Attic flue vent pipe...asbestos? If so, what should I do? Can someone help me identify whether this kind of pipe contains asbestos?  I know that testing is the sure way to tell.  However, maybe it's possible to rule it out from a picture...I'm not sure what asbestos flue pipes looks like.

Here are two pictures.

The picture showing the long length shows the top of the pipe that goes through the roof.  And the lettering seems to read

"JM Transite flue pipe for gas venting"

The second picture shows where the pipe enters the attic.  This pipe use to go down to a gas floor heater unit.  The floor heaters have been removed.  I'm sure you're wondering what the orange flexible pipe is. Well, when the previous owner removed the floor heaters and added forced air heating, they ran gas from floor heater gas line to the attic.  And I guess they used the vent pipe as a path for the flexible gas tubing to reach the attic.

If this IS asbestos, what is the best plan of action?

UPDATE

Some research:
"Transite is a trade name for Johns-Manville asbestos-cement products made to specific formulations. For example, a line of Transite electrical ducts had 15 to 25% chrysotile asbestos, 45 to 55% Portland cement and 25 to 35% silica flour. I have seen a lot of asbestos-cement products in the US without the name “Transite,” not surprising since CertainTeed, National Gypsum, GAF Corporation, Celotex, Nicolet and others also produced it. I have never seen the name “Transite” used in connection with asbestos-cement products outside the US, where major producers included Eternit, Saint Gobain and James Hardie."

Searching online using the phrase ""Transite flue pipe" leads to a large number of hits that indicate this type of pipe is for sure an asbestos cement pipe. It does need to be handled as a hazardous material when working with it and removing it.

Transite piping was commonly used as a flue pipe and chimney liner for gas appliance venting. It has had to be discontinued from use because the inside of the pipe would degrade from age, use and temperature changes and then start to flake off. With enough flaking the pipe could become blocked and cause serious problems with gas appliance back drafting.

Check with local requirements with regard to disposal requirements for this material.


Are brass picture hooks ok for a 30lb mirror on a plaster wall? I've got a 30 lb mirror with D-hooks on the back and cable that can take its weight appropriately. I've put this mirror up on plaster walls before but I just want to make sure because this time it's in a 120 year old building (very good condition mind you) but on a plaster wall that is above a non-working chimney, so that plaster probably has brick behind it.

I've got 50lb brass 45-degree picture hooks, I plan to use two. Is that ok or is there a better way to put this mirror up on this wall?

There are 2 alternatives as I see it: Drill holes to accommodate wall anchors using a masonry bit or use strips of two-sided adhesive to keep mirror   flush against wall, using the mantle as a base.


Can 18/2 CL2 barostat cable be used for speakers? We're wiring our kitchen for a stereo speaker system.  There was only enough 18 gauge speaker wire for one speaker, so the electricians used 18/2 barostat wire for the other.  The speaker cable seems to have a thicker wrapping than the barostat cable, but both are 18 gauge and have 2 conductors.  Is it ok to use this?  Experiments show that a coat hanger sounds as good as fancy speaker cable, so maybe this doesn't matter at all.

If they are the same, what makes barostat wire different than speaker wire?  Coloring of the jacket?  Thickness of the wrapping?  Marketing?

There is a discussion of stranded vs. solid wire for speaker cable here. The consensus (or at least the weight of opinions) seems to be that there is a theoretical difference, but no practical difference.

Speaker wire is also called lamp cord. It is basically parallel stranded wire in either 16 or 18 gauge. The lower number indicates the thicker wire. 16 gauge is thicker than 18. The difference in gauge has to do with how much voltage drop (and in music, signal loss) there is over long distances.

Numerous comparisons seem to indicate that basic speaker wires (and wire sold as lamp cord at even a lower price) are indistinguishable from exotic wires.

If it is a long run, 16 gauge is preferred. If the run is very short, you probably can use 18 gauge with no apparent difference in sound. But the cost difference is fairly small, so 16 gauge is preferred.

There is no shielding on speaker wire, so the covering is of little import. Solid wire is much harder to handle (less flexibility), so stranded is preferred for audio applications.

While the barostat wire is solid and the speaker wire is stranded, it is highly unlikely you can get a measurable difference in signal between the two types. If it's already installed, and the run is not too long (20 feet or less) you probably can live with it. If the run is much longer, you might want to swap both wires out for a heavier gauge (16).


Dual 60 Amp circuit for Well and Tankless Heater We are installing a tankless heater system that has the specs of 122,000 btu, 36 kWh, 150 Amp.

The current systems looks to have only a single dual 60 Amp circuit to both the well pump and oil furnace.

I take it we need to upgrade the electrical.  But for what exactly? 3x 60 Amps just for the tankless system?

The tankless water heater will have instructions detailing how many breakers of what size. What is the make and model?

The Rheem 36 kW model requires four 40-A double-pole breakers. Probably it has four separate heating elements each 9 kW. I would think you would  need to upgrade your electric service to at least 300 A to supply this heater. How large is your house and how many people in the household?


Is it ok to wire load on the line side of GFCI? I am installing a GFCI that will be feeding additional outlets in another room. There are at least 5 more outlets and I suspect this new outlet is the very first in the run. Some of these load outlets do not need to be protected, while others are already protected by another GFCI. In order to avoid the hassle of potential problems with daisy chaining multiple GFCIs, is it ok to simply wire the load onto the same terminals as the line on this new GFCI?

If the GFCI has provisions for multiple wires then yes, if not you may have to get some wire connectors and a couple correctly colored wires and make a pigtail connection.


Shower head pipe recessed: what do I need? I'm nearing completion of a bathroom remodel and just need to install the fixtures. I have not had to install a brand new shower head before and am unsure of what I need to complete this project.

The pipe for the shower head is recessed into the wall, about flush with the inside of the wall.

What do I need in order to extend this pipe so I can attach my shower head? Thank you

You need to install a shower arm.

One end will (should) thread into the pipe in the wall, and the shower head will thread on to the other end.

Don't forget to use pipe dope/tape on the threads.

Apply tape/dope to the threads of the shower arm.
Thread the shower arm into the pipe in the wall (Do not over tighten).

If you have to use a wrench to tighten the arm. Wrap the arm with a towel/cloth, so the wrench does not mar the surface of the arm.

Slide the flange over the shower arm, so it covers the hole in the wall.
Apply tape/dope to the threads on the other end of the shower arm.
Thread the shower head on to the shower arm.


I have a number of sagging drawers due to broken rear brackets on sliding drawers. Can anyone help me find replacement brackets (pictured below)? I have reversed some that have broken on the bottom to the other side, which is a temporary fix.  These brackets are not flush with the back wood panel but fit over a 1" x 1/2" strip.

Any help with locating these would be awesome.  I need at least 4 sets.

Thanks.

You may be able to find metal replacement boots from the manufacturer but it might be easiest to add some blocking as suggested by RedGrittyBrick. If that's the path you take I would suggest creating a vertical standard as opposed to horizontal applied blocking because it bears the weight of the drawer down into the floor of the cabinet instead of relying on the side wall (which may be very thin and week if the cabinets are of low quality) for structural integrity.


Can I use multiple wire nut splices on a single wire in a wall can? I have an in-wall space heater in a wall can that recently started smelling of burnt plastic, and when I opened it up, I found that one of the wires had come loose from the wire nut, and the weak connection had overheated and melted the nut. I cut away the burnt parts, restripped the wires, and reconnected them with new wire nuts, but I wasn't paying much attention to the length of the wires, and now one of the wires is too short to properly affix the heater unit where it sits in the can.

Is it safe/up to code/otherwise reasonable to extend the wire with appropriately-sized in-wall NM-B or stranded appliance wire? Several other questions here have answers covering splices in inaccessible areas like behind drywall, but I can't find anything about what applies in wall cans. In addition to pure code compliance, arguments about the sanity of replacing a failed wire nut with two wire nuts are also welcome.

Possible alternatives that aren't great:

There is no service loop to work with (based on how it feels when pulling on the cable), so I can't just pull more cable through.
Replacing the whole cable would be difficult to coordinate, as the cable goes to a wall switch on a circuit that has devices that are a PITA to power off, so turning off the power to do the work would be a hassle (and I'm not confident I can work on live wiring safely, so that's also out).

The wires have to come 6" beyond the cable clamp.  If you can't get 2 hands into the box, the wires must also come >=3" beyond the surface of the wall or ceiling.   If they're too short you'll have to pull more length in from the wall, or replace the entire cable run.

As long as that is true, you can extend a wire using competently executed wire nut splices.  Competent means it handles a pull-test with no problem, and does not require tape to hold together.


Can you use the bottom chord of a roof truss to support a attic deck? Can you use the bottom chord of a roof truss to support a attic deck? Does the chord have to been made of a truss joist?

If @freeman would like to make his comment an answer, I'll be happy to upvote it and (probably) delete this one.

Generally, roof trusses are made as a system of lightweight materials that together function to hold things up. Most of the time, they aren't designed to have things weighting the bottom chord. Pushing downward on a truss that's not intended for that force will end very badly.

So, you probably can't.

However, if you bring an engineer onsite, he or she can tell you whether I'm right, and more importantly, could design something that would carry a load.


How do I wire a GFCI combination light switch when power enters at the light? I have a Leviton 7299-NW GFCI/switch combo

The diagrams in a response to the question "How do I wire a GFCI/switch combo?" is helpful. But I want to see a diagram for a situation where the power enters at the light and the device is wired so that the light is ground fault protected. Provided the cable between the light and the device is a 14/3 (with red wire), I would also need to be able to do the following:

The white wire in the cable from the breaker box which runs to the light box would have to be pigtailed together in the light box with the light's white wire and the returning white wire that runs in the cable between the light and the device. At the device end, the white line wire would have to be pigtailed in with the LINE white-silver neutral screw and the LOAD white-silver neutral screw. So that one white neutral wire is shared by the line and load of the GFCI/switch. Is this permissible?

Simply put: How can I wire the device, GFCI/switch, to ground fault protect light if the power enters at the light?

Unfortunately, you can't.  For a GFCI outlet to protect other devices they have to come after the GFCI outlet in the circuit.  The power (hot and neutral wires) have to enter the outlet on the terminals labeled "line," and leave the outlet on the terminals labeled "load." This way the GFCI outlet can measure the power running to your light on the black wire and returning from your light on the white wire, which is the whole purpose of the GFCI.  If those two measurements aren't the same, it turns off.   Putting a jumper (what you're calling a "pigtail") between the Line and Load terminals on the device end would effectively bypass the GFCI functions inside the outlet altogether. Connecting the neutral wire coming from your breaker box in the same wire nut with the neutral feeding your light AND feeding the GFCI device will give the electrons leaving your light a direct path back to your breaker box, meaning that they never flow back through the GFCI.  It will trip and refuse to reset as long as the light is on, assuming it works at all.

If you want that light to be GFCI protected, you will have to re-run the wire from your breaker box so that it enters the box for the GFCI first.  Alternatively, you could splice a second cable to the line in your light box and run it over to the device and then use the black and white from the existing 3 conductor wire to take the power back from the device to the light (with the black wire connected to one pole of the switch and a black jumper from the gold "load" terminal on the outlet to the other terminal on the switch).  Either way, you have to run additional wiring.  It just depends whether it's easier to add a new cable between the device and the light or to run a new cable from the breaker box to the device.

Put another way, if you want to protect things "downstream" using a GFCI outlet, you have to have at least 4 conductors present in the box, and you only have 3.


Bathroom fan won't turn on I'm installing a bathroom fan and I can't get it to power on. I want to wire it to the switch that controls the lights in the bathroom. The power comes from the lights to the switch. After splicing everything together in the attic the fan won't turn on but the light does. When I disconnect the fan the light turns off but when I connect it it turns on. The fan has a connector that plugs into the fan. That fan motor has a wall plug. I confirmed that fan works but getting an extension cord and plugging it to the wall and to the fan. I removed the splice from switch and connected just the fan and light together and confirmed there was voltage. The light turns on but still no fan. I don't know what to do. Would it be simpler to run a separate switch for the fan?

OK, it looks like you wired the fan in series with the lights. Disconnect the fan. Get the lights to works like they did before. Then, after turning off the power, disconnect the two wires leading to the lights. Connect the wires from the fan to the wires from the lights, white to white, and black to black if in the USA. Then connect those two sets to the two wires that originally fed just the lights.


Why does the breaker trip after I replaced some outlets? I am installing  new outlets  in my house  each outlet has 2 black , 2 white and 2 ground wires attached.  I did the first 4 without any problems.  I got to the fifth one and the circuit breaker keeps tripping.  I tried different outlets and no outlet at all,  wire capped all the wires.  But it keeps  tripping the breaker.  What is going on?

Double check the first 4 outlets that you rewired. You probably have the wires swapped or touching. Something like the black and white wires swapped, or a bare ground wire touching the side of the screw terminals on the side of the outlet.


Germany - wire 3 core garage to 4 core mains We have an external garage and a 4 core (brown, blue, green/yellow, black,) cable is supplied from the main property. The garage is supplied with an electric door opener, wall sockets and an internal light. The cable in the garage is a 3 core (brown, blue, green/yellow) cable that needs connecting.

I assume (need to measure) the black wire is connected to a switch in the main property. As I will not use this, I'm wondering the best way to handle the black. Should I just connect this to a connector block and leave it at that?

Thanks for any pointers

It's hard to say.  Euro power is 3 phases of 230V each arranged in 3-phase "wye".  (whereas America said "Wye not!")  Phase-center is 230V. Phase-phase is 400V. Draw an equal triangle with 230mm from the center to each corner. Now measure corner-corner. You got it.

Germany is fond of delivering all 3 phases to houses.  So one possibility is that someone brought 2 of the 3 phases to the garage for 400V tools.  In that case simply terminate it off.

Another possibility (common American trick) is that the second phase wire is switched.  Say there are lights in the garage or outdoor lights, the second phase is meant to be used to feed them.  Then they can be turned off from the house.  If all your garage outlets/lights are currently under the control of the switch, then check the black wire - it may be always-hot.  Move the receptacles to that wire instead of the switch.  Yes, it's OK to share neutral in that case.


Can a transfer switch be powered by two separate generators? I have two portable generators, a Honda 2000W and a cheaper Pulsar 2000W as a backup.  They're very similar in terms of overall construction, and I wanted to see if I could combine them to power our home in an emergency where 1650 operating watts just isn't enough.  I'm not interested in powering any 30A devices, and my Honda is already successfully connected to our transfer switch via a 120V connector to a 30A F connector with the two hots jumped together, plugging into the 30A inlet on the side of the house.  There's just a question as to whether we can add more capacity to the hookup.  Enter the Pulsar.  I'm thinking of a 30A connector connecting each hot into one of two 120V male connectors that plug into either the same generator or to separate ones depending on need. I think the Reliance transfer switch is configured to run 3 breakers from each hot connection, ergo why Reliance suggests you balance the load as best as possible when selecting which 6 circuits you plan to operate.

I don't think it's necessary to sync phases on the load since each generator would connect to a separate hot line, but they would share the neutral and ground connection on the twist lock.  Has anyone done this before?

Connecting 2 different generators that can not be synced will cause disaster to the wiring and the smaller or cheaper generator if any 240v loads are connected.
Using a common neutral you are taking a risk even with only 120v loads.
With separate transfers and loads as separately derived systems could be legal but I don't think so with a common neutral.


Was FMC >6ft Ever an Acceptable Grounding Path? Wiring routes out of my garage subpanel through exposed flexible metal conduit (FMC) to metal boxes for just about everything. Garage is detached, and 1990's era. The pool equipment, pool lights, and receptacle circuits all have a dedicated green wire equipment grounding conductor (EGC). The overhead shop lights and garage door circuits don't have such a conductor.
I'm replacing the garage door opener and wondering if I should pull a dedicated EGC wire to the box/receptacle that serves it power. Am I grandfathered in to some 1990's version of the NEC that allowed FMC to be a EGC if the run is greater than six feet? Or was the electrician who did this wrong?
Incidentally the subpanel is feed through a GFCI breaker at the main panel; does this provide code-compliance in the absence of an EGC, if the receptacles on those circuits are labelled appropriately?

Whether or not you are "grandfathered" it is really foolish to leave a garage door opener on an ungrounded circuit or weakly grounded circuit. (which is what FMC is - it's a weak ground)
People have been killed by something going wrong with their ungrounded garage door opener, they get a ladder out to climb up and take a look at it, touch the unit or wires in it, get a shock and fall off the ladder.  It's not the shock it's the fall that gets 'em.


How can I avoid blotches when staining pine? I am refinishing a 1940's pine miracle door and am having issues with splotching of the dark stain on the inner panel. I am using minwax dark walnut for stain. Applying the stain with a stain sponge and immediately following up with a t-shirt to remove any excess stain and also blend. I also used a stain conditioner prior to staining, but even with all of this I am still having issues. Any suggestions to remedy this? The image is after one coat of stain. Thank you for any advice you might have!

First, Minwax wiping stains are inferior...so is there conditioner...in fact the only thing they do well is marketing. Step up to Sherwin Williams BAC or Old Masters and you'll never look back. Having said that, in this case you need a gel stain. Second, conditioner although indispensable when working with soft woods, will only get you so far. With a quality piece like your door you really need to start with a sprayed alcohol based dye stain, then conditioner, then gel stain (not wiping or penetrating). Once you're satisfied with the color, seal it with a good sanding sealer that's compatible with your ultimate finish. At this point if you choose you can add a glaze, but make sure it too is compatible. In particular if you plan to use a Sikkens varnish you'll want to avoid glazing. Now it's time for finish. I personally like a pre-cat lacquer but occasionally we spray conversion varnish too. If you don't have a booth you'll probably want to stick to varnish or poly-urethane which can be brushed on easily. If its for exterior use, use a spar varnish or Sikkens (bearing in mind the compatibility issues). Cheers!


What type of curtains do I need to buy? Our bedroom is pretty bright from the streetlights at night and the sun in the morning. This affects our sleep quality, so I am thinking of buying blackout curtains. I never bought curtains before and don't know at all which type to buy for the curtain pole in the bedroom. I read something about eyelit, pencil pleat, etc. but struggle to see which one is right. The curtain pole and the hooks on there look quite weird to me - I have attached two photos. We cannot take the pole out, so I assume we need to use these small hooks or get some larger hooks to be put around the pole. Since we rent this flat, I would like to use this pole and not replace it with something else. Could anyone tell me what type of curtain we need and what type of hooks we need to buy to fix it to this pole?

Many thanks!

I've seen this style rod with pleated curtains. There are dozens of tall metal hooks that slip into pockets in the top of the curtain, then the hook sticks out of the curtain and goes through one of those holes.

There should be cords on one side or the other that will allow you to open and close the curtains, similar to the pull cords for the blinds.

Apparently, they make hooks for this type of curtain rod that have pins that can go through a "regular" curtain to adapt it to this type of rod. This happens to be the first thing I found in a search that looked correct, so there's no particular endorsement of the vendor or the product, but it's an idea of what you're looking for in a hook. This means that you can buy pretty much any curtain and use these hooks.

This appears to be the more "traditional" type hook that I was thinking of. You can use these if you find a curtain that is designed for these.

Sorry, I don't know the exact "name" for this kind of curtain.

Thanks to mattman944, I now know these are called "pinch pleat" curtains, and they hang on a "traverse rod". It's called a "traverse rod", I'd imagine, because when you pull the cord the curtains traverse across the rod. ;)


Does the NEC define a "dining room"? 210.52(B)(1) I've attached a rough sketch of our house layout. My question is about the room labeled with a "?". Would the NEC consider this a "dining room", even if there isn't any typical dining room furniture - that is, no dining room table/chairs, no buffet/sideboard, no dish/china storage, etc? (We have a couch, a piano, and a desk in there.) It's largely open to what we call the "living room", with an open doorway to the kitchen. All walls are full ceiling height. The kitchen has a small table (like a breakfast nook) in it where we usually eat, when we're not eating in the living room in front of the TV, or outside on the back patio. We don't have any room in particular that we use as a "dining room", but if a future owner were to have a dining room, this "?" room would most likely be it.

The question arises because the NEC requires 20 amp circuitry in a "dining room", per 210.52(B) below. The house is currently wired such that that entire "?" room is served by one (dedicated) 15 amp circuit, with 14/2 wiring and a 15 amp breaker, for all the receptacles and lighting in that room.

(The kitchen does have the 2 required 20amp small appliance circuits.)

EDIT to clarify: the house is about 100 years old; the 15amp circuitry is already in place (an has been for decades). There are some wiring updates happening - addition of a couple of receptacles. I know I can just ask the inspector, but... I'm afraid to even raise the issue, in case he never raises it either. :)

I believe the 2014 NEC says the following:

  210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.

  (B) Small Appliances.

  (1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room,
  dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more
  20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1)
  shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by
  210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.

EDIT to add: After reading the answers below... I still don't know if the room is even required to be classified as a "dining room" (which was my original question), but if it is, then I guess that if I want to add 2 wall receptacles to that room, code would require hooking them up to one of the existing 20-amp kitchen circuits, rather than hooking them up to the existing 15-amp circuitry in that room.

Or just keep everything as is and continue using extension cords as we have been. (Safe? No. Compliant? Yes.)

It's funny that the reason we want to add receptacles of course has nothing to do with "dining room" purposes; we just want a convenient outlet for an audio system and a computer. Tying those in to the kitchen circuitry seems absurd, as does installing a new 20-amp circuit just for those outlets. But oh well. Maybe somebody someday will want to put a hot plate in that room, and boy will they thank me for having put in a couple of 20-amp outlets! (Even though they're not required to be labeled as such. Go figure. Here's hoping they don't plug the hot plate into the wrong outlet, or the breaker will trip. Heavens! I can see why the NEC can't allow that!)

Regs are designed to account for common usages and provide safe levels of service. Dining rooms often use hotplates or coffee makers that might need higher amperage. A 20 amp circuit requirement attempts to account for that.

There is no use inspector who comes in after your construction to make sure that you follow convention. But houses that do not meet basic expectations are harder to sell, and often result in a compliance problem when they are sold (No closing until we get a new certificate of occupancy!)

That argues for equipping rooms in compliance with what the typical inspector would expect. Most inspectors would think that the room in question was a dining room (since most people would have one in that location). I would wire it as a dining room, but use it as I saw fit. Wiring to a higher standard is never frowned upon, and only costs a bit of wire and a little time, and may avoid headaches down the road.

And, who knows, you may want a dining room and a hotplate someday?

SUPPLEMENT:
After reading Ed Beal's answer, I am inclined to agree so long as there are no countertops in the room in question.


How do I renovate 45 year old aluminum wiring for a new outlet for a new cooktop and range? We are currently updating our '69 era kitchen and are relocating some if not all of the receptacles. The old cooktop and range that we have now removed, were hardwired and used aluminum wire. We have discarded  the old wire and appliances but are now unsure of the proper materials to use for the new outlet. Is there a large difference between pvc and metal boxes, and what is recommended for a range?

I would use metal boxes. Much more sturdy and not very much different in cost in the grand scheme of things.

You mention that aluminum wire was used to the stove. Was that aluminum wire fed all the way back from the main power panel? If so then you'll likely have an electrical box with a receptacle mounted to it that connects to the AL wire. Make sure to purchase a socket assembly specifically designed for deployment with AL wire. (That is of course unless you will be replacing the feed wire back to the panel with copper).


How can I prepare my home to be vacant for a month? I'm planning a trip for the month of December. I live in Ottawa, Canada where daily low temperatures range from -12°C to -6°C, falling below -21°C or exceeding 1°C only one day in ten.

What are the absolute musts that I should address before shipping off?

I don't have an exhaustive answer, but off the top of my head, I would say don't turn off the heat entirely.  You don't want frozen pipes, and refrigerators can be damaged if they are left running in freezing temps.  If it were me, I'd probably leave the thermostat at about 10 C.  I would also turn off the water entirely so that even if a pipe bursts, you don't end up ruining anything.  Also, not sure what crime is like there, but may want to figure out how to make it look like the place is occupied.  Snow accumulation could make that tricky (i.e. no tracks means no people).


How many bathrooms can be connected on a 3 inch vertical stack? How many bathrooms can be connected on a 3 inch vertical stack?

Referring to the International Plumbing Code, a bathroom group requires 5 Drainage Fixture Units.
As a horizontal branch 3" is good for 20 DFU's or 4 bathroom groups.
In vertical stacks the number goes up with multiple branches but each single branch is limited to 20 DFU's
Good Luck and check the tables here:
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPC2018/chapter-9-vents


Should I use PVC or ABS pipes for a swimming pool control system? I live in Southeast Idaho, an area with all four seasons. I have an in-ground pool with PVC plumbing which was sort of hacked together by the former owner. The system includes a solar heater on the roof, sand filter, and SWG (Saltwater Generator), 1HP pump.

A former contractor friend suggested I replace the aging, patched-up pipes (the exposed ones near the control system, not the underground pipes) with ABS because it is apparently less vulnerable to cracking in the cold should some water remain, and is softer, allowing it to absorb some of the initial shock of pump's pressure when first activated.

A swimming pool professional, though a bit used-car-salesmanesque, said PVC is "the best".
Which, if either, of these are most appropriate for low-maintenance long-term use?

PVC is a good choice, provided that it is properly installed and maintained.  A proper installation includes shielding the PVC from UV light, which is the primary means of premature aging.  UV light will eventually turn PVC into a brittle mess.

ABS on the other hand tends to not become brittle with sun exposure, but to deform and is generally softer.  As a result, buried ABS pipe seems to be at a higher risk of crimping, impeding water flow.

In either case, you should paint your exposed pipe, which probably wasn't done, and is the primary reason you are looking to repair it.  Personally, I'd go with painted PVC, because after it is protected from UV light, it is less flexible (less pipe collapse) has a wider variety of fittings, and generally has a wider range of temperature distributions.  I'm also more familiar with PVC, which might cloud my judgement.  I'd love to hear from someone intimately familiar with ABS.

Both types of plastic are generally considered for low pressure applications, if you are having consistent freezing problems, neither pipe is meant to withstand routine freezing of water in-pipe.

PVC UVR is UV light resistant PVC.  Buy it and paint it if you want a very long lasting PVC solution.  Basically, you will have to worry about the (in my experience) natural enemies of PVC pipe before worrying about aging, that is careless yard crews, people vigorously digging, etc.


Can mangled concrete floor be fixed? On our property there is a fairly old garage that hasn't been tended to in some time.  The floor is cracked and buckling.  What are possible fixes for this?

I've attached a photo.  If you look closely you can see that it has heaved up sharply through the patches.

a) Grind concrete until it is flat, then grout the remaining cracks.  You'll have an even thinner but flat floor, problem will likely re-occur.

or

b) Pour thicker new concrete over the top, with steel mesh, to make a more resilient replacement floor.  Might still crack, as base is suspect.

or

c) Cut out & remove the failed floor, inspect the base to determine true cause, remove failed layers, install proper bedding, insulation layer & damp proof membrane, re-pour concrete.


How do I solve my problems with a paper faced outside corner bead coming loose? I'm doing drywall work around where the outside corner of my tray ceiling vertical meets the regular ceiling. I bought paper-faced metal corner beads and spray adhesive thinking it would be quicker than nailing it up. I followed all the directions: I let the adhesive get tacky before installing the bead, firmly pressed the bead in place on the wall/ceiling, continued to press it to the wall/ceiling for the next few minutes, and then waited half an hour before the first coat of mud.

Now I've got a crack in the mud running the entire length of the bead, and the bead is "spongy" to the touch. If I push against it, it gives between 1/16-1/8" or so, and doesn't feel solid. I figure the crack is from the rather thick coat of mud I applied to make the corner square, but I don't think it should have that much give to it. Should I tear it out and use a nailed-in corner bead? Or will another coat of mud somehow fix the problem?

EDIT: I tried driving screws through the paper-faced corner bead, but the metal in it wasn't as thick as a regular one, and the screws tore right through. I ended up tearing it down and nailing up a regular corner bead. When I was removing the paper-faced one I discovered that some parts of the adhesive had stuck well enough to tear the paper on the drywall, while other parts weren't sticking at all. The only explanation I can come up with is that I didn't prep the surface well enough, although I did wipe it down before applying the adhesive.

Rip it down and start again... No shortcuts this time...

Comment converted to answer


Should you seal grout when using RedGard Backing? I did a shower in Hardieboard sealed with two layers of Redgard. Should I still seal the grout lines even though we used Redgard underneath?

You don't have to.  It is completely up to you.  Sealing the grout is doing absolutely nothing as far as water-proofing your current setup.  I Redgard/HB many showers/tubs and here is what I do:

unsanded - gets sealant.  In my opinion it stains easily, especially below level where water constantly hits.
sanded - don't seal it.  It looks better unsealed and this grout allows you to "sand" out a stain.
epoxy - no sealant of course.


Do I have to secure an IKEA TV stand to the wall? I'm a young adult preparing to move out into an apartment the first time, and I'm trying to fill out some gaps in terms of furniture before I get going.

I found this IKEA tv stand that's perfectly small and cheap, but there's this business about anchoring it to the wall? I've never seen furniture anchored like that in my life!

Do you think it's really necessary to drill holes and all that fuss over such a small stand? (I'm looking at the MOSJO if that helps).

Edit: People keep mentioning kids. I'm moving out for the first time! I don't have a kid or pets! It's just me and a little apartment.

No, nothing to do.

If you download the assembly instructions for MOSJÖ you won’t see anything about a bracket for attaching the item to the wall, and there isn’t one included in the package.


Sound proof my guest unit carved out of main house It seems that when they carved out this guest unit they failed to insulate the walls. I've read up on spray foam insulation, adding drywall over existing drywall with green glue in between.
Both sound like quite a project for a lay person. Although, I do have a friend in construction who has agreed to help with another layer of drywall. I am just not sure what will add maximum sound barrier.
Do I need to drywall the closet ceiling too since it's the closet through which I hear the most noise. (Help! It's like living in the same room with the tenants in the main house).

Sound proofing is difficult.
One extra layer of drywall and green glue will have a noticeable effect but don't expect it to be dramatic.
To give you an idea.  I have a laminate with underpad, 2" concrete floor, 2x10 floor assembly, roxul batt insulation, 5/8" drywall between me and people living under me.  This deadens noise such that I can't understand conversations - I can hear them they sound as if someone might be outside walking by having a conversation.
It would help if you drew a plan view of how your guest room is craved out.  The best solution for this would be to build a extra wall off set from the existing one that separates the spaces, fill the wall with roxul insulation (you want mass), and drywall it.  Depends if you can stand to loose 4.5" of your room.


How to remove pipe sealed with silicone My kitchen sink is emptying very slowly. The pipes under the sink are clear. So the blockage must be somewhere in the pipe from the wall on. Unfortunately the curved pieces of pipe are in the way and I need to remove them.

Guessing from what I removed with a knife at the point pointed by the three arrows, it is glued together with silicone but when I attempted to remove it, it didn't budge :(

I don't want to force it and break something. Any suggestions on how to get it unstuck?

EDIT: Fixed picture as it was not clear. Also, should clarify, I am trying to separate the grey piece from the one coming out of the wall.

You don't remove it.  The silicone is probably just to secure the pipe to the wall - so it doesn't wiggle or so that air doesn't get in.

If you need access to the pipe I would cut the white pipe.  This would allow you to fully snake anything below.  Chances are pretty high that all of these pipes are glued very well together.  They are not meant to wiggle apart.  If you do not want to cut them then you can try putting in a snake from a point further up or you can see if you have access from below in your main stack.


Why are 3-1/2 (16d) nails so hard to find? So I'm a little confused.  It seems like 21 degree fullhead framing nailers are fairly standard.

According to the http://codes.iccsafe.org/app/book/content/2015-I-Codes/2015%20IRC%20HTML/Chapter%206.html

R602.3(1) Fastening Schedule Item #16, 16d nails are required to attach studs to plates (which there'd be a ton of when building walls).

But when I go to try and find some plastic collated 21 degree 16d nails, they are non-existant.   Lowes only sells 4 different products at 3.5" (non of which are 21 degree), Home Depot only has one and it seems a little sketchy, and Amazon has a couple of products but the ones that are actually rated seem really expensive.  Am I missing something?  It seems like something that is required by code would be sold all over the place.

3 1/2” 16d nails are hand driven nails specified for Simpson connectors 0.162...many people make the mistake and think these are collated nails, but they are actually individual nails sold by the box. There is not a gun that will shoot them. If you refer to the Simpson manual, you will see the difference in the nails as far as diameter. As a former contractor and now an inspector, I still am amazed at the amount of “seasoned” framer that do not know the difference. Once, a framer brought me 5 different nails from his 5 separate crews, only one of them used the right nail. Most people think it does not make a difference, however the load factor drops significantly on the hanger being used, voiding the engineered product and causing failure. And yes, I have seen such failures in residential construction...


Can I transition from aluminum wiring to copper wiring at a CO/ALR receptacle? It is my understanding that outlets can have wires connected on both sides. Example from another DIY.SE question here . If I have aluminum wiring. I want to add another downstream outlet. I will use an appropriate CO/ALR outlet. I will verify that the circuit can handle the additional load.

Can I have aluminum wiring on one side of a socket and copper on the other?

I am specifically asking if this AL to CU junction can be handled by the two sides of an outlet as opposed to an AlumiConn or Tyco connector.

The manufacturer of the receptacle should make this detail clear in their documentation. It might even be printed on the case of the receptacle, though perhaps in very abbreviated / "hieroglyphic" form.

That said...

My understanding is that aluminum wiring must be used ONLY with approved mechanical connectors specifically designed for aluminum, and of course must be installed correctly. So I do not see, offhand, why a separate copper connection on the same device would be a problem.

[Note - I am not an electrician. Aluminum wire done incorrectly is a huge fire hazard, which the OP obviously knows since s/he is obviously intending to do this right.]


How do I repaint my kitchen cabinets? I am doing my first home repainting and I'd like to ask a question.

I need to repaint my kitchen cabinets. They are currently painted with a glossy ugly shade of green (don't ask). Moreover, it wasn't painted on well, so if you put tape on the door, the paint comes off with the tape.

What type of paint should I use? Is it better to sand it or should I use a "sticky" paint?
Can I just use standard "white" paint or do I need primers?

Can I use this paint to paint the insides of the cabinets?

Thanks.

I have painted my share of cabinets - at least 20 kitchens.

Clean everything - I personally use SOS pads because it scratches through oil build up and just knocks things out.  Wipe up excess soap with wet towel.
Sand - a rough grit.  The worse/thicker your old paint the thicker the grit.  You will get advice on stripping the cabinets - don't.  Not unless the paint is "loose" almost everywhere.  And if the paint is "loose" it is usually a moisture problem or really cheap cabinets.  This is a quick sanding too.  A typical 20 year old mid size kitchen would take maybe 1-2 hours to go over.  You are looking to take care of flakes and uneven surfaces.  If there is a lot of flaking sometimes taking a wallpaper remover blade to the cabinets is faster then a quick sand.
Assess the doors and insides.  While sanding you can get a good idea for how the doors could turn out after painting.  There is no magic to fix cheap/rough doors.  Also if doors have ornamental designs or routed lines these are very hard to paint well - almost impossible to hand paint well.  If you need new doors I highly suggest rawdoors.net (no affiliation just a very happy customer with many orders).  You get solid hardwood doors with hinges in lots of different wood flavors and you pick the exact size of doors you want - with older kitchens you can often get a more modern look by upping the door sizes.  On the insides of the cabinets - you don't have to paint or even repaint these.  First if they are the big box cheap laminate looking crap painting them will take forever - they have a clear coat that most primers don't even stick well to.   If it was painted before I wouldn't repaint unless the color is awful or paint is deteriorating.
Buy your primer and paint.  I highly highly suggest using oil based semi-gloss.  You can go latex but I have found that it has a very rubbery look and just doesn't look good on kitchen cabinets.  Your primer is based on your paint choice.
Thin coat of primer on everything you are painting.  I normally would use a small foam roller for all painting with cabinets.  It keeps the finish smoother and less drips.  Spraying is an option too.  There is usually flooring or something in the kitchen I don't want to get paint on and I have had no luck in keeping spray dots from hitting things sometimes 10 feet away.  Unless I can take the cabinet/doors outside or I am doing a complete gut job, I roll not spray.
Fine grit sanding.
Second coat of primer.
Paint.
Second coat of paint.
I paint the door fronts again once they are installed - and hit any blemishes.
Optional - clear coat the outside of the cabinets and doors.

Color...  Almost always a fancy off-white.  I tell the paint store what backsplash and what color the walls will be and they pick out a white that looks like a slight variation of... white.  I have no design ability and I an usually looking to please the general population so the white variations work.

The last kitchen I did I installed a mid sized island (used cheap lowers from Lowes at $120 total), primer/paint $160, all new doors/drawers - about 30 - (including the island cabinets) $750, and new door knobs $40.  So the whole kitchen cabinets looked brand new plus island for a little more than 1k.  This is labor intensive but anyone can do it.


Can I paint over wallpaper glue? I have a room where I removed the wallpaper in preparation for painting. Surprisingly, the very old wallpaper just peeled right off, leaving behind most of it's glue. I used some wallpaper remover spray to quickly clean up the few spots where some of the backing paper stayed behind, so now the wall is just drywall covered almost entirely with a thin layer wall paper glue.

I tried using the wall paper remover to take off the glue, and it works well, but is tedious and time consuming (compared to how easily the wallpaper itself came off).

Is it really necessary to take off this glue? Will new primer and paint adhere to it as well as it would to the drywall or am I asking for trouble with premature peeling paint or other problems down the road?

You will need to take off all the glue if you want a good finish.

The paint will lift the glue, but unevenly, and mix with the paint. This will cause the paint to clump and not cover properly and all in all it will look terrible.

I know because I did this in the first house I owned and had to wash the walls of the one room where I tried this several times to get as much glue off as possible. I don't think I got it completely off and you could still tell.

If you just want to paint the room, you would be better off hanging lining paper and then painting that. This has the added advantage (especially if you use 1000gsm paper) of covering any imperfections in the wall.


Dimmer burned and the breaker tripping on an existing LED circuit Let me try to explain this the best I can:

I have a single recessed LED circuit that has 13 lights on two dimmers, 9 on one and 4 on another, covering kitchen and dinning, respectively, on a 15 amp breaker. It was working no issues for about 8  years
I also have two other led circuits with each having 6 lights on dimmers, one in living and other in family rooms.
I found the plastic sleeve into the panel, that hold the wires, for the liv/fam rooms were lose. So I opened the panel and discovered that the circuits are connected to the same 15A breaker (two circuits one breaker).
So I fixed the issue by adding another 15 A breaker, resulting in three circuits (kitchen+dinning, living and family) for three breakers (all 15A).
When I was doing above I had to pull the wires from all three breakers out and rearrange them, since they are badly tangled.
When I turned on the Kit/Din breaker, I heard a loud pop and the the dinning room LED lights (second dimmer in the circuit) would not come on, but kitchen LEDs came on when dimmers are operated. The breaker did NOT trip.
I checked the dimmer for dinning and it was burned at where load side wiring is. Tried again with a new dimmer and same results. Btw, I really took care to follow the wiring diagram and the old wiring (took a pic)
I removed the dimmer and circuit for dinning and turned on the breaker. Now the breaker tripped and would not stay on.
I checked the wiring that I could see in the panel and behind the boxes of dimmers and all seemed to be fine.
Unable to find the issue so shut the circuit (kitchen/dinette) off, at the panel.
I took care to do the wiring correct from dimmer to line/load/neutral/ground. The panel connection have been checked many times and all good. The panel is old Federal Pioneer. The breakers are existing ones that was working fine. I even changed the breakers that I knew for sure worked fine.

The LED "circuits" that landed on the same breaker may have been interconnected at a switch box, who knows why, but maybe somebody else didn't know what they were doing.  At any rate, when you re-arranged the breakers, you probably moved one to the opposite phase of a 240 v circuit, resulting in supplying 240 volts to a 120 volt device. They don't like that!
BTW, why change it? Power consumption by LEDS is so very low that you can practically run an entire house's lighting on one circuit. I prefer at least 2, but I don't think you had a problem initially. What was the problem you were trying to fix?


Is there a lifetime failure count for a breaker? I have an external cutoff for my air conditioner that has two physical fuses (TR-50's, time delay 50 amps) outside.  This is between the condenser unit and the main power panel, where it is protected by a 50 amp circuit breaker.

An electrician is coming to replace the cutoff (containing fuses) with a simple lever cutoff.

In discussing this he said that a circuit breaker should not be allowed to trip more than 4 or 5 times before being replaced.

That struck me as odd.  I have never experienced a need to replace a breaker, and some in my house due to stupid wiring patterns (a plug we use for a kettle is on the same circuit as the plug my wife uses for her hair dryer in the washroom) have tripped more often than 5 times.

I am trying to decide if he trying to upsell me, or has a valid point.

I've sold breakers for 25 years and never heard of it, but it doesn't make it untrue.  Weigh the difference in the price he is charging you to put the breaker in now against what it would cost to have him come back and change it.  Then compare your savings.  No savings means don't do it until you start having problems.


Shower pump bearings going - risk of a leak? I have an old shower pump which is getting even noisier.  It seems like the bearings are going (nasty whining/grinding noise).  Obviously it will want replacing sooner or later.

My question is whether I can just leave it until it finally stops working, or if there is a significant risk that the final failure will involve an expensive water leak?

The failure mode on a shower pump should be that it simply stops working if the bearings go, ie grind to a halt or just not turn on. There should be safeties that prevent overheating and it is unlikely it will leak. However, unlikely is not a guarantee nothing bad will happen, and if you know it's going I'd take action to fix it or replace it before you have a chance to find out.


What kind of filter do I need for well water? I live in Norway, and have well water at my cabin. In winter the water is fresh tasting and clear, while during warm periods in summer it gets more humus and its taste gets worse. I assume there may be harmful microorganisms in it as well as the visible humus. What kind of filter do I need to get rid of both the humus and any microorganisms?

Humus, or tannin, describes a quite large range of compounds. Unfortunately, this means it can be difficult to treat - any given treatment method may or may not work well for your particular water.

On the cheap end, activated carbon filters can sometimes be sufficiently effective at removing tannins.

The most effective methods are reverse osmosis and anion exchange resins (similar to water softeners), although these methods are also fairly expensive and high maintenance.

For your concerns about microorganisms, the most practical, effective treatment is chlorination. Chlorination can also break down tannins, if given sufficient time and adequate concentrations. After treating the water, the remaining chlorine can be removed with an activated charcoal filter.


How do I remove a stuck kitchen aerator tip? I recently moved into a new apartment and need to remove the aerator tip on the Moen kitchen faucet to set up the countertop dishwasher I brought with me from my previous apartment. It was missing the aerator inside and had a bunch of mineral build up to begin with. I've tried everything I found suggested for this issue online and it just won't budge. I tried soaking in vinegar and spraying both inside outside edges of the piece with WD-40 to break up the mineral build up and any rust. I tried (clockwise from above) hand twisting, a wrench, and channel lock pliers both with a cloth and without since it was missing the actual aerator to begin with so I'm not concerned about scratching but it hasn't moved at all, all that I've accomplished is stripping the metal on it. Shy of replacing the entire faucet, is there anything else I can try?

If you look closely, many aerators have a couple flat spots on them, that you could tighten an adjustable wrench on to.  That or a strap wrench would have been my first tool.  But failing that, and the lack of desire to preserve the original finish, the curved jaw vice grips pictured above should work.
The next level, replacement wise, would be to file some flat sides onto the doomed aerator and use a wrench.

Dave.


Cracks in a newly constrcuted basement wall? Pic 1 shows the newly constructed basement (Just 4 days) wall and It can clearly seen the crack across the wall (Not sure whether its crack or not but looks like) due to pouring concrete.  I wonder this is going to be a  major problem and caused to seepage water in to the basement.  I can see similar crack in another location  as shown in the picture 2. I would appreciate advice and comment on this.

Thanks

Those are not cracks. It is where the concrete was poured and had a chance to set for a while, perhaps while another part of the foundation was being poured. The concrete chute or hose then returned to the area in question, and resumed pouring, allowing the coarser aggregate to show at the joint.

It may also be a cold joint, where concrete was started, then finished later in the day or a different day.

It may also be where the concrete was not vibrated enough in the area to settle in the coarse aggregate. Vibrating concrete helps eliminate air pockets along the form walls. Sometimes air gets trapped, creating what is called "honeycombing"

Any of these conditions although not great, since they are really small, will not create leaks in the basement. Concrete is a big sponge anyway, soaking up moisture, and releasing it to the dryer side, always trying to find equilibrium. The foundation needs a good layer of foundation coat to keep water at bay.


How can I install a faucet bidet if my faucet doesn't have a removable aerator? I really want to install Aquaus Handheld Bidet for Faucet in my bathroom, but I have one of those faucets that have inner temper-free aerators. It is not like ordinary screwing type aerators. I have attached a picture that resembles what I have. Is there anything that I can do about this apart from replacing my faucet, such as some kind of converter?

If there are no usable threads on the end of your faucet spout, then, short of rigging something up with a piece of rubber hose and some hose clamps, you can't use that style of handheld bidet.
Instead, perhaps consider this type: https://rinseworks.com/product/abt-360-the-aquaus-360-handheld-bidet-for-toilet-nsf-certified-3-year-warranty
It connects to your toilet's water supply, rather than your faucet. Not only is this a more doable solution in your situation, but it will allow you to continue normal use of your faucet.


Hot water recirculation pump suggestion in home with return hot water line We had a hot water re-circulation pump by water heater before and had it removed last December when we detected leaks around it. This is our setup:

We have a return hot water line coming back to the closet where water heater is located. Currently this is capped. We also have a power connection box in this closet for a re-circulator.

I am looking for one that turns on when the temperature on the return line is below a threshold value (say 80 Fahrenheit). I also want this unit to turn on a timer say once in the morning and once in the evening. Plus it should have check valve to allow water from return line to heater ONLY.

Given these requirements, I looked at couple of brands that make circulators. I am confused. They have lot of mumbo jumbo about GPM, pressure ratings kinda details, but don't answer if they have temperature sensitive on/off support included or not. Nor do they specify if the unit comes with check valve.

Can someone who had gone through this exercise before point out any pitfalls when it comes to these sorts of systems?

This is for a rental home and I want to help my tenant.

This is something that I have had experience with in commercial Energy Management Systems. I can tell you that the first thing you need to look at is the "Payback" or will the cost of this system save enough energy to be worth the installation?

I say this because what you are suggesting can be done but probably not with standard residential grade material. So you are either going to have to buy the control equipment separately or buy a commercial grade product. One requires more manhours and the other requires higher priced equipment and both will need someone with a control skill set to install.

The least expensive control to install would be the time clock either mechanical or digital. I would go with digital where you can program a seven day schedule to come on and off at certain times. They are very common and inexpensive. Almost anyone will do.

Since I am not a plumber, I can't help you with a check valve but that would seem to be a fairly easy install.

The real trick would be the thermocouple which you would have to develope a logic that connects the circulatory pump and the water heater to come on and off at certain times. I would bet that some of the "mumbo jumbo" you read, would recommend that you somehow restrict the flow to get you the proper heat drop (delta T) from the beginning of the line to the end. That may be a better way to go and might be able to be coordinated with the check valve.

In conclusion I would say, you probably won't find a single unit that would do what you are asking for and you would probably need build it yourself. This might include a plumber and a control electrician. So try and get an idea of what you can do for a reasonable cost and work the problem from there.

I usually close with I hope this helps, but maybe I should say to use this answer to start your research and good luck.


Ceramic ring installed wrong and now jammed Maids took a globe off and instead of putting the ring inside the globe and screwing on they put on top and have managed to jam it up inside. I have tried needle nose pliers and started to unscrew the socket for the light bulb but was leery of getting it back to together. Can I break it with something? It is really strong. Any advice? Pics attached

Some fixtures are sold with a special tool for tightening those rings. You may check with lighting store to see if they have one. If you can disconnect the fixture and take it in the the store with you they may be able to get it off with your having to purchase one. It looks similar to this

This image is a "Spectrum G9 Lamp Shade 20mm Locking Nut Ring Removal Tool" and was from amazon but listed as unavailable.


Restoring exterior door frame at latch? Tenants have broken out wood where an exterior door should receive the doorknob latch.  There's nowhere to attach the strike plate.

What's the right way to fix this?
The depth of this piece of wood appears to be 1.5 inches, so it's probably a 2x4 or 2x6.

Do I cut out a few inches of wood and replace with 2x4?
Do I try to rebuild the section with wood putty, or Durham's Rock Hard, or something like that?  I fear the screws for the strike plate wouldn't hold if I tried that.

This seems like a common enough repair, but I don't want to have to come back to this over and over due to improper technique.

If the blue circle is accurate in your picture, there is not that much damage to keep an oversized strike from working. Home Centers carry these although they are not the best looking item, they will fix the problem easily.

Picture courtesy Home Depot

You may even be able to use a "tee" strike, the strike is slightly larger than the standard, easy to find in any hardware store and the holes for the screws are farther apart than the standard so you will get into new wood with the screws

Picture courtesy Lowes

If you feel you must repair the edge by adding  dutchman as it is called, I would cut out a piece centered on the damaged area out at least 8" long. Make sure the cuts are flat and accurate to aid in matching the new piece you are adding. Make sure it is fully bedded in a good wood glue. There will be drips and runs, so have a bucket of water and rag or sponge handy. Set the dutchman in place by driving in a few smal brads in the angled ends, these will act as clamps util the glue dries. If there is a way to add clamps, better still.


Is beeswax ok to use to keep a screw tight? I have purchased a table and chair set, and the screws holding it together consistently come loose (from pulling and dragging I assume).  I have heard that beeswax will help hold things together, and wanted to verify before I went down the process of unscrewing all the chairs and coating with wax, and screwing back in.

Any tips?

Wax will help make it easier to insert a screw (especially into wood) but I've never heard of it helping hold a screw.

I think what you want in your case is a product known as Thread Lock (Brand name: Loctite). This is essentially a glue that you apply to the threads. If you've ever taken apart something and noticed a blue (usually) substance on the threads, you've already encountered this product. It comes in a few different variants (usually differentiated by color) depending the strength you need and how likely you are to remove the screw.

See this manufacture for an example: Loctite Threadlockers.

I have no association with this product.


My home air conditioner that's inside the house, seems to be sputtering when coming on. What could this be? My home air conditioner inside the house; when it's going thru its normal cycle of off and on, it seems to be sputtering and/or hesitating to come on. It's like or similar to a car that having a hard time staying running. Once it's doing this, it eventually stays on and is still cooling the house. The fan outside is fine and we don't hear any other noises. Please help soon as possible.

If it sounds like liquid than I'd guess that the pump that circulates the coolant isn't being submerged properly when in its sleep state, and only once it gets a good vacuum and liquid pouring into its reservoir does it quiet down. I'd have someone check the fluid levels as you may need more of whatever coolant (Freon?) it uses.


Is it worth it to replace old style breakers with GFCI or AFCI breakers? I have older wiring on my house (2-wire) BX. And while it's all in good condition, and I do check the outlets monthly to make certain it's still grounded, I'm wary of the BX sheathing as the ground.

Is it worth it to replace the breakers with GFCI or AFCI breakers? Does it provide any extra safety in this scenario?

It's probably a good idea for both.  A GFCI measures the difference between current into a circuit on the live wire and current out of it on the neutral; the ground wire just helps to make sure that in an electrical fault, the current isn't passing through you to ground.  So a GFCI would be good in the places that current code calls for them: kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor circuits.

Same for the AFCIs: they help detect faults due to damaged wiring.  With BX cable, that damage is less likely to be caused by driving a nail or screw through the cable than it might be with NM cable, but you still have the possibility of loose connections in your receptacles, or damage to electrical cords going to your appliances.

Another thing to consider: if you have older wiring, you may also have older breakers.  If you're replacing some of them with GFCIs or AFCIs, you might think about having the rest of them replaced with newer breakers.


Corner sink installation in corner lazy susan cabinets I need some opinions on how best to proceed with a corner sink installation. Our kitchen is a G shape, so we have two corner base cabinets. (Well, have one, will pick up another one tomorrow).

We are doing this on a very tight budget, so we purchased all our cabinets secondhand. The current corner cabinet we have has a lazy susan built in, but has square walls, as below:

The other one we may pick up tonight is the sort that has the cylindrical wall on the inside, like this:

So, two questions:

(1) Which base cabinet should I attempt to install the sink in? The first one with square walls is already installed in the corner that won't have the sink. The countertops are not yet attached, however, so I would need to unscrew it from the wall and the cabinets it's next to in order to use it as our sink base. Just would have to pop the cylindrical one in that space and re-level. The cylindrical one might be a bit more difficult to cut.

(2) Both have solid tops, so we'd have to cut the sink template in both the cabinet top and the countertop. How does one do this? Obviously I want to make sure that the cutouts line up, although at the very least the hole in the countertop has to be a better fit to the sink and the bottom one can have a bit bigger of an opening.

I'd use the square-walled for the sink, so you have more room to work with for pipes. And using the one with cylindrical walls as the main cabinet will help keep items from falling off the shelf into the nether regions the square corners would leave open.


self-supporting walls I need to build some dividing walls, but per landlord requirements, these cannot reach the ceiling (must be 12" below the 100" high ceiling) to prevent re-working the existing sprinklers.

The floor is concrete & I can secure to side walls and floor.
The newly created space will need to have a door, so the walls need to support the door and minimal decor (pictures).

It seems to me that securing to the side walls and concrete floor should be sufficient, but I'd appreciate feedback or to bring-up concerns that I haven't considered.

Thanks!
Casara

I would simply ask if you can have two beams on each wall that hit the ceiling.  These could span to the 1/3 mark on the walls and would keep it from flexing.  Simple 4x4 would probably look the best and should still pass fire code.


Comparing American 240VAC equipment to European 230VAC This is more a question for curiosity, as I don't have a 240 volt appliance nor do I plan on visiting Europe.

As far as I have been able to tell, much of Europe uses the CEE 7 standard for household receptacles, which (I think) consists of 1 hot leg at 230 volts and 1 neutral.

The American standard is of course two alternating hot legs, each at 120 volts, which can be used individually (with a neutral) to supply 120 volts, or together (but without a neutral) to supply 240 volts.

Original question:

Other than the slight difference in voltage, and the utility frequency difference (60 Hz vs 50 Hz), does the actual equipment (say a motor) even notice a difference?  Can it even tell that the current is being supplied by 2 alternating hot legs vs 1 hot leg and a neutral?

Editing the question for clarity, because I have a specific gap in my knowledge that I am trying to understand:  (Ok, I have more gaps than just one, but this question is focusing on one.)

To make things more comparable, imagine a magical world where Europe uses 240 volts instead of 230 volts, and 60 Hz instead of 50 Hz.  Now in this hypothetical situation, the major difference we face is:

in America we have 2 alternating hot legs, and--
in Europe they have 1 hot leg and a neutral.

What differences, if any, would be noticed by equipment such as a motor?

Yeah, a motor is going to care a lot about the different frequency.  A lot.  So will anything involved with induction.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln... The main difference is that Euro power is corner grounded whereas North American is center grounded.  European plugs also aren't very good at being polarized, so a Euro device must have 230V of insulation value from each conductor to ground.   It will handle North American power, 120V from ground, just fine.

A North American machine only expects to be insulated 120V from ground, so it may have to contend with higher voltage than it's been tested/listed for.


Can I add a second dishwasher to an existing power circuit? Our current dishwasher has a dedicated 120v 20A circuit breaker (KY, USA). We are thinking of adding a second one. We will likely be alternating the use of the dishwashers but may use both concurrently (after parties, etc.). Should I wire a second dedicated circuit from the breaker (a job as it's a finished house) or can I get away with the existing circuit?
Thank you,
David

David!  We have 2 DW in our kitchen and I ran a dedicated circuit for each to be safe. Also, that extra capacity might come in handy for an instant hot or garbage disposal.  Code is getting stricter and stricter on hard wired appliances...what you can share with plug attached appliances, etc. It gets ambiguous at times. IE: if my DW has a cord, is that a plug attached device?
Since you are doing a major kitchen remodel including running a new cable for the new range, I'd strongly suggest running another 20 amp circuit for the 2nd DW.
BTW.  Good job asking specific questions.


Bubbles in water heater system My heater stops pushing hot water through the heating loop. The symptoms can be addressed by bleeding the system which always produces a lot of air coming out. The heating works for about 24 hours until air block is developed again. The heater pushes water from a basement to 3rd floor. The pressure shows about 24psi.

So far I've done:

replaced air vent assembly and installed two additional small
Caleffi air vent on radiators upstairs.
replaced old 007-F5 circulation pump with a new one.

without any sign of improvement. I wonder if anyone could point me to the right direction.

This is, in my experience, nearly always an indication of leaks in the system, so make-up water is being added by the boiler feeder (adding new dissolved air) or, if the boiler feeder is shut off, air gets in after water leaks out. In a system without leaks, once the dissolved air introduced with new water is removed there should be no further need to bleed it.
Apart from the inconvenience of having it stop working, the constant addition of new water with dissolved air also violates the assumption that when the system is sealed there's no more oxygen added to promote rusting of the iron components once it's either bled out or rusted a little.


Pool Pump on-time control? BACKGROUND

As I understand it a pool pump is necessary to force water through the filtration system: keeping the pool clean.  The pool is part of an HOA and we do have a pool-man to attend the pool.

I would like to understand the line of thinking that allows one to decide how many hours a day or duty cycle (fraction of the hour it pump is on) is needed.  I would think that debris is primary driver of pump use and not the mixing of chemicals (diffusion / entropy).

I can program an embedded controller to schedule on/off times for the pump, but would prefer to buy something if it already exists.

QUESTIONS

If the pump was not on  enough, what symptoms would be observable?
Is it preferable to run the pump 8 hours continuously or 20 minutes
of each hour continuously?
In Florida winter, when the pool is rarely used: is there a rule of thumb to reduce pump use?
If the pool is closed at 10, does it make sense to run the pump for 1 hour then shut it off until the pool opens at 10AM?
Is there a feedback mechanism (measurement) that can be used to control the pump?

If you have experience reducing your pump on-time and have successfully measured the reduction in energy, please state this in your response.  Double bonus if there was a controller (either off the shelf or custom) implemented.

My line of thinking is to leave the pump running 24/7 when it is uncovered.  Reason being is turning the motor off and on daily will wear out the motor faster, and getting a motor replaced isn't cheap.  My last motor lasted 10 years and only went out due to a mistake on my part on letting it run dry by accident.


Wiring between chimeny and brick facade Mounting a tv on a brick wood fireplace.  Been debating a few options regarding wiring.  The room has a brick facade (hearth, mantel, and up to the ceiling).  Removing a brick from that, I noticed about a 4 inch gap between it and the chimney brick.

Was wondering whether it was okay to run electrical wiring in this gap.  I'm guessing since it isn't in the chimney, heat shouldn't be an issue, but chimneys are not my area of expertise.

Any advice other than contact an electrician helpful.  Thanks!

MRD

Use an EMT sleeve mounted to the back of the veneer

IRC 1003.18 requires a 2" spacing between masonry chimneys and combustibles.  Given that you have a 4" air gap between the masonry veneer and the chimney masonry, this leaves 2" of space to run the cable through.

While you could run the bare cable through there and anchor it to the veneer at each end, this leaves the cable vulnerable to a masonry fastener mishap.  A better plan is to attach a sleeve of EMT to the back of the veneer then run a length of 12-2 through it to cut-in masonry boxes on either side of this run; the sleeve will protect the cable from any mechanical damage, and the 12-2 will provide some margin for thermal derating.


What am I doing wrong while finishing drywall inside corners? I'll admit, I'm definitely a novice when it comes to finishing drywall.  I've done loads of patching, which doesn't typically require working with corners.  This time, however, I'm doing a whole room.

I watched some YouTube videos, and read a few articles online about how to properly finish inside corners.  Everybody makes it look so simple, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it.

The process goes something like this...

Put some drywall compound on each side of the corner.
Fold the paper tape in half.
Press the tape into the mud.
Place a corner trowel in the corner, and with gentle pressure on the back of the trowel draw it down (or up) the corner.

The first problem I was running into, was that instead of the trowel sliding along the tape. The tape was being pushed along by the trowel, and it would bunch up and be removed from the corner. I solved this by pressing a bit more gently, and holding the tape in place just to get started.

The next problem I ran into, was that while I slide the trowel down the corner, the tape would ripple and bunch up ahead of the trowel. To fix this, I had to use my taping knife to smooth the wrinkles out of the tape. While this worked in the long run, it seems less than ideal. This extra step was never mentioned in any of the videos or articles, which made me wonder what I was doing wrong.

Am I adding too much (or not enough) compound to the corner? Applying too much pressure with the trowel? Or do I just need to work on my technique?

I would say you have too much compound. You should be able to press very firmly and pretty much squeeze out the excess compound. The thin layer that remains will provide good adherence of the tape. You want the compound to fully coat the back of the tape, but no more.


Sanity check on hot water line for dishwasher installation where there wasn't one before Here's how the sink currently is hooked up:

Rear shut off valves:

Front hookups to sink:

The approach I was looking at - after significant confusion at home depot (I'm honestly still a bit confused):

I would disconnect the hot water input, and connect it to part A (A = one of a 3/8 in. MIP and 1/2 in. MIP Brass Water Supply Adapters Link ), connect to a tee (B Link). And then C is a hose from a universal dishwasher supply line and D is a faucet hose. Is this correct? Part A came with a brass ferrule but it was under a nut I had to remove and it doesn't seem like it would fit? I assume all threads here should receive plumber's tape? Anything I'm screwing up?

Thank you!

The types of fittings that you linked are compression type fittings that are meant to be used where a compression ring is placed around a smooth copper or nylon copper water delivery pipe. Your setup is using the flex braided water connection hoses and really should use the proper type fittings.

If I was addressing this connection problem I would focus on replacing the coupling nipple at this connection:

(Picture source from question at this posting)

Note that your sink unit flex pipe ends with a 1/2" fitting.
Replace the nipple with a 1/2" NPT Tee fitting like this:

(Picture source from amazon.com)

Then adapt the branch of the Tee to fitting with a 1/2" female NPT to 3/8" MPT fitting to connect to the dishwasher supply line using a fitting that looks like this:

(Picture source from amazon.com)

Technically the only fitting threads that need the Teflon plumbers tape are those where the water seal is made with the threads themselves such as between the Tee branch and the 1/2" to 3/8" adapter as suggested above. The braided hose connections typically have a black or red rubber washer inside the female coupling nut that is designed to seal against the end of the mating male fitting and so no plumbers tape is really needed there. Some folks however seem to like to use the tape on all the threads such as where the nipple was installed in your pictures between the two flexible lines.


Keeping water out of basement? So I'm a recent home owner (2 months now). I live in Massachusetts and given the storm that just rolled through, I found water in my basement. Not a scary amount. I was able to mop most of it up. I have a fieldstone basement which I know if susceptible to water but this was more than normal and all on 1 side of the foundation.

After looking at the ground outside next to the foundation, I found water pooling. It looks like the prior owners tried to cover up what looks like a stone walkway with top soil. My house is raise from street level, so I know this is fixable.

My first approach is going to remove the old stones that may be causing water to pool. You would think the water would naturally travel down the driveway and into the street just by looking at that side of the house on a dry day

Once I have that area clear, does anyone have suggestions on improving water leakage. French drains?

EDIT TO ANSWER YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION: Yes, whatever you can do to direct water away from the foundation wall will work. My neighbor, literally, just stopped by to borrow a circular saw so he can cut some plywood into 2'x4' sheets to lay against his house to direct water away.

Mass real estate owner here with same problem in 3 different properties.  All rubble basements get water, especially in Mass in October.

On the outside:

When it gets dryer or in in the spring, dig out about two feet down (deeper if you can) and a foot out from the foundation and fill it with cement to 3 to 6 inches above the surrounding dirt, sloped away from the house It'll take 5 bags of cement for each horizontal foot (or thereabouts), so you could end up hand mixing 30 to 50 bags depending on the horiztonal run. As you poor the cement, feel free to lay in some chicken wire or other metal mesh or screen to strengthen.

On the inside:

Buy a dehumidifier with a humidistat and leave it plugged in to help speed drying. (another edit: get it to drain into a basement drain or sink....otherwise it'll fill with water and shut off...pain in the ass to empty...build a shelf high up in the basement to put the dehumidifier on..above the sink if there is one...)

Install a sump pump.  Of course, if you go to Home Depot today, when it's pissing rain, they'll all be sold out. Dig a hole in the lowest point of your basement and put in a sump pump.  I won't explain it all here, but any homeowner can do it.  Google "install sump pump"

http://www.mountprospect.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2886

In theory you can drylock from the inside, but I've had no luck with it.  You can also spray foam insulate from the inside - saw that on This Old House, but I think it would make a hellamess.


What could be causing my generator to not work? Can anyone please give me some advice, we purchased a generator from our local Lidl it's a Parkside brand, I have followed the instructions to the letter and also watched a youtube presentation but still I can't get it going it must be me as this is the second one I've tried as I took the first one back thinking it was faulty, but surely I can't have two dodgey ones.
I put the fuel to on switch the on switch to on put choke on the pull the flywheel and nothing.

Did you add oil prior to attempting to start it?

It looks like some models of Parkside generators have an automatic engine cutoff in the event of low oil. This is to prevent operation during oil starvation, which will ruin the engine.

Parkside geneator manual download (PDF)


Connecting a digital timer with 4 wires in a box with only three wire, white, black, and ground I installed a digital timer in a box that previously contained a switch to an outside porch light.  The box has only a white, black, and ground wire.  The white wire in the box is hot, not the black, as I had thought it should be.

I couldn't get the timer to work until I connected the timer's black wire to the box's white wire, the timer's red wire to the box's black wire, and the timer's white wire to the box's ground wire, along with the box's green wire to the box's bare wire.

Is this dangerous?  The timer is working just fine, as described.

Yes this is bad/dangerous because you now have current running on the ground wire at all times.  This type of timer requires a seperate neutral (whereas most switches just interrupt the hot) so that the timer can be powered when the switch is in the off position.

In your configuration, the line (power) comes in at the fixture and there is likely a 14/2 cable running to the switch for the sole purpose of interrupting the hot. The other configuration is where the line comes in at the switch which then sends power to the fixture when the switch is closed.

In order for you to use this type of timer, you need a dedicated neutral in the box with the switch.  You would need to replace the 14/2 cable with a 14/3 cable (extra conductor) so that you can have a dedicated neutral from the line, and then still switch the hot to control the light.

Depending on the position of the switch and fixture it may be easy enough to pull a new 14/3 cable.


How do I wire a GFCI/Switch with power entering at the light and only protect the receptacle? I would like to add a GFCI protected receptacle in a bathroom that only has a light switch. I purchased a Leviton GFSW1-STW. The power comes from the light. See second image (credit for image from www.do-it-yourself-help.com) I only need the receptacle GFCI protected. Is this possible. Thanks.

You don't

Any receptacle needs always-hot for power, and neutral to return the power (complete the circuit/loop).

As you can see from that diagram, there is always-hot (white marked black with tape) and switched-hot (black natural).   No neutral.  A switch and receptacle will not happen with any diagram or method from this school of thinking.

Take the device back, you definitely will not be using it.

Anyway, because of the complexity of this one, we will need to divide and conquer: solve the receptacle problem separate from the GFCI problem.  If you have a realtor or home inspector who says "it isn't GFCI unless I see the test and reset buttons", fire them, they stink at details and that is a detail business.

Pull chain for the lamp

Don't laugh, this is the basis for every other strategy.  In this case you convert the cable between lamp and former switch to carry always-hot and neutral.   Power the receptacle in the normal fashion.

And then you get a lamp with a pull chain.   Of course this would probably violate Code in most of the civilized world.

A wireless light switch

This wires like the pull chain, but uses a smart module in the lamp base.  The module listens to any of a variety of smart home technologies, which do their communication via radio or powerline induction.  These talk to either a wireless switch that glues to the wall (freeing up your entire receptacle for a common GFCI unit) -- or a combo smartswitch-receptacle that fits where you want.

In the latter case, the chance of finding a product which is a trifecta of smart-switch, receptacle AND GFCI device is rather remote.  We'll need to go external GFCI protection.

External GFCI protection

GFCI is a system of protection.  At the heart of the matter, it is a "black box" with two line wires coming in, and two load wires going out.   That black box can be anywhere.

The most obvious is a GFCI breaker.  This replaces the circuit breaker and provides both overload and GFCI protection, and protects the entire circuit.

Another Rather Useful package is the Dead Face.  This is a receptacle style with the sockets blanked out.  It forces you to think in terms of the black-box, with its LINE side and LOAD side that protects everything downline.

So if all else proves unviable, we protect this receptacle by placing it downline of a GFCI protector. Follow the wiring back in the direction of the panel and look for an opportune place to do that.  If you can find a receptacle location, replace it with a Dead Face.**

If you can't find a receptacle location, use a GFCI breaker.

There'll be no way to avoid protecting both the receptacle and lamp.  If your lamp is tripping ground faults, then dear God, replace it! You're in a bathroom, ground faults kill people there!

Bust up drywall

One option is to run another cable between light and switch.  A /3 cable would suffice.  It would carry always-hot (black), switched Hot (red) and neutral (white).  Now you can use your original device, but cover up and do not use the load side of the GFCI.  Join one switch wire to the switched-hot and the other to always-hot.

While you're at that, you could change the switch box to a 2-gang box which would allow use of a normal light switch and cheaper GFCI receptacle.

** just to be honest, I would never use a Dead Face.   I would just use the cheaper, more common Live Face and put electrical tape across the face as a mnemonic to remind myself to solve the problem without using those.


What (animal?) made a 0.75" diameter hole through my asphalt shingles? Something made a tidy 3/4" diameter hole through my 8-year old 3-tab composite roof shingles. (~45 deg pitch, if it matters) I suspect it was a woodpecker (they used to go at the side of the house, till we wrapped it in hardi-plank.)  Another possibility is yellowjackets - this Seattle house has had its share.

The hole seems a little large to be yellowjacket-created, but I don't know, really.  I am surprised at anything taking the time to go through the asphalt like this.  Anyone know what it could be?  Can I just replace the affected shingles and call it good?

Details:

1908 construction, re-roofed in 2007
45 degree pitch roof
50-yr architectural 3-tab.  8 years old
Hole cleanly penetrates 3/4" plywood underlay.
25 feet above ground level (Any solvent would have to have come from a flying source)
Hole is nearly vertical (not perpendicular to plane of roof.  EDIT:  Looked more carefully-it is a little past vertical (Farther from perpendicular to plane of roof.)
Hole is above where ceiling meets roof (sloped ceiling.  Not accessible.)
There are no power cords running through the rafter bay at that spot.
I fished around with an olive grabber and recovered a couple of pine needles and insulation from about two inches down.
A red-shafted northern flicker has taken serious interest in this house in the past, and still frequents our lawn and pine trees.
Looking around the area, I found a half dozen beginnings of other holes, diameter of a pencil eraser, halfway through the outermost layer of shingles. Could be old. The large hole could be old too.

It is bizarre.  I give up.  Onto the repair.

I'll get more/better photographs tonight.

I call them manufacture burn holes, I see them in most roofs even roofs only 1 year old, it is normally where there are either loose stone or poor seal of the stones on the shingle and with out the stones there is no protection and the sun will burn right thru the asphalt, it looks like your in this picture had some help with insects or yellow jackets, normally it just goes to the fiber or the shingle below, here is picture of one year old roof, just starting to deteriorate,


Carrier Central Air Conditioner Model 38CKC042-340 with 35/5 instead of 40/5 I have this unit
Carrier Central Air Conditioner Model 38CKC042-340

I was looking at http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a41b370d1182307/Model-38CKC042340-Carrier-Central-Air-Conditioner-Parts and it says i need "Capacitor Dual 40 + 5 mfd 440 volt Round"

My existing Capacitor was 35/5 so i replaced with another TRCFD355 35/5 MFD Round Dual Motor Run Capacitor

Questions
1. Is there any issue with running 35/5 instead of 40/5 as suggested by Repair clinic

Should be fine if you replaced a factory part with a part of the same size and configuration.


How to reconnect disconnected elbow in waste pipe? I live in a mobile home community, the septic recently was overflown, it was pumped, however the main line connecting to the pipes in my house was "out of place" when the maintenance person "banged it back into place" with a 2x4, now the entire connection (elbow) and all came off, they're telling me that this is my issue and that I need to contact a plumber.
Needless to say, a plumber is one hundred seventy five dollars per hour per person and this is a 2 man job. I am one woman but I am determined to fix it myself, I have done most of the home improvements already.

I can't find the correct connections needed, a diagram would be great but I am not sure where to find that either.

I second the comment that a photo would be helpful.  However, you might be able to use a flexible plumbing fitting such as those made by Fernco.


Electrical Work Question We had an electrician move our breaker box. He put in a junction box and ran a 100 amp cord, along with other wires next to one of our air vents. Is this to code?

We worry that even if it is framed around that if somebody tries to put a nail in for some reason and it goes into the 100 amp cord they will die almost immediately. When the electrician was questioned he stated it was fine because we were going to drywall over it. I added pictures of the cords next to the vent as well as some of his other work. How does it all look?

Thanks!

If any of the wires are closer than 1-1/4" from the surface of the stud it requires a steel plate to protect the wire. If the hole is 1-1/4" from the face of the stud it is 100% code legal.


What type of brush to use with polyurethane? I used this brush and got good results but I was wondering if there is even better. Are there brushes that are made specifically for polyurethane?

Back in the day, it was natural bristle for oil finishes, nylon bristle for water based. Polyester bristle came along touting good for any paint, oil or water based.

Just as a mention, the foam brushes do a very nice job of laying on a finish, but I would only use them for small jobs, the core wears through the foam under long time use. I do not use them by choice, but I have used them here and there over the years and they are my second choice.

In my experience nylon is crap for oil based paints. A good grade, mid priced brush is what I use on water based paints when finish is important. Here I will not hesitate to used a mid priced polyester brush too.

I use a mid priced natural bristle or polyester brush for my finer work, and the results I have seen under close scrutiny with a bright light looks smooth and free of brush marks.


How should I fasten strips of 15mm plywood to a sheet of the same? I've got a sheet of 15mm plywood which I need to build a door out of. Basically I want to cut the door in one sheet and use the leftover for reinforcing the edges by adding a layer on each side.

Will this work?

How should I affix the frame? Screws or glue, or both.

I've built a plywood door for a shed before and ran into a few issues that I'll at least make you aware of even if it's not a direct answer to your questions.

I used a layer of T-11 Siding (plywood with grooves for the look of slats) over a 2x4 frame.  I screwed and glued the plywood siding to the lumber frame and then lined the inside of the door with some 1/4" plywood for a finished look and strength.

What I ended up with were some very heavy doors.  It seemed like a great idea in my head, but I ended up having to change the hinges I planned on for something more heavy duty.  Also, the finished thickness of the door didn't allow me to use standard door locks.  I ended up having to use a "shed" style T-handle latch and a regular lock and hasp to secure the door.

So, recommendations:  Use one layer of plywood with a layer of reinforcements on the edges and maybe some diagonals for stiffening.  Strong adhesive should be good enough, but you have to clamp it together, so you might as well use glues and screws.  Pay attention to the finished thickness of the door to make sure it's what you want.  Two layers of your plywood (one sheet, one reinforcement) is going to make a very thin door, and if it's full sized, I doubt you can stop it from twisting over time.  Plywood over a frame of different lumber seems like the best option.

Here is a 4’x4’ door I made recently for a playhouse (bottom with the large X).  It’s a layer of 15mm plywood with an exposed 2x4 lumber frame.  It’s been holding up great so far.


Is it safe to drill in this sliding door frame? I would like to make a hole right where the cyan marking is (vertically above the existing screw head which is part of the frame assembly). This is basically a metallic door frame which happens to be on the corner where two sliding doors meet. I need to the hole to attach something to the frame. I've only done a bit of drilling into walls. Is there something I should take into account here? Which anchor should I use? Could this mess up the door somehow? Thanks.

If there are wooden 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s behind the metal door frame, then you will not need anchors. I would use 1-1/2" to 1-3/4" wood screws. With a small enough drill for a pilot hole only for the screws you are going to use, drill a hole in the metal and continue to a depth of 2" from the surface of the metal. If there is wood behind, you should get wood shavings out the hole or clinging to the drill bit.

If drilling this pilot hole reveals substantial wood members behind the metal, enlarge the hole in the metal with a larger bit to allow free passage of the screws through the metal. You do not want the screw threads to engage both the metal and the wood (if there is an air gap between the metal and wood behind) because this could deform the metal.

When tightening down the screw to secure the bracket, do not tighten past snug (do NOT over-tighten) because this could deform the metal, if there is an air gap between the metal and a wood member behind.


How to remove lead-based paint? I live in an older home (built c. 1920) and I am positive that it's full of lead-based paint. When we bought the house, there was NO wood exposed anywhere in the house. The previous owners covered every inch of any natural wood with layers and layers of paint. Well, my do-it-yourself type husband removed much of the paint in an effort to expose, sand and refinish some of the wood baseboards, door trim and trim around the room transitions. Unfortunately, he's notorious for leaving projects half-finished so there are a couple places where there is not a clean transition between painted and unpainted wall/wood. Long question short... What's the best way to seal off these transitions to limit the exposure of the lead-based paint hiding underneath? We have a very mobile 10mo daughter and it's imperative that any lead-based paint be sealed away from her. Any ideas?

Stop sanding immediately!  Lead based dust is the worst threat of all.   Simply painting over it to encapsulate it is the simplest measure.

To fully remove the lead paint is a big chore, and important to do right.   Look for local community classes if you can - the local one here had some classes on lead certification.  The short answer is, you have to seal the area off with plastic, wear a hazmat suit, scrape it all off and remove the paint from the premise, and then clean up all the dust.

You can google around and turn up tons of hits for lead removal procedures, here's the first I found and looks pretty good:

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/lead/homes/interior.html

One tool I used in my own lead paint removal was http://www.speedheater.us/

While it is stated not to use heat guns to remove lead paint, this one is a much lower temperature version that is much safer.   The fumes are still an issue so make sure there is ventilation to outside while working.   (Not related to speed heater, just a happy customer)