normally, blown insulation is above a finished sealing (drywall or plaster, which provides substantial air sealing) and a vapor barrier. You'll have persistent severe glass fiber pollution if you do this without installing a poly barrier, at a minimum.


EMT Grounding requirements I'am running 2" EMT from an outside enclosure through the exterior wall into a switch room that is being attached with beam clamps, The EMT is carrying a Fiber optic cable feed to the switch room that converts to PVC upon entering the room, can I ground the EMT outside using a ground bushing with a ground rod or does it have to be grounded to the building ground?
The EMT is dedicated to the fiber only.

You don't need to ground a hamster run, either.

Suppose you had a hamster habitat.  And instead of fiber optic, you were using this EMT to extend the hamster habitat to an outdoor maze.  Would this habitat run require grounding *solely due to using EMT as a building material?  Of course not.  That would be silly.

Well, as far as NEC is concerned, fiber-optic cable that has no DC wires running it counts the same as a hamster.  It simply does not count for anything at all, and is completely out of its jurisdiction.

The only time fiber-optic cable is in NEC's jurisdiction is when you intermix it in a conduit with electrical wires.  But even then, they consider it disregardable if there is nothing metallic in it.


Should I add a grease trap to a long drain run from the kitchen? My 1955 house has a 25 foot drain run from my kitchen to my main stack (~7 feet of bends, then ~18 feet straight along a back wall).
It has clogged several times in various places, and I have had it professionally snaked as well as doing it myself.
The clogs are mainly grease - the only solids are the food bits that make it through the sink strainer.  I don't have a garbage disposal, and I've been told I shouldn't install one in this kitchen due to the drain.
The drain tech said that we could just expect to have it snaked once a year or so - his best recommendation was an enzyme product to digest the sludge in the pipes.

I'm hoping I can do better than drain cleaner products by installing a grease trap to intercept most of it before it settles in my pipes.
From what I've read, grease traps are common in the commercial/industrial/restaurant sector, but they seem to be rarely used in homes.

Is this a good idea for my kitchen?  What are the criteria for installing a grease trap?
Besides the under-sink space and periodic cleaning, what are the drawbacks?

I would just use an enzyme once a week or once a month. Buying a case of that stuff will be less expensive than making enough space under your sink and installing a (stinky, smelly, disgusting) grease trap.

And the enzyme stuff is not made up of harsh chemicals.


Removing a keystone jack from the wall plate I am about to install some ethernet cord with jacks I know I will upgrade in the future. However, I'd like not to waste the jacks that will be replaced. How will I be able to remove them from the wall plate without damaging them? Is it possible?

Yes.  It is possible.

Keystone jacks almost always have two angled ledges.  One stationary upon which the keystone pivots (Red below), and the other spring loaded which 'snaps' into place (Green below).

Jam a straight blade in at the blue angle to push the green tab in, and pry it out.

In 3by1 and 3by2 outlet plates, it's normal that they are too close together to take out in any old order.  You have to start from one end and work to the other of the plate.


Why did this gas lift assist unit fail this way? I woke up to find one of the cover lift assists on my hot tub broken, bowed outwards.  This is the second time this has happened.  When installed, both ends are fixed so if it "decided" to extend while the lid is closed it would have nowhere to go but out, but I cant figure out why it would do this to prevent it in the future.  What causes a gas lifter to fail this way?

The image is the result of an out-of-column force being applied to the mechanism. In the case of the gas lift device, either end of the attachment could have something in contact preventing the cylinder from following the expected angle change as the cover is raised or lowered.

Not to say that this is the specific cause, but if the tub end of the cylinder has a buckle hanging over the edge of the tub and it gets wedged into the area of the attach point for the cylinder, it could impede rotation of the cylinder and create the aforementioned out-of-column condition.


Should raw timber be treated for use as in-ground posts? I've got some grape vines that I need to re-build a badly designed trellis around. Im considering using some felled timber from my back yard. The advantage is that I could use much larger, cheaper posts than I could get from the store , as big as 8x8 or 10x10. The main disadvantage seems to be that it's not treated, and so ground contact is obviously detrimental. In general does this seem remotely possible? Should I treat the wood with some type of stain? It seems unlikely any stain would penetrate enough to provide real protection for ground contact, but I only have experience with simple combo stain/sealant mixes, which I tend to use for aesthetic medium-term protection.

Or do I even need to treat it? Would a 8x8 or 10x0 log last a good amount of time in the ground supporting grape vines without treatment?

FWIW - I know there are lots of other options for the trellis (mainly wire) but those options all have downsides as well so Im trying to specifically evaluate whether this option is possible, and how robust it would be.

If the timber is recently felled, it is still too wet for any treatment to have any positive effect.  However, even without treatment these posts, because of their size, will give many good years of life as trellis supports.


Could a spade bit be used to widen an existing hole in a wooden cabinet? The spade bit which I have is this one.

Use a hole saw with a long pilot drill bit and clamp a board to the other side of the existing board. The long pilot drill will ensure that the saw stays centered all the way through the board that you are cutting. There is usually no way to control the spade bit to keep it centered and cut a clean hole.


Why doesn't my garage door close unless I am holding down the button? When I push my inside of garage button for the door to close, the door attempts to go down, motor light flashes and door goes back up again. I had to keep holding the wall button for the door to actually go down and close.

The garage door will automatically reverse if it encounters too much resistance or if the sensor beam is interrupted.

To check for resistance, start with the door closed and pull the red handle. Then open and close the door. The movement should be fluid with no tough spots. If you encounter difficult spots, you likely have a bent track, a broken wheel, or a severe lack of track lubricant. Call a professional.

If the door opens with the opener fine, but reverses almost immediately when you try to close it, then you likely have a problem with your sensor alignment. One sensor should have a light on all the time. This is the transmitter. The other, your receiver,  should light up when it has an unobstructed view of the invisible light beam the transmitter sends. It's easy to bump a sensor and move it out of alignment. Just bend it back in to position. Use the light on the receiver to help you so that you don't have to try and close the door to check your adjustments.


Do lag bolts need to be centered? I'm putting a 56lb TV on a 20lb wall mount and attaching it to two studs with 5 screws (3 on one stud, 2 on the other). Installing the plate so it is off center would make the rest of the installation easier. My gut tells me this is a bad idea for like three different reasons.

Can anyone confirm or deny that intentionally shifting a lag bolt by an inch off stud center is a bad idea?

Thank you!

Update (and decision): The stud in question is at a 135 degree corner next to a bay window. Something I saw in an outlet hole plus holes I was drilling to check led me to believe I have a single 4" stud. I now believe that I actually have 2 or three studs next to each other.

Based on answers below, I want to hit the center of a dimensional 2x4, which is 0.75" from the edge. This actually buys me what I need. I originally thought I had to hit the middle of the 4", which is 2" from the edge. If all I need to do is hit 0.75" from the edge, that gives me an 1.25" extra inches.

Yes, keeping lags centered in studs is important.

The following is minimum for BOLTS IN WOOD:

Edge distance:

Perpendicular to grain: 4 times dia.
Parallel to grain: 1.5 times bolt dia.

End distance:

When in tension: 7 times bolt dia.
When in compression: 4 times dia.

Center-to-Center spacing:

Perpendicular to grain: 2.5 times dia.
Parallel to grain: 4 times bolt dia.

Spacing between rows of bolts:

Between 2 and 5 bolt diameter depending on l/d ratio


How can I reduce noise from plumbing in a kitchen soffit? I am getting ready to close up my new kitchen soffit and I was wondering what would be a good option to try and soundproof the DWV pipes in the soffit.
Should I try to wrap them?
Or should I try to stuff in some Rockwool?
Or should I try to build some kind of box with acoustic foam?
Or do nothing and just accept some of that noise?

I can't imagine there would be a lot of noise coming from them. If you're really concerned about it, stuff some extra insulation up in there and and use 5/8" drywall or double up on the 1/2" drywall. I've done this in the past and had some pretty fussy customers happy.


Installing a Kasa smart switch I am trying to upgrade a switch that controls two wall outlets in a 2-gang switch box with a Kasa smart switch. The wall outlets controlled by the switch are split switched outlets.

Here's a diagram of my existing configuration (in the US, the house was built in 2013):

I'd like to understand the function of the cables in this configuration and use that to install my new smart switch.

So far, the one thing I know for sure is that the (bare) copper cable is ground :). As per my research, I believe these statements are true:

The white wires are neutral (the 2011 NEC mandates that a neutral wire be present in switch boxes).
The top 3-wire cable connects the switch box to the fan.
The bottom 3-wire cable connects the switch box to the wall outlets; I have split switched outlets with a switch loop, where the source is located at (one of?) the outlets.
The hot wire coming from the switch loop is spliced and goes to both switches.

Is that accurate? What tests can I run with a multimeter to confirm this?

I'd be happy to report back with multimeter test results (once I know what tests to perform) if that helps with the identification. Thanks a bunch!

Yes, what you say looks right. This work is competent.  The white wire was brought up to supply the fan, not for the neutral rule.

Get my secret weapon, a 5-pack of nulticolored electrical tape.  By happy accident, every wire is correctly color coded but one.

white is neutral
lower cable black is always hot
lower cable red is switched hot 1 (for the outlets)
upper cable black is switched hot 2 for the fan, mark it with blue tape
upper cable red is spare, tag it some other color e.g. Yellow

Of course you know the bare ground wire does not go to the same terminal as a hot...


What kind of wall material produces orange dust, and how should I work with it? I live in a townhome that was constructed in 1890 in the US and remodeled sometime in the past 20 years. Most of the walls are drywall, but the walls that separate my home from the units on either side of it are a different material. It's harder than drywall, and does not produce the same "hollow" sound when you knock on it.
I assumed that it was plaster, and drilled four holes to mount coat hooks. The wall was definitely more difficult and slow to drill into than drywall, but I was able to drill about 1.5 inches through and noticed that the wall was solid material for that entire depth.
Two of the holes produced a beige dust, but the other two holes in the same wall produced a bright orange dust (pictured below). The only material I could think of that might be orange is brick.

Is the wall brick, plaster, or some other material?
Why did half the holes produce orange dust but not the other half?
Do I need to make any special considerations before drilling into these walls or using screws, nails, or other tools or hardware in them?

Looks like brick dust.
As for the other two holes, they probably went into the mortar joint between two bricks.


Why do I have almost no water pressure after installing a new kitchen faucet? I installed a Price Pfister 533 single control kitchen faucet today, and for whatever reason my water pressure is next to nothing. It was perfectly fine before.

What is wrong and how do I fix it?

When you turn off your water valves or replace a faucet it is very common to kick up sediments in your pipes.  Most water pressure issues are because of these sediments getting stuck in the tap filter.  Look at your directions to unscrew the bottom of your faucet head.  Clean out the filter inside and screw back on head.


Crawl space drainage I have a 90 year old house that is located on a flat lot.  To drain water from my crawl space I have trenched around the inside of the crawl space.  Since my house lot is flat and sectioned off where it was added to over the years, I had to install 3 sump pumps located around my trench.  I have installed tarp, and a de humidifier and things are dry most of the time.

My problem: On one side of my house the trench is obstructed by my cast iron sewer line exiting the house.  It cause the trench not to flow down to my sump pump.  I do not want to raise the level of the trench above the sewer line.  Adding another sump pump would correct this but cost $300 and a days work for me.

Would a two foot section of water hose or PVC pipe going underneath sewer line work? The water would flow down in the hose but would have to rise up several inches after the sewer line to regain the trench on other side.

Any ideas?

If the exit of the proposed pipe is lower than the entrance, this will work fine, but it will leave standing water in the pipe itself below the exit. If the exit is the same level or higher than the entrance, this will not work and you will need a pump.


Prepping a plaster wall for painting I have a 100 year old house in the Midwest. I took off a chair rail trim that was put up in the last couple years. Removing it peeled off several layers of paint from the wall in a few spots. And looks like it may have gone down to the plaster in a couple of the spots.  There's now a line around the room that's maybe 1-2mm below the level of the current painted surface.

What would be the best way to smooth this out? Sanding and spackling? I'm a total noob to this.

Sanding and spackling?

You could probably make it look OK with spackling followed by sanding.

Better results could probably be had by using joint compound followed by sanding, using progressively larger drywall knives. This method (which is the same used for joints in new plaster-board/drywall application) will result in a wider repair band, feather sanded smooth, which should be less noticeable.

Either way you will be left with an area that has a different texture than the rest of the wall. Depending on your need for perfection this can be remedied to some degree by using a thick nap paint roller and painting the whole wall, or even texturing the whole wall. Visibility of texture differences can be affected by things (oblique lighting and glossy paint tend to make it more visible).


What are the things to look out for when buying a motion detector? I was looking at portable motion detector that can detect motion within 0 meter to 50 meter. It can either sound an alarm or flash light when it detect motion. So, what are the things that I need to look out for when buying such motion detector?

Well is it to be used indoors or outdoors? Because a lot of the technology is generally used for detection indoors. That is not to say you do not get them for outdoors it's just in my experience the ranges are more limited.

You get detectors that work on four different technologies they are:- Passive Infared (PIR), Microwave, Ultrasonic and Tomographic. The last two are more uncommon in the general market. More and more these days you will find the first two technologies have actually been combined into a single detector commonly known as a Dual-tec the idea is to limit false activations.

Apart from the detection technology detectors are based around two types of usages. One type of detector tends to be used as an activator for mains voltage lighting. And are commonly fitted these days for reasons for saving power as they switch the lights off after a person leaves the area. The second usage of these detectors is for intruder detection. Since you seem to be interested in activating a light and or sounder I would suggest using the low voltage intruder detection version as inside of the device they commonly use an alarm circuit and a tamper circuit and a 12v power source. The alarm circuit is normally a open/closed circuit which can be made to do what you so desire. You can run the sounder and light directly off the device as long as it's low voltage and low current usage or within the detectors specification however if not you can stick in a relay that will do the job. This option will most likely be the cheaper option also

Another advantage of low voltage intruder detection detectors is that quite a few have ability to adjust the detector range this is normally done via a dial which takes the form of a variable resistor built onto the printed circuit board of the device. Some manufactures also give you interchangeable lenses for the front of the device which alters the spread patterns of the microwave/infared radiation. This can increases or decrease the height and width of the beams. Another thing to watch out for which is not hugely important but can and i have seen it cause issues is that if you have multiple devices and they overlap make sure that you are buying different frequency devices. By that I mean that a manufacture will sell multiple versions of the exact same device the difference is what frequency the radiation is put out at this is designed to stop devices interfering with each other.

I have tried to cover all the bases with the little information you provided. If your after more detail on anything just let me know, I have extensive knowledge in this area.

Edit: After reading your post again I noticed the key word "Portable" this could change the outcome entirely. Could you explain the usage of your device so that i can revise changes


Replacing A Ceramic Hob With An Induction Hob If I were to replace my ceramic hob in my kitchen at some point in the future with an induction hob, would any rewiring be needed or from an electrical point of view, would it be a straight swap?

(UK, currently both the hob and oven are on the cooker circuit)

As long as the spur to your hob is rated for sufficient current for whatever induction hob you may buy in the future and the oven, the two hobs are interchangable without any rewiring.

The only caveat is that if your ceramic hob is single-phase, you must get an induction hob that supports single phase. Most UK marketed ones will.

The more powerful induction hobs require >30A nominal so a standard 32A rated spur may be insufficient for the hob alone, let alone an induction hob and and oven.

As such it would make sense to install a seperate spur for the hob when you change over to induction at a later date. I would go for cabling and switches designed for a 40A or 50A spur.


Shouldn't a Kitchen be sealed off from cockroaches? Would a new Kitchen eliminate the problem? I have cockroaches problem in Kitchen in my apartment and the only opening to drainage there is obviously the kitchen sink but it doesn't look like they are coming from there (they are found on Kitchen floor).
But shouldn't an apartment be otherwise totally sealed to outside world or water? This is on 2nd floor. So where does these cockroaches lives, probably not in the drainage right in this case right?
The cabinets are fairly old and I suspect there are holes somewhere. I treated the apartment extensively couple of times but problem has not gone away.
So just to understand the problem, say if I redo all my cabinets, pull them off, make sure there are no holes in walls etc and put brand new cabinets, will this likely eliminate the cockroaches?
My theory is that the cockroaches could either live in drainage or outside drainage. I suspect the later is the case in my apartment. Shall such measures potentially eliminate the hidden living spaces in the kitchen?
From my experience at least, I have generally seen cockroaches in older houses perhaps for that reason. Has anyone had cockroaches problem in new constructions?
So could this be a valid motivation to redo the Kitchen as well which is kind of old?

Rebuilding the kitchen will not stop them. Various insecticides will kill them for now.  Borax is safe and effective long term  . When I built my house in roach country ( E. TX) I put several pounds of borax in the walls before dry wall was put up. Worked great. After 25 years roach free years , apparently a couple recently got in and found the dishwasher cabinet was ideal ( no borax nearby). I was seeing a big roach about every other day , after none for years. I drilled a 1/2 hole under a counter top and blew in borax powder around the dishwasher. In the last month there have been only a few little roaches and they are slow and easy to kill because the borax slows them down before they die. So you can have an exterminator every few months or figure how to get borax powder where they are living. ( My wife has not noticed the hole so I am good). ADDENDA : On the otherhand ,if you are going to redo the kitchen anyway, put borax under, behind, and everywhere else around new fixtures, that may fix the roaches .


How to wire a ceiling rose? I have bought a new ceiling rose for a light. The wires in it are UK pre-2004. There's one black, two red, one yellow, one blue, and two green and yellow earth. Where do all these go on the ceiling rose?

Often, electricians used ordinary black/red/green twin&earth for C but marked the black wire with red tape (to indicate "switched live")

You seem to have something nonstandard, perhaps a spur (therefore missing B) without an earth to the switch? You'll have to use appropriate methods to determine what is what.

See answer to similar old question https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/32251/2815


Just recently started getting shocked in the shower About a week and a half ago I started getting shocked from the upstairs shower head, the downstairs sink faucet, and the the tub spout, I leaned back when I was taking a bath touched the spout with my head and that's when I felt it. It doesn't happen every time. I asked a buddy to come check it out. He turned on the sink faucet ( nothing ) put his hand in the water then touched the faucets  ( nothing  ). He checked the connections on the bonding cables, H/W tank  and water meter, outside grounding rod. Found a corroded connection at the box ground to street side of water meter. Pulled it and put it under the clamp of the street side of meter. Felt the shock two days later. He checked Voltage between the neutral and the street side of the water pipe and got a reading of 0.045 v. Did the same on the house side of the pipe and got a lower voltage. Could this be a sign that the shock voltage is coming from outside the house? He checked neutral to the ground line coming into the box from ground rod and I think he said it was lower than that of the street side pipe voltage. Any insight into testing to see if its coming in through the pipes would be appreciated.

Did you read about the military personnel that were electrocuted in the shower in Afghanistan or Iraq about 15 to 20 years ago? It is caused by the piping not being properly bonded to the grounding system.

So take the advice of jwh20 and get a professional over there and find whats wrong and repair it.

This is not a DIY project.


Wiring a bathroom fan/light with only one neutral wire I bought a new light/ fan combo to replace and old one in a bathroom. This new fixture has those connectors that are plug and play, so to speak.  You simply plug the appropriate color wire from the cable into the corresponding hole in the wiring harness for the fixture.

The catch is that I have a ground, two hots and one neutral (12-3?)and the harness has a spot for each of them plus an extra white (neutral) that of course my cable doesn't have.  Seeing as my old fan/light was wired with the same house wire, should I cut the harness to splice together the two neutrals, or somehow branch/split the neutral and plug into the harness?

If branching/splitting is the recommended course of action, how do I do that?

There are two neutrals on the fan light, because

The fan gets a hot and a neutral.
The light gets a hot and a neutral.

By giving you separate neutrals, it gives you the versatility of being able to put the fan and light on separate circuits, or other circumstance where you'd need separate neutrals.

In your case, and in most instances, both devices share a neutral - the two hots (red and black) are switched, the neutral is not.

You address this by just sticking two 6-inch wires (of the size you are using in that circuit; larger is allowed, smaller is not) in those connectors, then joining those two wires and your supply neutral with a wire nut (or splice connector if you're in Europe.)  I would not alter the fixture.


How to find source of dripping drain pipe? I have an older house (1920s) it's two stories, although the second story was probably the attic originally. I used to live in it, but now I rent it and live nearby.

There is a pipe that sticks out the side, and water drips out of it sometimes.  It's at about the height of the the floor/ceiling between the levels, and close to the upstairs bathroom. It's PVC or some other non-metal material.

I never really noticed it until this winter when water started coming out of it at a steady trickle sometimes. It seemed to be related to the rain. I don't know if this was happening before or not. I thought maybe there was a drain up there that drains out of this mystery pipe (The roof is steep and it has dormers and chimney, so it's hard to get a good look at all parts of it). However, during the last month or so it started to have more water come out - a few gallons a day or more.

How can I tell what the source of the water is from this pipe? The location makes it difficult to cut holes into the drywall from the inside. Is there any other option or do I need to get some sort of professional to figure it out? I'm not even sure who to call.

Check all the tanks that hold water - they will have overflows in case of overpressure or in case an old fill-valve starts to fail to close completely.

If the plumbing system has header tanks for cold and/or hot-water, these have overflows for when the fill-valve gets old and fails to close completely. Also lavatory cisterns have overflows for the same reason.

Water heaters that work with a pressurised supply also have pressure relief valves to vent excess pressure.

All of these can either vent to the outside or to an internal drain.

So I would ask someone to watch the outside pipe while I go around and cause water to come out of each overflow/vent one by one. In lavatory cisterns you can probably hold a float-valve underwater to cause the water to rise above the entrance of the overflow pipe.

It's quite likely to be a lavatory cistern. A slow "leak" on the fill valve won't cause a problem if the toilet is in regular use. It's only when it hasn't been flushed for a long time that the "leak" can cause the level in the tank to eventually reach the overflow level.


Does the gas water heater in my laundry room require a dedicated vent? I have been told recently by a potential buyer of my home that due to the gas hot water heater in my utility room,  with electric washer and dryer, that I need separate venting to bring it up to code. The room has two outside windows, and the door opens into my dining room. I live in Texas.

My own contractor who remodeled this old home 3 years ago mentioned nothing of this.  What type of venting is he speaking of?

He's talking about a combustion air intake. Fuel burning appliances are not allowed to draw combustion air from habitable rooms. So it's possible that a combustion air intake may be required.

Check with your local building department, to determine if one is required in your situation.

If the dryer vent and the heater exhaust through the same duct, that's definitely a problem.   Though hopefully that's not what you're talking about.


What kind of vent material can be used for gas dryer? Dryer at present butts up to vent sticking into the room.  This works just fine.

I want to put the dryer and washer on a plinth to make it easier to access.  I don't want to put the dryer further out into the room.

The plinth will put the dryer 7" up.  How do I route the vent?  What specs do I ask for?

I know that the aluminum foil light weight flex tube is a bad idea.

There is a type of flex tube available, but it's not clear if it's suitable for gas dryers, nor is it clear if it can be cut to a shorter length.  (All the ones I've found are 6 feet.  I think I need between 2 and 3 feet.

The best choice is metal hard wall duct.

It is smooth inside and does not cause lint to build up.

Lint build up can be a bit of a fire hazard and leads to restriction of air flow that is exhausting moisture. That leads to extended drying times.

If you must use flex get the semi rigid type and be careful not to crush the shape when making turns.


Crawlspace Vapor Barrier Overkill? I am about to install a vapor barrier in my damp Atlanta, Georgia area rental home. I plan to seal it about 3 feet up the poured concrete walls and overlap and seal all seams essentially creating an encapsulation of the space.

My question is:

Is this product overkill?

http://www.mytarp.com/20-x-100-husky-yellow-guard-vapor-barrier.aspx

Would something like this (cheaper) work just as well?

http://www.mytarp.com/20-x-100-10-mil-clear-plastic-sheeting.aspx
http://www.mytarp.com/20-x-100-10-mil-black-plastic-sheeting.aspx

They are both 10 mil products, but one is more of a name brand / branded vapor barrier where the other is just 10 mil plastic sheeting.

If it's going on a smooth soft surface the clear stuff is fine.  Over rocks or large gravel, the yellow would be better.


Wiring a Heater, Vent Fan, Light for bathroom So I am trying to get my new bathroom vent/light/heater installed. I have been up and down in my attic so many times and have had one of the functions working each time, but never all three. I got the heater to turn on and off. I got the light to turn on and off. I got the vent to run, but it would run no matter like there was no switch. I am thoroughly confused at this point.

Hard to tell from the pictures what you currently have. But here is (roughly) what you need.
Updating based on newly posted installation diagram
Assumptions

Installing 3 switches in one box Note: I do not know much about how much you can stuff in a box. There are some experts here who can speak to that - when I did this in my own house, my electrician dealt with those details (and many more). I got something like this Decora 15 Amp 3-Rocker Switch which can fit in a single gang box, but be warned that a single gang box is likely not big enough for all these wires (code or practically speaking).
Everything on one circuit - i.e., a single 15A or 20A circuit as appropriate based on the requirements of the fan/light/heater - primarily the heater is the determining factor

In the switch box:

Cable 1: From the main panel: Black (hot), white (neutral), ground. Hot goes to all three switches. Neutral will connect to neutral from all three devices.
Cables 2 & 3: To the devices: Typically 2 cables. One black/white/ground (this is the /2 - 2 wires + ground), one black/red/white/ground (this is the /3 - 3 wires + ground). (Technically this could be done with one bigger cable or with 3 black/white/ground cables or with a bunch of individual wires in conduit, but it looks like you have the typical 2 cables already, so that's good).
Connect all the neutral (white) wires together with a wire nut.
If your switches have three pairs of screws then connect three short black wires (same size, easiest to just strip a section of Romex and chop off 3 pieces of black wire) together with the black wire from the panel with a wire nut and connect each to one screw. If your switch has a common hot then you connect the hot from the panel directly to it.
Connect each colored wire from the cables 2 & 3 to a switch. Two switches get black, one gets red - these are all switched hots.
All grounds are connected together.

No white wires to the switch unless it is a smart switch that uses neutral
If your switch has backstab connections and screws always use the screws.
At the fan:

Connect the neutrals for the light & fan (whites that are paired with the blue & black wires) to the white in the /3 cable.
Connect the neutral for the heat (white that is paired with the red wire) to the white in the /2 cable.
Connect the black (fan) wire to the black wire in the /3 cable.
Connect the blue (light) wire to the red wire in the /3 cable.
Connect the red (heat) wire to the black wire in the /2 cable.
Connect all grounds together (as always)

Color-coding: Because the heat uses a lot more power than the light & fan, it gets the /2 cable. Harper recommends (and it is a good idea) marking both ends of the /2 black --> red and both ends of the /3 red --> blue. That will make all the wire colors match, which will help with any future troubleshooting. However, you must make sure that the whites go to the correct (/2 for heat, /3 for fan & light) whites - neutrals & hots must be matched together.
That should leave you with nothing extra hanging out. And you should have each switch operating a separate function in the fan/light/heater.
You also need to vent the fan properly. I had my electrician do that too (not a fun job in my attic). You definitely do NOT want the fan venting into the open area of your attic. If you had another fan before then you may be able to reuse the ductwork and the hole in the roof. If not, that may be the hardest part of the job.


How to wire a tandem 120 volt, 2 X 15 amp single pole breaker? I had a new 100 amp panel installed in my house 10 years ago. There is one plug in the kitchen wired (14/2) to a 120V, tandem 2 x 15 amp breaker (using only one pole). What type of wiring do I use to wire more plugs and use this breaker properly? Most topics are concerning tandem 240V breakers using 12/3 wire.
Thank you!

With 14 2 with ground you are limited to a 15 amp breakers as 3phase has stated in earlier post this has been code for many years in the U.S. that's why most outlets in kitchens deal with 12 AWG. If you have 14 awg 15 amp breakers are correct and by putting in a double stuff or tandem you can run a new line to add more outlets or split the existing run to have multiple breakers with the existing runs so 2 appliances or devices won't trip a 15 amp when the next outlet over if fed by the second breaker. Never combine the 2 tandem breakers on the same circuit as this would be a code violation and risk a fire hazard.


Window exterior trim finishing I'm looking to finish this window by adding a PVC trim.

When putting the trim on, is it better to assemble ahead of time and put in as one, or assemble around the window in pieces?

Is it better to miter edges, or have the top or bottom edges run longer?

I've got some parging on parts of the window surrounding, which would make the bottom have a larger gap, should I just fill that with silicone caulk?

The concrete cutter blade went a little past where the 3.5" trim I've got would hide it, should I try to fill in the parging in that spot, or use a larger trim on the top?

There are still some gaps around the 2by4 that seem a bit small to get the expanding foam into, can I use silicone to fill those in before applying the trim?

This is not about the trim, but…

Danger! Danger! The top flange of the window has no flashing over it to direct water running down the wall onto the exterior of the flange rather than the interior. As a result, any water that runs down the wall will go right into the inside of the house. For that matter, the whole window looks un-flashed. That exposed wood is going to rot and let water into the house. You need a water-resistive barrier (WRB), like Tyvek or tar paper something, to cover this wall.

The typical safe way that windows are installed in solid masonry walls is to deeply recess them in the wall, sit them on top of a sloped sill, and install "block frame" windows that can be directly caulked and sealed right to the wall, rather than in "nail fin" form--a surface-mount window style that was designed to be nailed onto wooden wall sheathing on the outer surface of the wall.

The easiest approach is probably to turn the window into a sort of artificial block frame window by relocating window and frame alike deeper into the wall, caulking all the gaps, then covering the exposed flanges and wood in PVC trim.

If you insist on going to keeping the window in place, then to make this installation work you need to treat it the same way you install such a thing in a wood-framed wall: with flashing and a water-resistive barrier (WRB) integrated with the window flanges. Now, this looks like a foundation wall, where such coverings are not typical, so I understand that there may be aesthetic considerations at play. If you are not willing to add a WRB and some type of cladding to cover the wall, you need to do the best you can to salvage this installation. Flash those window flanges using high-quality window flashing tape to cover up the wood, lapping them so that gravity will not carry water into the window or infiltrate hind the tape. The most important one is the top flange. You should caulk that seam and then apply the window flashing tape over that, and then caulk the top seam of the tape where it meets the wall. But even all of this may not be enough since concrete is not waterproof. Water that soaks into the outermost inch of concrete above the window will bypass these flashings and drip into the inside of the basement. I strongly recommend relocating the window or adding a WRB and cladding.


How do I choose which breaker breaks first? Let say I wanted some power out in my shed. I ran just 14 gauge wire thinking I won't blow the 15A breaker with just lights and the occasional smaller power tools. For the most case this is true... but lets say occasionally I use a heater or an air compressor and then not thinking I run another power tool and blow it. The breaker is not in that easily accessible location.

I had a bright idea to install another breaker box in the shed with a 15A breaker as well so I can just switch it back on in the shed. Sometimes it breaks the one in the shed but other times it still breaks the one in the house.

Anyway that I can make it always break the one in the shed first? I want to buy like 15.1A breaker for the house, but it looks like they don't make those... Do GFCI Breakers or another type break quicker than another?

Thanks!

Fastest way to make the shed breaker trip first is downgrade it to 10A.

Also you have a subpanel now, make sure you configure the neutrals and grounds to code.

I can't help noticing that 5 kva transformers (240/480 jumpable, to 120-240 split phase) are regularly available on the used market.  That could provide very safe 3600w (30A) over the existing 14ga. to the shed's panel, which would become a main panel with its own ground rod, solving any code issues with neutrals/grounds and helping with phase balance. You'd want a pro electrician to install or at least bless that setup.


Balloon frame fire blocking I've got a two-story balloon frame house that is gutted.  I have to install fire blocking between studs in the wall cavity.  Do I install the fire blocking wherever there is a floor, or wherever there is a ceiling?  (Or both?)

Blocking is required wherever a fire or draft can pass from horizontal plane to a vertical plane or vice versa. In otherwords, where the wall meets the floor and the floor meets a ceiling. If fire can pass through one section and travel to another, it needs to be blocked. The 2012 IRC code says that a 16" section of fiberglass insulation will suffice as fireblocking. If you are insulating the outside walls as it is, you will be covered.


Replacing a toilet, when I turn the water valve off there is still water running into toilet? When trying to replace a toilet, the water valve to toilet will not stop water supply even when valve is shut off. I have opened and closed the valve several times but water continues to be supplied to toilet.

It is very common for the "stop valve" (the local water supply shut-off valve for a plumbing fixture) to leak by. Over the years the rubber bibb washer either softens to the point that is disintegrates when tightened down against the valve seat, or calcium scale or/and mineral deposits prevent proper sealing. Try opening and closing it a few more times, then use pliers to actually force it closed. Any of the following scenarios could play out:

the water flow will stop*
the flow will not stop*
the handle will break or be crushed and the flow will not stop*

*these scenarios require you to shut off the main water supply to the house/area and repair or replace (most likely replace) the stop valve.


Relocating Floor Vent We are looking to place window bench over a floor register and relocate the register to the front of the bench. Currently the floor vent is a 4"x10" opening. We are considering using flexible ducting to attach to front of bench and use a 2"x12" wall vent cover to be integrated with the bench trim. Are there significant issues with reducing the ventilation area from 4"x10" to 2"x12"?

You're reducing the vent size by 40%. That will have a negative impact of the air flow in that room. It could also increase the sound level of the air leaving the smaller vent due to the increased pressure due to the smaller vent. I'd try to get a vent and duct closer to the original size.


How can I cover the hole left by removing a kitchen wall fan? We had an old exhaust fan that vented out through the kitchen wall.  We removed it and drywalled over the hole, but are unsure how to cover the hole in the exterior siding.  Is there a cover for this or do we need to re-side the area?

Perhaps after insulation and sealing with foam, you could put a "dummy" vent cover over the now closed hole. Just seal it like it was real and you avoid the siding match problem. Fill the flapper with foam and it will be impervious to critters and weather.


Is the White color good for wall paint for rooms that are not exposed to the sun? I am trying to find which is the best color for my corridor passage, because my corridor doesn't have enough light from the sun, Is white color(degree one) good for paint wall for Internal rooms/corridor passage that are not exposed to the sun directly?
on the following my corridor

All modern residential paint is white or an off-white.

I know the colorist is talking about blues, yellows, greens, pinks etc. -- but it's all pretty much white.  You can't go wrong.

If you really wanted OSHA safety orange, they do sell that in paint, but nobody wants that in a house.  Or on a house.  If you painted a house that, you'd hear from the HOA or city manager.

If you want the brightest white that ever was, ask the paint company about the highest reflectivity paint they make, typically a "snow white"... whatever... all those names are made up.


Why is the coiled white wire on a GFCI circuit breaker smaller than the branch circuit neutral? I just recently installed a 50A two pole GFCI circuit breaker that was part of a 240VAC spa panel. For 50A I was using 6 AWG wires. When connecting up this type breaker you connect the two poles of the breaker to the two hot load connections and then the neutral wire of the load also connects to the "white" marked terminal of the two pole breaker. From the breaker there is a short coiled white wire that gets connected to the neutral bus bar in the electrical box.

I noticed that the coiled wire is decidedly smaller gauge that the #6 AWG wires I was using for the circuit connections. From a guess without measuring the size I would say it was 10 AWG.

So here is my question. This coiled wire will be asked to carry the neutral current from the load back to the neutral bus bar. Why is it not a wire normally rated for 50A?

The size of wire required to carry a certain amount of current is primarily affected by two things:

How much power one can afford to waste in the form of voltage drop per unit length of wire.  The greater the power one can afford to waste per unit length, the smaller a wire one can use by this criterion.
How much power one can dissipate per unit length without the wire getting unacceptably hot.  The more heat can be carried away, or the greater the acceptable temperature rise, the smaller a wire one can use by this criterion.

Normal current-carrying figures assume a conductor wrapped in a protective outer jacket and then buried in material that is thermally non-conductive but flammable.  A wire in free air within a breaker box would be able to get rid of heat far more effectively than one in an insulated wall, and less likely to ignite anything nearby.  Further, if a wire is short, the allowable voltage drop per unit length will generally be much higher than it would with a longer wire.  Thus, the normal factors which limit allowable currents as a function of size, or compel minimum wire sizes as a function of current, are less applicable for short wires in a box than they would be for longer wires in a wall.


How do I get my faucet handle off? I've been trying to get to the cartridge in my bathroom sink faucet handle.  I took off the top part, but in order to get the cartridge out it looks like I have to take off the bottom part as well.  I've tried prying it and turning it, but I'm not sure how it's supposed to come off.  I don't know the manufacturer of the faucet either.

I put WD-40 to help loosen the bottom edge but it doesn't seem to want to budge and I don't want to scratch it up.  Any suggestions?  Also, do I need to replace cartridges in both handles to stop a leak?  I'm new at this house fixing stuff.

You need to remove the piece of bell shaped trim surrounding the cartridge. There is very likely a large nut under there. To avoid scratching i usually wrap the lowest part of this trim with 3-4 winds of masking tape, then undo with water pump pliers. These spread the load nicely. You maybe lucky and get the leaky cartridge first, if not at least you know how to do it,so the next one will be easier.


what parameters should I look for when choosing an electric deadbolt? I am looking for electric deadbolts for external steel doors - to place several of them on a door - one on each side (top, bottom, left, right) for extra security.

I want to buy just the deadbolt which opens when electric current appears on the wire, the electronics which will apply to current when an authorized user is at the door will be designed separately.

I need the electric deadlocks to be secure enough to be the only locks on an external home door in a high burglary rate area. And on the other hand be highly reliable in the sense that it'll always open when applied current, because if it doesn't I'd have to sleep on the doorstep.

The lock should operate on DC (not mains AC power) - to be able to use battery backup.

What parameters which I should look for in such locks, and what kinds to avoid?

First off, I make no warranty of any of these suggestions. Especially if this is actually a bank...

I would be hesitant to completely rely on an all-electronic solution, since if there is a failure (which, frankly, is likely with a budget of only 200 per lock), you don't want to have to resort to a plasma torch or something to cut open (and destroy) the door to get in.

What seems like an interesting option to me though would be some of the RF-controlled keyless locks on the market. These look like a normal deadbolt, but have an RF remote.

What would be needed in whatever is chosen is the ability to hook into it, specifically, you need two things:

The ability to remotely control lock/unlock
The ability to sense if it's locked or unlocked

I'm going to assume that you have some type of microcontroller running the rest of this setup. You didn't specify.. but presumably you have something that has some I/O on it, the ability to connect it to the locks, and some software running to handle what I describe below. I'll also assume that you have an alarm and monitoring.

To control the lock, ideally, you could hardwire in to it, and be able to apply a signal to lock/unlock all the deadbolts. Less ideally, you could hack apart the remotes, and have your controller effectively press the buttons on the remote(s) to lock/unlock. This adds unreliability since you're dependent on an RF signal.

Since these are keyed locks, you have a nice backup mechanism if everything fails: use the 4 keys to open the locks (and note, you'd need to be sure they're 4 separate keys).

Of course, since they're keyed locks, they're also susceptible to being picked/bumped. To try and combat that, what you can do is have your controller monitor each lock individually. If any of the locks ever open when the controller didn't tell them to, then it should trigger an immediate alarm (consider: someone is likely to pick/bump one at a time). If this is an exterior door, then this is your first line of defence, unfortunately. If it's an interior door, then you should also have motion and other door sensors that will hopefully trigger before someone gets to this door.

You also need to consider all other aspects of physical security. You're only as secure as the weakest point, so if someone can break through a window or wall or vent then it doesn't matter how good the door is. Physical security is also just a matter of time: eventually, you can get through anything. That's why I suggested having an alarm system connected, which is both a deterrent, and triggers a police/whatever response. Consider: safes, even high-end ones, are rated by the time it takes to crack them: your door will be no different. Having video cameras probably helps as well, both as a deterrent and to help catch people afterwards. Your video and security system also need to be protected, so that they can't just be disabled/destroyed.

On the other hand, too much security and you actually can attract attention. I've heard that the houses with extra locks, security cameras, etc, are often targeted by thieves since they look like they have something valuable worth protecting.


How can I attach a draft seal/excluder to a garage door I believe my question is "how do I drill a steel plate so I can screw something to it"
As per a few of my other posts, I'm trying to reduce the gap between my garage door and floor.
The garage door and floor are (now) level with each other, and so I had hoped to include a draft excluder to help keep out most of the water and cold air.
I bought this draught seal.
The problem is, I can't screw these screws into the metal garage door (nor did I expect to be able to). I then looked up how, and it shows use metal drill bits, around 2mm, to create guide or pilot holes.
I've done this, and am unable to pierce the metal. I have a MAKITA DHP485STE 18V 5.0AH CORDLESS COMBI DRILL which I believe is more than powerful enough
I'm beginning to think their term for garage door means wooden, where as I have metal.
Is there any special trick to drilling through metal because, I was able to drill through the metal sheet that holds the plastic draft excluder without issue (the one in the link above). It's just the garage door seems to be made of super strong metal!
EDIT
As per comments, I've added a picture and have a dreadful feeling I can see the issue... That I'm not just going through that front plate (which is about 3mm thick)... I hope you can see the 2 places where I've tried to drill myself. I can get 0.5 - 1mm deep and then the drill bit seems to do nothing else

Your drill should definitely handle a 2 mm drill bit. Make sure it's a drill made for metal. Use a nail and hammer to countersink the hole. Then follow with the drill. I have always used a drop or two of oil, (3 in One works great), when drilling as it will cool and lubricate the surface as well as prolonging the life of your drill bit.


Chimney cleanout full of water. Basement leaking My basement takes on water from time to time. Usually during/after rain, and sometimes snow. It's a slow trickle, but it can last for days.

It appears to be coming through the wall, right under the chimney cleanout door.

With heavy rain, I can sometimes vacuum 2-3 gallons of water out at once!

It's worth noting that I removed all water in the chimney and the basement yesterday evening. Then it rained this morning. Yet when I got home this afternoon, the basement had lots of water, but the cleanout had only a half-inch of water. Either the chimney completely emptied into my basement, or the water actually came in from somewhere else.

I've only been here for a few months, I don't know how long this has been happening.

The chimney clean-out door is in the upper left corner of this photo:

Yes, I'm 100% sure it's not coming from the water heater. If I keep wiping the water up, it only comes from the chimney wall.

Close-up:

Here's the bottom after emptying the water:

I can't pin-point the exact place the water is coming in the basement. It may be where the wall meets the floor, or perhaps the wall itself? But the wall doesn't seem as wet as I would expect for this much water. The water level in the cleanout when I go to vacuum it is typically halfway to the bottom of the door, so I don't think it's just spilling out through there.

There is no fireplace. I am not sure if there ever was... There is just a bedroom there on the first floor, just drywall, no sign of there ever being a fireplace. The house is from the early 60's.

I especially don't think there was a fireplace because the chimney seems to be a straight shot:

There is no chimney cap. Everyone else on the block seems to have one.

Below is a diagram I found and modified for my chimney removing the fireplace and making it straight, then adding a furnace.

What could cause this, and how can it be fixed?
Could the lack of a chimney cap actually cause gallons of water to fill in the cleanout?  Would it be more likely that water is actually seeping into the cleanout from below the ground? If so, is that something an inexperienced person should attempt to fix?

Note that I can't really go on the roof yet, as it is still icy. I was going to wait for spring, but the leaking worries me about further damage.

I added a chimney cap, and the leaking was significantly reduced during rains.

(Image from http://Lowes.com)

I later noticed that during rain, water was pooling on the ground near the chimney. So I built up soil against the base of the house. This made the rain water run down and away.

After both fixes, there is no longer any water leaking in, even during heavy rains!


Square D qo service panel with neutral and ground bars bonded. Any problem with adding ground only bar? my parents purchased a townhome with a qo panel that has neutral and ground bars bonded. Unfortunately for them, previous owners or service people did a rather shoddy job electrically speaking over the years. When repairing a leaky drain, I came across wires spliced in a wall without a junction box, which led me to opening other walls and ceilings to find junction boxes hidden in ceilings, inexplicable shared neutrals, and to top it all off, the panel is a mess, as you might imagine.

Because so many of the screws on the bonded neutral ground bus bars have 3 to 4 grounds and neutrals under them, I'm wondering if there's any problem with mounting a ground-only bar to the panel's raised points. I'm thinking no, but I just want to be sure that nothing is different since I would still have the neutrals running to the bonded bars

Thanks in advance, and if it's helpful, I can add a picture when I'm back at the house tonight.

Chris

First of all, let’s deal with your neutrals. It is against code and dangerous to have more than one neutral (“grounded conductor” in the language of the NEC) in a single hole/screw terminal of your ground/neutral bar.  If it is the case that you have multiple neutrals in a single hole, that needs to be fixed.

  408.41 Grounded Conductor Terminations. Each grounded conductor shall terminate within the panelboard in an individual terminal that is not also used for another conductor. Exception: Grounded conductors of circuits with parallel conductors shall be permitted to terminate in a single terminal if the terminal is identified for connection of more than one conductor.

Why is this dangerous? This post goes into great detail. (Re-quoting the important part here because the source link within is dead and can’t link directly:)

  The connection of a neutral and equipment-grounding conductor in the same termination creates a similar issue. One of the objectives of the particular arrangement of bonding jumpers, neutrals and equipment grounds is to allow circuit isolation while keeping the equipment grounding conductor still connected to the grounding electrode (see UL 869A - Reference Standard for Service Equipment). When the neutral is disconnected, the objective is to still have the equipment ground solidly connected to the grounding electrode. If both the neutral and grounded conductor is under the same terminal, this cannot be accomplished.

Now, as to your Ground wires, it is fine to add an additional ground bar to the panel, by using the SquareD part for the raised attachment points which should be pre-tapped to make an appropriate ground connection, or by installing a ground bar using appropriate drill size, tapping, and making sure two thread turns of the screws mounting the ground bar engage with the (unpainted) metal of the box.

Note that you should use this extra ground bar for ground wires (“grounding conductors” in NEC parlance) not for neutrals. You can have multiple grounding conductors in the same hole, provided the equipment manufacturer says the hole and lug are rated for more than one conductor. See details in this post including some other good code references for why multiple conductors are permitted under a lug when labeled so. Here is the pertinent NEC reference:

  110.14 Electrical Connections ... Terminals for more than one conductor .... shall be so identified.


How to separte door handle without visible screws? I need to replace the door handle mechanism because it's stuck. In order to do that, I need to take apart the door handles but there are just two holes under each handle. It doesn't seem that the hole has a screw inside. I tried to put screw-driver inside, it looks like nothing moves then I do that. And a metal round thing around the handle doesn't have any holes to release handles also.

That little hole that doesn't have a screw inside actually does have a screw. It's an set screw and needs a special tool to remove it. You'll need a set of allen wrenches. You can pick up a set at your favorite home store.


Changing gloss marble finish to honed finish How can I tone down the gloss of a small marble countertop. It is currently high gloss, and I would like to reduce it to what is usually called a honed finish.

My inclination is to use wet emery cloth with an orbital sander. Or maybe just by hand using small circular motions to avoid lines.

Typically a honed finish is done with 400G as a finished cut. Since the marble is much softer than granite which the 400G would only rub over it, without cutting at all, you would need to start with 50G to start the process with granite. With marble you may only need to it it with the 400G and call it done. If that resists the 40G cutting it, you may need to stat with a much coarser cut.

The vinegar trick in the article referred to will literally eat the surface gloss off the marble,unless it is sealed. Vinegar is a very mild acid, but it will attack the softer portions of surface and remove more than other portions. IMO, the 400G sanding will keep the surface more uniform, if the sanding is done in a uniform fashion.


Help with meaning of symbols on switch for electrical blinds I have a difficulty of understanding what is the meaning of these symbols on the back of my switch for electrical blinds? I know that the symbol is for the switch but have a hard time understanding what does the "extra quarter of the circle" is for?

Thanks in advance.

It looks like "L" is common, and the other two are momentary-closed when you push the up or down button. There's nothing more than that; the circle doesn't mean anything.

Each terminal provides two holes to attach wires, if you're wondering.


different wiring in newly purchased ceiling fixture Purchased a new ceiling light fixture.  The new fixture only has a copper ground wire and a black wire that is partially "split" into two wires (and since it is a very long wire, I believe it is to be cut to the needed length and then split.  How do I wire this to the typical black and white wiring (and ground wire) that is coming out of the ceiling?

When a light fixture has two wires of the same color it usually means that polarity isn't important. However, the ridges/ribs may indicate a neutral. Connect them to the black and white wiring accordingly.

Possible duplicate here.


Is there a quick cure for refrigerator drip tray stink? My fridge has a bad stink that has been getting worse lately. I can clean it out and temporarily fix it with vinegar ,bleach, and/or baking powder, but these are not long term fixes. When the water comes back, the stink eventually does too. I'm not sure if the vinegar or bleach isn't just evaporating. I wonder if getting one of those urinal mints would be a good solution? The fridge seems designed to dump condensate in this area and evaporate it by close proximity to the hot compressor. Any ideas?

Update: I'm getting the best results yet simply by putting in those little chlorinater tabs for the pool floaties. Don't put too many in though, because it is very strong. Kills all the odors and smells real clean.

If it's a recurrent problem, I'd go with Copper sulfate over bleach.
The stuff is used as a herbicide, fungicide and pesticide, and 25 grams or so dissolved should render the tray lifeless. You can get copper sulfate at greenhouse supply stores and some hardware stores. If you can't find CuSO4-6H20, Bordeaux mixture should work as well.

Bleach and its breakdown products are strong oxidizers, and will corrode your metal tray.
Copper sulfate isn't an oxidizer, and won't do that.


Will a 72 x 24 x 1 3/4" Maple tabletop sag if supported by only four legs? My current working desk is a 1" thick table.

Even though there is not much weight on top of the desk (screen, keyboard, laptop ), the table's own weight, given its  top dimensions, 60" x 30" ( 150cm x 75cm ) means that an underframe is necessary. Simply attaching four legs will mean that it will start to sag after a year or two. ( This is right; isn't it? )

I fitted it with a Bekant underframe from Ikea. I lowered the Bekant to its lowest height and am not using a keyboard tray.

It's not quite right. My knees will sometimes bang on the underframe.

I see on the market a table that's 72" x 24". This one is made from maple ( the first is birch ). But the thickness is 1 3/4".

Sure, a 72" x 24" would be unusual for a desk. It's meant for a countertop. Still:

Can I fit four legs, and just four legs, on a 72x24 maple table and expect it not to sag?

Or is this a recipe for me to have a nice table for two years, and then inevitably see it getting worse and worse, until it's quite bad after five years?

There is a cool website that calculates sag based on a variety of inputs.  https://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/

It also naturally depends upon where you attach the legs.  If they were set in from the ends a fair bit, that would go a long way in preventing sag.


Are nail plates required on the exterior wall side of the wall studs? My steel building has 2"x6" wall studs and 2"x4" exterior purlins. The steel siding is attached with screws to the purlins. I've run my wiring behind the studs and attached it to the top of the purlins. Thus the wiring lays on the purlins behind the 2"x 6" studs. The inspector stopped by and informed me that nail plates are required where less than 1 1/4" of wood is between the wall face and the wiring. Since there is actually 5 1/2" from the inside wall face to the wiring, he's now referring to the exterior wall. I thought the purpose of nail plates was for protection from nails or screws being inserted from the inside of the building. Why would anyone be needing protection from nails or screws being inserted from the outside wall? I didn't argue but I don't think he's correct. I guess I'm wondering if he NEC defines the wall face where nail plates are required? I'd be surprised if the face wall refers to the outside exterior side of the building wall. Thanks

The code does not differentiate which face of the stud. It simply says:

  "300.4(A)(1)Bored Holes

  In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed through bored holes in joists, rafters, or wood members, holes shall be bored so that the edge of the hole is not less than 32 mm (1¼ in.) from the nearest edge of the wood member. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by screws or nails by a steel plate(s) or bushing(s), at least 1.6 mm (1/16 in.) thick, and of appropriate length and width installed to cover the area of the wiring."


I want to connect one outdoor stove and one grill to the gas line in my backyard . Could I put the Y connector after the gas regulator? Proper gas connection - trying to avoid putting two gas regulators.

The gas regulator is keeping your appliances safe from the relatively high gas transmission pressures. The only risk is that the regulator is set for one appliance and adding another one with the Y connector causes a pressure drop so that neither of them work. But if you are not going to use both at the same time, that may not matter.


grade 5 bolts not marked if galvanized? I went to a local building supply company - one that tends to have a better selection than the big-box places - seeking some Grade 5 carriage bolts.

They pointed me to bins of galvanized carriage bolts.   I checked and did not see the 3 radial lines that normally mark Grade 5.  They said "galvanized bolts do not have the marking, but rest assured they are Grade 5"; in fact, I believe they implied that galvanized are always Grade 5 (or higher).

I tend to think they are lying or misinformed, but thought I would seek clarification.

Highly unlikely that a Grade 5 bolt (90.000 psi yield, depending on size) would be galvanized. If electro-galvanizing were used there is a high risk of hydrogen cracking at that hardness level. If it were hot dip galvanized, the required temperature of about 800 F would temper the steel to a lower strength. This tempering affect can be fixed using alloy like chrome/moly, but now you have a pretty expensive bolt; not one available in a hardware store.


pigtailed wires downstream of a gfci I am installing a GFCI in the first box of a two wire non-grounded circuit. The following box(es) have the line and feed wires spliced (pigtailed) before the receptacle so only two wires are attached to each receptacle. Am I correct in thinking that these wires should be separated at each receptacle and connected to the individual lines and feeds, otherwise the GFCI will not protect these?

If I understand your question correctly, the answer is it is irrelevant how you connect the standard receptacles past the GFCI one. What determines whether they are GFCI protected is how you connect the GFCI receptacle.

If you connect the GFCI receptacle to the line connection only (usually using pigtails) and do not use the load connections, then none of the following receptacles will be GFCI protected.

But if you feed the following receptacles from the load connections of the GFCI receptacle, all following receptacles will be GFCI protected no matter how they are connected, i.e., with pigtails or by using the receptacle contacts to feed the receptacles further on.


How to fixate RJ-45 double coupling I have the following RJ-45 network double coupling:

I have a 3d printer and am trying to print an enclosure or "mount" where I can put that in so that it is properly fixated and I can plug and unplug cables without issues. However I do have some troubles coming up with a design that would work for that.
Does anyone see what the designers had in mind for where to "put" that adapter into? All the ideas that I had essentially only make it fixed in one direction but it can still move into the other direction...

You want to take a look at what is called a Keystone Wall Plate. These have rectangular holes that compatible RJ-45 jacks and adapters can slide in and snap into place. The picture of your adapter looks like it is a compatible type. Here is what one of these looks like (front and back):

Picture Source
You could take careful measurements off one of these wall plates and come up with a suitable 3D model for the hole and retainer edges that you could factor into your 3D printer model.
Alternatively, once you do some research on various types of products that incorporate Keystone modular mount holes, you may decide to purchase some ready made item. Such item could be used as intended or you could take a DIY approach and modify the item to fit your application. Check out the following link for an example 3D printer project.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4302166

Picture Source


How do I remove mortar from bricks so I can re-use them? I have about 500 bricks to cleanup so I can reuse them, the mortar is old and the bricks are soft clay.

What is the best way to remove the mortar and how much time should I allow?

There's two ways off hand that I've used in the past -- knock it off with a chipping hammer, or grind it off using an angle grinder and disk. The chipping hammer is actually easiest because you don't spend time fighting the tool or securing the work piece. Have a stiff wire brush on hand to remove the final bits and pieces that the chipping hammer doesn't get.


Why are "horseshoe" shims shaped the way they are? Here's an example of the type of shim I'm referring to:

They are sold marketed for various uses - tile spacers, leveling window or door frames, etc.  They are non-tapered.

Its not clear to me why the specific horseshoe shape is beneficial. Why not just a simpler flat piece of plastic? Or a more conventional circular "washer" shape if a central open area is needed?

If anything due to the thinness of the material, the ones I've used (1/8" and 1/16") are pretty fragile, which is a slight disadvantage of the shape. (ie it covers a large surface area without commensurate strength).

I assume these were invented for some specific applications ... what are they?

I used these extensively in my kitchen remodel. Wood shims always seem to split on me. And, since I live in a humid area, wood shims disintegrate over time. Many of my original base cabinets have settled leaving a gap between the counter and the backsplash.

This is how I assumed that they should be used. When hanging wall cabinets, you loosely tape them to the wall (open side down) where you think that the screw will be installed. The screw goes inside the horseshoe, near the top. The shim is now captive, the pressure should hold it, but if it doesn't the screw won't let it fall out.

Why not round? Probably so you can insert them after the screw if necessary.

The horseshoe shims that I used were slightly different, they had flexible tabs so they could be stacked.


How can I secure this metal 1-gang electrical box without creating a bigger hole? I removed wood paneling in a room to reveal shoddy plaster & lath. I covered it with 3/8 in. drywall. I now need to add spacers to electrical outlets and a light switch.

Except for this one electrical outlet that was never fully secured to begin with. (I'm guessing the previous owner secured it to the lath that is now broken/missing?):

Before we even get started, there's a bigger issue here.

Before discussing the box and opening, note that the armored cable is not properly connected to the box.  There are boxes with internal clamps for armored cable but I do not recommend using those, I'd get fittings that connect the armored cable through knockouts with a locknut.  If you're not 100% sure of yourself using these fittings with armored cable, call an electrician to make this repair, getting it wrong can be dangerous.  It is extremely important to install these correctly without damaging the insulation of the wires on the sharp edge of the armor.

The rest of this task is pretty simple but like most things, the devil is in the details;  you have to select a suitable box, and the details are very important.  The details are more complicated than they may seem at first glance.

You probably can't use the existing hole as-is.

The original question is how to make this right without making a bigger hole.  However, code demands that there be little to no space between the box and the opening in the plaster / drywall.

You know how with a haircut, it's very easy to make it shorter, but just about impossible to make it longer?  It's kind of the same way with the hole in the wall.  It's easy to enlarge it, but a lot of work to make it smaller.

So for practical purposes, you either you need to find a box that's just the size of this hole, or find a larger box that works, and enlarge the hole.  I don't think you're going to find a suitable box the exact size of this hole that meets all the requirements.

What kind of box will work?

Metal Box

To simplify bonding the cable armor, it's simplest to stick to metal boxes.  A plastic box would be nice because they are a little bigger than metal boxes, but bonding the cable armor presents an additional challenge.  I think a decent solution is possible with a metal box, so I won't go into this more complicated possibility.

Device Box

You want a device box - one with threaded holes in the face of the box that you can screw devices (switches or receptacles) to.   Device boxes are also known as switch boxes, even though you can use a switch box for receptacles as well - that's why I prefer the less-used term "device box."  You can see that the existing box is a device box - but that isn't all you need.

Old Work Box

Old work (retrofit) boxes have plaster ears - flanges to keep the box from falling into the wall.  The existing box does not have plaster ears.  The box below has plaster ears on the top and bottom:

Some old work boxes also have hold fast clamps that swing out and move in when you turn a screw, and hold the box from the inside, to keep the box from falling out of the wall:

but those are optional;  you can also use F-clips to keep the box from pulling out of the wall.  F-clips are shaped like the letter "F" cut out of sheet metal, and are installed when the box is in place to keep it from pulling out of the wall:

(Edit:  in a subsequent comment the OP adds that the box will be going through a baseboard molding.  In that case, it's actually easier to use the screw holes in the plaster ears to hold the box to the molding rather than hold fast clamps.  So for this application, a box without holdfast clamps is preferred.)

Same dimensions or larger than the existing opening

As mentioned above, code requires that the opening fit tight to the box, and it's hard to make a hole smaller.  It will be difficult or impossible to find a single gang old work device box to fit the existing opening.  So you'll probably be forced to use a two gang old work device box, and enlarge the existing opening.

You can install a second duplex receptacle in the same box, or use one receptacle and a half-blank two gang cover.

Knockouts

To keep things simple, you'll want a box with pre-punched knockouts for your armored cable fittings, and you'll want them in places where the fitting won't interfere with getting the box into the opening. The existing box side knockouts may have made it difficult or impossible to get the box into the opening with armored cable fittings attached.

If you have to use knockouts on the back of the box, you may need to use right angle fittings unless the wall hollow is very deep.

With all this considered, you want a two-gang metal old-work device box, with usable knockouts.  If the box doesn't have hold-fast clamps, you need F-clips too.  (Edit:  as mentioned above - with the box set in a wood base molding, hold fast clamps nor F-clips are needed, you can screw the plaster ears / flange into the bade molding and it will hold it securely.)

This box would check all the boxes

Just as an example, the Garvin Industries MGSB-20W would work:

It has hold fast clamps on the sides, so you won't need F clips.  (Edit:  since you're going into wood molding, you can actually just pry off the hold fast clamps.) A deeper box would be ideal, but this one will work.  The KO's are probably too close to the face of the box to enter the box on the top or sides, but it's no big deal to buy right angle armored cable fittings, so this box would work.


how can I check to see if a 4" slab of concrete was actually poured? I had a driveway poured three years ago. After a crack in the walkway appeared and two more developed in the driveway itself, my husband began to get suspicious that I wasn't given a 4" slab. If we dig around the side of the drive and measure the concrete, should it be 4"? or could it settle to a little over 3".

If you are only interested in thickness of your concrete slab there is a method to measure it. Sometimes when someone doesn't know the strength of some old concrete element which was poured by someone else people hire specialist for this; they use special tool which is cylinder shaped and which drills the concrete and extracts concrete cylinder, which than you can measure. Don’t be afraid that you will damage the slab because it is only inch or two wide. On the other hand if you are wondering what is wrong and how to fix it you need to provide us with more details. People who wrote comments have asked the right questions, especially Ecnerwal.


Slip nut wrench vs adjustable wrench I'm trying to tighten a slip joint zinc nut where a leak appears to be coming from. I found this particular wrench which seems to fit the bill (shown below and here). How is this tool better-suited for the job than a standard adjustable spanner/wrench?

It has a larger jaw opening compared to the handle length - so it can be used in confined spaces ie under sinks baths etc

An "ordinary" adjustable with that jaw opening may have a handle of 18" to 24" or more...


What types of businesses have tree roots available? I'm looking for some tree roots to make some custom tap handles. I live in the middle of Portland, Oregon so I can't exactly go cut down a tree by myself.

Do lumberyards sell them?
Do tree-removal companies typically have them left-over (before mulching)?
Will I have to ask around for homeowners who have recently removed trees themselves?
Are tree-root-furniture-makers likely to give up their source?

Roots from 'dead and down' trees can be found along river banks. Trees are blown down in storms or fall into the river due to erosion or disease.

Land that is being newly cleared for construction usually has a bulldozer pile of root debris in one corner or another.

Pet stores sell dead roots for terrariums.

Flower shops and nurseries use them for flower arrangements.


radon mitigation fan running, but u-tube manometer shows no pressure differential We moved into this house in New Hampshire a year ago.  Tons of radon off-gassing in this area due to granite rock substrate . Home inspection showed that the mitigation system was functioning properly, long-term test results below 2 pc/L.  Recently I noticed that the manometer was showing equal readings on both sides of the u-tube.  I don't recall what the level was during the home inspection.  There are no marks I can see on the gage.  When I turn off the breaker powering the fan, there is no change on the manometer.  The fan is running; I climbed up and stuck my face it the exhaust; it smells wet and musty like basement air.  It inflated a plastic shopping bag immediately.  The sump pit looks to be well-sealed with silicone caulk.  But I also see a 3" diameter hole through the concrete slab that is covered with a thin piece of cardboard.  I can hear it whistling, and when I put my hand in the hole I can feel suction.  Is there anyway for me to gain confidence in this radon mitigation system without hiring a contractor?

Our u-tube shows a 2" WC.  IMO, the hole is the problem: the pump is sucking air from the basement, making both sides of the tube at the same (basement) pressure.  Hence, 0 pressure difference.  This will obviously reduce the suction from the subsoil; at the same time, it will be pulling radon-contaminated air from the basement.  I have no idea what the net effect would be.

You could get a continuous radon monitor.  (Amazon, $130)  Not cheap, but I find ours very reassuring.

FYI, a couple of things, from experience with our system.  (It doesn't seem like these apply to your problem, but just in case.)

We've had the outlet ice up in winter.  (Moist air from sump, cold pipe.)  When this happened, we showed 0 pressure.
We've had problems in summer, where a water bubble developed in the u-tube.  This affected the reading, but I don't remember how much.  At the time, we were drawing outside air into the basement, and getting a lot of condensation.  So, warm air, u-tube in contact with the cold pipe.  We now keep the cellar mostly closed in summer, and I spaced the tube out from the pipe.


Will copper/iron pipe last longer with/without stand water in shower riser? I have very specific practical question. Which way a pipe will last the longest and less corrosion will appear inside (internally) the pipe while it last?
1 I have one shower water IRON pipe, the question is it good idea to leave water inside the shower pipe after each use (use shower almost every other day) or let it out (through the faucet) ?
2 I have another shower water COPPER pipe, the question is it good idea to leave water inside the shower pipe after each use (use shower almost every other day) or let it out (through the faucet) ?
Thanks a lot

The water can stand in the shower riser between showers without ill effect, however dumping the water after each shower is also a common practice and results in little or no long term effects. Both are acceptable and common practice.


Could a loose connection be causing my ceiling fan to work intermittently? The fan and light will turn on then off then on, etc.  Sometimes it will last a few seconds and other times minutes.
Is it just a loose connection?

Likely so, yes. A loose connection is quite dangerous- you could be getting arcs, which can start fires. I would recommend against using the fan until you can check the connections.

More and more state and local electrical codes are requiring arc fault circuit interrupt breakers. While they're more expensive, they really do work to prevent fires.


Does condensate on a skylight indicate a broken seal? Couple of times in the morning I noticed that the skylight is foggy in the center (see picture below). No other windows are foggy. The temperature/humidity is outside 50F/77% inside, 70F/44%. Does this indicate a problem with the skylight?

It's possible that your double pane glass has failed.  You should examine it closely under less extreme conditions.  If the interior has a "fog" in normal conditions, then the gas has likely leaked out.  Sealed window assemblies are only warranted for about 10 years.  Some last longer than that.  YMMV

I replaced all my Velux window panes a few years ago, when I was getting the roof redone.  They were fogged and had interior condensation frequently in the winter.  I contacted the manufacturer, and was able to special order replacements via the local Home Depot.  Though it can depend on if the model is still in production.


How can I reduce my 2" shower drain to match my 1 1/2" ABS drain plumbing? I have this Kohler shower base that I am about to install. At the bottom of that page it says it pairs well (for them) with their shower drain
Specs here (PDF)
Here are the dimensions for it:

Question: Do I need to find a way to reduce from 2" to 1 1/2" or there is similar parts that can fit my shower pan and that match the 1 1/2" ABS pipe that I have for the drain ?
Update:
After reading the below answers and recommendations and after asking around as well I went to the store and I bought the shower drain and both a reducing coupling and a reducing bushing. Both resulted in nearly the same size of the coupling and none of the fits in the space I have below the floor
Here are some pictures:
-coupling comparison

-current situation -everything is 1.5" here but the drain needs 2". The problem is that I need to push the trap downward in order to create room for one of the the couplings

Is this an acceptable and functional solution? Does it have any caveats ? The idea is tp put a piece of 1.5" pipe (violet colored in the picture) between the crown of the p trap and the trap itself like below. The yellow pieces will be sized accordingly what you see if just for illustration

Update2:
OK here are the result of this evening attempt to make room for a lower trap and bigger seal depth
Final result with the drain flush with the floor but there is room to move it higher when the shower base gets in its place

Here is the overall height of the assembly

And here I am making it easier to measure the seal depth by positioning the tape as needed

You should be able to simply use a 2" x 1 1/2" abs slip bushing in the drain outlet, essentially turning that shower drain into an 1 1/2" outlet:

NOTE- the authority having jurisdiction in your area might require a minimum 2" drain size for showers...


When is a variable-speed compressor HVAC unit worth the cost? Surprise, its summer and our AC broke down.

We were quoted prices for installation of the current standard (SEER 14) AC units (about $6500 unit cost and installation) vs Trane's SEER 18 AC units ($10,100 unit cost/install). The sales rep for the local HVAC company said the SEER 18 AC units was significantly more efficient than even the SEER rating indicated. The reason, he said, was that the unit has a variable rate compressor. He said normal online SEER savings calculators. Like this one underestimated the impact of the variable rate compressor.

This is for our upstairs in our dual zone system. We live in a rather humid area in the summer, and the unit is used for both head pump and AC. We plan to live in this home for a long time.

Is it worth the $3500 bump in price to get a unit with a variable-speed compressor? Are the online calculators underestimating the bump up to a variable speed compressor? In general, when is it worth the price difference to get a variable speed compressor? Help me (and everyone else who sees this question) be better informed when talking to their HVAC sales rep!

The test procedure for determining the SEER is quite elaborate, and involves measuring the efficiency at a variety of simulated outdoor temperatures. I'm not sure what the basis for the sales rep's statement was, but without more information (i.e. specific numbers) I wouldn't put too much stock in it. The SEER is not just calculated at a single fixed situation.

As for whether it makes sense, that depends on your climate, the size of the area being cooled, the local price of electricity, etc. I would just use one of those calculators like you've linked to to determine the value, but make sure you get accurate numbers for all the inputs. The cost of electricity varies widely throughout the US, so get a current number for your area in the summer and then maybe round up a bit to account for the gradual rise in prices.


How does an electric vacuum pump work? I want to use a 2.5 CFM vacuum pump (from Pittsburgh Automotive... http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-98076.html) to pull a vacuum on a system in my house. I am a bit confused, though, as to how the pump works since there is only an inlet valve but no outlet? I will suck the gas into the pump to create vacuum in the system, but where does that gas then go?

My pump has a small outlet that is covered to capture the oil that may spray out if the pump is turned on without a load, or when first pumping down a system so the oil doesn't get blown out of the pump but is drained back into the pump. Most mechanical high vacuum pumps are rotary vane these use a fiber plate and the oil to make the seal. If there is no load the pump pulls more oil in and pushes it out the exhaust (some pumps do make big oil messes if not loaded for long or allowed full flow at the start of a pump down. Some less expensive pumps have a port to direct the oil into a container (vacuum pump oil can get expensive). There should be a warning if the pump doesn't have an oil reclaim system because it can be very messy.


Why might a weld be weaker than a bolt? I've heard that bolts should be used for connections that must be secure, rather than welds. To me this seems odd; I was under the impression that the whole idea of a weld was to make the two pieces of metal bond and behave as if they were one piece of metal from the beginning. To me that "sounds" stronger than a method where one must drill a hole clean through a piece of metal in order to attach the bolt.

Why might a weld be weaker?

Under perfect conditions this is not true. However most of us are unable to weld something under perfect conditions.  There is always the risk of contaminants, imperfect welds, incorrect temperatures, etc.

This holds true even in many industrial factories. For this reason, some very high end cars have their frames glued together instead of welded.

You might have heard this under the assumption that most people don't do a great job at welding and as a result, a bolt is less likely to fail and easier to recommend.  Of course this also assumes that the company who made the bolt has good quality control too and they always hold the forces they are supposed to (unlikely in the real world with the typical low quality stuff we buy).


What is the purpose of this joint in my wall stud? I am getting ready to install a new bathtub and shower.
After ripping everything out I noticed all the studs behind the original bathtub wall have cuts. See photo.
If anyone can explain why the studs are pieced together this way I would appreciate it very much.
[

Those are called "finger jointed studs".  These joints are weaker than regular 2x4 or 2x6. I do a lot of woodworking and when gluing boards together (for like a table top) the glue joints are actually stronger than the wood itself.  But for some reason, that's not the case with finger jointed studs, they are just much weaker than the intact 2x. That and the alignment issue between the pieces make this product junk if you ask me.
The contractor that built my house started using them for interior walls. Some of the joints were off by as much as 1/4", which would have made sheetrocking much more difficult.   My plumber said he hates them because unless you brace the stud when drilling, they'll break at the joint. To demonstrate, he got a short length (about 4') with a joint in it, elevated one end on a 2x and then proceeded to kick down on it.  It broke right at the joint.
After a few interior walls were built with that crap, I inspected and found many cases where the joint wasn't at all even.   I told the contractor to tear those walls and not use that crap anymore.   He didn't like me for it, but later, when he used them on a project for himself, he admitted they were crap.
To answer, since they are already in place I wouldn't worry about it.  The vertical load capacity isn't affected, esp. not an issue in a non-load bearing wall.
Sorry for going off like this, but finger jointed studs are just not a good product.


What type of rubber pipe is used for this particular installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating, and is it reliable? I'm looking at a home built in the 80's with hydronic radiant in-floor heating embedded in concrete slab.  I've never seen this type of hydronic tubing before.  I'm pretty sure that the attached photo shows the manifold where the copper piping from the boiler transitions to rubber in-floor tubing.  There were several sets of manifolds like this - each associated with a different part of the house.  I couldn't follow the copper pipes to be 100% sure that they are connected to the boiler.  The rubber is quite soft and stretchy.  I was wondering if anyone knew the manufacturer's name or the name of this type of system so I could research it.  Or if anyone has any first-hand experience regarding it's reliability, that would be great.
I am starting to find some references out there (but none testify as to it's reliability):

Possibly Entran or SolaRoll or Bio Energy

Possibly EPD or SolaRoll

Starting to look a lot like SolaRoll

more SolaRoll discussion

still more SolaRoll discussion

Still more

hints at reliability of SolaRoll
.

It looks like Onix tubing, but installed incorrectly. If it is Onix then it does have an O2 barrier. It should be installed with special reusable crimp rings

If it is Onix, the material is very reliable (when installed correctly).


What's this bolt head type and how can I open it? There is a bolt screwed inside a long hole:

I don't know the bolt head type. Is there a trick to open it?

It looks like a spanner tamper-proof security bolt. Either buy a set of tamper-proof security bits, or modify a cheap standard slotted screwdriver with a dremel tool. Here is a cheap set: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W8659-Security-32-Piece/dp/B002KS19PK/ A good chance that something in this set will work, but no guarantee.