Furnace intake on both floors I have a furnace located in my basement in a small enclosed room. I also have a large vent upstairs above this room in my kitchen. I always thought that the furnace takes the air from the kitchen upstairs, heats it up and circulates it back. However, when I was changing the air filter today, my wife asked about the vent located downstairs near the furnace.

It seems to me that the air is bring pulled from 2 locations. First, upstairs by the kitchen and second also directly in the room where the furnace is located (the second location is not ideal. In an enclosed room with hot water heater and sewer pump)

I searched around online and I couldn't find anyone with a furnace design similar to mine that had another intake in the air return. I closed the second intake off by wrapping the vent in a plastic bag to prevent any additional airflow. Once the furnace started again, we noticed a much stronger pull from the first intake upstairs.

Does anyone know why there would be two intakes and will blocking off the second intake in the enclosed room be a problem?

Edit:
The main problem is there is a slight smell that gets circulated from that room. Once I closed it off, the air got quite a bit fresher. My worry is that there was some good reason it was there in the first place.

Actually it is quite common to have multiple air return ducts, with both heating and air conditioning it can save 20-30% by making slight adjustments and changing the flows. I usually suggest dampers on both the supply and return trunk lines for each level for the maximum savings, summer with ac more flow to the upper floor(s) in the winter more flow to the lower floors when heating. This balancing if done well with a air handler appropriately sized can save up to 30% so it may be uncommon in your area but higher end systems do have multiple intakes.


Can I change the color of the mortar in my brick wall? We recently built our home and the mortar color between the bricks is dark gray, we did not pay attention to it and because of that the brick face is looking duller due to the standard gray mortar.

We would like to put a lighter color a half-white or natural color is what we would like to go to.

How can we remedy this? Is it even possible to do this?

If you really wanted to, you could rake out the mortar and re-point with a coloured mortar of your choice.

That does seem a little excessive though, as you say it was recently built.

I'd be wary about using a stain, personally, for fear of also staining parts of the bricks.


Chronic Flame Sensor Failure - Furnace and Water Heater My house is 9 years old. About 5 years ago the Lennox gas furnace began to go into lockout. The problem was diagnosed as a dirty flame sensor. Shortly after, the same problem occurred with the Rheem gas water heater which is near, but not next to the furnace. As a result, the flame sensors on both have to be cleaned or replaced at least twice a year.

The first time I contacted Lennox customer service they advised a reconfiguration of the furnace exhaust/air intake. After that didn't help, I sent Lennox 4 of the replaced flame sensor rods to be analyzed; I never heard back.

One service person talked about fumes from cleaning supplies, paint, even carpeting which may be contributing. Another service person said this flame sensor problem is common and I should expect to have it cleaned at least once a year.

My current plan is to replace both items because at least I'd have a functional warranty. But is this saga familiar to anyone? Thank you for your feedback.

Check with your local natural gas utility. That's the company that actually delivers the gas - the same one you call for leaks, but don't call the emergency line for this problem. They may have a pattern of problems, and you would be another point for analysis. Or they may even have a solution.

While different, this reminds me of problems in my area (Maryland) years ago where lots of people got copper b water pipe pinhole leaks. Eventually it was traced to the chemicals in the water and the problem was resolved, though not until after plenty of people (myself included) had to pay to fix their pipes.


LED Light in Ceiling Fan only works with a non-LED next to it I have a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan with two light ports and a remote control.  The lights are e12 (candelabra) base, but I need some brightness.  I just bought some 12W LED bulbs (100w equivalent) and discovered something weird that I can work with, but I would like to know why it's happening.  If I only have 1 bulb in, or if I have 2 LED, they don't work....but if I have 1 LED and one incandescent one, the LED works.  I noticed that with just 1 LED, it seems to dimly pulse about every 2 seconds, but never comes on.  I specifically bought dimmable bulbs....I'm curious why it works with an incandescent in there, but not otherwise

LED bulbs work by using a power supply board (called a "driver) that converts your AC line to low voltage DC. The driver board takes very little power at first, then it excites the LED to make it glow and pulls a little more current. If your fixture uses solid state relays (SSRs) as the dimmer inside, those often require a minimum amount of current flow in order to function. If the LED driver current consumption is at or below that threshold, the SSR dimmer in the fixture fires, but will not stay on because there is not enough current flowing so it turns off again. When you add an incandescent bulb, you add enough current so that the SSR functions. This is what JPhi1618 meant when saying that the dimmer in the fan may not be compatible.


Existing outlet, metal junction boxes, new circuits, and ground I have an existing 15a outlet in the wall of my garage (in-wall nm 14/2). I want that outlet to serve another area, so I've added junction box on top of the outlet and used EMT to run another direction (my "A" circuit in the picture).
I decided I needed a few extra circuits in my garage as well, so I'm running 2 new 20a circuits from the panel through metal junction boxes and EMT (the "B" circuit). This new run of thhn will include 2 hots, 2 neutrals, and 1 ground - all 12ga.
Now, the original outlet that was in the wall is where I actually outlets from the new circuits, so that box is acting as a pass-through for the original "A" circuit, but will have outlets tied to the new circuit ("B") there (top left, dotted area where the circuits collide).
TLDR; My question:
How do I attach ground between these 2 disparate circuits (15a/14ga vs 20a/12ga)? Do I just pigtail them to the boxes and not worry about? Ultimately, I think my only real concern is a ground-loop situation.

You indicate that the "A" circuit just passes through that existing box at the top left and that you're adding a new box right next to it.
Assuming there's enough cable in that box, extend it to the new box and splice to your new cable run to the new box there. Do not connect any circuit A wiring in that box except to pass it through to a new piece of cable that carries on to the "A" box.
A better alternative, especially since you're already planning on installing a new box right there, is to use that existing box as the junction between the existing wiring and the new wiring and put a blank plate over it. Use the new box as the outlet box for the new circuit. This way there is no confusion whatsoever about how to wire and (for the future maintainer, maybe future you) there's no confusion about why wires are just passing through and, more importantly, no danger from having 2 circuits in one box and needing to remember to turn them both off for safe working in the box.
Also, I believe there's something code related about having a single outlet on a circuit (your A circuit), but I don't recall if it's a 15 or 20a breaker that has issues, so I'll leave that to the licensed electricians.


Superior option for gutters/downspouts? I am looking at replacing a downspout and possibly some gutters. Currently I have the usual rectangular white aluminum downspouts and gutters.

My concern with those is that they have limited capacity, so in heavy downpours they can overflow. Also, they are kind of flimsy.

Are there better options that would represent an upgrade disregarding cost?

Several options I have thought about are: clay pipe for the downspouts, copper gutters and stainless steel gutters. In Europe I have seen clay/terra cotta downspouts, but in the US I do not see them. Is there some practical reason why they should not be used?

Hands down, Stainless Steel. The hardest thing to dent out of all the choices, it has a good deal of spring where nothing else does. It won't turn ugly nor ever need paint & comes in a number of wall thicknesses, get as thick as you're willing to afford. All of the same profile choices are available, something with a face profile will dramatically increase the durability. SS will hold up to ladders & everything else the best.

Since you've noticed an overflow or possibly a Run-over issue with your current gutters, then definitely go up another size...an inch more in both height & width. Also, make sure your current gutters aren't more than an inch below the roofing edge, & that your roofing edge is no further than halfway across the gutter width. These would be the cause of Run-over. Don't skimp on screws, hangers or downspouts either. You'll never ever have to replace a single thing.


Ant infestation: do I need to replace siding/wall Since buying my house a few years ago, I've been fighting a losing battle with ant infestations in my outer wall. It has recently reached a head, since we found a nest inside of an electrical outlet adjacent to that wall.

There are actually two types of infestations (carpenter ants in wood, small ants behind a brick facade), but I have the same questions for both of them.

Is it enough to kill the ants, or do I need to replace the wall material they were nesting in?
If I do have to replace the wall material, do I need to clear out the ants first, or is it better to avoid spreading poison given that I'll be hiring someone to pull out that material?

Here's some more info. I'm in the Atlanta area.

Carpenter ants: These are in one of my window frames and the frame around my garage door. In some cases, I can see the holes that they used. When I first moved in, I drove them off with a spray made from plant extracts. I removed vegetation that was anywhere near these nests. I did not attempt to repair/seal the wood they were in. It seemed to work for a couple of years, but now they are back. One of these colonies is now using my interior windowsill as a waste dump/cemetery, but otherwise I don't see them in the house. We called a pest control company a year ago, but they were worthless. They were not interested in inspecting the wall at all, and just put some poison around the house which did nothing to control the ants. This year I've used Combat insecticide gel (outside the window), and it seems to have brought their numbers down but not eliminated them.

Small ants: As I walk around my house I frequently will see one or two lines of ants marching into my wall (going up from the ground and disappearing under my siding). I do not see them inside the house, and it looks like they are carrying food into the wall, so I think they are nesting in the wall and foraging in the yard. This is worst where I have a brick facade (~3ft tall) instead of siding. I see them entering and leaving the bricks through multiple openings just a few feet apart. There are some medium-sized bushes near here (with about 1 ft clearance between the bush and the wall). These ants are not too interested in the Combat gel that I put out. On the interior side of this wall is where we found the nest in the electrical outlet. It smelled like mold. I applied some Terro bait in this area, and the ants were not very interested in that either.

So, is it enough to eliminate the colonies, or will a new colony just resettle the same part of the wall next year?

With the carpenter ants you may need professional help. I have had to do some extensive repair work in the Pacific Northwest for carpenter ant damage I would be examining the area you have identified as an entry and several stud bays on either side. You may be lucky and they may not have harmed the structure , and siding / Trim. In 1 case I had to replace about 10’ of exterior wall that was only holding in place with the sheeting. I don’t mess with these guys because if you don’t kill them they move to another wall and start chewing it up. After several houses I started biting the bullet when I found them and removing the Sheetrock / lath and plaster having that area sprayed with some stuff only chemical applicators can get, also the inside and outside areas of the foundation. After that I never had a reoccurrence. It really depends on how bad the damage is if it all needs to be replaced but if you are seeing any kind of dust , bodies they can be hollowing out the studs until there is nothing left. If the wood is stable it may be ok to leave alone but I would get some pro help, the stuff they can put on the exterior of the foundation and at the base of the siding can last 10 years, plan to re do it if you have had problems or you may find a wall gone we just got lucky in one case it was found on the inspection.


Air-conditioner in heat mode When a split unit air-conditioner is used in heat mode, does it dry out the air inside the house/room? If so, is it advisable to use a Humidifier in conjunction with the air conditioner in winter months?

Air conditioners cool by running air through a cold coil (the evaporator). If the evaporator cools the air below the dew point, then water condenses, drying out the air. The excess heat is put outdoors using a hot coil (the condenser).

When you run a mini-split in reverse, it changes the evaporator into a condenser, which gives off the heat collected from the outside coil (now an evaporator). This heats the air, but it does nothing to the humidity, since the air never goes below the dew point.


What could cause a central A/C system to smell but only after central heating had been used? We have a central heating and air conditioning system in a single family home (in Southern California), where there is a large intake vent in the house that goes directly to the central house fan and furnace (which is located in the garage), and which works in conjunction with an A/C compressor on the side of the house. In the end of 2019, we had the whole system (i.e. the fan, furnace, and outdoor compressor) replaced.
That winter we used the heater, and then we transitioned to using both and then only the A/C into the summer of 2020. And then we switched back to the heater for the 2020/2021 winter.
However, in the Fall of 2020 I noticed something, that after the heater had been used and then we needed the A/C again for a hot day, the air smelled, I think, like mold or mildew. After the A/C ran for about 10 minutes it seemed to clear out though. Then we later used the heater, and on the next hot day we ran the A/C, it again smelled. Except this time it seemed to me that the smell didn't dissipate completely even after it was running for a while. We haven't turned on the A/C since then, but that has mostly not been an issue given the winter weather.
Now the weather is heating up again, and I'm afraid about using the A/C. The thing is, I don't understand what the problem could be. The A/C when running didn't smell, and then the heater when running didn't smell, and then the A/C when running after that did smell. What could cause something like that?
Of course, we could try turning the A/C on and hoping the smell isn't there or dissipates, but it still leaves me worried about mold. If the smell goes away completely maybe I would be mostly at ease, but even then I'd wonder if there is something of concern here.
Another detail which might be relevant, when the system was brand new, it smelled quite bad, which we were told was on account of the soldering done on installation. Eventually the smell went away by running the central fan for a long time, but the smell came back initially the first times we used the heater shortly thereafter, and it may have had the soldering smell as well at first when running the A/C in the middle of 2020. But I don't think it was the same sort of smell as it had in the Fall of 2020.

Smells in AC systems are somewhat common.
When the heat is used the drip pans dry out and any gunkies (a professional term for growth in the drip pan).
When the AC is used the dormant gunkies get some moisture and come to life.
The moisture is normal when the AC is on.
Ways to reduce or eliminate this growth add condensate pan tablets or strips that kill the gunkies without stinking the house up, bleach will work diluted but it stinks.
My normal mold treatment is a no no (hydrogen peroxide) DO NOT use any acids as they will eat the galvanized treatment off the drip tray and etch the aluminum parts.
You really only need to use these during cooling seasons not during heating because when heating there is no moisture in the pan. The tablets, strips or whatever use the moisture to kill the active fungus in the gunkies.
The gunkies are dust with mold / fungus growing and they can build up and block the condensate drains,  produce bad odors and create health hazards like legionnaires (first found in commercial AC systems). Simple sanitizing tablets or strips prevent the growth and can be purchased at most home stores.


Trying to identify rhythmic humming in home For the past couple of weeks there has been a periodic rhythmic mechanical humming occurring in my home that will go on and off for hours at a time. We're in a detached single family residence built in the 70s. According to a cheap oscilloscope app it's about 80Hz and repeats a little faster than 1 hum a second in a sort of "WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm" fashion. I don't have a measure of it's loudness but I can hear it over my ~20dB computer fans. We can only hear it indoors, even if we're outside right next to the house. It is louder in open rooms and near certain walls.
Things from other posts here that I've tried to rule out:

Something mechanical outside -- At first we thought it was the wood chipper from a work crew taking down trees across the block from us. But they've been gone for a couple weeks now and it's still happening. Additionally, if I go outside and walk around the neighborhood to try and pinpoint the sound I stop hearing it the second I step outside my front door.
Neighbor's AC condensers -- I've checked a couple times and they've been off at the houses to either side of us during the noise. Same with our condenser.
Something electrical/hidden fan/pump/etc -- The noise continues even when I flip the main breaker.
Overpressure in water pipes -- We'd had water hammer issues in the past and recently tested the pressure on our main line which measured 80psi. Finally, that must be the issue! Nope, had a new PRV installed a couple of days ago and the noise is still happening at 55-60psi. If anything, now it's louder.

I'm at a loss trying to figure out where this is coming from. Something plumbing-related is still my top guess but we tried clearing our pipes this morning and we could still hear it even with all the water drained from our home. I'm hoping someone here has advice on further steps I can take to troubleshoot this or an idea of who to talk to to get it fixed.

I don't know if this is the same issue but I'll mention it because "WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm" is exactly how I would describe it.  When I moved into my first home, I would sometimes hear a low resonating sound like you said "WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm".  It really scared me because I thought maybe it was my furnace or something but it would happen even when the furnace wasn't running.  I finally just got used to it but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.  It sounded kind of like how I would imagine a UFO hovering over my house might sound (no UFOs were sighted.)  I checked an 80Hz test frequency video just now and it was similar in tone.
A few years later, we had a gas fireplace put in and after a while I noticed that this sound was gone.
So here's my best guess as to what it was: there's a train yard a few miles away from where I live.  When the diesels come through, they are going very slow/idling and they make a low "WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm" sound.  Around a certain frequency, this sound was resonating in the chimney.  When the fireplace was installed, two insulated liners were added (intake and outtake) which changed the resonant frequency of the chimney and eliminated the sound.


How do I clean an AC condensate pan? I have a Ducane HVAC system that started leaking out of the evaporator coil housing. Mine looks like the EU1P. I read that i need to clean out the drip pan.

II tried cleaning it by sucking out the buildup with a wet/dry vac and flushing it with bleach solution but it's still leaking out of the back side that I can't get to.

I've heard of people hosing it out, but that seems like it might make a mess and get things wet that maybe shouldn't be.  I've also heard of people blowing it with compressed air but i thought that might just blow the stuff around only for it to clog up the system again.

What should i do to get this thing to stop leaking?

I had the same issue recently on my HVAC as well.

You probably have a PVC pipe running from the bottom of the evaporator coil housing. The blockage is probably in there somewhere. You can disconnect the PVC and let the condensate drain into a bucket.

If it does drain cleanly into a bucket, your blockage is in that drain line. Either snake it out or replace it. For me, snaking a 3/4 inch PVC with several 90-degree bends was more difficult than buying a couple pieces and replacing the drain line with 45-degree bends that are less prone to becoming blocked.

I filtered the condensate where my new drain discharges into my sump with a paper towel and was shocked how much debris was being flushed out.


Can I split a 208/120V 3-phase circuit into 3 separate 120V circuits and keep the shared neutral? I have a 208/120V 3 phase circuit currently feeding an outlet for a drill press. I would like to change this to 3 separate branch circuits for lighting. Can I keep the shared neutral? I plan on keeping the common internal trip breakers in place

This only works with genuine 3-phase power.  If you are using a "phase converter" to fabricate "3-phase" from a single-phase supply, Do Not Do This.

What you would be creating is called a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC).  There are several articles on here on how to do MWBC's, such as mine here, or you can Google it.   You will need to pigtail neutral, mark the wires as grouped wherever they are near other wires, and as Kris points out, use a 3-pole breaker.

The circuit breaker would need to be sized for the thinnest wire including the ground.   Sometimes 4-conductor circuits are installed with a smaller neutral than the hots, in that case the smallest wire decides the breaker size.

Also if you are feeding common USA 120V receptacles (i.e. NEMA 5-15 or 5-20), the breaker can be no larger than 20A. There are special rules which permit 30A for lighting circuits.


Can a circuit breaker become compromised by flooding? I often hear about home basements being flooded by several feet of water. Hypothetically, if the water line is high enough to submerge the outlets and the circuit breaker, can it not only short circuit the outlets, but short across the circuit breaker, turning the standing water into an elecution hazard?  If so, how can it be prevented?

Watch for flood lines.  Yes, any breaker that's been underwater should be smashed (so others don't dig it out of the trash and use it).

If you can't find an uncorrupted main breaker to cut, call the power company at the "my power is out" number and they'll send someone over ASAP because they don't want you dead. Dead customers don't buy electricity.   However if this was a large scale incident, their plate will be very, very full and your request will get triage'd and done when feasible.   Obviously, in the meantime, stay away from it.

After the flood is gone you have to size up each component.  Panels are simple affairs and it might be possible to take it apart and clean it.  Conduit should be OK but I'd pull the wires out and disassemble it enough to clean the insides by pulling a rag through them.  Every junction box would have to be cleaned out.   The wires will be ok if they say THWN or other outdoor rating.   Ratings for outdoor wire presume the wire is immersed in water 24x7.   Keeping water out of outdoor conduit isn't really possible.

Romex will be junk.  Every receptacle, switch and machine of any kind will be junk.


Beam size and material for 15 feet long swing I need to create a 15 feet span beam for kid swing (300 lbs load / 150 lbs and 2 swings assumption). One end will bolt to the tree (just for convenience).

What "treated lumber" lumber size and material I should use? Or is it better / cheaper to use metal pipe (from the plumbing department)?

I guess 4x8x16 or two (2) 2x8x16 would do it according to this website http://www.justanswer.com/structural-engineering/7vgxr-building-swing-set-16-ft-span-bolt-2x6.html. But I do like a clean look of metal. My wife would concern about big piece of lumber running on top of the kid (that looks heavy visually).

I would use the 4X8. If I had not seen the recommendation that you have posted, that is what I would have suggested.

The round pipe is not suited for the support of weight. "I beams" and such are. The round pipe where the swing will be attached has a high potential the colapse.
The round pipe can work if a truss configuration would be made of it, which would require welding.


How should I wire a GFCI outlet and a switch to isolate the switch but provide GFCI protection further in the series? I am replacing the outlets for my garbage disposal/dishwasher circuit in my kitchen. Currently on that breaker there is one non-GFCI outlet with a pigtailed switch controlling the garbage disposal and one non-switched GFCI outlet controlling the dishwasher. The garbage disposal outlet is currently not in series with the dishwasher outlet, but is "upstream" of it in relation to current coming from the breaker box.

I want to install GFCI protection for both of these outlets. I would also like to replace the current GFCI outlet behind the dishwasher with a normal outlet, so that if it trips, I won't have to remove the dishwasher to reset the outlet. Ideally, I would like to install a GFCI outlet for the current garbage disposal outlet, and have it protect both the garbage disposal and dishwasher outlets. However, there is a catch with this plan. I still need the garbage disposal outlet to be switch-activated, but I do not want that switch to also activate the dishwasher outlet.

In short, how can I wire my new outlets to achieve these goals:

GFCI protection for both outlets.
No GFCI outlet behind the dishwasher (for easy resetting without dishwasher removal).
The switch only toggling the garbage disposal outlet and not the dishwasher outlet.

I've thought about this for several days, and it may be impossible in my current wiring situation. If it is, what other solutions would achieve the same effect as listed above? Should I investigate adding a GFCI breaker for that circuit? Am I going to need to run some more wire through the walls?

Edit: Here is a diagram of the current wiring situation.

First things first, here's a link to Leviton's 7299 combination switch & GFCI instruction sheet.  For a tamper proof it will be a T7299. The only reason I give Leviton is because I know the part number.  Hubbell, GE or Cooper are just as good and make the same.

  GFCI protection for both outlets.

Follow the instructions that come with the GFCI.  There are leads for the switch and lugs for the GFCI and also the feedthru-protection of another receptacle.

  No GFCI outlet behind the dishwasher (for easy resetting without dishwasher removal).

This is accomplished by feeding the dishwasher receptacle using the GFCI feedthru-protection lugs.

  The switch only toggling the garbage disposal outlet and not the dishwasher outlet.

This is accomplished by using the leads on the combo switch & GFCI to feed the garbage disposal.

  Am I going to need to run some more wire through the walls?

If there are no wires between the combo switch & GFCI then you will have to pull some romex between the two.

  Should I investigate adding a GFCI breaker for that circuit?

The breaker will cost a lot more than the combo switch & GFCI.  Also, if the GFCI trips then you have to go to the breaker to reset it.  At least with the GFCI receptacle feeding your dishwasher receptacle, you will be closer.

  What other solutions would achieve the same effect as listed above?

I think this is the way to go, so you don't have to pull your dishwasher out to reset the GFCI.  The nice thing about this site is some of the people either can think out of the box or have faced this problem before.


Covered vent under a floating wood floor How do I find a covered floor vent under a floating hardwood floor?!?!.....magnet not picking it up, and can't hear it through a stethoscope

Couple ideas come to mind:

Focus near windows, this is the typical location of an HVAC vent. Compare the room with others to find common locations, spacing from the wall, and typical number of vents in the room.
If you believe you have located it, a deep sensing stud finder may identify edges of the vent if you start in the middle.
Try loud sound/music directed into another vent.
Look from below the floor, making a small access hole in the ceiling below where you suspect the vent may be located.
Since the floor is floating, pull the trim and lift up the last few rows. The floor can be put back without any impact, and the trim will just need some caulk, nails, and touch up paint.


Remove screen from window I've got an American Craftsman 70 series double hung window and I'm trying to remove the screen.  It is a full screen, and the only mechanisms on the screen are in the corners as shown in the picture below.

I've pushed, pulled, slid, and prodded but I can't get the screen out.  Anyone know how to take out the screen?

That type of handle usually means the the screen is "spring loaded" into the channel opposite where those handles are. It should slide "across" (like a sliding glass door) until the edge near the handle is free and you can then pull it inward. Or, in some cases, outward, per comment.


How to mount ZWave switch on stone wall - either retrofit in metal box or better? I have a light switch in a surface mounted 4" metal box in the basement.  I replaced the switch with a Decora-style Zwave one in the single-device metal cover.  I thought it was worth attempting because the antenna is behind the plastic paddle, exposed to the front, and there are other ZWave devices in the room.   It works intermittently but not acceptably.
I'd like to avoid replacing the entire box with a plastic one: a) because I'm lazy b) because  it's on a rough stone wall in a high traffic location, I'm worried a plastic box might become damaged.
So I'm looking at a 4" single-device PVC mud ring as a compromise.  It would go over the metal box and expand the exposure of the antenna through plastic from just the paddle to the entire 4" face.  It might not work but it costs $2 and is worth a try.  It's very ugly .. metal box, blue plastic cover, white plastic paddle.
Any better ideas?

What would be a good short cut without replacing the whole box?
If I remove the whole box and "do this right", what is the best way to mount a Z-wave switch on a solid stone wall, in a manner that is to code and looks at least slightly attractive?

Thanks for the suggestions in the comments.  I tried various lazy solutions, in the end I had to do it right.  Nothing else worked.
I moved the existing metal box close to the ceiling, I had to keep it involved because one of the wires coming into it is armored.  I then ran NM cable from there to the ZWave switch location and bought a surface mount PVC handy box for it.  I also moved it a few inches away from its original location which was directly adjacent to another metal box.
That all this stuff is mounted on a stone wall did not make it a fun job, which was part of the reason I tried to take short cuts but they just didn't work.


How to remove concrete paving stone from mold? I've been making decorative concrete paving stones for use in the garden recently and everything's been going fine until I tried one in a new mold I purchased and I can't for the life of me get the slab out of he mold! (Can't believe I'm actually having to ask this!)

The mold in question is slightly different from others I've used or built before and is Polyurethane and while it's got some flex (I have been able to flex the individual sides of the mold so I can tell it's not adheared to the mold's 'walls') the overall structure is much more rigid compared with the silicone or flimsier plastics I've used before and the slab is staying put against the bottom of the mold.

The catch is that I need to extract the slab without damaging or destroying the mold as it has a custom design created by an artist friend of mine using hot glue on the base of the mold (I've used this technique successfully on other molds before so I don't believe the glue is the culprit and the glue had fully cured before the pour), here's what I've tried so far:

Turning it upside-down (duh! first thing I tried and has worked with others in the past
Flexing the side(s) of the mold ) can see the sides of the mold coming away from the but that's it.
Gently shaking the mold up and down while holding it upside down (over a suitable cushioned surface to catch the slab of course)
Same but more vigourously
Same but side to side
Negotiating with it
Bribing it
Threatening it
Orbital palm sander (without sandpaper of course) against the various sides of the mold to vibrate it out
Applying firm, progressively built pressure to the under side of the mold (have tried both the center and the corners to see if one produced more flex than the other)
Light taps on the underside with a hammer (I was getting desperate)

And nothing  - when shaking vigourously in an up-down motion I thought I felt the weight of the slab shift but could see no visual indication so possibly I imagined that.

The concrete in question is is Blue Circle Master Crete mixed with sharp sand and aggregates according to the standard proportioning on the instructions (same mix I've used in every other pour), it was pulsed with the palm sander to remove air pockets and it was cured for ~96 hours in a reasonably cool but humid environment, every other casting I did in the same pour recieved the same treatment and has come out of their molds perfectly so I don't think there is an issue with the pour or the curing.

I've googled for tips and tricks but the only suggestion I've come across that I haven't already tried and that doesn't involve destroying the mold is to put it in the freezer to try and make the mold contract but I haven't been able to try this as it is too big for my freezer.

How can I remove this slab without damaging the slab or the mold?

Thanks to all who provided suggestions in comments/answers - I've actually succeeded in getting it out before having chances to try them. They'll definitely come in handy in the future I think though - and the muriatic mention from Shimon will definitely be useful as I wasn't aware of it and the ability to etch concrete could be very handy! Plus it would have allowed me to save a casting I lost earlier where excess concrete in just the wrong place caused it to be nigh-on impossible to de-mold without destroying it.

Ultimately I used a very low-tech solution of inverting the mold on the floor and standing on it, shifting my weight to flex the "bottom" of the mold  and this caused the slab to drop enough (the slab wasn't flush with the top of the mold so there was a few cm of room for it to drop) that I could get a butter knife in the edge and pry the slab loose.


Pouring concrete countertops over lazy susan Long story short, we are planning on putting in concrete countertops because our garbage disposal is broken (we were going to do it eventually, but this accelerated the timeline). In order to get the old countertops off, we had to bust open the corner lazy susan (There was a screw in the corner that we couldn't get to otherwise). I'm not sure what I was expecting, but we discovered that the cabinet isn't really complete. There is what looks like a 1x2 secured to one wall, which was holding up the counter on that end, with  nothing on the other wall. There is also about 6 inches of a 2x4 on the floor under the 1x2, presumably to old down that corner of the cabinet side. There is also no bottom to the cabinet (it goes right down to the concrete foundation) and the only sides are where it meets the adjacent cabinet on one side, and then where the space for the stove is on the other side.

The rest of the cabinets look they are mainly particle board with wood (not sure if it's solid, my guess is that it's maybe just a veneer over plywood or more particle board) in the front.

The question is in 2 parts:

Is there a diy way for us to make this space into a usable cabinet? We didn't like the lazy susan anyway, and would like to make better use of all that space.

and

Can we be sure that it will hold up under the concrete countertop?

You don't wish to retain the lazy susan/turntable?

Then it's fairly simple to turn that into storage space, some of which will be difficult to access (which is why people often accept the LS/T losses of potential space.)

If there's no side next to the stove, you'll need to make one. If there is, you just need to make some shelves, and screw supports for those shelves into the cabinet sides and the wall studs.

You can either paint the drywall or overlay it with plywood depending how much you care what the inside of the "cabinet" looks like.

As for supporting the concrete top, there's two stages to that - if you are pouring it in place, that's the tricky time and you need to provide adequate support (temporarily) to keep the heavy wet concrete from sagging on whatever you use as a bottom form, as well as enough reinforcing that it will support itself when cured. If you are pouring and curing it separately, then installing it, you only need to hold it up when cured, and that can be more cleats (robust ones) on the walls, and perhaps a diagonal brace across the corner.


Need a new roof but have2 gable ends and no overhang for soffit vents I have about a 1400 square foot roof with a 6/12 pitch.  The house was built in the 50's and there are no soffit vents, but there are 2 Gable ends.  I need to have a new roof installed and am adding a ridge vent.  Is it ok to leave the gable ends with a ridge vent or should I close them off and have edge vents installed?  I have no overhang to add soffit vents.  Any insight would be very helpful.

When I asked the roof contractor about soffit/ridge venting for my 1890's house, his opinion was that my gable vents were perfectly adequate. Since the switch-over would have generated additional income for him, I'm inclined to believe him.


Make new walls match thickness of old walls I'm working in a 1952 house and the studs used then are apparently 3 5/8" thick instead of the studs today at 3 1/2". I know it's really close so I'm wondering if I fill in door ways along a wall to make it into a longer hallway, will the difference be obvious when you cover the old and new studs with drywall? If so, what options other than tearing down and rebuilding the whole wall might there be?

Rip some strips of 1/8 hardboard (masonite) and tack them on the new studs. Or you could use plywood, but hardboard is usually less expensive, and less prone to giving you splinters when you rip a bunch of it.


After blowing heat the fan won't stop, continue blowing cold air for prolonged period of time (30+ min) Not always, but often the furnace continue blowing cold air after blowing heat. It may blow cold air for more than 30 minutes. Under this conditions I also see the error code (8 red flashed) "Ignition lockout due to recycles".

Is there anything that I can easily adjust/a part to replace? Here is how the furnace looks:
Adding observed sequence. After a day thermostat on OFF, I switched it to heat and the very first sequence was fine - inducer blower first, then bright orange ignition, then click and steady blue gas flame, then blower fan, then after several minutes all off (and the diagnostic LED slow green "all normal"). However the second sequence, several minutes after the first sequence, revealed the problem:

Thermostat is on heat
Inducer blower ON (diagnostics LED slow yellow)
Bright orange ignition light ON
A click, blue flame ON, but after a few seconds it's OFF
The steps #3 and #4 repeat about four or five times
Orange ignition light OFF, inducer fan OFF, blower fan ON, the diagnostic LED 8 red flash "Ignition lockout due to recycles". Blows continuously for until I turn the furnace power off.

The blower remaining on after a heat cycle can be a symptom of a failing safety sensor (but we don't have enough information yet to confirm whether that's happening here). The logic is that if the controller can't confirm the gas burner has shut down then the blower is kept on as a safety to avoid the furnace literally burning itself up. In this case the inducer fan (the large black rectangle in the middle) would also remain on.

You'll need to carefully observe the furnace and report back in order for us to help further.

Adjust the thermostat to call for heat
Turn off the power to the furnace for about 30 seconds, then turn its power back on. Hopefully there's a power switch (looks like a light switch) on the exterior of the furnace probably on its right side; if there isn't you'll have to have an assistant flip the circuit breaker.
Standing at the furnace while the power is switched on observe what happens. Make notes or record a video. Listen for clicks, notice when the main blower and the inducer blower come on (the inducer blower is the black rectangle in the center of the photo), watch for an orange glow to appear in the burner area and for the gas to turn on.

Edit the question to include the sequence you observe. We don't need to have the video uploaded (I'm not sure whether SE even supports that); a written description will be fine.


Load Bearing Weight Capacity of a 3/4“ x 3/4” Wood Molding? I'd like to custom install Ikea PAX sliding doors into my existing closets, recessing them into the closet opening. My idea is to create a custom "frame" simulating the Ikea closet frame onto which to install the Ikea mounting hardware. The Ikea hardware is designed to slide onto a 3/4" thick frame.

My question is: would a 3/4" x 3/4" wood molding screwed onto a 1.5" x 6" or a 2" x 6" wood plank be able to support the 130 lb Ikea doors? The top rail would be screwed onto the molding and the weight of the sliding doors would rest entirely upon this molding.

See the photo below to illustrate the design. In this picture the sliding doors would be mounted to the molding and the doors would face left (the inside of the closet would be to the right).

I can screw the molding to the larger wood piece every foot and also use wood glue between them. I have no experience in wood working and such a small molding seems like it might not hold up. Thanks!

You don't mention what kind of wood you're planning to use, which does make a big difference in this case but assuming you're going to use pine/poplar or some similar readily available wood my answer would be no, the 3/4 "cleat" is not going to hold up. My first thought is that if your dimensions are limited in the way your drawing implies, what about a piece of angle iron, or something similar?


How do we properly insulate a loft ceiling with 2" by 4" without loosing space? We have recently started a home improvement project that involved completely redoing all of our vaulted ceilings. We have a loft area that was about 6 foot in height at the peak. When we did the demo we found that they only used 2"x4" for the roof trusses, and being in NY we cannot get the right r value with out lowering the ceiling and loosing the loft. Any suggestions?

Let me start by mentioning that you're tempted to skimp out on meeting code for insulation, I wouldn't recommend it. NY gets coooooold! To insulate the roof deck of your vaulted ceilings to code, here's probably your most space-efficient option:

3.5" of closed-cell spray foam between the trusses (R-24) + 5" XPS board above the roof sheathing (R-25) + 0.5" drywall covering the spray foam

With this approach, you don't lose any height (assuming there was previously drywall there that you've since removed during the demo). Of course, it will require removing your roofing material to add the foam boards, which is probably going to be a big expensive nightmare if the roof isn't already in need of replacement. Here's probably the next-best option for meeting code and losing as little space as possible:

3.5" of closed-cell spray foam between the trusses (R-24) + 4" Polyiso board on the inside (R-28) + 0.5" drywall covering the foam boards

You lose 4.5" with this approach. Not terrible.


Venting floor heating I've had sub-floor heating installed a month ago and I think I have a problem with the air in the installation, because there are some rooms that don't reach the desired temperature.

The plumbers tried twice to take out the air by locking each circuit separately, but it's still not working. Now they told me to let the circuit pump running while turning off the central heating for a week. It doesn't make any sense to me and I'm pretty sure they aren't very good with this.

Here's how it looks:

There's 8 circuits and a Wilo Yonos Para pump that cools down the water that comes from the central heating by pumping the returned water in the main pipe (English is not my native language and I don't know how to formulate it very well. Sorry for that).

Basically the problem is that I have 3 rooms upstair (2 bathrooms and the dressing) that don't reach the desired temperature of 20C even after one week. The bigger rooms (bedrooms) reached it in 1-2 days.

Your hydronic floor heating system could have several problems.  You'll want to troubleshoot to narrow it down:

If you hold the pipe that returns from the upstairs room, is it warm like the other pipe?  If so, then there is circulation happening.  In that case, you can try to balance the system by directing more flow into that pipe.  This is done by turning those adjustment valves on top of the return manifold.  You would turn them down for the other rooms, and turn the up for the colder room.  If this still doesn't help, then you could add insulation to the upstairs rooms.  If nothing else, maybe your upstairs subfloor is more thick or more insulating that the downstairs rooms which are working.  You could try insulating from below with reflective shielding to direct all the heat up, but this would be possible only if you still had access to the underside of the subfloor.

There should be no air in the pipe, because that will prevent circulation or make the pump inefficient or damaged.  Air should be completely flushed from the system by bleeding one line at a time with the pump on.  If you grab the return pipe from upstairs and you feel no heat while the system is running, then you could have a lot of air, or perhaps a kink in the line, because there is no circulation coming through it.


How can I fix this fountain and prevent it from happening again? I bought a fountain recently and since it's been below freezing I put it outside empty. Well, it fell over in the first high wind day. Now the statue part has cracked off the base, and part of the bit that attaches them is cracked in half.
I assume I should try to fix it with an epoxy of some kind?
And how do I prevent it from cracking again if it falls over?
Do I need to bury the base of it?
Wait to put it outside until it's consistently above freezing at night and put water in it?

Tie it down.

Here is your fountain.  You can tie it down across the white base which I assume is attached to the plastic fountain bowl and statue.  You could use a nylon or poly rope of some color you thought was unobstrusive.
You could tie the rope to stakes and then hammer the stakes all the way into the ground then put the mulch back on top.  That would make sure rope is tight.  I show 2 ropes but you could use 4.


Which qualities should I look for in a driveway sealer for new asphalt? Two years ago, the blacktop on my driveway was replaced.  It has never been sealed. The local hardware and paint stores sell various driveway sealers.

What features should I look for when I buy sealer?

Thanks.

You're looking for two things: 1) wear surface, and 2) adhesion.

1) Wear surface: There's always good-better-and best in all things. Asphalt coatings are no different. Asphalt coatings are a oil-based product and wear has to do with particles in the compound (liquid). When oil is "refined", it has chemicals and particles that can be used for asphalt coatings, roofing, etc. (How it's refined give you the good-better-and best results. I don't know how to determine which is best, but see item 2), below.)

2) Adhesion: Look for a coating with a "gel base", not a "latex base". Gels flow, coat and adhere better. (Btw, the warranty is longer with gels too. I think warranties are 3-5 years with latex and 7-8 years with gels.)

Btw, you said you have NEW asphalt. Do not coat or seal it until it's "cured"...about 6 months. Follow the directions...clean, apply at correct temperature, etc.


Water pressure totally gone after turning off to repair We turned our water main off and on repeatedlly and now all pressure is gone. Help please.

Option 1 - the valve (rarely operated) broke when operated and is not opening.

Option 2 - deposits, disturbed by closing the valve and draining the plumbing, have plugged the pipes.

For option 2, open whatever valves are nearest the valve, or open up unions and flush out whatever glop may be there if ANY water flows - and/or run a stiff wire into the pipe (not through valves, but if opened at unions.)

For option 1, the main valve will need to be replaced.

If there is absolutely no water flow at all, bet on option 1.


How can I improve the water pressure in my shower? I recently purchased my first home. It has two bathrooms and the water pressure in both is less than ideal. What are some steps I can take to increase the pressure?

This is an effective trick a plumbing contractor once told me.

Go to your local home improvement store and buy a cheap shower head (the one I picked up cost $1.50). If you look down inside of the showerhead you'll see a washer which constricts the water flow. If you take a drill and enlarge the hole, thereby increasing flow, the water pressure will increase. I didn't think it would work but it did!!

If you want to go the expensive route, there are pumps you can purchase that will attach to the piping and add pressure to the water. I've heard of such a thing but never looked for one.


How to fix black gloss paint bleed on brilliant white eggshell walls + paint stripped from walls We are newbies to house renovation/decoration and have been having fun doing it ourselves in our first new home, however, there have been a few mishaps along the way as we learn how to do things.
We have 2 issues:

Black gloss bleed on brilliant white eggshell walls.
FrogTape stripping off paint from around Dado rail.

We painted our walls with brilliant white eggshell, then we painted our dado rails gloss black but unfortunately the black gloss paint has bled through the FrogTape. What would be the best way to fix this up? Do we need to remove the black gloss that had bled with white spirit or some alternative method? We're happy to take our time to do it but unsure of the best way to go about it as I would imagine just painting over the bleed with the white eggshell wouldn't work?
The second problem is how to patch up the stripped off paint from around the Dado rail. I've read in a few places that sanding down, spackling, priming and repainting is a good option, but is spackling more for larger dents in the wall rather than stripped paint?
Thanks in advance for any help!!!
Hope everyone had a festive holiday as much as they could during this time.
EDIT: Attaching close up photos:

First rule of masking the wall when painting trim - you need to paint the trim like there is no masking at all.  With practice you can learn how to paint a good enough line that you don't need to mask at all but until then the masking is for protection for an "oops" it is not carte-blanch to just slap the paint on the trim plus all over the tape.
I suggest you use a razor to razor the black paint off the wall.  Then mask the black dado and use a artists' paintbrush to cover the areas that you scraped off the white paint.
spackle is for drywall so yes you can use it to fill dents in drywall.


Main water line from 3/4 to 1in, meter and pressure I come here with a question since the plumber from a company that I called earlier this week gave me conflicting information compared to what I've read online.
I've purchased a house last year and I am looking to do some improvements on the plumbing of the house. I am planning on doing the whole house in PEX A later on this year, which I am confortable doing, but I dont want to mess with anything without making sure my connection to the main line is safe and trust worthy.
Note I am currently in Lyndhurst NJ.
Currently I have the following setup coming from the street:

Before I do anything on the house I would like to hire a company to remove that elbow that reduces my 1in pipe to 3/4in right before the meter.
I understand that the meter would need to be changed (looked up the price and it's not too bad).
So now to the part I didn't fully understand from the company, they were saying that if I removed that elbow I would have a higher pressure on the house and that would likely be a problem.
I dont see why I couldn't just have the meter, a ball valve and then a pressure reducer for the rest of the house. My goal isn't to redo the whole house now, it's just so that I have more flow to be able to use the sprinklers and take a shower, or use multiple things at the same time.
Can anyone help me understand a little bit better what this plumber was talking about or if my theory here is correct that there would be no problems.
Here is also a picture of the actual setup:

best regards,

The size of the water line does not determine the water pressure. Increasing the water line will affect the volume of water flow and the pressure drop in that line. If you increased the incoming line to 2" the pressure would remain the same only the amount of flow available would change. I would check with the water supplier about changing the water meter size. Where I live, the water meter has to comply with the water authority and there is a monthly up-charge for a larger meter.
Since I have never used PEX I can not can't comment on it's use.


Light fixture emits a high pitch sound with no bulb I have a light fixture that hangs from the ceiling which no longer works with new bulbs. It uses Dulux D/E 18 watt compact fluorescent bulbs. I'm ok with it not working but when I turn on the light switch, it emits this high-pitch sound – even with no bulb. A simple solution to the sound is to just not use the switch but I need to use it power on other things. Can someone tell me what the issue is and how I can resolve it?

Here are some images of the light fixture itself and inside of it:

light fixture http://www.gobozzy.com/wp-includes/images/light/IMG_4622.JPG.
inside fixture http://www.gobozzy.com/wp-includes/images/light/IMG_4623.JPG.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

The noise is coming from the ballast (the part which converts 120 or 240 (or whatever the local standard is) VAC to the voltage and current required for the fluorescent bulb. Given that the fixture no longer works with a new bulb, that has failed, but some portion of it is still trying to work and the high-speed electrical switching common in newer-style ballasts is making the noise.

Best bet would be to replace that ballast (they do not live forever) so the light is useful again. Or, as suggested by @John, you could remove the power to the ballast (and remove the entire fixture, if you don't plan to fix it - a cover plate would go on the ceiling electrical junction box.) A third option would be to have the light retrofitted to an LED type fixture (which uses a different "ballast" or power supply) or replace the entire fixture.


Best way to cover stair using concrete retaining wall block I have spent 3 days creating this stair and I still don't like to look. The reason is that I have tons of those retaining wall blocks so I have to use them all to create the stair.

The first try was to have 1 block row per step and that was too narrow to walk (only 7" depth). The second try was to put retaining wall cap (8" depth) on top but that was still not long enough for human foot.

The last try is to 'double' the row to 2 blocks and now I have 14" depth to walk. This is acceptable to me as I tested it. BUT now I have a huge problem with somewhat an ugly look. Plus they are not really tight and move around.

This is the block:

Source: http://www.lowes.com/pd/Tranquil-Flagstone-Concrete-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-11-in-x-4-in-Actual-11-6-in-x-4-in/3722164

My question is how best to secure and cover the stair?

I have some options:

Use 14x14 (2" thick) concrete pavers to put on top. It's possible but then I am wasting the blocks on the bottom as they are completely covered now.
Fill crushed rocks in between the cracks and leave them be. I know they will fall apart. So maybe I put some retaining bracket in the bottom and top row?
Fill concrete in between the triangle gaps. But I am wondering if the concrete will crack?
Fill in "something else" like gap filler to prevent cracking but also cover the cracks / gaps? I don't know what materials to use here.
Completely pull this apart and buy something else for the stairs. Wasted 3-day.

I am leaning toward Option 4 but just don't know what to buy. Also the color is Tranquil so I don't know if the outcome will look ugly (in a different way).

Please help.

I think they're nice looking stairs... I would suppose that it's not going to sit perfectly still without a stout concrete base, or without some kind of retaining system (like rail road ties or long blocks or something) but I think crushed rock is probably a suitable alternative, too.

After a couple years, you will probably need to add something to fill it in. Then I might opt for a more ornamental gravel.

Alternatively, you could go for the natural look if you fill it in with soil and grass seed; as grass and stuff begins to grow it will also help it settle and hold it's place.

Since you have angled blocks/pavers... yo could try the (fancy) round stair look.


Custom ductwork mixing box vs manufacturer accessory I am trying to fit some equipment in a tiny space and the mixing box that the manufacturer sells has a 34"x5" opening on it for the outside air intake.  I don't have anywhere close to enough room to accommodate a transition piece to this size  and was wondering if there is typically anything special about the mixing boxes that manufacturers sell with their equipment or if you are just as well off ducting the equipment and making your own "mixing box".  Then I can make all of the openings where I need them rather than being stuck by the limited variations that the manufacturer offers.

A mixing box just mixes inside and outside air to equalize temperature.  It's possible that using a smaller box may reduce its effectiveness somewhat, but in general you're simply transporting and mixing air, so my unsupported opinion based on no facts whatsoever is that your solution should be fine.


Gap where two different roof lines meet - best way to close up? In my attic today I noted that where two different roof lines meet and overlap there is a large visible gap where light was coming in.

It looks like they shingled the lower roof and then built the higher roof above since you can see shingles inside the attic. I am guessing this gap is reducing heating/cooling efficiency, moisture, and could let critters in so I want to fill it properly.

I was thinking some orange canned spray foam, but not sure if I need to do something special here in this case.

If your only concerned about critters, depending on the actual size of the gap (mouse sized to raccoon sized) a "combination of chicken wire-like mesh and rolled fiberglass insulation pressed gently into gap should work. I wouldn't spray foam alone, critters of all kinds could still chew and peck through it.

This is a sure sign that the roof line/rooms are not original to the house and proper integration of it was not incorporated into existing structure properly. I would look closely for other issues. The attic ventilation is important, so the gap is acceptable for that, however there should already be adequate ventilation. The concern remains to be wildlife intrusion, structural integrity and severe weather. Water could be forced up into the gap more readily then soffit ventilation due to the sloping roof line beneath it. And shingles need to rest upon a structural surface underneath them. Here in Florida during hurricane season winds would rip those shingles off and several more with it increasing the amount of rain that could soak the space and anything below.


Should water heaters be turned off (for safety) when not in use? Is there any safety concern regarding leaving water heaters on 24/7?

No: water heaters are designed to be left on 24/7/365. You might turn one off if you're leaving for a vacation to save energy, but safety isn't part of the decision.


Where should I start laying nail down hardwood flooring and how do I make it straight? I'm planning to install tongue and groove hardwood flooring in my living room, dining room, kithcen, hallway, and powder room. The longest unbroken length of floor runs from the front bay of the house (living room) all the way through the dining room and kitchen to the back door - about 60 feet. There are archways connecting most rooms with a couple smaller doorways as well. Another consideration is that the house is very old so very little is square.

I'm trying to figure out two things: how to make sure the boards look straight from the front of the house to the back, and which run to start with. The first thing that comes to mind to making the runs straight is to make a chaulk line from the bay to the back door then orienting all runs to that line.

Regarding which run to start with my understanding is that I would start against some wall, groove side out. If I do this and build out until the runs are far enough out from the wall that I can pass through an archway to the adjoining room, how can I then attach planks in that adjoining room to fill the floor space up to the wall on the same side of the house I originally started on (in the first room)? How would I nail these planks since I wouldn't have access to the grooves for those 20 or so runs to the wall?

I'm guessing this is a common issue to deal with when installing in more than one room connected along the same line as the floor runs.

Edit:

First, remember to lay your wood perpendicular to the floor joists. Laying it parallel can cause a waving effect which is unpleasant.

Next, find the longest, longest, straightest wall which is perpendicular to the joists.
Measure out two feet from the wall all the way down the wall.
Then find the best line down these marks, snap a chalk line,
Measure back to the wall about 23 and 5/8 inches. Snap a this line.
Line up your first run of floor against this line, tongue side out (nail through the tongue).

As for room to room, if they are really out of square with each other, try building a transition between rooms:

----||----
----||----
----||----
----||----

This allows you to lay each room separately, allowing each room to be square.


XPS polystyrene foam board insulation & Spar Urethane Will xps polystyrene foam board insulation react with wood that is coated with spar urethane? Will the foam board melt?

You should check with the manufacturer of the foam board for a definitive answer, but I can't imagine any circumstance where styrofoam would interact badly with a cured finish. (Urethane is pretty inert when dry.)


Pop up sprinkler rotation A couple of my pop up sprinkler head rotate when they rise. One eventually rotated 180 degrees spraying my driveway instead of my landscape. What causes that and more importantly... how do I fix that?

Here's a sketch of a typical plastic pop-up sprinkler (www.irrigationtutorials.com):

If the parts fit very loosely, especially the nozzle onto the riser, one could imagine that it might rotate a little bit and work itself looser with each operating cycle.

Rotation can occur in at least three places:

where the nozzle screws onto the riser
where the riser section slides in the body (not the rotation of the cap)
where the body inlet screws onto the piping below

The place where the riser section fits into the body is typically splined. The screw-on cap holds the riser into the body, but the riser can't rotate because it is engaged with those splines inside the body.

First tighten the two threaded connections appropriately (the nozzle onto the riser and the body onto the supply piping). Finally, unscrew the capg, rotate the riser until it's as close as possible to the direction you prefer, and tighten the cap. Rotate the body-to-pipe connection a little bit if needed to fine-tune the direction.


What size should I cut my backer board? I am hanging backer board for my shower and have a 5'x 3'2" tall space I need to cover. The backer board comes in 5' x 3' sheets.
My question is should I Use one full sheet and then cut another down to 5'x2" or should I cut two sheets into somewhat even increments so as not to be working with such a small piece of backer board towards the top of the shower near my ceiling.
For example I could cut them both down to 5'x1'7".

The reality is that it doesn't matter all that much, and optimizing for whatever allows them to reuse the most material or minimizes cuts should be your first priority (I see you have another uncovered wall that you might want to factor in).

That said, if you are sure you only want to cover the area stated in the question, then it would seem you are in for 2 pieces of backer board no matter how you slice it.  Thus, you might consider cutting boards twice so that you will have vertical seams for drainage reasons.


Installing an Ecobee3 - Add C Wire with PEK I have another post with this question (Adding a C wire) but thought I'd clear up any confusion with this new post and I'm adding a diagram also. The diagram shows my current thermostat wiring and not the new Ecobee one.

I cannot add a new thermostat wire, which would be the best way, so I'm going to go with the Ecobee's PEK module.  Just wondering where in the line I should add it.

The manual says to add the PEK at the control board on the air handler but I have some wire nuts along the way that connect other things. So my options are:

Connect the PEK at the control board but then the EZ trap and condensate pump will go through the PEK wiring module at R. Also, the Y wire will have the AC white wire connected to the PEK.
Connect the PEK where the wire nuts are but I will have to connect the C wire from the PEK to the blue C wire, white Humidifier wire and red AC wire. Is that ok to do?

I'm thinking 2 is the better location for the PEK but let me know your thoughts.  Also, if I were to use a 24 volt transformer, could I just connect C at the thermostat to one of the screws on the transformer?  Or would I have to connect the other screw to something?

Thanks for any help.

Alright -- the trick with the PEK for you is to treat everything wirenutted to your two thermostat cables as the "furnace" from the PEK's standpoint.  You'll need some 18AWG pigtails for the connection from the PEK to the "furnace", though, as follows:

Red/black nut to PEK cover (furnace) R
White nut to PEK cover (furnace) W
Green nut to PEK cover (furnace) G
Yellow/white nut to PEK cover (furnace) Y
Blue/red/white nut to PEK cover (furnace) C

and then you can connect the base as follows:

Red Left to PEK base (t-stat) R
White Left to PEK base (t-stat) W
Red Right to PEK base (t-stat) G
White Right to PEK base (t-stat) Y

Just make sure to connect the Red Left (R) wire at the thermostat end to the Ecobee's Rc terminal or else the Ecobee won't turn on (this is a limitation of using the Ecobee/PEK combo).


Sump pit filling very quickly from inlet pipes In October, I bought a large home with a sump pit in the basement. The previous owners had a sump pump but left it shut off (unplugged). I bought the house three months before moving in, so the pump had been disabled for at least that long. The pit was filled with water up to the top of the three inlet pipes and there's no evidence that water ever went above that level.

I thought it odd that the pump was installed, but disabled. So I turned it on and it works. But the pit re-fills to the level of the float switch within 90 seconds! I figured I would just leave it and see if the incoming flow of water would decrease, but it has been four months now and the inflow of water has been the same regardless of weather conditions outside. See picture to get an idea of how fast it fills.

I tried to figure out where the water drains to. It flows through a pipe to the exterior of the house and then turns 90 degrees straight down into the ground. Where it leads from there... I have no idea. This elbow joint occurs underneath our patio, so without tearing the whole patio out and then digging, I don't see any way to figure out where the pipe leads. We do not have city sewer, and I am sure it does not feed into the septic tank (I checked).

Should I be concerned? Should I just disable the pump and let the pit fill up until it stops and just leave it like that? It never seems to overflow and there's no evidence of water ever flooding into the basement. Any tips for how we might figure out where the water is draining to?

To raise the float level without adding any additional points of failure, just move the whole pump up - shorten the pipe, put concrete blocks under the pump to raise it in the pit. Your power bill will thank you.

You could try putting a strong dye [food coloring or fabric dye can work, but "septic dye" is probably the most effective] in the water, though it may be hard to tell what's happening with that - I have to suspect that you may be pumping in circles (outlet insufficiently far from the house, so the "discharged' water shows up in the pit a few minutes later) but that will be tricky to trace with dye.  If all the water is "new" the dye should just get progressively paler, and the water coming in the drainage pipes should be clear, not tinted. You can also look for dye coming out into places away from the house.

A more complicated approach that might work would be to mix up or buy a strong dye solution and use a tube to "inject" it very near the pump intake as the pump is pumping (trying to minimize what gets in the sump itself) and then you might see the sump get darker if it's recirculating.

It sounds like the water may be passing in from one or more of your pipes and out again from one or more of your pipes (when the pump is not powered up) - a little bit of dye squirted near each pipe in turn (with the pump off) may diagnose this and show if there is "flow-though."


Able to / good way to cover / handle cleanout in the floor I am trying to install vinyl plank flooring in my basement and the cleanout is right in the middle of the floor unfortunately. Am I able to cover it and/or is there a good way to handle putting the flooring down around or over the cleanout?

Image:

thanks in advance!

I would fit your flooring neatly around the clean-out rim, and then screw down a stainless steel cover plate that laps onto the flooring. You can run the screw right into the cleanout plug.

The clean-out is presumably for your main sewer line, which probably runs under the floor and out to the street or septic system. If you ever have a backup you'll kick yourself if you had covered it up.


Can I paint the cement under the fireplace hearth? I recently had a fireplace installed. The floor wasn't level so there is a wedge of cement exposed below.

Click for larger view

The installer says I should conceal it with wooden beading but personally I hate the stuff, so I was wondering if I could just paint the cement?
Would I need to prepare it with something to stop it cracking first?
What paint would I use?

Any other ideas?

Yes, you can paint it.

Personally, I always use oil-based paints because they last longer, but you can use whatever paint you want (water colors?)

Concrete is porous so you might want to use a grain filler or sealer of some kind before painting.

There are thick paints specifically designed for painting concrete, but they tend to look pretty industrial.


Ceiling Fan Wiring with Remote Control & 2 wall switches I have the a wiring situation similar to below but also have a red power wire coming in from the ceiling. I have 2 wall switches, 1 for fan and 1 for light. How do I include the red power wire coming in?

It sounds like you are converting from a fan that did not have a remote control to one that does.

In many older fan/light setups, power came to the wall switch with just two wires, hot (black) and neutral (white). There usually was also a ground wire, most commonly bare, but sometimes green. In many cases the incoming hot line was connected to two switches, one to control the fan and one to control the lights. The cable from the switches to the ceiling usually had three wires (plus a ground). The neutral wire was for both the fan and light, but the hot lines were separate. They are most often black and red. There is no firm rule  as to which goes to which.

In the ceiling box, the white wire was connected to the white wires from the light and the fan. The hot wires are separately connected to the hot from the fan and the hot from the light. Those hot wires may be the same or different colors, usually black, red and sometimes blue (or even a striped color).

In modern fans with remote controls, the whole fan/light assembly is often set up with no wall switch. In those cases, you follow the diagram in your question using just a black (hot) and a white (neutral), plus a ground going to the remote controller in the fan unit itself. On, off, and level control for the fan and light are all controlled from the remote. If you want this setup, you can remove the switches, and in the box that held the switches, connect the black wire bringing power to the switch directly to the black wire going to the ceiling fan unit. Leave the red wire that was attached to the second switch unconnected, cap it with a wire nut, and put a blank cover over the old switch box.

You can also leave a wall switch in the mix. In that case, the wall switch is a master - when it is off, everything is off. When it is on, you then can control the various features with the remote, even turning everything off. But you only need one switch. Either remove the second switch and use a cover plate that has one side blank, or leave the second switch unconnected but in there filling the hole.

If you plan to use the remote, you can skip the red wire in the ceiling, just cap it off with a wire nut. If you want direct control of the light and fan from the wall switches, you can usually skip the controller unit in the fan unit, but you lose control of speed and light level.

SUPPLEMENT

Based on further feedback from the OP, connect the black wire in the ceiling box to the black wire on the remote unit in the fan. Then wire the remote as shown on Tester101's diagram.  Note that the ceiling wire go to the remote and the reomte wires go to the fan/light unit. Cap the red wire in the ceiling. Use the switch that has the black wire on both terminals and ignore the switch that has a red wire on one of the terminals (or remove it and cover the opening).


How to open this electrical junction box? I have an electric blanket where the insulation has escaped from its clamp.

Totally easy fix, as long as you can get into the fitting.  But there are no screws or anything.   There are three recessed holes that look like some kind of melted plastic rivet or mushroom.

How can I open this fitting to re-place the power cable without damaging it ?

My plan is to drill it out a bit at a time.  When closing it I would drill a small short pilot hole and use a short self-tapping screw into the plastic, and then fill the recess with something to prevent skin/metal contact.  Does that seem sufficient?

The fitting is press fit together, and then the melted plastic holds the unit together. DON'T use any metal screws. What has happened is your wire has come loose from the strain relief. If you did anything - attach a strain relief to the backing, push your wire back into the connecting box. Then tie wrap your wires to the strain relief that you attached.

The image below shows only the self adhesive strain relief attached to your cable connector. So insert your cable back into your connector and tie the cable to the strain relief with a wire tie.

If you pull the unit apart you might have more issues (with looseness etc.)  you could do it your way and pull it apart and maybe wire tie the unit together. My advice is to get a new blanket as these things can be dangerous when they fail.


Is it a good idea to cap fiberglass batts with blown cellulose? I currently have fiberglass batt insulation of about 6 inches (in some spots less than that closer to 3 inches) due to a cleanout necessitated by rodent activity which has been hopefully remedied.

I have encountered the following recommendation:

  "If you have cellulose, fiberglass above is ok, never let anyone blow cellulose over fiberglass. Batts or blown."

Can you please explain the reason for this and what is the best choice to put over the fiberglass batt.  My research concludes that blown-in cellulose would provide better overall insulation vs. fiberglass for both temperature and sound factors. I am also on a slope and more exposed to fire risk and the cellulose has a borate fire retardant whereas I would not get that protection with fiberglass.

It's the opposite, in fact: in terms of thermal performance, cellulose is better on the top layer. The reason for this is that compared to fiberglass, cellulose is more dense and more opaque to infrared radiation than fiberglass is. Most attic heat gain is caused by infrared radiation, and convection through the insulation plays a strong role in heat loss. Having a product on the top layer that's denser and more IR-opaque helps to prevent convection within the insulation and slows infrared radiation more.

Cellulose is fire-resistant because of the borates, but by no means fireproof. It is still paper. I've heard of attic fires caused by smoldering electrical work done wrong but buried in insulation. Fiberglass of course is basically fireproof until the fire is so hot that it causes the fiberglass to melt, which is somewhere around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Much less risk.

A superior product compared to both is mineral wool. It's got all the advantages cellulose has over fiberglass (in fact, it's even better), but it's inorganic and thus fireproof. You'd need to install this product in batt form, since it doesn't generally come loose like cellulose and fiberglass. And it is much more expensive than those. But if you want optimal thermal performance as well as fireproofness, it's hard to beat.


Is this flowerpot insert made from asbestos? I own three flowerpots with strange white inserts. I haven't bought them in fact they were already part of the 1970 built house when I moved in.
I've heard of asbestos flowerpots but couldn't find anything about inserts.
The material is greyish white and relatively easy to break.

Is it possible that these flowerpots are made out of asbestos?

(I wore a facemask, gloves and a face shield while taking the last picture)

Until you have it tested, you'll never know. Asbestos doesn't really pose a health risk unless it's frayed or crumbly and the particles are released into the air and you breath them in over a long period of time. If those inserts are outside and you're frequently watering the flowers, you should be fine.  If you decide to just get rid of them as a precautionary measure so you'll sleep better at night (I wore a facemask, gloves and a face shield while taking the last picture), just empty out the dirt and dispose of them properly without breaking them up,


Are surface mount deadbolt latch door lock inherently unsafe? I want to install a digital lock on my front door. It is surface mounted and its latch-catch is attached to the jambs by just 2 screws.

My house is in a gated community, so o don't expect anyone kicking the door anytime soon, but I'm afraid that just the regular opening and closing and checking if the door is locked might loosen the screws or even end up damaging the whole catch.

In security the principle of weakest link applies. It's not possible to tell if the surface mounting alone will be the point of failure in your setup. The material of the door, the frame, hinges and the part which is most often overlooked: how well is the frame mounted to the wall pay equal role in providing security.

There is nothing inherently wrong in surface mounted lock - if the door is tough enough to withstand the localized stress. But if the door is weak, installing the full-width bar serves little purpose as well - it would be enough to break half of the door and crawl under the reinforcement.

I don't know what type of lock are you used to. If you're comparing surface-mounted lock with a one mounted inside the door (like knob tongue), then surface is massively more secure. Mounting a lock on the inside means removing portion of the door in the place where breaching force will be applied, while surface mounted one has full thickness to hold on to. Same goes with catch. Here where I live (Poland), surface mounted locks became dominant about 20 years ago for this very reason. Also keep in mind that adding more locks means drilling more holes, so at some point extra locks actually make the door weaker instead of stronger. If you have door with integrated locking mechanism, consider changing one of existing locks to an electronic one rather than adding extra.

You should not be concerned about regular opening and closing, pulling the locked door, etc. Properly tightened screws will not spontaneously loosen themselves. Using a proper threadlocker can also help (if and only if lock and door manual allows using threadlocker.) Which leads us to the most important part: manuals. Types of locks allowed for the door and types of doors allowed for the lock should be all explained there.


plastic pipe coming out of wall is really loud There is a plastic pipe that is exactly next to my window, and whenever the neighbour has a shower (which seems to happen a lot, throughout the day and untill 12 or 1 am at night) it just blows hot air from it and it is really loud. I took a picture of it so you can see. I also went outside my window today and looked at it closely. It is a plastic pipe, hot air is coming out, and I was wondering there must be a way to make it be more quiet? Something simple? That I could put around it, or on the end? Something? Please help as I am really annoyed by the sound. There must be someone who knows what to do with it. :)

Many Thanks,
Anastasia

It's a direct-vent (a.k.a. powervent) water heater exhaust. My home has the same thing. The first night I slept there it about knocked me out of bed, and now we usually keep the window closed on that side.

You can find duct mufflers that will dramatically reduce the noise, but they're something you'd need to work with your property owner to install safely and according to building and rental codes. You're dealing with carbon monoxide, so you don't want to take risks.

Another option might be to route the pipe up the wall and above the roofline, or simply to direct the opening away from windows. Again, this would require homeowner approval and assistance, and you need to prevent rainwater intrusion.


What would cause the water to stop when I turn a faucet to hot? When I turn the faucet to hot, the water stops running. Valves have been checked and I have hot water everywhere else.

Very small pieces of debris (very frequently rust chips in homes with older galvanized pipes) can block one side or the other of the cartridge of a shower valve.

Newer valves have replaceable cartridges than can be examined and cleaned.  Just shutoff the water, open and close the valve to relieve pressure and undo the trim plate.

Note, examples are of Delta shower valves

The Cartridge is usually behind a finely threaded retaining nut (bonnet nut).

Sometimes the seals break and jam..  here's a Delta cartridge and seals


Do I need to use a Sewage/Ejector pump if there's no toilet in the basement? My home has a sump pit and an ejector pit, but I'm wondering if I can just use sump pumps in both pits.

There's is no toilet or shower in the basement, so the only thing that drains into the ejector pit is the washing machine. Am I ok to just use a sump pump in that pit since they are generally cheaper than the Ejector/Sewage pumps?

If you are only pumping grey water it can be pumped by a standard pump. If you later upgrade a toilet then a cheep pump won’t cut the musTURD if you get the pun.


Why is no water coming out of my new kitchen faucet? Bought a Kingston single hole kitchen faucet. Took out old faucet and installed new one. Hooked up 3/8 to 1/2 braided supply lines. I tested the lines to be sure water came out, which it did, then attached supply lines to faucet.

Everything fits fine but when I opened the water lines again after hooking up the faucet, no water comes out faucet. I did turn the faucet handle 90* to accommodate the beveled  breakfast bar.
Any ideas?

Is there an aerator in the faucet outlet? If so, remove it, and try turning on again. These often get clogged from debris you shake lose in the lines during installation.

Some faucets also require you to remove part of the valve after installation to flush the lines, then re-install. Check the instructions for your faucet. If you could post the make and model of your faucet, we could look at the instructions and tell you more as well.


Can a drywall ceiling support hanging a 20kg chandelier I want to know if a drywall ceiling support hanging a 20kg chandelier

No, not with just the drywall.

Fasten a bracket to the ceiling joists with some good lag bolts for that much weight.

The problem isn't today but 5 or 10 years from now. Will the light eventually weaken the drywall enough to break it?

Why take that chance with you and your family?

Good luck!


Remove broken drain in manufactured home I have a drain for a bathtub that is stuck and broken. I was able to get it to turn, which seemed like a good thing, but looking in the drain, the fitting is turning as well. I tried using the flange to turn it, but it broke off.

I was going to try a chisel to pry the drain inward, but it moves enough that I'm afraid I will destroy the plumbing the drain is connected to. When I try to use pliers to pry the drain inward, the whole thing turns. If I can get it to bend, a piece breaks off.

It's broken to the point where I can't get more little pieces to break off, so I don't know where to go from here to remove it.

There is a special wrench that looks like the traditional rook chess piece (castle) It matches up with the cute cross bars that catch long hair, and the last bit of a bar of soap.


How can I refinish an interior chimney pipe to make it appear rounded? Right now my interior chimney pipe is hidden behind a wall and I want to remove that wall and expose the pipe, but the pipe itself is not so pretty.

My fireplace is a wood fireplace with a double isolated chimney pipe of about 10 inchs in diameter.

I'm looking to do something like this :

Those pictures comes from my neighbor's house. He said to me that it was done with plaster.

This is exactly my fireplace, but the chimney pipe is behind a wall right now.
How can I achieve this rounded chimney pipe ?

Where I live, there are two or three places that specialize in fireplaces, like a re-modeler's dream.  Find what you have locally and take a picture of your fireplace and your neighbors fireplace (before and after) and explain what it takes to change yours.  Then you will know what you need and whether it is something you want to handle as a DIY'er or pay to have done.  When you learn more you can search the whole world wide web. (I love saying that) to even help you take it to the next level.


I need to replace the spring-loaded lighting cover for the light in the tub Anyone know where I can get a trim kit for this basic round ceiling light?

It has an outer edge/flange that seats against the ceiling and there is a plastic light cover inside the outer edge. It has a rubber gasket that fits against the opening of the light and it has the 2 spring loaded tension wires that get squeezed together to remove and replace the entire fixture.

The part of the wire clip that is bent around the plastic inner seal broke off and the rubber gasket is deteriorated. I dont need the fixture inside the ceiling where the bulb is. I just need the entire one piece outer covering - about 6 inches wide.

Trim kits for "can lights" (recessed lights) are sold separately.

The box stores have them or you can find them online. Like this one here.

For a shower/tub enclosure you need a trim kit rated for wet locations. It will have the gasket and springs like the old one.

Take the old one to the store with you to make sure you get the right size. They come in 4, 5, and 6" sizes. Or measure the "can" part of the fixture if you wish to buy online.

Good luck!


Would putting a sprinkler on my roof help cool my home? Anyone ever put a sprinkler on your roof to help out your A/C on unusually hot days? Just wondering if it helps.

I think you will just waste a lot of water compared to the cooling effect that you get.

A better way to cool the roof is to change its color.  A roof with a clean, smooth bright white surface can reflect about 85% of incident sunlight and emit thermal radiation with 90% efficiency. This surface  will be only 9°F warmer than the outside air on a typical summer afternoon. For comparison, the surface of a standard gray roof that reflects only about 20% of incident sunlight will be 69°F warmer than the outside air.  See http://coolcolors.lbl.gov/.

Some buildings in California are now required to have light-colored roofs in order to reduce energy consumption for cooling.


How can I remove odor that causes throat irritation and headache? I had some work done on my house in January. In particular: A painter painted the walls, then another person glazed the window frames and finally another one clean the marble floor ..

Now I absolutely can't stay in the house because I get an irritating odor to my throat and an headache after 15 minutes.

I think someone used a nocive polish or someother product.

So I repainted the wall with an ultra ecologic paint. But the problem still exists.

Does anyone know how to "clean" the air?

Please don't tell me "open the window" .. they are open night and day :(!

PS: fortunately, this is a second home I don't use at the moment...

EDIT: i found this : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound
I think products used were out-law level of VOC.

Now, how to remove VOC?

I'd suggest first determining what is causing this. Is it the window glazing? Is it the paint?

If the glazing, then have the glazing redone. If the paint, then you will need to strip it down, not try to cover it over.

One thing that would help is to have a test done professionally. This can be expensive, but it would help, not that I know who would be able to do such a test. Another option is to remove a piece of the painted drywall. Put it into a sealed airtight container overnight. Then when you do not feel any problems, stick your head into the box, and breath deeply for a minute or so. If you have a problem, then you know where to look. If no problems, then I'd do the same with some of the window glazing.


Can I vent my dryer into the crawl space without creating mold and moisture problems? We have a crawl space with a combination of sandy and clay soil in it.  The crawl space is about 3' deep.  To eliminate a long dryer vent run, I'd like to vent the dryer directly into the crawl space.  We have vents built into the foundation that I open each spring and close in the fall.  Will this help dissipate the moisture enough to prevent mold?

Vented air from the dryer is full of moisture since it contains water from the clothing being dried. Do not vent it into your crawlspace or basement since you will definitely have moisture problems. After you vent it outside, run the dryer and put your hand over the vent and you will see what I mean.


Help identify electrical boxes So I have an electrical setup near my breaker panel, and I was hoping someone could help me identify some of the pieces in the setup:

(A) Unknown
(B) Low voltage transformer for landscape lighting
(C) Unknown
(D) Unknown (although this connects to a lightswitch inside the house that turns on landscape lights)

Also: Where does the low voltage transformer plug into? It has a standard three prong cable, I just don't see where it plugs in.

Basically A is a time clock for B a low voltage transformer.
C looks to be the hot in and D looks to be the hot out from the time clock to switch the low voltage transformer ( which apparently is being direct wired by cutting off the male plug).

Another scenario is the time clock does or used to do high voltage tree lights.  The low voltage transformer used to be plugged into an outlet but is not used anymore.  Just guessing.


With what do I stick hard rubber together? What I want to is make my desk chair slide on carpet. I'm going to use bell gliders and affix them to furniture cups for carpets

Safety is my concern. I weigh 190 pounds.

It isn't clear what the materials are.  Some of the likely materials are very difficult to bond; even tougher if it is two different hard-to-bond materials.  It is also an application where there will be a lot of stress and distortion, which is especially challenging.

If you really want to try it, one thing that might work is to heat-weld the two using a third material that bonds with both.  For example, there are plastic welding sticks like this that are supposed to bond with virtually any type of plastic, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and hard rubber-like materials, which are common materials for those kinds of glides.

They're used for tasks like repairing plastic/rubber car bumpers.  If you don't have a plastic welder, you can use a soldering iron if you're careful to not overheat the materials.

That said, A better solution would be a single glide that does what you want, or wheels rather than a glide.  Also look at plastic chair mats that sit on the carpet.  They protect the carpet from being crushed and make it easy to move the chair.


Should I staple faced insulation batts to the face of the stud or the side? I'm preparing to drywall my attached garage and have run into conflicting opinions on if I should staple the insulation flanges to the sides of the stud or the face.
I live in the San Francisco bay area, so it rarely freezes and winters are mild.
I am planning on installing faced insulation bats in the exterior walls.
I don't believe I need to install a vapor barrier, but will be double checking with the city building inspector if they are necessary.

I am inclined to staple the paper flange to the face of the stud in order to more completely fill the stud cavity. However, I've read that some people say this can cause drywall screws to pop more easily. It also makes it harder to glue drywall to the face of the studs (which I was not planning on doing). I am planning on doing only one layer of tape/mud and not planning on painting so I am not too worried about some popped screws.

Assuming the inspector doesn't care which method is used, which way should I go?

Attach to the stud face.  The vapor barrier is not as effective if stapled to the stud sides.  And as you say, the fill won't be ideal.  (are your external walls 2x4 or 2x6?)  The paper on the fiberglass is the vapor barrier.  And a barrier is definitely needed where you live.  Optionally, you can use unfaced insulation and a plastic sheet vapor barrier.  I've done lots of sheetrock over insulation and the insulation is not the problem with popped screws.  It can cover and hide forgotten screws/nails/bumps which will cause problems.  One bonus is when there is a couple layers of paper between the sheetrock and studs, it can cut down on noise/vibration conduction through the walls.