What insulation materials for converted vans? I want to add insulation to the ceiling, walls, and floor of my van as a first step to convert it.

What are the recommended/available materials for that aim?

By "convert" I mean to turn a regular vehicle into a something one can live in. Like this sweet Mercedes Sprinter below :)

Answering my own question as I did quite a lot of online research on that topic.

I did this across different languages (English, French & German) which was interesting: habits/technics seem to vary from one country to another.

Criterias & vocabulary

Criterias

Thermal insulation: must be excellent
Resistance to humidity: must be excellent
Compression potential: your vehicle vibrates a lot, over time the insulating material might get very compressed (i.e. rockwool). So you might want to avoid materials that compress a lot, at least for the walls.
Sound insulation: a great plus

Insulation-related scientific terms

Thermal Conductivity: the lower the value, the better
Thermal Resistance: the higher the value, the better
Specific Heat Capacity: the higher the value, the better
Thermal Diffusivity: the lower the value, the better

Eco-friendliness values:

Embodied Carbon & EPDs: carbon associated with making the material, read more

Insulating materials list

Cork sprayed

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.043W/(m K)

Price: in France, suber-spray.com sells a bucket of 12Kg for 215€ which can cover around 6 square meters if applying 2 layers (recommended). So a cost of 36€ per square meter if applying 2 layers (without adding the cost of renting/buying the gear to apply it).

Pros:

can reach any tiny part, great to avoid thermal bridges
fast to apply
apply the thickness you want by doing as many layers as you need
cork has many eco-friendly features, from production to destruction (recycling)
good sound insulation
can be the colour you like

Cons:

usually more expensive than other insulating materials
need of gear to apply it: spray gun, compressor, drill with mixer

Example of usage on vans: suber-spray.com/spip.php?rubrique10

Tip: it's expensive, so you might want to use a cheaper isolating material for the flat parts to be isolated, and this for the smaller hard-to-reach/hard-to-insulate parts.

Note: This insulating material is often use in sailing boats.

Buy sprayed cork:

in USA: vipeqindustries.com
in Germany: kork.net, see shop.korkmosaik.com/Korkgranulat
in Canada: sprayedcorkresolution.ca
in Italy: diasen.com
in France: suber-spray.com
in France: alsacork.fr

Cork rolls/sheets

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.043W/(m K)

Exists in different thicknesses, but the ticker the less flexible.

Price: 2 mm thickness, 150 x 50 cm = 10€

Pros:

good sound insulation
easy to buy (your local DIY shop)
cork has many eco-friendly features, from production to destruction (recycling)

Cons:

mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming (1 month, 4h per day for this Mercedes Sprinter youtube.com/watch?v=jAmyxwGx7aU)

Reimo X Trem isolator

Thermal conductivity: 0,020 - 0,034 W/mK (maybe around 0.03 at 0°C?).

Made of expanded polyethylene.

Sold as roll.

A product of Reimo, a German shop specialized in converted vehicles.

Data sheet - ihr-business-im-internet.de/anwendungen/ms-visucom/bilder/firma70/EN/zubehoerprofi/276.pdf

Price: 15€ per sq meter of 20mm thick - on campingshopwagner.de/product_info.php?info=p4340

Pros:

simple to put
good sound insulation

Cons:

may be difficult to obtain outside of Germany
mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming

Buy Reimo X Trem isolator:

in Germany: campingshopwagner.de
in France: h2r-equipements.com
in France: reimo.com/fr
in UK: reimo.com/en

Aeroflex FIRO

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: 0,034 W/mK

Sold as roll.

Data sheet: aeroflex.nl/en/products/aeroflex-firo.

Price: usually around 10€ per square meter when 19mm thick.

Pros:

simple to put
good sound insulation
different thicknesses available
self glueing available
clean & aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming

Tip: buy self gluing version to make things simpler.

Example usage on a Ford Transit : verpiss-dich-von-meiner-veranda.de/post/188/wohnmobil-isolierung/

Buy Aeroflex FIRO:

in Germany: ebay.de
in Germany: amazon.de
in Germany: hood.de

Armaflex (product of Armacell)

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: 0,036 W/mK

Price: 10€ per square meter - ebay.de/itm/like/271583864528

Sold as roll.

Pros:

simple to put, just cut to the shape you like
good sound insulation
different thicknesses available
self glueing available
clean & aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

mostly good for flat parts, otherwise time consuming

Armaflex "AF series" - armaflex.com/www/armacell/INETFAQ.nsf/IDP/478F84DCC0A98ED6C1256CD700600264

Buy Armaflex:

in Germany: amazon.de
in Germany: ebay.de

Polyurethane foam

Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.025W/(m K)

Pros:

good sound insulation
can expand 50 times more, i.e. a 1L of product can produce 50L of foam
can "fill" an empty area, filling even the smallest cavities

Cons:

can deform the car body when added
prevent future car body work (in case of accident) on parts having that foam
compresses over time? (TBC)

Polyurethane on Wikipedia

Thin multi-layer insulation

Price: 5 à 15€ per square meter, according to number of layers & materials used.

Pros: very thin.

Cons:
 - poor sound insulation
 - fragile, so must covered by something almost straight away to avoid damaging it

Example usage: isere-evasion.com/isolation.htm

Example product: castorama.fr/store/Isolant-mince-multicouche-17-prod250073.html

Which country use it in converted van:

France, no idea why. There are big debates on French van conversion forum about the actual effectiveness of this material.
USA, I think they use something similar called "Refletix".

Denim isolation

Pros: eco-friendly.

I just came across that material & thought it probably was worth mentioning it as it's very eco-friendly. Further research on its characteristics is needed though.

hurriedyear.com/2016/02/10/insulating-a-sprinter-van/

ecohabitation.com/actualite/nouvelles/isolation-coton-recycle-choix-ecolo

More insulating materials

"Trocellen"
"KFLEX"
Sheep's wool

My biased opinion

I think the best is to use Reimo X Trem isolator (or Armaflex or Aeroflex FIRO) and afterwards add some sprayed cork in the parts you could not cover.

By adding sprayed cork on these parts that couldn't be covered, you'll reduce the thermal bridges, or completely eliminate them if you put enough layers.

Resources

greenspec.co.uk/building-design/insulation-materials-thermal-properties/
trafic-amenage.com/physique/thermique-isolation.html (FRENCH)


Electrical Outlet in Wall Covered by Mirror - Risks I have a relatively new house (5 years old) and am thinking of hanging a large mirror over an electrical outlet. I don't have a need for the electrical outlet in that area, so I'm fine from a usage perspective, but want to know about risks. I've looked into it, and the outlet will continue to be accessible (mirror will come off easily but very rarely), so I want to know if I should:

Leave the outlet fully covered with mirror (unless there are any safety issues), or
Should I cap the outlet instead?

Please advise.

You're fine just so long as the receptacles is accessible and as long as you can take the mirror down to service it as need be I don't see a problem.


Airbrush-size airless sprayer for painting interior trim? I have a lot of detailed interior trim to paint with latex enamel paint. It’s a pain to paint with brushes or small rollers and it seems like it would be so much easier to use a very small airless paint sprayer, like a small airbrush sort of thing. I can’t seem to find something that small though that could be used for this application. Is there such a tool?

You can switch out the tip on an airless to do smaller areas. The first digit is one half the fan size so a 211 has a .011" opening and sprays a 4" fan, that should be acceptable if a spray can works. It does presuppose you rented an airless sprayer. You may also need to change the filter and use a small amount of flow additive. Ask the rental place for advice and what the smallest tip they have is.

If you own an airbrush there's a chance you may be able to run a detail HVLP gun off your existing compressor. They require quite a bit less air than full sized guns do, and you might be able to squeak by with a pancake compressor if you're not spraying continuously.


How to remove hoses that are clamped to a water manifold in a hot-tub I have a hot tub and a hose of the water manifold cracked off (see below on the second hose from the left that is separated from the manifold, but a part of the manifold is broken off inside).

Since the manifold is broken, I need to replace it. To do this I'll need to remove all the hoses. As you can see below in the red circle there are clamps holding the hoses on. However, the clamps aren't the issue. When removing these clamps, the hoses are still stuck to the manifold.

Any advice on how to remove the hoses (plus the broken part inside the loose hose) from this manifold would be greatly appreciated.

I thought maybe I could try cutting the hoses (not sure whith what), but was worried that they would no longer be long enough.

Probably you should just replace all the hoses as well as the manifold, if the hoses are so set/stiff with age that they cannot be moved. That tends to be a step on the path to cracking and leaking. One big repair .vs. lots of smaller repairs over time.

You could try dunking the whole mess in hot water or using a hair dryer/heat gun to warm them up and make them more pliable.


Two Sets of Wires on HVAC Panel Ultimately I'm looking to use a C wire for a Nest thermostat, but upon looking at the HVAC panel I'm confused by the wiring.

There's a grouping of wires going from the HVAC panel to the thermostat: the green, yellow, and leftmost red and white wires. There are also blue and brown wires which are unused currently but presumably could be used as a C wire.
The part that's tripping me up is that second grouping of wires: the rightmost white and red wires. The other end of that grouping isn't by the thermostat, and I don't actually know where it terminates. Both groupings of wires leave the HVAC closet at the same point.
Does this wiring suggest any likely place that second group of wires terminates? Even if I leave the second grouping in place, can I just attach one of the first grouping unused wires alongside the white wire that currently lives in the C terminal?

The second set goes to an A/C compressor (or was provisioned for it). You can double up two wires under that C terminal with one of the spare wires.


How to get doorbell louder? My mom has a Nutone wired doorbell but is finding it is not quite loud enough when she is in some parts of the house far away from the bell.  I looked at the doorbell and it seems to be functioning properly and has directions that say not to oil the plungers.  There are two plungers with springs that get activated by the front or rear doorbell button being pressed.  The current Nutone box with the plungers has two toned bars on opposite ends of the plungers so that one door gives one tone and the other door gives two tones.  There are some other directions which I cannot read about maintenance due to some paint which I wonder what they state.

I'm wondering how we might get a bit louder doorbell?  Would there be maintenance to perform that would help with volume?  Ideally we would keep the existing bell since it is pretty well built into the wall and not easily replaced.  If required, we could put a new one on top of the old one that is flushly embedded into the wall.

Dust off the tone bars.  Loose debris dampens their vibration.
Check the tone bar mounts and positioning.  If a bar is crooked or out of position, it won't ring as well.
Check the hammers on the solenoids.  If there is debris, clean it off.  If they have dried out or cracked, remove the hammer.  That will definitely increase the volume.


How do I run a 3 Phase/1hp TEFC motor off of a regular household outlet? I recently bought a brand new TECO-Westinghouse Electric motor .

3 phase
HP: 1
Volts : 208-230/460
RPM: 1750
HZ: 60
Fr: 56
Cat no: ZA.0014TE2/56
Type : AEFAZA
Enclosure : TEFC

I would like to run this off of my household power. My understanding is that I need a 1 phase(household) to three phase converter to do this.
What size wires do  I need for the plug from from the house to the on/off switch? From the switch to the converter and from the converter to the motor?

I would like to plug this into a regular 15 amp receptacle-the motor will be about 75 feet from the receptacle.

I'm sorry, but from the tone of your question, and the fact that you even suggest plugging this motor into a regular 15A receptacle tells me you are so far over your head your only valid option is to hire a pro to wire this. This is NOT a simple DIY job and you cannot simply ask questions to get every little detail out of an internet message board to do this job properly and safely.

I'm sure I'll get negative marks for this answer but I stand by it firmly.

The other, and cheaper option is to unload this 3-phase motor and get a single-phase motor. I bet a 1hp single-phase motor is cheaper than the phase converter itself. 1HP is not that big and single-phase versions are readily available.
You'll still need a new dedicated circuit for it but it'll save you quite a bit in the long run.


3-socket replacement extension cord end? I have an extension cord on a retractable reel, and it has a molded-on end with three sockets, like this:

Unfortunately, the quality of the sockets isn't great -- at least a couple of them are quite loose and don't make a reliable connection when things are plugged in. I'd like to replace the existing end with a better one. There are plenty of good single-socket replacements like this:

I'd really like to keep the ability to plug in several things at the same time, but I can't find a 3-socket replacement end. Do aftermarket 3-socket cord ends even exist?

This is one of the places where code and consumer parts don't match. I have tried in several cases to make code approved triplex adapters , even as a licensed electrician, I cannot do it legally , even with listed parts, I have asked several major mfg of cord caps for a way many years ago, because what you ask is reasonable, but in my state there is no way to do it because there are no listed "cord caps" with 3 outlets but it would make them $ if there were in my opinion. At this time I have not found a listed model to do what we both and many others want.


How to deal with paint peel on normal wall Possible Duplicate:
  How do I prepare a chipped, peeling, deeply cracked wall for painting?

I notice that there are patches of paint that are peeling especially the area that is near computer & monitors.

May I know how do you deal with such peeling of paint?

Do you just paint a new coat of paint over?

Do you just remove all the peeling and apply anti-bacteria paint follow by a water proof paint?

Are there other ways to permanently deal with paint peelings?

You need to figure out why the paint is peeling, address the problem, and then re-paint.

In many houses, the chances are that the paint was not properly applied - the wall was dirty or damp.

The first step is to remove the peeling paint.  If you're lucky, it's just one wall or a small patch - otherwise, you'll have to do the entire wall or room.  Start by scraping off as much loose material as possible, and then sand around the scraped areas.  Make sure that there aren't any places where the paint hasn't adhered, but hasn't started to flake yet.

Next, apply a coat of primer/sealer.  You may find at this point that the first coat loosens the existing paint - you'll need to decide whether to go back and remove more depending on how bad it is.

Finally, after the primer has dried, repaint.


What Household Items can be used to Clean Motherboards I have a motherboard that require deep cleaning (its not just the dust we are talking about). I have seen over the youtube that people are using WD-40 and brake fluid to washaway the contaminants from the motherboard. So I went on and did a little search and in turns out that WD-40 can also dissolve the protective film on the motherboard and can leave lubricant film.

The second option is to use iso-propyl alcohol but that also might not clean the contaminants well. Is there better option?

Based on the answers the following protocol for deep cleaning the motherboard might be desirable:

Step 1: Vacuuming and airblowing to remove obvious dirt
Step 2: Spraying cleaning solvents such as brake fluid to wash away
more clinging contaminants (nicotine, insect remains and other sticky
substance)
Step 3: Final pass of wipe cleaning risers, rams, graphics card slots
using cotton pads immersed in 70% isopropyl alcohol (99% is better!)

...start with re-evaluating your perception that it "needs cleaned." Or stop smoking around your computer.

As a computer professional, I have pretty much never cleaned a motherboard. Occasionally vacuumed out dust bunnies, but I prefer to locate computers where dust bunnies are less likely to accumulate in them. I have occasionally replaced computers that users spilled things into, and if that (or smoking) is the problem, that is the path to take, not "cleaning" which will be a large time investment for unpredictable results.

What cleaners are suitable is dependent on what the factory that built it chose for a cleaning process, such that they made the components compatible with that solvent. In some modern low VOC processes soap and water and a through rinse / dry is entirely suitable. In the bad old days Freon was a common choice...


What to use as a screed edge along a brick wall? I'm planning to pour a concrete slab along a brick wall and need to plan how I will screed it smooth.

Three sides of the rectangular slab will have a removable wooden form, but the fourth side is against a brick wall. The question is: what to use as a screed guide along the brick wall?

Any material I put there will tend to get concrete packed up against it. So it either needs to be something sacrificial I can just leave embedded in the slab, or be able to pull out after the screeding is done but before the concrete has set hard (and then touch up just that small area).

The length of this side is about 18' (6m).

The simplest option would be to screw a 1/2" board to the brick and abandon it in the concrete. But just in case any moisture wicks in that seems like a poor choice.

This edge will be covered in the end so appearance isn't important.

The conventional way to handle this problem is to use a length of 1.5 or 2 inch diameter pipe as the screed reference level. This pipe sits on top of a series of stakes that you place in the ground in a line a few inches from the brick wall. The stakes are pounded in so that their tops are the pipe diameter below the intended concrete height. Two nails in the top of the stake are set in on the sides to keep the pipe from rolling off the stakes.

The pipe does not need to be the full length of your slab. Instead as you pour the concrete from one end you screed along and then can pull the pipe back to the next stake. After you pull the pipe you toss some additional concrete into the gap where the pipe was and float trowel that flat with the rest of the surface.

The small stakes and nail tops just stay in the base area of the concrete slab.

The idea to place the pipe say 6 inches away from the wall allows for easy back and forth working of the screed. (If you just had a thin board along the wall it would be very difficult to keep the screed on the top of that narrow board and there is no opportunity to use a sawing action of the screed which is necessary to work the pebbles in the concrete down from the surface).


How can I smooth and repair cracks in a plaster wall? My walls are uneven and have these covered cracks all over them, can I sand it down and slim coat it to make a smooth wall?

This is the step by step process I use.

Dig out all the loose material from each crack. Blow out debris with compressed air.
Brush a bonding agent into the cracks and allow it to dry.
Force setting type joint compound into cracks and while still wet over lay the cracks with fiberglass mesh tape and press it flat into mud against surface.
Let it dry, then knock off any lumps or bumps and apply a second coat, feathering all edges.
Let dry and sand area to smooth it out.
Apply a coat of topping mud to perfect your patched area making it as smooth and trowel mark free as possible.
Let dry then lightly sand remove dust and prime patched area.
After it dries repaint the walls and ceilings with a quality acrylic paint.


How many 240 volt fluorescent fixtures can I connect to a 30 amp breaker? How many 240 volt fluorescent (2 X 4 recessed, 4 tubes) fixtures can I connect to a 30 amp breaker using 4 mmsq cable?

Sounds like europe?  Total Wattage divided by voltage = Amps  or Volts x Amps = Watts.  so 240V x 30A= 7200W.  I would personally not hit that 7200 total watts and have the circuit totally loaded.  so the wattage of the lamps is the determining factor as Niall said.


Where do I connect the green wire from my dishwasher? I'm installing a new dishwasher and the dishwasher itself has the green wire, the cord (which is coming out of the floor of the house) doesn't have a green wire it has a black wire, a white wire, and  a copper wire hangin out of it. I know I should wrap the copper wire around the screw on the box, but what do I do with the green wire that is coming from the terminal on the dishwasher?

The green wire is the dishwasher's ground wire. You hook it up to the circuit's ground wire, which is the bare copper one.


After 6mil vapor barrier in crawl space, moister gathering between insulation and flooring Living in the Charlotte, NC area, and have had problems with moisture under the house.

Last year, I lined the floor of the crawl space (ranges from 4.5' to 2' high) with 6mil plastic.  I'd say 90% of the area is covered, with some edges near some of the concrete walls exposed.  Plastic is secured with metal clips shoved into the ground, and it is overlapped but not taped (the moisture problem wasn't bad, so I was primarily concerned with covering the majority of the ground).

NOTE:  The crawl space ranges under a front/back porch, so the inner center of the ceiling joists are insulated, and the joists under the porches are exposed (and sometimes receive moisture from driving rain).

This year, our hardwood flooring has started to cup in some areas, and we also saw one section of linoleum in the laundry room bulge.  Upon inspecting the crawlspace, I found the following:

Insulation installed 10+ years ago was installed with the paper side facing the flooring
In pulling down the insulation under the affected areas, I've found moisture gathering between the insulation and the floor (so between the paper side and subfloor)
There is a great deal of condensation on the outside of the primary feed from the air conditioner (the 2' duct work feeding the whole house).  During the heat of the summer (about 2w ago), the condensation was sufficient to cause standing water on the plastic underneath the vent (though that water has now evaporated).  This dampness started about 10' from the A/C (where the primary feed duct splits to feed the rest of the house)

I think I should I replace the existing insulation with faceless insulation, but I'm looking for advice.

I'm also curious if installing the vapor barrier on the ground might be causing increased moisture potentially gathering between the floor and the insulation.

It's best to not use faced insulation here for the reasons you've noted, But new insulation may not be necessary- you can carefully peel the face paper off and re-use what you have as long as it's not moisture-laden itself. Also, the ground sheet poly isn't exactly a waterproofing. It's purpose is to reduce, not eliminate, the moisture evaporating from the soil so normally having a foot of overlap between sheets is fine without taping. You should also have good crawlspace ventilation to go with this.

Phil


Installing sub-panel, plus hot tub to new sub Need to install a sub-panel off a 200amp service main panel that will be situated next to each other via 1" pvc conduit from bottom of each. The sub-panel is being installed to accommodate/supply a new hot tub with the manufacturer's recommended 50amp feed. And yes, there is a shut-off box (w/50amp GFCI breaker) being installed 6 foot away from hot tub and completely in line of sight. And yes, I know not to bond the sub.

A couple of questions:
1) Since main is full, I need to remove 2 (probably) breakers currently in the main panel to be relocated to the sub-panel to allow a 70amp breaker as feed for (and shut-off for) the new sub-panel. Is #6 THHN large enough, or would #4 be preferred, figuring the four wires needed, i.e. red, black, white and green?

2) Also, since the removal of the 2 breakers from the main (allowing space for the "feed" breaker) will reside in the sub-panel, am I allowed (with code and safety in mind), to add more same gauge wire length to the wires via wire nuts to reach the new location in the sub-panel?

3) I'm under the impression that the new sub-panel will not need its own ground rod due to its location to the main. I'm also under the impression that the hot tub shut-off box should probably have a ground rod of its own. This area, up on the side of a mountain is notorious and horrific, at best, for any kind of digging or attempting to drive an 8 foot stick in the very rocky ground. Is there anything else that can be done to duplicate what a ground rod would do that is considered acceptable?

Thanks for any and all responses!

Number 6 AWG can be protected at 70 amps if the equipment at both ends is rated for 75°C yes to your wire colors.
Yes
If the new sub is attached to the main or right next to it, it does not need a ground rod. The NEC requires a grounding electrode at a separate building or structure containing more than one branch circuit. The single circuit to the hot tub does not require a ground rod. The equipment goundung conductor with the circuit is sufficient.

Nipples between panels of 24" or less do not require you to derate the wire ampacity.

When attaching a sub-panel I would not limit myself to 1" conduit. I would use a 1 1\2" or 2" nipple to allow more wire to pass between the panels. Just a personal preference though.

Good luck and stay safe!


Coiled copper wire around 15a power cable for AC Earlier today I noticed my infant son was trying to chew on the power cable for my window unit AC.

I wrapped the lower portion in paracord to try to prevent him from injuring himself.  When I was about halfway through I remembered that one of the strands was made of copper instead of nylon.

This might be a stupid question, but is there any risk of damage or fire?  It's essential a thick gauge power cable tightly coiled with a thin strand of copper:

What you have there is basically a transformer. There would have to be some voltage induced in the copper conductor, but across only a couple turns of the paracord (the width of an infant's mouth) the voltage would have to be quite minimal because 1) the paracord is wrapped around both hot and neutral so the magnetic field will be near zero and 2) the distance between the paracord and the conductors in the power cord is relatively large. There doesn't appear to be an increase of risk of fire or damage to the power cable on account of the paracord being wound around it.

Unless the infant makes quite a routine of it or bites very hard, I'd guess he's unlikely to pierce the insulation on the power cord anyway.

You could consider treating the cord in some other way if you desired:

apply something bitter/unpleasant but relatively non-toxic to the cord as a deterrent: soap, or water with a heavy dose of salt or hot pepper powder mixed in
some other physical protection: make a sheath by splitting a few feet of vinyl tube obtained from a local plumbing store, use split loom tubing, etc
place furniture, a box, or other object to obstruct/conceal the cord until the child finds interest in teething on some other thing


How do I fit a drain gully when the drain pipe is very close to the surface? I wish to lower some paving round my house, as it is too close to the DPC (damp-proof course).   However the drain pipe will not be very far under the new level of the new paving.   Therefore how can I fit a drain gully when the outlet pipe is only a few inches below the top of the gully?

(All the gullies I have seen has the pipe outlet near their bottoms, rather than near their tops.)

This is what I mean by a drain gully.

The is the problem.

The problem I have is that the current level of the drain pipe (in the ground) is about the same as the level I need the top of the Gully hopper to be.

Given that the water will only drain as low as the bottom of the drain pipe, you may have to put in a new drain pipe, or move the existing pipe so it's deeper.  If you're lucky, it has a steep runoff angle so you may only need to replace/move a few feet of it to get it to a better depth.

Beyond that, you can buy the gully hopper and build your own u trap, allowing the exit to be placed as high or low as needed.  Ideally it'll be several inches below the top of the gully, but it may be sufficient to have only an inch or two.

However, drainage away from the house is extraordinarily important, and if you're going to the trouble of lowering the paving, you should consider adjusting the drain pipe so the slopes and depths are correct for the new position of the gully.


Hanging a picture on a very light wall How do I hang pictures with sawtooth hangers on a very light (i.e. not compact) wall? Some additional facts:

Plastic hard wall hangers like these do not work:

I wrecked a frame which I hung on one of these because it fell down.

Ergo, I need something stronger. I tried to drill a hole and fit a plastic anchor, but the anchor wouldn't sit well in the hole because the wall is so light. An attempt with an expansion anchor did not work either.

Do you think I used the wrong kind of expansion anchor? Are there other options? Please advise. The hangers on most of the pictures are of the sawtooth variety. I also have pictures with wires.

The anchors you chose to use are for a VERY hard wall surface, like concrete or masonry.
The type of wall hangers you would need for a saw tooth hanger could be as simple as a nail driven at an angle or something more suitable off the store shelf.


Adding an additional dishwasher Our home has one dishwasher.  I would like to add another dishwasher; total 2 dishwasher hooked up to the same sink.

Reading online it seems that there is a possibility for "back pressure".  Is this correct and what exactly is that?  Also, would there be a reason that I could not run both dishwashers at the same time?  Are there any other possible problems to having a second dishwasher installed?

Thanks for any guidance!

Well, there might be a couple of issues here. But I don't think it is all that uncommon to have two dishwashers.

Of course, the most important thing is going to be how you connect the drain hoses. If you have a garbage disposal with a drain connection for a dishwasher, it's only going to accommodate one dishwasher. So you could connect one to the disposal, and connect the other into the tailpiece under the sink basin opposite the disposal. You have to put a high under-sink loop in both drain hoses at the very least. Check your local code, though. There's a good chance you have to install an air-gap device on each drain hose, and you might have to mount the air gaps above the counter top.

So the issue you might be reading about is backflow, which is when dirty water flows backwards into your dishwasher. Generally, the high loop(s) and, if required, the air gap device(s) will prevent this.

Another related issue is that it's important to drain the dishwasher(s) into the sewer line before the P trap. The water plug sitting in the P trap (combined with proper venting) is what keeps sewer gases from pushing back up into your house. If you connect the dishwasher drain hose(s) downstream of the P trap, you subvert this mechanism and sewer gases will push up into your dishwasher.

Back pressure might be a different matter, if the drain pipe under your sink is too small to handle both dishwashers draining at the same time, or if the pipe is clogged, then the water pressure could be high enough to force some of the water back up the drain pipe into your sink.


Move floor vent into the wall Currently right by the toilet in my bath there is a heating register on the floor.  I want to build a small wall at the same location and have the heat exit out of the base of that wall.

Is there a way to do that is within code?

This should not be a problem. As far as I know, code concerns itself with how much airflow is available for each room, but whether it comes out of the floor or the wall shouldn't make a difference. All you need is something like this rectangular elbow:

As long as you can find the right size to match your existing ductwork, this is really easy. If you can't find the right size at a big box store then try an HVAC supplier - the place the HVAC techs go to get their parts. If you know exactly what you need, they should be happy to help.


Can I use a cord and plug to power a wall sconce? I have a wall sconce that my wife really likes and wants installed on an interior brick wall. The sconce she purchased is designed to sit on top of a wall box that has been prewired. I don't want to install this in the brick, so my idea is to hook up the wires to a standard ac plug and wire, then run it under a cable cover.

The light has one black, one white and one ground cord. When I cut off the end of an old AC wall cord, will I find the same connections? If not, how do I connect the cord safely? Is this a terrible idea in general?

Portable lamps (at least in the US) are generally designed without a ground wire. The bodies of the lamps, even if metal, are designed not to be likely to be prone to a short to the hot lead. The standard lamp cord is therefore two wire (hot and neutral). Most modern lamps are polarized, meaning the cord/plug is designed to ensure that the hot lead is attached to the hot side of the outlet.

Sconces and other lamps that are intended for fixed mountings on electrical boxes have a hot lead, a neutral and a ground. The ground is the safety measure in case of a short.

When you convert a fixture intended for use with a ground wire to a plug-in setup, you need a grounded cord to preserve the safety factor. The simplest way may be to buy a grounded extension cord, cut off the socket end and splice the cord with the plug (male) end into your fixture.

Attach the hot lead to the black wire of the fixture, the neutral to the white (the neutral wire is attached to the larger blade of the plug and the casing is sometimes ridged), and the ground to the green (or bare).

You can then run the cord under a cord cover to a conventional grounded outlet.

P.S. Be sure to use a bushing or something similar to prevent any cord/cable from being pulled through and cut or frayed by metal edges at the point where it exits the fixture or metal cable cover.

CAUTION

This whole discussion assumes that you are installing this permanently (a wall fixture is not well protected at the back from damage or short) and on an interior wall. Exterior fixtures are specifically designed to attach in an exact way to exterior boxes to ensure that they are water resistant. Any compromise of that attachment mechanism may lead to leakage, shorts and danger of electrocution or fire.


How can I mount a side-mount light onto a top-mount area? I have an existing light on top of a retaining wall:

I found some light fixtures that I will be using everywhere else around the house, but they are side/wall mount:

Is there some way for me to mount my side-mount lights onto the top-mount place? I tried to find a small lamp post that'll accommodate this, but no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

You may be able to replace the mount plate and tubular arm with a custom assembly of black iron pipe and fittings that acts as a stand. From bottom up...

A 3/4" or 1" floor flange (whatever is large enough to cover the junction box)
A vertical pipe of ~18"
A 90° elbow to horizontal
A pipe nipple of ~8"
A 90° elbow to vertical (downward)
A short pipe nipple through the fixture's top cap
A nut or end cap with a hole drilled for the wires

    =========
   ||        ||
   ||        ||
   ||      _/  \_
   ||     |      |
   ||     |      |
   ||     |      |
   ||     |______|
   ||
 __||__

Be sure to protect the wiring so it isn't damaged on the pipe fitting edges. Maybe use a length of exterior extension cord between the junction box and the light housing.


What could cause a clicking sound in an underfloor heating controller? I have a underfloor heating system installed in my apartment.

Each room has a Uponor T-37 thermostat, hooked up to C-35 controller.

The system is about four years old and recently I have noticed a regular clicking sound from the relay in the controller unit.

At thermostat side, when I turn the dial so I can heat into the room, the LED comes on, then after 5 seconds or so it turns off. The light then comes back on again after a half-second or so. This cycle repeats, and seems to happen simultaneously at each thermostat in every room/zone.

I assume this is bad for my boiler/heating system because it's receiving a command to supply heat on/off every few seconds.

Any ideas on what could be wrong?

I've tried to turn-off power to heating system and boiler for a few hours, thinking it might reset any fault.

I was worried about taking off the cover off the control unit incase there maybe a danger of a shock. I removed the cover of the thermostat and noticed that as the LED switches off, it flashes rapidly.

I'm in the process of calling in a plumber/heating technician, but just thought I try and do my own research on the matter to see if there is an easy fix. Hoping it won't be an expensive repair.

I called a number of Central Heating contractors and also Uponor, the company that makes the controller.

I was told that the clicking noise comes from the soft-fuses inside the controller trying to reset. They said box has failed and needs to be replaced by an electrician. Since the controller is the simplest model in their range, there are no diagnostic LEDs or other features that indicate a fault status, except the clicking noise of the soft-fuse.

The repair should only be about an hours labour plus cost of a new controller box.


Deck handrail bracket I just had a deck built and it failed inspection, partly because of the lack of a graspbable handrail (see also my related question How do I install concrete blocks to support deck stairs?) .  The current rail is a flat 2x6.  The inspector said I could attach a 2x2 or similar handrail to the balusters with a bracket of some kind.

I've done some googling but I can't quite find the kind of bracket it sounds to me like he's describing.  What should I be looking for?

You need to have a graspable (grippable) handrail... in other words something that you can get your hand around and hold onto if you fall off the steps.  The 2x6 is too big for your hand to grab around and does not qualify.

Standard handrail brackets usually look something like this:

Also see this article (Deck Stair Handrails) for a picture of a handrail that is a one-piece design:


Pull-down faucet hose doesn't slide into sink/counter holes Little bit of a thing here (and also my first time trying anything remotely like a plumbing project):
I'm trying to replace a leaky pull-down kitchen faucet hose. I saw it was suggested to take the existing hose to the store to compare with, but I didn't have any luck finding the right hose at my local stores. So I wanted to replace my current hose for now so I'd have something in the meantime until I can get a new one from the manufacturer. But when I try to slide the hose back through the faucet and down through the holes, it seems like it just won't fit and gets stuck. It did take a little extra effort to remove the hose from the faucet in the first place, but not tons.
Additionally, I tried to hook the hose up directly under the sink without going through the faucet. Again, so I could have some semblance of a kitchen sink for now. But when I turn the water on, it flows out of the hole that the hose would go through, instead of the supply hose. I'm assuming this is unexpected even though that hole would normally have the pull-down hose going through it. Is it possible that the supply hose is dislodged in the faucet, causing both problems? I'm worried that even if I do get a new hose, I might need to disassemble the faucet in order to fix whatever is going on in there.
Thanks for any help.
Photos:

Sadly, it is often cheaper to just buy a new faucet....if you decide to go the repair route, try to identify the brand and model of your faucet by going to the manufacturer's web site.
This is why I always advise to keep the faucet box for future reference on make and model. Parts are then much easier to identify with parts explosion diagrams from the manufacturer. Good luck!


Wiring a UK plug without coloured wires - help! I am trying to put a UK plug on an old record player and the wires (please see picture) are not colour coded! How do i wire it up?!

If this is an older record player, it probably does not need a polarized plug (where the neutral is denoted). Polarity would come into play with a newer record player.

Assuming you use Type G plugs, you could buy this replacement end and wire up the two plugs, omitting the ground prong.


Expanssion Vessel Pressure In the house where I live (two-storied building), we have a problem with water pressure. The pressure in the water mains is OK, it is ~ 4.3 bar, but the pipe that brings water to our house is simply too narrow. Therefore, when someone downstairs consumes water, the narrow pipe does not manage to supply enough water, the pressure in the system goes dramatically down, and someone upstairs has big trouble when taking a shower.

In an attempt to improve this situation, we obtained an expansion vessel.

Brand: Reflex
Model: Refix HW
Pressure from the factory: 1.5 bar
Max working pressure: 10 bar
Volume: 100 liters
Web site: http://www.reflexcz.cz/cz/expanzni-nadoby-refix-de-junior-hw

It is located in the cellar. After it was first installed, we observed some improvement, but after a couple months, things got worse - almost same state as before. Since then, I have made several attempts to re-pressurize the air bag with various results.

I have devised the following methodology:

Close the street water mains valve.
Release all water from our water system in the house, including the expansion vessel. I do this by releasing the valve in the garden.
Pressurize the air bag in the vessel to 1.5 bar (using a small electrical air compressor from Black&Decker).
Release the street water mains valve and fill the system and the vessel with water again.

While doing step (4) I am always measuring how much water flows in by reading out the "before" and "after" value of the counter. I am doing a statistic of how much water flows in depending on the air pressure I put to the air bag.

My results look as follows:

1.5 bar -> ~ 28 liters flow in
1.0 bar -> ~ 34 liters flow in

In an empirical way, I am trying to figure out what the best pressure is to make best of the vessel. My findings are as follows:

If the air bag pressure is too high, little water is allowed into the vessel and so the vessel can supply us with water for only a very short amount of time.
If the air bag pressure is too low, a lot of water is allowed into the vessel but the air does not have the power to push it out of the vessel, so again not good.

Now the questions:

I've always let out all water out of the system so I can measure the pressure of the air bag (1.5 - 1.0 bar). This is quite a significant waste of water. Is there any way to re-pressurize the expansion vessel while there's water inside?
I am only trying to figure out the best air bag pressure empirically. I would prefer if I could calculate the values somehow. Could you point me in the right direction?
Also, I seem to have to re-pressurize the vessel every 2 months or so. Is this a normal state, that the air from the air bag gets into the water so quickly?
For a 100 liter vessel, what would be the best amount of water that can still be effectively used?

Thank you.

If you have to fiddle with it every two months, the air bag/bladder/diaphragm is leaking. If there is any sort of guarantee/warranty, you might want to use that. If not, you might want to select a different brand for the next one.

As for the pressure, think of it as the lower end of the pressure you'd like to see supplied in the house when several things are drawing. So if you set it to 1 bar, pressure will drop to 1 bar. If you have 4.3 bar supplied and would like to have it drop to no more than 3 bar, pressurize to 3 bar. You'll store less water, but at a greater usable pressure. If you need to store more water, you need a larger tank, or several small tanks working together.

While you cannot accurately set the air pressure without draining the system, you certainly can just pump air into the tank with pressure on the system, particularly if you are not going to replace the leaky bladder, since setting the tank pressure is not a thing that will stay set while the thing continues to leak.


Mysterious basement drain pipe? We have a house from the early 50s that has a finished basement.  In our basement bathroom, we have this open pipe coming out from the wall. For the first couple of years, nothing came out of it, but a while back (months) there were a couple of strange blasts of dirty substance (we never saw them actually happen - just the residue, so we don’t know what provoked them), and now a small amount of water trickles out of it when you use the basement sink (not toilet). Can anyone tell me what this pipe might be for, and whether it is safe just to cap it off with a hose cap or something?  We do have a sump pump, which is located on the opposite side of the house, so I don’t imagine this could be related..?  Also, there is a window well on the outside of the house close by from a basement window that was blocked off when the previous owners finished this bathroom (don’t know if that could be related). Thanks for the advice!

The pipe might be a cleanout for your drains or maybe the drain for an earlier fixture there. The black and red thing was a cap.  It has been broken or sawn off.  Just replace that cap with an identical one, or better, get an actual cleanout that fits the grey pipe and install that instead.  I'd avoid using a compression fitting like this especially in a basement.   There are situations where the basement drain can develop pressure behind it, and the cap then pops off.  Very unpleasant.  An actual cleanout looks like this


Removing light switch from 3-way setup I'm definitely lacking in electrical skills, so please help me out on the right procedure here. I have two switches controlling one light. I'd like to REMOVE SWITCH A and completely control with SWITCH B. I've attached the switch wiring as pictures below, the red wire on switch B is one wire shared with another, unchanged switch in that box:

Turn off all power before starting any work. OK switch B can remain in place but you have to determine which of the two orange travelers is hot when switch B is in the top (ON) position, then disconnect and tape the other orange wire. Remove switch A and wire nut the yellow wire to the hot orange that you did not disconnect from the other switch. Tape the other orange. You'll need to get the correct cover plate for switch A to cover up the unused gang.
It's always a good idea to put a note in each of the two boxes you worked in describing what you did for future reference. It might just help you, or a new owner, in the future.


Why won't the arbor lock engage on my Ryobi circular saw? As I was putting the saw blade on my new Ryobi Circular saw my finger slipped off of the blade lock button while tightening and now I cannot get the blade lock to engage again. What would be the fix for this?

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I tried the screwdriver but the blade still turned so I knocked it on the bolt with the handle of the screwdriver and that did the trick.
Holding that engage button down is hard for small hands so I am sure I will make this mistake again.
Thanks again.


Splicing building wire cables to accommodate door I'm adding a doorway under a stairwell and ran into wiring running through the wall. My question is specific to the wiring. I'm planning to add a junction box on each side, splice, and then extend the circuit up over the door frame. Maybe add one outlet.

The orange cable goes to the washer/dryer, and the white runs into the house for outlets in the laundry room while the yellow runs to the main room in the house.

My questions are around splicing and where I might add the single outlet. I need to splice all three and remove the 2x4 in the middle. Can I just use push in connectors on the orange, yellow and white cable to add a few feet? Can I also add an outlet to the yellow or white cable the same way (which I assume are both 120v)?

A large enough junction box

First, you are going to need a very large junction box to do all this splicing.   Let's count conductors.

Two /2 cables and one /3 cable = 7 conductors to splice.
Plus the 7 conductors they'll meet in this box.
Plus 1 conductor count to cover all ground wires
Plus 1 conductor count to cover all cable clamps
Plus 2 conductor count to cover the receptacles

I count 18 total.  Let's assume 12 AWG wire, so 2.25 cubic inches per conductor, that's 40.5 cubic inches.

A 4-11/16" steel deep junction box will suffice. (steel makes it immune from nails coming from the other side.  This is a deep box.)

Improving aesthetics

Now, to make this thing aesthetic (nobody wants a giant blank plate there), I recommend topping off with a 1-gang "mud ring".  That way it will appear to be a normal receptacle.

You're on the right track with "put a receptacle there rather than have a blank plate".   However, I'd do a couple things different: First, I'd reroute the cables to a more desirable/expected place for a receptacle, rather than having a receptacle in an odd place for no reason.  Second, I'd do it on both sides.   Mind  you, it wouldn't hurt to make it a little odd; someday these circuits may need maintenance, and you want to hint to the maintainer where these splices might be.

Watch which circuits.

A circuit is "grandfathered" when it only has to comply with the Code written when it was installed, and doesn't have to be updated with each new Code revision.  However, there's a fundamental rule: When you're grandfathered, you can't make things worse.

Read the current Code on laundry room outlets.  I believe it says the circuit must be dedicated and you can't add outlets to it.  That's because when you have separates, the washer is powered off that and the dryer is powered by the 120/240V split-phase.  (they make "physically separates" where the washer plugs into the dryer, but they use some sort of internal design features to avoid overloading, since a 120/240V circuit normally doesn't have the capacity to feed both).

If someone hack-a-dacked your dryer outlet to include a 120V outlet, that should be remedied ASAP because it's a code violation.  Also the washer outlet is supposed to be 12 AWG/20A (yellow or larger).  Also make sure the dryer outlet and cord is NEMA 14 (4-pin); it's obviously a modern installation, but sometimes people fit the obsolete, dangerous and illegal NEMA 10 3-prong dryer outlets on newer houses to match dryers from older homes (you're supposed to change the cord, but builders don't feel that's their bailiwick).

If the other circuit goes to a bedroom, then that is the one to tap for receptacles.

Grounds can go together. Neutrals must obsessively separate

It's OK to clump all the grounds together,(don't forget ground to the junction box if it's metal), but not required.

Separating neutrals is absolutely required. Don't bundle all the neutrals onto one big wire nut!

Actually, (this is a bit OCD) but I might actually use different color wire nuts for the different circuits - red for the #10, yellow for the #12, and orange for the #14 (if it fits).  It's sheer coincidence the colors are that way.

Give yourself LOTS of wire length inside the box - a full 12" (including in this case, an inch or two of sheath sticking out beyond the clamp, for cable identification purposes). The 12" will seem ungainly to work with; but it'll go easier if you splice the grounds and push and tamp them into the back of the box first, then (after testing) push back the dryer conductors, then the laundry room (since you won't be tapping it), and finally the other circuit so it's on top.

The mandatory wire length is about 7" - six inches beyond the cable clamp/sheath AND 3" beyond the finished surface of the wall.  However you'll hate working on it if you do that, and it'll be a code vio to cut it at all, which is leaving yourself no freedom.

Connector types

I would not use push-in connectors unless you enjoy really nasty, difficult troubleshooting problems involving guessing where mystery splices are (remember, we are creating two mystery splices here). Push-in connectors, like their "backstab on receptacle" brethren, involve a single, tiny point of contact for all the current to flow through.  The manufacturers have gone in backflips to assure this fails safe, i.e. with a burnout/open instead of a flaming arc fault, but the fact it does fail. The other problem with stab connections is they say they're multi-gauge, but who's kidding who?  The receptacles said the same thing and that turned out to be a lie, and UL delisted a bunch of 12/14 backstab receps.

Wago style "lever" connectors are certainly a better choice than push/stabs. I'm competent at wire nuts, so I recommend those.  The trick with wire nuts is tighten them HARD, and do a vigorous "pull test" holding the nut and yanking each wire.  If any wire pulls out, that's an electrically bad connection that will fail, and requires you improve your technique.

src:diy.se

Code doesn't care about rubbish splices that fail safe,  because the National Electrical Code is written by the National Fire Prevention Association and devices approved by (insurance) Underwriter's Laboratories... not the National Make Your Electrical Work Association and Reliability Laboratories.


What to do about subfloor covering sole plates? My basement already has framing and insulation around the outside walls, along with a few outlets in them. If I were to do 3/4" OSB over 1" XPS for a subfloor the sole plates of those outer walls would be completely covered. Would there be any way to make this configuration work short of tearing out and rebuilding the outside walls?

If you have open studs on the side walls and then want to add inside finish panneling or drywall to those walls after the flooring is in you would need to go along and glue/nail in a spacer block in between each pair of studs so that there is something to nail the bottom edge of the wall material to.


How can I mitigate water contact with a 2x4 screwed into concrete floor? In my unfinished basement I am going to be installing some cantilever shelving along the walls. Basically using 2x4's attached to the joists, with a carriage bolt, and to the floor... likely using a 2x4 as a base plate. The plans are based on the 2x4's being secured to the wall. I am trying to avoid that.
The floor part is what I am trying to figure out. The basement floor grades to a drain at the corner of the house so the edge might not be perfectly flat to lay 2x4 for a base plate. I figure I can fix that with some plastic or composite shims.
My basement leaks, like most, and usually only after heavy rains. We keep nothing on the floor that we don't want damaged. However if I screw basic 2x4's into the floor, with tapcon or equivalent,  they are going to rot/mold/mildew. I could use PT but I am curious if there is something else I can use. (Wife doesn't like the idea and I understand that modern PT uses CA... the brown stuff as supposed to arsenic which was the green stuff. Very much a case of happy wife happy life).
Is there something I can put under not-PT 2x4's that will have water contact or some alternative that I can use as a base plate for simple shelving? I have not intention of attaching anything to the basement walls.

Image from woodgears.ca

Looking at Mattias' article on woodgears.ca, I think you can hang the uprights from the overhead floor joists and cut them off above the floor.
The 2x4s coming down the wall provide a method to affix the shelving unit to the wall, not provide support from the floor. Some of the other contributors have "half-height" shelves pictured that only come down the wall so far.
You could probably still do it by "hanging" the uprights from the ceiling, but I don't know that it can support as much weight as installing it as designed.


Drop ceiling tile direction I am replacing old drop ceiling tiles and I am bit worried about the current grid layout (which came with the house). The tiles are 2*4 and the current ones are fairly light.
After reading installation documents from several major tile vendors, they all instruct to have the main tees 4' apart, with the short side of the tiles laying on them. Cross-tees between the main tees would be 4' long, holding the long side of the tiles, as depicted below.

BUT, in my case, the main tees are rightfully 4' apart from each other, but then there is a series of parallel 4' cross-tees, resting on perpendicular 4' cross-tees. As a result, one of the long side of the tiles lay on the main-tees, the other side lays on a cross tee which itself rest on another cross tee, as depicted below.

In both cases, there is a wire hanger every 4' holding the main tees. In my current setting though, half of the tiles lays on a cross tee which is not hang to the joist.
The old tiles are fairly light (the yellow mineral wool kind) but the new ones are much heavier. I have a gut feeling that the structure would sag or collapse between the main tees.
Is this grid layout suitable for holding heavier tiles? If not, is it OK to drill holes in the cross tees (the ones parallel to the main tees) and to hang them? ... or is there a better alternative?

With both arrangements you have hangers attached to main tees on a 4 foot grid so the overall weight capacity is equal. I'll suggest the arrangement of the 4 foot cross tees between the main tees is a matter of preference and installer convenience. In my limited observation of ceilings, the nested arrangement seems more common than the "all cross tees the same way" arrangement.
Supplemental hangers could certainly be added, but bear in mind that hangers frequently are an obstruction that makes tile installation and removal difficult. Often a tile has to be slightly notched where it must pass by a hanger -- or it becomes notched over time through several in-and-out cycles!
You might try re-orienting the cross tees, but there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so:

with visual cue created by the long axis of the tiles going the other way, the room may feel longer or wider.
there may be challenges with repositioning lighting, HVAC, or other items.
the cross tees may not fit quite right the other direction.
some cross tees may be damaged in the removal process, requiring replacement.


How to wire 2nd light to existing circuit with light and two 3-way switches? First time posting on the DIY of StackExchange. I currently have a staircase with a light on the 2nd floor controlled by 2 3-way switches on both floors. I would like to add an existing light to the currently-covered junction box on the 1st floor. However, when I looked at the existing wires in the first floor junction box, I was unable to find a combination of wires to which I could connect a 120V light that would function properly.

On the right part of the image I have diagrammed the 3 different terminals/twists (?) (each has at least two wires connecting) available. When I flip one of the 3-way switches to turn the 2nd floor light off (as pictured in top right), those are the voltages across the 3 terminals. Ditto for when light is on (pictured bottom right).

I also diagrammed the downstairs 3-way switch in case wiring there may need adjustment (ground not pictured) using a current detector to determine flow depending on state.

Addendum: 3-way switch on 2nd flr is wired in the same fashion. However, when 2nd Flr light is off, wire leading to either 1 OR 2 is hot only (!) (the two will reverse if the 1st floor switch is used to turn on the light). When 2nd Flr light is on, in all cases, none of the wires leading to 1, 2, or 3 are hot.

Can someone help elucidate what my current set-up looks like and what changes may be required?

 Outline/Potential across terminals

I am limited in number of links I can share, so I posted on a separate imgur thread: http://imgur.com/a/vEh3P

I ultimately was not able to resolve the wiring problem given the current set-up and the wiring in place.

However, I did end up purchasing two sets of https://www.amazon.com/RunLessWire-Simple-Wireless-Switch-Kit from RunLessWire directly ($99.99+s/h each), linked both wireless switches to both relays, removed the existing switches and shorted the appropriate wires, and 2 hours later, I had a working set-up!


Please advise how to lubricate stiff latch bolt of mortise lockset on metal exterior security door. (NOT the pins in the keyway!) The latch bolt of the mortise lockset in a metal security door is stiff.  I worry about the long-term effect of slamming the door in order to drive the stiff latch bolt back and allow the door to close in its frame.

There is much discussion of lubricating the pins and the cylinder of the keyway, centering around the pros and cons of graphite and non-greasy lubricants.  But there is no discussion of how to lubricate the portions of locksets which are not along the keyway.

I plan to remove the mortise lockset and, hopefully, open the case to expose the latch bolt mechanism.  Can I assume that the latch bolt mechanism is simply a moving metal part in a metal housing and lubricating it is unrelated to the controversy over whether graphite or graphite-substitutes are appropriate to keyways?

What to you think of this plan?  Disassemble and clean the latch bolt parts.  Remove dust and dirt along the moving path of the latch bolt.  Lubricate the latch bolt mechanism either with oil, or possibly grease it?

Yes, this is just a lump of metal, big enough that it doesn't matter a lot what you lube it with. (I'd lean more to a grease than an oil -- lithium grease used with a light touch, perhaps.) But it also shouldn't need lubrication on a regular basis, so I suspect you've got something else going on.


How do I calculate my monthly water usage? In terms of water usage, how much is 10 cubic meters of water?

I ask this because I live in a small apartment with another person and our monthly water bill is now over 6 times higher. When I called the water company, they tell me that they give me 10 cubic meters of water per month, and during the last bill we used 29 cubic meters of water (almost triple the allowed use).

Nothing in our water usage has changed, so  I guess my question is how much is 10 cubic meters of water in terms of showering, doing laundry, etc?

In our case, we both take two showers per day and we do laundry once (sometimes twice) per week. But nothing else has changed.

1 cubic meter is 1,000 liters of water.
1,000 liters is about 264 gallons.
You are allotted 10 cubic meters or 2,640 gallons, which is quite a lot.

The Average American Shower is about 17 gallons. 4 showers per day times 31 days is 2,108 gallons of water. Your worst case scenario for Washing Machine Water Usage is about 25 gallons, at 6 times per month that would be 150 gallons. Also, consider that a toilet flush is about 2 gallons. If you flush twice per day that's another 125 gallons of water. You can figure about that much for typical hand washing, etc. At this point you are at about 2,500 gallons (9,463 liters). That's roughly about what you are allowed to use.

Do you have a separate water meter? If so, record the reading. Take another reading the next month and get the difference, multiply by what the meter calls for to determine your usage.
Turn all of the water off in your apartment and go see if the meter is spinning. If so, you have a leak somewhere.
Check to make sure the toilet flapper is not allowing water to run after you flush. This will make the toilet keep trying to fill.
Do you have any water dripping at faucets or underneath the sinks?
Check your dishwasher settings.
Change the aerators in your shower and sinks.

Anything you can do to reduce your water consumption will ultimately lower your bill.


Why is large voltage drop a problem if within nameplate rating on motor? We are in the process of trying to find out why 1/0 AL wire over 400' of length to supply a 2HP motor for a Bifold Door is being pushed so hard by door manufacturer.

We have a door on order with a 2HP motor, rated at 230-208 volts with approximately 10 FLA @ 230 volts.  The spec'd OCPD is 30 amp.

To supply this motor, we have a long run of 400' from the meter with 240 volts supply (242 measured).

In an extreme situation of minimum wire size (10 AWG) with triple the inrush current of FLA (30 amps) we would get a voltage drop of approximately 10% down to 216 volts which is apparently within the nameplate rating of the motor.

Why is large voltage drop a problem if the operating voltage is within nameplate rating on motor?

that is...

If the name plate says "230-208 volts", why would 216 volts be a problem?

We are aware of many solutions all involving a varying amount of cost and effort (larger wire, buck-boost transformer, etc) but we do not understand the root of the issue.

We have been warned of damaging the motor in short order if we deviate from the recommendation of 1/0 AL wire in any way but the recommended wire size would only have a 1.5% voltage drop @ 30 amps.  We are trying to understand why the recommendation.  Is it more than a voltage issue?

If the inrush or starting current if not sufficient it will ruin your motor. This is not just opinion I am a professional electrician. The rated 230V current for a 2 hp motor is 12 amps. Code requires the book value to be used not the nameplate. I would use a minimum of 300% starting current some motors need up to 500% for short duration's.  without the increase in wire size the motor will brown out as stated earlier.  I just ran the numbers 300% x 12 amps at 230V for 400' is actually 1/0 aluminum with a 2.6% voltage drop. If you use 208V the FLA is 13.2. Do what you want ignore the Manufacturer and My advice that provides similar information, Just don't cry when you let the magic smoke out of the motor.


Why am I measuring 16 volts on a wire that should be at 0 volts? I am replacing a power receptacle at my apartment. It has the standard four wires, with one of the two reds going to a nearby toggle switch.

I am concerned because when the toggle switch is off, I measure 16V between one of the red wires and a white. (The other red wire always measures 0 V, so I assume it doesn't go to anything.)

I don't want to wire up the red if it's going to sit at 16 V when it's supposed to be off. Any ideas why this is happening or what I can do? Or is 16 sufficiently close to 0?

The 16 V is likely an induced/stray/phantom voltage. That power line is "receiving" a voltage just like a radio would, since it is bundled along with a live wire (~120-130 V). The other red wire may be connected to ground (or neutral) somewhere, so that it is held at ~0 V.

If my assumption of it being an phantom voltage is true, the 16 V wouldn't be able to power any devices, and can be considered safe. It is mostly caused by the capacitance between the two wires. When you attach the multimeter to the system, you create a current path between the "open" wire and the neutral. The AC current then can flow between the wires (AC goes through capacitors), and then through the multimeter (which has a finite input impedance). The current flowing through your multimeter determines the voltage that you are measuring.

You may want to look at how the switch is wired in order to fully understand the circuit before replacing the power receptacle. Also, remember that the switch should connect/disconnect the LINE (~120 V) and not the neutral. The neutral and ground should always be connected to the outlet (and be unswitched).

One way to avoid this problem is to use a low-input-impedance voltmeter. Modern digital voltmeters usually have input impedances of around 10 MΩ. Using a meter with an input impedance of less than 500 kΩ will load the unconnected wire enough that it will not be able to develop a substantial phantom voltage. Adding a 500 kΩ - 1MΩ resistor in parallel with your voltmeter's input would be a reasonable way to dispell the phantom voltages (but be careful that you you are within the power rating of the resistor, power=V^2/R).

Old analog voltmeters often have a low enough input impedance that they will not be able to measure the phantom voltage. Also, there are some modern digital multimeters that are designed to have low enough input impedances that the phantom voltages cannot be measured. These multimeters often use PTC thermistors in parallel with their input.

Lab experiment

As an example, I've connected about 1 meter of NM 12/2 cable in a way similar to your situation. I connected neutral and line to the outside two conductors of the NM cable, and left the ground floating. I measured 31 V between neutral and the ground wire:

Theoretical calculation

Here's an example calculation (with many simplifications, worst case scenario, etc), showing that this "phantom" can be quite large, written in Matlab code. It assumes that the "red" connector is between the "hot" and grounded wires, that you're using 12-gauge wire, 19 mil of insulation on each wire, dielectric constant of PVC, your multimeter's input impediance is 10 Mohm, and no inductive coupling (only capacitive coupling). It uses the capacitance formula on Wikipedia for a pair of parallel wires. The assumed wire length is one meter. The result is that you see a phantom voltage of 33.4 V, similar to what I measured in "real life". This shows that 16 V is a "reasonable" phantom voltage that could be measured with modern, high input impedance, voltmeters.

This calculation is based on assuming that your 12/3 cable looks something like:

This would produce a voltage divider circuit (assuming no inductive coupling) something like:

The phantom voltage is the voltage across Rmm (on the right side of the diagram). For AC circuits, complex numbers can be used to represent the impedance of each element in the circuit. The impedance of a capacitor is 1/(jωC). Wikipedia has more information on voltage dividers. The magnitude of the output voltage is what a multimeter would measure, and its phase can be discarded.

% For NM 12/2 cable, approx....
% Assume flat NM cable, with Red-Line-Ground-Neutral

f = 60; % Hz
w = 2*pi*f; % rad
Vin = 120; % V(rms)

% wire diameter
a=2.053e-3; % m

% Insulation, 19 mil
t_ins = 0.019*2.54/100; %m

% Cable length
l = 1; % m

% Dielectric constant
e0 = 8.854e-12; % F/m
e = 3 * e0; % PVC has a dielectric constant of 3.

%Multimeter input resistance, value of Fluke 80 series V
Rmm = 1e7;

% Wire capacitance, formula from Wikipedia
C = pi*e*l/acosh((2*t_ins+a)/a); % F
% The impedance of a capacitor is 1/(j*w*C)
Z_C = 1./(1j*w*C);

% Impedance of Z_C in parallel with Rmm.
% Parallel impedances are combined as the inverse of the sum of the
% inverses.
Z_2 = 1/(1/Z_C + 1/Rmm);

% The phantom voltage is a voltage divider of Z_C is series
% with Z_2. The phantom voltage is the voltage over Z_2.
Vphantom = Vin * abs(Z_2/(Z_C + Z_2));

fprintf('Phantom voltage is %f V.\n', Vphantom);


Can oscillating "multi-tools" sand vertical surfaces? I need to sand some rough spots on our old front door before repainting and am considering buying/using a multi-tool for this task (as well as some tricky flooring and drywall tasks later).

What's strange though, is that I haven't seen any demonstration videos where people are sanding a vertical surface. Do these tools require the surfaces to be flat and horizontal when sanding?

If you're talking about tools like this, then you can use them vertically.

The manual for the tool I linked to doesn't have any mention of the words horizontal, vertical, level, flat or upright, so if they don't warn you not to, you can assume it's OK to do it.

One thing to note is that to sand a vertical surface, you're going to have to hold the tool more tightly than you would if you were working on a horizontal surface.  This will cause more vibration to be transferred to your hand and wrists, which will tire them out more quickly.  If you're doing a large area, this can cause repetitive strain injury; when I sanded some window frames a while back, it took a couple of days afterwards for my wrist to feel OK again.


How can I hide the gap at the base of the stairs and the door, when installing laminate flooring? I am starting to plan a project to lay laminate flooring in my hallway. Already I can see two areas which are not as straightforward as the rest of the area.

The first area which I can see me having problems is when I reach the bottom of the stairs. The stairs are carpeted, so once I have left the expansion gap I am not sure how to finish this off? Would this be the best solution?

The second area is the gap between the laminate and the PVC door, which has a PVC skirting board type thing. Would the fitting above be the best option also?

What would be the best solutions to hide these two gaps?

Typically the solution at the bottom of the stairs is to use a quarter-round (Usually 3/4" thick) to cover the flooring and the bottom of the carpet.

You'll need some long nails to get through the carpet, so it's best to pre-drill the nail holes so you don't split the trim.

This is the best image I could find.  It lacks carpet, but will demonstrate the basic idea.


Is it really such a terrible idea to have original pine floorboards in a bathroom? we have just pulled up some awful old carpet in our bathroom and found that, underneath a layer of particle board, there are lovely old (original?) pitch pine floorboards in lovely condition - I'm so tempted to sand and varnish them instead of laying new flooring (I know tiles would be better etc but our house is a 200 year old cottage so a distressed/vintage floorboard look is what we are really keen on). However I'm aware of the potential issues with solid wood flooring in bathrooms. The alternative is to lay new engineered wood over the top instead, but it seems a shame. The question is, is it really such a terrible idea to have original pine floorboards in a bathroom providing they are varnished heavily (yacht varnish or similar)? With care around spills and splashes - could this be made to work?

If the wood is in good condition and you refinish it properly I see no reason not to keep that flooring. Most oil based flooring vanishes will work fine but if you want to get really serious have a professional flooring company come in and finish it with an aluminum oxide based finished or one of the catalyzed varnishes.


Disconnecting pull chain from ceiling fan to install Lutron 'Maestro' fan/light switch I installed a Lutron 'Maestro' fan/light wall switch (adjustable/dimmer) for a Hudson Bay fan with light.  The instructions recommend 'disconnect pull chains' ... The fan operates currently at just one speed (high) ...

There is a capacitor attached to the pull chain switch, do I disconnect that too?

Do I need to by-pass or splice wires?

Step 15 of these instructions suggest disconnecting (removing) the pull chain extentions, meaning the extra length of chain hanging down for convenience.  It doesn't suggest disconnecting the switch itself (i.e. no internal fan re-wiring is needed).

FWIW - Lutrons instructions are very easy to misinterpret in this step, I can see how you arrived at this point.


Should I add wood sheathing to a metal roof car port? I'm making a carport that is about 10 feet wide with 2x6's for the "roof frame" and 4x6 posts. I was going to use a medal roof using tin I think. Do I first need to put down wood sheathing? Or can I attach the medal directly to the 2x6's?

I think the UNDERSIDE would look better seeing the medal but I also don't want to have it blow away.

I would not add plywood under the metal.  The only thing that will come with this is the possibility of rot and the loosening of your metal sheet connections.  However plywood does offer structural support to your roof so you may have to add a few crosses and make sure you have a good screw schedule on the tin sheets.


Floor tile layout process? I am working on tiling a small bathroom with vinyl floor tiles.  As I was measuring to ensure there are no unusual pieces in the corners and thresholds, I decided to check for an application to help with the layout.  Surprisingly I couldn't find anything.  It seems that I should be able to draw out the room dimensions and simply drag around a representation of the finished floor until I'm satisfied.  Maybe I'm over complicating the floor layout but this would greatly reduce the trial-and-error of layout.  Barring any sort of application, I've watched YouTube videos about snapping lines at the center of the room but, again, this relies on trial-and-error.  Is there a method that doesn't rely on experimentation?

Software would be nice, but setting up your room diagram is probably more work than just trying your layout in reality. Plus, there's no substitute for actually seeing it in place.

I usually do this:

Lay a row of tiles down the center of the long axis of the room. Don't forget to space them as you intend to do with the final floor.
At key locations, run perpendicular rows of full tiles as far as they fit.
Fill in any other areas as needed to evaluate the layout.
If problems appear, shift the original row half a tile, so that the edge of the row aligns with the room's centerline instead. Also shift lengthwise as needed to reduce narrow tiles.
Analyze the layout again, and shift further as needed.

Once you find a satisfactory layout, be sure to look at it from adjacent rooms. If all is good, mark the key axis locations on the subfloor, and take dimension notes as a backup.


How to install low voltage bracket through a drywall block? When installing an old work low voltage ring/bracket in a room (for a network plug), I cut the hole where there is a block behind the drywall.

The block is what looks to be a 1x4, going vertically up and down at las far as my hand can reach. I cut the hole right in the middle of the 1x4.

So now the swing clamps in the bracket won't latch properly as they wont go far enough to go behind the block.

I sawed the 1x4 at the top and bottom of the hole in a so the clamps got a little grip, but that's not gonna hold if somebody pull a cable from the plug.

Any idea on how to fix this?

Are there any brackets with swing clamps that would go further back?

It was not particularly clear from your posting just what this 1x4 is in the wall. If it was flat to the back side of the drywall surface and went up at an angle in one direction and down at an angle in the other direction then this is a big problem. In this case this 1x4 is a cross brace installed in notches across a batch of studs. It's purpose is to triangulate with the studs to stiffen the building structure and keep things square. This would have been something that should not have been cut. Instead you should have moved your hole over and patched over the first  hole.


Plaster identification and screw recommendation I need to fasten standard 15mm water pipes to a division wall in my house (built in UK in the 1970's). Some clips are already in place, but I need to add more (I am talking about clips like this: https://www.wolseley.co.uk/product/center-hinged-wrap-over-pipe-clip-15-mm/).

I am only familiar with brick, cement-plastered walls, so please bear with my newbieness:

What kind of wall and plastering do I have? See the pics of a hole in a wall on the same floor:

https://postimg.cc/gallery/2c7gbb97m/

What kind of screws (material, size, shape, gauge) do you recommend?
Should I use plugs (anchors)? I unmounted one of the existing clips and the screw seems to have none.

Any further advice on what I should/shouldn't do, or anything else, is welcome.

Thanks!

You have a standard drywall wall. I have used these anchors for years with much success. They can be installed without drilling and removed easily without a lot of damage to the wall and used again. I've included a picture of them. They can be used with #6 or #8 screws.


Can I run two 15amp breakers (in a 70amp panel in my shed) off of a 20amp breaker from the main 100amp panel? I took a no longer used 12/2 wire from our backyard and extended it to my new shed so I can wire lights and outlets.  The wire is on a 20amp breaker in the main panel, which has 100amp service.  My original thought was to install a small two breaker panel (70amp is the smallest I could find), and run lights off one breaker and outlets on the other.  After researching online and watching some videos, I am questioning whether this is even possible.  It would be nice to have them separate, but am I better off (or have to) running everything on one circuit?

Since the feed from your main panel is on a 20 amp breaker and 20 amps is allowable for lighting and 120V outlet circuits, there's no reason to add a subpanel. The 20A breakers you'd put in the subpanel would be redundant. If you want a master switch in the shed, I'd suggest using a non-fused SPA/air-conditioning disconnect box. These are typically designed for two-leg 240V but you can just use one side.

All of the above assumes that you are in the USA and are keeping the circuit 120V and not 240V.


How can I salvage the walls after painting over wallpaper? So I moved into our house and the lady before me had faux finished the walls. I used latex paint and painted over everything. Ah, a fresh coat of paint.... NOPE! Well, she had painted over wallpaper and now its wrinkled in the corners and there are seams everywhere. Any suggestions other than taking it all down? It's everywhere, kitchen, breakfast area, living room and formal living room. I've thought of Venetian plaster but it just seems like it will continue to make it heavy. I need help!

Rent wall-paper steamers to remove the wall paper. Unfortunately, the latex paint will make it harder. You need to find a way to allow the steam to penetrate the latex. Use a scraper to scrape the paint, but not through the paper, so you don't damage the underlying wall surface. I've used rasps, cheese graters, etc. Just be careful you don't damage the walls too much!


Can I modify the vent from my high efficiency furnace to prevent possible damage to the exterior of my home? is my high efficiency furnace vent installed properly? I'm based in Toronto, Canada. In some recent cold winter weather, the exhaust is causing a lot of ice buildup on the surrounding brick. To my limited knowledge, lots of freeze / thaw cycles for brick is a bad thing, which can cause brick to deteriorate rapidly. So is this an issue? If so, is it worth correcting and are there any easy DIY solutions that you would recommend?

Could I change the venting to just be one vent, instead of two (right now the exhaust vents both up and down)? And maybe aim the exhaust a bit further from the brick?

I am a Local HVAC Tech in the Toronto area. As stated, this exhaust is not installed according to local codes and the manufacturers installation instructions. There is no surprise that you are getting freezing condensation on the brick of the house. The reason for having the vent terminate straight out and away from the building is to avoid this. The facing of the brick will chip off after a few years of this. Another issue i see is that any exhaust for a high efficiency gas appliance must be insulated when being run in an unconditioned space (such as in a garage or running under a deck). Now if the termination is 2ft or less, you do not need to insulate the exhaust. However, in your situation there is a long termination, which requires it being insulated to prevent freezing.

My solution would be to cut off the tee at the end of the termination, slide on armaflex pipe insulation around the exhaust. You should have from where the tee started, to where the pipe enters the house fully insulated. Then using system 636 PVC glue and primer if doing it in cold weather, glue a system 636 PVC elbow onto the end of the termination so that it is blowing the exhaust straight away from the house. Then cut a 6" piece of system 636 2" PVC pipe and glue that into the elbow to help throw the exhaust further away from the structure. Doing all of the above would solve all the termination issues, and bring it back up to code.


Is the following image the section of a Resilient channel? per this post,

  Resilient channel is a thin metal channel that is intelligently designed to

  substantially improve the sound insulation of drywall, sheetrock,
  plasterboard walls

  and ceilings. The channel effectively isolates drywall from the
  framing studwork,

  which results in the weakening of sound waves substantially.

Is the following image the section of a Resilient channel?

The key is the air space at the right side, which cannot be connected to the connect studs. Is my understanding right?

Yes it is resilient channel, called RC1. The website you linked to has all that information.


Can cmx and non cmx ethernet cable be coupled Is it acceptable to use cmx rated cable outside and then switch over to non cmx inside with one of these?
It's residential for poe security cameras and less than 300 feet total in run lengths.

Yes, you can do that. CMX is only about the exterior rated jacket material. A better solution would be to terminate both cables to fixed jacks, and connect them with patch cords, rather than having floating couplers and plugs crimped onto solid cables like this, but this can work (it's just somewhat more prone to fail.)


Can unused mortar that freezes be used? I left a bag of opened Porcelain mortar in the garage for a week and during that time the temperature got below freezing. Can I use this mortar or does it have to be thrown out?

As long as it is dry, you are good to use it. If it has been exposed to excess humidity in any temperature it will harden in the bag.


Wiring GU10 Sockets: Cables are of same color - which one should be “live”? Question:
How can I know which cable should be "live" and which one should be "neutral", or does it not matter? (GU10 socket).

GU10 sockets are symmetrical:

So there is no need to pay attention to where you hook the live and neutral wires, because the lamp can be inserted either way. As the wiring is AC the main reason to wire it up one way or another is for safety considerations.

If you are wiring the switch too, put it on the live wire if possible, so that changing the lamp with the switch off is actually safe. The socket looks pretty safe to me anyway.


What Is The Name of this Washer? I have changed the cartridge on a tap and in the process have ruined the washer that sits between the very base of the tap and the sink, I am referring to the ring at the base in this image which is now split:

As a consequence water can now run below the tap and to the cupboard below. I don’t know what the name of the washer is below the tap, nor whether or not I’m likely to be able to source a replacement (I am aware that plumbers seem to suggest simply to replace the tap in situations such as this).

I don’t know the brand or model of the tap as it was installed in my house since new.

google moen single handle faucet parts

I found two terms

escutcheon gasket and deck gasket


Where to start and end kitchen backsplash? This may be a trivial question but I can not find an example online specific to my situation. I have heard you end at cabinets, end at countertop, add bullnode at very end of wall, etc. Here is the wall I am trying to add subway tile to:

As you can see there are some oddities. The switch at the top will not be fully covered by the tile so a tiny part of the top will be uncovered, the countertop ends very close to the end of the wall, etc. Any suggestions about where to start the backsplash or any picture examples would be greatly appreciated!

Not what you're asking about, but important:

If you regularly plug in more than 2 devices, as implied by the 6-1 gadget in the picture, then I highly recommend putting in another dual 15A receptacle a few inches away from the existing one. It can be on the same circuit and on the load side of the existing GFCI. I would put it a few inches away (either above the existing receptacles or to the left, below the light switches - presumably there is a stud between the switches and the receptacles) rather than putting in a 2-gang box because many devices need extra room (e.g., wall warts). It can share the same circuit so the cost is basically standard dual 15A receptacle + box + a little bit of cable and appropriate clamps, etc. This solves two problems:

For now and the future it eliminates the extra plug-in gadget to "expand" the receptacles. I use those, but I hate them. When there is a specific need - e.g., provide surge protection, then they make sense. But when they are just to add more receptacles they become another point of failure.
Doing this now, before you tile, means you don't have to do extra work patching. If you do a half-way decent job, any mess (extra holes, scratches, etc.) will be totally covered up by the tile! Very convenient.


Remove closet center support beam? I have a bump-out closet in an addition. It had two sets of bi-fold doors, separated by a beam in the middle. The beam seems to bare very little load, and I'd like to remove it for one continuous expanse. Two of the four studs extend to the top of the framed closet. But there is an 1/8 inch gap between them, so perhaps I need to fill the gap for compression hold. But wondering if there's a bracket of some kind made specifically for this application, to bridge the two horizontal studs. Pictures attached.

I agree with Tester101's comment. The current "header" in each closet opening appears to be just one flat 2x4. You will want to install a pair of 2xX framing members on edge that can span the total new opening width without sagging. The ends of this should sit on top of the jack studs at the sides of the opening. A convenient way to make this header thickness match the width of the 2x4 studding is to put pieces of 1/2" plywood in between the two 2xX members.

Adding details from comments responses...

As I have already said, the header should span the entire width of the opening. Since we were not told the overall width I have to leave it up to you to determine whether or not 2x6 lumber is appropriate or not. This is the right way to do it. You can choose some other kludge box way to cut corners if you wish but I certainly could not sanction it.

Installation of the header would involve removing the drywall from the upper inside face of the closet. Remove the flat 2x4's. Decide on the proper size of header material whether that be 2x6's or some other size. You will have to shorten any cripple studs that went from the flat 2x4's up to the top of the closet opening. The 2xX's are 1.5" thick so two of them will be 3". The existing studding is 3.5 inches wide so a 0.5" thick plywood between the 2xX's makes the total thickness of the header come out to 3.5 inches to match the studding. Cut the header pieces to length so they go all the way across the opening over the top of the jack studs at the side of the full opening. Nail the ends of the header in place. For this type of installation you will most likely end up toe nailing it to the king stud and top end of the jack stud. Once in place any of the shortened cripple studs would be toe nailed to the top of the header. Note that there may be nails or screws into these cripple studs through the drywall on the room side. Use care not to exert too much racking on these as you toe nail them in so as not to tear out these fasteners. If you had not done a real careful job measuring and cutting off the bottoms of the cripple studs they may be too high off the top of the header to toenail effectively. You can correct for this by putting a new cripple stud, cut to the right length, right next to the existing one and then screwing or nailing the two together.

End of added details...

This header plays an important role in making sure that the door opening stays straight and properly supports what ever type of door you intend to install. In this case of a bump out closet, where the top of the closet does not go all the way to the room ceiling, the header plays literally no role of supporting the overhead room ceiling. It does of course bear the weight of the overhead drywall across the span and whatever "ceiling" is in the closet top.


How do I smooth patio concrete for tile while maintaining slope? I just poured concrete for an outside patio that is roughly 21' long x 5' wide.  It has the appropriate slope for drainage.  Once it's fully cured I plan to lay 24" x 16" travertine stone tiles over it.  The stone pieces are roughly 1 1/2" thick.  Unfortunately I'm a concrete rookie and the surface is not smooth.  Is there a simply way for me to smooth the surface enough for the tile while maintaining the drainage slope?

Isn't  it a little late to be asking that question??  Get a 2x4 and run it along the framing for the concrete, smoothing it out.

Even if the concrete isn't totally smooth, when you install the tile you can smooth the rough surface of the concrete with the mortar... If the slab you poured has the proper slope make sure each tile is flush with the slab and you'll get the slope you desire. Good luck


Where in the span of a floor joist can I drill holes to run wiring? How far from the end of a 2x12 or 2x10 floor joist can I drill a hole?
NEC 502.8 does not give this answer, only that you have to be 2" above or below the edges, not in what part of the span it has to be in.

The rules that I know for holes (not notches) are to keep your hole in the center of the joist when possible (top to bottom) or at least 2" from an edge, round, with a diameter less than 1/3 of height of the joist. Once you follow those, I don't believe there's a restriction on how close or far from the end of the joist you can install the holes. Personally I would keep the hole at least the length of one hole diameter (or 2" for small holes) away from the end of the joist, but there isn't anything in the building code I see requiring that.


What to mask space between panel floor and balcony with? We have put the floors on our own. They're not perfect and we have left too much space
between the floor and the window. And a standard finishing element like this:

is too small.

Here are pictures of how it looks:

What can we use to mask the space?

You can stack molding.  Perhaps a piece of square stock, then a separate quarter round "shoe molding" as you illustrated.  Be sure to keep your hardwood floor expansion gap intact.

Complex molding is often built up from simpler shapes: once painted you never notice.


How do I clean reclaimed wood from construction? I'm building a house (brick, cement and concrete) and I have a big pile of wood used for beam and pillar molds.

How can I properly clean cement off wood? I think it should be very damaging to blades in general (planer, table saw, etc), and sanding it out wouldn't be very effective.

You could try X'Crete which is advertized as suited to removing concrete from forms.  It dissolves the concrete into a slush you can rinse away.  There's probably other similar products.

Or a more hard-core approach would be to use Muriatic Acid; apparently that's what masons use to clean their stuff.  Downside being it's dangerous.

A more tool-oriented approach would be a belt sander with a low grit paper.  Belt sander don't care.